Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Just One Night, ends 2/18

Just One Night, by Kyra Davis.

I notice the button at the top of his jeans. It reads Dior Homme - $600 jeans - and yet the T-shirt could have been bought at Target. Like his youthfully muscular arms and conservatively cut salt-and-pepper hair, it's his contradictions that seduce me.

"I'd like to make you a drink," he says.

It doesn't take me a moment to grasp his meaning. I know he's inviting me to his room. I glance around the bar. I've never had a one-night stand. I'm the girl everyone can count on for her rock-solid, solemn consistency. 

Except tonight. Tonight I'm the girl who is going to sleep with a stranger.

Just One Night was originally published in three different parts, as an e-book, and now it's being released as one complete novel. The New York Journal of Books was quoted as saying it "gives Fifty Shades of Grey a run for its money ... this novel gives some depth, respect and sexual tension to the genre," and I would agree with that review.

Official synopsis:
Kasie Fitzgerald knows who she’s supposed to be. She’s a rising-star-workaholic at a global consulting firm. She’s the fiancée of a well-connected man who’s won the approval of her parents. People know that she’s reliable, serious, proper, cautious, pragmatic, and yes, a little predictable. She’s who Dave and her family want her to be.

But as her thirtieth birthday looms, buried feelings begin to resurrect. Her friend takes her to Vegas for one last wild and crazy night. In a dress much shorter and sexier than anything she has ever dared to wear before, she hits the blackjack tables. And meets him. Under the tailored clothes it’s clear that this is a man who is intense, powerful, and maybe even a little dangerous. With a touch of trepidation she accepts his invitation to get a drink, and before long, she’s in his hotel room.

She never gets his full name. Perhaps his anonymity is one of the reasons she’s able to give herself over to him and to the moment so completely. Perhaps it’s why she’s just had the most exquisite and passionate sex of her life. Shaken by her own behavior, Kasie tries to chalk it up to one crazy night. But when the mysterious gentleman she’s just had a fling with shows up in her office—as the CEO of a firm her company does a billion dollars of business with a year, demanding that she handle his account, and so much more—things will never be the same again. And there’s no telling where this will go…
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This novel was interesting because it had a few twists that I didn't see coming. Kasie is a smart woman, but after she meets Robert Dade, he turns her life around, and she has to learn how to push back and also how to stand on her own two feet and be more independent.

This book was MUCH better written than Fifty Shades, and is a good read if you like "the genre" (erotica) or want an interesting story that's more R-rated. Some of the characters managed to surprise me by doing things I didn't foresee, and we see the aftermath of Kasie's one-night stand (or what was supposed to be only a one-night stand) on her boyfriend of six years, Dave. There's also a backstory with Kasie's sister, Melody, who had a history of mental illness.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to Gallery Books, I have two paperback copies of Just One Night for my readers to win. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Contest will end on Tuesday, February 18th at 11:59pm EST, and winners will be notified via email on February 19th, and must respond within 24 hours or alternate winner(s) will be chosen. U.S. and Canada residents only, please.

Good luck!

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Book Review: Take Two

Take Two, by Laurelin Page.

He'd spent the last seven years on top of his game, focused on his career. He'd been tempted into love by the hottest women, offered the best drugs and the sweetest of sins and he'd always resisted. No hesitation or doubt.

But now he faced six weeks on set with a woman who once upon a time didn't care about wnat or who he was.

Maddie Bauers just might be his undoing.

I've begun to really like the New Adult genre, so I am participating in this book tour, for Laurelin Page's Take Two. I also liked that this novel was movie-themed, as I run a film blog as well as this one, as some of you may know, and the plot sounded intriguing.

Official synopsis:

I actually don't really like this cover -
I saw it for the first time after reading
the book. Not how I pictured
the characters.

He’s ready for his close up, but she’s the one calling the shots.

On the night of her graduation from film school, straight-laced Maddie Bauers fell completely out of character for an oh-my-god make-out session with a perfect stranger. Complete with the big O.

Seven years later, that romantic interlude is still fresh in her mind. That stranger is now a rich and famous actor. And she’s one very distracted camera assistant working on his latest production. She might consider another tryst…if he even remembers her.

Micah Preston does indeed remember Maddie. Too bad he’s sworn off Hollywood relationships. He allows himself as much sex as he likes—and oh, he does like—but anything more is asking for trouble. For the woman, not for him. Yet knowing Maddie could want more than a movie-set fling doesn’t stop him from pursuing her like a moth drawn to hot stage lights.

But as the shoot nears its end, it’s decision time. Is it time to call, “Cut!” on their affair, or is there enough material for a sequel?

Warning: Contains a dreamy movie star hero, a focus-pulling heroine, off-the-charts instant chemistry, steamy sex in near-public locations, and a new use for lip gloss.
-

The characters in this book were interesting, and although you can probably predict the ending, the novel takes a while to get there. Maddie meets Micah Preston, then a "regular guy," seven years ago when at a wrap party for a movie. Now he's one of the most popular movie stars in the country, and she's a behind-the-scenes camera woman; she meets him on the set of his film, although she didn't know he was starring in it until that moment.

The chemistry between the two main characters was great. The book is overall well-written and it's a fun "beach-type" read. At times I wanted to yell at the characters for taking soooooooo long to get to the book's ending (no spoilers here) but that was my only real complaint with it.

I'd recommend this novel for YA or New Adult fans, or for anyone looking for a quick and easy read.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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GIVEAWAY: $30 Amazon gift card, ends 2/15

*I'm teaming up with a few other bloggers for a $30 Amazon gift card giveaway! That could buy you a lot of books or e-books. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

Do you want to learn how to make money online? Are you seeking new and interesting ways to bring in some extra money while you're at home? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, Write From Home is the book for you. In this Kindle exclusive eBook, you'll find everything that you need to know to get started writing from home. If that's not enough, check out the author's freelancing class on Udemy. Write Fast, Write Now: How to Become a Freelance Writer will show you everything that you need to know to become a freelance writer. This class normally costs $99, but enroll today using promo code BLOGGER to take it for just $20!

To celebrate the launch of both the book and the course, The Hungry Freelancer and Beth Jones are happy to announce a $30 Amazon gift card giveaway! Enter using the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win $30 to spend on anything you want!

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Disclaimer: This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment. The gift card will be issued by The Hungry Freelancer upon selection of the winner.

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Book Review: The Stars Care for None

The Stars Care for None, by A.D. VanKirk.

I never saw much validity to Dad's sagacity, but there can be an instance where his wisdom deviated from the typical absurdities, and I understood. Never before and never again have I witnessed so much truth in his tiny sparks of wisdom then when I came upon the man I first knew as James Piece. I began to see just how flawed my first observations were.

He was quite the mess - Piece, I mean. Those that really know what it means to be a companion to James Piece assert that he was without a doubt, a genius. I feel privileged to say that I was one such of these companions.  

The Stars Care for None is A. D. VanKirk's debut novel, and it's an interesting read, especially by a first-time writer. It's loosely based on The Great Gatsby, and you can see its influences throughout - one of the characters' names is actually a gay man named Jordan Baker (in G.G. the character is a woman), and the narrator muses over a billboard at one point that is similar to the one in the book and recent movie. The main character in this novel, however, is quite a bit different than Jay Gatsby, even though some of his struggles are the same.

Official synopsis:
James Piece is a closeted gay man and Kuwaiti immigrant to the United States struggling to discover himself while juggling his religion, ethnicity, country, and sexuality. Pulled in opposing directions by friendship, love, tradition, and faith, Piece must navigate a precarious existence in a post-9/11 Metro Detroit.

Not wanting to risk exclusion from any of the communities that he might adopt into his identity, Piece remains in a stagnant and uncertain state. When he rekindles the flame with his first-time lover, he begins to show signs of progress. Piece is moving toward a life where he might love openly, but is such a life enough to bring him solace or able to compensate for all he risks losing? Will he find comfort in the forces that demand he conform to their conditions? Told through the perspective of Nick, Piece's confidant, The Stars Care for None not only shares the endeavors of one man, but also those of an entire community.
-

The novel was set in the metro Detroit area, which I loved since I am also from here. The characters bounce around Royal Oak, Birmingham, and the city proper, and although the restaurants and bars they frequent seem to be fictitious, one can still get an overall sense of the cities from the novel.

Piece's story is interesting, as no one knows exactly who he is and what the truth is about his background, until he starts to confide in Nick (much like Gatsby and his confidant Nick). Piece was in love with a guy named Tom at one point, whom Nick knows because Tom is engaged to his friend Violet, and Nick ends up trying to reunite the two, even though he feels guilty since Violet has no idea of Tom's exploits.

The writing in this novel was very good and I could hear the author's voice clearly (I personally know the author, as I state below), which I also liked. There were a few situations that seemed a little implausible (which I can't get into without giving away spoilers about the end of the book), but otherwise everything seemed realistic, especially some of the online dating parts.

The Stars Care for None will be available for purchase starting in early March, or you can pre-order your copy here. 3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book from the author to review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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Book Review: Thrown

Thrown, by Colette Auclair.

"What if he wasn't your boss? What if you met him at a Starbucks? Or in your case, the hay bale outlet."

Her eyes flickered away from him and she looked around as though the answer were somewhere on the stones of the patio. She sighed. "It wouldn't matter. I'm leaving in September, and I don't do flings." Except maybe with Luke, she added in her head.

"Ah, but you'd consider it."

"He's very attractive. Anyone would." She hoped she sounded flippant.

"But you're not just anyone, Amanda Vogel. Neither is he."

Thrown is a love story with horse elements, in that it's about a woman who falls in love with her boss, whose children she is teaching as first-time riders. It's being marketed as "steamy" but really is more PG or PG-13 than R-rated, in my opinion, and focuses a lot on the main character's relationships with everyone in the novel and not just with the man she eventually loves.

Official synopsis:

In THROWN, professional trainer Amanda Vogel dreams of riding jumpers in the Olympics, but after seeing her best friend die in a riding accident, she’s so traumatized she can’t show. Broke and desperate, she takes a summer job in Aspen teaching some big-shot widowed movie star’s spoiled daughters to ride—even though she hates teaching kids. She braces herself for three miserable months. But by Labor Day, she has to choose between capturing a gold medal…and the man who has captured her heart.

-

Amanda Vogel, our protagonist, is set on one day making the Olympic riding team, even though she recently had to sell her favorite horse, Edelweiss, due to financial problems. She takes a job in Aspen for the summer so that she can make some money, and ends up teaching the children of Grady Brunswick, a famous (and famously hot) actor. The kids are resistant to riding at first, but soon begin to enjoy it.

I mostly liked this novel but it wrapped up a bit too perfectly at the end, even though the main characters take a while to acknowledge their feelings for one another. The book sometimes seemed long, too, even though it's only about 320 pages; it's available in e-book format only, but I had a bound (printed) galley which I read.

The characters and situations were definitely believable, but I wanted more out of the story. I'd recommend this book as a light read, though, if you're looking for a fun novel that has serious elements as well.

3 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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Book Review: The Naturals

The Naturals (The Naturals #1), by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

This is a game, I heard Dean's voice echoing throughout my memory. It's always a game. That was what he'd told Michael, and at the time, I'd agreed. To the killer, this was a game - and suddenly, I couldn't help thinking the good guys might not win this one.

We might lose.

I might lose.

The reviews on this novel are saying it's like the teenage version of the TV show Criminal Minds (of which I am a big fan), and I definitely agree. The ending was a little abrupt but this is the first in a series, and I can't wait to read the second book once it is published.

Official synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.
-

I liked this book a lot, although at some points it seemed like Criminal Minds-lite - it's not a short book but I got through it quickly. Cassie leaves her grandmother's home to come to D.C. and be in the program that the FBI has made for teenagers, and each of the teens in the program has a gift; Cassie is a Natural, which means she is good at reading people.

