Not Today But Someday (Emi Lost & Found, #0.5) by Lori L. Otto

"Have you ever been in love, Emi?"

"I don't think so."

"Then this is a real shame," he tells me.

"What is?"

"You've never been in love. You don't want to be in love. How does one live their life without love?"

"So you were in love with that girl?

"No," he says. "I thought I was, but no."

"Then have you ever been in love?"

"I'm not sure," he answers and his eyes linger on mine just long enough to make my heart skip a beat."

"But I want to be."

Do you ever get stuck in a book you find it so hard to move on and get your act together? Seriously, don't feel bad because I feel it too. This book makes me think of warm mornings, pancakes and hot coffee. It's undeniably refreshing as it is tasteful. I just love how it's written! I love how the author's choice of words left me reeling, I love how everything had become insanely real all of a sudden I felt the elation give way to a small squirm of pleasure here and there as I worked my way out through the midst of proverbial drums and subtle variations of each structured sentence.

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Without further ado, let me start with the main characters and get you trapped into their little "arty" world, and maybe lead you on, tease you a little, among other things.

"I want whatever won't hurt me. I want whatever leaves me whole, and keeps my faith in the belief that bad things don't happen to good people."

Emily Hennigan is a refreshing character to read about. She has a knack in graphic designing and dabbles a bit in painting. She has this reddish blonde hair that caught Nate's attention but her eyes are the first thing that he noticed that he feels instantly connected with her. She's feisty and yet absolutely charming. She's a pathological pessimist, and yet idealistic which I found a little obscure but I can relate to her in some ways, she has a good taste in music (e.g. Radiohead), it made me think of my teenage hipster days. Her consequential ideals about love and romance, some of it are relatable. She's a girl with so much passion, and hope, and dreams about life until she caught her father cheating, all of those romantic notions of love in her mind had become totally passé. She made a promise to herself that if she falls head-over-heels in love, it should only happen once.

"I think that love is greater than us all. Sometimes, it traps people, and holds them, frozen in time... for weeks, or months, even years."

Nathan Wilson is not your ordinary guy in a leather jacket and scuffed-up boots. While there's something admittedly sexy about him he's more than a pretty face, really. I found myself perfectly drawn to his character because he thinks and sees things differently because I think he has an artistic and creative mind. He's particularly keen on exquisite and intricate details just about anything and painting is his way of expressing himself. He smokes cigarettes constantly, he likes being alone, he prefers his own solitude ever since his father had died in a car accident months ago. At a young age, he realized that life is too fleeting you can barely hold it with your bare hands, let alone control it.

********

This is a nice prequel, a wonderful prelude to the Emi Lost & Found Series. It is like a prelude to a song, a kiss waiting to happen, there's a promise of things to come, a show of intent and longing. This book captured my heart in more ways than one. I admire the writing, the words, the flow of the story, it's too much I just can't put enough emphasis into it. I loved the feeling that came over me when I finished reading it, one that I've never experienced for a long time now. I connect with this book, with the characters, deeply and instantly, as if I have known them like they are my own to keep. 

What I know about love, I know in detail, given the fact that I read a lot of books in contemporary romance genre but my view about the whole context is not that expansive. This book made me realize that none of us are good judges about love because sometimes we fall in love and then later on we don't. Love is a complex feeling, and yet a powerful one. You don't get to judge someone's feelings based on your own perspective.

I loved Emi and Nate's intense conversations, there's also a discourse between them, an intellectual connection I never think could be possible. I loved how they continuously inspire each other. I got a little carried away with their friendship that I couldn't help myself but wonder if they will end up together in the end or not. This book rocked me so powerfully I had deliberately stopped from reading for a few seconds and took a deep breath, letting the dawning truth arrive, filling me slowly and steadily. It was too much to take on board in one go. Nevertheless, I fell in love with the characters and their life's aspirations. I still do.

