Review: When a Marquis Chooses a Bride - Ella Quinn

Thanks to their large extended family and unconventional courtship, the Worthingtons have seen their share of scandal and excitement. But nothing has prepared them for this...

The Dowager Lady Worthington isn t quite sure what to make of country-girl Dorothea Stern. As the granddaughter of the Duke of Bristol, Dotty is schooled in the ways and means of the nobility. But her sharp wit and outspoken nature has everyone in a tizzy. Especially their cousin, Dominic, the Marquis of Merton.

Prematurely stuffy, Dom was raised by his cheerless uncle to be wary of a host of things, including innovation, waltzing, and most perilous of all: true love. Still, there s something about Dotty, beyond her beauty, that Dom cannot resist. But the odds are against him if he intends to win her as his bride. Will he choose loyalty to his family or risk everything for the one woman he believes is his perfect match...

The Worthingtons Series:
Three Weeks to Wed
When a Marquis Chooses a Bride
The Second Time Around (Novella)
It Started with a Kiss
The Marquis and I
You Never Forget Your First Earl
I'll Always Love You (Novella)
Believe in Me

Visit Ella Quinn's website for more information

Review:
This is the second book in the Worthingtons series and I have to admit I wasn't too sure I'd like it when I found out that Marcus's stuffy and pompous cousin Dom was going to be the hero. I wasn't at all likeable in the first book so I was a bit wary going in but happily he's a totally different man once you get to know him and the reasons for his past behaviour soon becomes clear. After the death of his father Dom was raised by his uncle who quite frankly was a terrible person who was far more interested in the family wealth and status than anything else. His constant digs and browbeating really wore Dom down and turned him into the man we met in the first book.

When Dom meets Dotty, the young friend of his cousin who is staying with the Worthingtons for the season so she can come out alongside Charlotte and Louisa, his world is turned upside down. Dotty is softhearted and has a habit of collecting strays both of the animal and human variety. She always sees the good in people and does her best to make the world a nicer place. Although she can be a little naive she's just so sweet and everything about her challenges Dom and his narrow view of the world. This is definitely a case of her helping him to be a better man and I enjoyed seeing the changes in him as he let go of the stuffy exterior he has spent years hiding behind.

I enjoyed the romance but I also enjoyed the suspense side of the story. Dotty's habit of trying to save people put her in danger a couple of times but she was able to change so many lives for the better because of her caring nature. This series has been really fun to read so far, it was great to catch up with Grace and Matt and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing both Charlotte and Louisa find their matches too.

Source: Purchased

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Review: In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three - Julie Ann Walker

FALLING IN LOVE IS LIKE BREATHING. YOU CAN'T HELP IT.

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

In Moonlight and Memories Trilogy:
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three

Visit Julie Ann Walker's website for more information.

Review:
There is something I had suspected from pretty early on in the first volume that meant I had a rock in the bottom of my stomach from the minute I picked up this book. I went in expecting an emotional read but I honestly had no idea how much it would wreck me, I don't think I've ever read another book that has hit quite so close to home or made me sob so hard as this one. The fact that I'm tearing up again now just thinking about it and that I've been an emotion mess all day since finishing this in the early hours of the morning probably tells you how much it affected me.

That just proves how fantastically well this entire trilogy was written though, how invested I became in lives and friendships of these characters and how much I was rooting for them all to be happy. The last 30% of this book broke me and was gut wrenchingly painful to read but at the same time it was utterly beautiful and does leave you with a sense of hope at the end.

I really can't say much more than that because I don't want to give any spoilers but I will say this is probably the best contemporary romance series the I've ever read. It's definitely one that is going to stick with me for a very, very long time and I can't recommend it highly enough. Thank you Julie Ann Walker for one heck of a ride!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two - Julie Ann Walker

SOMETIMES IN LOVE, THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN FACE THE FUTURE IS TO LET GO OF THE PAST.

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

In Moonlight and Memories Trilogy:
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three

Visit Julie Ann Walker's website for more information.

Review:
The story picks up immediately from where Volume One ended and there is absolutely no point in starting reading here, it really is one story across the entire trilogy and you'll be missing out big time if you don't start at the beginning. I absolutely loved the series though so I would highly recommend giving it a try, especially if you love character driven stories full of love, friendship and fantastic characters.

We continue to see the story from three points of view but this time around Luc and Cash's chapters start with one of the letters teenage Maggie wrote to them after they left. This gives us a real insight into just how lonely she was without them but it also shows her start to put her life back together and turn into the woman we're getting to know in the present day. There is such a fantastic bond of friendship between all three of these characters but for the first time Maggie is starting to question whether her romantic love for Cash is just based on young love and teenage infatuation, especially when she starts to realise that Luc is the one who is always there for her AND the one who makes her heart flutter.

Cash is going downhill fast, he's continuing to drink to block out the pain from his brain injury and he seems determined to push Maggie away but it's obvious he still loves her and the mixed messages he keeps sending aren't helping Maggie to make up her own mind about how she feels. Luc is stuck in the middle, he has been head over heels in love with Maggie since they were teenagers but he genuinely wants both her and Cash to be happy even if that means he remains the third wheel always on the outside of their relationship. My heart absolutely breaks for Luc, he's one of the nicest characters I've ever come across and I think anyone would be lucky to have a friend just like him. Honestly I usually hate love triangles with a passion so I'm surprised by how much I loved this series but it was just so well written that you can't help but root for all three of the main characters.

This instalment gives us a lot of answers about what happened that night after prom in the Bayou and it's heartbreaking when you realise how much Maggie has been needlessly carrying on her shoulders since that night. We also find out more about Cash's father and the policeman that has been harassing the three friends ever since Luc and Cash came back into town. It ends with two absolutely killer cliffhangers that meant I had to dive straight into the third instalment and I ended up staying up all night so I could finish out the series which is probably the best endorsement I can give to say how highly I recommend it.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Book Trailer - Cinder & the Prince of Midnight - Susan Ee

I fell in love with Susan Ee's writing way back in 2013 when Angelfall was first released and I loved her whole Penryn & the End of Days Series so it feels like I've been waiting a looooooooong time for her to publish something new. It's actually been 4 years since End of Days published if you can believe it!

Anyway, I think you can probably imagine how excited I was when I saw a newsletter from Susan announcing that she had a new book coming out. Especially when I saw that Cinder and the Prince of Midnight was a Cinderella retelling but darker and including fairies! I haven't had a chance to read the book myself yet (yes, I know, I know but my to read mountain is killing me at the moment!) but I wanted to share the book trailer with you all in case you missed the announcement.

An orphan girl. A dark and twisted kingdom. An ongoing shadow war resulting in enslaved fairies.

This is the world of Cinder. A world where a girl like her can be sold to be human prey for a ritualistic hunt.

But on this night, even the predators might have something to fear. On this night, even a royal prince might find himself trapped by the expectations of the Dark King…and a girl like no other.

Don’t miss this fairy tale thriller by the world-wide bestselling author Susan EE.

Visit Susan Ee's website for more information



Susan also posted these fab quotes on her website just in case the trailer hasn't caught your attention!

Have any of you already had a chance to read this book? If you have I'd love to know what you thought of it so please leave a link to your review in the comments!

Review: The Girl in Red - Christina Henry

From the bestselling author of Alice and Lost Boy comes this dark retelling of Red Riding Hood

It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. But the woman in the red jacket has no choice. Not since the Crisis came, decimated the population, and sent those who survived fleeing into quarantine camps that serve as breeding grounds for death, destruction, and disease. She is just a woman trying not to get killed in a world that was perfectly sane and normal until three months ago.

There are worse threats in the woods than the things that stalk their prey at night. Men with dark desires, weak wills, and evil intents. Men in uniform with classified information, deadly secrets, and unforgiving orders. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something worse than all of the horrible people and vicious beasts combined.

Red doesn't like to think of herself as a killer, but she isn't about to let herself get eaten up just because she is a woman alone in the woods…

Visit Christina Henry's website for more information.

Review:
I love retellings and Christina Henry's take on Little Red Riding Hood was something really fun and unexpected. The bones of the original story is there, a young girl dressed in red making her way through a dark wood trying to reach her grandmother's house and facing danger along the way, but apart from that it's totally it's own story. It's set in a post apocalyptic world and we follow two different timelines throughout: After, where Red is alone and trying to make a difficult journey from her home to her Grandmother's house while avoiding military curfews and roaming bands of mercenaries, and Before, where we go back in time and slowly unravel what caused the apocalypse and how that affected Red and her family.

Both timelines were intense and fraught with danger and it kept me compulsively reading because I just HAD to know what would happen next. Red spent her entire life preparing for the apocalypse, her family used to make fun of her obsession with horror books and movies but it meant she was the most prepared to deal with the Crisis that hit the world and wiped out the majority of the population. She was the one with a plan and their best chance of survival in the dangerous new world they now find themselves in. I loved Red, yes she could be a bit of a know it all but she had the brains to back up her boasting and most importantly she was willing to fight to keep herself and others safe. There were times when she could have picked the easy road by herself but chose the harder option and put herself in harm's way to help others and that's always something admirable.

I would have liked a little more information about what caused the virus that ended the world as we know it but at the same time I think some stories can get bogged down in the details rather than focusing on the character's journey and I appreciate that it didn't happen here. Instead we focus on everything that happens to Red and how she reacts to it, the way her instincts kick in and just how hard she has to push herself to survive. The way people acted throughout the book was scarily believable, from the rare survivors who were willing to share their meagre supplies to the groups who practically turned into animals who only cared about themselves and saw anyone else as the enemy. This story is definitely a dark one and we see far more of the latter group than we do the former but there was just enough hope thrown in to keep it from getting too dark and depressing.

This story was everything I didn't know I wanted from a Little Red Riding Hood retelling and I can't wait to start reading through Christina Henry's backlog.

Source: Received from Titan Books in exchange for an honest review

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Review: In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One - Julie Ann Walker

MOST LOVE STORIES HAVE ONE BEGINNING AND ONE ENDING. THIS LOVE STORY HAS MANY.

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

In Moonlight and Memories Trilogy:
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume One
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Two
In Moonlight and Memories: Volume Three

Visit Julie Ann Walker's website for more information.

Review:
Maggie and Luc were best friends in high school, two lonely kids who bonded over a shared love of Harry Potter they only really had each other and their friendship meant everything. Luc secretly harboured romantic feelings for Maggie and hoped for more but the minute she met new boy Cash it was love at first sight. That could have been the end of their friendship but Luc wanted Maggie to be happy and he had also become good friends with Cash. The three of them became a trio, Luc was on the outside of them as a couple but as friends they couldn't have been closer.

Ten years ago Cash walked away from everything to join the army leaving a heartbroken Maggie behind. What was even worse is that Luc went with him leaving her totally devastated and alone. They both broke off contact completely and Maggie never knew why. Now Cash and Luc are back and seem determined to pick up their friendship where they left off but neither of them are being upfront about exactly what happened all those years ago to make them leave.

Falling back into their friendship is easy, and if she's honest with herself Maggie knows she never stopped loving Cash but how can she trust him with her heart again if he won't explain his previous actions. Cash has his own demons to deal with, injured in an explosion he's suffering with constant pain and he's self medicating with alcohol to make it through the day. He's returned home with a plan but I'm not convinced he's being honest with either Maggie or Luc about what that plan is. Luc is trying to help get them back together even though he still loves Maggie himself, Maggie is still in love with Cash but finds it easier to trust Luc, basically it's all a little complicated.

It can be very hard to sell me on any kind of love triangle but this isn't quite like any other I've read. There is such a strong friendship between all of them that it doesn't feel like they're competing against each other. Luc is practically a saint in the way he's so willing to see his best friends be happy together even if it breaks his own heart in the process. At this point I'm 100% rooting for Maggie to end up with both of them but I have a sneaking suspicion about what is to come that makes me think I'll need a whole lot of tissues as I read the rest of the series. Either way I can't wait to see what happens with this trio.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Release Day Blast: In Moonlight and Memories - Julie Ann Walker

In Moonlight and Memories trilogy

By Julie Ann Walker

Release Date: July 1, 2019

Blurb:

From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.

Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he's back. They're both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.

Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That's what I've been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me "unfit to serve." I'm back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life's journey began... and where it all might end.

Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong...

The “In Moonlight and Memories” trilogy debuts July 1st!

And always remember, “The greatest of loves can begin in the simplest of ways...”

Buy Links:

Volume One:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeOneAmazon
Barnes&Noble: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeOneBandN
iBooks: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeOneiBooks
Kobo: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeOneKobo

Volume Two:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeTwoAmazon
Barnes&Noble: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeTwoBandN
iBooks: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeTwoiBooks

Volume Three:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeThreeAmazon
Barnes&Noble: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeThreeBandN
iBooks: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeThreeiBooks
Kobo: http://bit.ly/IMAMVolumeThreeKobo

Teaser Trailer:

Giveaways:

The IN MOONLIGHT AND MEMORIES trilogy by NYT and USA Today bestselling author, Julie Ann Walker, is finally live!

Readers are calling this series, “breathtaking,” and “a love story for the ages.” To celebrate, Julie Ann is doing three giveaways. Read on to discover how you can enter to win!

1) Enter to win this adorable New Orleans-inspired coffee mug (in honor of the setting of In Moonlight and Memories) by signing up for Julie Ann’s occasional newsletter at http://www.julieannwalker.com/newsletter/ (The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, July 5th, and contact via email.)

2) Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card by posting about the In Moonlight and Memories trilogy on one of your social media accounts. Be sure to tag Julie Ann on Facebook @julieannwalkerauthor, or on Twitter @JAWalkerAuthor, or on Instagram @julieannwalker_author. (The winner will be randomly selected on Friday, July 12th, and contacted via the social media post.)

3) Enter to win a $200 Amazon gift card by leaving reviews for the In Moonlight and Memories trilogy at any of the major retail sites like Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, etc. All honest reviews count, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Simply take a screenshot of your reviews or grab the links and email them to julie.ann.walker@gmail.com by Friday, July 21st. (The winner will be randomly selected on that day and contacted via email.)

Author Bio:

A little about Julie…

Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Julie grew up in a house full of women – she has three older sisters. As you can imagine, there was no lack of drama… or romance. Her mother enrolled her in a book club as soon as she began to read and it was the small spark that ignited her voracious appetite for the written word.
Because of Julie’s early immersion in literature, she found writing came quite naturally. In high school, she won multiple writing contests and was the proud senior editor of The Tiger’s Tale – her school newspaper.

During her college years, however, she longed for a challenge. “Reading and writing felt like second nature to me, so I looked for a way to flex my mental muscles,” she recalls. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree, Julie began teaching advanced high school mathematics.

“I loved working with the students and facing the challenges of the classroom, but I longed for the occasional snow day when I could race to the local book store, buy two or three new novels, and curl up in front of the fire to read.”

It wasn’t until a fortuitous move to Chicago that Julie once more returned to her first passion.
Now Julie loves to travel the world looking for views to compete with her deadlines. When she’s not writing, she enjoys camping, hiking, cycling, cooking, petting every dog that walks by her, and… reading, of course!

Author Links:

Website: http://www.julieannwalker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieannwalkerauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAWalkerAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julieannwalker_author/