WoW: If the Shoe Fits by Megan Mulry

Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine this is the weekly feature in which we highlight titles we are looking forward to reading.

If the Shoe Fits
By Megan Mulry
ISBN: 9781402270000
Publication Date: July 2, 2013




GoodReads Summary:

Second in a sexy, playful new series of women's fiction imagining what it might be like for a modern American woman to fall in love with a British aristocrat, from new author Megan Mulry.

Sarah James is an accomplished American woman who heads her own chic shoe company. Devon Heyworth is the rakish, ne'er-do-well younger brother of the 19th Duke of Northrop. When the two meet at the Duke's wedding they embark on a whirlwind weekend romance. And what begins as a casual fling at a royal wedding quickly proves to be far more meaningful. But when a string of misunderstandings threaten to tear them apart, their meddling aristocratic relatives join forces to reunite the star-crossed lovers.

Why?

I just recently read A Royal Pain (review coming) so I am looking forward to reading the second one. These are different sort of books than I usually am drawn to but I am branching out, which is a good thing! 

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Have you thought about joining the Summer Lovin' Read-a-Thon I am co-hosting coming up the week of July 1st? We have some FABULOUS prizes to give out!! 


Please Note
I turned off the GFC since it is going away. If you could take the time to follow me on Bloglovin' or Feedly (links are on the right side of your screen) I would appreciate it. :) Thank you!

A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry

A Royal Pain
By Megan Mulry
ISBN: 9781402269974
Publication Date: November 1, 2012
Reviewed from: a copy from my library





GoodReads Summary:

Bronte Talbott follows all of the exploits of the British royals. After all, they're the world's most preeminent dysfunctional family. And who is she to judge? Bronte's own search for love isn't going all that well, especially after her smooth-talking Texan boyfriend abruptly leaves her in the dust.

Bronte keeps a lookout for a rebound to help mend her broken heart, and when she meets Max Heyworth, she's certain he's the perfect transition man. But when she discovers he's a duke, she has to decide if she wants to stay with him for the long haul and deal with the opportunities-- and challenges-- of becoming a royal.


My Thoughts:

I stumbled across this book and thought, it sounds intriguing—why not? I am fond of historical fiction set in Britain, so why not try this contemporary fiction spin? The bulk of the story does take place in the United States though (Chicago then New York), so if you are looking for a contemporary British setting, this may not be the right book for you.

If you want an often times laugh out loud romantic story that is not your typical Cinderella story then give this one a whirl. I will put a few disclaimers out there: Bronte is a modern woman so she does not really act like a damsel in distress. She also has a potty mouth, which could offend some but I did not feel it takes away from the story. Max does feel a bit cocky at some points to me but not so much that I would consider it a serious character flaw. It is a bit ironic as he is the traditional sort, wanting the commitment from the get-go. 

Overall, this is a face-paced, entertaining spin on a Cinderella/regency romance story that will leave you with warm fuzzy thoughts. I will be watching for If the Shoe Fits, which features Devon and Sarah’s path towards happily ever after. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Reading List

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, join in the fun by answering the posted prompt.

This week our prompt is the Top Ten Books on Our Summer TBR List. I have to say, I have not thought terribly hard about what I am going to be reading this summer honestly. I used to whenever I was wrapping up a semester of grad school, college, high school and younger but now as an adult, I guess summer is for the most part like any other time of the year for me. The exception being that I get to spend more time with my daughter as we do let her stay up a little later during the summer than during the school year. :)

To me, summer reading is the optimum time for lighthearted reads usually. I think this summer though, I will be looking towards catching up on books I have purchased that I have not read. With that in mind, here is the list I believe I will be reading this summer:

  

1) Dark Triumph by R. L. LaFevers 

2) Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

3) The Elite by Kiera Cass

4) Courtship and Curses by Marissa Doyle

  

5) Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

I read the first one years ago but never finished the series. So I am looking forward to reading all three of them this summer. 

  

6) Of Poseidon and Of Triton by Anna Banks

7) Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

  

8) Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

  

9) Requiem by Lauren Oliver (will probably re-read the first two to remember the finer details)

  

10) Dark Mirror series by M. J. Putney

Speaking of summer reading lists--have you thought about joining the Summer Lovin' Read-a-Thon I am co-hosting coming up the week of July 1st? We have some FABULOUS prizes to give out!! 

I will have to do a follow up post come September to see if I managed to read all of these titles or if I was enticed by something else entirely. What is on your summer TBR list? Do you view summer reading differently than other times of the year?

Book Blogger Confessions: BEA and ALA

"Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions. Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth."

BEA, ALA. Have you ever been before? If you've been before, share your experiences; both pro & con. If you haven't gone before, do you participate in online events like Armchair BEA? Do you hope to go one day? Do you feel too intimidated to go? Are you jealous of the big book hauls and tweets during the events?

ALA:

I am going to ALA this year and I cannot wait to go. I am going to be staying with a former coworker (former supervisor actually). I am sure I will be so nervous. I am starting already to get twinges of nerves as I am not sure what to expect but there is excitement too. Of course I have been researching about what to expect, helpful tips, etc. to hopefully help my time at ALA go smoothly. The one thing sad though is I hate to leave my family for the long weekend but they are super supportive of me and my career. 

BEA:

I would love to go BEA, hopefully next year. There is a great of blogger friends that I am hoping to go with, if everything works out. This year I also participated in Armchair BEA for the first time. I did not get as much time to participate as I liked since this is a hectic time of year, but whenever I could, I had a great fun. 

Jealousy over book hauls:

Sure there are twinges of jealousy when I see all the fantastic book hauls those who went to BEA got, especially if they are the titles I am looking forward to reading. LOL BUT, I think it is also very important for me to keep in mind that they are where they are because they have either paid to go to BEA or they have worked hard to be at a point in their blogging career to get invited to those events. If I started getting a little blue over it, I stop myself to remember I am doing this blog for myself first and foremost, not to get free book hauls. I am doing this because I want to connect with other readers and share my love of reading. If I get some free books out of the deal along the way, than that is the cherry on top. :)

What about you?

Do you feel jealous over others book hauls? If so, what do you do to combat it? Are you heading to ALA? Did you got to BEA?

Faking It by Cora Carmack

Faking It 

Cora Carmack 
ISBN: 97800662273260 
Publication Date: June 4, 2013 
Reviewed from: eArc provided by William Morrow Paperbacks—thank you! (I have since purchased a copy)


 


GoodReads Summary:

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.



My Thoughts:

I just loved Losing It so I was really looking forward to Faking It and I have to say, while it was different than Losing It, I think it was equally as well done.

We are first introduced to Cade in Losing It, as the guy who has a crush on Bliss but has been put into the dreaded friend category. We learn that Cade is heading to Philadelphia to attend graduate school at Temple University, Garrick’s alma mater. Despite the hesitation of being in the same city as Bliss and Garrick, he attends anyway. We catch up with him when things are not going so great—he’s lonely, not doing as well as he likes in his classes and cannot stand the idea of spending Thanksgiving with Bliss and Garrick but does not have enough money to return home. Enter Max.

Mackenzie is battling her own demons. Losing her older sister in a horrific car accident, Max is trying to push herself forward but is remaining in neutral. She left home to be in Philadelphia, to pursue her music career. Her parents are less than thrilled, and wish she could behave more like her celebrated older sister. So much so, that Max feels she needs to hide her authentic self from her parents.

The two of them are at a point in their lives when they are ready to make changes (even with their minds’ resisting) but would they be good together?

I admit, I had hoped that I would read more about Garrick and Bliss in this book too but then I realized that Cade needed his own story, away from Bliss. Quickly, Cade and Max filled my world with their trials and successes, as they each find a way to put their next foot forward when life seemed to be pushing back against them.

There is something about Ms. Carmack’s writing that just hooks me instantly. Her lush sensuality, authentic characters and the emotional depth makes me crave more from her. I am really looking forward to her novella that is coming out in August, Keeping Her: A Losing It Novella due out on August 13th. With Faking It, she has solidified her status on my sure-bet list.