Review: Triplets Under the Tree by Kat Cantrell

Title: Triplets Under the Tree
Author: Kat Cantrell
Published: December 1st 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Caution: May contain spoilers

This Christmas, he'll meet his three babies for the first time...and desire their mother in a whole new way!

After a plane crash robs him of his memory, billionaire fighter Antonio Cavallari comes home for the holidays to find triplets--and their "mother"--waiting. Antonio doesn't remember surrogate Caitlyn Hopewell, but he has triplets depending upon him. Who else can he turn to except the woman raising his children...and making him burn with desire?

Caitlyn has longed for Antonio secretly for years. Now she's living in his home, loving his babies, living the life with him she's always wanted. But then Antonio's memory returns. And the secrets he's forgotten will change everything...

My Thoughts:

Such a unique story! Caitlyn volunteered to surrogate for her sister and brother-in-law, but in the middle of her pregnancy, they're in a plane crash and believed to be dead. This leaves Caitlyn to raise the triplets on her own...that is, until Antonio shows up. He's alive, but with precious little memory of the past. Caitlyn helps him along with what has happened, including the three children he didn't realize he had. They work together to take care of the kids while Antonio tries to make sense of his past. He realizes Caitlyn needs to be there for his children since she knows them. What neither one of them counted on was the attraction. For Caitlyn, she's always wanted Antonio, but now that he's feeling something for her, who knows where this will go.

Triplets Under the Tree is a heartwarming story. It's touching the way everything played out for Caitlyn and Antonio. The amnesia aspect was well done. The secret from Antonio's past was definitely not what I expected, and I wasn't too fond of it, or the way Caitlyn reacted to it, but the rest of the story more than made up for it in the end for me. Another worthwhile read from Kat Cantrell!

My Rating:

Spotlight & Exclusive Giveaway: How-to Tips for Aspiring Writers and Love Lessons Learned in From Fake to Forever by Kat Cantrell

Welcome to the special three day Harlequin book tour on Thoughts!!!

~*~

Title: From Fake to Forever

Author: Kat Cantrell

Published:  4/7/2015

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Add to your Goodreads shelf

Bride: Meredith, soon-to-be co-owner, wedding dress business

Marital Status: Victim, Vegas wedding mix-up

Action Required: Divorce, ASAP

After one night of tequila and sex, their impromptu Vegas wedding shouldn't be valid. But Meredith Chandler-Harris just discovered she's still tied to irresistible businessman Jason Lynhurst. She needs out of their marriage, but to become his company's new CEO, he needs her as a bride. Let the newlywed games begin.

~*~

How-To-Tips for Aspiring Writers: Advice on how to break into the series-writing business

If you love romance novels and have always dreamed of writing one, you’re in good company. You’d be hard-pressed to find a romance writer working today who didn’t start out as a reader first. Guess what? If you’re a reader, you’ve already completed the all-important first step toward the goal of becoming an author! Reading is critical to understanding a bunch of important things like voice, structure, plot and character. Now you should target your reading to the specific type of story you want to write. If you’d like to write for Harlequin Desire, read as many as you can get your hands on. Study them and learn from them. Each line has a particular “feel” to it and always includes certain elements. Harlequin posts writing guidelines on its website so you don’t have to guess, but it’s always better to see it in action, so to speak.

Then the next steps are:

1. Sit down and write.
2. No, really. Set a goal and write.
3. Not sure what goal to set? Start out with 500 words a day. Then write 500 tomorrow. And the next day. I work on my books every day. Yes. EVERY day, even Christmas.
4. Read some craft books. I like Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon. But there are many, many great ones. If you already know you have a particular weakness, like you have no idea what I meant above by “voice”, find a book on that.
5. If you don’t know your weaknesses, join a writer’s group. Romance Writers of America is one a lot of us belong to. Harlequin.com has a community forum with a particular area for writers. Talk to other writers. Find people to read your writing who can help you get better. I still have a friend read my stuff even though I’ve written fifteen books (Hi, Jen!).
6. Be prepared to work hard and be realistic. Most authors will tell you it takes two years and at least two manuscripts to sell to a publisher like Harlequin. It took me two years and five manuscripts. Your mileage may vary.
7. Go back to #1 and do that. You’d be surprised how many people get bogged down in craft books and writer’s forums and forget to actually, you know, write the book. You can’t sell a manuscript to any publisher if it doesn’t exist.

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Love Lessons Learned: Real life romance lessons learned from the book

Top Five Love Lessons FROM FAKE TO FOREVER Teaches Us:

1. True love is no less valid if it happens quickly.
2. Don’t let what other people think (or what you assume they might think) dictate whether or not you take a chance on love.
3. If you can’t forget someone after two years, chances are there’s a reason! Call him. Today.
4. You are not destined to repeat the same bad relationship patterns of your parents. Forge your own path and don’t let other people’s terrible example ruin your chance at love.
5. The best kind of love is when the other person inspires you to be better than you were. Bonus points if you inspire them as well.

~*~

Giveaway

There's a paperback copy of From Fake to Forever up for grabs! 
 

Sound good? Good! Here's the official rules/guidelines for the giveaway:

1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 16 years old.
3. This is open to US residents ONLY.
4. This contest runs from April 28th to May 11th.
5. Winner will be selected at 12:01 a.m. on May 11th via Rafflecopter random selection.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: From Fake to Forever by Kat Cantrell

Title: From Fake to Forever
Author: Kat Cantrell
Published: April 7th 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Bride: Meredith, soon-to-be co-owner, wedding dress business

Marital Status: Victim, Vegas wedding mix-up

Action Required: Divorce, ASAP

After one night of tequila and sex, their impromptu Vegas wedding shouldn't be valid. But Meredith Chandler-Harris just discovered she's still tied to irresistible businessman Jason Lynhurst. She needs out of their marriage, but to become his company's new CEO, he needs her as a bride. Let the newlywed games begin.

My Thoughts:

Married in Vegas and forgot to take care of the paperwork properly so you're still married? Well, then. Talk about a recipe for disaster. And one I'm quite fond of! This makes more than one great story from Kat Cantrell, so I have to say, I'm very pleased.

Still being married throws a little bit of a wrench in their lives. It was an accident that the marriage stuck, but both Meredith and Jason are going to make the most of it. They may think it's only temporary, but the attraction that radiates off of them begs to differ. Throughout their attempt to get everything back on track in life, they keep falling into each other's arms over and again. Will it be possible to let go of the marriage now?

From Fake to Forever is a delightful and lovely story. It was so easy to get into, and you're so invested in both Meredith and Jason and wanting to see it all work out. I can't wait to finish the first book (which I'm currently reading) and see what else the wonderful Kat Cantrell has in store for me.

My Rating:

Review: From Ex to Eternity by Kat Cantrell

Title: From Ex to Eternity
Author: Kat Cantrell
Published: April 7th 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Adult Contemporary
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Caution: May contain spoilers

Bride: Cara, wedding dress designer

Marital Status: Jilted at the altar

Action Required: Revenge on the runaway groom

Two years after waiting at the altar for Keith Mitchell, Cara isn't ready to meet him again, much less work with him as the consultant on her bridal fashion show! For his part, a misunderstanding sent him running, but now that he knows the truth, and they're spending long days working together, he wants her back in his bed. Will Cara use their passion to gain the ultimate revenge? Let the newlywed games begin.

My Thoughts:

I read the second book before reading the first (that's because the second one was available before the first for me on NetGalley), but it in no way made me enjoy one or the other less because I read them out of order. This series is definitely great!

Cara and Keith were supposed to be married a couple years ago, but after an unfortunate misunderstanding about a pregnancy, he left her at the altar. She, of course, was completely upset, and still is despite their obvious chemistry. But they have to work together now, however briefly it may be, and she needs to refrain from getting close to him again. It's not that easy, though, because there's still something there, something they explore a few times even though they shouldn't. It's only a matter of time before a decision needs to be made about what's going to happen tomorrow.

From Ex to Eternity is a story that draws you in and keeps you invested. I loved seeing Cara and Keith interact--talking, bantering, being sweet... all of it. And the underlying emotion with the circumstances surrounding their incomplete nuptials tugs at your heart. Kat Cantrell knows how to tell a great love story, people! Check her out!

My Rating:

Review: Matched to a Billionaire by Kat Cantrell

Title: Matched to a Billionaire
Author: Kat Cantrell
Published: July 1st 2014
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
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Caution: May contain spoilers

Wanted: one convenient wife

Venture capitalist Leo Reynolds is married to his work, but now he needs a wife. Someone to run his home, host his parties...and accept a marriage that's strictly business. His one rule: love will play no part in their union. At least that's the lie he tells himself, until he meets his match.

Enter Daniella White--handpicked by the matchmaker as the perfect wife. Marriage to Leo means security, and she's willing to give up passion for friendship. But the moment they meet, sparks fly. And now temptation--and Leo's own heart--have the billionaire ready to change all the rules.

My Thoughts:

Holy wow. I'm starting to get into these Harlequin books. Interesting story lines, intriguing characters... This one was absolutely amazing.

Leo and Daniella start out in this story as complete strangers, marrying after being matched. They both had their reasons for this arranged marriage of convenience. Neither one of them is prepared to actually like being married. They have their first real kiss and the dam breaks open. As much as they try (and try) to stop wanting more, it becomes more (and more) impossible than they imagined. The spark is there, and flames are likely to occur, and they do. Very nicely. And the banter was hilarious:

"You're driving me bananas. No. Worse than that." He squeezed the top of his head but his brain still felt as though she twirled it with a spaghetti fork. "What's worse than bananas?"

"Pomegranates," she said decisively. "They're harder to eat and don't taste as good."

He bit back a laugh. Yes, exactly. His incredibly perceptive wife drove him pomegranates. "That about covers it."

Matched to a Billionaire had me reading late into the night. I couldn't stop wondering when and if things would change, what would cause their hearts to change. Leo and Daniella's love is impossibly hard to resist. Cannot wait to check out more from this line from Harlequin AND from Kat Cantrell.

My Rating: