TEXTING & TALKING TUESDAY: THE EDGE OF NEVER EDITION

This week's Texting and Talking Tuesday is thanks to Courtney's suggestion that I read J. A. Redmerski's The Edge of Never. I had heard of it months ago but never seemed to have the time to pick it up. Last week I had a window of time and within 3 chapters I found myself glued to the couch unable to put it down. Warning: I absolutely DID NOT hold back in my use of profanity. So if you are offended easily, you may not want to read further. PS--it's also spoilery. She's right....s-p-o-i-l-e-r-y!!! Watch out!

S: So the Edge of Never...good?

C: omgosh I love that book, yes! Read it! 

C. Andrew Parrish is delish

...and with that ringing endorsement, I began reading. 

S: I'm enjoying the book but I keep having this one thought...how can they have been on the bus for so long and when they get to his dad's house not want to take a shower?

C: HAHAHAHAAAA we're so practical, huh? LOL

S: Totally! I mean, doesn't she feel gross?

C: Lol! I would...

S: And how is her phone battery still charged? I need a battery like that!

C: LOL! I think she might stay off of it more than we do.

S: Must!

C: Mine would've been dead by the first stop. 

....after midnight the same day I started it:

S: :( his dad just dies and I guess this is where the sh*t begins. :(

...one hour later...

S: OMG...is he dying??? Courtney???!!!! I'm dying over here.

about half an hour later...

S: Nooooo. He canNOT be dead. That letter he wrote. OMG

S: Oh my god. Thank f*ck. I almost died.

S: I seriously almost lost my sh*t

S: That was a close call. Holy f*cking sh*t. There was a part there that had my heart ripped out of my chest and needles stuck in it like a voodoo doll. Thank f*ck I was able to make it to the end and get my heart beating again. That was some loopy loo shizz. Gah!

....and hour later...My puppies are like toddlers...we get up in the middle of the night :-)

C: Holy sh*t your texts are great. Sorry I was not awake for this!

...the next morning...on exactly 5 hours of sleep...

S: Lol. That book..the last 30% was a roller coaster. There will definitely be a disco nap in my future. My eyes feel like I have sand in them. 5 hours of sleep = bullsh*t.

So...in case it was apparent: I really enjoyed The Edge of Never and have downloaded Redmerski's Killing Sarai and am very eager to start it soon!

PARIS LOVE MATCH BY NIGEL BLACKWELL BLOG TOUR + REVIEW

Follow Paris Love Match on tour. More details here

Piers Chapman had seen Paris,
In pictures, 
In movies, 
In books.
What he hadn't seen was the mobster.
Or the dictator.
Or the trained killers.
Or the diamonds they were chasing.
But it was Paris,
The city of light,
The city of love.
And a girl had already stolen his heart.
What could possibly go wrong?

Getting a taxi in Paris can be hell. Piers Chapman expected a boring business trip to Paris. What he didn't expect was to fight over a cab with a beautiful girl. After a bad meeting, Sidney Roux just wanted to hail a cab, go home, and have a glass of wine. She didn't expect to fight over a cab with some pompous British tourist. Neither of them expected another man to jump in their cab. Or to be involved in a gun fight. Or a car chase through the streets of Paris. Or for the man to die. But they're thrust together when the mob demands they return what the dead man stole. Will Piers and Sidney work together? Will they find what he had stolen? Will they stay alive? And will they do the last thing they expected? Will they fall in love?

Title: Paris Love Match

Author: Nigel Blackwell

Publisher: Bandit Publishing

Release date: May 2, 2013

Genre: Romance humorous

Age Group: New Adult

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Source: Copy received from Bandit Publishing for tour + honest review

Where to Find Paris Love Match:

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Nigel Blackwell was born in rural Oxfordshire in England. He has a love of books, a PhD in Physical Chemistry, and a black belt in pointing out the obvious. As a teenager he toured Europe and loved seeing the wonders of the world and the people in it. Since then he has been fortunate enough to travel across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Japan, and hasn't been anywhere that doesn't have the potential for a story. He now lives in Texas with his wife and daughter, where they enjoy the sunshine and listen to the coyotes howl at night.

                          


Where to Find the Author:

                          Website | Facebook | Twitter

Our Review:

Paris Love Match is a little action, a little adventure, and a little romance. To get in the right headspace for this, I'd say to approach like you would a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie--there will be many scenarios that are unlikely ever to happen in real life, so you just have to go with it! It's a book about how two people unlikely to ever be friends or even know each other are thrown together in an impossible situation and must work together to stay alive. I would say they have to work together to stay out of trouble, but it's evident really early that they cannot seem to do this.

