Book Review: Nowhere But Here by Renée Carlino

SYNOPSIS

A Chicago reporter in her mid-twenties unexpectedly finds love in Napa Valley when she’s assigned to spend a week with a famously reclusive genius.

Kate Corbin has lost her spark. From the outside, her life seems charmed. She has a handsome, long-term boyfriend and a budding journalism career at a popular Chicago newspaper. But in reality, her relationship is going nowhere, and she’s quickly losing motivation for what she once believed was her dream job. When her boyfriend dumps her unceremoniously, Kate loses all hope of finding love.

With no living family and few friends, Kate confides in her boss. Trusting that the hungry, ace reporter is buried somewhere deep inside, he gives Kate the opportunity to jumpstart her career. The assignment: to interview the famously reclusive R.J. Lawson, a wealthy tech genius who disappeared years ago but recently reemerged as a Napa Valley vintner. The week takes an unexpected turn, however, when Lawson refuses to divulge any information. Desperate for a lead, Kate turns to Jamie, a vineyard hand who shows her the romance of wine country—and stirs her aching heart. But his connection to Lawson is ambiguous, and when Jamie disappears before the end of the week, Kate is left to investigate another story: the truth behind the man who stole her heart.

USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino explored love and heartbreak in her beautifully written debut Sweet Thing, and her newest novel does not disappoint. For fans of Colleen Hoover, K.A. Tucker, and Katja Millay, Nowhere But Here is a stirring and satisfying romance that you won’t want to put down.

GOODREADS

Buy links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Nowhere But Here is a book peppered all throughout with beautiful and inspirational messages.

No matter how drama filled this book is and how cheesy some moments get, being able to read and witness Kate’s character blossoming as a person was a wonderful sight. It has a bit of everything thrown in. Life, love, relationships, finding your person and on top of that – being able to find yourself through those experiences, Carlino’s book got you. I laughed and swooned because of Jamie, almost caused me to pull some of my hair out because of Kate and even cringed in some parts of the book because of too much sweetness. Reading Nowhere But Here is such a roller coaster ride.

This book has a great setting and I love how the author wrote about it. Renée Carlino’s description was rich and vibrant, which will make us, readers, feel like being transported to Napa Valley at that specific time frame. It felt like I was right alongside Kate’s character and exploring the place together with them.

Book Review: Reluctantly Royal by Nichole Chase

SYNOPSIS

Maxwell Jameson Trevor, prince of Lilaria, hates his royal role. Despising the limelight, he takes solace in his art studio and steers clear of any drama. But when one of the newly discovered royals passes away, Maxwell’s brother Alex asks him to break the news to the old man’s granddaughter. Though he hates to be the bearer of doom and gloom, he doesn’t want the poor girl to find out from the tabloids. For Maxwell knows all too well how devastating that could be.

Coming from a broken home and modest background, newly ordained Lady Meredith Thysmer has seized her chance to make a better life for herself and her son. She’s not afraid to use her best assets to get what she wants. But when the unpretentious yet devastatingly handsome Max delivers his news, her plans for the future come crashing to a halt. In the challenging days ahead, Max’s compassion, humor, and steadfast loyalty to Meredith and her son win her over. She quickly finds herself doing something she swore would never happen again: falling in love. And yet Maxwell still refuses to completely drop his guard. Somehow Meredith’s got to find a way to seduce this reluctant royal.

GOODREADS

Buy links: Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Reluctantly Royal focuses on the story of Max (sibling to Alex and Cathy from the previous books). I love the fact that Max get to have his own book because it feels like the series has now come to a full circle and readers get the chance to read the stories for each sibling. Plus, Max is a very interesting character. He shies away from the spotlight that comes along with him being a prince. That’s like inevitable when you’re a prince, right? Weird but you’ll surely want to know more about the back story of his character.

I enjoyed Reluctantly Royal as much as the other books of the series. The story is narrated from two POVs (Max and Meredith) which is quite a change considering that the first two books were from the voices of the female lead characters. The narration was quite good but it cannot be helped that their voices goes from very distinct to confusing the hell out of me scale on who’s doing the talking on that specific chapter. But all in all, it’s a good attempt in the dual POV scene and it’s great to hear/read from both of our main characters’ point of view. Reading books in dual POVs, feels like the author entrusted you and given you a head start on something. I appreciate that.

Blog Tour: The Other Brother by Meghan Quinn

THE OTHER BROTHER
By Meghan Quinn

I got the call. The dreaded call every child fears. My dad wasn’t well, and the man who had always been my everything needed me.

There was only one thing to do; pack up and head back to my hometown. I had finally made my dream life in the city with the great job and loving boyfriend. But was there really a choice not to go?

I found a wonderful job, a quaint house to rent, my boyfriend was working on joining me in Binghamton, and my favorite pizza place was only miles away. Life was good.

Until I met my neighbor.

It’s been three years since I’d seen Aaron Walters, and my God is he all kinds of sexy gorgeous. Figures. He was supposed to be my forever, the man I grew old with, but he had different plans. How can a man who ripped my heart apart still trip me up? How can he make me still want him now more than ever?

I’m tempted, I’m drawn toward him, I’m completely and utterly unaware that I’m dating his biological brother.

Now two men own my heart. The question is, which brother will I choose?

GOODREADS

AMAZON US | Print | AU | CA | UK

Why? Why does he have to magically appear in my life? Moving back to Binghamton, I thought about the possibility of maybe running into him, but I thought it unlikely, something that would never really happen.

Boy, was I wrong.

What a sick joke life is playing on me.

Aaron Walters, the boy who broke me into pieces is my neighbor.

I can’t fathom the impact I feel already.

Seeing him in hip-hugging jeans and a tight, plain shirt did a number on me. It kept me up all night as memories of what we used to have flooded my mind.

His voice.

Book Review: Miss Fix It by Emma Hart

MISS FIX IT
BY Emma Hart
Release Day – Oct 31, 2017
Standalone

One handywoman.
One single dad.
One set of twins.
And the wall isn’t the only thing being drilled…

I learned the hard way that being a handywoman isn’t easy. The questions, the stares—the assumption I’m the proud owner of a cock and balls. Not that it matters. I’ve proven over and over that I’m ready for anything the judgmental asses throw at me.

Except the hot, single dad of twins who just moved to town.

Brantley Cooper gets the shock of his life when I show up on his doorstep to fix up his kids’ new rooms. His son is confused why ‘the pretty lady has a drill,’ and his daughter has a new obsession—me.

On paper, my job is easy. Go in, do their bedrooms, and leave.

In theory, I’m spending eight hours a day with a guarded, sexy as hell guy, and I’m staying for dinner more often than I’m eating it alone, on my couch, with Friends re-runs.

I shouldn’t be staying for dinner. I shouldn’t be helping him out with the twins. I shouldn’t be falling in love with tiny toes and dimpled cheeks.

And I most definitely should not be kissing my client.

Oops…

GOODREADS

PURCHASING LINKS:
Amazon US | Amazon UK  | Amazon AU | Amazon CA
iBooks | B&N | Kobo 

Girl power? Oozing with fiery chemistry and just hotness dripping all over it? With irresistible kiddie cuteness? Miss Fix It by Emma Hart is truly bringing in its A-game.

To be honest, Miss Fix It was not even on my radar. Not until I suddenly stumble across it on my Facebook news feed. Its red dominated and wowza book cover got my eyes bulging. But what made me go for it and immediately sign up for the release blitz and blog tour was its synopsis. Just reading the first three lines, “One handywoman. One single dad. One set of twins.”, and I’m an immediate goner over it. 

Book Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Slammed isn’t the type of book wherein readers just witness how the story of the main characters go (fall in love and suddenly there’s a certain hindrance for them to be able to pursue their love for each other). Colleen Hoover and Slammed gives us more than that.

I’ve read and reviewed Slammed over my previous blog a couple of years back already.  Recently, I had the urge to reread it and I did end up doing it. Thus, the appearance of this book review here.

Slammed didn’t just present us the rainbows and unicorn moments in a person’s life but it reminded us about the most inevitable matter in life, death. Everything about this book is realistic and something that all of us can really easily relate to. We are treated with a front row seat of the highs and lows a family could experience. Portrayals of days wherein a person experiences pure bliss and days wherein life just felt the need to pull the rug under our feet. All we can do is learn and suck it all up.