Book Review: Suddenly Royal

Author: Nichole Chase Released: April 23 2013 Genre: Romance Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed. Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news. While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders When I heard about this book I knew that I would like it. Modern day fairy tale? Count me in! I started reading this while in the waiting room at the dentist office and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Suddenly Royal is a super sweet story, with a super swoonworthy lead male. I loved the main character. She was feisty, intelligent, and compassionate.  Her lines had me cracking me up throughout most of the story and Prince Alex left me feeling all giggly and such.  I'm pretty sure I had a smile plastered on my face throughout the entire story (well, minus what happened at the end. Even though it was expected, it was still pretty sad. However after the sad part was over, I was right back to smiling again) I really loved the unfolding of the relationship. I kept waiting for the ball to drop but there wasn't any soap-opera-esque drama. On the contrary, the only "drama" in the relationship was a very real, believable, reluctance which I enjoyed immensely. It was a nice change of pace from the usual "main-character-has-a-deep-dark-secret-that-will-ruin-everything-only-it-never-really-does" story lines I've been reading lately. Not that I don't love those too! Suddenly Royal was just refreshingly different! And holy cow when Alex was helping Samantha with her zipper......*swoon* That part earned the book 5 stars on it's own! This was definitely a book that I will go back and re-read over and over again whenever I'm in the mood for a sweet romance with a real Prince Charming. Which will probably be pretty often. ;)

Feature and Follow

This weeks Feature and Follow! The question *drumroll please*

School is out! What is your favorite Summer Reading book?

Michelle: Sadly, I'm still in school until June 7 (but only because of maternity leave.) Up North, we don't get done until the last weeks of June. OK back on topic. - Favorite summer book - I have a go to - I love Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I can read and re-read, back to back and I love it. There a whispers of a movie! AHHHH! I also have a series that I have been reading - A Discovery of Witches - the third installment comes out soon and I am very much looking forward to getting back to that series. 

 

Erica: For years (I'd guess  from 2001-2008) I just re-read the Harry Potter series over and over again. Then it was Twilight (2008). then The Hunger Games (2008-2009). I just became so attached to those books that I never ventured out of my comfort zone. These days I try not to re-read my favorites (as often) because there are so many wonderful books out there still left to be read! The genre I generally prefer in the summer are romances. Especially summer romances! I just finished Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase and that, to me, is the perfect summer time read. Looking forward to reading Autumn Doughton's books and of course anything Abbi Glines, Richelle Mead or Jennifer Armentrout releases I'll be all over as well!

What's yours? 

Let us know and leave a link. One of the Dashers will stop by and follow... Maybe, you'll be lucky and get all three of us! :) 

Book Review: All We See and Seem by Tammy Blackwell

All We See and Seem

A Timber Wolves companion novella
(AKA 88 pages of awesomeness)

Blurb:

Jase Donovan always knew exactly what to expect from college: frat parties, coeds, and a spot on one of the most prestigious college basketball teams in the world. It was the life he was destined for... until his sister became the Alpha Pack's Most Wanted. Now he's playing a dangerous game of espionage and subterfuge with the most powerful Shifters and Seers in the world, and if he loses, his life won't be the only one on the line.
Talley Matthews has always been able to look on the sunshine-and-rainbows side of life, but it's getting harder and harder every day with the knowledge that one friend is on the run and another is barely clinging to life.
To complicate matters even more, after being pegged as an Alpha Pack Potential, she's having to fend off advances from Shifters who want to use her to gain a little power. The attention might be nice if her heart didn't already belong to someone else.

In this companion to the best-selling Timber Wolves trilogy, readers will finally discover the path Jase and Talley took to discovering their love for one another
I absolutely love Tammy Blackwell. Adore her! Her books are so wonderful. Her characters are always well written and I love the wit that oozes off the pages.
I was given this ARC in return for my honest review and well, my honest review is that this is such a deliciously sweet story.
We see in the final book of the Timber Wolves series that Talley and Jase are madly in love. I had a hunch they loved eachother in Time Mends but I don't think either of them knew at that point.
All We See and Seem shows how Talley and Jase finally became, well, Talley and Jase.

In AWSaS Talley FINALLY got to see inside Jase's head---Oh my goodness! It was amazing!
Jase just moved up on my Book Boyfriend list.

I have so many favorite lines but this one is particularly sweet:

“See, you’re in a different kind of hell. This one is known as a guy’s college dorm room where unknown funguses and germs abound. At least, that’s what my best friend tells me.”

Talley sat up. “I’m the one who has told you that. Repeatedly.”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

Seriously, how adorable is Jase?
I <3 him.

Reading this novella makes me even more excited about the upcoming Shifters and Seers series!
Get busy writing Miss Tammy this fan is getting impatient! :)

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

As some of you may know- I am a huge Wendy Higgins fan. Like terribly huge. Like counted down the release of Sweet Peril after I read Sweet Evil, the first day it came out. So if you haven't read Sweet Evil, go get on it. Seriously - you're going to meet the lusty Kaiden Rowe and love him. 

On to my review! 

The novel picks up about 6 months after the first. Anna has half-heartedly embraced the substance abuse side of her. She has changed her reputation around from the sweet innocent of her high school to the full-fledged party girl, but after each party she wakes up the next morning scared to death she has ruined someone's life. The innocent that allows her to hold on to the hilt remains. 

Her dad, plays a bigger role in this novel, as the big gruff dad, but ultimately he's a great dad - Yeah - OK so he has a substance abuse problem. Her father sets Anna to go on, what I will call, missions. She travels the world completing her missions and working toward the ultimate goal and I mean ultimate. 

My gripe with this book: Kaiden is missing. I mean he appears for a few pages and then is gone.  I got frustrated because he's it for me. I want to see him be redeemed. I need to see his "colors" for Anna. But don't worry - half-way through Wendy comes through for me and delivers. Thank you Wendy! 

On a side note - I'm getting married in 113 days and my last name is going to be Rowe. I actually loved Kaiden so much - I tried to convince my fiance to put that name into our baby pool of names. He didn't go for it - but I haven't given up yet! 

What did you think of it? 

On an Edge of Glass by Autumn Doughton

So I bought On an Edge of Glass by Autumn Doughton a couple of weeks ago but I haven't let myself read anything new this month because I'm trying to concentrate on writing the first draft of In the Shadows (Lark #2). So basically I've just been hoarding books lately! LOL

Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that On an Edge of Glass is currently FREE!
It looks amazing and I can't wait to read it so I'm off to go get some work done so that I can finish and reward myself with this book. :)

Happy reading, ya'll!

Feature and Follow!

Feature and Follow!  This week is all about the mommas! Stop by, follow us, and one or all three of us will follow you back! If you are a mom - Happy Mother's Day!

Q: Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

Michelle: I had to think about this. I think a lot of the books I read are mother-less. But the one who stands out to me is Clary's mom, Jocelyn. I think she's awesome because she is a consistent mother with all the good mother qualities, she was willing to give up a life to protect her child, and let's face it, she can be a bad ass when she needs to be. 

Erica: Ooh! This was tough! So often in YA parents aren't exactly front and center so they kind of get forgotten after I finish reading a book. This isn't always the case. I mean, I remember Hadie's mom from Falling for Hadie and Brenna Blixen's mom was pretty cool too. And Katy's mom from the Lux series seems nice but since I have to pick a favorite, I think I'll go with Natalie Prior from Divergent. Apparently Michelle and I like good moms with a steak of bad ass. LOL

Ashley Judd will be playing Natalie in the upcoming Divergent movie

What about you? Who was your favorite mom? 

Cover Reveal: Losing Francesca by J.A. Huss

I'm so excited to share the cover reveal of J.A. Huss' new book with you guys! Losing Francesca looks like a must-read and the cover is gorgeous!

Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That’s not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca’s face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it’s haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he’s compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long lost friend.

But Francesca knows she’s not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn’t so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?


Add Losing Francesca on Goodreads!