Miles from Kara by Melissa West - Review, Excerpt & Gift Card Giveaway

The Charleston Haven Series (stand - alone)

New Adult Contemporary

Release: December 2, 2014

Published by Penguin/InterMix

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Kara Marcus is desperate to forget the past and move on. But she can’t escape her choices—especially when she finds herself falling in love…

Since the first day she stepped into her childhood Southern Baptist church, two truths have been engrained in Kara Marcus’s head: sex before marriage is bad and murder is a sin. And that’s why Kara can never forgive herself for what she did at the age of sixteen.

Now, as second semester of freshman year comes to a close, Kara has stood by her high school boyfriend, Ethan. But as they seem to grow further and further apart every day, Kara realizes that she has feelings for someone else: Ethan’s roommate Colt.

Suddenly, Kara’s clear-cut world shifts out of focus, and she’s torn between what her head tells her is right and what her heart is desperately pushing her to do—even if it means committing another undeniable sin...

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My review:
An up-front warning: this is a book that deals with abortion. Kara does not have an abortion in this story, but Miles from Kara is not only a romance between Kara and Colt but is just as much about Kara dealing with her emotions about her abortion when she was 16 years old.

Kara is majoring in psychology, and she starts volunteering in a counseling center. Kara is immediately confronted with her own past when one of the first people she is assigned to help is a young pregnant girl because Kara had been in this situation herself. Kara's mother had decided that she should get an abortion, and Kara basically went along with it. Some people will judge Kara for this and not like her as a character, but we also have to remember she was 16 when her mother scheduled the abortion for her and she basically felt she had no choice. The relationship that Kara develops with Maggie, the pregnant teen, is oh so unhealthy and unprofessional, but, at the same time, it seems to be what Kara needs to deal with the issues about her abortion, and Maggie certainly needs someone like Kara.

Kara's relationship with Colt just puts the icing on the cake. We already have a great story with Kara and Maggie, but the love interest with the sexy Australian accent makes it even better. Kara knows that things aren't right between her and her long-time boyfriend, Ethan, but she feels like they should stay together because it's what's familiar. However, she finally realizes that she needs to break it off. I didn't like how Kara wouldn't or couldn't break it off with Ethan until it seemed certain that Colt was going to return her feelings of attraction for him. However, the rest of the relationship with Colt made up for it. Colt is like a dream boyfriend. Besides being hot and having a sexy accent, he is very understanding and patient about Kara's issues in the bedroom. It certainly makes him a keeper.

A sweet and sexy love story with a lot of emotional issues all rolled into one makes this is a great read, and I would recommend it.    

An ARC was provided for an honest review.

Excerpt:

Colt started to say something, then shook his beer. “I’m out. Want another?”


Three? I’d nursed the second one, so I wasn’t feeling it just yet, and I’d already said and done morethan I would have if I were fully sober. I should stop. I should let my buzz wear off and go sleep in Ethan’s room. But instead, I kicked off my sandals and pulled my legs crisscross on the sofa. “All right, I’ll have another,” I said, mimicking his accent.

He grinned. “Very funny. You know you have an accent, too.”

“Yeah, but mine’s not nearly as sexy.” As soon as the words slipped from my mouth, my eyes went wide and I covered my mouth, my face burning. “I . . .” There was nothing I could say to take it back.

His grin switched to a smirk and he cocked his hip against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms so his biceps bulged against the tightness of his T-shirt. “You think I sound sexy, huh? What else do you think of me?” He started toward me, a slow strut that made my insides ignite. His dirty blond hair fell over his eyes as he studied me. His jaw was covered in fine stubble and I found myself wishing I could run my fingers across it. I flushed.

“Nothing.”


“All right. How about I tell you what I think of you?” I started to argue, but he continued before Icould get a word out. “I think you’re smart, though you doubt yourself. I think you’re kind, though you’re hard on yourself. I think you’re funny and your laugh draws attention no matter where you are.” He was standing before me now, staring down, his presence a force I couldn’t ignore. “And I think you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen in my life. So beautiful, in fact, I have a hard time being around you . . . without staring.”

About the Author

Melissa West writes young adult and new adult novels for Entangled Teen and Embrace and Penguin/InterMix. She lives outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband and two daughters and spends most of her time writing, reading, or fueling her coffee addiction.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and a M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.

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GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away (1) Copy of PIECES OF OLIVIA and (1) $10 Amazon Gift Card - International

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Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis - Giveaway & Excerpt - Launch Day Blitz

Check out my review of Merry Christmas, Baby.

Excerpt

“It’s only a week,” he said, and Chloe jumped.

He was at her side again, all lethal stealth. He set her fast-acting asthma inhaler on the nightstand for easy reach and then her cell phone, which he’d no doubt charged for her since she’d forgotten. His bag hung from his shoulder, and he watched her from those fathomless eyes. If she looked closely she could see the gold flecks in them. Sometimes, when he laughed, those flecks danced.

But they were still now.

As still as the man watching her.

“I know,” she murmured. “Just a week. You’ll be back for the town Christmas party. You promised to take me.”

His jaw went a little tight. Parties weren’t exactly Mr. Social’s thing. “We talked about this,” he said.

“Yes, and you agreed to take me.”

He shook his head. “I said it wasn’t a great idea, you exerting the energy to dress up and go to a crowded event.”

“I’m not a piece of china,” she said.

“No one would ever mistake you for one,” he responded, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t a compliment.

“But,” he went on in that voice of steel, “you’re eight months pregnant and suffer debilitating asthma. Give yourself a damn break.”

“I’ve had one,” she said. “Maddie and Tara won’t even let me work at my own spa. I need to get out, Sawyer. I need to see people.” Before her life changed forever… “I’m going.”

“I’ll be back,” was all he said.

“And the party?”

“We’ll see.”

Not exactly a promise, but then again he was careful never to promise anything he couldn’t deliver. His word, when he gave it, was good as gold.

He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes for a long beat. “Dr. Tyler is only a call away,” he said. “Your sisters are close by. Jax and Ford are in your speed dials and are on standby for anything.”

Chloe’s obstetrician was wonderful, and so were her sisters Maddie and Tara and their husbands—Sawyer’s BFFs Jax and Ford. But if there was an emergency, it wasn’t any of them that Chloe wanted.

It was the tall testosterone and attitude-ridden man standing in front of her, already long gone given the look on his face.

“I want you to take care,” he said.

“You heard what Dr. Tyler said the last time we were in her office for false labor.” She patted her belly. “The Bean’s in for the long haul.”

“I meant you,” Sawyer said. “Take care of you.”

Coming from him, the words were tantamount to a shouted vow of love, and they moved her as only Sawyer could. “Always,” she promised, softening. “And what about you?”

“I haven’t had any labor pains, false or otherwise,” he deadpanned.

That got a laugh out of her.

He smiled but it faded quickly. “You know you can text or email me, and that I’ll call when I can,” he said. “And if anything happens—anything at all, Chloe—I can be back here in two hours.”

“Anything?” she asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood, using a voice that once upon a time would’ve made him kick off his shoes and strip and crawl back into bed with her, the hell with obligation and responsibility.

“I’ll be here.” He met her gaze, his own serious. “Always.”

An alarm on his watch beeped. He turned it off without taking his eyes from her.

She blew out a breath. “You’ve gotta go.”

He touched her face. “Chloe—”

She closed her eyes and turned her jaw into his touch. “I know,” she said. “And it’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.”

She just hoped that was true.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY by Jill Shalvis (December 2, 2014; Grand Central Publishing E-Novella; $1.99)

Wild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed. She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party.

Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the  party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart,  an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen.

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About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

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Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis - Review

Merry Christmas, Baby
(Lucky Harbor #12.5)
by Jill Shalvis
Expected publication: December 2, 2014 by Grand Central Publishing

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis brings you a heartwarming tale that could only happen in Lucky Harbor . . .

SEASON'S KISSES

Wild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed. She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to thinking about impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party.

Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart, an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen. (13,000 words)

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:

I always love visiting Lucky Harbor, and this short story didn't disappoint. I was very sad that the Lucky Harbor series has come to an end, so I was delighted to see this little extra surprise. In Merry Christmas, Baby, we get to revisit Chloe and Sawyer, whose love story was in the third Lucky Harbor book, Head Over Heels.

Chloe and Sawyer have now been married several years and are expecting a baby. Chloe's childhood wasn't the best. Her mother was absent most of the time, and Chloe grew up living on the spur of the moment, marching to the beat of her own drummer. Sawyer didn't have a very good childhood either and had been very rebellious in his teen years as a result. Chloe is very worried about how the two of them are going to be good parents with their background. Chloe is also worried because she has become more irritable as she has become more worried about impending motherhood and dealt with the aches and pains of pregnancy, and it seems that Sawyer is becoming emotionally distant and taking jobs out of town to be physically distant.

Some of the key players in the other Lucky Harbor novels come back into play as Chloe's baby makes an unforgettable entrance into the world. I loved getting to "see" some of the familiar faces and really enjoyed getting to read a follow-up of two of my favorite characters, Chloe and Sawyer. 

If you enjoy reading contemporary romance, I would recommend this sweet Christmas story and would definitely recommend the entire Lucky Harbor series.

An ARC was provided for an honest review.

Read my review of Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis, the book where it all started with Chloe and Sawyer.

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras with her family and far too many assorted quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental.

Visit Jill's website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.  

Find out more at JillShalvis.com.     

Billionaire Undone ~ Travis by J.S. Scott - Review

Billionaire Undone ~ Travis
(The Billionaire's Obsession #5)
by J.S. Scott
Published May 2014

After four years of working for “the billionaire boss from hell” Ally Caldwell thinks she finally has her life on the right track. Her fiancé is out of dental school, ready to go to work at a thriving practice, and it would finally be her turn to go back and finish her college degree. Unfortunately, her carefully planned future crumbles when she finds out that her fiancé, the man she’d nearly killed herself to help get through school, has been cheating on her. With her wedding looming in the near future, Ally’s blindsided, realizing she’d never even knew the man she’d been planning to marry. Suddenly, her carefully organized life is turned upside down, and not one single thing is turning out the way it was supposed to happen. Even her boss, Travis the Tyrant, is beginning to act differently, throwing Ally into an even more confused and chaotic state of mind. Travis, the one man who she’d always counted on to be a jerk, was now the guy who actually steps up to try and help her straighten her life out again. Unfortunately, she doesn’t much care for his highhanded arrogance or his methods of “helping.” Ally wants to hate Travis. It makes her life so much simpler to fight with him than to admit to the combustible chemistry growing between the two of them. But as she begins to see more and more of the real Travis beneath his dark façade, she can’t seem to resist the dangerous lure of their unlikely attraction.

Billionaire Travis Harrison does everything he possibly can to repair the Harrison name after a scandal nearly destroyed his family years ago. He makes sure he keeps himself and his actions in check, his emotions buried under a thick layer of ice. Only his secretary and assistant, Alison Caldwell, makes him come close to losing his carefully constructed image. The obstinate female keeps shoving him closer and closer to the edge of sanity every single day. But when he finds out about her fiancé’s betrayal, his protective instincts roar to life inside him, making him want to ensure she’s never hurt again. The only problem is…Ally doesn’t want his help, and the infuriating woman does everything she can to push him away, even as the two of them are swept into an undeniable passion that neither of them can possibly ignore. Before long, Travis finds himself in ruthless pursuit of something much more important and elusive than just a business deal.

Can these two very different, very stubborn people actually be meant to be together? Find out if Travis and Ally can let down their defenses and surrender to a love so powerful it will rock them to the depths of their souls in Billionaire Undone, Book Five of The Billionaire’s Obsession series.

18+ only

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My review:

If you like "take-charge alpha male billionaire" love stories, this is a great one to read. Ally's dreams go up in smoke when she walks in on her fiance' with another woman, in the bed they just bought. Ally has been working hard at two jobs and putting off her dreams to go to school to support him, thinking that once he became a dentist then it would be her turn. Now she has a huge mortgage and the cheating ex charged up her credit cards on his way out. Ally's boss (at her main job) is the dark, brooding billionaire owner of the company, Travis. Travis has been physically attracted to Ally since she walked into the job interview four years ago, but he never acted on his desire for her because he thought she was happy in her relationship. When Travis finds out that Ally's relationship is over and that she is ran ragged from having to juggle a second job, Travis decides to take charge.

You can't help feeling sorry for Ally. Everything is turned upside down, and she is betrayed in the worst way, but she keeps plugging along without a second thought. She's never really thought of her boss, Travis, in a sexual way before, but when he starts making his attraction to her known, she can't help but be affected by his desire. She wants to feel wanted because right now she feels chunky and undesirable. Travis is perhaps a little overbearing in the way he steps in to help Ally, but it is obvious that he only has her best interests at heart. And once he realizes she is available, he is determined to make her his. I don't always like the very controlling hero in a romance, but I'll make an exception for Travis.

If you like hot billionaire erotic romance, you will definitely want to read this!

I won a signed copy. I was not required to write a review.

About the author: 

J.S. Scott is a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic romance. She's an avid reader of all types of books and literature. Writing what she loves to read, J.S. Scott writes both contemporary erotic romance stories and paranormal romance erotics. They almost always feature an Alpha Male and have a happily ever after because she just can't seem to write them any other way! She lives with her husband in the picturesque Colorado Rockies.

Find out more at AuthorJSScott.com.

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Sandy James - Review

Signed, Sealed, Delivered
(The Ladies Who Lunch #2)
by Sandy James
Published by: Forever Yours

When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. High school teacher Juliana Kelley tells the Ladies Who Lunch that her life needs an overhaul . . . and gets a whole lot more than she wished for.

Juliana has spent thirteen years in the same teaching job. She’s ready to dive into a new career with both feet . . . when a run-in with the hottest man she’s ever seen knocks her head over heels. But with her failed marriage to a fellow teacher fresh on her mind, Jules can’t afford to lose herself in a relationship—no matter how perfect it may seem.

Connor Wilson has hit rock bottom when he loses his career as a top-notch Realtor because of a large gambling debt. Now, in a small town he finds a fresh start—and a gorgeous redhead who sparks new life into him. Together they start a successful real estate company, but when pleasure sneaks into the business, they’ll have to decide what they can let go . . . and what they can’t live without.

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:    

Juliana is ready for a change. She is tired of being a teacher and certainly tired of working at the same school as her ex-husband. When she goes to a real estate seminar with a fellow teacher, a chance encounter leads to what she thinks is a very hot one-night stand but ends up turning into a real estate partnership. Juliana is insistent that the partnership with Connor remain business only, but both find it hard to work so closely together while keeping their hands off each other.

I was intrigued by Juliana's supporting character in the first book, The Bottom Line, and I really liked reading this one to get to know her more. Juliana still guards her heart even though her divorce was years ago. She isn't still interested in having a relationship with her ex but working with him has kept her from being able to be fully open to love again. She is sensitive and vulnerable even though all that is covered by her feisty and sassy personality. Connor still feels like a failure after losing everything due to gambling. He doesn't feel he has anything to offer any woman and thinks he isn't ready for a relationship until he can't keep his mind off Juliana.

A great romance with two broken individuals trying to piece themselves back together enough to love again and, ultimately, needing each other to piece themselves back together. I would recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance.

A copy was provided for an honest review.

Also see my review of The Bottom Line (The Ladies Who Lunch #1) by Sandy James.
 
About the author:
Sandy lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis with her husband of thirty years and is a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband own a small stable of harness racehorses and enjoy spending time at the two Indiana racetracks.

She is published through Forever Yours, Carina Press, and BookStrand, as well as self-published. She has been an Amazon Bestseller many times and has won numerous awards, including two HOLT Medallions.

Find out more at SandyJames.com.