"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover

Oh. My. Hoover.
I am still suffering somewhat of a bookhangover from November 9, which is why I haven't managed to post my review for that one yet (I swear, that book is my spirit animal!), but this... It Ends With Us... it's...

...heart-wrenching...
...gut-wrenching...
...the most beautiful kind of bad...
...the worst kind of beautiful...
...goosebump-invoking and tear-stirring...
...anything but black and white...

It's a book that tugs at your heartstrings, and that makes you want to cuddle up and say goodbye to the world for the rest of the day. Colleen Hoover has a beautiful mind, and a great talent for not only making you sympathize and empathize with her characters, but also for making you think about the issues that are addressed - the issues faced by her characters. It Ends With Us, especially, is a book that you won't just finish reading - it will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.

It's the kind of book that you will start to read, and that you won't want to put back down. At the same time though, it's a story you at times won't want to finish, because you may not want to know how it ends, or because - if you are like me - you just don't want to hit the last page and be done with it.
But you will do just that. You will read it til the end, and I am sure you will be loving it.

I am purposely keeping this review short - not because I don't have a million feels and a billion things to say, but because I really want each and every one of you to read this novel. Spoiler-free.
To read it, to feel it, to think about it.

Which is also why I am giving away a signed copy - just keep on reading to find out how you can enter! Open internationally! 

SOMETIMES THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU IS THE ONE WHO HURTS YOU THE MOST

Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.

Colleen Hoover is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including the #1 bestseller, Hopeless. She lives in Texas with her husband and three children. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a book subscription service which donates 100% of its profit to charity. She also owns The Bookworm Box, a specialty bookstore located in Sulphur Springs, Tx. 

Her novel, Ugly Love (2014), has been optioned for film by Hackybox Pictures and is slated to begin filming in 2016, starring Nick Bateman. 

For tour dates or more information, please visit colleenhoover.com.

[source: amazon]

Visit Colleen Hoover on her website || goodreads || facebook || twitter || instagram
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It Ends With Us on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

My Review of Maybe Not || Confess || Finding Cinderella || Never Never: Part One || Never Never: Part Two 

In September, I had the great pleasure of finally meeting Colleen Hoover!
After having had plans to attend several signings in the past, which all ended up being cancelled, I travelled to Frankfurt after a day of finals at university, taking forever on the road and getting lost several times, annoying my sister - whom I was dragging along - with my excitement!

My sister has never read a novel by Colleen... I, however, wasn't sure how many books we'd be allowed to get signed each, if there would be a limit, so I made my sister come along, bringing thirteen books and hoping I could get an extra one signed yet to give away, giving her a "priority list" in case we'd both only be allowed to get two or three signed... and promising I'd buy her dinner in exchange for coming along, ha!

Colleen was the sweetest, ever. Her interview was super funny, and she took time for everyone in attendance, signing books like a champ and taking pictures with people.
Without a single complaint, she signed the thirteen books I had brought along, plus an extra copy of It Ends With Us that I purchased at the store the signing was being held at, plus a couple of autograph cards to give away as well, and took pictures with me on top of that! The evening was so much more than I had expected hopping into my car... and I am definitely looking forward to hopefully meeting her again someday!

Visit me on instagram (@ink.eaters) for the giveaway!
I am giving away a signed (not personalized) paperback copy of It Ends With Us, as well as two autograph cards from the signing!

A big thank you to Colleen Hoover for having signed everything - and for just being her - as well as a big thank you to Hugendubel Frankfurt-Steinweg for having held the event!

"Until I'm Yours" by Kennedy Ryan♥ Launch Day Blitz ♥

Mean girl. Goddess. Bitch. Supermodel Sofie Baston has earned those labels . . . yet they don't scratch the surface of who she really is. Before she can follow her own dreams, Sophie must do her daughterly duty and reel in a "fish" for her father's business-a tall, brown-eyed entrepreneur who immediately hooks her. He's a big guy with an even bigger heart . . . but will that heart be open to Sofie once her darkest secret is revealed?

To Trevor Bishop, Sofie is a beautiful mystery he would gladly spend his life solving. He figures her tough demeanor is armor against a world that's hurt her too many times. Then Sofie's deepest wounds are reopened by the powerful, ruthless man who made them. When she musters the courage to take him down, her world shatters. Now Trevor is determined to help Sofie pick up the pieces so they can build a future together. The challenge will be convincing his ice princess that it's safe to melt in his arms.

   “Sofie, I’m sorry I didn’t call you back yet.” Jalene blocks my path to Trevor and Anna. 

   “Call?” I lean subtly to the left just in time to see Anna following Trevor into the coatroom. 

   The hell. 

   “Yes.” Jalene raises her penciled brows expectantly. “You asked me about a series of instructional barre videos for your new lifestyle website, remember?” 

   “Oh, yes.” I try to focus on the conversation, but can’t help wondering what’s going on in that coatroom. “Of course.” 

   “I was afraid I wouldn’t have time, but I can do it.” 

   “That’s awesome, Jalene.” I give a quick smile. “My assistant Stil will contact you to set up details.” 

   “Great job in class today, Sofie.” 

   “Thanks.” Having Trevor behind me added a little something to my usual enthusiasm. “I need to grab my coat. Thanks again, Jalene.” 

   I speed walk to the coatroom, jerking the door open like I might catch Trevor and Anna in the middle of a compromising position. They are both fully dressed, though. Both layered up for the cool morning and laughing over something I’m sure I wouldn’t find funny. 

   “Sofie, hey.” Anna leans into Trevor, her head well below his shoulder. “I was just inviting Trevor to opening night for my new show.” 

   “Really?” I lean against the wall by the door. “And what did Trevor say?” 

   “I hadn’t gotten around to saying anything yet.” Trevor walks over to stand in front of me, taking my hand. “Maybe we could go together.” 

   Just past his shoulder, the dismay on Anna’s face is almost humorous. I’m sure when she invited Trevor, she wasn’t thinking he’d bring me along. And he won’t “See you Thursday, Anna.” I address her, but my eyes cling to Trevor’s. Will I have to climb the man for her to take the hint? 

   “But, Trevor and I—” 

   “Thursday, Anna.” My eyes and words cut into her sentence like a razor blade. “Goodbye, Anna.” 

   She’s out the door without further protest. 

   Trevor rests one arm against the wall by my head, his scent and the warmth of his body sheltering and stimulating me, making me feel safe and completely vulnerable at the same time. He stares down at me, waiting for my move. I’ve never taken a step in his direction, and the fact that I sought him out obviously pleases him, but he knows me at least well enough to guess there must be a reason. 

   I reach behind me to lock the door. Trevor’s eyebrows lift, but he otherwise remains still. I reach up to rest an arm on his shoulder, sliding my fingers into the short, soft hair close to his scalp. 

   “Let’s get straight to the point and not play games, Bishop.” 

   His hand, wrapping around my waist, cupping the curve of my back, lays warm and heavy through the thin fabric of my workout clothes. 

   “I don’t play games, Sof.” Trevor leans down to whisper in my ear. “I’m a man who goes after what he wants and usually gets it.” 

   He pulls back, dark eyes not laughing, close to sober. 

   “Am I getting what I want?” He drops his other arm from the wall, bringing that hand to my side, and pulls me close enough to feel his hard body through the sweatpants and hoodie he’s put on.  “Say yes.” 

   I’ll do better than saying yes. I’ll show him. 

   I tug his head toward me until our mouths touch. Those full lips are softer than I imagined. He opens me up with his tongue, delving into my mouth slowly, like he’s savoring the first taste of me as much as I’m savoring my first taste of him.

I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing To Be Read list!

