Friday, October 31, 2014

Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Unspoken by Brenda Rothert


 
Palmer Sinclair was on the edge of happily ever after when she broke off her engagement to Brady Grant. The end of their relationship marked the beginning of a painful solitary journey for her. Though she makes places beautiful with her work as an interior designer, the rest of her life is anything but beautiful – it’s slowly pulling her under.

Brady, a contractor, is swiftly building his business into an empire. Work is a faithful companion that never lets him down like Palmer did. When he sees women now, it’s on his terms. And his terms are simple: just sex. He won’t let a woman break him again.

Palmer is barely holding it together when she and Brady are unexpectedly paired on a project after a year apart. The pull between them is stronger than ever, but the fallout from their reconnection leaves them both wondering if maybe some things are better left unsaid.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22914261-unspoken?ac=1


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**Part of the Proceeds of the Sale of Unpsoken will go toward The Keith Milano Memorial Fund at AFSP for the rest of the month of October.**

For More Information on AFSP and The Keith Milano Memorial Visit: 
Keith Milano Memorial

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Chapter 1

I grinned at the image of the bride in the magazine I held, picturing her classic, beaded veil and big cascading curls on myself.

“You like?” I asked, turning the magazine around for my design partner Georges to see.

“Eh,” he said, frowning. “Maybe if you were going to prom in 1985. Add some pink frosted lipstick and dark blue eye shadow.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t want my hair pulled back tight the way you like. Brady wouldn’t like it, either. He likes to touch my hair. You know, run his hands through it.”

Georges gave me a horrified stare. “Not on your wedding day, Palmer! What about the photos? Tell him to keep his caveman hands to himself until the wedding night.”

Just the words wedding night brought on a tingle of excitement. Not that Brady didn’t bring it every time we had sex, but the idea of wedding night sex was especially hot. He’d told me about a fantasy involving his face between my thighs while I still had the dress on, and I couldn’t deny that I was now fantasizing about it, too.

“We still have quite a few details to work out,” Georges said, looking up from the bridal magazine he was flipping through to give me a chastising look over the dark rims of his glasses.

“I know,” I said, snapping out of my sexy reverie about Brady. “Let me get out my wedding planner.”

“Let’s finish this over sushi,” Georges said. “I skipped lunch and I’m starving.”

I glanced down at my watch and shook my head. “Ugh, it’s after six. I can’t. My mom asked me to stop by her house on my way home and I told her I’d be there around six.”

“Damn you. Now I have to get carryout.” Georges rolled his eyes dramatically.

“I’ll buy lunch tomorrow,” I said. “Don’t forget that we’re going to the florist’s shop for a dry run of the centerpieces.”

Georges’ face brightened. “Let’s go visit the dress again, too.”

“Maybe,” I said, smiling at him. “It has been a full week since we last saw it. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

He nodded and turned back to the magazine. I checked my phone on the way to the parking deck, smiling when I saw a message from Brady.

Brady: Going to see Dad. Be home late. Lunch tomorrow? Love you.

I wrote back, glancing up occasionally to make sure I didn’t crash into anyone.

Me: Lunch with G tomorrow. I’ll cook dinner tomorrow night at my place. Love you too.

We still called it my place even though he’d practically moved in. One married, we planned to live in my tiny bungalow after instead of his tiny apartment. Between Brady’s building skills and my design ones, we’d made my place into a cozy love nest.

On the drive to Mom’s, I let my mind wander to the job I’d just been hired for. I was designing a nursery for twins – a boy and a girl. My client loved a traditional look, so I was using gingham, soft yellows and greens and gorgeous white painted furniture.

This job was creating unexpectedly strong maternal pangs. Brady and I both wanted kids, but we wanted to wait a couple years. He was paying a price for his father’s lousy decisions, and we both had to focus on our careers for a while.

Still, I let myself dream about the day we’d have a baby. Hopefully one with his dark hair and bright green eyes.

I parked in front of Mom’s house, noticing the faded maroon shutter that had been hanging by one screw had finally fallen off. Brady had offered to paint the dingy brownish exterior when Mom and Danny moved in here last year, but Mom always put him off, saying she knew he was too busy with work.

This place needed a spruce-up, though, even if Brady and I had to show up and just do it. Weeds were beginning to overtake the small flower bed next to the front porch.

