Review: The Unidentified Redhead by Alice Clayton

Title: The Unidentified Redhead
Author: Alice Clayton
Published: October 15th 2013 by Gallery Books
Source: Publisher
Synopsis:

The first in USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton’s Redhead series is a playful and erotic romance between an aspiring actress and Hollywood’s hottest new leading man.

When Grace Sheridan returns to Los Angeles to become a working actress, it’s a second shot at a life-long dream. With some help from her best-friend agent, will that dream become a reality—or at thirty-three, has Grace missed her chance at the big time? And when an unexpected sizzling romance with Jack Hamilton, the entertainment industry's newest “it” boy, threatens to shine an uncomfortable spotlight on her life, how will that affect her career…and his? 

Funny, borderline neurotic Grace is perfect in her imperfections, and the sexual chemistrybetween her and charming yet blissfully unaware Jack is off the charts. With laugh-out-loud dialogue and a super-steamy romance that will get your heart racing, sneaking around in L.A. and dodging the paparazzi has never been so fun.

                             My Thoughts

Imagine having a ‘Super Sexy 24-year-old Scientist Guy’ and ‘33-year-old Unidentified Redhead’ in Los Angeles where pretty much anything can happen… You’ll get one hilariously sexy and crazy story!

First of all, I want to give Alice Clayton a big, tight hug for writing this book and for giving me another book boyfriend to dream about, Jack Hamilton. *swoons*

When I first read about Jack, I was sure that I’d fall in love with him right away. He’s close to perfection with his accent and his dark emerald green eyes with flecks of gold. (Sorry I’m a sucker for guys with beautiful eyes.) Being in L.A. again means so much to Grace Sheridan. This is her last chance to make her dreams come true, because the first time didn’t go so well for her. Now, her best friend, Holly, who has a talent agency, helps her in achieving her goal. Let me just say that I loved the portrayal of Los Angeles in this story. We always see it as the city where all dreams come true, but in reality, one’s dreams can also be shattered and crushed right there. Honestly, it’s one of the places that I want to live in someday, because of the craziness that it can bring me but also because of the calm I know is still there despite all of the chaos.  

Review: Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2)

Author: Jamie McGuire
Published: April 16th 2013-Simon and Schuster UK
Website: Author's Website
Source: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Synopsis:

How much is too much to love? 

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder. 

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees. 

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes.

My Thoughts

Reading the first few pages of this book instantly made me teary eyed. In Beautiful Disaster, I loved the Maddox brothers because they’re easygoing and they always lighten up the mood. So being able to read about that moment when they know that they will already lose their mother is so heartbreaking for me.

“One of these days you're going to fall in love, son. Don't settle for just anyone. Choose the girl that doesn't come easy; the one you have to fight for, and then never stop fighting. Never…” – Dianne Maddox

It had an intense beginning and it also had an intense ending. I seriously can’t wait for the next installment for Abby and Travis’ story.

I had some questions left unanswered in Beautiful Disaster that were answered in Walking Disaster. Say for example, the meaning behind ‘Pigeon,’ (which readers really need to know) and also why Travis is…. well, Travis. What motivates him and what keeps him going.

Believe me, I love reading a story through a guy’s POV because it really shows one side of them that they never let anyone just see. You have to be someone special to witness that so thank you so much to Jaime McGuire for sharing this story through Travis’ eyes. I loved knowing about his feelings when he was with other girls. He knew that it is just a onetime thing and he really didn’t want anything more from them.

BUT, as for the flow of events, there were some scenes that seemed to be cut off or cut short, and some people who did not read the first book can’t really put the pieces together. I didn’t love this book as much as I loved Beautiful Disaster, maybe because I didn’t really see the difference in the execution of Travis’ POV. I expected to see something more through Travis’ eyes, but I didn’t get that. Maybe because I had high expectations, but I have to admit that I was a little disappointed.

Nevertheless, Travis Maddox as a book boyfriend will always have five sizzling stars for me. He cares so much for his family, especially for his brothers and of course for Abby, and he is a great son to his father. Also, when I read the ending, I was kind of surprised because it had a very different feel to it, but I am so excited for the next book.

Walking Disaster will take you to the world of Travis, and reading through his eyes will make readers understand every bit of him. I’m sure all of you can’t wait ‘til the next book comes out too! 

My Rating

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1)

Author: Jamie McGuire

Published: August 14th 2012 - Simon and Schuster UK

Website: Author's Website

Source: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE. 

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

 Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

             

My Thoughts

Reading this book was like riding a rollercoaster, I felt confused, happy, gloomy, giddy, all sorts of emotion that you can think of out there. It is one unpredictable story that I will never ever forget. One of the reasons why is because of Travis ‘Mad Dog’ Maddox. He’s temperamental but he’s also sweet and funny at times. He can be possessive but he can also be protective. He can be a douche but he will undoubtedly leave everything behind for the one he loves. I can’t even believe that this guy is a straight A student. I mean, come on, with the lifestyle that he has, the fights that he participates in and the girls that he’s screwing with, I am very stunned by this fact – in a good way. He was not what I expected him at all to be. And I like that.

As for Abby Abernathy, I have a love-hate relationship with her. I loved her smart ass answers to Travis’ flirty attempts to get her to bed, and I also loved how she tried to stay away from the lifestyle that she was used to. But there were times when I also wanted to smack her in the head and tell her to just make her decision about Travis. One minute she wants him, then the next, she will push him away and I think that she was also selfish at times. And her dates with Parker, I don’t even want to start about that. But what I liked about her was that she always stood by her decision. And also, her friendship with America amazes me every single time I try to remember the things that they have gotten through together. They can be brutally honest with each other and they also fight, but I have to say, that I really admire their friendship.

I loved how the two main characters were both equally broken— but in very different ways.  They are dysfunctional together, but they are also perfect for each other.

One was trying to escape her old lifestyle and to start a new chapter, while the other one was still continuing his ways and going on with his life, no matter what people said about him. Travis is one guy who surely knows what he wants and when he wants it, and he will do everything in order to protect those people that he loves. Abby, on the other hand, will do everything just to get away from her past and she always worries about what other people will say about her. Their relationship is not the perfect one, and not even an ideal one, but the fact that they both strive to be better people each and every day that they’re together makes this story more appealing to me, and to the other readers out there.

But most of all, I loved the maturity that I saw in the characters toward the end of the story. Travis tried to be more considerate and not overly jealous and Abby finally knew what she wanted from Travis. Also, the slow progress of their relationship was another thing that I liked. It was not forced and it was well thought of.

Beautiful Disaster will leave you wanting more. INTENSE. RIVETING. ADDICTING. It is a DISTRACTINGLY RAVISHING story that readers will look forward to. I’m sure that people won’t forget Travis and Abby’s disastrous yet beautiful relationship. 

My Rating

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton: Review

Title: Wallbanger
Author: Alice Clayton
Expected Publication: August 13th 2013 by Gallery Books
Format: paperback
Website: Author's website
Purchase Links: Amazon pre-order 
 B & N | Amazon kindle
Source: Received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review
Synopsis:

The first night after Caroline moves into her fantastic new San Francisco apartment, she realizes she’s gaining an—um—intimate knowledge of her new neighbor’s nocturnal adventures. Thanks to paper-thin walls and the guy’s athletic prowess, she can hear not just his bed banging against the wall but the ecstatic response of what seems (as loud night after loud night goes by) like an endless parade of women. And since Caroline is currently on a self-imposed “dating hiatus,” and her neighbor is clearly lethally attractive to women, she finds her fantasies keep her awake even longer than the noise. So when the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts Simon Parker, her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. The tension between them is as thick as the walls are thin, and the results just as mixed. Suddenly, Caroline is finding she may have discovered a whole new definition of neighborly. . . . 

In a delicious mix of silly and steamy, Alice Clayton dishes out a hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight...

My Thoughts 

If you want a book that will make you laugh your ass off, well, Wallbanger is the perfect read for you! Alice Clayton had me at:

“Oh God.”

Thump.

“Oh God.”

Thump thump.

The Boyfriend App PH Blog Tour: Review + Excerpt

 

Title: The Boyfriend App
Author: Katie Sise
Published: April 30th by Balzer & Bray
Format: paperback
Website: Author's Website
Source: ARC borrowed from Chyna, the blog tour host

In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love? 

                                                                                                                   

My Thoughts

I originally requested The Boyfriend App from Edelweiss but unfortunately, I missed the expiration date for the download but luckily, the tour host, Chyna, sent me a copy of her ARC and thanks to her I got to read this novel with a very refreshing plot. :)

First of all, I love the cover! It really got me. I think that was the main reason why I requested it on Edelweiss. And the blurb! I knew right away that I had to read this book, whatever happens.

Audrey, the main character in the story is someone who doesn't give up and that is one of the things I loved about her. Yes, I knew that this story was going to be something different but of course, I still had my doubts about it especially the main character. But I was really surprised by the flow of the story because it was not that predictable. I had a moment there when I told myself, "Oh, didn't see that coming!" And from the moment when Audrey said, "I was fearless.", I knew that I will like this story. :)

I feel that some people can really relate to Audrey because she experienced teenage things like having fights with your best friend (but her fight with Blake was a pretty nasty one) and having a happy crush and losing someone you love. These are all part of growing up and I, myself, can relate to Audrey too. And of course, there will always be those guys. Yes. Guys who will sweep the lead character off her feet and let's admit it, sometimes, they sweep us off our feet too. *winks*

I just felt like I didn't get to know more about Xander other than him being Blake's boyfriend. He also sent mixed signals to Audrey and it's kind of frustrating to have him doing that because it's like he's doing the push-pull strategy. I think that even if he wasn't in this story, things will still flow smoothly. As for Aidan, I love his shyness and mysteriousness, but like Xander, I think it'll be nicer if I got to know more about him too and his friendship with Audrey.

I liked the fact that Audrey was strong enough to go through every challenge that she faced in this story. Imagine your ex-best friend bullying you in front of the whole student body. That's painful enough, isn't it? So, kudos to Audrey for never giving up and standing tall despite everything that happened.

The Boyfriend App is a refreshingly fun and cutesy story that readers will surely like!

My Rating

First Two Chapters the BOYFRIEND APP_Excerpt-1

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

About the Author

Katharine “Katie” Sise is a New York City based author, jewelry designer and television host. Years ago, at age twenty-four— after dropping a rare and very expensive bottle of champagne on her way to deliver it to Robert De Niro’s table—she realized she needed a way to fund her acting and writing career that didn’t involve balancing a tray full of cocktails. That fall, she taught herself to make jewelry and launched Katharine Sise Jewelry. Within a few months, Lucky Magazine called her a “Designer to Watch” and her company appeared in every major fashion magazine—including Vogue, W, Elle, Self, Lucky, InStyle, Bazaar, Allure, Us Weekly, People, In Touch, Page Six Magazine, Real Simple, FN, Life and Style, Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Women’s Wear Daily, Marie Claire and Glamour. Before she knew it, her celebrity clientele included Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Kelly Ripa, Ellen Pompeo, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Beyonce Knowles, Anne Hathaway and Drew Barrymore.

Katharine has been profiled on dozens of online fashion and lifestyle outlets including Forbes.com, Elle.com, InStyle.com, People.com, Sweet, The Huffington Post and The New York Post. Her jewelry has appeared on television shows such as The View, Live with Regis and Kelly, E! News, Good Day New York, Full Frontal Fashion, Movie and a Makeover, The O.C., Brothers and Sisters and Gossip Girl. While Katharine was chatting with the ladies from The View, one of her necklaces broke on air and fell from her neck to her lap because she didn’t spend enough time getting the clasp right. That moment is preserved, forever, on a DVD at her parents’ house.

Katharine has designed jewelry for national campaigns like Vera Wang, Gap and Keds. In 2009, Target launched Katharine Sise for Target.

Katharine has worked as a fashion and lifestyle consultant, appearing on-air for networks like HSN, Oxygen, Discovery Channel, CNBC and ABC’s Good Morning America. For eighteen months, Katharine co-hosted a live monthly television show for The Home Shopping Network. She also appeared as The Daily Special’s resident style expert.

Katharine’s first book, Creative Girl: The Ultimate Guide for Turning Talent and Creativity into a Real Career (Perseus/Running Press) hit shelves in September of 2010. Creative Girl is written for every woman who wants to make her living in the creative world, whether in an office job or at the helm of her own business. The book is an encouraging and practical take on how to make a living doing what you love.

Katharine’s first novel, The Boyfriend App, will be published by HarperCollins Balzer + Bray on April 30, 2013. The Boyfriend App tells the story of a girl who, in order to win a scholarship offered by a secretly-evil global computing corporation, invents an app that makes any boy fall madly in love with her, with chaotic results.

Katharine has a BA in Film, Television and Theater from The University of Notre Dame. She lives in New York City with her family.

Find the Author: Facebook |Twitter

ROBIN IN THE HOOD by Diane J. Reed: Book Review

Author: Diane J. Reed

Title: Robin in the Hood

Published:  by Bandits Ranch October 4th 2012

Format: Paperback

Website: http://www.banditsranch.com/

Source: Received a copy in exchange for honest review

"Is it any wonder I became a bank robber?” said Robin. 

But she never dreamed she’d fall in love…

15-year-old Robin McArthur thinks she has it all figured out when it comes to bilking her wealthy dad for guilt money as a substitute for his genuine affection. Until one day he suffers a stroke, and she learns the brutal truth.

They’re broke.

And everyone from bankers to bookies has come to collect. 

His only saving grace is what he reveals to Robin in between drools: He truly does love her, in spite of all his mistakes.

Panicked and desperate, Robin figures she has two choices. Either surrender to the pestering caseworker and live in a skanky foster home, or take a chance and sneak her dad out of the hospital to make a run for it. Little does she know that stealing a car and hitting the road means that before the day is through, she will rob her first bank. 

Now an outlaw, Robin finds a backwoods trailer park to hide her dad from authorities. There, she encounters Creek, a local bad boy who also commits crimes to provide for their motley neighbors. Realizing she could use Creek’s help, Robin proposes an ingenious plan—they should team up to rob banks together. But when their partnership leads to a romance that turns Robin’s world upside down, she soon begins to discover that people are more precious than pocketbooks, and real love means opening your heart to the kinds of treasures money can’t buy…

My Thoughts

I know Diane J. Reed got me in the first two pages.

Robin is just hilarious and witty! She knows how to put things in a different kind of light. She described her boarding school as: "It's simply the priciest. Quick translation: it's the swankiest prison for teenage girls that money can buy." 

I loved Robin in the Hood! The characters, the setting, the craziness, the magic. Everything! Oh, and how can we forget the feather... and Bender Lake. :)

Everything about it seems so dreamy, and it makes me want to live in their world, experience what it's like to become a bank robber (crazy right?! Haha) and save the people that I love. Maybe I'll feel guilty, but the reason for doing it is really worth it. The people in Turtle Shores are really worth fighting for.

Robin is the kind of girl who always gets what she wants. Designer clothes, luxurious bags, a cellphone studded with actual diamonds on it. Name it, she can have it. Except for one thing - a family who loves her and friends who care about her. It's definitely hard living a life like Robin. Just thinking about it makes me.. sad. I can't imagine having a filthy rich dad and dealing with my stepmother who goes around screwing guys half her age, I mean, I'd rather be poor and have a whole family than to have a life like that.

That's why I admire Robin so much. Okay, she may be a little pain in the ass sometimes because some of their bank robberies got busted because of her but she surprised me because she didn't act like a little rich girl in Turtle Shores. In fact, she was trying to fit in and not be a burden to them. Her decision to be on missions with Creek is a really big deal because it was definitely not a life that she was used to. Hello, in the first few pages of the book, she said: "Yes, nearer to my heart than Jesus is my most loyal BFF: cold, hard cash." so yea, I know what it feels like to be away from that kind of BFF. We all do, at some point in our lives, right?

Oh, and then here comes Creek. *squeals* And this is how Robin described him: "A tall guy, maybe a year or two older than me, in a black t-shirt and torn, faded jeans. His tangled, sun-bleached hair looked like it had never seen scissors, yet it framed his tan skin and piercing blue eyes like a rugged surfer's."

Creek is still a mystery to me. Yes, I think he is swoon-worthy based on how Robin saw him but I think that it would be better it the author told the readers more about Creek and his past. But nonetheless, he's still the savior of Turtle Shores and I salute him for that.

Okay, so I thought that the development between the protagonists was a little fast, but hey, they're young, they're teenagers, that's what they do. And you can really see the attraction between the two of them. It was undeniable. Also, as what I've mentioned above, I would love to know more about Creek, since I don't think I really got to know him that much in this story. There's so much more I want to find out about him. His mother, a mysterious girl in his past and how he ended up being in Turtle Shores. Also, I think it would be better if the book had a prologue, maybe a little bit about Robin's dad and his past. I have many questions and it keeps me wanting more, especially after I read the ending!

I love adventures and mysteries and so, the bank robberies were my favorite parts because I think I was really holding my breath while reading them! Damn, I'd really love to step into their world right now and go with them just for the fun of it. Haha! Sorry about my over enthusiasm about wanting to be in their world. But you can't really blame me. There are lots of people I want to meet in Turtle Shores and one of them is... *drum roll please* Granny Tinker! (You guys better watch out for her!)

Robin in the Hood is the kind of book that gives hope to other people. It is a story that will teach all of us that while we are living, we have all the chances in this world to make things better, and all the more, our lives better. And come on, who doesn't want to read a fun, light, interesting and magical book like this? ;)

QUOTES THAT I LOVE FROM ROBIN IN THE HOOD:

"Seriously, this guy was public enemy number one, a pure menace to women's health." - Robin

"There simply ought to be a law against anyone that beautiful running around wild and temporarily . . . unkissed." - Robin

"Because it took all of my willpower not to be slayed by his handsome presence in that pastel light." - Robin

"We're partners of the heart, Robin. That's all." - Creek

For my full review, go to my goodreads page here: Rachel's full review of Robin in the Hood

Tell me what you think of the cover, the blurb or my review in the comments. I would love to hear from all of you. :)

My Rating

..wait for our next post to win a copy of Robin in the Hood (yes, a fresh and new paperback) and for the Diane J. Reed's interview!

Stay tuned! ;)

IT'S SC STEPHENS DAY TODAY!

Our rock star book boyfriend is back!!!

Finally! The long wait is over!! It's March 5, 2013. And... *drum roll* 

Reckless is here!

HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO SC STEPHENS! *happy dance*

I am very lucky to be one of the few who got to read Reckless before its release date because it was sold earlier here in the Philippines in some of our book stores (yes, thank you Fully Booked!). 

So, here's the blurb from Goodreads.

"Can love survive when life gets Reckless?

When the band hits it big, Kiera and Kellan must ask themselves: Can their love for each other survive the constant pressures of superstardom? The friendships they've formed, the new family they've found, and the history they've forged will all play a part in helping them navigate the turbulent waters of the band's exploding popularity. A greedy executive hell-bent on success, a declining pop star looking for an edge, and a media circus that twists lies into truths are just some of the obstacles the lovers will have to overcome if they are going to remain together. Fame comes with a price-but will it cost Kiera and Kellan everything?"

Buy the book:

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Find the author:

 Official Website |Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Simon and Schuster

Get a free authorgraph for Thoughtless here

I don't think I'm supposed to say anything about it yet, so what I'll do for today is post some of the quotes that I love from Thoughtless and Effortless. 

From Thoughtless:

“We’ll try…we’ll try to stop hurting each other. We’ll take this easy. We’ll go slowly.” 

Kiera: “Do you still love me?” 

Kellan: “You would never believe how much.”

“I thought I could leave you. I thought distance would make ‘this’ go away, and it’d get easier, but it hasn’t.” 

“Being apart from you is killing me. I feel lost without you."

"I've thought about you every day ... I've dreamt about you every night."

"I don’t know how to let you back in. I don’t know how to keep you out either."

 From Effortless: 

“I know we've taken things slow, but I still want to move forward…with you.”  

“I don’t care what you do, Kiera, I just want you with me.”

“Not being yours isn’t an option anymore." 

“And we promise that no one comes between us. That we…belong to each other, and only each other."

“I’m not doing anything, baby. I love you. I’m being faithful to you."

But, if for some reason we’re not closer, if something has gotten between us, please, I’m begging you…don’t give up on me. Stay. Stay with me. Work it out with me. Just don’t leave me…please."

*loooong sigh* These quotes make me love the Thoughtless series even more. So, tell me, what are some of your favorite quotes from the series? Hit me with some comments! :) I'd love to hear from all of you especially those who's also obsessed with Kellan like me. Haha!

PS: Wait til Friday/Saturday, that's the time when I can post quotes when I asked SC! :)