The Reading Realm

{Blog Tour} Tiffany King's Beach Reads!!

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Title: Turtle Bay

Series: Season's Of Love #1

Author: Tiffany King

Published: 20th March 2015

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

If you're a teenager in a small, rural area, how do you exist when your eccentric, free-spirited parents are the town freaks everyone laughs at?

For sixteen-year-old Rainbow Honeywell—or Rain, as she insists on being called—the answer was to become the queen of all pranks. She never wanted to be a troublemaker, but the label quickly stuck when everyone in Huntsville, Kansas, became a target. All she wanted was to deflect the negative attention off her parents, but Rain's plan backfired to the max, landing her in a heap of trouble with the local authorities and expelled from high school.

An unexpected inheritance offers Rain an opportunity for a new beginning when she and her family move across the country to the quaint beach community of Turtle Bay, Florida.

Determined to make the best of her second chance, Rain vows to walk the straight and narrow, hoping her parents will fly under the radar while she soaks up some fun in the sun, sandy beaches, and hot, tanned guys. Unfortunately, she picks the wrong new friends, and a late night party lands her back in the kind of trouble she had been hoping to avoid. As the newbie in town with a record, Rain takes the brunt of the punishment when an unforgiving judge chooses to make an example out of her and slaps her with enough community service hours to keep her busy until she is old and gray.

Facing the harsh reality of paying for the actions of others while atoning for her own past sins, Rain is paired up with Josh Shaw, a judgmental local lifeguard whose love for the beach and the environment is eclipsed only by his distaste for those who trash it. As far as Josh is concerned, Rain is guilty and got what she deserved, regardless of her side of the story. To make matters worse, a tropical storm sits in the Atlantic, threatening to wreak havoc on the small beach community.

Things slowly change as Rain begins to appreciate her surroundings through Josh's eyes, proving she is not the person he thinks she is. Their feelings for one another blossom as the tropical storm grows into a hurricane and bears down on Turtle Bay. With impending danger looming, the small beach community must come together in order to ride out the storm.

TIFFANY KING'S BEACH READS!:

Beach reading is one of my most favorite kinds of reading. I mean, talk about the perfect backdrop; A gentle breeze blowing off the soft crashing waves, warm sunshine on my face and comfy cool sand under my back. Add in some chocolate and ice cold Diet Coke and I can't think of a better way to get lost in a delicious book.

When I was asked to gather ten of my favorite beach reads, I quickly discovered I had quite the dilemma. How could I possibly narrow it down to only ten? There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of books that I've adored. In the end, I narrowed my list down to books that could be finished in one sitting. The list is diverse, but each one would be a great addition to the perfect beach day. Besides, variety is the spice of life, LOL. So, without further delay, here's ten of my most favorite beach reads, in no particular order.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling

How to Seduce a Band Geek by Cassie Mae

Every Day by David Levithan

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Whispers and Wishes by Hollie Westring

Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Magnolia by Kristi Cook

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

{Release Day} Turtle Bay by Tiffany King

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Title: Turtle Bay

Series: Season's Of Love #1

Author: Tiffany King

Published: 20th March 2015

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

If you're a teenager in a small, rural area, how do you exist when your eccentric, free-spirited parents are the town freaks everyone laughs at?

An unexpected inheritance offers Rain an opportunity for a new beginning when she and her family move across the country to the quaint beach community of Turtle Bay, Florida.

{ARC Review} Leaving Amarillo by Caisey Quinn

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Title: Leaving Amarillo

Series: Neon Dreams #1

Author: Caisey Quinn

Published: 17th March 2015

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC provided by author for fair & honest review

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

Nashville meets New Adult in Neon Dreams, a dramatic, sexy series from bestselling author Caisey Quinn, about a country band’s rocky road to fame—and the ambition, dreams, and love of the people who make the music.

Dixie Lark hasn’t had it easy. She lost her parents in an accident when she was young and grew up in a ramshackle house on a dirt road in Amarillo with her ailing grandparents and overprotective older brother. Thanks to her grandfather, Dixie learned to play a mean fiddle, inspired by the sounds of the greats—Johnny and June, Waylon, and Hank. Her grandfather’s fiddle changed Dixie’s life forever, giving her an outlet for the turmoil of her broken heart and inspiring a daring dream.

Ten years later, Dixie and her brother, Dallas, are creating the music they love and chasing fame with their hot band, Leaving Amarillo. But Dixie isn’t enjoying the ride. All she can think about is Gavin, the band’s tattooed, tortured drummer who she’s loved since they were kids. She knows he feels the connection between them, but he refuses see her as more than his best friend’s little sister.

Convinced that one night with Gavin will get him out of her system, Dixie devises a plan. She doesn’t know that her brother has forbidden Gavin from making a move on her-a promise he swore he’d always keep . . . a promise that once broken will unexpectedly change the future for Dixie, Gavin and the band.

A feisty heroine, a beautifully flawed hero and a deeply intense 'forbidden' romance. Leaving Amarillo is a novel that will set your senses on fire!

REVIEW:

The story:

Dixie Lark and her brother Dallas have been friends with Gavin since childhood. And now touring as a band they are closer than ever. But Dixie has always felt more than simple friendship towards Gavin and believes he feels the attraction too. But despite this he's never made a move because of the promise he made her bother, that he'd never go there with her. Dixie knows touring will mean spending 24/7 with him and she's going after what she wants!

I must admit, 'older-brother's-best-friend' tropes are one of my all time favourites! The whole protective older brother forbidding he's friend and warning him off her, is always a winner. This book does end somewhat up in the air, which has left me begging Ms Q for the next book, Dallas's story!!

The characters:

Dixie is a feisty little character and I loved that she knew what she wanted and went after it. She's extremely selfless and will do anything to make her brother's dream of stardom come true, even if that means denying her own wishes.

Gavin is a rough and beautifully flawed character. He's hiding secrets about a dark period he went through while Dixie was at college. He seems ashamed and feels undeserving of Dixie's love, which for me made him all the more worthy *sigh* He's loyal, so much so that he's willing to break his own heart trying to keep a promise to his best friend Dallas - a promise Dallas had no right to ask for.

Dallas is a bit of mysterious character to me. He's extremely determined to make it in the music industry and very dedicated to his work. It's quite an intense character and I can't wait to see more of him in his own book to see the real Dallas.

The romance:

It was really refreshing to see the girl going after the guy for a change. Dixie puts herself out there by confronting Gavin about the obvious attraction between them and refuses to let him hide behind her brother's warning. The chemistry between them is super hot and it's clear that they both have feelings beyond lust and sexual attraction. They both care about the other and will do anything to see each other happy. And once these two finally give in to their feeling…WOWZAR do things get HOT!!

The writing:

I'm a huge fan of Caisey's books and I personally feel this is her best work yet. The characters are all really well developed with strong backstories, which created dynamic relationships between all three main characters.

FINAL WORD:

A feisty heroine, a beautifully flawed hero and a deeply intense 'forbidden' romance. Leaving Amarillo is a novel that will set your senses on fire!

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium-strong / several descriptive sex scenes

Violence: mild

Language: medium / several f words

Drugs & alcohol: medium / references to drug use & dealing

{ARC Review} Shaken, Not Stirred by Sawyer Bennett

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Title: Shaken, Not Stirred

Series: Last Call #5

Author: Sawyer Bennett

Published: 17th Mar 2015

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC provided via Netgalley for fair & honest review

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

Casey Markham is a man-eater in a rut. Swearing off relationships may keep her heart safe, but she's beginning to question if her casual flings will ever leave her satisfied. She's wondering if it's finally time to let go of the past and stop letting history control her future.

Bad boy biker, Tenn Jennings can't get Casey off his mind. A chance encounter with the beautiful blond has left its mark, and now he's determined to prove her wrong about everything she thought she knew about men.

It’s safe to say… Casey Markham has met her match.

Hero is an ex marine, bike riding cowboy - enough said

REVIEW:

The story:

We've all read the story of the MC who is against love & commitment, but I just love that this time it's about a woman. Casey is all about having carefree fun and has her rules about not getting too close to any man. But all that starts to change when she meets, Tenn. He's a ex marine, bikie who grew up on his family's ranch, and the perfect guy to shake up Casey's world.

Casey's past pain goes much deeper than being dumped or cheated on. It's more about being made to feel worthless and underserving of true love. Never wanted to feel cheap again she's locked her heart away and jumps from one casual meaningless fling to the next. At the first sign of commitment she runs. But Tenn is having none of that. He challenges her in all aspects of her life and for the first time she's starting to believe that maybe she could have more. However Tenn is hiding things about himself, fearing it will scare her away, but when she finds out, will their new relationship be strong enough to convince Casey not to keep running?

The characters:

On the surface Casey is a just a wild fun loving girl, and her aversion to relationships is simply her not wanting to be tied down. But as we get to know her better we see that she's been hurt before and isn't willing to risk her heart again. On some level she also doesn't believe she's good enough for true love and will always be a man's fling. But I really enjoyed watching Tenn show her that she deserves better and that he can be the one to give her that.

Tenn is an ex marine, bike riding cowboy - what a lethal combination. Or as Casey says: "You like have all the hot guy tropes covered." Despite his initial description making him sounds like a typical bad boy hero, he's actual extremely sincere and a really sweet guy. He has a 14 year old daughter from an ex wife and absolutely adores her. He's not at all a cliche character and has a really unique personality, and sometimes almost came across as shy. I really loved this guy!

The romance:

After being hurt in the past Casey has a very negative outlook on love. Despite her being upfront from the beginning that she's not interested in a relationship, Tenn knows there is something special between them and is determined to capture Casey's jaded heart. The chemistry is off the charts and slowly Tenn manages to break down her walls and show her that love and respect is something she deserves.

The writing:

I love how Sawyer's books are always new and exciting, and it never feels like your reading the same story with slightly different leads. She also continues to find new and interesting ways of writing love scenes. No one can possibly accuse her of being repetitive or boring. Two words: Horseback ride… *slow claps*

FINAL WORD:

Hero is an ex marine, bike riding cowboy - enough said

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium / descriptive sex scenes

Violence: mild

Language: medium / several f words

Drugs & alcohol: mild / several scenes set in bar

{ARC Review} The Only Way by Magan Vernon

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Title: The Only Way

Series: Only #4

Author: Magan Vernon

Published: 18th March 2015

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC provided via Netgalley for fair & honest review

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

William "Tripp" Chapman has always been the black sheep of his family's political dynasty. His oldest brother works on Wall Street, his youngest-groomed for the senate. And Tripp is the brother known for wrecking his Porsche after a drinking bender and winding up in rehab.

On the night of his father's presidential election he takes a detour and meets a waitress at a local hole-in-the wall. Samantha "Sam" Green is just as broken as he is, but covers it up with enough snark so no one tries to get too close.

When Sam gets kicked out of her apartment, Tripp agrees that she can crash on his couch until she gets on her feet. But as they grow closer physically, the ghosts of their past threaten to burden their new relationship

The Only Way they can overcome their demons is to face them instead of running. Can Sam help Tripp find his way or will their own battles bury them further?

The Only series is a series of standalone novels. You do not need to read one in order to fully understand the other. M/F. HEA

The Only way is a beautifully raw and gritty story on the dark world of addiction and mental illness, and provides the reader with a sense of hope.

REVIEW:

The story:

Tripp has hit rock bottom, after checking out of rehab for drug addiction and depression he's trying to rebuild he's life. But being the black sheep in his family and feeling shame for dragging his family's political name through the mud, recovery is anything but easy. And meeting a feisty waitress by the name of Sam certainly wasn't in his plans, but he can't deny his attraction to the sexy red head. After helping her out of sticky situation and offering her refuge on his couch until she can find a new apartment, the two develop a close friendship. However they are both reluctant to pursue anything romantic and destroy the first real friendship they've ever had. But how long can they deny their true feelings?

The characters:

Tripp may be the black sheep of the family, but he still has a heart of gold. He wants to change his life and be able to help others who a dealing with similar issues. But he does have a self sabotaging personality. As soon as something positive happens, he has a tendency to destroy it. He grows a lot and still has a lot more work to do, but he definitely works hard to become a better man.

Sam comes across as a tough, confident character who just gets on with life. But underneath that tough exterior is a girl who's desperate to find her place in the world. She a has a dry and wicked sense of humour, which I just loved.

The romance:

I really loved the the romance between Sam & Tripp doesn't 'heal' Tripp's addiction. While Sam is supportive in his recovery they both realise this is something he needs to do for himself. It was also great to see them develop a friendship first, before anything romantic really happened, it made their chemistry much more believable.

The writing:

Mental illness and drug addiction are not easy topics to write about. Finding the balance between light and dark, while being realistic with the approach is tricky. I loved that Magan didn't make the journey easy on the both her characters or the reader. But at the same time, I was left feeling hopeful about Tripp's future, which as a reader is extremely important.

FINAL WORD:

The Only way is a beautifully raw and gritty story on the dark world of addiction and mental illness, and provides the reader with a sense of hope.

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium-strong / some sex scenes

Violence: mild

Language: medium / some f words

Drugs & alcohol: strong / main subject has drug addiction

Other: main theme addresses mental illness and depression

{ARC Review} Every Move by Ellie Marney

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Title: Every Move

Series: Every #3

Author: Ellie Marney

Published: 1st March 2015

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Urban Mystery Romance

Source: Paperback ARC provided by publisher for fair & honest review

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

The sequel to Every Breath and Every Word.After the dramatic events of London, a road trip back to her old home in Five Mile sounds good (in theory) to Rachel Watts, with her brother Mike in the driving seat. But when Mike picks up his old buddy – the wildly unreliable Harris Derwent – things start to go south. Back in Melbourne, Rachel’s ‘partner in crime’, James Mycroft, clashes with Harris, and then a series of murders suggest that the mysterious Mr Wild – Mycroft’s own personal Moriarty – is hot on their tail. When tragedy strikes, Rachel and Mycroft realise they’ll have to recruit Harris and take matters into their own hands…

A Sherlock inspired, urban crime thriller with realistic characters and a passionate romance, what's not to love?!

REVIEW:

The story:

In this dramatic climax to this action packed series, Mycroft and Watts (Wattscroft) are back and ready to solve the mystery of Myscoft's parent's deaths once and for all. But their investigation will be anything but easy. Rachel is struggling to deal with their near death experience in London. Plagued with nightmares and unable to cope with being hugged, it's clear Rachel's fears stem from PTS. Her response is completely natural, as was Mycroft's, who blames himself for dragging Rachel into this mess. He hates seeing her in pain and struggles with his fear of something bad happening to her. And things are only getting more dangerous for these two. Mr Wild is closing in on them, and even the Police can't track him down. Wattscroft are joined by Rachel's brother Mike and his friend Harris as they try to outsmart the elusive criminal. In a heart pounding series conclusion, can these teenagers outmanoeuvre the twisted mastermind of 'Moriarty'?

The characters:

Rachel Watts is the kind of female heroine YA needs more of. She's strong and selfless, but she's not unrealistically invincible. After all the things she's gone through in the past few months she she struggles to deal with everything, and has to dig deep to overcome her fears. I previously said I wanted to be best friends with Rachel, but I've changed my mind, I want to BE Rachel.

Mycroft has always been good at compartmentalising. He's usually so focused on solving the mystery in front of him, that all the 'real life' stuff doesn't really register. But we see a new side to Mycroft, a more vulnerable side, and it was beautiful to see him learn to deal with new and unfamiliar emotions, especially when it came to Rachel. He's trying to understand his feelings for her and protect her at the same time. Simply put, I love him.

The romance:

The romance between Mycroft and Rachel is one of my favourite in all YA books. Their relationship started out sweet and innocent and has grown into something deep and passionate. We get to see them take their romance further and yes there are some little sexy times to be hand - which Marney handled just beautify with the perfect mix of awkward, sweet and sexy.

The writing:

I have loved the writing in all three books in this series, but in this last book Marney's writing was flawless. All the characters have their own individual voices, with Rachel's country slang shining through. The prose was just stunning, with such beautiful language;

"It's about five am, when the night still cups the world gently In its hands and the air feels cold and damp, like the insides of clouds."

"...we have no more permanence than water, and I am just one of the many animals absorbed by the minutiae of my life under the cold finger of the moon."

"There's a glow beyond the windows: sunrise here is like a miles-distant explosion, radiant pink and orange bleeding over the sky."

I also loved how Marney has taken a realistic approach to her characters' behaviour, in particular Rachel's struggles with PTS. So often we see so called 'normal' teenage characters go through traumatic experiences only to come out the other side all happy and unaffected. To see both Mycroft and Rachel deal with their fears was refreshing and gave a raw honesty to the story.

FINAL WORD:

This is one of my all time favourite series and I just love that it's by an Aussie author and set in Australia too! A Sherlock inspired, urban crime thriller with realistic characters and a passionate romance, what's not to love?! Every Move is the perfect conclusion to this stunning YA series!

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium-strong / discussions of sex, fade to black sex scene

Violence: medium-strong / descriptions of dead bodies, autopsies, gun violence and murder

Language: medium / several f words

Drugs & alcohol: medium / main character is a smoker, some underage drinking

{ARC Review} Trust The Focus by Megan Erickson

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Title: Trust The Focus

Series: In Focus #1

Author: Megan Erickson

Published: 17th March 2015

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Source: eARC provided via Netgalley for fair & honest review

Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads | Amazon

BLURB:

With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.

But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.

Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

Trust the Focus is beautiful story of raw emotions, self discovery and uplifting humour!

REVIEW:

The story:

Justin has known for some time that he's gay, but admitting it to himself and saying it out loud are two very different things, especially when his mother with big political aspirations has control over every aspect of his life and future. Justin's fear of 'coming out' has prevented him from ever admitting his feelings for his best friend Landry. It's not until he takes off on a road trip with Landry, that he starts to realise he can no longer lie about his true feelings. Following his father's maps & notes around the country to visit all his favourite photographic places, he scatters the ashes of his beloved father and learns a lot of lessons from in in the process.

As Justin & Landry travel across the country neither of them can hide their attraction for each other and this creates a whole heap of new issues for them to work through. To make matters worse, Landry is still dealing with trust issues from a previous bad experience and this has a huge affect on the way he responds to Justin's confession. At times it was so tragic and heartbreaking watching these two struggle with their feelings both within themselves and as a couple. But there was also lots of wickedly funny dialogue between them that gave such a beautiful vibrancy to the story.

The characters:

Justin is at a crossroads in his life, with lot's of decisions to make about his future. He's torn between being the man his mother want's him to be and being true to himself. He's does a lot of soul searching throughout the book, making big decisions about his future.

Landry has been open about his sexuality for years, and although on the surface he appears completely happy, he has had his fair share of hurtful comments and whispers behind his back. He's also struggled with his attraction to Justin,believing him to be straight. Landry grows a lot too, and learns how to let go of the past.

The romance:

I love friends to lovers stories, they are one of my favourite romance tropes, and Justin & Landry's story has the added element of Justin dealing with his sexuality. The chemistry between JusLan is intense from the very beginning, and I just loved seeing them grow as a couple. It's not easy for them, and they have many obstacles to overcome to make their relationship work, but I am shipping JusLan so much!!

The writing:

What I really loved about this book was the develop of the characters and they background. We learn about their history together, their friendship and their love for each other. It's that connection between the Landry & Justin that makes this book so amazing! And the humour was BRILLIANT! I was seriously laughing so hard at some of the things Landry said I was crying:

"Pretty sure you just took that sandwich's virginity."

I sputtered out a sip of coffee. "Lan!"

"What! That was a pretty intense moment you had over there."

"Will you just eat?"

"My sandwich doesn't want to do it now. My sandwich said your sandwich told her it hurts."

"Oh my God, Lan."

I also really loved the inclusion of blog posts at the end of the chapters, which even included comments from their friends back home. It really added to the feelings that Justin was going through, worrying about how his friends would react if they found out the truth.

FINAL WORD:

Trust the Focus is beautiful story of raw emotions, self discovery and uplifting humour!

CONTENT:

Sexuality: medium-strong / several m/m sex scenes

Violence: mild

Language: medium / regular use of f word

Drugs & alcohol: mild

{Re Cover Reveal} Be My December by Rachel Brookes

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Title: Be My December

Author: Rachel Brookes

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 27, 2014

BLURB

I knew the exact moment I’d become a ‘yes’ girl.   December 16th, a cold winter’s night, four years ago.   The night my innocence was stolen, the night I made the mistake of saying no—a mistake I’d never make again.   The dream of a ‘happily ever after' was now a locked away myth. I promised myself that I’d never return to the place of my worst nightmare, that I’d never let anyone get close, but then again, I never thought I’d meet someone like him.   The intense, confident and beautiful Ky Crawford. 

I had no plans to become someone’s Prince Charming.   I couldn’t be. I refused to be. My plan was simple—do whatever it takes to correct my biggest mistake, my one regret that now controlled my life.   I was on track. I had plans, but then everything changed when I saw her—the girl in the red jacket, the girl who I was told couldn’t say no.   The reserved yet stunning Eden Rivers.  A girl who can’t say no.  A guy who craves redemption.  A chance encounter?  It all comes down to this.  One question.  One month.  Be My December?

Buy The Book

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Barnes And Noble 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Rachel Brookes is from a coastal town on the east coast of Australia where beaches, kangaroos and surfers roam free. She writes angsty love stories with a pinch of craziness, a dash of drama, a cup of romance and a spoonful of sexiness… oh and the main ingredient hot guys.  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 and is constantly writing.   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 and friends.  Books currently available include The Breathe Series - Just Breathe, Breathless and Breathe Again. Be My December will be available August 2014. 

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