Hiya guys! We have Shira Anthony popping in today with the tour for her upcoming release The First Step, we have a brilliant guest post from Shira and a fantastic exclusive excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! ❤️ ~Pixie~
The First Step
(Coastal Carolina 01)
by
Shira Anthony
The first step is the hardest. After a scandal, New York political reporter Reed Barfield is lying low at the North Carolina coast, writing a story about the seafood industry. But it’s the harbor pilots on the Cape Fear River who capture his interest—men who jump across ten feet of open ocean to grab a rope ladder and guide huge container ships into port. Men like sexy but prickly Justin Vance.
After surviving an abusive childhood and a tour in the Navy, Justin isn’t fazed by his dangerous job—it’s certainly easier to face than Reed’s annoying questions. Justin isn’t out at work, and he doesn’t need Reed digging into his personal life or his past.
But Reed’s no stranger to using his considerable charm to get what he wants, and as he wears Justin down, they realize they have a lot in common—and that they like spending time together. Moving beyond that, though, will mean Justin confessing his sexuality and learning to trust Reed with his secrets—if Reed even decides to stay. Both men want a future together, but can they find the courage to take the first step?
Blurb: Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?
Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten – until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.
Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.
Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is – and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….
Review: I approached this audio book with a little trepidation. Actually, make that a lot of trepidation.
I’ve recently had a rather, shall I say, mediocre experience with both author and narrator. Shira Anthony is a relatively new author for me, I’ve now enjoyed two out of three books I’ve reviewed. Likewise, for Peter B Brooke, I can’t remember the number, but I had one not so good experience and a few pleasant ones. And so, I cheated. I started to read the eBook to see how I would go before getting the audio. I am very pleased to say I was quite happy – with both the story and the narration.
Swann’s Revenge is very much an ugly duckling type tale. Graham Swann reinvented himself from the pudgy geek, Jimmy Zebulon, after a horrific time in high school. He had a massive crush on one of the star jocks, Dan Parker. But Dan had always stood and did nothing as Jimmy experienced merciless bullying from Dan’s team mates.
Now fifteen years later, Graham (Jimmy) has come a long way and turned his life around completely. It was so good to see that humiliated and bullied teen become such an awesome guy – sort of an F you to all bullies. He lost the excess weight, looks after himself well, has got a career that he has worked hard for and is insanely successful as the owner of law firm.
Things take a strange turn when Graham hires a new guy, who happens to be his high school crush, Dan Parker. Things have not entirely worked out well for Dan in some ways, an injury ended hopes of becoming a profession sportsman. However, the direct his life and career since took him has been nothing but great for Dan. Meeting his new boss, Dan is enchanted by the handsome man and is ready to do anything to take down his defenses and start something romantic. Dan doesn’t realize at all that Graham Swann is the kid he knew as Jimmy Zebulon – I mean, fifteen years later, he wouldn’t. But Graham has deep running scars from his time in high school and so Dan’s pursuit of the sexy guy is hampered without Dan realizing.
This is a super sweet book with a lot of heart. This is about redemption, getting over the past and finding (or rediscovering) love. That is exactly what I love about this story because the plot could have so easily become a horrible revenge story, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Dan also has a cute kid called Lacey and that was just the icing on the cake. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted read.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (22nd December 2017)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating:♥♥♥ 2.5 Hearts
Blurb:The truth might ruin his dreams – or make them come true.
When Zane moves into an old gothic brownstone, he discovers the house comes equipped with a caretaker – Kit, who lives in the basement. Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a 200-year-old half-human, half-red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds – a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.
Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice – fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit.
Review:This audiobook has me feeling quite torn and I promise to try and explain it the best I can here. I just wanted to put it out there before I got stuck into the nitty gritty.
The story is about Zane and Kit. Zane has moved city to the home he has inherited from his estranged uncle, not knowing that there is an important family secret that he’s never been told and his role in the big scheme of things as a Keeper to the gate to the other world. I don’t think it was ever fully explained why Zane and his twin sister did not live with their uncle after being orphaned, but I suppose it just a plot device to get us to the point. He’s a cheerful, upbeat sort of guy who has big dreams to travel the world and generally live life to the fullest.
The old Gothic home has a caretaker, of sorts, Kit who is a half human, half fox (kitsune) spirit. His job is the guardian of the keeper and the gate. He has been guardian for eight keepers in his two hundred years of life. However, for the first time, Kit feels something more for his keeper and he doesn’t know what to do with it. He wants to fulfill his job, something that is draining him without the presence of a keeper. But his attraction to Zane is strong and he wants Zane to live a full life, not be restricted and trapped in the life of being the guardian of the gate.
Author, Shira Anthony, is not unheard of to me, I’ve not gotten into a lot of books, although I’ve previously enjoyed a book published as part of the Dreamspun Desires series. I really enjoyed the premise of Finder’s Keepers, the first in the Heart’s Gate Story, but I wasn’t sold on the execution of the plot. Perhaps how it was written? Perhaps the author’s writing style is not for me?
Regardless, I was not a fan of the unnecessary drama caused by Kit’s continual internal monologue about pining for Zane but wanting him to have a full life. This was where I really liked Lore, the odd entity was good for getting the plot to go forward while Zane was lost in his angst. Kit seems a bit like a drama queen, especially when Zane becomes so accepting of his new role in life. Since I didn’t have the best experience with this book I struggle to know who to recommend this for. I mean, I love a bit of drama as much as the next person and love to watch a good soap opera once in a while. The problem being I deem most of the drama unnecessary to the romance plot and there wasn’t a whole heap of action in the story either.
On the other hand, Kenneth Obi, the narrator of this book, is a new narrator for me and I have to say he was absolutely fantastic. For me it was his narration that pulled me through the length of the book. I loved his ability to give the different characters their own tone and voice. I particularly loved his voice given to the demon/entity Lore, who is basically the voice of reason amongst the angst. I also enjoyed the voice given to both MC’s, Zane and Kit.
I think I’m going to have to think twice before going on with this series, but one thing is for certain I would love to hear more narration by the very fine Kenneth Obi (he has lent his voice to quite a number of titles).
Blurb: Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?
Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten – until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.
Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him. Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is – and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….
Review:Shira Anthony is a relatively new author for me, I’ve now enjoyed two out of three books I’ve reviewed. However, I’ve struggled with connecting and relating to the stories, or the characters due to unnecessary drama, frustrating miscommunication, etc. Therefore, I approached this book with a certain degree of trepidation because I am seriously not in the mood for theatrics and annoyingly angsty characters. I know it sounds overboard but I’m in one of those frames of mind where I’m sick and in no mood for BS.
Swann’s Revenge is very much an ugly duckling type tale. Graham Swann reinvented himself from the pudgy geek, Jimmy Zebulon, after a horrific time in high school. He had a massive crush on one of the star jocks, Dan Parker. But Dan had always stood and did nothing as Jimmy experienced merciless bullying from Dan’s team mates.
Now fifteen years later, Graham (Jimmy) has come a long way and turned his life around completely. It was so good to see that humiliated and bullied teen become such an awesome guy – sort of an F you to all bullies. He lost the excess weight, looks after himself well, has got a career that he has worked hard for and is insanely successful as the owner of law firm.
Things take a strange turn when Graham hires a new guy, who happens to be his high school crush, Dan Parker. Things have not entirely worked out well for Dan in some ways, an injury ended hopes of becoming a profession sportsman. However, the direct his life and career since took him has been nothing but great for Dan. Meeting his new boss, Dan is enchanted by the handsome man and is ready to do anything to take down his defenses and start something romantic. Dan doesn’t realize at all that Graham Swann is the kid he knew as Jimmy Zebulon – I mean, fifteen years later, he wouldn’t. But Graham has deep running scars from his time in high school and so Dan’s pursuit of the sexy guy is hampered without Dan realizing.
This is a super sweet book with a lot of heart. I have to say that there was a degree of miscommunication and brooding from both the characters, but for the most part I was ok with it. It was over quite quickly and didn’t go into complete drama queen territory.
This is about redemption, getting over the past and finding (or rediscovering) love. That is exactly what I love about this story because the plot could have so easily become a horrible revenge story, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Dan also has a cute kid called Lacey and that was just the icing on the cake. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted read.
Blurb:Vampire hunter Adrien Gilbert never dreamed he’d fall for his prey or that his love, Nicolas Lambert, would give him the gift of immortality. But when a hunter bent on destroying the truce between vampires and hunters throws the gauntlet at Adrien’s feet, Adrien must travel through time to save Nicolas, and with him, the entire vampire race.
The time has come to make a choice—one they will live with for eternity.
In this final installment in the Blood Trilogy, Adrien and Nicolas must face their greatest enemy in a deadly last confrontation. But to prevail, they’ll need to master the enemies within.
When Adrien awakens to a future he doesn’t recognize, he faces an impossible decision: live a perfect life with Nicolas in a shattered world, or risk everything to repair a broken past. But before he can challenge vampire hunter Verel Pelletier, he must master the demon who lives in his own mind—and learn to control his ability to travel through time. With Nicolas by his side, he prepares for a final battle against a powerful adversary who likes to play games with the past and future.
But the price of ensuring a future for their loved ones may be an eternity spent alone.
Review: I will start off by saying I do not remember the first two books in this series so at first I was lost when I began reading. This is not the first time this has happened to me when reading a series.
The story begins with Adrien in a time stream with Nico and given a choice. Now I knew he would choose not to stay there so I did not get why he waited. Nico going with him surprised me though.
The only question I kept asking myself until near the end was why Adrien did not go back to before Nicholas was taken to begin with. That was where I would have began myself in his shoes. But then again he would not have succeeded as he was not as strong then with his powers.
Great ending with intense battles. The different timestreams added the extra bonus of seeing what could happen if things were left as they were. I really enjoyed this story and will some time in the future re-read to get the full story.
Hiya guys! We have Shira Anthony popping in today with the tour for her upcoming release Blood and Eternity, we have a brilliant guest post from Shira, a great excerpt, an awesome giveaway and Shorty’s review, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Blood and Eternity
(Blood 03)
by
Shira Anthony
Vampire hunter Adrien Gilbert never dreamed he’d fall for his prey or that his love, Nicolas Lambert, would give him the gift of immortality. But when a hunter bent on destroying the truce between vampires and hunters throws the gauntlet at Adrien’s feet, Adrien must travel through time to save Nicolas, and with him, the entire vampire race.
The time has come to make a choice—one they will live with for eternity.
In this final installment in the Blood Trilogy, Adrien and Nicolas must face their greatest enemy in a deadly last confrontation. But to prevail, they’ll need to master the enemies within.
When Adrien awakens to a future he doesn’t recognize, he faces an impossible decision: live a perfect life with Nicolas in a shattered world, or risk everything to repair a broken past. But before he can challenge vampire hunter Verel Pelletier, he must master the demon who lives in his own mind—and learn to control his ability to travel through time. With Nicolas by his side, he prepares for a final battle against a powerful adversary who likes to play games with the past and future.
But the price of ensuring a future for their loved ones may be an eternity spent alone.
Sequel to Blood and Ghosts and the final installment in the Blood Trilogy
Hiya guys! We have Shira Anthony popping in today with the tour for her upcoming release Swann’s Revenge, we have a brilliant guest post from Shira, a great excerpt and an awesome giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Swann’s Revenge
(Dreamspun Desires 51)
by
Shira Anthony
Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?
Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten—until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.
Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.
Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is—and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….
Hiya guys! We have Shira Anthony popping in today with the tour for her upcoming release Finder’s Keepers, we have a brilliant guest post from Shira, a great excerpt and an awesome giveaway, so check out the post and enter the rafflecopter giveaway and leave a comment! <3 ~Pixie~
Finder’s Keepers
(Dreamspun Beyond 04 / Heart’s Gate 01)
by
Shira Anthony
The truth might ruin his dreams—or make them come true.
When Zane moves into an old gothic brownstone, he discovers the house comes equipped with a caretaker—Kit, who lives in the basement. Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a two-hundred-year-old half-human, half–red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds—a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.
Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice—fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit.
Blurb: When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!
Jesse’s in a pinch. To keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal: in exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million-dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?
Review: John Solo has become one of my favorite narrators and I was so glad to have to gotten to hear him tell this story. The way he can give each character a distinctive voice is what makes it even better. I love the way he paces everything and makes the book more enjoyable.
The way that these two meet was quite delicious. Chris is a novelist who has a chance at giving some great stories. He just needs to be given a chance. He is writing on the side as he works as a barista in New York, which let’s just say it, it is one expensive place to be. He knew there was someone in the crowd from the publishing company but he had not expected Jesse.
Jesse is a billionaire who had just lost his father. His father had this quirky idea to see Jesse happy so one of the clauses in his will was for Jesse to marry. Find one that he loves and makes a happy marriage. However Jesse just chooses Chris and decides that is fine. He just had not expected to slowly start falling in love. Now he just needs to convince Chris. The problem is Chris doesn’t want marriage.
Shira has given a completely new look at being Cinderella that is for sure. I enjoyed this story and look forward to seeing what other stories she has out there. She gave us a very believable story with a touch of magic in it. I loved the little twist that was included and I hate to say it I absolutely loved the stepmother. The secrets could have been done different but other than that it rocked. I loved it and would definitely recommend it.
Blurb: British noble Cameron Sherrington has hit rock bottom. The love of his life, opera sensation Aiden Lind, is marrying another man, and Cam knows it’s his fault for pushing Aiden away. As if that’s not enough, someone is trying to take away his family business, and the US authorities are pursuing him on charges of money laundering. Fearing for his safety and unable to return to London, Cam runs, but he’s too broke to find a place to stay, and his fugitive’s life doesn’t even remotely resemble a Hollywood thriller.
Desperate and betrayed by the people he thought cared about him, Cam takes refuge in the subway station where Galen Rusk plays his trumpet for tips. Though Cam hears the beauty in Galen’s music, it’s Galen’s firm hand on his shoulder that stops him from throwing everything away. Their unusual relationship takes a turn that surprises them both, and neither man is sure he wants the complication. Galen is fighting the ghosts of his past, and Cam has his own nightmares to face. When Cam’s troubles threaten to tear them apart, Cam figures he had it coming – that it’s all penance due for a life lived without honesty or love. But he never considered the possibility that he might not survive it.
Review: I’ve always enjoyed this series for its depth of character, development of plot, and ability to pluck at my heart strings, and Dissonance delivers the same quality. At first I had a hard time warming up to Cam, as the author very well intends, and I couldn’t put together the mystery of Galen’s persona for the longest time. That actually thrilled me that I couldn’t truly predict every move, and there was not cookie cutter though the premise is familiar.
There are many instances of suicidal thoughts, attempts, and self hurt in this story as well as sexual abuse, so be warned. IT’s not for the light hearted.
There were plenty of moments where the author ripped my heart out, but left it carefully mended and hopeful for the future. The sexual content was disturbing in many places, but between Galen and Cam it was beautiful, sensual and slowly simmering. Don’t despair; you’ll get your HEA.
The narrator did a wonderful job, the characters were defined, the story flowed well, and my imagination combined with his voice put me right in the action, as any good audiobook should. I recommend Dissonance as well as the other top quality well written books in this series!
When a megacompany threatens to take over his family-owned business, programming prodigy Adam Preston escapes the stress with a much-needed vacation in the Dominican Republic. There he meets attractive, intelligent, insightful Jonah James, a scuba dive instructor, and what starts as a holiday fling soon blossoms into much more.
But Jonah has a secret: ten years ago he woke up on an island beach with no idea how he got there… or even who he is. Their paradise may not be as perfect as it seems. When Jonah’s memories come crashing back like waves on the sand, will it be Adam clinging to the proverbial life raft, or will the two men find a safe harbor to ride out the storm?
Review: Here I go, picking up the newest Dreamspun Desires and happily getting lost in the contrived soap opera that is what I have come to expect from these stories. Seriously, if you want something a bit more serious and heavy on the sickly sweet love plotlines and not like watching Neighbours or Days of Our Lives, then probably best to stay away. This warning cannot be any more relevant to Forgotten Paradise, which uses the predictable amnesia storyline.
But I get ahead of myself. Our two main players are Adam Preston and Jonah James (or is that his name? Hmm…) Adam runs the family company and programming whiz, he is now dealing with the stress of some massive corporation wanting to overtake the company which he holds so dearly. And so what does Adam do – he’s off on a short break to forget his troubles in the Dominican Republic. On holiday he meets sexy scuba instructor, Jonah James, who is a lot more than a simple dive instructor in paradise. He has no idea about whom or what he is. I won’t say anything else in case I give it away, but seriously, I’d wager that most readers will figure out Jonah’s identity within the first few chapters.
Of the two characters, I found Adam much more than relatable than Jonah. I wonder if it’s because Jonah seems to be in a constant loop of questioning himself and trying to figure out his true identity. For me the set up was to the novel was rather slow. I don’t know if that’s because a rather predictable storyline or if Shira Anthony just explains everything in exceptional detail which I don’t have the attention span for. I found that I had to persevere with the first half of the book and then once the pace picked up I really got into things.
Hi guys! We have the ever lovely Shira Anthony stopping by today with the first stop of the tour for her upcoming release Forgotten Paradise, we have a brilliant guest post from Shira, a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway! So check out the post, leave a comment and then click the rafflecopter link to enter the giveaway! <3 ~Pixie~
Forgotten Paradise
(Dreamspun Desires 32)
by
Shira Anthony
It’s dangerous diving for secrets.
When a megacompany threatens to take over his family-owned business, programming prodigy Adam Preston escapes the stress with a much-needed vacation in the Dominican Republic. There he meets attractive, intelligent, insightful Jonah James, a scuba dive instructor, and what starts as a holiday fling soon blossoms into much more.
But Jonah has a secret: ten years ago he woke up on an island beach with no idea how he got there… or even who he is. Their paradise may not be as perfect as it seems. When Jonah’s memories come crashing back like waves on the sand, will it be Adam clinging to the proverbial life raft, or will the two men find a safe harbor to ride out the storm?
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (9th September 2016)
Heat Level: Low – Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life.
Sam acknowledges it’s his fault they split up. He lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together—a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.
Review: When Wesley accepts a summer job on a pirate movie he has no idea that he has been neatly maneuvered by his soon to be ex-husband Sam. Wesley wants to move on with his life, he has a new promotion, a new boyfriend and he is being seriously considered for a huge grant. But being confronted by his ex, the movie star, has Wesley confused and more determined than ever to put Sam behind him.
Sander (aka Sam) sacrificed the one thing he never wanted to lose in his bid for Hollywood fame, determined to get a second chance he puts his plan to win his husband back in motion but Wesley is a harder nut to crack than he thought. Flowers, romantic home cooked dinners and sailing at sunset just doesn’t seem to be enough, Sam will have to pull the big guns out and open his heart if he hopes to have a chance with the man he’s never stopped loving.
This is a wonderful story that is nicely paced and keeps your attention with the ‘will he/won’t he’ storyline. Both Wesley and Sam are wonderful characters, their relationship slowly fell apart as Sam spent more time in LA and Wesley was in New York. Wesley is a history Professor and loves his job, he never really stopped loving Sam but the strain of never seeing him and being ignored for weeks and months at a time took its toll. Sam is the big movie star whose career just took over, he’s left devastated when he gets divorce papers. We can see both sides of the story and we soon begin to root for Sam and hoping Wesley will give him a chance.
Wesley and Sam are wonderful together, their easy camaraderie shows us right off the bat that their feelings for each other are still strong, we watch as Sam tries to woo Wesley and fail miserably. We watch as Sam stumbles around trying to win Wesley over and we watch as Wesley tries to convince himself that he’s over Sam. It’s a fantastic story that just pulls you in as you become invested in their relationship.
I can’t say it’s all easy for Wesley though, he gets disappointing news and then he walks in on his new boyfriend ‘entertaining’ a colleague, he has a rough few moments and his head is a bit of a mess at times. Poor guy just can’t seem to catch a break. Although the story is all about their relationship we do have some great moments with some of Sam’s colleagues, and there’s also a fantastic sea rescue.
The story is beautifully written, it has some interesting tidbits on pirates, Wesley and Sam’s relationship builds up throughout the story and is nicely paced, they have a couple of hot moments and boy are they hot! We fall in love with the characters and become invested in their lives, this really is a sweet, lovely romance of reconnecting and finding the love that was nearly lost.
I recommend this to those who love sweet romances, who love a man determined to get his lover back, who adore characters who pull out all the stops, who love dashing rescues and a wonderful ending.
Hi peeps, we have Shira Anthony popping in today with her upcoming release Take Two, we have a fantastic guest post and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Take Two
by
Shira Anthony
Shiver me timbers! When Professor Wesley Coolidge accepts a summer job as a historical consultant to a pirate movie being filmed in North Carolina, the last person he expects to bump into is his soon-to-be ex, movie star Sander Carson. Just like the flamboyant pirate he’s playing, Sander, aka Sam Carr, is used to getting what he wants, and he makes it clear he wants Wesley back in his life.
Sam acknowledges it’s his fault they split up. He lost Wesley when he left their life in New York City behind for a career in Hollywood. But Wesley has finally managed to put the pieces of his heart back together, and he isn’t interested in Sam and Wesley: The Sequel. Sam soon realizes that convincing Wesley to give their relationship a second chance will take much more than apologies and reminders of good times past. If he wants Wesley back, Sam will have to show Wesley that they really can sail into the sunset together–a real-life happily-ever-after that won’t end once the final credits roll.
Title: Blue Notes by Shira Anthony (with Venona Keyes) Bundle
Series: Dreamspinner Bundle
Author: Shira Anthony
Genre: Contemporary/Arts
Length: Single Author Series Bundle (1414 pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 11th, 2016)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Blurb: Immerse yourself in the best-selling Blue Notes universe, where music and romance are intrinsically intertwined. In Blue Notes, a struggling jazz violinist meets an attorney for a true journey of the heart; in The Melody Thief, a renowned cellist, sought after by conductors the world over, seeks hope and forgiveness from a lawyer; in Aria, rekindled lust blossoms into a true romance in world of opera; in Prelude, a world-renowned conductor clashes with a substitute violinist; in Symphony in Blue, revisit the couples of the Blue Notes series; in Encore, the cool kid violinist and the wannabe conductor dance in and out of a relationship and in Dissonance, a British noble on the run meets a busker in a subway.
Review: This is a first go for me into the writing of Shira Anthony. It was a pretty damn good first go, too. This recent bundle released by Dreamspinner Press is a collection of the 7 books featured in the Blue Notes series. I am not about to go into detail of each book, as it is, I rate all of the books a solid 4 out of 5.
On the whole, this is a thoroughly enjoyable series and just so easy to read. The fact that Shira Anthony actually gives us dates to mark the passage of time makes it so easy to follow. Each book centers on a difference couple and somehow they all know each other, whether it is through practicing law in Chicago, or have links to the symphony orchestra or opera in either France or Chicago.
The plots are engaging and the characters are not only relatable and likable, but it found myself totally invested in their stories.
This is the type of series for people who love characters that have a strong background in music, more so classical and jazz because this is the centre of the entire world that has been created. The relationships just felt so real, including the ups and downs experienced by each couple.
Yet at the same time sometimes the characters suffered from frustrating cases of lack of communication! The only real criticism I have for it is that sometimes the books seemed to drag, when the “action” slowed down and sometimes led to awkward jumps in time. I wonder if it would have been better in these instances to make the jump to the next “scene” or “time” earlier would have made the reads better.
I think one important note to make, which has also been brought up on Goodreads as well, that the order of publication (which is how the books are bundled together here) is actually not the chronological reading order. At least to me that makes a BIG difference in knowing that. If you are someone like me and is big on numbers and try to reconcile everything in a series, particularly when dates are given, you might want to take this into account.
In the book/order of publication: Blue Notes, The Melody Thief, Aria, Prelude, Encore, Symphony in Blue and Dissonance.
Chronological order: Encore, Prelude, Blue Notes, Aria, The Melody Thief, Symphony in Blue and Dissonance.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: First Comes Marriage Series: N/A Author: Shira Anthony Genre: Contemporary Length: Novel (262 pages) Publisher: Dreamspun Desires, Dreamspinner Press (January 15th 2016) Heat Level: Low/moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts Blurb: Their marriage was supposed to be all business….
When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!
Jesse’s in a pinch: to keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal. In exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have.
Review: I’ve never in my life read a book with an arranged marriage trope, and to be totally honest, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, because it was just so easy to read! I just started getting into it, making friends with the characters, and the next thing I know, it’s all over!
Chris Valentine is an author who dreams about being able to become a full-time writer. Llike many authors out there know, it’s very challenging to make a living and having a comfortable life by being a full-time writer. Chris knows all about it. Between his job at a coffee shop and his constant struggle to put the stories that keep him up at night on paper, Chris is disheartened.
He would do anything to be able to write full time, even marry a virtual stranger….a hot stranger whom Chris would bone in a second if said stranger wasn’t straight, but a stranger nonetheless.
Jesse Donovan’s grandfather was a great father figure to Jesse in life, but his true calling he discovered in death. By becoming a hell of a matchmaker. In order for Jesse to keep his company, he needs to get married no later than a year after his grandfather’s death, or his step-grandmother gets everything. The company is everything Jesse has left from his grandfather, and he would do anything to keep it. And so ladies and gentlemen, a last-minute, unexpected, totally right marriage is born.
Are you all familiar with that centuries-old dance some couples do around each other before they finally give in and fuck each other’s brains out? Well Jesse and Chris have danced plenty, because they don’t have any kind of sex until after the 70% mark, and let me tell you, that’s a lot of dancing! They lust for each other, dream about each other, lie to each other and hurt each other, but they also learn to love each other.
There were quite a few things that had me stupefied, like closeted Jesse’s decision to marry a man after hiding his sexuality all his life. And the fact that he lied to his husband from the very beginning by letting him believe he’s straight and has no interest in men. And the whole weird relationship between Jesse and Wenda, his step-grandmother.
I liked Wenda and her up-to-something-ways, but no matter how hard I tried to understand what caused so much animosity between her and Jesse. I just didn’t get it!
Of course, maybe because I knew this was going to be a slightly cheesy kind of book, I figured out which way the plot was going to go early on. But that didn’t diminish my enjoyment. Besides, the epilogue did have a little surprise for me, along with a sweet HEA that shows the couple a year later.
Jesse and Chris, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love (sometimes), second comes marriage, here comes Jesse pushing a…………….. read this to find out!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Portia’s Two Cents: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts
I just had to add my two cents to this one. I really enjoyed this. The whole idea of the Dreamspun Desires does it for me. I LOVE knowing that a HEA is coming.
And just like the Harlequins that I grew up devouring, First Came Marriage was predictable, but oh, so satisfying.
As for Wenda, I’ve never been a step- anything, but I’ve had one. And I could relate to taking unresolved shit into adulthood. I also figured out Wenda mid-book. She is my kinda mama. 😉
Jesse and Chris were so cute. But, man was I grateful when they got a clue.
Hiya guys, Shira Anthony pops in today with her newest release First Comes Marriage, the second book in the Dreamspun Desires series, we have a great guest post, a brilliant excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so enjoy the post and click that rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
First Comes Marriage
(Dreamspun Desires 02)
by
Shira Anthony
Their marriage was supposed to be all business….
When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!
Jesse’s in a pinch. To keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal: in exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million-dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?
Hi peeps, we have a treat today as Shira Anthony stops by with her tour for her newest release Running With the Wind, the third and last book in her Mermen of Ra series. Shira brings along the third installment of her exclusive ficlit, we have a very sexy excerpt, there is an amazing giveaway and we have Cat’s review’s for all the series! So guys check out the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Running With The Wind
(Merman of Ra 03)
by
Shira Anthony
Sequel to Into the Wind
With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.
Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.
Title: Blood and Ghosts Series: Blood, # 2 Author: Shira Anthony Genre: Vampires/ Urban Fantasy/ Time Travel/ Historical/ Paranormal/ Fantasy Length: Novel (226 pages) Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 20, 2015) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.75 Hearts Blurb: With vampire Nicolas Lambert’s marriage to a rival clanswoman only weeks away, Adrien Gilbert struggles to come to terms with his defeat at the hands of Verel Pelletier, a vampire hunter and an immortal like himself. Adrien and his former teacher, Roland Günter, begin to explore his newly acquired abilities. But without his soul’s sword, Adrien flounders.
On Nicolas’s wedding day, a two-hundred-year old secret is revealed, sending the wedding party into a blazing battle between hunters and vampires. Once again Adrien finds himself facing Pelletier’s superior strength. Just as Adrien believes all hope of a future with Nicolas is lost, he finally learns his true gift—he can turn back time. But time travel comes with a high cost.
To save Nicolas, Adrien must become strong enough to use his power without descending into madness.
Review: This is the second book in Blood series while I enjoyed reading the first book, the second was difficult to follow at times. I felt there was too much time travel going on. It confused me at times.
There is a lot going on in this book with Adrien traveling back in time to meet Nicholas at different stages in his life. As well as Adrien trying to come to grips with his inner demon. As with the first book this ends with a feeling there will be another in the series.
Despite the problems I had with reading this book I still felt that it was entertaining. If you liked the first book I’m sure you will like this one as well. I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book and what changes might be made to further the readers enjoyment of this series.
Good read.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Hi guys, we have Shira Anthony popping in with the cover to her upcoming release Running With The Wind, so check out that stunning cover and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Running With The Wind
(Mermen of Ea 03)
by
Shira Anthony
With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.
Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.
Series must be read in order. This is the final book of the series.
Title: Swann’s Revenge
Title: Finder’s Keepers
Title: Swann’s Revenge
Title: First Comes Marriage
Title: Dissonance
Title: Take Two
Title: Blue Notes by Shira Anthony (with Venona Keyes) Bundle
Title: First Comes Marriage
Title: Blood and Ghosts
