Book Review - Wearing the Greek Millionaire's Ring by Jennifer Faye + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Two years after her husband's death, Stasia Marinakos is trying to learn to enjoy life again. She decides to take an extended vacation for her birthday on a Mediterranean cruise. She crosses path her childhood friend, Roberto Carrass. Stasia is excited for the familiar face until she is mistaken for his fiancée. Roberto and Stasia agree to continue the charade to stop his family matchmaking. However, they both feel their attraction growing but, what will happen to their budding romance when the vacation ends?

The novel was a quick and light-hearted beach read. Personally, while I understand that Roberto and Stasia knew each other, I felt like they fell in love rather quickly. I felt that there was a lot of back and forth between each of the characters because they couldn't be honest about how they felt with each but, wanted honesty in return. Overall, it was an enjoyable book for a quiet afternoon.

  **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Wearing the Greek Millionaire's Ring

(Greek Island Brides #3)

By Jennifer Faye

Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages

September 1st 2019 by Harlequin Romance

A convenient engagement…

An inconvenient attraction!

In this Greek Island Brides story, widow Stasia Marinakos is learning to enjoy life again aboard a Mediterranean cruise. Her chemistry with gorgeous Greek tycoon Roberto Carrass is a pleasant surprise—until she’s mistaken for his fiancée! Nevertheless, the guarded bachelor asks Stasia to continue the charade to stop his family from matchmaking. As their attraction grows, their fake romance feels ever more real…but what will happen when the vacation ends?

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Freebie

Go to Jennifer's Contact Page HERE and order your bookmark(s)!

The Greek Island Brides Series

Finding love that lasts to infinity!

All marriages that take place on renowned wedding destination Infinity Island are guaranteed to last forever!

And the picturesque Greek island is about to weave its magic for friends Lea, Popi and Stasia. They dream of finding their own happy-ever-afters... And they’re about to meet three billionaires who will sweep them off their feet—and down the aisle!

About the Author

Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming contemporary romances with rugged cowboys, sexy billionaires and enchanting royalty. Internationally published with books translated into nine languages. She is a two-time winner of the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, the CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous other awards.

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Tour Schedule

Tour Giveaway

- 1 winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a signed print copy of Wearing the Greek Millionaire's Ring (print if US, ebook if international)

- 1 winner will receive signed print copies of the entire Greek Island Brides series (US only)

- 1 winner will receive a signed print copy of  Wearing the Greek Millionaire's Ring (US only)

- Ends September 12, 2019

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Book Review - Tidelands (Fairmile #1) by Philippa Gregory

Photo Credit - Amazon

 In 1648 in England, there is a civil war between the king and his people. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even the remote tidelands. Alinor is a  poverty-stricken midwife and a healer. However, people around her believe she practices magic. They believe she is friends with faeries. 

On one Midsummer's Eve, Alinor decides to walk among the graveyard under a full moon to look for her abusive husband's ghost. Instead, she crosses path with James, who is on the run and looking for refuge. Alinor decides to help James but, little does she know that she is leading her heart into danger.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked up this novel. However, I do know that the novel had an interesting premise but, it was unnecessarily long and boring. I felt like maybe 200 pages of the novel was just fluff. The last few pages are when the story finally progresses but, I felt it was more of a cliffhanger for a second novel. Overall, the novel had a good plot but, it was too much fluff to be enjoyable.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Rules For Vanishing Rules For Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Photo Source - Amazon

Once a year, a magical road appears in the middle of the forest. Near the end of the road, the ghost of Lucy Gallow is waiting for new travelers. The game isn't for the faint of heart as losing can cost you everything. 

One year ago, Sara's sister, Becca disappeared. Sara knows that Becca went to find the ghost of Lucy Gallows. However, Becca is trapped on the road and unable to return to back to Briar Glen. Nobody believes that the tale of Lucy is real. However, Sara knows it's real and she is going to prove it.

Sara gathers her friends in the woods to search for Becca when the road appears in front of them. All they have to do is walk down the path. However, they soon learn that the path is filled with mysterious things and many of them are not from this world. They learn that following the path means following its rules and there will fatal consequences for anyone who breaks them. Will Sara be able to pay the toll necessary to find her sister?

The novel was an interesting and engrossing read. I like included "transcripts" of text messages and voicemails. However, I did find portions of the book confusing and the ending left me with a lot of questions. I am hoping that there is a sequel or this is made into a movie because it was a really interesting story!

  **Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Color Me In by Natasha Diaz + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots especially growing up in an affluent neighborhood of New York. Until her parents split up and her mother relocates to her family's home in Harlem. For the first time, Nevaeh is forced to confront her identity.

Neveah tries to get to know her extended family, but her cousin Jordan is annoyed that Nevaeh passes as a white woman. Jordan feels that Nevaeh is privileged, selfish, and pampered to able to relate to the struggles African American people face on a daily basis.  Nevaeh's dad tries to blend the two families by insisting she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of her sweet sixteen. Nevaeh is convinced this will cause her to be more of a social outcast than she already is. Unsure how to proceed with the chaos in her life, Nevaeh chooses to stay silent. However, after a series of events, Neveah realizes she can no longer stay silent and let her life pass her by.

I thought the novel was an interesting read especially since the author took inspiration from her own life and weaved it into the story. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the poetry but, that's more of a personal choice. Overall, I felt that the novel was interesting and thought-provoking read.

  **Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

 

About the Book:

Title: COLOR ME IN

Author: Natasha Diaz

Pub. Date: August 20, 2019

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

Debut YA author Natasha Diaz pulls from her personal experience to inform this powerful coming-of-age novel about the meaning of friendship, the joyful beginnings of romance, and the racism and religious intolerance that can both strain a family to the breaking point and strengthen its bonds.

Who is Nevaeh Levitz?

Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, sixteen-year-old Nevaeh Levitz never thought much about her biracial roots. When her Black mom and Jewish dad split up, she relocates to her mom's family home in Harlem and is forced to confront her identity for the first time.

Nevaeh wants to get to know her extended family, but one of her cousins can't stand that Nevaeh, who inadvertently passes as white, is too privileged, pampered, and selfish to relate to the injustices they face on a daily basis as African Americans. In the midst of attempting to blend their families, Nevaeh's dad decides that she should have a belated bat mitzvah instead of a sweet sixteen, which guarantees social humiliation at her posh private school. Even with the push and pull of her two cultures, Nevaeh does what she's always done when life gets complicated: she stays silent.

It's only when Nevaeh stumbles upon a secret from her mom's past, finds herself falling in love, and sees firsthand the prejudice her family faces that she begins to realize she has a voice. And she has choices. Will she continue to let circumstances dictate her path? Or will she find power in herself and decide once and for all who and where she is meant to be?

About Natasha:

Natasha Díaz is a born and raised New Yorker, currently residing in Brooklyn, NY with her tall husband. She spends most of her days writing with no pants on and alternating between E.R. and Grey’s Anatomy binges. Formerly a reality TV producer, Natasha is both an author and screenwriter. Her scripts have placed as a quarterfinalist in the Austin Film Festival and a finalist for both the NALIP Diverse Women in Media Fellowship and the Sundance Episodic Story Lab. Her essays can be found in The Establishment and Huffington Post. Raised by a first generation half-Liberian/half-Brazilian mother and a Jewish-American father, Natasha writes stories about people who don’t fit into the boxes society imposes, and instead, create their own as they search for their places in the world. Her first novel, Color Me In, will be published by Delacorte Press/Random House August, 20 2019.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of COLOR ME IN, US Only.

Rafflecopter link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2958/?

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/1/2019- Kait Plus Books- Excerpt

8/2/2019- Utopia State of Mind- Review

Week Two:

8/5/2019- Lifestyle of Me- Review

8/6/2019- Country Road Reviews- Review

8/7/2019- Mythical Books- Excerpt

8/8/2019- BookHounds YA- Review

8/9/2019- Books and Ladders- Review

Week 3:

8/12/2019- Wonder Struck- Review

8/13/2019- dwantstoread- Review

8/14/2019- My Creatively Random Life- Excerpt

8/15/2019- Confessions of a YA Reader- Excerpt

8/16/2019- Jena Brown Writes- Review

Week 4:

8/19/2019- We Live and Breathe Books- Review

8/20/2019- Eli to the nth- Excerpt

8/21/2019- A Gingerly Review- Review

8/22/2019- Novel Novice- Excerpt

8/23/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt

Week 5:

8/26/2019- Lisa Loves Literature- Review

8/27/2019- Book-Keeping- Review

8/28/2019- PopTheButterfly Reads- Review

8/29/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

8/30/2019- Two points of interest- Review

Book Spotlight - As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl

Photo Credit - Amazon

In one impulsive moment the summer before they leave for college, overachievers Scarlett and David plunge into an irresistible swirl of romance, particle physics, and questionable decisions.

Scarlett and David have known each other all their lives in small-town Graceville, Colorado, where David is just another mountain in the background, until, one day, he is suddenly so much more than part of the landscape. Magnetic, spontaneous, David is a gravitational force. And Scarlett, pragmatic, wry, eye on the future, welcomes the whirlwind he brings even as she resists it.

Moving between the present and the past, this is the story of a seemingly grounded girl who's pulled into a lightning-strike romance with an electric-charged boy, and the enormity of the aftermath. Smart, bold, and unconventionally romantic, Shana Youngdahl's debut explores grief, guilt, and reconciling who you think you need to be with the person you've been all along. It's an aching, transporting reminder that between the past that shapes us and the unknowable future, we have only the present to forgive ourselves and forge ahead.

  **Disclosure - I received a free  copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

 

Book Review - The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman

Photo Credit - Amazon

Three people have their faith interlocked with each other during a winter storm. Alice is a victim of domestic abuse and flees from her current relationship. She is desperate to protect ten years old, Oren. He is an avid Star Wars fan and is seemingly wise beyond his years. He bonds instantly with Mattie, a social worker in her fifties. She lives in a huge run-down house in the middle of nowhere.  Mattie takes in the duo for the night as she has plenty of room. However, she doesn't mention that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died over thirty years ago at the tender age of ten. As the storm progresses and traps them indoors, Mattie will soon to learn, she isn't the only one keeping secrets. And some secrets can't stay buried forever.

I thought the novel was an interesting read with a few unexpected twists in the end.  I was surprised that the novel had a few supernatural twists. I usually don't mind books that include supernatural elements but, I was expecting a story about abuse and survival, not a ghost story. Overall, it was a good read but, slow in some parts.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Spotlight: Brave the Page: A Young Writer’s Guide to Telling Epic Stories by Rebecca Stern and Grant Faulkner + Ideas for Inspiration

Photo Credit - Amazon

Partly a how-to guide on the nitty-gritty of writing, partly a collection of inspiration to set (and meet) ambitious goals, Brave the Page is the go-to resource for middle-grade writers. Narrated in a fun, refreshingly kid-friendly voice, it champions NaNoWriMo's central mission that everyone's stories deserve to be told. The volume includes chapters on character, plot, setting, and the like; motivating essays from popular authors; advice on how to commit to your goals; a detailed plan for writing a novel or story in a month; and more!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes in the transformational power of creativity. They provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds--on and off the page. With its first event in 1999, the organization's programs now include National Novel Writing Month in November, Camp NaNoWriMo, the Young Writers Program, Come Write In, and the "Now What?" Months.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Topic - Things you can do for motivation to help you with story ideas 

Spending time to write down one's thoughts and emotions are essential for mental health. A common misconception is that you need to be a "writer" or you only "need to write stories or poems". However, even take a few minutes to write whatever you are feeling can give you mental clarity. But, what happens when you are feeling the dreaded writer's block? I have a few ideas that can help you get into the writing mood!

1. Take a long relaxing bath or shower 
2. Go for a walk  in nature  
3. Take a walk utilizing a different route
4. Talk to a stranger
5. Read a book 
6. Do word associations
7. Take a look at photographs and try to picture the memory
8. Listen to music
9. Draw without limits
10. Visit a museum
11. Try eating/cooking a new dish
12. Ask a relative about their favorite memory
13. Research events that happened around a specific day
14. Take a nap
15. Meditate 
16. Try freewriting
17. Eating a favorite childhood dish
18. Playing 
19. Going for a run


What are your favorite things to do when you feel "stuck"? Which techniques helps you the most?