Carry Your Heart

by Audrey Bell

New Adult Contemporary

Book Description

If you’re like me, your shower looks a lot like this:

I am a major bath and body addict, and my showers are filled with at least 4 or five different types of body wash, not to mention face washes, shampoo and conditioners, and my husband’s stuff too!

That’s why I was very happy to try out Ivory 2 in 1 Hair &  Body Wash, thanks to Influenster.  Not only does it save shower space, it offers all these benefits:

 –Cleans head to toe with dual action formula

–Washes away dirt and odor

–Leaves hair clean and conditioned

–Free of dyes & heavy perfumes

– 50% MORE than other 2-IN-1 brands

–Made in the USA

I first used it as a body wash, and I have to say I was quite impressed with the amount of lather it made–this is very important to be in a body cleanser!  It cleaned nicely and washed away easily, leaving a light, clean scent on my skin.  As a shampoo, it was just OK for me…I needed my shampoo to bee just a little less heavy.  My husband loved Ivory 2 in 1 for both his hair and body though!  I can see us having so many uses for this product this summer: beach days, overnight trips, pool time.  And we’ll only need to pack one bottle for the whole family.

You can find Ivory 2 in 1 Hair & Body Wash at Target, Walmart, and drugstores.

Be sure to check out Ivory’s Facebook page.

*DISCLAIMER: I received this product free of charge from Influenster in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way other than the free product.

Friends & Lovers Trilogy

by Bethany Lopez

New Adult Contemporary Romance

*This book is an omnibus of the three stories in this trilogy.  I will be reviewing each novella separately below.

Friends & Lovers, Book One

Book Description

 

MY THOUGHTS: 3 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

Make it Last by Bethany Lopez

Colin breaks Briana’s heart when he breaks up with her just before leaving for college. So when he comes back into town four years later, she’s not too excited at the prospect of having to see him in their tiny town. But since time has passed, they’ve both become different people. Is it worth exploring if their love was true?

This was a very fast moving novella, that introduced a pretty large group of friends. Briana and Colin are both nice enough, but I found nothing particularly compelling about either of them.

I did feel that Briana was very quick to give Colin another chance. I know this was a novella but I would have liked to see a little more development in the relationship. The chemistry between Briana and Colin was very hot, however. The sex scenes were nicely written without being too explicit.

I did see a couple of things coming, but the end of the story was cute and made you want to root for these characters.

View all my reviews

Friends & Lovers Trilogy, Book Two

Book Description

Up until now, Nicole’s life has been mapped out for her. She’d go to college, marry Jake and become the upstanding minister’s wife. When she leaves that life to begin again in a small town in Texas, she finally has the freedom to live as she chooses. There, she meets Kent, a guy whose charm and passion make it hard to stick to her morals.

Dodging his father’s fists and protecting his twin sister made Kent into the man he is today. He learned by watching his mother stay by his father’s side that it’s better to keep relationships simple. Then he meets Nicole. Her sweet smile and genuine response to him land like punches to his resolve. After a lifetime of learning to protect his heart, can he finally let down his guard?

MY THOUGHTS:  3 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

I Choose You by Bethany Lopez

Nicole is the virginal preacher’s daughter who’s just moved into town from Dallas after disappointing her parents. Kent is the headstrong ladies’ man who moved from Detroit to escape the horrible childhood he and his twin sister had. Though the two seem to be opposites, there’s something about Nicole that sets Kent on fire, and he’s never wanted a girl this much before. Though they are different, is it worth pursuing to see if they can become something more?

This is another novella that revolves around a group of friends in a tiny Texas town. Nicole is rather dull as a character, but Kent is pretty cool. He’s been working hard since he was a child to pull himself and his twin out of poverty, and even tough he’s a young man, he’s accomplished a lot and still have big dreams to fulfill.

Though I did see one of the tropes I hate in this story, I thought it was good. I felt like the end was just the beginning of Kent and Nicole’s relationship, but it seems they are headed for happiness.

View all my reviews

Friends & Lovers Trilogy, Book Three

Book Description

Roni’s dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer were smashed under the brutal rage of her ex-husband’s fists. Getting divorced and starting over at the age of twenty-two was never her plan, but maybe in Texas, she’ll find her path. When the town’s local player, Rich, opens a Rec Center, she sees a way to rekindle her dancing dreams…and maybe have a little fun with her sexy new boss.

Rich never expected to fulfill his dreams in the town he planned to leave behind, but that’s just what he’s doing. His reputation as a noncommittal ladies’ man might make it challenging to earn respect in the business world, but he’s willing to prove that he’s serious. In fact, when it comes to pursuing Roni, he’s more than willing. But she’s taking a page out of his book, not wanting to risk another relationship. Can he convince her that his playboy days are over and that she can trust him with her heart?

Trust in Me by Bethany Lopez

Rich is back in his hometown after graduating college, and between his trysts with girls is working on opening a rec center. Roni has recently come to town to meet her twin brother Kent, after escaping an abusive marriage, and just wants a fresh start. Roni understandably is trying to steer clear of all men, but Rich’s charms eventually begin to work on her. Can she open herself up for the possibility of love again?

The final installment in the Friends and Lovers trilogy, I liked this one the best. Roni has already been through a terrible childhood, an abusive marriage, and a divorce, and as such seems much more mature than the other girls we’ve met in the series. She’s damaged and wary of men in general, and it was refreshing that she didn’t fall in love instantly with Rich. Rich is a pretty playboy with a soft side, who loves his mama and wants to give back to the community. The main characters in this story definitely made it more enjoyable.

Rich and Roni and more sexually experienced, and it showed in the sex scenes. Their chemistry sizzled on the pages. But beyond that, they really connected as a couple and I feel they have the strength to last. The ending to this story was great, and I liked that it wasn’t sterotypical.

View all my reviews

About the Author

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult novel. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her contemporary Young Adult series, Stories About Melissa. Ta Ta for Now!, xoxoxo, and Ciao are available now. Bethany is currently working on a Contemporary Fantasy YA and a Contemporary New Adult Trilogy.

Bethany Lopez | Facebook| Twitter | Pinterest | IAN

You can win 1 of 3 signed copies of the Friends & Lovers Trilogy!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER! 

Darkness of Light

by Stacey Marie Brown

New Adult Paranormal

Book Description

Freak. Witch. Crazy. Schizo.

Ember Brycin has been called them all. She’s always known she’s different. No one has ever called her normal, even under the best circumstances. Bizarre and inexplicable things continually happen to her, and having two different colored eyes, strange hair, and an unusual tattoo only contributes to the gossip about her.

When the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for trouble teens, she meets Eli Dragen, who’s hot as hell and darkly mysterious. Their connection is full of passion, danger, and secrets. Secrets that will not only change her life, but what and who she is—leading her down a path she never imagined possible.

Between Light and Dark, Ember finds a world where truth and knowledge are power and no one can be trusted. But her survival depends on finding out the truth about herself. In her pursuit, she is forced between love and destiny and good and evil, even when the differences between them aren’t always clear. At worst, she will incite a war that could destroy both worlds. At best, she will not only lose her heart but her life and everyone she loves. Once the truth is out, however, there will be no going back. And she’ll definitely wish she could.

1.  Tell us a little about yourself.

Currently I am living in San Francisco, Ca. But I’ve also lived in Los Angeles, Boston, London, Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand. I loved living abroad, but deep down I guess I am a Northern California girl at heart. I did some acting, set/interior design, and now split my time between staging homes and being an author. Writing and traveling are my two biggest passions. Other than that I am preparing to be that freaky cat lady down the street. Just need the cats.

2.  Who or what gives you inspiration?

I’ve said this over and over, but it still is the truth. Reading does! Reading helps me so much in not only inspiring me with qualities I want in my stories, but also things I don’t want in my stories. I look at things while reading differently now. If a scene or character really captures me I ask why. If a book/scene/or character really makes me feel “ehhh, who cares?” I also ask why.

3.  What’s the hardest part of being a writer?

Making an actual living off of it! Also sometimes reading reviews when the reader says something mean or clearly didn’t understand what you were trying to say or took it wrong. You automatically want to defend yourself and the characters decisions, but you have to take a moment, breathe, and understand that not everyone is going to like it. Those readers who really do get it, connect with it, and love it make you forget all the bad anyway. My readers make it all worth it . . . tenfold.

4.  What do you need around you to write (special drink, lucky items, etc)?

Besides an IV of caffeine hooked up to my vein? I don’t have any particular item I eat or drink. The only thing, if I need to be serious about writing, is I need to leave the house and go to a café. As much as I love staying in my flannel pj bottoms, there are too many distractions at home. I tend to find “sparkly” things everywhere but in what I should be concentrating on.

