REVIEW & TASTY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR: The Grown Ups by Robin Antalek



The Grown Ups
A Novel
By: Robin Antalek
Releasing January 27th, 2015
William Morrow




Blurb
From Robin Antalek, author of The Summer We Fell Apart, comes an evocative and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel involving three friends who explore what it means to be happy, what it means to grow up, and the difficulties in doing both together. Spanning over a decade, and told in alternating voices, The Grown Ups explores the indelible bonds between friends and family and the challenges that threaten to divide them. It is the addictive and moving story of these old friends who wind up confronting their past in order to find happiness in their adult lives that make this novel an anticipated winter release.


Sam Turner, the summer he turns 15, feels lucky enough to enjoy the unexpected attention of his friend Suzie Epstein, even though it’s only a few secret months. For reasons Sam doesn’t entirely understand—and will never question—the budding relationship is kept hidden from their close circle of friends. But before their summer tans can even start to fade, Sam’s world unexpectedly shatters twice: Suzie’s parents are moving away to save their marriage, and his own mother has suddenly left the house, leaving Sam’s father alone to raise two sons.

Watching as her parents’ marital troubles escalate, Suzie Epstein takes on the responsibility of raising her two younger brothers while simultaneously planning an early escape to college to seek independence. Though she occasionally thinks of Sam, it’s her oldest friend Bella Spade she finds herself missing. Embarrassed by the destructive wake of her parents as they left the only place Suzie could call home, Suzie makes no attempt to reconnect with the one person she needs. Its years later that a chance meeting with Sam’s older brother Michael will reunite her with both Sam and Bella—finally forcing her to confront her friends, her past and what she left behind.


After losing Suzie, Bella surprisingly finds her first real love in Sam. But his inability to commit to her or even his own future eventually drives them apart. Watching Suzie and Michael as they seem to have worked it all out, Bella’s only to wonder where she went wrong and how to make it right.


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I really liked this book!

From the moment I started reading this book, I got sucked into this story.
It has been awhile since I've read such a good story that has a great combination of love, sadness, friendships that grow and come apart.

All the characters where developed well and I got caught in their emotional journeys they went thru.  I cried, laughed, fell in love with them.  It felt good to get captured into the stories and read a book that I could relate to.

This book follows the Suzie, Bella & Sam from young teenagers to adults.  The decisions and actions they make are realistic to what we go thru in our everyday lives.  I liked reading a book that makes you feel like you are in the background, witnessing what the characters are going through.  

If you are looking for a contemporary book to read that will give you a good emotional cry, laugh & fall in love with being in love for the 1st time, this is the book for you!

**ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

  4 Cherries Popped
   


Author Info
Robin Antalek is the author of The Summer We Fell Apart. Her nonfiction writing has been published in literary journals and in several collections, including The Beautiful Anthology; Writing off Script: Writers on the Influence of Cinema; and The Weeklings: Revolution #1 Selected Essays 2012-1013. Her short fiction has appeared in 52 Stories, Five Chapters, Sun Dog, The Southeast Review, and Literary Mama among others. She lives in Saratoga Springs, New York.


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Rafflecopter Giveaway (3 copies of THE SUMMER WE FELL APART by Robin Antalek)


Excerpt #1
Mrs. Spade died in the winter of their junior year of college and they all returned home for the funeral.
Bella had called from Vassar to tell Sam. He’d picked up the phone and heard his name and then nothing, just a rush of air across the wires followed by what sounded like a far away howling.  Bella and Sam had continued, despite distance and any real commitment, to find their way back to each other.  She surprised him first at school, showing up at his door, and they had fallen back onto his twin mattress as if they were starving.   It felt exotic, somehow, to be in a place where no one knew them as a couple. To hold hands as they shared crummy food off Sam’s meal ticket at the dining hall, to drink dollar pitchers at The Rat, to wake up next to each other and have sex without talking, like they had the map of what they liked inked indelibly in their brains.  By the time Sam’s roommate returned from his girlfriend’s place, the weekend ended, the buzz would wear off, and Sam would think they wouldn’t do it again.  Until one of them showed up on the doorstep of the other’s room and it started up all over again.  Sam thought this thing with Bella was casual, comfortable. They had never labeled what they were or talked about where it was going. He thought that was what they both wanted. Or maybe they were just too scared to bring it up.  Sam liked things the way they were until something like this happened, and he had no idea how to act or what they meant to each other.  

REVIEW: Tight by Alessandra Torre


::::SYNOPSIS::::

I was happy in my small town. In my life as a single, thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.

I also hadn't got laid in three years. Hadn't been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and wearing makeup... a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He flipped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issues?
His secret.
Her.
The fact that I don't even know she exists, and he thinks she's dead.

Everything is about to hit the fan and I can't hold on to him tight enough.


WOW!  I loved this book!

I had been waiting for this book since last year and it was totally worth the wait!

This review was hard to write because if I say too much it will ruin it & I don't do spoilers so you are safe to read on!

Twisted, steamy, and just the right amount of WTF moments that I expect from Alessandra Torre's books!  She knows how to blow your mind!

You want to read a book that is not what you think it will be, this is the book for you!

It has everything!  Romance, mystery, hot sexy scenes that have you squeezing your thighs together to keep yourself composed.

Brett & Riley meet while she is on a bachelorette trip with her friends and they both fall for each other hard.  It starts off sexual but then it starts to turn into a long distance relationship.  Brett is a wealthy boat man but Riley starts to become suspicious of his actions when she notices things can't be happening to her so perfectly.  Really can a relationship be this good and not have problems?

You will have to read on to find out what happens!

POV from both Riley & Brett while reading this story & there is a third person who I did not figure out who it was till 3/4 into the book!  IT was a crazy good mystery!

I liked how the story flowed into the conclusion of why Brett's past has made his present with Riley so difficult.  It wasn't easy to figure out what he was doing but when you find out what it is, you will be shocked!

I still can't believe what it was!

Go get this book and Find out why you will take a TIGHT grip of this book while you read it!  You don't want to miss out!

**ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**

 5 Cherries Popped
   

:::::ABOUT THE AUTHOR:::::

A New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Alessandra Torre has written seven novels, four of which became #1 Erotic Bestsellers.

Her first book, Blindfolded Innocence, became a breakout hit, rising to the top of the charts on Kindle and Amazon where it attracted the interest of major publishing houses and garnered Torre her first print deal with Harlequin HQN. Less than twelve months later, Torre signed a second print deal, this time with Redhook (Hachette) for her erotic thriller The Girl in 6E.

From her home near the warm waters of the Emerald Coast in Florida, she devotes several hours each day to various writing projects and interacting with her fans on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Happily married and with one son, she loves watching SEC football games, horseback riding, reading and watching movies.

Torre has four books slated for release in 2015. To stay informed, consider subscribing to her popular monthly newsletter!



::::IMPORTANT LINKS::::

GOODREADS - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23496782-tight

:::::CONNECT WITH ALESSANDRA TORRE:::::

Website: http://www.alessandratorre.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlessandraTorre0

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReadAlessandra

Goodreads Page: http://goo.gl/NjCakc

Goodreads Fan Group: http://bit.ly/ShhGR

Amazon Page: http://goo.gl/vAB1ra

TSU: https://www.tsu.co/alessandratorre


Newsletter: www.nextnovel.com

TBT: Meeting E.L. James for the 1st time

Hi Followers!

So this was a Blog Post I had written for another Blog on my experience I had when I had met E.L. James back on Thursday May 10, 2012.  


On this day, it is when my life had changed of being introduced to many of you authors that I now love & promote.  I had discovered you all because of Mrs. James books, recommendations from book lovers I have met & made some amazing friends since then.  This experience also inspired me to get back into my hard core reading & begin blogging.


THANK YOU Erika for bringing all these wonderful experiences and people into my life!  I am truly blessed! 



***My Day Meeting E.L. James***



Okay so where shall I begin???

Well 1st off, I almost did not go to this book signing because I was very discouraged when B&N told me that they were not going to give out wristbands for this event!

I seriously thought this would be super crazy and that there was no way in hell I was going to get to meet her!

Well, my gut instinct said to go check it out and see how crazy it really is going to be!

I WAS FUCKING WRONG & THANK THE FUCK GOD I WAS!!!



Got to the B&N at about 1:30pm to see how bad it was! To my ultimate shock, it was running like a regular day, no lines in site! So I go up to the Customer service line and ask them what the deal is. The girl tells me all I got to do is buy one book from their store and I can get it signed personalized to whoever and also get up to 6 books signed! She then tells me that no lines can start to form inside the store for seating till 4pm! I'm thinking cool but YEAH THE FUCK RIGHT in my head about no one lining up early. SO i go upstairs to the area where the siging is and they were still setting up books and seats.

So I get on line to purchase another book so i can have her sign it with the other 2 I already had and go outside to kill 2 1/2 hrs before I can get in the line to try to get a guaranteed seat for the Q&A and signing.

I decided to go to Starbucks, cause let's face it, I'm addicted to that shit like crack & of course and I need something to get me more pumped up for my nerves to be even more high then they were at the time to pray that I will get a seat in the signing!


So back to the signing....3:30pm rolls around & I head back to B&N. I go straight upstairs to the signing area after using the loo so I'm all set to wait! I see a security guard and ask him where is the line going to start, he asks me if i bought the book and I tell him yes. He then points to a wall and tells me the line has started and I can go on it to wait to be seated!

I FUCKING SQUEALED!!! YES OUT LOUD!! Fucking dork that I am, I go to the line and notice only about 20 people in front of me!

MY INNER GODDESS is fucking dancing like ANA in my head!!


Right away I meet all these awesome ladies on the line who are all like me in shock that we are going to get to meet E.L. James!! Within 10 minutes of being in the line, they start sitting us right away! I'm stunned and in shock that they sit us before 4pm! I wound up being in the 3rd row from the stage!

INNER GODDESS DOES BACK FLIPS!!!!

So the wait begins! All the ladies I met, first thing we discussed is who is CG going to be played by! Thank goodness everyone agreed Chris Hemsworth is a MAJOR NO!!!! Henry Cavill & Ian Somerhalder are the top favs!

***Well now we all are HAPPY that Jamie Dornan is playing MR. Grey! Who would have known!***




I met my Crissy & Mags also known as  +Laters Baby   (Laters Baby Website) who had just started their site a couple of days when I met them!  (and now we are seeing the movie together this Friday & our friendship has grown!)



I also met +Colleen Hoover  +Tina Reber  while waiting for the Q&A to start.  I had just been told by another fan to read Tina's book "Love Unscripted" which had just came out a bit ago and then BAM, she turns around and she is right there in the front row in front of us!  The event had not even started and I already was overwhelmed with joy on meeting all these amazing and wonderful people! 



"IT'S TIME....7PM"

She is introduced and comes out!


THE PIC OF HER LOOKING LIKE SHE IS CRYING IS HER CRYING, SHE GOT EMOTIONAL WHEN EVERYONE CLAPPED FOR HER AS SHE CAME OUT.

I took video of the whole Q & A so I will not go into detail of what was said cause you can just watch it! Sorry it is 2 parts! I pressed a button on my Ipad and had to record it in 2 parts!

Part 1:

Part 2:




After the Q&A, signing time! I get all nervous again and get myself mentally ready to what I want to say to her! My Inner Goddess gets in her business suit & whips out her notepad!

My turn is up with EL James and she looks up at me and smiles and Says "Hello Lauren!" (they put our name on a sticky note for her to personalize our book for us)

I blush and say Hello back to her & I tell her that I am so happy for her success with the books and that I read them when they were MOTU (Master of the Universe Fan Fic) I also tell her that I look forward to seeing the movie being made and thank you for taking the time to meet us fans! She smiled so big when I told her I read MOTU 1st and she also said thank you for my kind words! I told her to rest up and take it easy!

She is the sweetest and most down to earth person to meet!

After I got my books signed, I exchanged numbers and Facebook profiles with all the beautiful ladies I met at the signing & we have grown in our friendships thru the years.


My last of this story is when I was on the train home, I finally opened my book to see what she wrote in it and she signed it:



Lauren, laters baby 





MY INNER GODDESS DIED!!!

RELEASE DAY LAUNCH: Mending Heartstrings by Felicia Lynn


Mending Heartstrings



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Title: Mending Heartstrings (Heartstrings Series Book #2)

Author: Felicia Lynn

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Cover Me Darling

Release Date: February 4th, 2015

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Just when life seems to be manageable, you’re thrown radically off course by “the one”. “The one” you weren’t expecting. “The one” who single handedly holds the key to the tattered and rusted lock to the walls surrounding your heart. Letting her into your protected sanctuary will only serve one purpose, intentional infliction of pain and heartache.

Jon is a man on a mission with only one agenda, to survive…to survive his past, and avoid letting his future be consumed by his history. It’s all really simple, until she walks into his world and turns it, on its axis. She makes him yearn for things he never wanted, or at least didn’t realize he ever would. Now his dreams and writings are consumed with the fantasy that this girl could change everything. But deep down he knows she deserves better. Better than him. Better than anyone he’s ever met.

He’s the lead guitarist for Garrett McKenna’s band. His life consists of touring, studio time, and writing music. That’s it. Staying healthy means keeping his routine, which has been easy enough until this little effervescent beauty rocks his world. Now he’s left questioning everything and doing some soul searching to decide if he’s equipped to give what he knows she needs and deserves.

Whitney avoids love at all costs. She’s not scared of it. She’s too strong to be that weak. She refuses to allow herself to lose her mind over another person, when there’s a high probability of getting her heart broken. She’s witnessed it more times than she can count, and she’s less than interested in taking the gamble.

Her strong will has served her well in life. Very few people know her secrets. She prefers to keep it that way. Her friends and family own her heart and deep devotion. She could easily do without the rest of the population but plays nice so she doesn’t appear to be the major bitch she knows she is on the inside.

Everything in her life makes sense. Her life is filled with more love and laughter than most will ever see, and it feels complete to her. She’s simply satisfied…until him.

He complicates things. His life isn’t something she understands or is willing to try to figure out. But she can’t keep her mind from wandering to the scruff faced, gorgeous guitarist, no matter how hard she tries.

He’s everything she’s never wanted, yet her heart is telling her differently. She fears she’s diving headfirst off the cliff of heartache. She’ll never recover from her brief no-strings weekend with this man. If she opens her heart it will be “the end”… no matter what. The question is what kind of ending will it be? Not all fairy tales have the happily ever after.




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Felicia's Mug Felicia Lynn is a transplanted Florida girl, born and raised, who lives just north of Atlanta, GA with her husband, daughter, dog and cat. She spends most of her days holed up in a cozy chair with a cup of tea and her laptop, writing about the characters that live in her head. When she’s not writing you’ll find her hanging out with her family and friends! She loves reading, taking long walks, chatting with her Facebook family, and listening to music, especially live music. A self-declared lover of all things baseball, she is obsessed with every aspect of the game!!!

Felicia writes contemporary romance, because love stories make people happy. Even in the midst of anguish and turmoil, true love can turn life around, and the process is beautiful. Most of Felicia's stories are based on real life experiences, which she embellishes to tell a story.


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RELEASE DAY & REVIEW: The Raven by Sylvain Reynard

Happy Release Day!

I have been waiting for this book which seemed like forever & finally it is here for everyone to enjoy!

THE RAVEN 
by Sylvain Reynard



Blurb:

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi Gallery restoring fine works of Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semi-conscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attacker’s screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her…

Cassita vulneratus.

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. She returns to the Uffizi, but no one recognizes her and more disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of the events leading up to her disappearance, Raven also learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history – the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the baffled police force identifies her as its prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth about her disappearance. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets…



***IF you haven't read Gabriel's Series yet, reading this story will contain spoilers on what is going on with those characters now so be warned***


This book totally quenched my thirst for paranormal stories again!  It's been awhile since I have read a paranormal romance that was this hot & steamy.  Mr. Reynard, you totally did it!

I fell in love with the characters right away!  I loved how the story flowed smoothly into the Gabriel Series.  OF course I love Gabriel but after reading this story, I/m falling hard for Raven & The Prince!

This story gives you romance, suspense, some history of Florence where it takes place.  Basically I liked that while reading this book, my mind was captured from the words on the page of what the author was envisioning us to see which is that beautiful city of Florence, Italy! 



Raven is a strong character that despite what has happened to her, she stands doesn't let that phase her.  She wants to clear her name and she begins to notice in doing so, she will have to go into a world she never thought existed, until she meets him...

The Prince, he is a man who knows how to stay in charge and gets what he wants.  He sometimes does before he thinks but he has no problem with what his consequences maybe except when it comes to falling in love... and that love made me swoon sooo much!  I couldn't help but just totally for the Prince!  Yes I am a hopeless romantic looking for my own Prince to carry me away into a world of unknown & this Prince can totally does it in this story.

There is tons of action, blood, sex and paranormal all rolled into one. I Swooned, I gasped, I said OMG, yep this book gives it all to you.  This is a love story with a twist on the mind of what more is there to come?

And the twist will leaving you with wondering what will Sylvia Reynard bring next...

I can't wait to find out!

**ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

 5 Cherries Popped
   

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