(Un)wise by Melissa Haag

Synopsis:

The dreams start and Bethi’s very normal life goes down the toilet. Reliving past lives, where Dog-men chase her and she sees her eventual tormented death, Bethi sets out to find a way to live this time around. The dreams hint at an answer. She needs to be strong enough to find it, or die…

My Review: 4 Stars

Bethi is a normal teenage girl, going to school, living her life when all the sudden she starts dreaming these horrible, horrible dreams! They are of past lives and they all end the same way... in her death. She wakes up screaming because she not only sees everything but feels it as well. It's like she's there reliving everything over and over again. It gets so bad that she tries extremely hard to stay awake... at any cost. 

When she meets Luke she knows exactly what he is. She doesn't want to have anything to do with him because she thinks that he is just like the other werewolves in her past lives. She knows that they will only torture and use her. For what? She doesn't know but she will do everything she can to figure it out. The dreams mean something but until she can figure it out, she is stuck with trying to stay far away from any werewolves.. if only her heart and tummy will stop doing crazy things whenever Luke is around. And if only Luke would stop being so nice and protecting her. She doesn't really know what to do about him or her growing feelings. Will she realize that Luke is nothing like the other werewolves and is her true mate before it's too late? Can she figure everything else out before she dies... again?

Holy crow Batman! Information overload! This book is packed with A LOT of information! Most of my questions from books 1 and 2 were answered but more arose by the time I finished (Un)wise. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything! There was literally SO much! So many dreams... memories... pain... anger... frustration... and yes even romance... be prepared for an emotional roller coaster! And do not even try to figure anything out... there are twists and turns that had me shaking my head, scratching my head, asking what?! 

While I am definitely enjoying this series I need to take a short break before delving back in. This book has a lot of flashbacks and since Charlene's book is the next one, I have a feeling it's going to be loaded with even more flashbacks. I usually don't mind all the flashbacks but this was a bit too much for me. I can see why the author did what she did but it was just too much crammed in in my opinion. I would have liked to see some of this information in the earlier books.

And of course I have my casting choices... ;) Hehe.

2015 Swoony Awards

What Are The Swoony Awards?

The Swoony Awards are a reader’s choice award recognizing excellence in clean secular fiction. It is hosted by The Happily Ever After Book Club. We wanted a way to show our appreciation to these awesome authors who write the kind of books that we love. It’s also a great way to find new books and a good go-to when looking for something fun to read.

What Are The Eligibility Requirements For The Swoonys?

-ONLY books PUBLISHED December 1, 2014 – November 30, 2015 are eligible.
-Intimacy: No sex or closed door/fade-to-black, no/low innuendo, nothing crude or crass
-Language: None/mild (No F words or other explicit language) nothing overly crude
-Violence: Mild/low
-Religious: No Christian/Inspirational themed novels.
-Page Count: Novellas or Novels only, 100 pages or higher, no short stories this year
-Age: Only Young Adult, New Adult and Adult, NO children’s or middle grade
-Mood: Since the Swoonys are sponsored by the Happily Every Book Group, we are looking for books with HEAs. Uplifting, lighthearted and feel good books preferred. Some drama is okay, but not downers or overly depressing stories.

Note To Authors:

If you’ve written a book that matches the above criteria fill free to nominate it for a Swoony. And of course make sure you vote for it! Don’t be afraid to promote the award or to let your fans know your book has been nominated and needs votes. We are doing some promoting, but sometimes a newsletter, Facebook, Twitter or blog post directly from the author is the best way to let your fan base know your book has been nominated.

Note Tor Readers:

If you’ve read a book this year that you think is awesome…VOTE! This is a great way to let authors know you appreciate all their hard work. You can vote for up to 100 books on the list. We’ve also learned that the order you rank the books you vote on does affect the overall score of the book. So take a minute and make sure you have your books in the order you want them. Invite your friends to vote! Voting ends December 31, 2015.

Where Do You Go To Vote?

You can head on over to our Goodreads Page for the Swoony Awards by clicking here.

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Since we are more than half way through 2015 I thought that I would do a post on which books I have read that are eligible for a Swoony Award! If you have read any of these and loved them then please, please, please make sure you vote! 

My One and Only by Shannon Guymon

Free Fallin' by Shannon Guymon

At Last by Shannon Guymon

Professional Boundaries by Jennifer Peel

Trouble in Loveland by Jennifer Peel

House Divided by Jennifer Peel

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity by Rachael Anderson

Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane

The Academic Bride by Lucy McConnell

Hello Again by Heather Tullis

The Organized Bride by Lucy McConnell

My Pride, His Prejudice by Jenni James

The Catching Kind by Bria Quinlan

The Boardwalk Antiques Shop

There are so many more books that I want to read this year and I am trying really, really hard to make it happen! I just HAVE to read and vote for them!! And I encourage you all to do the same!! Let's see if we can make the 2015 Swoony Awards just as successful as 2014!!

The Nine Princesses: Books 1-3 by Anita Valle

Synopsis:

Book 1: Maelyn

Maelyn was not born a princess. The king found her as a child, the lone survivor of a poor village slaughtered by Red Fever. Suddenly she became a princess of Runa Realm, the first of nine orphans adopted by the king.

By her eighteenth year, Maelyn rules over Runa and a family of nine sisters. But some call the princesses frauds and imposters, a handful of urchins raised into royalty. Even Uncle Jarrod, the High King of Grunwold, seems determined to prove that Maelyn no longer deserves to be a princess. With a family losing faith in her, and a kingdom growing dangerously hostile, even Maelyn begins to wonder if she is truly a real princess. And if her riches will turn to rags once again....

Book 2: Coralina 

Coralina Corissa, known as “Coco” to her eight sisters, is the prettiest princess of a hundred kingdoms. And she knows it. Her beauty has always given her anything she wanted... and any MAN she wanted.

Runa Realm is facing a new threat. Strange bandits, disguised as nobles, are attacking beautiful women to steal their hair. Coralina isn’t concerned. Until Prince Luxley, her favorite (but not only) lover, gets clobbered by a peasant called Gord, who mistakenly assumed the prince was a bandit.

Outraged, Coralina plans to punish the peasant by deliberately breaking his heart. But Gord is nearly blind. For the first time ever, Coralina must rely on more than her looks to ensnare a man. But the harder she flirts, the more Gord seems to hate her. And the more her own heart (and hair) becomes endangered.

Book 3: Heidel 

Heidel never wanted to be a cookie-cutter princess. She isn’t graceful. She isn’t sweet. She isn’t even skinny! Heidel would much rather cook than curtsy; is more interested in eating than etiquette.

My Review: 3.5 Stars

Book 1:

Maelyn is the oldest of nine sisters that were taken in by the king and queen after everyone in their villages were killed by Red Fever. They have all grown up as princesses but when the king and queen die they are left to take care of themselves and their kingdom. Some see them as impostors or fake princesses while others are loyal to them. Their Uncle Jarrod has never liked them and is bound and determined to see each of them put back where they belong... among the peasants.

Maelyn has to be strong and has to do whatever she can to keep her family and kingdom together. At times it seems impossible and she doesn't think she can do it but thanks to the handsome Willow she keeps moving forward and knows just what she needs to do.

Book 2:

Can I just say up front that I honestly cannot stand Coralina?! She is shallow, thinks she's better than everyone else and feels she is entitled to anything she wants. I really didn't care much for her in Maelyn. She was just a horrible individual in my opinion.

Coralina thrives on flirting, bringing any attention to herself from any man around her and stealing kisses. When Gord mistakes Prince Luxley for one of the bandits, knocks him out cold and then accidently pushes Coralina into the lake she is bound and determined to make him pay! She devises a plan to make him fall in love with her and then when he does, she's going to crush his heart into a million pieces... because how dare he do such a thing as protect her?! Little does she know her plan is about to backfire in her face.

I'm not going to lie Coralina was not my favorite. While I wanted to feel bad for her, I just had a hard time doing it because she brought a lot of this onto herself. I hope in the books to come that she will really learn and grow from all the many years of using people to get her own way.

Book 3:

While I couldn't really stand Coralina, I absolutely loved Heidel! She was feisty and a bit tough at times but she truly did care for others around her.

Heidel is known as the Kitchen Princess and the Healing Princess. She's not your typical princess. She would rather be cooking in the kitchen then doing "princessy" things. She is a bit on the heavy side and can be sensitive about her weight. Especially when Eravis brings it to her attention. Eravis and Heidel have a love/hate relationship. They love to hate each other! But when little things start to happen, feelings and things change and then before you know it they are both scared and don't know how to move forward. But together they will be able to do what will make them happy... together. Throw in the fact that there is an enemy among them and is out to hurt the 9 princesses and you have an adventure that pulls you in and doesn't let you go.

