Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Paperback, 320 pages
Published: November 10th 201
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: NA - Contemporary - Romance

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Purchase at: Amazon | B&N | TBD | Kobo

  I f*cking hate being a fan of Colleen Hoover sometimes! I know full well what I'm going into; I know full well that the book would be brutal. But every time she releases a new book, I'm there buying it. UGH!

--------------------- REVIEW ---------------------

“When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go. You can’t just walk away from it and expect it to linger until you’re ready for it.”

  Fallon met Ben for the first time on November 9, the anniversary of the fire that destroyed her acting career. Their attraction is instant but Fallon was scheduled to move across the country that day, so they made a plan to meet every year for the next 5 years on November 9. This book follows their story through the 5 November 9's, told in Ben's and Fallon's point of views.

 

“You’ll never be able to find yourself if you’re lost in someone else.”

  To be honest, there were just so many things about this book that I hate that I was so surprised how much I loved this one! I mean, this whole book happened in a span of less than a week, for Christ's sakes, and there were so many things that happened already! There was insta-love, but it didn't really feel like insta-love to me. There was so much lying going around,their relationship was so dysfunctional and confusing, and Fallon is a bit whiny and a masochist. 

 

“You can’t leave yet. I’m not finished falling in love with you.”

  I have no idea how CoHo made this all work out because I wasn't even thinking how annoying any of those were while reading the book. In fact, CoHo made Fallon and Ben's love story feel like the perfect love story. Can you see how powerful and wonderful this woman is with words? AMAZING! And all the bookworm talks? They were just perfect! Not only did this book make me fall in love, it also made me laugh out loud.

 

“If we’re going to kiss, it has to be book-worthy.”

  Just like any other novel written by Colleen Hoover, this book was amazing and heart-wrenching. I can't believe I loved this book, but at the end of the day, I did. I will always be a Colleen Hoover fan, and I would always buy her books even without reading the synopsis.

“She “loved me” in quotations She kissed me in bold I TRIED TO KEEP HER in all caps She left with an ellipsis . . .”

Totally EPIC! One of the best books I have read. A MUST read!

This was a reread and I would reread it again!

Release Day Blitz: This Raging Light by Estelle Laure + Giveaway!

Hello, everyone!

I am so excited that THIS RAGING LIGHT by Estelle Laure releases today and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Estelle Laure, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a finished copy of the book and a bottle of nail polish that matches the cover courtesy of Estelle, HMH, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: THIS RAGING LIGHT

Author: Estelle Laure

Release Date: December 22^nd, 2015

Pages: 288

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

"A funny, poetic, big-hearted reminder that life can—and will—take us all by surprise.” —Jennifer E. Smith, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Can the best thing happen at the worst time?

Her dad went crazy. Her mom left town. She has bills to pay and a little sister to look after. Now is not the time for level-headed seventeen-year-old Lucille to fall in love. But love—messy, inconvenient love—is what she’s about to experience when she falls for Digby Jones, her best friend’s brother. With blazing longing that builds to a fever pitch, Estelle Laure’s soulful debut will keep readers hooked and hoping until the very last page.

Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Exclusive Excerpt:

When Wrenny and I roll up the hill to Eden’s house in Mom’s ancient Corolla, Digby and his dad, John, are outside playing basketball, and I want to get in the house as fast as possible,

because otherwise I might be trapped here all day, staring. I get a little twinge of something seeing a dad and his kid playing ball like dads and kids are supposed to. That’s a real

thing, and my hand wants to cover Wren’s face so she can’t see all that she is missing.

Which reminds me. “Wren.”

“Yeah?” She’s wiping at her shirt, reading a book on her lap, and she’s a little bit filthy, her hair greasy and knotty in spite of my efforts this morning. At some point the braids came out, and she’s reverted to wild.

“You know how Mom hasn’t been around lately?”

She stops. Tightens. “Yeah,” she says.

“Well, we don’t want anyone to know about that, okay?

Even Janie and Eden and Digby and John.”

“But Mom’s on vacation. She’s getting her head together. She’s coming back.”

“Okay, yes,” I say, “but still. We don’t want to tell anyone, because they might not understand that. They might get the wrong idea.”

“Like that she left us permanently?” There is so much more going on inside that Wrenny-head than I can ever know.

“Maybe, or at least for longer than she was supposed to.” I reach for the handle to the door because I can’t look at her. “Someone might think that.”

“She didn’t, though,” she says. “She’s Mom.”

“Of course she didn’t.” Lie.

“So who cares what anyone thinks?”

“Wren, just don’t, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Some things are private.” I open the door, then lean back across and wipe uselessly at her shirt with my thumb. “Like Mom being on vacation. So, okay?”

“I said okay, okay?” She gets out and waits, stares at me like I’m the most aggravating person on earth. “Hey, Lu?”

“Yeah?” I say, bracing myself for what’s next.

“Your mama’s so fat, she left the house in high heels and came back in flip-flops.”

I would tell her that I hate her new obsession with fat jokes, but I’m not in the mood for any dawdling, so I half laugh and get moving. I want to get inside and quick because there’s also the other thing. And by “other” I mean what makes me sweat just standing here. And by “thing” I mean Digby, who I have known since I was seven but who lately makes a fumbling moronic moron out of me, a full-on halfwit. Ask me my name when I’m in his presence and I’m not likely to be able to tell you. I’d probably just say, “Lllll . . . lllllllu . . .” and you’d have to catch the drool running down my chin.

I know. It’s not at all attractive.

But really. Tall, sweaty, and not wearing a shirt, so the muscles are all right there for the watching. He doesn’t exactly glisten, on account of the fact that he’s whiter than white, that he tans by getting freckles so he’s covered in them now after a whole summer outside. But seeing his hair all plastered to his forehead, his body so long and lean, looping around his dad to get the ball into the hoop, I want to fall out of the car and onto my knees in the driveway, say Lord have mercy, hallelujah, write sonnets and paint him, and worship that one little curve where his neck meets his shoulder that is just so, so perfect.

He is beautiful.

Which is why when he says hi as I pass him, I barely raise a pinky in response. There are two main problems here, aside from the fact that he is Eden’s twin and that’s all kinds of weird.

One, he’s had the same girlfriend since the dawn of time. They’re pinned, she wears his jacket, their marriage certificate is practically already signed. Angels bless their freakin’ union. And two, if I ever did get a chance with him, like if he ever kissed me or something, I would die of implosion. I know I sound like a twelve-year-old mooning over some celebrity, and not the extremely self-possessed woman-tobe that I actually am, but something about him makes me lose my mind. Something about the way he moves, about his himness — it shatters me all the way down. So I hope he never does kiss me. That would be nothing but a disaster. No one needs to see me fall apart like that. Least of all him.

Actually, maybe least of all me.

About The Author: Estelle Laure

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Estelle Laure is a Vonnegut worshipper who believes in love and magic and the power of facing hard truths. She has a BA in Theater Arts from New Mexico State University and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and thinks everyone should have to wait tables or work in a kitchen at least once in their lives. She lives in Taos, New Mexico with her children.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a hardcover of THIS RAGING LIGHT and a bottle of Essie Nail Polish that matched the book cover. US Only.

Ends on December 31^st at Midnight EST!

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Blog Tour: A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter | My Phobias + Giveaway!

To check out all of the awesome blogs on tour click the banner below.

Hello, my lovelies! 

Today I am beyond thrilled to be taking part in the A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter official blog tour hosted by Kismet Book Tours! I am in LOVE with this series and everything and anything Gene has written. She is an amazing author and one of my very favorites! I will be sharing all about the new book in the series, A Mad Zombie Party as well as sharing one of my worst phobias. There will also be of course a GIVEAWAY!!! 

A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter
Series: White Rabbit Chronicles #4
Number of page: 448
Published: September 29th 2015
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy

The battle rages on.

Ali Bell and Cole Holland's crew of zombie slayers thought they'd won the war against Anima Industries, the evil company responsible for capturing and experimenting on zombies in an effort to discover the secret to immortality. In the last epic clash, the slayers lost many of their crew and closest friends. But Frosty, the ice man himself, has not recovered from one casualty in particular—the love of his life, Kat Parker.

On the path to self-annihilation, Frosty receives a message from beyond—Kat's spirit returns, insisting he partner with rogue slayer Camilla Marks. Frosty will do anything for Kat. Except that. Camilla is the one who betrayed them all, leading to Kat's death.

But when Anima rises from the grave to become a force the slayers may not have the strength to overcome, Frosty, Camilla and all the slayers will have to work together to survive. And one broken slayer will learn that sometimes, the line between hate and attraction is blurred…and the road to redemption isn't through revenge, but in letting go of the past and grabbing hold of the future.

Purchase at Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Book Depository

About The White Rabbit Chronicles:  

White Rabbit Chronicles Website

Inspired by the classic Alice in Wonderland, The White Rabbit Chronicles series features romance, high-action zombie slaying, and shocking twists that will leave readers gasping for more.

Start at the beginning!

About Alice in Zombieland:

• Goodreads
• Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Today I am supposed to share one of my phobias and after thinking about what one to choose I decided to pick one I recently had to face head on, which is loss of a loved one or Thanatophobia. Back in May of this year I lost one of my best friends, Godmother, and a second Mother to me, my Grandma. She was 94 when she passed away and went peacefully into her sleep. While this is the way I hope to die one day, it still broke my heart. I had such a hard time dealing with her loss. I went from screaming to crying, to begging all within minutes. While at her funeral, which was open casket, I felt like I wanted to die too. Once I saw her lying there, my heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces. I couldn't breathe because I was crying so hard. I have never felt so much loss and sadness in my whole life. 

 I have always been scared of loosing family and friends and even facing death myself one day. While Thanatophobia is a common fear I tend to let it bother me even though no one has died or dying. Sometimes I cry when I think about one day my Mom, Dad or sister passing on. Also when dealing with the loss of a pet or knowing my dog Nikki is now 17 and won't be living much longer it consumes my thoughts. The fear of the inevitable is always there. This phobia is not something that I go on fearing and thinking of daily but when I get into that mindset it's hard to stop.  

Thanatophobia is the phobia I decided to speak on today, but a few others I have are fear of extreme heights, fear of bugs and bees and fear of never getting married. What are some of your phobias?

Now it time for the HAPPY part of the tour...THE GIVEAWAY!!!

sorry my phobia was so depressing 

The team at HarlequinTEEN is generously offering up a complete set of the White Rabbit Chronicles to one lucky winner! Three additional winners will each receive copies of A MAD ZOMBIE PARTY. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

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Cover Reveal: The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter + Giveaway!

Get ready for the 12th and most epic book in the Lords of the Underworld series yet, THE DARKEST TORMENT, available May 31, 2016! I think we can all agree on one thing: #BadenIsHot!

Click HERE to read a note from Gena on why she chose to write about Baden.

Here is your first glimpse at what THE DARKEST TORMENT is all about:

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with her most explosive Lords of the Underworld tale to date, about a fierce warrior on the brink of sanity who will stop at nothing to claim the exquisite human with the power to soothe the beast inside him...

Driven to his death by the demon of Distrust, Baden spent centuries in purgatory. Now he's back, but at what cost? Bound to the king of the underworld, an even darker force, he's unable to withstand the touch of another...and he's quickly devolving into a heartless assassin with an uncontrollable temper. Things only get worse when a mission goes awry and he finds himself saddled with a bride—just not his own.

Famed dog trainer Katarina Joelle is forced to marry a monster to protect her loved ones. When she's taken hostage by the ruthless, beautiful Baden immediately after the ceremony, she's plunged into a war between two evils—with a protector more dangerous than the monsters he hunts. They are meant to be enemies, but neither can resist the passion burning between them...and all too soon the biggest threat is to her heart.

But as Baden slips deeper into the abyss, she'll have to teach him to love...or lose him forever.

And now for the amazing cover...

Title: The Darkest Torment

Series: Lords of the Underworld, #12

Author: Gena Showalter

On-sale date: May 31, 2016

Publisher: HQN Books

Pages: 448

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Price: $26.99 U.S. / $29.99 CAN.

ISBN: 9780373779741

Find it: AMAZON | INDIEBOUND | GOODREADS

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There is an amazing blitz-wide giveaway, courtesy of the publisher, for...

A complete set of all 11 books in the Lords of the Underworld series to ONE winner - US/Canada.

***Giveaway ends Sunday, October 25th at 11:59 p.m. ET. Prize will be sent by the publisher.***

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Photo by Debbie Bunch Photography 

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the spellbinding Lords of the Underworld and Angels of the Dark series, two young adult series--Everlife and the White Rabbit Chronicles--and the highly addictive Original Heartbreakers series.  In addition to being a National Reader's Choice and two time RITA nominee, her romance novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan (Red Hot Read) and Seventeen magazine, she's appeared on Nightline and been mentioned in Orange is the New Black--if you ask her about it, she'll talk for hours…hours!  Her books have been translated in multiple languages.

She’s hard at work on her next novel, a tale featuring an alpha male with a dark side and the strong woman who brings him to his knees. You can learn more about Gena, her menagerie of rescue dogs, and all her upcoming books at genashowalter.com or Facebook.com/genashowalterfan.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

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Other Books in the Lords of the Underworld series

The series on GOODREADS

• THE DARKEST NIGHT (Lords of the Underworld #1) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST KISS (Lords of the Underworld #2) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST PLEASURE (Lords of the Underworld #3) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST WHISPER (Lords of the Underworld #4) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST PASSION (Lords of the Underworld #5) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST LIE (Lords of the Underworld #6) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST SECRET (Lords of the Underworld #7) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST SURRENDER (Lords of the Underworld #8) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST SEDUCTION (Lords of the Underworld #9) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST CRAVING (Lords of the Underworld #10) - GOODREADS
• THE DARKEST TOUCH (Lords of the Underworld #11) - GOODREADS

Release Day Launch: Illusion by Lea Nolan + Giveaway!

It’s release day for Illusion by Lea Nolan! I am so excited to share this fantastic new paranormal romance with you! Lea is sharing an excerpt and giveaway with us!! Be sure to check it all!

 About Illusion:

New school. Cross-country move. Broken heart. If only these were Emma Guthrie’s worst problems as the first day of her sophomore year dawns. Instead, she must battle a trio of enemies—human and spectral—who may or may not have joined forces against her. All while pretending to be over Cooper Beaumont, her ex-boyfriend and true love, to shield him from her arch-nemesis’s revenge. 

Worse, when the fight escalates, Emma is tempted to use the black magic she’s always fought against, endangering her own soul. As her enemies close in, join forces, and fight with new and dark magic she’s never seen before, Emma must finally harness the power within her to fulfill an ancient prophecy, defeat a centuries-old evil, save her family, and reclaim the only boy she’s ever loved. 

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Add on Goodreads

CONJURE: Amazon | Barnes and Noble \\ ALLURE: Amazon | Barnes and Noble   

Exclusive Excerpt: 

A screech echoes through the woods. The sound is like a nail scraped against tin and raises the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. It’s the unmistakable caw of a crow. Spinning, I search the dimness for the source. Before my eyes can focus, a glossy black shadow bursts through a sheet of Spanish moss draped on a nearby live oak.

Shrieking, I cover my head with my hands and duck, then dart toward the path that brought me here. The bird pursues, flapping its large wings and gaining ground fast. With a whoosh, it swoops from the sky and slams into me, sinking its talons into my arm. I scream, then thrash around, trying to knock it loose. Its spiky nails clamp deeper into my flesh.

“Get off her!” Cooper’s voice booms.

Tears, the very best kind, surge. I’ve never been so happy to have him near. “Help!” I lamely shake my arm again, but the psychotic bird hangs on.

Cooper’s feet pound against the dirt as he races toward me and my winged assailant. As he draws close, the crow squawks, then jams its beak into my scalp, yanking out a clump of hair.

Pain, brilliant yellow and blinding, flashes across my vision. I wail, overcome.

“Emma, duck.”

I drop to my knees. Something hard thumps against the bird, launching it into the air like a golf ball from a tee. Its piercing caw bounces across the clearing. As the bird soars into the moonlit sky, it attempts to beat its wings, but something’s wrong. Only one of its feathered sides extends. Midair the shiny black crow stalls then careens back toward the earth. Just as I’m sure it’s headed straight for us, the lame wing unfolds then beats furiously to avoid what is sure to be a deadly collision. Veering off, it follows a wobbly flight path toward the shadowy forest.

Cooper tosses a long, heavy stick onto the ground, then reaches for my hand and pulls me to my feet. “Are you okay?” His wide hands clutch my arms as his eyes search mine.

“I—I think so.” My voice shakes as I work to process all that’s happened in the last few minutes. My temperature drops as shock sets in. Was it real, or just an immensely screwed-up dream? One glance at the slick streak of blood dripping down my skin confirms my new wound, though I can’t tell how bad it is until I see it in the light.

Grabbing me close, he wraps his strong arms around my back. The heady scent of his Cooperness swirls around me, filling me with familiar warmth that heads off my shock. My thoughts zoom to the red stain that has likely already smeared his polo. “I’m bleeding.” I try to pull away.

“I know.” He grips me close, like he’s fallen from a ship and I’m the only life preserver.

“But it’ll get it on your shirt.” A tear streams down the side of my face.

He pulls away, just enough to meet my gaze. “Who cares about my shirt? I thought I lost you, Emmaline.” Brushing his thumb against my cheek, he wipes away the salty liquid.

“But you didn’t. You saved me.”

“I was almost too late.” His voice is breathy and so full of despair it nearly breaks my heart.

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Lea Nolan is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance and YA. Her books for young adults feature bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She also pens smart, witty contemporary stories for adults filled with head-swooning, heart-throbbing, sweep-you-off your feet romance. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, she loves the water far too much to live inland. With her heroically supportive husband and three clever children, she resides in Maryland where she scarfs down crab cakes whenever she gets the chance. 

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