Showing posts with label Mini Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mini Review. Show all posts

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Release Day Launch - Excerpt, Review & Giveaway: The Hazards of Mistletoe (Hazards #4) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

 
The Hazards of Mistletoe coverThe Hazards of Mistletoe (Hazards #4)
by Alyssa Rose Ivy
November 20, 2014
149 pages
 
 
Goodreads Summary:
One snowy Christmas Eve, one mistletoe kiss, one friendship changed forever.

Don’t underestimate the power of mistletoe. It looks innocent enough, but a single branch has the potential to change your life. One mistletoe kiss led to the most embarrassing night of my life, but thankfully by the next Christmas I ended up exactly where I was supposed to be.
 
Excerpt

“Ice skating and hot cocoa? What are you buttering me up for?” I sat down on the bench and unlaced my skates. The snow was falling a little bit heavier, but the flakes were still light and more pleasant than a nuisance.
 
“I’m just enjoying an evening with a beautiful woman. I do have a romantic side you know.”
 
“Romantic?” What was Glen playing at? I’d had a crush on him for years, but things had stayed completely platonic. We were good friends who saw each other once a year, and teased each other through text messages and late night phone calls. That was it.
 
He didn’t hear me. He was already in line to return our skates. I waited for him to return with my boots, and not for the first time I was glad I’d worn wool socks. It was cold during the day, but the nights were absolutely freezing.
 
“Here you go, my lady.” He bent down and proceeded to put my foot into my boot.
 
I pulled away from him. “Knock it off. What’s gotten into you tonight?” As charming as Glen was being something seemed off with him. I wondered if maybe I wasn’t the only one who was upset.
 
He proceeded to move on to my next boot. “It’s Christmas Eve. Aren’t you Miss Holiday Spirit?”
 
“Usually.”
 
“Exactly.” He put on his shoes and tugged on my hand to pull me to standing. “Let’s get those hot chocolates.”
 
The line at the café on the other side of the rink was nearly out the door, but I was enjoying Glen’s company so much I didn’t mind.
 
He insisted on buying my hot cocoa for me, and considering he’d already paid for my skate rental, I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Glen had all the money he could ever need, but I wasn’t used to guys buying me anything. My dating experience wasn’t extensive, and it involved boys who were all about going dutch. “I really don’t mind paying.”
 
“Yeah, but I want to pay. Stop arguing and enjoy yourself.” He lightly bumped his shoulder into mine.
 
“Well, thanks.”
 
We walked around the village sipping our hot chocolate and not saying much. After a while we took a seat on a bench. It was underneath a tree, and the pine needles blocked some of the falling snow. I closed my eyes and listened to the chatter of people walking by mixed with the low hum of holiday music.
 
“You guys need to kiss.”
 
I opened my eyes and saw a girl staring at us. “You’re sitting under mistletoe. That’s the rules. You’re under mistletoe, you kiss.”
 
I looked up. Sure enough there was mistletoe hanging over us from the tree. It wasn’t real, it was just the decorative stuff they used, but it had the same unmistakable appearance.
 
Glen put an arm around me. “I think she’s right, Savy.”
 
I turned to glare at him. “Don’t even start.”
 
“Why not? Scared to kiss me?” he teased.
 
Yes. I was scared. Terrified. This was Glen. Kissing him wasn’t something I was prepared to do casually while sitting on a bench in the snow with a bunch of onlookers. Of course I couldn’t tell him that though. “Why would I be scared?”
 
“I don’t know. Just checking.” He got a twinkle in his eye. That twinkle should have given me all the warning I needed, but it didn’t. I was wholly unprepared when his lips made contact with mine. They were warm and soft, and they moved perfectly against mine. I kissed him back, desperately wanting to know what his mouth tasted like, and if his tongue felt half as good as his lips.

 
Review

A short and sweet holiday romance! The story was light, the characters fair and the setting was perfect. This book definitely puts you in the holiday spirit!

Savannah aka Savy and Glen are really good friends who see each other every Christmas because their families are good friends. One night they kiss under a mistletoe and it stirs up their hidden feelings for each other. Things start to get hot and heavy but Glen makes a mistake. Well, he thinks he's doing the right thing but not really. As a result, Savy runs and they have no contact until the next Christmas. Of course by then tension and awkwardness run high and stuff happens.

There was no denying they wanted each other. They knew each other too well! I feel like Glen's mistake was a stupid but genuine one. He sees that he has hurt Savy and in the most sincere way asks for her forgiveness. The things he does for her were too cute and it's so great she was willing to hear him out. No big
fuss.

I like how straightforward things were in this novella. It may have gotten a little bit cheesy but everything was honest. I enjoyed seeing how these new characters connect with the characters of the other Hazard books. Now I'm going to get myself a cup of hot chocolate and put on a Christmas movie while I wait for Jade's story next!


3.5 Cats

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.
 
Giveaway
 
 
InkSlinger PR Blogger

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Mini Reviews: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-#0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

I read the individual novellas before this bind up was released so I haven't gotten a chance to read the newest novella The Assassin and the Healer yet. Below are my reviews for the other four fabulous novellas :)

*Reviews contain spoilers.

The Assassin's Blade coverThe Assassin's Blade
(Throne of Glass 0.1-0.5)
by Sarah J. Maas
March 4, 2014
435 pages


Goodreads Summary:
Discover where Celaena Sarthodien's thrilling saga began Celaena Sarthodien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, she yields for no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes--and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she discovers friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena riskes unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches--and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives....

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling--and deadly--world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire


Sunday, August 10, 2014

Mini Review: Ringer (Summer Series #3.5) by C.J. Duggan

Something exciting is coming tomorrow so I wanted to share this mini review of a novella for a contemporary series I really love. The Summer Series is full of cuteness and fun :)


Ringer cover
Ringer (Summer Series #3.5)
by C.J. Duggan
April 2, 2014
155 pages


Goodreads Summary:
They say it’s the quiet ones you have to worry about, and she was quiet, very quiet—when she wasn’t busy despising me with a burning passion.

Ringo ‘Ringer’ James has a no-strings-attached policy.

Love them, leave them, and remain the eternal bachelor.

After a summer in which every one of his mates has succumbed to settling down, or so it seemed, Ringer is on the lookout for a quick exit. Having had enough of the stomach-turning love fest witnessed over the past three months, Ringer jumps at the opportunity to help out his mate, Max, by heading to Max’s dad’s property for a working holiday.

It’s just what he’s looking for. A remote, dusty homestead in Ballan, with only hard work, a cold beer and a comfy bed to worry about – no women.

Until Miranda Henry.

The privately educated daughter of his boss has returned home from overseas and things are about to get very complicated, very fast. As summer draws to its end, Ringer is about to learn that sometimes attraction defies all logic, and that there really is such a thing as ‘enemies with benefits.’