*Grabby Hands* Release - Review & Giveaway - Fair Play by Tracy A. Ward

Title: Fair Play

Author: Tracy A. Ward

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 28, 2016

Publisher: Self-published

About the book:

Who knew love could bring a playwright so much drama?

Writing three plays for a nationally acclaimed theater in Phair, Texas, was never supposed to put Ashlyn Carter’s inheritance at risk or make or break her future. And it certainly wasn’t supposed to force her into constant contact with the very guy she’s avoided since her teenage crush-gone-bad days.

Noah Blake. He's Ashlyn’s enemy, for good reason. As her older brother's best friend, he seems hell-bent on interfering with nearly every aspect of her life. So how then does he also seem to be her muse?

When Ashlyn reluctantly agrees to act out scenes with Noah from the play she’s writing in order to trigger her creativity, the spark of passion she’d felt for him as a teenager flares up again. But there’s more at stake than just her future as a playwright or the inheritance she never cared about in the first place. Finding out the theater she loves is in danger of closing puts everything she thought she knew and felt about Phair…and Noah...to the test. Will there be a standing ovation for Ashlyn Carter, playwright, or will the curtain drop and fade to black? Only by facing their biggest fears together will Ashlyn and Noah learn to trust in themselves and each other.

Goodreads |  Amazon  |  Kobo

About the Author:

After the birth of her children, Tracy had an epiphany: banking just wasn’t her thing. So she quit her corporate job, let her nanny go and became a not-so-desperate housewife by day, Sexy Women’s Fiction author by night. Her characters are every-day women, following their dreams, searching for that elusive happily ever after.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Amazon  |  Goodreads

My thoughts:

3.5 “Broadway love” STARS

ARC via NetGalley.

Looking for a sweet romance with a theater/Broadway background? Fair Play is a good choice for you, then.

This is the love story of Ashlyn and Noah with three of the tropes I like in this genre: hate to love + brother’s BFF + (a variation of) fake relationship.

Ashlyn, the main character, is a writer who dreams of conquering Broadway. After a few successful plays, Ashlyn sees the opportunity to take her career to the next level with her next project,  a play for a nationally acclaimed theater in a small town in Texas. If she does well, she’ll not only get closer to her dream, but the theater will also win a prize that will guarantee it keeps its door open. If she fails, the town of Phair will lose its main attraction, which will impact the economy greatly, and Ashlyn will lose her inheritance because of a deal she made with her control-freak father a while ago. A successful career on Broadway means money and independence, so Ashlyn is ready to fight for that.

But fighting might be what she needs to STOP doing in order to win. That and kicking this writer’s block to the curb, because she needs to finish the play ASAP.

When Lucas, the play director and Ashlyn’s boss, sees her interacting with Noah – her brother’s best friend and the owner of the local bar, he recognizes the similarities between Ashlyn and Noah’s relationship and the one portrayed by the main characters in the play.  Ashlyn doesn’t know it at first but she’s writing her love story with Noah. I honestly don’t know if Lucas intended on forcing them to acknowledge their feelings for each other or if he was just trying to save the theater, but he proposes (forces) Ashlyn and Noah to work together so she’ll draw inspiration from their interactions and finish the play. Basically, they start a (different kind of) fake relationship; one almost everyone knows it’s fake.

It doesn’t mean that their feelings aren’t real.

I thought the author did a good job putting a spin on the “fake relationship” trope. Instead of pretending to be a couple to please or deceive other people (like it normally goes in stories like this), Ashlyn and Noah use the excuse of playing characters to hide their feeling from each other, and as the story progresses to explore those feelings.

This is more like a slow-burn romance, since it takes a while for things to go from platonic to romantic, and for Ashlyn and Noah to finally admit they never really disliked each other and have wanted to be more than frenemies for a long time. But sometimes all people need is a push, which was what Lucas provided by proposing that deal.

Aside from the romance, there were other aspects that made this story interesting. The theater references, from writing a play to rehearsing to taking part in a contest, were a big part of the plot; and so was Ashlyn’s past with one of the judges. I won’t get into details because I don’t want to spoil anything, but the guy was a real douchebag. I’m glad Ashlyn found a way to deal with him and that she did it herself instead of letting her brother or Noah fix the problem.

That aspect was also a big part of Ashlyn’s character arc and it matched Noah’s struggle. While Ashlyn came from a relationship with a father who tried to control her life, Noah’s father was the complete opposite. He saw his father lose control of his emotion so many times that he became a control freak himself. So Ashlyn tried very hard to be independent and Noah wanted to fix everything for her. In order to work as a couple, they had to learn how to find balance. Just like in real life, huh?

This story was sweet and romantic, pretty much everything you’ll probably want to find when searching for this type of books, right? So go read it.

Giveaway:

• (1) lucky Grand Prize Winner a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a digital copy of Fair Play, 
• and (5) Runner-up Winners a digital copy of Fair Play!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Tour Organized by Barclay Publicity’s 

http://www.barclaypublicity.com

*Grabby Hands* Release - Review & Giveaway - Adorkable by Cookie O'Gorman

Title: Adorkable

Release date:  March 31st, 2016

Author: Cookie O'Gorman

About the book:

Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.

Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she's done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There's only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.

Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.

Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally's best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He'd do anything for Sal--even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she's "more than pretty," and expertly kissing her at parties.

The problem: Sally's been in love with Becks all her life--and he's completely clueless.

This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question:

Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?

Goodreads |  Amazon 

Excerpt:

     "You're not seriously going to listen to them," I said flatly.

     "What else can I do?"

     "Becks, beware the dark side."

     "What's that supposed to mean?"

     "It's a Yoda-ism," I said, "and you know exactly what it means.  Becks, have you no shame?"

     "Nope," he said, lifting the jersey over his head in one swift pull, causing a mixture of applause, screaming and appreciative sighs.

     I shook my head, struggling to keep my eyes north of his jaw line.

     "What can I say, Sal?" he said, backing away.  "It's like that line from that show Oklahoma.  I'm just a guy who can't say no."  Flicking his jersey at one of the cheerleaders, he hot footed it out to center field, grinning all the while.  He gave a frowning Coach Crenshaw a swat to the backside, and then the team got down to business.

     I wrote down Becks's quote, making a side note to include it in my next article, while the girl who'd caught Becks's jersey gripped the shirt to her heart and pretended to faint.

     At least, I hoped it was pretend.

About the Author:

 Cookie O'Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.

Author Links:

Website│Twitter│Facebook│Goodreads

My thoughts:

4.5 “Fantastic BFF to Lovers” STARS

ADORKABLE is adorable (cheesy, I know), but I’m writing this review the morning after staying up until 1 a.m. because I could not, simply COULD NOT stop reading. Yep, I devoured all the pretty words and I did it with a smile. A big smile. Trust me, this book is that good.

You know how sometimes you just read one paragraph and you know you’ll fall hard for the rest of the story? That’s what happened here. Cookie O'Gorman’s (love the name, BTW) writing was addictive. The voice… the MC’s freaking voice?! Yep. I’m in love. I am completely aware I’m babbling but that’s what good writing does to me.

I wasn’t exactly planning on starting ADORKABLE yesterday. I’d just gotten the digital ARC and had sent it to my Kindle – though I have to admit I was looking forward to reading it since the day I joined the cover reveal blog tour a few weeks ago. But I opened the Kindle app as I was leaving work and thinking about what book I’d start next, and somehow I clicked on it and the first sentence was right there. I read it and the next paragraph and thought “wow, I’m gonna like this one”, and I didn’t stop reading until I hit the end. The power of a good first paragraph, ladies and gentleman.

And an excellent book, of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t have sacrificed precious hours of sleep to finish it.

Now that I’m done rambling, you can come meet Sally (or Sal), the Harry Potter fanatic who stole my heart. Sally is funny. Like real funny. She made me smile and laugh countless times and I love her for that. See, Sally has a great mother and two super awesome best friends. Trouble is, one of those BFFs is always setting Sally up on blind dates, hoping she’ll find her the perfect match, and Sally is sick and tired of it all. The other BFF, adorable and hot soccer star Becks is Sally’s secret crush. Too bad he only sees her as a friend – and doesn’t even notice she’s a girl at all.

When Sally gets tired of all the matchmaking fiascos, she comes up with a plan to convince her friend she doesn’t need her services anymore: all she needs is a fake boyfriend. The only person she can see playing that role is Becks, and surprise, surprise he quickly says “yes” when she asks him to be her fake boyfriend.

What Sally doesn’t realize is how dangerous pretending to be in love with a guy you’re actually in love with might be.

I have to say that I’m addicted to “best friends to lovers” & “fake boyfriend/girlfriend” tropes. Obsessed. So you put those two together and you bet I’ll be dying to read it. So I went into this expecting to like it, but I was surprised at how much I LOVED it.

Like I said before, Sally is a great character. She’s smart, geeky, weird in a funny and adorable way and being inside her head was highly entertaining. Plus, she made sense. The way she reacted to the guys (and girl) she met through her friend’s matchmaking attempts told me a lot about her. She was never mean to them, even though some were real jerks, and even when she was trying to make them dump her, she was nice and adorable. Her relationship with her mother was another plus. I could tell they loved each other and tried to be there for one another – especially since they had to deal with all that crap from her father.

But obviously the relationship I loved the most was the one between Sally and Becks.

They were more than just cute together. They were hot – as hot as YA Contemporaries normally get (I know there are exceptions). From the first touch to the kiss, the chemistry between Becks and Sally was off the charts. I swooned every time Becks, using the fake boyfriend plan, showed her his true feelings. Sally, being used to him treating her as just friends for their entire lives, refused to see the truth, but as a reader it was clear from the start that Becks’ intentions weren’t just friendly. He tried everything he could to make their fake relationship last as long as possible and I love him for that.

Becky and Sal had a lot to lose if they confessed their feelings and got a “sorry, but we’re just friends” response from the other person, so it made a lot of sense that they remained silent. Plus, for best friends they did really suck at communicating. LOL. But it worked. In this case, it worked really well.

I savored every scene between these two – when they were just friends, when they became more, when they were jealous of each other… everything.

The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was Sally’s relationship with Ash. I didn’t mind the temporary love triangle, but it felt like she was replaying the same situation that had happened with Becks and getting into another “fake” relationship. I guess I wish it’d been handled differently.

Other than that, everything else was pretty fantastic and I’m so, so happy I got to read this book before the rest of the world. I can’t wait to take a seat and watch while other people fall in love with Becks and Sally like I did.

Blog Tour Schedule:

http://yaboundbooktours.blogspot.com/2016/02/blog-tour-sign-up-adorkable-by-cookie.html

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

*Grabby Hands* Cover Reveal - The Replacement Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts

*Grabby Hands* Release with Sneak Peek & Giveaway - Say Something... by T.A. Roth

Say Something…
T.A. Roth
(Speak #1)
Publication date: March 25th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Twenty–two-year-old Ari Munoz prefers to keep men at an arm’s length. So when her best friend Vonne guilts her into going to a frat party, she couldn’t think of a worse way to spend her night. That’s until she sparks the interest of love’em and leave’em Ben Rodriguez. She knows she shouldn’t trust him, but the electricity she feels when they lock eyes is something she’s never felt before.
Twenty-two-year-old Ben Rodriguez has it all, and his senior year marks the beginning of even bigger things to come. He’s a football star, fraternity president, and his endless pick of beauties makes him the envy of all of his frat brothers. So why is a pair of long legs and hazel eyes making him want to throw out his rules?
Ari has her secrets.
Ben has his rules.
What happens when both your pasts threaten your future?
Say Something…
—
*This novel contains adult themes and language. 18+ please. This is book one in a series and contains a cliffhanger.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