Cassie also decided to join the program because her mother was murdered a few years ago - that's how she ends up living at her grandmother's house, as her father is in the armed forces.

This novel made for quick reading although, like I said before, the ending was far too abrupt; the reason for this being, of course, that it's the first in a Naturals series. I've also heard this might be developed into a TV show, which I would watch, and I would think younger fans of Criminal Minds would also watch.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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Book Review: Flowers in the Attic, premiering on Lifetime on 1/18

Flowers in the Attic, by V.C. Andrews.

"It's all right, Momma," said Chris, drawing her into his embrace just as our father would. "What you ask isn't too much, not when we have so much to gain."

"Yes," Momma said eagerly, "just a short while more to sacrifice, and a ltitle more patience, and all that is sweet and good in life will be yours."

What was there left for me to say? How could I protest? Already we'd sacrificed over three weeks - what was a few more days, or weeks, or even another month?

At the end of the rainbow waited the pot of gold. But rainbows were made of faint and fragile gossamer - and gold weighed a ton - and since the world began, gold was the reason to do most anything.

This book was my first foray into V.C. Andrews who has written many, many books, mostly in series. This one, the Dollanganger series, has five books, and is the one for which she is most famous. The TV movie adaptation of the novel is coming to Lifetime on January 18th, and I can't wait to see it, because this book was one of the most screwed up novels that I have read in quite a while.

Official synopsis:
It wasn't that she didn't love her children. She did. But there was a fortune at stake - a fortune that would assure their later happiness if she could keep the children a secret from her dying father.

So she and her mother hid her darlings away in an unused attic.

Just for a little while.

But the brutal days swelled into agonizing years. Now Cathy, Chris, and the twins wait in their cramped and helpless world, stirred by adult dreams, adult desires, served a meager sustenance by an angry, superstitious grandmother who knows that the Devil works in dark and devious ways. Sometimes he sends children to do his work--children who--one by one--must be destroyed....

'Way upstairs there are
four secrets hidden.
Blond, beautiful, innocent
struggling to stay alive....
-

I unfortunately had read many spoilers online because of this movie and its sequel, which Lifetime also plans on producing, so I knew what was in store for me in Flowers in the Attic. That didn't make what happened any less crazy, though, and it was interesting to read.

The basic plot is that after their father dies, the Dollanganger children - Christopher and Cathy, the oldest, and Carrie and Cory, the twins - must move with their mother to their grandmother's house, whom they've never met. Their mother stashes them in the attic with promises to visit every day, and soon we learn why they have to stay there instead of one of the main other rooms in the mansion; their grandfather didn't approve of their mother's marriage. They're waiting for their grandfather to die, so their mother says, and then they can re-enter the world and live downstairs with her.

It's pretty hard to explain why this book is so strange without giving away spoilers. I will say there's a reason why the Dollanganger children all look so alike, with blonde hair and blue eyes, same as their mother, though. Events happen later on in the novel, too, that show their mother's real personality and also their evil grandmother's.

I will say that the novel was originally published in 1979, and because of that, some of the writing was a little hard to get through - older expressions are used and sometimes the writing seemed a little stiff. I won't be reading the other four books in the series because of this, but I did go on Wikipedia to see what happens to the characters, as I was definitely curious.

Lifetime is premiering Flowers in the Attic on Saturday, January 18th, at 8pm EST, and it will repeat at 12:01 EST that night and 9pm EST the next night, in case you're like me and will be watching the SAG awards then. The cast includes:

Heather Graham as Corrine (the mother)
Ellen Burstyn as Olivia (the grandmother)
Kiernan Shipka as Young Cathy (the oldest daughter)
Dylan Bruce as Bart
Mason Dye as Christopher (the oldest son)
Chad Willett as Christopher Sr. (the father)
Ava Telek as Carrie (twin #1)
Maxwell Kovach as Cory (twin #2)

You can check out the trailer below - I love the Sweet Child O' Mine version they used in it:



3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

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