Full Steam Ahead Book Blitz + Giveaway!

Full Steam Ahead

by Valerie Chase

Release Date: 01/14/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Seven days aboard a luxury cruise. The perfect getaway from it all.

At least, that’s what Georgia Cantwell was hoping for.

Georgia wishes she could run away from the nightmare that has consumed her life, but she can’t. With her inbox filling with menacing emails, all she can do is try to get through her sorority’s winter break cruise without anyone realizing how wrecked she is. So she really doesn’t need Jace McLaren seeing through her tacked-on smile when no one else seems to notice.

Growing up with a father in jail, Jace knows from experience that if you’re going through hell, there’s no way out but through. He has always steered away from girls like Georgia with her ice-queen attitude, but she’s in real trouble, and despite himself he pushes past her walls.

As much as Georgia tries to ignore it, Jace won’t let her pretend with him. But she can’t risk telling him the truth. Her past would ruin his trust, her family, her future—everything.

But out on the open ocean, there’s nowhere to hide. And when Georgia’s secrets come tumbling out, it might take more than Jace to save her.

About the Author

I'm Valerie but please feel free to call me Val. I live in the Washington, DC area; and I write New Adult romance. I'm hoping to publish my first novel (set on a cruise ship!) in late 2013.

As for my writing, I love sexy banter and guys whose hearts are in the right place, even if their heads sometimes aren't. I love discovering strong, awesome characters, putting them in entertaining situations, and watching them argue their way to love.

Author Links:

    

***GIVEAWAY***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen) by Lisa Renee Jones

Goodreads
250 pages, NA Contemporary Romance, Suspense
The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1
My rating: 4 stars

Synopsis

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

My 2 cents

Escaping Reality is the story of Amy, who from the get go is running from someone dangerous. It takes awhile into the story before we start to find out why she is running, but its pretty obvious she's in danger.

She hurriedly leaves NYC, following instructions from her "Handler." We don't know much, but honestly, either does Amy. She meets a gorgeous man on the plane by the name of Liam. Liam sees right through Amy, and pretty much attaches himself to her for the flight, and basically from then on. She has huge reservations about him, and doesn't trust anybody, but she can't deny the physical attraction. It wasn't a huge surprise when they jumped into bed together!

The story itself was amazing! So much suspense and mystery--the author leaves us and Amy constantly guessing on what is really going on. No one is what they seem, and there are so many inconsistencies in her new life. Amy also experiences flashbacks, and these are how we get to know more about her past. 

The romance was hot and steamy, although it didn't take up a lot of the story. I liked that there was still a plot, and even though the sexual tension and romance were a big part of the story, it was on the back burner a lot. 

My one complaint was the big cliffhanger at the end. Be forewarned that you will probably want to read this book all in one sitting, and go right to the next book when you are done! 

Favorite Contemporaries of 2013

Contemporaries.  Most are centered around romance, but not all.  They can be fun, light and fluffy--or dramatic, dark, and heart breaking.  Its not my most favorite genre, but I have found some amazing books over the last year in this category. And I read quite a few! Here are my faves!  And if you attempt to read any of these, get your tissues ready!

10. Being Henry David by Cal Armistead

9. Hate List by Jennifer Brown

8. Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter

7. Looking for Alaska by John Green

6. If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman

5. Fan Girl by Rainbow Rowell

4. Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

3. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

2. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

What about you? What were your favorite contemporaries this year?

January Random Reads

I just learned about this fun challenge!  And I like it because its monthly, so you can participate as much or as little as you want!  Its hosted over at I'm Loving Books.  

The details:

In short, Random Reads is a meme where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month. Feel free to do more than one per month, but since a lot of people have a lot of books to read each month, only one is “required” for the meme. I’m on Goodreads so I’m using a combination of the sorting feature and Random.org to pick the book I’m going to read.

WANT TO JOIN IN ON RANDOM READS?

It’s easy…

1. If you’re on Goodreads enable sorting to your to-read shelf (you should see numbers next to each book now).
2. Go to Random.org and type in the Min as 1 and the Max as how many ever books are on your to-read shelf. Or you can enter a smaller number as the Max in order to always pick books that have been on your TBR shelf for longer.
3. Scroll down to the book matching the number Random.org picks.
4. Link up to your Random Reads post (below). If you choose more than one book per month, be sure to put a number by your name in the list so it doesn’t look like a duplicate.
5. Read and be merry. 

If you’re not on Goodreads just pick a random book from your list in whatever way you want to do it. You can use the method I used above or even just close your eyes and point randomly at a book on your bookshelf if you want (spin the bottle style). lol

-------------------------------------------------------

So, my Goodreads shelf has a ton of books that I don't own, and I didn't really want to spend the time sorting--so I just picked a random number and counted down my bookshelves until I got to that book.  I had random #90....so I'll be reading

An adult read for once!  I'm really pretty excited to read this one, too!  I picked it up at a thrift shop a few months ago.  Woot!

I think this month I'm only going to pick one random book, because I have so many review books to get to.  Buy this will be one book down on my shelves!  YAY!

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads
319 pages, NA Contemporary Romance
Beautiful #1
My rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

My 2 cents

A friend of mine said that this title couldn't be more aptly named, and she is right! Beautiful Disaster is a story of two people who are disasters themselves trying to make a relationship work. I was completely hooked with this book after 20 pages. Its like a train wreck--you can't stop watching it!

Travis Maddox is the University's hot young stud. Famous for his first rate fights and his one night stands, he's the type of guy who makes every girl around him swoon. The exact type of guy Abby Abernathy swears to avoid! Abby is the daughter of a train wreck of a man herself, and has sworn off that lifestyle for good. When Travis fails to impress her, and she doesn't throw herself at him, he is intrigued, and a weird sort of friendship forms. 

The characters are what really made this book for me. Even though I disagreed with just about everything that Travis and Abby did, they were awesome to read about! The supporting characters were great, too. Shepley is Travis's cousin and roommate, and his girlfriend, Mare (America) is also Abby's best friend. Shepley was actually the guy that I loved in the story--he was stupid at times, but basically a good guy, and very loyal to his friends. Mare was the best friend you would ever ask for--in fact, she was a good enough of a friend to place her friend before Shepley's needs many times. There is also Finch, a really good gay friend of Mare and Abby's. He was a bit of comic relief so badly needed in a deep, dark story.

I absolutely loved this story, but I did knock it down half a star to make my rating 4.5. Why? Mainly because I really didn't like Travis's dark, possessive, jealous, and sometimes violent, side. I think Abby deals with it appropriately, but I just don't like the message it sends. I could sit back and enjoy the story for what it was, but I fear lots of young girls might not understand the mixed messages. For the record, Travis is a guy I would probably never even go near. I don't even think I could be friends with him. He's just not for me. 

But that's just my opinion, and I still think the story is awesome, and take it for what you will. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel!

The Goddess Blog Tour

About The Goddess

205 pages | May 12, 2013 | Idol Series #1

http://robyngrady.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17834354-the-goddess

http://www.amazon.com/The-Goddess-ebook/dp/B00CGFEILO/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-goddess-robyn-grady/1115161570?ean=9781622661152

"Robyn Grady creates compelling stories with believable characters you'll love!" -- New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

After college graduation, Helene Masters is excited to land a job in a picturesque Aegean kingdom. Tasked with sprucing up the Prince's villa, she inadvertently finds herself trapped on the island with the sexiest man alive. Of course she has to fall for a man who is destined to only marry royalty.

Darius Vasily, Prince of Teirenias, can't figure out what pretty, but accident-prone, Helene is doing at his private estate. After dousing him in paint, she disappears inside the secret cave holding the royal family treasure--a fertility statue, but a cave-in traps them both. Now Darius has to figure out how to save them before he kills her for getting them into this mess in the first place--or gives into their amazing chemistry.

My 2 cents

My Rating: 4 stars

The story started out rather predictable.  Hot, stud of a man meets hot, cute naive girl that his below his station.  Hot guy can't get cute girl out of his head, and eventually he must have her!  

But the story turned into so much more than that.  The first half of the story was a beautiful romance between this couple on a secluded island in the Mediterranean.  The romance was perfect, and the setting was beautiful.  The sex scenes were hot, and things were actually pretty believable.

The second half of the story is where I got hooked and had to stay up late finishing the story!  I don't want to give away any spoilers, but things happen out of the couples control, and pretty soon, Helene finds herself staying with Darius at his palace!  At the same time, she finds some old papers that tell a story of another princess 100 years ago, and the tragedy that befell her.  What I loved about this story was the old fashioned kingdom concept with a little bit of a historical aspect.  At the same time, the story still felt current and modern.

I loved Helene best of the entire cast of characters.  Darius was a hunk, but also kind of stupid at times.  Helene was very intellligent, and very good with people.  I actually felt like she was born for royalty as Darius seemed to be stumbling around with decision making a bit.  

The ending of the story was beautiful and all I had hoped for.  This is a great romantic story about two people trying to balance love with old fashioned ideals! 

Reveal Me by Cari Quinn

Goodreads
51 pages, Adult Erotica
Unveiled #1
My rating: 3 stars

Synopsis

Alana MacGregor craves excitement, but when her sometimes lover dumps her at a popular sex club, she wonders if she’s outgrown her live-fast-and-recover-later lifestyle. The last thing she expects is to run into the nerdy guy she rebuffed in high school—or for him to rock her world in ways no other man ever has.

Hot on the trail of a story, Carter Nicholas can’t believe his luck at encountering the one woman he’s never forgotten. He’s come a long way from being a wall-hugging geek. Now he gets all A’s between the sheets. But can he convince Alana he’s her sure ticket to an unforgettable night—and maybe much more?

My 2 cents

  I picked this one up for free on my Kindle the other day.  This was a fairly quick read with not a lot of substance.  Sex scenes seemed to dominate, which wasn't unexpected...but there was all these inner thoughts between the two MCs during these scenes, so it seemed to ruin the flow a little for me.  I did like the characters, but the book lacked a basic plot, probably because it was so short.  There wasn't much of an ending, either, which ws my biggest complaint.  The sex scenes were hot and steamy, though, so if that's what you are looking for, you'd like this one!