When I pulled open the creaky back screen door, Mom glanced up from the kitchen table and stood, meeting me for a hug. She held on longer than usual, and I studied her face when she pulled away.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She headed for the stove, not meeting my curious gaze. “I made you a plate of dinner. Chicken pot pie.”

I sank into a chair at the table, looking around the kitchen for my younger brother. “Where’s Danny?” 

On cue, his wheelchair came rolling into the room.

“Almer!” he cried, reaching out his arms. I grinned and stood, bending down to hug him tight, the way he liked.

As soon as I released him, he turned his chair around, grunting with the effort, and worked his way back out of the room.

“Where are you going?” I called behind him. “I just got here!”

“Cubs,” he said shortly.

I smiled at his retreating form, realizing I should’ve guessed from his baseball hat and Cubs t-shirt that he was immersed in a game on TV. Though he was 23, Danny’s doctors said he had the mental capacity of a four-year-old. I knew he was smarter than they gave him credit for. But no matter what his mental capacity, he was the brightest ray of sunshine in my life. I’d been in one fist fight in my life – when I was eight and a kid in our neighborhood called my five-year-old brother stupid. 

Mom set a plate down in front of me, fussing over grabbing the salt and pepper shakers and a napkin and pouring me a glass of iced tea.

“I can get that stuff. Sit down,” I said. “This looks delish.”

“How are the wedding plans coming?” she asked, her eyes warming with excitement.

“Good. I’m going to make the final decisions on the flowers tomorrow.”

I blew on a steaming forkful of pot pie, studying my mom’s drawn expression. She didn’t bother with fixing her hair or makeup, since she spent her days taking care of Danny. But the lines on her face were more pronounced than usual. Something was off.

“What’s up?” I lowered my fork and set it on the plate. “You look worried.”

She sighed deeply. “It’s probably nothing.”

“What’s probably nothing?”

“I got a call from the hospital today about the pre-op testing for my back surgery.”

“That’s right,” I said, chiding myself for forgetting to call her about it yesterday. “Is there a problem with the surgery?”

Hopefully the doctor hadn’t changed his mind about it helping her or the insurance hadn’t denied coverage. Mom needed this surgery. Years of lifting Danny in and out of his chair had left her back aching every minute of the day, though she rarely complained about it.

“They did an x-ray and it showed a possible mass,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “In one of my lungs.”

My heart pounded as her words sank in. “A . . .” I cleared my throat. “A possible mass? What does that mean?”

She sighed again. “It means I have to get a CT scan tomorrow. Aunt Claire came over to be with Danny while I was at the hospital yesterday, and it’s an hour drive for her. I didn’t want to ask her to come back tomorrow. Is there any way you could come over in the morning, around 9:30?”

“Of course.” Emotions swirled inside me. This was so unexpected that I was still trying to wrap my mind around it. “But I want to go with you. I’ll ask Brady to come stay with Danny.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know that they’ll do anything but the scan tomorrow, Palmer. The results may take time. I can handle it on my own. If you’ll be with Danny, that’d be perfect.”

“Sure,” I said, not sure at all. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and attempted a smile. “It’s probably nothing. Just a precaution. They haven’t cancelled my surgery or anything.”

I nodded, too, trying to see that as a positive indication. But the worry that had kicked up my heart rate and drained my appetite in an instant was still there.

Flowers, cake and the perfect wedding hairstyle suddenly felt like ridiculous things to care about. All that mattered right now was my mom being okay. She had to be.

 






Unspoken by Brenda Rothert is a story about love lost and found, learning to let go of a past that hurt in order to embrace the future that was always wanted and of remaining strong in the face of the most difficult circumstances.   I often found myself wiping away tears while reading and I was unable to put down the story of Palmer and Brady, finishing this amazing story in one sitting.  This was a 4.5 star read for me and I highly recommend this book to others!  You will become immersed in the lives of Palmer and Brady, at times feeling like you are standing there with them in any given situation.  Brenda Rothert has done it again!

The love that Palmer and Brady had for each other could be felt through every word written, often almost jumping off off of the page making the reader feel it as well.  Engaged to be married with the upcoming wedding only a few weeks away, as I started reading I thought, nothing could tear this couple apart.  Until something did.  When Palmer discovered that her mother was terminally ill and that she would need to begin helping care for her disable brother, she talks to Brady about postponing the wedding.  Speaking in the wake of hearing the most devastating news that a daughter possibly could, she simply is too overwhelmed to go through with the wedding.  Taking Palmer's words as a direct hit to his pride and his heart, and not really hearing the meaning behind them he decides that she doesn't want to marry him after all and he walks away in the process.  Sometimes love isn't enough.

"The main reason i was going tomorrow was to see him again.  It had been so long-almost a year.  And even though he was still angry with me, seeing him angry was better than not seeing him at all."

Almost a year after their emotional break-up Palmer and Brady are paired up on a job building an house for Brady's childhood friend and Palmer's former interior design client who are now engaged.  Brandy deciding that he would avoid Palmer at all costs unless it involved the project, was an idea that he quickly abandoned when all of the feelings he once had for her came rushing to the surface.  Palmer was running on a tank that was close to empty each day; taking care of her mother who was deteriorating more and more each day and her disabled brother who was unaware of what was going on all the while trying to keep her design business profitable.  Seeing Brady again brought everything she once felt for him rushing back because when she finally admitted it to herself, she never stopped loving him and never wanted to break off their engagement in the first place.

"That man.  Even with his ability to frustrate the hell out of me, he'd become my port in the storm."

Brady starting an arrangement that only involved sex with Palmer, he thought he could get her out of her out of his system before he returned to his life in Colorado where he had relocated after their breakup.  Little did he know that his heart and his head where not on the same page.  Coming to depend on Brady a little more than she would have liked, but needed the strength and comfort that he provided her throughout this difficult and emotional time, Palmer loved him even more now than she did a year ago.

Will Brady and Palmer get past the issues that tore them apart to have their happily ever after?  You will have to read this utterly amazing story to find out!  I promise that you will not be disappointed.


Unspoken was a story about powerful love that you thought would stand the test of time, but when tragedy strikes lives will change...and here begins the journey of Unspoken.  This story will show you that family will always come first and that nothing can stand in the way.  I really enjoyed reading Palmer and Brady's story the love they share is something most couples never share in a lifetime.  I would give this book a 4 star.  It is told in dual POV's and I would recommend this story to friends. This is a standalone no cliffy book (thank heavens!) and even though there is rocky journey in the end they will find there HEA and its a beautiful one.

Palmer and Brady have a power house kind of love and they are only weeks away from there wedding. Palmer makes a decision to put a hold on the wedding because her mother will fall ill, but when Brady takes it as her not wanting to marry him her life will crumble because he leaves her.  Month's will go by and Palmer is struggling to take care of her dying mother and her brother that is disabled.  She often thinks of Brady and what there lives could have been...but he moved on moved far away.  When she gets an job assignment that is sure to bring in a huge pay she finds her self finally excited about something since Brady left.  But what happens when she is brought face to face with Brady again because he also is assigned to the project?  Can they work together and not be reminded of there pasts?  Or will they both soon realize that maybe they shouldn't have let each other go so easily.  Brady is torn between hating and loving the woman who broke his heart..she is like a drug to him ..but he can't let his heart get involved again.. when the settle for a just sex relationship feelings will return for them both but will they be able to hold onto what they have created again or will it get lost when tragedy strikes again?

"I ride my brother's ass all the time about drugs, but you know what?  You're my drug.  You've been on my mind nonstop since Friday night.  I crave you, Palmer. No one else.  My heart's always belonged to you, and you broke it, but there's something about knowing your body belongs to me that makes it feel just a little bit better."-- Brady

That Man. Even with his ability to frustrate the hell out of me, he'd become my port in the storm-- Palmer

This is the first story I have read by Brenda Rothert but I will definitely be reading more!  Thanks for a great story and can't wait for more in the near future hopefully!  GO get this book now you won't be disappointed!


Brenda Rothert is a proud indie author who loves writing stories that make readers laugh, cry and occasionally, yell at their e-readers. Her Contemporary Romances include Unspoken; The Now Series - Now and Then, Now and Again and Now and Forever, and The Fire on Ice Series - Bound, Captive, Edge and Drive. Brenda lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three boys.

https://www.facebook.com/authorbrendarotherthttps://twitter.com/BrendaRotherthttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7010859.Brenda_Rothert
http://www.brendarothert.com/


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Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway: When We Met by AL Jackson, Molly McAdams, Tiffany King and Christina Lee

 



Today’s premiere New Adult authors combine their talents to tell four original stories from inside one house. 
 
When four girls decide to live off campus together as juniors at a college in Michigan, they expect it to be their best year yet. Little do they know, it’s a year that will change the rest of their lives.
 
BEHIND HER EYES by A.L. Jackson 
Unable to live down her ex-boyfriend’s deception, Misha is determined to avoid betrayal. When, the new guy next door, Darryn starts to get under her skin, her defenses start to crumble. But trusting Darryn seems impossible, especially if he’s not sure he can trust himself.
 
SAVING ME by Molly McAdams 
On the outside, Indy is always ready for a party—but inside she’s breaking. Kier makes a weekly routine of saving the girl next door from herself on Saturday nights… but when will she be ready to remember him on Sunday morning?
 
FOULING OUT by Tiffany King 
Working at a sports bar, Courtney has become a pro at sidestepping propositions from arrogant jocks—which makes her a more elusive catch for campus basketball star Dalton than he expected. But when he falls for the saucy waitress, Dalton will have to rethink his game plan to prove he’s not the jerk Courtney expects.
 
BENEATH YOUR LAYERS by Christina Lee 
In order to ace her fashion internship, Chloe must team up with local college dropout and set builder, Blake—much to her chagrin. But after some "hands-on" experience, Chloe will have to ask herself if Blake factors into her carefully laid plans…


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Behind Her Eyes by A.L. Jackson


Now I could feel him, his eyes all over me, caressing me slowly, up and down.

I let all my insecurities drift away as I swayed in time to the music, in sync with the throb of 

the crowd and the intermittent lights that glowed against my lids.

A charged moment passed, before strong hands found my hips and gripped them from behind. For

a beat, I stiffened, before I again gave in to this sublime release. And again, he felt good. Right. All this

intense energy that ricocheted between us wrapped me up in a frenzy of nerves, alight and alive. The

smell of him took me whole, all soap and man and sex.

Oh God.

My heart beat frantically, racing to keep up with my thoughts that were spiraling out of control.

A shimmer of fear slithered through me, before he pulled my back into the safety of his firm chest.

And that was what I felt.

Safe.

With him, and I didn’t know why, and I was searching inside myself for resolve, for the commitment

I’d made to never allow myself to be so easily played again.

But it was just out of my reach.

Darryn held me close, our bodies moving in time, like we shared the same breath, the same space.

I leaned back, my head on his shoulder as his face found the curve of my neck. Chills sped, spinning my

body into a violent cataclysm of need. He let his hands roam, palms pressing hard as he ran them down

the front of my legs, spanning them wide as he trailed them back up to my hips and over my stomach.

Fingertips dipped into my ribs as he slid them up the curve of my sides, and he lifted my arms as he went,

in the same fluid motion fastening my hands around the back of his neck.

All those butterflies scattered, a clash of discordant wings that fluttered haphazardly through my

insides, leaving my stomach in a coiled mess of confusion and need.

Why him? Why now?

Holding me close, he brushed his mouth over the shell of my ear, his whispered words injected

directly to my manic heart. “Goddamn, Misha. What are you trying to do to me?”

I suddenly found it impossible to breathe, because it was him who was slowly undoing all the fibers

of reservation woven through my weakened spirit.

“Can’t get you off my mind.” He leaned in closer, his hand sweeping up my stomach. Fingers

brushed between my breasts, and I released a sharp gasp.

“Been dying to touch you,” he murmured low.

