Dear Life by Meghan Quinn

Blurb:





Four lives. Four stories. Four sets of letters. Four brave souls in need of guidance while facing life's greatest challenges.

The anonymously published Dear Life program is designed to help them step outside of their comfort zones, face their obstacles, and relinquish their demons...and prove their existence.

With their lives teetering between wanting more and losing it all, all four souls dive into the program as a New Year’s resolution, sending them on a crazy, life-altering journey.

Dear Life,

Please be kind.

Yours truly, Hollyn, Jace, Daisy, and Carter.






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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2npJiv9
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2npKnmK
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2ndenS9
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2iHbbhY
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2otlOVA






Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: March 2017.

“It’s easy to observe when you sit back and listen, if you truly listen to someone rather than preparing to respond to what they’re saying."

Hollyn, Jace, Carter and Daisy each have endured traumatic events, leading them to take part in the Dear Life Program hoping to find ways to move on from what haunts them, each are faced with challenges and set backs as they embark on their journey forward, originally I intended to tell you all about Dear Life, about the story Ms Quinn crafted, about the ways it moved me to tears, the ways it challenged me, and yet in the months that followed reading it I'm still no closer to getting those words down, I'm still a mass of emotions. What I can instead tell you is what I took from this book, the message that is engrained in my mind, scored on my heart, the mantra I chant over and over... PROVE YOUR EXISTENCE... instead of using my review as a protective shield, my armour against the world, I want to be open, raw and without filter, I want to challenge myself to live my truth and share what I still feel months later. Thank you Ms Quinn for challenging me, for urging me to do better, to be better, to prove my existence.

“Prove your existence. That’s your new motto to live by. What did you do today to prove your existence, what are you doing tomorrow to prove your existence in this world?”  

Dear Life,

We've had a rocky journey at times haven't we? You've tested me, pushed me, challenged me, you've made me question myself more times than I'd like to admit, to be honest you have made me feel worthless, your trials and tribulations have seen me deflated and crying on the floor unable to see past my grief and heartache as my body failed me time and time again.

Your constant attacks saw me battle eating disorders, anxiety attacks, depression and attempts on my life, you've also shown me soul awakening joy, sheer beauty and splendour. You've put people in my path that have left footprints on my heart and changed my very being. You've thrown me curve balls that pushed me to do better, to be better, to test my fortitude and my strength. You've made me ask myself time after time AM I ENOUGH? Your attacks on my health and body have made me question my worth as a woman, as a person, as someone who always believed themselves to be a good person.

Life, you're a tricky b*tch, you're sneaky, you know for every down there must also be an up, you have shown me sadness so that I can know joy. You have shown me anger so that I can know calm. You have shown me loss so that I can know appreciation. But mostly, you have continued to give me life, despite my taking you for granted.

Kristine.

About Meghan Quinn:

When I was in high school I occasionally read books but was consumed by other teenage things so I didn't take the time to appreciate a good book on a cloudy day, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. It wasn't until I received a Kindle for Christmas one year that my world completely flipped upside down. When looking for books I came across the Contemporary Romance genre and was sold and I haven't turned back since.

You can either find my head buried in my Kindle, listening to inspiring heart ripping music or typing away on the computer twisting and turning the lives of my characters while driving my readers crazy with anticipation.


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Good Boy (WAGs #1) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Blurb:



Hosting her brother’s wedding for an MVP guest list is the challenge of Jess Canning’s life. Already the family screw-up, she can’t afford to fail. And nobody (nobody!) can learn of the colossal mistake she made with the best man during a weak moment last spring. It was wrong, and there will not be a repeat. Absolutely not. Even if he is the sexiest thing on two legs.

Blake Riley sees the wedding as fate’s gift to him. Jess is the maid of honor and he’s the best man? Let the games begin. So what if he’s facing a little (fine, a lot) of resistance? He just needs to convince the stubborn blonde that he’s really a good boy with a bad rap. Luckily, every professional hockey player knows that you’ve got to make an effort if you want to score.

