Thursday, August 9, 2018

Review: All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

                                                                                All Your Perfects
                                                                                                                      Colleen Hoover
                                                                                                                           306 pages
                                                                                                                         July 17, 2018
                                                                                                                          Atria Books
Synopsis:
  Colleen Hoover delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?


Tanya's Review:  
          It is no secret that Colleen Hoover is my favorite author, I enjoy her books they make me feel and think about life. This book is no different and it touched me more than any of her other books before because I could definitely relate. I have been married for 12 years and with my husband for 19 years. This book is so truthful about what a relationship takes, you need to embrace the bad along with the good, that's what makes the good so sweet. Everyone in a relationship should read this book, it's relatable in so many ways. Again I want to thank Colleen Hoover for another amazing and touching read.

5/5 Stars

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Review: Respect (The Breaking Point, #3) by Jay Crownover

                                                                          Respect (The Breaking Point, #3)
                                                                                                                 Jay Crownover
                                                                                                                         296 pgs
                                                                                                                   August 7, 2018


Synopsis: 
     
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who called a corrupt kingdom home sweet home.

Protected and sheltered from the worst the world had to offer, she fell in love with the crumbling city that burned and blazed around her. Every dirty corner, every scary shadow, found a place within her heart. So did a man who was violent and dangerous, just like the streets she claimed as her own.

He was all business and brutality, except when it came to her. With her, he was calm, caring, and heartbreakingly patient.

He warned her over and over that he wasn't the man for her, but she refused to listen. She never expected either the streets or their enforcer to hurt her, since she'd given her heart so completely to both.

She should have known the streets in the Point were always going to be savage, and so was the man committed to keeping control of them in the hands of criminals and bloody kingpins.

Blindsided by a betrayal which cut so deeply she was sure the wounds would never heal, the princess fled the home she loved and the man who broke her heart. Throwing away her rusted, twisted crown was supposed to help her forget. All it did was make her long for everything she left behind. She told herself she would never go back, but in this tormented kingdom, family is everything. Eventually, she has no choice but to return.

While she was gone, the people who loved her worked hard to make the city safe, and the man who destroyed her sank deeper into the darkness. Going back shouldn't feel like surrender... but it does. As this pretty princess hovers on the edge of the unknown, the past attacks with a vengeance. It's a good reminder that puppy love eventually grows up and turns into something with sharp teeth and one hell of a bite.

She never asked for the keys to the kingdom. She'd much rather go out and build her own.


Tanya's Review:  
      This book was a perfect ending to this series. I have been a fan of Jay's for a while now and I feel like I have been waiting for Karsen and Booker's story forever. These 2 characters caught my eye in Better When He is Bold when it came out 3 years ago! I know I had to wait for this story as Karsen was still only a teen at that point but the chemistry these 2 had, I knew I wanted their story. Kudos to Jay as this story was so heartfelt and these 2 characters struggled and fought to make it out alive and be together. I definitely suggest you start this series from the beginning before reading this book, it means so much more to be able to watch these 2 characters grow and struggle in the previous books, so that when you do get to read this one, as a reader you know how rough the world they live in is and how they have fought, struggled to finally get to have a chance to be happy and together. Karsen is da bomb, she takes no prisoners and knows what she wants and will fight to get it, don't let her looks deceive you. And Booker has had a terrible life growing up and Karsen is a ray of light he needs. These 2 were just awesome together. Thank you Jay for the most fitting ending to this dark, gritty series. I am so happy I got this story but at same time sad that this series has come to an end. 

If you like gritty, tough romances this series is for you. Tattooed bad asses, evil dudes, dirty dealings but love will run true. 

4/5 Stars


 

Monday, July 2, 2018

Review: Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone, #2) by Jill Shalvis


Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone, #2)
Jill Shalvis
384 pages
6/19/18
William Morrow Paperbacks
Synopsis:

Following the USA Today bestselling author of Lost and Found Sisters comes Jill Shalvis' moving story of heart, loss, betrayal, and friendship
Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife. 

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person?  Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Brown changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.



Laura's Review:

Jill Shalvis is consistently good - she has found her niche in writing series of books that are standalones, but feature a connected group of people. Rainy Day Friends is a prime example of that. I loved nearly every thing about this book and was sad to see it end. There might have been just a little too much time spent on the secondary characters, I would have liked those details left to their own books, but it wasn't too distracting from the main love story. 
4/5 stars.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange of this honest review.

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Review: I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting








SHE’S GOT CURB APPEAL

Rian Sutter grew up with the finer things in life. Spending summers in The Hamptons was a normal occurrence for her until her parents lost everything years ago. Now Rian and her sister are getting their life, and finances, back on track through real estate. Not only do they buy and sell houses to the rich and famous, but they finally have the capital to flip their very own beachfront property. But when she inadvertently catches the attention of a sexy stranger who snaps up every house from under her, all bets are off…

HE’S A FIXER UPPER

Pierce Whitfield doesn’t normally demo kitchens, install dry wall, or tear apart a beautiful woman’s dreams. He’s just a down-on-his-luck lawyer who needed a break from the city and agreed to help his brother work on a few homes in the Hamptons. When he first meets Rian, the attraction is undeniable. But when they start competing for the same pieces of prime real estate, the early sparks turn into full-blown fireworks. Can these passionate rivals turn up the heat on their budding romance — without burning down the house?

