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Book Review: Speakeasy by Sarina Bowen | Blog Tour

Jun 1, 2018

Speakeasy by Sarian Bowen

Pages: 452
Publish date: May 29, 2018
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
ASIN: B07CHZGT6C
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Sometimes you fall for Mr. Right. And sometimes for Mr. Right Now…
May
Did you hear the one about the girl who walks into a bar and catches her live-in lover kissing someone else? No? You’re the only one in town who missed it.
Luckily Alec is there to wrap me up in strong arms and carry me out the door before things get too ugly. And that’s not all Alec is good at. Our unexpected chemistry makes him the perfect rebound guy.

Alec
I should know better than to hook up with my rival’s little sister, but the fiery look in May’s eyes really turns my crank. She needs cheering up, and I’m just the guy for the job.It’s not like I’ll fall in love. Not even after a string of scorching hot trysts, and the realization that we’re good at the same things: wild nights and familial disappointment. I don’t do love, never have, never will. So this is the perfect arrangement, for both of us.
Nobody would approve, but nobody has to know…

Speakeasy:

I received an e-arc of Speakeasy by Sarina Bowne in exchange for an honest review. This has no influence my thoughts and feelings on the book.

If you know me for a while, you know I love Sarina Bowen, I’ve read all but 1 of her books now and I just love reading them. The romance just hits me in the right places and the ‘Truth North’ series has to be one of my favourite romance series I’ve read. So when I heard about Speakeasy and it was going to be about May, hell I was excited.

Speakeasy follows May as she tries to get a grip on life. After she finds out that her girlfriend is cheating on her, she thinks everything is over. And lucky Alec is there to save her before things get messy. Alec doesn’t want anything to do with the Shipley family, however when he sees May is trouble he can’t help but intervene. But for a man that doesn’t do love, it’s new territory when he starts to spend more time with May and things might just change.

May has been one of my favourite characters in the ‘True North’ series and while I loved seeing her from other character’s point of view, it was really nice getting inside of her head and really understanding her. May has been through a lot, losing her father, falling for her best friend, realising she is an alcoholic and coming to terms with and coming out as Bi. We see all that through the rest of the series, but here in Speakeasy we see her fall and come back together. The reader is able to see how she really is going with everything. How in reality she is breaking inside and needs to let it all out.

May is an interesting character and you can see throughout the novel. The reader can see that she hasn’t really gotten over everything that has happened in her life. But the reader is able to slowly she comes out of her shell. And while she is sometimes the life of the party, she gets to find herself in this book.

Alec, ah what can I say about him. We have met him briefly before Speakeasy, we haven’t really got to meet him. And like May it was really interesting to see him as the protagonist rather than someone on the side. Alec is grumpy and very closed off. He doesn’t really believe in love and relationships and you can see that throughout the novel. He holds this wall around him that he doesn’t want anyone to break through. Nevertheless, the reader is able to see throughout Speakeasy that these walls start to crumble. At first, Alec doesn’t know what to do, but something or someone grabs hold.

I really enjoyed Alec and May together and while they may not be my favourite couple in the series, I liked reading their story. May and Alec are two very different people, but they seem to come together in Speakeasy and really find one another. Alec has trouble really getting to know May, because of her last name and while that was super annoying. May has a lot of trouble trusting the right people, but Alec changes things and that was great to see. They do go through their rough patches – I am not lying there and hell both of them were frustrating at times, however, I did like how it all came together.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Speakeasy by Sarina Bowen. And while it wasn’t my favourite in the series, it still has a special place for me. May and Alec were adorable and I loved seeing them break down each other’s walls. Things got a little crazy at times, but it’s a romance novel, so why not. Speakeasy explores the notion of what it is to be family, how someone can change your life forever and letting go is sometimes the best thing to do.

Excerpt: Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield | Blog Tour

May 28, 2018

Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield

Pages: 352
Publish date: February 19, 2018
Publisher: –
ASIN: B079DX1TXX
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Twenty-year-old Emily Winslowe has had an adventurous upbringing. Daughter of a Himalayan mountain guide, she has climbed Mount Everest and other peaks most Americans only dream of. But for all her mountaineering prowess, she’s lacking some key experiences. Namely, guys. Especially one guy in particular—Luke, her childhood best friend who she hasn’t seen since he left for college in the United States two years ago.

Luke unexpectedly reappears as a guide just in time for the Everest climbing season. He’s even more handsome than she remembers, and that something that had been building between them during their last season together is back in front of them, bigger than ever.

The problem is, there’s a detail about Emily’s past that Luke doesn’t know. It’s the reason she ended up in the Himalayas in the first place…and the reason she must make it to the summit of Mount Everest this year. It’s also the reason she would never consider following him back to Washington after the climbing season ends.

But first, they’ll have to survive the mountain.

Leaving Everest:

Today I have the chance to share an excerpt from Leaving Everest by Megan Westfield. This book has really intrigued me and I cannot wait to pick it up and give it a go.

Luke’s face was serious as his dark brown eyes analyzed me from beneath the shadow of his hat.

My mind struggled to catch up. I couldn’t believe it was really Luke standing right there in this doorway as I’d seen him so, so many times before. He’d always been confident, but the way he stood now, even straighter and more self-assured, made him look five years older instead of the two years older he actually was.

His name—Luke for Luke Skywalker—was something his father had called him and everyone kept up after his father’s death on Cho Oyu during an expedition with my dad. With his huge dimples and smile, he’d always been hopelessly adorable in the same way as his namesake.

But now, this guy in the door…cute and adorable were out the window. His thermal pullover jacket molded to his profile, revealing the defined bulk of his upper arms and torso before tapering to a waist that was solid but as narrow as my own. He was all Hemsworth-brothers Hollywood action hero, right down to his piercing eyes, strong jaw, and rich tone of his skin.

Mingma jumped up, scolding Luke for sneaking up on us like that. Without breaking eye contact with me, a teasing, satisfied grin broke out across his face. I whipped back to center, focusing forcefully on the teapot in the middle of the table. My cheeks burned. That was some stunt he’d just pulled with the Circ.

Why hadn’t someone warned me he was in Tengboche? Or perhaps someone had: Mingma in her rapid-fire Sherpa when we’d first arrived. A good lesson in why you should never fakae-understand a foreign language.

Dad went over to Luke, shaking hands and hug-slapping him heartily. Now it was just me left at the table. Well, me and Pasang, who was watching me with furrowed brows, probably wondering why I wasn’t joining everyone at the door. I quickly collected myself, but still, my head spun and my pulse raced as I walked slowly toward Luke.

About the Author

Megan Westfield has dabbled in many hobbies and pastimes through the years, including an array of outdoor adventure sports. Eventually, she discovered the only way to do it all was though writing—her first and strongest passion. Megan grew up in Washington state, attended college in Oregon, and lived in Virginia, California, and Rhode Island during her five years as a navy officer. She is now a permanent resident of San Diego where she and her husband count family beach time with their two young kids as an adventure sport.

Book Review: Marked by Drew Elyse | Blog Tour

May 21, 2018

Marked by Drew Elyse

Pages: 263
Publish date: May 15, 2018
Publisher: –
ASIN: B07D3HW6R4
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Amazon CA

“MOVING ON” IS JUST ABOUT ACTING THE PART.

I would never say as much to the people I love, but it’s the truth. They want to see me doing better. They want to see me living for more than just my son. So I let them. Every day is about putting on a face, pretending to get over the loss of my husband. And every day is a lie.

UNTIL MOVING ON IS A TEMPTATION THAT CAN’T BE DENIED.

I’m not about to claim I’m a genius unless we’re talking with a tattoo gun or woman in my hands, but I’m smart enough to know the beauty serving up my cupcake fix is off limits. Really, I know. Too bad the lure of putting a real smile on Kate’s face is so strong. When she visits Sailor’s Grave Tattoo Parlor, I can’t help but want to leave my mark.

Marked:

I received Marked by Drew Elyse for review from Inkslinger PR as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I really didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Marked, I hadn’t even heard about it until I read the synopsis and I was totally intrigued. A tattoo artist falls for a single mother. Did I tell you there is also a motorcycle club involved? I didn’t know there was a whole series before this one, but I never felt out of place or lost, this was Kate’s and Liam’s story.

Marked follows Kate as she tries to move past the death of her husband and father of her child. It’s been a couple of years since her husband’s death, but Kate still doesn’t know what to do with her life. She knows that she has to move on, but she doesn’t know how. She is swept up in the grief and trying to raise her son that it’s taking a toll. Liam has liked Kate for some time, he goes to work to see her and is swept up in her beauty. But he knows that she is not ready, that she needs time. But when Kate goes into his tattoo parlour for a piece, well he doesn’t just want to leave a mark on her skin.

I really enjoyed Kate as a character. She’s full of grief but strives to be the best mother that she can be. She is struggling but trying to push through her life. I loved her voice and I enjoyed that it was raw and very real. The reader is able to see that is trying to find a place in the world without her husband, even though it’s been a couple of years. And when she gets to know Liam, sparks fly.

Liam was beautiful. He was caring and just warmed my heart, plus he is a tattoo artist. Liam has been through his own bout of grief and really understands Kate. He sees that she is struggling and just wants to help. Liam understands that he can’t be with Kate at first, so he just wants to be her friend. I really enjoyed that aspect of him.

One of the things that I really loved about Marked was how Liam and Kate connected, it was so clever. Getting a tattoo isn’t something that is comfortable. You are in pain, you are sitting/laying for a long time, and there is someone sticking a needle into your sick for hours on end. It’s an intimate moment and I loved how Drew Elyse explores that in the book. Also, I really wish I could see the tattoo. I enjoyed that they use this tattoo as a connection to one another and the start of their friendship.

Another thing that is done so well is Liam’s relationship with Kate’s son. This little boy has just his father and still doesn’t understand what is really going on. But Liam takes him under his wing and gosh it was great to see. I loved that Liam shared his love for drawing and the arts with him. And broke the stereotype that boys can’t like art.

Marked explores what it means to be family and gosh it was done so beautifully. Kate has such a supportive family with her brother-in-law and his wife, plus the motorcycle club and it was done so great. The reader is able to see how scared Kate is about moving on, but they are there for her and gosh it melted my heart. Now Liam’s family, oh lord they were amazing. His mum is so caring and just adds something really nice. Plus his brother – the way that Liam talks about him again melts my heart.

Overall, Marked by Drew Elyse is a very emotional read. It explores grief, family and moving on. It’s about finding yourself when you thought you lost everything. Kate and Liam were so great together. I loved that their relationship started off slow and move into something more. It was great seeing such supportive families and friendship circles around them both. I cannot wait to read more in this series. If you are looking for a beautiful read that will both melt and tear out your heart, then Marked is for you.

Drew Elyse spends her days trying to convince the world that she is, in fact, a
Disney Princess, and her nights writing tear-jerking and sexy romance novels.
When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found analyzing every line of a book,
binge watching shows on Netflix, doing strange vocal warm-ups before singing in
a variety of musical styles, or screaming at the TV during Chicago Blackhawks
games.

A graduate of Loyola University Chicago, she still lives outside Chicago, IL,
where she was born and raised, with her boyfriend and her fur babies Lola and
Duncan.