Review: New England Rocks - Christina Courtenay

When Rain Mackenzie is expelled from her British boarding school, she can t believe her bad luck. Not only is she forced to move to New England, USA, she s also sent to the local high school, as a punishment.Rain makes it her mission to dislike everything about Northbrooke High, but what she doesn t bank on is meeting Jesse Devlin Jesse is the hottest guy Rain s ever seen and he plays guitar in an awesome rock band!There s just one small problem Jesse already has a girlfriend, little miss perfect Amber Lawrence, who looks set to cause trouble as Rain and Jesse grow closer.But, what does it matter? New England sucks anyway, and Rain doesn't plan on sticking around Does she?

My thoughts:

I do think this was my favorite Courtenay book so far. It was YA with drama, but the kind of drama I can like. My problem with YA books is that they so often are filled with angst and stupid over dramatic drama. Those books make me wanna smack everyone over the head. While this one, well this one felt real.

Rain was, angry yes, but then someone had thrown her to the wolves and she was in a new school where she knew no one. And the most interesting guy, the one who talks to her has a preppy girlfriend. Tough luck. Yes Jesse is a good guy, he plays in a rock band, but that irritating girlfriend of his. Not good.

It was fun to see them together. Two teens finding their way. She has issues, he has issues. Sure the end was a bit too picture perfect, but then it was also an ending that should happen. I liked it, and I can say nothing more about it.

The little drama that worked then, well of course it has to do with that he has a girlfriend and that she is annoying ;) That I can handle.

Conclusion:

A nice YA book that was sweet and rocked.

Almost forget my cover snarking! Chris would totally have mentioned that ;)
Cover: She looks like she rocks and I like that

Paperback, 202 pages: Published August 7th 2013 by Choc Lit : series: New England Rocks #1: YA: From the publisher in turn for an honest review

Review: Pitch Perfect - Sierra Dean

Emmy Kasper knows exactly how lucky she is. In a sport with few opportunities for women at the pro level, she’s just landed her dream job as head athletic trainer for the San Francisco Felons baseball team. Screwing up is not an option.

She’s lost in thought as she pedals to the spring training facility, her mind abuzz with excitement as she rounds a corner—and plows head-on into two runners. The end of her career dances before her eyes when she realizes she’s almost run over the star pitcher.

As Tucker Lloyd watches the flustered Emmy escape with his bandana tied around her skinned knee, the view is a pleasant change from worrying about his flagging fastball. At thirty-six, the tail end of his career is glimmering on the horizon. If he can’t pull something extraordinary out of his ball cap, the new crop of rookies could make this season his last.

The last thing either of them needs is a distraction. The last thing either of them expects is love.

Warning: Contains a down-on-his-luck pitcher, a good-girl athletic therapist, chemistry that’s out of the park and sexy times that’ll make them round all the bases.

Ebook, 292: Published August 6th 2013 by Samhain Publishing: Boys of Summer #1: Contemporary romance: From the author for an honest review

My thoughts:

Baseball, it's not that I do not like the game (actually I take that back I don't). It's a game that we do not have here, no one watches it, so I am always lost. But it did not matter that I do not understand one inning of the sport. This book sailed me through it. Also, it would make the best baseball movie, I would totally watch it and hope for someone hot to play Tucker. But that is not what I meant to talk about.

This book is about baseball, well that is the background. The true story is the budding romance between Emmy and Tucker. As they work together it should not happen but the chemistry is just so right. I also like that the author made them work for it. There was friendship first, and they hid those other feelings.

Emmy is nice hardworking woman. I can't say anything bad about her, and Tucker is is the same. Together they just seem perfect. I rooted for them. I also wanted him to get his career back. Look at me, going all wohoo Baseball.

Conclusion:

It was a fun and cute contemporary romance book with lots of passion too of course. It also made me want to read more in this series, and I have my eye on someone. Oh and I still want that movie too ;)

Cover

Nice

Review: Beneath an Irish Sky - Isabella Connor

Jack Stewart thought he'd put the past behind him. On the surface, he has everything success, money, a big house and he is never short of an attractive woman by his side, but a tragic road accident shatters Jack's world. 

Raised as an Irish Traveller, Luke Kiernan hasn't had it easy, and when he wakes in a Dublin hospital to find the man he's hated since childhood at his bedside, he's hungry for revenge.Two very different worlds collide, bringing new dangers, exposing past deceits, and unearthing dark family secrets buried long ago. But from tragedy springs the promise of a fresh start with two women who are intent on helping Jack and Luke mend their lives.

Can new love heal old wounds, or are some scars there for good?

Paperback, 356 pages: Published August 7th 2013 by Choc Lit: Women's Fiction: From the publisher

My thoughts:

I do confess to wanting to smack Luke over the head a lot, but then again if I had been Luke I would have been just as angry.

The book is filled with drama and anger. Luke is a young traveller, and people do not like travellers. He is an angry young man. Abused by his uncles, his mum just died and all his life he hated the man who left his mother.

Jack Stewart is also angry. His wife left him without a word 20 years ago and now she finds out he has a son. But he is good and tries his best. But Luke was just so very angry and hates him. You can see where the drama comes from. Confrontation after confrontation. Luke has been fed lies all his life. I felt so sorry for Jack, because in the end he lost it too and just wanted away. I could not have dealt with Luke and his refusal to believe anything else than what he knew. 

Then there are secrets. Why did she leave? What happened? Quite a few shocking events.

I liked the book as I wanted everyone to just get along. But 20 years of hate is hard to let go of. And I so wanted to know why she had left.

Conclusion:

An interesting story filled with drama and romance.

Cover

Nice

Grace Burrowes Blog Tour and Giveaway

Thanks to Sourcebooks I will be giving away a prize pack of two signed books: The Bridegroom Wore Plaid and Once Upon a Tartan. 1 winner, 2 books per pack.

GIVEAWAY

2 books, The Bridegroom wore plaid and Once upon a tartan

1. US and Canada only

2. Ends August 30th

3. Just go ahead and enter :)

Spending the in summer the Highlands, Hester Daniels is looking after her 9-year-old step-niece, Fiona, while her brother and Fiona’s mother are traveling the continent. Hester is happy to be away from London, and young Fee is a welcome distraction from her recently broken engagement.

Tiberius Flynn, the brother of Fee’s late father, has promised his father he will retrieve Fee from her Scottish family and bring her back to England. Tye shows up on their doorstep, and is surprised to find not only his niece, but a very pretty woman. Tye believes this will make his task all the easier, and he’ll have some fun to boot. But he never expects to enjoy the rugged highlands, or the company of the intriguing Hester. In the end, will Tye and choose their familial duties or their chance at true love?

Giveaway Schedule—chances to win all month long!

8/1 Book Hounds

8/2 RomFan Reviews     

weekend                             

8/5 In the Hammock

8/6 Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

8/7 Manga Maniac Café

8/8 What's on the Bookshelf

8/9 The Royal Reviews  

weekend                             

8/12 Joan Swan's Blog

8/13 Cocktails and Books

8/14 Romancing the Book

8/15 Ramblings from this Chick

8/16 Books-n-Kisses

weekend                             

8/19 Anna's Book Blog

8/20 The Book Girl

8/21 The Reading Café

8/22 Seductive Musings

8/23 Peeking Between the Pages

weekend                             

8/26 Love Romance Passion

8/27 So Many Precious Books, So Little Time      

8/28 Thoughts in Progress

8/29 Debbie's Book Bag

8/30 Linus' Blanket

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes is the author of the acclaimed Windham Family Series, The MacGregor Trilogy and The Lonely Lords Series. Her debut novel The Heir (2010), as well as The Bridegroom Wore Plaid (2012) were both included as Publishers Weekly Best Books of their respective years, in the romance category. A practicing attorney specializing in family law, Grace lives in rural Maryland, where she is working on the final book in the Windham series, Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait (October 2013) and third MacGregor story, The MacGregor’s Lady (February 2014). Visit her website at www.graceburrowes.com for more information about all of her books, exclusive extras and her lively blog.