5.  What are some of your favorite books?

I am so terrible at these kind of questions only because I am really bad a narrowing things down. I love so many books for so many different reasons, and it could simply be based on my mood at that time. I really enjoy Richelle Mead, Kelley Armstrong, Ilona Andrews, Windy Higgins, S.M. Boyce, and the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning. Seriously I could go on . . . and on . . . and on . . .

6.  Are your characters based on anyone you know?

I think there is a little of a lot of people I know in them. Some are by name and some by personality. I can’t imagine a writer not writing at least a little off of what they know. I can honestly say there isn’t one of my characters that is fully someone I know. But that could always change. Friends and enemies of writers should always be aware!

7.  What, if anything, are you working on right now?

I just finished Book Two of the Darkness Series, Fire in the Darkness. It is being edited right now. Until it comes back to me for changes, I have started working on Book Three. There will be four in the series as of right now. If people really respond to them and want more. Who knows?

8.  Why do you love writing?

Writing is just a part of me. I can’t explain that one thing that makes me love it. I guess I love making worlds and escaping into them. Would a therapist have a field day with me on why that is? Well, that goes without saying. But, in everything I’ve done, acting, designing, writing . . . it has always been about creating worlds and living in them for a time. To me it is magic!

About the Author

Stacey Marie Brown works by day as an Interior/Set Designer and by night a writer of paranormal fantasy, adventure, and literary fiction. When she’s not writing, she’s out hiking, spending time with friends, traveling, listening to music, or designing.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

GOODREADS

PURCHASE THE BOOK:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

There is a giveaway shared across all the stops for 5 eBook copies of DARKNESS OF LIGHT.
There is one required entry to leave a blog post comment (PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG POST) and optional entries to Tweet, Follow the author on Twitter, Like the series on Facebook and Add the book to Goodreads.
The eBook is available in a format of choice. It is an international giveaway.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Comes the Night

by Norah Wilson & Heather Doherty

Casters Series, Book One

Book Description

How far would you go to escape your own personal teenage hell? Would you run away, break away from everything you know—even your own body?

Alex Robbins, Brooke Saunders and Maryanne Hemlock could not be more different, yet they all have something in common—deep and soul-searing pain. They are also all students at Streep Academy, a boarding school just one step away from juvie, where they’ve come to complete high school. The three have been relegated to Harvell House, the residence reserved for the hardest cases, the so-called Rejects from Reject Row.

In the forbidden attic of the old Victorian house-turned-residence, the girls discover the diary of Connie Harvell, a young woman who was confined and abused there some 50 years ago. In the end, Connie’s attic prison couldn’t hold her—not completely. She found a way out. At least a dark part of her did. And after reading her diary, the girls discover they can escape at will too. A terrifying, thrilling flight from their bodies and their troubles.

But God help them, their pain isn’t all they leave behind when they join with the night.

And God help anyone who’s wronged them…

MY THOUGHTS: 3.75 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

Comes the Night by Norah Wilson

Alex returns for another year at Streep Academy, where she will be joined by roommates Maryanne and Brooke in the sinister Harvell House. But before the school year officially starts, Alex wakes up in the attic of the house after being attacked but remembering nothing. She also finds an old diary that belonged to a girl their age who used to live in the house. Alex shares the secrets of the diary and the attic with her roommates, and they all learn of an exhilarating way to escape their troubles.

But before long they are abusing their new power, and must remind each other to withhold themselves before things get way out of hand. While they’re enjoying what they’ve found in themselves, there’s also the matter of what happened to the girl in the diary. The three girls’ school year is going to be beyond interesting, that’s for sure.

It did take me several chapters to really get interested in this book, but once I did I couldn’t stop reading. Alex and her roommates and all so different, each with their own internal pain they need to deal with. But the way they come together through something so unique was nice to watch.

The main thing I had trouble with was the language and diction, not only in the way the characters speak, but in the writing itself. I’m not sure the ages of the authors, but I found it very hard to believe that three 17 year old girls would speak in the way they do in this book. The writing style was just hard for me to get into, and some of it was very repetitive.

The story is told in alternating perspectives from all three of the girls, but is told in third person point of view. It takes a long while to get completely into the backstory of each girl, but once you do, it’s clear to see why each one is so hurt. Alex is the tough girl with a secret she wants no one to ever learn, because she doesn’t want their pity. Maryanne is the quiet one who may not have told the entire truth when it comes to the recent death of her baby brother. Brooke is the sassy city girl who may put up an attitude, but secretly harbors insecurities she can’t get over. Although the three girls start the school year barely talking to each other, they can all sense each other hiding something and it brings them closer together.

I really liked the unique supernatural themes of this book, and although it had many layers and different plot threads to follow, the complexity was not bothersome at all. The ending was fitting and sad, and although this is a series, I felt this book could have been left just as it is and be a complete story. I’m not sure what else the girls may have to get into, but I’ll definitely love to read more of their adventures together.

View all my reviews

About the Authors

NORAH WILSON is a Kindle best-selling author of romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, with her husband, two adult children, dog Chloe, and kitty, Ruckus.

HEATHER DOHERTY fell in love with writing while taking creative writing courses with Athabasca University. Motivated by her university success, and a life-long dream of becoming a novelist, she later enrolled in the Humber School for Writers under the mentorship of David Adams Richards. Her first literary novel was published in 2006. While still writing dark literary (as well as not-so-dark children’s lit), she is beyond thrilled to be writing paranormal/horror with Norah. Heather lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick with her family. (No pets, but I swear Norah’s dog, Chloe, calls me Aunt Heather).

Together, Heather and Norah write dark, edgy, frightening young adult paranormal/horror.

The Sixth Power

by Carol Nicolas

YA Paranormal

Book Description

Tania Westing, a high school senior, is one of the Gifted Ones, descendants of an ancient family with seven special powers. Some of the powers are common, and some are rare.

Until her geneticist brother Tom was murdered, Tania lived an ordinary life. Now hidden in her mind is a clue that will reveal Tom’s research, including secret formulas to unlock all seven powers. During spring break, Tania meets and falls in love with handsome Dan Maclean. When Tania reveals her rare power to heal, the evil Gifted Ones who killed Tom suspect Tania has his research and formulas and come after her. Tania must learn to use her powers to help save Dan’s sister in time to keep Tom’s secrets safe.

About the Author

Carol Nicolas lives in northern Utah (USA) with her husband. A native of Canada, she attended BYU-Idaho (formerly Ricks College) and obtained a bachelor’s degree in education from Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah USA). A teacher, mother of five, wearer of silly socks, and fan of sci-fi/fantasy books and films, she enjoys growing herbs and vegetables, painting, and researching her family history. She likes rock, pop, Celtic and classical music. She has traveled throughout Europe; her favorite city there is Paris, though the romance of Venice is a close second. She speaks American English (with a Canadian accent after she has been talking with her Canadian family on the telephone for just a few minutes), as well a basic modern Greek, which she studied for 4 years to be able to communicate with her husband’s family on their bi-annual trips to Greece. Her deepest secret: she hides chocolate in her desk for emergencies!

Her latest book is the YA paranormal, The Sixth Power.

You can visit Carol’s blog site at http://carolnicolas.wordpress.com

Connect with Carol:

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | YOUTUBE

Purchase your copy:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Carol Nicolas will be giving away a $75 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky person at the end of her tour! 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Lost in Time

by Christie Palmer

A Fallen Novel

Book Description

Hidden in the shadows of the Infernos, Celeste is surrounded by the protection of Dante and her brothers. She is a Demon/Reaper, a being that should never have been. An elite fighter, Celeste has honed her fighting skills and is a deadly weapon for Dante. Her one weakness? A Fallen Angel she has loved for two centuries.

About the Author

Afterlife Academy

by Jaimie Admans

YA Paranormal

Book Description

Even being dead isn’t enough to get you out of maths class.

Dying wasn’t on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson’s to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she’s stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she’s stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever.

In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back home, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as great as she thought it was. And maybe death isn’t really that bad after all…

Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood.

MY THOUGHTS: 4 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

Afterlife Academy by Jaimie Admans

Riley Richardson thinks her life has been going pretty great up to this point…until she suddenly loses it when her slightly unbalanced boyfriend kills both Riley and the school geek, Anthony, in a car accident. Riley and Anthony are transported to the mystical Afterlife Academy, where they will learn how to deal with the fact that they are now dead.

Anthony seems to fit in right away, however, Riley makes it known that she doesn’t think she’s supposed to be there. Can Riley come to terms with the fact that she’s left her life behind for all eternity?

First of all let me say, I love love LOVE the cover! The grey juxtaposed with the stunning pinks and reds is not only beautiful, but has actual meaning within the story. The girl on the cover is also sadly beautiful, and this easily could have been how Riley looked while laying in her coffin.

Yes, the subject matter is a bit macabre, but once you get over that, Afterlife Academy is a cool, original YA tale. Riley was not the best person during her teenage years, even though she liked to think differently. She was a member of the popular crowd with a big shot boyfriend, and as such made it her mission to torment those she saw as lesser than her. Her favorite target was Anthony, a boy who lost his parents and takes pride in his geek status. It’s a matter of karma that the two die simultaneously, and have to enter into Afterlife Academy together.

Afterlife Academy itself is drab, but filled with such things as pet vampire pumpkins, and Narcissa, the demonic lunch lady with a soft side. Riley immediately hates the school, and goes about trying to find a way out.

Riley was pretty annoying for the first third of the book, but she quickly grew into a character who learned a lot about herself. Anthony was so cool, and even though Riley made his life miserable before, he never hesitated to be there for her after death. I enjoyed watching their friendship develop.

The end came on a little quickly, I thought, but it was just perfect. It’s so refreshing not to have to wait and wait for another book to come out to get closure on someone’s story. I’d love to read more from this author anytime!

View all my reviews

About the Author

Jaimie is a 27-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps.

She has been writing for years, but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. She writes mostly chick-lit and young adult. Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it!

Filed under: book tour, books, free, Giveaway, reading, review ]]> http://sweetsouthernhome.net/2013/05/10/book-tour-review-giveaway-afterlife-academy-by-jaimie-admans/feed/ 1 sweetsouthernhome afterlife_banner 4fleur sshgiveaway http://sweetsouthernhome.net/2013/05/09/book-tour-review-giveaway-the-savage-blue-by-zoraida-cordova/ http://sweetsouthernhome.net/2013/05/09/book-tour-review-giveaway-the-savage-blue-by-zoraida-cordova/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 15:05:38 +0000 Carrie http://sweetsouthernhome.net/?p=3079 ]]>

The Savage Blue

by Zoraida Cordova

The Vicious Deep, Book Two

Book Description

A storm is coming…

The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.

In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.

Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends’ support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he’s ever loved.

MY THOUGHTS: 3 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

*SPOILER ALERT: This review is of the second book in a series, and will contain spoilers for the first book.  There are no spoilers for the book I am reviewing, however.  You can find the review for book one, The Vicious Deep, HERE.*

The Savage Blue by Zoraida Córdova

Well, the first book in this series, The Vicious Deep, left things with a cliffhanger so I was definitely ready to see what came next for Tristan after he found out the truth about what he was. Unfortunately, the second book in the series didn’t live up to what I hoped it would be.

This book starts off right after, and I mean RIGHT AFTER the events of book one. It had been several months since I’d read The Vicious Deep, and I didn’t have time to reread it before starting Savage Blue. But if you can, I definitely recommend you do so. The author doesn’t give much context onto the events of the first book. I really struggled to remember who some of the characters were, and for that matter I didn’t really recall the whole tournament of champions thing itself. There are very very few flashbacks or hints to help you if you don’t remember, and for a series that has books many months apart, I just appreciate when the book drops subtle hints to help me not feel as lost.

Tristan seems to have grown and embraced his responsibilities a great deal more than he had previously. He’s on a mission now to find Oracles that can lead him to the trident that will help him take rule of the sea. Even though he’s joined by his friends Kurt and Thalia, he’s still making slow progress. It doesn’t help that his nights are filled with disturbing visions of the sea witch Nieve who hopes to derail him from his journey.

Like many second novels in any series, that’s exactly what The Savage Blue was: a journey novel. To me, this was quite a slow journey though. I had a lot of difficulty getting into the story, and nothing really exciting happened until the last ten percent.

I wish I could have seen more from Layla and Tristan. Their romance seems promising, but Tristan is letting pretty much everything else in his life take precedence over her. I also barely heard from Thalia, who was one of my favorite characters in The Vicious Deep, and what she was doing I didn’t quite follow anyway.

The ending was explosive but I wish I hadn’t had to wade through 400 pages of slow moving plot to get there. Things are getting serious now, and I will be happy to join Tristan on the next leg of his adventure.

View all my reviews

About the Author

Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She made her way up north and now works in the glittering New York City nightlife. She likes shiny things like Christmas, merdudes, and the skyline at night. She’s currently working on book #3.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!