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TGIF Giveaway Winners!
Let's get right to it....
The winners from the Cheeky Reads TGIF Giveaway are:
The Perfect Mistress AudioBook goes to Danielle!
The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir goes to PamS!
Touch of Darkness goes to Linda!
Amazon Ink goes to Barbara E!
I'll be emailing all of you soon to get your mailing details. No one selected Feelin The Vibe in the giveway so anyone who wants that just let me know!
Congrats and Happy Reading! Cheeky Girl Sabrina
The winners from the Cheeky Reads TGIF Giveaway are:
The Perfect Mistress AudioBook goes to Danielle!
The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir goes to PamS!
Touch of Darkness goes to Linda!
Amazon Ink goes to Barbara E!
I'll be emailing all of you soon to get your mailing details. No one selected Feelin The Vibe in the giveway so anyone who wants that just let me know!
Congrats and Happy Reading! Cheeky Girl Sabrina
Book Review: Making Waves by Tawna Fenske
By Tawna Fenske
Contemporary Romance
Sourcebooks Casablanca
3 Heart Review
Story Blurb:
She Always Wanted To Belong...Just Not To A Dysfunctional Pirate Crew
Juli has trouble fitting in, though she'd prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns.
He Knows Plotting A Diamond Heist May Be Considered Unusual Behavior...
But Alex isn't feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb after twenty faithful years. Meeting Juli doesn't do much to restore normalcy to Alex's life either, but it sure is exhilarating!
As Alex and Juli bare each other's secrets – and a whole lot more – they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful.
This book is pure wacky fun and definitely the kind of book you should pick up if you are looking for a light-hearted book that makes you laugh and feel good.
Juli was a much more interesting character than I expected from the back of the book blurb or even from the first chapter or so. She grows on you, with her over-the-top hijinks and unbelievable family members. Really, they are unbelievable – but you want to read about them and love them for the fact that they are so zany.
The same can be said about the band of corporate pirates – the personalities are out there. Sometimes really out there. But out there can be so fun! It's a motley crew you'll enjoy, but there are also times where you come out of the story questioning how in the world to explain something. For instance, we have out of work pirates who can afford to bring and cook gourmet meals on board? I mean yes, at one point they fish, but what about all the expensive sounding ingrediants? Really? As much as I liked hearing about the food, it always made me think it was out of place.
I liked Alex, but I didn't love him. In fact, I was bothered by his being the mastermind behind the pirate adventure and not fully buying a man that reached such a high position in a huge company not knowing more about saving money or being invested in many different areas. He was acceptable hero material and fun to see with Juli but I didn't connect with him. He's the reason I didn't give this book a 4 Heart Rating.
Which kind of leads me to say that I would have enjoyed the book with any hero, as long as Juli had stayed the same and even if she'd been the sole star of the show. I could easily see her as a women's fiction character just as easily.
The best part of reading this book was that the author Tawna has such an original voice that I can't wait to read what she puts out next because I know it won't be a run-of-the-mill generic romance.
Have you read Making Waves? If so, what did you think? What's your favorite zany, off the wall character or book you've read? Do you like funny or darker contemparary romances better?
TGIF! Let's Party With Some Book & AudioBook Giveaways!
I haven't done a giveaway in way to long plus I need to clean out some of my guest room, so I thought I'd start putting some books up for lucky readers to win! Some of these are older titles, but the books are in new condition. Look for more giveaways soon.
What's up for grabs this time around? Take a look below and then leave me a comment with which book you'd love to win. I'll pick winners early next week and post.
What's up for grabs this time around? Take a look below and then leave me a comment with which book you'd love to win. I'll pick winners early next week and post.
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| Feeling The Vibe By Candice Dow |
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| The Billionaire's Unexpected Heir by Kathie Denosky |
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| Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti |
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| Touch of Darkness by CT Adams & Cathy Clamp |
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| AudioBook of The Perfect Mistress by Victoria Alexander (Unopened) |
Romance Book Review: Unlocked by Courtney Milan
By: Courtney Milan
Historical Romance Novella - 28,000 words/approx 111 pages
Self-Published (Buy Links Available Here)
5 Heart Review
Story Blurb:
A perpetual wallflower destined for spinsterhood, Lady Elaine Warren is resigned to her position in society. So when Evan Carlton, the powerful, popular Earl of Westfeld, singles her out upon his return to England, she knows what it means. Her former tormentor is up to his old tricks, and she’s his intended victim. This time, though, the earl is going to discover that wallflowers can fight back.
Evan has come to regret his cruel, callow past. At first, he only wants to make up for past wrongs. But when Elaine throws his initial apology in his face, he finds himself wanting more. And this time, what torments him might be love…
It's taken me a bit of time since reading this novella to do this review but this story has stayed with me. There's so much depth and emotion packed into just over 100 pages that you forget it's shorter in length. You won't miss anything from this novella. It's all in there and it's all good.
Having enjoyed Mrs. Milan's full length Proof By Seduction, I knew already I was a fan of her writing, but I was very happy with how well she does in the shorter novella length as well.
As many have said, this is the ultimate emotional look at a woman's insecurities and the man who causes her so much pain that she hides herself away from the entire world, including her own mother. You feel every bit of Lady Elaine Warren's pain and make it your own. It might not be your laugh, but everyone has something they are sensitive about and there's usually a person who is behind making you feel sensitive about it in the first place. Elaine is a character that all women can relate to and Mrs. Milan has described Elaine's feelings so exactly that you'll see yourself in them.
This little novella is also jam-packed with Evan's story and emotional journey as well and it's an interesting take to see inside the soul of a bully. It's even more interesting to see him redeemed in Elaine's eyes, but I love how this takes time and multiple levels of trust must be met first.
It's that layering of emotional depth and timeline of forgiveness and trust that Mrs. Milan creates that makes this novella such a stand out. It really does stand up to all the hype and it's made Mrs. Milan an auto-buy for me from now on. I hope she continues to write in the novella length because she excels at it! You also cannot beat the $.99 price on this one - it's a steal for an amazing story!
Do you like to read novellas or shorter length stories? Do you love that length or do you wish for more? Is there an author you think does novellas exceptionally well? Did you read Unlocked and if so what did you think of it?
Reviewer Wanted: Love to Read & Want Free Books?
When you start a blog, let's be honest, it's all about you. Your opinion on something. The kind of books you love, what you want to talk about and of course in the voice you want to use.
So adding a reviewer is a hard choice for someone who's always done it alone. But I feel like adding a reviewer would bring so much to Cheeky Reads that I feel it's been missing and I want to offer readers more reviews. The only way to get more reviews (and I don't mean lately since you can tell from my DIY post I haven't been on my regular schedule) is to bring in some fresh voices.
So, for now I'm looking for someone who would be interested in reviewing here at Cheeky Reads on a regular basis. The only compensation I can offer are free review books and the ability to have your reviews as clips of your writing. I wish it was more than that, but right now that's all I can offer.
I'm looking for an ebook reviewer for now, but this could turn into print books in the future. UPDATE: This will be for print books too!
If you're interested, please email me at cheekyreads @ gmail.com and let me know what genres you enjoy reading the most and how often you think you could write reviews. We'll take it from there. :)
Happy Reading!
Sabrina
A Sad Day: Author LA Banks Loses Battle With Cancer
A fund has been established to help raise funds to help Leslie's family cover the cost of the very expensive medical bills. Please find out more information here.
I had the pleasure of meeting Leslie at the very first RT conference I went to. She was an incredibly nice and welcoming woman who seemed to go out of her way to get the "newbies" talking to everyone. I remember she had a beautiful smile and you almost never saw her when she wasn't smiling or laughing.
Leslie was the author of two series that I enjoyed - The Vampire Huntress & Crimson Moon Series. If you haven't tried either of them please give them a try. I can't think of a more fitting thing than to share Leslie's work with new readers today.
Leslie's latest book released in March and was the set to be the start of an all-new paranormal series involving angles. Here's a look at the cover and a link to buy as another way to help out Leslie's family.
When Projects Attack! How DIY Home Projects Are Ruining My Reading Time!
We did the basics right when we moved in - repainting the entire interior and exterior of the house. EVERY SINGLE ROOM IN THE HOUSE.
Likewise, I did small projects like adding a shelf in the laundry room, fixing plaster cracks, paiting baseboards white, etc. The hubby has been tackling painting all our ugly yellow-brown raw wood doors to a lovely bright white. Poor thing - that's an insane job. Both sides, 3-4 coats each. He's so tired of painting I might never again get his help with anything.
A few months ago we tackled remodeling our kitchen all by ourselves on the cheap. I think we did AWESOME! Those are the before and after pics I've included of just one part of the kitchen. Excuse the mess in the before pic! :)
So why am I mentioning all this on a book blog? Well, all these projects have cut into my reading time and it's starting to effect how happy I am. I can always tell when I start getting cranky it's because I haven't taken time for myself and read a good book. That also means I haven't had time to write reviews to post here. I HATE THAT!
Last weekend I gutted the only room we haven't laid a finger on - the Florida room (Sun room). We've never spent a second out there becuase it was HORRID. Bright Neon yellow walls and ceiling, indoor-outdoor carpet that had been obviously well-loved by the past owners pets. (Yes, I do mean THAT when I say well-loved). I ripped out carpet and padding, tore up wood carpet strips, patched concrete from the nails, painted primer over all that crazy yellow and then painted the ceiling white and the walls a lovely shade of blue-grey. The hubby came out and replaced the 80's brass gaslights on the sides of the sliding doors to these amazingly modern brushed nickel ones with frosted glass (A STEAL at only $26 for a pair!).
Then, I cleaned and cleaned the concerete floor and painted it this luscious dark chocloate brown oil-based paint color. I'm waiting for that to dry and then I can move all the furniture back in and decorate!
So why all the rush on getting all these projects done now after a year? We invited the Hubby's family to stay with us in August. We thought "how awesome...this will give us a good deadline for tackling all those "small" projects." So, here we are now, racing against time to get as much as possible done before the 2nd weekend in August.
And all I want to be doing is reading a book!
Do you feel "withdrawls" when you get busy and don't have time to read? How do you keep your mind off it, or if you can't, do you make a big deal out of the first book you get to read when you have free time again?
A Comment Is All It Takes - Help Blogger Limecello Raise $$$ For Charity
Awesome Blogger Limecello is holding her 2011 Social Good Drive, a humanitarian charity drive, to raise funds for Save The Children which is helping with the current drought and famine around the Horn of Africa. Today and all you have to do to help is to leave a comment. ANY COMMENT!
Just saying "Thank you" is enough to help raise money for those in need. You don't have to contribute anything more than just a minute of your time. Less, you can raise money in less than a minute.
AND you could win prizes. Authors are donating books to be given away to commentors who help raise $$$ simply by commenting.
Seriously people - JUST COMMENT! It's so easy. And yet, that $1 can feed a human being starving to death. Just for spending less than a minute leaving a comment on a blog.
I feel pretty strongly about how doing something so simple should be a no-brainer for all of us. So, join the romance community in helping make this the most successful campaign yet. Leave a comment - share the link with others asking them to comment. That's it.
Here's the link to the post by Limecello where you can read more and leave your comment to raise money.
THANK YOU!
Just saying "Thank you" is enough to help raise money for those in need. You don't have to contribute anything more than just a minute of your time. Less, you can raise money in less than a minute.
AND you could win prizes. Authors are donating books to be given away to commentors who help raise $$$ simply by commenting.
Seriously people - JUST COMMENT! It's so easy. And yet, that $1 can feed a human being starving to death. Just for spending less than a minute leaving a comment on a blog.
I feel pretty strongly about how doing something so simple should be a no-brainer for all of us. So, join the romance community in helping make this the most successful campaign yet. Leave a comment - share the link with others asking them to comment. That's it.
Here's the link to the post by Limecello where you can read more and leave your comment to raise money.
THANK YOU!
Borders Stores Will Close - Liquidations Coming Soon
If you want the full details, check out this link to the Wall Street Journal articles.
Personally, Borders is where I buy all my books. I happen to work across the street from a store, and write this blog in the Cafe there on my lunch break most days. I don't know where I can go now for a break from my desk and to play in Romancelandia online.
I noticed that today on Twitter the #hashtag ThankUBorders has popped up and readers and authors are sending their appreciation and best wishes to the stores and employees. If you are on Twitter - please add your thoughts to the mix by using #ThankUBorders in your tweet.
Did you shop at Borders? Or did you shop somewhere else? Where do you buy most of your books? Lastley, what do you think the close of Borders means for readers in the future?
Romance Book Review: It's In His Kiss by Caitie Quinn
5 Heart Review
Jenna’s been letting life pass her by as she works on her career. But, when she needs to do some research of this kissing kind, things may get a little more heated than she expected.
Research has never been so fun.
WARNING: This 10k short has no vampires, shape shifter or scorching sex, but it might make you snort your diet Coke out your nose.
This is pure sweet sass and delivers to the reader one of my favorite parts of any romance - the meet cute. I loved it and it's sweetness.
I know some will be worried about the short length, but I thought it worked perfectly and at the end of the story I knew that this couple would have their HEA. It was almost sweeter to get to have the fun of thinking up their future together in your own imagination.
That's the thing with short stories, not everyone can leave you feeling like you got enough of the story. This story left me totally satisfied and smiling. Enough so that I've read it at least 3 times now.
So, if you like sassy, cute, emotional and witty sweet romances I would highly recommend this story to you. Even better? It's only $.99 for your Kindle at Amazon!
A Double Dose of Desire: 2 Harlequin Desire Book Reviews
Double the Desire Book Reviews:
Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day LeClaire - 3 Heart Review
Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day Leclaire – January 2011
“I'm having you baby.”
W ith those words Emma Worth changed Chase Larson's life forever. Having been bron on the wrong side of the marriage bed, the millionaire vowed no baby of his would be so cruelly labeled. There was just one thing that might keep him from making Emma his wife: their feuding families.
She'd never dreamed one night with Chase would bind them forever. The pregnant heiress desperately wanted to raise their child together, but only if Chase could forget they were enemies...
He was as tall and dark as the devil...and was her family's hated adversary. But that didn't stop Selene Louvardis from wanting Aris Sarantos with her every breath. Or grabbing her one chance for a forbidden night with him.
He was never supposed to learn she'd borne his child. But when Aris stormed back into Selene's life and discovered the truth, nothing would stop the ruthless billionaire from claiming his own. Not her family, not the billion-dollar contract at stake and certainly not something as inconvenient as love.
Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day LeClaire - 3 Heart Review
I thought I would do short reviews of 2 Harlequin Desire books I read and just never had time to write up my thoughts. Since they are past the month they are available in stores, but still available online in print and ebook format, I thought I should still tell you a little about them.
“I'm having you baby.”
She'd never dreamed one night with Chase would bind them forever. The pregnant heiress desperately wanted to raise their child together, but only if Chase could forget they were enemies...
A complex and emotional story, I really enjoyed seeing Chase and Emma grow together. Particularly with Emma helping Chase heal some wounds with his father and past. I'd give this a solid 3 Heart Review and say you would enjoy this book and it would be a fast read.
The Sarantos Secret Baby by Olivia Gates – April 2011
Forbidden Lover...Hidden Heir
He was never supposed to learn she'd borne his child. But when Aris stormed back into Selene's life and discovered the truth, nothing would stop the ruthless billionaire from claiming his own. Not her family, not the billion-dollar contract at stake and certainly not something as inconvenient as love.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but as I read it just didn't keep my attention. Small things in the story bothered me, even though the story itself was fine – there was nothing I can pin-point as being wrong, it just didn't feel right for me. Some of the love scenes seemed over the top for me, but I think they were supposed to be. All in all this wasn't a bad book, but it just wasn't one for me. I'd give it a 2 Heart Review.
The Long Series: When There Are 5+ Books Already Out, Are You Game?
Now, this makes me sad. And yes, it means that if I loved book #1 I would have a entire gaggle of books to read and love - BUT...BUT...maybe it's the fact that I review books that I feel the need to "catch up". Not really to read and enjoy, but literally to hurry up and read these damn books before the next one comes out. Again, maybe becuase I feel the pressure to be able to review that "Hot" book when it comes out. Maybe. Although readers of this blog know I'm not always about the latest and greatest book.
Twitter also chimed in with the series they believed I just HAVE to read no matter how many books back I'll need to catch up on. So I decided to take a leap. I asked for any and all suggestions of longer series - meaning 5+ books already out - and that I would pick a series today to try out.
So, here were the suggested series from my Twitter peeps last night. I've actually read a few, but I wanted to list all the suggestions:
The Dark Hunter Series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by JR Ward
The Guardians Series by Meljean Brooks
Tairen Souls Series by C.L. Wilson
The Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost
The Trixie Beldon Series by Julie Campbell Tatham
Riley Jensen Series by Keri Arthur
The Otherwold Series by Kelley Armstrong
The Kitty Norville Series by Carrie Vaughn
The Chelsea Cain Series of books
The Dave Robicheaux Series by James Lee Burke
The Hornblower Series by C.F. Forester
The Chronicles of the Warlands Series by Elizabeth A. Vaughan
The Chesapeake Bay Series by Nora Roberts
The Carsington Series by Loretta Chase
The Dresden Files Series by Jim Butcher
The Dragonriders of Pern Series by Anne McCaffrey
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
So which series I've never tried before have I decided to tackle book #1 of?
I'm going to go with The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I've heard so much about these books and although I know they aren't typical romances, I feel like they might be the best fit for me. (Also, I was horrified to realize that I've met and chatted with Ms. Gabaldon before and had NO IDEA who she was. GASP! Um yeah. So next time I'd like to at least have read 1 book!)
Which series have you read and loved even though it was 5+ books? Do you start a new-to-you series even if you are behind by 5+ books? Which series would you have picked to read book #1 of?
Tuesday Morning Cuteness - Cause Monday I Was Hung Over!
Not really! But I was traveling with family and forgot to schedule this to post at the right time. So, I present Monday Morning's Cuteness on Tuesday and it asks a most very important question for today:
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!
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