Cover Reveal: Sure Shot by Sarina Bowen

Once again I have the pleasure of sharing a new Sarina Bowen cover with you all today! Sure Shot is the next installment featuring a player on the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team, and this time, sports agent Bess Beringer is our lovely heroine. Longtime Sarina readers will recognize Bess as the sister of Bruisers player Dave (from the True North/Brooklyn crossover novel Bountiful) and as the wise woman who helped Eric figure out his life post-playing career in Moonlighter. I've been so excited to know more about Auntie Bess since I read Bountiful so I'm THRILLED it's finally time for her story!

Photo by Wander Aguiar, Design by Hang Le

Release Date: May 12, 2020

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC

Genre: adult romantic suspense

Status: standalone /
Book 4 of the Brooklyn companion series

Links: Moonlighter review

True North series review

Summary:

A new stand-alone hockey romance from USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen.

On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, sports agent Bess Beringer is ready to make some changes. Armed with a five-year plan—indexed and color coded—she’ll tackle her personal life with the same zeal that she brings to her successful agency.

A big, tall, ripped hunk of hockey player who’s just been traded to the Brooklyn Bruisers is not a part of that plan. Mark “Tank” Tankiewicz has a lot of baggage. He’s a ride-or-die loner with a bad reputation. He’s on the rebound. He’s also the sexiest thing on two legs, and for some crazy reason it’s Bess that he wants.

She knows better. But then she falls stupid in love with him anyway. And for a while it seems like maybe he’ll do the same.

Until she asks him for the one thing he can never give her…  

Purchase Links:

  
Audio coming soon! 

Giveaway:

Interested in Sure Shot? Check out this Goodreads giveaway for 3 signed copies!

About the Author:

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over thirty contemporary novels. She most recently hit the USA Today bestseller's list last week with Top Secret (co-written by Elle Kennedy) and in January, with Overnight Sensation. 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.

Author Links:

    

Book Blitz: What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

What I Like About Me is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020! I've been a fan of Jenna Guillaume's work for a long time so when I heard she was publishing a fat positive YA book, I wanted it INSTANTLY. The book released last year in Australia, and it has finally made its way to the US! So check it out and be sure to scroll down to the giveaway at the end!

Author: Jenna Guillaume
Release Date: April 1, 2020 (US pub date)
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing
Genre: young adult contemporary
Status: standalone

Summary:

You know all those movies where teenagers have, like, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES? This vacation is probably not going to be that.

The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing over vacation is entering a beauty pageant. Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone. Not when her Dad is AWOL and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s already shaky confidence. And especially not when her best friend starts flirting with the boy she’s always loved. But Maisie’s got something to prove.

As she writes down all the ways this vacation is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back.

Jenna Guillame’s American debut features a plus-size protagonist with a compelling, funny, and authentic narrative voice. This relatable and charming novel about friendship, confidence, and self-love will draw readers in as Maisie’s realistic emotional journey unveils the importance of embracing one’s body and celebrating one’s self.

Praise for What I Like About Me:

“Debut author Guillaume's novel features funny dialogue and fresh takes on body image and personal relationships as well as a plucky heroine who slowly but surely comes into her own…. Perfect for fans of Dumplin’, a hilariously sweet yet complex romance.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“Guillaume’s delightful debut deals with teenagers and their self-esteem, as Maisie’s story is relayed through her journal entries. This intimate lens will invest readers in Maisie’s journey to self-acceptance and confidence. A fun story, abounding in humor, romance, and inspiration and filled with multifaceted characters that readers will enjoy.” ―Booklist

“This book draws obvious parallels to Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’, but Maisie and her diverse cast of friends are fresh and distinctive, as is the Australian setting…. A fun, upbeat, and tender coming-of-age story written in an engaging and lively diary format.” ―School Library Journal

Available from:

   

About the Author:

Jenna Guillaume was editor-at-large for BuzzFeed Australia, where she wrote about very important things like pop culture, identity, feminism, social media, and Chris Hemsworth's biceps. Previously, she spent more than half a decade in the features department of Girlfriend magazine, editing the sealed section (yes, all those questions are real), and writing about everything from bullying and body image to bad kisses and boy bands. She was also a contributor to Girlfriend Life Hacks, an essential guide to navigating a girl's completely-awkward-but-totally-awesome teen years. 

Author Links:

    

Giveaway:

5 Winners will receive a copy of What I Like About Me and a book branded pocket mirror. Open internationally. Ends April 20. Must be 13+ to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks to Jean of Jean Book Nerd for giving me the opportunity to be part of this Nerd Blast.

