Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Size Matters (Size Matters #1)
by Alison Bliss





Title: SIZE MATTERS
Author: Alison Bliss
Series: A Perfect Fit, #1
On Sale: November 29, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Mass Market: $5.99 USD

eBook: $5.99 USD



The rules of (fake) engagement . . .

Leah Martin has spent her life trying to avoid temptation. But she's sick of low-fat snacks, counting calories, and her hyper-critical mom. Fortunately, her popular new bakery keeps her good and distracted. But there aren't enough éclairs in the world to distract Leah from the hotness that is Sam Cooper - or the fact that he just told her mother that they're engaged . . . which is a big, fat lie.

Sam sometime speaks before he thinks. So what started out as defending Leah's date-ability to her judgmental mother soon turned into having a fiancee! Now the plan is to keep up the fake engagement, stay "just friends," and make Leah's family loathe him enough to just call the whole thing off . But Sam has an insatiable sweet tooth, not only for Leah's decadent desserts but her decadent curves. Her full lips. Her bright green eyes. Yep, things aren't going quite according to plan. Now Sam has to convince Leah that he's for real . . . before their little lie turns into one big, sweet disaster.












I found this book to be a charming and romantic start to what seems to be a promising new romance series. I was very excited to read a romance novel with a plus-sized lead in it. It is as common to have a plus-sized woman be the main character in a romance book, so I am very glad the author decided to do that. I was happy that this book addressed body image and how it is important to love yourself no matter your size.

The main character, Leah, was hilarious. I found her commentary to be so witty and smile inducing. I thought the author did a great job at making her dialogue funny, yet believable. The main issue I had with Leah was her body shaming. I 100% understood her insecurities. It is not easy to love your body, but I wish Leah wouldn't have been so hard on herself and even other women. She constantly belittled herself and talked about how "fat" she was. It became a bit tiresome and cringe worthy. I wish Leah wouldn't have mentioned it as much and I wish she wouldn't have talked about the weight of other women as much either. However, I am glad Sam was there to help her realize that her size DIDN'T matter, and that she was perfect the way she was. 

Sam was a great character. He was charming, funny, and thoughtful. However, his communication skills were pretty terrible, which was frustrating. That being said, I still enjoyed his character. I appreciated way he wanted to help Leah learn to love herself. I thought they made a really cute couple! Their interest in each other seemed a bit sudden in the beginning, but the author managed to make it slow down and become more realistic as the book went on.

I thought this was a witty and fun read. Some of the drama was a bit unnecessary, which slowed the book down at times, but it was still enjoyable overall. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new romance to pick up!




4 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for an honest review. * 







Alison Bliss grew up in Small Town, Texas, but currently resides in the Midwest with her husband and two sons. With so much testosterone in her home, it's no wonder she writes "girl books." She believes the best way to know if someone is your soul mate is by canoeing with them because if you both make it back alive, it's obviously meant to be. Alison pens the type of books she loves to read most: fun, steamy love stories with heart, heat, laughter, and usually a cowboy or two. As she calls it, "Romance...with a sense of humor."






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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

When All The Girls Have Gone
by Jayne Ann Krentz


Title: When All The Girls Have Gone 
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: November 29, 2016




Jayne Ann Krentz, the New York Times bestselling author of Secret Sisters, delivers a thrilling novel of the deceptions we hide behind, the passions we surrender to, and the lengths we’ll go to for the truth...

When Charlotte Sawyer is unable to contact her step-sister, Jocelyn, to tell her that one her closest friends was found dead, she discovers that Jocelyn has vanished.

Beautiful, brilliant—and reckless—Jocelyn has gone off the grid before, but never like this. In a desperate effort to find her, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler, a struggling PI who recently moved to Seattle after his previous career as a criminal profiler went down in flames—literally. Burned out, divorced and almost broke, Max needs the job.

After surviving a near-fatal attack, Charlotte and Max turn to Jocelyn’s closest friends, women in a Seattle-based online investment club, for answers. But what they find is chilling…

When her uneasy alliance with Max turns into a full-blown affair, Charlotte has no choice but to trust him with her life. For the shadows of Jocelyn’s past are threatening to consume her—and anyone else who gets in their way...
 





Jayne Ann Krentz has been writing good books for a while. I love her Arcane Society series and from the moment I saw this cover, I was excited to read When All The Girls Have Gone. One thing I'm always glad to see in her books is how she's able to weave suspense and romance into her novels and the end result is invariably good.


In When All the Girls Have Gone, Charlotte Sawyer is looking for her step-sister Jocelyn. Jocelyn has left for a month retreat in a convent without electronics but before long her friend and business partner Louise is found dead from an alleged overdose. Charlotte's sure this isn't the case after she meets the man investigating her death. Every clue she learns points to Jocelyn's past who was raped while she was in college and the perpetrator was never caught. 

Max Cutler is a P.I. Yet, before he became one, he was a very good profiler working in D.C. A bad decision made him leave his job and move to Seattle. He's just starting his own business when he's asked to look into the death of a woman who had a past history of drug abuse. Max realizes things don't add up. For one, her cousin believes she was murdered. Second, she was part of a five women foundation where one woman is dead and another is missing. Third, Charlotte lands into his life, making this case more personal than he would like it to be.


It was easy to like the main characters. They were both depicted as regular people. Charlotte was a woman who was coming out of failed relationship but was trying to move forward. She was naive to a point but she was also able to keep a clear head when she was in danger. Max was very honest about what his expectations are with the case and with Charlotte. He was smart, level headed and willing to accept help when needed. He also loved the man who treated him like a son, Anson Salinas. He was there for him and his brothers when they needed him the most. 

Another reason to like When All The Girls Have Gone would be the side stories it contains. For instance, we still don't know if the man responsible for the death of Max's mother is still alive. To me, this represents a bigger arc that could lead to more books in this setting. There are two brothers Cabot Sutter and Jack Lancaster who are mentioned and who might want justice against the man that wronged them. In addition, we get some drama in regards to Max's biological family too. Last, we get Ethel and her memoir. Quite an interesting lady she turned out to be!

I'm hoping Mrs. Krentz decides to continue writing stories in this world. I can assure you I'll read them.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs


A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First Step Forward by Liora Blake



Title: First Step Forward
Author: Liora Blake
Series: Grand Valley #1
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date : November 29, 2016 



Pro-football player Cooper Lowry is off the field and into some trouble—in the form of a very alluring, very free-spirited apple orchard owner named Whitney Reed—in the first installment in Liora Blake’s all new Grand Valley series.

After eight seasons playing pro-football, Cooper Lowry knows all the right answers.

Is he stubborn, short-tempered, and impatient? Yes. Are jersey chasers more trouble than they’re worth? Absolutely. Has he ever imagined a life beyond the game? Nope.

Cooper has built an enviable career—the result of staying focused, working hard, and keeping his head on straight—even as his body takes the brunt. So when a hard hit during a Sunday home game leaves him in a dazed heap on the field, it’s nothing more than another day at the office. The only thing that’s different about this Sunday is a chance encounter with a certain fascinating, beautiful free-spirited woman. And some sternly-worded instructions from his coach to take a little time off and give his body the TLC it craves—before he does lasting damage.

Whitney Reed is a few months away from losing the organic fruit orchard she bought three years ago in the tiny town of Hotchkiss, Colorado. At the time, she was just looking for a place to get lost. Instead, she found a home, somewhere she could finally put down roots. Now foreclosure is knocking on her door—along with a grumpy, gorgeous football player who might be just what she never knew she needed.

A charming love story for romance and sports fans alike, First Step Forward is a sexy, heartwarming romp perfect for readers of Jennifer Probst, Kristan Higgins, and Julie James.










Liora Blake blew me away with First Step Forward. I've been a fan of hers since the first moment I read True North which was fantastic. Her whole True series is awesome. It was a no-brainer for me to jump at the chance to start another novel by her. 

As with True North, First Step Forward has an unlikely couple as the main characters. 

What do a jock and Treehugger have in common? 

At first glance, you'll say nothing and be completely wrong. I have no idea how Liora Blake comes out with her characters but I hope she never changes it. The chemistry between them is always there. The reader knows this couple is meant to be and there's nothing that can change that. 

Whitney Reed is about to lose her apple orchard. She has been the owner of the Delaney Creek Orchards for the last three years. She bought the property after her father passed away. Unfortunately, mother nature has not been nice lately and she lost most of her apples to the weather. Whitney knows she's running out of time and she goes to the city in search of a bank loan. A chance encounter with Cooper makes her forget about her problems for the time being.

Cooper Lowry is a star football player. He has been doing it for almost a decade. He's good at it and the rest of the team respects him. After a bad hit during the last game, he develops a horrible headache/concussion and he goes to the store in search of bath salts. His body is in pain and his mind is muddled. The last thing he was expecting is the help of a beautiful woman in pj's and socks. 


I love books that when I finish reading them leave a smile on my face or a sigh escapes me. This is exactly what happened with this novel. I love both characters. 

At times, Whitney was crazy treehugger and a second later she would be in love with a diesel car as long as it provided heated seats (I understand, I love them too). She was a breath of fresh air. She was patient with Cooper and called him on his grumpiness. 

I love that Cooper wasn't good at lying. He was a straight-forward kind of guy. No need to hide it. He had a reputation of quiet, stubborn and grumpy but he was also sweet, very lovable throughout the book. 

There were some great secondary characters and I'm hopeful Tanner and Garrett get their own books too.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Pocket books via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.