Review: Scandalous Summer Nights Novellas

Title: Scandalous Summer Nights
Authors: Grace Callaway, Sabrina Darby, Jennifer Haymore, Sue London, Kate McKinley, Sandy Raven, Vivienne Westlake
Published: June 28th 2014
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Historical Romance
Buy: See Links Below
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Seven sexy series-opening novellas from seven bestselling historical romance authors!

A Highlander’s Heart (The Highland Knights, Book 1)
By Jennifer Haymore
Once madly in love, Claire and Rob Campbell are now estranged, torn apart by war and loss. When desire rekindles between them, they both hope desperately that they can mend their broken marriage ... But some wounds go deeper than the concussion Rob suffered on the Waterloo battlefield. And some wounds can never be healed.

How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days (What Happens in Scotland, Book 1)
By Kate McKinley
Lucas Alexander, the ninth Duke of Arlington, is a man who gets what he wants. So when he sees the alluring Miss Pippa Welby from across a crowded ballroom, he vows to make her his. But the bold and spirited Pippa has sworn never to marry into the haute ton. Now Lucas must win her the only way he knows how—one wicked kiss at a time.

The Widow Vanishes (Prequel to the Heart of Enquiry Series)
By Grace Callaway
A disastrous marriage leaves Annabel Foster buried in her deceased husband’s debt and at the mercy of a cutthroat. Faced with death or selling her body, she makes an unthinkable choice … Haunted by his past, former soldier William McLeod seeks forgetfulness in the arms of a tempting wench. What begins as a night of lust, however, transforms into desire beyond his wildest fantasies … Attraction flares between the pair even as an evil enemy seeks to destroy them both. Can one night of passion lead to love forevermore?

Scandal Before Sunrise (The Weekly Scandal, Book 1)
By Sabrina Darby
When a reformed bad girl meets a rogue with dishonorable intentions, it's guaranteed to be a scandal before sunrise.

Lord Lucifer’s Disciple (Haberdashers Nights, Book 1)
By Sue London
An heiress turns away every suitor until she meets a mysterious foreigner at a masque ball. His kiss ignites her in ways that nothing else has, but he refuses her pleas to elope. Has she lost her heart to a man who doesn’t exist?

Miss Amelia Lands a Duke (A Prequel to the Caversham Chronicles)
By Sandy Raven
Caught kissing a man she believes within her reach socially, Amelia discovers he isn’t. Not only that, he is same man her widowed aunt has been stalking all season. When the Duke of Caversham realizes who Amelia is, he does the honorable thing and offers for her. Only Amelia’s pride will not allow her to be forced onto any man in marriage. Cav must then convince Amelia that she is the only woman he wants for the rest of his life.

Lady Northam’s Wicked Surrender (Wicked Liaisons, Book 1)
By Vivienne Westlake
A midnight encounter between two estranged lovers rekindles a passion beyond their wildest dreams... Rowena, Countess of Northam, is surprised to find her former suitor has returned from India and is on his way to the very house where she is staying. When he appears in her room late at night, she can only believe it is a dream. Her fantasy soon becomes reality when Simon makes every effort to seduce her.

My Thoughts:

I love me some really lovely historical romances, and these certainly didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed them, my favorite being A Highlander's Heart by Jennifer Haymore. Definitely some worthwhile stories! I would absolutely recommend these. Then again, I can't help but do so, because... ROMANCE. Seriously.

PS: This set is no longer available for purchase. Some of these novellas are now available separately instead of as a bundle. Here are the links to the ones available, and the ones that aren't:

A Highlander’s Heart (The Highland Knights, Book 1)By Jennifer Haymore

~ Amazon ~

How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days (What Happens in Scotland, Book 1)
By Kate McKinley
~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

The Widow Vanishes (Prequel to the Heart of Enquiry Series)By Grace Callaway
~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~

Scandal Before Sunrise (The Weekly Scandal, Book 1)
By Sabrina Darby
~ N/A ~ Read an Excerpt ~

Lord Lucifer’s Disciple (Haberdashers Nights, Book 1)
By Sue London

~ Amazon ~

Miss Amelia Lands a Duke (A Prequel to the Caversham Chronicles)By Sandy Raven

~ Amazon ~

Lady Northam’s Wicked Surrender (Wicked Liaisons, Book 1)
By Vivienne Westlake

~ Amazon ~

My Rating:

Blog Tour and Review: Rushing Into Love by Ashelyn Drake

Welcome to my stop on the Campus Crush Series Blog tour!

~*~

Title: Rushing Into Love
Author: Ashelyn Drake
Published: September 10th 2013
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

As a college junior, Mindy Stanton has no interest in dating a freshman.

That is until Ben Whitmore shows up and serenades his way into her heart at the dorm social she’s running. And after hearing him sing, even Mindy can’t deny that he has a deep, sexy voice that makes her melt.

Even though Mindy makes it clear that she doesn’t date younger guys, Ben pursues her anyway. After all, he doesn’t seem like the typical college freshman, who is only interested in hooking up, partying until he can’t remember his name, or joining a frat. He’s a gentleman, a romantic, and definitely knows all the right things to say to sweep a girl off her feet.

So Mindy drops her guard. She allows herself to fall for him. Before she knows it, Ben is all she can think about. To her, he’s perfect.

But it doesn’t take Mindy long to discover that even the most perfect guys…

Have secrets.

My Thoughts:

All three of these novels sounded good, so it was hard for me to pick just one. This one intrigued me the most, maybe because of how Ben sounds in the synopsis. In any case, this was a very enjoyable story.

While the whole point of this story is very much instalove, I couldn't help but be drawn in to Mindy's life and how she views Ben. He's kind of undeniable when it comes to his sweetness and charm, I can see why it was hard for her to resist him. Especially the whole being serenaded thing. *swoon* Then she's given a smack to the face by Ben's secret, which, to be completely honest, I knew long before she knew. But there is more to the secret than anyone knows.

Rushing Into Love is a cute read. While I did pretty much predict how things would turn out, I still had fun enjoying the ride that led to the end. The reason why, I think, is because it is a shorter story, so the plot had to move faster. I might be checking out more of Ashelyn Drake's books in the near future because of this one.

My Rating:

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The Books:

Romancing the R.A. by Ashelyn Drake

Behind Closed Doors by Ashelyn Drake

Rushing Into Love by Ashelyn Drake

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About the Author:

Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. While it’s rare for her not to have either a book in hand or her fingers flying across a laptop, she also enjoys spending time with her family. She believes you are never too old to enjoy a good swing set and there’s never a bad time for some dark chocolate.

~ Ashelyn Drake's Website ~

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Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://bit.ly/1ieJ4Mm

Review and Giveaway: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Marie Landry

Title: The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Author: Marie Landry
Published: November 5th 2013
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, right? At least that’s what twenty-year-old Ginny Bailey’s grandmother always told her, and Ginny believed it until Grama died. She even put on a brave face the following two Christmases, carrying on Grama’s traditions and decorating her house and café with Grama’s favorite decorations.

But Ginny can’t pretend any longer. When she finds out she’s going to be alone for the holidays this year, her Christmas spirit goes out the window, along with her luck. Everything that can go wrong does, and Ginny just wants to spend the holidays hiding under the covers...until Dean Riley comes back into her life. With their shared past, old feelings begin to resurface almost immediately, and Ginny thinks Dean might just be the Christmas miracle she’s been waiting for to help her remember why Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year.

My Thoughts:

To this day, I have not read a single Marie Landry book that I didn't like. I think it's impossible for me not to enjoy her work. And I have a feeling this trend will keep continuing. This story shows that she can even write a novella and make it amazing.

It's impossible to not feel for Ginny and everything she's going through. There are so many things that keep going against her original plans, it's hard to stay positive. Enter Dean Riley, this wonderful guy she spend a great summer with years ago. It's hard for Ginny to not have her feelings come back, those kind of feelings are hard to fight. There's a lot more to the story than rekindling an old friendship into something more, there are other great friendships and relationships explored, including family. There's even some hilarious moments (*cough snowball fight cough*) that I just LOVED and couldn't help but laugh.

While The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is a quick read, it is an adorable one. This story shows the value of friends and family and the importance they have in our lives, no matter what time of the year it is. Marie Landry never stops being awesome. If you're looking for a well-written, heartwarming story for those cold days, pick this up, along with some hot chocolate and cookies. Because. Cookies. Seriously. It makes everything awesomer.

My Rating:

Giveaway

I am hosting a giveaway in honor of release day for TMWTOTY. For this giveaway, here is what you will win:

Looks good, huh?! Here's the official rules/guidelines for the giveaway:

1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is for US only. (Sorry, international followers!)
4. This contest runs from November 5th through 18th.
5. Winner will be selected at 12:01 a.m. on November 19th via Rafflecopter random selection.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton

Title: Snowed Over
Author: Angie Stanton
Published: October 12th 2012
Source: Purchased
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

To college student, Katie Brandt, ‘Home for the Holidays’ sounds like hell. When her parents separated, their holiday traditions shattered like a dropped ornament. What could be worse than celebrating Christmas with her suddenly single mom and mom’s new boyfriend?

Alex Walker, an engaged 20-year-old, dreads going home for his own reasons. He has a daunting task ahead of him and wishes he could skip the holidays altogether. So when a friend of a friend needs a ride north, Alex finds that having beautiful Katie seated by his side proves to be just the distraction he needs.

A simple ride home for Christmas turns into a nightmare when light snow rages into a full-scale blizzard. Katie and Alex find themselves stranded, and a vacant cabin becomes a haven from the storm.

Under different circumstances, time alone with Alex would be the ultimate Christmas gift, but Katie knows Alex is engaged and she must hide her growing attraction.

However, Alex harbors a secret that just might change this holiday from the worst Christmas ever, to the best.

My Thoughts:

When I saw this, I thought it sounded like a cute little story. And since it's a novella, it's a quick and easy read. I was right on all the above, but I was also surprised with a little bit more depth than expected for such a short story.

Alex and Katie are a pretty cute pairing. Once they end up stranded, it's only a matter of time before they open up. Of course, considering Alex is engaged you know you shouldn't be hoping for something to happen between him and Katie. And yet, knowing the background of the situation, you pull for it all to work out in the end. The way their romance blooms is adorable and sweet. Despite the obstacles they face, and the problems they're dealing with in their real life and at the moment, you can tell they know it means something more. Yet, once they're rescued, what does that mean for their future now?

Snowed Over, while formulaic, was actually a great story. It was a nice book to sit back and enjoy. I mean, being stuck with a cute boy in a cabin in the middle of nowhere? Yes, please. I would like to see how Angie Stanton handles a full length novel if she can do so well at a novella.

My Rating: