~COVER REVEAL~ Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park

We were introduced to Celeste in Flat-Out Love and readers wanted more! Well, more they shall have! Look at this amazing cover and take a peek inside FLAT-OUT CELESTE!
COMING SOON!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love..

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.
Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

 ~Excerpt~

There was a knock at the door and Matt leaned in, swinging a brown paper bag in her direction. “I heard Mom made stuffed peppers tonight. Last time she made those, I nearly died from flatulence. I assume she stuffed them with her usual repulsive ground chicken, quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate seed mix?”

Just the sound of Matt’s voice made Celeste relax. She smiled at him. “Based on the smell, I believe you’re right.”

“So you didn’t eat then? I was right!” Matt flopped onto her bed and lay down, his long body scrunching up the neat white comforter that she spent ten minutes arranging before she’d gone to school this morning. “I thought I’d take a break from studying and bring you something edible.”

“It smells like a burger from Mr. Bartley’s,” she said as she got up and took a seat next to Matt. “Hand it over, thoughtful brother.”

He tightened a hand around the top of the bag. “You have to guess which kind I brought you first.”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Close your eyes.”

She did as instructed and felt him move the bag under her nose. Sweet, spicy... a bit garlicky. “Aha! Boursin cheese and bacon! The Mark Zuckerberg burger!”

“And sweet potato fries and a bottle of iced tea, but you win. A burger named after ‘the richest geek in America,’ as the restaurant calls him.”

“You will be the richest geek in America after you finish your Ph.D. Program,” Celeste said through a mouthful of fries.

“If M.I.T. doesn’t land me in a psych unit first.”

“You only have this year left to endure. And you will hardly find yourself in need of psychiatric care, Matthew. You are doing stupendously.”

“I’m scraping by.” Matt reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of fries and opened her iced tea.

“You are not ‘scraping by.’ You are assistant teaching classes, excelling in your own, and in all ways performing to standards that exceed even the high ones our mother set for you.” She frowned as he chewed on the fries. “Did you not eat?”

“I did. A Big Papi burger and a Fiscal Cliff. But you can never have enough sweet potato fries.”

“I have a finite amount of my own from which you are stealing. But I shall not complain because this was very kind of you.”

Matt chewed and studied her. “Are you okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No contractions. When you’re stressed out, they disappear.”

“I know. But most days I do not care to use them. If it is an effort, then I do not push.”

“Okay. I get it.” He chewed for a minute. “I heard your presentation went well. Did your friends like it?”

“It went marvelously. My friend Dallas took me aside to share quite the flow of compliments.”

“That’s great, Celeste.” He was downing half her iced tea.

“And then I bitch slapped her.”

Matt choked on the drink and desperately tried to clear his airway. “I’m sorry. You did what?”

She cocked her head. “I bitch slapped her.”

“That... that can’t be right,” he sputtered. “I mean, I hope it’s not.”

“I slapped my hand against her hand. Up in the air.” She looked at Matt blankly. “Is that not the right term?”

“Thank God, no, it’s not. I think you mean a high-five.”

“If you say so. Well, either way, it happened. You know I have trouble with colloquialisms, so I resent your shocked reaction.”

“I do know that about you, and I apologize.”

“Since we are on the subject, there is something else I would like for you to clarify.”

“Shoot.”

“What is meant by ‘nut bag’? Is that a testicular reference or merely the identification of a satchel of cashews or pecans?”

Matt groaned. “This conversation has gotten really weird. Could we just talk about— Wait a minute. Why are you asking me this? Did someone say that to you?” He looked angry.

Celeste picked at her fry. “No. Certainly not. I heard the term and had a natural curiosity.”

“Okay then...” Her brother crumpled up the paper bag and then smoothed it out in his hands. Then crumpled it again. “It’s the same as ‘nuts.’ You know, crazy.”

“Thank you for the definition.” She took the last bite of her burger and wiped her hands on one of the paper napkins. It shouldn’t matter what her classmates thought of her. Celeste would just be strong about this. She would move on.


PURCHASE

 FLAT-OUT LOVE and FLAT-OUT MATT on AMAZON. FLAT-OUT LOVE at B&N.
 
~About the Author~
 
Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook or Twitter

~REVIEW~ Real by Katy Evans

Synopsis

 
A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

ADD TO GOODREADS

~MY REVIEW~

The Plot

Brooke meets Remington at a boxing match. They kiss fall in lust and so Remington hire Brooke as his physical therapist. As the two spend time together the sexual attraction between the two magnifies until they both give in. AS soon as feelings start to arise between the two Brooke has to learn to deal with Remington’s condition, Bipolar Disorder. As she tries to help Remy she also deals with family matters that put her in difficult predicaments.

The Characters

So I only liked Brooke at times. She had to give up her dreams because of an injury but was strong enough to overcome her depression. That made me like her initially. Then when she meets Remy my feelings for her just go down the gutter. All she does is obsess about wanting him and how beautiful and manly he is on every damn page. There were few moments I actually liked her and those were when she was helping Remy when he went “Black”. Because there were only a handful of those I can’t say I liked or connected with her character much.

Now Remy I kind of liked a bit more because of his past and what he was dealing with. I liked the parts where he actually talks and where he shares his feelings with Brooke through music. The times he played songs for her were sweet and adorable. He was an enigma that I wanted to know more about. If the two didn’t spend the whole time wanting to and doing each other I would have liked having more of his story and of him opening up to Brooke and those that loved him. Sadly I won’t suffer through another book even to get the answers I want. 

The Romance

Umm, the romance…I don’t know what to say about it because to me there were few moments of it. The times Remington played music for Brooke, the times he defended her and she took care of him were the only times I saw any semblance of romance. Other than that it was about how they wanted to do each other.

The Wrap-Up

Okay so if this story weren’t’ filled with sex or foreplay on every page I would have liked it much more. I just couldn’t get through the “omg he so lickable” “Omg he is so gorgeous” “omg he’s making me wet”. I just couldn’t take it. It took me two tries to finish this book and by the end I was just happy I got through it. Remy’s background story was what made me continue this book. When it wasn’t all about doing each other the book had promise. Sadly it was ALWAYS about licking, how hot they were for each other and doing each other. So yeah I’m not going to recommend this book but if you want to give it a try I would say it doesn’t hurt. Many friends of mine have loved the book

~REVIEW~ MARKED by Elisabeth Naughton

Synopsis

THERON - Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He's the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life--silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron's duty to bring her in. But even as a 200-year-old descendant of Hercules, he wasn't strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

~MY REVIEW~

The Plot

Never feeling like she fits in, never relating with the people who she encounters, and suffering from a terrible sickness. Those are only half of the problems Casey encounters in her life. Her world changes when she bumps into Theron at her job. Theron is an Argonaut and has a job to do, which includes delivering Casey to the King of Argolea. But the King isn’t the only one that wants Casey and Theron soon learns that protecting her from the daemons after her is much more vital. They are after Casey in order to stop a prophecy from being fulfilled but what Theron and others learn quickly is that there are always secret hidden, even among your kind. What starts off as a mission to bring Casey back to Argolea so that she can fulfill the prophecy changes when he gets to know more about Casey and the world she belongs too.  

The Characters

Casey is a wonderful heroine. I felt bad for her at times because she was bombarded with the truth of who she was and had to accept it quickly. She lived a life where she didn’t feel part of the world and she was lonely throughout it. And throughout it all she doesn’t ever let it bring her down. She is sweet, generous and loving but also fierce and courageous. She also loves books which just makes her perfect. J When she learns that he is a Miso she takes it in stride and is selfless as she makes decisions about her life and others. I admired her throughout the book but was also frustrated because most of the book she was a lovesick puppy. It was always about how delicious, tall, handsome and strong Theron was every time they were together. Her sexual frustration just seeped through every other page.

So Theron, what can I say about him? He was everything an Alpha male would be: tall, handsome, possessive, angry at the world, always craving sex, and protective. He is the leader of the Argonauts and lives his life killing daemons and extracting revenge. In the beginning there is no humanity in him which makes him hard to connect with. As he spends time with Casey little by little you learn to connect with him a bit more. But again like Casey he was filled with lust every other page which has you questioning if that’s all he wants from her. Nevertheless he was a hero throughout the story and had his wonderful moments throughout. The moments where he was weak were the moments you got to see more of the man he is and the leader he is destined to be.

The Romance

The attraction to each other is quick between these two. Throughout the whole entire book they cannot ignore how much they want each other. But what starts off as just a desire quickly becomes much more between them. The moments that they can fight off the desire are few but give you a chance to see the other side of Theron and those are the moments I enjoyed the most. When he isn’t aroused and wanting to devour Casey you get to know much more about his tender side and see how he really does love and care for Casey  as well as his race.

The Wrap Up

This book had two of my favorite things, romance and mythology; I have to say that I was quickly enraptured. I can’t wait to read more of the other Argonauts, specifically Demetrious, Orpheus and Zander. I also can’t wait to read more about Nick and the rest of the Miso’s.  Now I must warn that there are various POVs in this book and some are short and I was worried about that but in the end it helped us understand the whole story. I've order the next two books in the series and cannot wait to start them! So yes, pick this up and read it!

Happy Reading!

Favorite Quotes:

“Those are my people. That girl is one of my race. So don’t you dare tell me this is none of my business.”
" Never question your ability or what destiny has called you to do. This is your Star Wars moment, my son. Stand up and do what you were meant to do.”

~REVIEW~ Fighting for Infinity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Synopsis

Every moment, every lifetime, every decision—including her choice to erase—has led Maryah to this.

Two outcomes are possible: an infinite happy-ever-after with her kindrily or the final severing of her relationship with Nathan.

Closer to the enemy than ever before, Maryah unravels the diabolical plan that Dedrick has been manipulating into place for centuries. Revelations, secrets, and lies surface faster than Maryah can process. She doesn’t know who to trust, what to believe, or how to save her loved ones from the desolate future Dedrick is so close to executing.

Guided by an enigmatic raven-haired prisoner, Maryah fights body and soul to save Nathan, her kindrily, and countless others. But is her love strong enough to alter a prophecy written in the stars?

ADD TO GOODREADS

~MY REVIEW~

The Plot

Being the final book in the series FFI wraps up Maryah and Nathans story in a wonderful way. This book will answer all of our brewing questions and will have you at the edge of your seat. Throughout book 1 and 2 Maryah has wanted to remember and to know why she erased and in this final book we finally get the answer. An answer I did not see coming! While there are many sweet parts in this book some of it is utterly revolting. Dedrick is on a mission and during that mission he stops at NOTHING to get what he wants.

The Characters

So Maryah frustrated me a bit in this. Throughout the book I wanted her to actually listen to what people were saying but NO she just freaks out all the time. She feels hopeless and helpless throughout most of the book and that was frustrating to see, seeing as how powerful she was in her past lives. Her Kindrily held her hand so much that she became despondent on them. The only time that begins to change is when she meets Rina. Nevertheless, it was a journey seeing her find herself and I did like how her resolve to learn and try lead her to finally finding herself.

So Nathan on the other hand was his regular sweetheart. He has been through so much heartache after losing his “twin flame” that throughout the book you want him to finally get his HEA. But that doesn’t come without consequences and barriers. He has to learn to have faith in Maryah the same way he had in Mary and it’s something he struggles with because of his need to protect Maryah. He learns to not be the leader all the time and in some way learns to have more faith in those around him.

Now this book would not be a perfect without the Kindrily. All sixteen members are just as amazing in this as they were in the previous books. We see more of Krista and Carson’s new relationship as well as catch up with Harmony and Gregory after their reunion. We also meet new members of the Kindrily that will have you smiling from ear to ear; some who you expect and one in particular that will have you squealing with joy. I can’t say more without giving it away so you will have to read and find out! :)

The Romance

I have to admit that in Taking Back Forever I felt like we didn’t get a lot of Maryah and Nathan, at least not enough for my liking. In FFI there was the love and really romantic ending but because Maryah is on a different journey this time she and Nathan aren’t together a lot during the book. The times they are, is spent discussing plans to get rid of Dedrick as well as save their loved one. Don’t get me wrong though the “new” relationship between both characters is still growing and we get to see Nathan try to help her remember as well as come to love and have faith in Maryah and Mary as one person.

The Wrap-Up

Although I was frustrated with Maryah a lot throughout this book and some parts lagged a little I wouldn’t not read it again! There are so many things we learn and some AMAZING characters in this series that I really just want more! I want more of Krista and Carson’s relationship but mostly more of Rina and Dakota. So here’s my plea Karen for more Rina and Dakota!! :)

Happy Reading!! 

Favorite Quotes:

"You never have, nor will you ever burn out. You are the light of all my lives. Then, now, and eternally."

"People they come together. People they fall apart. No one can stop us now "Cause area all made of stars."