Across the Way Review Post

Across the Way

Amy McClung

 

Blurb

 Love never factored into her agenda, but sometimes fate alters plans.

Marie has her twenties planned out. Her dream to see all fifty states before she turns twenty-five finally comes true. With a two-year trip ahead of her, she says good-bye to her family and her best friend Jayce. Though fearing the trip could change their friendship forever, a pact is formed. They're determined not to let distance impact on their relationship.

Amidst triumph and heartache, new relationships and friendships, Marie soon discovers her journey is so much more than an adventure. Instead, she finally realizes where she truly belongs.

Review

I started reading this book after the author made me curious by saying that there would be something in it that I'd appreciate. I started reading Across the Way around noon and finished it about six pm in the same day. I absolutely loved the characters, they made me laugh, they made me cry, they made me yell out loud at them for being so stupid. I loved the love triangle, and I love the ending.

Marie goes on a trip to visit every state, something I only hope to do sometime in the future, and along the way she finds love. And that is unexpected; she doesn't plan on finding love on her trip. But it doesn't come easily. The tension between the characters at times is so well written and the way it is resolved is fantastic. I have no words about how much I loved this book, besides that the ending made me so excited, because the plot was resolved.

I highly recommend Across the Way, along with all of Amy McClung's books!

Expect the Unexpected Review

Expect the Unexpected

LM Heidle

Blurb

I’d learned early that life was unpredictable. For some that made them stronger, but others it made them weaker. I was somewhere in the middle, teetering on the invisible line. Until I met him, and he shoved me off.
I couldn’t explain why I wanted her. I just knew she’d be mine, regardless of her past and mine. Even when they crossed in a way I couldn’t have predicted, my need for her never wavered.
If you can hold on through the rain you’ll learn some of the best moments in life are . . .  unexpected. 

 

Review (5 Stars)

LM Heidle had emailed me asking me if I'd be interested in reading Expect the Unexpected in exchange for a review. She put a little note about the book in the email and also put the blurb. I knew before even reading the blurb, that it would be something that I would read. I picked it up on New Years and finished it at 1:30 am the next day. I absolutely fell in love with Trayton and Alex, but mainly Trayton. There was suspense waiting to find out more about the characters and what they are hiding, but it was written so well. I loved the mentions of Morgan and Reed from Criminal Minds, as those mentions kind of play a key part in the plot. Expect the Unexpected was a book that kept me wanting more, and staying up until the late hours of the night and continue reading even when I would tell myself only one more chapter. The ending was so well written, and I actually had tears in my eyes. I absolutely loved this book, and can't wait for more from LM Heidle.

Happy New Year

Hey everyone!

Wow! I can't believe that I haven't posted in over 10 months! It's been a busy year, with my second and third semesters of college, changing my major a couple times and transferring from the main campus of my university to an off campus to location to just recently transferring to community college. I haven't read as quite as many books as I wanted to this year, school kept me busy and reading ruts kept dragging me down. But I figured out what I had to do to get out of the ruts, and I've gotten back into reading more. I posted some reviews this year on Amazon, but mostly, when I've read, I haven't posted reviews, mainly because I have read books that I had already read before.

This past June, I got to go to Utopia in Nashville for the second time, and it was even better this year. I wasn't afraid to go up to people and talk to them, having met quite a bit of them the year before when I went for the first time. I also got the chance to go to the Mile High Author Event in Denver, Colorado in September. I dragged my best friend with me, and we both got to meet quite a bit of authors. I finally got the chance to meet Heidi McLaughlin, Jamie McGuire, and Cora Carmack, and I also got to see Rebecca Yarros for the third time, having seen her both times I went to Utopia.

This year, I am hoping to have a lot more time to read and write, hoping to finish at least one of my novels that I've been working on. I hope to get to the point where it is really close to share with the world, and I am thinking of self-publishing. As with reading, I hope to read 120 books, and actually keep track of what I read, I didn't really keep up with that this year, so trying to remember what I had read is extremely difficult.

I don't really do New Years' Resolutions, but this year I'm planning on hanging out more with my family and friends, and also work a lot more on my novel. Doing online classes at the community college will certainly give me a little more time to focus on these things.

Happy New Year! And here's to hoping that it's much better than 2016!

Sincerely,
Catherine

The Lies That Define Us Release Blitz

Title: The Lies That Define Us

Series: Us Series #2 (standalone)

Author: Micalea Smeltzer

Genre: Romantic Suspense

 Release Date: February 9, 2016

Blurb

Ariella Geller is on the run from some very bad people and Liam Wade doesn’t know what he’s running from.

Freedom has been an elusive dream for Ari, but when her chance for escape comes, she takes it. She finds herself in California and forced to accept help from strangers in order to stay off the streets and avoid being found by those she ran from.

Liam Wade is sick of living in the shadow of his famous father. All he wants is to make a name for himself as a professional surfer, but it’s impossible when the media focuses on every other aspect of his life. All he wants is respect, a chance to prove himself, but when it never comes he finds himself running and hiding from the ones who love him the most.

When their paths collide Ari and Liam are forced to confront their demons, and in the process they just might find a reason to stop running.

Add to Goodreads

Purchase Links

US:  http://amzn.to/1W9X8vu
UK:  http://amzn.to/1PLFGNE
B&N:  http://bit.ly/1LdvFTY
Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1PLFEW4
iBooks:  http://apple.co/1onui01

Excerpt

I laid my head against the cool glass of the bus window and watched the rain slick against it. The water beaded against the glass and then slid down in little rivulets that I traced with my finger.

I wouldn’t miss the rain.

I wouldn’t miss anything about Oregon.

That place wasn’t my home. Never had been, and never would be.

With a jolt, the bus roared to life, startling me, but I relaxed a moment later when we pulled out of the station.

Freedom was so close to being mine.

I watched the people on the street as the bus pulled away. I was searching for buzzed brown hair and eerie black eyes, but he wasn’t amongst them.

He didn’t know I’d left yet.

And hopefully, by the time he did, I’d be long gone.

I adjusted my hoodie so my face was hidden from the other people on the bus and wiggled around, settling myself in for the long ride to California.

Unlike the other people on the bus, I didn’t have a cellphone to keep me company. Cellphones were traceable so I’d ditched mine. I couldn’t risk him finding me, because if he had I was certain he’d kill me. He would’ve eventually killed me if I stayed, too. My only option had been to take the risk of running away. I would have rather died on my terms than his, but if everything went according to plan, I’d be free and he’d never find me.

He called me Scarlett, but Scarlett didn’t exist.

Scarlett was a lie.

My name was Ariella, and I was reclaiming my stolen life.

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Author Bio

Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling Young and New Adult author from Winchester, Virginia. She’s always working on her next book, and when she has spare time she loves to read and spend time with her family.

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Top Reads of 2015 ~ Post 6 ~ TOP 5 READS of 2015

Happy New Year! Here it is everyone! The books that made my top 5 list of 2015! Ready to see what books they are? Continue reading below to find out!
There are many reasons why these books made it into the top 5; they were ugly cries that made a difference to me (Bright Side), a continuation of my favorite series and so wonderful (Undeniably Chosen), another ugly cry that I couldn't forget about the first time I read it so I read it again (Taking Chances), a book that really made me think about myself (Is This Me?), and two books of a series that got me to like paranormal (Turn of the Moon and Resisting the Moon).
 

1. Bright Side by Kim Holden

Blurb

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you ...
And some will end you.
Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.
They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you …
And some will end you.

 

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

If you've already read Bright Side, did you know that Gus has his own story? I have yet to read it, but I've heard great things about Gus. I got to meet Kim Holden at UtopYA and got many pictures with her. 

 

2. Undeniably Chosen by Shelly Crane

Blurb

Ava has watched her parents, Caleb and Maggie, live the perfect fairy tale, the perfect love story, played out in front of her eyes her entire life. Her family is love, life, and happiness. The Jacobsons are everything a family should be and Ava is loved and well taken care of. But the one thing that’s missing from her life is the one thing she’s waited for every day, the one thing her kind knows will make them complete, the one thing they thought was gone and lost forever.
Her significant.
Seth has lived with the Watsons his entire life. They’re the only family he knows, but he knows that there are things they keep from him. He knows that they lie and they do unspeakable evil, things from when he was a child that he can barely remember that cling to the edges of his memory. He barely remembers his real mother and all he knows is what he’s told. He doesn’t know what to trust. He wants to believe that the Watsons love and care for him, have his best interest at heart, but isn’t so sure of that anymore when he finally—after a lifetime of waiting for her—meets his soulmate, and the Watson’s first act is to try to take her away from him.
The Virtuoso worlds collide, hearts are exposed, humans are endangered, and the lives of Seth and Ava are changed forever. They’ll have to love without judgment or reservation, they’ll have to be wise and accepting beyond their years, they’ll have to forgive for things before they’ve even happened, they’ll have to trust without seeing, have faith without knowing, and they’ll have to light their own way in the dark when everyone else is blind to show them the way. And more than anything else… they’ll fight like hell to keep each other.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

3. Is This Me? By Tricia Copeland

Blurb

Have you ever chosen a path that led you astray?
Amanda has no trouble choosing a college or picking a major. What she does have a problem with is what she would have least expected, a guy. Smart and sexy, Doug is focused on school responsibilities and post-graduation plans. Their paths intersect and Amanda must accept his help or risk losing her scholarship. Determined to maintain appearances, Amanda begins to lie to family and friends. The ease at which she repeatedly deceives those closest becomes disturbing and leaves her questioning: “Is this me?”
Can Amanda find her way out of her contrived world?

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

Following Is This Me? is If I Could Fly which released in November, I am currently reading this book.

I got to meet Tricia Copeland at UtopYA, but unfortunately, I did not get a picture with her (I can't believe that!).

4. Taking Chances by Molly McAdams

Blurb

Her first year away is turning out to be nearly perfect, but one weekend of giving in to heated passion will change everything.
Eighteen-year-old Harper has grown up under the thumb of her career marine father. Ready to live life her own way and to experience things she's only ever heard of from the jarheads in her father's unit, she's on her way to college at San Diego State University.
Thanks to her new roommate, Harper is introduced to a world of parties, gorgeous guys, family, and emotions. She finds herself being torn in two as she quickly falls in love with both her new boyfriend, Brandon, and her roommate's brother, Chase. Despite their dangerous looks and histories, both men adore Harper and would do anything for her, including taking a step back if it would mean she'd be happy.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

Well, I finally read Stealing Harper as one of my last books of 2015 on 12/30-12/31. Just like when reading Taking Chances, I had tears. I finished Stealing Harper at 1:20 in the morning and even messaged Molly McAdams that I had finally read it and was crying. So I am adding the blurb and cover for Stealing Harper.

Stealing Harper
Blurb
This is Chase's POV from Taking Chances.

Chase Grayson has never been interested in having a relationship that lasts longer than it takes for him and his date to get dressed again. But then he stumbles into a gray-eyed girl whose innocence pours off her, and everything changes. From the minute Harper opens her mouth to let him know just how much he disgusts her, he's hooked.

But a princess deserves a Prince Charming who can make her dreams come true. Not a guy who can turn her life into a nightmare.

All good intentions go out the window when Harper starts to fall for the guy Chase has come to view as a brother. He wanted to protect her by keeping her away, but he can't stand to see her with anyone else, and he'll do anything to make her his. But when it comes down to Harper choosing between the two, will Chase have the strength to step back from the girl who has become his whole world if it means she's happy?

Lines will be crossed. Friendships will be put to the test. And hearts will be shattered.

CAUTION: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ TAKING CHANCES

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

5. Royal Shifters by LP Dover

Turn of the Moon (Book #1) 

Blurb

One girl. Two wolves. Promised to one. Destined for the other.
To escape the cruel, overbearing, Kade, the Yukon Pack alpha she’s been promised to, Bailey Whitehill flees her home in search of a new life, one of freedom where she can make her own choices. However, Kade will stop at nothing to make her his and begins the hunt.
As Bailey starts her new life, everything she’s known to be true, is not. Time is of the essence and choices have to be made or consequences suffered. Not only does Bailey fear Kade, but another danger lurks deep in the recesses of the forest. Unbeknownst to her, that danger is what she’s been searching for all along. At the turn of the moon, her fate hangs in the balance . . . and it’s up to her to make the right choice.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

Resisting the Moon (Book #2)

Blurb

The past was pain.
The present unclear.
For Tyla Rand, her future couldn’t be bleaker. Death follows her everywhere, especially to those she loves. Being a member of the royal pack, she believes her time of happiness will come. That is, until wolves from her old pack show up missing. Her mission is to find them, but she won’t be going alone.
Sebastian Lyall, a true born royal and the one man Tyla loathes, has offered to help in her quest. Their journey not only brings out their true desires, but attracts the attention of another, someone from Tyla’s past. However, nothing is as it seems. Death is not done with her and now he wants her to pay. He won’t be satisfied until he’s taken everything away . . . including those she loves.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

There you go! All of my top reads in 2015 in 6 posts. Here is the banner I made with almost all of the covers on it.

 

Top Reads of 2015 ~ Post 5

Today's top reads are 5 books by one very talented author. Micalea Smeltzer. I wanted to dedicate one of these blog posts to just her books, as the entire Willow Creek series and The Road That Leads to Us all released in 2015. So here are the blurbs and links for all of these wonderful books. I'm not going to put reviews down for all of these books, I have so little energy and time to do so right now (I'm putting this together at 10:30 pm on 12/30), but just know that all these books made it on to my top books of the year for the very reason that they are so amazing and great.

Last to Know

Blurb

He was just a boy.
And I was just a girl.
But if that’s all there was to the story it wouldn’t be very interesting, would it?
Up and coming band Willow Creek is back in their hometown for the summer. For the drummer, Maddox Wade, this summer was meant for writing music and playing gigs.
Falling in love was not part of the plan.
One look at Emma Burke and those plans cease to matter.
Emma is quiet and guarded. She’s still hurt from her father walking out two years ago. She doesn’t want to trust Maddox, but with his dark hair, smoldering good looks, and infectious smile he’s impossible to resist.
Together Maddox and Emma embark on an unforgettable summer of adventures and first love.
Everything is perfect…or so Emma thinks.
There are things she doesn’t know, and when she finds out the truth it might shatter everything she’s built with Maddox.
No one said love was easy, and for Maddox and Emma it just might be impossible.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

Never Too Late

Blurb

I’d never met anyone quite like Mathias Wade.
He was brooding and arrogant, but I loved him anyway.
Together we were wild and uncontained—a hurricane raging.
Then I had to leave, and words were exchanged that could never be undone.
But now I was back, and Mathias better watch out, because this bitch wasn’t finished with him.
Game. Set. Match.
All is fair in love and war, right?
Mathias Wade, the lead singer of Willow Creek, is used to getting everything he wants. Except for Remy Parker—the one that got away. Childhood friends that grew into more, Remy was the one constant in his life until she moved away. In anger, he lashed out and broke the only girl he ever loved. With temptation around every corner Mathias drowns his sorrow in women and alcohol. When the band returns to their hometown for the holidays the last thing Mathias expects is to run into Remy—but she’s back, and she’s not done with him.
Remy never forgot Mathias or the pain he caused her. When she moves back to the place she grew up to take care of her ailing grandma her heart is set on revenge. She’s determined to make Mathias fall in love with her all over again—only this time she’s going to break his heart.
But Mathias never stopped loving Remy—and she soon discovers that her feelings haven’t disappeared either.
Can two people too stubborn for their own good overcome their own demons and find the love they always deserved?

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

In Your Heart

Blurb

I thought I had found love.
I thought I had found my forever.
I’d never been more wrong in all my life.
Sadie Westbrook’s seemingly perfect life comes to a screeching halt when she catches her fiancé in bed with another woman. Suddenly, everything she believed in is tested and there’s only one person she can turn to—the guy who has been by her side ever since their best friend’s fell in love and became inseparable.
Ezra Collins—the bassist for the band Willow Creek—has only ever had one weakness, and her name is Sadie. When he receives a frantic call he rushes to her aid, helping to pick up the pieces of her crumbling life—even if that means letting Sadie live with him.
The close proximity tests the limits of their friendship and as the lines between friends and lovers blur they’ll have to decide if falling in love with your best friend is worth the risk of losing them.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

Take a Chance

Blurb

I had life all figured out.
Married with a baby on the way I stupidly believed that things were perfect.
But then the good guy I fell in love with turned out to not be as good as I thought.
I was left alone to pick up the pieces of my life and provide for my daughter.
And then I met him.
Hayes.
The bad boy that just might not be so bad.
Three years after her husband walked out on her Arden James is struggling to make ends meet as a single mom. Despite it all, she knows she’s better off with her ex out of the picture, and so is her daughter.
Josh Hayes—player, jokester, and very naughty boy—is the guitar player for the band Willow Creek. He’s used to living the fast life, but suddenly it doesn’t appeal to him anymore, and he has his sights set on the fiery Arden.
Despite their undeniable chemistry, Arden isn’t sure she wants to invite a man into her life that has never been in a committed relationship before. But Hayes is determined to prove to her that there’s more to him than meets the eye. He just needs Arden to take a chance.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads

The Road That Leads to Us

Blurb

Things are about to get rocky for Dean Wentworth and Willow Wade.
Willow Wade is used to living in the spotlight, with her father a famous drummer in the band Willow Creek—her namesake—it’s been a lot to live up to and oftentimes she doesn’t feel she’s enough. But there has always been one person she could turn to.
Dean Wentworth knows a thing or two about how crippling a name can be. His family is worth billions after all. But Dean’s always been content to do his own thing. Play his guitar. Work on cars. And geek out to his various “nerdoms”.
But when Willow turns up unexpectedly, he realizes maybe there is more in life he wants.
Her.
One trip will change their lives forever.

Links: Amazon ~ Goodreads