Stacking the Shelves (#276)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, in which bloggers share the books and swag they've received in the past week!

So, what did I get in the week of Sunday, April 1st to Saturday, April 7th?

(all links to Goodreads are provided!)

In the mail:

Nothing this week!

From NetGalley:

My Royal Sin by Riley Pine

Thank you, Harlequin! I read My Royal Temptation a while back and liked it.

Reviews from this week:

  

(Click on the cover to go to my review!)

Favorite Instagram post from this week:

A post shared by Alyssa (@theeaterofbooks) on Apr 1, 2018 at 3:39pm PDT

Boring week! I had to do some traveling for work, which was fun. Part of my job involves pond inspections. Those are always fun. =)

My Favorite Books with "Shadow" in the Title

Hey friends! Today is another day in which I didn't feel like writing/posting a review, but did feel like posting something... so I'm doing another favorites post! You can check out my favorite adult books (alphabet style) HERE, favorite Jane-Austen-Inspired YA books HERE, favorite YA foreign editions posts HERE, favorite YA books (alphabet style) HERE, favorite YA books with one-word titles HERE, and favorite swoons from YA books HERE.

Here are some of my favorite books (YA and adult) that have the word "shadow" in the title! There are sooo many books I could have chosen from.

Young Adult

    

    

Adult

    


There were others that didn't make my favorites list, like Shadowlark by Meagan Spooner, Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither, Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland, The Shadow Behind the Stars by Rebecca Hahn, The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey, Shadowsong by S. Jae-Jones. Lotsssss of shadows. Tell me some of your favorite books with the word "shadow" in its title!

Swoon Thursday (#271): Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare!

Adam rested his forehead against mine, and we stood like that for a minute - two people torn between want and need.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered, his arms encircling my waist, "because I feel like I'm stuck between what's right and what isn't."

"What do you want?"

"You."

His mouth grazed mine, and I paused. We stood at a crossroads, where one wrong thing had the potential to wreck everything, but there was no use denying it now. Not with Adam. Not when I felt the same. I pulled him back ad kissed him again.

- ARC, pages 129-130

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I adored this book! You can read my review HERE. This won't be available until August, but it's worth the wait!

Waiting on Wednesday (#275): Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Publication Date: October 9, 2018

Summary (from Goodreads):

A lady's maid and a valet become entangled in a yuletide counterfeiting scheme in this romantic Christmas YA adventure.

1817. The happy chaos of the Yuletide season has descended upon the country estate of Shackleford Park in full force, but lady's maid Kate Darby barely has the time to notice. Between her household duties, caring for her ailing mother, and saving up money to someday own a dress shop, her hands are quite full. Matt Harlow is also rather busy. He's performing double-duty, acting as valet for both of the Steeple brothers, two of the estate's holiday guests. 

Falling in love would be a disaster for either of them. But staving off their feelings for each other becomes the least of their problems when a devious counterfeiting scheme reaches the gates of Shackleford Park, and Kate and Matt are unwittingly swept up in the intrigue. Full of sweetness, charm, and holiday shenanigans, Carols and Chaos is perfect for fans of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Ivy Bookshop

Loves, Lies and Spies | Duels & Deception | Suitors & Sabotage

I love Cindy Anstey's books! We are blessed with not one but TWO this year... so excited!

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Happy Tuesday! Today I've decided to participate in Top Ten Tuesday, formerly hosted by Jamie at The Broke and the Bookish, now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Today's topic is: 

Characters I liked That Were In Non-Favorite/Disliked Books

Tristan from Warrior Witch -- Tristan was a wonderful hero. Warrior Witch was an awful conclusion novel.

Chance from Just Friends -- Chance was a sweetheart! Jenny was loca.

Daniel from Strange and Ever After -- ahhh, Daniel. Sooz did you dirty and I'm sorry.

Derek from Wild Cards -- he wasn't the bad boy the author was trying to make him out to be! This was a good thing. The rest of the book was painful to read.

Aric from Dead of Winter -- Aric was the only reason why I continued reading the series. But I stopped after this book. Love triangle? No thank you!

Hysan from Thirteen Rising -- Hysan was cool. Rho was so irritating, I would probably smack her in real life.

Jules from Three Dark Crowns -- I HATED this book, but I adored Jules. She was easily the best character of the book, and deserved better on all fronts.

Killian from 26 Kisses -- Killian was so sweet! The heroine was not.

Eight from Persuasion -- I liked Eight a lot. Barrie, on the other hand, was full of drama.

John from Underworld - older hero in YA! So cool and he was awesome! But the heroine was so juvenile, I wanted to scream.

Note how most of my choices were male, and in most of those cases, I loved the male protagonist and hated the female protagonist. Gotta love when that happens... it happens so often in YA. :/

Review: Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare

Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Publication Date: August 14, 2018

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Seventeen-year-old Claire Collins has a plan: get into college and leave North Carolina behind. What she doesn’t have is an idea for how to get rid of the local football star and womanizer extraordinaire—Adam Meade, who she can’t even avoid (despite many efforts), because Claire’s dad is the high school football coach.

Seventeen-year-old Adam Meade never fails. He always gets what he wants… until he meets Claire, the new girl who leaves him unnerved, pissed off, and confused. But there’s something about her that he just can’t resist…

With the bite of lemon meringue pie and the sugar of sweet tea, Surviving Adam Meade is a sexy and compelling young adult novel about two strong-willed people who think they know what they want but have no idea what they need.

What I Liked:

This book is still four months out but I couldn't not jump at the chance to read it as soon as possible. I actually gave it a go in February, because I had been excited about it long before I got a review copy. This is rare for me - I'm not a huge fan of YA contemporary novels. But something about this one appealed to me. And I enjoyed the book!

Claire Collins has moved more times than she'd like, thanks to her dad being a football coach. Her new school is pretty great, she has made new friends, her younger brother fits in on the football team - coached by their dad. Claire wants nothing more than to graduate and go to Auburn, her dream school, and leave her past behind. She didn't plan on Adam Meade entering her life. Adam is the star QB of the high school's football team, and he gets under Claire's skin. Claire gets under his skin like no other. What happens when sparks fly between two stubborn, strong-willed teens?

There was sooo much banter and sarcastic exchanges in this book. Adam and Claire have chemistry from the start, and this leads to a lot of heated banter. There is tension between them, and it manifests as irritation first, and then something more passionate. I personally adore hate-to-love romances, so I was ALL for this. 

There is a slight forbidden trope too, as Claire previously dated a football quarterback at her former high school, and Adam is the quarterback at her new high school. Even though her dad is a football coach, her brother plays football, and she has been around football her entire life, she doesn't want to date a football player (again). She wants to graduate and go to college and start fresh. So Adam is a bit forbidden, and even though she is very attracted to him, she doesn't want to want him. At first.

I love how the romance progressed. Like I said, it's hate-to-love, and it's hilarious and swoony to watch. The beginning is a little rocky - these two seriously did not get along - but they start to be nicer (while still sarcastic and banter-y) to each other. There is instant tension and chemistry, but not insta-love (in my opinion). 

I liked Claire, her drive to get to college, her steadfastness about Auburn, and how she wanted a healthy relationship with Adam after her disaster of a formerly healthy relationship with a guy at her previous school. I connected with Claire because she is so motivated and determined.

I liked Adam, even though he is a player and a little annoying at first. He has a lot of confidence (which I love), and he's actually a sweet and decent guy. There are a lot of layers to him - it's not just the star football player that you see.

This isn't just a romance novel, or a high school drama, or teen angst novel. There is very little drama, and I liked the high school setting and the high school conflicts. This novel really worked for me and brought back memories of high school - which was five years ago for me, yikes. Anyway, it's not just about the romance; Adam has his own personal problems, Claire has her past to reconcile, and of course there is the future, with college.

Believe it or not, the ending is a HEA! I was pretty pleased with it. I honestly didn't think it would end super well (these types of novels always have a bittersweet ending). But it was good!

What I Did Not Like:

I wanted more swoonssss. There were actually a few, and they were scattered throughout the story. Maybe this novel might have functioned well as a New Adult novel? It was great as YA though, but I feel like with all of the tension and chemistry that Adam and Claire had, the author could have taken this relationship places. I'm just saying!

Would I Recommend It:

If you love YA contemporary, definitely give this book a shot! I tend to only gravitate towards and enjoy the romance-y YA contemporary novels, and this was a very romance-y one. I liked it a lot, everyone might not though, but it's worth a shot! It's a quick, engaging read and I think people will either love it or hate it. Hopefully love it!

Rating:

4 stars. I see it might be book one of two? If there is a second novel, I hope it's more ~New Adult~ than Young Adult. If you know what I mean. I wouldn't mind seeing the college side of things!

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Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Review: Make Me Want by Katee Robert

Make Me Want by Katee Robert

Book One of the Make Me series

Publisher: Harlequin Dare

Publication Date: March 6, 2018

Rating: 4 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

“I want everything.”

She’s taking control. And it’s driving him wild!

Lucy Baudin’s ex did a number on her self-esteem, but it’s time for her to regain control. In her job as a lawyer she’s bold, confident. But in the bedroom she needs inspiration to reawaken her inner seductress. Asking her friend Gideon Novak for help seems wrong…yet so deliciously right! 

What I Liked:

I don't know why I put off reading this book for so long! It was published nearly a month ago, and I kept pushing it off for some reason. Katee Robert is one of those romance authors that never seems to disappoint me, and I was definitely not disappointed by Make Me Want. This book was one of Robert's hottest books to date, and also one of the strongest, emotionally speaking.

Lucy Baudin and her ex-fiance split two years ago, and nothing has been the same since. Two years later, she is hoping to get a position at work, but her boss is very traditional and wants to see her married before promoting her. So she enlists her friend Gideon to help - he's a headhunter, and one of the best in the business. But she also wants his help in another way - she wants to have better sexual experience before going into her modern marriage of convenience. Gideon has always been a player and his reputation in the bedroom is legendary. But when it comes to Lucy, Gideon doesn't mess around. He has had feelings for her since he saw her at a bar six years ago - but his friend Jeff beat him, and Gideon would never break the bro code. Finding a husband for Lucy and giving her sex lessons? Shouldn't be too hard... right?

I don't love the "best-friend's-girl" trope - in which the hero is in love with the girl, but she's dating his best friend, boo hoo. BUT. I didn't hate it in this book! Dare I say, I actually think the trope worked here. Jeff cheated on Lucy and Gideon found out, and told her, though he waited a month to do so (for good reason - don't demonize him). When Jeff and Lucy split, Gideon and Lucy stopped being friends... and the whole time Jeff and Lucy were together, Gideon never made a move or a pass, he was always a gentleman (in the friend zone). So there was no cheating (Gideon and Lucy never messed around while she was with Jeff), and the story starts with Jeff and Lucy already having split up. This worked for me.

Jeff did a number on Lucy's sexual confidence, hence why she wants lessons from someone (Gideon). In the beginning of the book, Lucy is a little timid and shy when voicing what she wants in the bedroom. But by the end of the book, she is much more assertive. She states exactly what she wants, with full honesty, just like Gideon asks. I liked seeing this character development. I liked seeing a woman who can vocalize what she wants.

Gideon has always felt guilty for not telling Lucy sooner, about Jeff cheating on her. When she comes to him wanting a few favors, he agrees, partially because of the guilt he still feels. He always had feelings for Lucy, but never said anything, never tried anything. Gideon is so selfless in this book, and sometimes it got frustrating. He never voiced what he wanted, he always made everything about Lucy - which was good because it was all about Lucy and her crazy plan. I wanted him to speak up about what he wanted though, because he was setting himself up to get hurt in the process of achieving Lucy's plan. 

But one thing I liked about this book was that Lucy started to realize that Gideon never vocalized what he wanted, he never made demands or lost control or anything like that. He always made everything center around her, which was good... until she realized that she wanted him as more than a friend, but she didn't know what he wanted. I liked that she realized that what he wanted mattered a whole lot, not just what she wanted. It's great to be assertive; but it's also great to listen to what your partner wants. 

And that's something I think romance writers get wrong sometimes; the heroine can be brash and loud and outspoken, and demanding in the bedroom. That's cool. But she should also be listening to her partner too. It's not just about her and what she wants. It's good to vocalize what she wants. It's bad to never ask what her partner wants or never listen or pick up on the fact that he doesn't vocalize.

Anyway, Robert addressed this, which was good. I would have thrown the PROBLEMATIC flag all over this book, had she not. Healthy relationships are balanced, not one-sided to hear the woman roar (or whatever). I'm a feminist saying all of this. Don't be selfish. Don't be a silent accommodating doormat, but don't ignore your partner and put your needs/wants first all the time.

The sexy times were super super hot in this book. I feel like this might be one of Robert's hottest books, if not the hottest. There were sooooo many sexy times, for such a short book. I mean, it wasn't all sex, but I expected maybe three? There were more than three. And all of them were different, unique, and super steamy. 

The ending has both characters turning around, realizing their mistakes, and realizing the other person's side of things. Gideon does some groveling, but Lucy also has to do some soul-searching, and she realized she was a coward as much as he was being a martyr. I liked this. It wasn't her being high and mighty, you-need-to-apologize-for-everything-because-I'm-not-wrong-in-this-situation. There was a mutual "I-messed-up-please-forgive-me". 

All in all, I enjoyed this book. I had a great time reading it. I liked the tropes, I loved the steamy times, and I adored the ending. 

What I Did Not Like:

I wanted to see Gideon lose a little of his tightly leashed control. He did in like, one scene? I know this book was more about Lucy, but still. Gideon is a living, breathing man - and a main character, at that. It should have been as much his story as it was hers.

Would I Recommend It:

I always tend to recommend Robert's books because they're super hot, addicting, and quick reads. This book is not exception. If you like steamy contemporary romances novels, this book (and any of her books) is a good one for you. It's somewhat short (though not too short) and there is a HEA!

Rating:

4 stars. I'm a little sorry I waited so long to read this book! I'm not sure what held me back. This sexy book should be on every romance reader's TBR! And book two - I can't wait to read Roman's story!

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