I FLIPPING LOVE YOU, set in the Shacking Up world, follows two people, both working in real estate, who find themselves vying for the same properties in the Hamptons, leading to a sometimes-not-so-friendly competition.



Tanya's review: 

Perfect fun summer read. I enjoyed this book just as much as the previous books in the Shacking Up world. Helena Hunting knows how to write a fun romantic comedy. I was hooked from the beginning, loved how Rian and Pierce "run into each other" and meet.  I found the book to be a perfect mix of humor, banter, sexy time and angst. These two main characters, Rian and Pierce, both have such backstory you as the reader can't help but root for them and enjoy watching them fall hard for each other.  Its no secret I enjoy this author and all you have to do is pick up one of her books to understand why, such love and humor in her books you can't help but enjoy them. If you are looking for a fun, enjoyable summer vacation read, add this one to your list, you won't be disappointed. 

4/5 Stars

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

Review: The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis



The Good Luck Sister (Wildstone, #1.5)
Jill Shalvis
May 1, 2018
147 pages


This summer, romance blooms again in Wildstone!

After a difficult few years, Tilly Adams is ready for life to start going right. Though she has a case of first day nerves teaching art at the local community college, she knows it isn't anything a few snuggles from her rescue puppy won't cure. Until she sees Dylan Scott again, her one-time BFF and first love sitting in the front row.

Dylan knows he should've left well enough alone, but when he sees Tilly living her dream, he can't help but make contact. Ten years ago, he left Wildstone and everything in it behind, including Tilly. He had his reasons, but now he wants her back in his life, anyway he can get her.

When Tilly agrees to design the logo for Dylan's new helicopter touring company, it's business only...until she finds herself falling into his arms once again. Can she possibly open her heart back up to the only man who's ever broken it? But soon they're both realizing the truth - love always deserves a second chance.


Laura's Review: 

Another sweet romance from Jill Shalvis!
I usually feel like novellas don't do romance justice, but at 147 pages, this one felt deeper than most novellas. It didn't lack for backstory or details. Yes, the romance itself could have been a little more drawn out, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. A sweet, touching, second-chance romance worth picking up.

4/5 stars

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

(Re-)Release Day Review: Maid For Love by Marie Force

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Maid for Love (Gansett Island, #1)
Marie Force
288 Pages
April 24, 2018 (re-release)



Synopsis (from Goodreads): 
Maddie Chester is determined to leave her hometown of Gansett Island, a place that has brought her only bad memories and ugly rumors. Then she’s knocked off her bike on the way to her housekeeping job at McCarthy’s Resort Hotel by Gansett’s “favorite son,” Mac McCarthy. He’s back in town to help his father with preparations to sell the family resort and has no intention of staying long. When Mac accidentally sends Maddie flying over the handlebars, badly injuring her, he moves in to nurse her back to health and help care for her young son. He soon realizes his plans for a hit-and-run visit to the island are in serious jeopardy, and he just may be “maid” for love.

 ********************************************


Laura's Review: 
This is a great book to bring on vacation with you. Light, quick, fun - without too much conflict weighing it down. It is set on an island, and definitely has that New England kind of feel to the town. I expected a little more from Marie Force, the insta-love, grudge-holding, and poor decision making of a few of the characters was a little hard to overlook, but once you get past all that, the romance is sweet and charming and the characters are (mostly) likable. Nothing too memorable with this one, but an enjoyable escape for a few hours.

Maid for Love: 3.5/5 stars

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange of this honest review.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Release week blast and giveaway: The Backup Plan by Jen McLaughlin




About the Book:

I’m beyond help...

I threw a football before I could walk. Everything in my life revolved around football–and I loved every second. I was a star. Until, suddenly...I wasn’t. Now everyone thinks I’m the monster who killed his best friend. I’m an outcast on campus, silent and alone. Then Taylor Selmer walks back into my life. When will she learn–I’m beyond saving.

I need to save him...

Chase and I used to be friends. But after the accident, nothing was the same. We used to have something special–until we didn’t. But he doesn’t smile anymore. Doesn’t talk. Doesn’t play. It hurts me to see him this way, and I will do everything I can to get him back in the game. Whether he likes it or not.

