COVER REVEAL! "A Boy Like You" by Ginger Scott

Check out the cover of A BOY LIKE YOU by Ginger Scott! Don't forget to preorder your copy today!

A BOY LIKE YOU

NA Contemporary Romance-Book One of the “Like You” series.

Scheduled to release: March 3, 2017

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BLURB:

They say everyone’s a superhero to someone. I’m not sure who I’m supposed

to save, but I know who saved me.

We were kids. His name was Christopher. And up until the day he pulled me

from death’s grip, he was nothing more than a boy I felt sorry for. In a

blink of an eye, he became the only person who made me feel safe.

And then he disappeared.

Now I’m seventeen. I’m not a kid anymore. I haven’t been for years. While

death didn’t take me that day, the things that happened left me with

scars—the kind that robbed me of everything I once loved and drove me into

darkness. But more than anything else, that day—and every day since—has

taken away my desire to dream.

I wasn’t going to have hope. I wouldn’t let myself wish. Those things—they

weren’t for girls like me. That’s what I believed…until the new boy.

He’s nothing like the old boy. He’s taller and older. His hair is longer,

and his body is lean—strong and ready for anything. I don’t feel sorry for

him. And sometimes, I hate him. He challenges me. From the moment I first

saw him standing there on the baseball field, he pushed me—his eyes

constantly questioning, doubting…daring. Still, something about him—it

feels…familiar.

He says his name is Wes. But I can’t help but feel like he’s someone else.

Someone from my past. Someone who’s come back to save me.

This time, though, he’s too late. Josselyn Winters, the girl he once knew,

is gone. I am the threat; I am my worst enemy. And he can’t save me from

myself.

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, and Hold My Breath.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor

Twitter: @TheGingerScott

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott

Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

Book Review: The Girl I Was Before by Ginger Scott

The Girl I Was Before is Ginger Scott's eighth novel. I have read every single one of them from the first one, in order, right down to this one. Allow me to share with you, something that is highly unlikely to happen between myself and another author: Ginger Scott is the ONLY author who has earned FIVE STARS from me on EVERY other novel she's penned. This one is NO different.

The third and final (we think) installment in The Falling Series, this is the story of Paige and Houston. From the first two books in The Falling Series, fans will recall that Paige is Cass' fraternal twin sister and that they are absolutely nothing alike. When we first meet Paige all the way back in This Is Falling, the story of Nate and Rowe, she is one of Rowe's roommates along with her sister Cass. 

We learn that she's the "sorority type" that she likes "hot" athletes who are preferably fraternity brothers and, we also find out that she's a HUGE snob. She goes through the second book in the series, You and Everything After, the story of Nate's brother Ty and Paige's sister Cass, as the same young woman and we find that she's the same at the beginning of this novel as well.

But this time around, Paige has a lot to make up for in regard to her sister Cass (sorry, you have to read the first two to know what that is). Paige also finds out something about her sorority sister and uses social media to her advantage. Or is it to her advantage since technology can be used right back? Even if it's NOT TRUE.

Enter Houston Orr (tribute to Bobby Orr!!!!!). Houston is hardly even close to the type of guy Paige likes. Until she finds herself wanting to like him. And then she finds herself confused because Houston wasn't what she had planned for herself. I fell for Houston almost immediately after being introduced to him. He's tall, nice looking, he's intelligent, and while he's got a nice body and is athletic, he is not an athlete. At first, it might seem he's the pushover, nerd-geek kind of guy. Frankly, I happen to love nerd-geek type of guys. In fact, I married one. Houston may be a nerd-geek type of guy but, he's no pushover. Well, one of the characters in this novel DOES have Houston wrapped around a finger. But again, I can't tell you about that either. But it's worth reading just to find out about it.

Houston is a refreshing character and a much different type of guy than what some of us may be accustomed to in a Ginger Scott novel.  Like Mason Street from How We Deal With Gravity, Houston is a little bit older, working, and has other responsibilities he needs to take care of on a daily basis. Houston also has a lot more baggage than many of the other male characters we tend to see in Ms. Scott's novels. However, you're going to love and enjoy all of these differences.

And when Paige's and Houston's worlds collide? The Earth moves!!! The sizzle was hot right away too. These two don't peak and come back down either. Once they begin to rise with one another, they keep on going.

When you get to halfway through this novel, you will wonder what you are going to do when you're finished the other half of it. I sure did. That's never happened to me before. Another Ginger Scott first for me.

And finally, because if I don't wrap it up, I'll just go on and on about this novel, finally, I have to thank Ms. Scott BEYOND just providing me with an advanced reading copy in trade for an honest review. I have to thank her double for allowing me to get my hot little hands on this for a much needed brain break from the hardest college class I've ever taken in my life. And that's after a Bachelor's degree, Nursing school Part One and an endless amount of certifications over the years. I literally wrote to Ms. Scott and told her "I NEED Paige!" THAT was one of the better decisions I've made while taking a class. And I'm convinced I'm getting an "A" because of hard work but also because she gave me what I needed to breathe. This novel wasn't just an amazing read, it was a REVIVAL!

The Girl I Was Before is available right NOW!  You can order it pretty much everywhere. I would highly recommend that you order this one and grab up the first two, start reading now, and savor every single second you have with all of these characters.

As for the ending, well, I can't tell you that either. I can say that you will be pleased with it. And, I can tell you to read the Acknowledgements after you've read this novel. Ms. Scott talks about what she may or may not do in the future so don't dare skip it.

Book Review: The Trouble With Love by Lauren Layne

The Trouble with Love by Lauren Layne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.

As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.

After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.

Review:

Even though this is the fourth book in the Sex, Love & Stiletto series, this book can be read as a standalone as well. Emma and Cassidy (Alex) are bright, cute, and sexy characters without being overdone.

In general, I enjoyed the book and reading it was a pleasure. Probably the best part of the book overall is that these two already have a rough past with each other and their nearly non-existent recognition of each other in the present is the biggest challenge these two have to face. There are tons of misunderstandings and a lot of untold information that resulted in Emma being ditched at the altar. How these two break through some extremely thick walls is well-written and it all makes sense. There isn't anything convoluted or unbelievable. I buy these two as being in a previous relationship. I buy how they deal with each other at work because they have to be professional.

If you like to read good, solid romance you will enjoy "The Trouble With Love."

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


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Book Review: Loss of Innocence by Richard North Patterson

Loss of Innocence by Richard North Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the prequel to Martha's Vineyard, (hence the #0.5). I now need to go back and read Martha's Vineyard because I wasn't as thrilled with it as I was with every other RNP novel. But then I read this and I thought it was fabulous. Like Martha's Vineyard, Loss of Innocence is not like all of the other RNP novels that are usually filled with lots of courtroom drama, crime, corruption and mystery.

If you read Martha's Vineyard, you will have no clue who Whitney Dane is but, you'll figure out how the books fit together at the very beginning of Loss of Innocence,

Whitney is young, just graduated from college, and is a summer away from getting married to the perfect college graduate guy. Her parents are rich, her sister is a model, and her future husband will work for her dad. Sounds perfect doesn't it?

Then two things happen, one immediately right after the other. Bobby Kennedy is killed and Whitney meets Ben Blaine, who worked, literally, side by side with Bobby Kennedy. Ben Blaine is an "islander" on the Vineyard. He comes from a poor family, unlike Whitney.

Whitney and Ben become friends. Great friends. Over a three month period we see Whitney's growth, Ben's growth (or deterioration), depending on how you read it and, what's really going on with Whitney's family.

I've seen the not so great reviews for this book and for Martha's Vineyard. I think it's because RNP fans are so accustomed to his usual. But RNP wanted to write books about Martha's Vineyard and life there. He also wanted to write a period piece and set it on Martha's Vineyard so he wrote Loss of Innocence.

I think I'm going to love the third book in this trilogy. TO those who've read Martha's Vineyard and thought it wasn't so great, read Loss of Innocence and then try again.

View all my reviews

Book Review: You And Everything After by Ginger Scott

You and Everything After is the second novel in The Falling Series and the sixth novel overall by author Ginger Scott. Ms. Scott hit it out of the park when she released her first novel,Waiting On The Sidelines and she has continued to do with every single novel she has released since then including You and Everything After. Both novels can be read as stand alone novels but I highly recommend that you read both novels in this three part series.

This is the gorgeous story of Tyson "Ty" Preeter, a graduate student and older brother of Nate Preeter, who we met in book one of The Falling Series, This Is Falling and Cassidy "Cass" Owens, roommate of Rowe Stanton, who we also met in This Is Falling. Ty is tough, strong-willed and refuses to allow his disability (paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair) to get in his way. He'll also be the first to tell you that he can be a real a$ at times. Cass has come to college despite her disability, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and despite her parents' overprotection. Cass has come to college to start over. No more of that reputation about how easy it is to get her into bed. Nope. No more.

Even though we met Ty and Cass in This Is Falling, they were the secondary characters in the background while we read about Nate and Rowe's story. In this novel, we get all of the things that happened during the time Nate and Rowe are finding each other, but this is now focused solely on Ty and Cass. Ms. Scott has now moved Ty and Cass into the forefront, placed Nate and Rowe into the background as secondary characters, and shows us their story from both of their points of view.

Like every Ginger Scott novel, I couldn't put it down. I really did consider whether or not I could use REAL toothpicks to keep my eyes opened as I fought sleep to keep on reading. My body was falling asleep but my brain was in high gear, on full speed, and it would not rest until I finished this magnificent story.

Ty is the kind of man that women dream about finding: handsome, educated, athletic, great sense of humor, and empathy for others who suffer from disabilities like he does. And while Ty loves a party, the PITY party is the one party Ty is NEVER interested in. Ms. Scott gives us a completely realistic look at what it's like to have a disability like Ty's and how he still manages to accomplish so much. And when he meets Cass, his desire to be all of those things and be an even better man than he already is, becomes shockingly important to him.

Cass is the kind of young woman who doesn't like to be told that she shouldn't do something because she has MS. I can relate. I have a similar disability and it's painful all day long. I hate being told I can't do something because of my disability. But when Cass meets Ty and he turns out to be her personal trainer, he's positive that she could play soccer in college as she was a championship player in high school who was forced to quit by her parents and their understandable, but overprotective, worries.

Put these two together and you have FIREWORKS! They are hot, hot, hot! Yes, there are great love scenes in this entire book and you will love every single one of them. But, their clashing of souls and passion are what gives these two young lovers, regardless of their physical limitations, the ability to leap over the highest of mountains. Together, these two can do anything.

One particular scene, the one I loved MOST, is a scene when Ty and Cass are together in Cass' bed. When Ty is on top, he has to use his arm strength to hold himself up. Ty wants to be able to hold Cass a certain way but he can't because he needs both arms. He simply can't do both. It's Cass who comes up with a way to make that happen and Ty holds her. Tight. And he plays it over and over in his mind how much he loves her for everything that she is because she gets him. Like it says in the book's synopsis, "She’s about to own me…completely. And I’m about to let her." And he lets her. Yeah, sure...as if he had a choice.

Both characters are physically "broken" but together? They complement each other so well, each one repairs the other. Both characters have fragile hearts and neither wants it broken again. But together? Fragility gone, replaced with strength from each other. Both characters are young, one starting college, one starting graduate school. But they both have the maturity of two 40 year olds who've been around the block, over the mountain, through the woods, and back around the block again. I would call these two "old souls." Ty and Cass are together because the Universe knew that they needed each other. Like me and my man, Ty and Cass saved each other. Neither actually wanted to ever admit that they needed rescuing but they did. And it wouldn't have worked if either was with someone else. It had to be them for the saving and rescuing to work.

It's extremely difficult to pick a favorite from Ginger Scott's novels. They all have the ability to grab you, wrap you in warmth, make you root for the characters, and make you feel what the characters are feeling. To accomplish one of those things with a novel is exceptionally difficult to do. Ms. Scott pulls off all of those things in every novel she writes. And this one was no different. Because of these two old souls and the obstacles they have to jump over, I think this is my favorite Ginger Scott novel. Probably because I wanted to jump into this book and be one of the characters. Kind of because I could hear Ty's Louisiana accent in my head.

Beautiful. Delightfully funny! Irreverently funny! Classy. B!tchin! Crazy cool. Wild! Ginger Scott not only writes amazing novels, she tops herself with each new novel. How she tops THIS one? I have no idea what she'll do but I know she's going to do it. I've said the same thing since I first stumbled upon and requested the ARC for Waiting On The Sidelines and I'll say it again…if Ginger Scott writes it, I'm reading it and that applies for as long as…forever.

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Book Review: "The Millionaire Affair" by Jessica Lemmon

Kimber Reynolds owns her own vintage clothing store with her ex-boyfriend. She's trying to raise enough money to buy him out so she doesn't have to work with him anymore. Kimber has had a crush on Landon for as long as she could remember. Kimber also falls in love easy and fast and as a result, her relationships dissolve quickly when the man gets scared off.

Landon Downey is a millionaire ad executive who knows Kimber through his sister, Angel. Kimber spent summers with Angel growing up and spent one summer in particular crushing on Landon when she was a teen and he was in college. Landon's also got some relationship issues following a tragic turn of events with an ex from college years prior.

Now it's years later and Landon needs a nanny for a week to care for his nephew while Landon and Angel's brother is traveling to hone his art. Angel suggests Kimber thinking that Kimber's crush was actually on her other brother, Evan. But Landon agrees to hire her for a nice sum of money that Kimber can absolutely use so Kimber accepts and moves in for the week with Landon and his nephew.

Landon's attraction to Kimber all these years later is suddenly present and it throws him off. He can't even stop thinking about her. He can't bring himself to do relationships and she only wants to have a fling so she can prove to herself that she can without just falling heavily for every guy she dates.

So, where does THAT go? Well, you have to read it to find out.

Landon and Kimber were both extremely likable. I enjoyed how they interacted, how Kimber interacted with the nephew and how they were both open and communicative with each other about what they wanted from each other. At least what they THINK they wanted.

