Bookish Stacy: March 2020

Friday, March 13, 2020

RELEASE BLITZ AND REVIEW -- Without You by Marley Valentine

Title: Without You

Author: Marley Valentine

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: March 13, 2020
Cover Design: PopKitty Design
Photographer: Wander Aguiar
Models: Jacob Cooley & Luke Schaeffer

“Tragedy brought us together, but something stronger made me want to stay.”

Julian was the boy next door. My brother’s best friend, he fit with my family in ways I never could. While he and Rhett went on to play house, I left the only life I knew, desperate for a fresh start.

Until everything changed.

Heartache came along, and the aftermath of my brother’s death was here to stay. I was now face to face with Julian more than I ever wanted to be.

Being around him brought up all my insecurities, forced me to deal with hard truths, and conjured up feelings I had no business entertaining. He wasn’t the man I thought I knew. He was complex and layered, and inherently beautiful in all the ways I’d never noticed.

Not on another person.

Not on another man.

Not until him.

BOOKISH STACY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Holy wow. Trying to come up with words to describe my feelings for this book is not easy. SO. MANY. FEELINGS.

I was really worried about this one, y'all. Whenever there's a deceased spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend, I always worry that the current love will somehow be placed in the "consolation prize" category and I hate that. I'm super picky because I need to feel like the current couple is completely meant to be and I know that's not an easy thing for an author to make me feel. Marley Valentine pulled this off in spades! I NEVER, not for one second, felt like Deacon was second best. And I completely believed that everything happened exactly as it was fated to happen because Deacon and Julian were destined to be together. So big, big kudos to the author for the way she portrayed that. Also, she needs to never stop writing M/M because she does that fabulously.

The story of Deacon and Julian put me through the ringer but left me with a happy heart. These beautiful men fought through pain and dealt with all kinds of trauma, resentment and guilt to get through to the end of their story. It was real and raw and just a glorious thing to behold. I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. It's a journey you won't regret.

Marley Valentine comes from the future. Living in Sydney, Australia with her family. When she's not busy writing her own stories, she spends most of her time immersed in the words of her favourite authors.

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Thursday, March 12, 2020

BLOG TOUR AND REVIEW -- The Rich Boy by Kylie Scott

“Rich Boy was witty, exciting and had the most intense slow burn romance I’ve read in a long time. ” —Audrey Carlan, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The Rich Boy, an all-new “do not miss” swoon-worthy standalone with off-the-charts chemistry from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, is available now!

I’m the type of girl who’s given up on fairy tales. So when Beck – the hot new busboy at work – starts flirting with me, I know better than to get my hopes up. Happily ever afters aren’t for the average. I learned that the hard way.

But how can I be expected to resist a man who can quote Austen, loves making me laugh, and seems to be everything hot and good in this world?

Only there’s so much more to him than that.

Billionaire playboy? Check. Troubled soul? Check. The owner of my heart, the man I’ve moved halfway across the country to be with, who’s laying the world at my feet in order to convince me to never leave? Check. Check. Check.

But nobody does complicated like the one percent.

This is not your everyday rags-to-riches, knight-in-shining armor whisking the poor girl off her feet kind of story. No, this is much messier.

BOOKISH STACY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟

The Rich Boy was a sweet kind of reverse Cinderella story that was a crazy mash-up of insta-love and slow-burn. The characters were likeable enough but I didn't feel a huge connection to them. There was not a lot of conflict until closer to the end and that's when it really picked up for me. I know a lot of people loved it, but it just didn't really work for me. Still, I will continue to read the heck out of this author!

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O54ogZ

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2O3wB80

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/RichBoy

Nook: http://bit.ly/38Igu7K

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3aLkJBe

Google Play: http://bit.ly/3aJlVVX

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2sv6LlG

Excerpt

“You haven’t told me your story,” he says once we’re seated in a booth and have ordered.

“I finished my degree and realized it was basically good for nothing and there were next to no jobs available anyway. Or at least nothing that appealed. Teachers and librarians are fighting for every scrap of funding they can get while newspapers are folding. The publishing industry is going through serious cutbacks. Majoring in English Lit may have been a mistake.” I shrug. Truth is, I got stuck for various reasons. But this explanation is easier to swallow. “Figured if I was going to wind up serving then I’d like to do it somewhere I can walk along the beach now and then, without getting stuck in traffic for hours.”

He nods. “Makes sense.”

“I thought so. I’ll figure out what I want to do with my life eventually.”

“No rush. Good that you can take the time and space to figure things out for yourself without anyone pressuring you.”

“Just the student loans hanging over my head,” I say.

His answering smile is brief and small. “Grow up around here?”

“Close enough, San Bernardino,” I say. “What about you?”

“No, I’m half a country away from home and intend to keep it that way. Though maybe half a country away is still too close. I hear Iceland’s nice this time of year.”

I raise my brows in question.

“Family.” He shrugs. “What can you do?”

The waitress delivers our food, filling up the table with Beck’s order of half of the breakfast menu. Without hesitation, he proceeds to devour it all. If I ate that much, my ass wouldn’t fit in the seat.

“Want some?” He offers me a forkful of pancake, dripping with syrup. “It’s good.”

“I’m fine with my burger. Thanks.” And I’m curious as heck about his family, but pressing him further wouldn’t be polite. Dammit.

“So what are my future wife’s favorite hobbies and or interests?”

“Hmm.” I stick a fry in my mouth and chew, thinking it over. “Reading, films, music…the usual. You?”

“Lots of things.”

“Such as?”

“I don’t know…hiking, rock climbing. Stuff like that.”

“So basically I like to sit still and you’re all about being busy and athletic. We have nothing in common.”

“No. Wait. I can change,” he jokes. “Give me another chance.”

“You shouldn’t have to change.” I swirl another fry in some ketchup. “I’m sure you’re perfectly fine just as you are.”

About Kylie

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013, 2014 & 2018, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Connect with Kylie

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XujcZh

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2GngiQq

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OiXx3I

Twitter: http://bit.ly/391pjJM

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2EUrx11

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Imusk3

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2S7cc32

Book+Main Bites: http://bit.ly/2ETz5RQ

Stay up to date with Kylie by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2TOOivT

Website: https://kyliescott.com/

Monday, March 9, 2020

RELEASE BLITZ AND REVIEW -- The Second Time Around (A Hope Valley Novel) by Jessica Prince

Title: The Second Time Around
Author: Jessica Prince
Series: Hope Valley
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tessa Day had clung to the notion of a once-in-a-lifetime love for as long as she could remember. Then, one chance encounter led her to the man of her dreams. After a whirlwind romance that could only be described as something out of a fairytale, she gave her heart to her other half, only to have him throw it back like it meant nothing.

Bryce Dixon was known as the care-free funny guy with a heart of gold. But it was all a façade. For more than ten years, he’d been holding on to guilt that was slowly eating him alive. He blamed himself for things in his past, and as punishment for his sins, he walked away from the only woman he’d ever loved.

But when Tessa shows up in Hope Valley, Bryce begins to think that maybe he’s been given a second chance. However, when danger comes calling, he soon discovers he’s in for the fight of his life. Not only does he have to protect the woman who holds his heart, but he also has to convince her that he can get things right the second time around.

Goodreads

Read for FREE with KindleUnlimited

Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

It had been three days since I last saw Bryce in person. He’d gone out of town for a case he was working on, which meant I went from having him constantly to not at all, and although he’d gotten back earlier this morning, I had no real reason to call and ask him to come by my place later tonight. No matter how badly I wanted him with me.

Now I was running on fumes. Two nights he’d slept by my side, and already, I’d become addicted to having his big, strong body wrapped around mine.

These past few nights I hadn’t been able to sleep to save my life. I spent each of them tossing and turning, feeling like something was missing. Something in the form of a six-foot-four man with more than two hundred pounds of pure muscle packed beneath his skin.

After how he broke my heart, he was the last man on earth I should crave. But, he made me feel . . . safe. For the first time in my life, when I’d needed someone I hadn’t been alone. Someone had taken care of me. Bryce had taken care of me, and he’d done it better than I could have imagined. Gentle and kind, sweet and loving. Anticipating my every need.

Like a husband.

My protective wall was in shambles, full of holes, and barely standing. I missed him like crazy. The only silver lining was that he’d stayed in contact while he was gone.

Like an addict, I’d kept my phone in hand, reading and rereading the string of texts between us every few minutes over the past three days. And it had to be said, Bryce Dixon was just as potent over text as he was in person. The man was good with words.

BOOKISH STACY RATING: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

4.5 stars
The Second Time Around is book seven in the Hope Valley series. I always recommend reading in order when there are recurring characters, but you could certainly read it as a stand-alone. This time, it's Bryce's turn to get his HEA. When Tessa moves to Hope Valley to take the director position at Hope House, she gets a surprise from the past when she sees that Bryce, who she hasn't seen in 10 years, lives there. They both feel that strong connection that was there so many years ago, but there's a lot of secrets and doubts that will have to be dealt with if they want to get their second chance. I really enjoyed this one. I loved Tessa, although I did feel like she maybe should have made Bryce fight a little harder. Sometimes, we just need some good grovel, you know? Bryce was very sweet and likeable. I love the girl gang that is present in this series, and I love that it just keeps growing. The Hope House kids had me laughing and sobbing. I feel like we got a little of all the emotions in this one. This series has absolutely become a favorite of mine and I really love this cast of characters.

Visit Hope Valley
a series of interconnected, standalone romances

Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Out of My League
Amazon US | Amazon Universal

Come Back Home Again
Amazon US | Amazon Universal

The Best of Me
Amazon US | Amazon Universal

Wrong Side of the Tracks
Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

Stay With Me
Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

Out of the Darkness
Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

The Second Time Around
Amazon US | Amazon Worldwide

Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.

Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.

In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.

Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.

RELEASE BLITZ -- The Rich Boy by Kylie Scott

“Rich Boy takes you on a literal ride! Funny. Angsty. It's a definite recommendation from me! –Tijan, New York Times bestselling author

The Rich Boy, an all-new slow-burn standalone with white-hot chemistry and witty banter from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, is out now!

But how can I be expected to resist a man who can quote Austen, loves making me laugh, and seems to be everything hot and good in this world?

Only there’s so much more to him than that.

But nobody does complicated like the one percent.

This is not your everyday rags-to-riches, knight-in-shining armor whisking the poor girl off her feet kind of story. No, this is much messier.

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O54ogZ

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2O3wB80

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/RichBoy

Nook: http://bit.ly/38Igu7K

Kobo: http://bit.ly/3aLkJBe

Google Play: http://bit.ly/3aJlVVX

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2sv6LlG

About Kylie

Connect with Kylie

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XujcZh

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/2GngiQq

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2OiXx3I

Twitter: http://bit.ly/391pjJM

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2EUrx11

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2Imusk3

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2S7cc32

Book+Main Bites: http://bit.ly/2ETz5RQ

Stay up to date with Kylie by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2TOOivT

Website: https://kyliescott.com/

Friday, March 6, 2020

NEW SURPRISE RELEASE -- King of Iron Hearts by Giana Darling

KING OF IRON HEARTS by Giana Darling

Release Date: March 6th 2020

KING OF IRON HEARTS, an all-new stand-alone book of poetry by Giana Darling is now LIVE!!

King of Iron Hearts ties into Lessons in Corruption (The Fallen Men, #1) and After the Fall (The Fallen Men, #4), two books in a series of stand-alone romance novels.

NOW AVAILABLE! FREE IN KU!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3cCVEJF
Amazon UK: not avail yet
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2xhG71O
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2xa4NJo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51232364-king-of-iron-hearts

Blurb:

The King of Iron Hearts
Is a fable now
A tale they tell children
About a man made of metal
Whose heart burned so boldly
It melted him from the inside out

This is a book about a man who feels too much and the woman who loves him. Divided into four parts, it explores the journey he takes from a young man with a wild, restless soul that yearns for something more to the wise man who understands the intricacies of love and loss. The last part shifts to the point of view of his woman to witness their love story from both angles.

*This can be read as a stand-alone book of poetry, but it does tie into Lessons in Corruption (The Fallen Men, #1) and After the Fall (The Fallen Men, #4), two books in a series of stand-alone romance novels

About the Author: Giana Darling is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man's bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat Persephone. She loves to hear from readers so please contact her at gianadarling[at]gmail.com if you have any questions or comments.