Saturday, April 8, 2023

Book Review and Giveaway Beautifully Broken Pieces by Catherine Cowles



BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN PIECES
by CATHERINE COWLES

A woman who’s lost everything.

Taylor is looking for peace and quiet away from the memories of all she’s lost. A small mountain town where no one knows her seems like the perfect escape.

A man battling the ghosts of his past.

Walker loves his life just the way it is. His town, his family, his brothers in blue. Everything simple and easy—until a chance encounter changes it all.

When Taylor’s solitude is interrupted by the rugged cop, they find that the very thing they were avoiding might be just what they both need. As their iron wills clash and passion flares…a killer lurks.

And you never know who might be caught in the crosshairs.


REVIEW: 4 STARS
"Even the happy memories...they break my heart."

PERFECT start to a new series!!! I am completely smitten. Walker is the man! *insert simultaneous sigh and heart eyes here.* I have read one other book by Catherine Cowles, but I can tell you with the beginning of this series, it will be one that I will follow closely and I plan on having them all signed and on my shelf!! Cowles' writing style breathes ease and comfort. Her words flow very easily and I found myself getting caught up in all the goings-on of this little town....and now I need to visit Sutter Lake! 

Immediately, the very beginning of this story spelled out the beauty of a small town romance where someone's word actually means something. People know everyone and when a new person comes to town...and most are there to help them fit in. Catherine Cowles writes the type of small town romance I absolutely adore. 

"You can lean back against me. I've got you."

A slow and sweet perusal into the possibilities of love after loss, this book gave me a chance to slow down and fall in love. Walker and Taylor were so in tune with each other - their banter and flirting causing me all the giddy feels, but they didn't even recognize it. That was so fun to watch it blossom. I loved watching their friendship being tip-toed around until they had no other choice but to give in. It was the most smile-inducing transition, mostly because I knew they had no choice - but the love was backed by a new best friend. They could fight it all they wanted, but the truth was right in front of their eyes!! 

Soft, sweet and an adventure all wrapped up into one. I quickly and easily fell in love with ALL the characters in this sleepy town of Sutter Lake....although, sleepy is a far cry from what I would call it. There was drama lurking around the corner, and for someone that doesn't typically enjoy romantic suspense, this one had me turning the pages! I couldn't put it down if I wanted to. It was set in/based on a small town in Oregon - and I live in a small town in Oregon as well, so that sure made it easy to envision the happenings and the whereabouts of everyone and everything happening. This one sure felt like 'home' to me. 

After falling in love with Sutter Lake's residents, I can't wait to see what Beautifully Broken Life brings. I am desperate for Liam's story and can't wait to read it!! Make sure you add this entire series to your TBR. It started out amazing and I am excited to see where it goes.

"You might not need anyone, Taylor, but maybe someone out there needs you. Just think about that."
~BEE


 



 


 


 

~MEET CATHERINE COWLES~
Writer of words. Drinker of Diet Cokes. Lover of all things cute and furry, especially her dog. Catherine has had her nose in a book since the time she could read and finally decided to write down some of her own stories. When she's not writing she can be found exploring her home state of Oregon, listening to true crime podcasts, or searching for her next book boyfriend.

~FOLLOW CATHERINE~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     GOODREADS     TWITTER
WEBSITE

Any links on this page may be affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you purchase anything by clicking on them. You will not be charged anything extra. I use these links as a way to fund my book giveaways - so, thank you for your continual support.

Posted by at 2 comments:

Friday, April 7, 2023

BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY for The Summer We Fell by Elizabeth O'Roark



He was my boyfriend's best friend—and the bane of my existence. I wanted to hate Luke Taylor. I did hate him. I just never hated him enough.

Now, a decade later, tragedy has brought us back to the place where it all happened—my best times, and my worst.

Our lives have changed, but that pull between us is just as strong as ever.

Only this time, it's more dangerous too.


REVIEW: 4 STARS
"Luke's the only person who can access all of me. He barely has to try."

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was seeing that Elizabeth O'Roark was putting out a standalone!! I LOVED her Parallel Duet something fierce - even have it signed on my shelf, so I knew I needed to get in on this action! She was a surprise new-to-me author and I knew I needed to read her again. I missed out on touring her Devil Series, so of course I haven't slipped it into my kindle just yet - but rest assured, that will be devoured eventually. But, a standalone usually has me adjusting my schedule to fit them in from the get-go.

To be fair, when I started seeing the teasers for this one, and the direction I was "feeling" Luke was taking - I was 99% sure I was going to love him. I was wrong - because I 100% love him. He had a protective streak a mile long and it had exactly ZERO boundaries, and I loved that about him!!! He made this book for me. HE had me falling in love with him from the minute I met him.

"People talk about love like it's peaceful, but it isn't, at all. It's turbulent and anxious. It's euphoria and despair."

The pain Luke and Juliet went through! My gosh, the pain of fighting an attraction they knew wasn't a good idea to act on because of all the implications their love alone would have. The pain it would cause. A ripple effect throughout both their lives that would be magnanimous, given the circumstances they were operating under. THIS is the kind of story I live for. A love that you can't have. Can't touch. Can't feel out, because the damage it would cause felt like it would be too hard to get through. This story was also ripe with personal guilt. RIPE. There was always a reason. Always a rebuttal. Always a hinderance to finally seeing the rainbow on the other side. It was exhausting for my heart and mental self...and I loved it!

This type of love story is my crack. I need the despondence the characters are wading through - their need for something that's unattainable yet they need it to survive!! This had all the things I crave because I felt Juliet's drive to just see...just speak to, just hear his voice. It's what kept me keep turning the pages. That kind of nail-biting "would they, should they, could they" angst is my drug of choice and I willingly succumb to the need for more. Which, of course, is why I pick up these types of stories often. O'Roark definitely gifted me another book boyfriend with the strength of Luke's love and devotion.

I did struggle a bit with Juliet - but I honestly think it boils down to my strength at this age watching a girl at her age go through what she did and having the current knowledge to know that "this" wasn't the end of the world for her - even though I *knew* she had to live it to understand and appreciate it, but boy was it tough!! I wanted to tell her to take a bold step forward. I wanted to encourage her to go with her heart because her mind was already there. The need to shake her into letting loose and understanding her perceived ramifications were her own shackles to shake. I was her biggest cheerleader and her harshest critic. She was the strongest doormat I have ever read. Again - RIPE with guilt.

But honestly, my only real issue was the back and forth from past to present. Not that this type of storytelling doesn't work or have its place - because it does and it works often. It just didn't work for me in this circumstance. I was following along easily enough - it just took away from the forward progression I was feeling with each step forward, but I felt like I literally took 2 steps back by going into the past and it halted my mental forward motion. BUT, I loved their love story and I adored how hard Luke loved Juliet and stood by his word and morals. The very truest definition of a man, to me. He stood by his word no matter how elusive it seemed for Juliet to grasp...and that growth was a relief to read. The final submission was glorifying to witness and I smiled as they finally figured themselves out. Phew!!! Mental gymnastics, for sure!

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I would honestly love to see some other books come from this story - standalones, but definitely interconnected since I don't think one would be able to tell some stories without giving away some of the tension and pain that was prevalent in this book. Elizabeth - please give me Libby's book. PLEASE. I know you will do her justice with a man worthy of her heart and soul. 

"Luke is my sun, my moon, my tide, and I'm tired of fighting his pull."
~BEE
Amazon - Kindle Unlimited

 COMMENT BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN ECOPY

CHECK OUT MY FACEBOOK POST HERE



 ~MEET ELIZABETH O'ROARK~
Elizabeth O’Roark lives in Washington, DC with her 3 children. After many years spent writing scintillating brochures about amniocentesis and heart surgery, she is thrilled to have found a job that allows her to just make s*** up.

~CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON     TWITTER     GOODREADS




ARC REVIEW
AFFILIATE LINKS USED
COPY PURCHASED FOR GIVEAWAY

Any links on this page may be affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you purchase anything by clicking on them. You will not be charged anything extra. I use these links as a way to fund my book giveaways - so, thank you for your continual support.


Posted by at 5 comments:

Thursday, April 6, 2023

BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY for If This Is Love by Jewel E Ann


IF THIS IS LOVE

He's mine ... don't ever forget that.

Milo lives in the barn, a cowboy through and through.
I live in a castle, but I'm not a princess.

When the only person who loves me dies, Milo's there.
As I get older, I no longer look at Milo like a big brother. I look at him like the man God made just for me.

With the first glimpse of freedom from my pathetic excuse for a father, I imagine a future with Milo. I dream of the day when we won't have to hide our feelings.

But Milo has a secret. He is not free.
The man I love is marrying the woman I hate.



REVIEW: 5 STARS
"This need I have to protect her feels admirable until I realize the person I need to protect her from the most is...me."

Since JEA is my drop everything and read kind of author, it doesn't matter what I am doing - if she announces a book, I adjust my calendar, my chores, and my family schedule (okay, probably not to that extent 😂) to make sure she is going to get the full attention her books have proven to me they deserve. I know I sound crazy, but when you find that one author...your "unicorn" if you will, you know what you need to do to give their books your completely undivided attention, right? JEA is that one for me. Having said that repeatedly over the years, you know I am always going to give you my full and honest opinion on how each book was individually. 

This book made me fall in love, courted me....broke my heart, and slowly put me back together. That is the M.O. of JEA, is it not? But, I'll tell ya - it was the in-betweens that mattered. How did I fall in love with Milo and Indie? Slowly and effortlessly. I watched them dance around the forbidden and come together. I also watched them snap like a brittle twig with no due recourse. It was hard watching them hurt. It was hard growing and realizing...the understanding more difficult than the outcome. But, as JEA does, she put me back together. I won't say it's seamless because there are some jagged cracks in there, but she gave me this life lesson and story with heaviness and a smile. She gave me a love that fought against all odds and made me hold me breath. But above all else, she gave me a book hangover and it's been a while since I've had one of those. I wanted to bask in it!!

While this one made me feel slightly uncomfortable in the beginning - and I don't say that lightly, it set the stage for a very deep conversation within the pages of this book. The fact that she said this is super taboo completely proves to me, once again, she can write anything and get me through the story with a chokehold on my heart. We all have childhood crushes, right? I had one with an 18 year old when I was 12. Completely innocent, but a crush nonetheless. Well, Milo and Indie are seriously and truly the embodiment of age gap, taboo, and everything in between - one you love, but can't quite describe completely. I had very wide eyes while I was reading this because the innocence of Indie was put. into. words. and I was left gasping a few times. Again, I knew JEA was going to put me in a state of shock by the time this was all said and done - and she did just that. 

"If his lips touch mine, the last thread will snap. I know it. He knows it. Memories have never felt as tangible, concrete and alive as they do now."

The book hangover I had after this probably wasn't fair to every other author I had to read after because it held steady over my head and heavy over my heart. I loved that she had me angry for Indie, gritting my teeth for Milo - and pissed as hell about the evil held over their heads. And the thing was, it was actually something I can see happening once it was all explained and meshed out - in true JEA fashion. I hung on every word and pored over the pages with my emotions hanging on by a thread. I was mesmerized and completely breathless in some spots, while huffing and puffing from anger in others. But it was amazing. Beyond amazing. It was my favorite kind of journey and one I cannot recommend enough...but go in with an open mind and a strength in your heart. You may not know when you'll need to draw on it. She works her magic effortlessly and I for one am here anytime she's willing to serve it up.

I wish everyone wrote with the humor and the heaviness like Jewel E Ann does. She is so unique and one of a kind, and her voice just "hits" me in all the right ways. Hands down, she's a stop-everything-and-read author for me. I will end this review with this - I read my books to take the journey from start to finish. I take in ALL the happenings and reactions and I soak in them. Marinate. Ruminate. Whatever you want to call it. But, if an author makes me think about something, whether I like the outcome or not - it's a positive, because I THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I think that's one of my favorite things JEA does for me. She makes me think and I feel every facet of her story as it plays out. 

I couldn't get enough and I couldn't put the book down. I felt like I needed to pace but couldn't take my eyes off the pages! It seriously had me wrapped up and the anxiety was real! Milo and Indie definitely have my heart and will for a very long time coming...

"You're the sun...so fucking bright, blindingly beautiful."
~BEE


COMMENT BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN ECOPY
or head over to my Facebook post to comment as well



~MEET JEWEL E ANN~
Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree a a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course . . .heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

~CONNECT WITH JEWEL~

FACEBOOK     AMAZON      GOODREADS      TWITTER


CHECK OUT JEWEL'S BOOKS

ARC REVIEW
AFFILIATE LINKS USED
COPY PURCHASED FOR GIVEAWAY

Any links on this page may be affiliate links and I may earn a commission if you purchase anything by clicking on them. You will not be charged anything extra. I use these links as a way to fund my book giveaways for every ARC Tour I do - so, thank you for your continual support.
Posted by at 5 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)