#Review ~ The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. 

**Spoilers ahead**

Five Stars

Okay.

I am a sobbing mess.

I’ll be completely honest. Though I’ve heard of this book, I’ve never really wanted to read it because, well, you know. (And if you don’t, then you must be living under a rock – just sayin). Anyway, once I saw the movie trailer, I was more convinced than ever to never read it. I’m not a fan of books that don’t end happily. I’m the type of girl that likes to have the HEA; to know that everything will be okay. However, the stars were aligning and I was actually in a mood for an emotional read, so I went for it.

And I do not regret one single moment.

“I wouldn’t mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.”

Hazel isn’t your typical sixteen-year old teenager. Everyday is gift. As a victim of cancer, she fights for her life everyday. Her prognosis isn’t good, but with the help of a miracle drug, her life continues Her parents want nothing but the best for her. They encourage her to attend a cancer support group. This is where she meets Augustus Waters.

“I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.”

Augustus is a seventeen-year old cancer survivor. There are so many things that I love about Augustus: His outlook on life, his quirks, his one good leg, and his unyielding support of his friend. He sweeps into Hazel’s life just by being his magnetic self. As much as Hazel tries to maintain a safe distance from him, a choice to spare him from the inevitable hurt, she falls anyway.

I LOVE AUGUSTUS!

What a slut time is. She screws everybody.

I do not like sad books, but I do not regret reading this. I’m so thankful for having met Augustus and Hazel. They felt so real and they’ve made such a huge impact on me. My emotions were all over the place and I swear and I have never cried over a character as much as I did over Augustus. How am I ever going to watch the movie adaptation? I will definitely have a box of tissues handy and ready to go. What a be

Concealed (Hidden #1) by Victoria Michaels

Title: Concealed

Author: Victoria Michaels

Series: Hidden #1

Release Date: December 9, 2013

Synopsis:

Life has been complicated for Sydney Ross. Desperate for a new start, she leaves home but, during her travels, witnesses something that will forever alter the path of her life. On the run for the last six years, Sydney finds herself living the life of a nomad until she one day stumbles into a small town and hopes she’s finally found a place to put down roots. With a good job in a local diner and, for the first time ever, friends who feel like family, things start looking up for Sydney. The biggest shock of all is catching the eye of the town’s most eligible bachelor, the sexy sheriff, Wade Jenkins.

Sparks fly between them, and it’s not long before Sydney believes Elton, Missouri could be the home she’s always wished for. But Sydney’s past and her secrets have a way of catching up with her. When a brutal murder shakes the small town, Sydney is terrified that the countdown has begun on her time in Elton.

Have the shadows from her past found her again? The people who mean the most want her to stay, but that would put everyone, including her daughter, at risk. Can Sydney put her faith in Wade or will she keep running from a danger that even she doesn’t fully understand?

Read an excerpt of Concealed here:
http://victoriamichaels.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Concealed_Excerpt.pdf 

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

Book Trailer:
http://victoriamichaels.net/books/concealed/ 

Author website:

http://victoriamichaels.net/ 

 Five Stars 

Keeps your heart racing from beginning to end! 

WOW!!! I have enjoyed Victoria Michaels' contemporary romances. I've been waiting for her to release something new, and I was ecstatic to find out Concealed is a romantic-suspense/thriller, which is one of my favorite genres. Concealed absolutely gripped me! I was pulled in immediately in the prologue, and my heart kept racing until the very end!

I love how the romance in Concealed is slow, simmering, and butterfly-producing. Sydney finds herself smitten with the small town of Elton with its handsome sheriff smitten with her! The connection between Sydney and Wade is written with charm and ease. Just thinking of their first kiss makes me all giddy! I love it when an author makes me feel that way, don't you?

Concealed has everything that I want in a mystery thriller. There's a good reason why Sydney has been on the run, and the suspense kept my rapt attention page after page. The characters are all so likeable and well developed. The people Sydney works with are sincere and fun. Her neighbor is just full of awesome. Sydney's daughter is the cutest little thing. I ended up caring about them all! Plus, the pacing of the story is perfect and there were twists that I didn't see coming...goodness!

If you're looking for a nail-biting, romantic thriller, I highly recommend Concealed. I consider this Victoria Michaels' BEST work thus far!

 

Must Love Otters by Eliza Gordon

Hollie Porter is the chairwoman of Generation Disillusioned: at twenty-five years old, she’s saddled with a job she hates, a boyfriend who’s all wrong for her, and a vexing inability to say no. She’s already near her breaking point, so when one caller too many kicks the bucket during Hollie’s 911 shift, she cashes in the Sweethearts’ Spa & Stay gift certificate from her dad and heads to Revelation Cove, British Columbia. One caveat: she’s going solo. Any sweethearts will have to be found on site.

Hollie hopes to find her beloved otters in the wilds of the Great White North, but instead she’s providing comic relief for staff and guests alike. Even Concierge Ryan, a former NHL star with bad knees and broken dreams, can’t stop her from stumbling from one (mis)adventure to another. Just when Hollie starts to think that a change of venue doesn’t mean a change in circumstances, the island works its charm and she starts to think she might have found the rejuvenation she so desperately desires. But then an uninvited guest crashes the party, forcing her to step out of the discomfort zone where she dwells and save the day … and maybe even herself in the process.

Five Stars

Sweet & Freakin' Hilarious! 

Hollie Porter is stuck with a life that she really doesn't want. Her job, her co-workers, her boyfriend feel all wrong. Her father gifts her a vacation, and she uses this opportunity to get away from it all. Little did she know that making a call to the Revelation Cove resort to make arrangements for her stay there would ultimately change her life on many levels.

I loved Hollie from the start. She's quirky and authentic. She has her own brand of humor, a wild imagination and has far too many misadventures, including one naked mishap...oops! I've got to give her credit for trying to take charge of her life with gusto! When romance finally comes a knocking, oh boy, does it...in the form of a handsome, green-eyed, ex-hockey star! Concierge Ryan is so charming and smooth. He will make you swoon, I promise!

I adored...completely ADORED this book! I laughed, I cried, I rooted for the heroine to find her HEA right from the beginning. One of the things that I enjoyed was Hollie's close relationship with her father, who had raised Hollie as a single dad. Eliza Gordon also did a beautiful job with the setting, painting a stunning visual in my mind, so much so, that I now want to visit British Columbia. I love otters. I really do! I've been to Monterey so many times to view them frolicking in the water. The otters in this book? It's totally worth getting to this part of the story. So cute!

If you love animals and romantic comedies, then I highly recommend MUST LOVE OTTERS! Get ready to giggle-snort several times! This story is incredibly funny, entertaining, and heartwarming. When I reached the end, I wanted to hug the hell out of my e-reader.

*A complimentary copy was provided by the author for an honest review.*

Eliza Gordon's inspirational pics of Concierge Ryan:

http://elizagordon.com/2013/11/18/concierge-ryan-is-our-superman/ 

Go on...take a look! You're welcome!

Cover Reveal & Review: Have Gown, Will Wed by Killian McRae

COVER REVEAL INFORMATION

Release date: September 25, 2013

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours 

Add to your TBR on Goodreads

Book Description:

Back in college, the bras-before-bros sisterhood decided to live for achievement in the boardroom, not the bedroom. Rosalind Betters embraced that philosophy, pursuing her career and little else. But when her last single friend, Kamakshi, announces her engagement in of all things, an arranged marriage, Rosalind reevaluates the merits of matrimony. In her typical gung ho fashion, she names a date, books a venue, hires a caterer, and picks out a dress, all before finding a groom. Taking a lesson from Kamakshi and too busy to do otherwise, Rosalind hires San Francisco's best headhunter, Xavier Hommes, to find her better half for her.

At first, Xavier thinks Rosalind is one of the eccentric personalities for which the city is famous. As the search starts, however, Xavier finds himself hating his task for reasons he never would have suspected. If Rosalind really wants a man who will make her happy, she need look no further. As W-Day approaches and Rosalind starts falling for someone Xavier himself headhunted, he walks the line between professionalism and passion, trying to decide if competing to become Mr. Betters is worth the risk to his commission, his reputation, and Rosalind's happiness.

About the Author

Killian McRae would tell you that she is a rather boring lass, an authoress whose characters’ lives are so much more exciting than her own. She would be right. Sadly, this sarcastic lexophile leads a rather mundane existence in the San Francisco Bay Area. She once dreamed of being the female Indiana Jones, and to that end she earned a degree in Middle Eastern History from the University of Michigan. However, when she learned that real archaeologist spend more time lovingly removing dust with toothbrushes from shards of pottery than outrunning intriguing villains with exotic accents, she decided to become a writer instead. She writes across many genres, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, and historical fiction.

Author Social Media Links:

Blog / Twitter / Facebook 

Four Stars

C’est la vie. Every silver lining had its cloud. One thing Rosalind knew for sure: unlike scores of literary inventions and hallmark movie heroines, no empty place in her heart existed where a widget called “man” would fit. 

I never knew there was such a thing as an intelligently written, humorous romance until I started reading this story. That’s the only way I can accurately describe this story. I knew immediately from the description that this was going to be a one of a kind read and I was spot on. 

“But that’s what gets me, Kam. This is what we allwanted to do? We all said bras and biz before the bros, cash before cocks. What happened to everyone? 

The story itself is a pretty unconventional and very different. We have a very strong, independent heroine in Rosalind who doesn’t need a man in her life to define who she is. She’s beautiful, smart, driven and extremely determined. Back in college, Rosalind and her friends always put their careers first before even thinking about settling down with a man. But as the years went by, her friends slowly started to build their family life and put their careers second. It was only her and her best friend, Kamakshi, left. Then came the dreaded day when even Kamakshi became engaged. This is the day that Rosalind began to see things differently, too. What good is having a successful career when there is no one to share it with? But with her blooming career keeping her busy, she has no time for the complications and time consuming activity called dating. So what does she do? She hires Xavier Hommes. No, Xavier is not a matchmaker per se, but a career headhunter. His company helped Rosalind find her perfect assistant, so she figures he can find her a husband. Yes, it’s unconventional, but Rosalind doesn’t do things half-assed. She’s all in.

“Okay, we have a deal. You agree to provide me with a list of potential spouses, and I’ll commit BetaHouse to Hommes HQ for one year, and your fee will be payable upon execution of my proposal for marriage, regardless of the response of the third party. 

Xavier couldn’t believe the deal he just made, but the question remains: “Why does this beautiful woman need his help in finding a husband?” This is the most outrageous request his company has ever gotten. As much as he wants to say “no,” he can’t. This business her growing company can bring his is just too good to pass up. What he didn’t expect is to slowly fall for Rosalind himself. But will it come too late when he inadvertently found and set up someone else for her? 

Je t’aime 

As I said before, this nonconventional love story is intelligently written. Yes, there are times where the story is pretty predictable, but I didn’t care. I kept flipping the pages because I just adored Xavier and Rosalind and I couldn’t wait for them tofinally get together. There were, however, a few drawbacks to this story. One, I wanted steam! After all the sexual tension, I wanted a massive explosion….yes, pun intended :) Two, the beginning of the story started off a little slow, but once Xavier was introduced, it took on a better pace. Third, I know I’m not dyslexic nor illiterate, but I had the hardest time pronouncing Kamakshi’s name. I know, it’s my problem, but it did hinder my enjoyment…just a tad. Otherwise, I’m happy I had an opportunity to read this ARC and looking forward to more from this author. 

Copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.