Beauty and the Beast Month - Reading List

Let the Beauty and the Beast reading binge begin! I have my reading list ready! Not sure if I'll get to all of these books this month but I am definitely going to try! And I might be adding more if I happen to see an amazing book that my fellow bookworms are reading... ;) Hehe.

So... without further adieu... I give you my list...

1. Beastly by Alex Flinn
2. Becoming Beauty by Sarah Boucher
3. The Whispered Kiss by Marcia Lynn McClure
4. The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison
5. Making Faces by Amy Harmon
6. Beastly Charm by Jennifer Youngblood - Did not finish at 37%. It just wasn't a good fit for me.
7. Beauty: An Everland Ever After Tale by Caroline Lee
8. Divine Deception by Marcia Lynn McClure
9. Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
10. The Stranger She Married by Donna Hatch
11. Beauty and the Beach by Diane Darcy

So are you ready?! Do you have your list?! Yes?! Well then let's do this! Happy reading my fellow bookworms! :)

KJ's Book Nook Presents.. Fairy Tale Month!

If any of you are like me, you LOVE a good Fairy Tale Retelling! While going through my books trying to decide what to read next I noticed that not only do I have a lot of Fairy Tale books but I have a lot that haven't been read yet. 

And this got me thinking. Why not host a Fairy Tale month on my blog? So guess what party people?! That's exactly what I am going to do! ;) 

I have decided that for the month of June it will be... 

That's right.. I am starting with my all time FAVORITE Fairy Tale... Beauty and the Beast! 

Do you have a blog and want to join in? Sweet! Grab the picture, make a list and start reading with me on June 1st! Post a link to your blog in the comments so that we can see which books you will be reading and reviewing. 

Don't have a blog but still want to join in? Fabulous! You can email me the link to your review and I will do a weekly post sharing all the reviews. :) 

I have to tell you that I am a bit on the excited side for this! I hope there are others out there who will join me! If you have any questions, please let me know! :) 

Flashback Friday #1

Guess what? Guess what? Guess what? I have decided to add a new bookish meme to my blog! I have to say that I am pretty excited for this one! Are you ready?! Yes?! Well then... without any further adieu allow me to introduce you to...

What is Flashback Friday? 

It's a post sharing your most favorite book reviews!

How do you participate? 

If you have your own blog then grab the picture (don't forget to link back to my blog), create your post and then share the link in the comments. Don't have a blog but would still like to share your reviews? No worries! Just share the link to wherever your review is posted in the comments section!

Easy peasy, right?! Right! :)

So which review did I choose for my very first Flashback Friday post? Well... it's...

Rumplestiltskin by Jenni James

My Review: 5 Stars!

Don't think that you would ever love Rumplestiltskin?! Well then... I guess you haven't read Jenni's version of our dear Rumple! Want to love him?! Then you definitely need to read this one!! He quickly became one of my fave characters in the first chapter! *sigh*

At the age of 5, Prince Frederico found himself cursed by a witch. She told him that his grandfather used to rule the land with kindness and was a perfect example to all. But things changed when his father took over as king. She told him that his family was pure evil and they needed to be taught a lesson. That lesson would be taught to them through him. She cursed him with rumpled and stilted skin... crippled him... made him "ugly". When the king and queen saw him they were disgusted and disowned him, telling all the kingdom that he had died. From that day on he was known as Rumplestiltskin.

Aubrynn was a sweet, beautiful young woman who went out of her way to help anyone and everyone that she could. Always putting others needs before her own. She had lost her mother and sister and now it was just her and her father. Aubrynn was always having to get him out of whatever mess he would land himself in. But when he tells king Marcus, Rumple's brother, that his daughter can turn straw into gold, she has no clue how she is going to get him or herself out of that mess.

She is taken to the castle where she ends up meeting our amazing Rumple! She is scared of him for about a minute but after looking into his eyes, feeling a connection with him, she no longer sees him how everyone else sees him. She sees the REAL man... the man he is on the inside. Rumple has a hard time believing that someone as beautiful as Aubrynn would look at him the way she does, touch him without freaking out and admit that she likes kissing him! There has only been one other person who loved him for who he was and that was Tilly, the young maid who took him under her wing and loved him in the way a mother should love their child.

Even though Rumple loves her and she loves him, he has to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her and her father's lives... he commands that his brother, King Marcus, marry her like he said he would if she could spin straw into gold.

Oh how I love Rumple and Aubrynn!! They are loving, selfless, amazing people that would do anything and everything that they can to protect and help the ones they love. I absolutely LOVED when Aubrynn fell asleep on Rumple and he confessed his love for her and just sat there telling her everything that she has done for him! *sigh* It was the sweetest thing ever!! And then when Aubrynn announced to the entire village that she loved Rumple... *sigh* *sigh* LOVE! That is all I can say!!

