Review: Christmas Confessions & Cocktails by Vicki Lesage

Christmas Confessions & Cocktails: A Humorous Holiday Memoir with Sassy Drink Recipes
by Vicki Lesage

Genre: Chick Lit, Memoir, Humor, Family, Christmas
Publication: July 25th, 2015 by Party Girl Press
Format: ebook
Source: ARC
Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

American-turned-Parisian Vicki tells it like it is, from her crazy Christmases growing up in the Midwest to her even crazier holidays in her new home in France. Bizarre gifts, stomach-turning food, and holiday travel disasters are just some of the tales you'll chuckle at in this installment of the Paris Confessions series.

This Christmas-themed memoir features 25 funny and heartwarming essays, all with a tenuous tie to Christmas, and pairs each with a delicious drink recipe. So grab your martini shaker and get ready for tasty cocktails and hearty laughs this holiday season!

A humorous collection of holiday-inspired stories with Christmas drink recipes If you're looking for a great read this holiday season, don't miss Christmas Confessions & Cocktails! The 25 stories in this holiday collection take you on an adventure full of Christmas spirit (and spirits, with the Christmas cocktail recipes). And it makes the perfect Christmas gift!

I feel that Christmas is fast approaching. Probably because I've been watching some Christmassy movies recently, and reading Christmas Confessions & Cocktails helps with the mood. I've read Vicki Lesage's previous books, and fell in love with the author's style and voice. They're witty, light and highly entertaining. Christmas Confession & Cocktails is no different. I'm still in love the author's voice and writing.

In this entertaining Christmas memoir, the author has collected 25 short stories of her Christmas memories from her childhood up to her married life. There are a few stories in this book which had been included in the previous books, but I'm okay with it. It was nice to reread them again. It was fun to read the parts about a few differences in celebrating the holidays in France and America. Or perhaps it was differences of family traditions?

There are some humorous, crazy, heartwarming and saddening moments. And, in the end, what really matters in this holiday is being with your family, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the author's big family through this book. It reminds me a bit of my family when everyone was still around.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to get into the holiday spirits, especially since Christmas is just months away. And even if you're not celebrating Christmas, Christmas Confessions & Cocktails by Vicki Lesage is still a light and fun book to read. Plus, the author has been generous to share a few cocktail recipes that you might want to try.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my review.

Review: Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman

Plan Bea
by Hilary Grossman

Genre: Chick Lit, Women Fiction, Drama
Publication: October 14th 2015 by Booktrope
Format: ebook
Source: ARC, CLP
Connect: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

How well do you really know the people in your life?

Annabel O’Conner has the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and the mother from hell! Annabel doesn’t like it but has come to terms with the fact that her relationship with her mother, Bea, deteriorated to the point of forced and strained communications. However, an unscheduled call from Bea turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believed about her life.

Despite the fact secrets, lies, and misplaced blame have destroyed the women’s relationship; Annabel reluctantly agrees to help Bea plan her wedding. Little does Annabel know the impact of her decision.

In this Women’s Contemporary Fiction novel, Hilary Grossman explores the complex relationship that exists between mothers and daughters in a light-hearted and relatable manner.

Annabel had a perfect family, with a loving husband and two beautiful children. However, Annabel's relationship with her mother, Bea, was not that great. But Annabel's relationship with her mother was about to be tested again when Bea made a call and asked her to help plan her wedding.

I've previously read Hilary Grossman's Dangled Carat, and I loved it! I do think that the author's writing style had changed a bit in this book, but that's probably because the first book is a memoir. 

Plan Bea is a heartwarming story of a mother and a daughter. It is about making mistakes, reconcile, and learning to forgive. There were secrets, lies, drama, romance and happy ending. I don't think there were any dull moment in this book. 

The story was not what I was expecting at first, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was easy to relate to Annabel and I love spending time with her family. Her daughter, Violet especially, was adorable!! Annabel had an adorable and fun family. It was interesting to read about Annabel and Bea and learning about how their relationship gets to where they were. There are a few moments that made me laugh and moments that made me sad. 

The ending was a bit surprising. I totally couldn't tell what was going on until the very end. I admit that I was a bit frustrated, when the ending was fast approaching, but with a new possible drama emerged. It turns out that there's going to be a continuation with new characters. Yeay! I'm definitely looking forward to read the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for my review.

Review: A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

A Thousand Nights
by E.K. Johnston

Genre: Fantasy, Magic, Young Adult
Expected Publication: October 6th 2015 by Disney-Hyperion
Format: ebook, 336 pages
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Connect: Website | Twitter | tumblr | Goodreads

Lo-Melkhiin killed three hundred girls before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next.

And so she is taken in her sister's place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin's court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time.But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong.

Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air.

Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston book cover's looks amazing! And the blurbs sounds interesting, which was why I wanted to read this book. But I didn't expect that I would enjoy this book so much based on the first few pages. I mean, I wasn't really comfortable with the author's writing style at first, but strangely, the writing was one of the reasons why I wanted to keep on reading.

I was expecting a little bit of romance in the book, but sadly, there wasn't any. But I wasn't totally disappointed, because the plot was amazing that I did not think that romance was important to the story. The story was a bit slow paced, but I love how the story was built up. The characters were great, and I enjoyed their interaction with the heroine. I love reading about the heroine in Lo-Melkhiin's court. 

What I didn't like most about the book was the ending. Not that it wasn't great or anything, but the ending kinda made me go, 'what? That's it?' I wanted to see more of the heroine and Lo-Melkhiin. But still, A Thousand Nights was a great read that I absolutely enjoyed. I'm sure that fans of fairy tales and fantasy of all ages would enjoy this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Review: How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras

How to Be Brave
by E. Katherine Kottaras

Genre: Contemporary, Friendship, Romance, Young Adult
Expected publication: November 3rd, 2015 by St. Martin's Press
Format: ebook, 288 pages
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

How to Be Brave is a sweet story about Georgia who had lost her mother a few months ago and she was trying to be brave and living her life like her mother wanted her to. With the help of her friend, Liss, Georgia made a list of ways to be brave, things that she was afraid to do and new things that she wanted to give a try. But things don't always go the way she expected.

I truly enjoyed Georgia's story to be courageous after her mother's death. She tried to think of positive thoughts and I love her bucket list. The first half was absolutely entertaining. I love Georgia and how the author portrayed her. She may have her insecurities, but she can be funny.

I love that the author didn't focus much on the romance in the story because I really enjoyed the friendship Georgia and Liss shared. I was happy when Georgia started to make a new friend and met Evelyn, but wasn't really happy with how the relationship goes. Although Evelyn too was facing her own problem, I couldn't help but to think that the story would be a bit better, especially with what happened towards the end. There a a few more things happening in the book, like the relationship with Georgia and her father after her mother's death, and Georgia, trying to be brave with her crush.

How to Be Brave is a story about losing someone, making mistakes, being brave and growing up. I enjoyed the story and the author's writing, but I also thought that the story could be better. I look forward to the next work from the author.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Cover Reveal: Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman + Giveaway

Plan Bea

by: Hilary Grossman

Series: (book 1)

Release Date: October 2015

Genres: Women’s Fiction 

Publisher: Booktrope

Goodreads | Amazon

How well do you really know the people in your life?   

Annabel O’Conner has the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and the mother from hell! Annabel doesn’t like it, but has come to terms with the fact that her relationship with her mother, Bea, deteriorated to the point of forced and strained communications. However, an unscheduled call from Bea turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believed about her life.

Despite the fact secrets, lies, and misplaced blame have destroyed the women’s relationship; Annabel reluctantly agrees to help Bea plan her wedding. Little does Annabel know the impact of her decision.

In this Women’s Contemporary Fiction novel, Hilary Grossman explores the complex relationship that exists between mothers and daughters in a light-hearted and relatable manner.

Hilary Grossman loves to find humor in everyday life. She has an unhealthy addition to denim and high heel shoes. She likens life to a game of dodge ball - she tries to keep as many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. When she isn't writing, blogging, or shoe shopping she is the CFO of a beverage alcohol importer. She lives on the beach in Long Island.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon
Newsletter Signup

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Review: Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Blackmail Boyfriend
by Chris Cannon

Genre: Drama, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: August 11th, 2015 by Entangled Publishing: Crush
Format: ebook
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?

Haley Patterson heard a rumor that she hooked up with Bryce Colton. Turns out that Bryce hooked up with a different Haley, and the other Haley had a boyfriend, Danny. So Haley gave him a choice: to pretend to be her boyfriend for a month, so that she can show the guys that she's dateable, and for her brothers to stop being overprotective, and Bryce can avoid beating from Danny.

I didn't expect much when I start reading this one. I mean, judging from the blurbs, I know that the story was going to be predictable. Even so, I love reading stories like this. Why? Because I enjoyed reading a light and fun romance after a hectic week. It's relaxing.

I love Haley. She's sweet, she loves animals, and she made me laugh out loud the most. Although, I do think that Haley kinda took the fake relationship way seriously, even though it was all pretend. She can be a bit immature sometimes, which can be a bit annoying. 

The story was written in both Haley's and Bryce's POV, but I think the story would be better if it was written in Haley's POV alone. I do enjoy reading on Bryce's POV, but I don't think there's much difference between Haley's and Bryce's POV.

But still, Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon was a fun read. It's cute, fluffy and funny. The characters were great. Haley and Bryce were cute together. The story and plot was not so bad, and the most important thing is that, I enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book to those who were looking for a light romance.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Review: Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I by Albert Espinosa

Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I
by Albert Espinosa

Genre: Adult, Sci-fi, Fiction
Publication: May 26th, 2015
Format: ebook
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter 

Can you imagine a future where everyone has given up sleeping?

From the creator of the television series Red Band Society and author of the international bestseller The Yellow World comes this uniquely special novel.

What if I could reveal your secrets with just a glance? And what if I could feel with your heart just by looking at you? And what if --in a single moment-- I could know that we were made for each other? Marcos has just lost his mother, a famous dancer who taught him everything, and he decides that his world can never be the same without her. Just as he is about to make a radical change, a phone call turns his world upside down.

Albert Espinosa has a peculiar talent for generating immediate congeniality around him, for shifting people's moods toward the positive and for reconciling them with themselves and the world, when needed.

I wanted to read this book when I heard that the writer was one of the writers for Red Band Society, and I adore the show so much. But, um... I'm not sure what this book was about. I mean, if I were to judge the book by its title, I would probably guess that 'Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I', was a romantic kind of book. But this book isn't really about romance. I think that this is one of the weird book I sometimes pick up to read.

The main character, Marcos, had a gift where he was able to read people's memory. So he worked for the police so that he could use his gift. He had recently lost his mother, and Marcos decided to take a drug that will make him give up sleeping forever. I don't understand why anyone would give up sleeping. I love sleeping!

'Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I', was a strange book. I wouldn't say that the book was bad, or it was written badly. And I wouldn't say that I didn't like the book. I thought that the writing and the story were okay. I didn't really understand what this book was about. The story and characters were a bit strange, but fascinating. There were a bit of romance and a bit of sci-fi with an alien appearance. But I wouldn't really categorize this book as a romantic or a sci-fi. In the end, I was so curious about the book that I finished it. In the end, I was hoping that the story didn't end like that. I was a bit shocked by the ending. It was a bit sudden and I wish there was just a little bit more to it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.