Thursday, January 31, 2019

Cover Reveal - The Last Post by Renee Carlino

A brand new evocative and poignant standalone from USA TODAY Bestseller Renee Carlino releasing on AUGUST 20th, 2019!

   

In this evocative and poignant novel from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Blind Kiss and Wish You Were Here, a young widow in the midst of grieving her late husband through Facebook posts learns to heal and fall in love again. 

“See you on the other side.” 

Laya Marston’s husband, Cameron, a daredevil enthusiast, always said this before heading off on his next adventure. He was the complete opposite of her, ready and willing to dive off a cliff-face, or parachute across a canyon—and Laya loved him for it. But she was different: pragmatic, regimented, devoted to her career and to supporting Cameron from the sidelines of his death-defying feats. 

Opposites attract, right? 

But when Cameron dies suddenly and tragically, all the stages of grief go out the window. Laya becomes lost in denial, living in the delusion that Cameron will come back to her. She begins posting on his Facebook page, reminiscing about their life together, and imagining new adventures for the two of them. 

Micah Evans, a young and handsome architect at Laya’s father’s firm, is also stuck––paralyzed by the banal details of his career, his friendships, and his love life. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for, only that there is someone out there who can bring energy and spirit to the humdrum of his life. 

When Micah discovers Laya’s tragic and bizarre Facebook posts, he’s determined to show Laya her life is still worth living. Leaving her anonymous gifts and notes, trying to recreate the sense of adventure she once shared with her late husband, Micah finds a new passion watching Laya come out of the darkness. And Laya finds a new joy in the experiences Micah has created for her. 

But for Laya, letting another man in still feels like a betrayal to her late husband. Even though Micah may be everything she could wish for, she wonders if she deserves to find happiness again. 

Written with Renée Carlino’s signature “tender and satisfying” (Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Maybe in Another Life) prose, this warm and compassionate novel shows us how powerful the courage to love and live again truly is.

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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 TWITTER INSTAGRAM

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros - Excerpt Reveal

 

The right words can save your life.

For fans of Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult... A soldier falls in love with his battle buddy’s sister through their letters and returns home from Afghanistan with a secret that could destroy their fragile relationship. Don’t miss THE LAST LETTER by Rebecca Yarros! Pre-order your copy today!

 
About THE LAST LETTER (Coming 2/26/2019):

Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the “last-letter” drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there were any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: Get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan

 

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"I cannot imagine a world without this story." – Hypable

 

"A stunning, emotional romance." - Jill Shalvis, NYT Bestselling Author

      Excerpt: 

“I’m not going anywhere. You need anything, and it’s yours. You need help? You’ve got it.” 

She let loose a mocking laugh as she descended the steps. 

“I don’t want or need you here, Mr.…” She opened the door to her SUV and pulled out a paper. “Mr. Gentry.” 

“Beckett,” I answered, desperate to hear her say it. My real name. 

“Okay, Mr. Gentry. Enjoy your vacation and then head home, because like I said, I’m not in need of a babysitter or anyone’s charity. I’ve been taking care of myself since Ryan ran off and joined the army after our parents died.” 

I wanted to grab her, to hold her against my chest and block anything that wanted to harm her. My hands ached to sweep down the line of her back, to take away any of her suffering that she’d let me. I’d known this would be hard, but seeing her wasn’t anything I could have prepared myself for. 

“It doesn’t matter if you want me, because I’m not here on your wishes. I’m here on Mac’s. This is all he asked of me, so unless you’re going to kick me off your property, I’m going to keep the promise I made.” 

Her eyes narrowed. “Okay. Anything I need?” 

“Anything.” 

“When Ryan died—” 

No. Anything but this. 

“—he was on an op, right?” 

Could she see the blood drain from my face? Because I sure as hell felt it. I heard the rotors. Saw the blood. Reached for his hand as it limply fell off the stretcher. 

“Yes. It’s classified.” 

Her hand gripped the open doorframe. 

“So I’ve heard. I need…” She sighed, looking everywhere but at me for a second before straightening her shoulders and meeting my eyes. “I need to know what happened to Chaos. Was he there? When Ryan died? You were in the same unit, right?” Her throat moved as she swallowed, and her eyes took on a desperate plea. 

Damn it. She deserved to know everything. That I wasn’t the man I wanted to be, that she needed. That I was the piece of shit who made it back with a beating heart while her brother came home draped in a flag. I needed her to know that I’d chosen to stop answering her letters because I knew that the only thing I could bring her in this life would be more pain. 

I needed her to know that it was only Ryan’s letter that got me here, and the knowledge that it was the least I could do for my best friend. That I never meant to hurt her, never had the intention of smashing into her life like the wrecking ball I was—not when she lived under such breakable glass. 

“Well? Was he?” 

But what I needed didn’t matter. 

I’ve never been able to give second chances when it comes to hurting the people I love. Letter number six. 

If I told her those things, she’d shut me out, and I would fail Mac for a second time. I could tell myself that it was her choice, but really, it would be mine. I was the guy people looked for an excuse to get rid of, and truth was a gift-wrapped reason to kick me to the curb. There were two distinct paths ahead of me: the first, where I told her who I was and what had happened, and she promptly walked out of my life, and the second…where I did everything I could to help her, no matter what the cost. 

Path number two it is. 

“He was there,” I answered honestly. 

Her lower lip trembled, and she bit onto it, like any sign of weakness had to be quashed. “And? What happened?” 

“That’s classified.” I was a bastard, but an honest one. 

“Classified. You’re all the same, you know that? Loyal as anything to one another and nothing left for anyone else. Just tell me if he’s dead. I deserve to know.” 

“Knowing what happened to Mac…to Chaos…none of that would do you any good. It would hurt a hell of a lot more than it already does. Trust me.” 

She scoffed, shaking her head as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. When she looked back up, the fake smile was in place, and those blue eyes had gone glacial. 

“Welcome to Telluride, Mr. Gentry. I hope you enjoy your stay.” 

She climbed into the SUV and slammed the door, throwing the vehicle into reverse to get out of the drive. 

I watched until she disappeared into the thick forest of trees. 

Havoc brushed against my leg. I looked down at her, and she stared back up at me, no doubt knowing that I was an imbecile for what I’d just let happen. 

“Yeah, that didn’t go so well.” I looked up at the cloudless Colorado sky. “We did a number on her, Mac. So if you’ve got any pointers on how to win over your sister, I’m all ears.” 

I opened the tailgate of my truck and started to unload my stuff. 

It might be temporary, but I was here for as long as Ella would let me stay. Because somewhere between letter number one and letter number twenty-four, I’d fallen in love with her. Fallen for her words, her strength, her insight and kindness, her grace under impossible circumstances, her love for her children, and her determination to stand on her own. I could list a thousand reasons that woman owned whatever heart I had. 

But none of them mattered because, even though she was the woman I loved, to her, I was just a stranger. An unwelcome one at that. 

Which was more than I deserved.

 

"This story gripped me from start to finish. The Last Letter is poignant, heartfelt and utterly consuming. I loved it!" - Mia Sheridan, NYT Bestselling Author

 

"Hands down, the best book I've read all year." - Fic Wishes

 
About Rebecca Yarros: Rebecca Yarros is a hopeless romantic and lover of all things chocolate, coffee, and Paleo. In addition to being a mom, military wife, and blogger, she can never choose between Young Adult and New Adult fiction, so she writes both. She's a graduate of Troy University, where she studied European history and English, but still holds out hope for an acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Her blog, The Only Girl Among Boys, has been voted the Top Military Mom Blog the last two years, and celebrates the complex issues surrounding the military life she adores. When she's not writing, she's tying on hockey skates for her kids, or sneaking in some guitar time. She is madly in love with her army-aviator husband of eleven years, and they're currently stationed in Upstate NY with their gaggle of rambunctious kiddos and snoring English Bulldog, but she would always rather be home in Colorado.

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The Meaning of It All - My Review of Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

  

Would you dare to defy destiny? Are our destinies written in stone? Do we become nothing more than the self-fulfilling prophesies of other people's opinions? Or can we dare to become who we believe we were born to be?

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love” (Wendy Higgins), ONLY A BREATH APART is a young adult contemporary novel from critically acclaimed Katie McGarry. “Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful” (Tammara Webber), ONLY A BREATH APART is now available!

 

About ONLY A BREATH APART:

They say your destiny is carved in stone. But some destinies are meant to be broken.

The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.

A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…


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Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series


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~SCARLETT~ A scraping of a chair, a tray full of food and I glance over with my practiced smile in welcome. It’s not Camila, Evangeline, or anyone else from the group. It’s green eyes, red hair, a familiar mischievous smile that used to be reserved only for me, and my blood pounds with excitement as if someone lit a sparkler in my chest. Then I frown because I’m not supposed to feel this way. Not with him. Not with anyone. 

Jesse Lachlin winks at me as he sits across from me like no time has passed from when we climbed trees together. “What’s up, Tink?” 

Another thrill runs through me but then my muscles tighten. Stupid, antiquated reaction belonging to a dead past. “What are you doing here?” 

Jesse pops a fry into his mouth, chews, then picks up another as if he has no intention of answering. I scan the cafeteria. Several people are watching us, curious as to why Jesse Lachlin is sitting with me, or is event at lunch, or even at school. 

From the lunch line, Camila’s and Evangeline’s eyes are bugging out of their heads. 

What is going on? Camila mouths. 

I raise my eyebrows to inform her I have no idea. Jesse digs into his corn with his fork and that’s crossing a line. “Maybe you didn’t hear me, but I asked what you’re doing here.” 

He lifts his eyes to meet mine and there’s a glimmer in them that causes my lips to flatten. Fantastic. He’s here to make my life a living hell. 

“It seems obvious,” he says. 

If he remembers anything about me, he should recall I was never known for my patience and that he should be speaking, and speaking soon. “Just answer the question.” 

“I’m eating lunch.” 

I honest to God groan in frustration. “There’s no room at the inn.” 

He surveys the table, takes in the empty seats, my books, and then gives me a good look. A slow look. As if he’s trying to memorize every inch he’s drinking in. My cheeks redden because that somehow feels a little too intimate for lunch. Feels a little too intimate for someone I’m no longer friends with. It feels too intimate if we were friends. 

I glance away, but I sense him still staring at me. God help me, I want to stare back.   


  



 


Katie McGarry Bio: Katie is the author of the PUSHING THE LIMITS series, THUNDER ROAD series, SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, and the upcoming YA novel, ONLY A BREATH APART. Her novels have received starred reviews, critical acclaim and have won multiple awards including being a multiple Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for YA Fiction, multiple RT Magazine's Reviewer's Choice Award Finalist for Best YA Fiction, including a win in the category, and she was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick.      

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Only a Breath Apart was, to me, a little bit of a departure from your typical Katie McGarry novel. It will never be said that Ms. McGarry doesn't deliver an amazing YA story, and for someone who has never read any of her previous books, they won't even notice, but while I was entertained, I felt there was a bit of something missing.

Scarlett and Jesse are great characters and their friendship/relationship is a great back and forth friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers type thing. Even though there are plenty of other characters in the book, Scarlett and Jesse feel very isolated. I missed the sense of family/community that I'm used to getting in McGarry's stories. Her secondary characters usually hold more prominent roles and it has dramatically changed the feel of this story. Jesse and Scarlett both have friends that could've been excellent characters, but it felt a bit like their lives were cut short.

This book tackled some heavy themes and McGarry handled them in a great way. Never once did I think, "A teenager would never act that way." McGarry always seems to write as if she is still a teenager herself. She captures teen angst and heartache so completely.

Like I said, this story has some incredibly heavy and serious scenes that can sometimes be hard to read. However, there is also a lightness at times that lifted my heart and brought a smile to my face. I loved the mental picture of Jesse as Peter Pan. I am a preschool teacher and have 3 boys of my own. I totally understand the power of a boy's impish grin. I don't blame Scarlett one bit for sneaking out and following Jesse wherever he would lead.

It may not be my favorite Katie McGarry book, but I know that it will resonate with a lot of people. Readers will be entertained, crushed with heartache, and sewn back together with a hopeful future. What more could you ask for?

4 Out of 5 Stars


The Meaning of It All - Delta Rae


Thursday, January 24, 2019

February Most Anticipated Releases


This is not a list of all books releasing this month, but rather a list my most anticipated releases.

**All purchase links are provided as a courtesy to the blog followers.  I receive a small compensation for purchases made through these links.  These links may not lead to the best price and you can always shop around for a better one.**

***Also, you will not be charged for pre-orders until release.***