#BookReview: The Party by Robyn Harding

Receiving books free in exchange of reviews will never sway the outcome of my reviews. All my reviews are own my personal thoughts and opinions. While I may feel a certain way, others may feel differently. So sit back and relax and check out my thoughts on this book. Don't forget to share your thoughts (no spoilers) on the books or reviews on this blog in comments.

Title: The Party

Format: e-Arc

Pages: 352

Published: 6th June 2017

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Source: Edelweiss

Genre: Adult/YA, Suspense, Drama

Shelfability:  Acquire

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depository

About The Book

One invitation. A lifetime of regrets.

Sweet sixteen. It's a coming of age, a milestone, a rite of passage. Of course Jeff and Kim Sanders will throw a party for their daughter, Hannah. She's a good kid with good grades and nice friends. And it isn't going to be a big, indulgent affair. Just four girls coming over for pizza and cake, movies and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?

But things do go wrong, horrifically wrong. After a tragic accident, Jeff and Kim's flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb begins to unravel. The injured girl's mother, Lisa, files a lawsuit that turns friends into enemies, reveals dark secrets in the Sanders' marriage, and exposes the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah. Lisa's determination to make the Sanders pay stems from a fierce love for her only child and Lisa's own dark and damaged past.

In The Party, Christos Tsiolkas's The Slap meets Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies, taking us behind the façade of the perfect family, exploring the secrets, betrayals, and moral lapses the neighbors don't see.

The Party uncovers the lies and duplicities that children and parents tell each other. And tell themselves.

The Party by Robyn Harding was like nothing I have ever read before. It's crossover between Adult fiction and Young Adult told from the point views of adults and teenagers. The story was compelling and full of suspense. However, the ending has really thrown me on how I feel about the book as a whole.

Hannah Sanders is excited for her Sweet Sixteen. Her parents have allowed her to have a sleepover with friends. What could go wrong? What starts out as a fun slumber party for teenage girls, end up in a tragic accident that leave everyone's life in shatters. Secrets are exposed. Friendships are tested and the darkness in individuals are brought to the surface to really see who people truly are.

I am really struggling to put into words exactly how I am feeling about this one. It was a captivating read. It such an easy read and the author's writing style is addictive. I really like the fact it focused on both teen and adult POVs to really tell the story. I think if it was in 1st person it wouldn't have made the same impact. She really manages to make you feel for the characters. Good and bad feelings. You feel sorry for most of the characters though because even under their facade you can tell they are hurting. And when secrets are uncovered their life's are torn apart for better and worse.

The Party was so different and not much usual type of novel to read. I have been in a weird reading slump so the fact that I managed to read this one is miracle. It kept me gripped and needing more. Even though by the end I wanted to through my kindle at the wall because I was so frustrated with how the book ended. It has left so many unanswered questions that I swear if there isn't a follow up I may actually cry because Robyn? Yeah don't leave me hanging like this. I need to know what happens next for Hannah, Ronni and Lauren? (I hated that little b*tch) I need answers. Please don't let this be a standalone novel. 

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#BookReview: Indelible: Beneath His Ink by Inger Iversen

Title: Indelible (Teal and Trent #2)

Format: e-Arc

Pages: N/A

Published: Inger Iversen Books

Publisher: 12th Dec 2016

Source: Author for Review

Genre: Adult Romance

Shelfability:  COVET

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

About The Book

Former Marine, Trent Reed, is in desperate need of a Hail Mary.

With each failed attempt to convince his woman to pack up and move to Kentucky, his past finds some new way to rear its ugly head. But when his pregnant ex plows into his life, all hell breaks loose—unearthing parts of his past he wished would stay buried.

Two weeks of vacation with her man? Hell yeah, that is exactly what Teal Lofton’s libido needs.

And after surviving seven months apart, their reunion doesn’t disappoint. What she didn’t account for was an unfortunate encounter with people from Trent’s past. A racist, a druggie, and a double-barreled shotgun, culminate into a vacation that will alter the course of her life forever.

I swear this author is trying to kill me!!! Sweet Jesus on fire!! When Inger contacted me to review this book I was not going to say no!! I feel in love with Trent and Teal in Inevitable. So I was dying to get my hands on this and oh my god. It did not disappoint at all. In fact I think it was actually better than the previous book and I didn’t think that was even possible!!!!

After months of trying to convince Teal to move, Trent has a plan when she agrees to come on a two week vacation to his home. He wants to prove how much he loves her and how good it will be if she moves in. However, this don't go smoothly when his ex, Shayla turns up on his doorstep, pregnant. Teal wants to be with her man more than anything but can two weeks with her man filled with chaos change her life?

Oh Trent. Oh My. Trent is just delicious!! I love him so much. He is such a complex character that you just want to take apart and you fall in love with him over and over. He has his issues with his past. But he has turned him life around and you can tell that he has grown as a character from the first book. And is turning into a big sweetheart. Teal? Well, Teal is full of sass! She is fiery and stubborn. She is also strong, independent and sexy as hell. Trent and Teal are polar opposites but together they are a perfect fit. They love each fiercely. The passion between them is sizzling.

The author has really step up her game with this story. It's exciting and crazy and the best part? It oozes sex!! A lot of author do use sex just to fill pages but with Trent and Teal the sex is important and it's steamy as f*ck!!!! These two can't seem to kept their clothes on and that's just how I like it!!! Trent should never be allowed to keep his clothes on. And yes I know he is only a character and it's not real but trust me!! Once you have read this book you will agree with me.

The story itself is fast paced. The reader is taken on one hell of a rollercoaster. It's thrilling, exciting and we get to learn more about Trent's past which I am all for you. Learning more about him is great for his character development. The author deals with so many issues that come up in real like and of course the big one is that our two main characters are in a  mixed race couple. Whoop Whoop. Trent's past issues with race are explored more in the previous book (so go read that first) but Trent and Teal still face problems with their relationship and so does society. Which is bloody messed up. It disgusts me that there is still so much racism in the world and I applaud the author for tackling it. I have a beautiful mixed race son and he gets called racist terms all the time. So in a way I can connect a little more to these characters. Even if at time I wanted to punch Trent for some of the things he said in the past. 

If you haven't read this series yet then please go now. You will not be disappointment. They are outstanding, exciting and steamy as hell. I can't recommend these enough. However, I do suggest starting with Incarcerated. It about Trent and Teals best friends Logan and Katie and it’s their story but a must read as this is where we are first introduced to Trent and Teal. 

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*Waiting On Wednesday* The Confessions by Tiffany Reisz

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted  by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: The Confession

Series: Original Sinners

Author: Tiffany Reisz

Genre: Adult Fiction, Erotica

Publisher: 8th Circle

Published: 15th March 2016

Goodreads: AddTo Shelf

Three Sinners. Three confessions. And all the dirty little secrets you could possibly desire... 

Father Stuart Ballard has been Marcus Stearns' confessor since the young Jesuit was only eighteen years old. He thought he'd heard every sin the boy had to confess until Marcus uttered those three fateful words: "I met Eleanor."

So begins the 40-page "The Confession of Marcus Stearns," a moving coda to the RITA Award-winning Original Sinners series. Originally published as a limited-edition paperback for the 2014 RT Booklovers' Convention, and available worldwide for the first time.

This collection also includes "The Confession of Eleanor Schreiber," a companion 36-page story written exclusively for The Confessions.

And, finally, all secrets are revealed in "The Confession of Tiffany Reisz," an exclusive, in-depth interview.

 What are you waiting on??
Leave your links below!!

 

Don't forget to Like, Comment and Share, if you enjoyed this post!!

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Book Review: The Mistress (The Original Sinners #4) by TIffany Reisz

MAY CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS

Reviewed by: Siobhán
Format: E-Arc
Pages: 560
Published:  2nd Aug 2013
Publisher: Mills & Boon
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Adult Fiction, Erotica
Buy:Amazon UK I Amazon US I Book Depository

Description:
There's punishment-and then there's vengeance.

Nora Sutherlin is being held, bound and naked. Under different circumstances, she would enjoy the situation immensely, but her captor isn't interested in play. Or pity.

As the reality of her impending peril unfolds, Nora becomes Scheherazade, buying each hour of her life with stories-sensual tales of Søren, Kingsley and Wesley, each of whom has tempted and tested and tortured her in his own way. This, Nora realizes, is her life: nothing so simple, so vanilla, as a mere love triangle for her. It's a knot in a silken cord, a tangled mass of longings of the body and the heart and the mind. And it may unravel at any moment.

But in Nora's world, no one is ever truly powerless-a cadre of her friends, protectors and lovers stands ready to do anything to save her, even when the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak..

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Book Review: Release Me by J. Kenner

Reviewed by: Siobhán
Format: E-Galley
Pages: 352
Published: 1st Jan 2013
Publisher: Bantam
Source: Publisher for Review
Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance, Erotica
Buy: Amazon UK I Amazon US I Book Depository UK I Book Depository US

Description:

For fans of Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You comes an erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who’s never heard “no” and a fiery woman who says “yes” on her own terms.

He was the one man I couldn’t avoid. And the one man I couldn’t resist.

Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. He was sexy, confident, and commanding: Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me. Our attraction was unmistakable, almost beyond control, but as much as I ached to be his, I feared the pressures of his demands. Submitting to Damien meant I had to bare the darkest truth about my past—and risk breaking us apart. But Damien was haunted, too. And as our passion came to obsess us both, his secrets threatened to destroy him—and us—forever.

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Book Review: Loverboy by Trista Jaszczak

Reviewed by: Siobhán
Format: eArc
Pages:  260
Published: TBA 2012
Publisher: Createspace
Source: Author for Review
Genre: Adult Fiction
Buy: I can't find purchase links yet :S

Description:

Charlotte Murphy is just your average young woman. But, she's lucky. Very lucky. She managed to escape with her life from one of New York's serial rapists and killers, Lover Boy. Now under police protection Charlotte now is in the fight of her life to not only stay alive but to regain the life she feels she lost. Nick Andrews is the young officer enlisted to protect her. Keeping her under his guard 24 hours a day, he finds that Charlotte is not just some girl thrown into police custody. He finds her irresistible. How can he manage to protect her life when he's trying to steal her heart?

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The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Published: October 17, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company
Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Description:

The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died five years ago, Gaby's children have drifted apart, each one preoccupied by the turbulence in their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married-and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day—she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.

But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise—she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.


Review:

James Patterson wrote a beautiful novel with The Christmas Wedding. Gaby Summerhill is a widow who has decided to remarry and in order to bring her four children together for the first Christmas since the death of her husband and their father, she is holding the wedding on Christmas Day. However, she isn't telling who the groom is until the wedding day. Not even the groom knows...and three men have asked for her hand in marriage!

James Patterson usually writes murder mystery novels and the occasional contemporary fiction novel he writes is usually a heart-breaking story that leaves you in tears. I imagined this one would be the same way since the family is reuniting for the first time since the death of the patriarch, but it was not sad at all. It was a light, easy read that had me quickly flipping pages to see what Gaby was up to next with her (at times) hilarious wedding.

Each child had their own side story, some were a little more touching than others, yet each character added so much to the character to the story, all coming together at the end of the novel to wrap up the novel in a way that was absolutely perfect. It was a novel that left you with a warm, happy feeling at the end.

I truly loved the book from start to finish and would definitely recommend this book for the Christmas season - or any time of the year!!

Rate: 5/5

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Lacy Camey Blog Tour: The Last Page Review + Guest Post + Giveaway

The Last Page (Living, Loving & Laughing Again #1) by Lacy Camey

Format: Kindle
Published: 3rd Aug 2011
Publisher: Lacy Camey
Genre: Adult ChickLit
Buy On Amazon: UKI US

Description:

Norah Johnson is at a crossroads and is in desperate need to heal after a highly publicized breakup from her major league baseball player boyfriend. To escape, she moves to her summer home at the beach with her sister and best friend where she journals, attends therapy and works on her pending clothing line. When a gorgeous stranger finds her lost journal, he seeks to find the author and make her fall in love with him. But is Norah ready to love again?

Review:

I am on a real Chick lit/Romance kick just now. Its all I can really get into at the moment and The Last Page had be hooked from the start. Its smart, sassy and very very funny.

The Last Page is about Norah, she is an upcoming fashion designer who has just had an awful public breakup with her exboyfriend. However, she decides to escape from her crazy life and spend her time at her parents summers house with her sister. When she throws her journal away a very handsome strangers finds it and starts to fall in love with the author so he tracks down Norah and Norah is smitten but can she move on from her ex boyfriend to find love again?

Oh yes, I loved it. Norah is one of those real characters that you will love. She is a clever lady but she does do some silly things like we all do LOL. That why I think I connected to her. She isn't this perfect character, she has her flaws so readers will be able to relate to her. The chemistry between Norah and Orien I think is very clear. Orien finds her lost Journal and feels a connection to the Norah. He is just so sweet and kind and yummy yummy. Together they are just adorable.

Norah is our main character but the secondary cast of characters are wonderful. My favourite is Chloe. She is so much fun and upbeat and supportive of Norah that it makes it easy to see why they are friends. I am really excited for Book 2 because its going to be Chloe's Story. YEAH!!

Lacy Camey has create such a fantastic story that flows with ease from one page to the next. It's keeps you interested as you never know whats going to happen next for Norah. The style of writing made me feel like I was watching a movie rather than reading book because I had all the details in my head, the author doesn't go into loads and loads of details just the right amount for me to get a clear picture. The big thing for me was the dialoge between the characters. I love plenty of conversation in a story. Usually authors can't find the right balance. However, Lacy has managed to nail it perfectly. 

So, if you are looking for a quick, light read that is comical and romantic then this will be right up you alley. :)

Rate: 5/5

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Guest Post

I am so happy and excited to be apart of this blog tour and having loved the book. It's an honour to have the lovely and beautiful Lacy on the blog today talking about book 2

“The Last Man She Thought She’d Ever Love” is the second book in my “Living, Loving and Laughing Again” series and it explores the world of Chloe Banks.

Chloe Banks has always been known for her famous political last name, but she’s now ready to prove that she is more than the prim and proper, debutante beauty queen, groomed-from-infancy-politician’s-or-powerful businessman-wife-to be.

Her whole life she has been told how to live, trained how to act, and coached on how to behave and what to say. Now she’s ready to pursue what’s inside of her.

So she decides to go on a 3 month mission and work as a nurse and help  two other doctors at an orphanage in Venezuela. It’s there she meets a man her parents and social circle would never approve, but it seems he’s just the type she needs-but not the type he wants. He’s had his own fair share of dealing with “women of her kind and breeding”.

Chloe has to learn to start living for herself and let go of others’ assumptions of who she is. Of course she had her best friend there on her side, Norah, as well as Maycee, Norah’s sister, to bring their own personal flair to the story (comedic relief), but they won’t be stealing the show.

This book is a little different writing style because since it’s being told from Chloe’s perspective; her personality is different from Norah’s. Chloe is introspective, strong and intellectual, independent yet kind, warm, endearing, but challenging. She has her own issues she’s dealing with-freeing herself from the approval and opinions of others, which I think we can all relate to. She just wants to be happy and make her own path in life.

I’m enjoying writing Chloe’s story and it’s been a lot of fun exploring her world! If you liked “The Last Page”, I personally hope you will check out “The Last Man She Thought She’d Ever Love”. J Instead of stepping into a world of fashion, you’ll step into the secret world of living under the telescope of a famous, rich, political family and see how a young woman strives to make her own mark in this world.

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Giveaway 

The Lovely Samantha over at ChickLitPlus Blog Tours is giving everyone a chance to win $10 Amazon Gift Card. 

All you have you do is head over to Lacy Blog Tour Page and leave a comment! How easy is that?!? 

Also, if you have bought the book you can gain FIVE Extra Entries by emailing your receipt to Samantha. 

So head over to Lacy Blog Tour Page and enter :)

 

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