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Monday, October 7, 2013

Finding It Review Tour!

Cora Carmack has become a go to author for me.  Her books are so easy to fall into and her characters are so relatable, which in my opinion is why she is so well loved and her books so popular.  To land a spot on the review tour for FINDING IT is insane because Cora Carmack's books are HUGE.  Seriously, they're sold in Target.  I know since that's where I bought FAKING IT and will be buying my signed copy of FINDING IT on the 15th.   I also have to note that while I have had many great experiences meeting authors, my experience meeting Cora Carmack (both times) is one of my best and treasured experiences.  I'll post photographic evidence of our meeting at the end of this post, just for you who doubt me. ;)

Anywho, the reason you're here.  FINDING IT.  Aaaah the Jackson Hunt Swoons!!! Here's the cover and synopsis to refresh your memory.








Synopsis:
Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong...

Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life . . . or that's what she keeps telling herself.

It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson. 

 TBR: 10/15/13


Review:  Oh man guys, I didn't want FINDING IT to end.  I kept looking down to see how much I'd read, and every time I saw that percentage increase, my heart sank.  I did not want to story to be over.  If I could have stayed in Europe with Kelsey for eternity I would be one happy camper.  Well... maybe not completely because then I would be super jealous that she has Jackson Hunt. 

To catch you up, Kelsey is Bliss's best friend from LOSING IT.  We find her in Eastern Europe touring bars, making out with random strangers, staying in hostels, living the life of a wanderer, which totally made my need to backpack through Europe that much more urgent.  I think that in FINDING IT Cora Carmack really outdid herself.  While I loved what's come before these books, I LOVED Kelsey's story.  Having just graduated college myself, I completely identified with not knowing what I really want to do with my life, and just kind of going with the flow for right now.  Plus, the way I've imagined backpacking through Europe includes lots of pubs, parties, and new people; all of which Kelsey comes into contact with. 

Speaking of new people, enter Jackson Hunt, or as I love to refer to him, "Soldier Smolder."  His introduction was both swoon worthy and comedic which is something that I have always appreciated about Cora Carmack's writing.  She never takes the idea of a hot guy too seriously, and instead she describes them like you would sitting down with your girlfriends over coffee.  I think if there were a vision of my perfect "dream guy" Jackson Hunt would be it.  He's macho, considerate, respectful, and hawt.  Plus, he definitely pulled the knight in shining armor card at one point in the book.  Definitely a win. 

 I was honestly surprised at how much time Kelsey and Jackson spent together in the book.  Cora Carmack gave us some solid couple building time, and when the plot thickens, (and boy does it) my heart was breaking.  But, taking a deep breath, I soldiered on and found resolution, and oh the feels.  Cora Carmack why must you make me feel so much.  I go through every emotion in the spectrum during one of your books, and this one I felt everything times 100.  I don't know if it was because of how much I loved the characters, or just because the setting out of all of the LOSING IT books was my favorite, but Cora Carmack really shines in FINDING IT... In my humble opinion. 

 Plot-wise I felt there were some throwbacks to stories that are out in popular culture, but with true Carmack skill, FINDING IT manages to carve out its own niche and be original.  Even though I felt like I knew what direction the plot was taking early on, that did not detract from my enjoyment or love of it.  Plus, I felt that the plot resolution at the end of FINDING IT is just fantastic.  I don't want to spoil anything, but I love character growth, and that is something that is definitely accomplished by the end of the book.
Needless to say, FINDING IT is a total winner for me.  I love Cora Carmack's humor and the way she writes characters that you can find so relatable. If you're a fan of the LOSING IT series, Cora's got something different for you this time, but it is so fantastic and a very great ending to the series.  Well... almost ending, since we're getting a Jackson Hunt novella. *Cue Squees of Excitement*   If you haven't read Cora Carmack's books yet, get on it.  Seriously.  This series is one of those series that I just plain enjoyed reading.  It has funny, serious, hot, and heart melting moments.  In other words: I LOVED FINDING IT! 


5/5 OH YEAH I LOVED IT

Amazon








About Cora Carmack:
Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.
Links:






Photographic Proof I have met Cora Carmack!  Here's us in Vegas at Naughty Mafia! 



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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Switch Blog Tour




Shelby Brignac has gotten herself into some trouble. From her awful taste in men to her poor choices, she just can’t catch a break. After stupidly helping her boyfriend with his loan sharking business, Shelby has decided she wants out. It’s just too dangerous for a waitress, in her opinion. But just when she thinks she’s free of the headache, she’s offered up one last job– one last job she can’t refuse: retrieve a precious antique gem and she’ll get her best friend back alive.

Hiding out in New Orleans’ French Quarter with the rare purple diamond in tow, Shelby thinks she has no way out of the seemingly hopeless situation– that is until Chase Guilliot, an off-duty cop intervenes, saving her life. Too bad for Chase that the gunman who’s hot on his tail doesn’t care if one of his targets carries a badge– he just wants Shelby’s head and that diamond back. And he’s not above killing a cop to get it.

On the run with a hot rare diamond and a beautiful hot-headed woman, Chase’s oath to serve and protect is pushed to the limits. Unsure if he can trust the one person he wants to more than anything, Chase swears he’ll get both he and Shelby out of this mess alive, but then he’s done with her for good– or is he?

THE SWITCH is a thrilling contemporary romance that likes to live on both sides of the law.

 Review:
So let me preface this review by saying, I was so excited about this book.  I love books that have these high stakes kind of plots, with lots of drama and suspense.  It's my not so guilty pleasure if you will.  

 What I think JC Emery really exceeds at is creating a fantastic heart pumping setting that really captures the heart pounding energy that comes with being chased by bad guys with guns, and being on the run from said bad guys. 

 I also really liked the way that Shelby meets Chase.  Him coming to her aid gives him a realness of character, that reinforces his "good guy" persona.  I also like that Chase analyzes Shelby, and while he's attracted to her, he listens to his instincts about her to get her to reveal the reasons as to why she's being hunted. 

 Now, there's a ton that JC Emery really does right in THE SWITCH.  But, there was something that really tripped me up: The romance.  So, I usually am not a big fan of insta-love, and while that does happen in THE SWITCH, that didn't even bug me very much, and here's my reasoning.  In tense and scary situations, you cling to the person who's nearest to you.  That was Chase for Shelby, and ultimately Shelby for Chase.  What I didn't like about their romance was how it felt cheapened by the first time they sleep together.  

 Now, before you throw tomatoes at me, let me explain my thought process on this.  I think love scenes are great.  They can enhance a book in so many different ways and ultimately make the reader feel stronger about the characters and their relationship.  I so wanted that for Chase and Shelby, but the way the scene happened felt random and not special.  Here's these two people that are becoming so close in this short amount of time, and are obviously becoming more attracted to each other, but she wants to sleep with Chase because she wants acceptance from him, and he wants to sleep with her because she's hot.  I see where the intent of the scene was supposed to go, but the set up for it just fell way flat for me. 

 With that said, I really did like the rest of the story.  Reiterating what I said earlier in this post, I think JC Emory does a great job at creating a high energy and action book that keeps you interested and reading.  I also really like the fact that Shelby is really not the snow white, perfect heroine that is so prevalent in many of the books available today.  

 THE SWITCH is a really fun ride, and I would recommend it to suspense lovers.  If you are not a fan of insta-love I would say that this one you might like, as I abhor love at first sight stories, but this one didn't bug me in the slightest. Definitely check out JC Emery's Men With Badges Series if you're someone who loves lots of action, guns, and gangsters!

 Happy Reading! 

3/5 Oh Yeah I liked it!


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As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.








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