Fire In You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Some are born with fire in them.

✮✮✮SECOND CHANCES, HOPE, & RED-HOT CHEMISTRY…FIRE IN YOU, the final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Wait For You World, releases November 28, 2016! Don’t Miss Brock and Jillian’s passionate and richly moving story in this standalone contemporary romance! And check out each stop on the FIRE IN YOU Feature Tour taking place November 21-December 3!✮✮✮

Let the FIRE IN YOU burn and order your copy today!

About FIRE IN YOU (Standalone Contemporary Romance Releasing November 28, 2016):

From the # 1 New York Times and International bestselling author comes a richly moving story about heartbreak and guilt, second chances and hope. Full of familiar, fan-favorite characters and no two people more deserving of a happy ending, Fire In You will burn bright beyond the last page…

Jillian Lima’s whole world was destroyed in a span of a few hours. The same night her childhood love, Brock ‘the Beast’ Mitchell, broke her heart, her life was irrevocably altered by the hand of a stranger with a gun. It takes six years to slowly glue together the shattered pieces of her life, but Jillian is finally ready to stop existing in a past full of pain and regret. She takes a job at her father’s martial arts Academy and she’s going out on her first date since a failed relationship that was more yuck than yum. Jillian is determined to start living.

She just never expected Brock to be a part of her life again. But he’s firmly back in her life before she knows it, and not only is he older, he’s impossibly more handsome, more teasing and more everything. And when he sees Jillian, he’s no longer capable of thinking of her as the little girl who was his shadow growing up or the daughter of the man who gave him a second chance at life. He sees the woman who’d always been there for him, the one person who believed in him no matter what.

Brock knows she’s the one he should’ve made his, and what begins as a tentative friendship quickly turns to red-hot chemistry that sparks a flame that burns brighter than lust. Falling for Brock again risks more than her heart, because when the sorrow-filled and guilt-ridden past resurfaces, and a web of lies threatens to rip them apart, the fallout could lay waste to everything they’ve fought to build together, and destroy the dreams of those they care most about.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Fast 5, er 9, w/Jennifer L. Armentrout:

Last book you read:

Twisted Palace by Erin Watt (3^rd book in the Royals series)

Last thing that made you cry:

An ASPCA commercial that came on TV

Last trip you took:

Yallfest in Charleston, SC

Last thing that made you smile:

I finally got my new Macbook Pro 

Best moment as an author:

Release of my first published book, Half-Blood, or the first time I hit #1 on the NYT with Wait for You

Last thing you treated yourself to:

A new handbag

Last person you hugged:

Stacey - my BFF and assistant when we left Yallfest 

Favorite place in the world:

New Orleans - I love this city

Last emoticon you used:

heart

Mini Review:

As always Jennifer L. Armentrout proves she is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her quick wit and vivacious characters are some of my favorite to read and that holds extra true for FIRE IN YOU. Y'all there is definitely some fire in this book.

Seriously, fans of the Wait For You series don't need to be told of the smexy and snarky goldmine that is this series. If you haven't checked it out, get in now! This book can absolutely be read as a standalone, but I'm guessing you'll be scrambling to start from book 1 before you make it out of the first chapter.

Pre-Order a digital or paperback copy of FIRE IN YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J.Lynn, AND fill out THIS FORM by December 3rd, and get an exclusive bonus scene-an Epilogue featuring POVs from all the major couples throughout the Wait For You World!

FIRE IN YOU will be available in paperback and eBook November 28th, 2016!

Just enter your name, age, email address, and the order number from your digital or paperback pre-order receipt athttps://a.pgtb.me/M7KhMCto receive your exclusive FIRE IN YOU bonus scene! All entrants will receive the bonus scene on December 5th, 2016 through email using the email given when the entrant filled out THIS FORM.

TRAILER: https://youtu.be/fDn7F_mJuok

FIRE IN YOU Feature Tour

November 21

The Book Bratz-Review
This Wacky Mama Reads!-Review & Excerpt
Booklovers For Life-Character Q & A-Jillian

November 22

The Reading Geek-Review
Words With Sarah-Review & Author Interview

November 23

Grown Up Book Reviews (MundieMoms)-Review
Krista’s Dust Jacket-Review & Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR-Review & Excerpt

November 24

A Bookish Escape-Review
Star-Crossed Book Blog-Review & Author Interview

November 25

Book Bitches Blog-Review & Excerpt
The Irish Banana Reviews-Review & Author Interview

November 26

Stuck In YA Books-Review & Top 5 List
Step Into Fiction-Review & Excerpt

November 27

Less Reality, More Books-Review & Character Q & A-Kristen
My YA NA Book Obsession-Review & Author Interview

November 28

RentasticReads-Review
Stuck in Books-Dual Reviews
Mrs. Leif’s Two Fangs About It-Review
MEReadAlot-Review

November 29

Milky Way of Books-Review
Love Between the Sheets-Review & Character Q & A-Brock
Book Boyfriend Reviews-Review

November 30

The Cover Contessa-Review & Top 5 List
Deity Island-Review & Excerpt
All Romance Reviews-Review & Excerpt

December 1

Cocktails and Books-Review
Readers Live 1000 Lives-Review & Character Q & A-Avery & Cam
K-Books-Review

December 2

Tome Tender-Review & Excerpt
The Book Hookup-Review & Excerpt

December 3

Nose Stuck in a Book-Review & Excerpt
Kimberlyfaye Reads-Review & Top 5 List

a Rafflecopter giveaway




About Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour: The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks

EEEK! I am so excited to kick off the start of the blog tour for THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE. I actually read this book in 2015, shortly after it popped up on Edelweiss, and I immediately fell in love and tweeted and ordered friends to read it.

Review:
If Veronica Mars was stranded on a lifeboat with a handful of 09ers, this is what would happen.

If you don't get that reference ... My heart is sad for you.

THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE is one of the funnest, wittiest, snarkiest books I've read in years. Denver is a powerhouse main character with a dry wit and comedic timing that will have any reader giggling and smiling.

When Denver crashes a cool kids party in Malibu the night an earthquake hits and triggers a tsunami, she never expected to be stranded on a lifeboat with her former BFF turned mortal nemesis, Abilgail, Abigail's two lackey mean girls, and one very intuitive but chill surfer boy.

As they fight to survive and not lose hope, you will cheer with them, cry with them and laugh with them. Denver never loses her spirit and that is what drives this book. Her tenacity and fierceness is something we can all strive for.

Kathy Parks needs to write me some more books ASAP because if this is small taste of what she can do, I am adding her to my author auto-buy list!

ABOUT THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE:

Some people might say that Denver had a death wish. Why else would she have dared to sneak into a Malibu beach party where she’d be surrounded by enemies, namely including her ex-BFF Abigail?

Oh yeah. Croix. Denver never thought in a million years he’d ask her out, but who was she to question this miracle of fate? Well, that wasn’t the only surprise fate had in store.

During the party a tsunami hit the coast of California, wiping out everything in its path. Denver and a handful of others escaped death by holding onto the roof of the house and were swept out to sea. Of course, one of her fellow castaways was none other than Abigail, who could barely stand the sight of her.

Now that she’s floating in the ocean, stuck on a small boat with the most popular kids in school and waiting to be rescued, Denver wonders what might kill her first-dehydration, sunstroke, or the girl she used to think of as a sister?

A hilariously dark and twisted story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Park’s irreverent yet insightful novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable circumstances.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | The Book Depository

ABOUT KATHY PARKS:

Hi, I’m Kathy Parks, author of The Lifeboat Clique. (Katherine Tegen Books, March 1 2016)

It’s about Denver Reynolds, an outcast at her high school, who ends up in a lifeboat with the popular kids who hate her.

It’s Mean Girls meets Life of Pi!

I live near the beach in Carpinteria, California with my husband and two cats.

I love questions and meeting other authors.

Hope you’ll check out The Lifeboat Clique!

LINKS: Twitter | Tumblr

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

2/29: The Irish Banana Review - Review

3/1: That Artsy Reader Girl - Guest Post

3/2: Bookiemoji - Review

3/3: Andi's ABCs - ABC Post

3/4: Novel Ink - Review

Week 2:

3/7: A Book & A Latte - How I Write

3/8: Reads All the Books - Review

3/9: Actin' Up With Books - Q&A

3/10: Paperback Princess - Review

3/11: Life According to a Bibliophile - Guest Post

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

KGI Celebration: Day 1

Several years ago I started this blog, which started out as a way for me to share my love of Young Adult, but while I love YA, I also love some more grown up reads. Especially those of the military hero variety. I stumbled onto Maya Banks' KGI series and fell hard and fast for these hot heroes with equally strong and resilient females. After 9 books and 1 novella, this series is still going strong and 2015 will bring book #10 to shelves near you.

This week I am going to share my love of this series and highlight what drew me into each book. There's also going to be a giveaway running along with these posts courtesy of my friends at Berkley for the first 5 books in the series, and trust me: you want this series in your life.

THE DARKEST HOUR
Here we go, book #1. This series starts off on a somber note with Ethan Kelly bitterly mourning the loss of his wife, Rachel, who died a year earlier. When Ethan is giving intel that his dead wife might not be as dead as he was led to believe, he enlists the help of his brothers' Kelly Group International organization (which they've been trying to get him to join) to save Rachel.

Saving Rachel is the easiest obstacle they have to overcome - Rachel has endured hell, but even before that her marriage with Ethan was anything but smooth sailing. I love how this book truly highlights the highs and lows of a marriage. It's not all happily ever after and love takes work.

This book brilliantly introduces KGI and the Kelly brothers to readers in a way that is not overwhelming despite there being 6 Kelly brothers. 

NO PLACE TO RUN
Oh, Sam. This is one of my favorite books in the series and not just because it starts of with a seriously hot scene. Sam is the oldest brother and leader of KGI and his relationship with Sophie is anything but simple. Both have secrets which get exposed. 

This book gives readers a better insight into the leadership and camaraderie of KGI. It's full of suspense and twists and moments to make your knees weak.

HIDDEN AWAY
Garret Kelly played a key role in book #1, so when it was his story to tell in book #3, I was more than ready. This story was a little different because of the isolated locations Garrett was sans his KGI brothers. But it introduced Sarah, one of my favorite females of this series. 

Sarah, who has a brutal background that makes her so hesitant to trust. I loved watching her open up around Garrett and the way they bonded. Their relationship throughout the entire series is a major high point for me - especially since Sarah adorably tries to cure Garrett of his potty mouth (spoiler alert: it doesn't go so well).

WHISPERS IN THE DARK

It took me a little while to be OK with  because it deviates from this being a contemporary military romance series by adding a paranormal twist.

This is the book when Shea and Grace Peterson are introduced and both possess some telepathic skills that I wasn't sure fit into this world at first. In fact, sometimes I still wonder why this was made part of the series, but I love the series so I'm rolling with it.

Nathan Kelly (one half of the Kelly twins) is captured and tortured while on tour overseas and while his brothers scramble to find a way to locate and save him, he is saved by Shea who establishes a mental link with him and helps ease his suffering while in captivity.

Shea is another one of my female faves of this series. She has a great wit and determination, and her bond with Nathan is one of my favorite relationships.

ECHOES AT DAWN
Another deviation from the KGI formula (way to change it up, Maya Banks). Once again we meet up with Grace Peterson, but this time our hero is Rio, one of the KGI team leaders but not a Kelly brother. 

Rio has been a stoic background character for five books, but he truly comes to life in this book. He and Grace have what, to me, feels like one of the more mature relationships in the series. Both of them have lied through and survived so much, their being together feels more concrete than a lot of the other relationships.


So there you have it. The first 5 books of the KGI series. Make sure you come back tomorrow for some more KGI goodness, and check out the giveaway!

*Winner must have a US mailing address and be over the age of 16. The Irish Banana Review is not responsible for lost/stolen/damaged/unsent prizes by a third party.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini Reviews: On Dublin Street Novellas by Samantha Young

Title: Until Fountain Bridge

Author: Samantha Young

Publisher: Penguin

Publication Date: 6.13.2013

Pages: 111

Genre: New Adult, Novella, Contemporary

Series: On Dublin Street #1.5

Source: Purchased eBook

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ellie Carmichael had a crush on Adam Sutherland, her brother, Braden’s, best friend, for years, and although Adam treated her with proprietary concern he made it clear he thought of her only as a little sister. 

Over the years, as Ellie’s crush develops into love, her romantic idealism makes it difficult for her to move on. To make matters worse, as she’s gotten older, Adam’s attitude has changed toward her. His affection for her is now joined by attraction, but his loyalty to Braden, and his fear of losing the only family he has, stops him from claiming Ellie the way she wishes he would. 

But one night his attraction is put to the test, and as much as Adam would like things to remain the same everything changes between them in a simple brush of the lips. 

Soon lust, love, jealousy and heartbreak combine to force change upon their relationship… and Adam discovers the hard way that life is too damn short to spend it on regret.                                                                                                                                                                      

Review:

Ever since I read ON DUBLIN STREET, I have been wanting the full story of Ellie and Adam’s relationship. The way Samantha Young wrote them made me crave to know their story. In ON FOUNTAIN BRIDGE we get just that.

Told through a series of flashbacks via a journal, I felt a little disconnected from the story. I almost wish this would have been a full-length novel so that Young had more time to spend on details. Regardless, as a fan of the series and this couple, I was so happy to learn anything about their history.

Watching Ellie and Adam the Couple learn about each other from years earlier was fun, but frustrating, because you knew they would always be hitting road blocks in this novella. (They don’t get together until ON DUBLIN STREET.) But still, I loved the glimpse into their pasts.

Buy: Amazon

Title: Castle Hill

Author: Samantha Young

Publisher: NAL

Publication Date: 12.3.2013

Pages: 97

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Novella

Series: On Dublin Street #2.5

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

A Joss and Braden Novella

Braden Carmichael never imagined he’d fall as hard and as fast as he did for Jocelyn Butler. He also could not have anticipated how difficult it would be to convince her to give in to love. But now that he has her, he’s never letting go. He’s got it all planned—the passionate proposal, the dream wedding, the sexy Hawaiian honeymoon—even the perfect family they’ll start.

After trying to flee from her painful past, Joss is finally allowing herself to embrace the future. But when things start moving faster than she anticipated, she finds herself panicking over something Braden can’t understand. After everything they’ve been through, Joss is sure that their love can survive even her worst fears. But, this time, she may push Braden too far—and risk losing everything all over again…

Review:

It was so nice coming back to Joss and Braden, the couple that kickstarted my love of Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street series. That book has always been my favorite, and this quick glimpse into the world—and ongoing saga of Joss & Braden—was a welcome treat.

I love Joss’s spirit. I’ve loved her since I read ON DUBLIN STREET years ago. And that hasn’t changed. But she’s also a little broken and needs someone who gets her, which is where Braden comes in. Braden never tries to “fix” Joss. He just supports her the best he can, and yes, they both mistakes along the way.

At 97 pages, this is a very fast read. There is some drama, but some seriously swoony times with my favorite couple. All in all, this was a great way for Young to let readers stay connected with the duo that started it all.

Buy: Amazon

The Marked Men by Jay Crownover Mini Reviews

I've never done mini reviews before, but it's also been awhile since I binge-read an entire series in a weekend. So, here's my reviews of the 3 first Marked Men books by the amazing Jay Crownover:

Title: Rule

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: Jay Crownover Books

Publication Date: 12.30.2012

Pages: 327

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Series: Marked Men #1

Source: Purchased ebook

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters 

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

Review:

I started reading this book for the first time when it came out. I was immediately annoyed as crap with Rule. After some gentle shoving from another blogger friend who assured me it got better, I decided to give it another go. I was totally stunned by how quickly and hard I fell in love with this story.

Yes, Rule is very antagonistic, but his loyalty and passion is what pulled me--and Shaw--in. And Shaw? She's just all sorts of sweet and awesome. These two balanced one another perfectly! This is a fantastic start to Jay Crownover's Marked Men series. She gives you a great glimpse into these guys and how tight their bond is as friends and family. I can't wait for each to get his story and time in the spotlight.

Buy: Amazon

Title: Jet

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Publication Date: 5.28.2013

Pages: 416

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Series: Marked Men #2

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

Review:

I think this is my favorite of the three Marked Men books so far. I just love Jet. And Ayden. They have this combustible relationship that simply leaps off the page. It gave me shivers in all the right ways as a reader. Tight pants on a guy aren't usually my thing, but Jet totally sold them. I loved his rocker with a heart of gold mentality, and Ayden is this beautifully broken girl who is trying to build a better life for herself.

While some of the drama does get a little over the top at times, Jay Crownover has this fantastic voice that will make me follow her anywhere. This is the definition of a new adult book to me - two people taking on adult responsibilities and relationships for the first time.

Buy: Amazon

Title: Rome

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Publication Date: 1.7.2013

Pages: 384

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Series: Marked Men #3

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: B-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

Review:

This felt like a little bit of a pull-away from the other books in the series. Don't get me wrong--Rome and Cora definitely have a swoony, hot romance, but I just didn't feel the same chemistry between them that I felt in the past books. Maybe I burned myself out by binging on all this hotness at once?

Cora is definitely harder to get a handle on than other leading ladies in this series. She's rough, brassy, and argumentative, and I wanted to slap her with all her "perfect guy" talk, but Rome and his amazingness made up for it. I still don't think Cora deserves Rome, but maybe that's because I want Rome?

Rome is a trouble war hero that dug his way under my skin and firmly into my heart. I hope I get a chance to see how his relationship with Cora keeps moving in flashes during other books.

Buy: Amazon