giveaway: head over heels

Want to read the third book in the Lucky Harbor series? One person will win a copy thanks to Hachette.

My review can be read here; here's the publisher description:
"Free-spirited Chloe lives life on the edge. Unlike her soon-to-be married sisters, she isn't ready to settle into a quiet life running their family's newly renovated inn. But soon her love of trouble--and trouble with love-draws the attention of the very stern, very sexy sheriff who'd like nothing better than to tame her wild ways.

Suddenly Chloe can't take a misstep without the sheriff hot on her heels. His rugged swagger and his enigmatic smile are enough to make a girl beg to be handcuffed. For the first time, instead of avoiding the law, Chloe dreams of surrender. Can this rebel find a way to keep the peace with the straitlaced sheriff? Or will Chloe's colorful past keep her from a love that lasts . . . and the safe haven she truly wants in a town called Lucky Harbor?"

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower (one extra each for the blog and Twitter) or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on December 31. Winner will be selected at random. Since this is from Hachette the winner must have mailing addresses in the US or Canada; no PO Boxes.

review: head over heels by jill shalvis

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The third installment of the Lucky Harbor series from Jill Shalvis focuses on the youngest of Phoebe's daughters, wild child Chloe. Although her sisters have found love in their new town where they run a bed and breakfast, Chloe remains unattached although she does have a somewhat contentious relationship with the local sheriff. It's obvious where this one was headed, but unfortunately the romance between Chloe and Sawyer actually borders on creepy. Chloe has asthma and, as she explains to Sawyer, sex makes her have an attack. The first time the scenes get sexy, it all takes a terrible turn when Chloe nearly dies (her inhaler wasn't nearby); after that, the threat of death seemed all to real whenever the pair hooked up.
2/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Forever.

giveaway winners: hot november romances

The winners of the November romance (Too Wicked to Wed and Deliciously Sinful) giveaway are Carol M and kayla. Congrats!

review: the bungalow by sarah jio

This post contains affiliate links.

It was always assumed Anne would marry Gerard, so she said "yes" to the proposal. As the wedding approaches, however, she has doubts. She questions his character because he's not fighting in WWII. So when her best friend announces she's become a military nurse, Anne takes the opportunity to delay the wedding and serve her country in Bora Bora, which is where she meets Westry and everything changes.

Although not fully a WWII story (the time period is more incidental to the plot), it was incredibly interesting to see the war from the perspective of nurses stationed away from the fighting in Europe. The female side of the war (other than the homefront) is frequently not represented in literature, television, etc. so this was a nice change.

With The Bungalow, Sarah Jio creates a world rife with love and heartache that also contrasts the beauty of the island with the ugliness of a terrible crime. It is captivating. The story is exquisitely detailed and made me want to accompany Anne in her return to Bora Bora. Toward the end, Jio had me crying at the loss of love only to turn it all around in a joyous ending.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Plume.

giveaway: cloudburst

Want to read the latest from V.C. Andrews? Thanks to Simon and Schuster, one lucky person will win a copy!

Check out my review, then read the publisher description:
"Fate swept Sasha Porter into the lap of luxury, and into a torrent of bitter lies and shocking betrayals—all revealed in the riveting new novel Cloudburst from bestselling author V.C. Andrews®.

Since being taken in by wealthy Mrs. Jordan March and living in her exquisite home like a daughter, Sasha Porter’s traumatic past—destitute on the streets, and the shattering accident that killed her mother—seems like a fading nightmare. Beautiful and sophisticated, as bold and daring as her “sister,” Kiera March, Sasha still keeps her mother’s wise words close to her heart: never fully trust anyone. Inside her privileged new world, it’s advice that will prove more precious than gold.

Against the wishes of Jordan’s husband, Donald, Sasha attracts the attention of Ryder Garfield, a shy, handsome athlete, and maneuvers her way into his heart. But Ryder’s hidden torment soon explodes in a horrific tragedy that pulls Sasha into a flood of guilt and despair. And when someone she thought she could trust targets her vulnerability, Sasha recalls her mother’s warnings—and a violent storm of dark deceptions and shocking family secrets is unleashed. Will she sink or swim?"

The rules: Enter by leaving a comment to this post with your email (if I can't contact you, you can't win). You can gain additional entries by leaving separate comments letting me know that you're a follower (one extra each for the blog and Twitter) or have posted a link to the giveaway on your site. The deadline to enter is 11:59pm Pacific on December 17. Winner will be selected at random. Since this is from Simon and Schuster the winner must have mailing addresses in the US; no PO Boxes.

review: cloudburst by v.c. andrews

This post contains affiliate links.

Cloudburst picks up Sasha Porter’s story three years after Family Storms. Although it is a continuation with many of the same characters, it seemed as though the author had not even read the previous book. The continuity errors started almost immediately with Sasha commenting on how having her own car would save her foster father from having to drop her off at school, but in the first book, the driver (who apparently no longer exists in this book) always took her. From there, Sasha was quite nearly a different girl altogether as she snobbily flitted about her private school. I tried to convince myself that Sasha’s personality change was due to all that happened to her in Family Storms as well as what must have occurred over the three intervening years, but her forgiveness of her foster sister was hard to swallow.

When a novel carries the V.C. Andrews name, there are expectations that go along with it; this story seemed more like a typical young adult general fiction novel. That’s not to say it wasn’t still a decent read (after one ignores the continuity issues), but those looking for something similar to Flowers in the Attic or Dawn will likely be disappointed. Here Sasha suffers more typical teen dramas like gossip about how far she’s gone with her boyfriend and her foster parents not wanting her to see said boyfriend. There is a brief glimmer of a V.C. Andrews-esque plot, but it is quickly ended.
3/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Pocket Star Books.

review: make the bread, buy the butter by jennifer reese

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese is part cookbook, part memoir. Reese begins by discussing Smucker’s Uncrustables (a frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich) and the arbitrary lines that are drawn regarding food. She writes, “Not so long ago, people must have wondered who couldn’t fry her own donuts, grind her own sausage, cure her own bacon.” From this introduction Reese sets about determining what’s best to make at home and what should be bought at the store. As she runs through a number of recipes for everything from peanut butter to steak tartare, Reese shares her experiences, including building a chicken coop. I immensely enjoyed reading about her adventures and was thrilled that she determined a number of things aren’t really worth the time and effort when the professionals can do it. I did sometimes question how she made her determinations though. Some made perfect sense, such as buying your Thanksgiving turkey rather than raising and killing it yourself; others like burritos were a little less clear. Although Reese says people should make their own quesadillas, she says burritos are “essentially fast food” not worth the prep work unless someone already makes a lot of Mexican food. I wholeheartedly disagree.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Free Press.