Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles

Title:  Nocturne

Author: Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles

My Rating: 4 Stars

Purchase: Amazon Kindle   B&N Nook   Kobo

Synopsis:

From the bestselling authors of In The Stillness and The Last Hour, a new story of forbidden love and second chances.

Savannah Marshall is a gifted flutist and daughter of musical royalty when she enrolls in the elite New England Conservatory of Music. Brilliant, eclectic and passionate, she lives music, but struggles with her plans for the future.

Gregory Fitzgerald is one of the most renowned cellists of his generation. A member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and professor at the Conservatory, he is laser focused on his career to the exclusion of friends, family and especially romance.

When Gregory and Savannah's paths cross in the classroom, it threatens to challenge more than their wildly differing beliefs on music. Friendships, ethics, and careers are put on the line as Gregory and Savannah play a symphony of passion and heartbreak.

In the final movement, Gregory and Savannah are handed their greatest challenge, as the loss of absolutely everything they've held as truths hangs in the balance.

My thoughts:

I am a simple person.  I lead a simple life in a mid-sized Midwestern town.  I've never been to the opera or to a symphony or any classical arts performance for that matter.  However, after just finishing reading Nocturne by Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles, I feel like I have just been on tour with The Big Five.

Nocturne is elegantly and beautifully written.  The novel clearly illustrates that the authors were well educated in the subject of symphony orchestras.  Either that, or they easily fooled me with big words like Rachmaninoff, arpeggios, and diminuendos.  (Thank you Kindle for your built-in dictionary.) And after I got over the deer-in-the-headlights look of a very unfamiliar subject to me, I was easily wrapped up in the story.

"I don't have time for this is not something you say to the love of your life."

Told from the dual viewpoint of the two main characters, Savannah and Gregory, Nocturne is a complex story of a taboo situation that pushes the boundaries of ethics.  While I can't agree with the choices that were made by the characters, the story was written in a way that I was able to understand why they made the choices they did.

I've read novels individually written by both Ms. Randall and Mr. Sheehan-Miles and they were both wonderful.  However, together they they have found a way to meld their voices into one incredibly written book.  The seamless way the book flowed together would not leave you guessing that the book was written by dual authors had you not seen their names on the cover.  

Nocturne is a book of forbidden love, heartbreak, bad decisions, emotions, and music.  Although I probably glossed over some of the more 'technical' music parts, it is a very satisfying and entertaining read. It is a standalone book with a happily-ever-after and I would recommend this book whether you are a fan of the classical arts or not.

*******************************************************************************

As part of the blog tour, you are invited to enter the giveaway for a $100 Amazon gift card and ebook copies of books written by both Andrea Randall and Charles Sheehan-Miles.  Your entry can be completed in the Rafflecopter below.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Title:  Losing Hope

Author: Colleen Hoover

My Rating: 4 Stars

Purchase: Amazon Kindle

Synopsis: In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

My thoughts:

Before I say anything about this book, I want to preface by saying THIS IS HOPELESS FROM HOLDER'S POINT OF VIEW. I have seen too many reviews complaining about this so in case you don't follow Colleen on any social networking sites or have been living under a rock, please realize this before reading it.

Now, just because this was Hopeless from Holder's POV, did not at all take away from the fact that Colleen is a brilliant writer and able to tell you the same story, from a different POV and make it almost seem like you were reading it for the first time. I have always wanted to have book amnesia and read some of my favorite books for the first time over again and I can honestly say that this is as close as I have gotten so far.

There were new details, new characters and new plot lines that you were not introduced to in Hopeless. And there was a whole new set of feelings while reading it. For me, it was almost as emotional as the first book and while I "lived" Dean Holder in the first book, I "LOVED" him in this book. But as with any rewrite, and as brilliant as even Colleen is, you just can't erase from my memory what happened in Hopeless so I don't feel that this book affected me as much.

To summarize my feelings...I loved Dean Holder...I loved hearing Les's story...I loved Daniel...I love LOSING HOPE...and I love Colleen. And although this book is not necessary to read if you've already read Hopeless because it was such a wonderful story with it's own HEA, I truly do recommend it as a way to fill in some of the pieces that you didn't know were even missing.

Read More

Uncharted: An On The Island Novella

Title:  Uncharted: An On The Island Novella

Author: Tracey Garvis Graves

My Rating: 4 Stars

Purchase: Amazon Kindle

Synopsis: Tracey Garvis Graves - and Anna and T.J. - return in this companion novella to the New York Times bestseller On the Island

When twenty-three-year-old dot-com millionaire Owen Sparks walked away from his charmed life, he had one goal in mind: get as far away as possible from the people who resented his success, or had their hand out for a piece of it. A remote uncharted island halfway around the world seemed like a perfectly logical place to get away from it all.

Calia Reed wasn't part of Owen's plans. The beautiful British girl - on holiday in the Maldives with her brother, James - made Owen wonder if getting away from it all might be a lot more enjoyable with a carefree girl who didn't know anything about the life he left behind.

But Owen had no idea how much his carefully detailed plans would go awry. Nor did he realize that a decision he made would have such a catastrophic effect on two passengers who boarded a plane in Chicago.

And when Owen shows up at Anna and T.J.'s door with an incredible story to tell, everyone involved will learn just how much their lives are intertwined.

My thoughts:

Uncharted is a Novella that takes place years AFTER On the Island and should be read only after you have already enjoyed OTI.

I LOVED On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves.  I was really excited to get to read this novella and get the true story behind 'Bones.'  In all honesty, it wasn't what I expected though, which necessarily isn't a bad thing. I really expected this to be a depressing story...I mean...Bones was obviously dead, the outcome couldn't have been good.

Instead it ended up being a sweet love story with it's own HEA. I also really like getting a glimpse into what life is like for Anna and TJ.

I think the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars was that I didn't feel as connected to the characters in this story as I did in On The Island. Aside from that, this held the same beautiful writing as from Tracey as On The Island did and I cannot wait to read more from her.

Read More

Blog tour stop: Running on Empty by L.B. Simmons

Title:  Running on Empty

Author: L.B. Simmons

My Rating: 4 Stars

Purchase: Amazon Kindle 

Synopsis: I had the perfect life.

Beautiful and loving husband.Three gorgeous little girls.
Successful career.

The only thing missing was the white picket fence. I really wanted that fence.

Three years ago, I lost that life. I lost my husband. And I lost myself. But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness. I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world. I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse.

But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle.

There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down. Absolutely no way.

The question is…

How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up.

My thoughts:

First of all, I have to say that I am fairly certain that the author was hiding in a corner of my house somewhere when she wrote a good portion of this book.  I swear I lived through parts of it...all you would have to do is change her three daughters to three sons. I was able to connect with the book on so many levels and the book was a good change of pace from what I had been reading.  If it weren't for a few small things, this book would have been 5 stars for me.

Alex is a strong single mother of 3 that has been through a tragedy that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.  This tragedy has left her a shell.  Devoting all her time and energy to her children and not thinking of or spending any time for her. 

Blake is a good looking former classmate and used-to-be best friend of Alex's.  A chance encounter on the highway brings him back into Alex's life. Blake proves to be amazing but there was something about him that just wasn't completely believable to me.  Possibly it was his willingness to drop everything to help out a girl that dumped his friendship long ago.  I would have thought there would have been a bit of resentment in there.

I also found the book lacking on the steam level.  That is probably just a personal preference but I just kept waiting for things to steam up and was a little disappointed they didn't.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable book.  Solid character develpment, lots of tear-inducing emotion, great supporting characters, and a nice HEA. I would recommend this book for lovers of chick lit and those looking for a book that will both make them laugh and cry.

In honor of the blog tour, Running on Empty is on sale for the month of February for only $1.99!  Pick up your copy today!

Stop by the following other blogs during the Running on Empty blog tour.

FEBRUARY 1: Natasha is a Book Junkie

FEBRUARY 2: My Secret Romance Book Reviews

FEBRUARY 3:  The Phantom Paragrapher

FEBRUARY 4: Sugar and Spice Book Reviews

FEBRUARY 5: Shh, Moms Reading

FEBRUARY 6: Enchanting Havoc

FEBRUARY 7: Little Pink Cupcakes

FEBRUARY 8: Three Chicks and Their Books

FEBRUARY 9: Devoured Words

FEBRUARY 10: Candy Coated Book Blog

FEBRUARY 11: First Class Books

FEBRUARY 12: Flirty and Dirty Book Blog

FEBRUARY 13: Have Book Will Read

FEBRUARY 14: Into The Night Reviews

FEBRUARY 15: Whirlwindbooks

FEBRUARY 16: Book Crush

FEBRUARY 17: The Book Whisperer

FEBRUARY 18: Buried in Books

FEBRUARY 19: Novel Girl

FEBRUARY 20: The Indie Bookshelf

FEBRUARY 22: Angie’s Dreamy Reads

FEBRUARY 23: Becca the Bibliophile

FEBRUARY 24: Sweet and Sassy Reviewz

FEBRUARY 25: Novel Seduction

FEBRUARY 26: Megan’s book blog

FEBRUARY 28: Book Bitches Blog

 

Read More

Just Remember to Breathe by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Title:  Just Remember to Breathe

Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles

My Rating: 4 Stars

Purchase: Amazon Kindle 

Synopsis: Alex Thompson’s life is following the script. A pre-law student at Columbia University, she’s focused on her grades, her life and her future. The last thing she needs is to reconnect with the boy who broke her heart.

Dylan Paris comes home from Afghanistan severely injured and knows that the one thing he cannot do is drag Alex into the mess he’s made of his life.

When Dylan and Alex are assigned to the same work study program and are forced to work side by side, they have to make new ground rules to keep from killing each other.

Only problem is, they keep breaking the rules.

The first rule is to never, ever talk about how they fell in love.

My thoughts:

I'm going to be honest. I didn't want to read this book. I saw the word "Afghanistan" and decided it wasn't for me. I'm not into war books, war details, ANYTHING to do with war. I'm not heartless, It just doesn't interest me in the slightest. So I wrote it off despite all my book friends raving about it. Then I was asked to review it for my blog. This is where my inability to say no got me in trouble. I pushed it off until the very last moment and now here I am kicking myself for it.

This book is NOT about war. Don't let my opening to this review lead you to believe that. And I knew from reading the synopsis that it wasn't. It was the fact that I knew there would be stuff from war in it that kept me from reading it.

What is this book about?

Young love
Heartache
Second Chances
PTSD
Failure
Overcoming obstacles

It's about real life and Mr. Sheehan-Miles did a wonderful job of creating an emotional, heart-wrenching story that sucked me in with the first sentence.

And the war stuff? It's there. But it's there in a capacity that it didn't turn me off. It is only a portion of the story and it was explained and described in layman's terms so a complete war idiot like myself could understand and sympathize.

So I apologize to Charles for jumping to conclusions and I thank him for writing such a wonderful story. I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future.

Read More