New Release - Oceanside by Michelle Mankin

This story has one of my favorite covers - and the story inside does NOT disappoint!  

Isn't this cover DREAMY?  

*swoon*  

I'm switching things up a bit for this one & posting my review below with the Amazon link rather than GoodReads.  : )  

Oceanside

by

Michelle Mankin

Fanny & Ash pulled me in straight away. Their story is intense and complex, and the obstacles they face are unique. Unique to the book world, altho Ash's obstacles are, I think, common issues that have been overlooked in recent years. 

There are some parts I wasn't a fan of - glimpses of Ash's pre-Fanny life that were too detailed for me, altho I understand why they were included. I did skip around those, not fully reading them as they were personal hard no's. 

Aside from that, I love the pacing of the story, the friendship & road to trust each of them must take to get to their (also unique and complex) HEA. Seeing the couples from the earlier books was a treat, and seeing how they are all FAMILY, how they are all connected and work at those connections was truly mesmerizing and beautiful to read. 

I love Fanny's strength and resilience, Ash's dominance and care, and both of their protection for each other! This is an amazing story, full of love, hope, and promise. I'm very interested to see updates & to read Hollie's story! : )

Also, just a small shout out to one of Michelle's other series that I really enjoyed, Tempest.  The first book, Irresistible Refrain, is free on Amazon.

This series also deals w/ some tough, important topics.  <3  

TTFN!

: ) 

An Exciting New Kindle World From Aurora Rose Reynolds

BOOM!

Oh my heck, y'all!  I have been chomping at the bit to share this Kindle World!  I mean, I've been sharing the books I've been blessed to read early as I've read them, but now... Now I can share them ALL!!!  Because it's LIVE!  

I've gushed about my love for all things Aurora Rose Reynolds before.  She is one of my all time favorite authors, and because of her, I've met some of my other all time favorite authors, as well.  

: )  

Seriously, check out all of those books!  The covers are gorgeous, the authors she chose to launch this world of hers are ALL absolutely AMAZING, and I'm looking forward to doing some re-reads as well as discovering the new ones as well!  

As of this writing, I've read the following:

Until Susan

by 

CP Smith

Learn about how James & Susan's BOOM created the Maysons we love so much!

Until Avery

by

Brynne Asher

Um, y'all!  I LOVE LINK & AVERY!  

Until Nox

by 

Layla Frost

This was my first Layla book & it swooned me right off my feet & I'm looking forward to reading her other stories!!  <3  

Until More 

by 

S Van Horne

This was my first Sonya book & I highly enjoyed it!  Since reading it, I've also read book 1 in her More series & am looking forward to continuing!!  : )  

Until Leo

by 

Rochelle Paige

Um.  It's LEO (from Until Nico) and his lady love is CARRIE!  

Plus, it's written by Rochelle, so instant favorite!  ;)  

So, there ya have it!  

If you'd like to take a look at the covers a lil closer & the descriptions, here's the link for the Kindle World:

SERIES AMAZON LINK: http://1click.bz/HappilyEverAlpha

ALSO!  Remember, these are in Kindle Unlimited, so if you're a subscriber to that, you can read them all as part of your subscription!  (I never thought I'd be an advocate for KU, but it's been really awesome for me so far!)  

Once you've tried them, let me know what you think in the comments - and if you pick a favorite!  ; ) 

TTFN!

: ) 

(p.s. - Thanks to Give Me Books for the awesome graphic & promoting this release!)  

March Roundup - No Foolin'!

Starting off, I have to say - this year has been AMAZING for new releases as well as my finding "older" books & series to love.  

And before I get to the books, I have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mama!  She & her twin are 70 today & I'm very happy to have them in my life!  
April 1st was never about a "fools" day for me - it's always the day to celebrate!
And this year it's extra special, because it's also Easter.  
Blessings!!  

: ) 

Now, March's Roundup!  

First of all, my spotlight book of the month:

 My Torin 

by 

K Webster

(This cover is ... oooh!) 

This story!  It's SO unique & different & the blurb tells you nearly NOTHING.

I highly encourage going into it as blind as you can, because it's such a great experience.

It's so totally worth it!  

Next up, we have Jamie Schlosser's Outcast.  

This cover!!!  

*swoon* 

It's no secret that I ADORE Jamie & have loved every single one of her books!  This one especially touched me because of the way Ezra & Kayla both feel out of place at times, but are both able to stand up for themselves - and each other.  It's full of heart & hope & is diverse in a natural way, the way diversity is meant to be!  : )  

Fighting Weight
by 

Gillian Jones

Then, we have a book that was difficult in the beginning.  It tackles some TOUGH subjects, and the writing is so real, so incredibly well-done that you can't help but FEEL along with the main character.  And she goes through a kind of hell.  And I struggled, because my empathy was alive & well & in full force.  

I continued with the story, so beautifully written, I was pulled in & didn't want to go.  I hunkered down with my tissues and iced coffee (you may want wine...) & read this amazing story full of so much heart.  

Lover Come Back 
by
Scott Hildreth
(I don't have a cover image for this one! 
D'oh!) 
Also on my list this month is a biography of sorts - not my usual, I know!  But Scott wrote his & Jess's story in his usual manner.  It's a beautiful tribute to their relationship, as well as to his family & life in general.  I absolutely loved it & it's a great read!  If you're already a fan of Scott - or if this is your first read from him (because if that's the case, you'll want to read more!).  
It broke my star rating!!!  

Wait With Me
by 
Amy Daws

Have you heard the story of this book?  It's unique & funny & FUN!  
So, Amy had been having a little trouble writing her latest Harris brother story.  Then she took her car to get tires at her local tire shop, Tires Tires Tires.
The words, they flowed!
So, she kept going back.  She borrowed cars from neighbors, family, teachers, ANYONE who would let her take their car in, she did it.  Even after she ran out of cars, she continued.  And she documented the whole adventure on social media.
AND WE LOVED IT!
So, with some encouragement from her agent - and fans - she fictionalized it, added a romance & badda bing, badda boom!  This story was born.
It's fun & has lots of LOL moments & banter (love!) but is also more emotional than I was anticipating.
That's the best kind of surprise!  

Lennon Reborn
by 
Scarlett Cole

Have I gushed to y'all about this series before?  
It's one of my FAVORITES!
It starts at the end of her Second Circle Tattoos series (which I also LOVE), and then moves into a spin off series about the rest of Preload.  They're a rock band, but not typical.
Each story is an emotional, healing journey - and Lennon has his own healing to do.
I absolutely ADORE this story, and I'm including it with March (even tho it doesn't come out until May) because it was one of my favorite reads of the month.

What did y'all read in March?
Any favorites?
Anything that WOW'd you & we all need to read?
Drop a comment!  Don't be shy!  ;)  

TTFN!
: ) 

February Roundup

Are you ready for some TOP READS from February?  

Justice

by 

KC Lynn

OH WOW!!  This one blew me away.  I've been in love w/ KC's books for ages, and this one delivers the same great story telling, but also has some different things that, for some (for me!), will be shocking.  The part that shocked me, tho, didn't detract from my love for this story.  The build up to it, the way each character is woven into the story... by the time I got there, I understood where they were coming from, and I empathized with them.  

Super intense story all around!  

Feels Like Home
by
Jennifer Van Wyk

This one is sweet & spicy & just so much FUN to read!  It's book 3 in a connected standalones series, and the supporting characters from previous books are perfectly placed to update you on how they are & not detract from the main characters' story.  Just a very feel good read!  

To Cherish
by 
ML Pennock

This is another book 3 in a series of connected standalones, and it's written in a way that we get even more depth to the story.  We aren't just brought into the H and h's POV, but another integral character's as well.  I don't see this style used very often, and in this instance it's used so WELL!  I adore the whole series, each book is a slow & steady burn, allowing us to really get to know each of our characters, connecting to them and rooting for their HEA.  

Heartbreaker
by
Anna Brooks

*fans self*  Shooo-eee!  
This one is a companion/connected standalone to Bulletproof Butterfly.  I wasn't really a fan of BB - There was just something about it I couldn't get into.  The writing was great & everything, but I just didn't connect.
And then I read Heartbreaker, and suddenly I needed to re-read BB because I loved this one SO MUCH, and I felt connected to the characters.  So, I did a quick re-read & enjoyed the last half of it so very much that I went in & re-did my review.  I almost never change my posted reviews, because whatever I've written is what I felt about the story at the time.  I might add a re-read note, but I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've actually re-written the whole review.  This was one of those times.

February was also a month full of new releases from Lani Lynn Vale, MJ Nightingale, and Cybill Cain, all two thumbs up & enjoyable recommendations!!  

Looking forward to sharing my March reads - it's only day 4 of the month & I've already read some really amazing ARC's for this month's releases!!  

What're some of your favorites from February?
And what're you looking forward to in March?

TTFN!

: ) 

Reckless by Lex Martin

I'm trying something new with this post.  

It's a spotlight on a single book (well, and the book before it, because I think you should read that one, too).

What are those books, you ask?

Shameless and Reckless 

by Lex Martin!

I fell in love w/ Shameless a couple years ago (Kat & Brady are part slow burn, part friends to lovers) and when I heard we were getting more from that world, I was super excited!!  Reckless, which is Tori & Ethan's story, did not disappoint!  And look at this cover!!

*heart eyes*  

It's faster paced, but still has the friends-to-lovers vibe.  Tori is there to take care of Ethan's kids (they're adorably written - I love well-written kids!) & has sworn off men.  Ethan is stressed to the max & going through a divorce & the two butt heads at their first meeting.  But they have pretty great communication with each other, and don't really let things "stew" for long at all.  That is one of my pet peeves, when misunderstandings happen and the main characters don't bother to talk to each other for an extended period of time.

Tori & Ethan might have an issue (or two) but they talk to each other & get it figured out quickly & then move on to working out other issues.  I loved the pacing, the laugh out loud moments, and am especially looking forward to Lex (hopefully) writing Ethan's brother, Logan's story!  : )  

I hope you'll give both these books a shot & let me know what you think!!  

TTFN! 

: ) 

Welcome, 2018!

So far, 2018 has been amazing, book-wise!  I already have a few favorites and it's only February!  

I started out the year with some new-to-me authors, and discovered some amazing stories! (The title will link to my review on Goodreads, if you're interested.  : ) ) 

- Becoming Mrs Lockwood by K.I. Lynn - 10++ stars, and full of sweet emotions and steamy times. The cadence of the story reminded me of another favorite, Tina Reber's Love Unscripted series.  : ) 

- Lovin' on You by Fabiola Francisco - Wonderful story that pulled me right in & wouldn't let me go!

- Watch Me Follow by Harloe Rae - OMH!  This one blew me away!  The premise (he's a stalker, whaaaat?) sounds dark, but the story is full of Sunshine.  The way these characters are written is so amazingly beautiful!  They just fit together so well, and I love the direction the story takes!  

I've also read some FABULOUS old and new stories by favorite authors.  

- Married Into Love by Rochelle Paige - Easy, quick read full of humor, love and sexiness!  No drama, just a super fun Vegas wedding that sticks!  ; )  

- Day by Jessica Florence - This is book 2 in her Hero Society series (superheroes, y'all!!) & I love the direction and way the stories are written so far.  Each one is its own episode while doing an AMAZING job of creating an overall story arc.  SUPER fun read!  

- Steady by Lindsay Paige - I coin it as a great "life" read - sweet & steady & highly enjoyable!  

- Until Harmony and Stumbling Into Love by Aurora Rose Reynolds - Both added to my favorites shelf immediately.  Steamy, fun, make-me-feel-happy reads!  (Until Harmony comes out next month!)

- I also caught up w/ several reads from various Lani Lynn Vale series, and Piper & Jack Davenport have several books out this year so far.  I ALWAYS devour books by them!  : )  LB Dunbar & Susan Stoker are on my list this year so far as well!  

Soooo blessed, and from the looks of things, I'll have some more gushing posts ahead this year!  I can't wait!  : )  

What've you read & loved this year so far?  Share share share!  Obviously I'm always up for new-to-me authors!  ; )  

TTFN!

Two More Favorites for 2017

Okay.

I have debated this and what I came up with was ...

My blog

My rules.

: ) 

I've gushed about these two authors before.

I sometimes feel like I'm playing favorites with them, and then I feel guilty because - as mentioned before and as you can see from my previous posts - there are SO MANY AMAZING AUTHORS I've read in 2017!  

But I couldn't in good conscience not share just one more time (for 2017 - I have no control and will more than likely be gushing about them again for many years to come, so ... yeah.  *grin*)!!

(Please also note the happy coincidence that the hero in both stories is named Dane...Heh!!)

And so, here you are:

Take Me Back 

by 

Meghan March

This story pulled me in and would not let me go!  

I thought it might be a tough read, but it pulled me in from page one and I couldn't put it down until it was finished.  There are twists and turns and laughter and tears - and oh, the passion!  This is a second chance story - but not your regular kind of second chance.  It gave me the best kind of book hangover, and will be a re-read for certain!  It's the kind of story I want to read again for the first time, to experience all the things that are Kat & Dane.

: ) 

Rescuing Bryn

by

Susan Stoker

There were a lot of books by Susan that I loved this year - she had a new one out just about every month, plus I did a re-read of quite a few.  But Bryn & Dane each hold a special place in my heart because of very specific things about their personalities & individual stories.  And together they have one of my favorite, FAVORITE things in any story - excellent banter!  

*happy sigh*  

I feel better now.

I just couldn't leave these two excellent stories out of my 2017 favorites, and I hope if you haven't read them yet, that you'll give them both a try!  

TTFN!

: )