Reading It All

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Relatively Close by Judy Serrano - Review and Giveaway

Title: Relatively Close
Author: Judy Serrano

Synopsis: Recovering from the latest family trauma has made the Montiago family wake up to the fact that their priorities have definitely been misplaced. With Max throwing himself into the depths of his work as an FBI operative, he inadvertently sends the wrong message to his wife and brothers. In Relatively Close, the third book of the series, Lilly fights for the attention of her husband, until it becomes painfully clear that she is up against a mistress way more powerful than the ones she has fought before. Keeping it relatively close is something with which Lilly is way too familiar. She turns her attentions to another, only to find out that the reality of the business, which has kept her dripping in diamonds and living in mansions, is nothing more than an ugly reminder of El Diablo anda suelto: The devil running loose.

My Thoughts: Lilly is at it again. I swear this woman needs to make up her mind. Which brother do you want? In this book, though, Lilly actually seems to have grown. She really just wants a quiet life for her and all her children, and the man she loves (if she can figure out which one!). Lilly is trying but I think fate (or the author) has it out for her. That poor girl never seems to catch a break.

Still love those Montiago men! In the first book, Easter's Lilly, I really didn't like Diego at all. Now I think he may be my absolute favorite. He is the rock in the family. Hmm...maybe I should be frustrated at the men for all wanting Lilly. Max was just frustrating at the start of this book, and then Hector was at the end. I swear these men go hot and cold so fast!

This book, this whole series really, is so fast paced! I swear every time one issue is solved another pops up. I was never once bored. I don't really think you could read this as a stand alone. You would miss all the dynamics that make up this family. I did really enjoy reading Relatively Close. I wonder how much more Serrano can come up with. She has one amazing imagination!

Rating:

If you would like to purchase your own copy of Relatively Close by Judy Serrano you can do so on Amazon. Or you can enter below for your chance to win an e-copy!

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi - Review

Title: Tomorrow Land
Author: Mari Mancusi
Publisher: NLA Digital Liaison Platform LLC
Publication Date: March 8, 2012

Synopsis: Can true love survive the end of the world?

Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. And now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.

All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.

Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones of a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgrimage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all the while attempting to save what's left of the human race?

My Thoughts: This is a very interesting dystopian novel. Throw in some zombies, a mad scientist, and two kids in love and you have an amazing book called Tomorrow Land. I was pulled right into this book from the very beginning. I loved how the book jumped between the past and the present. I really enjoyed all the glimpses of what had happened before. I also love that we got to read what was going on with Peyton and Chris. This book didn't just stay with one main character.

Peyton was so well written. She was so strong. She was a real fighter. I loved reading about her enhancements and her struggle with dealing with who they made her. If it was the end of everything she would definitely be someone to have around. At times she seemed just a little heartless in her constant need to get to her father. Really though, she is just trying to be tough.

Chris was a big mess. I still loved him but he was really struggling through this book. The poor guy was always blaming himself and he did some unsavory things. Like I said, I still loved his character. I think that Mancusi did a really good job of addressing his issues and still making him a lovable character.

The children that Chris and Peyton are caring for are fun to read about. All these poor children left in a world full of zombies. They were so brave. The other people that popped up along the way were so well written. I loved Helga's character. She was one smart girl. The zombies, or The Others, were amazing. Mancusi did such a great job of painting this picture of what happened to the people with the Super Flu.

This book was a really great read. I would definitely suggest it if you enjoy dystopians and zombies. The adventures in this book were amazing. There were rescues, a race against the clock, and romance. It is a great YA book that I think many people will enjoy.

Rating:

You can purchase your own copy of Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi from Amazon / Barnes & Noble

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hunter Moon by Cait Lavender - Review and Excerpt

Welcome to Reading It All's stop on the Hunter Moon tour hosted by Promotional Book Tours!

Title: Hunter Moon

Author: Cait Lavender

Synopsis: Bawling cattle tore Shelby Flint from her bed. With lawyer fees to pay in her struggle to keep her ranch from the clutches of her greedy cousins, she couldn’t afford the loss of even one calf. When she sees a large wolf circling her cows, she aims and fires. While the wolf escapes, Shelby can’t seem to get away from her troubles when a marijuana grower sets up shop on her land, sabotaging her property and eventually coming after her. Adding to that, a handsome game warden is poking his nose into her business and working his way underneath her skin. Shelby will have to fight harder than she ever fought before to keep from losing heart and everything she ever loved.

My Thoughts: Hunter Moon was a very good werewolf read. I really had a lot of fun reading it. I never knew what was going to happen next and I couldn't wait to find out.

Shelby is just an awesome female character! She is a fighter, she is strong, she stands on her own two feet, and needs no one. She was so much fun to read about. As she found herself attracted to Cash she was fighting so hard.

Cash is one hot man! I enjoyed reading about him. He was good looking, strong, and stubborn. He definitely had to be to keep up with Shelby!

The other characters throughout the book were great. I love Jesse! She is funny and knows how to handle Shelby's attitude. James was fun, too. He was so sure and cocky. I hope to learn more about him later.

There was so much happening in this book! Wolves, crimes all over the place, family drama, and a budding romance. It was so easy to get pulled into this book and stay stuck. I hope the next book is coming soon. I was so into this book that I was freaking out when it ended. My poor Kindle probably didn't appreciate the crazy tapping trying to get to that next page that didn't exist.

My Rating:

Excerpt:

I saw the warden's forest green Silverado when I pulled in, but no sign of the warden himself anywhere. I lowered the tailgate of the Blazer to let Reggie down and he took off toward the barn. I trusted his instincts and followed him and found an image I could use to warm the lonely, cold nights. On the trailer of alfalfa was a 6'4' Adonis. The man, or god, who I assumed was the warden, had his shirt off while he was unloading hay. His fantastic shoulders were bare and rippling as he unloaded bale after bale of hay. His biceps flexed as he squatted to pick up another and bless him, I had a front row seat to his fantastic rear.

The warden couldn't have been any older than late twenties or early thirties, and his golden skin just added to the Greek god effect he had going. Something stirred in me while I watched him work, something I had never felt before. Pure unadulterated lust. I wanted that man more than anyone in my whole life.

Irritated with my surging libido, I tamped down my unwelcome feelings as much as I could. I definitely didn't need that kind of complication in my life right now. He bent over and picked up another bale and I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from moaning. No man should look that delicious. I nodded my head in agreement with myself and continued to gawk. His shoulders were nearly twice as wide as mine, and his broad chest narrowed to flat, rippling abs and a trim waist.

In the ten minutes I supposed he'd been there he had almost the whole trailer unloaded, and it didn't even look like he'd broken a sweat. If I'd unloaded that much I would have been a puddle of exhausted goo. I stood there, staring at all his assets, for a few minutes longer before I climbed on the trailer and started helping.

When I came up behind him, he stopped working and stared at me. His nostrils flared wide, but he didn't seem surprised at my arrival. Unnerved a bit by his piercing gaze, I picked up a bale. He just shrugged and resumed unloading, maintaining a silence the whole time we worked. In between bales he brushed his dark brown hair off his forehead to reveal two eyes the brilliant blue of sapphires.

He looked at me for a moment, and then unloaded the last bale of alfalfa. I hopped off the trailer, suddenly needing distance from his cobalt stare. Without the hay bales to occupy my hands, they were itching to touch the ripples of all six of his abs. I stared at the ground, shifting from foot to foot.

"Thanks. I really appreciate the help. If I was by myself, this would have taken hours." I handed him his uniform shirt that was hanging off the side mirror of my truck and glanced at the name tag. "Officer Newcomb."

"It's warden Newcomb, but you can call me Cash." He put his uniform back on and I couldn't help feeling a sense of loss. The fabric covered a spectacular chest with just a judicial smattering of curly brown hair that drew together in a fuzzy line that lead south. Talk about a happy trail.

Buy it Kindle / Nook/ Smashwords

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Hunter Moon by Cait Lavender Book Tour and Giveaway #HunterMoonBookTour

Hunter Moon (Lupine Moon Series) by Cait Lavender

Bawling cattle tore Shelby Flint from her bed. With lawyer fees to pay in her struggle to keep her ranch from the clutches of her greedy cousins, she couldn’t afford the loss of even one calf. When she sees a large wolf circling her cows, she aims and fires. While the wolf escapes, Shelby can’t seem to get away from her troubles when a marijuana grower sets up shop on her land, sabotaging her property and eventually coming after her. Adding to that, a handsome game warden is poking his nose into her business and working his way underneath her skin. Shelby will have to fight harder than she ever fought before to keep from losing heart and everything she ever loved. Buy it Kindle / Nook/ Smashwords

Subscribe to Cait Lavendar's newsletter Follow the Tour Want to win one of 5 Autographed Books and $25 Amazon Giftcard? Fill out the Form below to Enter