Tag: Jamie Howard

Guest Review: The Way Back to Us by Jamie Howard

Posted January 18, 2018 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: The Way Back to Us by Jamie HowardReviewer: Tracy
The Way Back to Us (Love Unplugged #3) by Jamie Howard
Series: Love Unplugged #3
Also in this series: All The Ways You Saved Me
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: December 12th 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 350
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Gavin MacCormack found the one. He fell in love. Hard. Until one night he ran out for some ice cream and came back to an empty dorm room, closets bare and nothing but a quick hand-written note saying, I’m sorry. Those two words taught Gavin the meaning of heartbreak. A feeling he never wants to encounter again. And as the lead singer of a Grammy award-winning band he's had plenty of opportunities for casual, no-strings fun, which is just the way he likes it.

Dani Winters has had more names than birthdays. On the run with her father for nearly as long as she can remember, she’s lived her life by three rules—always plan for the worst, maintain a low profile at all costs, and never let anyone get too close. Except she broke that last rule once and her heart has never forgiven her.

One chance encounter changes everything. Seeing Dani resurrects feelings in Gavin he thought were long buried, and this time he’s not letting her disappear without getting some answers. But Dani’s life is the definition of complicated and she’s playing with fire by letting Gavin back in. When the time comes to run again, Dani needs to decide if a life without love is worth living, or if it’s time to stop running and fight.

Gavin has been heartbroken for years.  He thought he was over his one true love, who suddenly left him without a word when he was in college.  When he sees her again he thinks he’s angry but really he just can’t believe that she’s back in his life.

Dani Winters has been running most of her life.  When she was in college the last thing she wanted to do was leave Gavin, as she loved him so much, but her life is unpredictable.  When she reappears in Gavin’s life she lets him know that it’s only for a short time.  He agrees they’ll be together as long as they can and when they have to part it will be fine.  They’re each lying to the other, however, because they both know that when they part the last thing it will be is “fine”.

The Way Back to Us was a wonderful reunion story.  With Dani coming back into Gavin’s life we didn’t quite know what to think.  The author was pretty closed-mouthed about what was going on with Dani until further along in the book.  We knew that Dani had been on the run for years but we didn’t know why until near the end of the book.  Because I didn’t know the facts it was hard for me to get too attached to Dani.  Sure, I knew that all would work out in the end (I mean, come on, it’s a romance novel!) but while I felt for her and her situation I felt more attached to Gavin and didn’t want him to get hurt.

I loved Gavin to pieces.  He was an incredible anchor for his (all female) family and a great friend.  The last think I wanted for him was to lose Dani again.  I was happy when he made the decision he did in the end I was truly happy when all worked out.  Howard had me on the edge of my seat there for a while – good on her as normally figure those things out ahead of time.  I never would have guessed the ending of this book.

Overall I’ve really enjoyed the Love Unplugged series and I’m looking forward to Ben’s story. If you haven’t picked up the series yet, you should do that as the books are wonderful.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Love Unplugged Series

four-stars


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Guest Review: All The Ways You Saved Me by Jamie Howard

Posted November 10, 2016 by Tracy in Reviews | 2 Comments

Guest Review: All The Ways You Saved Me by Jamie HowardReviewer: Tracy
All The Ways You Saved Me by Jamie Howard
Series: Love Unplugged #1
Also in this series: The Way Back to Us (Love Unplugged #3)
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: November 1st 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Bianca Easton is the perfect senator’s daughter.

Law school? Check.

Camera-ready smile? Check.

A dull and boring existence? Double check.

But that was before. Before she lost her best and only friend in a tragic accident. Before she found that friend's unfinished bucket list. Definitely before she turned her life upside-down by deciding to stay in New York for six months to finish it.

It's while she's checking off her first item on the list--buy coffee for a stranger--that she meets Ian Mathis. Between the tattoo sleeve curling up his right arm, his guitar-roughened fingertips, and the secrets shadowing his past, he's a complication Bianca doesn't need but desperately wants.

With every item they cross off the list together, Bianca uncovers a piece of herself that she's buried under what's expected, all the while breaking her own rules by falling hard for Ian. But when her six months run out, Bianca has to decide if she's willing to risk her empty but picture-perfect life for a chance at real, messy love.

Bianca is a senator’s daughter and has always done what her parent’s wanted her to do.  They don’t really love her and she knows this but she keeps trying in the hopes that one day they’ll look at her and realize all they’ve missed by constantly ignoring her.

She’s just graduated from law school in New York and plans on returning to her home in Texas so that she can take the bar and then take a position at the firm where her father used to be a partner.  Except something tragic happens to her friend and Bianca decides that finishing the list that her friend made.  The list was made because her friend stated that they were going to be so busy with work and school that they needed to take every opportunity to cram awesomeness into their lives.  She stated, “It the little moment’s that make life amazing, you know?” Staying in New York for 6 more months won’t really make any difference in the long run so she goes for it.  Her parent cut her off – of course, since she’s not doing what they want her to do – so she gets a job at a pub as a waitress to make ends meet. Her apartment is already paid for so she just needs money for bills and food.  In the course of completing her friends list she buys the person behind her a cup of coffee (on the list).  The guy is a little leery of accepting the coffee (it’s NY after all) but eventually does.  When Bianca is at that café sometime later the same guy approaches her and they end up becoming friends.

Ian is a bit standoffish and she’s not really sure what to make of him.  They only ever get together on Thursdays but they have a great time together completing things on Bianca’s list. They agree that whatever they have is just casual as she’ll be leaving eventually but the more time they spend together Bianca finds herself falling in love with Ian. The problem is, she just doesn’t know that much about him except to say that he’s a musician.  She’s sure that something has happened in his past but she’s not sure she’ll be ever able to compete with whatever it is as it seems to take up his whole life – even when he’s with her.  Bianca’s not sure she can she get past whatever it is and get to the real Ian.

This was a bit of a new adult book as both of the characters were trying to find themselves – even if they weren’t in the 18-22 age range.  Bianca is bucking her parents rules for the first time and the more time she spends out in the “real” world she finds that maybe she doesn’t have to follow everything they say after all.  Would it be easier financially?  Yes, but what’s the payoff? There isn’t one.  Ian is such a mystery to her but he can be so open and when he is it’s like the sun has come out in her world.  It’s such a great feeling but he eventually goes back to the closed-off man he is.

Ian’s story slowly unfolds for us.  We get his story that starts seven years prior and works its way to the present throughout the book.  It’s wonderful and heart-wrenching at the same time but frankly I wish we would have gotten to the conclusion faster so that he and Bianca could have spent more time together as a couple.  Yes, they’re a couple in the book but it’s different.

Because of Ian’s back story it’s definitely more of a darker romance but I still found it to be a good book.  If you’re looking for a light and airy book this is not it but if you like emotional reads then this is the one for you.

Rating: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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Release Day Blitz: All the Ways You Saved Me by Jamie Howard

Posted November 1, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 2 Comments

Jamie Howard has a new series out today and the first book in the Love Unplugged series is All the Ways You Saved Me. We’re featuring this book on the blog today so check it out!

all-the-ways-you-saved-me

All the Ways You Saved Me by Jamie Howard
Series: Love Unplugged #1
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Swerve
Genres: Contemporary, Romance

Bianca Easton is the perfect senator’s daughter.

Law school? Check.

Camera-ready smile? Check.

A dull and boring existence? Double check.

But that was before. Before she lost her best and only friend in a tragic accident. Before she found that friend’s unfinished bucket list. Definitely before she turned her life upside-down by deciding to stay in New York for six months to finish it.

It’s while she’s checking off her first item on the list–buy coffee for a stranger–that she meets Ian Mathis. Between the tattoo sleeve curling up his right arm, his guitar-roughened fingertips, and the secrets shadowing his past, he’s a complication Bianca doesn’t need but desperately wants.

With every item they cross off the list together, Bianca uncovers a piece of herself that she’s buried under what’s expected, all the while breaking her own rules by falling hard for Ian. But when her six months run out, Bianca has to decide if she’s willing to risk her empty but picture-perfect life for a chance at real, messy love.

Excerpt

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He ruffled a hand through his hair. “Did we . . . have plans?

No,” I said, hugging the Chinese food to my chest and suddenly feeling like a huge idiot for showing up here unannounced. “No, I just thought I’d . . . surprise you.”

With one hand on the door, he leaned toward me and sniffed. “Chinese food?”

“Yeah.” I passed him the bag and shoved my empty hands in my pockets. “I should’ve called, I’m sorry. I can just . . .” I hitched a thumb over my shoulder.

“What?” Ian stepped back and pushed the door open farther. “No, come in. Sorry, I’m still half-asleep. Don’t mind me.”

Tossing a glance at him over my shoulder as I walked by, I headed for the kitchen. “I like your glasses.”

“My what? Oh.” His hand darted up to touch them, and he smiled at me sheepishly. “Forgot I had them on. I feel like such a dork in them so I never wear them out.”

“Really?” I made a concerted effort to try and calm my pulse, which was thrumming out an unsteady rhythm. “I dunno. I think they’re kinda sexy.” My eyes shifted from the floor to his face, then back again.

“Yeah?” A smile peeked out from between his lips, and his hand drifted up to rub against the back of his neck. The lean muscles across his chest and stomach rippled with the motion. I definitely wasn’t going to ask him to put a shirt on this time.

I nodded, glancing around his kitchen at the cherry cabinets. “Where do you keep your plates?”

“Plates?” He gestured off to the left. “Over there.”

I had to reach for them, and my still-sensitive skin protested the stretching. I winced, and switched hands, reaching with my right rather than my left.

“Hurt yourself?”

“Not really.” I pushed two plates across the kitchen island toward him. “Just managed to cross off another item on my list.”

His forehead crinkled, and then his eyes sharpened. “You got a tattoo? Without me?”

“I texted you, but you were busy.”

“Right.” The small frown was momentary and gone almost as soon as it appeared. “So, let’s see it.”

Grasping the edge of my shirt, I pulled it up, leaning back against the counter behind me. The tattoo was just visible beneath the edge of my very unsexy sports bra, but my skin was still too tender for anything with lace and underwire.

His thumb skimmed over my ribcage. “I carry your heart,” he read, his finger pausing on the very far edge where a tiny, purple and blue lily was inked, looking like it was plucked straight out of a watercolor painting.

“It’s part of this poem Renée used to have hanging on the wall. When she was little, that’s what she wanted to do—poetry. Except she was never any good at it. Horrible, really. Her mom pulled out her old school stuff once and showed me—” Ian’s thumb landed on my lips, and it wasn’t till I looked up with him that I realized my eyes were swimming in tears.

I took in a shuddering breath, trying to tamp down my feelings. “That line doesn’t just remind me of her, it’s the truth. Renée’s always with me.”

Ian nodded, his fingers skimming over my cheek to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “You miss her.”

“Every day.”

His eyes squeezed shut. “Every day.”

I cleared my throat. “So, what do you think?”

His hands circled my waist. “Pretty risky spot to pick for your first. Had to hurt like hell.”

“It did.” A nervous laugh slipped out, my heart pounding so hard it was a wonder he couldn’t feel it. Then again, maybe he could.

I invaded his space, setting my fingers on the image of the raven that covered his right ribcage. “I can’t even imagine sitting for something like this. Talk about pain.” The bird was captured in mid-flight, wings stretched high so that the tips of its feathers nearly reached his armpit, while the claws curled just above the start of his V muscle that swooped up like a waiting branch.

“I’ve dealt with worse.”

It was the flat way he said it, like all the emotion had been leeched out of him and there just wasn’t an ounce left to put into those words. We weren’t talking about tattoos anymore. My hand flattened against his side, and his skin burned hot against my always cold fingertips.

“Ian.” I don’t know whether it was a statement or a question, or if it was a question, what in the world I was asking, but it seemed to do the trick. His eyes shifted up to mine, brimming with a pain that was so evident, I wanted to do nothing more than erase it.

I rocked up onto my tiptoes, sealing my lips over his, and letting my hand drift up the expanse of his chest to curl around the back of his neck. He didn’t fight me when I pulled him down to me, and his tongue took no time finding its way into my mouth to taste me. I tasted him right back—a hint of spearmint, like he’d brushed his teeth right before slipping into bed.

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About the Author

jamie-howard

Jamie Howard

TWITTER | GOODREADS

Jamie Howard is a legal and compliance specialist by day, author by night, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art. When she’s not tapping away at the keyboard or capturing the world through her trusty Canon, you can find her binge-watching TV shows, devouring books, and perfecting her gaming skills. She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs in New Jersey, and is almost always awake early enough to see the sun rise, even on the weekends.

Jamie is the author of Until We Break, Until It’s Right, and the upcoming Love Unplugged series with St. Martin’s Press. She is represented by Jessica Watterson of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.


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Guest Review: Until It’s Right by Jamie Howard

Posted March 21, 2016 by Ames in Reviews | 0 Comments

Guest Review: Until It’s Right by Jamie HowardReviewer: Ames
Until It's Right by Jamie Howard
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Pages: 242
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars

Haley Mitchell is tired of moping. With her broken heart repaired with a thick layer of duct tape, she’s ready to put her ex behind her and move on. After a chance encounter in a club, she’s convinced she’s met Mr. Perfect. But when he accidentally gives her the wrong number, the stranger on the other end of her texts becomes her confidant.

Kyle Lawson has always had more luck with computers than women. So when the new temp, Haley, arrives, he has the misfortune of falling for her, only to land firmly in the friend zone. But when he learns the mysterious woman he’s been texting is actually Haley, he keeps the entire thing a secret.

As things move straight from platonic to decidedly hot, Kyle must come clean about his secret texting identity and risk losing the woman he’s fallen in love with.

Until It’s Right is Jamie Howard’s second book. Although not listed as a series on Goodreads, Until It’s Right and Until We Break are connected. I did not read Until We Break but I felt I got enough of that story from details revealed in Until It’s Right.

Haley goes out dancing one night in an effort to move on from a relationship and she has a moment with a good looking guy. She gets his number but when she texts him a few days later, she realizes she has the wrong number. But the humorous replies of her wrong number pal has her continuing their conversation. Out of a joke they refer to each as Lois and Clark. While this is happening, she also begins a temping job at an office. She quickly becomes friends with the IT guy, Luke. Luke is a cute guy. He is definitely the hot, nerdy type. And Haley is interested. There is definitely a spark between the two of them but Luke is hesitant to make a move because his ex did a number on his self-esteem.

It’s not a spoiler to say since its in the blurb, but Luke figures out that Haley is his mystery texter, Lois. He’s torn as soon as he discovers the truth but circumstances prevent him from telling her the truth at first. And when Haley finally opens up to him and they get closer, he realizes he has even more to lose if Haley finds out who’s on the other end of that wrong number.

I enjoyed Until It’s Right. Haley was a sweet character that was done wrong in the previous book. She has some trust issues with men and even though she feels a spark with Luke, she’s hesitant to open up. That’s why she likes her texting thing with Clark. He’s anonymous and supportive. And Luke was supportive too! Because he was Clark. It was kind of funny when he got jealous of himself. Luke was a great guy. He was that wonderful mix of awkward but hot geek. And he was sweet. He has weekly dinners with his family and he takes Haley along one night when she’s got no plans.

There was character growth for Haley. She thinks she needs to change who she is to be like the type of woman her ex left her for. She needs to come to accept herself, and I believe she does once she hears the truth about what happened with her ex. With the issues that both her and Luke had in regard to exes, there was definitely some crossed wires in the development of their relationship. I enjoyed that because it wasn’t smooth sailing. And then there’s the biggie – Haley obviously has to find out who she’s texting. I thought the author did a good job of how that rolled out. It’s a bit predictable for a conflict but I liked how it was resolved.

If you’re in the mood for a sweet romance, I definitely recommend Until It’s Right. 4 out 5.

four-stars


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