No, they can't seem to stay out of trouble! It's one bumbling scenario after another, but creates a fun race through Paris running from the bad guys, but not knowing what on earth they are looking for. The first scenes are set with a horrible dictator making plans to sell something to go where there is no extradition and leave his country in ruin, and the people buying said item and what they each will do to keep what they want and not actually have to pay for it. I liked the story put together with the writing and always like a clear picture of where we are, what is going on, and just enough intrigue to keep the story moving at a nice pace.

Piers, a momma's boy in Paris for business, and Sidney, in Paris trying to launch a fashion line, meet while arguing over a cab. As the argument escalates they unknowingly get caught up in the middle of a heist gone terribly wrong and over the next 48 hours are chased by criminals and police. As I tried to visualize it I imagined it to be a mix of The Three Stooges and Burn Notice--some physical comedy paired with action--because of the goofy bad buys and the crazy action sequences.

Perfect examples! The Three Stooges in this case would be Two Stooges in what Sidney and Piers double as Little and Large, obviously by each of their differences in stature. They are the worst "bad guys" in the history of the world, but I found myself really enjoying their sporadic appearances. Several different events throw a loop in their plans for figuring out who the guy who died in their cab was and why he was getting shot at in the first place. And oohh, Piers was definitely a momma's boy...Wow, if I was Sidney I would have chucked his phone in the Seine at my first opportunity and helped him with a little bit of tough love. There's nothing wrong with being close with your parents, but his mother talking to him like he was still 16 was grating for me...his growth to becoming a James Bond type guy made me like him a little better after these situations.

The chemistry between Piers and Sidney wasn't quite what I expected. They were both snarky and snippy and sarcastic with each other so when they had these little flickers of romantic thoughts it felt almost like an afterthought. When they had their big romantic moment at the end, I wasn't quite sure if I was ready to see them feel so interested in each other..but as I said before, I just went with it. 

While I too was surprised by their feelings at the end, since they wouldn't say anything to each other along the way about any attraction they might feel, I was glad that it didn't go further than that. Declarations of love after two days would have seriously lessened the appeal, so I am over the moon glad that did not happen. It was a fun journey of opposites attracting though, so I am always rooting for the normal guy! (AKA non-Christian Grey-esque guy).

This book is a fast paced action novel with a little taste of romance thrown in. It's a quick read with lots of dialogue and the always lovely city of Paris as a backdrop. 

Shelley: 3 Stars
Courtney: 3 Stars

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REVIEW: THE LOVE GAME BY EMMA HART

A New York Times and USA Today bestseller!

His challenge? Make her fall in love with him.
Her challenge? Play the player.
Until life changes the rules of the game.

Maddie Stevens hated Braden Carter on sight. Arrogant, egotistical, and the playboy of the University of California, Berkeley, he's everything her brother Pearce has taught her to despise. So why, when the girls challenge her to play the player, doesn't she say no? She doesn't know either.

Braden wanted fiery little Maddie the second he laid eyes on her - and he'd do anything to have her, hence why he's agreed to make her fall in love with him. After all, it's the only way he'll get what he wants. Sex.

But, as Braden discovers, there's more to the girl from Brooklyn than he ever imagined - and he can't help but care about the broken girl behind those pretty green eyes.

Maddie finds Braden isn't just a walking erection - he actually has feelings. He can be sweet, funny and his good looks don't exactly hurt. That means trouble - but when her brother Pearce turns up in Berkeley begging for her help, she realises Braden and Pearce aren't so alike anymore.

And maybe, just maybe, they're exactly what each other needs.

Kindle Edition, 1st Edition
Published March 29th 2013 by Emma Hart
*Copy received from author for honest review*

Where to Find The Love Game:

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

Where to Find Emma Hart: 

Goodreads | Twitter | Blog 

Our Review: 

This was a fun one--no earth shattering revelations, no deep soul searching--nope, just plain escapist fun. The title tells us from the start that this love affair is all about playing games and true to its title--games are played. Unbeknownst to the two major players involved, Maddie and Braden, they BOTH are playing games. 

Right! It is true that the premise could be seen as predictable, but how it was done was not boring. It was fun and I liked both of the main characters and was hoping there wouldn't be a terrible amount of angst that screwed things up. I actually had this for a really long time, but never made time to read it! I liked the cover and blurb, so I regret it a bit that I let it get swept under all of my other one-clicks! 

At first they are both laser focused on making just the correct strategic move to help make the other one fall in love. Maddie's 'team' of friends even makes a checklist of sorts to help keep her on her game. I'm not sure she really even needs them, at first, because she seems to have a personal vendetta against Braden..or guys like him. Her motives, while flawed and misplaced, are borne out of a need to teach a lesson and maybe save other girls from being burned by guys like Braden. Braden, on the other hand, does not have a written plan but he does have a bunch of friends egging on his every move. His motives are really not altruistic at all. He sees her as a challenge and he knows that she's not a one night stand kind of girl, so he's going to do what it takes to capture the prize--with no intention of keeping it once he has it.

There is apparently a lot to Maddie's past that makes Braden's plight not so easy to be obtained. Maddie has completely switched coasts to escape her past and build herself a new life, so that definitely puts a wrench in all of their plans. She has a lot of friends but hasn't really opened up to any of them so I saw this as being a major plot point...her dealing with her demons that is, that would take this novel where I needed it to go to love it...and it definitely did.

As the 'game' progresses and they get to know each other, things change and both are surprised by the feelings they begin to have. Braden's chapters are laughable--googling date ideas, questioning what emotions feel like, being clueless about how to be a boyfriend.  I paused for a moment to consider this--could a hot guy like Braden really go to college never having had a girlfriend? I guess if he was always a slut, then yeah...probably so. Maddie's chapters feel darker and edgier for me and maybe that's because her intentions seemed to be more about righting a wrong than to fulfill a personal desire (at least at first). 

Braden's POV chapters were entertaining! Like you said he even had to google how to be a good boyfriend. That was so cute...although I'm sure the Braden at the beginning would be mortified by anyone thinking he did cute things for a girl. While his guy friends don't necessarily work him over for the game like Maddie's do, they definitely bring up the whole don't be pussy whipped lines that makes guy be assholes. Bring in Megan, his best friend from high school and Maddie's good friend. Megan's intentions had me skeptical the entire time...It was mainly her idea...was she trying to hurt Braden? Then she was giving him advice and getting the scoop on how he felt for Maddie. What kind of friend does that? Luckily this is resolved...eventually..but a lot of mixed feelings for her...I will be interested to see how things go for her in Playing for Keeps!

Of course, we all know that playing games in a relationship does not work because inevitably someone gets hurt. This relationship game is no exception and when the time for that part (you know...THAT PART where things hit the fan) happen in the book, I had to take a deep breath before I kept reading. I knew it was going to happen...how could it not?!...and even knowing it was coming I was a little ticked that either of them let it get to that point. But, alas, it is fiction and these things happen. Thankfully it's wrapped up without a cliffhanger AND! something to look forward to when the next book in this series comes out.

It's all very How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: College Edition, and I loved it. I find it hilarious that he had less than honorable intentions and was still so upset and hurt by how things turned out...hello...Pot...meet Kettle. Their conclusion was still very hard fought because of emotions and pride and insecurity, and so kept me on my toes until the very end! Very enjoyable read and definitely perfect for summer. 

Shelley: 4 Stars
Courtney: 4 Stars

SUMMER READING SATURDAY: SERIES EDITION

For many current smut readers, E L James and her Fifty Shades of Grey was the gateway book. We're going to suggest some other offerings this week:

1.  Abbi Glines has many series out. Admittedly, I've only read the series with Rush, Blaire (and the spin off with Woods) but according to my sources (Courtney), all of her series are fantastic. For those of you uninitiated with Abbi Glines...her books are full of young, beautiful people, some angst and steam. Lots and lots of steam.

2. Kristen Ashley is always a good choice. She has a TON of offerings and I have yet to be disappointed. I've partaken (is that really a word?) in the Rock Chick series, the Unfinished Hero series, and the Chaos MC series. All offer something different and yet they all have her same voice and intriguing stories. In almost all of these I've found myself smirking, laughing out loud, and fanning myself from the sexy times. Good stuff. 

3. This spring Courtney introduced me to Sawyer Bennett and her Off series. By the second book in the series I was fully engaged in her heroes. Not only are they described as these wonderfully beautiful people, but she also includes topics that are soul-affirming (ie volunteering for disaster relief, working in food kitchens, the goodness of PTSD therapy). And, of course, the steam factor.

4. You want a little intrigue? To feel passionately for or against a character? Well then Aleatha Romig's Consequences and Truth books will fulfill that desire. Warning...you will have many conflicted moments and the last book isn't out yet. But let me just say that it is well worth every cent and every second of your time. Those books have stuck with me for months now and I cannot seem to stop thinking about them or recommending them!

All of Shelley's suggestions are really great series! I have been trying to think of a few and I just have to say that of all of my favorite books, companion series are my absolute favorite! It is nice when reading a  lot of angst and heartbreak about one couple to have a new couple but still get to see what our favorites are doing!  

1) The Ross Siblings series by Cherrie Lynn. I accidentally started with book 2, but they obviously can each be read as a stand alone. In Rock Me Brian Ross is a spectacular guy and has to deal with a lot of judgment from people because he is a tattoo artist and obviously has a lot of tattoos. So it was right up my alley, and it did not disappoint. There are now 3 full length books, and 1 novella out, with several more coming! 

2) The Losing It series by Cora Carmack. I've only read Losing It so far, but I loved it. For a fellow awkward person in the world, it was a great story highlighting all of the great and horrifying moments in our lives, like worrying about losing your virginity, that you'll never forget. Faking It is already out, too, so no waiting for the best friend's story. 

3) The Slammed series by Colleen Hoover. I am slowly turning the tides on Shelley! Meaning she has given me so many good recommendations. I am able to return the favor and while I sort of feel bad that she has had a couple of late nights, I do not at all feel bad that I said you have to read everything Colleen Hoover writes! Slammed has so much to offer, and meant a lot to me because of the things that happen with the main character and her mom. Also, if you love The Avett Brothers, you will definitely love this series! 

4) ANYTHING by Olivia Cunning. Some of our favorite books always include tattooed rockers, and The Sinners on Tour and One Night With Sole Regret series involve entire bands. They are definitely, um..hotter than fire, but the relationships between all of the guys is almost better than all of that. SoT are full length novels, and ONWSR are all novellas about well, one night! 

5) Kathleen Brooks Bluegrass series and Bluegrass Brothers series were an accidental find on Amazon that I one-clicked to death. The Bluegrass series are companions of friends, and a lot of romance, but a lot more suspense and intrigue. The Bluegrass Brothers and just family series in general are another favorite...(I should write all these favorites down to keep track!) and life in Kentucky for all of these lovely gentleman is far from boring!

We hope you're having a great summer, and beating the heat. It's really getting hot where we are, so our ideal day is to curl up in the AC or by the pool with one of these great books! Ta-ta, for now!

REVIEW: THE HOLE IN THE MIDDLE BY KATE HILTON

Sophie Whelan has it all – including a hideous boss, a distracted husband, daycare woes, problem employees and a 40th birthday on the horizon. Precariously close to slipping off of the treadmill that is her daily grind, Sophie is startled by the reappearance of Will Shannon, the great unresolved love of her life. As she relives the vivid drama of their college romance, Sophie confronts the choices she has made in life and in love and looks for the one answer that has always eluded her: what does she really want?

Published April 23rd, 2013 by Kate Hilton

Where to Find The Hole in the Middle:

Goodreads |  Amazon 

Where to Find the Author:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

This was a refreshing change from some of the things we've read lately. Our protagonist is a 39 year old woman--married with 2 young sons, and a stressful job.  The narrative goes between her last year in college and the last few months of her 30's.

I think many women who have a spouse, kids, and are stressed out at work can identify with the anxiety and exhaustion that Sophie exhibits. I know I've had those moments --those moments when I feel like I'm barely holding my life together by my fingertips and any minute I may have a complete and utter meltdown. Kate Hilton captures those moments with the exact level of frustration and exasperation that I've felt. As a matter of fact sometimes when I was reading this novel, I felt my own anxiety levels rise just thinking about the events Sophie was experiencing.

Girl, I've got the spouse and stress at work thing down pat, and I was utterly in awe of the dialogue between Sophie and Jesse and then the dealing of all of her co-workers. It is so true that this is a little bit different than what we normally read, because a lot of what is popular (and yes, we love it, so not knocking it) today is the gorgeous bad boy who stops his man whore existence to be with you and only you and the girl is breathtakingly beautiful, yada yada yada. In the craziness that is currently my life I appreciated this book so freaking much because it was real, and had heart, and even gave me a little bit of hope that I am in fact not crazy (although, eh, that might be debatable...but c'mon...dealing with the general public in healthcare is stick-a-pen-in-your-eye painful at times). 

It was so nice to read something that I could identify with--the angst of being almost 40 and working your ass off to acquire what you have and looking around and wondering if this is all there is, how much longer can you sustain it, and if you had only done x, y, or z...how would life been better/different/easier/etc.?  Then once that panic subsides, to have these perfectly wonderful moments of clarity, contentment, and joy is amazing.

You are so right. I don't know how mom's today do it...there is so much going on all of the time...and if you're working: who's going to pick them up, what if they're sick, who calls in to work if they're sick, are you doing the right things, are they social enough, etc. ...I'm not a mom yet and I already feel the pressure of these things. Women are so quick, myself included sometimes, to judge each other and manipulate and overthink situations. I loved this book in its truth to the fact that we all have to face these things and it is ultimately about communication and openness with everyone around you albeit your spouse, parents, siblings, best friends, coworkers and even your children. 

Enough about me...here are some other things that I think readers might like: Sophie's friend Zoe and the way she categorizes men/relationships, the relationship she has with her mom, Lil and her disguises and her manipulations, and the problematic coworkers--we've ALL been there, I think. Those all add to the humor and tension weaved throughout.

I absolutely loved Zoe's classifications of what types of men we are looking for. The Jane Austen type person who is looking for the knight in shining armor to come and save the day but still prove that they see you as an equal partner in life and love...wow...could this have been written any more for me in my life? (Not that all of the situations are the same, but since I am currently preparing to leave my job of 5 years to go back for more nursing school, I can relate!) Her relationship with Lil was definitely a highlight as well. They have a long standing relationship where Lil is the one in a romantic comedy that doles out her epic life advice one teeny detail a time when you most need it and least expect it. Her manipulation of all of them in helping guide them to what they need, but still giving allowing for free will was profound. I want to be more like her.

Then, there is the Will/Jesse/Sophie tension--the ultimate did I marry THE one or did he get away? Sophie is married to Jesse but has questions about Will, the man she thought was her true love in college. Of course this questioning adds just one more level of stress to her already stressful life. I have to admit that the flashback/college Sophie was a bit sappy and naive--all of her thoughts on how men work, what they think, how love works was, at times, eye roll inducing but also sweet and funny. The overthinking/overanalyzing grown up Sophie is a step up from that but I found myself thinking...DON'T DO IT SOPHIE...don't throw away your marriage to pursue a 'what if'. The thing is she's tired and she and Jesse aren't firing on all cylinders and the miscommunications are messing with her thoughts on her marriage. Thankfully Zoe metaphorically bitch slaps her into reality and then Lil quietly nudges her in the right direction too.

We had a long discussion about cheating in general this evening, and a little bit about it in the book sense where I really hate it, especially with it  is giving me reasons to root for it. I hate that! But in a book it is justifiable, while real life..obvs not. I did not want that in any way for this story, or for those precious little boys. This whole plotline is perfectly paced, and got my heart racing just a bit, but did not reach Code Blue level angst, so I will just say....hang in there....yell at Sophie...yell at Jesse to pull his head out of his ass and help her...I just did a lot of yelling, okay! I had a little bit different outlook on the flashbacks....I liked them a lot in the sense that they weren't too long or too angst filled and gave us enough intrigue into the history of the relationships of these people to keep the pace going, but make me wonder numerous times how did they get from point A--to point B. And there is a teeny tiny twist at the end that had me shrieking and texting when I figured it out. It took forever to dawn on me, but I have to give a hearty golf clap up to Ms. Hilton for that one...kudos! 

This book may not appeal to those much much younger because it may be hard to identify with the growing pains of almost 40--but I do think this book has a lot of wisdom and insight to offer. (It reminds me of the movie, This is 40--some of my younger friends just didn't get it yet....meanwhile my friends and I were laughing hysterically).

I still need to watch This is 40! I loved this one because even though I'm 24, I'm married, I work...a lot...and sometimes it seems like everything is so damn perfect for everyone else. (So I am bitter that the motor has to be replaced in my car that I've only had a month...sorry I am projecting this on you fine people!) Anyways...it also could be that I have found I am at a new stage in life (I was really, really excited by how well my windshield wipers were when I replaced them....) where so many new and different things matter. I am hoping that I can get all this shit sorted out now, with the help of my wonderful friends (S, S, J & L) that when I get to this point I will be less crazy! Cheers to that...!

Shelley: 4 Stars

Courtney: 5 stars