The Feisty One by Cami Checketts

Synopsis:

Can he hide his heart or will the reporter take everything?

Maryn Howe isn’t intimidated by billionaire recluse, Tucker Shaffer, or his enormous log cabin in Island Park, Idaho. Maryn needs this interview and she’ll get it at any cost, even if the last four reporters were physically removed from his presence.

Tucker Shaffer has no desire to change his less than flattering public image; but his PR people persuade him to give it one more try. Ready to make nice with whoever comes through the door, Tucker is blindsided by a petite blond with an extra-large personality. As the snow piles up and the questions keep coming, Maryn discovers the secret Tucker Shaffer has spent the last four years torturing himself with. She suddenly sees him in a new light and she flees—right into danger and into Tucker’s arms.

But the danger has just begun and now Maryn has to make a choice—trust in Tucker or lose it all.


My Review: 5 Stars!

Maryn is a feisty little reporter who knows just how to get the story she is after. When her assignment takes her to Island Park, Idaho to the famous recluse, Tucker, she definitely has her work cut out for her since the last 4 reporters to ever step foot on his property were physically removed. Maryn just has to be herself and hope for the best. After all, who can resist her feisty charm? 

Tucker is a recluse that is wrestling with demons. He has a hard time trusting anyone outside of his close circle of friends. When his PR team pretty much makes him do an interview with Maryn, he will do his very best to get her in and out of his house without giving too much away. When he meets Maryn for the first time, she is not like any woman he has ever met before. She is snarky, warm and very beautiful. Tucker is intrigued from the very start. But how will Maryn react if she ever finds out the truth about what he has done? Will she ever be able to love and trust him? Or will she run in the opposite direction, far away from him?

For those of you that know me, know that I am a complete sucker for any Beauty and the Beast type of stories. I was ecstatic to realize that The Feisty One was a modern day retelling with a few twists thrown in. I seriously LOVED this book and devoured it in less than a day! It was the perfect read after a hard week. I enjoyed getting lost in all things Maryn and Tucker. 

Ms. Checketts has done it again! She has definitely become an auto-buy author for me! I am loving this series and cannot wait for the next one to come out! If you haven't started this series yet, then I suggest you do! It's been a lot of fun so far! 

And no... I did not forget about my casting! I think this is another favorite of mine! Hehe. What do you think?!

Weekend Ramblings #2

I absolutely LOVED reading all your comments from last weeks Weekend Ramblings! We had more participation then I thought we would! Y'all know how to make a girl feel loved! ;)

So... are you ready for another Weekend Ramblings a la KJ?!

Well then... let's get ready to raaaaammmmmbbbbbllllleeeee!

This week's rambling topic is...

*Reading Pet Peeves*

We all have them. There's no point in denying it. There is at least one thing that bugs us when it comes to reading. As I was thinking about one of these while reading a book recently, I thought it would be perfect for this week's ramblings!

So... what are a few of mine?

*deep breath*

1. The repetitive use of a character's first AND last name! Especially when other characters repeat it over and over and over again through the entire book! Holy Hannah! This. Drives. Me. NUTS! We know the character's name! Please, please, PLEASE stop over using it! I wonder why authors do this?

2. People who are careless when borrowing my books. I have become very anal about who I loan my books out to. People who eat while reading my books and get crumbs in them? Ummm... ewww! People who bend my covers, bend my pages and mess with the binding of the book? People who read my books with dirty hands and leave smudges all over the pages? Guess what?! You will never borrow my books again! And yes... every single one of those things has happened at least once!

3. Cliffhangers! I just hate them! Period end of discussion! That is just plain mean! Lol.

What are some of the things that drive you nuts while you're reading? I'm sure once I start reading your comments more will start popping into my head! Lol.

So come on party people! Lay them on me! What are some of your reading pet peeves?! :) 

First Line Friday's #1

So.... my good friend, Kathy, over at Bookworm Nation has decided to host her own meme and I thought I would get in on the action. Let me introduce you to her baby... First Line Friday's! All you do is post the first line of the book you are reading! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

This week's First Line Friday's is:

The Feisty One by Cami Checketts

Can he hide his heart or will the reporter take everything?

Maryn Howe isn’t intimidated by billionaire recluse, Tucker Shaffer, or his enormous log cabin in Island Park, Idaho. Maryn needs this interview and she’ll get it at any cost, even if the last four reporters were physically removed from his presence.