Review: Go with the Flow by Lily Williams & Karen Schneemann

Rating: 5 stars

Release Date: January 14, 2020

Publisher: First Second

Genre: young adult realistic graphic novel

Format/Source: finished copy, from the library

Status: standalone

Summary:

Good friends help you go with the flow. Best friends help you start a revolution.

Sophomores Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha are fed up. Hazelton High never has enough tampons. Or pads. Or adults who will listen.

Sick of an administration that puts football before female health, the girls confront a world that shrugs―or worse, squirms―at the thought of a menstruation revolution. They band together to make a change. It’s no easy task, especially while grappling with everything from crushes to trig to JV track but they have each other’s backs. That is, until one of the girls goes rogue, testing the limits of their friendship and pushing the friends to question the power of their own voices.

Now they must learn to work together to raise each other up. But how to you stand your ground while raising bloody hell?

Cover Reveal: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Fans of Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles series know that Cyber Monday isn't just a big online shopping day after Thanksgiving. It's also an annual opportunity for Macmillan to announce some cool TLC-related news or do a big giveaway for some exclusive swag. ICYMI, this year's big news was that the main four titles in TLC are getting new covers! That's right, lunartics, Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter (not Fairest or Stars Above though) have brand new illustrated and colorful covers! Check them out!

But that's not all! Each book is ALSO getting a specially designed stepback, which is publisher speak for the page behind the cover. Literally just learned that last week. See the contrasting stripe of color on the right edge of each cover? That page will be a second gorgeously illustrated new piece of TLC art! You may have seen the setback reveals for Cinder and Scarlet earlier this week, and today, I have the pleasure of showing off the new stepback illustration for my girl Cress. Shout out to all my fellow Cresswell shippers out there! I hope you love this art as much as I do! And keep an eye out tomorrow for the Winter reveal!

Release Date: February 4, 2020

Publisher: Square Fish

Genre: young adult science fiction

Status: Book 3 of the Lunar Chronicles series
Links: Cress tour recap
Top Ten Tuesday: Swoony books
Stars Above review
Wires & Nerve review

Summary:

Prepare to see the New York Times­-bestselling series like you’ve never seen it before, now with new cover art!

The third book in the #1 New York Times- and USA Today-Bestselling Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer! The evil space queen gives an imprisoned hacker orders to track down our cyborg heroine and her team of reimagined fairytale characters. Can the Rapunzel-like hacker break free and help them instead?

Purchase Links:

   

How swoony are our lovestruck fangirl hacker girl and cocky pilot boy? I LOVE! If you love too, check out the preorder links above. OR you can catch Marissa on the Lunar Ever After Tour in March! Just an FYI, I will DEFINITELY be at the North Texas Teen Book Festival on March 7 so if you're coming to see Marissa (and 84 other authors) there, please say hi! I'll be the tall person with the microphone!

If you can't make it to one of these events in person, I know and love both Book People in Austin and Best of Books in Oklahoma, and you canorder signed copies of the new covers at either store and have them shipped to you. If you're coming to NTTBF, no need to preorder. You can purchase pre-signed copies in the book sales area even before the author signing at the end of the day!

About the Author:

Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Heartless and The Lunar Chronicles. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and twin daughters. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, any occasion that requires a costume), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg.

Author Links:

    

Blog Tour: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Today I have the pleasure of kicking off  the blog tour for one of my favorite authors! Emma Mills's newest release Lucky Caller releases next week, and you can enter to win your own copy below!

Rating: 4 stars

Release Date: January 14, 2020

Publisher: William Morrow (Harper Collins)

Genre: young adult contemporary romance

Format/Source: DRC, from the publisher

Status: Book 2 of the Wait For You companion series
Links: First & Then review (4 stars)
This Adventure Ends review (5 stars)
Foolish Hearts blog tour (in which I analyze Emma's characters, assign them Shakespearean counterparts, and gif-ify them all using teen movies based on Shakespeare)

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book by the publisher. This does not affect the content of my review.

Summary:

With the warmth, wit, intimate friendships, and heart-melting romance she brings to all her books, Emma Mills crafts a story about believing in yourself, owning your mistakes, and trusting in human connection in Lucky Caller.

When Nina decides to take a radio broadcasting class her senior year, she expects it to be a walk in the park. Instead, it’s a complete disaster.

The members of Nina's haphazardly formed radio team have approximately nothing in common. And to maximize the awkwardness her group includes Jamie, a childhood friend she'd hoped to basically avoid for the rest of her life.