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"My Soul to Keep" by Kennedy Ryan♥ Holiday Treat ♥

From Kennedy: Happy Holidays! I wanted to offer something special to those who have read MY SOUL TO KEEP. A full deleted chapter from the book. More Rhys + Kai! If you haven't read the book, I have something for you, too. The first three chapters of the book absolutely FREE right HERE! Hopefully you'll love what you read. And for everyone and anyone, scroll all the way down for a rafflecopter giveaway featuring:

• $5 Amazon Gift Card
• (5) MY SOUL TO KEEP E-Books (if you've read, pass onto a friend!)
• Or a Signed MY SOUL TO KEEP paperback

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It seems the things worth keeping are often the hardest to hold...

KAI 

I had two things in life that mattered. My mother and my music. Mama was taken from me too soon, and now music is all I have left. It’s the thing that’s pushed me right out of backwoods Georgia into Los Angeles, where the line between fantasy and reality shimmers and blurs. I’m finally making my way, making my mark. I can’t afford to fall for one of music's brightest stars. Not now. Music is all I have left, and I’m holding on tight with both hands. I won’t let go, not even for Rhyson Gray. RHYSON 

I had one thing in my life that mattered – music. The only constant, it’s taken me to heights most people only dream about; a gift dropped in my lap at birth. I thought it was enough. I thought it was everything until I met Kai. Now she’s all I think about, like a song I can't get out of my head. If I have to chase her, if I have to give up everything - I will. And once she's mine, I won't let go.   

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About Kennedy Ryan

I just can't write about myself in third person for one more bio! I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever- growing To Be Read list!  

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Click here to find my review of Kennedy Ryan's My Soul to Keep :)

"My Soul to Keep" by Kennedy Ryan♥ Release Day Blitz ♥

Synopsis

It seems the things worth keeping are often the hardest to hold...

KAI

I had two things in life that mattered. My mother and my music. Mama was taken from me too soon, and now music is all I have left. It’s the thing that’s pushed me right out of backwoods Georgia into Los Angeles, where the line between fantasy and reality shimmers and blurs. I’m finally making my way, making my mark. I can’t afford to fall for one of music's brightest stars. Not now. Music is all I have left, and I’m holding on tight with both hands. I won’t let go, not even for Rhyson Gray.

RHYSON

I had one thing in my life that mattered – music. The only constant, it’s taken me to heights most people only dream about; a gift dropped in my lap at birth. I thought it was enough. I thought it was everything until I met Kai. Now she’s all I think about, like a song I can't get out of my head. If I have to chase her, if I have to give up everything - I will. And once she's mine, I won't let go.

Goodreads

 

Excerpt

  I shouldn’t have come. All the things I felt and fought, the things I suspected he felt too, he just spewed all over me. And as much as I want to be, I’m not sure I’m ready. I’ll never forget seeing my Mama in bed for days after Daddy left. And even though she got up, I suspect a part of her never left that bed, but just stayed there, waiting. We had to leave the house where she grew up and where I spent my first years, because Daddy left us with nowhere to go. Mama learned to stand on her two feet, and I’ve done the same. I just didn’t count on Rhyson sweeping me off of them. 

“We’re obviously on different pages about this.” I pull my hands free and turn to leave, but he steps in front of me, blocking my grand exit. “Let’s talk later.” 

 “Enough talking.” 

 The heat of his body grabs me before his hands do. He traps my chin between two fingers, taking my mouth in a paradox of rough and tender. I want to move. To slide away from his body pressing me into the pool table. But I can’t. Not with his hand caressing my back. Not with his tongue in my mouth. Not with his erection pressing into my stomach. I can’t. I won’t. I have been denying myself this, and I’m so damn hungry. My mouth opens under his, ravenous and wet and hot. His groan vibrates against my lips. 

