Blog Tour + Book Playlist + Giveaway: Even In Darkness by Cyndi Tefft

   

Between

It just figures that the love of Lindsey Water’s life isn’t alive at all, but the grim reaper, complete with a dimpled smile and Scottish accent. 

After transporting souls to heaven for the last 300 years, Aiden MacRae has all but given up on finding the one whose love will redeem him and allow him entry through the pearly gates. 

Torn between her growing attraction to Aiden and heaven’s siren song, Lindsey must learn the hard way whether love really can transcend all boundaries.

Hell Transporter

Aiden MacRae has been given a new life after being stuck transporting souls to heaven for the last three hundred years. He doesn’t know the culture, the times or the slang, but there is one thing he does know: he didn’t come forward alone. 

The master of hell has other plans for the Scottish Highlander and has sent a transporter of his own to get the deed done. Will Lindsey be able to save him or get caught in the crossfire?

Even In Darkness

I thought it was over, that all our troubles were behind us.

We had a fairytale castle wedding surrounded by family and friends. Aiden wore a dress kilt, looking so handsome it made my heart squeeze, and I floated on air in a white version of the ball gown he’d cast for me in Versailles. Flower girl, ring bearer, Scottish ceilidh afterward—check, check, and check. It was perfect.

We were supposed to live happily ever after.

But that was before I walked in to find another woman in his bed, a demon with blood red eyes who’d disguised herself as me in order to get what she wanted most: a child from a heaven transporter.

And it was in that moment—watching my entire world crumble to the ground—that I knew.

This was not over. Not by a long shot.

I am so absolutely thrilled to be a part of the blog tour celebrating the third installment in Cyndi Tefft’s Between series, Even In Darkness. Cyndi was one of the first authors to ever contact me to read her book. I fell in love with Between way back in the early days of blogging and have been swooning over Aiden MacRae ever since (you can read my review here). Even though I have not been able to read the remanding books in her series, I instantly hopped on board this blog tour because it just sounded like so much fun! As part of the blog tour, I asked Cyndi to create a book playlist. She came up with such an awesome selection of songs that follow Aiden and Lindsey’s story. We so hope you guys enjoy and also, don’t forget to check out all of the fun and exciting info below!

BOOK PLAYLIST:

 

GIVEAWAYS AND AWESOME CONTESTS:

So there are a few awesome things I want to bring to your guys’ attention!

The first is this super fun and super creative way to earn some money (first place is $30, second place is $20, and third place is $10!) From now until August 3rd you can create a book trailer for Even in Darkness, create a new, original book cover for the first title in the series, Between, or write a fan fiction piece using the characters from the Between series. To be eligible to win, participants must have a Twitter account. Writing and artwork submissions are to be sent to: aidensangels@yahoo.com. Contestants may submit entries in all three categories. The winning submissions will be announced Saturday 8/10 at cynditefft.com.

The second awesome event I want to call to your attention is the photo contest that Cyndi is hosting on Twitter! The event is called “Where in the World is Aiden MacRae?” Readers will be invited to send a photo of one of the books in the series taken from any and all locales and interesting settings. Ereader pics work as well as physical book pics. Creativity is what Cyndi will be looking for, and each picture sent to @cynditefft will receive a Kashkey in the amount of 25 cents. There’s a limit of one photo per participant, per day.

And now, the best part, there is an awesome giveaway that you can enter! The winner will get an e-copy of any of the books in the Between series! All you have to do is follow this link and fill out the Rafflecopter form!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cyndi Tefft lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest where the weather is overcast and rainy, much like the Highlands of Scotland. So she was right at home when she got the chance to visit Eilean Donan Castle.

A self-proclaimed Scot freak, she loved every bit about the trip to Scotland: the people, the kilts, the accents, the fish & chips, the haggis…well okay, not the haggis.

Blog: www.cynditefft.com

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/CyndiTefft

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorCyndiTefft

Twitter: www.twitter.com/cynditefft

tumblr: www.tumblr.com/cynditefft

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/cynditefft/videos?view_as=public

Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/cynditefft/

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR:

7/28: Violet Hour Book Reviews www.violethourbr.com

7/28: Better Read Than Dead www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/

7/28: Refreshingly Riki http://missriki.com

7/29: Aiden’s Angels fan site http://aidensangels.blogspot.com

7/29: What the Cat Read http://whatthecatread.wordpress.com

7/29: Confessions of a Book Addict http://www.bookaddictsblog.blogspot.com/

7/30: Jamie Canosa http://jamiecanosa.blogspot.com/

7/30: Tales of Books and Bands http://talesofbooksandbands.com

7/30: Pinky Pollock www.pinkypollock.blogspot.com

7/31: Just a Booklover http://justabooklover.blogspot.com

7/31: Molly Ringle http://lemonlye.livejournal.com

7/31: Book Groupies http://bookgroupies2.blogspot.com/

8/1: I’d So Rather Be Reading www.idsoratherbereading.com

8/1: Writer of Wrongs http://madamewriterofwrongs.blogspot.com

8/1: Mermaid with a Book http://mermaidwithabook.blogspot.com/

8/2: Reading Angel http://www.readingangel.com

8/2: Paperback Cowgirl http://paperbackcowgirl.blogspot.com

8/2: Carrie Secor http://carriesecor.com

8/3: Read Between the Lines www.rbtlreviews.com

8/3: A Rebel’s Journey http://arebelsjourney.blogspot.ca

8/3: Color me GREYsessed! http://colormegreysessed.wordpress.com

8/3: Ink-Stained Life http://nmscuri.blogspot.com

WHERE TO FIND THE BOOKS:

Goodreads

Between: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11152377-between

Hell Transporter: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12934676-hell-transporter

Even In Darkness: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17234633-even-in-darkness

Amazon (US)

Between: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XZUMBA

Hell Transporter: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KUXJ4M

Even In Darkness: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C4IHK1S

Barnes & Noble

Between: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/between-cyndi-tefft/1100076523?ean=9781460937105

Hell Transporter: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hell-transporter-cyndi-tefft/1109590728?ean=9781470166281

Even In Darkness: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/even-in-darkness-cyndi-tefft/1114972005?ean=2940016427614

Tune In Tuesday (115)

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! This feature was originally created by Ginger over at GReads! but you can now find it here at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. If you would like to participate in this weekly feature, make a blog post showcasing a song (or a few!) and link up at the bottom of this post by clicking the cute blue guy! While you’re here make sure to check out all the other awesome blogs that have decided to participate!

I am so sorry this Tune In Tuesday post is coming at you late. We have had sucktastic internet access (i.e. absolutely none) for the past couple of days. I just got it working again this morning, thank goodness! And since I’ve had no internet, I have not had time to make up a graphic for August’s special theme. With that in mind, I am going to be moving the special theme to the month of September. It’ll be fun though, I promise!

And now onto the music for today! Since I have not been able to spend my extra time online this week, I spent it cleaning the basement. When I clean, there is ALWAYS music. One of my favorite music stations on the TV is the Alt  Nation Sirius channel. I have been listening to that channel for as long as I can remember. This past week I found a few songs on that channel that I just loved. Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate by The 1975

Wake Me Up by Avicii

Dreaming by Smallpools

Wild by Royal Teeth

Blog Tour + Book Playlist + Giveaway: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

Title: The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1)

Author: Laura Howard

Pages: 197 e-book

Publisher: Amazon

Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

I am so excited to be part of this blog tour! I have been so excited for this book ever since I was part of the blog tour for the cover reveal of the book. In celebration of the blog tour, I have asked Laura to give us a playlist of her book. Below you will find a Spotify playlist of AWESOME music that Laura picked just for The Forgotten Ones. If you’ve read the books, can you pick out where the songs fit in. Or if you haven’t’ read the book, aren’t you so excited to do so now? Take a listen to the awesome playlist below and let us know what you think!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/LauraHoward78

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LauraHoward78

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6653788.Laura_Howard

Website: http://www.laurahoward78.blogspot.com/

PURCHASE THE BOOK:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

GIVEAWAY:

If you would like a chance to win a $15 Amazon gift card, fill out this form here!

Tune In Tuesday (114)

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! This feature was originally created by Ginger over at GReads! but you can now find it here at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. If you would like to participate in this weekly feature, make a blog post showcasing a song (or a few!) and link up at the bottom of this post by clicking the cute blue guy! While you’re here make sure to check out all the other awesome blogs that have decided to participate!

Hey there everyone! I hope your Tuesday is off to an amazing start! Last week I posted songs by a few of the bands/artists that I saw this last weekend. The first annual Faster Horses Festival turned out to be all sorts of awesome! It was held at the Mid-Michigan Speedway as well as surrounding campgrounds. It was three days of camping, awesome music, and lots of fun. But holy freaking crap, it was exhausting! Just when I thought I would have today to recover, I was invited last-minute to yet another concert. Tonight I am going to be seeing Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company. Can I just say how excited I am for this? I mean, a nap sounds rather nice right about now, but I will gladly hold off on my sleep for this concert. In honor of the show tonight, I am going to post a few of my favorite songs! Hope you enjoy and have an awesome Tuesday!

Can’t Get Enough by Bad Company

Simple Man by Bad Company

Southern Ways by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Tune In Tuesday (113)

 Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! This feature was originally created by Ginger over at GReads! but you can now find it here at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. If you would like to participate in this weekly feature, make a blog post showcasing a song (or a few!) and link up at the bottom of this post by clicking the cute blue guy! While you’re here make sure to check out all the other awesome blogs that have decided to participate!

Hey there everyone and welcome back to Tune In Tuesday! First off, let me just apologize for being so behind on commenting on your guys’ Tune In Tuesday posts! I know I am a few weeks behind but just so you know, I totally intend on changing that as soon as I get home from work tonight!

For today’s post, I am going to share quite a few artists that I am seeing later this week! Starting on the 18th and continuing through the 21st, Kati (my best friend!) and I will be going to concerts non-stop. The 18th is a Gavin DeGraw/Train/The Script concert. We are so freaking excited to see all three but I am especially excited for Gavin DeGraw considering I have been in love with him and his music since I was a wee little girl (okay, more like 12 or 13 but still, that is a LONG time!). The 19th through the 21st, we are going to what is called The Faster Horses Festival which takes place here in Michigan. This festival is three days of non-stop country music. We will be camping out on the site and then going to the concerts during the day. Even though I am missing Warped Tour for this event (my first time missing it in 7 years!), I am incredibly excited for this festival. It’s going to be all sorts of fun!

I selected a few songs from the many acts we will be seeing later on in the week. I hope you guys enjoy!

Meet Virgina by Train

This songs for you Ginger!

Every Mile A Memory by Dierks Bentley

Love this song…and him!

Buzzkill by Luke Bryan

My brother told his girlfriend that this was his song to her. She did not appreciate this at all but I found it hilarious!

Big Green Tractor by Jason Aldean

I should not find this song as sweet as I do but alas…

If I Didn’t Have You by Thompson Square

I love this group! They have some pretty amazing songs!

Here’s To The Good Times by Florida Georgia Line

This group has quickly become a favorite of mine! Their songs are all so catchy!

It Goes Like This by Thomas Rhett

LOVE this song so freaking much! Also, how adorable is he?!?

Jennifer Echols Week + Book Review + Giveaway: Dirty Little Secret

The end of Jennifer Echols Week is upon us. It makes me oh so sad that it coming to a close but I just wanted to thank you all so much for participating! I have had so much fun celebrating this wonderful woman’s work and I so hope you guys enjoyed it as well! So what was your favorite part of the weeks? I especially loved the Boys of Jennifer Echols post because of all of the swoon. I mean, how could that not be my favorite part!?! Since today is the book birthday for Dirty Little Secret, I have decided to celebrate with one last review! Be sure to check out what I think about that book below BUT also be sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post! Again, one last thank you for making Jennifer Echols Week an enjoyable one for me; you guys are full of awesome!

RECAP OF #JenniferEcholsWeek:

Tuesday July 9th: Kick-off Post + Tune In Tuesday Jennifer Echols Edition

Check out what songs I picked for each of Jennifer’s books!

Wednesday July 10th: Cover Talk

I had a blast talking about ALL of Jennifer’s covers!

Thursday July 11th: Review of Such A Rush

Good God. This book was freaking amazing!

Friday July 12th: Jennifer’s types of books: Romantic Comedies, Romantic Dramas, Adult, New Adult

I had a blast talking about my favorites from each category!

Saturday July 13^th: Review of Star Crossed

J. Echols does an adult book. Heck to the yes!

Sunday July 14th: It’s Raining Book Boyfriends, Hallelujah!

One of my favorite things in a Jennifer Echols book: a swoon-worthy boy!

Monday July 15th: Girl Power!

Jennifer has some kick-ass girls in her books too. Check out which ones are my favorite!

Tuesday July 16th: Recap of week + Review of Dirty Little Secret + Giveaway

Jennifer Echols Week comes to an end *cries*

Title: Dirty Little Secret

Author: Jennifer Echols

Pages: 288 Hardcover

Publisher: MTV Books

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

I was absolutely thrilled to find out that Jennifer Echols was going to have a countrified book. I grew up on country music and even now, I love listening to it because it takes me back to when I was a little girl. When it came to the country theme in Dirty Little Secret, Jennifer Echols did not disappoint!

Bailey, while not my favorite of Jennifer Echols’ characters, was still enjoyable. She is having a hard time as of late. Formally part of a Bluegrass Duo with her sister, Bailey is struggling to accept that her sister got picked up by a record company and she did not. On top of this, she is also dealing with the fact that her family doesn’t seem to accept or support her anymore. My heart hurt for her because this is like sibling rivalry times 100. I had hard times in life when I felt my other siblings were being favorited so I could only imagine just what Bailey was going through. On top of feeling like a secluded black sheep, Bailey is also told she cannot perform otherwise her parents will not be paying for her college. This is like a triple slap to the face. But considering that Bailey has and currently is going through a bit of a rebel phase, she performs anyways. Playing fiddle for tribute bands at the mall leads Bailey to Sam and this is where her troubles really begin.

Sam, also not my favorite of Jennifer’s normally swoon-worthy guys, was still an interesting character to read about. He is working so hard to get his band on the map. Every move he makes has some ulterior motive in helping the band to get recognized. Though his drive to succeed musically was inspirational, I did not agree with how he played, deceived, and manipulated people to get there. The only problem with this is that Sam made it awfully hard to get mad at him. Despite the lying and the manipulating, I never once felt that Sam meant it in a malicious way. When he wasn’t lying or trying to convince Bailey to go along with his plan, Sam seemed really sweet and adorable. His intentions always seemed (mostly) sincere, he really just wanted to get noticed. Even though I spent a majority of the book at least trying to dislike Sam, he did have a few moments that totally melted my heart.

Bailey and Sam were such an interesting couple. There is an obvious attraction right from the beginning. Bailey, despite how moody she is and how much she turns down Sam’s offer for her to join his band, actually seems really taken with Sam. She envies his passion for succeeding in the music industry and silently wishes she had the ability to chase her dreams like he does. And Sam, despite how equally moody he can be and the fact that every other sentence out of his mouth has some sort of unintentional dirty innuendo behind it, really loves spending time with Bailey. He sees how talented she is and works so hard to make her see that she needs to fight for what she wants and what she should want is a career in music. On the outside, it really seems like these two shouldn’t be together especially when you consider how Sam is pushing to be a successful musician while Bailey is trying to hide the fact that she is performing again. Even though there are some very obvious problems with this relationship, you just can’t deny what the heart wants. There were some pretty awesome moments that made me smile and swoon. Sam had moments where his sincerity and shyness made me say aww and then when Bailey softened up around him and let down that tough girl persona, I was so happy. BUT I just wish there was a bit more something, that usual spark I feel when I read a Jennifer Echols romance. I felt like that even though there was a connection between Bailey and Sam, there could have been a few less moments of arguing and a few more moments of smooching (or something equally swoony).

My absolutely FAVORITE part of this book was the country element. No matter what I read by Jennifer Echols, I always feel like I am transported to wherever the book is taking place. She has such an incredible talent for setting the stage for a story and that was most certainly the case for this book. I felt like I was smack-dab in the middle of Tennessee. It made me wish I could walk through the mall to see a Dolly Parton or Johnny Cash tribute band. It made me want to walk down the streets, passing through the bars to hear all of the up and coming country acts. And I wanted to walk down the sidewalks and see musicians busking, giving it their all in a free performance. Everything from the fiddle that Bailey plays to the countrified versions of Justin Timberlake songs that Sam’s band played, made me feel like I was really in this book.

Dirty Little Secrets has a little bit of everything that I come to love and expect from a Jennifer Echols book. There was a main character struggling to find a place. There was a boy who helps her out and also adds a little bit of swoon. But more than anything, there was a setting that transported you to the middle of Tennessee and made you feel like you were experiencing every wonderful, hard, exhilarating, and self-discovering moment with Bailey & Sam!

ADD YOUR #JenniferEcholsWeek LINK:

GIVEAWAY TIME:

In celebration of the release of Dirty Little Secret and the completion of Jennifer Echols Week, I am hosting a giveaway! The winner of this giveaway will have their choice between two different prizes: 3 Jennifer Echols books of your choice (if the winner selected is from outside of the U.S., their books will be in e-book form. If it’s a U.S. winner, they will have their choice.) OR, if like me you are sort of a huge Jennifer Echols fan-girl/fan-guy and happen to own her books already, you will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card! All you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Don’t forget, if you participated in Jennifer Echols Week, you get 2 extra points for each day that you participated! Best of luck to all of you!

Click here to enter the giveaway!

Jennifer Echols Week: Girl Power!

Sadly, we are almost to the end of Jennifer Echols Week but I have had a blast and I hope you all have as well. Be sure to stop by the blog tomorrow for my final post and a big giveaway!

For today, I was a bit undecided on what I wanted to do. It wasn’t until yesterday’s Boys of Jennifer Echols post that I decided her girls needed some major love too. Jennifer’s boys are complex, hot, and swoon-worthy. They give us (or at lest me) something to hope for in a future boyfriend. However, it is her girls that give me someone to look up too. Like the boys, these girls are often complex. Many of them face a wide range of issues like memory loss, parental problems, grief issues, etc. They generally start off as misunderstood, moody, girls with giant chips on their shoulders but by the end of the book, there is so much personal growth by both digging deep within themselves and also with the help of their swoon-worthy guys. Here’s a look at a few of my favorite Jennifer Echols girls!

Zoey from Forget You

Zoey is one of those characters who you sort of love in the beginning but she also drives you freaking crazy. She is dealing with A LOT but instead of acting like a normal person and freaking out, she stays eerily calm and acts like everything is fine. Her mom just attempted suicide, she just had sex for the first time, her supposed boyfriend is acting like a loser, her supposed enemy is acting like a boyfriend, her dad is acting like a complete ass, and she cannot remember a chunk of her life surrounding a car accident. I say this is all freak out-worthy shizz but Zoey seems to be in denial. I just wanted to smack her and say “Act rational and by act rational I mean freak out a little. Stand up for yourself. Stop saying you are Branden’s girlfriend because he is an absolute douche. Stop pretending to have feelings for Brandon because of the aforementioned reason. Look at Doug because he is da bomb. Kiss Doug and do other saucy things with Doug because of the aforementioned reason AND the fact that he is hot, cares for you, and makes me drool a little.” Even though these thoughts raced through my head for about 90% of the novel, the other 10% of the time, Zoey kicked ass. She finally got with the program, saw things for the way they were, and went after Doug. She totally and completely redeemed herself for me by the end of this book.

Lori from Endless Summer

Lori was such a fun, enjoyable character to read about. Unlike some of Jennifer’s other characters, she was totally loveable from the very beginning. Sure she did show some growth among the pages of Endless Summer but it was more that I’m-a-teen-turning-into-a-young-adult type of growth. According to my review of this book back 2011 Lori is “funny, honest, blunt, spontaneous, determined, confidant, and just an all-around great girl. She isn’t perfect (well of course no one is), she makes mistakes (big ones), tells a few little lies (ok so maybe there are some big ones too), and is wrong about quite a few things, but in all honesty, there is some personality trait of hers that every teenage girl out there possesses and can relate to.” I think what I really loved most about Lori was that even though her and I were different in many ways, I also felt like we were so much alike in other ways.

Leah from Such A Rush

Leah was an incredible character. She stood out to me for many reasons but I especially appreciated how hard of a worker she was. Her life is so difficult and I wanted so bad to just snap my fingers and make everything easier for her but that is unfortunately not how this world works. She works hard to make a different life for herself, to get out of her trailer park, to follow her dream of flying. Even though she has hard edges and can be a bit hard to get along with at time, it is the time she spends with Grayson (the boy of awesome from Such A Rush) that she truly blossoms. I love how she opens up and learns to be a true friend and how to accept the love from those that care about her.

Wendy from Star Crossed

Wendy was such a fun character! She was more complex than what meets the eye. Still struggling with a past relationship, fighting to keep her job, spending time with her rival a.k.a. Daniel, the man with one facial expression, being attacked, getting her hair chopped off by some random creeper are some of the many things that are making life hard for Wendy at the moment. Despite having every reason to freak-the-eff-out, Wendy keeps up her calm facade only letting the crazy shine through very rarely. It is this trait that shows me just how tough she is. I love that through the story she shows strength but also an incredible sense of humor. Wendy was hilarious whether she was meaning to be or not.

Meg from Going Too Far

Meg is and always will be one of my favorite characters. She has an obvious attitude problem from the beginning. She tries to act tough and like she doesn’t care about anyone but we slowly learn that isn’t the truth. Underneath it all she is just this scared, hurt girl who doesn’t know how to deal. In the beginning she pushes people away for fear that they will get too close but spending time with the dreamy, moody, and sort of grumpy Officer After changes all of that. She opens up, she admits her fears, she learns to deal, she lets someone help her out, she learns how to truly be there for someone and what it feels like to love and care for someone. The transformation that Meg undergoes from the beginning all the way to the end is so incredibly memorable.

So there you have my favorite girls from Jennifer Echols books. They are all incredible for very different reasons but I love them all the same. Who is your favorite Jennifer Echols girl?

ADD YOUR #JenniferEcholsWeek LINK:

Jennifer Echols Week: It’s Raining Book Boyfriends, Hallelujah!

Today is the day I have been SO excited for ALL WEEK LONG! I love reviewing Jennifer’s books, talking about the covers was loads of fun, and I had a blast discussing her different types of books. Even though these past few days have all been full of awesome, they just don’t compare to what is about to go down here. But please be warned, there is going to be lots of swooning, fan-girling, and it is also quite possible drooling may be involved. You may be asking yourself, just what is worthy of all of these things. To that I say, BOOK BOYFRIENDS. Hurray!!!!

I have decided to pick a few of my VERY FAVORITE Jennifer Echols boyfriends to share with you today. You guys better be thankful because it took me forever and a day to find a picture to go along with each book. I don’t think you even realize how hard it was to sort through Google images with keywords like “Hot guy in cowboy hat” or “hot cop.” Truly a hardship. Anyways, be sure to check out which boys I picked below and let me know who your favorite Jennifer Echols boy is in the comments section!

Adam from Endless Summer

Adam started off in the friend zone which made me seriously question just how he could possibly turn into a character worthy of a book boyfriend title. However, it took a matter of two chapters to change my mind. With his light blue eyes, long-ish brown hair, tan skin, skull pendant necklace, and lots of awesome-y muscles from water sports, he is the epitome of what I’d want to see in a neighbor every day of my life. But of course Jennifer doesn’t just create a guy who stands there and looks pretty. Adam is sweet, funny, the boy next door, and he doesn’t mind fighting for Lori’s love. He sometimes struggles with his ADHD and it doesn’t take much for him to get into trouble with the adults, and like Lori, his plans often go astray but it is these characteristics that make him seem even more real to me.

Officer After from Going Too Far

John a.k.a. Officer After is a bit of a sour puss…but a very hot sour puss. He is far too serious all of the time and his dedication to his job is admirable (but borderline crazy but the type of borderline crazy that is totally okay because he is a man in uniform!). He likes to play by the rules and he doesn’t like to be tested by anyone. All of these personality traits mask the hurt, broken boy underneath. My heart hurt for John and the pain he was struggling with throughout the whole story. Despite all of hurt he is dealing with, Officer After is a sweetheart when it comes down to it. Even though I love John After by himself, it is the version of him when he is around Meg that is my favorite. There is just something about a boy trying to resist the attraction he obviously has for someone.

Grayson from Such A Rush

Manipulative, controlling, and broken. These are the first three words that come to mind when I think of Grayson. Well I guess I take that back. The real first words I think of are hot, complicated, aviators-cowboy hat-airplanes-Leah (<< I choose to count this last collection as one word!). He doesn’t start off as the most likable person but it doesn’t take long to see that he is still grieving from the deaths of his brother and his dad. To help deal with the grief, Grayson immerses himself in taking care of the family business. What I love about Grayson is that he had this bad boy past in which he got into trouble, was carefree, and didn’t have a care in the world. As life throws its punches, Grayson is still a bad boy in the sense that he is quiet, intense,and moody but this time around he is responsible and careful. Moody Grayson, happy Grayson, Grayson on the mend, Grayson when he’s stressed, and Grayson when he is in love; I don’t care how I get him, all I know is Grayson is swoon-worthy all of the time.

Daniel from Star Crossed

Daniel, Daniel, Daniel. This man is dreamy, well once you get past the tough exterior. He has money and a job that puts him in the midst of the crazy lives of famous people, he can come across as grim when he is ecstatic and in pain when he is actually having fun. He is serious 99.9% of the time and can’t remember the last time he felt like himself. When Wendy enters his life, he begins feeling things he hasn’t felt in a while. I loved watching this man who seemed so entirely unaffected, cold, and collected in the beginning, transform into this guy who was completely shaken by just one girl.

Doug from Forget You

Oh Doug, one of my favorite out of ALL of Jennifer Echol’s books. He gives off the ultimate bad boy vibe especially considering he had a quick stint in juvie a few years prior. When Zoey looses her entire memory leading up to and following the event, it is up to Doug to help her out. I loved that he was so hot and cold. One minute he is giving Zoey the smolder and the next thing you know, a snarky comment is coming out of his mouth. Despite all of the attitude he gives off, Doug does his best to be there for Zoey when no one else is. I adore the fact that he has such strong feelings for her and he tries to keep them at bay until he’s sure that she feels the same way. Also, let me just say, there are some oh so hot moments featuring Doug. They are by far some of my favorite scenes in all of Jennifer’s books!

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Jennifer Echols Week + Book Review: Star Crossed

We have made it to day 5 of Jennifer Echols Week! I am having a blast with this and I hope you guys are too! I will be sharing a review for one of Jennifer’s Adult Romantic Comedies today. If you have a Jennifer Echols post to share, be sure to add it on the linky tool down below and if you happen to post it to Twitter, tag it with #JenniferEcholsWeek!

Title: Star Crossed (Stargazer #1)

Author: Jennifer Echols

Pages: 384 paperback

Publisher: Pocket Books

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Wendy Mann loves her job rescuing celebrities from public relations scrapes. She grew up with nothing, and now she’s drawn to glitz, glamour, and a lighthearted lifestyle. She speaks her mind, so she’s just the tough cookie to tell stars the truth about how other people see them, even when they don’t want to hear it. But after six years at the top of her game, Wendy crosses the line. A star she was sent to save rebels against her and nearly gets her fired. To salvage her job, she must rehabilitate the career of a singing starlet with a penchant for posting inappropriate photos of herself and arguing online with her famous ex. Problem is, the ex is represented by Wendy’s arch nemesis from college, the hot and haughty Daniel Blackstone. And both stars are scheduled for a collision course on national television, broadcast live from Las Vegas.

Daniel’s uneasy when he hears Wendy Mann from his firm’s most hated competitor has been brought in to revive the career of his client’s ex-girlfriend. Daniel must win at any cost. And if he has to seduce Wendy to smooth the way to their partnership, he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the cause. But Daniel doesn’t count on the scorching heat between them—and when they get to Vegas, all bets are off.

I have fallen in love with yet another Jennifer Echols book, as if I should be surprised. Jennifer has managed to weave together a story full of some pretty magnificent things like two incredible main characters, a romance that was both sweet and scorching, and a story that kept my attention from beginning to end.

Wendy and Daniel were exactly what I like to see in characters! Wendy is this feisty, hilarious, sarcastic, and successful woman desperately trying to save her job. She sometimes (okay…most of the time) lets her mouth get her in trouble and she is a tough cookie to deal with. It is because of this that her job is on the line. Even though she has this tough, down-to-business exterior, Wendy has this fun, not-quite-sweet-but-certainly-loveable side to her too. She has this amazing sense of humor that had me cracking up page after page. However, Wendy doesn’t always crack a joke just to see a smile on someone’s face; she sometimes uses her humor to mask the hurt she still carries from her past.

Totally unlike Wendy in almost every way, Daniel is calm, cool, and collected. He has this confidence to him and his unflappable appearance make him seem almost cold as does his never-changing facial expressions. He doesn’t like to be frazzled or out of control because of his rough past, one of the few things he does have in common with Wendy. He uses that control to hide the pain he’s really feeling. But underneath it all, the coldness and the pain, Daniel is this funny, caring, and sometimes even sweet guy just waiting to burst free.

Even though these two characters couldn’t be more different, they do share an attraction to one another that had me fanning myself off because it was just oh so hot! Wendy and Daniel are two people who don’t really like one another and they also happen to work for rival firms. They should be staying as far away from each other as possible but that would be no fun now wouldn’t it? When they are forced to work together instead of against one another, the tension (the “I sort of want to slam my head against the wall when you are near” kind and the “I can’t stop looking at you, being near you, thinking of you” kind) escalates until the pages are practically burning up with it. Daniel and Wendy both try to act like the things they are feeling for one another are purely physical but as the story goes on and their relationship evolves, we find that couldn’t be further from the truth. I loved seeing how these two characters changed over time because of the time they spend together. Wendy learns to let her fears and insecurities of her past go. It isn’t easy learning to trust again but with Daniel, she slowly learns how. Daniel, for the first time in a long time, begins to loosen up. He doesn’t like feeling out of control but that’s exactly how Wendy makes him feel and he finds out that doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

As Wendy and Daniel tackle their tough jobs, stars who are acting bonkers, and Las Vegas, things start happening that are a little out of the ordinary. Well more out of the ordinary than usual. I really liked that Jennifer included this sense of mystery into the story. The romance and tension between the characters were awesome but this was a key element to keep the plot and storyline progressing. The funny moments mixed with the creepy moments really reminded me of Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells Series which you know, is really cool because I love that series!

I was absolutely thrilled when I learned that Jennifer Echols would be writing and Adult series. I didn’t know what to expect but I should have known that awesome characters, a quirky and hilarious sense of humor, a romance that sizzled and gave me all sorts of butterflies, and story that had me flying through the pages would be included because with Jennifer freaking Echols, could you expect anything else?

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Jennifer Echols Week: Jennifer Goes Young Adult, New Adult, & Adult!

Hey there lovely bookish people and welcome to Day #4 of Jennifer Echols Week! For those of you who haven’t heard, Jennifer Echols Week is an event I created to help celebrate one of my favorite authors EVER! Please feel free to join in at any time throughout the week by coming up with a Jennifer Echols related blog post and coming back here to link up!

For today’s post, I am going to be discussing the many different types of books that Jennifer Echols writes! She has a few Young Adult Romantic Comedies, a few Young Adult Romantic Dramas, a New Adult Paranormal, and now Adult Romantic Comedies. Just when I thought I had found just what type of writing I liked best from her, Jennifer managed to introduce me to something new, making me fall in love with her writing even more!

Young Adult Romantic Comedies:

     

Jennifer has an awesome sense of humor. This is evident in most of her books (even the dramas have a few precious moments that make me chuckle!) but it is her Y.A. romantic comedies that steal the show. They have those moments of simple, quietly hilarious humor that kind of sneaks up and bites you in the butt. These stories are charming and sweet. The romance in them is also incredible! Her Y.A. novels portray those epic high school romances that get your heart pumping and the swoon well, swooning. I also feel that it is important to mention that even though these novels are generally light-hearted and fun, Jennifer is also very sneaky at incorporating some of the heavier stuff without it seeming like a sad book.

Young Adult Romantic Dramas:

       

Jennifer’s Y.A. Romantic Dramas are the ones that have stolen my heart completely. They make you experience all of the feelings. There are moments of heartbreak, anger, frustration, there are moments you will sort of really want to punch the main character, moments you will sort of really want the main character to punch the love interest, but then Jennifer switches everything up on you. She makes sure you experience the moments of chemistry and budding love, the moments when a character transforms from the person they start the novel out as into someone similar but changed for the better, and then there are the moments that feature Hunter, Doug, Officer After, Grayson, and Sam. The boys of her Romantic Dramas make me blush, give me butterflies, have my heart beating a mile a minute, and they also sort of give me crazy expectations for the boyfriend I hope to snag one day. I love these books because Jennifer has the tension, the romance, the plot, the setting, the leading ladies and the boys that steal their hearts all down to a science

New Adult Paranormal:

I have not had the chance to read this yet but I am literally shaking with excitement. First off, I am a huge fan-girl of New Adult. I am a “new adult” so it’s like I’ve found my place in the bookish world. The people in NA books are my age, they are experiencing things I would be experiencing if I wasn’t at home with my cat all of the time. Then there is the fact that this book is a paranormal book. I mean when I think of Jennifer Echols, I initially think of her as Queen Of All Things Contemporary. But then I think, “You know what, Jennifer Echols would be a kick-ass writer no matter what she is writing.” I am so excited to see how this type of story compares to all of her other stories because it is so different!

Adult Romantic Comedies:

 

I just finished my first Jennifer Echols Adult Romantic Comedy a few hours ago and holy wow! It was so funny. Just when things got a little intense something would happen that would have me totally cracking up. I don’t know if this is going to be an element in all of her Adult Romantic Comedies (at least the ones in this series) but there was also a sense of mystery which I totally loved! It was very reminiscent of Meg Cabot’s Heather Wells series (which I totally freaking loved!). And let’s not forget the romance. It was sizzling. There was tension. There were sexy times that were well, sexy. There was a heart throb doubling as the love interest. There were two people that were so different yet alike in many different ways. I found myself rooting for both characters and then grinning like a fool when they were finally together.

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A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

So I was a total lame-o and forgot I had the Twitter party scheduled for last night. You can blame it on the brilliance that is Jennifer Echols because I was so caught up in one of her books that I forgot I even had the party planned. So here’s the thing, I am going to try and do it again tonight at 8 p.m. ET. Be sure to use the hashtag #JenniferEcholsWeek to connect with fellow “party attendees” as we talk about all things Jennifer Echols. I hope you are all having as much fun with this week as I am and I cannot wait to see you at the party!