Articles

Book Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

  it-ends-with-us-9781501110368_hr 

 

IT ENDS WITH US

BY COLLEEN HOOVER

 

“Colleen Hoover reminds readers that love is a fragile thing, built from courage, hope, and tears. Every person with a heartbeat should read this book.”
– Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author

 

Visit www.ItEndsWithUsBook.com for teasers, tour dates and more.

ABOUT IT ENDS WITH US:
Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.
As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. 
With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

 

62435-addtogoodreads

 


11109_408567071_hr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of SlammedThis GirlPoint of RetreatHopelessLosing HopeFinding CinderellaMaybe SomedayUgly LoveMaybe Not, and Confess. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. Please visit ColleenHoover.com

 

 

FIND COLLEEN ONLINE: 
Website   |   Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram

 


Book Review

 

*This was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*

Wow. I feel like I preface every Colleen Hoover review with that simple word yet it’s generally the best way I can describe how I feel immediately following my “CoHoma” (aka the Colleen Hoover induced haze/shock that immediately follows reading one of her books). This was super complex and deeply personal. I cried a lot of ugly tears…mostly toward the latter part of the book, but definitely not surprising because her books always get to me somehow. I don’t know this woman, I’ve never met her, I know her the way most readers do, through her words and let me tell you if you follow anything about her, you’ll know just how kind and generous she seems. Reading this book made me feel as though I knew a deeper part of her and it may sound weird, but I saw some of the best in her through this one book. She manages to make you question everything you ever think you knew by simply making her characters so human. You fall in love with them, you take journeys with them, your heart is sometimes broken by their actions, but in the end you have a better understanding of not only them, but yourself. This is what It Ends With Us does to the reader, it allows you to not only engage in a wonderfully complex journey, but it also makes you do some soul searching.

 

I’ve followed her work since Slammed and have been an avid fan ever since, I go through the same process with every release…asking questions like, “is this my new Colleen favorite?” and then grunting or sighing because I know rating or ranking any of her work is pointless because everything she writes is golden. There has never been a bad Colleen Hoover book and I’m convinced there never will be. Her books are generally very poignant, thought provoking, usually witty and always ; her characters are perfectly flawed, they have depth and their stories generally shock you into a “CoHoma” (this is my new word and I’m sticking to it because her books are spellbinding). It Ends With Us is different in that it pushes limits, makes you question yourself and what decisions you would make if you were any of these characters. This isn’t very different from most of her books because she always shocks me, but her voice and the plot twists combined are completely unparalleled. This was a tough read in so many ways for me because it was so relatable. For many who pick this book up you might have been through something similar or chances are you know someone that has. You may have even judged, commented or witnessed something similar, regardless of the how, I’m betting that you will relate in some way. When you realize how easily black and white can turn to grey it is then that you will understand what it truly means to unravel the mystery that is a Colleen Hoover read. She finds a way to make even the most difficult situations real and creates a challenge for the reader by daring them to confront ugly truths or in this case naked truths.

 

Lily is an incredibly strong character that will both inspire and transform you. I’m afraid to say this was Colleen Hoover’s best work yet, but because of how personal it is I have to applaud her for sharing such a difficult yet brilliant story with her readers. There are a handful of books I’ve read with similar storylines and they’ve never gotten to me to this degree. I hate to be so vague, but this story is worth withholding the plot, the summary does not begin to explain what you will go through reading this, but it is worth every second. Although the end seems final and complete (and totally perfect) somehow I hope she somehow is inspired to continue this as a series or at least a novella. I hope you all will take a chance on this one it is probably on my top 5 best reads of all time and might be my favorite book published in 2016. This book is heavy at times, but if you pick up one book this year please please please let it be It Ends With Us. I promise you won’t regret it.

 

It Ends With Us releases Tuesday, August 2, 2016 (that’s right less than 24 hours) get your pre-orders in now and be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy!
~ Happy Reading Lovelies ~

 

image011

 

 

Grab your copy of IT ENDS WITH US:

 

Amazon   |   Barnes & Noble   |   B-A-M   |   iBooks   |   IndieBound   |   Kobo   |   GooglePlay   |   Nook

 

IT ENDS WITH US

BY COLLEEN HOOVER

http://www.itendswithusbook.com/

Atria Books Paperback | 384 pages | ISBN: 9781501110368 | August 2, 2016 | $16.00

eBook: 384 pages | ISBN: 9781501110375 | $7.99

 


Now for the fun….the #ItEndsWithUs Contest!

Enter the Rafflecopter  to win a signed copy of IT ENDS WITH US and a limited edition Everything’s Better in Boston magnet (trust us, you’ll get it after you read the book)! (3 prize bundles in total) Contest is open until August 26th

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Don’t miss Colleen on tour for IT ENDS WITH US

 

 

BOSTON, MA
Tuesday, August 2nd
BROOKLINE BOOKSMITH
7:00 PM
279 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02446
www.brooklinebooksmith.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1765869680321385/

 

MADISON, NJ
Wednesday, August 3rd
SHORT STORIES COMMUNITY BOOK HUB
7:00 PM
23 Main Street
Madison, NJ 07940
www.shortstoriesnj.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1816436548588340/

 

NEW YORK, NY
Thursday, August 4th
STRAND BOOK STORE
7:00 PM
828 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
www.strandbooks.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1266828406680888/

 

CINCINNATI, OH
Friday, August 5th
JOSEPH-BETH BOOKSELLERS
7:00 PM
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
www.josephbeth.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/277088292641430/

 

CHICAGO, IL
Saturday, August 6th
ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP
2:00 PM
Meiley-Swallow Hall
On the campus of North
Central College 31 S Ellsworth Street
Naperville, IL  60540
http://www.andersonsbookshop.com/
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/260878437616737/

 

LOS ANGELES, CA
Sunday, August 7th
CHEVALIER’S BOOKS
6:30 PM
126 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90004
www.chevaliersbooks.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/260712770964176/

 

PHOENIX, AZ
Monday, August 8th
CHANGING HANDS BOOKSTORE
7:00 PM
6428 S. McClintock Drive
Tempe, AZ 85283
www.changinghands.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1188482081195713/

 

HOUSTON, TX
Tuesday, August 9th
BARNES & NOBLE – Town & Country
7:00 PM
12850 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77024
www.barnesandnoble.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1755063464713808/

 

DALLAS, TX
Wednesday, August 10th 
HALF PRICE BOOKS
7:00 PM
5803 E. Northwest Hwy
Dallas, TX 75231
www.halfpricebooks.com
RSVP and details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1714556692137769/

 


image004

 

Book Review: After the Rain by Renée Carlino

after-the-rain-9781476763996_hr

 

From the USA Today bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.  

 

62435-addtogoodreads

After the Rain tore me up in the best way possible. Sexy, sweet, and sad…Nate and Avelina’s story is one that goes straight to my list of all-time favorites.”
–A.L. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author 
In AFTER THE RAIN, eighteen-year-old Avelina Belo meets a charismatic cowboy the summer before her senior year of high school, not knowing that accepting his invitation to dinner will lead to a whirlwind marriage three months later and an exciting new life on a Montana ranch. She also doesn’t know that, in a few short years, fate will send everything crashing down around her.
A thousand miles away and fresh out of medical school, Nate Meyers is poised to become UCLA’s next superstar heart surgeon. His laser focus is the key to his success, but it’s also his greatest liability. When a routine surgery ends in disaster, derailing his career, he’s confronted with the hard truth: there’s no one waiting for him at home, no one to help him pick up the pieces.
Regrouping on his uncle’s Montana ranch, Nate meets Avelina, a beautiful, but mysterious young woman who keeps to herself and barely speaks a word. As he discovers the details of her devastating past, Avelina teaches him more about matters of the heart than he ever knew before. But can they trust each other enough to put everything on the line?
More information here

Book Review 

 *This was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*

 “No matter how devastating the storm may be, after the rain you’ll always find new life sprouting in the aftermath.”
To be completely honest with you all, I was a blubbering mess less than 20% into reading this book. I don’t even know how that’s possible, but one thing I am certain of is that Renée Carlino has solidified her place on my list of favorite authors.
 
I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it in a matter of hours. I laughed, I cried, I swooned and I repeat.  After the Rain is a tragic and beautiful story about love, loss and redemption.  It will take you on an emotional, often insightful journey. Renée Carlino writes beautifully. There is a depth to her characters that will leave you spellbound and utterly hopeful. She captures the voices of two shattered people who have lost their way and are trying to navigate the waters of life. Her delivery is absolutely flawless.
 
Avelina Belo has met unthinkable tragedies in her life. For someone so young her demons are heavy and have utterly dragged her into an abyss. She’s grown up quickly and the load she carries is heavy. She often punishes herself for actions that are beyond her control. Avelina’s life has become nothing, but a series of repeated tasks. She closes herself off to everyone, creating a lonely existence. It isn’t until Nate’s world collides with her own that she begins to see a life beyond the pain.
 
Nathaniel Meyer’s has had an easy and happy life for the most part. He’s followed in his father’s footsteps. After graduating medical school, he throws himself into his work focusing on becoming a great heart surgeon not realizing his confidence might be his greatest weakness. Nate’s desire to climb the ranks has left him lacking in areas that matter, like life experience, human contact and stopping to appreciate the world around him. After a disastrous day at work, Nate takes a much-needed break finding himself on the same ranch in Montana as Avelina. He’s curious about her and attempts to befriend her. Nate feels her turmoil almost instantaneously and aches to ease her pain, but how can he? She’s closed herself off to the world barely allowing anyone a glimpse into her life or her heart. Nate’s dealing with his own battles, but Avelina interests him and he doesn’t give up trying to break her from her shell.
 
These two can’t begin to imagine the impact they will have on one another. Hearts get involved; things get complicated, but is there any way each can mend their heart and find happiness in a world full of pain? After the Rain is an achingly beautiful story that is as unpredictable as it is gratifying. It will leave you guessing until the very last page. Avelina and Nate’s dual perspective gives this book a life of its own, one that you will step into, consume and cherish until the last page. I highly recommend this to all Contemporary Romance readers that like a deeply moving story with a dash of angst.
 
 

Renee CarlinoABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Renée Carlino lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog, June. When she’s not at the beach
with her boys or working on her next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.
To learn more, visit ReneeCarlino.com.
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Goodreads 

 

 


AFTER THE RAIN by Renee Carlino
Paperback | On sale: November 11, 2014 | ISBN: 9781476763996 | 304 pages | $15.00
eBook: | ISBN: 9781476764009 | $7.99

 

Order Now:

 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Books-a-Million  |  IndieBound  |  Apple  |  Blio  |  Google

 

UK Links: 

 

Amazon  |  Waterstones  |  WHSmith  |  Foyles  |  Google  |  Kobo  |  Apple

 

AUS Links:

 

Bookworld  |  Booktopia  |  Apple  |  Amazon  |  Kobo  |  Google

Book Review of Robin York’s Deeper (Caroline & West, #1)

Deeper2-FullSize 

Synopsis 

In this New Adult debut by Robin York, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.
 
When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.
 
West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.
 
They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.
 
When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Advance praise for Deeper
 
“The perfect new adult story . . . West will make you swoon!”New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy
 
“Beautifully written and full of swoony tender moments, toe-curling chemistry, and delicious, twisty angst . . . Stop whatever you’re doing and read this book.”—Christina Lauren, author of the Beautiful Bastard series

62435-addtogoodreads 

Review

I fell in love with Deeper and was utterly heartbroken by the pain these characters endured. This is a book that will leave you wanting more. I don’t know how I’ll get through the next few months waiting on Harder, book two in the series.

I absolutely adore West. He is definitely my new book boyfriend! The spark between Caroline and West is so strong my kindle nearly burst into flames. There were some pretty intense moments between these two and after reading this book I can only say, I want West. I want someone to love me that deeply, that intensely.  Fictional guys always seem so perfect don’t they? West, however, is far from perfect, in fact he fucks up…a lot. The way he redeems himself is worth every agonizing, sexually frustrating moment that leads up to it. Yeah, I’m gonna leave you hanging there…sorry.  You’ll just have to read it, trust me…worth every minute!