I have to admit, at times I feel like Jenni is writing her Faerie Tale Collections just for me. And yes... this is one of those times. She has a way of giving me that little boost I need, just when I need it! After reading Rumplestiltskin I just have one word to say... AMEN!! It does not matter what a person looks like on the outside for that is just our shell. It is what's on the inside that truly matters! We are all beautiful... we are all amazing... and we are all enough! Look past what is on the outside and really see what is on the inside.... for that is where the REAL us will be found! Thank you Jenni for another amazing treasure that I will definitely keep for a long, long time!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After reading my review I really, really want to read Rumplestiltskin again! Guess what I'll probably be reading this weekend?! ;) Hehe. 

Now it's your turn! Let's see some reviews! :) 

Weekend Ramblings #8

Are you ready for another Weekend Ramblings a la KJ?!

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

This week's rambling topic is...

*Top 10 Books You Would Give Away As Gifts*

So I love to surprise my sisters and friends with little bookish treasures every once in awhile. Sometimes it's hard to choose which book to give away though. There are just SO many that I love! But if you were to ask me right now which 10 books I would give away right now they would be:

1. Jessie Belle by Jennifer Peel
2. Taylor Lynne by Jennifer Peel
3. A Season To Love by Nicole Deese
4. Kissing Cousins by Marcia Lynn McClure
5. Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane
6. The Independent One by Cami Checketts
7. Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt8. My Sweetheart by Shannon Guymon
9. The Protective Groom by Lucy McConnell
10. Making Faces by Amy Harmon

What about you? Which 10 books would you choose to give away as gifts?

The Wedding Secret by Jennifer Shirk

Synopsis:

Ten years after a high school pregnancy left her abandoned by her family, single mother Brenna March is finally getting her life under control. In possession of her dream job as a florist at the Rose Chalet, one of the premier wedding spots in San Francisco, she’s about to prove her worth and take on her first wedding as head florist. Unfortunately, the best man is none other than Senator Ashton Mirenda—her old high school sweetheart and the father of the daughter he knows nothing about.

Ashton doesn't have time for marriage or a family. He has other aspirations and the first is winning the next senate seat election. Or so he believes until he meets a woman from his past. Seeing Brenna again stirs something inside him he'd thought long dead, and he knows that he wants her beside him all the way to the White House.

But Brenna is holding a ten year old secret, one which could not only hurt his chance for re-election but also their chance to rekindle the love they once shared.

My Review: 3.5 Stars

Brenna and Ashton were high school sweethearts. But neither family agreed with them dating. When Ashton graduates from high school and heads across the country to go to college, they decide a long distance relationship would be too hard for them. Shortly after Ashton leaves, Brenna realizes that she is pregnant. As soon as the news is discovered, her parents disown her and ship her off to live with her aunt.

10 years later things are finally starting to fall into place for Brenna and Abby. She's working in her dream job and life couldn't get any better for them. She never imagined that life would throw Ashton back into her path. Now she has to do her best to keep Abby a secret until Ashton leaves. She'll tell Ashton AFTER the election that he is a dad.

But fate has other things in store for this little family. The truth will be discovered sooner rather than later. Now they both need to decide what is going to be best for everyone involved,

I am a sucker for lost love books and this one was a fun addition to my collection. While I enjoyed this book, I wish that it was just a little bit longer, It seemed like too much time had passed for Brenna and Ashton to just pick up where they left off. I also would have liked to see Ashton find out about Abby sooner. It would've been fun to see them get to know each other and build their relationship. Their relationship kind of felt like an afterthought to me.

I am definitely looking forward to more from this Kindle Worlds series. I have already downloaded a couple more books and can't wait to read them. 

And of course I can't forget my casting!

The Independent One by Cami Checketts

Synopsis:

Haley Turnbow escapes to the tropical Isla del Sol for an ideal vacation with her five-year old. She doesn’t plan on the resident ghost stalking her and the island’s fine-looking owner drawing her in with his confident, fun personality.

Cal Johnson is king of his own island, happy and busy. A beautiful mom and her wild little boy flip his world upside down. He falls in love with both of them knowing they’re going to leave at the end of their vacation and he might not recover from the loss.

Can these two independent adults trust their hearts or is it not worth the risk?

My Review: 4.5 Stars

Haley is a single mother to an adorable little boy named Taz. He is full of energy and is constantly keeping her on her toes. When they escape to the tropical Isla del Sol for a much needed vacation, she never imagines the adventures that are in store for them. From hiking, to playing on the beach, to whale watching, to catching the eye of the gorgeous Cal, she is enjoying herself way too much to even think about worrying over the resident ghost who seems to be stalking her. 

When Cal first lays eyes on Haley and Taz, he is immediately intrigued. He has never met anyone like Haley before. He is used to women finding out he has money and instantly fawning over him. But when Haley seems to turn up her nose at the first mention of money, he knows he needs to tread carefully around her. The more time he spends with them, the more he is envisioning them becoming a family. But the longer he keeps his wealth a secret from her, the more he endangers his chances of building a forever with Haley and Taz. 

Will Haley learn to trust again? Will she learn that it's okay to lean on others for help? Or will secrets and past hurts destroy whatever future they may have together?

I just have to say that I absolutely loved little Taz! He had me chuckling left and right! That adorable little guy stole the show for me! He had the sweetest relationship with his mama and Cal. Love! <3

The Independent One is such a fun addition to this series! I loved it! I was getting frustrated when real life was getting into my reading time. I had to go an entire day without reading and was NOT happy about it! Lol. I do wish we would've been able to see Brad get what he deserved. Even if it was just getting the crap beat out of him! Haha. 

And can we talk about this cover?! GORGEOUS! I am loving all of them! I can't wait to see what's next for this series! :)  

And of course I can't forget my casting! What do you think? 

Weekend Ramblings #7

Are you ready for another Weekend Ramblings a la KJ?!

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

This week's rambling topic is...

*Songs in Books*

So my mini laptop that I've had for years has decided that it doesn't really like me anymore. It randomly disconnects from the internet and makes trying to post on my blog a real pain in the rear end! And then all the sudden there is no sound... and I mean none! My volume controls disappeared! I tried to re-install the program and it won't let me. It constantly gives me all kinds of errors and tells me the file I'm looking for doesn't exist. Ummm... RUDE! 

After dealing with this for several weeks, I decided enough was enough. It was time for a new laptop. After doing some research I finally decided on one. It was delivered on Thursday! Woop woop! And the best part (other than it being purple)?! It has a DVD player/CD burner! My first thoughts?! I am burning me a new CD this weekend! YAY! 

And viola! We have a Weekend Ramblings post! ;)

I never really paid attention to songs in books until I started reading Shannon Guymon's Fircrest series. The more I read, the more I noticed all the songs. There were a lot of songs that I had never heard of before. So what do I do? Head on over to Amazon Prime and start listening to them. The more I listened, the more I loved! I even went as far as creating a Songs From Books Playlist on my account. I have been known to blast this list while cleaning, baking, writing reviews and any other time I could blast it! I kept thinking... I would LOVE to have these songs on a CD so I can listen to it whenever I'm in the car. Sadly, I didn't have anything to burn a CD on. :( But now I do! Hehe. You guys have no idea how excited I am about this!

What are some of the songs that are going to be on my CD? Well... let's see... 

Arms by Christina Perri, All of Me by John Legend, Ho Hey by The Lumineers, Gone, Gone, Gone by Phillip Phillips, Fight Song by Rachel Platten, Secrets by One Republic, Everybody Talks by Neon Trees, I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons, Stand by You by Rachel Platten, Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran, Baby, I Love Your Way by Big Mountain, Bright by Echosmith, Happy by Pharrell Williams, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, Marry You by Bruno Mars, Come To Me by The Goo Goo Dolls, I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz, Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran, Let Her Go by Passenger.. and that's just a few of the treasures I have found while reading! ;)

What about you guys? Have you noticed songs in books? Have you found any favorites? If so, what are they? I want to know if I need to add more to my playlist... ;) Hehe.

So come on party people... let's rrrrraaaaammmmmbbbbbllllleeeee!! ;)

And P.S. If there are any topics that you want to ramble about send them my way!

First Line Friday's #7

Ok party people! It's that time again! First Line Friday's hosted by my amazing friend Kathy over at Bookworm Nation! Are you ready?! 

This week's First Line Friday is:

The Independent One by Cami Checketts

Haley Turnbow escapes to the tropical Isla del Sol for an ideal vacation with her five-year old. She doesn’t plan on the resident ghost stalking her and the island’s fine-looking owner drawing her in with his confident, fun personality.

Cal Johnson is king of his own island, happy and busy. A beautiful mom and her wild little boy flip his world upside down. He falls in love with both of them knowing they’re going to leave at the end of their vacation and he might not recover from the loss. 

Can these two independent adults trust their hearts or is it not worth the risk?

FIRST LINE

"Haley Turnbow shielded her eyes from the sun, clinging to her five-year old's hand to prevent him from bouncing over the rail of the small ferry."

I am seriously loving all these Billionaire books! I find myself checking every week or so to see if a new one has been released. When I was searching on Wednesday and saw this one, I didn't even read the synopsis before I clicked the buy now button! These are definite auto-buys for me! Haha. And the covers! LOVE! Just when I think I have found a new favorite, another book is released! I don't think I will ever be able to pick a favorite. They are all GORGEOUS! *dreamy sigh* <3

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

Ready?! And GO!