Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Blog Tour: When a Marquess Loves a Woman by Vivienne Lorret {Excerpt + Giveaway}


I am so excited to be on the tour for Vivienne Lorret's newest book, When a Marquess Loves a Woman! I've so enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I'm more than thrilled to read the last book. Not to mention, I've been waiting for Juliet and Max's book since I first heard of their background. Ahhh.


About the book:

As a young, penniless gentleman, Maxwell Harwick knew he had little to offer Juliet White—the most beautiful debutante of the season—except his love, and one thoroughly scandalous kiss. But when they were discovered in a compromising position, a nearly ruined Juliet fled into the arms of a rich, older lord... taking Max’s heart with her.

Now a widow, Lady Juliet Granworth intends to use the fortune she inherited from her odious husband to build a new life in London. Five years have passed, but she’s never forgotten Max… or his soul-searing kiss. Yet it’s clear the newly-minted Marquess of Thayne has not forgiven her—after all, the infuriating man can barely stand the sight of her. But Juliet has endured far too much to give up without a fight and if it’s a battle of wills he wants, it’s a battle he’ll get.

He hates her for breaking his heart. She detests him for destroying her future. But beneath all the loathing, simmers an intoxicating passion that neither can ignore… and the harder they resist, the harder they will inevitably fall.
Add to your to-read shelf: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google | iTunes | Kobo


“I happen to enjoy libraries,” she said on exhale, attempting to sound completely composed. It took a moment for her to realize how that statement, given their particular history, could be misconstrued as a flirtation. But Juliet was not one to bumble out an excuse. So instead, she lifted her chin and studied how Max would interpret it.

One corner of his mouth twitched, and his gaze dipped to her mouth. “Is that so?”

“I might even plan a tour to study various libraries—the architecture of the rooms, the spines of books, the structure of the shelves . . .” Her words trailed off as he stepped closer. 

For an instant, the only sound in the room was the sibilant whisper of the silk of her skirts pressing against her legs, giving way beneath the force of his. 

As if her pulse were trapped inside her body and looking for a way to escape, it flitted from one place to the next, from her wrists to her throat, to the fingertips gripping the shelf behind her, to her stomach and then to her lips. She fought the urge to press them together, not wanting to give any indication of the direction of her thoughts. 

Then he lifted his hand, his fingers cupping her jaw. Slowly, his thumb swept against her mouth, inducing a riot of tingles that begged for a firmer pressure, a nip of teeth... “And would Ellery be accompanying you on this tour?”

Only now, as Max pinned her with his hard stare, did she realize his intention all along. All he wanted was an answer to his preposterous question! He had no intention of kissing her. Not that the knowledge disappointed her in the least. In fact, she was quite relieved. Because she, most certainly, did not desire to be kissed by him. 

Not only that, but she wasn’t about to admit her true interest in Ellery as that of her chosen candidate. Since Max was typically cleverer than this, however, she didn’t want to give him any reason to think that Ellery was anything other than her lover. Perhaps there would be a victory in a small deception via omission. 

“Unless you want your thumb bitten, I suggest you lower your hand.”

“And if you do it, there will be consequences.” He stroked his thumb across her lips once more and leaned in, goading her, tempting her. But he must have thought better of it, because he shifted his stance. Now, both of his hands bracketed her, gripping the shelves at either side of her head.

She flashed her teeth in a smile that might have been sweet, if not for the seething anger bubbling up inside of her. “To which act are you referring—having Ellery as my lover or biting your thumb? Because now that you have planted the idea in my mind, I find both entirely tempting.”

If this were any other man, she would never speak so boldly. Moreover, if this were any other man, she would be eager to flee this prison he was forming around her. She hated to be blocked in. And yet, with Max, for some strange reason, even though she despised him to his very soul, she had the impulse to wrap her arms around his waist, squeeze him tightly, and press fully against him. She wanted to climb inside the sleeves of his coat and bury her face in the spot beneath his jawline and the top of his cravat. 

It made absolutely no sense at all. 


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About the author:

USA Today bestselling author, VIVIENNE LORRET loves romance novels, her pink laptop, her husband, and her two sons (not necessarily in that order … but there are days). Transforming copious amounts of tea into words, she is an Avon Impulse author of works including: Tempting Mr. Weatherstone, The Wallflower Wedding Series, The Rakes of Fallow Hall Series, The Duke’s Christmas Wish, and the Season’s Original Series.
Find Vivienne online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 


Monday, October 10, 2016

Review: Nemesis by Anna Banks

Release date: October 4, 2016
Author info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
The princess didn't expect to fall in love--with her nemesis.

Princess Sepora of Serubel is the last Forger in all the five kingdoms. The spectorium she creates provides energy for all, but now her father has found a way to weaponize it, and his intentions to incite war force her to flee from his grasp. She escapes across enemy lines into the kingdom of Theoria, but her plans to hide are thwarted when she is captured and placed in the young king's servitude.

Tarik has just taken over rulership of Theoria, and must now face a new plague sweeping through his kingdom and killing his citizens. The last thing he needs is a troublesome servant vying for his attention. But mistress Sepora will not be ignored. When the two finally meet face-to-face, they form an unlikely bond that complicates life in ways neither of them could have imagined.

Sepora's gift could save Tarik's kingdom from the Quiet Plague. But should she trust her growing feelings for her nemesis, or should she hide her gifts at all costs?
Up to this point, I readily admit I've not had the best experience reading Anna Bank's books. I did not mesh with her debut series, the Syrena Legacy, but I didn't have strong feelings (love or hate) about her contemporary Joyride. But, I have found a book I like! It's likely I like Nemesis far and away the most because the genre is my favorite, but I still like it and I'm excited about it. (I knew persistence would pay off!)

Now, a big part of liking Nemesis comes from liking Sepora. That's not to say I agreed with everything she did--because, no--but I liked that she's so strong in her beliefs. The book starts and she's leaving running away from her homeland, fully committed to the idea of living as a baseborn in a foreign country, simply because her father wants to use her and her ability to win a war. Things don't go according to plan, but she sticks to her guns. She's persistent in getting what she wants, and that can rub the wrong way, and her decisions aren't always from the clearest of minds--but she's admirable in why she's making them. I'm always going to like a character who knows who they are.

Anna Banks has created an interesting world in Nemesis, and hopefully much more of it is explored in its sequel. I felt, however, that parts of it were lazy, especially in naming. Why all five countries had to be breakoffs of Serubel--therefore without much of their own history--is beyond me. I can hope this will play into the story later and I can eat my words. Reading also felt long, for some reason. It's not that long of a book, and I was interested in what was going on, but it took me a lot longer to get through than normal.

My biggest complaint, however, is that Tarik's point of view was told in third person present. This is the most awkward way to write a character, in my opinion, and it was never something I could forget while I was reading. It made me hate to read Tarik's chapters, even as I wanted to know what was going on. The other problems I had pale in comparison to this one.

Even so, I enjoyed reading Nemesis, and am more than excited to find a book from Anna Banks I can really say I liked. There's a really cool world in place, and I'm ready to find out what's going to happen next!

About the author:

Anna Banks grew up in a small town called Niceville (yes, really). She now lives in Crestview, Florida, with her husband and their daughter. She is the author of The Syrena Legacy series, Joyride, and Nemesis.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Stacking the Shelves {158}


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we get to share the books we've bought, been gifted, or received for review!

Hiiii! How have y'all been? Hopefully I'm back to real blogging, for now, at least. You know, you do something for such a long time that it's weird when you're not doing it--and that's been blogging. I wanted to take some time to get accustomed to school and work at the same time, and I think I've done that, and can--hopefully--confidently say that I can handle it all!

ANYWAY, on to the books! There's a looot, since it's been an age. I've been doing a bit of trading for the best books ever, so I'm pretty pumped. There are a couple coming that I'm OVER the MOON about!

For review:



How to Break a Boy by Laurie Devore
The Book Jumper by Mechthild Gläser
The Other F-Word by Natasha Friend
Max by Sarah Cohen-Scali
Duels & Deception by Cindy Anstey
Perfect by Cecelia Ahern


The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves


Hunted by Meagan Spooner
By Your Side by Kasie West
Spindle Fire by Lexa Hillyer


The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig
Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima
The Continent by Keira Drake


The Vicar's Daughter by Josi S. Kilpack
Four Weddings and a Sixpence by Julia Quinn, Laura Lee Guhrke, & Stefanie Sloane
While the Duke Was Sleeping by Sophie Jordan


The Viscount and the Vixen by Lorraine Heath
When a Marquess Loves a Woman by Vivienne Lorret

Purchased:




Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
I decided I neeeeded a signed copy--and I do not regret it. :)

Traded:


The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton (!!!!)


I don't know what to classify this as, but I got my pre-order goodies! I put it in pretty late, so it took a while for them to come, but I looooove them. Is anyone else like me and just collects stuff like this, never using it?

Books I read this week:
Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson
Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean

I'm currently reading:
The Ones by Daniel Sweren-Becker

I'm tired now. :) What's been going on with everybody? I want to hear!

Have a lovely Sunday and a fabulous week!

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Well hi there!

Hi guys!

I've, uh, not been around, eh? Quite honestly, it's been laziness mostly. I didn't have anything big going on, just working, but I wasn't feeling posting--and I really wasn't feeling commenting. I've been reading posts all along, but it was hard to muster enthusiasm to have something to say. I think I was a bit burned out.

Oddly, I have much more enthusiasm right now! It's odd because I've got lots going on, but I'm going to push myself back into blogging with gusto. I have been in grad school for almost two months now, so I feel confident thinking I can handle working, classes, and blogging. Not to mention I've read tons of books in the last few months and have all kinds of things I can review!

I'm still obsessed with historical romance, so be expecting even more of than on here than before. :)

Adieu, and I'll see y'all with regular posts next week!