Books and Swoons: Favorites

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Favorite Friday (#64): Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a bi-monthly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

This week pick is: Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young.

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

I loved loved loved this book. I loved the concept like the movie Sliding Doors, so I adored this book to pieces. It been years since I read Just Like Fate so I think I'm due for a reread.

About the author:

Raised in a house that was struck by lightning–twice–Cat Patrick is the author of young adult books Forgotten, Revived, and The Originals, and the co-author of Just Like Fate.

As a child, Cat could be found making up stories like her first book, Dolly the Purple Spotted Dolphin; growing corn in the backyard; or performing with a traveling sign-language troupe. She earned a journalism degree from the University of Wyoming and a master’s degree from Boston University, and worked in public relations for fifteen years. She lives outside of Seattle with her husband and twin daughters, and is on Twitter @seecatwrite, or Facebook at authorcatpatrick.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

About the author:

Suzanne Young is the New York Times bestselling author of The Program series. Orginally from Utica, NY, Suzanne moved to Arizona to pursue her dream of not freezing to death. She is a novelist and an English teacher, but not always in that order.

Suzanne is the author of several bestselling books, including THE PROGRAM, THE TREATMENT, THE REMEDY, THE EPIDEMIC, and HOTEL RUBY.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

What is one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#63): Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a monthly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

This week pick is: Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor.

(Source)

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn't sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia's crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe's unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

I LOVED this book and the friendship shown in this book made me cry like a baby because it's just SO. GOOD. I need more people talking about this book.

About the author:

I'm a YA writer who believes in happy endings. The kind you find in books.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always makes us happy.

What is one of your favorite reads?

Swoony Boy of the Month: Levi from Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Swoony Boy of the Month is our feature where we spotlight a favorite and/or swoony boy from the books we have read.

Hi Friends,

For this month Swoony Boy of the Month, we have Levi from Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg. When I first read this book back in 2014, I fell in love with it and I've been telling people to read this ever since. So I want to introduce you to Levi, here we go.

“But in truth, home isn't necessarily where you sleep at night. It's where you feel like yourself. Where you're most comfortable. Where you don't have to pretend, where you can be just you.” ― Elizabeth Eulberg, Better off Friends

(Source)

“I am not complete without you.” ― Elizabeth Eulberg, Better off Friends

(Source)

“This entire time I'd been thinking about where my home was. At first it was California, then Wisconsin. But in truth, home isn't necessarily where you sleep at night.
It's where you feel like yourself.
Where you're most comfortable.
Where you don't have to pretend, where you can just be you.
I had finally reached that place because Macallan is home to me.” ― Elizabeth Eulberg, Better off Friends

(Source)

SA-WOOOOONS! I love Levi and how he just GETS Macallan. I think it's time for a reread for me.

Have you read this book? You better have and if not, GO. RUN. NOW.

Favorite Friday (#62) Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

This week pick is: Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning.

“Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.” — MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever. — Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh -- a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.

Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.

OMG! This book is so intense! I absolutely love the entire series, but this is my favorite of all. I love how Mac has evolved throughout the series. I also love the relationship between Mac and Barrons. Shadowfever is such a great action packed book!

About the author:

Karen Marie Moning was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1964, the daughter of Anthony R. and Janet L. Moning. The family moved to a self-sustaining farm in Indiana when she was six years old, where she spent her youth raising cows, horses, tobacco, corn and other crops with her sisters and brother.
An alum of the Immaculate Conception Academy, at seventeen she attended Purdue University where she completed a BA in Society & Law, with minors in Philosophy, Creative Writing and Theatre, while working full time as a bartender and computer consultant. She intended to go to law school but after an internship with a firm of Criminal Attorneys, decided against it. For the next decade, she worked in insurance, where she wrote intercompany arbitrations and directed commercial litigation. At the age of thirty, she decided it was time to get serious and do what she’d always wanted to do: write fiction novels.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always makes us happy.

What is one of your favorite reads?

Swoony Boy of the Month: Perry from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Swoony Boy of the Month is our feature where we spotlight a favorite and/or swoony boy from the books we have read.

Today's Swoony Boy of the Month is Peregrine aka Perry. Perry is a rebel with heightened senses! He is definitely rough on the outside but also sweet and tender on the inside. Perry makes my heart melt over and over again!

“What I was trying to say,” he whispered, “is that I see you in everything. There isn’t a word for you that means enough, because you’re everything to me.”
~Veronica Rossi, Into the Still Blue

“Come back with me, Aria. Be with me.”
~Veronica Rossi, Through the Ever Night

“She'd been right. It had been easier with her. Perry placed his right hand on hers.
"Are you all right?" he whispered. It wasn't what he wanted to know. Of course she wasn't all right. What he wanted to know was if the together part still mattered to her. Because even though he was confused and sorry and angry, it still mattered to him.
She looked up and nodded, and he knew she agreed. Whatever else came, they'd face it together.”
~Veronica Rossi, Under the Never Sky

“It's not far. Another week. Doesn't matter. I'll get you better shoes this time. And I'll carry your rocks for you. I'll even answer your question.”
~Veronica Rossi, Under the Never Sky

“I've been watching you and Roar. Wanting it to be me training with you." His shoulders came up. "I don't want to do it now."
"Why?" Aria's voice was high and thin.
He smiled, a flash of shyness, before he leaned close. "There are other things I'd rather do when I'm alone with you.”
~Veronica Rossi, Under the Never Sky

Check out Perry in the Under the Never Sky series!

Review: This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

This Adventure Ends
Author: Emma Mills
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Review by: Jenn

Sloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens.

Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins' late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins' lives.

Filled with intense and important friendships, a wonderful warts-and-all family, shiveringly good romantic developments, and sharp, witty dialogue, this story is about finding the people you never knew you needed.

5 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.*

I LOVED this book. I loved the relationships that Emma Mills explored, the witty banter, the drama, the characters themselves, EVERYTHING. I thoroughly enjoyed Emma Mills' First & Then but this book made her an author to look for. I need to see more people talking about this book!

Sloane is super sarcastic, always has a smart retort in hand, loyal to a fault and I loved being in her head. I love her relationship with her family but more specifically with her father. I love how they seem to share this special bond and shared interests with the other and how easily she can depend on him.
The secondary characters! I love each and every one of them. Vera, Gabe, and Remy were some of the most interesting and awesome friends and I actually wanted more story time from them. I love their relationship with each other and how loyal they are to one another and to Sloane.
The actual story has this sort of slow, quiet feel to it but I think it works so well for Sloane and the characters. Since it kind of slow and tentative, the love story developed just like that as well. However, what I also loved about this book, it's that it is not just a love story, it's a story about friendships and family and how far you're willing to go for them.

I can't wait to see what Emma Mills writes next because I have definitely become a fan of hers. I am going to go around recommending her books to everyone I know because, gosh, they're just so good! Go pick up This Adventure Ends already!

Favorite Friday (#61): This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills

This week pick is: This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills.

Sloane isn't expecting to fall in with a group of friends when she moves from New York to Florida—especially not a group of friends so intense, so in love, so all-consuming. Yet that's exactly what happens.

Sloane becomes closest to Vera, a social-media star who lights up any room, and Gabe, Vera's twin brother and the most serious person Sloane's ever met. When a beloved painting by the twins' late mother goes missing, Sloane takes on the responsibility of tracking it down, a journey that takes her across state lines—and ever deeper into the twins' lives.

Jenn fell in love with Sloane and her sense of humor. The relationship between father and daughter was always amusing and just plain sweet. Sloane's friendship with Vera, Gabe, and Remy, it was interesting in seeing how they all developed and how they all became such good friends. A new fave YA contemporary author!

About the author:

Emma Mills is a debut author better known to her subscribers as vlogger Elmify. She is also cocreator and cohost of the "life skills" channel How to Adult.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always makes us happy.

What is one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#60) - Nowhere But Here By Katie McGarry

This week pick is: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

Nowhere But Here is an action packed filled novel! I loved the forbidden romance and mystery aspects of this story! Nowhere But Here is a great read anytime!

About the author:

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#59) - Cress by Marissa Meyer

This week pick is: Cress by Marissa Meyer.

Even in the future. there are damsels in distress...

In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

This book is such a great adventure! I loved living vicariously through Cress. She has such a fresh perspective on life, and tends to see the good in everyone. Cress kept me on my toes. The whole series is such a great read, but Cress is at the top of my list.

About the author:

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too.

I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#58) - Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

This week pick is: Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg.

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

I loved loved LOVED this book. I read it in on sitting and to this day, remains one of my favorite friends-to-more relationship. If you haven't already this book, please do! You can read my review here.

About the author:

Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, Better Off Friends, and We Can Work it Out. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Wattpad

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Comment down below.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#57) - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

This week pick is: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares.

Some friends just fit together.

Once there was a pair of pants. Just an ordinary pair of jeans. But these pants, the Traveling Pants, went on to do great things. This is the story of the four friends—Lena, Tibby, Bridget, and Carmen—who made it possible.

This book was one of the few books I read back in my teens, and granted, all four books were already released and the movie was being promoted, it will forever hold a special spot in my heart. The friendship all the girls share and how they struggled to keep in touch, I love this book. Have you read it?

About the author:

Ann Brashares is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, 3 Willows, The Last Summer (of You & Me), and My Name Is Memory. She lives in New York City with her husband and their four children.

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make us happy.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#56) - Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This week pick is: Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I absolutely love this series! Cinder has the perfect blend of action, mystery and romance! I fell in love with the characters and the world. Cinder is such a great read, and Marissa Meyer is at the top of my favorite author list.

About the author:

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squish able book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too. I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#55) - Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

This week pick is: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi.

The race for survival comes to a thrilling close in the earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi’s New York Times bestselling Under the Never Sky trilogy.

Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it’s time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to find the fabled Still Blue and bring balance to their world.

I love love love this series. This book has one my favorite ending to a series, ever. I was hooked from the beginning to end and I'm still so sad that this series is over. Pick this book up!

About the author:

Veronica Rossi is a best selling author of fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, was the first in a post-apocalyptic trilogy. Released in January 2012, it was deemed one of the Best Books of Year by School Library Journal. The series appeared in the NY Times and USA Today best seller lists and was published in over 25 foreign markets.
Her second series for young adults will begin with RIDERS (publishing February 16, 2016), the story of four modern day teens who become incarnations of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and the prophetic girl who brings them together.
Veronica completed her undergraduate studies at UCLA and then went on to study fine art at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. She is a lifelong reader and artist. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she has lived in Mexico, Venezuela, and all over the United States, to finally settle in Northern California with her husband and two sons.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Twitter

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make us happy.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Favorite Friday (#54) - Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis

This week pick is: Smart Girl by Rachel Hollis.

Brilliant designer Miko Jin is a hopeless romantic. She’s spent most of her life falling in love over and over again…with the men she finds in the pages of her favorite novels.

When Miko meets Liam Ashton, it’s love at first sight. At least, for her. Sure, the two of them are polar opposites, and yes, he seems to be dating someone new each week. But Miko knows what true love is and that you can’t rush it—after all, what she lacks in real-world experience, she makes up for in book smarts. With novels as her guide, and her best friends by her side, she knows she can get Liam to love her back. But just like any good romance novel, fate has a few plot twists in store. Will Miko get her own happy ending? Will she find the strength to stand up for what she deserves even if it means breaking her own heart?

I really love Rachel Hollis's writing style. I have loved both of her previous books Party Girl and Sweet Girl, but Smart Girl takes the cake! It was funny and had a ton of book references! At times it was painfully real and I hurt for Miko. This is just such a great story and definitely a must read!

About the author:

Rachel Hollis founded the LA-based event planning firm Chic Events at only 21. Six years later Inc. Magazine named her one of the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30. She went on to turn Chic into the extremely popular lifestyle website The Chic where readers log in daily for the tips and tricks she acquired after years of planning fancy parties for celebrities!

She has designed and produced fabulous events for many of Hollywood's elite including Bradley Cooper, Al Gore, Rashida Jones, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ivanka Trump, Jamie King, Sara Rue and Cuba Gooding Jr… just to a name a few.

Rachel grew up in a big loud Okie family. Daddy was a Pentecostal minister and Mama was the church pianist… and PS, she knows the words to all the old-timey hymns in case you want to break into three-part harmony later.

She moved to Los Angeles to go to college and promptly met a boy named David who was as handsome as he was funny. First she made that boy her best friend, and then she made him her husband. 10 years later they have three equally handsome/hilarious little boys named Jackson, Sawyer, and Ford. They live in LA where they spend their time doing super cool/sexy things like going to soccer practice and hitting up any restaurant where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult entrée.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy.

What are one of your favorite reads?

Review: Paige in Progress by Brighton Walsh

Paige in Progress
(Reluctant Hearts #3)
Author: Brighton Walsh
Release Date: January 19, 2016
Publisher: Bright Publishing
Source: Brighton Walsh
Review by: Jenn

She wanted a one-night stand…and then he moved in next door.
Paige Bennett is more than content with her life and what she does—and does not—have in it. She’s got a supportive family, a great apartment, and the best friend a girl could ask for; so what if her relationships expire faster than a carton of milk? After a disastrous detour courtesy of poor judgment in the boyfriend department, her plan is back on track and her dream job is finally within her grasp. Nothing can make her lose focus now. Well, nothing except the one-night stand she had with her best friend’s surrogate brother. The one-night stand she can’t stop thinking about.
Adam Reid has always been reliable…the responsible son, the loyal friend, the steady boyfriend. Two years ago, he graduated Magna Cum Laude and is well on his way to making a name for himself at an accounting firm in Denver—a far cry from working as a helper in the Mom and Pop store his parents own in Michigan. But when said store starts failing, he’s the only one who can step in and help. So reliable Adam does what he always does, and he comes to the rescue.
Paige thought Adam was a safe bet because he lives halfway across the country. But then suddenly he’s moving back to their town, and then into her apartment building, and soon he’s worming his way right into her life. If she’s not careful, he might sneak his way into her heart, too…

5 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this book by the author but it did not influence this review in any way.*

Paige in Progress might be Brighton Walsh's best book yet. Which is saying something considering how much I loved Tessa Ever After. But this book had me in a laughter and swooning like loon like no other of Brighton's books.

Paige and Adam come to us from the previous books. Paige is Tessa's best friend and in the glimpses we get, her being a wonderful and honest friend to Tessa, I knew I wanted her to have her own book. Adam, we get small glimpses but I never really but much thought of him. However, in Paige in Progress, I quickly learn how much I was missing out on with Adam.

Paige is a take-no-prisioner, ball buster. She has no qualms about telling it like it is and about being straight about what she likes. Adam, on the other hand, is quiet, reliable, and responsible. They are complete opposite but their attraction to other is off the charts. We learn that they had a one night stand and they both can't stop thinking about that night and the other. However, while Adam is looking to learn more about her and what they could potentially be together, Paige is trying to avoid a repeat performance.

I completely adore this book. I love the chemistry that Paige and Adam share and how well they played off of each other. Brighton knows how to do banter with lots of sexual tension and in this book, it worked so well. I love how Paige was scared of getting closer to Adam but being who she is, she can't back down. Adam also opened himself up to new feelings and experiences. Also, their sexual chemistry, HO-LY CRAAPPPPP. Adam is one talented man. Their foreplay and actual acts, all were everything I was expecting from a Brighton Walsh's book.

My only complaint was towards the end. There is a reason why Paige is the way she is towards relationships. She was burned in the past and Adams learns about the reason. However, he then asks something of Paige which terrifies her and in turns, pushes Adam away. I didn't like how Adam just expects Paige to do what he wanted considering what he was asking of her and how he leaves town without saying anything. It was a real shitty move considering where Paige was at that moment in her life. It didn't have to be all or nothing for him and I'm sure they could have figured something out.

Aside from that, Paige in Progress is now my new favorite from Brighton. I enjoyed each and every word and getting to see what Tessa, Jason, Haley, Cade and Winter were up to. I can't wait to see what else Brighton is working on because knowing her, her new hero might just be my new favorite. So if you haven't already picked up this series or any of Brighton's work, I seriously ask you to reconsider because her books are the best.

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