Purchase Link: https://entangledpublishing.com/the-backup-plan.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38492056-the-backup-plan



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Rafflecopter Giveaway:

(2) $25 Amazon Gift Cards


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About Jen McLaughlin:

Jen McLaughlin is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of sexy books with Penguin Random House. Under her pen name, Diane Alberts, she is also a USA TODAY bestselling author of Contemporary Romance with Entangled Publishing. Her first release as Jen McLaughlin, Out of Line, hit the New York Times, USA TODAY and Wall Street Journal lists. She was mentioned in Forbes alongside E. L. James as one of the breakout independent authors to dominate the bestselling lists. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal-clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, and three cats. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Jen’s Media Links:

Author Website: www.dianealberts.com
Author Blog: www.dianealberts.com
Author Twitter: http://twitter.com/DianeAlberts
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianeAlberts6/
Author Street Team/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/501457736573962/
Author Instagram: @jenmclaughlin66

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Excerpt from THE BACKUP PLAN:

The door opened...making me fall backward into Chase’s pitch-black room. When I landed against something hard and naked, arms closed around me without hesitation.
A palm brushed my right breast, sending a wave of awareness shooting through me. I tried not to think about that, though.
Guys were nothing but trouble.
I had bigger plans than falling for a smooth talker with bright eyes and a fake smile who would do nothing but distract me. Once I managed to regain my balance, I spun on my heel and looked at him.
The room behind him was dark, but the hallway illuminated his hotness. And once it did? I wished I hadn’t looked at all.
He stood in the doorway, looking completely unfazed by the fact that he’d basically just felt me up, and glowered at the guy in the hallway. He was shirtless, and wearing nothing but a pair of black sweats. His chest was hard and chiseled, and his abs...yeah. I wasn’t gonna touch upon those for the sake of my own sanity.
Waxing poetic over his abs wasn’t part of my job description.
“Uh, hey...” the guy in the hallway said, trailing off after a feeble attempt at pretending he hadn’t been talking crap about him moments before.
Chase’s green eyes met mine before focusing on the guy in the hall again. His sharp cheekbones were the same as I remembered, and so was his short brown hair. He used to have dimples in his cheeks when he smiled, which had softened the harsh lines of his face and given him a softer appeal, but I had no idea if they still existed since he hadn’t smiled at me yet. Or...at anyone all day. Had he forgotten how?
He said nothing. Just stared the other guy down.
Even I had to admit his stony silence was impressive.
Of course, he kind of reminded me of his dad right now, something he probably wouldn’t like. Or would he? I had no clue.
“I didn’t mean to...” The guy backed up, his face pale, and looked back at me. “She a friend of yours?”
Chase didn’t answer him. He just motioned me inside, his jaw ticking ever so slightly. When I didn’t move fast enough, he shot me a look with those gorgeous eyes of his, and I jumped slightly. “Um. Yes, I am.” I swallowed hard and inched past him, making sure I didn’t brush against his bare chest in the process.
Chase slammed the door behind me. I blinked across the inky blackness of the room, my heart hammering away in my ears. He’d been sitting here in the dark this early in the night? Had he been napping before hitting the books?
I’d learned college kids napped more than one year olds—and much more enthusiastically.
“Do you have something against lights?” I asked, forcing a little laugh at the end.
Dead silence met my joke. In all fairness, it was a pretty lame attempt. For a second I wondered if he was even in the room with me, but I heard him breathe. I turned my head, trying to figure out where he was. To my left, maybe.
“Okay. No lights, then. That’s fine. It’s cool. I’m not scared of the dark.” I paused. “Were you taking a power nap? I could use one. I got an hour of sleep last night.”
Still nothing.
I sensed him there, right next to me. He wasn’t touching me, but I swore he was thinking about it or something.
That makes no sense, Taylor.
I shivered, anxious and excited, all at the same time. “I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m—”
Without warning, Chase moved close enough for me to feel his heat. I backed against the wall until I couldn’t back up anymore. It wasn’t that he scared me. He didn’t. I just...
I just backed up, okay?
“You’re Taylor Selmer. Of course, I remember you. Why are you in my room?”



Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Review: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
Kate Moore
May 2, 2017
Sourcebooks
480 pages
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The incredible true story of the women who fought America's Undark danger
The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.
Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive — until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.
But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come.
Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives...
      ******************************************************************************
Laura's Review: 

The Radium Girls tells a compelling story, but in a way that was just a little too leaden with details that seemed redundant and unnecessary. I found myself checking the progress many times, waiting for the next chapter or section to begin. Although a lot of the frustration reading it mirrored that of those radium girls' lives, it seemed to ask a lot of the reader to keep reading to get to some sort of resolution. 
In the same vein as The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, this is one of those stories that history has largely forgotten and most people have no idea about, but everyone should. It is a good reminder of just how important making money is to big businesses in America and the lengths the corporations and those running them will go to keep the profits high. 
I would love to see this book go through an editing process and get re-released as a condensed version because I think it is an important story to be told, but at 480 pages, it will take a lot to get people to really listen. 
The Radium Girls: 3.5 /5 stars


Tuesday, February 6, 2018

VALENTINE'S GIVEAWAY!


Happy Valentine's Day 
from The Revolving Bookcase! 



Enter to win any kindle ebook of your choice from Amazon
 up to $7.99 USD! 




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Note: No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open internationally to anyone over 18 years of age, as long as you are able to receive ebook gifts from amazon and it is in compliance with any and all local laws. Winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter on or after 2/15/18.