RRR presents... TAKE A MOMENT by Nina Kaye - REVIEW!

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're checking out a second offering by an author who's work we first encountered last year with wonderful results. It comes to us via Rachel's Random Resources (surprise!) and you know what that means...there are an array of sites participating in this event, so definitely a lot more bookish fun for you! But first, we're going to dive between the epages to give you a glimpse at my own time with the story, as we turn out sights to today's blog tour guest and ebook of choice...

Take A Moment

by

Nina Kaye

About the book...

Life is better lived in the moment

Meet Alex. She has a wonderful fiancé, a job she thrives in, and a best friend she’s known since childhood. Life’s not perfect, but it’s pretty fantastic. Until a shock diagnosis suddenly throws everything off course.

But Alex has never been one to back down from a fight. Now single and unemployed, she packs up and moves from her Glasgow hometown to vibrant Birmingham for a fresh start. In a new job, in a new city, she’s learning all over again what’s important in life.

Friendship, fun and even romance lie just around the corner – but can Alex get out of her own way and learn to just take a moment, and live?

A stunning, uplifting romance for fans of Mhairi McFarlane and Jo Watson.

EBOOK | PRINT

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Do you live every day to its fullest?

Do you run full throttle whether working, playing, or something in between?

Do you not know how to say NO as an answer?

What if the FULL choice was no longer your own?

That's what this story begs you to consider. WHAT IF your world as you knew it was torn asunder but from the inside out. WHAT IF you weren't capable of doing all the things you did before, had the dread of physical and/or mental changes hanging over your head, and no control, at least for certain, over when or how it would affect you? It's a hard line to walk from the outside looking in, let alone being the one in the situation. Revealed to readers at book's end, the general story gist, the seed with which it started, came from the author's real life, and her own unwanted challenges she had to face. Learning a bit more about the health condition featured certainly gives this book a deeper connection for readers with just as much uncertainty about the future. I mean, you never know when something can come along and disturb your perfect little world. Is it better to live in fear of what MIGHT be? Or is it better to live every day to the best of our abilities, come what may?

I really enjoyed the real life connection, and honestly believe it aided in making Alex's challenges that much easier to understand. You saw her diagnosis, and ever changing condition through the eyes of someone that has been there, and it made it much more REAL. The sad part about that though is that as much as the understanding was more concrete, the smiles that more genuine...so was the heartache. From lovers to friends, coworkers to family, she gets spurned time and again...and sometimes DOES the spurning herself to avoid the unexpected heartache. It took a few very special people to come into her life in order for her to see that shutting them all down and playing hardheaded wasn't getting her any brownie points; it was simply removing the support system she could have had in place to help with the tough times. It wasn't a sign of weakness, but of acceptance, and when her house of carefully stacked cards came tumbling down, it definitely meant the difference between being lost among the many, or found among the few.

A great story for Contemporary Romance fans, infused with humor and heart. It tackles some big issues between the diagnosis, treatment of those patients both medically and personally, diversity, racism, and a few dozen or so more unexpected gems, but it also reminds us that life was meant to be lived and if we need to adjust at times to do so, then that is our prerogative.

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About the author...

Nina Kaye is a contemporary romance author who writes warm, witty and uplifting reads with a deeper edge. She lives in Edinburgh with her husband and much adored side-kick, James. In addition to writing, Nina enjoys swimming, gin and karaoke (preferably all enjoyed together in a sunny, seaside destination). Nina has previously published The Gin Lover’s Guide to Dating and has also been a contender for the RNA Joan Hessayson Award.

TWITTER  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ebook for review. (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. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today! Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun.

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

Non-Blonde Pride: Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele

Hi guys!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today we’re stepping out of the Fiction box and into the realm of Self-Help and Personal Growth.  Though not my normal forte, this title came to my attention two fold.  First, I noticed it in store because it had one of the fabulous actresses from the show Glee on the cover, and as it turns out, she’s also the one who penned it.  Immediately, I made a mental note to check it out some time in the future.  The second attention grabber came the very next day.  I was checking my email like everyone else in the world and came upon an interesting one indeed.  You see, it happened to be from Gianna over at Crown Publishing and it was asking if I was interested in featuring THIS EXACT TITLE.  (Sweet!)  Of course, I responded with a yes and the rest as they say is history….or will be after today because today has to pass to become history and guess what the book of choice is? 

Brunette Ambition

By

Lea Michele

9780804139076

Crown Archetype

About the book…

The star of the hit show Glee shares her experiences and insider tips on beauty, fashion, inner strength, and more in an illustrated book that’s part memoir, part how-to, and part style guide.

Lea Michele is one of the hardest working performers in show business.  Whether she’s starring as Rachel Berry on Glee, rocking a glamorous look on the red carpet, recording her solo album, or acting as the spokesperson for L’Oreal, Lea is the ultimate multi-tasker.  She knows better than anyone that it is difficult to be your best self and keep things in perspective when your to-do list is overflowing and you are faced with challenges, so she’s developed a foolproof system for remaining healthy and centered.  In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her--from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness tips, and career insights.  Supplemented with never-before-seen photos and revealing anecdotes, it’s the book Lea wishes she’d had in her teens and early twenties: A practical and inspirational guide to harnessing tenacity and passion and living the fullest life, no matter what obstacles life puts in your way.

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All it said up there…totally true and then some.

This is a book that Mother’s will wish their daughters to read; a book girls may pick up in passing, only to share it with their friends and their friend’s friends later on.  You get to know Ms. Michele (sorry, almost called her Rachel!) on a deeper level; her motivations, her ambitions, what’s most important in her life and the ways she fights back when the going gets tough.  She wasn’t born into a life of want but she also didn’t have a silver spoon hanging from her mouth.  Her family helped keep her grounded while she kept reaching for the lights of Broadway and when broadcast media crossed her path, it was an unexpected gift wrapped in love and friendships that have and will last for years to come. 

 If you’re a follower of the theater, her work history may simply be a walk down memory lane, but for those of us only becoming acquainted with her through Glee, it’s presented in less of a resume and more of an experiences had, lessons gleaned.  It shows how whether or not you’re on the stage in your chosen (or forced…because let’s me honest, we’re not all where we want to be at the moment, kudos to you if you are) profession, the pearls of wisdom gained can be applied to the everyday ordinary.  I found her truest truth shared to be very Dr. Seuss-esque (and I mean that in the best way possible)….something along the lines of being yourself because you are an original and were made perfectly for the part.  Simple yet true. 

So, in conclusion, this is part her story, and part OUR story.  Through her shared experiences, readers are able to glean lessons learned while picking up tips and tricks for staying healthy and balanced overall.  I gotta say, I love the fact that although she is a celebrity, she’s a real advocate for doing things at home, the easy, simple (and more inexpensive!) way.  There’s definitely a soup recipe I’d like to try out and I wouldn’t be surprised to randomly find me attempting a full plank with side twist in the near future.  (^_^)  Recommended read for teens through adults.

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About the author…

LEA MICHELE is best known for her performance as Rachel Berry on the critically acclaimed, Golden Globe-, Grammy-, and SAG-award-winning Fox television series Glee. She has been nominated for an Emmy, a SAG Award, and multiple Golden Globes. She divides her time between New York and Los Angeles.

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Review copy received courtesy of Gianna at Crown Publishing.  (THANKS!)  For more information on the title, author, or publisher, feel free to click through the links provided within the post.  This title is available now via Crown Archetype, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf near you.

Until next time…happy reading!