A Tycoon's Rush (Sin City #2)

She heads to the Italian mountains to bring an Olympic hero back home. But will she lose her heart instead?

Natalie Schaffer has accepted that she’ll always be an assistant at her sports agency. That’s okay—her dream job is her outdoor photography, not the wheeling and dealing of agency life. But she jumps at the chance to take an endorsement deal to the reclusive Olympic champion Charlie Ahlers, who stepped off the gold medal podium and disappeared from public eye. Natalie never crushes on her agency’s clients, but Charlie holds a special place in her heart—from a distance, of course.

Charlie Ahlers is perfectly happy hiding out as a nobody in sleepy European ski towns. He knows he’s supposed to capitalize on his Olympic victory and train for the next Games. But, for reasons that are his own, his heart isn’t in it. When the sexy American girl prances into his bar and slaps a contract down next to his glass of scotch, he can’t believe she’s an agency rep. He hasn’t found a girl so interesting in months. When she dares him to take her out on the slopes, he can’t tell her no. When skiing turns into dinner—and more—he realizes he might be in bigger trouble than he thought.

With Natalie’s agency job on the line, and Charlie’s secrets holding him back, will they be able to let go of their fears and find hope—and happiness—together?

*May Contain Spoilers*

This second installment in the Sin City series, A Tycoon's Rush by Avery Laval, is a novella that cuts straight to the point of falling in love. Or becoming romantically entangled. Either way, this short and sweet shot of romance is incredibly enjoyable and offers up realistic characters while staying away from getting too deep. 

Natalie and Charlie are both interesting characters and Laval gives them a backstory that readers can connect with but doesn't overwhelm the easy nature of a contemporary romance novella. Natalie wants to be a photojournalist in the sports world and being an assistant at a sports agency based in Las Vegas, NV allows her to work, take classes, and get great shots. Charlie is a former Olympic gold medalist with a family issue that he thinks will be solved by staying off the podium and out of the limelight. When Natalie is sent to convince Charlie to come back to center stage, they immediately hit it off. I think readers will like Natalie's focus on her larger goals while maintaining a healthy interest in a career position that she's good at. I also liked her persistent attitude and fearlessness to try new things. In Charlie's character, I appreciated his desire to fix his familial issues, even though his plan was too indirect. Overall, I really liked his humor and his unique and fresh personality.

Readers who need a little break or a little excitement and enjoy romance novels, will certainly like A Tycoon's Rush. Though it was over before I really wanted it to be, the short and lighthearted read made me smile. And sometimes, that's all we need from a book. I would highly recommend this quaint story to readers who feel the same, are between longer reading projects or are just taking a few hours for themselves. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

While You Were Gone - Blog Tour

Synopsis:
Despite Karen Caughee’s intense focus on her music, her life is drifting out of its lane. Her alcoholic mother keeps calling from bars for early-morning rides, her boyfriend doesn’t think she gets him, and that Toronto Symphony Orchestra position she applied for ends up going to her friend, Amy. By chance, she meets American Greg Randolf just before she’s in a car accident. He pulls her from the wreckage, but after major surgery, her recovery is slow. Without her music, her life’s pursuit, Karen is pushed further adrift.

Greg stays by her side while she heals, and he sees her every time he’s in Toronto for work. Without any other support or friendship in her life, Karen craves his enthusiastic attention, and their friendship deepens to love. Though she’s fallen hard for him, he doesn’t share everything with her. In one heartrending moment, Karen’s life comes to a crossroads, and she must face the full truth about who Greg is, and about who she has become.



Review (Contains Spoilers):
While You Were Gone is a stand alone novella based on the characters from Thought I Knew You by Kate Moretti. However, this novella raised so many questions for me as a reader not familiar with the original story. The story reads more like a prequel than a stand alone companion novel. Though I do believe that it could have been stand alone if it were a bit longer and focused more on what happened to Karen after Greg.

Karen Caughee is the main character in this novella and the story is told from her point of view. Within the span of a single day, Karen loses nearly everything: her boyfriend, her job, and her mobility. Sympathetically, I felt an immediate connection to Karen. She was down on her luck and I thought that the journey of rebuilding her life was both entertaining and emotionally inspiring. I was definitely rooting for Karen as she searched for happiness. When Karen discovers that Greg has a wife and family in the United States, the happiness Karen found is shattered and she finds herself once again starting over. This is where I thought the depth of the novella would be. I wanted to see Karen overcome this second round of heartbreak. Instead, the novella jumped ahead two years. Is this break where the novel Thought I Knew You takes place? Then suddenly, Karen is engaged and has a son. I was totally thrown for a loop. I felt like I was given a raw deal. I enjoyed reading the first part and then when the situation thickens, I don't even get to experience it. This was quite a bit unsatisfying. Mainly because I did feel a connection to Karen as I'm sure other readers will.

The plot began well enough. Karen, a violinist, loses her boyfriend, fails her audition, and then is in an accident which leaves her immobile for weeks. Greg, a bystander who pulled her from a burning vehicle, takes care of Karen during which a relationship forms. Happiness ensues while Karen begins to rebuild her life. Then she discovers he's married. Soon after, the novella ends leaving so many unanswered questions. What happens after Greg awakens from a coma that Karen knew nothing about? Does he ever learn that he and Karen had a son? What does her new fiance, Cal, think about all of this? When did Karen and Cal fall in love? Is her mother still struggling with alcoholism or has she stayed sober? These seemingly never ending questions are the main reason I wonder if Moretti is going to use this as a prequel instead of it remaining a 'stand-alone' novella like she claims in the foreword. The connection readers feel to Karen will be an important foundation if there is another book focusing on this. And if that book is Thought I Knew You... well, then I would have to say that reading that book is a definite prerequisite for this novella.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Meet the Author:

Kate Moretti lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and a dog. She’s worked in the pharmaceutical industry for ten years as a scientist, and has been an avid fiction reader her entire life.

She enjoys traveling and cooking, although with two kids, a day job, and writing, she doesn’t get to do those things as much as she’d like.

Her lifelong dream is to buy an old house with a secret passageway.

Goodreads / KateMoretti.com / Twitter / Facebook

Parsen Holt - Slinger

A taut, gripping western filled with unexpected encounters, interesting characters and exciting adventure!
Join Parsen as he's forced to layover in a small town that he doesn't want to be in. And whose residents don't want him there either.
Will Parsen make it out of town alive?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Novella Parsen Holt - Slinger, by Robert Dellamano, puts a renowned gunslinger in a small town that is more dangerous than it seems. Stuck for a few days because of an ailing horse, Parsen Holt faces death more often than most men and must hold his own if he wants to survive. 

Parsen Holt is a seemingly good man. His background includes being a soldier in the Civil War, which demonstrates to readers his bravery, courage, and loyalty. Readers also learn that during the war, Holt killed fellow soldiers in order to save a young girl from being raped. His morals and strong sense of justice may have readers raising an eyebrow, but they will undoubtedly understand his actions. Holt is also a very unreactive man. He doesn't anger easily and tends to think things through, though he will definitely defend himself if need be.

The plot is simple. Holt is waiting on his horse to rest and heal in a western city that is known for both sides of main street. The good and the bad. Holt faces down multiple people in this novella, each with a different reason to kill him. Or try, rather. The writing style and character background is interesting and it makes me wish there was more to the story. I thought Holt's stay could have been extended a little longer so the plot could build to a more exciting climax. With a deeper background, I also feel I could have connected with Holt a little more. Though, I did like his smirk and vigilante style of justice. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Going Home

Orryn ran away from home as a young teenager. After years spent trying to forget, she is forced to face the memories she’s been hiding from.
Thea never understood why her sister left. Her childhood was happy and she lives her adult life surrounded by people she loves, but she never stopped wondering.
When the two sisters meet again, a struggle to mend the bond they once shared, and reconcile their differing memories of their childhood, begins.

In a world where blending in is valued above everything else, scars can be a dangerous thing to show. After years of drifting and hiding, Orryn returns to her homeland and must choose between baring her scars and losing her sister a second time.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Emma Lindhagen shares the first in a novella series with Going Home, a story about sisters reuniting in England. Though the novella focuses on Thea and Orryn's relationship, it also introduces the setting for the future novel. This is a world where magic is a tool that can be honed, but it is also considered a deviant act, those caught practicing are treated like criminals and Wardens are watching. 

Orryn and Thea are sisters who have lived in two separate countries for most of their lives. Orryn ran away, across the Atlantic, when she was a young teenager. Thea remained with her parents unsure of why her sister left, upset that Orryn had abandoned her. Now, years later, after both parents have passed away, Thea invites her older sister back and Orryn dares to accept. Orryn is a very secretive and afraid young woman. Readers don't get the whole story in this novella, but they learn a lot about her past that allows them to initiate an emotional connection with Orryn. Thea is a settled woman, living with her loving partner Kella in a commune of sorts. Thea still looks up to her big sister but wants to understand why she left. When the truth comes out, Thea struggles to believe it. 

Usually I feel like novella's lack enough back story to form strong connections with readers, but Going Home shatters that idea. The entire novella is an emotional experience between two sisters where their back stories are revealed. This first installment does it's job perfectly, connecting the readers with the characters. It piques the interest for the main plot line with the creepy Wardens and illegal magic. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and am looking forward to the next book. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

The Thursday Night Club

Five college friends, three men and two women, have been getting together every Thursday night to share humble meals and an abundance of laughter. But when tragedy takes one of them, leaving the others to question the fairness of life, the Thursday Night Club decides to embark on a contest in the memory of the generous spirit of their fallen brother. The objective of the contest is simple: whoever performs the kindest deed by Christmas night wins the pot – four quarters. And there are only two conditions: the benevolent deed must be anonymous, and it cannot cost a single penny to pull off.

As the four friends undertake the contest, the healing begins and they become inspired beyond their expectations. There might be a winner in this competition, but it is very clear there will be no losers.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Steven Manchester is an author with a sincere style that is epitomized in his new novella, The Thursday Night Club. The message is simple: help others as much as you can because wealth isn't measured monetarily. Four friends learn this when one of their own dies suddenly. The sorrow that follows revolves around the belief that he would have done great things with his life. He was such a giving soul who helped anyone in any way he could. As a tribute to their best friend, Ava, Kevin, Isabelle, and Randy make a bet that leads them to much more than the winnings. 

All four of these characters are likeable, kind, and thoughtful. Though readers don't learn much about their histories, their likes, or their dreams. The novella is focused on the good deeds that each character performs and readers are able to bond with them through their charitable nature. Ava volunteers with the elderly. This exemplifies that she's kind and grateful. Kevin starts a scholarship so that an inner-city kid can attend college. Kevin is paying it forward with his charity as he got into college through a scholarship. Isabelle starts an adult literacy program to get books in the hands of adults so they can learn to read or improve their skills. This shows that she believes knowledge and learning are important. Randy begins a student crime watch to help the understaffed campus police, demonstrating that he enjoys helping people and keeping them safe. 

So even though the book doesn't give in-depth character focus, readers will still draw conclusions about the four friends by what they do and what they achieve, therefore forming connections. The Thursday Night Club is a heart warming story about helping others, an action that is also its own reward. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Strong Enough to Love

Photographer Eve Hill was completely comfortable being single. Or at the very least, she was completely resigned to it. There was only one man who made every nerve in her body and brain light up when he walked into a room. But Brian Stewart had always been off limits. Hell, she'd never even kissed him!

For Brian, returning to Jackson Hole feels like coming home. But that has nothing to do with the town. It's Eve drawing him back. Eve and the chance to finally see if they have something or if it's all been in his imagination.

Eve doesn't think she can open her heart to Brian again after getting hurt so badly before, though her body still wants him. She offers Brian one night to fulfill their long-denied fantasies, and that's it. No love or promises, just a chance to get their attraction out of their systems. But can one night really be enough?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Victoria Dahl gives readers a steamy novella with Strong Enough to Love. The main character, Eve, remembers how much strength it took to simply survive when Brian left Jackson Hole. And now, it's time to try again. But how much more damage can her scarred heart take?

Eve is a very likeable character. Dahl keeps her simple and understanding. She's a woman who followed her dream of rekindling her photography career and owns her own studio, doing something that she loves and that she excels at. Readers will connect with her based on her emotions and the struggles in her relationship. She fell in love with a man who was unattainable. Eve was completely heartbroken and learned to move on. Now she has another chance and readers will relate with ease. 

The plot of the novella follows a perfect story arc. Eve's learning to open up when Brian suddenly returns to Jackson Hole. And trouble soon follows. Trouble with staying apart, that is. Strong Enough to Love is perfect for a quick, easy, romantic read that really delivers. Though, there are certain scenes that get pretty intense, excluding young readers from the desired audience. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

 

The Vampire Christopher

Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White. 

Snow White craves blood. Especially the blood of her Hunter. But will drinking from him save or enslave her?

*May Contain Spoilers*

The third novella in the Blood and Snow series, RaShelle Workman gives readers a more in-depth look at Christopher. He's the "drone" vampire who was assigned by the Vampire Queen to protect Snow until she is chosen/not chosen as the new body of the Vampire Queen. 

Readers learn that Chace Charming is in fact Christopher and that Snow couldn't stop herself from tasting his blood. Something she was told to try not to do. Now she is finding herself craving more of his blood and attention. She's unsure what his feelings are but hopes for the best. After all, it is his job to protect her. On that line of thinking, he must care a little. 

Snow is also shown how Christopher became a vampire and it touches her heart. When she brings back something special to him from the vision, he can't believe or understand it. We don't get to learn what the importance of the item is, but Workman definitely hints at it value. 

As the main character, and the heroine of this story, Snow is changing into a stronger, more agile, and more inquisitive version of herself. Which definitely makes me like her more. The falling for the "drone" vampire kind of irks me as a reader, cause I'm always rooting for the good guy (Gabriel!). Only speaking for myself here, but I didn't enjoy their lets-just-be-friends conversation. The teenage girl that still resides inside of me is excited about the next installment. The adult is shaking her head.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Dancing With the Duke

She's loved him for years...
Charlotte Grant can't remember a time when she didn't love her best friend's older brother.


He's never noticed her...
The Duke of Clarington hadn't spared a thought for his sister's friend in years.

Their situations are about to be reversed...
It is the beginning of a new Season and Clarington intends to stay away from all the young ladies and eager mamas hoping to ensnare a duke. But that plan falls into tatters when his mother sponsors his sister's friend and enlists him to dance with her at Almack's. The beautiful vixen he meets that night bears little resemblance to the shy, gangly girl who used to follow him around. Now, instead of avoiding Charlotte, he finds himself frustrated when she seems to notice everyone but him.

*May Contain Spoilers*

As a prequel novella to a series, Dancing With the Duke by Suzanna Medeiros sets the stage for future installments. Charlotte and Alex were childhood acquaintances and now that they're all grown up, Charlotte is determined to catch Alex as her husband. 

Charlotte and Alex are likeable enough for readers to complete the novella, but because of the short nature of the book, it's quite difficult to make any true connections. Charlotte, in her childhood, was a blushing, shy, gangly girl. Now she's grown into a beautiful young woman who has learned confidence and self-esteem. These traits are perfect for a foundation of character connection, but not enough to fully form a bond with readers. 

Readers don't learn much about Alex, except that he isn't ready to marry until he sets his eyes on Charlotte for the first time in seven years. He has high morals and loves his family. Again, two good traits to build a connection on. I truly think that this prequel deserves novel-length and more character evolution. Medeiros has set up a wonderful romance but doesn't deliver the satisfying story evolution that she could have. 

Rating: 2/5 Cups

And the Soft Wind Blows

Timmy Enosh is a peculiar, small man: fivethree, onehundredandfifteen pounds, and is a pharmacist in Ashton City, Tennessee.


He finds himself at fortythreeyearsold as his life starts to fall apart: his threehundred pound wife disappears, his romantic interest has lost interest and has gained hatred toward him, his coworkers harass him, customers verbally assault him, and he has the strange urge to adopt his foulmouthed, eighteenyearold coworker, Alex.

When things start to pile up, Timmy must find a way to deal: he turns to Alex to supply him with marijuana, starts sewing an elaborate Mr. Mistoffelees costume, finds solace in the wild, etc., etc., etc.

And the soft, constant wind of change blows him on, on, and on.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Lance Umenhofer shares a character study in his novella, And the Soft Wind Blows. The main character, Timmy, is a middle aged man whose wife is nothing to be proud of and his life is, to say the least, not a full one. He lacks the love that we all desire, the pride that we all strive for, and the strength to reach for more. 

The entire novella covers a very small section of Timmy's life. The reader gets an in-depth glance at a man who settled for a woman who doesn't love him and a job that doesn't make him happy or proud. As the life he tiptoes around crumbles, Timmy succumbs to nothingness, choosing to erase his entire life and pharmaceutically invent another one. Readers will be able to connect with Timmy based on his hope that someday he may achieve what he dreams of. But by that same token, I think readers will wonder if Timmy's choices actually align with those dreams, or if he takes the easy way out of a difficult situation. 

It asks the question: how easy or difficult would it be for the average person, whom I think Umenhofer based Timmy on, to mentally re-create the life they've always wanted. If you could take a pill that would let you forget your life and replace it with one you've made up, would you do it? I think the spur of the moment answer would be yes, but in all reality could you so easily give up what you've spent your entire life building? 

And the Soft Wind Blows is a study of the character that lives inside of everyone. The character that bargains for more. The character that we all can connect with and never understand.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

And the Soft Wind Blows

Johnny and the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin

Johnny Meryevan has been left in his elderly grandfather's household in Victorian London. To terrify the little boy into quiet behavior, his grandfather warns Johnny about the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin. His plan backfires. Johnny sets out to defeat these terrifying monsters, and the teddy bears are only too pleased to take up the challenge.

The results? A comic romp through the serious business of childhood: governesses, cakes, cabs, toast, tea, goldfish, nutcrackers, attics, bordellos, bears and temptations abounding.

The definitive update of medieval morality verse.

*May Contain Spoilers*

A poetic novella that teaches the pitfalls of the seven deadly sins, Johnny and the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin, by James Venn, gives child-like (and adult understanding) situational examples of unvirtuous behavior. Written completely in rhyme, the book seems to be aimed at middle aged children as a tool for teaching children about different types of sins and how to overcome them.

Johnny is the main character who begins an adventure to defeat the seven teddy bears of sin that his grandfather tells him about. As he faces greed, lust, gluttony, envy, sloth, wrath, and pride readers will see his  courageous behavior and imaginative nature. I think the middle aged youth will be able to connect with Johnny based on how he wishes to escape from his grandfather, he isn't considered to be mature enough to understand certain things, and he still has childlike tendencies in a world where children grow up so fast. 

The story line is told in a very linear way. Johnny faces each of the teddy bears in turn, defeating them but still making mistakes along the way. The idea that mistakes won't stop you from living virtuously is a great lesson for everyone. It also includes four attributes that help overcome negative temptations: mercy, judgement, truthful, and peaceful. Overall, the rhyming scheme coupled with the positive message make this poetic novella a good book to put on the TBR of the younger generation, with adult consideration, of course. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Johnny and the Seven Teddy Bears of Sin

Sleeping Handsome

Paige should have never agreed to do her best friend’s semester English project. Community service sucks. Especially when you have a major social life. But it’s that or possible expulsion from school. Reading to a boy in a coma is just plain creepy, but her English teacher somehow thinks her acting skills make it the perfect community service match.

But when she finds the boy’s journal hidden among his books, things turn from creepy to interesting. Very interesting. The boy who looked like death slowly comes alive as she reads his own words to him. And each day Paige is wishing more and more he would wake up. 

*May Contain Spoilers*

Jean Haus brings a twist to the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, with her modern day version, Sleeping Handsome. As a lover of fairy tales, I've had this novella on my TBR list for quite sometime and finally found a couple of hours to read it. 

The novella focuses on Paige, a teenager, queen bee, wanna-be actress who only acts full of herself so she can remain in the popular crowd. When she is required to do community service, she meets Zack. Zack is a fellow teenager who had an "accident" and is now in a coma. 

At the beginning of the story, I highly disliked Paige. But as the novella continues, readers learn why she acts like a snotty b****, for lack of a more appropriate term. She wants to become an actress, so she decides that she can claim stake in the popular crowd as she works on her acting skills. But after meeting Zack, she starts to realize that you can't live your life for other people. 

I loved the plot of this novel because it focused on Zack's journal, which Paige finds on his book shelf disguised as Frankenstein. The journal and how Paige reacts to it brings the reader into the lives of both teenagers. 

The only dislike I have about the novella is that it is a novella. The scenes of the story are mainly set in Zack's bedroom. When Paige tells Zack about what's going on in her life, I wanted to read that too! Not just hear her tell Zack her side of what happened. Plus, the scenes that Zack's journal describes, I mean come on! Can we please do flashbacks? 

This short book is an enchanting, mysterious read with great character development. But I wanted more! I'll have to look into the various novel length pieces that Jean Haus has written. I'm convinced that I'd love them. 

Rating: 3/5 cups

Sleeping Handsome