"I'd pray to whomever I needed to, but above all, I'd fight for her. Not today, but someday, I will fight for her. I'll play by her rules. I know that I need her. I think that I love her. I know what I have to do. When she's ready for love, I'll fight for her."

I just got my book order this month and was completely taken away, look, how gorgeous they are. They're all lovely! I received my signed copy along with the swag from Lori few weeks ago, and a simple greeting isn't enough to express my feels, you guys! This is how the first page of my signed copy looks like:

"I paint. A prodigy could do that abstract thing at six. I had to live and die first."

Soundtrack of the day: No One Like You by Best Coast

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

“Uh, ma’am…You need some help?”

Her paws didn’t break rhythm. “You got a gun?”

“Not with me.”

“Then I’ve got no use for you.”

On she marched. 

Natural Born Charmer  

It wasn't every day a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of a road, not even in Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard's larger-than-life world. He slammed on the brakes of his brand-new Aston Martin Vanquish and pulled over in front of her.

The beaver marched right past, her big, flat tail bouncing in the gravel, and her small, sharp nose stuck up in the air. Way up. The beaver looked highly pissed . . .

She was definitely a girl beaver because her beaver head was missing, revealing sweaty, dark hair pulled into a scraggly ponytail. He'd been praying for a little distraction from his own depressing company, so he threw open the door and stepped out onto the shoulder of the Colorado road . . .

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FIVE Charming stars!

Reading SEP books always leave me in love.  Natural Born Charmer is all about being strong enough to fight for your happiness. It’s all about family, their faults, why we hate and love them at the same time. Aside from Dean and Blue, all the other characters are so interesting and lovable. They all have their faults but they have so many redeeming qualities.

You have to read it to know what I’m talking about, and I assure you you won’t be disappointed with this one ;-).

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My heart ached on this scene between Jack & Riley:

“You’re doing that pretty well,” he said.

She beamed. “I’ve been practicing.”

“How? I thought you had to give Trinity her guitar back.”

“I did. But I made one out of cardboard so I could work on my finger positions.”

His lungs constricted. He pushed himself out of the chair. “Be back in a minute.”

When he got to the bathroom, he sat on the edge of the tub and put his head in his hands. He hadmoney, cars, houses, rooms filled with platinum records. He had all that, and his daughter had been forced to practice on a cardboard guitar.

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And this one between Jack & Dean:

“Just tell me this. If you had to do it all over again…”

“I can’t do it over, so let it go.”

“But if you could…”

“If I had to do it again, I’d have taken you away from her!” he said fiercely. “How’s that? And once I had you, I’d have figured out how to be a father. Fortunately for you, that didn’t happen because, from where I stand, you turned out just fine on your own. Any man would be proud to have you for a son. Now, are you satisfied or do we have to fucking hug?”

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Fixed Trilogy, Fixed On You, Found In You, Forever With You

Fixated on Fixed Trilogy

I'm probably late in reading this trilogy, but what the heck! I still gave my two cents :) 

I may have said I was blown away after reading Found In You. Now, that's an understatement,  I was so engrossed by it. I spent my 12 hours reading it. If you don't call it being riveted by Hudson and Alayna, then by all means tell me the proper description. I was seriously considering naming my next child Hudson. No, seriously. 

I  love the catty comebacks and double entendres. How good looking, sexy and intelligent the characters were. When I read the veracity of Alayna's condition, I kinda understood her, and Hudson as well. I was hooked to the plot already. I've read some twisted characters before. Believe me this was a walk in the park. This is very hard for me to admit, but this is now my favorite trilogy. And I'm saying this after I declared I hate trilogies these days . Hudson can really be persuasive. 

I can tell if I read a good book by the number of bookmarks and highlights I've had on it. And just wow! My kindle was so colorful, if you got my drift. 

I hope all trilogies were like this. There's no cliffhanger in every book. It's like you can read it as stand alone and you're good. Every voracious reader's dream, I bet. 

One of my many favorite parts, I don't want to ruin it for you. You have to read it. As of now, it's still free from Kindle if you have Amazon Prime. 

“Tell me, Alayna—were you first attracted to my son because of his money or his name?”

Pissed didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I was seething, but still in control. Without skipping a beat, I wrapped my arm around Hudson’s and answered. “Neither. I was attracted to him because he’s hot. Though, I stayed with him because he’s fucking awesome in bed.”

Please read. 5 amazing fixated stars-- JB 

Fixed on You (Book 1): Stalking and restraining orders are a thing of Alayna Wither's past. With her MBA newly in hand, she has her future figured out--move up at the nightclub she works at and stay away from any guy who might trigger her obsessive love disorder. A perfect plan. But what Alayna didn't figure on is Hudson Pierce, the new owner of the nightclub. He's smart, rich, and gorgeous--the kind of guy Alayna knows to stay away from if she wants to keep her past tendencies in check. Except, Hudson's fixed his sights on her. He wants her in his bed and makes no secret of it. Avoiding him isn't an option after he offers a business proposition she can't turn down and she's drawn further into his universe, unable to resist his gravitational pull. When she learns Hudson has a dark history of his own, she realizes too late that she's fallen for the worst man she could possibly get involved with. Or maybe their less than ideal pasts give them an opportunity to heal each other and finally find the love their lives have been missing.

Found in You (Book 2): Alayna Withers has only had one kind of relationship: the kind that makes her obsessive and stalker-crazy. Now that Hudson Pierce has let her into his heart, she's determined to break down the remaining walls between them so they can build a foundation that's based on more than just amazing sex. Except Hudson's not the only one with secrets. 

With their pasts pulling them into a web of unfounded mistrust, Alayna turns to the one person who knows Hudson the best--Celia, the woman he almost married. Hoping for insight from someone who understands all sides of the story, Alayna forms a bond with Celia that goes too far--revealing things about Hudson that could end their love for good.

This is the first relationship where Alayna hasn't spiraled out of control. And she might lose Hudson anyway...

Forever with You (Book 3): Alayna Withers relationship with Hudson Pierce has tested both her and his ability to trust. They decide that the only way they can move forward together is with open doors and transparency. It won't be easy for the scarred lovers, but they're committed to each other more now than ever. Alayna, in particular, has grown through their trials, and has emerged more confident and faithful to the man she loves.

But while the pair is focused on the future, their past shows up again to threaten their fragile bond. Promises that were made are broken, and Alayna learns that Hudson still has very potent secrets--secrets that will tear them both apart. As much as she feels for him, her ability to forgive and forget is tested beyond her limits.

Even though she found the only man who could fix her, a forever with Hudson seems more and more out of reach.

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

 

Expected Publication: August 19, 2014

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name. She's determined to escape him, and willing to take any risks necessary to survive. 

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can't turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law.

As her husband's deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer.

Tere's Review:

** spoiler alert ** **An ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.** Before I start my review, I'd just like to mention that I am a huge Sandra Brown fan - I got a complete collection of all her books, but with that being said, I am more fond of reading her earlier romance novels and when she diverse her craft into romance mysteries, although I still follow her I wasn't that into them as much as the romance novels did. Yes, I am a certified romance junkie. :) The story...more **An ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.** Before I start my review, I'd just like to mention that I am a huge Sandra Brown fan - I got a complete collection of all her books, but with that being said, I am more fond of reading her earlier romance novels and when she diverse her craft into romance mysteries, although I still follow her I wasn't that into them as much as the romance novels did. Yes, I am a certified romance junkie. :) The story started with Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and a marathon runner, when she is about to leave for a marathon practice for her upcoming Charity Run. She and her husband Jeff's marriage is already "on the rocks" and with Emory leaving for the practice only fueled their misunderstandings. Upon her practice run she was knocked out and she doesn't have any recollection of what happened to her. She woke up in a room with a mysterious stranger who nursed her head injury. The mysterious man won't even tell her his own name. The mysterious man refused to call for help and drive her back and the weather was not of help since it was very foggy and cold. She tried to persuade him but he won't budge. Her brain is telling her not to trust this man but her heart and body is telling her otherwise. The sexual tension between them is not scorching hot but for me it is just enough. My only regret in this story is the fact that Emory is still a married woman and she had a sexual relationship with another man, Regardless of her husband being a bastard and a cheater, still, oh well but that's just my own personal quirk. There are snippets of how Emory's and the mysterious man's love making went into the entire story and I really loved it to pieces. When she finally got back into town I thought the story will just resolve itself but it just added more complication in the story. by this time she realized that her accident wasn't an accident at all. it is inflicted. and the question is who wanted her dead. Of course, her husband Jeff is already one of the suspect, and little recollections from her mind cemented her suspicions towards her husband. But to make things more complicated, she found out that the mysterious man was being hunted down by FBI, and she was now confused as ever. But her gut feeling was still telling her to trust him. Her mean streak. The final chapters of the novel tells about who was the one who was trying to kill Emory and the revelation of the mystery that surrounded the mysterious guy that helped Emory nursed her head, and saved her life. 4 STARS. A Must Read for all Sandra Brown Fanatics.

Cover Reveal: Carnage #2 The Story of Me by Lesley Jones

 

Carnage #2: The Story of Me

 

When your world, your life and all of your hopes and dreams for the future are ripped out from under you, how do you go on?

Death without dying is not only the most painful kind of death, it's also the most painful kind of life and I don't know if I'm strong enough to live it.

I spend my lonely days and nights trying to make sense of what my life has become. Do I have the strength to move forward into the light, or should I just let the darkness take me?

I'm Georgia Rae Layton McCarthy and this is the story of me, just me.I'm no longer a part of an us, it's just me. Alone. By myself.

  

 

 

 

Lesley Jones Biography

I was born and raised in a small working class town in Essex, just outside of East London. I am married with three sons and in 2006 we all moved to the other side of the world, settling on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, about 50K outside of Melbourne Australia. It's a whole new way of life for us down here, we are so lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

I am currently a stay at home mum but in the past I have worked at Marks & Spencer, as a classroom assistant/teachers aid and have run my business.

 As well as writing, I love to read and have been known to get through four or five books a week. My other interests are watching my boys play football...The round ball version.  I am happy to admit to being an addict of social media and I owe a lot to my Facebook and Twitter family in promoting my work. I am also rather partial to a glass... or bottle of wine, a nicely chilled Marlborough Sav Blanc being my favorite. Being a born and raised Essex girl, I will happily admit to be being a big fan of spray tans, Shellac and am regularly, waxed, tinted and sculpted, although I am more likely to be found in thongs/flipflops than a pair of white stilettos these days.

Coming Soon- Carnage #2: The Story of Me (August 1st)

Carnage #1:The Story of US

Saviour: Book#1

Saviour Book#2 : Resolution

 

 

More Than Forever by Jay McLean

-LUCY-
There is a love so fierce it cannot be measured.
A heart so strong it will never slow.
There is a promise so sure it can never lie.
He promised me that love forever.
Even when it wasn't enough.

-CAMERON-
Forever. Everlasting. Eternal.
There is no measure of time.
No sounds of the ticking of a clock.
Just the rising and falling of the sun.
And our own sense of forever.

But our forever isn't always.

Tere's Review:

More Than Forever is the 4th book on The More Series by Jay McLean. It is the story of high school sweethearts Lucy and Cameron. First of all, I am so excited to read their story because Lucy is such a whack and a nut case on the previous books in this series. Plus she is a total book junkie (like me!) :) She is such a breath of fresh air and her antics are just out of this world! I was totally prepared to read a snarky and  batshit crazy adventures on this book.

 I am expecting a regular YA story since this series started in high school - and I love a  funny YA on a good day. Boy was I wrong. Nothing prepared me for this emotional roller coaster ride of a love story. This isn't just above a teenage love. It is MORE THAN that. Let me tell you that I cried like a baby, laughed like a looney and totally went mental after reading this book!

My Lucy:



My Cameron:

The story started on how Lucy and Cameron met. I already mentioned above that Lucy is such a whacko but let me tell you something about Cameron. Cameron is just PERFECT. He is a good kid. He never even gave his mother any headaches growing up. He coaches baseball to elementary kids and he helped his mother's boyfriend in his business. He is one of those heroes that aren't "bad boys" but still you won't help yourself but swoon on him.

Cameron met Lucy when he was coaching baseball to her younger brothers. Lucy didn't even give him the time of the day because she was busy dealing with younger brothers and reading. Lucy's mom just passed away and all the responsibilities of taking care of her younger brothers went on her shoulders - which is too much to deal with for a high school kid like her. She started making herself sick because it is the only thing that could make her feel alive.

Cameron started helping Lucy and they became friends. So as the story goes, their friendship blossomed into a sweet young love. A Yong Love that will turn into a roller coaster ride of emotions and gut wrenching feelings that will leave you drained and exhausted at the end. In  a good way.





"You're not a dork," he says. "You're cute."

Favorite Lines:

I silently hold her until she's done. There's something about the way she feels in my arms. Like maybe that calmness in her eyes from earlier could be justified.

Maybe I could be her calm.

I want to be her calm.

--

"She's cute. In a couple years she'll be hot. Guys will be all over her. I'm just trying to help out."

I think about what he's saying, and he makes a good point. Only he's wrong—she's hot now. "Fine. I claim her. She's mine."

His smirk is instant. "You can't own someone, you pig. She isn't property."

I laugh. "Fuck you."

--

I shove him. Hard. "Quit looking at her."

His eyes bug out. "Holy shit, dude. You got it bad."

"You were staring at her ass."

"I wasn't—"

"I claimed her! I said she was mine! You promised you'd leave her alone!"

His brows pinch, and he shoves me back. "I wasn't checking her out." Then a smirk develops. "Okay, maybe I was." 

--

    He pushes off the desk and blows out a long, heavy breath. "You make my world stop, Lucy."

--

Stupid smirk. "I'm going to wipe that stupid smirk off your face."

He chuckles. "How?"

"With my fist."

"Do it with your mouth," he challenges.

--

"Lucy?" Mark sighs.

I turn to him and fake the perfected smile I mastered when I was fifteen.

"I'm fine," I tell him.

A single fine. A single lie.

"I'll see you later."

And then I walk away.

Away from my forever.

--

Don't you remember? Forever, Luce. You promised me."

"We both did," she says, her voice calm now. "We promised each other ourforever. But maybe our forever is over."

--

She leans up on her toes, the saltiness from both our tears combine with our kiss.

One kiss.

One final goodbye.

"I loved you so much," she whispers.

And then she's gone.

I drop my head in my hands and sit on the floor, too exhausted to stay standing.

And then I cry. Get angry. Cry. Get angry.

And then I do it all over again.

Because she said loved.

She loved me.

--

So there they are; the boy in the past, falling in love with the girl. And the girl in the future, with the boy that can no longer love her.

--

So for days and days this man searches for the genie, trying to find a way to make his wishes come true. And he promises himself that if he finds that genie, and the genie offers him three wishes, he'll say what he should have said a long time ago. "You can keep your two wishes, I'll just take the one. I want my girl, Lucy. My forever. And not just for our forever, but for eternity, and for always."

--

NOTE TO READERS

Please note than More Than Forever (More #4) is part #4 in the More Series and should not be read prior to reading More Than This (More #1), More Than Her (More #2) and More Than Him (More #3).

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