*Teaser Tuesday* K.A. Tucker's IN HER WAKE

*This meme is brought to you by MizB at Should Be Reading*

Here's a few teaser graphics for an upcoming prequel novella that I'm INCREDIBLY excited about!

In Her Wake by K.A. Tucker
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Publication Date: Septemeber 1st, 2014

Before you knew him as Trent in Ten Tiny Breaths, he was Cole Reynolds—and he had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice... and loses everything.
Cole Reynolds had it all. And then one night he makes a bad choice... and loses everything.

When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he'd be able to lean on his best friends. The best friends that have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they're gone. Worse, there's the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys.

Everyone assures him that they know it wasn't intentional and yet he can't ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. The all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won't so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip of what once was important-college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It's not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness.

And there's only one person who can give that to him...

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

About the Author: 
Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons.

She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit.

Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

all the best, dear readers!

*NEW RELEASES* Must Buys for the week...

This week was an AWESOME release week full of some of my favorite authors! There were many other releases out this week that I'm going to be snatching up, but for now, I need to spread the love for these few favorites:

I Want It That Way (2B Trilogy #1) by Ann Aguirre
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B….

Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other.

The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.

Her Destiny (Reverie #2) by Monica Murphy
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 25th, 2014

I knew from the moment I first saw him he was the one. The only boy I could ever want.
The only boy I could ever love.
They say he’s bad for me.
But I know he’s not.
Until the day he rejects me.
And breaks my heart. Completely.

Everything changes in the blink of an eye. My entire life as I’ve known it is…gone. Secrets are revealed. Promises once made are irrevocably broken. There’s no way my family can get back to what we once were.

So when Nicholas Fairfield walks back into my life like he never left it, I’m furious.

Thrilled. Irritated. Excited.

Conflicted.

Despite my confusion, I want to be with him. I love him. But danger lurks where we least expect it. Someone will do whatever it takes to tear us apart. All I know is: I won’t let them.

Because Nick Fairfield? He’s mine.

Reluctantly Royal (Suddenly #3) by Nichole Chase
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014

Maxwell Jameson Trevor, prince of Lilaria, hates his royal role. Despising the limelight, he takes solace in his art studio and steers clear of any drama. But when one of the newly discovered royals passes away, Maxwell's brother Alex asks him to break the news to the old man's granddaughter. Though he hates to be the bearer of doom and gloom, he doesn't want the poor girl to find out from the tabloids. For Maxwell knows all too well how devastating that could be.

Coming from a broken home and modest background, newly ordained Lady Meredith Thysmer has seized her chance to make a better life for herself and her son. She's not afraid to use her best assets to get what she wants. But when the unpretentious yet devastatingly handsome Max delivers his news, her plans for the future come crashing to a halt. In the challenging days ahead, Max's compassion, humor, and steadfast loyalty to Meredith and her son win her over. She quickly finds herself doing something she swore would never happen again: falling in love. And yet Maxwell still refuses to completely drop his guard. Somehow Meredith's got to find a way to seduce this reluctant royal.

It's in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Synopsis:
ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER

Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

The Write Stuff by Tiffany King
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 25th, 2014

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.

Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her?

Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014

The dead of winter.

An isolated island off the coast of Maine.

A man.

A woman.

A sinister house looming over the sea ...

He's a reclusive writer whose macabre imagination creates chilling horror novels. She's a down-on-her-luck actress reduced to staging kids' puppet shows. He knows a dozen ways to kill with his bare hands. She knows a dozen ways to kill with laughs.

But she's not laughing now. When she was a teenager, he terrified her. Now they're trapped together on a snowy island off the coast of Maine. Is he the villain she remembers or has he changed? Her head says no. Her heart says yes.

It's going to be a long, hot winter.

all the best, dear readers!

 

*RELEASE DAY REVIEW* IT'S IN HIS KISS by Jill Shalvis

Happy Release Day to the FABULOUS Jill Shalvis! Lucky Harbor has a new hottie Alpha male for you all to meet! And trust me....you want to know this guy.

It's in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:
ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER

Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

And now for my review:
*Spoiler-Free* REVIEW: It's in His Kiss by Jill Shalvis
Publication Date: August 26th, 2014

*DISCLOSURE: ARC was provided in exchange for a fair and honest review

Review:

I don't know how Jill Shalvis does it, but just when I think that there can't POSSIBLY be more hot Lucky Harbor Alpha males, she not only uncovers trios of unexpected heroes, but she does it in such a way that makes you wonder how such dynamic characters have never appeared before.

Though Jill Shalvis heroes can generally all be categorized in the gorgeously, chiseled bucket of protective "Alpha Man", she has never ceased to write a unique and multi-dimensional main character with his own engaging back story and personality. Equally wonderful are her perfectly imperfect female characters who span a wide range within the personality spectrum but who all show an admirable strength of character and relatability.

Becca Thorpe has found her way to Lucky Harbor as a means to escape her family, the embarrassments of her past, and just to start over. Her temporary stop on the road to redefining herself leads her to a run down warehouse with eight legged friends, thin as paper walls, and that happens to overlook the charter company run by three glorious specimens of men.

One particular specimen in the form of quietly stoic and brooding Sam Brody catches her eye. Growing up in a world where the word "love" was thrown around without care, Sam is fine with keeping his distance and concentrating on his business and his boats. Until, that is, Becca barrels into his life and begins disrupting his carefully structured world.

Their chemistry, whether through her quick-witted, sassy banter meeting his no-words-needed, man of action persona, or through their non-verbal communications (wink, wink)...is explosive.

I loved reading about these characters and getting to experience little "check-ins" with all of my favorite Lucky Harbor residents. This was yet another heartwarming, humorous, and utterly wonderful trip back into the world of my favorite vacation spot.

Rating:

About the Author: 
New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Where to purchase & learn more:

all the best, dear readers!

*RELEASE DAY* THE WRITE STUFF by Tiffany King

HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO THE WONDERFUL TIFFANY KING!!
Guys! I'm super excited about this new book from Tiffany King! Check it out and then one-click...you know you want to!

The Write Stuff by Tiffany King
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 25th, 2014

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.

Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her?

About the Author:
USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iPhone and iPad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask. For information on any of Author Tiffany's titles, visit her blog at www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com

Where to purchase & learn more:

AVAIL FOR ORDER NOW!

Well, don't just sit there! Those links up there are SO Convenient! *wink*

all the best, dear readers!

 

*REVIEW* Colleen Hoover's UGLY LOVE

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

And now for my review:
*Spoiler-Free* REVIEW: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014

*DISCLOSURE: ARC was provided in exchange for a fair and honest review

Review:
Since I first discovered Colleen Hoover with the release of Hopeless, she has quickly and unerringly captured a portion of my heart with her hauntingly beautiful and tragically, yet, wonderfully real stories of love, loss, and the journey back again. I never need to read the synopsis of her latest book, I simply pre-order. I take a leap of faith, diving straight into the endless depth of her words, and she has yet to let me drown.

Ugly Love is so unique from Colleen’s previous books, yet carries the kinship of stellar writing, (poetry, really), searing emotion, and a story that hits you in your very core.

This novel starts out on the foundation of a sex only relationship. Though Ugly Love is definitely Colleen’s steamiest novel to date, each encounter also carries with it an unspoken, underlying tension of the past, the present, and expectations threatening to crash in upon our two main characters who are just trying to keep things simple.

Miles’s story of his past is seamlessly interwoven with the story of his present until they meet in a quietly devastating moment that carries the impact of bomb explosion. The journey he and Tate take before and after this moment is so full of EVERYTHING. The full spectrum of emotion that makes all the ugliness and the beauty culminate in the hardest earned and most satisfying ending.

Ugly Love is a fittingly titled collection of words that reflects the beauty and the resilience of the human spirit when it is tested, seemingly beyond repair. It will haunt you with a heart that feels as though it has been ripped apart, yet mended, leaving it better than it was before.

An enthusiastic, unquestionable 5 stars.

Rating:

About the Author:

Colleen Hoover is the author of several New York Times bestselling novels. Her first series was published in 2012 and includes Slammed, Point of Retreat, and This Girl. Her second series, published in 2013, includes the #1 NYT's bestseller Hopeless and the companion novel, Losing Hope. She has released a free novella, Finding Cinderella, as a thank you to her readers for their continued support. The novella is a companion to her Hopeless series, but can be read as a standalone. Her most recently published novel is Ugly Love.

Colleen lives in East Texas with her husband, their three boys, their dog, Pacey, and their zombie, Steve. Colleen loves Diet Pepsi more than all of the things, and is a ninja in her spare time.

You can follow Colleen on Instagram if you want to watch her pointless, random videos, or on Twitter, but she rarely tweets anything worth following. You can also find her on her blog or on her very active Facebook page where she loves to give away free stuff when her husband isn't looking.

Where to purchase & learn more:

 

Well, don't just sit there! Those links up there are SO Convenient! *wink*

all the best, dear readers!

*Waiting on Wednesdays* Stephanie Perkins's ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

*This meme is brought to you by Breaking the Spine*

I may have mentioned before that patience is not my strong suit. I am very much one to enjoy immediate gratification, HOWEVER some things are worth the wait (she says reluctantly...).

Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins
Publication Date: August 14th, 2013

Synopsis:

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

Where to purchase & learn more:

 

Anyone else desperately awaiting Isla and the Happily Ever After?

all the best, dear readers!

*NEW RELEASES* Must Buys for the week...

Today was a MONSTER of a release day that brought forth the spectacular endings to two series, a phenomenal, life altering standalone, and an amazing debut. There were many other releases out today that I'm going to be snatching up, but for now, I need to spread the love for these few favorites:

Opposition (The Lux Series, Book 5, the final book) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

All For This (Here and Now Series, Book 3, the final book) by Lexi Ryan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014

What if you would never remember the day you made the most important decision of your life?

That’s what they’re telling me about the day of my accident—the day I put on Max’s ring and chose him over Nate. I’m counting on the wisdom behind a decision I don’t remember making.

Max is amazing—sexy, sweet, and kind. I was starting to believe happily-ever-after might be in my future after all. Then the unthinkable happened and my world imploded. If I’m going to make this work with Max, I need my missing memories, or at least answers from about those five days before my accident.

But what does my future hold if those answers aren’t anything like I imagined?

Upside Down (Off the Map Series, Book 1) by Lia Riley
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

all the best, dear readers!