Sunday Post #19 - Happy Fathers Day

The Sunday Post was created by Caffeniated Book Reviewer this is a post where we recap on the going on's on the blog the week previous and the week coming up as well as the awesome books we have received, bought or been gifted for review!

Happy fathers day to all you dad's out there. I spent yesterday with my dad and sister, we went for lunch and give him his presents. I know everyone says this but he really is the best dad in the world.

This is a picture of me and my dad when I was 2 years old in 1990. 

It's the first day of summer...

It is also officially the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. The sun is trying to make its way here in the UK we had some nice weather a few weeks back but now we are back to dull sky's and rain. I don't have a break from work for another 3 weeks so am hoping the weather picks up around then.

Addicted to yet another series....

If you follow my blog you will know I tend to get sucked into book series and don't do nothing else except devour the series. Earlier in the month it was the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. This week it's This Man series by Jodi Ellen Malpas. It's an adult book with a lot of sex in it, am actually shocked by how much. If you like E.L. James or Sylvia Day you will like this. For a change its set in the UK and not the U.S. To be honest the writing isn't great, there's maybe too much sex and some of it is like what is happening but it's HIGHLY ADDICTIVE. 

Did you see the new cover....

For Inferno by Catherine Doyle, this is the second book in the Blood For Blood series. The first book Vendetta released earlier in the year and I loved it. You can check out my review here. No pub date for the book or synopsis has been released as yet.

What do you think?

I love it and am so happy it will go with Vendetta.

This week on the blog there was..

a review of Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead

a release day post and giveaway for Scorched by Jennifer L Armentrout

and...

a blog tour stop for You Can't Get Blood Out Of A Shag Carpet & Dancing to an Irish Reel

Coming this week.....

a review of Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

a review of This Man (This Man #1) by Jodi Ellen Malpas

a book blitz, a blog tour stop, some mini DNF reviews, WOW post and a one week to go kick off post for my U.S. Virtual Road Trip Event.

NOTE: I still have some spaces needed filled for the event it would involve you answering some questions about your state for a blog post on my blog. You would be our guided tour though your state. If you are from the following states and would like to help send me an email here

States free: Hawaii/ Maine/ Minnesota/ Mississippi/ Montana/ Nevada/ New Mexico/ North Dakota/ Rhode Island/ South Carolina/ South Dakota/ Vermont/ Wyoming

Now to my favourite part of my Sunday Post well after showing you the awesome books I got, that is songs I discovered that I love.

I love Olly Murs and I really love his new song Beautiful To Me. The video is awesome too it always makes me smile watching it.

Lost Frequencies- Are You With Me... this video is strange but I love the song.

I have a love, hate relationship with Rita Ora. She annoys the hell out of me but I cant help loving this song and I really like the music video.

Another person I have a love hate relationship with, Flo Rida but again I really like this song. Robin Thicke also features on it.

Now to the books....

Kindle freebies ( please check before you buy that these are still free)

Received for review

The List is for a blog tour in July (ebook) and Veils and Vengeance is for review. I read the first book in series earlier in the year and loved it. You can check out my review here (EBook)

I received a paperback of the new edition of The Princess Diaries for review. I love the new covers (Macmillan)

Brought Paperbacks:

My sister brought me Grey. It had to be done.

How was your week? Let me know in the comments below.

Dancing To An Irish Reel Blog Tour- Excerpt & #Giveaway

Excerpt

There’s an energy that hangs between strangers even in a crowd. Call it interest, or attraction, or the knowledge of things to come. It is awareness, and I was aware to the exclusion of all activity around me that Liam Hennessey was watching me. He was sitting at the corner of the bar by himself, and because I could feel his gaze upon me like an electrical current, I froze. I did not move an inch because I sensed I didn’t have to, that something would come about with little prompting from me. I don’t know how I knew this, but I was right, it came about within the hour. It began as a series of introductions to people near Liam, and drew itself closer until Liam was introduced to me.

Right before Leigh left, claiming she had to get up early the next day to drive to Cork, Kieran pointed out that the Irish traditional musicians playing in the corner were the father and older brother of the lad sitting at the end of the bar. 

