Tag: Avon Impulse

Review: Bridal Boot Camp by Meg Cabot

Posted June 10, 2019 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Bridal Boot Camp by Meg CabotReviewer: Rowena
Bridal Boot Camp by Meg Cabot
Series: Little Bridge Island #0.5
Also in this series: No Judgments
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon Impulse
Publication Date: May 28, 2019
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
Point-of-View: First, Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 96
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Rowena's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot comes the first story in her Little Bridge Island series—which also includes an excerpt from her forthcoming new full-length novel No Judgments!

Looking for a tropical escape?

Welcome to Little Bridge, one of the smallest—and most beautiful—islands in the Florida Keys, home to sandy white beaches, salt-rimmed margaritas, stunning sunsets, and some of the quirkiest—but also kindest and most resourceful—people you’ll ever meet.

Physical trainer Roberta “Rob” James moved to Little Bridge hoping she’d found paradise, but things haven’t turned out quite as she’d hoped. The closest Rob has come to her “happily ever after” is happy hour at the Mermaid Café with her buddy Bree, the bartender slash waitress who’s got romance problems of her own.

But Rob’s situation suddenly changes when sheriff’s deputy Ryan Martinez accidentally enrolls in her bridal boot camp class. Turning mush into metal in time for the big day is Rob’s passion (because even the happiest bride could use a little toning).

But what happens when a guy who’s all mush meets a girl who’s all metal?

They discover they have a lot to learn . . . about each other, themselves, and the island paradise they’ve come to call home.

This was a really short story but I don’t even care because it’s a Meg Cabot and I will probably always read new Meg Cabot books (her adult books, anyway) until the day I die. I enjoy her books that much. I can’t say that I absolutely loved this book but that had more to do with there isn’t much of a romance here. Sure, there’s a story but I wanted so much more than what we got.

So in this book, Roberta James meets Ryan Martinez when he shows up for her bridal boot camp aerobics class. He’s there trying to join a yoga class because he needs to work on his anger issues. His boss thinks that yoga will do the trick but when Ryan shows up at Rob’s gym, he wasn’t expecting to enjoy the aerobics class so much…and he wasn’t expecting to like his instructor so much either.

So because this is such a short story, everything happens at warped speed and so much of that didn’t work for me. They fell too hard, too fast but even though this book had a lot of that insta love going on, I still enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to reading the bartender, Bree with the sad eyes, story in the first book in this series, No Judgments. If we had another 100 pages or so to fully appreciate Robbie and Ryan, I think I would have liked this one more but oh well. I’m still interested in the others so it wasn’t that bad.

Final Grade

3.75 out of 5

Little Bridge Island

three-half-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Sunday Spotlight: Pretending He’s Mine by Mia Sosa

Posted April 22, 2018 by Rowena in Features, Giveaways | 2 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Sunday Spotlight

Pretending He’s Mine by Mia Sosa is the second book in the Love on Cue series and we’ve been hearing such great things about both the author and this series. We’re pretty excited to share an excerpt from the book for you lovely readers so please enjoy!

Sunday Spotlight: Pretending He’s Mine by Mia SosaPretending He's Mine (Love on Cue, #2) by Mia Sosa
Series: Love on Cue #2
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon Impulse
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books

Mia Sosa returns with another fun, flirty romance in her critically-acclaimed Love on Cue series!

For Hollywood agent Julian Hart, representing his best friend—megastar Carter Williamson—means it’s nearly impossible to keep his personal life and career separate. To make matters worse, Carter’s younger sister has been starring in Julian’s wildest fantasies more often than he’d care to admit. He knows she’s off-limits, but when Ashley shows up on his doorstep, needing a place to crash… suddenly his greatest temptation is sleeping down the hall.

Free-spirited Ashley Williamson doesn’t do commitment. Jobs, apartments, men… why let herself be tied down? But she’s had a crush on her older brother’s best friend for years and she’s committed to making Julian want her, one towel-clad midnight encounter at a time. But just as things start heating up, their steamy flirtation is interrupted by Carter’s east coast wedding. Ashley has no desire to go home and face her reputation as the family disappointment. But living with—dare she say dating?—a successful, sexy film agent could give them something else to talk about.

Julian can’t believe he agreed to fake a relationship with the one woman he can never have. And it’s going to take more than a little willpower to remember it's all pretend. Or is it? 

Order the Book:

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || GOOGLE PLAY || KOBO

Excerpt

PRETENDING HE’S MINE by Mia Sosa

Chapter One

A woman in my condo is experiencing a toe-curling orgasm—and to my knowledge, this is the first time I’m in no way responsible for it.

Because this dumpster fire needs more tinder, the person bringing herself pleasure within the confines of my not-so-humble abode is my best friend’s younger sister.

I’d prefer to sustain a thousand paper cuts than listen to her moans, the catch of her breath, the rustling of the sheets around her body. But she’s crashing at my place, and she left the door of the guest bedroom open—just a tiny, torturous crack. The sliver of soft light coming from the adjoining bathroom beckons like a portal to another world. Come, the deep, booming voice of James Earl Jones says. The embodiment of your hidden and fucked-up fantasies lies in this realm.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Dammit. This isn’t right. It’s a personal moment, and I shouldn’t be privy to it. Summoning what’s left of the self-control that’s served me well for more years than I’d care to admit, I turn away from the light and slink down the short hall to my kitchen. There, I refit my wireless headphones and find a tall glass for the water that brought me out of my room.

I’d resigned myself to remaining as far away from Ashley as possible while she stayed the night. Instead, an innocent trip to the fridge has left me thirsty for something else altogether. I’m not even sure why I took off my headphones as I passed her room. But I did. And now I know what she sounds like when she comes.

I need to shut down this line of thinking immediately. But hell, the portal is open, and despite my good intentions, I’m tempted to step through and explore this other world.

No. I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.

Picture her in pigtails and remember what it was like to help her stand after an epic fall on the bike she loved to ride.

Forget that she’s now a sexy woman, and banish any inappropriate thoughts about her to a parallel universe that will never intersect with this one.

Although temporary, the solution is simple. Fifty push-ups will round out my workout and help stifle my libido. With my get-over-my-lust-for-Ashley plan in place, I set the glass in the sink, cut the light switch, and spin around. A warm body skids into me, its owner’s soft mouth brushing against my bare shoulder.

She shrinks back and yelps.

Instinctively, I tug Ashley forward, steadying her and mentally unbalancing myself in the process. With my chest flush against hers, I try to memorize the way we fit together, greedy to gain something from this unexpected contact.

“Julian? Please tell me it’s you.”

The tremor in her voice pulls me out of my stupor. I breathe heavily through my nose as I drop my arms and step back slowly. Turning to the counter and grasping it for support, I eke out, “It’s me, Ashley.”

As she sighs in relief, the memory of her curves imprints itself in my brain like a freshly inked intricate tattoo, simultaneously mesmerizing and painful.

Fuck the fifty push-ups. I’m going to need a hundred.

From PRETENDING HE’S MINE. Used with permission of Avon Impulse. Copyright © 2018 by Mia Sosa.

Love on Cue

Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About the Author

Mia Sosa

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Mia Sosa is an award-winning contemporary romance writer and 2015 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist. Her books have received praise and recognition from Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, The Washington Post, Book Riot, Bustle, and more.

A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match.

Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable puppy that finally sleeps through the night.

To learn more about Mia and her books, visit www.miasosa.com.


Tagged: , , , , ,

Release Day Spotlight: Pretending He’s Mine by Mia Sosa

Posted April 10, 2018 by Rowena in Promotions | 1 Comment

HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO MIA SOSA!

Mia Sosa is an author that made it onto my radar in the past couple of months and I’ve been hearing such great things about her books. She’s got a brand spanking new book out today and we are spotlighting it so you guys know all about it.

Release Day Spotlight: Pretending He’s Mine by Mia SosaPretending He's Mine (Love on Cue, #2) by Mia Sosa
Series: Love on Cue #2
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon Impulse
Publication Date: April 10, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books

Mia Sosa returns with another fun, flirty romance in her critically-acclaimed Love on Cue series!

For Hollywood agent Julian Hart, representing his best friend—megastar Carter Williamson—means it’s nearly impossible to keep his personal life and career separate. To make matters worse, Carter’s younger sister has been starring in Julian’s wildest fantasies more often than he’d care to admit. He knows she’s off-limits, but when Ashley shows up on his doorstep, needing a place to crash… suddenly his greatest temptation is sleeping down the hall.

Free-spirited Ashley Williamson doesn’t do commitment. Jobs, apartments, men… why let herself be tied down? But she’s had a crush on her older brother’s best friend for years and she’s committed to making Julian want her, one towel-clad midnight encounter at a time. But just as things start heating up, their steamy flirtation is interrupted by Carter’s east coast wedding. Ashley has no desire to go home and face her reputation as the family disappointment. But living with—dare she say dating?—a successful, sexy film agent could give them something else to talk about.

Julian can’t believe he agreed to fake a relationship with the one woman he can never have. And it’s going to take more than a little willpower to remember it's all pretend. Or is it? 

Ooh, it’s a best friend’s little sister romance with a fake romance thrown in as well. I’m so here for that!! This book is out today so if you haven’t already, order your copy at any of the links provided below.

Order the Book:

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || GOOGLE || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

Love on Cue

About the Author

Mia Sosa

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Mia Sosa is an award-winning contemporary romance writer and 2015 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® Finalist. Her books have received praise and recognition from Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Library Journal, The Washington Post, Book Riot, Bustle, and more.

A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match.

Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable puppy that finally sleeps through the night.

To learn more about Mia and her books, visit www.miasosa.com.


Tagged: , , , ,

Guest Lightning Review: Midsummer Delights by Eloisa James

Posted April 4, 2018 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Lightning Review: Midsummer Delights by Eloisa JamesReviewer: Tracy
Midsummer Delights: A Short Story Collection by Eloisa James
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Publication Date: February 6th 2018
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 96
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-stars

A Midsummer Night's Disgrace

​Eloisa revisits the ​scintillating world of the Essex Sisters with a story featuring a young lady, Cecilia Bellingworth, who has decided she would rather ruin her reputation than endure further speculation about whether her children will be "silly," like her brother, Billy.​ ​After two failed seasons, ​Cecilia ​decides she ​will dress as she likes​ (in a scandalous red dress!)​ and flirt outrageously​ (with a scandalous pianist!)​. Fortunately, a gorgeous musician at the Duchess of Ormond's house party presents the perfect candidate for scandal…

​Previously published in the Essex Sisters Official Companion Guide (e only).


At Midnight
​Elias Hempleworth-Gray has one thing and one thing only of value—his title, Earl of Leyton. Determined to leave England and the scandal of his gambler father behind, Elias hopes to turn his fortunes around and come back a respectable man to claim the only woman for him, Miss Penelope White. But Penny has other plans for the man she has loved all her life…plans that include a masquerade, a stolen kiss and a lost shoe.

Previously published in the Fairy Tale sampler (print only).


Ever After

When she was sixteen, Miss Violet Leighton spent one blissful month romping around her family estate with Rothwell Talcott…thirty days of shared kisses, culminating in a very illicit afternoon in a berry patch. As Rothwell leaves for his grand tour, he gives his word of honor that he will return for her. Four years and seven refused proposals later, Violet is about to give up and marry when he finally returns. Now the Duke of Cambridge, Rothwell wants to make her his duchess. But how can Violet trust the man who stole her virtue—and then broke her heart?

Previously published in The Ugly Duchess (print only).

I won’t go into detail as the blurbs give you more than a good idea of what each story is about. 

This is a grouping of three very short stories by Eloisa James.  They are very cute, and I enjoyed all of them, but they were so short that just when I was starting to get into the stories, they were over and done.

The stories were all reunion stories so the characters had known each other previously so they definitely weren’t insta-love stories, which I appreciated.   I think if you’re in the mood for short and sweet, and love Eloisa James, this would definitely be a book that you’d want to pick up.

Rating: 3 out of 5

three-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Guest Review: Lady in Waiting by Marie Tremayne

Posted March 15, 2018 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Lady in Waiting by Marie TremayneReviewer: Tracy
Lady in Waiting (Reluctant Brides #1) by Marie Tremayne
Series: Reluctant Brides #1
Publisher: Harper Collins, Avon Impulse
Publication Date: March 13th 2018
Format: eARC
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

She wants to escape her present . . .

When Clara Mayfield helps her sister elope, she’s prepared for the scandal to seal her fate as a spinster. What she doesn't expect is to find herself engaged to the vile Baron Rutherford as a means of salvaging her family's reputation. Determined not to be chained to a man she loathes, Clara slips out of Essex and sheds her identity: she becomes Helen, maid at the Earl of Ashworth’s country estate. After all, below stairs is the last place anyone would think to look for an heiress . . .

He wants to forget his past . . .

William, Lord Ashworth, is attempting to rebuild his life after the devastating accident that claimed the lives of his entire family, save his beloved sister and niece. Haunted by memories of what was and determined to live up to the title he never expected to inherit, William doesn’t have time for love. What he needs is a noble and accomplished wife, one who can further the Ashworth line and keep the family name untarnished . . .

Together, can they find the perfect future?

From their first encounter, the attraction between them is undeniable. But Clara knows William is falling for Helen, a woman who doesn’t even exist. The question is, if she reveals the truth about her identity, can she trust the broken William to forgive her lie and stand by her side when scandal—and the baron—inevitably follow her to his door?

After helping her sister elope, Clara Mayfield is not someone that the ton wants to associate themselves with.  After a whole season of being a wallflower Clara is approached by a reprehensible man named Baron Rutherford.  He basically threatens her with marriage and to my shock her parents accept his proposal the next day.  Six weeks later Clara is climbing out her bedroom window the night before her wedding in order to escape her fate.

With the help of her lady’s maid she finds a position with the Earl of Ashford’s household in Kent.  Clara, now Helen, barely gets a position as a maid and when she does she doesn’t really have a clue what she’s doing, obviously.  She is helped by her fellow, friendly maids but none of them can teach her how to keep her mouth shut when needed.  She is outspoken when she shouldn’t be and it’s constantly a trial to try to act like a maid.

The Earl of Ashford has been in seclusion since a carriage accident killed his father, older brother and brother-in-law.  He was in the accident as well and has had to deal with the physical, but mostly emotional, pain of losing so many in his family.  When William sees Clara in the village and then saves her from getting run over he’s smitten from minute one.  When she becomes a maid in his household it’s all he can do to keep her at arm’s length when she affects him so deeply.  Can he keep himself away from the Helen as he knows he should? Will Clara continue to be able to hide from Baron Rutherford? Will she be able to live with her love for William, never being able to show it because of their differences in station?

The book started off just jumping straight into Clara’s sister’s elopement and then her impending, unwanted marriage.  I loved how the author just got right down to it.  We knew all the details but as that wasn’t the main part of the story it was nice to be able to get the facts and move on.  Don’t get me wrong, it was well written, I was just happy that the author didn’t spend an unneeded amount of time on laying out the story.

Clara was awesome.  I loved her strength of character, her compassion, friendliness and almost everything else about her.  I can’t imagine how hard it was for a woman raised in wealth (her father was a banker) to suddenly be ordered around and do the back-breaking work that maids did back then.  It couldn’t have been easy, but she didn’t complain and learned what she needed to learn in order to keep herself hidden.  She was a genuinely nice person and that helped her win friends in the end.

William took me a little longer to like.  The man was hot and cold but I really tried not to fault him for that as he was trying to be honorable and not make a move on his housemaid!  He tried to keep himself away, he did!  Some of his actions were a bit abrupt but I got it.

I really enjoyed this book and how it was written.  I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , ,