Tuesday, December 10, 2013

On Solid Ground blog tour: Review & Giveaway




On Solid Ground
by Michelle Kemper Brownlow
(In Too Deep #2)
Publication date: December 3rd 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
On Solid Ground on Goodreads here.
Synopsis:
Gracie survived an emotionally abusive relationship that wrecked her. Her ex, Noah, systematically chipped away at her self-esteem through intimidation, humiliation and infidelity which left Gracie unable to trust her own perception of his intentions. But after falling head over heels for Jake, her best friend and the man who stood by her through it all, she is ready to experience life in the way it was meant to be lived.  However, Gracie may find it impossible to simultaneously heal from the trauma of abuse while navigating a relationship with Jake. Can she put her heart on hold in order to heal her soul?The sequel to the five-star debut novel, In Too Deep, chronicles Gracie’s steps toward healing as she falls deeper in love, reaches out for help, stands on her own, steps out of her comfort zone, faces her biggest fears, and reconnects with a sensual, talented soul from her past all in hopes of finding herself on solid ground.

Purchase Links: Amazon | B & N

My Thoughts:
Way better than book #1!

Although I much preferred sticking to Gracie's point of view, I thoroughly enjoyed getting Jake's perspective on events throughout On Solid Ground, and if anything I feel as though this man is too perfect. Seriously ladies, this man had me swooning quite a bit, Gracie is so lucky.

Speaking of Gracie, I found her a much more tolerable character in this second instalment, she's still very insecure and lacks self-esteem, but she's also grown quite a bit, and doesn't allow others to walk over her like she did in book #1.

The chemistry between these two is sizzling! And I'm so glad we get to see Jake and Gracie together through much of the book, not to get too cheesy, but these two really do seem to be "on solid ground" this time around.

I will be rereading this instalment quite a bit, because I have developed a huge crush on Jake, thanks so much to Michelle for creating such a sexy hero!

New adult fans should really this title a chance, it's filled with angst and romance, what more could you ask for?! haha

Happy Reading!!!
About the Author:
Michelle Kemper Brownlow has been a storyteller her entire life. Her debut was on the
high school cheerleading bus granting requests to re-tell her most embarrassing moments for a gaggle of hysterical squadmates.

Earning her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in Art Education and then marrying her very own “Jake,” she moved to Binghamton, NY where she taught high school. After having two children she quit work and finished her Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Binghamton University.

The Brownlow family of four moved to Michelle’s hometown of Morgantown, PA while the children were still quite young. A few years after moving, her family grew by one when they welcomed a baby into their home through the gift of adoption. The family still resides in PA, just miles from where that high school cheer bus was parked.

Michelle has been an artist for as long as she can remember, always choosing pencils and crayons over toys and puzzles. As a freelance illustrator, her simple characters play the starring roles in numerous emergent reader books published by Reading Reading Books.

“Writing is my way of making sense of the world. When I give my characters life on the pages I write, it frees up space in my mind to welcome in new stories that are begging to be told,” says Brownlow.

Connect with Michelle: 

Giveaway time!!! Open to U.S. and Canada residents! Good luck to all who entered!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, December 6, 2013

Covert Assignment Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway



Covert Assignment 
by Missy Marciassa
Now Available!!!
Covert Assignment on Goodreads here.
Synopsis:
    Covert Assignment is a New Adult, Coming of Age Novel with a strong romantic element. Elle is ready for graduation and full-fledged adulthood: no more living like the leftover of her parent’s divorce. She’s about to graduate with her degree in Information Science (the 21st century term for Library Science) and has a ten-year plan as well-designed as any model for analyzing metadata: earn her JD/MBA, enjoy a couple of years as a single professional, then marry her college sweetheart, Adam, and start her own family.
    Yet Elle feels like she returned to an alternate universe her final semester. There are pictures of Adam with a classmate who must be surgically enhanced, but he insists he wants Elle. CIA recruiters show up on campus, and they aren’t just interested in recruiting Elle for future employment: turns out she’s already working for them since they’re funding her thesis. Hot operative Preston Raddick is tasked to work with her. Preston isn’t just hot: he’s hot for Elle, but is he offering happy ever after or happy for right now? A fling with Preston could be the beginning of a new life plan, which is exciting and scary, especially with espionage thrown in. Elle needs a predictive model to tell her which decisions have the greater likelihood for happiness…
    Covert Assignment is about the unexpected turns life can take when making “adult” decisions.

Purchase Links: Amazon

My Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed Covert Assignment, and am so relieved that Missy won't be making us wait too long for books 2 and 3!

Elle was a great heroine, I found her very relatable. She wasn't whiny or a huge pushover, which was a huge relief (as I feel like this seems to be a recurring theme in New Adult titles). Although I have to admit I'm not a huge math whizz like Elle, I enjoyed watching the adventures her brain and skills got her into.

Preston is sexy but elusive and can I just mention how much I LOVE the name of this guy, it just sounds sexy! Haha. There's some serious chemistry between these. Plenty of steamy moments to be had and I can't wait to see where Missy will take them next. Especially after that ending!

HOWEVER now many who have already read Covert Assignment might disagree with on this, but I flippin LOVE Adam. I know I should hate him, but I can't, and I really hope there's more of him in the next instalments.

Covert Assignment is a fresh contemporary New Adult pick that many Romance fans are sure to love, and it's a real quick read. Go order your copy!

Happy Reading!!!

About the Author:

Missy Marciassa loved getting lost in novels from the time she could read, so it’s no surprise she wanted to write. Her very first “novels” were re-writing the books she read to get the endings she wanted in second grade. Missy continued to read and write through grade school and high school.

After becoming rather disillusioned with fiction after writing literary criticism as an English major in college, however, Missy focused on her enjoyment of learning about people and studied psychology. Reading fiction fell to the wayside with all the reading and writing required for college and graduate school, but once Missy became a doctoral candidate, she rediscovered her love of fiction. Then she started getting the urge to write, an urge that wouldn’t go away (she refuses to diagnose it as a compulsion). CovertAssignment is the end result of that urge.

Connect with Missy:

Grand prize giveaway
Prize (open internationally): 
 a $25 Visa gift card


Special thanks to Missy and Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to participate in this tour!