But Jess has more pressing issues to deal with than sexy-times with a giant man-child. Such as: Will the ceremony start on time, even though someone got grandma drunk? Does glitter ever belong at a wedding? And is it wrong to murder the best man?

Caution: May cause accidental aspiration of tea or coffee. Do not read in a public place where loud laughter is inappropriate. Contains hot but hilarious hockey players, puppy cuddling and a snarky pair of underwear.










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Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2o4HgUt
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2nuIPcT
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2nckVQU
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2npshBD
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2mKQ6GC
iBooks: http://geni.us/gbibooks
Kobo: http://geni.us/gbkobo
B&N: http://geni.us/gbnook










Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: March 2017.

When Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy first released their co-written work HIM I was instantly enamoured, it quickly rose to one of my favourite books of the year and with the subsequent release of US, they became one of my all time favourite duets. I was already a fan of Kennedy but with HIM's release I found myself downloading Bowen's back catalogue and devouring them at will. In US we were introduced to Blake Riley, the loveable larrikin with a huge heart and incidentally a huge *ahem*. Blake's loud and gregarious nature there was something inherently good about him. Something warm and nurturing, something that incited loyalty, there was a sense that there may be more to the big lug than met the eye.

“She’s staring at me like she wants to rip off my clothes. Or just rip something. I’m not quite sure which.”  

Jess Canning is loved by her family, there's no doubt of that, and yet her constant jumping from one career to the next has left her feeling on the outs, crushed by the wave of guilt for once again not following through on a career plan her parents have helped fund leaves her questioning her next steps. As she finishes the final touches on her first and last party planning venture for none other than her brothers wedding she should be prepared for any eventuality, including steering clear of the best man Blake Riley. Riley is every mistake she's ever made, he's bad decisions and reckless abandon rolled into a delicious package.

“That dude is a lot like a big, drooly dog. Doesn’t matter if he just met you, he wants to lick your face and hump your leg”

Blake Riley can't deny his attraction to Jess Canning, nor does he want to, she doesn't want a serious relationship, that's fine, neither does he, Jess doesn't want to revisit their little sex-capade, that's fine, he'll convince her otherwise. For every argument Jess puts forward, Blake can find a reason to refute her decision, Blake is after all a man with a plan and he'll stop at nothing to convince Jess to give him a shot even if it's only for a mutually beneficial somethin' somethin'.

“We’re friends?”
“Are we?”
I smirk at her. “Would you rather I said ‘former lovers? Or maybe soon-to-be-lovers-again?”
She smirks back. “In your dreams.”
“F*ck, yes. Absolutely in my dreams. The wet kind.” I reach over and cover her knee with my palm. “How about we make those dreams a reality”  

Filled with moments of absolutely hilarity, Good Boy felt much lighter than the Duet that spurned it's release, Bowen and Kennedy cement their ability to create the type of banter that effortlessly draws you in, whether it be the sizzling chemistry between Blake and Jess, or the bro-code worthy banter between Blake and his team mates, there was seldom a moment that was not engaging. I found myself desperate for more of this story and yet desolate at the idea of finishing it and being left bereft without their presence. Everything about the story had me invested, every scintillating sexy moment of back and forth between Blake and Jess, every moment of growing doubt over what they are to each other, every sweet moment of side glances and knowing smiles, every moment of growing lust and animal attraction only cemented Good Boy as a new favourite. With a whole new series to read and love on the way, Bowen and Kennedy have easily become one of my top writing duo's.

“He just laughs, that deep, boisterous laugh that seems to come from the centre of his soul, because Blake doesn’t do anything half-assed. He laughs the way he lives his life—loud and fierce and without inhibition. He f*cks that way, too.”  





About Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy:

Sarina Bowen is the USA Today bestselling author of steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction. She lives in the wilds of New England.

She is the author of The Ivy Years, an award-winning series set amid the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college. Also, the The Gravity series.

With Elle Kennedy, Sarina is the author of the RITA award winning HIM, and its sequel, US, as well as the WAGs novels.

Sarina also has a new Vermont contemporary romance series, True North. She's also unrolled new hockey novels from Penguin Berkley including Rookie Move.

Sarina enjoys skiing, espresso drinks and the occasional margarita. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Con Man by T. Torrest

Blurb:

Lucas Taggart is the best con man in the business, so to speak.

A former-geek-turned-hottie, Luke is now an image consultant and life coach to the rich and privileged in New York City. His eight-week program is designed to transform ugly ducklings into swans by instilling some much-needed confidence, and hey, a makeover never hurts.

But when Ainsley Carrington signs up as a client, Luke's world is thrown into a tailspin. Ainsley doesn't need an image consultant; her image is already perfect just the way it is. Luke immediately finds himself grappling with his attraction to the introverted beauty as all his old insecurities come bubbling back to the surface.

Thankfully, his new friend Mia is around to help him see that maybe the only makeover needed is on himself. Soon enough, the coach becomes the player as lines get blurred and professionalism gets thrown out the window.

The thing is, Luke doesn't date his clients. Ever. But fighting his desire is proving more difficult than he ever imagined. Especially since the cocky and arrogant "confidence man" has just completely lost his cool.

***CON MAN is a romantic comedy novel intended for ages 18+ due to some offensive language and graphic sex/sexual situations.***

READ WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MOOD FOR: cocky, fun, dramatic, insightful, relatable.

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Purchase Links:


Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2nZhQHX
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2mH7HPS
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2n0FsdP
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2n0xYHY
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2nt8v7Q





Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: March 2017.


A few years ago I stumbled on Ms Torrest's Remember When series, my fate as a bonafide TTorrest fan was cemented in those first moments of discovering Chester and LayLay, since then I have devoured each of her new releases, savouring in a style that is intrinsically hers, discovering new characters to love and enjoying the little Easter eggs she leaves for her readers.


In T's latest release we meet Lucas (Luke) Taggart, the ultimate CON MAN, after graduating from gangly and awkward teen to universally hot ladies man, Luke has created a lucrative business, Swan Inc. doing the same for many of the young, wealthy elite, unconcerned with their reasons for change he beautifies his clients, one by one.


When Luke haphazardly runs into Mia, an unexpected relationship is born, part business and part friendship, the two navigate the city, learning each others quirks. Mia with her brash and gregarious personality, and Luke with his well schooled attitude, the two set about slowly ingraining themselves in the others lives.


When Luke meets his newest client Ainsley, he is unprepared for the instant reaction she inspires, for the first time in over a decade Luke is left speechless, as lust and admiration converge, he finds himself falling for his new client, the one thing he veiled to never do.


In typical Torrest fashion behind the witty dialogue and explosive chemistry is a sweeter and more poignant message. We're often told as children to not judge a book by a cover, Luke often blurs this old adage with advice and tasks that encourage his participants to present the best possible package to the world in order to achieve their desires. I'll be honest, I had moments of  being absolutely disgusted with the hero, his focus on losing weight and having the perfect body in order to conform to society's standards of beauty waged a war on my heart, there were times when I struggled to find anything about him agreeable, and yet there was still that niggling feeling that he deserved another chance, that despite those douche'y moments early on where I wanted to climb into the pages and sock him in the mouth, I knew I was best to reserve judgement.


In a light and fun story about beauty being in the eye of the beholder, of second chances at life and love, at recognising your worth, and empowering yourself to be the absolute best you you can be, Torrest reminded why I adore her words and her stories, with the throw backs to monuments and beloved characters and the introduction of new soon to be favourites, Con Man was an absolute joy to read, incredibly entertaining from start to finish.

About T Torrest:

T. Torrest is a fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance. 

Ms. Torrest was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She's a pop-culture junkie, a movie aficionado, and an enthusiast of talking about herself in the third person. A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two sons.

