Saturday, December 29, 2018

Christy's 2018 Favorites!


Here we go... TOP 18 of 2018!


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#1- No Tomorrow by Carian Cole. I read this book last month after a friend recommended it to me saying it would be a book I would love (thanks, Jen!). Carian was a new to me author and I had no idea what to expect but OMG this book! It was intense, emotional, and just everything. I just bought the audio book today and I'm looking forward to doing a re-read soon!

#2- Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. This is the best friends to lovers book I've ever read. It was so much fun and left me with the biggest smile. Rom coms aren't typically my favorites, but this book was so heartwarming and wonderful. I've read it twice and Josh and Hazel are my favorite couple of the year.

#3- In Harmony by Emma Scott. This is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Emma always writes heartbreaking reads that heal you and I can't get enough! I especially loved the theater storyline!

#4- Heartbreak Warfare by Heather M. Orgeron & Kate Stewart. This book gutted me. It was emotional and angsty and Heather & Kate cowrote it seamlessly. Another one that gave me all the feels and I loved it so much!

#5- The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. This was the debut novel of the year for me. I'm always looking for more authors that write smart and sexy romance. This was unique, refreshing, and the writing was intelligent and fresh. Another book on my list that I've read more than once in 2018.

#6- Bad for You by J. Daniels. This was the first book to go on my favorites list. I read it very early in the year and it left a huge impact on me. Sean is my favorite kind of hero and I loved Shay as well. Sean's story had me bawling and I loved how hard Shay loved him and how she was willing to sacrifice for him. It was a story of healing, friendship, and also had a wonderful romance.

#7- Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata. This one blew me away. I started it one day and finished it the same day (and it's a long book) I could not put it down. I bow down to the queen of slow burn romance. Rip was perfection and I loved Luna!

#8- Player by Staci Brillhart. My new favorite Staci book (and I've read almost all of them). This one had me giddy. Sam and Val had the best friendship/relationship. I laughed and smiled so much but it also had the emotion I crave while reading. I loved it so much.

#9- Disgrace by Brittainy C. Cherry. I love ALL of Brittainy's books. I'm a certified fan girl. Disgrace is the one that touched me the deepest because it was relatable for me. This book has so much heart.

#10- Long Shot/Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan. I can't choose which one of these books I love more. Long Shot is so important and it was profound. It left me speechless and was intense. Block Shot had the best bad ass heroine of the year. Banner was my favorite female character and I loved Jared, too. Everything Kennedy writes is addicting and has a great message.

#11- Beautiful Hearts Duet by Emma Scott. Emma made it on my list twice because everything she puts out is a favorite. This is the duet of the year. It gave me all the feels and kept me on the edge of my seat.

#12- The Simple Wild by KA Tucker. This is my new favorite from this author. I loved the original plot and character driven story. It took place in Alaska and I felt like I was there. Jonah and Calla were amazing, and so were the side characters. It was a stunning read.

#13- The Legacy by Dylan Allen. This is probably the sexiest book on my list. Hayes and Confidence burned the pages up. But it was so much more than just a steamy read. It was captivating, passionate, and gripping. Just the right amount of drama and feels!

#14- Trailer Park Heart by Rachel Higginson. Another new to me author I, I read this book just last week and fell hard for it. A single mom, a hero who's carried a torch for her since high school comes back to town. This couple had the best banter and this book kept me up way past my bedtime reading. I loved it!

#15- Unforgivable by Isabel Love. I've read this book so many times and each time I read it, I love it more. This book hit me right in the feels and checked off all my love buttons. It's a slow burn, brothers best friend, friends to lovers, and I can't recommend it enough!

#16- All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. Cue all the sobbing. This evoked so much emotion. Unforgettable, unputdownable, and so many feels.

#17- A Nordic King by Karina Halle. This one was sweet, angsty, and sexy. It was fun and light, yet emotional and heavy in a way. The perfect forbidden romance. Karina's writing is always amazing and this is one of my favorites she's written.

#18- Down to You by Jayne Frost. Jayne is another new to me author this year. I've read all of her books and have enjoyed them all, but this one was epic. The best rock star read I've read in a long time. I love broken characters that heal together and that is Tori and Logan. I loved everything about this one!



Friday, December 28, 2018

Becoming His is now available on audio!!!


Today we are celebrating the release of the Becoming His audiobook from Mariah Dietz. You can listen to it now on audible.




BECOMING HIS by Mariah Dietz


Blurb:


Sometimes life’s unforeseen paths lead us to discovering sides of ourselves we never knew existed.

Ace Bosse has always found solace at home, but when she returns for the summer from college she builds an unexpected relationship with the reckless Max Miller.

Three years ago, Max left for Alaska to find what he thought he’d lost, but now he realizes just how much he left behind.

Max teaches Ace that sometimes a little crazy is exactly what life needs while learning that some chances are worth taking, regardless of the risks.

But how do you know when you’ve met the right person? And will they be prepared to experience one of life’s biggest obstacles?

Falling in love isn’t easy, but holding on to it is where the real challenge lies.

 




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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Mariah Dietz lives with her husband and three sons, who are the axis of her crazy and wonderful world in Raleigh, North Carolina.


Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon, where she spent most of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.


She has a love for all things that include her family, good coffee, books, traveling, and dark chocolate. She’s also obsessed with Christmas ornaments and all things Disney.





AUTHOR LINKS:

InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New



Nothing Personal by Karina Halle is LIVE!

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It's just business, nothing personal.

Until you have to work with your ex.

Nothing Personal, an all-new standalone romantic comedy by New York Times Bestselling author Karina Halle is live!


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Nova Lane is having the worst week possible. Her latest relationship ended while on her much-needed vacation, then upon her first day back at work, she learns that her beloved boss has quit – and despite having worked so hard for it, she's not being considered for his position.

Who is being considered for the position is none other than Kessler Rocha. Her ex-coworker and ex-lover, Kessler’s the man who broke her heart five years earlier and the reason she moved thousands of miles away, switched jobs, and created numerous voodoo dolls in Kessler’s (very burly, very handsome) liking.

Yup. Worst week ever.

New in town and on her turf, Kessler promises he’s not the same man he was – and considering he’s now a single father to a precocious toddler, he’s telling the truth.

But he’s still an arrogant, devilish and dangerously intelligent man who’s taking over the position Nova feels she deserves. The fact that he’s gotten even more sexy over the years doesn’t help either.

Now Nova and Kessler have the choice to let bygones be bygones, or fight with each other every chance they get, with unresolved sexual tension only adding fuel to the flames, creating a fire that might just burn down the whole office.

In the corporate world they say it’s just business, nothing personal.

Nova and Kessler are about to show just how personal things can get.


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Download your copy today!

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2EzdcJ4


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Christy's Review: 



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Nothing Personal is on the lighter side for Karina Halle. It’s an enemies to lovers/workplace romance/second chance romantic comedy that kept me smiling.

Nova Lane’s life is not going as planned. First, her current boyfriend cheats on her while they’re on vacation… then she comes back to work only to find that her boss up and quit and they are temporarily replacing him with her ex-boyfriend. It’s a job Nova deserves but Kessler is being brought in for it. She is not happy. Kessler broke her heart years ago and now she has to see him every day.
 
Kessler was the man I never quite got over. My level-ten heartbreaker. And he’s now my motherfucking boss.


Kessler Rocha is not the same man he was 5 years ago. Now he’s a single father to a toddler and his son is his priority. Still, working with Nova isn’t easy for him. He still cares for her and he knows he made a mistake all those years ago letting her go like he did. He just has to find a way to make it work. To have a job, support his child, and maybe, just maybe, get Nova back.

“I am not your enemy. Okay? You can go on thinking that all you want but it’s not true. I am not your enemy. I’m barely even your boss. I am your equal and you are mine.” “I am not yours,” she says but her words falter. “You very much are,”


Nova was my favorite kind of heroine. One that’s strong, hard working, and doesn’t take any crap. I loved her personality and strength. I am a sucker for a single dad so of course I loved Kessler! His interactions with his son were amazing. And I loved how he worked to win Nova back. They bickered and bantered, but deep down you just knew they were meant to be.

If you’re looking for a book that will give you a few laughs, make you swoon, is sweet and sexy- pick up Nothing Personal.


Meet Karina:


Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Root Literary and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Connect with Karina:

Join her Reader Group: https://goo.gl/wpCBSS

Stay up to date with Karina by signing up for her newsletter here: https://goo.gl/Ve4eCh



Thursday, December 27, 2018

The Fallback by Mariah Dietz Excerpt/Teaser


Today we are sharing an excerpt from THE FALLBACK by Mariah Dietz! It is a contemporary romance title that will release on January 10th. You can pre-order it now and check out the blurb below.



PRE-ORDER NOW ON AMAZON



THE FALLBACK by Mariah Dietz


Coming January 10th



Blurb:


Breaking up is hard to do.

It's even harder when you're not expecting it.

Brooke Jensen is a planner. Not only in her personal life but also professionally as one of the most sought after event planners in Chicago.

But, when the ideal life she built for herself, complete with handsome, long-term boyfriend and perfect apartment crumbles, she realizes there are some things you just can’t plan for.

While trying to start anew from her best friend's guest room and discovering the best doughnuts in the city, an idea sparks to life when she meets Levi. He's intriguing, funny, and shockingly good-looking, and what had been a few stray thoughts becomes a new passion for Brooke, a blog detailing learning how to be single. The project introduces Brooke to new people and experiences, and keeps returning her back to Levi.

But, Brooke learns kismet may have been wrong when she learns Levi is the last person she should be interested in.

Falling for the wrong guy once has Brooke hesitant to start a new relationship, but Levi is quickly proving that The Fallback might be even better.

PRE-ORDER NOW ON AMAZON



Excerpt: 



Chapter 1

“What are you doing?” My words are so pitched I don’t recognize my own voice. It’s appropriate considering everything appears unfamiliar.

Gabe’s hips stop moving over the brunette woman in our bed. He turns his head, and his brown eyes grow three sizes as he stares at where I’m fixed inside our bedroom, watching my boyfriend of six years sleeping with another woman.

“This wasn’t…” he begins before closing his eyes, suddenly looking exhausted. The drained expression feels like a bigger betrayal than his current actions. Like owing me an explanation is burdening him. He rolls off the dark-haired woman and carefully pulls the sheets—my sheets, ones that cost a small fortune for our last anniversary—and covers her. Slowly, she rolls to her back and looks my way.

My heart thunders in my chest, the pulsations so loud and strong I hear it in my ears and feel it in my fingertips. I stare at her, trying to recall if I know her—if I’ve ever seen her in passing or at a work event—anywhere. Under my scrutiny, she pulls the sheets higher and shifts her bright-blue eyes around the room, never settling on any one place as she tucks some misplaced strands of her blown-out hair behind an ear.

It’s nearly impossible for me to stop watching her, working to recognize if she’s been here before—if they’ve done this before. Slowly, my attention moves back to Gabe, realizing he’s talking. Several seconds pass, but I can’t focus on what he’s saying. The bass of my heartbeat is all I hear as he continues speaking, and then he has the audacity to dip his chin and stare up at me with concern rounding his eyes.

“Brooke?”

I blink. Once.

Twice.

Three times, attempting to make sense of the situation. Once when I was thirteen, I had a panic attack. I had thought I was having a heart attack and was going to die. It feels like that again. Like my heart isn’t physically capable of beating this fast, this hard. I’m light-headed and so warm I’m starting to sweat. My thoughts—like my feet—are stuck in place.

“Brooke,” Gabe says my name again, this time louder and more abrupt. It triggers my heart into beating a new rhythm. “What are you doing home?”

“What am I doing home?” Offense coats my voice, which is still pitched high and unrecognizable.

“You said you had to meet a client tonight. Flowers or cake…” He runs a hand lazily over his head, mussing his dark hair further. “Something.”

“They had to reschedule,” I reply lamely. I’d spent my drive home discussing this month’s events with my boss, Catherine, and looking forward to trading my work clothes for a pair of sweatpants, climbing into my expensive sheets, and ordering takeout.

This.

Him.

Her.

They weren’t what I’d imagined when I’d walked in and found our cat, Lucky, sitting at our bedroom door with one paw stretched beneath the small crack in an attempt to get inside.

I stare at Gabe and wait. I don’t know what I’m wanting or even expecting. If it’s an apology or lame excuse—blame because I work too much or tears because he’s just inflicted inexplicable pain to my chest and our relationship. He swallows, the column of his throat moving sluggishly as he considers his words. Brown eyes that I can read better than words reveal none of the replies I’m imagining being a reality.

“Brooke, I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m really, truly sorry.”

My throat grows tight, and my eyes sting. His sympathy hurts nearly as much as his decision to do this so publicly, with the person who contributed to ripping us apart still lying on my bed, privileged to a conversation I never saw coming.

“I love you, Brooke. I love you so much that I’ve been struggling with how to tell you…”

“There are a thousand variations of words you could have used. Words like ‘I like someone else,’ ‘I’m having an affair,’ ‘I’ve decided I want to try dating a tramp.’” I list them off, my voice void of the emotions surging through me as I look pointedly at the woman in my bed. She recoils deeper into the security of my bed, my expensive sheets shielding her.

“It didn’t feel like I was having an affair.” Gabe’s words chill me.

My attention slowly shifts to his long legs hanging off the side of the bed—our gray overstuffed duvet that we picked out a couple of years ago when his mom sent us a gift card for Christmas is tucked over his lap. “I’m sorry,” he says again. “I wanted to have this conversation with you and explain my feelings so you’d know I wasn’t trying to hurt or deceive you. I’ve been meaning to talk to you for so long, it’s just…”

I raise a hand to stop his slowed speech and shake my head before turning and striding back out of my apartment.

Clouds and the setting sun darken the sky, promising more rain as I descend the two flights of stairs to the parking lot and numbly climb into the driver’s seat of my car and start the engine.

Without looking, I back up. A horn blares. I stomp on the brake, my body jolting forward against the tight restraint of my seat belt. A small, black car is stopped mere inches from my bumper, his hands thrown in the air with frustration. I make an attempt to wave an apology before moving my car back into drive and rolling forward. He zooms past me, honking once more. My hands are trembling, and all my muscles are strained as I force myself to sit back and take a deep breath, knowing full well neither is due to the near accident.

I blow out a deep, shaky breath. The tiredness I’d felt on my drive home has been replaced with fatigue, and all thoughts about the events I’ve been obsessing over at work cease, replaced with the image of Gabe moving in and out of the brunette. His hands gripping her waist. His face enchanted by the purposeful rhythmic beat his hips followed.

Bile builds in my throat, and with a quick punch to my seat belt latch, I’m out of the car and losing the contents of my stomach on the grass in front of our apartment building.

Moisture escapes my eyes as I get back into my car and search for some tissues to wipe my face.

I turn off the radio, take a drink from my coffee from this morning to rid the rancid taste, then check my mirrors twice before I back up again and drive for thirty minutes of numb silence.

Getting out, I notice it’s raining and wonder if it was the entire drive over. I was working so hard to not think of anything—and more importantly anyone—that I can’t even recall getting off the highway or checking to make sure I took the right turns.

The motion-sensor lights flip on as I move to close my car door, and like a spotlight, they follow me to the front door, where I ring the doorbell and take a step back on the small, concrete stoop. I probably should have gone to Felicity’s. My best friend wouldn’t have time to pry about me being there at this hour because her young kids would need their bath followed by stories, and then she’d likely fall asleep with them while snuggling like she so often does. However, there’s a good possibility she would have deferred the tasks to her husband and insisted on making sure I was okay. I could have gone to my brother’s house. But although Brandon likes to be a pain in my ass, he would have cared too much about this situation and would likely have been up all night, plotting revenge against Gabe—partly out of love and also some strange respect code that men share.

Additional lights flip on, illuminating the front of the small house, and the door swings wide, revealing my grandma holding a large-print book in her small hands. Her face warms from concerned to happy as she quickly pushes the glass storm door open. “Brooke!” she calls. “I didn’t know you were coming by tonight. Are you alone, or is Gabe with you?”

“Sorry, Grammy. It’s kind of an impromptu visit.”

At my words, she pauses. Creases now reveal her age, which her clear blue eyes defy as they carefully inspect my features for all the words I’m not saying. “Supper’s just about ready. Why don’t you go wash up while I pour us some tea?”

Guilt trickles into my senses. “I didn’t mean to impose,” I tell her. “I’ll just sit with you.”

“I said it’s time for supper.” Though she’s more than six inches shorter than me, she drops her chin and stares at me with a challenge to refuse her again.

“I should have called.”

Grammy’s lips curve into a smile. “Don’t be silly. You’re always welcome.” She reaches forward and takes my hand, lending me her warmth and security. She pats the top of my knuckles with her other hand. “Go wash up.”

As I turn to the back of the house, Grammy swats my backside. Though I’m nearing thirty, she still affectionately pats my butt like I’m a toddler in diapers. It’s something that mortified me during my teenage years and later became a contest between my brother and me to see who could best dodge her during a visit. Now, it barely phases me.

Over the small vanity in the bathroom, I stare at my reflection, realizing why Grammy was looking at me with concern. My hazel eyes that often change color with my clothes are too round, my dark-blond hair is pulled back into a tight ponytail, and my jaw is too tight. I don’t recognize my own expression—even my breathing sounds different. My grandma isn’t the type to meddle. She also doesn’t make attempts to fix issues. She’ll listen and offer her support, but she isn’t one to interfere—making coming here the right decision.

I quickly wash my hands and head to the kitchen, where Grammy is absorbed in a game show.

“Can I help?”

She shakes her head and carries a bowl of diced apples to the table. They’re covered in clouds of sweetened whipped cream because the only way she eats fruit is if it’s covered in some form of sugar. I follow behind her, taking a seat so my back faces the TV I know she’ll want to watch.

Large bowls of green salad are at each place setting, topped with tomatoes, yellow peppers, and jicama. Grammy’s plate is crowded with a pile of mashed potatoes, gravy, and fried pork chops—foods I stopped eating more than a decade before. A plate of sliced homemade bread completes the table.

“Brandon must not have known you were making pork chops,” I say.

Grammy pats my shoulder as she sets a napkin next to my plate and takes a seat across from me. “If he had, I would need twice as many chops.”

“How was rummy this week?”

Grammy’s blue eyes brighten. “They never stand a chance.”

I laugh at her complete disregard of humbleness.

“How’s work?” she asks in return.

My shoulders drop as I take in a deep breath. So often my job at the prestigious and prominent event-planning company Glitter and Gold overwhelms me with all the moving components and changes that keep me busy late into the night and weekends. After today, though, my job seems like such a simple and monotonous task. “It’s good,” I tell her. “Busy. With wedding season approaching, we’re having a big rush of customers.”

She nods, her attention torn between my answer and the show playing over my shoulder. “I bet it is. Any interesting themes this year?”

“Nothing quite as unusual as the circus wedding from a couple of years ago,” I tell her. “But there is a gothic wedding that is teetering between classy and creepy and another one that is supposed to be a trip around the world. It’s a fun idea, but some of the details are proving to be trickier than I’d expected.”

“You’ll figure it out. You always do.” She smiles at me. Grammy’s attention moves to the TV, where she starts yelling out answers and slapping the table each time the contestants don’t answer correctly, providing me some of the solitude I’d come here for. She doesn’t comment on how little of my dinner is eaten, and I’m grateful, knowing I couldn’t stomach it even if I tried.

When the show ends, Grammy stands and moves toward the sink to do dishes, and I follow, a companionable silence between us.

“How’s Gabe?” Grammy asks as she dries a plate.

I lean against the kitchen sink with my hip, filling the pan she used to make gravy with hot water. Feasible answers don’t come. Nothing does.

Grammy’s small hand covers mine, turning the faucet off. “It’ll be okay,” she tells me. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Would you mind if I stayed over on the hide-a-bed?”

Grammy’s lips pull into a thin line, realization fully dawning on her that this isn’t just a minor dispute. Since Gabe and I moved in together four years ago, I’ve never sought out another place to stay. She clutches my hand tightly. “I’ll grab the blankets.”

My phone dings, and my heart catapults to my throat.

Is Gabe checking on me?

Is he apologizing?

Will he tell me it was the biggest mistake of his life and he wants me back?

Trepidation makes my movements to retrieve my phone from my purse slow and tense. I flip the screen over and see a message from Michaela, the wife of James, who is Gabe’s best friend.

My heart rate quadruples in a second.

Has he already told everyone?

Am I going to start receiving pity texts and calls?

Is that how this works?

My thumb shakes and my palms sweat as I flip the screen open to receive her message and read it three times before the words sink in.

Michaela: Sorry to cancel last minute, but James has caught the flu. Hopefully we can reschedule for next week or sometime soon! Love you guys!

My sigh is so deep it’s audible. I don’t respond to Michaela and instead scroll down in my messages to Felicity’s name.

Me: Mind if I come by in the morning to borrow some clothes? I need an outfit for tomorrow. I’ll bring you coffee and a cinnamon roll. *on knees, begging*

Felicity: Begging on your knees for my clothes? Did you message the wrong person again? #MyClosetSucksssss

Me: I messaged the wrong person one time…

Felicity: One time my ass. It happens every time you want to gossip about someone.

Me: And karma, being the bitch that she is, taught me to stop after choking on my own words too many times.

Felicity: You’re welcome to come over. I have my pre-kiddo clothes still in my closet, but they’re probably all out of style. #momlife

Me: #idontcare #yourethebest #hashtagsarelame

Felicity: Well, you owe this *lame* hashtag user a venti now.

Me: Sold.

Felicity: Is everything okay?

Me: It will be. I’ll see you in the morning. Kiss the kiddos goodnight for me.

Felicity: !!!! It will be?!?!? What kind of response is that? What happened?

Me: I’m fine. Promise.

Felicity: ...you’ll tell me in the morning?

Me: Bright and early.




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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:




Mariah Dietz lives with her husband and three sons, who are the axis of her crazy and wonderful world in Raleigh, North Carolina.


Mariah grew up in a tiny town outside of Portland, Oregon, where she spent most of her time immersed in the pages of books that she both read and created.


She has a love for all things that include her family, good coffee, books, traveling, and dark chocolate. She’s also obsessed with Christmas ornaments and all things Disney.





AUTHOR LINKS:

InkSlinger PR Blogger Banner - New



BBU - Coming Soon