SNEAK PEEK:

Every word is a whisper across my lips. I want him to kiss me so bad. I even start to chant it like a mantra. Repeating the words over and over in my head. kiss me . . . kiss me . . . kiss me. . . All it would take is a small tilt of my head. The closer he gets to the end of the song the more desperate I become. F*ck it! I tilt my head up unable to resist any longer and bring his juicy bottom lip into my mouth. I gently suck and he releases a moan that I feel vibrate throughout every inch of my body. His right hand slides up the back of my neck and he fists a handful of my hair. He gently pulls away and holds my stare, his golden brown eyes to my hazel green. His breath is coming out in quick pants. He looks like he’s fighting himself to make a decision. I’m blinking quickly, saying a silent prayer that he doesn’t make the wrong one.

—

Author Bio:
T.A. Roth is a wife and mother of two funny and crazy kids. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. When she's not beautifying clients as a stylist/make-up artist at her day job you can find her reading, fangirling her favorite authors, or singing along to the radio. After getting the opportunity to read the debut novel of a then client now friend something clicked. Her "what the hell" attitude kicked in and a year later, here we are.
Say Something... A new adult romance is her debut novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

Hosted by:

*Grabby Hands* Release with Excerpt & Giveaway - Give Us a Chance by Allie Everhart

Title: Give Us a Chance 
(The Wheeler Brothers, #2)
Author: Allie Everhart
Publication date: March 12th 2016

About the book:

Jake Wheeler doesn’t date. He has a one and done rule. Some would say he’s a player but he disagrees. He’s always upfront with a girl, letting her know he’s not interested in a relationship. That is until he meets Ivy.

A talented carpenter who can hold her own on a construction site, Ivy worked for Jake last summer. He asked her out but she turned him down. Now, months later, Jake is ready to try again. He can’t get this girl out of his head and he needs to figure out why. When he asks her out he assumes she’ll say no again, so he’s shocked when she actually says yes.

After the first date, Jake knows he’s in trouble. Ivy is actually someone he could see himself being with, for a lot longer than a night. But what Jake doesn’t know is that Ivy’s only going out with him to prove she’s not the girl for him. She’s dated his type before and doesn’t want to do it again. But is Jake really the player she thinks he is? And if not, is she willing to trust him with her heart?

Author’s Note: Give Us a Chance is a standalone and book two of The Wheeler Brothers, a series of standalone novels that each feature a different brother. Next to Me, featuring Jake’s older brother, Nash, is book one.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

Jake

I haven’t even said a word to her and my heart’s already beating faster. I feel nervous, and I’m never nervous. Even when I was doing all those interviews on TV last fall, I never got nervous.
“Hey, Ivy,” I say, trying to sound cool and relaxed.
“No,” she says, keeping her head down as she picks up a piece of sandpaper.
“No what?”
“No, I’m not going out with you.”
Shit. How did she know that’s why I came over here?
“I didn’t ask,” I say.
“No, but you were about to.” She leans down more, lightly sanding the edge of the book in her picture, creating the look of pages. Damn, that’s incredible. I’m seriously amazed by her talent.
“I was just coming over to say hello,” I tell her. “We haven’t talked since the Victorian. How have you been?”
“Good.” She flips her ponytail to her other shoulder, exposing her neck. I’d love to run my lips down that neck. Down that smooth, perfect skin. My eyes shift down to her shirt, a black v-neck t-shirt that fits close to her body.
“Was that it?” She catches me staring at her breasts and stands up, looking annoyed with me. That’s just great. I’ve been here less than a minute and already screwed this up.
“Good? That’s all you have to say?”
She sets the sandpaper down and crosses her arms over her chest. “What do you want to know?”
“How was your Christmas?”
She’s staring at me like that’s the lamest question ever asked. Considering Christmas was weeks ago, it is a lame question, but it’s the first thing that popped in my head.
“Let me guess,” I say, since she hasn’t answered. “It was good.”
She starts to smile, but then quickly shuts it down. “Yeah.” She shrugs. “Actually, that’s a lie. It sucked. But it’s like that every year so…” Her voice trails off and when she sees the questioning look on my face, she explains, “My mom died at Christmas. It was years ago, but still.”
“Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” I rake my hand through my hair, which I tend to do when I’m nervous or uncomfortable.
“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” She smiles slightly, but then it disappears again. “Well, I need to get back to work.”
Why is she always telling me to get lost? I know she doesn’t have a boyfriend. I need to try this again, using a different approach. Nash and Callie are right. My usual techniques aren’t going to work this time.
“So do you like to eat?” I ask.
It’s such a strange question that she laughs a little. “Yeah. Why?”
“Let’s go out tonight. It’s on me.”
“I told you I’m not going out with you.”
“It’s not a date. It’s just two people eating dinner. You said you like to eat, right?”
“And if I were to say yes, which I’m not, where would you take me?”
I pause to think. “A little place just down the street from here.”
“Titiana’s? The Mexican place?”
“No.”
“Marco’s Italian?”
I shake my head. “No. This place serves American food.”
“Just tell me.”
“It’s a little place called…” I pause for dramatic effect. “Burger King.”
She bursts out laughing, which is what I was hoping for. I wanted to hear her laugh. I like her laugh. “Burger King? That’s where you’d take a girl on a date?”
“It’s not a date, remember? And what’s wrong with Burger King? Flame-broiled burgers. And you get to have it your way. Extra pickles. No mustard. Whatever you want.”
She laughs again. I’ve decided this is my approach with her. Humor. And saying the unexpected. It seems to be working.
“I can’t go there,” she says. “I’m vegan.”
“Really? I didn’t know that. So we’ll go somewhere else. Where do vegans eat?”
“I’m not going out with you, Jake.”
“Is it because of the jacket?” I glance down at it. “Because I have other jackets if this one offends you.”
She gives me a funny look like she doesn’t know what I mean.
“It’s leather,” I say. “I assumed if you’re vegan you don’t like leather?”
“Oh, um, yeah.” She nods. “That’s right. No leather.”
I smile. “So I’ll switch coats and meet you there at six.”
“Sorry, but it’s not happening.” She turns back to her project.
I’ll have to try again later. At least I’m getting somewhere with her. I got her to laugh, so that was a start.

About the author:
Allie Everhart is a hopeless romantic who writes books about love. Allie has authored fifteen novels, including The Jade Series, a college romance that follows the story of Jade and Garret as they deal with numerous obstacles trying to tear them apart. Her other series, The Kensingtons, is a romantic suspense series. Her standalone romance novels include Next to Me, and her latest book, Give Us a Chance.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:

*Grabby Hands* Release with Excerpt & Giveaway - Maneater by Cambria Hebert

Title: Maneater

(A Love in the ‘80s Novella) 
Author: Cambria Hebert
Publication date: March 25th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

About the book:

Watch out, girls. Here she comes.
There’s always that girl. She’s popular, beautiful, and has everything together. The one with the perfectly teased hair, arms full of colorful (but coordinated) bangles, and expertly painted bright-pink lips.
A teacher’s pet. Daddy’s girl.
Everyone loves her.
Because everyone is afraid to challenge her.
Kelly Ross is that girl. She uses her powers of popularity for good… her own good. She doesn’t care who she hurts.
She always gets what she wants.
Including your man.
When she walks down the hallway in her hot-pink heels and ruffled denim miniskirt, all the boys’ heads turn. And all the girls start whispering.
Man-eater.
There hasn’t been a single guy Kelly hasn’t been able to chew up and spit out.
Until now.
Kelly has finally met her match. He’s been there all along, and he’s the exact opposite of everything you’d expect.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

**SPECIAL RELEASE PRICE of $0.99!**

—

Excerpt:

Eric
Do people change?
Or do they always stay the same?
That’s more of a philosophy question. I’m more of a science guy.
I like tangible theories that can be measured, questions with answers that have irrefutable proof. I’m not much for matters of the mind with no exact equation, therefore without exact answer.
I’ve heard it said that the more people change, the more they stay the same.
That statement is confusing. Whatever “great” mind came up with the saying probably was a philosophy major and had no knowledge of scientific reasoning.
It’s a false notion.
A mathematical and scientific fact. In an equation, a + b = c. If even just one variable is changed, the entire equation changes, the answer does not remain the same.
If math and science don’t give enough irrefutable proof, the world I live in does. In the universe of high school and growing older, everyone changes. It’s a natural evolution of life.
I see her every day. Even without my glasses, my eyes would still make out her shape.
She’s one of those girls the eyes must look at, just like the lungs must breathe oxygen. Her presence is loud in the hallways of Edward Little High.
Yet her reputation is quiet… at least the real one anyway.
Whispers. I hear them. When you are invisible, or thought to only think about equations and charts, people think you don’t listen. But I hear.
I listen.
It’s how one learns.
The Choice thinks they know everything, but the people who know the most in this school are the ones who are known the least.
I’m practically a shadow, practically a ghost.
“Beat it, losers!” Tad yells from across the hall. My friends and I look up, surprised he’s talking to us.
Okay, maybe I’m not as invisible as I thought.
I glance at Kelly as we scurry off.
Or maybe, I’m only visible when my presence is useful.
I knew Kelly once, a long time ago. Practically in another life. We aren’t friends. She probably doesn’t even remember my name. I remember hers.
I remember the way she used to twist her Oreos in two and hand me the side with the most cream. The way she would grab my hand and pull me off to play before who we were got in the way.
I remember when she was nice.
As I walk to class, my two friends by my sides, I tune out their conversation and wonder. I saw the way Kelly was looking at Tad, her best friend’s boyfriend. It was a sign. Kelly was gearing up to take down another one. It was a pattern. Patterns always repeat themselves.
This time, I wondered if she would go too far.
Kelly was the reason I was spending my time on an internal philosophical debate. Do people change? The theory was no.
I was seeing evidence to the contrary.
The girl I knew all those years ago would never act the way she does now.
But she does.
The whispers follow her around the hall.
People do change.

About the author:

Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

—

Hosted by:

*Grabby Hands* Release - Review & Giveaway - My Perfect Mistake by Kelly Siskind

Title: My Perfect Mistake (Over the Top #1)
Author: Kelly Siskind

Forever Yours
Release Date: April 5th, 2016

About the book:

What happens in Aspen
is definitely not staying in Aspen. . .

A girls’ trip to Aspen was exactly what Shay needed to forget about her toxic ex-boyfriend. She’s got her girls, pristine slopes for skiing, and hot guys everywhere. Of course, her epic self-rediscovery goes completely to hell when a wild (and deliciously hot) skier knocks Shay on her ass . . . and war is declared. 

Kolton doesn’t know what it is about Shay that makes him lose it. Not just his cool—although she does have an unholy gift for that—but his restraint. When anger gives way to explosive chemistry, they’re both shaken with the intensity of it. But somewhere between lust and hate, Kolton and Shay realize they could have something real . . . if they don’t kill each other first.

Image and blurb from Goodreads

Goodreads / Amazon

My thoughts:

4.5 “Sexy Aspen Adventures” STARS 

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Forever Yours!

I read Kelly Siskind’s debut (Chasing Crazy) not too long ago and it taught me one important thing about this new author: you can always count on her to make you laugh. Her second title just confirmed that. I’ll never think about G-spot without remembering that scene and laughing ever again (you’ll get it once you read it).

My Perfect Mistake is the first book in a new series (it isn’t related to her debut), and I’m dying to read the next stories about this book MC’s friends, especially the one about Lilly and Sawyer. But before we get to them, let’s talk about Shay and Kolton (love the names), the couple featured in this book.

Shay is an interior designer who was recently dumped by her long time boyfriend and went on a skiing trip to Aspen with her girlfriends to get a fresh start. She needs it badly, because her last five years were wasted on the douchebag who turned her into someone she doesn’t like – she’s stopped eating what she wanted to fit his idea of a woman’s perfect body, she gave up on a promotion and a dream job because he didn’t want her to take it, she let him control every aspect of her life. But Shay is willing to get her life back and find the independent, strong woman she once was, and she swears never to let a man make decision for her again. First step is to dispose of a piece of clothing that stood as a sign of her ex-boyfriends borderline abusive behavior: a black bra.

But that bra finds a destination – the top of Kolton’s head. From that moment on, we know these two will find their way to each other.

Kolton is a businessman and a single dad. He’s been raising his seven-year-old son with the help of his friends, his mother-in-law (his wife died when their son was born) and his super cool assistant (she was hilarious and one of my favorite characters). He goes to Aspen with his two best friends, both getting on his nerve about how he should start dating again, and that’s where he meets Shay.

At first, Kolton and Shay simply can’t stand each other. There’s a lot of arguing, funny nicknames and insult-trading going on. Foreplay, because the sexual chemistry is undeniable. So strong they get it going early on. And, damn, it was sexy. Bathroom sex never looked so appealing. But they were back to arguing again. More foreplay. More hot sex scenes. You get the drill.

The chemistry between Kolton and Shay and the romance are the focus of the story, and the author does a great job presenting challenges to keep them apart for a while, which is the way I like. Kelly Siskind explores Shay’s insecurities taking her on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. It was a pleasure to watch it. And though Kolton and Shay have sex early on, the will-they-won’t-they keeps the reader turning pages to see what will happen next. You know what else will keep you reading? Kolton.

Dude. Kolton is hot. Think tall, strong and long hair HOT. *swoons* He’s also adorable. He tries really hard to be a great dad – what woman in her right mind doesn’t find that sexy? And he’s soooo good at wooing that he should be appointed the President of the wooing club. His attention to details and his willingness to do whatever it takes to win Shay over is impressive. He tries hard without coming across as an arrogant douchebag, because he knows what to do. Because he paid attention. Because he cares. I loved all the small and big gestures just as much as Shay. *swoons a little more*

I also loved how Kolton’s wooing tactics made me feel like I was watching closely as Shay fell for him. Sure the book started with insta-love (and I’ve repeatedly said I don’t mind it because that’s how life is sometimes), but it wasn’t insta-love. Shay and Kolton fell in love with time, and as a reader I got to watch and participate every step of the way. Nothing makes me happier when reading romance.

Something I remember saying about Kelly Siskind’s debut (Chasing Crazy) was that I wished she’d treated the setting (New Zealand) more like a character since it was supposed to be a big part of the story. I don’t know if she noticed that somehow and decided to pay more attention to it this time, but I can’t complain about how she treated the setting here. While Shay and Kolton were in Aspen, I felt like I was right there with them. The author made the whole thing come to life. The same happened when Shay was describing the places she visited. I was impressed. Good for her, because if Kelly keeps writing entertaining and sexy stories and getting better with each book, I don’t think anyone will be able to stop her.

So while the MC’s voice in this book wasn’t as out there as it was in this author’s debut (which is also a good thing, because it shows she can write different MCs without making them all sound alike), the conflict and the characters were stronger. My Perfect Mistake is a book to start and finish in one day (I did!) and it’ll leave you anxious for the next title by this author. I expect great things of book #2 in this series and, after reading and loving her first two books, I’m positive Kelly Siskind won’t disappoint.

Goodreads Giveaway:

• 2 copies of my perfect mistake (U.S. and CA only)

To enter the giveaway go here