Author: Corinne Michaels

Review: Say You’ll Stay by Corinne Michaels

Posted October 8, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Say You’ll Stay by Corinne MichaelsReviewer: Rowena
Say You'll Stay (Return to Me #1) by Corinne Michaels
Narrator: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York
Series: Return to Me #1
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: June 19, 2016
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First Person
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 310
Length: 9 Hours, 26 Minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books

One word. Stay.

It was all he had to do. Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him.

That was seventeen years ago.

I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again.

Alone, penniless, and with two boys, I had no choice but to return to Tennessee. He wasn’t supposed to be there. I should’ve been safe. However, fate has a way of stepping in.

This time around, the tables are turned. It’s my decision. Second chances do exist, but I don’t know if we can repair what’s already been broken . . .

** This is a STANDALONE **

Well, it’s official. I am writing this review with no eyes in my head because they rolled right out of my head and down the street while I read this book. I don’t think I’ll be reading another book by this author again because the more I read this book, the more I realized, it wasn’t for me. I picked this book up because I’ve been hearing such great things about this author and I had high hopes but nope, there was nothing about this book that worked for me.

Say You’ll Stay is the first book in the Return to Me series by Corinne Michaels and it’s a second chance romance between Zack and Presley. Zack and Presley were high school sweethearts who had their future planned out. Graduate high school, go to college, Zack will make it to the Major League AFTER Presley was in college and they would live together happily ever after. But when Zack gets the call up to become a freaking Los Angeles Dodger, he took it without first clearing it with Presley and she got so pissed that she basically made him choose between her and the MLB. I’m sorry but I would have peaced out on her ass too. Because seriously? She expected him to walk away from that much money, from his dream to play Major League Baseball to stay in college with her?

If you can’t be excited for your man, can’t understand why he had to sign the contract and go then have fun with all of your little school girl fantasies. The thing about that whole thing was all these years later and she’s still pissed about it. He broke her heart because he had the audacity to choose baseball and in his head, providing for her and their future instead of staying with her. So damn stupid.

Anyway, so years later Presley is married with two kids and she comes home to find her husband killed himself and left her with a mountain of debt. A whole mountain range of debt. She has no choice but to pack up her kids and go home, to the place that she hasn’t called home in a long ass time.

Going back home brought her back into Zachary Hennington’s orbit again and though she’s single now, he’s not. It just goes to figure that the boy she loved with all of her teenage heart is with the girl she hated back then. And that’s not all, they both still love each other and a kiss is shared because Zack couldn’t help himself, Presley gets pissed because he has a girlfriend so of course Zack stays with the girlfriend even though he doesn’t want to be with her. He wants Presley and chooses Presley over and over again and ugh, the games that these two played with each other made me want to wring both of their necks.

They were so immature and for someone who came off as Mother of the Year, would do anything for her kids, she was just not likable at all. Same with Zack. He lost me when he stayed with the dumb ass girlfriend while lusting after his ex dumb ass girlfriend. My blood pressure threatened to go straight through the roof and I kept listening. I have no idea why, I kept hoping the book would turn around, that Zack and Presley would be redeemed in the end but nope. I didn’t like her or him in the end still so that didn’t happen.

I don’t think I’m going to continue this series because I’d be too scared to get more of the same of this book. This book didn’t do a hot damn thing for me so go into this book cautiously, if you decide to read it.

Grade: 1 out of 5

Return to Me


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What Are You Reading? (+ #Cockygate Giveaway)

Posted June 1, 2018 by Holly in Features, Giveaways | 14 Comments

WAYR-New

Casee: I’m still reading Claimed by Rebecca Zanetti. It’s only the second book in the series. Now that graduation week is over, I can really get into it. I’ve been reading a few pages here and there this week but just haven’t had time to really sit down and read.

After I’m done with Claimed, I’m going to pick up Ocean’s Light by Nalini Singh. I really don’t have an answer for why I haven’t picked it up before now. Obviously I’m demented.

Holly: I started re-reading the Kate Daniels series this week in anticipation of Magic Triumphs in August. I read Magic Bites, Magic Burns and Magic Strikes. At this rate I’ll have to do another re-read to be fresh for Magic Triumphs. I did download an ARC of Iron and Magic yesterday, though, so I’mg going to dig into that soon.

Rowena: This week, I finished reading Making Up by Lucy Parker and enjoyed it. Leo and Trix were a lovely couple that really came together and I ate their story right up. I didn’t read much else in the way of books. However, I did do a lot of reading on all things #cockygate. I read all of the documents that Courtney Milan provided on the cases and the entire thing is really interesting. I didn’t think I’d ever be this invested in a court case but I am. I’m rooting for Team Romance and hope that things turn out in our favor.

My plan for the weekend is dig into I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting. I’ve been itching to read this story and am really hoping that I get over my slump and just start reading. Wish me luck!

Giveaway Alert

We are very fortunate here at Book Binge. We have loads and loads of books to read and we want to share the wealth so each week, we’ll be tacking on a Freebie Friday giveaway to our What Are You Reading posts. This week, we’re giving away…

What Are You Reading? (+ #Cockygate Giveaway)Cocktales by Penny Reid, Nana Malone, Dylan Allen, Jana Aston, Whitney Barbetti, Sawyer Bennett, K.F. Breene, Ruth Clampett, L.H. Cosway, Amy Daws, Mariah Dietz, B.B. Easton, Jaymin Eve, Emma Hart, Staci Hart, Jessica Hawkins, Julie Johnson, Karpov Kinrade, Adriana Locke, Lex Martin, Aly Martinez, Kayti McGee, Corinne Michaels, Liv Morris, Red Phoenix, Daisy Prescott, Jessica Prince, Meghan Quinn, C.D. Reiss, Julie A. Richman, Aleatha Romig, Kennedy Ryan, Kylie Scott, Sierra Simone, Tara Sivec, Kate Stewart, Leia Stone, Karla Sorensen, Rachel Van Dyken, April White
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: May 26, 2018
Pages: 998
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books

About the Cocktales Anthology:Cocktales is a limited-release anthology (available *only* from May 26 – August 26, 2018) of original, never before published material, some of which is raw and unedited. Each story was specifically written for this anthology.

The goal of the Cocktales Anthology is to raise funds to fight against obstruction of creative expression. Specifically, what we believe are obstruction attempts through the trademarking of common (single) words for titicular use in books / or as a book series (eBooks, print, and audio).

*ALL* net profits will be donated to:1) Authors already impacted by creative-obstruction (10%), and2) Romance Writers of America (RWA) (90%) as a general donation intended for their Advocacy Fund.

Disclaimer: This anthology is not being conducted on behalf of RWA, nor does RWA endorse this anthology or effort. They have, however, graciously agreed to accept the funds.

Today is a big day for our author friends and #cockygate so to help in our little way, we’re giving away three e-copies of Cocktales: The Cocky Collective to three lucky winners. Our thoughts and good vibes to Kevin Knuepper, Tara Crescent and Jennifer Watson today in court.

What Are You Reading: Cocktales: The Cocky Collective

What are you reading this week? Any new favorites or books that drove you crazy? Share!


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Updated: #cockygate Part 2: #Cocky Author Files Lawsuit (includes link to full summary)

Posted May 30, 2018 by Holly in Discussions, News | 12 Comments

Note: This is a pinned post. Scroll down for additional content.

Update June 1, 2018: Thanks to Euna Park for the updates she was able to post on the court hearing this morning in NYC. The judge denied FH the temporary restraining order she requested for the publishing of books with the word “cocky” in the title and removed Kevin Kneupper from the lawsuit. Kevin being removed from the lawsuit has no bearing on his trademark case. That is separate.

FH’s lawyer is really claiming that the word “cocky” is synonomous with FH in the romance genre. Wow. Considering nobody knew who she was before all of this came to light, that’s overstating the shit out of things. I mean, sure, NOW that might be true but not in the way I think her lawyer meant.

Author Liv Morris also attended the hearing and had this to say about the Cocktales: The Cocky Collective:

This is more great news for Team Romance. I’m super glad to see that Cocktales will be able to continue to sell books. I really love how supportive our community has been over this whole thing. It makes me so glad to be apart of such an awesome community.

Here is a list of links that Courtney Milan provided that includes all, or well, most documents pertaining to the lawsuit:

Defendants Joint Memo in Opposition to Preliminary Injunction & TRO
Tara Crescent Affidavit
Crescent Exhibit D
Crescent Exhibit G
Declaration for Jennifer Watson
Declaration for Penny Reid
Plaintiff (FH) Reply to Memorandum of Law in further support of Plainitffs Motion
Full Transcript of Preliminary Hearing on June 1, 2018

Here are some other posts that went up in the last couple of days:

Authors Guild and RWA Prevail in Court Defending Authors in “Cocky” Trademark Dispute
Judge Denies Injunction Request in Cocky Trademark Dispute
RWA’s Update on Recent Trademark Proceedings
The Cocky Trademark Author Writes an Open Letter to Herself in Response to Cockygate
How an Author Trademarking the word “cocky” turned the romance novel industry inside out

Marc Whipple has a great running commentary on the entire #cockygate on his blog so be sure to check that out too.

Posted on May 30, 2018: Rowena and I have been on vacation so while we’ve been keeping up with the latest nonsense with #cockygate, we haven’t had a chance to update until now.

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