Kimber's "best" friend, Gloria, is NOT likable. At least not to me. I think as a best friend, you don't advise best friends to do the things Gloria advises Kimber to do and she's already confused and in a desperate situation about midway through the novel. Gloria comes off as extremely selfish. The only good part to having this terrible character is that it forces Kimber to figure things out for herself. She knows what she wants this time and Gloria is there to quash Kimber's dreams at each turn all the while thinking she's doing the right thing. Not so. Gloria does nothing in Kimber's best interest.

Overall, this is a wonderful story and I really liked the way the ending was written. This particular book is part three of the "Love In The Balance" series but each one of the books is easily read as a stand alone. Do look up the other two in the series and read those as well. They're all enjoyable.

*ARC given by NetGalley in return for an honest review*

Four excellent stars!

Book Review: "This Is Falling" by Ginger Scott

Author: Ginger Scott

Genres: Coming of Age, New Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 29, 2014

Availability: Pre-sales on Amazon.com and iBooks

     I have been trying to write this review for nearly a month. Rowe Stanton has been through a major tragedy. When she goes off to college, it's her decision that she is going to try and live, even though her physical scars are healed and her emotional scars are not even close to healing. I too went through a major tragedy (bullets included) and when I went to college, I decided to deal with that major tragedy. My physical scars were long healed and some faded. But my emotional scars were not, they were wide open. Our tragedies are not the same but I was Rowe Stanton at one time. I couldn't know how Rowe felt when I started This Is Falling, I only know how I felt about my own story.  However, Ginger Scott told me EXACTLY how Rowe felt. And now that I've figured that out a month later, I think I know how to write this review.

     This Is Falling is Ginger Scott's fifth novel.  Ginger Scott is the first author to ever draw tears from my eyes through the power of her writing. Ginger Scott has hit it out of the park. AGAIN.

     Rowe Stanton needs to live again. She needs to live among the living and put her past behind her and start looking to her future. She has no idea how to do that. Then she meets Nate Preeter. Handsome, All-American baseball player, Nate Preeter. When Rowe meets Nate and Nate finds out Rowe's story, he doesn't make the same big mistake that everyone seems to try and do: he doesn't try to SAVE her or fix her. In my own life, from my college fiancee to my present husband, and including all of the men in between, they've all wanted to SAVE me from my past.  People like Rowe and me don't need saving or fixing, we need a place to land when we FALL. And that's what Nate does. He gives Rowe a place to land when she's falling flat on her face.

     When Rowe and Nate meet for the first time, I swear it's love at first sight and they don't know it. But the connection is immediate even though Rowe is skittish. But Nate? He's the most patient book boyfriend I've ever read. Because Nate wants Rowe and Rowe absolutely wants Nate but Rowe is so conflicted because she has no idea how to live in the present, she doesn't even know if she should accept what Nate is offering.

     But then Rowe begins to open up a little bit. With her crazy, prankster sense of humor which matches Nate to a tee. I'm reminded of pink and Barbie and I just have to crack up like I did when I was reading the book. I was so floored at that point because I developed a quirky sense of humor and it was a MAJOR part of my own recovery from that awful time in my own life. And then I married a man with the best sense of humor in the UNIVERSE. And when he figured out I didn't need saving, the humor became part of the healing. In the end, my husband DID save me but it was after he stopped trying to do it. Nate can easily be seen as the cliche, perfect college boyfriend but he's not perfect. In fact he screws up a LOT and there's a big one courtesy of Rowe's father. I still can't believe Rowe's father asked what he did of Nate and I'm still kind of pissed that Nate was willing to do it. So no, he's not perfect. But he is perfect for Rowe even with the flaws.

     Ginger Scott was really ballsy to pick the incident that Rowe went through. When I read what happened to Rowe, I was stunned and impressed all at the same time. Then she had the guts to NOT get preachy about it, to not get political about it, and to focus on Rowe and her healing. She focused on Rowe and Nate. I loved the humor in this book because it needed to have humor in it. This could have been a real downer if Ms. Scott chose to get all "psycho-babble." She didn't.

     I could say this was my favorite book by Ginger Scott but I can't. I loved them all equally but for different reasons. I've tried to chose the one I love the most and I just can't.  This is my favorite Ginger Scott novel.  So are the other four. This I do know: I will read EVERY BOOK she writes. She can write about paint drying and I would read it. She'd find a way to make it exciting and moving all at the same time.

     Like so many who were touched by How We Deal With Gravity because of the Autism aspect of the book, I was touched by This Is Falling because I am Rowe. Well, I was Rowe. I have some idea of where Rowe will end up in her future as long as she keeps on trying. If she keeps on trying, because surviving tragedies like ours REQUIRE a lifetime of work to survive, she won't be perfect but she will have a good life.

Book Review: "Hardline" (Hacker #3): THE SEX IS EVEN BETTER IN THIS ONE!!!!!

My rule for most book series is to wait until the series is all done and then marathon through it.  However, I stumbled upon the first book, "Hardwired," and read it without knowing it was a series. So I blew through the first and found the second book, "Hardpressed," and had to wait for the third one. And Meredith Wild is writing FIVE of these. I recommend that you read the first three books and be hooked on the series. The wait for book four will be exciting! I promise!

"Hardline" picks up pretty much where "Hardpressed" left off.  Blake and Erica are into a groove and they are no less HOT as they were in the first two books. However, just like in the first two books, Erica is stubborn and Blake just wants to help her. And, Erica thinks if she asks for help, it makes her weak. So there comes a point where there is an ultimatum on the table. The scene is intense and you will worry about Erica and Blake's relationship. Question is: will their relationship survive through this book?

Some people will think both are being unreasonable when this ultimatum is handed down by Blake to Erica. As you keep reading, one will figure out that what Blake is asking for is not exactly what they think it is. But it will be ultimate test of the relationship and Erica is going to need to decide once and for all if she is able to and going to trust Blake.

One thing that is the same but different is that the sex in this book is BETTER than the first two and it was damned great in the first two books. SSEXY, SEXY, SEXY!!!!!

Overall, this book is wonderful and I highly recommend it with FIVE STARS!  I'm expecting no less from the rest of the series!

Book Review: "Hardpressed" (Hacker #2) by Meredith Wild…..The Sex Scenes Aren't Sloppy Smut!!!!!

Hardpressed is book two of the Hacker Series and picks up where Hardwired left off. For those who read the first book and saw the comparisons to Fifty Shades of Grey like I did, this book gets away from all of that and there is no longer anything to compare.

This book takes some wild turns, some daring twists, and some of the secrets learned in the first book get addressed in Hardpressed. Readers of the first book know who Daniel is by the time they've finished and by the time we get through book two, we know Daniel, we don't like Daniel and, some of us like the way Erica handled Daniel. I personally found her method of dealing with him to be not smart just for the sake of being independent. Being independent doesn't mean you NEVER need help. And I think that's Erica's main flaw: she's so used to doing everything on her own, she doesn't allow anyone to step up and help her. That annoyed the Hell out of me.

In book two, we know that Erica is questioned over Mark's death and it was fairly brief. My gut says Ms. Wild is going to eventually come back to that but it's hard to tell which twists she'll take in book three. Maybe she'll let Mark be dead and gone so Erica can start to move on from that bad juju from her past.

We see a lot of Erica's non-blood-related family (Marie, Alli, Sid) place themselves at Erica's side while she goes through a tough time with Blake without even knowing the reason for the tough time. I wish Ms. Wild would have brought it out more that Erica's mother may have died long ago but that she always had family before finding Daniel. I understand a person's need to find and get to know blood relations if they are out there but Erica (and Ms. Wild) misses an opportunity here to emphasize Erica's TRUE family.

The ending was a shocker and then it wasn't. Without spoilers, I can't explain it any further than that.

The sex in the book is absolutely fabulous. Ms. Wild knows how to write an erotic scene without making it sloppy smut. I have no trouble confessing that I wanted to jump my own husband after reading those scenes and I wouldn't be surprised if other adult readers wanted to jump their own partners as well.

Overall, the series is off to a good start. I'm looking forward to book three, Hardline (Hacker #3).

So, is "Hardwired" by Meredith Wild a Ripoff of Fifty Shades of Grey or Twilight?????

Hardwired is the first book in Meredith Wild's Hacker series. Within the first three chapters, you'll begin to think you're reading the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy all over again and there are similarities. Blake is a gozillionaire who likes to be in control, he's hot, he's possessive and so on. He's got a brother named Heath who falls for Alli, best friend of the main character Erica.

Erica is basically an orphan who just graduated from Harvard and was raised by her mother's best friend. There's even Sophia, Blake's sort of ex who is a bitch and doesn't like Erica and the feeling is mutual. Some of the similarities are so close, you will think you are reading the same thing but you're not.

You'll most likely run into reviews of those who bitch and moan at the mere mention of the similarities. Frankly, I find those people immature. I mean, c'mon, Erica gets on Blake quite a few times in this first book and calls him "master of the universe." And if you know anything about FSoG, you know that it's Twilight fan fiction that was previously titled "Master Of The Universe." So to deny the similarities is just immature and stupid.

Now, the actual book is really good once you move past those similarities because there ARE differences. In Hardwired, Erica is NOT Ana nor is she Bella. Erica is tough, smart, business savvy, she has her own start up business and she's trying to get some serious millions to fund her company, Clozpin, which sounds like an anti-anxiety drug but really, it's a fashion social networking site.

Erica and Blake sort of meet by LITERALLY running into each other and the day afterward, Erica finds herself at a conference table surrounded by wealthy men to make her pitch and one of those wealthy men is Blake.

From that point on, the entire book is complete FIREWORKS! The love scenes/sex scenes in the book are by no means boring and Erica knows how to hold her own with Blake. She's not entirely a pushover although she does have some confidence and trust issues. Like most main characters in these types of novels, she's got a past and so does he. Hers is pretty bad.

What's good about the book is how Blake reacts the story of her past. He still engages her but he doesn't walk on eggshells with her either. I thought he handled it all like a pro.

Overall, this is a good read. It's not incredibly deep, it's a book to relax with and you probably won't be able to put it down. DO be ready to read the series. You will WANT to read the next two books anyway to find out what happens to Erica and Blake. I'm in the middle of the second book and it actually gets BETTER. So if your summer vacation is planned and you're looking from some books to sit back and read, grab up all three, get a glass of your favorite cold beverage, put your feet up and enjoy!!!!!

Book Review of "Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold Cookbook: A Love Story Told Through 150 Recipes (Fool's Gold #12.1)"

Entwined in this fantastic cookbook packed with easy to make recipes is the sweetest little love story. You'll meet Ana Raquel and Greg soon enough but while you're enjoying their story, you'll also enjoy trying as many of these recipes as you can squeeze into a meal or a party. The Arugula Pesto, Ricotta and Roasted Tomato Pizza will make fellow Italianos proud. Mouths will water over the Thai Peanut Chicken! The Christmas Morning Chocolate Swirl Buns are good any day of the year. By far, THE tastiest little romance book EVER!!!!!

Book Review: "Hard To Handle" by Jessica Lemmon

ONCE BURNED
Sadie Howard never dates a guy more than once-but Fate has other plans for her when it comes to Aiden Downey, the one that got away. Aiden loved her, left her, and broke her heart. Yet suddenly she's bumping into him at every turn, driven to distraction by his wicked grin and rock-hard body. Now she can't resist finishing what they started-as long as she doesn't let herself fall in love . . .

TWICE AS TEMPTING
Aiden Downey threw away the best thing he ever had when he let Sadie go, and now he's determined to win back the woman he's always wanted. Sadie agrees to let him into her life-and her bed-as long as there are no strings attached. But Aiden's not about to make the same mistake again. Can he convince her to take a second chance on a once-in-a-lifetime love?

Sadie's best friend, Crickitt, is marrying Aiden's cousin, Shane, and it's at their wedding where we start off in this book.  With Crickitt and Shane gone, off to their honeymoon, we find a plastered Sadie and a well buzzed Aiden staying overnight at the reception site.  It's here where Aiden takes Sadie off to her room and puts her to bed where we find out through their thoughts what happened to make Sadie despise Aiden.  They dated a year prior and Aiden, when his mother went to a holistic cancer center in Oregon, broke it off with Sadie and went to be with his mother, hoping she'd beat the cancer.

A couple of month's later, we find Sadie working her butt off as a sales rep for a motorcycle parts company and she's off to land her biggest potential client before the owner hires another Parts Manager.  To Sadie's shock and chagrin, the owner has hired Aiden for the job.  With Aiden feeling guilty and still in love with Sadie, he gives her the account which wins her a big bonus at work and the number one sales position.

Now she sees him daily at the shop as she changes over the inventory, the displays and sells off the older, lesser quality competition products.  At this point, just about anyone can guess where THAT'S going to go.

Aiden is a wonderful hero in this book.  He's changed a lot after his mother's death.  He has goals and purpose and he knows what he wants his future to be.  And he wants Sadie to be a part of that future.  For a big, badass biker dude, he's a sensitive guy.  And of course, he's a little bit stubborn too because, well, he's a man.  "Nuff said.

On the other hand, Sadie is whiny and kind of a bitch when it comes to how she treats Aiden.  I mean, if I got this right, Sadie and Aiden had THREE DATES.  Now maybe there's a lot more to their previous relationship in the novella that precedes this book but by all accounts, it was THREE DATES.  I got the impression that they both fell in love with each other, most likely at first sight the first time around, and maybe that's why Sadie STILL won't let it go.  But she's also completely not understanding at all as to why Aiden broke if off.  The man's mother was dying of cancer and he chose to go be with her.  So, from this point of view, Sadie really appears to be the self-absorbed one of the two.

I had no trouble reading the book, it was a page turner.  But I got all sorts of annoyed at the back and forth that led to nowhere.  But I liked the end and the epilogue.  It just felt like there was a middle missing. A missing piece. There's all the back and forth and then the ending and epilogue comes real fast.

One of the things in the book that nagged at me was Sadie's fear of riding on a motorcycle.  Her backstory obviously includes a family and friends who ride. She has extensive knowledge of cycles, riding and the parts she sells.  So there's this story that carries through the book of this fear because her dad had an accident and Aiden had an accident.  As far as I can tell, nobody she knows has died in a motorcycle accident.  It seems irrational.  At one point, I thought the turning point (the missing piece) would be Aiden has another accident and Sadie finally sees that she really cannot live without Aiden.  After finishing the book, I kept asking myself if Jessica Lemmon may have even written that in and for some reason, took it out.

Overall, it's a good book.  Readers of romance novels will enjoy it, especially if they enjoy reading romances that go "off formula."  That being said, I'm extremely interested to read the first book which is about Crickitt and Shane and the novella which gives us the whole backstory on Sadie and Aiden.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Book Review: The Trial of Dr. Kate by Michael Glasscock III

This is the second book of a four part series set in Round Rock, TN.  While set in the same town with some of the characters from the first book, Little Joe, it is now some years later.  Dr. Kate Marlow is going on trial for murdering her best friend, Lillian.  She insists that she didn't do it but has no recollection of the day her friend died because she blacked out.

Seeing the news of the trial on the AP teletype, expat of Round Rock, Shenandoah Coleman, now working as a reporter for a Memphis newspaper, decides to return home to Round Rock to cover the trial and after seeing her old friend Kate, decides to help Dr. Kate by interviewing everybody who knew her to find character witnesses for her.

Along the way, Shenandoah meets up with her old friends and her old foes, she meets new people along the way and makes new friends as well.  Including, Bobby, a handsome mechanic who happens to work for Lillian's husband, Army, and they develop a romantic relationship with each other. The fact that Bobby and Army are moonshine runners isn't exactly favorable to Shenandoah but she seems to understand that the activity goes along with all of the other unfavorable activities of the time.

The book covers just about every topic associated with the deep South in the early 50's including racism, sexism, classism, corrupt politics, etc.  There is a trial and we get a good picture of just how differently the court systems worked back then.  Michael Glasscock made it all very real.

A verdict is rendered.  What really happened that day comes to light.  There's even an epilogue that details what happened to each of the characters years later.

What I liked about the book was how Shenandoah held her head up high in the faces of those who once looked at her as poor white trash and still see her as that even though she's been a WASP pilot in WW2, college educated and doing well for herself.  I also liked how she kept her promise to Dr. Kate and visited her everyday to see how she was doing and to keep her up to date on how her interviews were progressing.

We also get to see the good things too.  Like Southern hospitality and how the town protects each other (this is a bad thing too when it turns into people covering for each other).  The book is written really well, it's not hard to follow and you can get caught up in it quickly.

What I didn't like was how the trial ended and the reaction to the verdict just seemed to fall flat.  I'd expect, in this particular case, that ANY verdict would spark outrage and outcry.  But it was just nothing.  Even finding out what really happened was just flat.  Then out of what seems like nowhere, we are given this shocker of an ending with Bobby, whom Shenandoah has fallen in love with and wants to be with forever.  Frankly, I *hated* how Bobby's ending was written.  It seemed incredibly unnecessary and I still don't understand why Glasscock decided to go in the direction he did what him.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book.  Honesty, I dropped it to 4 stars because of that ending.  In fact, I can't think of another book ending that I disliked more.  Overall, it's a good book and a good read.  I plan to read the next two books in the series.

Book Review of "Little Joe" by Michael Glasscock III

I don't know if others bothered to read the Q&A with the author at the end of the book or if they simply didn't notice it at the end of the book, but I noticed that some of the reviewers who didn't like the book as much as I did seemed to think Michael Glasscock did a lot of research to write this book.  What we find out in the Q&A with the author was that a lot of these characters are based on real life people and the grandparents are based on his own maternal grandparents who he lived with for nine months out of the year.  He also wrote most of the book from his own memory.

The other thing I noticed about many (not all) who rated and reviewed the book a little bit lower were either from a much younger generation (basically anybody who didn't have WW2 era grandparents) OR, they didn't know a whole lot of their WW2 history or what American culture was like during that time.  The reaction to the grandparents from younger readers find the grandparents harsh or uncaring.  What they either missed or don't seem to know is that it was the 1940's, it was during WW2 and one's elders spoke to children much differently than they do today.  That's because they were more strict.  Seems to me the younger generation readers don't know that entitlement, or that the world owes you something was not taught back then.  If you wanted anything at all during that time, you worked for the money to buy it or you built it yourself or you did some kind of work for trade.

But, the story follows Little Joe Stout who goes to live with his grandparents in Round Rock, TN in the early 1940's during WW2 after he and his parents are in a car accident from a blown tire.  Both of Little Joe's parents die in the accident and a new life (and lifestyle) is thrust upon the young boy.

His grandparents are what I would describe as "tough old birds."  LIttle Joe's grandmother, who becomes Mommy Washington to Joe, is your basic, older Southern woman, who cooks everything in bacon grease, reads a lot, smokes a lot and is your traditional church-going wife.  At the same time, even though she lost her only daughter, she's a tough old bird.  She may be strict and she might appear to be pushing Little Joe too quickly to "get over" the death of his parents but I think that's just how it was back then.  These would be people who lived through The Depression and then they have to live through a war.  What we don't get to read about, presumably because the story is about Little Joe, is that Little Joe's grandmother probably spent quite a few nights in her room, by herself, grieving for the loss of her only daughter and thanking God for sparing her grandson.  So yes, she's tough and strict and makes Little Joe do chores but she's not mean or evil or nasty.  Country life is different than city life and when she tells Little Joe that he'll get used to country living and country food, she's not being mean, she's being strong.

At first, one might think Little Joe's grandfather, Daddy Washington, is a total milquetoast.  Not at all.  He's a quiet Southern gentleman who probably lets his wife think she rules the roost while he goes out and makes a living as the town engineer.  He's got his man-cave (the garage), he sits down and eats what his wife puts in front of him and we don't see the grandparents argue.  Just because we don't see it, doesn't mean they don't.

And then there are Little Joe's friends.  Sugar is a bit of a tom-boy but still wears her hair in girly pigtails and talks about who likes who on the school bus.  Bobby is a "colored" boy from the "colored" part of town.  Most of the action we see with the three of them is at Little Joe's farm although we do see them going to other places in the book.  Sugar can kick a shin that'll put tears in your eyeballs and Bobby is just a fun little boy.  It doesn't take long to figure out that these three are no doubt friends for life even though the book spans the first year of Little Joe's life in his new home and environment.

We get a look at racism in this book when Little Joe's grandmother stands up to the local "white trash" bullies who try to beat a Chinese man traveling through on the way to see his son who is leaving for the war.  The town bullies seem to be all adult white men who believe he's a "Jap" and think he should be in one of the camps with the rest of the "Japs."

Little Joe quickly learns that his grandmother doesn't like people who don't like people who hate "colored people" or anyone who is different (i.e. not white).  This is a time where Jim Crow laws are in effect and there are separate water fountains, separate schools, etc.  And she's not this way to be all political or to make statements.  She is how she is because she respects all human beings.  Little Joe comes to his grandparents already uncorrupted but his grandmother strengthens that attitude by leading by example.

The only thing I could not figure out was the age gap.  If Little Joe's grandfather is 70 years old, then surely his grandmother is in her mid to late 60's. How do they have a 9 year old grandson and they only had ONE child?  Since everybody had children so young back in that time, I would have guessed Little Joe's grandparents to be in their 40's, perhaps late 40's.  When I was 9, my own WW2 era grandmother was well into her 50's but she had 11 children.  So when I was in my early 20's, she was in her early 70's.  It was just something I noticed but it doesn't take anything away from the book.

Overall, this an A+ book that I loved and I'm looking forward to reading the other three book in the series.  According to the author, the 4th book returns to Little Joe in his late 20's so I can't wait until it's published.  I'm dying to know if Little Joe goes on to be a Veterinarian.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review in return.  I'm looking forward to recommending this book.  It's for anybody who can read.

Book Review of "A Darkness Ascending" by Christobel Kent

This book from Christobel Kent is a part of a series of books that feature Sandro Cellini, a former cop turned private detective.  My first thoughts while delving into the book was that I probably should have read the preceding books first.  I had a hard time grasping who all of the characters were but I'm not sure if this was because the book simply moved too slow to get to the action or if reading the earlier books in the series would have sped that up for me.  There are a bunch of characters all introduced in the early chapters one on top of the other and I had a hard time connecting them to each other.

We do get a prologue that introduces Silvano Niccolo and his partner, Flavia.  It's a fairly simply prologue. Flavia is obviously putting down their newborn infant to bed.  And embedded in the chapter upon chapter of character introductions that follow, Silvano Niccolo is at a political rally or meeting of some sort and he collapses on the stage.

Then Flavia disappears and we find out she's committed suicide.  Or did she?  It's a weird plot of sorts and it is in some ways, a thriller.  Cellini is pulled into the case by Giuli, who as far as I can gather, is some type of foster daughter to Cellini.

This was a tougher mystery for me to read when I typically have no trouble getting drawn in quickly to mysteries in general.  I would not call the entire book flat but there really wasn't what I would call a "climax" here either.  It all kind of goes at one pace, and stays at one level.

I also didn't feel like I was in Italy either.  This could have taken place in the underground halls and alleyways of anywhere.  Except for the names of the characters and places which are in Italian, I didn't get any feel for any of the Italian political culture.

Overall, I would still recommend the book.  But, I would tell potential readers to start with the first book in the series as I think I would have had a better experience if I had done the same.  I gave it 4 stars because I thought it was "very good" with 3 stars being "good" and 5 stars being "excellent."  And I only subtracted a star because of the slow moving feeling.  I couldn't subtract stars for other things because it felt not fair since I hadn't read the other books that came before this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review of this book.