Review: Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker

Release date: August 6th 2019
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multi-billion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counselors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is still alive and strong, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

I don't even know where to start this review. This is the seventh book I've read by K.A. Tucker, my first that is not romantic suspense, so I went in not knowing what to expect from her straight contemporary style. But from beginning to end, I was utterly enthralled. Say You Still Love Me is a fun and beautiful story filled with silly, youthful moments and emotions that will surely leave you wanting more.

At first, the business aspect was a bit hard for me to get into with how the story opened, but I understood the significance of seeing Piper in her element and how hard she worked at her father's company. She also wasn't doing any of it by force. She truly loved her job and everything it entailed. So that was interesting in itself, along with the fact that she matured into a strong woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

Kyle was a fun and wild guy back at camp; full of mischief and enjoyed adventures. Understandably, he tamed those characteristics a tad to make something of himself as a man. With everything involving his family, he had a lot to prove, mainly to himself. And I got why he'd feel undeserving or out of place when it came to Piper's world and her status. But I liked how throughout the story, since meeting at camp, she focused on their moments together, instead of financial situation.

I think what I love the most about the story is the intensity between the two, and how life can send you on all these different paths only to eventually lead you back to someone you are meant to be with. I believe in second-chance love, especially if the timing wasn't right in the beginning, but you've reached a place where things are now not exactly perfect, but steady. And despite the horrible situation that happened back at camp, it actually caused both Piper and Kyle to grow from that and develop a better understanding of each other and the love they feel.

Again, a beautiful story that will make you swoon.

About the Author

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 17 books, including the Causal Enchantment, Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, and The Simple Wild. 

Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, First for Women, and Publisher's Weekly. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2013 for TEN TINY BREATHS and Best Romance 2018 for THE SIMPLE WILD. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her family.

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Review: All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover

Release date: July 17th 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us—whose writing is “emotionally wrenching and utterly original” (Sarah Shepard, New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series)—delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it.

Quinn and Graham’s perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.

All Your Perfects is a profound novel about a damaged couple whose potential future hinges on promises made in the past. This is a heartbreaking page-turner that asks: Can a resounding love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

All Your Perfects is a beautiful and realistic story depicting how two people can move from being hopelessly in love at the beginning of their relationship to fighting for each other when times get tough.

I'd like to start of my review by admitting that I didn't totally understand Quinn's unhappiness at first. I found it baffling as to how she could be so sad in her marriage yet she wants to have a baby. Babies don't fix things, it only makes the situation more stressful. But as the story progresses and I begin to learn more about what she's going through and why Graham's love hurt her so much then I could sympathize with Quinn and where she's coming from. 

I really like how real and relatable their problems are, especially on Quinn's part. I don't want to specify too much but I do want to say this is something many women face and I like that Colleen explored this issue so much. 

Graham is definitely one of a kind, in the way that he's so loving and understanding of his wife and is accepting of everything about her. I think Quinn had all these expectations and dreams going into their marriage, that while Graham shared and loved about her, he also knew within his heart that none of those things would shatter the love he has for her should they not achieve them. I believe Quinn lost this somewhere down the line and definitely needed to be reminded of what truly matters and why they got married to begin with.

Being that the story is written in past and present times, you really get to experience the highs of their relationship and the most hurtful times. I enjoyed getting to know these two and falling in love with their love. It definitely started out crazy but you quickly warm up to the intense feelings between them. I'd be smiling at their cuteness and then crying at their sadness. It's just that great of a story with superb writing. I haven't read a Hoover novel since Confess, but this book certainly has me hopping back on the CoHo train. I highly recommend!

About the Author
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Finding Cinderella, Maybe Someday, Maybe Not, Ugly Love, Confess, November 9, It Ends with Us, and Without Merit. She has won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance three years in a row—for Confess (2015), It Ends with Us (2016), and Without Merit (2017). Confess was adapted into a seven-episode online series. In 2015, Colleen and her family founded The Bookworm Box, a bookstore and monthly subscription service offering signed novels donated by authors. All profits are given to various charities each month to help those in need. Colleen lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys.

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Review: Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker

Release date: January 23rd 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive...until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker's reputation as one of today's most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

*Received a physical copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I'm a lover of suspense and Tucker is one of my favorites in that genre. Keep Her Safe is my kind of read, a slow build yet thrilling story bound to keep you hooked until the last page.

This novel intrigues you right away. I immediately attached myself to Noah and the whole situation with his mom. He seemed like such a goody-goody who always did the right thing so I wanted to know what was up with his mother and what part she played in a long cover-up that was obviously destroying her mental state. 

As for Gracie, her gritty character doesn't really come off likable but I understood why she was like that. She had to be tough and wary of everyone who came around her. After all, she and her mother went through a lot, and in comparison to Noah, they didn't have a great life full of opportunities, especially with the horrible picture their hometown and police painted of Gracie's father.

The interactions between the two characters were always interesting. I liked that there wasn't anything instant, though, and that it took a while for both to open up. My hope for growth between them kept me reading, but the mystery surrounding Gracie's father also had my interest. Honestly, I knew a certain someone was involved, with how evasive he seemed throughout, but I wanted to understand why and also get clarity on what went down all those years ago.

Again, this is a great story with Tucker at her best. I don't want to give too much away, the only thing left for me to say is to give it a read if you're looking for a suspense that's not too fast or overwhelming. It's just right.

About the Author

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. 

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 16 books, including Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water, and her upcoming Adult Suspense novel, Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. 

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband and two beautiful girls.

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Review: Wish You Were Here by Renée Carlino

Release date: August 15th 2017
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, floating from interest to interest, job to job, and guy to guy, searching for a spark but never quite finding it. All she knows is that she won’t discover it working as a waitress at a pies-and-fries joint in Los Angeles or living with her fun but aimless best friend in a tiny apartment in the Arts District.

Then Charlotte collides with Adam, a gorgeous and soulful painter who seems just as lost as she feels. Their instant connection turns into a midnight drink… and a whirlwind night of champagne, Chinese food, and the kind of conversation that only happens in romantic comedies. But the next morning, Adam gives Charlotte the cold shoulder, leaving her confused and hurt—and wondering if the few odd moments between them the night before were red flags in disguise.

Months later, Charlotte hasn’t been able to shake Adam, so she decides to find out what happened the morning after their magical night together. This fateful decision rewrites their wild love story, but what Charlotte doesn’t know yet is that the ending has already been written.

*Publisher approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Renée Carlino has been one of my absolute favorite authors ever since I read Sweet Thing. She's a wonderful storyteller and knows how to pull your heart in and drown it in various emotions. This book was no different. The moment I got wind of Wish You Were Here I knew I was in for a mind-blowing experience. And that's exactly what I got. 

Charlotte is this young woman in her twenties that never seemed to stick to just one thing. She switches interests and boyfriends often because she doesn't get that feeling of certainty that shouts "this is it", so to speak. Still, I found Charlotte's character to be very relatable. Like her, I've often felt adrift or not quite certain of where to go in life. I feel that many people in their twenties especially think they have to decide on one set path, stay on it, and go with the flow, in spite that their hearts may not be all in. But from Charlotte, you get the sense that it's okay to try different things, make mistakes, work on yourself, and keep pushing on until you get there because you will eventually. 

Another thing I related to Charlotte with was how insecure she felt and how she lacked confidence, not only in herself but in her capability to have a healthy relationship and career. And although her encounter with Adam was rather interesting and turned out to be full of excitement for that one night, the misunderstanding that transpired the morning after didn't help her self-doubt and already low self-esteem whatsoever. As a matter of fact, her dignity was so bruised that it made it difficult to move on with another. Thank goodness Seth was a great guy and was willing to wait for Charlotte. Even after she reunited with Adam and all that happened after. That's where the sad elements of the book peaked. 

Adam. What could I possibly say about this guy that would sum up his awesomeness in the story? There isn't one word that could do him justice, to be honest. He was just that wonderful. Adam was facing something so sad and horrible, yet he smiled and continued to appreciate the small things in life. His love for art and Charlotte was so admirable and so real, that I could feel it through the pages. Their connection was intense, beautiful and painful all in one. My heart ached for them, like seriously. And while I did love Seth, his sweet personality and how even though it hurt, he understood and accepted Charlotte's feelings, a huge part of me loved Adam more and rooted for him. 

Regardless of how things went, I was thrilled that Charlotte at least experienced self-growth toward the end of the story and finally saw herself as she should have from the beginning, strong and worthy. 

Yeah, the book does have painful moments, but thanks to Charlotte's brother and her friendship with Helen, there were humorous times as well. The brother/sister aspect was particularly my favorite. Chucky, like most siblings, knew how to push his sister's buttons and they sure did mess with each other. But at the end of the day, it was all fun and I liked how supportive her brother was in his own way. As for Helen, it was mostly love/dislike for me. I loved that she could cheer up Charlotte and was so close to her family, but I felt like Helen wasn't really there for her best friend in that whole situation with Adam. I thought she could have been a bit more understanding and stop bringing up Seth every time she was around Charlotte. The situation was already complicated and I didn't like some of the things she said. Glad they were able to resolve all that over time though.    

To conclude, Ms. Carlino has definitely done it again. This was such a great story. I transitioned from laughing to crying to feeling frustrated, then to sad and crying happy tears throughout the book. Only a few authors mess with my emotions this much the way Renée does and I just love that you never know how you'll end up feeling by the end of her stories. My gosh, I cannot recommend this one enough. If you're up for an emotional read definitely give this one a chance. You won't regret it.

About the Author

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of romantic women's novels and new adult fiction. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two sons. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

www.reneecarlino.com

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Spotlight & Giveaway: Chasing River by K.A. Tucker

Series: Burying Water #3
Release date: July 7th 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude. 

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die, but he also couldn't risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move. 

Maybe it's because he saved her life, or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone. 

And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch.

About the Author

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. 

She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. 

Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

*Thank you to Atria books for sponsoring this giveaway

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Cover Reveal: Cam Girl by Leah Raeder

Check out the vibrant cover art for Leah Raeder's upcoming release, Cam Girl.

Release Date: November 3rd 2015

Publisher: Atria Books

Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Vada Bergen is broke, the black sheep of her family, and moving a thousand miles away from home for grad school, but she’s got the two things she loves most: her art, and her best friend and soulmate, Ellis Carraway. Elle and Vada have a friendship so consuming it’s hard to tell where one girl ends and the other begins. It’s intense. It’s a little codependent. And nothing can tear them apart.

Until an accident on an icy winter road changes everything.

Vada is left deeply scarred, both emotionally and physically. Her once-promising art career is cut short. And Ellis pulls away, unwilling to talk about that night. Everything Vada loved is gone.

She’s got nothing left to lose.

So when she meets a smooth-talking lothario who offers to set her up as a cam girl, she can’t say no. All Vada has to do is spend a couple hours each night taking off her clothes on webcam, and the “tips” come pouring in.

It’s all just kinky fun till a client gets serious. “Blue” is mysterious, alluring, and more interested in Vada’s life than her body. Online, they open up to each other intimately. Blue helps her heal. And he pays well, but he wants her all to himself. No more cam shows. She agrees, because she’s starting to fall for him. And when he asks to meet, she says yes. Because she’s dying to know the real man behind the keyboard.

Even if one of his conditions is to bring Ellis. The girl who wants nothing to do with her anymore.

Now Vada must confront the past she’s been running from. A past full of devastating secrets—those of others, and those she’s been keeping from herself…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leah Raeder is a writer and unabashed nerd. Aside from reading her brains out, she enjoys graphic design, video games, fine whiskey, and the art of self-deprecation. She lives with her very own manic pixie dream boy in Chicago. 

Visit her at LeahRaeder.com | facebook.com/leahraederbooks | @LeahRaeder

Review: Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

Release date: March 31st 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Joshua Miles has spent his early twenties spinning his wheels. Working dead-end jobs and living at home has left him exhausted and uninspired, with little energy to pursue his passion for graphic art. Until he meets Gemma Henare, a vivacious out-of-towner from New Zealand. What begins as a one-night stand soon becomes a turning point for Josh. He can't get Gemma out of his head, even after she has left for home, and finds himself throwing caution to the wind for the first time in his life.

It's not long before Josh is headed to New Zealand with only a backpack, some cash, and Gemma's name to go on. But when he finally tracks her down, he finds his adventure is only just beginning. Equally infatuated, Gemma leads him on a whirlwind tour across the beautiful country, opening Josh up to life, lust, love, and all the messy heartache in between. Because, when love drags you somewhere, it might never let go even when you know you have to say goodbye.

*ARC was Approved by publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

If you enjoy travelling or seeking out new adventures, this book is for you. If you like stories about complicated relationships, this book is for you. While one aspect of the story stood out stronger to me, I did like it for the most part. And I must say, Karina's history as a travel writer really shined in Where Sea Meets Sky because honestly, I could envision every lavish scene described, and I'm now more than ever convinced that New Zealand is a place I MUST visit. Without a doubt. It was one of the main reasons why I liked the story, even though some things didn't warm me over.

The other thing I liked about this book is the easy writing and the inclusion of art. I love characters who are artists so that really grabbed me. I also liked that with all the issues and odds, in the end they managed to find themselves and figure out what they want. But man was the road long and shaky. 

Character-wise, I didn't connect as much as I'd like to with either Gemma or Josh, but that's not necessarily something that would keep me from enjoying a story if the plot is interesting. And this one was just that. My issue is that I wasn't comfortable with some of their choices, more specifically with Gemma's. I understand that in reality, things like what happened in their first encounter do happen in real life, my issue is with what happened after she got off the plane back home in New Zealand and from then on. The road trip had some cringe-worthy moments too, and I wanted to shake her and scream "What the hell are you doing?", but then the scenes where they'd go exploring and bask in the power of natural beauty would make up for the parts of the story that didn't rub me right. 

It was nice when Gemma brought Josh home to meet her family. And I liked that her cousin was also part of the journey to self-discovery. Her character was sweet and level-headed, in my opinion. There was one scene that I shook my head, but overall, she was a nice addition to the story. I also liked the scenes where Josh's sister was included. She seems like an interesting character and I'd love to read about her and her love in Karina's previous book. 

In closing, Where Sea Meets Sky is a good story with a few things that didn't work for me, but I loved the travel aspect and how well the writing flowed. This is my first Halle read and it certainly won't be the last. I'm definitely curious about her other works, especially if the descriptions are as vivid as in this one. 

Cover Reveal: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

IFB is participating in the Atria cover reveal event for Taylor Jenkins Reid's upcoming release, Maybe in Another Life. Check it out below. I like how simple and chic it is. 

Release date: July 7th 2015

Publisher: Atria

Purchase: Amazon | B&N

ABOUT MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE:
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college, but on the heels of a disastrous breakup, she has finally returned to her hometown of Los Angeles. To celebrate her first night back, her best friend, Gabby, takes Hannah out to a bar—where she meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

It’s just past midnight when Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. Ethan quickly offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay.

Hannah hesitates.

What happens if she leaves with Gabby?

What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent story-lines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into surprisingly different stories with far-reaching consequences for Hannah and the people around her, raising questions like: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She is the author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. 

You can follow her on Twitter @TJenkinsReid.

www.taylorjenkinsreid.com | facebook.com/taylorjenkinsreidbooks