Review: The consequences of revenge by Rachel Van Dyken

The consequence of revenge by Rachel Van Dyken

Release date: June 9, 2015

Publisher: Skyscape

Buy or borrow: Buy

Pre-order: Amazon Barnes&Noble 

Synopsis:   After losing his best friend to another guy, the notoriously too-confident Max Emory suddenly feels lost. He may have devastatingly good looks, an abundance of charm, and a claim to one of the biggest hotel empires around, but he has no ambition anymore. So when his fed-up friends decide they’ve had enough of his moping, they sign him up to be the next bachelor on the reality series Love Island. And between his pride and his forged signature on an ironclad contract, Max just can’t say no.

Now he’s stranded in paradise with twenty-four women, one terrifying goat, and Becca, the breathtaking barista who already turned him down back home. The closer Max gets to Becca, the more determined he becomes to win her over. As she gets to know him better, things start heating up. But is Becca really after Max’s heart—or is she after the cash prize she could claim once the cameras stop rolling?

My thoughts:  The bachelor meets For love or money meets survivor. That's the best way to describe this book. I was laughing my booty off the whole time I was reading it. Max is hands-down, my favorite character. You will laugh so hard reading this book that you'll start crying. Max is the heir to Emory hotels. He graduated from NYU with a poli-sci degree and now he doesn't work. It's not that he's lazy and doesn't want to work like his friends think, it's just he wants to do something he loves and is passionate about.  His friends forged his signature to get him on the reality show to find love. Now comes Becca. The barista that Max hit on before he knew he was going to be on the show or that Becca was a contestant as well. Max and Becca form an alliance throughout the filming. Max has falling Becca and on the last day when Max accepts Beccas bouquet, she has a choice to make. Love or money. You won't regret reading this book. It has a gecko named Little G and a demon goat named Hades. Watch out for the gummy bears. 

Recommendations:  The consequence of loving Colton by Rachel Van Dyken

Review: Throwback Thursday The Summer I found you

The summer I found you by Jolene Perry

Release date: March 1, 2015

Publisher: AW Teen

Buy or borrow: buy

Buy here: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Synopsis: Kate's dream boyfriend has just broken up with her and she's still reeling from her diagnosis of type 1 diabetes.

Aidan planned on being a lifer in the army and went to Afghanistan straight out of high school. Now he's a disabled young veteran struggling to embrace his new life.
When Kate and Aidan find each other, neither one wants to get attached. But could they be right for each other after all?

My thoughts: I read this book a couple months ago and till this day I still think about it from time to time. Kate's boyfriend just broke up with her for someone else and she's been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Kate refuses to really acknowledge that she's sick and she doesn't really take it seriously. Aidan lost an arm in Afghanistan, but he also lost more than that. He lost his sergeant and friend who saved Aidan's life. He's left with guilt and wondering why it wasn't him who died, because he didnt have a wife or children like his sergeant. Aidan meets Kate at a carnival that his cousin made him go to. Kate and Aidan become friends at first. Aidan likes Kate because she doesn't really have a filter and just says what comes into her mind. Kate likes Aidan because he doesn't treat her differently because he doesn't know she had diabetes. Aidan makes Kate realize that she really didn't lose as much as he did. They both help each other cope with their loses. This book is a fast read with really well-developed characters.  

Recommendations: Reaching Rose by JP Grider (review coming on Friday) 

Waiting on Wednesday: Undercover by Danielle Steel

Undercover by Danielle Steel

Release date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Synopsis:  Marshall Everett has traveled a twisting, perilous road from the jungles of South America to the streets of Paris. As an undercover DEA agent, Marshall penetrated a powerful cartel and became the trusted right-hand man of a ruthless drug lord. The price he paid was devastating, costing him everything—and everyone—he loved. Back in the U.S., on temporary assignment to the Secret Service, on the presidential detail, Marshall performs an act of heroism that changes his course forever.

Ariana Gregory has her whole future ahead of her, with an exciting life in Manhattan and a coveted job at an online fashion magazine. But when her father, recently widowed, is appointed U.S. ambassador to Argentina, she reluctantly agrees to accompany him to Buenos Aires. Then an unthinkable act of violence shatters her world.

Nearly a year later, Ariana arrives in Paris, on a fragile road to recovery. There, as she strives to bury painful memories forever, she crosses paths with Marshall Everett. But dangerous forces watch her every move, and Ariana and Marshall will once more have to fight for their survival.

In this breathtaking and psychologically penetrating novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel explores the consequences of trauma and the perseverance of the human spirit. In Marshall and Ariana she has created two unforgettable characters confronting extraordinary challenges—who no longer need to face them alone.

Why I cant wait: I'm a huge fan of Danielle Steel's books. This book sounds so good and since I'm in the fashion industry this book sounds even better because Ariana works at an online fashion magazine. 

Recommendations: Southern Lights by Danielle Steel 

Review: I take you by Eliza Kennedy

I take you by Eliza Kennedy

Release date: May 5, 2015

Publisher: Crown

Buy or borrow: borrow

Amazon Barnes&Noble

Synopsis:  Lily’s fiancé Will is a brilliant, handsome archaeologist. Lily is sassy, impulsive, fond of a good drink (or five) and has no business getting married. Lily likes Will, but does she love him? Will loves Lily, but does he know her? As the wedding approaches, Lily’s nights—and mornings, and afternoons—of booze, laughter and questionable decisions become a growing reminder that the happiest day of her life might turn out to be her worst mistake yet.

    
Unapologetically sexy with the ribald humor of Bridesmaids, this joyously provocative debut introduces a self-assured protagonist you won’t soon forget.

My thoughts:  Where do I even begin with this book? I laughed out loud at some parts and cringed at others. None of these characters have any redeemable qualities. We have Lilly who sleeps with anything with a pulse. Within the first 2 pages she has kissed someone and slept with another, and that's just at her bachelorette party. Lilly is so far from marriage material and has so many issues that it's almost funny. It seems like everyone is sleeping with someone who they shouldn't be sleeping with. *Spoiler alert* The best part was where Lilly blackmailed Will's Mom because she slept with one of her son's friends. The plot twist was predictable in my opinion. It wasn't a terrible book, but it wasn't 5 stars either. 

I received this from blogging for books for an honest review******

Recommendations:  Heart of the matter  by Emily Giffin 

Review: Eight hundred grapes by Laura Dave

Eight hundred grapes by Laura Dave

Release date: June 2, 2015

Publisher: Simon& Schuster

Buy or borrow: buy

Buy here: Amazon Barnes&Noble

Synopsis:  There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…

Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.

But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.

Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets…

Bestselling author Laura Dave has been dubbed “a wry observer of modern love” (USA TODAY), a “decadent storyteller” (Marie Claire), and “compulsively readable” (Woman’s Day). Set in the lush backdrop of Sonoma’s wine country, Eight Hundred Grapes is a heartbreaking, funny, and deeply evocative novel about love, marriage, family, wine, and the treacherous terrain in which they all intersect.

My Thoughts: I didn't think I would like this book, but I did. Georgia is trying on her wedding dress one week before her wedding when she looks out and see's her fiance with a famous actress and a little girl. Not believing what she is seeing she runs out  of the dress shops and confronts her fiance who tell's her that he is has a child that he's kept hidden for 5 months. Being hit with that fact, Georgia drives 9 hours to her parents vineyard where she gets another shock. She walks into the house to find her mother with another man, only wearing towels. The hits keep coming for Georgia. Family secrets are exposed and decisions are to be made. She has to decide if she should marry her fiance or not and she has to figure out what she really wants out of life. What her true passion is. This is a book finding yourself. 

Recommendations: Your perfect life by Liz Fenton

Review: Reaching Rose by JP Grider

Reaching Rose by JP Grinder
Publisher: Fated hearts publishing

Buy or borrow: BUY
Buy here: Amazon

Synopsis:       Rose Duncan is dancing on Broadway. She’s spent hours a day for the last two decades to get there, and now she’s living the dream. She’s happy, she’s driven, and life couldn’t get any better.

Ben Falco is a pitcher whose only goal is to make it to the Major Leagues. He keeps his grades up, he doesn’t party, and he stays away from committed relationships – they’ll only distract him.

But when Ben meets Rose, she’s no dancer, and she’s certainly not happy. In fact, she doesn’t seem to be living at all. Yet something about her makes him want to know what’s turned her into this shell of a person, and if he can be the one to reach inside her mind and pull her out.

Ben doesn’t want a relationship. Rose doesn’t want to get better. But once their hearts collide, it’s a whole new ballgame.

Reaching Rose is a story about Rose and Ben, and a little about their friend Johnny Gleason – a genius who has plans of his own until they too slip from his grasp. This is a tale about love, loss, and guts, and the ability to play hardball when life throws you a curve.

My Thoughts:   I have never heard of this author or read anything of hers. This book made me laugh and cry all at the same time. I may have even been swooning over Benny, as his Mama calls him. Rose is a senior in college who is about to make her dream come true of dancing on Broadway. She was just 3 short weeks of achieving that dream when on her way to practice she gets hit by a delivery truck. The accident was crippling and left Rose wanting to die. Enter Benito aka Ben. Ben is your hot-shot baseball pitcher on his way to the majors when he tears his meniscus and has to have it repaired. Ben meets Rose in rehab. Right away he's drawn to her. After the accident Rose stops speaking and just gives up. It's Ben that helps her along. This book is about loss, love and never giving up. Both these characters have lost something, but both of them still achieve their dreams. Just because you lose something, doesn't mean you have to lose yourself. 

Recommendations:  Mending Michael by JP Grider 

Review: Spelled by Betsy Schow

Spelled by Betsy Schow

Release date: June 2, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Buy or borrow: borrow

Pre-order: Amazon Barnes&Noble 

Synopsis:  Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.

Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks―like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the not-so-charming prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.

Talk about unhappily ever after.

Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

My thoughts:  The wizard of oz meets fairy tales.  That's what this book is. We have Dorthea, Kato, and Rexi who all set out to fix the the wish that Dorthea made. Dorthea can not stand Kato at first, add the fact that her parents made an arranged marriage with Kato's kingdom doesn't make her all too happy with them or Kato. While I didn't love this book, I did like it.  I loved the language and how the author used cute words instead of curses, as in glam instead of damn and pixed instead of pissed. I also loved Rexi, even though she and Dorthea weren't exactly friends at the beginning,she provided the comedy for the whole book in my opinion. If you love the wizard of oz and love your fairy tales this is the book for you!

Recommendations:   Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins