Feature and Giveaway: Without Merit by Colleen Hoover

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines, when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Feature: Wish You Were Here by Renée Carlino

You know when you’re looking at someone and you can’t help but smile at how oblivious they are to their own charm? That’s what was happening to me, and it was making me feel…happy. Euphoric. Something indescribable. It was like we already knew each other, like we had met in a previous life. Memories that didn’t exist began exploding in my mind like fireworks.

Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, searching for a spark to jump-start her life and give her a sense of purpose. She’s had as many jobs as she’s had bad relationships, and now she’s feeling especially lost in her less-than-glamorous gig at a pie-and-fry joint in Los Angeles, where the uniforms are bad and the tips are even worse.

Then she collides—literally—with Adam, an intriguing, handsome, and mysterious painter. Their serendipitous meeting on the street turns into a whirlwind one-night stand that has Charlotte feeling enchanted by Adam’s spontaneity and joy for life. There’s promise in both his words and actions, but in the harsh light of morning, Adam’s tune changes, leaving Charlotte to wonder if her notorious bad luck with men is really just her own bad judgment.

Months later, a new relationship with Seth, a charming baseball player, is turning into something more meaningful, but Charlotte’s still having trouble moving past her one enthralling night with Adam. Why? When she searches for answers, she finds the situation with Adam is far more complicated than she ever imagined. Faced with the decision to write a new story with Seth or finish the one started with Adam, Charlotte embarks on a life-altering journey, one that takes her across the world and back again, bringing a lifetime’s worth of pain, joy, and wisdom.

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I am a huge fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid, so each time I see a new book from her I automatically add it to my TBR. When I heard about The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I couldn't wait to read it! While this book isn't really what I would consider a romance (my preferred genre!) I knew I had to give it a chance just because Taylor wrote it. I have to say that I was drawn in right away and didn't want to put it down! Taylor's writing style is one that captivates the reader, and this book was no exception. 

No one is more stunned than Monique Grant when aging starlet Evelyn Hugo selects her to finally share her story. Wanting to jump start her career, Monique knows that this is the perfect opportunity and decides not to question why she was chosen. But as Monique gets to know Evelyn and her story, she quickly finds out that she and Evelyn have a connection that she never could have expected.

I found these characters fascinating. I was so intrigued with Evelyn and her husbands just from the title, but the more we got to know Evelyn the more I wanted! Evelyn was not everything that you first though she was, but beneath the surface she was someone who would do whatever it took to make it where she wanted. Her decisions and life story were so much more than what showed on the surface, and as she revealed more and more, I found myself unable to predict what would happen next. I loved seeing things unfold as we learned more right along with Monique.

Overall, this book wasn't at all what I expected and yet it was fantastic. Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of the most talented writers that I have ever read, and with each new book I read from her I am that much more impressed by her. She just seems to get better and better, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was really interesting. I recommend going into this story blind and just experiencing it as I did because I think if you try to find out what more that it wouldn't be quite the same experience. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an auto-buy for me, and I can't recommend her books enough.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa

The setting is a world where humans destroyed our Earth. Trees and animals no longer exist. About a large city's worth of people were all that survived, and now they dwell in a sanctuary called Eden. Since the rest of the world is a wasteland, they only have a limited amount of space. Therefore, each family is only allowed to have one child. Rowan, our protagonist, was unfortunate enough to be born only a few minutes after her brother.

Rowan grew up in secret never leaving her family's home. Since her eyes were never corrected (like everyone's in Eden), they'll give away what she is to anyone who sees her. As is typical for these types of situations, Rowan hits a breaking point and sneaks out to see the rest of Eden. She has quite the adventure, but not long afterward, it's discovered that her existence has been detected by the authorities. Rowan and her mother flee, hoping they can get new lenses and a new family for Rowan.

And so Rowan embraces a new life that is nothing like her past. She makes new friends and experiences romantic love and affection for the first time in her life. Rowan is almost constantly in danger throughout the story, and little by little we learn more about this society and all of the skeletons in its closet.

I was very impressed with the language in this story. though written for a young adult audience, they used some words I had to look up. It wasn't overdone and made the book better. I like that they didn't feel that they needed to dumb it down for younger readers. There is a weird love triangle that seems to be forming, but it wasn't completely clear what Rowan's feelings were. I couldn't tell if she was feeling butterflies or just happiness for friendship and interaction. It kept it interesting, and I hate love triangles so that has to mean something.

I really liked this book. Rowan's journey to interact with other people, find out who she is, and the mystery of what really is going on in this society kept my attention and curiosity. It was action packed, but it had those sweet and caring moments, too. The explanations of the scene at the beginning (which can be overly boring in a lot of these book types) were done well and spaced properly so as to not detach from the story too long. I'm excited to see where this story leads.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

If there was once word to describe how I feel after finishing It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, it would be RAW. This book broke my heart and was such an emotional story to read. There were things I absolute loved here, but there were things that didn't work for me as well. While I have things that personally bothered me, I have to say that the one thing I wasn't disappointed by here was the writing. Colleen Hoover is amazing with words, and her stories are so beautifully written. 

It Ends With Us is about Lily, who moves from Maine to Boston in order to attend college and pursue her dreams. She starts her own flower shop and things in her life appear to be coming together as she meets a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle. Though he doesn't do relationships, they find themselves falling in love and soon are building a future together. But when Lily's ex and first love reappear in her life, things begin to change. Soon Lily finds that not only has her past returned in the form of the boy she once loved, but that it has caught up with her in a way she never expected. 

The characters in this story were deep and I felt so invested in all of them. They were real and genuine, faults and all. I loved them and I hated them, but the one thing I can say is that I really felt emotionally connected to all of them. I struggled right alongside them, and I definitely had it all planned out in my mind the way I wanted things to go here. I won't say more on that so as not to ruin it, but I honestly had things built up in my mind to go a certain way. Ultimately things didn't go as I wanted them to, and there were times that I honestly felt so broken by what was happening throughout this story. I really truly felt like these characters all deserved to find a happy ending no matter what had happened, and I really wanted to see that play out a bit more. 

While we did get an ending here that was wrapped up, it felt rushed to me and I wanted more. It still wasn't what I had wanted or hoped for, but I think it would have been more satisfying had we seen a bit more down the road. I wanted to know how things ended up for all those involved and it felt like things were just starting at the end. I understand so much more about this story after having read the author's note, and while the writing was stellar as always it still wasn't what I wanted. I know that is a bit ridiculous to say, but for me personally I read for certain reasons and one of those is for the love and romance. While there was romance and love here, this one felt more like fiction to me and I wasn't entirely on board with how things played out here. Again that is not to say that this is a bad story, because that is absolutely not the case. This one just didn't work as well for me on a personal level as I think it will for others. For me, it felt like Colleen had broken me and never really put me back together. I saw it coming, and yet I had it in my mind how I wanted things to turn out. These types of stories rarely work out for me, and I honestly didn't have any clue what I was in for before starting this one. While I do think that a lot of readers will love this one and that the writing was fantastic, this wasn't my favorite from Colleen.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Up In Flames by Abbi Glines

Up In Flames is the fourteenth story in the Rosemary Beach series by Abbi Glines. I would recommend reading these in order for full enjoyment, but this could be read as a standalone if necessary. Honestly I will admit that I was pretty skeptical going into Up In Flames. It is no secret if you are familiar with this series that Nan is one of the most hated characters from any series ever, but I was intrigued to see if she would ever redeem herself. Unfortunately this book was a mess and I ended up having a lot of issues with the story itself rather than Nan's character. 

Nan is the villain of Rosemary Beach and she is tired of always coming in last. Every guy in her life that she has ever been interested in has always taken what he wanted and given little in return. Just when she thinks she has found someone she might have more with, she realizes that he will never feel the same for her and has no intention of settling down. So she heads to Vegas where she meets a man unlike any she has met before. But soon Nan finds herself caught between two men and in a situation she never expected. 

I found that I didn't hate Nan here like I had in the previous books. With that being said, I also never felt like she redeemed herself or made any progress. She was still pretty much the same self centered high maintenance girl that felt sorry for herself and the situation she was in. I felt like a bit of that was karma, but mostly was due to how she treated others. Yes at times I did feel for her, but honestly I just didn't see any progress or growth here. I wanted more of her story and what made her tick, but we didn't really get that here. For this being Nan's story, it became much more about something else entirely rather than about Nan and that was disappointing. I also felt like while there was some attraction between her and the men in her life, I just wasn't feeling the connection with either of them and it all felt so forced and unrealistic. 

This book felt sloppy and all over the place. Things would change at the drop of a hat that felt unbelievable and characters would think one thing and then all of a sudden think the exact opposite. Their opinions were so back and forth that I just never really felt like we knew who any of them were, and I couldn't relate or feel invested in any of them. There were so many egos and so many secrets and lies, and I never felt like any of them actually cared about anyone but themselves. I don't know that I would really consider this book a romance as there was so much else going on and it didn't really feel like we got a romance here. It's hard to really go into much here so as not to spoil the story, but I will say that there was just so much over the top crazy drama going on and I felt like Nan's love life sort of got lost in all of that. While I thought that things were going one way, Abbi Glines did surprise me by taking this story in a completely different direction. It was one that I wasn't on board with at all, and I was left feeling like this story was just too much and not in a good way. While I have had mixed feelings on some of Abbi's books before, I have never felt like they were as much of a sloppy mess as this one felt like. It just seemed like she was trying to force this crazy story to happen, and it didn't work for me at all. While I have genuinely enjoyed the majority of this series, sadly Up In Flames was not one of them. I felt like I needed to finish this book and see Nan's story through, but honestly this is one that I would have quit reading if it wasn't part of the Rosemary Beach series. There were some cute moments between Nan and her nephew Nate, but those moments were not enough to redeem this one to me.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | iTunes |

ARC Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

I will admit that I was a bit scared to start November 9 when I received it. While I love Colleen Hoover and have enjoyed her books, the last few of hers weren't my favorites. I had issues with each of them and while there were great moments in them, I began to worry that maybe it was just me since so many others loved them and raved about them. My favorite Colleen Hoover book to this point has been Maybe Someday (even though there was something I took issue with there as well), but I have to say that after just having finished November 9, it has definitely taken over as my favorite. This book absolutely wrecked me in true Colleen fashion, but thankfully she put me back together piece by piece and I fell in love with Fallon and Ben right along with them. 

On the day she is set to move to NY from LA, Fallon meets aspiring writer Ben. They spend that November 9th together and agree spend each November 9th together from that day forward, though they will continue to live their lives separately. Though each year they meet on November 9th, they have absolutely no contact for the rest of the year. Their agreement and lives are supposed to be the inspiration behind the novel that Ben promises to write but just when it appears to be so much more, Fallon discovers that Ben has been keeping some very big secrets and their entire relationship might have been a lie. 

Ben and Fallon had me from their very first meeting and I was completely hooked. I couldn't put this book down, and I loved how fun and witty they were. Their interactions were the kind you live for in a great book, and they were impossible not to fall for. Ben and Fallon were great as individuals and I really loved them, but together they were magic. Sweet and Sexy, these two had every single thing that makes for a great couple and they are the kind of couple romance books are made of. They each had struggles and so much to overcome, but the great thing is that they were there for each other even when they weren't together. These two had so much chemistry that I really couldn't think of any two characters who were more perfect for each other than Ben and Fallon were. They might have not spent much actual time together, but it was so real and genuine and believable despite the circumstances. 

Overall, this is my favorite CoHo book to date and I honestly cannot recommend it enough. This book is so beautiful and emotional, and I could not put it down. I never wanted Fallon and Ben's story to end, and as fast as I wanted to devour the book I also wanted to savor it. November 9 truly is Colleen Hoover at her best, and it is the kind of book that every person can find something to relate to. Sweet, sexy, and funny, November 9 is one of my favorite reads not only this year, but that I have ever read. I cannot recommend this book enough, and I cannot wait to see what Colleen writes next.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

I am absolutely loving the Burying Water series by K.A. Tucker. Each book in the series is a standalone, but the characters are interconnected. I think what I love most about this series though is the fact that the characters are so diverse. Each story is so different, and yet they are all intense and captivating. K.A. Tucker has a way of making these characters and stories so real, and Surviving Ice was another fantastic and intense read that I just couldn't put down. Not only was it hard to put down, but I just flat out didn't want to. I was so invested in Ivy and Sebastian right from the start and that was a bit surprising to me since I wasn't the biggest fan of Ivy before this book. 

Never finding someone or something to hold her in one place for long, Ivy has spent the last several years traveling the world. As a talented tattoo artist, she is capable of picking up and leaving whenever the mood strikes her. Just as she is finally starting to feel at home in one place though, she witnesses a terrible crime that sends her reeling. As she prepares to leave once again, a meeting with a complete stranger begins to change her mind. Ivy finds herself drawn to Sebastian, and the more she learns about him the more a connection grows. But what Ivy believes is random is actually something very different, and it is only a matter of time before she learns the truth.

I was surprised how much I love Ivy here. She was strong and edgy, artistic and really smart. I hadn't really cared for her as I said in the previous books, but I will admit that she did start to win me over a bit in Chasing River. I loved seeing her be able to hold her own, but I also really liked seeing underneath her facade. She was so much more than met the eye, and with everything that happened we really got to see a softer more vulnerable side to her. Sebastian was complicated and mysterious, and really sexy. I loved him from the start, even though I will admit that he was definitely not your good guy next door type of hero. He was lethal and determined to do whatever it was he needed to do to accomplish his job. I knew things would be a bit more gray here than black and white when it came to Sebastian and his involvement in Ivy's life, but I was so drawn to him and I couldn't help but want him and Ivy to work out. They had so much chemistry zipping between them from the very start, and you could see the sparks flying to the point that the explosion was inevitable. As much as Sebastian needed to stay away from her, it was obvious that it was impossible. 

The thing I love most about this series besides just the unique and diverse characters though is the fact that these are so well balanced. They aren't just a romance or just suspense novels, but they are all of the above. I am never bored while reading a K.A. Tucker book, and this series is one of those that I would really recommend to anyone looking for a great all around story. There is enough action and mystery to keep you guessing, and enough romance to keep you invested in the characters and their relationship. Surviving Ice is one of those books that has so much going on that you just can't help but want to read it in one sitting. You know that the truth has to come out at some point and yet the closer Ivy and Sebastian grew the more you begin to really see just how much these two are getting to one another. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen, even knowing that it was bound to alter everything. I highly recommend this series and especially Surviving Ice. If you haven't read the previous books you definitely should, but you don't need to in order to enjoy this book. I really can't wait to see what K.A. Tucker writes next as she is a super talented writer that never disappoints.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Racing the Sun by Karina Halle

I could not wait to get my hands on Racing the Sun by Karina Halle. I am a huge fan of hers, and this one immediately grabbed my attention with the blurb. As usual, I really enjoyed the story and Karina did an excellent job bringing her characters to life here. I really felt like I was right there experiencing everything with them and I couldn't get enough. 

Amber MacLean has been traveling the world, but it is time for her to face reality. She is broke and her parents are no longer supporting her, and she has had to use the money she had been saving for her return home in order to live. When she arrives in Italy, she seeks employment and ends up working as a teacher for a man raising his two younger siblings after an accident took their parents from them. Amber and Derio begin to get to know each other, and soon the sparks between them turn into passion rather than dislike. But as they grow closer, the lines begin to blur when suddenly Amber finds herself not only teaching them but also becoming their nanny. But what happens when time begins to run out and Amber's scheduled return home is suddenly approaching? Can she find a way to stay with the man she is falling for, or will she return home to the safety of the life she knows?

I absolutely loved Amber and Derio together. At first Derio comes across as mysterious and cold, and he was unfriendly for quite awhile. But as Amber began to break through his walls, it was clear that he was going through so much and he was suffering alone rather than letting anyone else in. His life had changed so much in such a short amount of time, and it was obvious that he didn't know how to handle it. I felt badly for him, and I was really glad that Amber was able to help bring him back to life. Amber was such a likable heroine. I loved her honesty and found her to be fun and refreshing to read about. She wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind, and she was one of those heroines that was just so full of life. Amber and Derio were really great together because they were different, and I really felt like they balanced each other out well. They were supportive of one another, and the chemistry and love between them was so natural. 

I thought that Karina Halle did such a great job of bringing Italy to life here, it really was easy to visualize everything as Amber and Derio were experiencing it. I found myself wanting to visit immediately as I fell in love right along with the characters. Karina Halle is a great writer, and I can always count on her books to a great story. I will say that Derio pissed me off at the end of this book though, and I really felt like he should have had to grovel a bit more than he did. He seemed to have a sudden personality shift for a portion of this book, and it broke my heart to see him and Amber struggling. Though I liked the ending, I wish that we had been given a bit more. If you are a fan of Karina's, you are definitely going to want to check this book out. If you are new to Karina Halle, I highly recommend looking into her books and Racing the Sun is a great place to start.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Chasing River by K.A. Tucker

Chasing River is the third book in K.A. Tucker's Burying Water series. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone. This series is one that I have really enjoyed so far, but I will admit that I would have read this one for the cover alone. For some reason I was immediately drawn to this book from the cover, and I didn't even read the blurb to know I had to read it. Once I started reading though, I was sucked in from the first page and I didn't want to put this book down. 

After getting her heart broken, Amber Welles decides to take her savings and finally take the trip she has been planning for years. Leaving her small hometown in Oregon, she heads across seas for a trip across several months and countries. When she arrives in Ireland, things don't go quite as planned and she finds herself in a situation she never expected. When a stranger saves her life, she finds herself drawn to him but he disappears before she has a chance to thank him. River Delaney has enough going on in his life, and the last thing he needs is the attention that saving the American tourist will bring. But when she tracks him down after he ran from the seen, he finds himself drawn to her. They both know that things between them should be left at their brief encounter, but yet they find themselves drawn to one another and wanting to spend more time together. But what can possibly happen for these two when they are from different countries and being together is dangerous for them both?

I really liked both River and Amber. River's family is complicated, and I really liked seeing him with most of his family members. It was really interesting to see how different they each were, and how they each viewed everything that was going on around them. River was a great guy, and you could tell that he really tried to do the best he could where others were concerned. I loved him with Amber, and I thought that these two had such an interesting dynamic right from the start. River was fun and flirty with her, and yet he was also really wary of her because of how they met. I was captivated right away by their connection, and I couldn't wait to see what would happen. Amber was sweet and fun, but she was also pretty shy and reserved. This trip was a huge deal for her, and it was clear that she wasn't very socially adventurous. I really admired her bravery in taking this trip all by herself though, and it was great to see her experience her adventure without letting anyone or anything hold her back. 

I will admit that to me this book was very light on the romance, and isn't one that I would typically classify as the romance genre. It was more of what I would call fiction than anything else. It was very enjoyable, and I found myself getting lost in the culture and history that was so abundant in this book. I could easily picture everything that was being described and it made me want to embark on my own trip around the world, focusing especially on Ireland. If you are a fan of K.A. Tucker's you will definitely enjoy this book. If you are looking for something heavy on the romance though, this one might not be for you. I think that this book is definitely worth the read though, and I enjoyed seeing how things would turn out for both River and Amber. I am looking forward to Ivy's story next, and can't wait to see what Tucker has in store for her.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes | 

ARC Review: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe in Another Life might be the hardest book I have ever tried to review. I have been trying to put together my thoughts on this book for what seems like forever, and I know that a lot of what I wish I could say I can't. Taylor Jenkins Reid has written such a unique and beautiful story here, and I really feel like this one is a book that just needs to be experienced. You can't go into this one knowing everything, and I really feel like it is best to just be along for the ride. 

This book is about Hannah, a 29 year old woman who is still trying to figure things out. She has lived and worked in so many different places, and yet she still doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. But when Hannah moves back to her hometown, she turns to her best friend Gabby for a place to stay. One night while Hannah and Gabby are out, they run into Hannah's high school boyfriend Ethan. At the end of the night Hannah is faced with a choice when both Gabby and Ethan offer her a ride. The choice she makes will change everything. Maybe in Another Life is a book that has two parallel storylines throughout the entire book, each detailing a life based on the two choices that Hannah could make that night. Though each of Hannah's worlds are completely different, Hannah believes that in each she has found her soulmate.

Here is where this review gets tricky...it is hard enough trying to avoid spoilers for one story, but when a book contains two it is almost impossible. Suffice it to say that I won't be giving much away other than to say that this book is truly about Hannah and her life. But it is also about everyone. This book could literally be about you or me and the smallest choice that could end up having the biggest impact on what our future holds. I found it so interesting to see how things would play out depending on what choice Hannah had made, and it really got me to thinking about the choices that each of us makes. This concept was so unique to me, and I found that it gave me a truly enjoyable and different reading experience. I will be honest and say that there was a storyline I preferred, and I did find myself liking her with one guy over the other. While I won't say who I liked best, I will say that I liked her with both. They were each special and different, and it was really a matter of each set of circumstances that made them each right for her in completely different ways. 

This book is not a love triangle, and it is not in any way paranormal. But if you are looking for a truly different story that is about more than just love and romance, this is definitely worth a shot. I loved seeing two very different outcomes, and I couldn't stop reading. Each chapter would switch back and forth between the parallel universes, and I could not wait to see how things would be the same or different as each of her decisions played out. I honestly loved Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing style and the story itself, and I cannot wait to read more from her. This is one book that I won't forget anytime soon, and I am already looking forward to whatever Taylor writes next.

**ARC Provided by Publisher**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository | iTunes |