Caroline Piasecki fell for the wrong man, no, she TRUSTED the wrong man and is betrayed as a result. She spends three years of her life loving him, appeasing him, being good to him, but when Caroline realizes she doesn’t want to be with Nate anymore, she decides to end their relationship. She even believes there is a chance they’ll remain friends, but Nate has other plans. After a seemingly amicable breakup, Caroline receives word that her photos have been posted online and distributed to students at Putnam. The photos are pretty demeaning and as much as Caroline would like them to go away, the damage has already been done. 

Caroline can’t prove that Nate posted the photos, but she knows they were intimate acts, private moments now on display for anyone who has access to the internet. Caroline is mortified. She’s suddenly gone from good girl to ‘slut’. She’s the youngest daughter of a judge. How can she hide this from getting back to her father? What will he think? Caroline is the one who wants to follow in his footsteps. She wants to go to law school, but how can she knowing these photos are out there. All she’s ever wanted is to go to school, get an internship and follow her dreams, but now her dreams have become a nightmare. She’s taunted every time she closes her eyes, every time a stranger looks her way. She can’t stop the comments, she blames herself and she can’t tune out the voices in her head…she’s read the comments online, she hears them everywhere she goes and doesn’t know how to turn them off. She’s barely getting by, but she is incredibly strong. This book shows Caroline’s strength in so many ways.

West Leavitt doesn’t need any distractions, his head is filled with enough. Caroline is his weakness, he can’t understand why, but she gets to him and as much as he hates to admit it, he needs her. West is intense, he’s focused and his priority is to remain at Putnam long enough to graduate. What he doesn’t factor into those plans is Caroline and the way his world will be turned upside down by just allowing her in.  They’re not friends, they bake, they talk, they listen and they part ways. The routine they’ve built for themselves becomes necessary and lines begin to blur. How far is too far, how much is too much? What will it take to bring them together? What will it take to tear them apart?

Deeper is a poignant story that explores revenge porn and how Caroline grows after experiencing what could be seen as her worst nightmare come true. She’s an incredibly strong woman and by the end of the book seems even more empowered than the broken girl we meet in the beginning. Robin York creates a hauntingly beautiful story that explores what its like to find a deep, passionate, earth shattering love in the midst of pain. While I really admire Caroline and her story, West definitely has his own story to tell and I hope Harder gives us more insight into his character. 

This is an incredible debut and I highly recommend this book to all my New Adult fans. This is an absolute must read! 

buylinkamazonbuylinkbnibooks_icon

3_small_color

About the Author 

Robin York grew up at a college, went to college, signed on for some more college, and then married a university professor. She still isn’t sure why it didn’t occur to her to write New Adult sooner. Writing as Ruthie Knox, she is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, including RITA-finalists About Last Night and Room at the Inn. She moonlights as a mother, makes killer salted caramels, and sorts out thorny plot problems while running, hiking, or riding her bike.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giveaway:

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour

Deeper Blog Tour

January 24

Romance Addict – Excerpt & Review
Stories & Swag – Review
Fictitious Delicious – Review

January 25

Dream Within A Dream – Playlist
Behind Closed Covers – Review
The Procrastinator’s Corner – Review

January 26
Three Girls & A Book Obsession – Review
The Book Lovers Codex – Review
Kats Read – Review

January 27

Shelf Pleasure – Author Interview
Stay Bookish – Review
Hooked On Books – Review

January 28

Anna’s Book Blog  Review
Steamy Guys After Dark – Character Interview (West) & Review
Sticky Reads – Review

January 29

Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt & Review
A Novel Idea – Review
Forever Me Romance – Review

January 30

All Romance Reviews – Review
Bookish Treasures – Guest Post & Review
The Reading Date – Review

January 31

XPresso Reads – Dream Cast & Review
The Indie Express – Review

February 1

Books To Light Your Fire – Review
Electively Paige – Guest Post

February 2

BiblioBelles – Review
Reading Between the Wines – Excerpt
Confessions of a BookWhore – Review

February 3

Starbucks N Books Obsession – Excerpt & Review
FicTalk – Review
Not Everyone’s Mama – Review

