Review: More than Friends by Monica Murphy (Friends, #2)

Summary

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He's not perfect, but he's all I want...

I’m your average girl at your average high school, trying to figure out my place in life. After catching my now ex-boyfriend messing around with my now ex-best friend, I’ve made some big changes. No more band, no more backstabbing friends and no more boring old life. Now I have new friends, a new job and new interests.

But there’s a certain someone who’s interested in me, and I don’t get it. Jordan Tuttle could have anyone he wants. He’s the most popular boy in school. Rich, gorgeous, smart and the star quarterback, he’s perfect. Yet he acts like he wants no one else but…me.

So despite my fears and doubt, I let him get close. Probably too close. I discover that he’s not so perfect after all, but it doesn’t matter. I’m falling for him, even though he runs so hot and cold. I know someday he’s going to break my heart.

And I’m going to let him.

Read from: November 6 to 8, 2016

Read on: eARC

Review:

So I was super excited to read Amanda and Tuttle's story. I was jumping up and down when I finally got my hands on it and read it. It took me two days to finish it and when I was done, I was asking for more especially with how Monica Murphy left us hanging a little (she's really a meanie lol).

But I loved how she got deeper into these characters. Amanda is still my favourite female character of the series even if sometimes, she annoyed me, but it was mostly due to her doubts  which I won't lie, I would totally and probably feel the same if I had been in her shoes, but she's a character who's quite open and she doesn't hide behind a fake persona. She will tell things as they are and that's it.

Before I go to Tuttle, let's go back to some of the characters from the first book...

Her friendship with Olivia is quite entertaining and I loved that she didn't try to hide it when Olivia ended up annoying her. She was a real friend who told her the truth to her face whether Olivia liked it or not. And even if it wasn't explored more in this book, I think that it sort of helped Olivia to have a honest friend like Amanda.

And Amanda also started a sort of friendship with the Emily I didn't really like in the first book and in this book, I hated her a little bit less. Monica Murphy created a character who is the perfect patsy to be annoyed with in the first book, but in the second one, she's trying to give her  a more humane face. I'd like to know whether or not it's going to stick or she'll revert to the Emily from the first book.

Dustin and Ryan aren't as present in this book as the first one and it's probably why they didn't annoy me as much, but I will admit that Ryan is sort of growing on me and I could tell there was another side to him other than the wild party animal who wants to jump on any girl. Dustin wasn't even less in the book than Ryan though he was mentionned a few times especially whenever Olivia saw him and his new girlfriend. Olivia wasn't actually thrilled about that part, but she eventually seemed to get over it which was good. I'm hoping their friendship can be salvaged somehow.

Okay, enough about the others... Let's talk about Jordan aka Tuttle and seriously, just one of my favourite guys in this series even if he tends to do a lot of stupid things. I like the way he interacted with Amanda; these two really have something going on with them, but he definitely has a lot of issues to work on and in this book, we go in dept about his family and where his commitment issues come from. Sometimes, I wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be fine and some other times, well, he would have deserved a kick in the butt.

But Amanda and Jordan are adorable together when they took away the fear and doubts that could come cloud their happily ever after. They care so much for one another and to think that it keeps being set back because she has doubt or he's scared, it broke my heart each time.

 I was left feeling unhappy because their story didn't have an end, but I was also excited about another book so I'm looking quite forward to see where the author is going with this. I want them to have a happy ending, with or without each other (I'm more leaning on the together part, but who knows what Monica Murphy is thinking lol)

So yes, I'm looking forward to the next book and I can't wait to see where she will take us next.

I was giving an advanced copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Release Day Launch: Fire in You by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Wait for You, #6)

Some are born with fire in them.

✮✮✮SECOND CHANCES, HOPE, & RED-HOT CHEMISTRY…FIRE IN YOU, the final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Wait For You World is here! Don’t Miss Brock and Jillian’s passionate and richly moving story in this standalone contemporary romance!✮✮✮✮✮✮

Let the FIRE IN YOU burn and grab your copy today!

Here's a little about Fire in You

Add on [goodreads]

From the # 1 New York Times and International bestselling author comes a richly moving story about heartbreak and guilt, second chances and hope. Full of familiar, fan-favorite characters and no two people more deserving of a happy ending, Fire In You will burn bright beyond the last page…

Jillian Lima’s whole world was destroyed in a span of a few hours. The same night her childhood love, Brock ‘the Beast’ Mitchell, broke her heart, her life was irrevocably altered by the hand of a stranger with a gun. It takes six years to slowly glue together the shattered pieces of her life, but Jillian is finally ready to stop existing in a past full of pain and regret. She takes a job at her father’s martial arts Academy and she’s going out on her first date since a failed relationship that was more yuck than yum. Jillian is determined to start living.

She just never expected Brock to be a part of her life again. But he’s firmly back in her life before she knows it, and not only is he older, he’s impossibly more handsome, more teasing and more everything. And when he sees Jillian, he’s no longer capable of thinking of her as the little girl who was his shadow growing up or the daughter of the man who gave him a second chance at life. He sees the woman who’d always been there for him, the one person who believed in him no matter what.

Brock knows she’s the one he should’ve made his, and what begins as a tentative friendship quickly turns to red-hot chemistry that sparks a flame that burns brighter than lust. Falling for Brock again risks more than her heart, because when the sorrow-filled and guilt-ridden past resurfaces, and a web of lies threatens to rip them apart, the fallout could lay waste to everything they’ve fought to build together, and destroy the dreams of those they care most about.

Where to Order it:

* [Amazon] ** [Barnes & Noble] ** [iBooks] *

✮✮✮✮✮✮

Order a digital or paperback copy of FIRE IN YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J.Lynn, AND fill out THIS FORM by December 3rd, and get an exclusive bonus scene-an Epilogue featuring POVs from all the major couples throughout the Wait For You World!

FIRE IN YOU will be available in paperback and eBook November 28th, 2016!

Just enter your name, age, email address, and the order number from your digital or paperback pre-order receipt at https://a.pgtb.me/M7KhMC to receive your exclusive FIRE IN YOU bonus scene! All entrants will receive the bonus scene on December 5th, 2016 through email using the email given when the entrant filled out THIS FORM.

Making my way through the narrow pathways between the tables, I headed back toward the bathroom. Only once I pushed open the double doors and stopped in front of the water-spotted mirror did I realize I’d left my purse at the table, so there’d be no reapplying my lipstick.

I pumped soap onto my hands and waved them under the facet. Water flowed, washing away the suds as I slowly lifted my gaze to my reflection. Normally when I looked at myself, I didn’t really pay attention longer than was necessary to put makeup on without ending up looking like a tutorial gone wrong.

Standing here now, I really looked at myself, though.

I used to wear my hair up all the time, but I’d stopped doing that every day. My hair now hung in waves and the ends curled over the tips of my breasts. I also used to have heavy bangs, but thank God they were long gone. I’d finally learned how to put on eyeliner. That was another miracle. The slight flush of my face darkened my naturally tan skin. My lips were fuller and my nose straight.

My hair was parted to sweep to the left so it shielded my cheek…and my cheek didn’t look that bad, especially considering how it looked the first time I’d seen it after…after days in the hospital.

Hell, my entire face had been one hot mess.

There was a deep indentation in my left cheek, almost like an icepick had been shoved in there, and as I stared at my right jaw line, I was still amazed by what reconstructive plastic surgeons could accomplish. Half my face had literally been pieced back together with an iliac crest graft with a reconstruction plate and a crap ton of dentistry to give me back a full set of functional teeth.

Plastic surgeons didn’t have magic wands, but they were magicians. If you weren’t looking at me straight on, you’d have no idea that my right jaw was thinner than my left.

You’d have no idea what had happened to me that night.

Now I stared back at myself just like I had done that night, six years ago, standing in a bathroom, mere minutes before my entire life came crashing down.

It wasn’t that I hated the way I looked now. The fact that I was alive meant I was one of those rare, walking and breathing statistics.

But even knowing how lucky I was didn’t change the fact that I felt…deformed. That was a harsh word to use. I didn’t like to whip it out often. Doing so on what was so far a pretty good date was probably not a good idea.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. I didn’t need my thoughts going in that direction tonight. So far, the dinner had been amazing. Grady was nice and he was cute. I could maybe see myself going out with him again, to an art exhibit, and maybe coffee.

And that was what had freaked me out.

I was not going to let living freak me out.

Nope.

I could give him a chance and not worry about whether or not I was settling.

Turning from the sink, I dried my hands and then readjusted my hair so it fell forward, over my left shoulder and cheek. I walked out of the bathroom and into the narrow hall, gaze trained on the floor as I took about two steps before I realized someone was standing right outside the door, leaning against the wall. Before I nearly plowed into him.

Gasping, I took a step back. All I could see were finely cut black trousers paired with…with old black and white Chucks? What an odd combination, but those shoes reminded me of…

I gave a little shake of my head and stepped to the side. “Sorry. Excuse—”

“Jillian.”

I stopped.

Time stopped.

Everything stopped except my heart, because it was suddenly pounding in my chest too hard, too fast. That deep, rough voice. I recognized it all the way to my very core. Slowly, I lifted my gaze, already knowing what I was going to see but refusing to believe it.

Brock Mitchell stood in front of me.

About Jennifer L. Armentrout

[website][goodreads][twitter][facebook]

# 1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Signed Set of the Wait For You Saga (not including FIRE IN YOU) for 1 winner (US only)?

Yes, please :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday: On My Wish List

Author: Wendy Higgins
Title: Unrest
Add on [goodreads]
Coming out on February 16, 2017
Book 2 in the Unknown Series

Being on the run in the desert means food and sanctuary are hard to come by, but Amber Tate and her crew are not about to give up. Not after having so many of the things they love brutally ripped from them by an unknown enemy who sent their world into the apocalypse.

Survival takes precedence, but once safe shelter is found, their guards fall and the emotions they’ve been holding in are finally released. Anger, insecurities...lust. In their tight quarters, Amber, Rylen, Tater, and Remy can't escape it. The past must be faced, and passions run even stronger in the darkest of times.

In the midst of unrest, their worlds are rocked again when they discover the truth about the war that’s ruined their lives. They thought finding out the enemy's identity would give them the edge; instead it’s revealed terrifying dangers they never thought possible.

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About the author

[website][goodreads]

Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue. 

Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.

Yallfest, Salon du Livre de Montréal and more...

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all doing great! I, for myself, am doing okay. I'm quite busy with my job. I've been at it for over two months now and I'm starting to get the hang of it. So hopefully, my mind will relax soon again to allow me time to review properly.

I'm in a reading slump too. I'm trying to get into different books and it's not working. I don't blame the books, I just blame my mind state that won't allow me to enter a book story.

So on November 11 and 12, I was at Yallfest with my friend Nancy. We drove to Virginia on Thursday night (which was approximately 12 hours) and drove the rest the next morning to reach Charleston (another 5-6 hours).

We were meeting with other quebecer friends like Sophie, Stéphanie, Aude and Max who drove in a seperate car and decided to drive the whole day and night to reach Charleston. I also got to meet with Kelly, Damaris and Justin which I was really happy to see again especially since I hadn't seen Kelly since last year and even then, that had been a quick encounter. Met new friends like Christy and Dallas. That weekend was epic and I want to thank everyone who helped making this event so awesome. You can check out some of the pics that I took on my instagram. Some are still be added though.

Then, this weekend was Le Salon du Livre de Montréal which you will guess was in Montreal and I went there Friday night and Sunday witch my best friend Sonya and her niece Katherine. It was awesome too. Met a lot of authors, met some new authors and I had a blast just walking around and seeing so many books, so many authors and so many people. I was tired at the end of it all, but it was quite awesome. Pictures are posted on my instagram and again, more will be added sometime this week.

So besides these two book events, I should be having more time for myself and work more on the blog, so I'll try to get back on track. I'm really enjoying my blog and I don't want to let it disappear so hopefully, it won't happen.

Also, if you follow my instagram account (@julaliciousbookparadise), you will see that there is a giveaway this month. Right now, I'm up to 2 winners who will the book of their choice with a max value of 20$. I promised if I reached 500 followers, a new winner would be added. So check it out if you haven't participated. It's open to everywhere Book Depository delivers.

A new giveaway will be done via my instagram and will unfortunately be open to residents of Canada and US only. Why? Because the book I'm giving away is an extra copy I got and since the shipping can be quite expensive. If you live outside these two countries and are willing to pay for the shipping, that can be done. All the details will come in December.

So that's pretty much sums up everything. I hope you guys are having better luck in your reading and I hope to bring more to my blog really soon! :)

Thursday: On My Wish List

Author: Veronica Roth
Title: Carve the Mark

Add on [goodreads]

Coming out on January 17, 2017

Book 1 in the Untitled Duology

Summary

(from goodreads)

On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favored by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not — their gifts make them vulnerable to others’ control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.


Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuve, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive — no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra’s world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive — or to destroy one another. 

_____________________________________________________

About the author

[website] [goodreads]

Veronica Roth is from a Chicago suburb. She studied creative writing at Northwestern University, and wrote DIVERGENT (Katherine Tegen Books, May 2011) and INSURGENT (May 2012). The third and final book in The Divergent Trilogy, ALLEGIANT, will come out on October 22, 2013. In the meantime she will spend endless hours browsing Wikipedia in her pajamas as she eats corn flakes. (Or some other kind of bland breakfast cereal.)

Cover Reveal: Mastering her Senses by Laura Kaye (Blasphemy, #2)

Decadent… Sensual… Forbidden…

12 Masters. 12 Desires. 12 Fantasies Come to Life. Meet the Masters of Blasphemy…

Releasing February 21, 2017, MASTERING HER SENSES is the second full-length novel in Laura Kaye's Blasphemy Series. Check out the amazing cover created by Kim Killion from The Killion Group below!

A Note from Laura Kaye:

Friends! I’m so excited to share the cover for Mastering Her Senses, the second book in my new erotic Blasphemy series! I’ve been dying to write Master Quinton since he first appeared on the page, and now he is coming your way this February. I’m also excited because the heroine, Cassia Locke, is the sister of one of the Raven Riders (Jagger Locke), so there will be some fun series crossover happening in this book, too! So, so much to love! I hope you’ll check it out and the other books in the series, too!

xo, Laura

Here is a little bit about Mastering her Senses (#2)
Add on [goodreads]

12 Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

He wants to dominate her senses—and her heart…

Quinton Ross has always been a thrill-seeker—so it’s no surprise that he’s drawn to extremes in the bedroom and at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, where he creates sense-depriving scenarios that blow submissives’ minds. Now if he could just find one who needs the rush as much as him…

When an accident leaves Cassia Locke with a paralyzing fear of the dark, she’ll try anything to get help. Ready to fight, she knows just who to ask for help—the hard-bodied, funny-as-hell Dom she’d always crushed on—and once stood up.

Quinton is shocked and a little leery to see Cassia, but he can’t pass up the chance to dominate the alluring little sub this time. Introducing her to sensory deprivation becomes his new favorite obsession, and watching her fight fear is its own thrill. But when doubt threatens to send her running again, Quinton must find a way to master her senses—and her heart.

Exclusive iBooks Preorder

Look for other preorder links in 2017

Here is a little bit about Hard to Serve (#0.5)

Add on [goodreads]

To protect and serve is all Detective Kyler Vance ever wanted to do, so when Internal Affairs investigates him as part of the new police commissioner’s bid to oust corruption, everything is on the line. Which makes meeting a smart, gorgeous submissive at an exclusive play club the perfect distraction…

The director of the city’s hottest art gallery, Mia Breslin’s career is golden. Now if only she could find a man to dominate her nights and set her body—and her heart—on fire. When a scorching scene with a hard-bodied, brooding Dom at Blasphemy promises just that, Mia is lured to serve Kyler again and again.

Then, as their relationship burns hotter, Kyler learns that he’s been dominating the daughter of the hard-ass boss who has it in for him. Now Kyler must choose between life-long duty and forbidden desire before Mia finds another who’s not so hard to serve.

Here is a little bit about Bound to Submit (#1)
Add on [goodreads]

From the ruins of an abandoned church comes Baltimore’s hottest and most exclusive BDSM club. Twelve Masters. Infinite fantasies. Welcome to Blasphemy…

He thinks he caused her pain, but she knows he’s the only one who can heal her…

Kenna Sloane lost her career and her arm in the Marines, and now she feels like she’s losing herself. Submission is the only thing that ever freed her from pain and made her feel secure, and Kenna needs to serve again. Bad. The only problem is the Dom she wants once refused her submission and broke her heart, but, scarred on the inside and out, she’s not looking for love this time. She’s not even sure she’s capable.

Griffin Hudson is haunted by the mistakes that cost him the only woman he ever loved. Now she’s back at his BDSM club, Blasphemy, and more beautiful than ever, and she’s asking for his help with the pain he knows he caused. Even though he’s scared to hurt her again, he can’t refuse her, because he’d give anything to earn a second chance. And this time, he’ll hold on forever.

"A searingly sexy story with some of the hottest scenes I've read in a long, long time. Laura Kaye shows her mastery of the BDSM world. I'm eagerly anticipating more in this bold new series!" ~ Cherise Sinclair, NYT Bestselling Author of the Masters of the Shadowlands Series

Here is a little bit about Eyes on You (#3)
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Release date: July 17, 2017

She wants to explore her true desires, and he wants to watch…

When a sexy stranger asks Wolf Henrikson to rescue her from a bad date, he never expected to want the woman for himself. But their playful conversation turns into a scorching one-night stand that reveals the shy beauty gets off on the idea of being seen, even if she’s a little scared of it, too. And Wolf loves to watch.

In the wake of discovering her fiancé’s infidelity, florist Olivia Foster never expected to find someone who not only understood her wildest, darkest fantasies, but would bring them to life. As Wolf introduces her to his world at the play club, Blasphemy, Liv finds herself tempted to explore submission and exhibitionism with the hard-bodied Dom even as she’s scared to trust again.

But Wolf is a master of getting what he wants—and he’s got his eyes set on her…

About Laura Kaye

[website][goodreads][twitter][facebook][newsletter]

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty-five books in contemporary and paranormal romance and romantic suspense, including the Hard Ink and Raven Riders series. 

Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.