(ARC) Fake Play (Atlanta Edge Hockey Romance Novel) by Carla Swafford

Connor Ellison, one of Atlanta Edge’s best wingers and biggest prankster, is given an ultimatum by the coaches and the PR department. He must stay married until the end of the run for the Cup or be available for trade.

Lily Jones wants nothing to do with the insane demand. But he convinces her the best decision is to play along. If they remain married and pretend to be in love, he offers to save her family’s ice rink from bankruptcy. Anyway, it’s only until the end of the hockey season. Then they can go their separate ways.

Easy-peasy. No way will they go to the finals. No way will they truly fall in love.

Thanks to Destiny Brown (Goodreads) and Carla Swafford, I received an Advanced Reading Copy of Ms. Swafford's latest novel in her Atlanta Edge Hockey Romance series, Fake Play, scheduled for release 30th June 2020. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spoilers ahead.

I've never read any of Ms. Swafford's books, but being a fan of hockey player romance books, I was eager to read this book. Added in the accidentally married trope? Even more of a fan. The book moves very quickly, introducing us to Connor and Lily immediately, and their predicament, jumping straight in. There's a lot packed into this story from accidental marriage, difficult childhoods, difficult relationships with family, potential cheating in a relationship, pregnancy, death and more. There is a lot of ground covered in the 284 pages and there may be some topics that readers may find painful to go through.

Fake Play follows a somewhat standard romance format, flipping back and forth between the main characters views, and it does work. I'll confess I wasn't that enamoured with Connor, we have a backstory of him which doesn't sound that appealing and then quickly changing when he meets and marries Lily.  I felt there was some rapid character change without development for him, and it left a bit of a gap noting the sudden change. I do find Lily on the other hand to be a quite likeable character, trying her best for her family and the relationship with Connor, and cheering her on.

To the writing itself, I did find myself intrigued in the plot and wanted to keep going, finishing it in one night. I did find however that sometimes the writing was a little stilted and phrasing awkward, pulling me out of the mostly smooth writing flow. This book is scheduled for release at the end of the month however, and these are small edits that can be easily adjusted if required.

As mentioned above, there are some topics in here that aren't smooth and easy-going, including a parental death which is hard to read. It is well-written, but something that this reader just doesn't really like to read. Added into the amount of other topics that the author has included in this plotline, sometimes things aren't really unpacked fully, which can leave a reader wanting more.

Overall, an interesting plotline and an enjoyable (if slightly sad) read.

Rating: 3/5

Click here to purchase from Amazon, available 30th June.

Have you read this book? Drop us your thoughts in a comment!

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Amazon Kindle vs Scribd

The book industry has changed in recent years, moving with technology and becoming more eco-friendly, expanding into the e-book industry. As it continues to evolve, we have seen the dissolution of certain bookstores, and others evolving into new areas, becoming large enough to split away from chains and start their own company.

There are benefits and downsides to each e-book provider, so which one is the best to use? Libraries have now moved into the online world, allowing you to read books online and download to your device (something I love by the way), coming in at a much cheaper price than online retailers. So, who do you spend your money with? Let's have a look at Amazon Kindle vs Scribd.

Amazon Kindle

Amazon has various different options available for reading. For those people who already have a Prime Membership, they offer 'Prime Reading,' an extension of the Amazon Prime membership, £7.99 per month in the UK, with selected books, magazines and 'more.' Kindle Unlimited however, seems to be their best option, 'Explore over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks and selected magazine subscriptions on any device.' 

Currently they offer this service with two months free, and renewing at £7.99 per month after. They also offer individual e-books and audiobooks at a selected price. Also bear in mind that Amazon Kindle books are uniquely available to the kindle app, and unable to read in other book applications.

Price: £7.99 per month

Scribd

Scribd used to offer free reading for some books and the ability to download to whatever device you chose, however they have tightened this up in recent years. They also have a great handy little chart on their website showing you the benefit of their memberships over other e-book retailers. They offer "unlimited" books, audiobooks from major publishers, and magazines and news for £9.99 per month.

Now, I will admit that I've actually been a member of Scribd for just under a year with my membership due to expire next month, and I will not be renewing again for another year. 

When I signed up for my free trial, I put it on hold at the end of my free portion as I was going away to work (I work abroad), and while I was away, it automatically restarted without my approval, and I was charged for the year. When contacting their customer service support, I was told that I couldn't have this refunded as there was nothing technically wrong with my membership - something which I will say I was very disappointed in.

My personal experience aside, I was also rather disappointed with their book availability. Looking for some of my favorite authors, sometimes only audiobooks were available, and some authors had no works available. I do understand that there are deals that have to be made for licensing to deliver these books, but for the books I was looking for (which are rather mainstream, nothing too exotic), they weren't available. It's also noted on their membership page that "unlimited" means: "Access an unlimited number of full length books, audiobooks, and other content. Restrictions on some titles may apply, see terms."

Price: £9.99 per month

Personally, for my next ebook membership, I would most likely choose Amazon Kindle Unlimited as they have a large library of books that I'm interested in reading. However, I do also love using my library membership, and downloading some books without a membership (i.e. from individual retailers such as Harlequin, Chapters etc.).

What e-book retailer do you use and would you recommend them?

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Love Me Like You Do by Aimee Brown

A runaway bride. A handsome stranger. Two pasts to put behind them.

Parker is ready to marry the man of her dreams. But he isn't ready to marry her. When she's dumped moments before walking down the aisle, she didn't expect to run into the arms of a handsome stranger. The southern drawl, the dreamy eyes, she can't fall for another man after being left at the altar – can she?

When Liam agreed to go on yet another blind date, he didn't expect his escape would lead him to the emergency room with a runaway bride. She might have just been left at the altar, but he's immediately drawn to her fiery spirit, kind heart and beautiful smile. Liam's got a whole host of problems and a past that's haunting him, now can't be the time to fall in love, but Parker might just be the one to break down his barriers and let him live a little – if she'll let him in.

Will these two strangers allow serendipity to force them together, or will their fears keep them apart?

Thanks to NetGalley and Aria I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy for Aimee Brown's upcoming romance novel, Love Me Like You Do, scheduled for release 17th September.

I've never read anything by Ms. Brown before, but was instantly drawn in by the description and it did not disappoint. Going through our three tests:

Did the cover match up to the novel? It's a no for me, but not in a bad way. Looking at this cover, I'll admit, I was a bit dubious about reading this book. Don't get me wrong, the cover is a nice design and I do love the colors, but for me it felt a bit light for the subject matter and a bit more serious than what I hoped the book would be. For me, the book far exceeded the cover and I was very happily surprised.

Second, does the book live up to its description? Most definitely, yes.

Finally, how was the formatting? There were a few mistakes in wrong words, words pushed together, paragraph formatting slightly out, but I'm sure this will remain in the ARC and will be corrected for the final edition.

To the story itself, I was blown away. I always love to feel fully invested in the books I read and continue reading, and this book definitely checked those boxes. It is light-hearted, comedic, but with depth and it just kept me wanting to read. The plot itself covers a variety of topics, but does so in a seamless manner that doesn't keep you thinking, well hang on, what happened to that plotline? Everything ties in together beautifully and doesn't make you feel that something was just thrown in for extra dramatic effect. Everything that was put into the book had a purpose and enhanced the story, not detracted.

Our characters meet-cute was perfect, and I loved the premise of fate and chance taking part in this love story. The characters continue meeting without expectation, randomly bumping into each other and it suits the plot perfectly. Both our main characters were well-fleshed out with plotlines aside from their romance, and it was just simply beautiful.

Spoilers ahead.

I was a little surprised with the depth that Ms. Brown went into with Parker's Mother, and for some readers who are triggered by mentions of suicide, please read with caution. I felt that it was handled in a good manner, but, still a surprise.

Even with that, the book still managed to mostly light-hearted and a joy to read, and one that I was so pleasantly surprised to have. Overall, a fantastic book, one of the best I've read this year, and one that I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to read.

Rating: 4/5

Click here to pre-purchase from Amazon, available 17th September.

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Weekly Round-Up

It's been a changed week in the world and we are living in an unprecedented time. This website was started to be a distraction for me from all of that. Every time I turn on social media I'm constantly reminded of all of the problems that we face, and I wanted a place that someone could turn too simply to cheer them up. And this remains my commitment.

I do not ignore the problems that we are, and continue to face, but, this is not the platform for me to remind you of that. This platform is simply intended to bring a smile to your face, and provide you a brief respite from the outside issues that we all face. As always, continue to be kind to yourself, and others.

If you, or anyone you know, needs assistance with proofreading and copy editing during this time, check out my post here.

To our regularly scheduled programme, it's time for the weekly round-up! Don't miss out on our reviews for this week (click on the picture to go to the review). Tessa Bailey's Fix Her Up is already on the shelves, and Brianna Moore's upcoming novel is set for release in September.

                            



With a new month, make sure to check out what we're most excited to read here, plus an exciting sneak peek of Avery Flynn's Royal Bastard here, and scheduled to release in just under three days!

Speaking of sales, Harlequin has another sale on this weekend! Join them today and use the code JUNEBUY3 to save 30% off your entire order, valid today only, 12:00am-11:59pm E.T.

Finally, if you're looking for a great historical romance read, check out our list here and find your new favourite. Don't forget to drop us a comment and let us know what your favourite historical romances are.

I wish you all the best this week, stay safe, and continue to look after yourselves and others.

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Proofreading & Copy Editing

Good afternoon everyone!

I've been asked a few times now from some of my readers about my proofreading and copy editing services/skills, and thought I'd put them collectively here to share. I am available for this work at present, and most likely through the remainder of the year.

My qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours, along with publishing two academic papers at that time, available online and in print. Since then, I have worked for marketing and communications for Disney, been a Communications Manager for four years for an internationally renowned cruise line, and most recently worked as a Business & Brand Manager on board another internationally renowned cruise line. Owing to the current worldwide situation, I have a little more time at home than previously planned.

I worked in the book industry for five years while going through university, working with publishing houses to correct proofs and provide feedback. I have continued this throughout my career, and recently began to publish these reviews online as well, resulting in this website. I have a large amount of editorial and proofreading experience, combined with some graphic design knowledge.

I would prefer to edit any romance, young adult romance, or website posts, but am open to other genres/forms, just let me know. If you're interested in these services, please contact me via email at gonewiththebooks@hotmail.com, my prices are below. The book maximum indicates that if I go over this time, the maximum is the highest price that I would charge you.

Books
0-200 pages = £10 per hour, maximum of £40
0-300 pages = £12 per hour, maximum of £50
0-400 pages = £14 per hour, maximum of £60
0-400+ pages = £15 per hour, maximum of £65

Page/Post/Excerpt
0-1500 words = £3
0-2500 words = £6
0-3500 words = £9
0-4500 words = £12
0-4500+ words = £15

Owing to my time, I may not be able to take on all requests, but I will do my best to let you know. If you would like to use my services, please send an email to gonewiththebooks@hotmail.com with the following information: 
Name
Email
Title of Book
Amazon or Goodreads link of applicable
Blurb
Any other comments as required

Please note that as mentioned above, I am not a professional reviewer, however, have over eight years of communication and marketing experience with Fortune 500 companies.

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Fix Her Up (Hot & Hammered 1) by Tessa Bailey

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World... whatever that means.

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there's Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her...

The first novel in the Hot & Hammered series, and my first novel from this author, I can't wait to read the next instalment. As a quick short summary - a great, slow build, hot and heavy romance.

The novel starts somewhat slowly, but throws you right into the situation and our leads. It seems more and more that the characters we read are getting younger in age - or, is that just as I'm growing older? - but unlike many contemporary romances, this novel is in the third person, which is a definite bonus for this reader.

I was a little skeptical of our heroine, I'll admit it's the first time I've ever read about a main character being in the clown profession, but still I pressed on, and I'm glad I did. Our spunky heroine continues to grow during the novel, and while this book at it's core is a romance novel, it also has messages about empowerment and that romance isn't the be all and end all of life. I was cheering for our hero, although I will note that there I were a few comments from him that I viewed as problematic, regarding some aspects of sleeping with our female lead.

The supporting cast were also fully formed characters and had interesting storylines, not just there to progress our two leads. The romance itself was formed well, and while a light and fluffy romance, also had down and dirty romantic scenes.

Overall, a great read, and a great first instalment of the new series.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Top Six Historical Romance Novels

Continuing on with the lists, it's time for my top six favourite historical romance novels! 

I will admit that I've slightly cheated though, as I absolutely love essentially every book that each author has written, but since I can't include that many books, I've just picked one from each author. I strongly encourage you to find the rest of their books though, as I will say that I've read each of the books below multiple times over, and essentially every other book each author has written!

1. Ecstasy - Nicole Jordan

Having watched her mother languish away for a lost love, Raven Kendrick vows never to surrender her heart. But when her life erupts in scandal, she is forced to accept a marriage proposal from the wickedly sensuous owner of London's most notorious gaming hell. Though fiercely drawn to her enigmatic rescuer, Raven battles to resist her husband, whose sensuous caresses promise ecstasy beyond her wildest fantasies.

To save the reputation of an innocent girl nearly ruined by his brother, Kell Lasseter sacrifices his freedom to wed the dazzling debutante. Long scorned for his Irish blood and dark past, Kell cannot deny that this enchanting spitfire is unlike other society misses . . . anymore than he can quell his smoldering desire for her. Torn between loyalty to his brother and his growing feelings for his rebellious bride, Kell must somehow free Raven's reluctant heart before they can know the ecstasy of true love.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

2. The Bride & The Beast - Teresa Medeiros

Gwendolyn Wilder didn't believe in dragons. But the superstitious Highlanders of Ballybliss did and so Gwendolyn found herself bound to a post as a virgin sacrifice to the Dragon who had been haunting the ruins of Castle Weyrcraig.

Gwendolyn soon discovers that the Dragon is no monster, but a man powerful enough to weave a spell of sensuous magic around her that defies all of her common sense and teaches her to believe in something even more magical than a dragon--true love.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

3. Never Seduce A Scoundrel - Sabrina Jeffries

Lady Amelia Plume has many admirers—it’s too bad they’re all fortune hunters and fops who can’t provide the exotic adventures she seeks. But the ballrooms of Mayfair have become much more appealing since the arrival of Major Lucas Winter, an American with a dark past and a dangerous air. 

Lucas is brash, arrogant—and scandalously tempting. Every thrilling kiss sparks hotter desire, yet Amelia suspects that Lucas has a hidden motive in wooing her. And she intends to discover it, by any means necessary.

Click here to purchase from Amazon. 

4. Once A Princess - Johanna Lindsey

Once Upon A Time...

In a rustic Missiissippi tavern, a beautiful exiled princess was forced to dance for the pleasure of others--unaware of her regal birthright...and infuriated by a magnificent golden-eyed devil who crossed an ocean to possess her.

From A Far Off Land...

A bold and brazen prince came to America to claim his promised bride. But the spirited vixen spurned his affections while inflaming his royal blood with passion's fire...impelling virile Stefan Barany to take in sensuous and searing conquest the love Tatiana vowed never to yield.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

5. Wicked - Shannon Drake

Camille Montgomery is aware of the wicked man's reputation. But as an expert in antiquities, she also knows his family's Egyptian artifacts are the finest in England. The problem is, her wayward stepfather knows this, too–and he's determined to steal them. So when he's caught in the act of robbing the so-called Beast of Carlyle, Camille must swallow her fear and boldly confront the man whose mask is said to hide a face too loathsome to behold.

The Earl of Carlyle has lived in the shadows ever since the suspicious death of his parents. But he's never stopped trying to unravel the mystery behind what he suspects to have been their murder. And now that the lovely Camille has stumbled into his life, he has the perfect pawn for his deadly game of vengeance and deceit. But in laying his ruthless trap, will he risk losing his own heart?

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

6. The Iron Rose - Marsha Canham

Bound for the Caribbean on a mission for the king, Varian St.Clare's ship is attacked by a Spanish galleon. 

When a pirate ship, the Iron Rose comes to their rescue, cannons blazing, the emissary is surprised to learn the captain is a woman, Juliet Dante, daughter of the infamous Pirate Wolf.

Click here to purchase from Amazon.

What are your favourite historical romance novels? Drop us a comment and let us know!

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(ARC) All Stirred Up by Brianna Moore

Susan Napier's family once lived on the success of the high-end restaurants founded by her late grandfather. But bad luck and worse management has brought the business to the edge of financial ruin. Now it's up to Susan to save the last remaining restaurant: Elliot's, the flagship in Edinburgh.

But what awaits Susan in the charming city of Auld Reekie is more than she bargained for. Chris Baker, her grandfather's former protégé--and her ex-boyfriend--is also heading to the Scottish capital. After finding fame in New York as a chef and judge of a popular TV cooking competition, Chris is returning to his native Scotland to open his own restaurant. Although the storms have cleared after their intense and rocky breakup, Susan and Chris are re-drawn into each other's orbit--and their simmering attraction inevitably boils over.

As Chris's restaurant opens to great acclaim and Susan tries to haul Elliot's back from the brink, the future brims with new promise. But darkness looms as they find themselves in the crosshairs of a gossip blogger eager for a juicy story--and willing to do anything to get it. Can Susan and Chris reclaim their lost love, or will the tangled past ruin their last hope for happiness?

I was lucky enough to receive an advanced reading copy (ARC) of Brianna Moore's new novel, All Stirred Up, thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

With any ARC, I always go through three tests before fully going through the story itself:

1. Does the cover appeal? Fully yes. I'm really loving the new style of romance novel covers where you're not actually seeing a real person, but a caricature style (unfortunately as you can probably tell I'm not an art person, so excuse the ignorance for what the actual style is here). Either way, loved the cover!
2. Does the cover match up to the story? I'm a little mixed on this one. It did have key elements of the story, but I'll confess that the cover made me think of this story going in a different direction than it did.
3. Did the formatting work? Unfortunately there were some choppy errors here which made the book a little disjointed to read at times. Paragraphs were sometimes in the wrong place, words dropped down mid-sentence, words with no spaces. Having said that, once this is cleared up, the book flow will definitely improve.

Onto the story itself! Reading the description, I knew that we were heading into a romance story with a cooking element. But, I didn't find that this actually matched, and it actually felt more like a cooking/family-relationship story with a romance element. Don't get me wrong, this novel is very well-written, detailed, and intriguing. We're given a lot of information about the cooking scene in Edinburgh, the operation of a kitchen, and I'll admit it has given me an incentive to start cooking again.

We're given some insight into Susan's family and the legacy of her family's restaurant, combined with some of the disjointed family relationships. I found myself somewhat confused at times which character was actually which as there were so many different characters to keep track off. I would definitely say that Susan was our main character, but I wouldn't actually say the same of her love interest - Chris. We see a lot more of Susan's interactions with her family and her emotions than we see of Chris, and again, that's not a bad thing, it just doesn't fit the usual romance novel that I read.

I do feel that this was more of a general fiction novel with romance elements, which again, is well-written, just not fully falling into the romance genre. For most of the book, our lead characters are dating another person, leading to some confusion about who was actually going to end up together. The romance between Susan and Chris was discussed at various stages, but I didn't feel with enough conviction for me to want the two to end up together. Personally I wasn't that invested in Chris and hoping he'd get back together with Susan, but I was invested in Susan and getting her restaurant sorted!

Overall, I think this was a well-written novel, with many fascinating details about the cooking world and the Edinburgh scene, and one that I did thoroughly enjoy. I would say that this was more of a general fiction novel with a romance element, but nevertheless, a light-hearted, well written book.

Rating: 3/5

This book is scheduled for release 8th September, 2020.

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