All in all this is a cute start to the series. I will be probably continue on with the series because there are just too many questions that are left unanswered. Hopefully somewhere along the way Maelyn and Coralina will get their HEA too. 

*I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review*

Birthday Mystery Box Winners!!

I was EXTREMELY excited to see how many entries we had for the mystery boxes!! Seriously... it was AMAZING!! I would check every morning and see more and more entries coming in and I may or may not have squealed a few times!! Hehe. It makes me think you guys are just as excited as I am about these two little boxes!! ;)

I have loved reading all the entries and adding all the new ideas to my list for future mystery boxes! Yes... I said future mystery boxes... ;) There is no way that I can stop now!! Haha. Not sure how often I'll be doing them but there will DEFINITELY be more boxes in the future!! I have been keeping my eyes open for new books and other fun little things so stayed tuned for more!!

And now.. the part that I just KNOW you all have been waiting for....

Jackie Johnson 

and

Kathy Hart

CONGRATULATIONS ladies!!! I will be emailing both of you for your address and then I will get these shipped out to you very soon!! I hope you both enjoy!! :)

Thanks to everyone who participated in this giveaway!! You all have helped make my first giveaway a success!! Stay tuned for the next mystery box giveaway!! :)

Catching Caytie by Cindy Roland Anderson

Synopsis:

On the night Caytie Holbrook intends to break up with her cheating boyfriend, he blindsides her by announcing their engagement at a dinner party. When Caytie discovers her father is in on the scheme, she runs away from her home in Beverly Hills to hide out at her uncle’s ranch in Snow Valley, Montana. While Snow Valley is a beautiful place, Caytie only plans to stay until her twenty-fifth birthday when she’ll inherit a trust fund her grandmother left her, allowing her to pursue her dream to move to Italy. That is until she meets Jace McAllister, an incredibly sexy—although somewhat grumpy—cowboy who threatens to disrupt her plans.

My Review: 5 Stars

When Caytie discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she is determined to break up with him. But before she can, he announces at a dinner party that they are engaged. She looks to her father to straighten everything out only to discover that he is in on the whole scheme. Caytie is determined to not marry Edward and decides to runaway to her uncle's house in Snow Valley, Montana. If she can just make it to her 25th birthday, she'll receive her inheritance from her grandmother and she can continue on with her dreams.

On the way to her uncle's house she has a run in with the sexy cowboy, Jace, and they don't get off to the best of starts. She's feisty, he's grumpy and sparks fly from the beginning. Thinking neither will see the other again, they go their separate ways. But they are both in for a shock when their destination is the same... GH Ranch.

Sparks fly even more between Caytie and Jace. At first neither can stand the other but slowly they let their guards down and their friendship starts to grow. The more time they spend together, the more that friendship grows into something more. Sadly, it isn't all sunshine and roses for these two. More than one obstacle threatens to tear them apart and they have to decide what it is they really want. When they figure this out, they will stop at nothing to make sure they get their HEA.

So... I might be in the minority here but I seriously could not stand Victoria! Maybe it was my mood but she seriously got on my nerves! Granted Jace could have been more forthcoming with the way he felt about her but chica was annoying! And when she was the reason Caytie left, yeah... that sealed it for me... I just didn't like her! And don't get me started on Caytie's father and Edward! Ugh! Let's just say they got what they deserved!

I absolutely loved everyone else in the book though! From Uncle George to Mama Ilene to Kellen... they just added to my enjoyment of the book! But my favorites by far were Caytie and Jace! They were seriously perfect! I loved them! Their relationship was definitely believable and I enjoyed seeing them come together and get their HEA!  

I haven't read too many books by Ms. Anderson but the ones that I have read, I loved! I can't wait to read more by her! I think I may have another favorite author to add into the mix! Don't you just love it when that happens?! ;) Hehe.

And of course my casting choice... this one was definitely fun for me! I love these two as Caytie and Jace! What do you think?!

Attention Party People!!

House Divided by the amazing Jennifer Peel is currently on sale for 99 cents!! Yes... you heard me right!! 99 CENTS!! It's a steal of a deal!! So what are you waiting for?!?! Head on over to Amazon and pick up your copy right now!! I've even made it easy for you!! All you need to do is click here!! See?! Easy peasy lemon squeezey!! Now you have NO excuse not to buy it!! Hehe. Oh and... you are welcome!! ;)

Birthday Mystery Boxes!!

As everyone knows I am participating in the Summer Book Trek again this year. As I was trying to figure out which books I wanted to read I got to thinking about last years trek and realized that my blog turned ONE on July 1st!! That's right!! I have been blogging my reviews for a whole year now!! YAY!! Not only is July my blog's birthday month but it is MY birthday month too!! So what better way to celebrate the blog's and my birthday then by giving away mystery boxes!! I have seen a couple of authors do this so I thought what the heck!! I can do it too!! Hehe.

So... these two boxes are filled with a couple of books each and other little goodies that I thought would be fun to give away. It's nothing too fancy schmancy just a little something I threw together in hopes of spreading the love and brightening peoples day!! :)

How can you enter to win one of these wondertastical boxes?! It's not hard at all... I promise!! All you need to do is check out the rafflecopter below and enter each day for the next week!! See... easy peasy lemon squeezey!! So... what are you waiting for?! Get to entering!! And don't forget to let others know... let's all spread the love!! ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Boardwalk Antiques Shop by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson and Heather B. Moore

Synopsis:

Welcome to Tangerine Street

Tangerine Street is a must-see tourist stop with a colorful mix of one-of-a-kind boutiques, unique restaurants, eclectic museums, quaint bookstores, and renowned bed-and-breakfasts. The Boardwalk Antiques Shop is an exclusive shop where every antique has a story, and each story possesses the gift to match true love. The customer who buys an antique also buys its story and soon discovers that its story unites the past with the present, creating an unexpected romantic future…

“Where Every Antique has a Story”

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE: Jennifer is newest owner of The Boardwalk Antiques Shop, inherited from her aunt. When Jennifer arrives in Seashell Beach, her first priority is to meet with a realtor to sell the place. She laughs out loud when she discovers the realtor’s name is Mr. Studly. But the more Jennifer gets to know Paul Studly, the more she finds reasons to stay and run the antiques shop herself.

SOLVING FOR X: Abbie is only a little bit obsessed with antiques, okay, a lot. So when Holden, an out-of-town business executive, tries to purchase the tin soldiers that Abbie’s had her eye on, Abbie refuses to back down. The antiques shop owner issues a challenge: whoever comes up with the best story for wanting the soldiers, will become the new owner. Abbie isn’t about to let some fancy executive beat her out, no matter how charming he is.

A STITCH IN TIME: When Cate learns that antiques dealer Henry Lancaster has purchased the sewing machine left to her by her grandmother, Cate is determined to get it back. What she isn’t counting on is that Henry has just as much claim as Cate. And it doesn’t help that Henry is good-looking and apparently single. Getting to know Henry becomes an unexpected surprise, sending her life into a sudden detour.

My Review: 4.5 Stars 

Okay... I am just going to start out by saying I want MORE! Lol. Each of these stories would make an amazing full length novel and I would be the first in line to buy each one of them! ;) The only problem I have with novellas is they just aren't long enough! Just as you start to get invested in the story... BAM! It's over! *sigh* I really try to stay away from them but when you have 3 amazing authors like Julie, Melanie and Heather, you just CAN'T stay away! They provide the perfect little getaway from this thing called LIFE! ;)

Message In A Bottle 

Jennifer has spent most of her life trying to avoid her Aunt Daisy. She thinks that Daisy doesn't understand her and that she doesn't like her much. But when Daisy passes away and leaves her Antiques Shop to Jennifer she can't help but wonder why. She plans to go to California, sell it and then be back in Oregon as quickly as she can. She knows there is nothing there that will make her want to stay in California and run her aunt's shop. Que realtor, Paul Studly, a mysterious message in a bottle and the history behind each and every piece in Daisy's shop. Maybe Daisy knew just what Jennifer needed after all.

Solving For X

Abbie is obsessed with antiques and even though she is running out of room in her small home, she is determined to get the little tin soldiers she sees in the window display. Out-of-town Holden sees the same tin soldiers and he is also determined to get them as well. Jennifer decides that the one to come up with the best story would be the new owner of the soldiers. When more than just the tin soldiers bring Abbie and Holden together, will Abbie continue to run from him or will she finally see that not all corporate suits are the same and that it's okay to take a chance on love? Will Holden continue to see only business deal after business deal or will he see that there is more to life and take that same chance on love?

A Stitch In Time

Cate was traveling for work when her grandmother passed away and she ended up missing her funeral. The one and only thing she wanted was her grandma's antique sewing machine. Her snobby cousin ends up selling it to an antiques dealer, Henry, and Cate will do anything to get it back from him. When Cate and Henry finally meet sparks fly and there is an instant connection between them. But that doesn't mean that it's all smooth sailing for these two... outside forces are at play and are trying to keep them apart. But as we know any HEA is worth fighting for... ;)

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity by Rachael Anderson

Synopsis:

Home for the summer, Samantha Kinsey is ready to step into her role as pseudo-nanny for her two favorite charges. But when she realizes she'll be playing chauffeur more than playmate, her summer outlook quickly turns from fun to bleak. That is, until she meets Colton McCoy—a genuine, hard-working cowboy, who's as set in his ways as he is handsome. Although he claims he doesn't need any spontaneity in his life, Sam’s determined to help him find it. But she'll soon discover that cowboys are about as easy to change as wild mustangs.

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity is about an adaptable girl and a not so adaptable guy. It’s about learning to accept people for who they are and realizing that sometimes who they are is exactly who they should be.

My Review: 5 Stars

Our adventurous Sam is home for the summer and is looking forward to doing lots of fun things before heading off to New York in the fall to start her new job. She decides to make a bucket list and can't wait to start checking things off!

Colton is a very good-lookin cowboy who is not only a hard worker but very, very set in his ways. He likes things to be a certain way and does not like branching out.. at all! From the moment Sam steps into his life it goes from predictable to entertaining to say the least.

I absolutely loved the way Sam and Colton met! It was so cute and definitely hilarious! I lost count at how many times I busted out laughing! They started out as friends and it slowly grew into something more. During their relationship neither knew what was going to happen when Sam's summer came to an end. Colton was doing his very best to keep Sam in Colorado. Sam was torn between an opportunity of a lifetime in New York and her growing love for Colton. It was not going to be an easy decision to make and a couple of times they tried to stay apart but it just made both of them miserable. Together is where they both wanted to be and so they decided that no matter what they would do anything and everything to make sure that happened.

The side story of Kajsa and Your Majesty just added the extra little something that helped the book be a bit more amazing than it already was. I loved seeing that close bound between the two of them and how everyone banded together to mend a broken heart.

This book is probably my favorite one in the series. I loved almost everything about it! Yes... almost everything. I'm sure you can already guess what the one thing was that I didn't like... it just ended!! Really?! What are these authors doing to me?! I really would have loved an epilogue!! Just a little something to close the series... a blurb about how everyone is doing X amount of years in the future. *sigh* I know... I know... at least it has a HEA... ;)

And can I tell you I absolutely LOVE my casting for this book!! I think these two are perfect and I found the perfect picture for both of them!! What do you think?! Can you see these two as our Sam and Colton?!

Summer Book Trek 2015

I'm a little late getting this posted but I blame that dreaded thing called WORK! Lol. Last year was the first time I participated in the Summer Book Trek and I totally LOVED it! Spending my days reading was absolutely PERFECT for me! And the prizes were just a bonus... ;) Hehe.

This year I won't be able to read as much as I did last year because of work but that is not going to stop me from participating... ;) So... without further adieu... here is my list! And no I don't think I will finish it all in the month of July but hey! I need choices here people!! ;) Hehe.

Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity by Rachael Anderson
The Song of David by Amy Harmon
House Divided by Jennifer Peel
The Girl in Seat 24B by Jennifer Peel
The Boardwalk Antiques Shop by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson, and Heather Moore
Brownies & Betrayal by Heather Justesen
Catching Caytie by Cindy Roland Anderson
Love in Light and Shadow by Lucy McConnell
Blue Christmas by Lucy McConnell

Okay... I think that gives me enough options, don't you?! Well... wish me luck!! ;) If anyone wants to participate then just click on the Summer Book Trek tag over there ---------->