blogtours – Page 40 – Sincerely Karen Jo

HavenTour

Happy Friday everyone! Welcome to my stop for the Haven Blog Tour hosted by Chapter by Chapter. I absolutely love this spellbinding YA paranormal romance and can’t recommend it enough. I hope you enjoy reading my review and don’t forget to stay until the end for an awesome giveaway!

havenmarylindsey

5 ★ – A DELICIOUSLY DARK, SEXY, AND HEART-POUNDING TALE

PUBLISHED BY ENTANGLED PUBLISHING NOVEMBER 7, 2017

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, ROMANCE, PARANORMAL, FANTASY

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Synopsis

Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere, He’s used to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, and he’s fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.

Freddie isn’t like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he’d better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain’s never been good at running from trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for.

Review

I’m utterly and positively smitten with this book. Haven by Mary Lindsey is such an incredibly unique, oddly intriguing, and suspenseful tale that had me reeling and holding my breath the entire time.

“We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed.”

Rain Ryland has lived a very troubled life and never felt like he belonged. That is until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart (Freddie). Immediately, Rain finds himself undeniable attracted to Freddie. Even with a murder mystery to solve and a killer on the loose who wants Freddie dead, Rain just can’t seem to stay away. As the darkness unfolds before his eyes, Rain must decide what’s he’s willing to do to protect everyone he loves.

Haven is wickedly awesome in every way. Chapter after chapter, this book pulled me in deep until I was beautifully drowning in its eerily, but enthralling supernatural world. The plot is fast-paced, gripping, and full of twists that had me on edge. The mystery, tension, drama, and dangers lurking in every corner kept me turning the pages. The family dynamics, friendships, and tender moments between the characters give the story its heart and a sense of realness. The romance, while not the focal point, is sweet and achingly swoontastic! And the writing — absolutely phenomenal and so captivating that I found it impossible to put the book down. I truly enjoyed reading Haven and if I didn’t have work or errands to do, I’m certain that I would have devoured this in a day.

Rain and Freddie are ridiculously adorable — their chemistry is electrifying and had me smiling and swooning. The side characters, like Petra, Merrick and Ruby, are pretty great and delightful. Actually, I like all the characters to some extent — even the ones that are menacing and downright evil. The author does such a terrific job creating characters that are brilliantly mysterious, positively intriguing, and flawed in the best possible way. They have their own dark secrets, heartbreaking pasts, inner turmoil, and insecurities. With complicated relationships, vile manipulations, and endless lies, the characters surely kept me on my toes and surprised me plenty of times. Even though it was extremely frustrating, I honestly loved never knowing for sure who to trust and not to trust — just made reading Haven so much more exciting and interesting.

I seriously love this book so much that I definitely would not mind reading a sequel or two! It’s deliciously dark, sexy, and heart-pounding. The plot is filled with intrigue, mystery, suspense, and a steamy romance that will give you all the feels. With a badass, sassy, and beautiful heroine like Freddie, a handsome, tough, and brave hero with a gentle heart like Rain, and a wonderfully spellbinding story that’s hard to forget, Haven gave me the most amazing spine-tingling thrills and chills.

If you’re looking for a unique, gritty and tension-filled YA paranormal romance that will leave you wanting more, then this book is perfect for you.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Mary Lindsey is a multi award-winning, RITA® nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on an island in the middle of a river. Seriously, she does. When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, two Cairn Terriers, and one husband. Inexplicably, her favorite animal is the giant anteater and at one point, she had over 200 “pet” Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The roaches are a long story involving three science-crazed kids and a soft spot for rescue animals. The good news is, the “pet” roaches found a home… somewhere else.

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Giveaway

Swag box including books (not Haven) and fun stuff.* (A $15 Amazon gift card will be substituted in place of the prize pack if the winner is international)

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Thanks for reading lovelies. Hope you have a great weekend!

Sincerely Karen Jo

OffSettingPenaltiesTour

Hello everyone and welcome to my stop for the Offsetting Penalties Blog Tour. This book is absolutely charming and adorable. Hope you enjoy reading my review and don’t forget to leave a comment down below.

offsetting

4.5 ★ – IRRESISTIBLY CHARMING

PUBLISHED BY ENTANGLED TEEN (CRUSH) NOVEMBER 6, 2017

GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY

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Synopsis

Isabelle Oster has dreamed of being a prima ballerina her entire life, so when the only male dancer backs out of the fall production, she’s devastated. Without a partner, she has no hope of earning a spot with the prestigious Ballet Americana company. Until hot jock Garret practicing stretches in one of the studios gives Izzy an idea, and she whips out her phone. But does she really want this badly enough to resort to blackmail?

All-state tight end Garret Mitchell will do anything to get a college football scholarship. Even taking ballet, which surprisingly isn’t so bad, because it means he gets to be up close and personal with the gorgeous Goth girl Izzy while learning moves to increase his flexibility. But Izzy needs him to perform with her for the Ballet Americana spot, and he draws the line at getting on stage. Especially wearing tights.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a bit of blackmail, a lot of sarcasm, and an ending guaranteed to melt your heart.

Review

When I first read the premise for this book, I just knew that I would love it. With a handsome football player learning ballet from the beautiful goth girl who blackmailed him, Offsetting Penalties by Ally Mathews had me completely and undeniably intrigued. I couldn’t wait to start and when I did, there was no turning back… I’d fallen in LOVE.

This book is an absolute delight and I truly adored every moment. The writing was fantastic and easy to read. The storyline was fast paced, funny, and charming in every way. I thought the characters were just wonderful and I enjoyed getting to know them. The romance was just so swoony and cute and obviously my favorite part. Izzy and Garret just made my heart so happy that I could not stop myself from smiling. Guess that’s why I finished this beauty in less than 24 hours.

I loved Izzy and Garret and shipped them from the very beginning. Not only were they cute together, but they were such strong and talented individuals. While Izzy and Garret both had their insecurities, problems, and vulnerabilities, they also excelled in what they loved to do. I admired that they were passionate about achieving their goals and bettering their futures. Even when dealing with complications in their relationship, I loved that Izzy and Garret never gave up.

Romance is my ultimate weakness and I’ve always enjoyed opposites attract stories. The ones where two unlikely people meet, banter constantly but work amazingly well together, and inevitably fall in love. Izzy and Garret’s story was positively endearing and made the sweetest touchdown in my heart. I loved their chemistry from the moment they met and enjoyed watching their friendship develop into something more. From ballet lessons, to football games, to fake dating and to sexy kisses, Izzy and Garret gave me some of the BEST FEELS! Don’t even get me started on the ending…While I did kind of predict what would happen, I still thought it was so cute and lovely and just the perfect conclusion to a beautiful teen romance. Swooooooon!!!

Offsetting Penalties is irresistibly charming, fun, and heartwarming. Through all the playful bantering and the cute flirty moments, this book easily stole a piece of my heart. If you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance with humor and adorable characters, then I highly recommend this book.

About the Author

Ally lives in Texas with three kids, four dogs, two cats, a rabbit, assorted reptiles, and her husband. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, binge watching Psych, Scream, Younger, and superhero movies, and letting dogs in and out of the house. She loves to cook but hates to clean up afterwards, and strongly believes that Disney World is truly magical. You can find Ally on her website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, though she makes no claims of using any of them properly.

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Tour Schedule

Giveaway – Offsetting Penalties Prize Pack + $5 Amazon Gift Card (US)

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