February 4

Books Over Boys – Author Interview
I Dare You To Read – Review
Reading A Little Bit Of Everything – Review

February 5

Fiction Fare – Guest Post
Dirty Girl Romance – Review
Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review

February 6

Stuck in Books – Character Interview (Caroline) & Review
Keep Calm & Read Romance – Review
Lustful Literature – Review
Falling in Fall Book Blog – Review

February 7

Books, Books, Books – Review
FicCentral – Review
Rumpled Sheets Blog – Review

February 8

Crazy Book Chicks – Review
A Life Bound By Books – Guest Post & Review

February 9

The Book Lovers – Review
Love Words N Books – Guest Post & Review
My Favorite Things – Review

February 10

Cocktails & Books -Excerpt & Review
Gone With The Words -Review
Nerd Alert Book Love -Review

 

Blogger Button

Love Waltzes In

Book1 Love Waltzes

Synopsis
To her millions of fans, ballroom champion Selena Marcil seems to have the perfect life: a great dance partner, a hit reality show, and celebrity perks. But underneath the glamorous ball gowns, Selena longs to find someone to share her life with when the stage lights dim.
Selena’s childhood sweetheart, Bret Lord, hung up his dance shoes after winning two national titles with her as a teenager, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He never saw his former fiancée again, except on television and on the cover of men’s magazines. Ten years and three deployments later, Bret gets an offer to audition for Selena’s dance show. When the Marine Corps gives him temporary leave to appear on the series, Bret can’t refuse the quick cash that will enable him to provide financially for the widow of his buddy, even if it does mean coming face to face with his past.
When Bret shows up at her national championship, Selena is shocked. For years she searched for him to no avail. After spending time with Bret, Selena realizes despite their past romance, they have no future. He has no desire to live under a spotlight and she has no desire to leave it. Can Selena and Bret recognize when Love Waltzes In?

62435-addtogoodreads 
 Excerpt 

Staff Sergeant Bret Lord sat on the dirty floor of his tent, going through the day’s mail: the latest Men’s Fitness magazine from his sister, a care package from his mom. He ripped open the package—socks, lip balm, sunflower seeds, and a thin letter that contained an old magazine clipping.

Dear Bret,

I miss you very much. Benny asked me to send you this article. I really wish you would consider his offer. Please stay safe.

Love, Mom

He swallowed hard. A neon sticky pressed on the wrinkled page had a note scrawled on it from his former master dance coach.

Bret, m’boy,

We’ll make it worth your time.

Cheers, Benny.

Thumbing the edge of the article, Bret stared at the sixteen-year-old boy in the picture and could barely recognize himself. His shoulder length, wavy blond hair was slicked back, not shorn in a “high and tight” like his current haircut. No signs of the tattoos or muscles that currently defined his body. Golden skin stained from a bottle, not the harsh sun of Iraq. His arms were wrapped around a gorgeous, curvy young girl with long jet-black hair. The jade Latin gown she wore matched the color of her almond-shaped eyes.

Bret tossed the article aside and removed his nine-mil pistol from his holster to clean it.

Lance Corporal Hernandez walked by Bret and snatched the article off his cot. After staring at it, Hernandez’s face brightened.

“Hey, Staff Sergeant, this you?”

“No, it’s my clone who’s also named Bret Lord.” Bret slid the rail back on his weapon and began disassembling it.

“Staff Sergeant, you know Selena Marcil? Did you hit that?”

“Shut up, Hernandez, or the one getting hit will be you—with the butt stock of my rifle.” Bret grabbed the paper out of Hernandez’s hands, and smacked him on the side of the head. The kid didn’t flinch.

“Staff Sergeant Twinkle Toes. Hey—can you hook me up with Selena? I’ll be her boy toy. I love her. Man, she’s smoking. Has the nicest ass. Not like all those skinny, Russian chicks on that show.” He nodded to himself with an eyebrow dancing. “Selena’s on my list. She’s Latina, too. We’d be perfect together. What was she doing with a gringo like you?”

“Hernandez, you’re way out of line.” Bret reassembled his pistol.

“My bad, Staff Sergeant.”

Bret grabbed the article, his pack, and his rifle. It was impossible to get some privacy in the tent. His only option was to sit outside in a sandstorm but even that sounded like a welcome retreat from his immature men. He walked about five hundred feet, then plopped down in the hot sand.

The red sky hung above him, thick from smoke from the nearby town. Bret struggled to catch a glimpse of the distant mountains. Sand seemed to pelt down from the heavens, blinding him and settling into every crevice in his body. He closed his eyes against the sting of the sand, and turned his thoughts to Selena. Was she the diva the tabloids made her out to be? Even after ten years, he could almost smell her buttery-coconut scent. A welcome change from the overflowing shitters, toxic diesel, and stench of his fellow Marines who hadn’t bathed in three weeks.  

 

Review

Love Waltzes In is a great read about first love and second chances. It shadows the lives of both Selena Marcil and Bret Lord two ballroom dancers and former flames. The story covers a bit of their past,  their present and a hopeful yet uncertain future.

The story begins with Bret who is deployed as a marine in Iraq. He is currently a staff sergeant and has been requested to appear on a reality show by a former dance coach. Bret loves his job and doesn’t want to get back into the world he hated. He doesn’t want fame or money, but when he loses a buddy in battle he begins to consider the offer. He promised his friend if anything ever happened to him that he’d look after his family. Bret is a man of his word and he intends to do everything in his power to help. While he has no desire to reenter the world of ballroom dancing, he agrees knowing the financial support he’d gain by dancing on the show would significantly help his friend’s family.  He vows to do one season, in and out, but as simple as he believes it will be he has no idea what awaits him. He knows being on the show will bring him in contact with his first love and former flame, Selena Marcil.

Selena called off their engagement nearly ten years ago and while he has been haunted by her decision Bret has never fully understood what caused her to pull back and leave him. Selena has a secret one she knows might change the way Bret sees her and although she fears his reaction, she never got a chance to explain. Although she sought him out he didn’t want to be found. He threw himself into his job and was proud to serve as a Marine, but her decisions have haunted her and she wants an opportunity to discuss the past while Bret is looking forward to moving on and leaving the past behind. Will it be that simple or will the past and present collide?

This book is a beautiful story, but I found that some moments moved a bit too fast paced and some things were abrupt leaving me little chance to react. The book is a quicker read, so I also think this is why some moments were a bit rushed, however, I found the book to be an overall good read. I found myself entranced by the story, the characters, the competition, the build up and rooting for these two. Selena’s decisions at times made me want to shake some sense into her and while I do love her character, I felt she is a bit naive at times. 

As I neared the final chapters I felt as though I were actually watching a reality show. I wanted to know who would win and what would happen. I wasn’t disappointed, this story is everything you look for in a good romance novel. It has love, loss, a touch of drama and even some funny moments. The relationships between the characters is an interesting blend and although I expected a lot more competition and hatred, the dancers all seemed like one big (dysfunctional at times) family ℓσℓ 

I highly recommend this book to romance/contemporary romance readers especially those who appreciate dancing, It’s fun, fresh and you’ll fall in love…especially with Bret! 

Purchase Love Waltzes In:

buylinkamazonbuylinkbnitunes-store-logo

Follow the Tour

 

Author Pic

About the Author
Alana Albertson is the former President of both Romance Writers of Americas’s Young Adult and Chick Lit chapters and the founder of Academe Advantage, a college admissions & test preparation company. Alana Albertson holds a Masters of Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Stanford University. A recovering professional ballroom dancer, Alana currently writes contemporary romance and young adult fiction. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, two young sons, and four dogs. When she’s not spending her time needlepointing, dancing, or saving dogs from high kill shelters through Pugs N Roses, the rescue she founded, she can be found watching episodes of House Hunters, Homeland, or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  

 

Giveaway ($25.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Dirty Dozen

Below are a list of my Top 12 must read picks.
They are listed in no particular order. If you don’t see a book that you absolutely loved chances are: a) I haven’t read it yet or b) we have a difference of opinion.
For more info on a book click on the image below.

Happy Reading!

1298884682040051572223311096647 160812721605640815704001157179431783210517848167Take This Regret_new.inddCharadeMock

%d bloggers like this: