The Reading Realm

{Cover Reveal} Kylie Ryans Series by Caisey Quinn

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The Kylie Ryans series has all new covers!

Custom Photography by Lauren Perry of L. Perry Designs

Book Cover Design by E.M. Tippetts Book Design

Cover Model: Teale Murdock

THE KYLIE RYANS SERIES

A girl with a dream and a guitar...

A troubled artist struggling to hold onto his career...

What they found was each other.

Girl with Guitar

Amazon | B&N | GoodReads

Girl on Tour

Amazon | B&N | GoodReads

Girl in Love

Coming February 4th!

*Titles are also available on iTunes & Kobo.

*Special DELUXE EDITION paperbacks with bonus content will be available for a limited time at http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com/store.html

Want to join the Kylie Ryans Read Along Happening RIGHT NOW on Facebook?

Click

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New and Young Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at www.caiseyquinnwrites.com.

Amazon | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

Swoon Thursday #39

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Swoon Thursday is a weekly event hosted by YA Bound.This is how it works:

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog.

This week, I’m SWOONING over:

Title: My Sweetest Escape

Series: My Favourite Mistake #2

Author: Chelsea M Cameron

Published: 28th January 2014

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Paperback provided by Harlequin Australia for fair & honest review
Rating: 4.5/5
Goodreads | Amazon | Review

“Fuck it,” Dusty said and lunged across the couch at me, and I was caught so off guard that it took me a second to realize he was pretty much on top of me.
“I can’t take it anymore,” he said, holding my face between his hands. “I’ve wanted to taste you since that first night, and now I’m going to.”
I opened my mouth to respond and he seized his moment and kissed me. He made a sound that was halfway between a growl and a moan, and I let myself go. Stopped thinking about if it was
right or wrong, if I should or shouldn’t. This wasn’t a movie, and I didn’t know what my next lines would be. This was life. This was living.

Oh Dusty is sooo yummy! The romance was so sweet between him and Jos is so sweet, and after denying their feelings for so long it was about time one of them made a move!

So what's making you swoon this week?

KYLE RYANS SERIES READ ALONG

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Have you read the KYLIE RYANS series by caisey quinn yet????

well if not now is the perfect time, with the 3rd and final book

GIRL IN LOVE

IS SET TO RELEASED 4TH FEBRUARY!!

To celebrate we are having a KYLE RYANS SERIES READ ALONG!!

Join us for all the fun and games - 27th Jan - 4th Feb!!

AND TO MAKE THINGS EVEN SWEETER

GIRL WITH GUITAR

***IS FREE***

GIRL ON TOUR

***IS ONLY 99c***

Title: Girl With Guitar

Series: Kylie Ryans #1

Author: Caisey Quinn

Published: May 22nd 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

After Kylie’s dad dies in a freak accident, he leaves her with nothing other than her crazy step-mother, Darla, and the ability to play guitar. When Darla kicks Kylie out and she loses her job all in the same day, she hops a bus to Nashville determined to make her late father’s dreams come true. Waitressing and saving her pennies to record a demo, her big break comes when she’s asked to join a tour going down the tubes with once platinum album-selling country music superstar Trace Corbin. But touring with Trace is hardly a dream come true since he’s pretty much drinking his career down the drain. If Kylie can’t pull Trace out of his rut, he’ll pull her and her dreams down with him.

Title: Girl On Tour

Series: Kylie Ryans #2

Author: Caisey Quinn

Published: August 27th 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

An up and comer trying to make a name for herself...

KYLIE never expected to be stuck on a tour bus with a pampered princess and her boyfriend’s ex.

A troubled artist struggling to hold onto his career...

TRACE thought he was finally getting to do things his way. Until the label added co-headliner Gretchen Gibson, the only person in country music with more issues than him, to his No Apologies tour.

Surrounded by tabloid rumors and people they can't trust, Kylie and Trace need each other more than ever. But the choices they make will change everything.

Because chasing your dreams and following your heart don’t always lead you to the same place…

Title: Girl In Love

Series: Kylie Ryans #2

Author: Caisey Quinn

Published: August 27th 2013

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads

BLURB:

She's living her dream...

Kylie Ryans is the biggest thing to come out of Nashville since, well, since Trace Corbin. With a hit album and a powerful label behind her, she appears to be the girl who has it all.

But appearances can be deceiving.

Fresh out of rehab, Trace Corbin is ready to take on the world. Just not the girl he walked away from. Because if there's one thing he knows for certain, it's that the people you love are the ones who have the power to destroy you.

As their worlds collide, they'll have to make the ultimate choice. Follow their dreams, or give it all up for love.

They say love conquers all, but for Kylie and Trace, it just might wreck everything they've worked for

JOIN IN

MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS AND HAVE LOTS OF FUN!!

ARC Review: My Sweetest Escape by Chelsea M Cameron

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Title: My Sweetest Escape

Series: My Favourite Mistake #2

Author: Chelsea M Cameron

Published: 28th January 2014

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: Paperback provided by Harlequin Australia for fair & honest review

Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads | Amazon | Harlequin

BLURB:

The past will always find you.

Jos Archer was the girl with the perfect life; until the night it all came crashing down around her. Now, nine months later, she still hasn't begun to pick up the pieces. Even transferring to a new college and living under the watchful eye of her older sister, Renee, isn't enough to help her feel normal again.

And then she meets Dusty Sharp. For reasons Jos can't begin to fathom, the newly reformed campus bad boy seems determined to draw her out of her shell. And if she's not careful, his knowing green eyes and wicked smile will make her feel things she's no longer sure she deserves.

But even as Dusty coaxes Jos to open up about the past, he's hiding secrets of his own. Secrets about the night her old life fell apart. When the truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together;or tear them apart for good?

REVIEW:

The story:

This book basically continues on from where My Favourite Mistake finished (however these can be read as stand alone novels). Jos, Renee's little sister, has been struggling to deal with a traumatic event that occurred last year. She started to drink and party too hard, and as a result her sister Renee forces her to transfer college and live under her watchful eye. And by watchful Renee means, Not-Even-Allowed-To-Pee-Without-My-Permission.

After moving in with her sister and her friends, Jos continues to feel lost alone in the world, believing she's not entitled to be happy. But after meeting Dusty Sharp, she doesn't feel so isolated. He doesn't let her tough angry attitude keep him away from her, and he works to break through her walls and discover the real Jos. Dusty understands exactly what she's going through - more so than either of them could ever imagine. And it's that connection plus their shared passion for music that draws them closer together

The characters:

Jos is going through a bit of an identity crisis. When she first started college 9 months ago, she was popular, wore the latest fashion and was dating the 'it' boy who has his sights set on the white house, but after the traumatic event, Jos started to question all the things she stood for. Now she has the opportunity to reinvent herself, she starts to discover what she really wants to do with her life. I loved watching her grow throughout the novel as she became more and more confident in who she wants to be.

Dusty came across as a typical college guy; confident, popular and of course not to bad on the eyes. He's majoring in music education and is a beat boxer, which leads to some fun jam sessions with all the cast of characters joining in. But as Jos gets to know Dusty better, we start to see a vulnerable side to him, and we learnt to a major event recently changed his attitude to life - he longer drinks or parties the way he used to. He'd much prefer to hang out with his friends, in particular Jos…oh and his little Kitten, Napoleon too.

I also loved Jos's new friend, Hannah. She has severe burn scaring down the side of her face and body, and it's clear that the stares and nasty whispers upset her. But despite this she has a beautiful and vibrant personality, and still has a very positive outlook on life. I am desperately hoping that the third book in this series follows her story...PLEASE CHELSEA!!!

It was also great to see all the cast from the first book back for this sequel. There are developments in all their lives, which made me so excited. I kind of want to move into that house with them all - I think it would awesome amounts of fun!

The romance:

I was so happy to see that the romance was slow building. After all that Jos has gone through, a new relationship happening that quickly wouldn't have been believable. Instead we get to see them start out as friends, and just get to know each other. It was clear that they both felt an attraction towards one another, but they are hesitant to act on it, unsure how the other feels. There is also a touch of forbidden love, since Dusty is Renee's friend and she doesn't want him messing around with her little sister.

The Writing:

Oh I love Chelsea's writing, which is a good thing since this is my 6th book by her! She has a very distinct writing style with sarcastic and sassy characters and dialogue that is particularly effective. With sharp and witty conversations, it can sometimes feel like verbal foreplay. She also uses lots of pop culture references, which reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls (which is my favourite TV show EVER!!)

FINAL WORD:

This is one of my favourite books my Chelsea! My Sweetest Escape is a fun and flirty book with vibrant, loveable characters. If you love heroines with a bit a sass and a redeemed bad boy hero who loves to cuddle up with his cat, than this book is for you!

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium-strong / sex scene

Violence: mild / minor punch up

Language: medium / frequent f words

Drugs & alcohol: medium / some underage drinking and references to past drug use

{Cover Reveal} Breathe Again by Rachel Brookes

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For Savannah Rae, the thought of living in her picture-perfect world was almost too much to comprehend. With her dream job, a family she could finally call her own, and the beginnings of the best chapter of her life, she still couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling that it was all too good to be true.

The thought of a life without Savannah was incomprehensible to Tate Connors. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would find his girl in the form of a sassy, stubborn, beautiful Australian. Finally he had the girl and life he so desperately wanted, but he still couldn’t ignore the fear that it would crash around him.

When Tate’s past becomes his present and Savannah’s present becomes her past, the possibility of a future together collides head-on with reality.

In her darkest days, the words Just Breathe provided a peaceful comfort to Savannah from the heavens above. Now as she and Tate go down the path of new beginnings, brutal endings, and the constant craving of a happily ever after, they are anxious to learn how to Breathe Again.

Rachel Brookes is from a coastal town on the east coast of Australia where beaches, kangaroos and surfers roam free. Writing angst ridden love stories with a pinch of craziness, a dash of drama, a cup of romance, a spoonful of sexiness and delicious men to season is what she loves to do. Rachel sometimes forgets to eat, sometimes forgets to sleep and sometimes can’t remember the last time she cleaned her apartment but that’s because she is in a long term relationship with her laptop. When she does step away from her laptop she can be found taking too many photos, making scrumptious cocktails, laughing at Adam Sandler movies and spending her time with her amazing family. Having released Just Breathe and Breathless in 2013, Rachel is looking forward to a busy 2014 with the upcoming release of Breathe Again, the final book in The Breathe Series and many other books planned she can’t wait to continue this crazy ride.

Website/Blog: http://rachelbrookes.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/RachelBrookes_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrachelbrookes

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/rachelbrookes

Just Breathe (Breathe #1) by Rachel Brookes

Amazon: http://amzn.to/19izDs4
iBook: http://bit.ly/HLtmgo
B&N: http://bit.ly/HLtr3S
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1dn1xWj
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1bn98kK

Breathless (Breathe #1.5) by Rachel Brookes

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1elQz3T
iBook: http://bit.ly/19VWNtp
B&N: http://bit.ly/187swSc
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1gg82jl

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!!

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So today is January 26th, Australia Day and I thought I would celebrate with a special post about my favourite Aussie authors, and some Aussie slang just for fun!!

AUSSIE SLANG/PHRASES YOU NEED TO KNOW

Fairy Floss - cotton candy

Maccas - McDonald's (as in the fast food shop)

Bogan - basically someone who is trashy. The closest translation would be 'white trash'

Mozzie - mosquitoe

Cozzie - swimming costume

Sunnies - sun glasses

Brekky - breakfast

Ute - utility vehicle aka pick up truck

Tosser - an idiot

Devo - devastated

Budgie Smugglers - speedos, mens bathers

Pash - short for passionate kiss aka snogging, making out ;)

AUSSIE AUTHORS I lOVE

Jessica Shirvington

Not only one of my favourite Aussie authors, but Jessica Shirvington's books sit proudly on my top shelf, right next to Harry Potter...need I say more?!

Amie Kaufman

I absolutely loved her debut novel co-written with Meagan Spooner and can't wait to read more from Amie! And it's also just been announced that it has just been picked up as a possible TV series!

Ellie Marney

Her debut book Every Breathe came out last year and I can't wait to continue to series. And in exciting news Every Breathe is set to be published in the US later this year!

Melina Marchetta

I read my first book by Melina back in high school and have loved her books ever since. They always have really beautiful messages woven into them.

Rachel Brookes

I absolutely love how Rachel waves her Aussie flag with an Australian MC in her New Adult series. And with plenty of Aussie slang and cultural reference too!

David McRobbie

David's books where the reason I first fell in love with YA stories, after reading See How They Run when I was about 11 or 12. I still love rereading his books!

Vanessa Garden

Vanessa's debut novel Captivate has just been released and can't wait to start reading it in the next couple of weeks!

Mem Fox

And I can't talk about Australian literature without mentioning the incredible Mem Fox! One of the most popular Australian picture books would have to be Possum Magic! Although one of my first memories is my Mum reading me Koala Lou - the line "Koala Lou, I do love you. I always have and I always will" is one of my favourite lines ever written and will always have a special place in my heart.

While there are of course many many other talented Aussie authors, these are just some that I have personally read and loved.

Have you read any of these books?

Are there any other Aussie authors that you love?

Review: My Favourite Mistake by Chelsea M Cameron

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Title: My Favourite Mistake

Series: My Favourite Mistake #1

Author: Chelsea M Cameron

Published: 28th Sept 2012

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: Purchased paperback

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

Taylor Caldwell can't decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate, or punch him.

On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome blueeyed bundle of charm. On the other, he's a tattooed, guitarplaying bad boy. Maybe that's why Taylor's afraid of falling in love with him...or anyone else. She doesn't want to get burned, so she needs him gone before it's too late.

Hunter himself has been burned before, but Taylor's refusal to let him get away with anything makes her irresistible. Determined not to be kicked out of her life without a fight, Hunter proposes a bet: if she can convince him she loves or hates him, he'll leave the apartment for good.

But when the man behind Taylor's fear of giving up her heart resurfaces, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

REVIEW:

The story:

From the beginning it's clear that Taylor is hiding a 'dark secret' in her past. She doesn't trust guys and comes across as a little aggressive towards them - even being labeled as the Ice Queen in high school. We are given a enough snippets and hints as to what her secret is that we have a pretty good idea as to what happened. However the main point of the story is not guessing what her issues are, but watching her overcome them - this is the strongest part of the story.

Sharing a room with Hunter forces Taylor to confront her demons and soon she starts to see that not all men are bad. Hunter works hard to break through her cold attitude and as they learn to live together, they start to realise they may not want to live without one another.

Is it unlikely that a college would be assign a guy as the new roommate to 3 girls and do nothing about it when they complained...well yeah. But do I care that it's not 100% accurate of real life...no way!! I read these books for entertainment and that's exactly what this book did! The ending was super sweet and made kinda jealous of Taylor.

The characters:

While Taylor does struggle to deal with her past, she doesn't always come across as weak, in fact quite the opposite. She stands up for herself both physically and verbally (which did create some funny scenes). However for those who don't know her, this creates the impression that she's a 'man hater' - something she's never worried about in the past. But with Hunter on the scene he see past this and challenges her view of men.

Hunter is the typical tattooed bad boy. From the moment we meet him he's arrogant and unapologetic about his confidence and flirtatious personality. He's the kinda guy that gets under your skin, but you just can't help but love him. He occasionally shows a vulnerable side, which Taylor brings out in him. Oh and he can cook...yummy

We also have some really good supporting characters with the other two roommates, Renee and Darah, Renee's on and off again boyfriend Paul and Hunter's cousin Mase, who also happens to be Darah's new love interest. The interactions between all these characters made for some of the best scenes in the book and also supplied plenty of laughs!

The romance:

At first glance Taylor and Hunter are quite different, but on a deeper level they are actually very similar. It's not just that they both have pasts they are trying to escape from, it's more than that. They share similar interests, in particular music and both have a similar sense of humour. I believed the attraction between them from the beginning, and loved watching them grown closer throughout the book. Hunter is sweet and protective of Taylor, which was really sweet to see from such a tough guy.

The Writing:

I loved how Chelsea has written a book with some heavy subject matter, but was able to maintain a lightness with plenty of humour. The dialogue is sharp and couldn't stop laughing at some of the conversations.

FINAL WORD:

This was a really great start to a series, with a fresh and fun family of characters that I can't get enough of. I'm looking forward to reading My Sweetest Escape next, which follows Renee's sister, Jos!

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium-strong / sex scene

Violence: none

Language: medium / frequent f words

Drugs & alcohol: medium / some underage drinking

Swoon Thursday #38

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This week, I’m SWOONING over:

Title: My Favourite Mistake

Series: My Favourite Mistake #1

Author: Chelsea M Cameron

Published: 1st Oct 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4/5 (Review will be posted Friday)

GOODREADS

“I thought you didn’t like me.”

“I don’t want to.” He got up and crouched in front of my chair so fast I almost jumped. “What is it about you? Is it the eyes? Your smile? That sexy laugh? The way you call me out on my shit? I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t like it. I don’t like it.”

He moved his face close to mine. That spicy smell that clung to him.

“I don’t like it,” he whispered against my lips. They were almost touching. Almost…

He pulled back.

I’d had enough. If I didn’t kiss this boy right here, right now, I was going to die.

I slammed my hand on the back of his head and pulled his head toward mine. Enough talking. Time for kissing.

Our lips met and that was it. All our resistance crumbled and suddenly, I was being thrown backward as Hunter tried to devour me none too gently. We landed on the floor as the recliner flipped up.

“Ow,” I said into his mouth.

“Hm,” he said, ignoring the fact that the recliner was bottom-up and we were on the floor. He grabbed me and rolled me, so we were free of the chair that had sabotaged our kiss.

“I don’t like that chair,” he said as he kissed up and down my face and down to my neck. I rubbed my hands up and down his head, feeling his short hair prickle against my palms. He had just a little bit of stubble on his face, and I could just feel it scraping my hypersensitive skin.

Kissing Hunter was like nothing I’d ever experienced.No guy had ever kissed me as if his salvation depended on it. Hunter kissed like he was going to hell, and he had this one kiss left and he was going to make the most of it.

There is something about a little stubble that it SEXY AS HELL!!! And any kiss that involves knocking furniture over must be pretty damn good ;)

Chelsea's books are always a great mix a sweet, sexy and funny, and I'm just starting on the next book in the series, My Sweetest Escape, which is great so far!

So what's making you swoon this week?

{Tour Review} Surrendering To Us by Chelsea M Cameron

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Title: Surrendering To Us

Series: Surrender Saga #2

Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

Published: Jan 9th 2014

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC provided by author for fair & honest review

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

They're finally together. But the Universe seems intent on tearing them apart…

Rory Clarke might not be Lucah Blythe's boss anymore, but that doesn't mean they can sneak off to the boardroom for hot sex whenever they want. Keeping their hands off each other in the workplace is harder than they could have imagined, and that's not the only obstacle they have to deal with. Between Lucah's troublesome brother Ryder, and Rory's bff Sloane's inability to understand locked doors, they're drowning in drama.

But it's only about to get a lot worse when a blast from Lucah's past surfaces, and chaos at Clarke Enterprises threatens to take away everything Rory has worked so hard for. Can the couple weather the storm and surrender to each other, or will the challenges of staying together destroy their relationship for good?

REVIEW:

The story:

I was actually quite surprised that 2nd book in the series was a continuation of Lucah & Rory's story. Since I felt their story had reached it's conclusion, I was a little worried that this book might be a little flat and boring, however Cameron proved me wrong! With an exciting new story, with the board of directors trying to overthrow Rory & her father, Rory's new assistant, and ex girlfriend turning up, there was plenty of action going on. Not to mention we are treated to a lot more scenes involving Lucah's brother Ryder, which I was trilled about! He's troubled and damaged, but his connection with Sloane was intense and their story has been set up perfectly for the 3rd book in the series, which focusses on their story!

The characters:

We learn a lot more about Lucah's past, and see a new vulnerable side to him. He's been very closed off about his childhood, and doesn't like to talk about his parents. However with his brother around, it's impossible for him to ignore it and watching him confront some of his grief was heartbreaking.

Rory is a bit stronger in this book, however she's still the worrying overachieving girl I loved from Sweet Surrendering. She's does struggle to deal with Ryder's presence at first, with the two of them clashing heads numerous times. However I felt that she handled everything really well - much better than she would have before she met Lucah.

Ryder, oh what can I say about this dark brooding mess of man. He's got many many issues and has a filthy mouth, but that's what makes him so irresistible. He and Sloane have such a strong attraction to one another and she brings out a very different side to him, which I'm excited to see more of in the next book.

The romance:

I have to say that I was thrilled that Lucah & Rory's romance didn't follow the usual trend of having a massive fight or break up just for the sake of creating unnecessary romantic drama. In fact their romance grew stronger than ever and even though they were faced with many problems, they overcame them together. I absolutely loved their new little tradition of sharing their worries each night before going to sleep, it was so sweet! And of course Chelsea doesn't disappoint on the sexiness, with lots of yummy scenes to enjoy!

The Writing:

I've read several of Chelsea's books now and am coming to love her unique and quirky voice. All her characters have a hilarious sense of humour, with incredible one liners than have me in stitches. She's writes character that I wish were real, just so I could be friends with them!

FINAL WORD:

With an exciting new story and fresh new characters introduced, this made for an excellent sequel. I can't wait to see Sloane & Ryder's story play out in the next installment, I have a feeling it's going to be amazing!

CONTENT:

Sexuality: strong / several sex scenes

Violence: none

Language: medium-strong / frequent f words

Drugs & alcohol: mild

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking The Shelves #12

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Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves.

ARCs for Review:

My Sweetest Escape by Chelsea M Cameron

Captivate by Vanessa Garden

White Hot Kiss By Jennifer Armentrout (ebook)

Thanks so much to Harlequin Australia for sending these!

On The Rocks by Sawyer Bennett
Objection by Sawyer Bennett
Stipulation by Sawyer Bennett
A huge thanks to Sawyer for sending these!

Incinerate by Tessa Teevan
A big thanks to Tessa sending this one!

The Destiny of Violet & Luke by Jessica Sorensen
Thanks to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing (I was surprised the get approved for this, since I always get rejected by this publisher for living outside of US, so YAY!)

Purchased: