ARC Review: In Total Surrender by Anne Mallory

Oh how I loved this book! It took me a little while to get into the groove of it, but once I did I was hooked. I just couldn't put the book down. In the beginning I felt a bit overwhelmed and I had a little trouble following along. I felt a little lost. I'm not sure if it's because I hadn't read the book previous to this one, or if it's just how it was meant to be. But once I got into the swing of things and got into Andreas Merrick's way of thinking everything just clicked and I fell completely in love with the story and the hero.

I am absolutely head over heels in love with Andreas Merrick. After reading this story, he is definitely going down as one of my most favorite heroes. He was just everything that I love about a hero. He is a solitary man who shies away from contact and connections with others. He's fearsome and knows how to defends himself and the few others that he does let get close. It was so refreshing to see that most of the story takes place in his point of view. We are able to get a real sense of who he is and what he wants. It was absolutely hilarious watching him interacting with Phoebe, the heroine. He claims he wants nothing to do with her and is constantly trying to thwart her plans and push her away, even though deep inside there is something about her that just calls to him. When she smiles it lights him up inside and when she touches him it's as if he's been felled by a blow. Seriously how can you not fall in love with him?

As for Pheobe, I LOVED her and thought her the perfect match for the uber serious Andreas. She's able to make him feel compassion and she brings out Andreas' sense of humor. Phoebe is so unlike most woman of the ton. She is smart and business savvy and she bakes. She has been taking care of her family ever since her brother disappeared and her father became ill. She will stop at nothing to get her fathers company and his reputation back in order and to do so she needs Andreas' help. She also is very attracted to Andreas and is doing everything in her powers to get under his skin and getting to know him. She feels an instant attraction to him like she's never felt for anyone before and it was quite refreshing to see her as the pursuer in the relationship. She won't let Andreas bad attitude get to her. She is not afraid of him and she won't back down. She sees Andreas as the protector that he is, not the spawn of Satan everyone proclaims him to be.

Andreas and Pheobe were such great characters to read about and I truly loved their story. They both had such great chemistry together and I loved how Pheobe was able to break down Andreas' walls. Both Phoebe and Andreas are so stubborn and I loved watching to see what was going to happen between them. I found myself laughing out loud more than once, especially when Andreas is first encountering Phoebe's attempts at breaking down his walls. After reading In Total Surrender, I definitely can't wait to read Anne Mallory's next book.

**ARC copy provided by Netgalley**

RATING:

Follow Friday #11

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop put together by two hosts:  Parajunkee and Alison Can Read as a way to help bloggers become aware of other blogs and bloggers. It's a great way to make new blogger friends.

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

That is an easy answer-The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward. I swear, I just can't get tired of reading this series. Ever since I first picked up the first book Dark Lover, I've been hooked. I just love the world  that JR Ward has created. From her from her fiercely sexy warriors to even the Lessers that they fight. I just LOVE these books. Just hearing others talk about these books and I feel the need to pick them up and start them all over again. I honestly don't know why they resonate with me so much but I just can't get enough of them. I pretty much devour everything I can on the books and the sexy warriors that are within. They are like crhack and I need my fix. 

Just follow these simple rules to join in on the fun:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read} and any one else you want to follow on the list.
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers- Obsession With Books & The World of the Spork Master
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing on Parajunkee's blog.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers.

Thanks for stopping by. =)

Review: Snowbound by Larissa Ione

I just finished Snowbound and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. I'm normally not the biggest fan of contemporary stories, but this one was done really well. I honestly couldn't put this book down.

I loved the character of Sean. He was real and honest. I like that he wasn't afraid to let his feelings be known. He was definitely a charmer and I loved getting to know him.

As for Robyn, she may seem strong and dependent to others, but with her we see someone who is battling with self-confidence issues that stem from her teens. She just wants to be accepted by others and I love how Sean helps her realize that she is a truly beautiful inside and out.

I really enjoyed these two together. The sparks between them were evident from the beginning and when they finally came together it was electric. I definitely enjoyed seeing these two get their HEA.

Rating:

Jennifer Estep Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to:

Sara Rodesch

Spider's Revenge ARC

Kara

Touch of Frost

Both winners have been contacted via email. Thank you everyone for entering and keep a lookout for lots of upcoming giveaways coming to the blog. =)

ARC Review: Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe

I'm not totally sure of how I feel about Lord of Rage. I liked it, but at the same time I'm left with a felling of blah. I was just hoping for so much more that I got. This book started off so good for me, and then it just kind of fizzled out. It seemed that once we got to the middle of the book, it just seemed to go on forever with really nothing happening. It was just a little slow for my tastes.

This book continues with the series theme of the retelling of fairy tales. The theme of this one was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I just loved the spin of the bears being beserkers. I haven't come across many stories that feature beserkers, and it's a refreshing change of pace to see a different types of paranormal beings featured as the hero. I really enjoyed learning about the myths and culture customs surrounding the beserkers. And as for Osborn, I liked his character a lot. He's upfront and not afraid to tell it like it is. And I love that he is aware of his attraction to Breena. It was actually quite refreshing to watch both Breena and Osborn interacting with each other. They are both so explosive together and I loved watching them clash. My only issue is how long it took them to come together. It just seemed to drag on forever.

 So far I am loving the fairy tale spins each author is using in their book and I can't wait to see how Lord of the Wolfyn turns out.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

RATING:

Guest Post with Author Bernadette Marie

Today I would like to welcome to the blog author Bernadette Marie. Bernadette is currently on tour celebrating the release of her book The Executive's Decision. So without further ado, here's Bernadette.


Have you ever heard of someone who died from embarrassment? Me either.


As a martial artist I have the opportunity to enrich lives of others. One way is by teaching them how to physically take care of themselves if they are ever in a threatening situation.


When you’re trying to explain this concept to kids, however, they will tell you how they can take the bad guy out with one punch. To hear my six-year-old talk, he could take a three hundred pound man and pummel him to bits. 


Though that’s thinking big. Perhaps it’s not that realistic. We teach the kids to run, scream, and make a scene. And why would you do that? To get away. To live to see another day, because the bad guy might get you if you don’t, and no one ever died of embarrassment if you happen to have misunderstood the situation.


Perhaps a drastic way of looking at your writing career, but don’t we do that too? Sure we do. Our three hundred pound bad guy, isn’t really bad at all, but just as scary and could crush us all the same. We know we have what it takes to write one book and make it to the top of that list. We think big. 


But how many of us attack the big bad guy? We lurk in private places egging on the bad guy by writing our stories.We walk in dark alleys (aka, our offices while others sleep.) Only those we trust hear our secret whispers, “I’m working on writing a book.” We protect what’s ours, but then someone asks, “What’s it about?”


You’ve been approached by the enemy. Danger is now looking you in the face. One option to deal with the enemy is to not tell them anything. Keep it hidden. Walk the alley at night. And what happens? Your manuscript has been crushed by the bad guy, and never sees the light of day. You’re not dead, but your dreams might be.


OR…you could run, scream, and cause a scene!


That’s right you could tell everyone what’s been happening in that alley. Bring it to the light and let them see. Run through the streets and let the world know you’re there.Someone might even ask to see this book you’ve been writing. And you might get embarrassed! It just might happen.


But remember, no matter whether you’re running from an attacker or putting yourself on display for the world to critique, no one has ever died from embarrassment.

****

Regan Keller fell in love with a wealthy and powerful man once. He was her boss. When that turbulent relationship ended, she swore she’d never again date someone she worked with. That was before she literally fell into her new boss’s lap.

Zachary Benson is the head of a successful empire and used to getting what he wants in the boardroom and outside of it – and what he wants is Regan Keller. He’s determined to convince Regan that even though he’s her boss, they can share a life together.

However, when Regan’s past threatens to destroy the architectural firm Zach has invested his entire career in, he has to make an executive decision whether to choose his business or fight for the woman he loves.

Buy Links:
| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | All Romance | 5 Prince Books |




**About the Author**

Bernadette Marie has been an avid writer since the early age of 13, when she’d fill notebook after notebook with stories that she’d share with her friends. Her journey into novel writing started the summer before eighth grade when her father gave her an old typewriter. At all times of the day and night you would find her on the back porch penning her first work, which she would continue to write for the next 22 years. 

In 2007 – after marriage, filling her chronic entrepreneurial needs, and having five children – Bernadette began to write seriously with the goal of being published. That year she wrote 12 books. In 2009 she was contracted for her first trilogy and the published author was born. In 2011 she (being the entrepreneur that she is) opened her own publishing house, 5 Prince Publishing, and has released contemporary titles and will begin the process, eventually, of taking on other authors in other genres. Also in 2011 she became co-owner of Seven Songs Press and will release a novella as part of an anthology with other very talented authors in November 2011.

Bernadette spends most of her free time driving her kids to their many events. She is also an accomplished martial artist, working her way to her second-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do. An avid reader, she enjoys most, the works of Nora Roberts and Karen White. She loves to meet readers who enjoy reading contemporary romances and she always promises Happily Ever After.

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