A Taste of Christmas: Dublin Style by Krissy V - Sanzana's Review

Rating: 4.75/5 Stars!
Synopsis: My name is Nollaig, it’s the Irish word for Christmas. I hate my name. My parents loved Christmas and that’s why they gave me such a festive name, together with the fact that I was born on Christmas Day.

However, my parents are no longer with us after dying in a car accident on Christmas Eve, five years ago.

Now I hate Christmas all together.

I always hated the fact that everyone got presents on my birthday. Now my parents are gone and ever since then I just don’t feel like celebrating Christmas. Everything about this holiday gives me sad memories.

I need a miracle to happen over the Christmas holiday to make me change my mind about Christmas.

Who knew that a quick shopping trip would provide me with the miracle that I so desperately needed?

Review:
**Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can honestly say that I loveedddd this book so very much. I knew that this would be a Christmasy book (that is a word right?) so I "dressed" for the occasion. I put on my Christmas pajama's decorated with Christmas trees and little ornaments. I then sat on my couch and had candles lit up that smelt like "Winter" (and kudos to Bath & Body Works for creating such and accurate scent). Next came my favourite, candy cane white hot chocolate with whipped cream (that was a mouthful) and I just sat there, reading. Reading Christmas books are my favourite to get comfortable with and whether i'm curled up in a blanket or reading it by the Christmas tree, it just, suits my mood. Helps me dive into the book easier and gives and accurate sense of the setting that the book explains.

Did I lose you, or am I making perfect sense.

I will and will forever will be a hopeless romantic. And Tully, he just, what he did for Nollaig to fall in love with Christmas, it was just a genuine and wonderful act and reminded me of why I loved the holidays so much. 

There was that part where Tully takes Nollaig to see Santa. Now this is going to sound weird, but Krissy's writing is so amazing that I could FEEL the magic that Santa seemed to give off when he presented his gifts to Nollaig. It was unbelievable, the emotion I felt. I felt like her at that very moment, and it felt magical. 

Which brings me to my next point, Krissy's writing. She just has this way of writing that makes the book come to life to the point where I feel like i'm standing next to the characters and seeing it happen right in front of my eyes. I will most definitely be reading future novels by Krissy V. 

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Rock the City by Gia Riley - Release Blitz + Review + Giveaway

Cover Design: Sommer Stein / Perfect Pear Creative Covers
Release Date: June 23, 2016

Synopsis

Ten years ago, Lane Lewis said goodbye to the only home he’s ever known. Now that Midnight Fate’s tour has ended, he’s more determined than ever to find a balance between music and life. But sometimes reality’s a joke, fate’s a lie, and history’s meant to repeat itself. Ten years ago he shed the pain, but now it’s seeking revenge. Noelle Nash is a hopeless romantic with a dirty mouth. After almost giving up on love, she’s been lured away from her safety net to try one more time with Lane. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to hold onto the man she loves, but her fierce protectiveness even takes her by surprise. Can she learn to accept the truth? Or will she let her fears consume her, leaving her with no choice but to walk away? Six months ago their future began. Today, it’s about to get rocked.

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Amazon US ☆ http://amzn.to/28Xw82L

Amazon UK ☆ http://amzn.to/28PPKbf

Amazon CA ☆ http://amzn.to/28NCXS4

Amazon AU ☆ http://amzn.to/28PPW9B

Review:Firstly, I love standalones. 
Secondly, I love Noelle and Lane. 
You don't hear a lot of novels start off with the main couple already dating (usually, it's how they meet), so Rock the City was definitely refreshing!
But there's a stronger, more raw story behind this novel. 
You'll just have to read the book to find out what that is.

Giveaway 

Mystery pair TC LuLaRoe Leggings & $25 Amazon Gift Card

(2 prizes total - 1 winner for each prize)a Rafflecopter giveaway
         
About the Author

Gia Riley is a New Adult and Contemporary Romance author from the small but mighty state of Delaware. She's a lover of all things romance - a firm believer that everyone deserves a happily ever after. She loves strawberry smoothies almost as much as she loves reality TV. When she's not writing, you can find her roaming the aisles of Kirkland's, up to her elbows in Play-doh, or trying to hunt down spoilers for Big Brother. Her newest addiction is a Starbucks iced mocha - they keep her up late, doing terrible things to her characters.  

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Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1O3jHDu

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Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/22wsHDL

 

Filthy Foreign Exchange 2 by S.E. Hall Angela Graham - Blog Tour + Giveaway

Title: Filthy Foreign Exchange 2

Author: S.E. Hall & Angela Graham
Genre: New Adult

The conclusion of Echo and Kingston’s story as they backpack through Europe!

When Echo Kelly is invited on a backpacking trip throughout the UK, she jumps at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, refusing to let one fleeting past exchange stop her.

At least, that’s what she’s convinced herself of, until the moment she sees him again. It’s not the one-time “run-in” she was expecting, and therefore prepared to handle.

Instead, it’s an announcement she never saw coming…he’s the tour guide.

She’s got no backup plan for that.

******

Kingston knew what it meant the moment Echo accepted the offer.  And when he lays eyes on her, standing in his childhood home, her fate is sealed forever. There’s not a damn thing that will stop him from finally claiming what’s always been his.

Her.

Not everyone gets a second chance—and Kingston Hawthorne sure as hell isn’t going to let his slip away.

Available on Amazon and FREE in KU

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

NOTE: You must read book 1 before this book as this is not a standalone.

With that killer cliff-hanger at the end of the last book, needless to say, I wanted to read this book ASAP. 

Thankfully, I didn't have to wait too long. 

I believe this is six months later after the incident with Kingston's party and Echo is set to go on an adventure in Europe; visiting all the iconic places that Europe has to offer. 

She's certain that there is no way she's going to run into Kingston. 

Course, it wouldn't be fate if Kingston didn't happen to be THE TOUR GUIDE OF THE TRIP. 

Yep, Kingston is the hot man who'll be leading 10(?) kids around Europe. 

Coincidence? NOPE. 

See, Kingston has a motive, and he wants Echo back, for good. He isn't going to let her run away again (and I just made Kingston sound like a creep, but I assure you he's not). 

He's going to win her heart, like she won his. 

You're just going to have to read the book to find out how. 

“Disappointed?” he asks with smug confidence.

“About?” I mutter too quickly…too transparently.

His deep laugh slashes through the air.

“You know exactly what—and we both know the answer is yes.”

The sexual magnetism between us is thick. He grabs me by the hips and pulls me to him, breaking the silence with a hoarse whisper.

“My sentimental, romantic Echo isn’t wearing the look of a woman who just got the kiss she’s always dreamed of—pictured a million times.

Filthy Foreign Exchange 2 by S.E. Hall & Angela Graham from Book Obsession Production on Vimeo.

ON SALE FOR 99¢

Available on Amazon FREE on KU

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

S.E. Hall

S.E.Hall, lover of all things anticipation and romance, is the author of The Evolve Series: Emerge, Embrace, Entangled, Entice, Endure and companion novellas Baby Mama Drama and Guide for Tools Looking to Date My Daughter by character Sawyer Beckett. S.E. also wrote the stand-alone Finally Found novels Pretty Instinct and Pretty Remedy. Her co-written works include The Provocative Professions Collection: Stirred Up, Packaged and Handled 1&2, One Naughty Night and full-length, standalone novel Matched with Angela Graham as well as Conspire, a romantic suspense, written with Erin Noelle.

S.E. resides in Arkansas with her husband of 18 years and 3 daughters of the home. When not writing or reading, she can be found “enthusiastically cheering” on one of her girls’ softball games.

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Angela Graham

Angela Graham is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of the Harmony Series. She spent a lot of her childhood hidden away in the aisles at her local public library where she fell in love with reading. It was a home away from home through her youth to her adulthood.

In 2012 she knew she found her calling in the world of fiction the moment she began pounding away at the keys for her first short story. With a baby on her shoulder, she wrote about a year before deciding to try her hand at a novel. It was the best decision she ever made and one that changed her life in ways she never imagined.

Together with S.E. Hall, she has released five novels and one short story together.

Angela resides in Northwest Arkansas with her three beautiful children and a rowdy dog.

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To See You by Rachel Blaufeld - Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway

To See You by Rachel Blaufeld is NOW LIVE!

New Emotional Standalone

No cliffhanger, only hard-earned unexpected love. And angst.

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1tCEWD5

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/26axr4b

iBooks: http://apple.co/1OrSMfi

Blurb

No cliffhanger, only hard-earned unexpected love.

And angst.

What is it about this guy?

On paper, he’s one hundred percent wrong for me. His e-mails are equal parts annoying and funny.

Okay, more funny than annoying. More like refreshing. Different. Exciting.

But as I stand next to him now, he’s giving me head-to-toe tingles, and I find myself dwelling on his e-mails.

Meet smart, sexy career girl and New York snob, Charli Richards. She has everything except happiness until the day she meets Layton Griffin. It’s a random encounter on an airplane; it couldn’t mean anything, right?

Layton isn’t even remotely close to who Charli sees herself hooking up with . . . ever. Her mom and best friend agree he’s not for her, but he makes her feel something exciting, awakens her world.

But then Layton changes, going to great lengths for Charli to see him for who he really is.

Will those changes bring them closer together, or will she never be able to see him in the same way again?

Review

I love stories that go against the norm. Stories that do exactly the opposite. 

When I signed up for this book, i'm like, "Ooh! Pretty cover! So pretty!"

But the content was different. It was...good dare I say. 

I've said this many times (to myself maybe) and 2016 is a good year for authors. 

You don't read about guys who are a little...big in novels. They're predominately healthy, sexy, with abs and muscles and all that glory. 

And that's what Charlie wants in a guy. 

While on a plane trip, she finds herself next to Layton, who is the opposite of what she likes in a guy. She gives him the cold shoulder and turns bitchy and rude. 

Course, throughout the trip she realizes he's more than his weight. 

Layton is successful. He owns his own music business, and from the way Rachel describes him, he's definitely cute. 

Charlie doesn't want to like him. And Layton likes her despite her judgments.

I really liked reading this book and I think you all would too.

Excerpt

“Cheers.” My seatmate good-naturedly tipped his glass toward me. He wasn’t going to leave me alone.

I took a long gulp and looked back at my computer screen.

“Do you like working for them?”

I tugged at my turtleneck; it was so freaking hot all of a sudden. My nosy neighbor’s face had a slight sheen to it, clearly from being hot, and now his warmth was seeping into my space.

“I do. They’re a growing company and . . . I’ve made great strides there.”

What the heck? Why was I even answering him? Because he asked, and if I was honest, it was the nicest anyone had been to me in months.

Furthermore, why did I sound like I was on an interview? Or an infomercial?

He was kind—I could tell—and his smile was gentle and calm, his eyes like warm coffee with just the right amount of cream swirling through it. I turned a little in my seat to face him and my knee brushed his thigh. I let my gaze travel his Beastie Boys T-shirt until I settled on his computer.

Playing on it was a rom-com, one I’d never seen before, but Katie What’s-her-name—all stunning, shiny hair, celebrity mom, perfect life—was front and center. Her arms were full of shopping bags and she was wearing a big grin on her perfect face as she walked down a city street.

“You don’t strike me as the romantic comedy type.” I felt my eyebrow lift. I wasn’t sure if I was teasing him or myself as the question floated from my mouth.

He laughed. It was soothing and comforting like a coffee-and-Kahlua on a cold night, and warm like the sun on the first few days of summer.

I allowed my eyes to close and imagined he looked like somebody else—not someone else totally, but just different. Fit, not slender but muscular. He still had the same gracious smile and inviting eyes, but he wasn’t wearing a music T-shirt in my imagination. Maybe a Henley? And dark-wash jeans instead of the regular everyday ragged blue I’d noticed him wearing.

“It’s work too,” he said, interrupting my fantasy.

“Oh.” I chugged the balance of my mimosa, cooling the wash of desire recently conjured up from my brain.

“Actually, I’m pretty sure BubblePOP will end up reviewing this one, will probably have someone at the premiere too. That’s why I asked about the site. Six degrees of Kevin Bacon and all that. Our worlds are connected.”

“I don’t do movies. I’m the fitness editor, but if Katie What’s-her-name is in it, I’m sure we’ll be all over it.”

He shifted his gaze over fully to me now. His eyes weren’t exclusively deep brown; tiny flecks of amber circled his pupil. They were captivating in a weird way, as if they didn’t belong with this guy.

I’d never met a slob who was so interesting before, yet he was definitely intriguing. And not really a slob—that was my own bias. Clearly, I was having some sort of psychotic breakdown on this airplane.

To See You by Rachel Blaufeld from Bibliophile Productions on Vimeo.

Meet Rachel

Rachel Blaufeld is a social worker/entrepreneur/blogger turned author. Fearless about sharing her opinion, Rachel captured the ear of stay-at-home and working moms on her blog,BacknGrooveMom, chronicling her adventures in parenting tweens and inventing a product, often at the same time. She has also blogged for The Huffington Post, Modern Mom, and StartupNation.

Turning her focus on her sometimes wild-and-crazy creative side, it only took Rachel two decades to do exactly what she wanted to do—write a fiction novel. Now she spends way too many hours in local coffee shops plotting her ideas. Her tales may all come with a side of angst and naughtiness, but end lusciously.

Rachel lives around the corner from her childhood home in Pennsylvania with her family and two dogs. Her obsessions include running, coffee, icing-filled doughnuts, anti-heroes, and mighty fine epilogues.

Stalk Rachel at:  website / Twitter / Facebook

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Weightless by Kandi Steiner - Release Blitz + Review + Excerpt

Title: Weightless

Author: Kandi Steiner

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

Release Date: June 16, 2016

I remember the lights.

I remember I wanted to photograph them, the way the red and blue splashed across his cold, emotionless face. But I knew even if my feet could move from the place where they had cemented themselves to the ground and I could run for my camera, I wouldn’t be able to capture that moment.

I had trusted him, I had loved him, and even though my body had changed that summer, he’d made sure to help me hold on to who I was inside, regardless of how the exterior altered.

But then everything changed.

He stole my innocence. He scarred my heart. He took everything I thought I knew about my life and fast-pitched it out the window, shattering the glass that held my world together in the process.

I remember the lights.

The passionate, desperate, hot strikes of red. The harsh, cruel, icy bolts of blue.

They symbolized everything I endured that summer.

And everything I would never face again.

Amazon | Goodreads

REVIEW

You can notice the time an effort that was put into this book. Natalie's story is unlike any of Kandi's previous novels. Dare I say, I quite like this style of writing. 

Natalie Poxton is a strong character hidden under her insecurity. She is the step-daughter of the man who owns Poxton Beach, Dale Poxton. She's a little on the big side, but doesn't let that stop her from eating and doing the things she loves. But when her boyfriend, Mason Carter breaks up with her, and exchanges her for a more skinnier, prettier girl, Natalie falls into a deep dark place where she starts doubting herself. 

During a party that she goes to with her best friend Willow, Natalie meets Mason's new girlfriend, Shay, who verbally assaults her, thus causing Natalie to run away from the party. She's not over Mason and is determined to get him back, since Shay is a horrible person and Mason has to see that. Natalie decided to take her mom and stepdad's request to visit the gym. 

Enter Rhodes 

My trainer was none other than Rhodes―Poxton Beach's closest thing to a bad boy. It was like reading a DANGER sign lighting up over and over again as I watched him closely, that same fear I'd felt toward him in school creeping up.

Rhodes is 3-4 years Natalie's senior and he is a pile of broody nature. He doesn't talk much, and simply tells Natalie her goal and meal plans of the day. But there's something about him that makes Natalie curious. 

Rhodes' never met a woman like Natalie before when she enters the gym. He questions her on her reason being here, and confirms that she isn't getting healthier for herself, but her ex. Not pleased, Rhodes continues to help her work towards her goal while getting to know her a little bit more each time. 

That's the premise of the story, but let me tell you, I've leaving a lot of juicy details from this book. Those of you who are used to Kandi's humor "party-like" novels, this isn't like that. Weightless is more deeper, more emotional, and tears may just escape. 

This isn't a tale of how Natalie gets her ex back. This is a story of how two distraught people find themselves in each other, and discover how light and dark need balance. It's about strength, beauty, and love in the most unexpected way. 

This book made me feel, as many fantastic books do, but it also had me gasping. I loved the different themes and plots introduced in the book and I also loved that it was a standalone. A very high rating goes to this book. I'd probably rate it 6 stars if I could!

You're not, Natalie. You...you're weightless. The world hasn't touched you yet. You're not heavy with the weight of pain, and guilt, and selfishness. You're light. Don't ever lose that. Don't let the world weigh you down like them.  

“I just don’t understand,” he said as he began rolling the ball up my calf. I moaned out loud, realizing that area was packed with trigger points, as he had called them.

“Don’t understand what?” I asked, still holding my breath as he rolled over my other calf. I leaned up on my elbows and turned my head back to meet his eyes.

He paused, holding the ball in place as he gazed back at me. “How could I never have noticed you before?”

I swallowed, almost more afraid of the brief tenderness I caught in his eyes in that moment than the usual hardness that existed there.

Shrugging, I answered his question just above a whisper. “I’m easy to miss.”

I held his eyes for a moment more before laying my chest back to the ground, resting my head on my arms. He started rolling the ball up my hamstrings and I closed my eyes tight. I thought I might explode from the mixture of pain and pleasure that rocked through my body. After a few moments, he spoke again.

“Maybe I just wasn’t looking.”

"Kandi Steiner takes words and creates magic. A million stars aren't enough. Weightless left me breathless." - Brittainy C. Cherry, Amazon #1 Bestselling Author

"Weightless is so full of heart, it'll spill off the pages and into your soul. One of my favorite contemporary romances of 2016." - Bestselling Author Staci Hart

"Weightless is a book of FEELS. From the first to the last page, it'll wrap you in emotion and hold you captive. Between the writing, the story, and the characters, it was simply unforgettable. A favorite read of 2016 for me." - Angie, Angie's Dreamy Reads

"Flawless. Phenomenal. Breathtaking. Weightless will undoubtedly be my top read of the year." - Erin, Southern Belle Book Blog

"Weightless left me challenged and breathless. It's an emotionally-charged story that carved a place in my soul. I knew Kandi could write, but this book takes it to a whole new level." - Tina, Typical Distractions Book Blog

Kandi Steiner is a Creative Writing and Advertising/Public Relations graduate from the University of Central Florida living in Tampa with her husband. Kandi works full time as a social media specialist, but also works part time as a Zumba fitness instructor and blackjack dealer.

Kandi started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her "freedom of press." She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic (like most girls brought up on Disney movies).

When Kandi isn't working or writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys beach days, movie marathons, live music, craft beer and sweet wine - not necessarily in that order. 

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