Tucker Shaffer has no desire to change his less than flattering public image; but his PR people persuade him to give it one more try. Ready to make nice with whoever comes through the door, Tucker is blindsided by a petite blond with an extra-large personality. As the snow piles up and the questions keep coming, Maryn discovers the secret Tucker Shaffer has spent the last four years torturing himself with. She suddenly sees him in a new light and she flees—right into danger and into Tucker’s arms.

But the danger has just begun and now Maryn has to make a choice—trust in Tucker or lose it all.

FIRST LINE

"I, Maryn Howe, do solemnly swear that I will marry a billionaire and live happily ever after."

I have been DYING for this one to come out since I read The Resilient One. While trying to decide which book I was going to choose for my first First Line Friday's, I discovered this was released TODAY! From there it was a no brainer! ;) Hehe. This will be devoured this weekend for sure! 

So... do you want to participate in First Line Friday's? Yes?! Then tell us what yours is! Are you going to do a blog post? Then don't forget to link your post to Bookworm Nation! Don't have a blog? No worries! Just leave a comment with the title, author name and first line. 

Ready?! And GO!

Larken by Suzanne G. Rogers

Synopsis:

The sole survivor of a train accident, young Larken Burke is dubbed the Miracle Orphan. Four years later, however, her life is far from fortunate. Because of her emotional and physical scars, she believes she’s un-marriageable. With little hope for the future, she agrees to wed a gentleman she’s never met. Unfortunately, his aloof manner proves difficult to take.

Marked by romantic tragedy and the loss of his brother, Brandon King has forsworn marriage. Obliged to take in a ward, he advertises for a mail-order bride to raise the boy. Since the union is to be a marriage in name only, his criteria are youthful age, a certain level of intellect, good breeding, and that the girl shouldn’t be so ill-favored she would embarrass him in society. To his dismay, he gets more than he’d bargained for.

Will it take a miracle for Mr. and Mrs. King to fall in love, or is their marriage another accident waiting to happen?

My Review: 4 Stars

Larken lost her parents in a train accident when she was 14 years old. She was the sole survivor and was dubbed the Miracle Orphan. Once released from the hospital, she was placed in an orphanage for a short period of time before she was sent to live with the Howleys who were an evil, abusive couple. They filled her head with horrible things and made her think that she was ugly and disfigured. After living with them for 4 years, they signed her up to be a mail-order bride and shipped her off the next day to be married. 

Brandon has been jilted by love and has sworn off women for good. When he is forced to take in young Myles and become his guardian, he is in need of a wife. He advertises for a mail-order bride and makes it perfectly clear that the marriage will be in name only. Her soul responsibility would be to take care of Myles. He really does not want to have anything to do with either one of them.

Once Larken and Myles meet, they become instant friends. Larken was such a sweet, fun person! I loved her! Her life had been filled with so much tragedy but she did not let it get her down. She looked for happiness no matter what was thrown in her path. And let's not forget about Myles! He is adorable! And quite the little matchmaker! ;) Brandon never stood a chance against these two. 

Take Larken, Brandon and Myles, throw in a secret or two and a little adventure and you have a very enjoyable afternoon read! This was my very first book by Ms. Rogers and I will definitely be picking up more by her. Starting with Lord Apollo and the Colleen... ;) 

And of course I can't forget my casting... ;) Enjoy!

 

Weekend Ramblings #1

I have been thinking for awhile about adding other bookish stuff on my blog besides reviews. I have thrown several ideas around and one thing that kept coming back to the top of my list is my random ramblings. I have a group of friends who love discussing all things bookish and we have an absolute blast doing it! And because we have so much fun I got to thinking that maybe others out there would like to discuss bookish ramblings too!

So... without further adieu... I give you Weekend Ramblings! What exactly is Weekend Ramblings? Well... I will post a topic and then share my thoughts on said topic. If you want to join in on the ramblings all you gotta do is start commenting! Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Right?!

So... are you ready?! Yes?! Well then... let's get ready to raaaaammmmmbbbbbllllleeeee! Hehe.

*Love Triangles*

While searching for my next book on Goodreads, I came across a book that sounded really good. When I read some of the reviews there was mention of a love triangle. One particular reviewer made a comment about how she loves herself a good love triangle. Me?! Not so much!

So I got to thinking. When it comes to love triangles there are two kinds of people. You either LOVE them or you HATE them! I don't think I have found an in between... yet. One of you out there may surprise me! ;)

So... what are my thoughts? I hate, hate, hate love triangles! Did I mention I hate them?! Lol. I will actually go out of my way to avoid any book that has a love triangle. Why? It's just not fair in my opinion. Someone always, always ends up getting hurt. I feel gypped for the character that gets kicked to the curb. I mean think about it... that would seriously suck! It would be a different story if one of the people in the love triangle was a jerk. But they never are! At least in the ones I have read. There might be some bad guys out there but I haven't come across any. Oh! And don't even get me started on the books that have a bachelor/bachelorette TV theme to them. I can't read those either! They bug me big time as well! That's like a love dodecagon! (Yes... I looked that up... it has 12 sides! Haha.) I am probably the minority when it comes to TV themed books but that's okay... I am a rather odd duck! ;)

So... lay them on me! What are your thoughts on love triangles? Do you love them? Do you hate them? Do you not even care? Inquiring minds want to know! ;)

Always Will by Melanie Jacobson

Synopsis:

Handsome twenty-eight-year-old Will Hallerman has finally had enough of the dating world—he’s ready to find a wife and settle down. This announcement is catastrophic in Hannah Becker’s world. After knowing Will her entire life and adoring him from afar since junior high school, she realizes her chance at love with him is in grave danger. Hannah’s problem? To Will, she will never be more than his best friend’s little sister. Determined to open his eyes to her charms, Hannah sets out to sabotage Will’s wife hunt by placing nightmare dates in his path and taking his search on a wild goose chase. Her plan is risky, but she’s willing to take a chance to catch the eye of her soul mate. Despite her crazy schemes, nothing seems to be working. Hannah can’t help but wonder if it’s time to set aside this childhood crush—to move on and settle down herself. She’s ready for a fresh start with a great guy. If only Will weren’t suddenly changing the rules of the game . . . And how can Hannah move on when Will just won’t let her forget?

My Review: 4 Stars

Hannah has been in love with her brother's best friend, Will, for over a decade. When she was seventeen she told him about her crush and he in turn crushed her heart by laughing at her. From that point on she loved him from afar. She refused to let him see her true feelings because her poor heart couldn't take rejection a second time. 

But when Will announces that it's time for him to settle down and find a wife, Hannah freaks out and decides that she must stall him in finding a wife. She needs time to show him that she is no longer the kid sister.. that she is all grown-up and she is the perfect girl for him.  

Commence derailment of Operation Find a Bride. Hannah comes up with all these off the wall ideas to sabotage Will's dates and some how makes them seem logical to him. He ends up going along with whatever she suggests. After a few disastrous dates he decides it's time to take back the dating reins. But in doing so, Hannah decides that she is going to do some dating of her own. 

With Hannah's best friend Sophie and a hunky guy named Jay at her side, Hannah is able to do some self evaluation and decides that it is time to make some changes in her life. One of those changes is confessing to Will that she is still in love him but in order for her to move on, she needs space and time. Now that Will knows this, the question is, is he going to give her what she wants?

Can I just tell you that these two drove me NUTS at times?! Holy crow Batman! I caught myself growling on several occasions and wishing I could just Gibbs slap the both of them! Lol. But the journey was definitely worth it! Just be prepared for a roller coaster ride! ;)

And I just have to throw this out there... I would love to see Jay get his own book! Oh! And Sophie too! Those two made the journey that much better for me! :)

Melanie Jacobson never disappoints! She is another author that can suck me in from the beginning and not let me go until the end! And we all know how much I love that! :)

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*

This casting was a bit tough for me since there wasn't much description but this is my Will and Hannah... :)         

The Resilient One by Cami Checketts

Synopsis:

Alyssa Armsworth, a world-renowned photographer, has no intentions of honoring the Billionaire Bride Pact she made at girl’s camp to avoid getting whipped cream smeared on her face while she slept. Marriage is the last thing on her to-do list and when her father forces his wealthy friends on her, she runs to Maui.

Her plan to jog on the beach, take some great pictures, and avoid men works—until Beckham Taylor arrives. Spending days on the white sand with the handsome ex-NHL star is ideal, but Alyssa's guilt for past transgressions begins to consume her. She doesn’t think Beckham could ever forgive what she’s done to him and his family. Before she can confess her misdeeds are thrust onto the front cover of the tabloids. Now, Alyssa must face her past or lose her future.

My Review: 5 Stars

Alyssa is a famous photographer and has zero plans of ever getting married. She is known by the other girls from camp as the dark side of the Billionaire Bride Pact. She has had a very troubled upbringing and does not trust men at all. When her controlling, sleazy father tries to marry her off to the highest bidder, she runs away to Maui.

Beck is an ex-NHL star that took over the family business after his parents passed away. When he hears that the famous but elusive A.A. is meeting with fans in Maui, he heads out there to try and convince him to work with Beck's charity, Jordan's Buds. He knows that A.A. is just what he needs to bring more awareness to his charity and the needs of others all over the world. 

When Beck runs into Alyssa for the first time they are both swept off their feet... literally. But she takes off before he can even introduce himself. Fate is on his side when he checks into the same bed and breakfast that she is staying at. When it comes to getting to know Beck and spending more time with him, Alyssa is a little apprehensive at first. But slowly she starts feeling more comfortable around him. Now if she can just find the courage to confess what she did years ago and hope that he doesn't end up hating her. 

I absolutely loved Beck and Alyssa! Both are scarred physically and emotionally and both have some trust issues. But these are two of the things that bring them together. They can lean on each other and help the other in a way that no one has ever been able to do before. These two are seriously perfect for each other! And let's not forget their chemistry... *swoon* Holy Hannah! These two! *dreamy sigh* I really did not want the book to end! 

And I just have to give a shout out to Granny! I absolutely loved her as well! She was such an amazing addition to this awesome book! I loved her spunk and spirit! She had me busting out laughing more times than I could count! She almost stole the show... almost... ;) Hehe. I would love to be that kind of granny some day! 

I am really enjoying this series and I can't wait for the next book to be released! This series is already a definite must buy for me! :)

And can we just take a moment to enjoy this casting?! I don't know what it is but I am seriously in love with these two! *dreamy sigh*

The Passionate One by Jeanette Lewis

Synopsis:

As the creator of the Billionaire Bride Pact, Erin Parker is determined to see it through. And now that wealthy, gorgeous Brennan Avery has been cast as her costar in a play destined for Broadway, things couldn’t be better. But Erin’s best friend, Matt Walters, isn’t ready to give up on her. He has a plan to escape the friend zone and prove to Erin that there are more important things than money and fame.

My Review: 4 Stars

"I, Erin Marie Parker, do solemnly swear, that someday I'll marry a billionaire...

OR I will have to sing the Camp Wallakee song (with bird calls) at my wedding."

Erin is a struggling actress who knows what she wants out of life and will not settle for anything less! She is the brains behind The Billionaire Bride Pact and has no intention of singing the camp song at her wedding. She WILL marry a billionaire! 

Matt is Erin's best friend and has been in love with her for years. He knows all about the pact and is bound and determined to show her that money isn't the key to finding her HEA. But when rich, handsome Brennan Avery shows up as Erin's new costar, Matt knows that he really has his work cut out for him if he's ever going to win the girl he loves. 

I. Absolutely. Loved. Matt! Seriously! I loved this guy! He is the one that saved the book for me whenever Erin was frustrating me beyond belief! (Which was often! Lol.) It didn't matter what he was doing, where he was, if she needed him, he was there for her.

I think one of my favorite parts of the book was when Matt laid it all out for Erin and opened her eyes as to how she had been treating him. She had been so caught up in everything going on around her and looking out for #1, that she really hadn't thought about exactly what she had been doing and how much she had hurt him. From that point on, she did some soul searching and realized what truly was important and who she was meant to be with. I ended up loving the new Erin. 

The Passionate One brought out so many emotions in me! I laughed, got teary eyed, got extremely frustrated, giggled and even found myself letting out little dreamy sighs! The only thing that could have made this book better for me would've been an epilogue.. even if it was just one paragraph at their wedding reception.. ;) Hehe.  

This is my very first book by Jeanette Lewis and I can tell you it won't be my last! I am excited to meet and get to know all the other Camp Wallakee girls and see them get their HEA!

And can I just say that I LOVE this casting! *dreamy sigh*