Mini-Reviews: THE OPPOSITE OF YOU, STILL LIVES, THE KISS QUOTIENT

A collection of mini-reviews, quick thoughts, and books worth mentioning. Check them out!

THE OPPOSITE OF YOU by Rachel Higginson

Publication Date: March 30, 2017

Pages: 302

Source: Purchased

Rating: 4 of 5

Synopsis

My Thoughts

I just loved this book. I was hooked when I read the synopsis included the main character was starting a food truck. And from there, this was a fun read. I loved the rivalry between Vera and Killian. The playfulness and their banter as they critiqued each other's cooking styles and delicious dishes made this an enjoyable read. THE OPPOSITE OF YOU will make you hungry and don't be surprised if you find yourself heading out for a late night fourth meal.

STILL LIVES by Maria Hummel

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Pages: 275

Source: Library

Rating: 4 of 5

Synopsis

My Thoughts

I decided to read STILL LIVES after Reese Witherspoon announced it as the August book club selection. Her enthusiasm and description was all I needed to get on board with this book. I loved geting caught up in the mystery. It didn't have it figured out early on, but I was always on the lookout for the red herrings. What I found interesting was that I didn't know if the still lives artist having gone missing was part of the mystery of the art she had created or if something had really happened to her. Now that I've finished the book, I'm looking forward to catching up on the book club discussion and find out what other readers think about STILL LIVES.

THE KISS QUOTIENT by Helen Hoang

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Pages: 336

Source: Library

Rating: 5 of 5

Synopsis

My Thoughts

It was FOMO that made me read this book as soon as I could get my hands on a copy. It seemed like EVERYONE had read this book, everyone was recommending this book and giving it all the stars. Let me just say, the hype was real! I adore this book. It was incredibly sweet and definitely sexy, but more than that it was relatable in unexpected ways. I loved how the characters took the time to try and understand eachother, but how their relationship was intuitive also. Every woman needs a Michael in their life. I adored this book and I know that I will want to read it again. It's a must have for my personal library collection.

#ForeverSummerReading: THE GOOD LUCK CHARM by Helena Hunting - Guest Post and Giveaway

I'm holding onto summer for as long as I can. One way to do that is with Summer Reading. Forever Romance has so many books to choose from! Right now I have my eyes on FROM HERE TO YOU, DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES, and THE GOOD LUCK CHARM, but I know I'll want to read them all.

THE GOOD LUCK CHARM published on August 7, 2018.

Genre: Romance / Fiction / Romance / Contemporary 

Pages: 384

About the Book:

Lilah isn’t sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she’s no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Ethan wants his glory days back. And that includes having Lilah by his side. With her, he was magic. They were magic. All he has to do is make her see that.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let Ethan in, though, she finds out their reunion might have nothing to do with love and everything to do with improving his game. But Ethan’s already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he’ll do anything to keep from losing her again.

“Fabulously fun! Lilah and Ethan’s second-chance romance charmed me from the first page to the swoon-worthy end.” -Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

***************************************************************************

Helena Hunting Shares What's in Her Beach Bag

I grew up going to the cottage on Loon Lake in Ontario, Canada. It’s north of Muskoka, which means nothing to most people unless you live in Toronto and you have some idea how far it is from civilization. Even now I only get one bar on my phone, although if I stand like a flamingo on the edge of the deck where the 12-foot drop is, I may get two bars for approximately 1.25 seconds.

In addition to being well removed from humanity, there are 111 steps down to the lake. It’s a lot of steps. Enough that I (along with everyone else) pack a beach bag very carefully prior to our decent to the dock.

What’s in my beach bag you ask?

1. Enough liquid to last me the next three hours: at least one bottle of water and a bottle of wine, plus ice cubes in a plastic tumbler with a lid. Because wine.
2. Sunscreen. It doesn’t matter how far north you are, you’ll burn if you sit in direct sunlight for several hours at a time. And let’s face it, the plan is to sit in direct sunlight for as long as humanly possible on the dock days of summer.
3. My paperback copy of Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan, with all my favourite parts earmarked so I don’t have to work to read the sections I adore. Do not bring an electronic reading device to the dock unless you plan to use it to kill dock spiders. The cracks between the boards are three times the width of a Kindle and if it ends up between the cracks, you’re never getting it back.
4. A portable speaker with your fun summer playlist so you can relax and read your book with a beach-inspired soundtrack in the background. I love listening to bands like The Tragically Hip or artists like Ben Howard and Ruelle when I’m on the dock, relaxing and reading.
5. Snacks. If you’re spending hours on the dock and it’s a full mile uphill to get back to the cottage for food (I might be exaggerating on the distance, but after two glasses of wine, 200 feet of elevation seems a lot like a mile), then you need to bring along something to snack on, like Doritos or Funyons. Or if you’re feeling particularly summery and health-conscious you could bring a fruit platter, which is also useful for making sangria.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting lives outside of Toronto with her amazing family and her two awesome cats, who think the best place to sleep is her keyboard. She writes all things romance – contemporary, romantic comedy, sports and angsty new adult. 

For more on Helena and her books, please visit www.helenahunting.com.

The Good Luck Charm is available now!

https://www.forever-romance.com/titles/helena-hunting/the-good-luck-charm/9781538760154/

It's Release Day: BLIND KISS by Renee Carlino

       

From the national bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear on this Life, and Wish You Were Here comes a powerful story of two people who spend years denying their scientifically-proven chemistry.

BLIND KISS by Renee Carlino

Published by Atria Books; 336 pages

Publication Date: August 14, 2018

Penny spends her afternoons sitting outside a sandwich shop, surrounded by ghosts. Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio—and she was a dancer on the rise. Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably-decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision. 

The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering, And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off. 

For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection.   

AVAILABLE NOW

AMAZON | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

           

      

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of contemporary women's novels and new adult fiction. Her books have been featured in national publications, including USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Latina magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she's not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate. 

Learn more at www.reneecarlino.com   FACEBOOK WEBSITE

Review: ALL YOUR PERFECTS by Colleen Hoover

ALL YOUR PERFECTS

by Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: July 17, 2018

Published by Atria Books

Pages: 306

Source: Purchased

Add to Goodreads

Purchase Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Synopsis

Colleen Hoover delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

My Thoughts

It always amazes me when Colleen gives me (and all her readers) the book that I need right when I need it. There is an unbearable amount of love and pain in this story. Oh how I feel for Quinn and Graham. This story brings so many emotions to the surface about marriage, communicating, loss, forgiveness, and love. Always love. 

Even with all of the tears I cried when I read this book, and the tears that came when I shared this story with my husband, I loved this book. 

All Your Perfects is another favorite.

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this title for my personal library and am providing my honest review. I was not compensated in any way for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's Release Day!! IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME by Kylie Scott

   

   

"Addictive like all Kylie Scott books, you'll swoon, laugh, ache, put your life on hold, and compulsively read until the wee hours of the night—only to reread the whole thing the next morning. Perfection!" - Katy Evans, New York Times bestselling author 

Returning home for her father’s wedding was never going to be easy for Adele. If being sent away at eighteen hadn’t been bad enough, the mess she left behind when she made a pass at her dad’s business partner sure was. 

Fifteen years older than her, Pete had been her crush for as long as she could remember. But she’d misread the situation—confusing friendliness for undying love. Awkward. Add her father to the misunderstanding, and Pete was left with a broken nose and a business on the edge of ruin. The man had to be just as glad as everyone else when she left town. 

Seven years later, things are different. Adele is no longer a kid, but a fully grown adult more than capable of getting through the wedding and being polite. But all it takes is seeing him again to bring back those old feelings. 

Sometimes first loves are the truest.         

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | AMAZON AU | iBooks | B&N | KOBO

         

READ AN EXCERPT

“Did you enjoy the wedding?” he asked.

“W-what?”

The man stood much closer than necessary. “The wedding. It was nice, right?”

“Sure.”

Faint strains of music carried from across the road. It seemed worlds away. He downed a mouthful of scotch, gaze never leaving my face. All I could smell was the single malt, his cologne, and the slight scent of salt on his skin. After all, it’d been a hot night and he’d been dancing in the suit. He wasn’t happy; I knew the signs well enough. The tension in his jawline and the look in his eyes. All heated and intense.

“So you’ve been sitting in the dark, drinking and brooding, huh?” I asked. “That sounds constructive.”

“What did Leona have to say?”

I laughed. “Oh, hell no. I’m not getting caught in the middle of you two again. Why don’t you try settling your issues like normal people and actually talk to one another?”

“You have such a clever mouth, Adele.” He cocked his head. “Always got an answer, don’t you?”

“Enjoy your scotch, Pete.” I turned away. “I’m going to bed.”

“What’s the rush?” Strong fingers wrapped around my arm, not gripping me hard, just enough to hold me in place.

“I’ve spent enough time tonight in the company of a drunken asshole, thank you.” I smiled.

His return smile was lopsided. “You’re angry.”

“I’m tired.”

“You’re angry and tired. Me too,” he said. “Less so on the tired, though. Actually, I’m wide the f*ck awake.”

“Good for you.”

He finished off his drink, then reached past me, setting the empty glass on the kitchen counter. “Keep me company.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” he asked, expression full of false interest. “Thought you’d love the chance to tell me off some more.”

I looked away. “We’re done here.”

“No, we’re not.”

“Yes, we are.” I pulled my arm out of his grasp. “We’re finished, Pete. Our friendship or whatever the hell it is these days . . . It’s over, kaput, the end. Took me seven years, but tonight I finally wised up.”

“That so?”

“Yep,” I said. “I refuse to keep feeling this way about you. It’s such a stupid waste.”

His gaze narrowed.

“You know, I even have a plan.”

“What might that be?”

“In the morning, I’m going to go home and f*ck every available man I meet until one of them does it for me.” My smile felt jagged and horrible. It couldn’t have been pretty so see. “And then I won’t think about you anymore.”

His fingers curled into tight fists. Nice to know I wasn’t the only one affected. I put my hand on his chest, getting up in his face. Two could play the invading-personal-space game, for fun and intimidation. As if I would back down.

    

 

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/   

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FACEBOOK FAN GROUP | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS