Carries Book Reviews

Montana Secret Santa by Debra Salonen
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Krista Martin had just not been getting into the Christmas spirit yet this holiday season but when she has a a run in with tech genius Jonah Andrews then finds the pair signed up to co-chair Marietta’s Secret Santa Society Krista finds herself slowly finding the holiday spirit.

Montana Secret Santa is the third book in the Love at the Chocolate Shop series. Each book can be read as a standalone since they all feature different couples. But the setting in this series is one that carries over many different series as it takes place in the lovely small town of Marietta, Montana so you do get a glimpse of the holiday events and some previous characters from this and other series set in this town.

Marietta is such a charming place that I would find it very hard to dislike any book taking place there especially during the holiday season with all the events going on. But with this particular couple I found myself taking a bit of time warming up to Krista and Jonah. Perhaps it was both of them being so business orientated or some other delay but this one started off a bit slow to me.

In the end I decided to give it 3.5 stars, still a nice little holiday read in a lovely town but it just took me a bit longer to fall in love with this couple than it normally does for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Billionaire Shifter’s Second Chance
Diana Seere
Publication date: December 5th 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal

A wildland firefighter — and mountain lion shifter — Edward is the youngest of the Stanton siblings, and hasn’t touched a woman in a decade, not since his late fiancée was killed in a violent tragedy.

But when he meets the sweet, adorable Molly Sloan, a friend of his new sister-in-law, Lilah… his determination to remain celibate begins to unravel.

Something about Molly is irresistible. Something about her makes him forget the past… and hear the Beat. But Edward will have to fight for her — forces are gathering to use her in ways that might separate them forever.

The Billionaire Shifter’s Second Chance is the third book in the Billionaire Shifters Club series by Diana Seere, the paranormal pen name for two New York Times and USA Today bestselling romantic comedy authors. This book is a standalone *within* a series.

* * *

Welcome to the most exclusive club in the world. The Novo Club. Novo is Latin for “change.” Our members prefer the word “shift” though.

It’s the hottest club in town.

The price of membership is your heart and your secrecy.

All you need to do to join is to be loved beyond your wildest imagination by someone powerful with an…alpha side so primal it’s in their blood.

Are you ready?

Good. Then let’s begin.

The Billionaire Shifters Club is a new series featuring the five Stanton siblings, four brothers and one sister who are all part of an ancient shifter family living in modern America. The subterranean club-within-a-club beneath the streets of Boston, Massachusetts holds secrets only the Stantons and their fellow shifters know.

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—

EXCERPT:

“Why are you so twitchy?” Sophia asked.

The art exhibit for their brother’s paintings was quite lovely, but Edward Stanton was beginning to deeply regret being a supportive sibling. Leaving his home in Montana, where the air smelled like freedom and people didn’t glare – because there were so few actual people – and coming to this festering hellhole called Boston gave him good reason to twitch.

His sister’s words made him groan inwardly, though. If he told her the truth, she would belittle him. If he lied, she would smell it on him.

Of course she would. She was a bear shifter, with a nose most vintners would kill to possess. Sophia could smell emotions. She could sniff out subterfuge and intrigue, sex and anger. He was certain she could smell lottery ticket winners, if she tried.

Not that a billionaire heiress would need such a skill.

Edward steeled himself, wishing he could hide scent the way he had trained himself to hide emotion. Even shifters had limits, sadly.

“I’m tired. The jet seats weren’t comfortable,” he lied. A powerful hum from some sort of heating and cooling system kicked in, making his back teeth rattle. How much longer must he stay to be polite? The city was full of too many unexpected vibrations and jolts, sounds like jeers and mockery. His head began to throb, a steady beat taking over.

Sophia rolled her eyes and took a small pastry from a tray as a server passed by, stuffing it in her mouth. “You are the worst liar ever. Didn’t you learn a thing from Derry? You would never guess you’re brothers.”

Half brothers, he thought. Of the five Stanton children, Edward was the only one without a full sibling. He was also the only mountain lion shifter. He needed to roam. Desired space.

Craved land.

Downtown Boston, at an art gallery packed into a gentrified district where people lived in apartments the size of thumbnails, was the absolute opposite of what he wanted right now.

But they were here to support Derry in his art, and by God, he would fake his way through this.

Even if Derry just ditched them to reunite with his human mate, the limo speeding them off to Derry’s loft, leaving his cheerleading squad stuck in this gallery, eating overcooked rumaki and pretending to enjoy the other exhibits.

“I know you hate the city,” Sophia said, her voice dropping into a compassionate whisper. “But that was years ago, a random tragedy. We can help you. It’s sweet of you to come here for Derry.”

Edward’s body went cold. He didn’t want to talk about the past. And he certainly did not want to talk about the last time he was in Boston.

“Super sweet!” Molly, his sister-in-law’s friend, approached him and Sophia, her bright blue eyes overly friendly, cheeks flushed with excitement or wine. Or both.

His body responded to her presence, skin heating up, muscles expanding as blood pumped with a ferocious, almost-unfair speed designed to make him ready for…

For something he’d given up a decade ago.

Author Bio:

Diana Seere was raised by wolves in the forests outside Boston and San Francisco. The only time she spends in packs these days is at romance writing conventions. In truth, Diana is two New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors who decided to write shifter romance and have more fun. You can find “her” on Facebook at Diana Seere’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/dianaseere. Sign up for her New Releases and Sales email newsletter here: eepurl.com/beUZnr

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All the While
Gina Azzi
(The Senior Semester Series, #3)
Publication date: January 17th 2017
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

Consumed with grief for her twin brother Adrian’s death, Maura Rodriguez is spinning out of control. To cope with Adrian’s loss, she numbs her pain with bottles of vodka and sex with random men.

Harboring guilt over his best friend Adrian’s death, Zack Huntington is yearning for a past that no longer exists. Reaching out to the familiarity and comfort an ex-girlfriend offers, Zack aims to recreate what once was but can never be again.

When their worlds collide while running on the trails along Boathouse Row, Maura and Zack find comfort in each other and in the memory of their shared connection—Adrian.

An unlikely friendship brimming with undeniable attraction blossoms into an unexpected romance. While Maura and Zack struggle to heal, to forgive, to accept, they also learn how to let go and allow themselves to fall in love, a truth they’ve both known but resisted all the while.

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Previous books in the series:

Author Bio:

Gina Azzi is the author of The Senior Semester Series and Corner of Ocean and Bay. A Jersey girl at heart, Gina has spent the last decade with an unquenchable thirst for travel, spurring many adventures abroad, before settling down in Ontario, Canada with her husband and daughter. A voracious reader and frequent daydreamer, Gina spends hours with her nose in a book or imagining up new characters. She loves to write YA and NA fiction with relatable, genuine characters experiencing real life surprises, grit, hope, friendship, and love.

Follow her on social media or contact her through http://www.ginaazzi.com.

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Seraphina’s Initiation
Sheena Hutchinson
(Seraphina, #2)
Publication date: February 2017
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Seraphina Cross is unexpectedly thrown into this crazy, spiritual world of Angels versus Demons.

Never did she expect to meet Nate who was just a figment of her imagination. Now she finds herself moving in with him because of her innate responsibility to protect her loved ones from harm.

Finally beginning to feel at home in her new house and with her new relationship. Nate begins training Sera in all that she can do, surprising even himself at times.Just when she is starting to feel safe and powerful, Lucifer finds a new way to attack her at her most vulnerable.

When her dreams are no longer a gift, can Sera control the powers needed to defeat what’s coming before Lucifer fulfills his promise to her?

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Author Bio:

Sheena is a born and raised New Yorker, even her writing can’t seem to hide her hard sarcasm. She claims destiny has lead her back to her true passion for writing.

She constantly strives to be a positive role model and writes stories that empower and inspire. Sheena always roots for the underdog, believes in love at first sight, and that everyone should have their happily ever after.

While God is currently still writing her love story, she continues to put all her effort into her writing as she is constantly getting new inspiration.

For more info, updates, and fun facts visit her website at http://www.SheenaHutchinson.com

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The Adventures of Natalie Bloom
Brooke Stanton
(Bloom Sisters, #2)
Publication date: December 2nd 2016
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Natalie’s dreams are about to come true. She’s found the perfect spot for her new restaurant and a perfect business partner to make it happen – gorgeous Luke Hawker – until she discovers things are not as they seem. Luke has run off with her money, leaving her dreams crumbling around her.

With Max Euston – her friend and secret crush -alongside her, Natalie must race against the clock to find Luke and get the money back before it’s too late.

With twists and turns, Natalie won’t know who to trust (or love) until the very last page.

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Here are some bonuses if you buy the book between Dec 2and Dec 6:

1: 75% off the retail price

2: entrance into an exclusive giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card

3: A FREE, advanced copy of The Downfall of Catie Bloom

The bonuses will be available in the table of contents under Bonus when you buy the eBook.

—

Q&A with Brooke Stanton

Tell us a little about yourself.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I used to keep notebooks filled with short stories starting in middle school. If I’m going to be completely honest they were filled with some pretty risqué stories. I was young and didn’t know much about romance or sex, but my aunt wrote romance novels and I used to sneak and read them, so I tried to emulate her. I didn’t really understand the subject matter. I don’t think I’d even kissed a boy, yet. Once I got to high school, I wrote more mainstream fiction in my spiral notebooks. They were never for anyone to see. Just my own enjoyment. I went to a performing arts high school and funnelled my creativity on stage at the time. But I always knew one day I would publish a book.

Why do you write?

I write for the same reason I used to get on stage and sing and act. It’s cathartic. I love diving into different stories and characters. It makes me feel alive.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

To have the freedom to write what I want in many different genres. I hope my readers love my books as much as I love writing them.

What has been the hardest part of building your career?

Being patient!

Which writers inspire you?

Jojo Moyes, Emily Giffin, Meg Cabot. All their stories and characters are interesting and unique and I love how their stories unfold. The love stories feel authentic and there’s always a bit of fun and laughter.

What have you written? (Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest).

My debut novel was the award-winning RomCom, The Misadventures of Catie Bloom. My follow-up novel is The Advenutres of Natalie Bloom, which is the second book in the Bloom Sisters series (but can be read as a stand-alone). I have a blog on my website that focuses on my writing career with day-to-day life anecdotes. When I was trying to get preggers, I had a humor blog called Vagina Vacancy. I also contributed to Natural Awakenings magazine and wrote a column for examiner.com.

What inspires your ideas?

Everything! No, really. I never know when an idea is going to hit; I could be on a plane, in a car, watching a movie, reading the newspaper, about to fall asleep. My phone is filled with notes of story ideas. I have at least a dozen. And they will all be written.

Are there any correlations between the books you write and your life experiences?

The Adventures of Natalie Bloom was largely inspired by my yearly trips to Red Frog Beach in Panama. My parents own a place there and it’s a beautiful, unique, inspiring location. The wheels in my head were turning every time I went down there and out of that came this book.

My novel, How to Survive New York on Three Dates a Week (co-written by Corinne Barlow), is the most biographical. Most of the stories are pulled right from our lives. It’s scheduled to be released in early 2018.

All my books have a few anecdotes I took either directly from my life or my friends. If you know me, read carefully…you may find a bit of your life staring back at you!

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you?

I used to write and see where the story took me. But I found writing for discovery without any kind of outline takes too long. Now I write a short outline before I write any book. It has done wonders for the speed in which I can write a book now. And there’s still a lot to discover, even with an outline.

Tell me about your most recent release.

It’s a romantic adventure about discovering what you and what you’ll do (and won’t do) to get. It’s a bit of romance, adventure, and mystery all tied together. Natalie Bloom discovers to get what she wants she has to fight for it and not be afraid to get hurt…a hard thing to do for all of us.

Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp? I don’t focus on a message as much as I focus on giving my readers something to indulge in, like sneaking a pint of rocky road ice cream and savouring every morsel as it slides down. But the most prominent theme in Natalie Bloom is not letting fear get in the way of living your life – stand up for what you want and go out and get it, no matter what the obstacles.

Any new projects we should look out for?

The third and final book in the series, The Downfall of Catie Bloom, is coming out in the summer of 2017.

Author Bio:

After her own misadventures in New York City, LA, and London, Brooke Stanton now lives in sunny South Florida. She’s an award-winning author who has contributed to Natural Awakenings Magazine, wrote a column for Examiner.com, and is the author of The Bloom Sisters series. Visit her website brookestantonbooks.com.

Get a FREE copy of the prequel, IGNITE, here: http://ilovemyfans.info/ignite-download/

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