Review: My True Love Gave To Me

Rating: 5 stars

Release Date: October 14, 2014

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: young adult romance short stories
(mostly contemp, but some magical realism & fantasy)

Format/Source: eARC, from the publisher
HC & audio, purchased from B&N and Audible respectively

Status: short story anthology, standalone
one story has a sequel in Summer Days & Summer Nights

Summary:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.

Blog Tour: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: October 24, 2017

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: young adult contemporary

Format/Source: paperback, from the author

Status: standalone
Links: My Lady Jane blog tour, My Plain Jane blog tour

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour, which was organized & hosted by Your Book Travels.

Summary:

On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . . .

Review: Love À La Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm

This morning I'm so excited to kick off the blog tour for Stephanie Kate Strohm's Love a la Mode, a new rom com from Disney Books! Check out my review, and then scroll down to the bottom to enter to win a copy!

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: November 27, 2018

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Genre: young adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: ARC, ALA annual conference

Status: standalone

Links: Prince in Disguise review

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour, which was organized & hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. The full tour schedule can be found HERE. Please go give my fellow tour hosts some love!

Summary:

Take two American teen chefs, add one heaping cup of Paris, toss in a pinch of romance, and stir. . . .

Rosie Radeke firmly believes that happiness can be found at the bottom of a mixing bowl. But she never expected that she, a random nobody from East Liberty, Ohio, would be accepted to celebrity chef Denis Laurent's school in Paris, the most prestigious cooking program for teens in the entire world. Life in Paris, however, isn't all cream puffs and crepes. Faced with a challenging curriculum and a nightmare professor, Rosie begins to doubt her dishes.

Henry Yi grew up in his dad's restaurant in Chicago, and his lifelong love affair with food landed him a coveted spot in Chef Laurent's school. He quickly connects with Rosie, but academic pressure from home and his jealousy over Rosie's growing friendship with gorgeous bad-boy baker Bodie Tal makes Henry lash out and push his dream girl away.

Desperate to prove themselves, Rosie and Henry cook like never before while sparks fly between them. But as they reach their breaking points, they wonder whether they have what it takes to become real chefs.


Perfect for lovers of Chopped Teen Tournament and Kids Baking Championship, as well as anyone who dreams of a romantic trip to France, Love à la Mode follows Rosie and Henry as they fall in love with food, with Paris, and ultimately, with each other.

Listmania Monday: Sprayed Pages

One of my FAVORITE design features right now is the sprayed page (also called stained, tinted, or gilded edges). This is where the exposed edges of a book's pages along the top, side, and bottom of the book are painted with color (gilded refers to using gold, silver, or other metallic finishes). It's a super expensive process when professionally done by a printer, but it makes the books look soooooo pretty! You can learn a bit about the process here. Because it's expensive, most titles that you'll see with it are rare special & collector's editions, but lately, these pages have been popping up more and more. In case anyone else is as obsessed with these beauties as I am, I thought I'd make a list of all the ones I've found.

Note 1: title/edition - author (country / store or subscription box) - color of pages
If it's stated as widely available, it *should* be offered via most retailers specific to that country.

Note 2: For series, I'm going to put sequels with the first book in the series instead of putting them in alphabetically.

Note 3: I have included links for books that were still available when I published this list. If you are interested in ordering any of the books, please check with the retailer to make sure it's the edition with the sprayed pages. I am not responsible for purchases of the wrong edition. If there's one you want but can't find, try AbeBooks.

Note 4: There may be spoilers in here for upcoming book boxes. Read at your own risk.

Aurora Rising - Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (US - BookishSignsAndMore; UK - Goldsboro, Illumicrate) - purple, pink, or black; purple, pink

The Beholder - Anna Bright (UK - Fairyloot) - light pink
Birthday - Meredith Russo (UK - Illumicrate) - rainbow

Caraval - Stephanie Garber (hc: Goldsboro, pb: Waterstones, Tesco) - gold, red, gold

└Caraval ARC - Stephanie Garber (UK) - red

└Legendary - Stephanie Garber (hc: Goldsboro, pb: Waterstones) - silver, orange
└Finale - Stephanie Garber (hc: Waterstones, Fairyloot) - red, stenciled card symbols
└Caraval deluxe set - Stephanie Garber (UK - Fairyloot) - red (on sale 9/21 at 1 pm BST in Fairy Trove)
Carve the Mark - Veronica Roth (UK - Waterstones) - blue

Catwoman: Soulstealer - Sarah J. Maas (UK - hc: Illumicrate, pb: Waterstones) - pinkish purple
Circle of Shadows - Evelyn Skye (UK - Fairyloot) - lavender

City of Bones 10th anniversary - Cassandra Clare (US - widely available) - gold

Colour Me In - Lydia Ruffles (UK) - ombre pink/purple/blue
The Cruel Prince - Holly Black (UK - Illumicrate) - unknown (on sale for public 8/25 at 4 pm BST) (they will do editions of books 2 & 3 next year)
└Queen of Nothing - Holly Black (UK - Fairyloot) - unknown stencil (on sale for public 8/28 at 1 pm BST in Fairy Trove)

Dance of Thieves - Mary Pearson (US - BookishSignsAndMore) - teal?
└Vow of Thieves - Mary Pearson (US - BookishSignsAndMore) - medium blue
Dark Age - Pierce Brown (UK - Illumicrate) - black stenciled
The Deathless Girls - Kiran Millwood Hargrave (UK - Waterstones) - crimson/maroon
Descendant of the Crane - Joan He (UK - Illumicrate) - red
The Devouring Gray - Christine Lynn Herman (UK - possibly just Waterstones) - pink
Doppelganger Chronicles - G.P. Taylor (US) - gray
The Dragon Republic - R.F. Kuang (UK - Illumicrate) - blue

An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir (UK - Goldsboro) - black

└A Torch Against the Night - Sabaa Tahir (UK - Goldsboro) - black

└A Reaper at the Gates - Sabaa Tahir (UK - Goldsboro) - black
Empire of Sand - Tasha Suri (US - Fox & Wit) - red
Empress of All Seasons - (UK - Illumicrate) - black
Enchantée - Gita Trelease (US - Fox & Wit) - gold

The Enemy series - Charlie Higson (US) - the entire series is sprayed black

Fangirl paperback - Rainbow Rowell (US - widely available) - green

Frogkisser! - Garth Nix (Australia) - yellow

Ghostgirl: Homecoming - Tonya Hurley (US) - silver
Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (US - 1st edition; UK - Illumicrate) - black, unknown

Girls of Paper & Fire - Natasha Ngan (US - Fox & Wit, UK - Fairyloot) - purple, pink
└Girls of Storm & Shadow - Natasha Ngan (UK - Fairyloot) - turquoise
The Giver Quartet omnibus - Lois Lowry (US) - red

Grasshopper Jungle - Andrew Smith (US - 1st printing only) - electric yellow/green

Grim Lovelies - Megan Shepherd (US - Fox & Wit) - unknown

Harry Potter 20th anniversary (Philosopher's Stone & Chamber of Secrets) - J.K. Rowling (UK - widely available) - assorted house colors in solids or stripes

Heart of Iron - Ashley Poston - (US - Owlcrate) - purple

Heart of Thorns - Bree Barton - (UK - Fairyloot) - red

The Heartbeats of Wing Jones pb - Katherine Webber (UK) - ombre pink/purple
House of Salt & Sorrows - Erin A. Craig (US - Fox & Wit) - unknown

Into the Crooked Place - Alexandra Christo (UK - Fairyloot) - unknown stencil (on sale 9/14 at 1 pm BST in Fairy Trove)
Iron Gold - Pierce Brown (UK - Waterstones & ???) - black, red (no idea which edition was red)

Kingsbane - Claire Legrand (US - Fox & Wit) - black

LIFEL1K3 - Jay Kristoff (US - BookishSignsAndMore) -
└DEV1AT3 - Jay Kristoff (US - BookishSignsAndMore) -

Mirage - Somaiya Daud (UK - Fairyloot) - dark purple

The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily Danforth (UK - Waterstones) - rainbow

My True Love Gave to Me - Stephanie Perkins (UK) - hot pink

└My True Love Gave to Me Valentine's edition - Stephanie Perkins (UK) - teal

└Summer Days & Summer Nights - Stephanie Perkins (UK) - yellow

The Name of the Wind 10th anniversary DELUXE edition - Patrick Rothfuss (US - widely available, I think) - black

Nevernight - Jay Kristoff (UK - Goldsboro, Waterstones) - red, black

└Godsgrave - Jay Kristoff (UK - Goldsboro, Waterstones) - blue, black
└Darkdawn - Jay Kristoff (UK - Goldsboro, Waterstones, Illumicrate) - black with stars, black, yellow

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (UK first edition) - black
Nocturna - Maya Motayne (UK - Fairyloot)

On the Come Up - Angie Thomas (UK - Waterstones) - purple
Once & Future - Amy Rose Capetta & Cori McCarthy (UK - Illumicrate) - green
One of Us is Lying paperback - Karen McManus (UK - widely available) - red

Onyx & Ivory - Mindee Arnett - (UK - Fairyloot) - black
Orphanage of the Gods - (UK - Illumicrate) - teal

Queen of Air and Darkness paperback - Cassandra Clare (UK - Waterstones) - red

Red Queen special edition - Victoria Aveyard (US - widely available) - red

└Glass Sword special edition - Victoria Aveyard (US - widely available) - gray

└War Storm - Victoria Aveyard (UK - Waterstones) - blue
Red Sister - Mark Lawrence (UK - widely available) - black
The Ruin of Kings - Jenn Lyons (UK - Goldsboro) - turquoise

Sanctuary - V.V. James (UK - Illumicrate) - green
Sawkill Girls - Claire Legrand (US - Fox & Wit) - dark blue

The Sea Witch - Sarah Henning (US - Fox & Wit) - dark blue
Sea Witch Rising - Sarah Henning (US - Fox & Wit) - purple
*Note: F&W is selling The Sea Witch and Sea Witch Rising individually and as a two-book set. It is not yet known if The Sea Witch will be the same dark blue as the initial edition or another. F&W mentioned purple edges, but that could be either book.

Seafire - Natalie C. Parker (US - Fox & Wit) - orange
Serpent & Dove - Shelby Mahurin (US - Fox & Wit; UK - Fairyloot) - unknown metallic
The Sisters of the Winter Wood - Rena Rosser (UK - Goldsboro) - yellow

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (US - widely available) - black

└Six of Crows special edition - Leigh Bardugo (UK - widely available) - red
└Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo (US - widely available) - red
Skyward - Brandon Sanderson (UK/out of US & CA - Fairyloot) - yellow

Smoke Thieves ARC - Sally Green (Illumicrate) - purple

The Song Rising - Samantha Shannon (UK - Goldsboro) - orange
Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson (UK - Fairyloot) - green

Strange the Dreamer - Laini Taylor (UK - Fairyloot) - blue

└Muse of Nightmare - Laini Taylor (UK - widely available) - orange

└Strange/Muse - Laini Taylor (UK - Illumicrate) - gold/silver
The Sun is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon (US - B&N Exclusive Collector's Edition) - purple

The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas (UK - Waterstones) - yellow
To Best the Boys - Mary Weber (UK - Fairyloot) - gray
Tunnel of Bones - Victoria Schwab (US - Fox & Wit) - unknown

These Rebel Waves - Sara Raasch (UK - Fairyloot) - green

This Mortal Coil ARC - Emily Suvada (UK) - red

└This Mortal Coil pb - Emily Suvada (UK - Waterstones) - black/white DNA design

└This Cruel Design ARC - Emily Suvada (UK) - blue

└This Cruel Design pb - Emily Suvada (UK - Waterstones) - black/white DNA design
This Time Will Be Different - Misa Suguira (UK - Illumicrate) - yellow
The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean Telt by Hisself - David Almond (US - widely available?) - black
The Twilight Saga 5 book set - Stephenie Meyer (UK - widely available?) - red

Vengeful - V.E. Schwab (US - Fox & Wit) - red

We Hunt the Flame - Hafsah Faizal (US - Fox & Wit) - unknown
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West mass market pb - Gregory Maguire (US - widely available) - green
└Son of a Witch mass market pb - Gregory Maguire (US - widely available) - red
Wicked Fox - Kat Cho (UK - Fairyloot) - pinkish purple
Wilder Girls - Rory Power (US - Fox & Wit) - unknown color
The Wizards of Once - Cressida Cowell (UK - Waterstones) - orange
└The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic - Cressida Cowell (UK - Waterstones) - turquoise
Wonder Woman: Warbringer - Leigh Bardugo (UK - Waterstones) - red

B&N Collectible Editions and Penguin Drop Caps are special edition collectible books (mostly classics) that have gorgeous covers and sprayed or gilded edges. I have the leatherbound bindup of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and The Lost World, which has silver gilded edges, and Pride and Prejudice which is a lovely mint color.

If you're interested in painting your own pages, check out my own tutorial or you can also find a lot of cool tutorials on other book blogs and youtube. I love this tutorial from Sea Lemon specifically on metallic pages. Vicky Who Reads has a great tutorial for hand-painting your own books with acrylics (she does an ombre rainbow!), as does Lauren's Bookshelf, and if you're more interested in spray-painting tutorials, you can find one through Bookish Wisps. I also found a nice airbrush painting tutorial on youtube from KivoxEnder.

If you're looking for a really cool professional work of art, check out TintedProse or RusticPagesArt on Etsy. They offer different options like sending in your own copy or purchasing a copy from them. Tinted Prose can also paint a book-specific design on the exposed pages (like blue pages with a white moth for Strange the Dreamer, which you can see here)! 

Romance Series Review: True North by Sarina Bowen: Apple farmers, bartenders, and outdoor showers: oh my!

Sarina Bowen has, in the last 3 years, become one of my absolute favorite authors. She's one whose books I eagerly anticipate each time, and I spend a not-insignificant amount of time searching her website, Goodreads, and her Facebook group for news of upcoming titles. And because I discovered her many years after she started publishing, I discovered a veritable treasure trove of backlist titles, ESPECIALLY a number of binge-worthy series: Him/Us, WAGs, The Ivy Years, Brooklyn Bruisers, Gravity, and True North. Plus, she publishes a number of delightful romances each year, some new installments of a few of these series, but also new series (like Man Hands), rereleases (Hello Goodbye), and even a new YA (The Accidentals is up for best YA Fiction in the GR choice awards!)!

I don't share my love of Sarina's books nearly enough on the blog so today I'm going to post a series review of all 5 of the currently published True North books. Keep reading for info and a mini review for each book! FYI, book 1 Bittersweet is FREE on most major e-tailers so if you're looking to get hooked on a new romance series, now is your chance!

Trigger warning: One character in this series is addicted to opiods and another is an alcoholic. This is mentioned in most of the books once the characters are introduced so I'm putting this warning here, but I'll also include a trigger warning for each of these two character's books so you'll know which books focus on it.

Book 1: Bittersweet

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: June 14, 2016
Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: Kindle book, purchased

Status: book 1 of the True North series

Summary: Farmers make the earth move.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous cider-making lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

Review:

Bittersweet is one of my favorites in this series! Grumpy Griff is an apple farmer with a love of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings who is trying to keep his family's orchard business alive, and Audrey is the bubbly girl from Griff's past with major ambitions to become a chef in Boston's cutthroat restaurant industry. They're complete opposites personality-wise, but Griff and Audrey bond over their mutual interest in food. Oh, and their ridiculously explosive chemistry!

I think this story sets the entire True North series off on its best foot: we get an introduction to many of the major players—the large and lovely Shipley family (mom Ruth and Griff's younger siblings May, Daphne, and Dylan), shy farmhand Zach, quiet recovering addict Jude, feisty bartender Zara—we get hints of future stories and conflicts that will get some attention in later books, AND this one is lower in angst/serious conflict. Griff and Audrey definitely have to figure out how to overcome their opposing professional ambitions and long distance if they're going to figure out how to be a couple.

Purchase Links:

  
Bittersweet is a FREE ebook on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBooks, AND Google Books. You should totally "buy" it today!

Book 2: Steadfast

Rating: 3.5 stars

Release Date: July 12, 2016
Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: Kindle book, purchased

Status: book 2 of the True North series

Summary: She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there's no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never turn up volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie's police chief father. But it's a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

Review:

First of all, I LOVE Jude and Sophie together. Like Griffin and Audrey, this second chance couple has incredible chemistry that lights up the pages, and they both have the opportunity to grow from their past selves (who we do get to see in a handful of flashbacks). I think it's amazing Sarina wrote an honest and unflinching book about the opioid crisis in New England while still keeping her signature charming and sweet romance centered. The moments of Steadfast that focus on Jude and Sophie are its best. I like it slightly less than the rest of the series because it's very high on angst and is more melodramatic toward the end, especially regarding the villain, and I found that frustrating. I also think a few things are tied up a little too neatly. I understand why, but I think there could have been a more realistic HEA in here.

Major trigger warning for addiction, withdrawal, and domestic assault.

Purchase Links:

  


Book 3: Keepsake

Rating: 4.5 stars

Release Date: October 25, 2016

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: Kindle book, purchased

Status: book 3 of the True North series

Summary: Lark Wainright used to be fearless. She led her life as a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her last overseas adventure was one too many. She’s safe now, but her family is still consumed with worry and her nights are filled with terror.

When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps into her little car and heads to Vermont. But her night terrors don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.

Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm. He’s good with animals, and he’s good with his hands. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.

Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.

Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for more than farm labor.

Review:

My favorite book of the series (so far)! Keepsake is one of those cool rarities in romance: a story about a virgin hero! Readers will fall in love with Zach in Bittersweet so if you start off with book 1, you're going to automatically root for this sweet soft boy to win the girl.

Keepsake is really interesting to me because it's one of those books that shows a very different character to the reader than the one the other characters know. Griffin calls Lark "Wild Child" and several stories are shared about Lark's past adventures (there is a zebra involved), but the Lark shown on page is emotionally delicate. It's like her whole personality has a dimmer switch that has been turned down as an effect of the trauma she sustained during a kidnapping a few months earlier.

The romance between Lark and Zach is lovely and sweet, but it's definitely not the focus of the story at first. Initially, the attention is on Lark's attempts to recover from a harrowing ordeal and Zach, big helpful marshmallow that he is, trying to lend comfort where he can. Like, Zach is that guy who gives no thought to his own comfort, even his own needs if someone else is in need. Like he'd give you his coat in hypothermia-inducing weather if you needed one. And while Lark is definitely in a bad situation, she helps Zach too. It's really cool to see these two work out balancing wants and needs, helping each other recover from bad experiences.

Trigger warning for PTSD, abuse, kidnapping, discussions of a religious cult, and for a character being outed without consent by a family member.

Purchase Links:

  

Book 4: Bountiful

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: October 20, 2017

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: Kindle book, purchased

Status: book 4 of the True North series, book 3.5 of the Brooklyn Bruisers series—can be read without reading BB!

Summary: No last names. No life stories. Those were the rules.

Once upon a time a cocky, copper-haired tourist sauntered into Zara’s bar. And even though she knew better, Zara indulged in a cure for the small-town blues. It was supposed to be an uncomplicated fling—a few sizzling weeks before he went back to his life, and she moved on.

Until an accidental pregnancy changed her life.

Two years later, she’s made peace with the notion that Dave No-Last-Name will never be found. Until one summer day when he walks into her coffee shop, leveling her with the same hot smile that always renders her defenseless.

Dave Beringer has never forgotten the intense month he spent with prickly Zara. Their nights together were the first true intimacy he’d ever experienced. But the discovery of his child is the shock of a lifetime, and his ugly past puts relationships and family out of reach.

Or does it? Vermont’s countryside has a way of nurturing even tortured souls. The fields and the orchards—and hard won love—are Bountiful.

Review:

I love Zara and Dave! A+ second chance romance AND surprise baby. Sarina is truly a master of classic tropes, and I love how she flawlessly combines them into unique stories (she keeps an updated list of all her books by trope here). It was great seeing all the guys from Sarina's Brooklyn Bruisers series, and it was awesome to get to know Dave better than we did in the Bruisers books (I promise you can read Bountiful without reading the Bruisers, but I do recommend you read them).

Bountiful is the first of the Rossi books of the True North series, and I promise you'll love them just as hard as you love the Shipleys, even though they're very different families (and the poor Rossis constantly compare themselves unfavorably to the Shipleys). Zara is one tough cookie, which makes her a fantastic mom and a savvy businesswoman. Just like with Griffin, Audrey is a perfect foil to Zara, but instead of explosive romantic and sexual chemistry, these two make a fire-cracking duo as friends and co-owners of the world's coolest coffee shop. Alec comes in as the grumpy Griff of the Rossis, but honestly, how do you expect me to dislike him when he enjoys babysitting his sweet baby niece shirtless at 6 am??

Two other brand-new scene stealing characters you'll love: baby Nicole and Dave's boss sister Bess. Look. Sarina writes some of the best sexy heroes in existence, but if there's something Sarina can write better than sexy heroes, it's powerful, complex women. I mean, Nicole is a baby so she's fairly straightforward, but man, she does a beautiful job bridging the awkward gap between Zara and Dave. Zara is great. Bess is awesome. Aubrey, May, Lark, Sophie, Mrs. Shipley, Skye... I promise, you're going to love these women!

Purchase Links:

  

Book 5: Speakeasy

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: May 29, 2018

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing, LLC

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: Kindle book, purchased

Status: book 5 of the True North series

Summary: Sometimes you fall for Mr. Right. And sometimes for Mr. Right Now…

May
Did you hear the one about the girl who walks into a bar and catches her live-in lover kissing someone else? No? You’re the only one in town who missed it.

Luckily Alec is there to wrap me up in strong arms and carry me out the door before things get too ugly. And that’s not all Alec is good at. Our unexpected chemistry makes him the perfect rebound guy.

Alec
I should know better than to hook up with my rival’s little sister, but the fiery look in May’s eyes really turns my crank. She needs cheering up, and I’m just the guy for the job.

It’s not like I’ll fall in love. Not even after a string of scorching hot trysts, and the realization that we’re good at the same things: wild nights and familial disappointment. I don’t do love, never have, never will. So this is the perfect arrangement, for both of us.

Nobody would approve, but nobody has to know…

Review:

Ohhhhhh my goooooosssssshhhhhh this book is so super swoony and charming. I really expected Alec to be grumpy like Griff because he's always so brusque to the Shipleys and Dave (but really, what else would we expect from a big brother looking out for his little sis Zara?), but I should have known better since he's a teddy bear with little Nicole. Alec is a lot of fun, which he and May constantly talk about, but he's also really sweet and a good friend. Their playful texts made me fall in love with their friendship as well as their romantic ship, and I am 100% here for stupid jokes.

May & Alec also have the most explosive sexy chemistry of the series (THAT FIRST HOOKUP THO), but lots of tender moments and serious conversations as well. This couple runs the emotional gamut, and I felt like Sarina dug deep to create two very complex, three-dimensional characters AND a well-rounded relationship between them. Absolutely can't wait for book 6 and as many True North books as Sarina will give us!

Trigger warning for alcoholism.

Purchase Links:

  

Book 6: Fireworks
Coming 11/13/18

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: November 13, 2018

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing, LLC

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source:

Status: book 6 of the True North series

Summary: Skye Copeland is on paid leave from her broadcasting job after accidentally drawing a wiener on the traffic map.

Let that sink in. Like it’s her fault the traffic pattern created a perfect schlong?

Skye isn’t laughing. She needs this job. And that’s the only reason she’s willing to chase down a story in her least favorite place—that hell on earth known as Vermont.

A quick trip. In and out. Much like - never mind. She can sneak into the town that once tried to break her, get the story and slide back into the good graces of her producer. Easy peasy.

But things go sideways the moment she steps over the county line. Her stepsister is running from a violent drug dealer. And the cop on the case is none other than Benito Rossi, the man who broke Skye’s teenage heart.

His dark brown eyes still tear her apart. And even as she steels herself to finally tell him off after twelve years, the old fireworks are still there.

Things are about to go boom.

Preorder Links:

  

About the Author:

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over two dozen contemporary and LGTB romance novels. She most recently hit the USA Today bestseller's list in February, with Brooklynaire. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.

Sarina Bowen is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. On a few wooded acres, she lives with her husband, two boys, and an ungodly amount of ski and hockey gear.

Sarina's books are published in a dozen languages on four continents. In 2016, The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with a RITA award for Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.

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Giveaway:

I'm giving away one kindle copy of any of the True North series (Bittersweet is free, but any of the others are eligible, including Fireworks).

Open INT to anyone who can win a kindle ebook. Entrants must be 13+. Giveaway is open until 12 AM CST 11/20. Please enter via Rafflecopter below; winner will be chosen at random, and odds are determined by number of entries. I reserve the right to disqualify any entries that are not in accordance with my giveaway policies as stated in the Review & Site Policies tab at the top of the page.Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

 

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: October 23, 2018

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: young adult historical romance

Format/Source: ARC, ALA annual conference

Status: standalone

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour, which was organized & hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. The full tour schedule can be found HERE. Please go give my fellow tour hosts some love!

Summary:

When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further—kill the queen herself.

Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play—it's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.

The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.

Review: Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: August 28, 2018

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: young adult fantasy/sci-fi

Format/Source: ARC, ALA annual conference

Status: book 1 of the Seafire trilogy

Summary:

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, whose lives have been turned upside down by Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric's armed and armored fleet.

But when Caledonia's best friend and second-in-command just barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether or not to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all...or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?

Review: Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Rating: 5 stars

Release Date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Gallery Books

Genre: adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: DRC, Edelweiss

Status: standalone

Summary:

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?