“That’s Liam Hennessey at the bar there,” Kieran gestured to my right. “He’s the best box player in Connemara – even in the whole of Ireland, many say. His family is long in Connemara; they’re all players, so. That’s Sean Liam, his da, and his brother Anthony there on the guitar.” Kieran seemed proud to know the facts. He next took my arm and led me straight to Liam.

“I’ve the pleasure of knowing this American here, her name is Hailey,” Kieran announced to Liam.

I had an uneasy feeling. It’s one thing to suspect you’ll cross paths with someone again, and quite another to be fully prepared when it actually happens. For some unknown reason, I kept thinking it was strange to see Liam this far out in the country from Galway, but then again, what did I know? I didn’t know anything about him.

Liam looked at me with large dark eyes and smiled brightly. He was different than I had imagined: he was friendlier, more candid. I assumed because he looked so dark and mysterious, there would be a personality to match. I assumed he would be reserved, aloof, perhaps arrogant in an artistic sort of way. I was paying close attention, and there was none of that about Liam. In seconds, I realized he was a nice guy. I moved a step to my right as an older man approached the bar.

“Would ye give us a hand there,” the man said to Liam, and for the next few minutes, Liam handed pints over his head to a group of men too far from the bar’s edge to grab the glasses themselves. Just then, Kieran said something that set off a chain of events and put the rest of the night in motion.

“Liam, will you watch Hailey for me, I’m off to join the sessiun.” With that, Kieran produced a harmonica from his shirt pocket and walked off to join the musicians in the corner.

I stood at the bar and waited for the next thing to happen. The world seemed to operate in slow motion. All the noise in the room subsided, and the only thing I knew was I was looking directly at Liam Hennessey. I searched his face for imperfections. I had never before seen such beauty in the face of a man. I hoped my thoughts didn’t show on my face. He was so good looking, I wondered why other people in the room weren’t staring at him, then I realized most of Hughes’ patrons knew him and were probably used to the way he looked. I was reticent, unsure of how to speak to Liam, unfamiliar with how provincial he may or may not have been. Words tend to get in the way in moments like this, but they lay in wait just the same.

Dancing to an Irish Reel by Claire Fullerton
Publication date: March 6th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Synopsis:

On sabbatical from her job in the LA record business, twenty five year old Hailey Crossan takes a trip to Ireland for the vacation of a lifetime. What she finds is a job offer too good to turn down.
But her new life in Ireland comes with one major complication—Liam Hennessey. He’s a famous Irish musician whose entire live has revolved around performing. And Hailey falls in love with him. Because Liam’s not so sure love can fit into his life, he’s afraid to come closer, but neither can he bring himself to go away.
And so begins Hailey’s journey to a colorful land that changes her life, unites her with friends more colorful than the Irish landscape, and teaches her more about love than she’s ever known before.

Goodreads/ Amazon / B & N 

AUTHOR BIO:

Claire Fullerton is the author of Paranormal Mystery, “A Portal in Time,” set in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (Vinspire Publishing) and “Dancing to an Irish Reel,” Fiction, set in Connemara, Ireland, (Vinspire Publishing.) She is a three time award winning essayist, a former newspaper columnist, a contributor to magazines, and a four time contributor to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series. Claire hails from Memphis,TN and now lives in Malibu, CA. Currently, Claire is writing her third novel, which is based on her award winning essay in the 2013 San Francisco Writer’s Conference.

Website / Facebook/ Twitter

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You Can't Get Blood Out Of A Shag Carpet Blog Tour: Guest Post & #Giveaway

Guest post

Megan was kind enough to ask me to provide a guest post today for the tour of my first cozy mystery, You Can’t Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet. The entire “Study Club” mystery series involves a group of secondary characters from the third volume of The Lockwood Legacy, Alice’s Portrait, brought to life with 1960s-era psychedelic flair.

Basically, Clara Wyler, Mae Ella Gormley, Sugar Watson, and Wilma Schneider weren’t content to be cast in supporting roles. With their big Texas bouffants and deep small town roots, they wanted to step out on the stage and bring the 1960s back to life.

As some of you may know, I’m really the combined voice of two writers. My team, Rana and Patti, laughed their way through this whole book. Frankly, it’s a miracle they got any work done at all! They spent way too much time giggling over old TV commercials on YouTube, and there was an epic “discussion” over the merits of the pink Dippity-Do over the green that really should have been captured on film.

What came out of all that loving nostalgia is a book filled with good-natured irreverence, hosed down with Aqua Net hairspray, and topped off with a tidy little murder -- all under the light of an orange lava lamp in the window of Sugar’s Style and Spray, the local salon.

When any writer can work from a place of pure joy, the story flows out in an almost magical way. This one made it onto the page like a great big happy Tupperware party! There’s really nothing more required of the reader than to sit down and share the experience and have fun!

So far, my favorite review of this book began with these words: “No one is quite sure what the ladies in the Study Club study, but I'll tell you one thing: I sure want to be a member of the club.”

The dedication of the book is a Groucho Marx quote, “I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.”

Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I want to belong to the Study Club, too. But in lieu of an invitation, I’ll just keeping throwing juicy little mysteries in front of the girls and bring you all along for the ride.

(And by the way, you really can’t get blood out of shag carpet. It’s just impossible.)

About the Book:

Wanda Jean Milton discovers her husband, local exterminator Hilton Milton, dead on her new shag carpet with an Old Hickory carving knife sticking out of his chest. Beside herself over how she’ll remove the stain, and grief-stricken over Hilton’s demise, Wanda Jean finds herself the prime suspect in the case. But she is also a member of “the” local Study Club, a bastion of independent Texas feminism 1960s style. Club President Clara Wyler has no intention of allowing a member to be a murder suspect during her administration. Aided by her younger sister and County Clerk, Mae Ella Gormley; Sugar Watson, the proprietress of Sugar’s Style and Spray; and Wilma Schneider, Army MASH veteran and local RN, the Club women set out to clear Wanda Jean’s name — never guessing the local dirt they’ll uncover in the process.

About the author:

Juliette Harper is the pen name used by the writing team of Patricia Pauletti and Rana K. Williamson. You Can’t Get Blood Out of Shag Carpet is the first installment of Harper’s debut cozy Study Club Mysteries, an hilariously funny look at the often absurd eccentricities of small town life. The second book, to be released in coming months, is called You Can’t Put a Corpse in a Parade.

The droll series, set in the 1960s, is a lighthearted spinoff of Harper’s Lockwood Legacy a nine-book chronicle of the lives of three sisters who inherit a ranch in Central Texas following their father’s suicide. Three of the novels are currently available: Langston’s Daughters, Baxter’s Draw, and Alice’s Portrait. The fourth book, Mandy’s Father, will appear in Summer 2015.

And don’t miss Harper’s first foray into the world of the supernatural, Descendants of the Rose, Book 1 in the Selby Jensen Paranormal Mystery series. The second Selby Jensen book, Lost in Room 636is also scheduled for a Summer 2015 release.

Pauletti, an Easterner of Italian descent, is an accomplished musician with an eye for art and design. Williamson, a Texan, worked as a journalist and university history instructor before becoming a full-time freelance writer in 2002.

Website | Twitter (@jharperbooks) | Facebook

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Scorched by Jennifer L Armentrout Release Day- #Excerpt & #Giveaway

Today is the release of Scorched by Jennifer L Armentrout. I have an excerpt for you all and a giveaway. Enjoy!

SCORCHED Excerpt 

Tanner

              Aw, shit.

              I watched Andrea walk into the living room, the normal twitch of her hips absent. No one swayed ass like Andrea, and seeing it gone from her step was answer enough. Our normal whatever-the-fuck-it-was between us had gone further than I intended. No doubt what I’d said had cut her, but shit, it was no different than any other day.

              My hand tightened on the neck of the bottle. For the life of me, I had no idea what the hell Andrea Walters’s problem was. Honestly. No fucking clue. One minute, sweet and sugary words parted those pouty pink lips of hers. Next second, she was a fire-breathing dragon from hell—a hot, fire-breathing dragon, but still. Her moods flipped more quickly than cups did during a game of flip cup.

              Maybe it was because she was a redhead?

              I smirked.

              She’d always been this way with me, and the most fucked-up think about it, there was a part of me that actually looked forward to whatever was going to come out of her mouth. Twisted as fuck. It was like a game between us, to see who could hit the hardest without lifting a finger. If nothing else, it was damn entertaining—or at least, it had been until now. Now, I wasn’t too sure about it.

              Those pretty doe eyes of hers had looked suspiciously damp right before she’d looked away, and yeah…that didn’t sit right with me.

              Kyler shot me a look as he walked past me and grabbed a beer out of the fridge, but I watched Andrea sit on the edge of the couch, her posture unnaturally rigid.

              Sydney leaned against the arm. “We’re thinking about leaving early in the morning, around six.”

              My gaze flicked to Andrea, expecting her to make some kind of crack about not getting up that early, but she was abnormally quiet. My spine stiffened.

              “That should put us at the cabin between nine and ten in the morning, depending on traffic.” Kyler stood beside me as he screwed off the cap. “Then we’ll be heading back the following Monday.”

              “Sounds good to me.” I didn’t take my eyes off Andrea as she fiddled with a strap on her sandals, slipping them onto her feet.

              Sydney glanced at me, smiling softly. “You’re definitely off from the fire department?”

              I nodded. Kyler had mentioned weeks ago about wanting to hit up the cabin before everyone headed back to class, and I’d requested the time off then. Which had meant I’d pulled a lot of doubles, but I hadn’t minded it. Wasn’t too different from the twelve-hour shifts we worked in the first place, and I’d only be there until February of next year, and then I was off to the academy. Not that I was in any hurry to leave the fire department, but being a cop was in my blood. Except I wanted to be a good cop. I’d probably still volunteer at the fire hall once I knew what kind of schedule I was looking at on the force.

              “It makes sense if we drive up together.” Sydney toyed with a strand of her hair. “Kyler and I can pick you two up.”

              Andrea had twisted toward Sydney and started to protest the whole idea of taking one car. I zoned out, staring at her as the bottle of beer dangled from the tips of my fingers.

              Damn…she was a cute girl. Nah, she was more than cute, and it wasn’t like this was the first time I’d noticed that. From the first time I’d seen her at the bar with Sydney, she’d done more than just poke my interest. Hell, anyone with eyes knew she was a very pretty girl. Lush lips. Freckled cheeks and thick, dark eyelashes. Come to think of it, she reminded me of a girl I’d had a crush on in middle school. Hell, couldn’t remember that chick’s name, but she’d had freckles and red hair. I think I used to pull on her braids or some annoying shit like that. My lips tipped up in a small grin as I lifted the bottle to my mouth. Andrea was a motherfucking firecracker, though, not the kind of girl who was easily tamed.

              Hell, not the kind of girl you even wanted to tame.

Amazon Paperback ** Amazon Kindle ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks

Blurb

Sometimes life leaves a mark…

Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…

Praise for SCORCHED:

“Armentrout’s latest new adult offering tackles substance abuse and mental illness — and, thankfully, the love of a good man is not going to be what heals this heroine.” – RT Book Reviews

And don’t miss the first standalone book in the series…

FRIGID

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

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#Review Shadow Kiss ( Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead

Book: Shadow Kiss

Series: Vampire Academy #3

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Penguin

Bought Paperback

Rating:✪✪✪✪✪ 

Goodreads * Book Depository Affiliate Link
Vampire Academy #1 Review / Frostbite ( Vampire Academy #2) Review

Blurb:

Rose Hathaway knows it is forbidden to love another guardian.  Her best friend, Lissa – the last Dragomir princess – must always come first.  Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, somerules are meant to be broken . . . 

But since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling right.  Something dark has begun to grow in her mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates.  And now that Lissa and Rose's sworn enemy, Victor Dashkov, is on trial for his freedom, tensions in the Moroi world are higher than ever.

Lying to Lissa about Dimitri is one thing, but suddenly there's way more than friendship at stake.  The immortal undead are on the prowl, and they want vengeance for the lives that Rose has stolen.  In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most . . . but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

Review

So this series is getting AMAZING. Vampire Academy, book one was great, a solid start to a series. Book two, Frostbite, OMG how can a series get any better. Well guys it can. I loved Shadow Kiss so, so much. I wanted to give it 10/5 stars, it was that good. 

The story line in Shadow Kiss was action packed. We have Rose and her Dhampir friends taking their Guardian exams, you have romance with Rose and Dimitri and Christian and Lissa, throw in Adrian and the drama unfolds. You have Strigoi attacks left , right and centre and you have an ending that made me cry, want to scream and throw the book at the wall. So yeah there was plenty going on.

Rose just gets more kick ass in this book. I love so much that Rose isn't a damsel in distress, she's beautiful, strong, stubborn and could kick anyone's ass. She's everything you want in a strong female lead. Dimitri and Rose in Shadow Kiss, OMG. I just love these guys interaction. 

I went though so many emotions in this book. I screamed, I was shocked, I cried, I cheered and just felt all the emotions, which I loved. This series just gets better and better and Richelle Mead is shooting up my list of amazing authors. This series is a must read for PNR fans 

#Discussion : I want all the youtubers books!

My main passion is books but I have many other passions, one of which is youtube. Well maybe it's more of an addiction. I have watched youtube for the last 8-9 years and each month I am finding more YouTubers who I fall in love with. In the last year I have started watching a lot of British youtubers and these youtubers just happen to have book deals. Below are some of my favourite youtubers books.

Zoe Sugg AKA Zoella- Girl Online

Zone released her debut novel, Girl Online, last year and I loves it. You can check out my review here . The second book releases this October and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Alfie Deyes

Aflie has so far released two "books", The Pointless Book #1 and The Pointless Book #2. These are fun activity type books that are basically pointless but so much fun. You can check out my review here it The Pointless Book #1.

Tanya Burr

Tanya released her book earlier this year and its part about her life growing up, beauty tips, recipes and is just Tanya in a book.

These are a few of my faves, there are many others out there. 

Do you love YouTubers books? Who's have you picked up?

#Review Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby

Book: The Things We Know By Heart

Author: Jessi Kirby

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 291

Bought Hardcopy

Goodreads | Book Depository Affiliate Link

Rating:✪✪✪✪✪

Blurb

When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all. 

Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

Review

Things We Know By Heart was my first Jessi Kirby book and also my most anticipated book of the year. And I have to say it lived up to my expectations. This is the second book I have read this year involving heart transplants. The other book was What Remains by Helene Dunbar

Things We Know By Heart was such an emotional read. Quinn loses her boyfriend in a car accident and she's utterly devastated. Jessi brought Quinn's emotions to life and I felt all that Quinn was feeling right along with her. 

The Story opens 400 days after Quinn loses Trent and we see she's still not healing, she is getting on with the motions of everyday things but she's really not "there". When Trent passed, his organs where donated and Quinn, though Life Alliance Donar Family Services Program has made contact with all the recipients except the person who received Trent's heart. Quinn thinks if she can find the donar of Trent's heart then maybe she can move on thus starts her journey of discovery, recovery and hopefully moving on.

Things We Know By Heart was predictable in the aspect of Quinn finding the donar of the heart, Colton and you can probably guess what happens. But even though it's predictable, I didn't mind as it felt very natural at the same time.

The thing I loved about the book was Quinn's journey. As she starts to try to live her life again she resists and feels guilty for having a life when Trent doesn't. I loved how Jessi made me feel like I was living the journey with Quinn. Her voice was fantastic. I also loved that Quinn had a supportive network and that her family really tried to help her and understand her. Quinn's journey will stay with me for a long time to come.

The same can be said for Colton as he goes on his own journey, he is such an upbeat guy but underneath he is very complex and I just fell in love with him. Colton's journey was as fantastic as Quinn's but I connected more to Quinn's. 

Overall I thought Things We Know By Heart was fantastic. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes contemporary reads, journey stories, second chance stories and books that make you go though every emotion. I will definitely be picking up more of Jessi's books.