ARC Review: The Empty Jar by M. Leighton

The Empty Jar
M. Leighton
414 pages, M.Leighton Books
***** Stars
Amazon | Goodreads 
This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review

Three months touring Europe. 
Romantic. Dazzling. Unforgettable. 
The trip of a lifetime.

But some lifetimes are shorter...

We couldn’t have known it would work out this way.
No one could. No one could’ve guessed that something so beautiful could be so tragic.

But it is tragic.
Yet so, so beautiful.

That’s what sacrifice is—beauty and tragedy.
It’s pain and suffering for something or someone you love.
And this is the ultimate sacrifice. 
One stunning act of true love.

This is our story.
Our true love story. 

There comes a time in a readers life when you come across a book that completely and utterly breaks you into millions of pieces and then puts you back together by the time the last word is read.  The Empty Jar by M. Leighton was that book for me.

From the first page I knew this book would kill me.  From past to present it begins and we slowly become enveloped into a love story so heartbreakingly beautiful.  At times it was hard to watch, or read rather, but I couldn't stop myself.  The love Nate & Lena have for each other felt so real, like I could reach into the book and grab it with my hands.  Palpable. And unbreakable.  Not even fate or circumstance could break it. It's the kind of love we all want and work hard to keep if we have it. Which is why this book killed me!

"My heart," I murmur, rubbing the tip of my nose back and forth over hers, wishing I could make things right, make things better. Change them.
But knowing I cant.
"For Yours," she replies, as she has since the night I proposed to her just over sixteen years ago.

Review: A Better Man by Candis Terry

A Better Man

Sunshine Creek Vineyard #1

Candis Terry

Publisher: Avon, 368 pages

March 29, 2016

Source: ARC galley from publisher

Goodreads

Amazon │Barnes & Noble

Meet the Kincade brothers: they’ll do what it takes to protect their legacy—but what happens when love gets in the way?

Hockey star Jordan Kincade wasted no time ditching Sunshine Valley and everyone who mattered for a career in the NHL—a truth Jordan confronts when his parents’ deaths bring him home. Now he’s back to make amends, which begins with keeping his younger sister from flunking out of school. It’s just his luck that the one person who can help is the girl whose heart he broke years ago.

Lucy Diamond has racked up a number of monumental mistakes in her life, the first involving a certain blue-eyed charmer. She has no intention of falling for Jordan Kincade again, but when he shows up asking her to help one of her students, Lucy just can’t say no. Worse, the longer he’s back, the more she sees how much he’s changed. And so when a blistering kiss turns to more, she can’t help but wonder if her heart will be crushed again . . . or if she’ll discover true love with a better man

I love small town romances.  There's just something about the intimacy of it that makes falling in love seem...ethereal.  Being a new reader to Candis Terry I was more than excited to dive into this small-town, sports themed, second chance romance.  Did I forget to mention I love sports?! I totally do. Being a mom to three boys, it was kinda required of me to learn to like 'em.  Thus making me fall in love with sports because I spend a majority of my time on a field of some sort trudging along snacks and juice for the players.  But I digress.  I'm not here to talk about my personal life, that's a different blog ;-)

Jordan our main character is a star hockey player who spends most of his time in the penalty box rather than the ice, but he always makes those minutes count when he is on the ice.  His team has just won the game that will take them to the championship when he gets a call that changes his life forever.  A Better Man is aptly titled since Jordan has come to the reality that maybe he hasn't been the best version of himself.  Funny how tragedy will make a person introspect. Since being home Jordan's had time to learn more about the vineyard and all the secrets it holds.  He's slowly rebuilding his relationship with his family and learning how to be this different person that isn't just about hockey or winning or penalty boxes.

Sass by Laramie Briscoe Excerpt + Giveaway

Author Laramie Briscoe brings you her next standalone  novel SASS.

I, Cassandra Straight, have loved Reed Shamrock to distraction since I was a teenager. I even watched him fall in love with someone else and almost get married. 

A year ago, when he walked into his house and found his fiancée’s face in his best friend’s crotch, his life changed forever and it hasn’t been the same since.

On his first night out since the horrible incident, we run into the ex-skank. Seeing the devastation in his eyes, I made a promise that I would help him get over her. I told him that a pretend relationship between us would work. It would help him move on.

I didn’t count on my heart or his getting in the way. And I sure as hell didn’t count on not being able to tell when pretend turned to reality. When it all implodes, the only thing left is the truth. 

Sometimes though, the truth? It hides and we have to dig deep to find it. To make it come to the surface, we have to give it a little talking to. We have to give it a little Sass.

Sass gives me a bored, disbelieving look as she pushes her sunglasses down on her nose so her eyes are exposed to mine.

"Are you sure you put fish in this pond? Have you fed them? Have they died? Did they leave you for someone who actually cared? Two hours, Reed, and we haven't gotten a bite."

Review: Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden

Six Degrees of Scandal
Scandalous #4
Publisher: Avon, 384 pages
Caroline Linden
Goodreads
Amazon  • Barnes & Noble
**** Stars

Olivia Townsend is in trouble and out of options. Pursued by a desperate man in search of a lost treasure, which she doesn’t have, she’s got only two things in her favor: her late husband’s diary, which she was never meant to see … and the man who was her first-and-only-love. Losing him broke her heart, though she’s been careful to hide it for the last ten years. But when he comes to her aid and vows to stand by her this time, no matter what, she can’t help but hope things will be different this time.

James Weston has blamed himself for letting Olivia down when she needed him years ago, and he will not do it again. Fortunately, his unusual life has equipped him well to outsmart the villain chasing Olivia. Unfortunately, being so near her again threatens to expose every secret in his heart…even those that should stay hidden forever.

I'm a historical romance genre lover.  There's just something about the chivalric quality in a male character from the time period that really catches my interest and when you throw in romance..it's a match made in heaven.  For me anyways.  This quality was definitely not missing from our hero James in Six Degrees of Scandal by Caroline Linden.  However, don't be mistaken, just because it's "historical" doesn't mean the female characters written for that time period are weak or submissive. In fact it's the exact opposite for our heroine Olivia, she's every bit strong and independent as today's woman and I cheered for her all the way through the book.

I absolutely adored the beginning of the story, it gave great insight to the history of our characters and the way their lives were intertwined from the start.  So much is said in so little paragraphs, you would think it would take away from the plot and the characters.  However that wasn't the case for me. Because I was allowed to have back story, I was immediately hooked.  Oh the heart clenches I felt for our Olivia! And mind you this is within the span of the first 100 pages.  I'm telling you I.WAS.HOOKED.  When an author can have me invested in the story and the outcome so quickly, it's one I definitely keep my eye on.

Six Degrees of Scandal was enjoyable and an instant favorite for me.  An in-depth story full of wit,charm and romance not to be missed! I highly recommend this read if you're a fan of historical romance.  

We Were Here by Daisy Prescott blog tour

In the 90s …

texting involved paper and a pen …

… our selfies were Polaroids ...

… our favorite music was on mix tapes.

Sex was dangerous, music was raw, and falling in love felt nostalgic.

We were friends and lovers.

We thought we knew everything.

We knew nothing.

We were here.

Set in the early 1990s, a time before the internet, social media, and smart phones, We Were Here is the prequel to Geoducks Are For Lovers. This book can be read as a standalone.

"This story has it all! Just like a mixed tape; we get a dose of steamy romance, angsty ballads and sweet love songs woven together in a compelling, heartwarming and sometimes heartwrenching journey of self-exploration." Helena Hunting, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author