LOVE IS THE ANSWER by Ben Craib - REVIEW!

Hi guys and gals!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

You may have noticed a little break in the posts here on my site; no worries, I'm not going anywhere.  No, I simply scheduled a little lighter with a bit more time between things this month and next with the holidays coming, and seeing as I work in retail, the you-know-what is about to hit the fan in terms of busyness.  I'm actually glad I factored a bit of time in because I've been feeling a bit pressed recently and having the time to slow down and read a book versus beat a deadline is remarkably refreshing for the soul.  Seriously, bloggers...you should try it some time!  Anywho, speaking of revelations, let's focus in on today's title in the spotlight.

It's a Young Adult Contemporary Romance that released UK side this past July from a new to me author, with a title beautifully stated, and cover art that is a perfect fit.  It's one of those titles that can be interpreted in many ways, all depending upon how you look at it and where you are in life.  It can be bright and gloriously romantic, dark and tearfully woe filled, or somewhere more deep and mystical.  Here, it takes several turns, as does the life of our leading lady, so let's get between the pages and discover more beyond the cover of today's book of choice...

Love is the Answer

by

Ben Craib

9781838267216

TUSK (QuoScript)

About the book...

Scarlett's lost a lot. Her mother, dead from cancer. Her friends, who have no idea what to say. And now her Dad, who has found someone new. Then, on a park bench on a cold and windy evening, she discovers Hayden. Hayden is the life and soul. He makes her laugh and he sees her pain. She dives into his life - heaving parties, sweaty raves ... and worse. The only thing that matters now is him and her: but all is not as it seems. Scarlett embarks on a long and difficult emotional journey ... 

AMAZON  UK  |  US

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Is love the answer or the question?

Sometimes it can be both, and while that may sound muddled beyond belief, that's what love can do.  It can lift you to the highest of highs, and bring you to the lowest of lows.  No matter if it's your first time, fifth time, or last time, love takes no prisoners.  It can open up a world of magic, and beauty, but it can also leave you lying on the ground wondering just what happened along the way.  Such is the tale of our gal, Scarlett....

She was lost when she didn't realize she was lost, and understandably so.  She never really dealt with the loss of her mother, nor did her father for that matter, and all those feelings, all those unanswered questions, and unrealized futures built up in the dark corners of her mind and heart.  The thing about grief is it can works its way out when we least expect it.  It can smooth over those rough edges we might have otherwise seen, make us blind to red flags that were raised, and if you add in an unexpected dose of love, well then, the sky is the limit on the damage it can do.  But in the moment, when all that sparkles and shines and glitters like gold, it looks like beauty beyond compare, it feels like a breath of the freshest air, and that freedom from the lingering darkness can be such an awakening, you'd do anything, be with anyone, go anywhere to keep ahold of it.  Scarlett may have lost her mother, but she ends up losing herself, and while those that love her try to pull her back in, they too have their own issues to deal with, making that return to self more out of reach.

Her journey through this new world filled with love, wild times, endless nights, and partying with friends was eye opening.  It showed a young woman's struggle as she came of age without the support system she expected.  It revealed just how far down the rabbit hole most will go for love.  It acted as a mirror for the poor choices we make in the name of love, when really all we need is to stop, take a breath, and really listen to our hearts.  I felt for Scarlett as life raved out of control.  It wasn't a fun time seeing it built like a card house around her, just waiting for the inevitable gust of wind to blow it all down, but it was immersive.  You could feel the strength of her feelings, the bonds she made, the things she experienced.   You rode the highs and the lows, and made it through the dark while still holding her hand.  It may have shown how far things can go down, but it also reminded us that it's never too late to change, to come back to ourselves, to rebuild what we thought we lost into something bigger, better, and simply...US.

 

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Special thanks to author Be Craib for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, or his other works, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours presents... I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES by Kelly Anne Blount - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for a stop along their current promotion featuring a NEW RELEASE via Entangled Teen Crush!  It's a Young Adult Contemporary Romance with all the feels and a bit of familiarity, but we'll get to that in a minute, that just hit virtual shelves March 2nd, 2020.  Curious?  I don't blame you in the least!  Ready or not, let's take a SHOT at this sure BET as we train our eyes on today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...

I Hate You, Fuller James

by

Kelly Anne Blount

Entangled Teen Crush

About the book...

I hate you, Fuller James.

I hate your floppy hair and your lopsided grin and those laughing blue eyes that always seem to be laughing at me.

I hate that you’re the most popular guy in school and I’m still the girl who sneezed and spit out her retainer on someone at a middle school dance. It’s just such a cliché.

I hate that I’m being forced to tutor you in English and keep it a secret from everyone. Because otherwise it might put our basketball team’s chances at winning State in jeopardy, and even though I hate you, I love basketball.

I hate that it seems like you’re keeping a secret from me…and that the more time we spend together, the less I feel like I’m on solid ground. Because I’m starting to realize there’s so much more to you than meets the eye. Underneath it all, you’re real.

But what I hate most is that I really don’t hate you at all.

Amazon | B&N 

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What do you do when the one you loathe becomes the one you love?
Do you throw caution to the wind and embrace the change...
...or do you become super suspicious and question every move, motion, sign of devotion, and turn the whole thing inside out and on its head before it even has a chance?
In either case, I can't say I'd blame you.

Here we have Wren.  Tortured for years by Fuller and his crew, she's done fine for herself.  She has a few close friends, her academics, the cross country team, and a bright future ahead...until one day, a waylaid (or not!) handful of mashed potatoes brings her plans into question.  The only solution to wiping the slate clean...tutor the one person she swore she would never have anything to do with, Fuller James.  Thing is, things don't go exactly as planned, and feelings start to happen on both sides of this unexpected duo...but trusting in them is a tall order, and the faith placed there could seriously be a big mistake.  All is fair in love and war, right?

I ADORED Wren's character for all she was worth, and despite my inclination to fall victim to the title, I actually didn't mind Fuller either.  True, he gets better as the story goes on and that grand gesture is really above and beyond (even if slightly unbelievable), but it didn't really seem like he was such a bad person from the start, just misguided by some batting eyelashes and his high school fame.  When these two were able to see beneath the surface to what really makes them tick, it was a potential match made in heaven...no guarantees, but a definite pair in the making.  Marissa on the other hand (and even Fuller's cronies), I honestly couldn't stand!  She went from friend to foe and then started spreading vicious lies, and non-truths just to ride on the popularity train...but really, what good is being popular if your soul is black?  (Okay, now I'M being dramatic, but you get the point.)

    

All in all, a fun read that reminded me of all the great teen movies from yesteryear.  It's a lot She's All That with a helping of Can't Hardly Wait and even a dash of Clueless mixed in for good measure, but while the story may have some similarities, it still comes together for a sweetly satisfying read that'll leave you with a smile.  (Also, gotta say that cover is definitely a SWEET choice!)

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About the author...

USA Today Bestselling author and Wattpad Star Kelly Anne Blount has more than seventy-three-thousand followers on social media. Her Wattpad stories have been read more than twenty-million times. She’s contributed to Tap, Wattpad’s new app for chat-style stories, where her work has been “tapped” more than fifty-million times. She is a writer and reviewer for SpoilerTV, which has allowed her to develop an incredible network of film and TV stars.

Two of her Wattpad works, including Captured (seventeen-million reads), have been optioned for film by Komixx Entertainment, and she is regularly invited to present seminars about social media at author events.

Stop by any of Kelly’s social-media platforms (@KellyAnneBlount) and stay tuned to this website for announcements and information about upcoming releases and events

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram

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One (1) winner will win a signed copy of I HATE YOU, FULLER JAMES and a commissioned art postcard!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Special thanks to MaryAnn of Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as to the team at Entangled Teen for the ebook for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag you copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RRR presents... WILLOW by Grace Parks - EXCERPT!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Rachel's Random Resources for a stop along their current promotion featuring book one in The Pepper Lane Club series from author Grace Parks.  It's a little bit Young Adult, a little bit Romance, and a dash of Chick Lit, but it sounds like a whole lot of fun, so let's get this party started as we take a gander at today's title in the spotlight...

Willow

The Pepper Lane Club series, Book 1

by

Grace Parks

About the book...

Can a socialite and a technophobe fall in love?

A bubbly personality and a great job in social media didn’t mean that Willow Lawson had it all. Her love life was distant memory and her social life only work related. The maddening demands of life seemed to get in the way of finding time for herself or her friends.

She starts the Pepper Lane Club as a chance to step away from her busy schedule once a month to reconnect with her friends.

Thomas Greer, the proprietor of the Pepper Lane Café, annoys her. He’s her complete opposite; unsociable, serious, old-fashioned and dead set against social media.

Always game for a challenge, Willow decides to take him on as a client. She’s going to prove to Thomas that he needs her help. She knew she would be successful, she just didn’t know she would lose her heart along the way.

Can Willow fall in love with a man that doesn’t respect her profession? Will Thomas let go of his preconceptions long enough to get to know the real Willow? Enjoy this sweet romance as Willow finds love and friendship in the first book in the Pepper Lane Series.

Six women. Six stories. Six chances of love. One café.
The Pepper Lane Series follows the lives of six women as they share life, love and heartache once a month at the Pepper Lane Club. They might be an unlikely group of friends, but it takes all types to form a tribe.

AMAZON  US  |  UK

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~~~ EXCERPT ~~~

The voice that came from behind me was distinctly male. The man who had hung up on me, not once, but twice. Of all the times for him to come in, why did it have to be when we were talking about him? As if he didn’t have a big enough head as it was. I turned around, a sarcastic comment at the ready, but stopped when I saw him. Thomas Greer looked nothing like his voice. First off, he was a good forty years younger than I had expected, and probably only a few years older than me. He had dark neatly trimmed brown hair, bright green eyes, and glasses. He looked down at me now with a small smirk on his face that immediately made my blood boil.

“You must be Willow,” he said to me.

I nodded. “And you must be Thomas.”

“That’s right. Are you having a good time?” he asked.

“We are. Thank you.” Why did he have to come over when I had already forgotten how many glasses of wine I’d had? Why did he have to overhear me saying his name? Why did I care?

“Fantastic.” He turned his attention to the rest of the group. “I hear you’ll be coming here every month. I appreciate the support. How about a bottle of champagne on me?”

The women swooned. Luca came running to attention. Champagne was poured. Glasses were clinked. Thomas smirked once again.

“If you don’t want him, I’ll take him,” Mary said. Everyone burst out laughing. Mary was the oldest one in the group, and I’d come to see her as the sensible one. The one who would bring order to the table. Now I wasn’t so sure.

“Yeah, I’ll happily take him, too,” Aria said. “I love straight-laced men like that. They’re usually the wildest in bed.”

“I don’t want him,” I said. What was wrong with everyone? I didn’t want to be in the sort of group that went crazy every time a man walked in. We were all surely mature enough for decent conversations and intellectu—

“I want to rip his tie off.” Rachel interrupted my thoughts, and her words caused another ripple of laughter through the table.

The Pepper Lane Club

Six women. Six stories. Six chances of love. One café.

Willow Lawson is a fun loving social media expert, who helps companies stand out from their competitors. Yet, despite her bubbly personality, her social life is mostly work-related, and her love life is non-existent. That’s when she starts The Pepper Lane Club, a chance to get away once a month from her maddening life and reconnect with her friends. It’s at this very first meeting that she meets Thomas Greer, who owns the café. He’s everything she’s not. He’s serious, unsociable, unfashionable, and dead set against social media. She decides to take him on as a client despite his refusals. She wants the challenge, and she wants to prove to him that he needs her help. He frustrates her, but there’s something about his old fashioned ways that also intrigues her.

The Pepper Lane series tells the stories of six women, who agree to meet once a month at their local café. They promise to meet no matter what life throws their way, and, as we soon find out, life throws a lot more than any of them expected. Friendships are forged, and deepened, as the women get to know each other. It’s only once a month, but they soon realize how important this little club has become to each of them. They might be an unlikely group of friends, but it takes all types to form a tribe.

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About the author...

Grace Parks is a sweet romance / chick lit author with a penchant for the happily ever after.

SITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun...

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RABT presents... SOMEDAY, MAYBE by Elisa Faber - EXCERPT!

Someday, Maybe
by
Elisa Faber
YA Romance

Date Published: March 2019

It’s okay to be different.

Ha. That’s what people are supposed to say, supposed to pretend in this new age, hipster reality that I live in. Except for high school students aren’t accepting and having my life up for debate in the halls, well . . . it really—really—sucks.

Then a single conversation with my dad shatters all of my childhood memories and my mom copes with his news by spending every hour losing herself in work. Suddenly, it’s not just my high school’s hallways that have become a freaking horror film. Just traversing the relationship between my parents is more dangerous than crossing a minefield.

So I’ve been keeping my head down, hoping to just survive my senior year. That is, until Jason Monroe waltzes into my life and invites me to Homecoming. The soccer god is popular, hot as hell, and my every teenaged fantasy come to life.

And for some insane reason, he likes me. Me. The Harry-Potter-loving, pajama-wearing, bookworm nerd who is too lazy to spend much time on makeup and hair. Somehow Jason Monroe likes me.

But my life falling apart means that I’m a terrible bet and Jason couldn’t possibly want to run the gauntlet of high school or my home life with me.

Except . . . what if he does? 

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Google Books

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~~~ Excerpt ~~~

“Dance?”

My eyes slid closed. How did he always know?

I turned, the same distant, friendly smile I’d perfected curving my lips.


His perfectly polite one greeted me in response.


And we stood there like two idiots, fake smiles on our faces and not knowing how to move forward.

Finally, I pointed to my shoes and said, “I don’t think my feet can take it.”

Real amusement crept into his expression. “That bad?”

I made a face. “Worse.”

“Here.” Before I could figure out what he was doing, Jason had knelt in front of me and slipped off my black four-inch pumps.

I would have protested, except it felt so good.

He set the heels aside and pulled me into his arms, instantly finding the song’s gentle beat. I relaxed against his chest, content to let him guide me to the music. There was no struggle, just wholehearted surrender.

Jason was second nature and my body, my mind, my heart recognized that.

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About the Author



Aside from writing romance, Elise's passions are chocolate, Star Wars, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team -- the Sharks! -- are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise is the mom to two exuberant boys and is thoroughly addicted to Dancing With the Stars.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

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Borrowing Christmas by Kat Bellemore

Borrowing Christmas by Kat Bellemore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Katie and Sam. Sam and Katie. Though they couldn't have been further apart, once together...you couldn't imagine them anywhere else.

Katie had a bit of bad luck growing up...okay, A LOT of bad luck, and landed herself in some sticky situations. Problem was a bad cop was pulling the strings and that made breaking free way harder than it should have been. She takes it upon herself to try YET AGAIN to cut the strings he's pulling and lands in what could only be described as paradise...at least to her. Grant it, it drives her CRAZY at first, along with a certain mayoral figure (ooh!), but everyone wants a place to call home, somewhere to land when things get tough, and people to care for and about...even if at first they don't realize it. Same goes for same in regards to that last sentence. He's the bachelor mayor the town never thought to want, and may not be for long (a bachelor, that is) if certain things go his way. Thing is there are more than a few surprises arriving in town along with the appearance of a certain someone beautiful that's captured more than his eye. Can two people wearing masks of their own making come clean to build a lasting future? In a town like Amor, sounds like that just might be a possibility...

It's a page turner from the start and while the story itself only transpires over the course of about two weeks, it's long enough to get a good read of the people/community, and the lay of the land. I can see future stories being released to flesh out the town, and let us catch up with the changes that came about during our short time there, and will certainly be interested to see what the author delivers. Recommended for Contemporary Romance fans of the Young Adult set as well as Adult; it's flirty without getting steamy, so you can enjoy the snow angels and your cocoa too!


**signed copy received from the author with no promise to review, but I simply couldn't help myself

View all my reviews

Silver Dagger Book Tours presents... JUST FRIENDS and TO BE YOURS by Elana Johnson - SPOTLIGHT + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Silver Dagger Book Tours for a SPOTLIGHT on two new Young Adult Contemporary Romance titles from author Elana Johnson.  From the sound of things, you're gonna want to make room on your "to read" list...trust me...oh and in case you were curious, both are stand alone titles, in case you weren't in the mood to binge.  Ladies and gents, feast your eyes on today's titles in the spotlight...

Just Friends

by Elana Johnson

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

302 pages

Mitch can't keep running from his girl problems.

High school senior, Mitch Houser, is thrilled to have multiple colleges recruiting him because of his record-breaking times on the track, but Mitch hasn’t told anyone the real reason he’s been setting records.

He’s trying to outrun his girl problems.

He really hits it hard when Holly Isaacson, the girl next door and his best friend for a decade, becomes buddy-buddy with Jade Montgomery, who is Mitch’s latest crush. He wants to move Jade from a girl he invites to eat dinner with his family to a girl he takes out to dinner—and maybe kisses afterward. 

So Mitch runs, and he runs fast. Things progress with Jade at the same rate they fall apart with Holly. Most days, Mitch can’t change into his running clothes fast enough. But running from his problems isn’t a good solution, and Mitch will have to face both Jade and Holly—and decide which one of them to put into the “just friends” category.

**.99 cents March 7th-14^th!!**

Goodreads * Amazon

To Be Yours

by Elana Johnson

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

242 pages

A girl who's lost herself and the boy who's always known how to find her.

When seventeen-year-old Eden Scotson skis to the bottom of a mountain on a routine trip with her older brother's best friend, Grayson Young, they find the lift non-operational and the biggest storm of the season upon them.

Unable to stay in the tiny hut, they decide to make the climb back to the luxury condos at the top. Along the way, they have to battle the danger of an avalanche, the elements of wind and snow, and their feelings for each other. As Grayson deals privately with his mother's alcoholism and an absent father, Eden's grief over her father's death nine years earlier is a little more public.

Compared to dealing with the complexities of friendship and more-than-friendship, overcoming grief, and learning how to forgive old wounds, physically climbing the mountain will be the easiest part of the journey for both Eden and Grayson.

**.99 cents March 7th-14^th!!**

Goodreads * Amazon

A speculative fiction author and USA Today bestseller under the name Elana Johnson and an inspirational adult romance author under the pen name of Liz Isaacson, her work includes the young adult dystopian romance series Possession, published by Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster), Elevated, the Elemental series, the Songs of Life fantasy series, the Redwood Bay romance series, and the #1 bestselling Three Rivers Ranch Romance series.

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts and a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Silver Dagger Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you.  (THANKS!)  For more information on these titles, the author, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!