Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lynn Childs

The Basics:
Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lynn Childs
Entangled Crush
YA
Book 1 in the Creative HeArts series
Published September 14, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads 

Why I picked up this book:

I was looking for some good YA to read.

I'll Stand By You by Sharon Sala

The Basics:
I'll Stand By You by Sharon Sala
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Second book set in Blessings, GA
Contemporary Romance / "Southern Women's Fiction"
Published June 1, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads 

Why I picked up this book:

I love this cover. It's bright, summery, and sweet.

Reckless by Priscilla West

The Basics:
Reckless by Priscilla West
Blackbird Publishing
New Adult, Romance
Published Aug 4, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads 

Why I picked up this book:

Rock star romances are pretty popular these days, of which I've only read a couple, so I thought, why not give this one a try? 

Blitz: Two Truths and a Lie by Ashley Stoyanoff

Today I'm hosting a stop on the Book Blitz for Ashley Stoyanoff's Two Truths and a Lie. This is the first book in the PRG Investigations series, a New Adult/Romance series that I think sounds pretty promising! 

Nero's Fiddle by A.W. Exley

The Basics:
Nero's Fiddle by A.W. Exley
Curiosity Quills
Book Three in the Artifact Hunters series
Steampunk Romance
Published October 9, 2014
Source: Purchased an e-copy
Amazon Goodreads

** The first two books in this series, Nefertiti's Heart and Hatshepsut's Collar are priced at 99 cents until January 3rd, and the short story The Unicorn's Tail is free. Check them out *now*!

Why I picked up this book:

I'm a *huge* fan of the first two books, and had to know what happened next for Cara and Nate.

Two for One - Reign of the Vampires and An October Bride

A two for one today. I didn't love either of these two very different books, unfortunately, but I can see how they might appeal to a different reader. 

Zombies in Love by Nora Fleischer

The Basics:
Zombies in Love by Nora Fleischer
Romance, Horror/Fantasy
Published September 22, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Goodreads

Why I picked up this book:

I love zombies. Love 'em!

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

The Basics:
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Book Two in the His Fair Assassin Trilogy
Published April 2, 2013
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo Goodreads

Why I picked up this book:

I read Grave Mercy a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

Someday Maybe by Ophelia London

The Basics:
Someday Maybe by Ophelia London
Entangled: Embrace
Book 2 in the Definitely Maybe series
New Adult, Romance
Published October 20, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo

Why I picked up this book:

I really liked the first book in the series.

Blurb:

Some guys are impossible to forget.

Rachel Daughtry has a 10-year plan that leaves no room for mistakes. Or not-so-serious boys—including Oliver Wentworth, the freshman boyfriend she's never forgotten. Now she's back in San Francisco with an awesome-slash-scary new job. Unfortunately, The Plan doesn't cover things like meeting her best friend's new “secret” guy...Oliver.

Fortunately, no one knows that Rachel and Oliver were ever together, and endless bikini wax torture couldn't make Rachel hurt her friend. But it's killing Rachel. She's not over him. Not even a little. And as her 10-year-plan crumbles around her, Rachel realizes that maybe—just maybe—Oliver feels the same way.

Now Rachel is on the verge of losing all control. And her best friend. And the love of her life...

My thoughts:

I cannot talk about Someday Maybe without talking about the first book in the series. I loved Definitely, Maybe in Love when I read it last year. I love Pride and Prejudice and I thought London's adaptation was excellent.

Unfortunately for Someday Maybe, I've never read Persuasion, which I gather is Austen's tale of love lost and found again. So it didnt come with that added boost of joy as I compared storylines and anticipated moments and so forth.

So... Rachel and Oliver both seemed like pretty honest characters. Rachel had made some poor decisions and was trapped by them, but she didn't *want* to hurt anyone. She was also conscious of the fact that she'd kind of sucked when it came to handling Oliver and her relationship during freshman year, and that made me like her even more. Making a mistake and realizing you've made it and regretting it are all good character development things in my book.

Oliver was a bit harder to get a fix on, manly because I missed having Oliver's perspective - the back and forth of perspectives by chapter in so many new adult books has really spoiled me! Having to be more clever than our heroine and read into his actions? Geez! Maybe I'm becoming a lazy reader.... Regardless, he seemed like a good guy, and I'd kind of like to spend more time with him in future books in the series, to get to know him better.

One thing I didn't really buy into was the friendship with Meghan - Meghan didn't seem like a particularly great friend to me, and I was surprised by the lack of 'air-clearing' between these two. I'd like to think that such great friends would at least attempt to address things when things felt a little weird, right?

Now, story-wise (clearly secondary to characters for me), there's the present storyline and then flashbacks to tell us the story of Oliver and Rachel *before.* I did find that the flashbacks dragged a little - I didn't care so much exactly how things went down, as long as I had the gist of it. But I do think that overall, these bits were necessary to really develop the relationship between Oliver and Rachel in the present, so do power through them!

Bottom line:

Someday Maybe is a solid contemporary romance. It was a relief to read a new adult without the characteristic uber-angst - sometimes the parade of damaged characters in this genre can be exhausting! 

I can't really speak to it as an adaptation of Persuasion but I can say that overall, I found the book pretty entertaining!

4 stars
For fans of Ophelia London, new adult, contemporary romance, second chance at love stories.

Shadow Heart by Pamela Taeuffer

The Basics:
Shadow Heart by Pamela Taeuffer
Open Heart Press
Book One in the Broken Bottle series
New Adult, Romance
Published February 1, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Goodreads

Why I picked up this book:

I was intrigued by the blurb, and I liked the image of the stone heart breaking open on the cover.

Fairytale Apocalypse by Jacqueline Patricks

The Basics:
Fairytale Apocalypse by Jacqueline Patricks
Crazy Bird Publishing
Book One of The Verge
Fantasy, New Adult, Kind of Science Fiction?
Published September 22, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon Kobo

Why I picked up this book:

The cover is terrible, but I couldn't resist the title. I was on a bit of a fairy tale request binge at the time....

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

The Basics:
Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini
Feiwel & Friends
Book One of the Worldwalker Trilogy
Romance, YA
Published September 2, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I liked the connections to Salem and witches in the blurb and I found the cover really haunting.

His Secret Superheroine by Patricia Eimer

The Basics:
His Secret Superheroine by Patricia Eimer
Entangled: Covet
Book One in the St. Louis Superheroes series
Paranormal Romance
Published August 25, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca

Why I picked up this book:

It looked like fun! Superheroes! Love!  

Slow Satisfaction by Cecilia Tan

The Basics:
Slow Satisfaction by Cecilia Tan
Forever
Book Three in the Struck by Lightning trilogy
Erotica, Romance
Published August 26, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I was looking for erotica to read, and was curious about how this trilogy ended.

Skin by Michele Renae

The Basics:

Skin by Michele Renae

Swell Cat Press

Book Three in the Paris Secrets trilogy

Erotica

Published August 12, 2014

Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I had to know how it all ended!! I loved and reviewed the first two in the series: Window and Screen.

BLOG TOUR: Addicted by Tracy Wolff

Released on July 15th, 2014, Addicted by Tracy Wolff concludes the story of Ethan Frost and Chloe Girard - who were first introduced to us in Ruined, which I reviewed here.

Swing by the Romance at Random blog to check out the other tour stops!

Queen of Wands by Katee Robert

The Basics:
Queen of Wands by Katee Robert
Entangled: Select
Book Three in the Sanctify Series
Romance, Science Fiction
Published June 24, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Why I picked up this book:

I liked the implication of the tarot theme as well as the romance and science fiction meld.

Last of the Red Hot Cowboys by Tina Leonard

The Basics:
Last of the Red Hot Cowboys by Tina Leonard
Loveswept
Book One of Hell's Outlaws
Romance
Published June 24, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Why I picked up this book:

I've got a thing for cowboys.

Blurb:

Ava Buchanan dreams of a career on the rodeo circuit. Winning a spot on a one-of-a-kind team would be her ticket to the life she’s always wanted. Ava won’t let anyone stand in her way—not even a stubborn cowboy whose slow-molasses smile and red-hot swagger set her senses aflame . . . and whose talents as a trainer could make her a star. Rodeo might be a man’s game, but Ava knows the right woman’s touch can tame the wildest heart.

Trace Carter believes his mayor’s plan to raise the town’s profile has disaster written all over it, and he won’t allow the Hell’s Outlaws Training Center to be dragged into the fiasco. Yet watching Ava’s delectable body on horseback proves too much of a temptation, and his fantasies stray to her riding skills outside the arena. Soon Trace is fighting like hell to rein in his unbridled desire for the petite brunette before it becomes a passion hotter than the Texas sun.

My thoughts:

Last of the Red Hot Cowboys fell far short of the mark, for me. This book felt dated, with chest-beating, manly men and scheming women. It definitely reminded me of some of the first romance novels I read, that had been published in the 1980s and 1990s. The gender stereotypes were out in full force, and it made me extremely uncomfortable.

Trace is a manly man - a former military man who now runs a training center with his two best friends. It's a men-only zone - one of the foundations on which the business is built is that women aren't welcome. And of course, they live in 'Hell' - a town that's short on women as it is.

Until Mayor Judy - who basically runs around scheming and manipulating and promising her Sheriff boyfriend his Saturday Night Special if he keeps her happy - brings in three gorgeous women that she wants to train as rodeo clowns to raise the profile of her small town. Or,  you know, she wants to pair off with these three friends. Because that's what scheming mayors do. Truly, she spends so much time running around with her team and shaking her fist at Ivy, a woman who has her eye on Judy's boyfriend, I wanted to know what her actual duties as mayor were.

I felt extremely uncomfortable not only because Judy brought the women to town on false pretenses, but also because of how the stereotypes played out. Trace's thoughts were cringeworthy - women as delicate flowers or else manipulative.

This is very much a men vs women type romance and I did not enjoy it at all.

Bottom line:

Not my cup of tea, Last of the Red Hot Cowboys struck the wrong notes for me with the gender stereotyping and manipulation. This one might be fun if you can see past those things or if you're *really* into cowboys.

2 stars
For fans of cowboys.

Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro

The Basics:
Dark Paradise by Angie Sandro
Forever Yours
Book One in the Dark Paradise series
New Adult, Romance
Published July 1, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

That cover got my attention! And I'm always looking for New Adult romances with something a little different.

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

The Basics:
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Henry Holt and Co.
Book One in the Remnant Chronicles
YA, Fantasy, Romance
Published July 8, 2014
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Amazon.ca Kobo.com

Why I picked up this book:

I loved stories of women who want to break out of the decisions other people have made or them. Plus, you know, fantasy elements and a gorgeous cover.