Friday, January 31, 2020

Book Review: Tweet Cute by Emma Lord


Tweet Cute
By: Emma Lord
Published: January 21, 2020
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Add to: Goodreads
Source: eARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review
A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected. 


Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account. 

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. 

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built. 

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.



My Thoughts:

Tweet Cute was a delightful and charming read! If you are looking for a light-hearted, feel-good romance, look no further.  Pepper and Jack had me smiling and giggling, like I was back in high school. 

Pepper misses small town living and the family deli, where she grew up in Nashville. As the family business, Big League Burger grew, her parents grew apart and divorced. Now living in New York alone with her mom, Pepper demands perfection from herself.  She gets straight A's, is in all A.P. classes, and is captain of her private school swim team.  However, Pepper is lonely.  She misses her older sister Paige, who is estranged from her mother, her dad who still lives in Nashville, and the life she use to have.  Living in the big city is vastly different from the comforts of small town living, everyone knowing each other, and the ease of built in friendships.

Jack works hard in his family's deli, Girl Cheesing.  He is tired of living in the shadow of his identical twin Ethan, who is very popular, successful in school, and expected to leave high school and do big things; while it is expected that
Jack will run the family business one day.  Jack is resentful and has secret ambitions of developing apps.  He anonymously develops Weazel an app where the teens from his school are paired up with another person, but identities are kept secret.


When Big League Burger steals Grandma Belly's grilled cheese sandwich recipe and posts it on twitter, Jack is outraged.  He tweets a comment that ends up sparking a twitter war between him and Pepper.  Pepper is pressured by her mother to post tweets on the corporate page, because she has quick and witty comebacks, while Jack, and at times Ethan, post tweets on their family business' page.

As secret pen pals on Weazel, and anonymous comments on twitter pile up, these two interact with one another all day long, and don't even know it!  However, in real life Pepper and Jack start getting closer due to participating in swim captain duties for their high school.

I loved all of the interaction between Jack and pepper.  It was fun, sarcastic and witty at times, sweet at times, and all around such a great time.  I love #pepperjack!  These two connected with one another on such a deep level, and filled emotional needs in one another.  They became best friends, each other's biggest support, and I was rooting for them to figure everything out and be together!

If your looking for a super sweet, cute, fun, feel-good story, pick up Tweet Cute!  It was such a delightful treat!!!






Connect with Emma Lord:


Thursday, January 30, 2020

Book Review: Heartland (True North #7) by Sarina Bowen


Heartland 
True North #7
By: Sarina Bowen
Published: January 28, 2020
Source: eARC from the author in exchange for a honest review
Add to Goodreads
An emotional friends to lovers romance full of risky secrets and late-night lessons in seduction. 

Dylan is my best friend, and the only person in my life who understands me. He doesn’t mind my social awkwardness or my weird history. The only glitch? He doesn’t know that I’ve been hopelessly, desperately in love with him since the first day we picked apples together in his family’s orchard. But I know better than to confess. Now that we’re both in college together, I’m seeing a new side of him. College Dylan drinks and has a lot of sex. None of it with me. 

Until the night I foolishly ask him to tutor me in more than algebra…and he actually says yes. But the cool morning light shows me how badly I’ve endangered our friendship. And I don’t know if anything will be the same again.


My Thoughts:


Heartland is the first book that I've read in the True North Series, and even though I jumped in to this series with book 7, I had absolutely no problem following along in the story, as it was a standalone.   I enjoy the friends to lovers trope and was really excited to dive in to Chastity and Dylan's story after reading the blurb, and seeing the book cover.

I loved Chastity's character.  She was reserved, yet strong, and brave.  She had escaped a cult a few years back, which left her naive in the typical ways of society.  I loved watching her growth, as she found her voice, and learned how to go after what she wanted.   

Dylan didn't believe in relationships.  He was bored easily, and went from girl to girl.  Yet, through all of his flings, he had a deep emotional connection to Chastity.  They were best of friends and he treasured her.  Dylan looked out for her, tutored her in Algebra, and I loved the way these two interacted with one another.  

Chastity had a huge crush on Dylan, but he was clueless to her feelings towards him.  Even though Dylan was attracted to her, he put his feelings aside, because he didn't want to risk ruining their friendship or hurting the person he cared about the most.  However, when Chasity asks Dylan to tutor her in more than Algebra, or else she'll ask someone else to do it, he can't resist.  After all, he can't stand the idea of Chastity being with anyone else...