The show is a mess, internet rumors threaten to bring the wrath of two fandoms down on their heads, and to top it all off Nina's family is on the brink of some major upheaval.

Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control―but maybe control is overrated?

Romance Review: Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen: "There's only one bed"

Rating: 5 stars

Release Date: October 21, 2019

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing, LLC

Genre: romantic suspense

Format/Source: ARC, from the author

Status: book 1 of The Company companion series

Summary:

Five nights. Two adversaries. Only one bed in their hotel room.

Eric Bayer is at the height of his hockey career. He only gets six weeks of summer vacation. He’d never agree to do a favor for his brother, the head of a global security company so secretive that Eric doesn’t even know its name.

Pass, thanks. He doesn’t need a summer job.

But the jerk ambushes Eric with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy girl he knew when they were kids. Now she's a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.

So guess who's on a flight to Hawaii?

It's going to be a long week in paradise. Eric’s job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing him with her tiny bikinis. It's all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And the hockey-playing party boy becomes her major league protector.

Moonlighter is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers, no prior experience necessary. Expect: a growly hero, a lady boss with no time for his attitude, and a war of wills and hormones. Bonus: a hunk wearing a baby in a sling.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by the author. This does not affect the content of my review.

Double Cover Reveal: Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen & Man Cuffed by Sarina Bowen & Tanya Eby

Today is a Sarina Bowen cover double header with both her fall new releases! Moonlighter is the first book in a new companion series starring Eric Bayer, who you know and love from Sarina's Bruisers and Brooklyn books, and his leading lady Alex is also returning from her introduction in Brooklynaire. You may have seen a cover for Moonlighter floating around the past few weeks, but it's gotten an eleventh hour update so you'll want to look out for THIS cover when the book releases TOMORROW! I've already read Moonlighter, and it is absolutely incredible. Sarina takes a turn toward romantic suspense with this action-packed story, and it's immediately become a new favorite!

Man Cuffed is a new installment in Sarina and Tanya Eby's utterly HILARIOUS series Man Hands. This duo is truly putting the comedy back in rom com, and I'm loving it. Fans of the series will remember Meg from her appearance in Boy Toy. Sadie's younger sister is perpetually unlucky in love (girl, same), and I have a feeling she's going to be an absolute handful in her book. I CAN'T WAIT!

Release Date: October 22, 2019

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC

Genre: adult romantic suspense

Status: standalone /
Book 1 of The Company companion series

Summary:

Only in my family could a professional hockey player earning seven million dollars a year be considered a slacker.

I’m at the height of my athletic career. Yet my arrogant brother is always trying to recruit me into the family business: a global security company so secretive that I don’t even know its name.

Pass, thanks. I don’t need a summer job.

But the jerk ambushes me with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy girl I knew when we were kids. Now she’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.

So guess who’s on a flight to Hawaii?

It’s going to be a long week in paradise. My job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing me with her tiny bikinis. Or maybe we’re torturing each other. It’s all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And this jock must become her major league protector.

Moonlighter is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers, no prior experience necessary. Contains: hackers, hockey players, and a hotel room with only one bed.  

Purchase Links:

 
Kobo 

________________________________________________________________________

Release Date: November 19, 2019

Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC

Genre: adult romantic comedy

Status: standalone /
Book 4 of the Man Hands companion series

Summary:

Mac
A good cop can always spot trouble. That’s why my senses started pinging the moment I met the hottie next door. The neighborhood may never be the same. First she confuses me for a male stripper and tries to remove my uniform. (The guys on the force will never let me live that down.) And then there’s the breaking and entering.

I don’t know what to do with her. My libido has a few ideas of its own, though. Bad, bad ideas.

Meg
Hey, it’s not my fault that Hot Cop’s nightstick gets excited every time we see each other. And I can’t help that someone broke into his apartment.

Fine—that last thing was totally my fault. And I intend to make amends. So when he needs a date for his sister’s wedding, I’m there. This is right up my alley. I’m an actor. By the time it’s over, his entire family will believe we’re a couple.

Even him.

Warning: may cause unrestrained giggling in public. Contains: a bridezilla with a turkey leg, a flash mob, and a growly hero.

Purchase Links:

 
Kobo 

About the Author:

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over thirty contemporary novels. She most recently hit the USA Today bestseller's list last week with Top Secret (co-written by Elle Kennedy) and in January, with Overnight Sensation. 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.

Author Links: