Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Synopsis:  {via Amazon}

Ryan Christensen just wanted to be an actor. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd become the most sought after film star on the planet. Taryn Mitchell has been feigning contentment while running the family pub in Seaport, Rhode Island. Her peaceful life is tossed upside down when Ryan tries to outrun a group of fans by taking a shortcut through Mitchell's Pub.

Teaser:  {pg. 23, Loc 530 of 13791}

Ryan leaned over closer and smelled me again. I instinctively leaned farther away, almost tipping off-balance. His nostrils opened wider and a slight grin appeared on his lips.

"Peach scented perfume?" he asked.

I just started this book, but so far it's pretty good. Enjoy and happy Teaser Tuesday!

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Kindle
Published: 18 December 2011
Publisher: Self (Amazon Digital Services)
Series: Yes!
Price: $3.99

Synopsis: {via GoodReads}

For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source – a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes...and none of them will ever be the same.

Review:

A quick admission right out of the gate: I loved this book. That said, I didn't love it from the first words. Frankly, when I started it I thought it was long winded and wordy. I don't particularly care for long winded, or wordy, and kept wondering when something that mattered would happen. Thankfully, I kept turning the pages and before long, I couldn't put the book down. When she got to Kellan, I was sold. I fell completely and totally in love with him. By the time the book was over, I was glad that Stephens had somewhat dragged her feet in the beginning because I didn't want it to end... ever. To this moment, as I type this, I still don't. So I read it's sequel, Effortless (which I'll review next time), and am eagerly (if impatiently) waiting for the third book in the series.

The Characters:

What I enjoyed most about Kiera, Kellan, Denny and the crew is that they're very realistic. They make choices that make you slap your head and scream, "Why did you have to do that?!" but they're choices that real people make. Keira is young and vulnerable. She's not mature enough to be in a long term committed relationship and, at the point in their lives when the book is occurring, neither is Denny. Kellan is, like many of the popular male leads, somewhat broken. He suffers the pain of a terrible childhood and is scarred, he can't have/sustain relationships and, until he meets Keira, he doesn't really want to. They're realistic to a fault and, I think I loved Kellan so much because he somewhat reminds me of my own husband--strangely true.

Though I've read reviews that suggest that Keira is wishy-washy and I don't agree. I think she's confused and doesn't know how to handle herself under pressure. She's 21 years old, she's not the most mature creature on the planet, but she does her best and her reactions to thinks are remarkably like what a 21 year old might do. I return to what I said earlier, all of these characters are remarkably lifelike.

The Plot:

Overall, the plot was quite good. Stephens takes some turns you wouldn't expect, rendering this novel much more about the journey than the destination. What I mean is, we all sort of know how contemporary romance will pan out because it's a familiar formula to any romance reader. Heck, it's familiar even to people who've never read a romance novel in their lives--thank you romantic comedies! However, Stephens makes sure the journey to that familiar ending is filled with twists and turns you can't see coming. Her characters act outside the formula and by the time the books almost done you're wondering if she might pull a Fifty Shades, break the rules, and deny us our happy ending. For a very character driven story, the plot works beautifully!

The Verdict:

Rating: 5/5

At this point I would normally discuss issues with the book, but I'm going to skip that portion of the review and jump right to the verdict. The only real issue I saw with this book is the slow start, but by the end, that wasn't an issue at all.  Above all, this book has climbed right to the top of my list of favorites this summer and made itself cozy there. I can't seem to kick the characters out of my head, where they've taken up residence. I cannot wait for the third book, which I know I'll love. There's still no prospective release date, but I'm optimistic that she won't keep me waiting forever.

If you're a romance fan, I highly recommend this book. I loved the story, I loved the characters, and I loved that the author self-published it. I'm finding that self-published novels are getting better and better and, as a writer, I really love that!

Since investing in the Kindle several months back, one of my favorite pastimes (when I'm not doing homework or reading) is to hunt around on Amazon for free books. They have a promotional offers page, where many of the books are either free or very cheap, along with Top 100 Free books lists. I've found a lot of really neat books and thought I'd start passing them along, so others might find them, too!

So here's what I got this week:

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

When a dressmaker who values beauty tangles with a liveryman who condemns vanity, the sparks begin to fly!

Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with the new dressmaker in Coventry, Texas. He's all too familiar with her kind--shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothes, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.

Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner, while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?

When Hannah decides to help Jericho's sister catch a beau--leading to consequences neither could have foreseen--will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?

I also downloaded:

Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf

Making Waves: A Novel by Lorna Seilstad

Complete Without Kids by Ellen L. Walker

Author: Jennifer Hudock {site | twitter | amazon | facebook}
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Format: Kindle (.mobi)
Published: January 2011
Disclosure: Purchased

Synopsis: {via amazon}

Beyond the Goblin Market lies the remains of a lost and broken kingdom divided by war. The war has been over for centuries, but the kingdoms still stand apart, overrun by a creeping goblin darkness known as the Darknjan Wald. It has been written that only one holds the power to destroy that darkness and reunite the kingdoms, but she has no memory of her former life.

Meredith Drexler must save her sister, Christina, from the wicked goblin king, Kothar, who has kidnapped the girl in order to convince Meredith to uphold an ancient commitment Meredith doesn't remember making. Sent Upland disguised as a human child, she has no recollection of her former faerie life, or her uncle's promised marriage betrothal to Kothar.

When she ventures back Underground in search of Christina, every step Meredith takes brings memories of her forgotten past back to the surface. As the pressures of her former life entangle with her quest to save her kidnapped sister, Meredith's predetermined fate is revealed. Will she embrace it, or walk away forever from a life she barely remembers as her own?

Review:

There was a time, not all that long ago, that I swore I would never read another self-published book. I was scarred by a certain, frightfully disappointing novel for which I had gotten my hopes way, way up. Well, that was then and this is now, and I have to tell you, I'm not only starting to come around, I'm there. I've learned that not all indie authors are careless, lackluster editors with a novel and a dream, some of them are rather amazingly talented authors who simply want to share their work without jumping through the fiery hoops that accompany traditional publishing.

One such author/editor is Jennifer Hudock, author of Goblin Market. I first encountered this dark fantasy, the first book in her "Into the Green" series, when she began podcasting it in the summer of 2009. I was instantly taken with the story, eagerly awaiting each episode, and trust me when I say that I was never disappointed.  In the intervening year and a half, Jennifer has edited the Goblin Market, releasing it in e-book format last month. No surprise, I scooped up a copy the first weekend it was available and set to getting reacquainted with Meridith's journey into the Darknjan Wald, where she risks all to save her sister, Christina, from the goblin king, Kothar.

Inspired by Christina Rosetti's poem by the same name, and by the film Labyrinth (Henson/LucasArts 1986), Hudock's Goblin Market is a completely engrossing. Her characters are well developed and sympathetic, including Kothar, who I loved despite myself. Though it's abundantly clear that he's the villain, I couldn't help but sympathize with where he was coming from. After all, who doesn't want a villain driven by unrequited love? And I, in turn, fell in love with him, flaws and all. Otherwise, the dark and fantastic settings, from the English countryside to the dangerous Darknjan Wald, are rich and vivid in detail. The book is at times humorous, at others remarkably dark, our heroine persevering dispite the many deadly challenges presented along the way.  There're many twists, accompanied by some terribly sad moments, neither of which I'm going to share here -- you'll just have to read the book!

I'm sure, then, that it will come as no surprise that I highly, highly recommend this book. Jennifer does fantasy as a genre, as well as her influences, immense justice with this work. I simply cannot say enough good about this debut novel and I cannot wait for the follow-up, Jack in the Green. Goblin Market is so reasonably priced, at $0.99, that it's definitely a steal. It's well worth ten times as much! Now go, buy the book, what're you waiting for?!

Rating:



Available for {kindle | pdf | nook | paperback (limited)} at {amazon | smashwords | author | barnes & noble}

*Cover by Jennifer Hudock