Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Fiery Bride: Review, teaser, excerpt and giveaway!





From well known author Cynthia Woolf, comes a new instalment of the Matchmaker & Co series. 

You haven't read the previous books yet? Don't worry! this amazing book, can also be read as a stand alone, in fact it's the perfect place for you to start! What are you waiting for?


FIERY BRIDE
by Cynthia Woolf



Quick Facts                                        
                                           

Released Date: July 5th, 2013                                 

Genre: Western Historical Romance                                            
Formats: All ebook formats and paperback 






SYNOPSIS


After a disastrous marriage, Matchmaker Maggie vowed never to marry again.  She will never give another man the power of life and death over her body and soul. Unfortunately, that doesn't keep her lonely heart from fantasizing about her newest client, Caleb Black. She made the mistake of starting a flirtatious correspondence with the clever devil, believing they would never meet. But when his new bride abandons her mid-way to Colorado to elope with another man, Maggie is forced to face the devastatingly handsome Caleb and explain.  Now she'll have to stay long enough to make things right and find him a new wife.  But Maggie better hang on to her vow with both hands, because Caleb has other plans for the fiery matchmaker...and a very seductive kiss.






GET IT NOW!



EXCERPT:


“What do you mean, you quit?  Mr. Sinclair, you just can’t quit.”  Margaret “Maggie” Selby put her pen down on the desk.  She would not raise her voice.  She would not lose control.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Selby, but I got no choice.  There’s an opening at the sanitarium in Albany and my Mary, she needs to go right now.  The doctors there might be able to help her.  We leave on the morning train.”

Maggie took a deep breath and nodded.  She understood.  She really did, but it didn’t change the fact that she was now in a difficult situation.  “Of course, you must go.  I know how poor Mary’s health is and any help that can be obtained for her, must be.”

“I wish I could give you some notice, but we just received the letter in yesterday’s post.”

“It’s fine, Mr. Sinclair.  I’ll manage.”

He handed her an envelope.  “Here are the train tickets.”

“Yes, well, I’ve wanted to see the frontier I’ve been sending my these girls to.  I’m simply going to see it sooner than I anticipated.”

“I’m truly sorry, Mrs. Selby.”

Maggie got up, came around the desk and held her hand out to him.  “You just take care of Mary.  That’s your job now.”

He shook her hand, nodded.  Mr. Sinclair put on his hat and wiped his brow with his kerchief before venturing back out into the already hot and sunny morning.  

She went to her desk, grabbed Caleb Black’s file, put the closed sign on the door and then went upstairs to her apartment to pack.  Her bride, Jenny Talbot would be by in an hour or so to pick up her tickets.  Maggie would tell her then that she’d be accompanying her, not Mr. Sinclair.  It was just as well.  Jenny was nervous as a kitten and Maggie worried about the union, but both Mr. Black and Jenny had been adamant that it take place.  If truth be told, Maggie herself was a better match for Mr. Black than Jenny.  But she was here to find matches for others, not for herself.

Jenny’s reasoning she understood.  Jenny was the oldest of the seven Talbot children.  At twenty-two years old, felt she was a burden on her parents even though she worked and helped out with the bills.  She hated her job and wanted to get married.  Her chances were growing slim.  Most men of marriageable age were either already married, old or widowers with hellions for children. 
Jenny was a tall, slim girl with pale blue eyes and dark blond hair.  Her lips were full, her nose long and straight.  Just a plain young woman from a struggling family who wanted a better life.  One that the wild frontier might be able to offer.
Mr. Black’s reasoning was less clear.  He was successful and wanted children.  Maggie had presented him with several other possible candidates, some more attractive, some younger, some older, all of whom he’d rejected.  The reasons he gave were weak.  Brown hair.  Too short.  Too fat.  Too thin.  Too young.  Too old.  There seemed to be a reason for rejecting every one she sent him.  
Finally, he’d settled on Jenny with the proviso that Maggie herself accompanied the girl.  She’d agreed, but stated only that Jenny would be accompanied.  With her full intention having been to send Mr. Sinclair in her place.  Maggie’s time was much more well spent here in New York.  Finding clients, assigning candidates that is where her mind, body and commitment lay.  Yes, running her business is where she belonged more than on a trip to the wild West.  She didn’t feel bad about her decision.  Really she didn’t, she told herself over and over.  But she was lying.  If she were honest, deep down she was afraid to meet Mr. Black.  Afraid her image of him would be wrong, but even more afraid it would be right and he really was the man he depicted in his letters.
She shouldn’t have allowed it, the private correspondence, but it had been innocent enough.  In the beginning.  A simple flirtation with someone she’d never meet.  But now, the thought of actually meeting him terrified and thrilled her at the same time. Now she had to go.  Maggie released a rather breathless sigh.  She blinked repeatedly against the harsh sunlight.  So Mr. Black was getting what he’d asked for after all.  Much to her dismay.




Check the rest of the stops to find more teasers, guest posts, top ten lists, reviews and a lot more!





MY THOUGHTS:



Well, first I have to admit this is my first historical romance book ever!

And I absolutely adored it! 

Even if it is part of a series, it's a stand alone story. I haven't read the previous ones but I will now!

It is a really fast paced book with a sweet story, that in my opinion ended too fast lol, I wanted to read a little more! I devoured it in just 5 hours!

The setting is nice and the idea is original. 
The writing is amazing and it flows smoothly. I couldn't believe when I reached the end.

The characters are nicely developed and I got attached to them, their personalities are really varied which end up in a very mixed entanglement. 

Maggie is definitely fiery and has a sad past, I totally related to her and felt bad for her too, but at the same time wanted to shake her to help her see reality!

Caleb, wow! what an intriguing, funny and charming protagonist. He is not perfect but nonetheless captivating.

Maria was so funny! I loved her little appearances. 

Ok... this review is so bad, I'm not really sure how to express things, I just know I liked it so much! And I totally recommend it! 





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write. Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates. She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories. In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America. Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.
In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.


Find more about her at: www.cynthiawoolf.com


GIVEAWAYS:

Check these amazing giveaways:

Giveaway 1

  • Prize: A $50 Amazon GC
  • International
  • There will be one winner.
  • The winner will be notified via email and has 48hs to respond, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.



a Rafflecopter giveaway


GIVEAWAY 2

  • Prize: A Paperback copy of FIERY BRIDE by CYNTHIA WOOLF.
  • U.S ONLY
  • There will be one winner.
  • The winner will be notified via email and has 48hs to respond, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




GET IT HERE:

Monday, August 26, 2013

Book to Movies Giveaway Hop!



Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a little MIA lately, I'm trying to catch up now and what is better for that than a GIVEAWAY HOP?

Especially this one! Isn't it awesome???


First, please read these simple rules:
  • There will be one winner that can choose from one of the prizes below. 
  • The giveaway is international (as long as The Book Depository ships to your country)
  • The winner will be contacted via email and has 48hs to answer, otherwise a new winner will be drawn.




Now check the available prizes:
The winner will get one PAPERBACK copy of one of the books below:


Note: The Pictures are just illustrative, I reserv the right to change the edition of the chosen book. 


In the order they appear on the picture:
(Click on the name to go to Goodreads)






What are you waiting to get started? 
Good luck to everyone!       
                   
                                           

   
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Now hop on the next stop! 

Monday, August 19, 2013

5 Stars Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)
by Wendy Higgins


Genre: Paranormal Romance


Synopsis:


Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?








MY THOUGHTS:



5 super stars!

AMAZING
ENTHRALLING
DELICIOUS
SEXY
INTRIGUING
STUNNING
and
BITTERSWEET


Those are a few adjectives that came to my mind after reading this book. 
I loved book 1 but I was completely blown away by this one.

The achieved characters' depth is outstanding, my heart ached for each of them, laughed with each of them and fell in love with them too.

I loved the trips Anna and Kope did, I was expecting more "around the world action" but it was just fine anyway.

In this instalment we get to know new characters that are fascinating as well and I absolutely fell in love again with all our "old" characters.

Kope's chivalry, the twins' perkiness, Blake's friendliness, Anna's growth since book one and of course, Kaidan's seductiveness.
Honestly, this guy can give any Hollywood star a run for his money!





This story was also a few steps higher in the "sensual scale", it was super suggestive and I drooled the whole 2 days it took me to read it.  

Absolutely fast paced and surprising, I found the plot original and remarkable again.
I thought Wendy Higgins couldn't get better after SWEET EVIL but she totally did!!!

The end was bittersweet, but now all I want is for those Dukes to go to H*** and for the Nephs to be free.
Can't wait for book 3!

Wendy write fast! Please!!!






If you haven't started this series yet, don't waste any more time! 


I hope you guys liked it!
Rhomy.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Review: The Soul's Mark: Broken by Ashley Stoyanoff

The Soul's Mark: Broken (The Soul's Mark #3)
by Ashley Stoyanoff

Genre: Paranormal Romance 


Synopsis:

At first glance, Willowberg seemed like any other college town to newcomer Amelia Caldwell. But after a whirlwind of strange events, she now knows the truth—Willowberg is run by vampires—and her soulmate, Mitchell Lang, is their leader. And if that wasn’t enough, Amelia also learned that she is a witch. 

The vampires and humans coexisted with relative peace, or at least they did until the vampire hunters arrived. Now, Amelia finds herself at the center of a showdown, fighting not only for her freedom and that of her new vampire family, but also for the lives of Willowberg’s residents.

But when Amelia’s branches of destiny cross paths, a long forgotten darkness falls upon the town. For any chance at victory, she must revisit her past and come face to face with the ultimate challenge: a fate that was decided by a force much closer to her than she could ever have imagined.

Will darkness prevail, or will Amelia find the strength to mend what has been broken?






My Thoughts:



WOW! So far, the best in the series! And I really loved the other 2 hehe.

At the beginning, I must admit, I was kind of lost, probably because I read book 2 a few months ago.

TSM: Broken takes exactly were TSM: Hunted ended.
It picks up really fast, it's action packed!

I didn't find a moment of dullness in this amazing book.
Amelia becomes a kick ass heroine and the story has a lot of twists and turns that made me question were my loyalties were.

Mitchell becomes the hero he was meant to be and I saw a side of him I haven't been able to discoverd until now. He acted selflessly and he won a lot of points lol.

The end was hilarious, definitely not what I was expecting. It will surprise you. 

Of course, I'm looking forward to the next instalment and read more about this wonderful characters that mature and get better book after book.

Thumbs up for Ashley!!!




If you haven't read them yet, check the reviews of the first 2 books:




I hope you guys liked it! 
Rhomy.


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Review: 13 (Tallent & Lowery #1) by Amy Lignor

13 (Tallent & Lowery #1)
by Amy Lignor

Genre: Fantasy

SYNOPSIS:


In 1902, in a dark room on the fifth floor of Carnegie Hall, thirteen people came together to continue a tradition that had been set in stone thousands of years before. 



In 2012, Leah Tallent is Head of Research at the New York Public Library. Stoic and stable, brilliant and cynical, she has forever enjoyed her existence among the book stacks. But even with her unparalleled intellect, there was no way to know that on the historic steps between America's famous lions, she would become involved with a crazy man on a fanatical quest.

Gareth Lowery has spent his life searching for the ultimate artifact that he is certain exists. His life's pursuit has been to retrieve twelve keys hidden by men whose job it was to protect the single biggest secret ever kept. To find the keys he must enlist the help of an unwilling guide who, unfortunately, knows much more than he bargained for.

From the first page to the last word, this fantastic duo become immersed in a whirlwind treasure hunt with historical and passionate repercussions. From the strange and eerie Winchester House to the blustery darkness of Loch Ness, Gareth and Leah will quickly learn that the theory of duality is correct: For every bad there is a good and, for Heaven, there most assuredly exists...Hell.





My Thoughts:








"I need to go through HELL to get to HEAVEN"

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

I want to thank the Amy for allowing me to read this amazing story. Fact: Amy Lignor you rock! (and btw, sorry for taking so long to review it)

I absolutely adored 13! I loved the smart plot and how cleverly it unfolds. The origininaluty of it all.
The defined personalities of every single character and the fact that once I started, I couldn't stop reading it!

This is not a romance, it's a fantasy book with a splash of romance between two people so different but at the same time so similar that you can't conceive the idea of them not being together, they are totally meant for each other.

Leah is the smarty pants here, she knows almost every piece of information ever, she doesn't like kids and even if I do love kids, I found it amusing. She is a bookworm and a super adorable character once you get to know her lol.

While Leah is the brain, Gareth is ... well... let's say that if sexyness was a person, it would definitely be Gareth.

I really liked the way they interacted and their intelligent and funny dialogues.


" You look a little green, my dear librarian. Jealousy perhaps?
"My skin has a tendency to turn green when I'm about to puke". Gareth pressed the elevator button.
"Nice lady that Valerie. I've never stayed here before but I must say the staff is top notch".
"You make me physically sick".
"That's new". He cocked his head to one side. "I don't think I've ever had that reaction from a woman before".
"Then you might want to rethink my company Mr. Lowery" Leah batted her eyelashes dramatically. "A few more hours with me and your over-inflated ego will be flat as a pancake"



It has some parts that are eerie, specially the last 10%. 




I loved how Lignor mixed urban legends such as Jack the Ripper with zodiac signs, with Heaven and Hell and wow wow wow! I'm still amazed by this. Can't explain, just read it ok? XD


I hope you guys liked it! Rhomy
Keep Reading ...  

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Fiery Bride: Excerpt and Giveaway



Proud to welcome one more time author Cynthia Woolf and the third instalment of the Matchmaker & Co series.


FIERY BRIDE
by Cynthia Woolf

This is a stand alone book which is part of a great series.




Quick Facts                                        
                                         
Expected Released Date: July 5th, 2013                                 
Genre: Western Historical Romance                                               
Formats to buy: All ebook formats and paperback

*The book is sensual (has a sex scene or two) but is not erotic by any stretch of the imagination*




Book Synopsis

After a disastrous marriage, Matchmaker Maggie vowed never to marry again.  She will never give another man the power of life and death over her body and soul. Unfortunately, that doesn't keep her lonely heart from fantasizing about her newest client, Caleb Black. She made the mistake of starting a flirtatious correspondence with the clever devil, believing they would never meet. But when his new bride abandons her mid-way to Colorado to elope with another man, Maggie is forced to face the devastatingly handsome Caleb and explain.  Now she'll have to stay long enough to make things right and find him a new wife.  But Maggie better hang on to her vow with both hands, because Caleb has other plans for the fiery matchmaker...and a very seductive kiss.





Excerpt:

“What do you mean, you quit?  Mr. Sinclair, you just can’t quit.”  Margaret “Maggie” Selby put her pen down on the desk.  She would not raise her voice.  She would not lose control.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Selby, but I got no choice.  There’s an opening at the sanitarium in Albany and my Mary, she needs to go right now.  The doctors there might be able to help her.  We leave on the morning train.”
Maggie took a deep breath and nodded.  She understood.  She really did, but it didn’t change the fact that she was now in a difficult situation.  “Of course, you must go.  I know how poor Mary’s health is and any help that can be obtained for her, must be.”
“I wish I could give you some notice, but we just received the letter in yesterday’s post.”
“It’s fine, Mr. Sinclair.  I’ll manage.”
He handed her an envelope.  “Here are the train tickets.”
“Yes, well, I’ve wanted to see the frontier I’ve been sending my these girls to.  I’m simply going to see it sooner than I anticipated.”
“I’m truly sorry, Mrs. Selby.”
Maggie got up, came around the desk and held her hand out to him.  “You just take care of Mary.  That’s your job now.”
He shook her hand, nodded.  Mr. Sinclair put on his hat and wiped his brow with his kerchief before venturing back out into the already hot and sunny morning.
She went to her desk, grabbed Caleb Black’s file, put the closed sign on the door and then went upstairs to her apartment to pack.  Her bride, Jenny Talbot would be by in an hour or so to pick up her tickets.  Maggie would tell her then that she’d be accompanying her, not Mr. Sinclair.  It was just as well.  Jenny was nervous as a kitten and Maggie worried about the union, but both Mr. Black and Jenny had been adamant that it take place.  If truth be told, Maggie herself was a better match for Mr. Black than Jenny.  But she was here to find matches for others, not for herself.
Jenny’s reasoning she understood.  Jenny was the oldest of the seven Talbot children.  At twenty-two years old, felt she was a burden on her parents even though she worked and helped out with the bills.  She hated her job and wanted to get married.  Her chances were growing slim.  Most men of marriageable age were either already married, old or widowers with hellions for children.
Jenny was a tall, slim girl with pale blue eyes and dark blond hair.  Her lips were full, her nose long and straight.  Just a plain young woman from a struggling family who wanted a better life.  One that the wild frontier might be able to offer.
Mr. Black’s reasoning was less clear.  He was successful and wanted children.  Maggie had presented him with several other possible candidates, some more attractive, some younger, some older, all of whom he’d rejected.  The reasons he gave were weak.  Brown hair.  Too short.  Too fat.  Too thin.  Too young.  Too old.  There seemed to be a reason for rejecting every one she sent him.
Finally, he’d settled on Jenny with the proviso that Maggie herself accompanied the girl.  She’d agreed, but stated only that Jenny would be accompanied.  With her full intention having been to send Mr. Sinclair in her place.  Maggie’s time was much more well spent here in New York.  Finding clients, assigning candidates that is where her mind, body and commitment lay.  Yes, running her business is where she belonged more than on a trip to the wild West.  She didn’t feel bad about her decision.  Really she didn’t, she told herself over and over.  But she was lying.  If she were honest, deep down she was afraid to meet Mr. Black.  Afraid her image of him would be wrong, but even more afraid it would be right and he really was the man he depicted in his letters.
She shouldn’t have allowed it, the private correspondence, but it had been innocent enough.  In the beginning.  A simple flirtation with someone she’d never meet.  But now, the thought of actually meeting him terrified and thrilled her at the same time. Now she had to go.  Maggie released a rather breathless sigh.  She blinked repeatedly against the harsh sunlight.  So Mr. Black was getting what he’d asked for after all.  Much to her dismay.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent
her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.
Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.
Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.
In 2001, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend. One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker. Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing. She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.
Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

Find more about her at: www.cynthiawoolf.com
or at her FACEBOOK.


OTHER BOOKS  IN THE SERIES:
(Click on the Cover to go to goodreads book page or check the excerpts and all HERE)

Matchmaker and Co. Series:







Blast Giveaway
International. Blast wide giveaway. You have until August 8th to participate!

Prize: $25 gift card



a Rafflecopter giveaway


And don't miss the soon to start tour with Top Ten Lists, Guest Posts, Interviews, Reviews and an even more amazing giveaway! 




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