She also really digs it when she hears from readers, and is known to use words like "dig" in a non-sarcastic way. You can find out more about her books at her website:  https://www.ttorrest.com/

She also LOVES to get friend requests on Goodreads and Facebook, and personal messages from readers via email: ttorrest@optonline.net

 

 

AUTHOR LINKS

 

Website: https://www.ttorrest.com/   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TTorrestAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TTorrest

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6885143.T_Torrest

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/T.-Torrest/e/B00AX1CQVM

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ttorrestauthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tinatorrest

Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/TTorrest-Author

Tempting Tanya (NSFW #3) by C.C. Wood

Blurb:

Jordan Hawke is the one temptation that Tanya Blake can't resist.

Two years ago, the cynical attorney wasn't interested in relationships. Tanya only wanted a fling with the sexy British lawyer. Then she made the mistake of falling in love with him. She was shattered when he left for a job in New York and decided she learned her lesson. Never again would she allow herself to be vulnerable.

She moved on and built an impenetrable wall around her wounded heart.

When Jordan returns to Dallas to take a position at the law firm where she works, he makes it clear that he wants to pick up where they left off. Tanya refuses, determined to protect herself from more pain.

But Jordan won't give up so easily. In fact, he plans to use whatever means necessary to draw Tanya back into his life and his bed. She's not the only one who made a mistake two years ago and he will do whatever it takes to make it right.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2lK3jxt
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2m9FLAK
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2luxvOx
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2mV9aym
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2mK0hLp

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: March 2017.

It's been quite a while since I could sink my teeth into the Not Safe For Work series, in saying that I was momentarily worried that I would forgot characters or some of the back history, but as always with Wood's writing I was instantly able to find my way, I was reacquainted with Lucy and Yancy and easily figured out where the girls were up to in their lives.

"For years, I'd held the conviction that love never lasted, that things would never work out. But what I really believed was that it would never happen for me."

Tanya is definitely the cynical one of the group, every day she watches once happy couples bitterly arguing over shared assets as their marriages dissolve, has left her feeling that relationships are not meant to last, after meeting and enjoying a short term tryst with the only man who could ever make her question  her resolve to stay free or romantic commitment and watching him walk away she is even more set in her ways to live the single life.

"For the first time since I met Jordan Hawke, I was seeing exactly what he was thinking and feeling. Nothing hidden. Nothing protected."

Jordan walked away from Tanya once over two years ago when his career took him in another direction, when Jordan's career brings him back Dallas, to the very law office Tanya works at, Jordan has his chance to see if the explosive chemistry he remembers is still there and if he can recreate it once again.

"She walked into the room and I knew that I had to learn everything I could about her. When I got to know her better, I knew Tanya was everything I could ever want in a partner."

There was something incredibly endearing about Tempting Tanya, in this story about adults overcoming their past hurts and very present fears, the author could of crafted a story with overly dramatic flair, with big angsty moments that screamed out for attention, and drew the reader away from her very sweet message about taking leaps and second chances, but instead crafted a strong, solid story, that was a joy to read, one that left my heart happy, that left a smile on my face. I often find myself questioning the overly dramatic actions of thirty somethings when too much angst in thrown in the mix, I find myself dissociating from the story, and losing that loved up feeling that usually envelops me when I'm enjoying a good book, with Tempting Tanya I never felt anything other than the emotions the author no doubt wanted to elicit, this sparkling addition to one of my much loved series left me smiling from ear to ear.

About C.C. Wood:

Born and raised in Texas, C.C. Wood writes saucy paranormal and contemporary romances featuring strong, sassy women and the men that love them. If you ever meet C.C. in person, keep in mind that many of her characters are based on people she knows, so anything you say or do is likely to end up in a book one day.

A self-professed hermit, C.C. loves to stay home, where she reads, writes, cooks, and watches TV. She can usually be found drinking coffee or wine as she spends time with her hubby, daughter, and two beagles.

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