 “Yes. Good God, yes, Pep.” His words slip down my throat. I strain up on tiptoes, clawing my fingers into his dark hair, forcing him closer. He lifts me onto the pool table, planting himself between my knees. His fingers skim my bare thigh, working up my leg until he reaches a damp patch of silk. He pushes my panties aside, rubbing his hand into the wet flesh there before sliding one long finger and then another inside of me. I rock into these fingers which have awed millions with their skill. They own me. I’m the instrument in his hands. He’s playing me. Plucking at me. Strumming me. 

 He tugs at the wide neck of my sweater until it falls away from my shoulder, slipping his hand in and cupping my naked breast. He brushes his fingers over my nipple, and I lose my mind and every inhibition. My head flops back and I stretch my legs wider, offering him anything he wants. 

 “Are you kidding me?” His question burns the vulnerable curve of my neck as he drags his lips to my shoulder. “You come here wearing no bra and think I won’t…” 

 He abandons the words, his dark, untidy head disappearing under my sweater, and before I have time to regain even millimeters of sanity, my nipple is in his mouth and he’s suckling me. Not gentle. Not soft. My breasts are so small, he almost eats me whole. Every draw, every suck, every bite sends a power surge to my core until my knees hold his hips in a desperate grip, and my nails rake across the flat surface of the pool table behind me. 

 His mouth at my breast. His fingers inside me. His clean scent surrounding me. I have nowhere to hide anymore. I am exposed. I want to spread myself wide open for him. That voice that has been telling me I can’t rely on him. I can’t trust him. I can’t need him—that voice is stunned into silence by his thorough possession of my body, by the inferno between my legs, blazing a hole right through my soul and scorching my heart. 
    

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About Kennedy Ryan

 

I just can't write about myself in third person for one more bio! I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing To Be Read list!

 

Connect with Kennedy

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"My Soul to Keep" by Kennedy Ryan♥ Cover Reveal ♥

Oh my... I think it is no secret that I absolutely love rockstar romances... what's better than a book that's music to your eyes?! (; And this book does not only sound great (no pun intended), but it also looks absolutely beautiful! I'll so need a paperback of this!

Happy Cover Reveal Day, Kennedy!

My Soul To Keep

Kennedy Ryan

Coming November 16th

Cover by Hang Le

Synopsis

It seems the things worth keeping are often the hardest to hold...

KAI

I had two things in life that mattered. My mother and my music. Mama was taken from me too soon, and now music is all I have left. It’s the thing that’s pushed me right out of backwoods Georgia into Los Angeles, where the line between fantasy and reality shimmers and blurs. I’m finally making my way, making my mark. I can’t afford to fall for one of music's brightest stars. Not now. Music is all I have left, and I’m holding on tight with both hands. I won’t let go, not even for Rhyson Gray.

RHYSON

I had one thing in my life that mattered – music. The only constant, it’s taken me to heights most people only dream about; a gift dropped in my lap at birth. I thought it was enough. I thought it was everything until I met Kai. Now she’s all I think about, like a song I can't get out of my head. If I have to chase her, if I have to give up everything - I will. And once she's mine, I won't let go.

Goodreads

 

Want to know as soon as MY SOUL TO KEEP goes live? Sign up here! 

Giveaway

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About Kennedy Ryan

 

I just can't write about myself in third person for one more bio! I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever- growing To Be Read list!

   

Connect with Kennedy

Facebook / Amazon/ Twitter/ Website / Goodreads / Instagram

 

"Team Tomás" by Ally Adams♥ Exclusive Cover Reveal ♥

I am super excited to get to share with you the cover of Ally Adams' upcoming novel, Team Tomás. Earlier this week I got to share the Team Lucas blog tour information with you (including an exclusive author interview, as well as a SIGNED PAPERBACK GIVEAWAY, so be sure to check the blog post if you haven't already) - my review for Team Lucas will be following on release day, July 1st, and Team Tomás, the second installment in the Saints series, is set to release just as soon.

After having gotten to dive into Lucas and Mia's story in Team Lucas, I absolutely cannot wait to explore the story of Tomás! But witout further ado - here's the stunning cover for Team Tomás!

Doesn't it look great?! 

I love how the cover looks all sensual without being 'too much', and... omnom... look at those abs! Please excuse me while I go and find myself a hot soccer player... ;p 

[It didn't take long for Lucas Ainswright to be added to my list of swoon-worthy book-boyfriends... and from what I've heard of Tomás so far, he'll probably make it there in no time, too!]

I'm 100% sure that the whole series will look awesome on the shelf! The covers of Team Lucas and Team Tomás go great together - it's immediately obvious that they're part of the same series.

Don't remember what the cover of Team Lucas will look like?  Have no fear - I got it right here!
(-; 


Also, please keep in mind that it's absoluely worth it to go and check out the Team Lucas blog tour post if you haven't already. Here's a little sneak of the Q&A, granting you a first glimpse at what Team Tomás will be all about:

Q: Next up in the series will be "Team Tomas" - is there anything you can already share about it? Hint on? Teasing's pleasing the reader's mind (-; 

A: Ah Tomas is so sexy—the Latin lover. He doesn’t want to be in love because as the eldest of five kids and having been raised by a single mom, he’s been responsible for most of his young life. Now, he just wants to earn the big money and play around. Then he meets Alice. He tries to forget her but he can’t—she’s so sweet and innocent and not like the women he’s met who are happy to play the field with him. He’s also a very good lover and he will teach Alice some tricks! After Tomas is Team Nik and he’s this strong, fit German soccer star but when he loses his heart, he loses it big time.

Visit author Ally Adams on goodreads, facebook or twitter and make sure to say hi! 

And, pssssssht, you should absolutely enter this giveaway (open INTERNATIONALLY!), because Team Lucas is a début novel you won't want to miss!
(You can also preorder it right here)

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"Team Lucas" by Ally Adams♥ Blog-Tour & Exclusive Q&A ♥

With only one more week to go before the release of Ally Adams's début novel, Team Lucas, part one in the Saints series, I am delighted to be part of the blog tour and to get to share with you all the details - PLUS an exclusive Q&A with the author, AND a giveaway for a signed paperback copy!

I myself absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to share my review with y'all on release day - but for now, let me share my excitement, and keep reading until the end for the before mentioned extras! 

TEAM LUCAS (A Saints team novel) by Ally Adams

Contemporary Romance

Published by Atlas Producations, July 1st 2015

Goodreads

Amazon US ||  Amazon UK || Amazon AU || Amazon DE

"I want to stay forever... I want to have you for as long as I can have you, Lucas, even if that is a week or a year or a decade... Just let me get my fill of you and I'll deal with the fallout if, when it happens." 

Mia Carter never thought getting suspended from her part-time job for having attitude could be the best thing to ever happen... maybe.

When Lucas Ainswright - one of the world's biggest sporting stars - needs a minder, it just so happens that attitude is what is needed to keep Lucas in line. 

Now Mia's job is to manage the sporting world's bad boy and keep him at the top of his game for the season. 

Game on!

Next in the series: Team Tomás 

Ally Adams is a journalist who lives in coastal Victoria, Australia, with her husband and furry friends. She is a literature major, romance reader and writer. 

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Q: I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Mia and Lucas - especially all their banter. It was great seeing Lucas and all his actions and reactions through Mia's eyes, but... do you have any plans of writing Lucas and Mia's story from Lucas's POV? I'd love to get a glimpse into his brain (and heart); a story told through his eyes.

A: Ah, I’m glad you asked me that Becky. I love Joanne Wylde’s book where you get both perspectives, but I also love Kylie Scott and Leisa Rayven’s stories where it is the girls’ POV. As a journalist I’ve worked with a lot of guys (more guys than gals) and they are so complex and difficult to read. I decided to just write the girls’ POV at this stage. I think it might be a novella if I wrote Lucas’s point of view unless I had flashbacks to his school days!

Q: There are a lot of pop cultural references in "Team Lucas", including, amongst others, The Vampire Diaries, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Walking Dead... so I take it you like watching TV? What do you do when you're not writing, and where do you draw your inspiration? - Do you have a writing routine, if so, what is it like? Is there a playlist that inspires you, something that's "totally Lucas and Mia" that you did or listened to to get your mind in the right spot?

A: Ha, I tape a lot of programs and because I write often five or more hours a day, I play them in the background, it sort of keeps me in the ‘genre’. When I’m not writing, I’m jogging, drinking coffee with friends or spending time with my dog. But honestly, I’m always writing in my head. I think of where the story will go when I drive, when I jog, even when I lay in bed, then I put it to paper. Chronic huh? I see it like a film then write it. I think a lot of writers are storytellers who always have ideas… even when I was at school I’d be organizing kids in my class to do play and perform. I’m not a big music person, I’m all about the words.

Q: "Team Lucas", book one in the Saints series, could be labeled a sports romance. Are you a big fan of sports? What's your favorite?

A: Yes, totally. I follow the AFL (Australian Football League) and my team is Geelong. I used to work in public relations for a national football team (hence the inspiration) and for a little while, I was a WAG, so I have put some insider information in the books. But that’s top secret J I can watch any elite sport, but I love the AFL and the summer of cricket.

Q: Next up in the series will be "Team Tomas" - is there anything you can already share about it? Hint on? Teasing's pleasing the reader's mind (-; 

A: Ah Tomas is so sexy—the Latin lover. He doesn’t want to be in love because as the eldest of five kids and having been raised by a single mom, he’s been responsible for most of his young life. Now, he just wants to earn the big money and play around. Then he meets Alice. He tries to forget her but he can’t—she’s so sweet and innocent and not like the women he’s met who are happy to play the field with him. He’s also a very good lover and he will teach Alice some tricks! After Tomas is Team Nik and he’s this strong, fit German soccer star but when he loses his heart, he loses it big time.

Q: Your writing's very descriptive when it comes to your characters - it seems like you have certain people in mind when picturing each of your characters. If you were to cast a movie or TV show based on your book, whom would you like to see on the casting couch?

A: Great question Becky, thanks! So true. When I start each book, I do a research sheet where I write about them, their best friend, their family, the car they drive, their nicknames, their pet, everything that makes that character tick. I read a great quote once by author Anne Lamott who said we should listen and observe our characters because they’ll tell us more about them. So true. So I always do a story board or picture board of the character as I see them and I write it picturing them. I kind of had a young David Beckham in mind physically when I was writing Lucas, and Katy Perry for Mia. Every reader will have their own image. Who would you cast? I’d love to know!

Thank you SO much for having taken the time to answer all of my questions, Ally! (:

Since Ally asked... I figured I'd share some of my casting picks as well. Once you've read the novel, feel free to comment below to let us know whom you'd cast! 

Lucas. In my mind, he kinda looked like Alex Pettyfer - and he even has the matching accent (-; 

Mia. Ooooooh Mia. Mia was a lot tougher. On one hand, Zoey Deutch came to my mind - she can do the attitude, she can do the fun banter... 

...but at the same time, Zooey Deschanel seemed to be perfect for Mia, too. I promise it's not the first names, but... I think you'll understand once you're reading the book?! (; 

Tomás. He was another easy one - while described as an Enrique Iglesias look-alike, he immediately looked like Mitia Breckenridge in my mind! 

Last but not least... GIVEAWAY-TIME!
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Ally Adams, 

as well as to 

Helen at Atlas Productions!

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"Retribution" by Mandy Lou Dowson

Retribution by Mandy Lou Dowson, which released today, is a very well written and thoroughly thought-through, masterminded story... but for my taste, it is almost TOO thought through. It held no surprises or plot twists before I was about 96%, according to kindle-status, in – and then it was only a short-lived surprise, as the book ended on a cliffhanger. I do understand the purpose of one – drawing the reader in for the next installment – but I honestly am not sure if I will be able to give the story another chance. I did like the end, but that unfortunately didn't make up for the disappointment I had felt towards the rest of the book. It's lack of surprising elements just made it a mostly boring read to me, and there was more than one occasion on which I debated giving up on reading the whole book, the only thing that kept me going being the great writing and hope for some twists and turns that would catch my interest - because the story itself could be interesting, it just, to me, didn't sell. Part of that was due to, unfortunately, not being able to connect with the characters, no matter how hard I tried. Braxton Alexander is hot, dark, dangerous and has an interesting back-story – consequently, he should absolutely be my kinda book-man, but even he was lacking something to keep me interested. I did, however, like the various points of views the reader gets to have a look at the story from, but I do believe a first-person narrative would have made it easier to connect with the characters emotionally, and thus with their stories. 

That being said, I do think the book was really well written, and I do believe it's based on a really interesting idea that could make for a great story - I just wasn't convinced of the book as a whole. To me, it was lacking something crucial (twists, turns, surprises - something that wasn't given away too soon and couldn't be foreshadowed from the beginning) - but I am rather confident that the next book will be a better package, as the cliffhanger of Retribution holds the promise of a bumpy ride.

3.5/5

Title: Retribution

Author: Mandy Lou Dowson

Genre: Dark Romance

 Release Date: May 4, 2015

Synopsis

Three people irrevocably linked. 

A remorseless killer. 

A shady businessman. 

A woman caught in the cross-fire.

Braxton Alexander is a beast without remorse; a vessel filled with hate. Imprisoned for the murder of the one girl who loved him, now he is free, and hell bent on taking all of his pent up rage out on one person in particular.

Brycen Cole knows he must stop Braxton from taking everything he has and turning it to ash.

Gemma Woods has loved Brycen for years, but ever so slowly the happiness she once felt in the arms of her lover has turned to fear and resentment.

Braxton has one goal, one thought, and one mission – destroy Brycen Cole, by any means necessary. 

He will not stop. 

He will not fail. 

Like a juggernaut, he will keep coming, destroying everything in his wake.

Brycen runs a successful corporation and provides a lot of pay-checks; he also has a shady past and a dark talent for hiding things.

Gemma spots the wolf in sheep’s clothing but cannot stop gravitating towards him again and again.

What happens when the lines between good and evil become blurred? 

What happens when the one you love is the one you should fear?

What happens when the one you fear becomes the only one you can trust?

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Links to Buy

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Author Bio

Mandy Lou Dowson was born and raised in a small town in Ireland, in 1983, and at this stage in life, she's pretty sure the town won't let her leave. Family is a huge deal to Mandy. She has three wonderful children (most of the time), and two Siberian Huskies who are each as naughty as the other – in fact, she's sure they egg each other on in silly cartoon voices when nobody is looking.

~

“Climb out the window and get covered in mud.”

“No, I did it last time. You do it!”

“R'uh, r'oh, here SHE is. Shhh.”

~

When she's not writing, reading, or plotting her next book -- or, you know, world domination – , she likes to relax with a few glasses of wine and some karaoke. You can usually find her procrastinating on social media of some sort, chatting to fans and talking nonsense.
 

Mandy started reading at quite a young age and her appetite for the written word has only increased with time. It would not be at all surprising to find her reading anything and everything from shampoo bottles to Edgar Allan Poe.
 

She is the author of three different genres of romance books. The Moon Bound series, which is in the Paranormal Romance genre, and is gathering rave reviews, and the Taboo series, which is Contemporary with a hint of the forbidden, the first of which has gathered very mixed reviews across the board, from one extreme to the other.

She has also made a foray into Dark Romance recently, with her first title in the genre, Retribution, releasing in Summer 2015.

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*** I received an ARC through Give Me Books in exchange for an honest review. ***