Heartland was a fun and sweet romance.  I enjoyed spending time with Chastity and Dylan, and loved that I got their dual points of view.  You could see how much they cared about each other and that they were in love with one another from the beginning.  Whether Dylan was patiently teaching Chastity Algebra, or they were spending hours making caramels and enjoying each other's company, it was plain to see that they were meant to be.

Some of my favorite parts of the story was when Chastity's surrogate family, Leah, Issac, and Maeve, and Dylan's family, The Shipley's, were all together!  I cherished the warmth, camaraderie, down home cooking, laughter, and love that these two family's had for Chastity, Dylan, and one another. I am looking forward to Dylan's sister, Daphne, getting her own story.  We can see that she is going through something, and in emotional turmoil.  I really liked her character, and am looking forward to her getting a happily ever after. 



Book Teasers:



Purchase At:

Amazon | Audible | Barnes and NobleiBooks | Kobo


About the Author:

Sarina Bowen is the award-winning author of more than thirty contemporary novels. She has hit the USA Today bestseller's list thirteen times and counting. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University. 

Sarina 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.




Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Blog Tour: A Favor for a Favor (All In #2) by Helena Hunting



A Favor for a Favor
All In #2

By:
Helena Hunting

Published:
Jan. 28, 2020

Publisher:
Montlake Romance

Add to:
Goodreads

Source:
eARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review

Book Summary:

"Bishop and Stevie's relationship is pure, raw, can't-take-your-eyes-off-the-page kindle crack.  One of my favorite books by this brilliant author." -LJ Shen, USA Today bestselling author

A Favor for a Favor, all-new slow burn stand-alone romance from New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting, is available now!

A new standalone romance about trading favors, battling wills, and winning love. 

When I joined Seattle’s NHL expansion team, I thought it was the start of something great. But nothing ever goes the way you expect. Take my introduction to my new neighbor. She came rolling in on the hot mess express at midnight, making a racket while she tried to get into my team captain’s apartment. Did I mention that he’s married to a woman who definitely was not her? 

Imagine my surprise when I end up with an injury that has me out of the game for weeks, and she’s the one to offer to help me. I should probably add that she’s not the captain’s mistress. She’s his sexy, pastel-haired younger sister. 

So we come up with an arrangement: she rehabs me so that I can get back on the ice sooner, and she can add a professional athlete that isn’t her brother to her client list. Seems simple enough. As long as I can keep my hands to myself and my hormones in check. 



All In Series:
My Review



My Thoughts:


I am "all in" when it comes to this new spinoff series of Hunting's!  Her stories never fail to excite me, and make me smile and laugh!  She has a gift with her banter, and the way that she has her characters play off of one another's dialogue!

Stevie is out of a place to live; when she comes home early on her birthday to surprise her boyfriend, and finds him in bed with another woman.  She had invested all of her money in to their new apartment, and is now out of a place to stay.  Her older brother R.J, offers her his penthouse, a perk from his NHL team; as he lives in a huge house with his wife and child, and doesn't use it.  She happily accepts R.J.'s penthouse as temporary housing, until she can get back on her feet and get a new place of her own.

Unfortunately, Stevie is not off to a great start when she meets her rude, and grumpy gorgeous neighbor.  Bishop judges Stevie when he sees her by assuming she is R.J.'s mistress, and lacks moral integrity.  Yet, he can't help but be attracted to her.  

When Bishop, suffers a major groin injury, they make an arrangement that Stevie will use her expertise in sports rehabilitation to do physical therapy on him, so that he can get back on the ice as soon as possible.  Bishop will then be a reference for her, which will look great on her resumé.  However, what starts as a business arrangement quickly becomes more complicated, when Stevia and Bishop start falling for one another. 

I loved a Favor for a Favor.  I relished the day to day interactions between Stevie and Bishop.  I was completely in the moment with these two characters, and time seemed to pass so quickly as I read their story.

I enjoyed these characters unique personalities.  Stevie was really sweet, caring, and laid back, except when it came to the fact that she didn't do well with public attention.  Bishop was an entertaining character.  I loved the fun sayings on his underwear, his lack of filter, because he was one to speak his mind, and zero tolerance for not being genuine.  He could definitely be rude and antisocial, but his character grew on me, we got to see how huge his heart was!