SAVING ME – MOLLY McADAMS
“I’m about to embarrass the hell out of myself, but I don’t care anymore. I feel like when I’m near you, I’m safe, and it makes no sense to me. It is the weirdest feeling to have with someone I only know three things about.”
My eyebrows rose at that and I turned to fully face her. “Three?”
“Yes. Three things. Your name is Kier, you’re extremely quiet, and you are the biggest puzzle I’ve ever tried to figure out.”
I’m the puzzle?”
“Yes!” she said in exasperation.
That had to have been the most backward statement I’d ever heard. “And why am I a puzzle?”
“Because of what I just told you. I don’t know you, you don’t even talk to anyone, and I feel safe when you’re near me! Why is that? I feel like I’m going crazy because all I’ve been able to think about for these past two weeks is you, and how every time you open your mouth it’s like déjà vu, and I just—I don’t know what’s happening.” Her green eyes were massive and she looked like she was on the edge of losing her shit.
I took a few steps toward her and lowered my voice. “Calm down, Indy. You’re fine.”
“I just don’t understand,” she said loudly, the pitch of her voice rising. “Do you believe in past lives?” she asked suddenly.
I paused, a laugh slipping past my lips. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Past lives? Like that whole stupid YOLO saying is really just bullshit, because we’re about to get another shot down the road?”
I tried to contain my smile, but she was really fucking adorable when she was like this. “What does that have to do with what you’re freaking out over?”
“In stories with soul mates they find each other no matter what in every life. And it’s like they have a weird connection they can’t explain.”
I closed the distance between us and dropped my head so I was looking directly into her eyes. “Are you saying we’re soul mates?”
“No!” she said, horror lacing her voice, her cheeks filling with heat.
“I think you were,” I teased.

“I wasn’t, I was just saying that in stories . . . I don’t know what I’m saying, okay? But I don’t get what’s going on with us!”
“So now there’s an us?”

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “I need to stop talking.”

I laughed and took a step back. “I’m teasing you, Indy. And no, I don’t believe in past lives. I think we have this one, and that’s it.”

She sighed, and her body visibly relaxed. When she spoke again, she sounded exhausted—and in a way, defeated. “I don’t, either, but I can’t figure out how to explain this feeling like I know you.”
I ground my jaw for a few seconds as her green eyes held mine. “Because maybe you do know me. You’re just not ready to remember why.”
Beneath Your Layers by Christina Lee
I motioned for the bar. “Want me to get you a soda or a water?”
Chloe stared at me for another long moment before she said, “No, thanks.”
We listened to the next song quietly standing beside each other, lost in our own thoughts. Until she turned to me and said, “Truth or dare?”
“Dare,” I said, almost breathless. Given her mood, maybe she’d give me something good this time.
“Your turn, Blake,” she said. “Do something spontaneous.”
My fingers trembled from wanting to touch her so badly and all I could think about was doing just that.
“You sure that’s what you want?” I said, turning and backing her against the wall.
“Yes,” she breathed out.
“Something spontaneous or something I’ve been thinking about doing for days?” I said, my lips coming closer to hers. “Maybe weeks?”
Her breath caught. “It . . . it’s your call.”

My head swung forward, our foreheads practically touching. Fluttery breaths were escaping her lips. I place my arms on either side of her head and she bit down on her lip.
My heart thrashed in my chest and all I could think about was how desperate I was to kiss her, but how nervous I was to blow this opportunity.  
So I attempted to read her signals and they were definitely mixed. Her eyes flitted between panic and lust.
When I pinned my hip against hers, I could’ve sworn I heard a low moan in the back of her throat.
“Please,” she rasped out. “Please . . . don’t . . . Blake.”
My stomach was in my throat. Fuck, either I’d scared her or I’d been reading her wrong.
I leaned back to give her space, but her fingers suddenly skimmed across my waist, clenching my shirt and drawing me nearer.
“Don’t what?” I asked in confusion. She was so fucking messing with my head.
“Don’t . . .” She was panting now. “Don’t stop.”

Fouling Out By Tiffany King
The warmth inside the building was soothing after walking from the car outside. I felt mildly disappointed when Dalton dropped his arm from my shoulders, until he reached for my hand. As we strolled along, I became hyperaware of how something as innocent as handholding could become somewhat erotic while sipping wine together. Dalton slid his thumb across the top of my hand in slow methodical strokes before gently caressing my pulse point. The hairs on the back of my neck felt as if they were standing on end. Each sweep of his thumb was a sensual dance with my sensitive skin, making it tingle.
It was becoming apparent to me that it might have been a bad call on my part to skip lunch. Between the scent of Dalton’s cologne and the alcohol I was consuming, I was already feeling slightly intoxicated. I nibbled on a few cubes of cheese to attempt to alleviate the buzzing in my head. Dalton’s breath teased my neck, making me shiver in a good way. I should have put some distance between us so I could regain my bearings, but instead I snuggled closer to him, wishing we were somewhere else with a lot fewer people around.
All the air escaped my lungs as Dalton slowly captured a bead of wine from my bottom lip with his finger. I watched with bated breath as he moved the finger to his own mouth, sucking the drop of wine. It was all I could do not to moan as my insides turned to putty.
“You need to stop looking at me like that,” Dalton murmured in my ear.
“Like what?” I licked the rest of the wine off my lip with the tip of my tongue.
This time it was Dalton who groaned softly. Placing his hands on my hips, he slowly backed me into a dim corner, away from prying eyes. “Like you’re thinking how great it would feel if I hoisted you up on that wine barrel table over there with your legs wrapped around my waist.”
“Are you sure that’s not you thinking that?” My hips responded almost instinctively as he pulled me snugly against his body. I could feel him, rock hard, pressed to my stomach. The wanting desire I had been keeping at bay from the moment he showed up at my house looking practically delectable with low-riding jeans and a black V-neck sweater that accentuated his well-toned chest was threatening to explode.


When We Met
By A.L. Jackson, Molly McAdams, Tiffany King, Christine Lee
This is a book that contains 4 short stories by superbly talented authors…. They interconnect in a brilliant way! The stories are engaging, exciting and full of heart……….
College days were my best of times…. They were eventful and meaningful.  I give When We Met 5 STARS for bringing me back to those memorable times.

Behind Her Eyes by A.L. Jackson
A.J. Jackson is a master storyteller. She knows how to grab the reader and give them an unforgettable experience. Her books are packed with emotion, heartache and beauty!
“She’d believed he cared about her. Loved  her. He’d promised her she was everything.
This is a woeful tale of a girl that has been sheltered most of her life, only to move on to college and experience a difficult time at the hands of another.  How she copes and learns to trust again brings beauty to this sad story. Misha is young and vulnerable when she lets the wrong one into her life.
 Can she overcome the shadow that looms over her due to his deceit? Can she embrace the man-boy that seems to be just what she needs now and deserves. Or is she too scared and scarred?
 Get caught up in this coming of age story that will inspire and enchant.
“Tell me when you’re ready for…. Anything. I just want to mean something to you.”- Daryyn
Darryn is a great catch. He had an ego but also a big heart. His thoughtful ways were charming. I loved watching him fall for the girl next door. Their connection was organic and alluring!

Saving Me by Molly Mc Adams
Saving Me is a story that most can relate to in one way or another. The subject of relationship, self hate and not being kind to others is addressed. The topics in this tale are relevant and very real. You will feel the sadness from the main characters seeping off the pages.  You will also feel the hope, love and understanding.
Indy is in a downward spiral over the last two years. Her life is a bit of a mess. She has her own ways of coping that suit her just fine. Or so she thinks……. Luckily, she has caught the attention of another that is serving as her lifeline in more ways than you can imagine.
Kier is also a student on campus at Michigan State. He seems like a loner and is very mysterious. Kier notices that Indy needs some saving and sets out to be her “Safe Place”.  But he has a past too…..
“You look at me and I know I’ve found exactly who I need. What I want.” –Indy
“You don’t seem to think very highly of yourself  - and I don’t know why-….” -Kier
“You’re not at all like the guy you described to me. You’re the quiet guy who saves me from myself…..”-Indy
Molly Mc Adams is a brilliant writer. She addresses topics that are current and relatable. Her stories are  inspiring. She has a knack for taking her main characters to dark places before they get a HEA.  I always get sucked into her characters and they stay with me for awhile.
I will forever be in a book funk over Taking Chances. If you haven’t experienced that I recommend you do.  It is one of the best books I have ever discovered! It was the first to rock my world emotionally. It was the first book to make me cry (MWAH)…….

Fouling Out by Tiffany King
This is my first story by Tiffany King.  Fouling Out had wit, spice and depth. It made me chuckle and feel the reignited emotions between two former friends. It also left me wanting more……
Courtney was not raised with a silver spoon in her mouth.  She works hard for what she has. Her mother has taught her to appreciate what is earned with hard work and diligence. She may of also taught her to be mistrustful.
While at Gruby’s sports bar someone from Courtney’r past comes crashing back into her present. His name is Dalton and he is ready to mean more to her again. That is she lets him….. He is an All-Star basketball player that seems down to earth and cool. Did a say HOT too… She’s not too eager to get reacquainted or is she????
We were friends once and now she’s acting a little weird. I figured this way she wouldn’t be able to run off without talking to me.”- Dalton
“Understanding our different destinies didn’t make me pull away, though. Maybe it was the familiarity of being childhood friends or the way we both opened up during the car ride today, but being with him felt comfortable-natural.” –Courtney
“The smile left my face as I studied his words. I felt I was standing on the edge of a cliff. If I took the plunge, there was a chance it would leave my heart bleeding and broken on the rocks below.” -Courtney
I enjoyed this story of a cherished friendship, feelings lost and then found. King has a way with words. Courtney has a sassy attitude and it made their encounters and interactions have a bit of a spark. She liked to tease and he liked to tease right back. This tale had a playful yet serious tone. I will definitely pick up another King book soon.

Beneath Your Layers by Christine Lee
Cute, deep and sweet!
This is a story about two people who couldn’t look more different yet have more in common. It is about getting to know the vulnerable guarded side of another. Sharing your secrets, lifestyle and self with the least person you expect.
Chloe is a student that is into fashion and design. She is put into a precarious situation with someone that she doesn’t know much about other then he was a student, is very cute and can infuriate her…. Blane is the nephew of the Threads owner with big burdens.
“..he frustrated the hell out of me, he also made my stomach do this weird flippy nervous thing. He was easy to dislike from a distance…”- Chloe
“Something about her made me want to dig deep, find out what she was really made of. There had to be  different, compassionate person- under all that restraint.” Blake
I liked the story.  It had a good message. Being a young adult is a complex time. You are independent yet dependent until you are finally free.  Letting go for some can be hard. The relationship of Chloe and Blake was sweet. They both found something they didn’t know they needed. A companion, another set of ears and a chance for something more!


When We Met is a series of short stories following a group of four girls that rent a house together in Ann Harbor while attending college.  The way that A.L Jackson, Molly McAdams, Tiffany King and Christina Lee write separate stories that weave together so perfectly is fantastic.  The reader is able to see a glimpse of each girls in the later stories by the other authors, helping the separate stories become one.  This was a 3.5 star read for me and I would recommend it to all of those who enjoy a love story with a little bit of angst and a happily ever after.

Behind Her Eyes by A.L Jackson

Misha returns to college defeated and scared of what she will be facing.  Having been played in the absolute worst way possible by the boy next door, she wants to go to class, keep her head down and not become involved with anyone; especially guys.  Worried that everyone she crosses will have seen or even heard about the video that showed her in an extremely intimate situation, all because of a bet is something that plagues her mind non-stop from the moment she steps into the house that she shares with three of her friends off campus.  The house next door that is rented by the guys is where all of her innocence was taken and broadcasted to the entire campus.  The hottie next door draws her attention, even though a guys is the last thing that she wants.  Darryn has seen the video, a video that has been forefront in his mind for sometime now, the object of his fantasies.  And he wants the girl; she is nothing like the girl that he watched on the video, she is shy and smart and everything that he needs.  Making her believe that he never saw the video and knows nothing about it may not be his smartest move yet but will he get the girl in the end?

Saving Me by Molly McAdams

After being forced from her home during summer break from parents that are disowning her for something that wasn't even her fault.  Returning to school to her boyfriend of two years is the only option that she has, an option that turned out to be a wake-up call that she never knew she needed.  Finding him in bed with another girl, a girl who wears his engagement ring and is pregnant with his child sends Indy into a tailspin.  Drinking away the pain of losing her boyfriend and her brother, she blacks out every Saturday night during the parties that the boys next door throw; often having sex with random guys that she can't remember.  Lately though, when she tries to have less random sex but still can't abandon the black out drinking, she finds herself every Friday night with a loaf of bread in front of the same room.  She is carried back to her house, placed on her bed with a glass of water and two asprin for the morning.  She never remembers his name but it is the same thing every Saturday night.  Until the day when her car doesn't start and she is late for class.  Asking the quiet roommate Kier for a ride, proves to interesting, because as she talks to him she constantly gets a sense of deja vu.  Kier tells her that she will realize why she feels like she knows him, feels like she is safe with him when she is ready.  Spending more and more time together, they both try to ignore feelings that are fiercely growing both thinking that the secrets that they hold will make the other leave once revealed.  Will they be able to have a relationship once the truth is laid out on the table?

Fouling Out by Tiffany King

Courtney is working hard to make ends meet.  She has a rule that she doesn't date athletes, especially the basketball players that are treated as gods in her school.  When Dalton walks into Gruby's and is seated in Courtney's section everything she ever thought changes.  Coming face to face with the boy who was her best friend as a child and dropped her for basketball still stings even though she thought she had gotten past it.  Dalton doesn't remember Courtney looking so good and him being so attracted to her but the last time they actually spoke they were twelve years old.  Unsure of why she is giving him the cold shoulder, he is determined to break down the wall that she has put up and once again become part of her life.  Forced to go on a double date with Amanda and Collin, Courtney wants nothing to do with the basketball star that gives her butterflies.  Making him work for it, she gives him a series of challenges that he happily complies with to show that he is serious about her.  Supporting him even when he becomes unsure of whether basketball is his dream or his father's makes her the perfect girlfriend in his eyes.

Beneath Your Layers by Christina Lee

Chloe has a carefully constructed life where everything is on a post-it size list that can be crossed off when completed.  She is working hard to make a name for herself in the fashion world, to be able to be the success that her mother wasn't able to achieve.  Always found dressed to impress, she doesn't even own a pair of sneakers and she works hard to make sure everything is perfect as it should be.  Blake is everything that she doesn't want or need in her life.  He dropped out of school to work a construction job and seems to hold the belief that others have, that she needs to lighten up and have more fun.  Thrown together to work on a project for her senior design class, Chloe has no choice but to accept his help in order for the project to be a success.  Constantly worrying about what her mother will think and if what she is doing will gain her approval, Chloe puts her all into the project, despite Blake's apparent contempt for her.  It is only when Blake introduces that game of truth or dare between them that each begins to open up to a friendship that the other didn't think possible.  It is through that friendship that they become so much more and both Chloe and Blake achieve everything that they ever wanted and needed.



A.L. Jackson
 

A.L. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Take This Regret and Lost to You, as well as other contemporary romance titles, including Come to Me Quietly, Come to Me Softly, Pulled, When We Collide, and If Forever Comes.

She first found a love for writing during her days as a young mother and college student.  She filled the journals she carried with short stories and poems used as an emotional outlet for the difficulties and joys she found in day-to-day life.

Years later, she shared a short story she’d been working on with her two closest friends and, with their encouragement, this story became her first full length novel. A.L. now spends her days writing in Southern Arizona where she lives with her husband and three children. Her favorite pastime is spending time with the ones she loves.

To stay up to date with important news on A.L. Jackson, including new releases, sales, and exclusive specials and excerpts, text “jackson” to 96000 to subscribe! 

Instagram @aljacksonauthor 

Molly McAdams 

Molly grew up in California but now lives in the oh-so-amazing state of Texas with her husband and furry four-legged daughters. When she's not diving into the world of her characters, some of her hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and long walks on the beach … which roughly translates to being a homebody with her hubby and dishing out movie quotes. She has a weakness for crude-humored movies and fried pickles, and loves curling up in a fluffy comforter during a thunderstorm ... or under one in a bathtub if there are tornados. That way she can pretend they aren't really happening.

Come be my friend!
  
TIFFANY KING
USA Today Bestselling author Tiffany King is a lifelong reading fanatic who is now living her dream as a writer, weaving Young Adult and New Adult romance tales for others to enjoy. She has a loving husband and two wonderful kids. (Five, if you count her three spoiled cats). Her addictions include: Her iPhone and iPad, chocolate, Diet Coke, chocolate, Harry Potter, chocolate, zombies and her favorite TV shows. Want to know what they are? Just ask.
For information on any of Author Tiffany's titles, visit her blog at www.authortiffanyjking.blogspot.com
Where to connect with Author Tiffany
Twitter- @AuthorTiffany
Pinterest- Tiffany King
Goodreads- Tiffany King
Email- authortiffany@yahoo.com
 
CHRISTINA LEE
Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. 

She's addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. She believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job. 

Author of the Between Breaths series from Penguin. ALL OF YOU, BEFORE YOU BREAK and WHISPER TO ME available now, PROMISE ME THIS on October 7th, 2014. 

Also Adult contemporary romance TWO OF HEARTS coming from Peguin/NAL on May 5th 2015.




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