Stevie and Bishop had incredible chemistry, and I loved how their relationship grew from a friendship.  It was fun watching them bicker over pizza toppings, cuddle up and watch hockey together, and have each other's back when life got tough.  I loved the way Stevie wasn't afraid to put Bishop in his place regarding his therapy, and he was extra patient and sensitive to her needs.  A Favor for a Favor was such a fun, sweet, and entertaining read, and I enjoyed every moment of it!





Book Teaser:


Book Excerpt:

She makes me lift my arm and drapes it over her shoulder. She’s incredibly small compared to me. She tucks one arm under my knee and gently grips the back of my calf with the other. “On the count of three,” she orders. I tense up when she hits three. She gets my leg about six inches off the floor, which is when I scream bloody murder again and grab on to her with both hands. 

“Okay. That’s not going to work. The angle is too awkward.” She taps her lip and holds her finger up. “I have an idea.” 

She ducks out from under my arm and hooks her fingers in the waistband of her yoga pants. “What the hell are you doing?” 

“Calm down. Some bathing suits have less coverage than my underwear. Besides, it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” 

She kicks off her yoga pants, leaving her in a T-shirt and panties. They’re plain cotton boy shorts, which should be a good thing, but apparently my body doesn’t care that it’s not a satin or lace thong. All it cares about is the proximity of almost-naked pussy. 

Rook’s sister is standing in my bathroom in her underwear. If I had a sister who looked like Stevie and I knew that she was standing in one of my teammate’s bathrooms half-naked, I would probably kick the shit out of the guy. Thankfully, I have a brother. 

I try to keep my eyes averted, sort of, but I catch her reflection in the vanity mirror.

She has fantastic legs. Athletic. Strong. And her ass. Goddamn. She definitely does a lot of squats, based on how round and firm it looks. The ache in my groin turns into that stabbing pain again because I’m getting hard. I think about my grandmother in a bathing suit to counteract the effect of Stevie being partly undressed. 

She steps into the tub, and I force myself to keep my eyes down, bringing up the image of that hot chick in the tub who turns into a rotting old lady in The Shining. That helps a bit. At least until Stevie moves into my personal space and starts touching me again. I mutter a string of profanity, especially when I feel her boob pressed against my arm for a few seconds. I have no choice but to latch on to her shoulder as we lift my leg over the edge of the tub. I’m sweating, I’m angry, and I hate my dick. 

“I need you to stop touching me!” It’s stupid because I’m still holding on to her, not the other way around. 

“Why are you yelling at me?” she shouts back.

“Because you’re half-undressed in my tub, and I’m a guy, and apparently my dick is a fucking sadist. It honestly feels like my balls are on fire right now. A semi has never] been this painful.” 

“Well, close your damn eyes and think about dead things.”

“It doesn’t matter if I close them. The image of you in panties is burned into the back of my lids, probably for the rest of my fucking life. It’s all I can see.” 

“You’d think you’d never seen a set of bare legs before.” She helps me lower myself into the tub and steps out. 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a pair up close,” I grumble. 

“Such a surprise, with your warm, fuzzy personality.”



Purchase At:
Available on Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon | Amazon Worldwide | Amazon Paperback 
Amazon Audible | Audio


About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She's writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.





Blog Tour Hosted By:
https://www.socialbutterflypr.net

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Stacking the Shelves & Sunday Post (56)

Hosted by:  Tynga's Reviews
Hosted by:  Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

After reading how awesome Tweet Cute was from 
Sam@ WLABB, and Sophia@ Delighted Reader, I immediately went on Netgally and requested it.  I'm so excited that I got approved!  I've been working on my planner, by filling in all of the months and adding stickers, by picking a theme each month.  Next, I'm going to create a variety of visual reading/book trackers on the abundance of dot paper in my planner.  The cleanse is going well, and I'm now down 14lbs. Also, Tuesday's IEP was a success, and I'm so glad that it's over and done with!  I got to spend some quality time with my parents last night, and I always have a good time with them.  All in all, it was a good week!

Pictures from My New Planner:






 





On the Blog:
*Ruthless Knight by Ashley Jade (Blog Tour & Book Review)

Thanks to Social Butterfly PR, Siobhan Davis, Wednesday Books, Candi Kane PR, and A. Jade