REVIEW: WAKING UP MARRIED by Mira Lyn Kelly

Title: Waking Up Married

Author: Mira Lyn Kelly

Publisher: Harlequin KISS

Publication Date: December 1, 2012

Genre: Romance

Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow

Source: Kindle Freebie

My rating: 4/5

SUMMARY

Her first thought: "Who are you?"

It's the morning after her cousin's bachelorette party in Vegas and Megan Scott wakes up with the mother of all hangovers. Even worse, she's in a stranger's penthouse having woken up with something else as well - a funny, arrogant, sexy...husband!

Up until now, finding even a boyfriend had seemed impossible - been there, got the broken heart, sworn off men for good. Then a few martinis with Carter...no, Connor Reed and she's gone from first meet to marriage in one night!

Megan wants a lawyer. But Connor's shocking bombshell?

"I don't want a divorce."

REVIEW

If you’ve been following my reviews, you’re probably thinking why, for the love of all that is good and holy, did I pick a romance from Harlequin Romance when I’m always carrying on about how much I dislike romance in books. Please allow me to be clearer on the type of romance I hate in books: the insta love and love triangles. Those are the two elements in romance I can’t stand. And even though I’m not a true blue romantic at heart, I do – believe it or not – have a romantic bone or two in my body. There was actually a time in my life, many, many moons ago, when I devoured one paperback romance after the other...and loved it! I’m not talking steamy romance, just swoony, googly-eyed cotton candy fluff.

With that in mind, here are my thoughts on this lovely gem from Harlequin. Firstly, it does have a few raunchy scenes, but it was done tastefully and nothing too explicit. It doesn’t come anywhere near erotica (which I DON’T read). The actual hook for me, and the reason for picking up this book, was the gorgeous cover (of course!), but mostly it was the title that got me curious. I just had to know how the heck it was possible for two people to wake up married, with one of them not even recalling they got married in the wee hours of the morning. In all honesty, it sounded like it was going to be a fun, lighthearted read, which it was, but with a more serious undertone than I expected. This is really a novel about character growth and two damaged individuals being thrown together having to learn to let go of the past and learn to trust and love (yes, Tina Turner, love’s got everything to do with it).  

I loved both the main characters. Maybe I liked Connor a little bit more than Megan, but that can most likely be attributed to the fact that most of the story is told from Connor’s point of view. Nonetheless, Megan also makes the reader privy to her thoughts and feelings, and we get a deeper understanding as to why she’s willing to tackle parenting as a single mother. I’d probably have felt the same if my mother got married seven times and I got a new stepdad every couple of years. Megan’s character is a little Mary Sue-ish, but not overtly so. She’s described as a brainiac beauty, confident, modest, independent to an extreme, kind, smart, and funny. 

She was a self-proclaimed recovering romantic. A woman who believed in love but had discovered through a lifetime of experience the heights of that particular romantic elevation to be beyond her reach. And she’d accepted it, wasn’t interested in the futility of an unattainable pursuit.

Connor was the real surprise, though. Probably because I imagined Colin Firth in this role (I don’t know why, it just felt like a role Mr Firth would portray perfectly). Connor is motivated, dependable, level-headed, goal-driven and unafraid of confrontation or hard work. Who wouldn’t want to fall in love with a man who has his priorities straight? But oh, wait, Connor doesn’t want love and he doesn’t want to be in love. Due to his traumatized childhood, he has endured several failed relationships and thus has become a jilted man. Sad, but true. Both Megan and Connor not wanting the commitments and strings that goes with loving someone, how will they ever make this quickie Vegas marriage work? That was the question that kept me reading right through to the end.

And once Connor had teased that trust from the tight hold of her fist...handing it over had been incredible. A heady, addictive thing. A release she’d never allowed herself to truly experience before.

And she felt...free.

Safe.

As if maybe fairy tales came in varieties she hadn’t known existed. And this one was hers.

What I appreciated most from this author is that she didn’t expect me as the reader to fall in love with her characters based on how good looking they are. Yes, Connor has a solid build, and Megan is sexy as heck with her deep blue eyes, but all of this were just a mere mention in the background to give the reader an idea of what the author envisions as her characters’ physical attributes. The bigger focus was heavily placed on what these two were made of, and that on its own brought a certain depth to the story.

Waking Up Married, as you can imagine, has its fair share of sidesplitting moments. Traditionally, people get to know each other more than half a day in advance before taking the proverbial plunge. Of course, Megan and Connor isn’t your traditional couple and so they had to learn to live with each others’ quirks AFTER they got married. Yep, lots of laughter ensued. I loved peeling back the layers on both these multifaceted characters to get a glimpse of what makes them tick.

All in all, this was a terrific read. The only thing I can complain about is that every other sentence started with “Only,...”. I started counting it after awhile, but lost count near the end. It was something I picked up on, but it didn’t dampen my enjoyment of Connor’s pursuit in convincing Megan why this is a marriage worth staying in. I also enjoyed Ms Kelly’s way with words and how she turned it into a story sheer in emotion. I’d recommend Waking Up Married to anyone whose heart beats faster at the mention of the words “sweet romance”. I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.

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Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly has 1 287 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.

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ABOUT the AUTHOR

USA Today bestselling author Mira Lyn Kelly grew up in the Chicago area and earned her degree in Fine Arts from Loyola University. She met the love of her life while studying abroad in Rome, Italy, only to discover he’d been living right around the corner from her for the previous two years. Having spent her twenties working and playing in the Windy City, she’s now settled with her husband in rural Minnesota where their four beautiful children provide an excess of action, adventure, and entertainment. 

With writing as her passion and inspiration striking at the darnedest times, Mira can always be found with a notebook at the ready. (More than once she’s been caught by the neighbors, covered in grass clippings, scribbling away atop the compost container!) 

When she isn’t reading, writing, or running to keep up with the kids, she loves watching movies, blabbing with the girls, and cooking with her husband and friends.

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BOOK BLAST & GIVEAWAY: SPELL FIRE by Ariella Moon

Spell Fire, The Teen Wytche Saga #3
by Ariella Moon

Summary

New school. New friends. New reputation. High school sophomore Ainslie Avalon-Bennett works hard to hide her Crazy Girl past. But as long as her best friend’s disappearance remains unsolved, she can’t shake the depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder that once landed her in a mental ward. 

Ainslie’s tenuous control over her life shatters when her warring parents ditch her at Christmas. While they take a cruise to “work things out,” Ainslie must spend the holiday in Palm Springs with her aunt and uncle, owners of a struggling Mystery School and occult store. Plunged into the world of fire fortunes, dragons, entity eaters, and an ailing spell book, Ainslie is well beyond her comfort zone. Then she meets a boy who spikes her pulse and calms her OCD. But will she lose him once he discovers her past? Or will his deadly secret, hidden in plain view, be their undoing?




Author Ariella Moon

Ariella Moon writes about magic, friendship, secrets, and love in her Young Adult novels, Spell Check, Spell Struck, and Spell Fire, Books 1, 2, & 3 in The Teen Wytche Saga. Ariella spent her childhood searching for a magical wardrobe that would transport her to Narnia. Extreme math anxiety, and taller students who mistook her for a leaning post, marred Ariella’s teen years. Despite these horrors, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Davis. An author and shaman, she now lives a nearly normal life with her extraordinary daughter, shamelessly spoiled dog, and an enormous dragon. 


Spell Fire Excerpt

My body elongated, and I swore I grew six inches. Inside the cafe, there was no line. Another miracle. I paused beneath the fern painted ceiling fan and scanned the wall menu. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but a weird craving fueled my search.

The dragon exerted pressure between my shoulder blades, prompting me. "A Scorpion's Nest smoothie."

Morningstar leaned over the high counter and gave me a once‐over. "You feeling okay?"

I licked my lips. "Absolutely." I had never tasted an orange juice, vanilla ice cream, and peanut butter combo, but I slapped the countertop and said, "I'm fine. Hit me."

Morningstar tilted her head to one side and studied me.

Oh — crap. Maybe I'm dragon drunk.

I wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth stood straighter. I could do this. I could act normal and in control. Behind me, the dragon blew on my hair. I clawed back the stray locks. "Strong ceiling fan."

Morningstar glanced up. I held my gaze steady on her face and tried to remember if the fan was actually on. I couldn't hear the whir of its motor or feel the stir of cool air. I can't feel anything. I went for distraction and slipped a ten across the counter.

Morningstar leveled her gaze, then handed me my change. "I'll bring the smoothie to your table."

"Cool." My eyes crossed. I pivoted and fell out of my right flip‐ flop. Fortunately, the place was almost empty, and I didn't think anyone saw me stumble. Still, my face heated as I chose a table with plenty of space behind it for the dragon and my invisible wings.

"Mind if I join you for a minute?" Morningstar asked when she brought my drink.

"Please." I giggled, giddy with dragon energy. I was a bright, beneficent angel among earthlings. I was — as crazy as my parents feared.

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Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/20/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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REVIEW: MY DATE FROM HELL (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2) by Tellulah Darling

Title: My Date from Hell

Series: The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2

Author: Tellulah Darling

Publisher: Te Da Media

Publication Date: October 31, 2013

Genres: YA, Fantasy

Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow

Source: Received from author for review

My rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

Sophie Bloom’s junior year has been a bit of a train wreck. After the world’s greatest kiss re-awakened Sophie’s true identity as Persephone (Goddess of Spring and Savior of Humanity), she fought her dragon-lady guidance counselor to the death, navigated mean girl Bethany’s bitchy troublemaking, and dealt with the betrayal of her backstabbing ex, Kai (sexy Prince of Darkness). You’d think a girl could catch a break.

Yeah, right.

With Zeus stepping things up, it’s vital that Sophie retrieve Persephone’s memories and discover the location of the ritual to stop Zeus and Hades. So when Aphrodite strikes a deal that can unlock Sophie’s pre-mortal past, what choice does the teen goddess have but to accept?

The mission: stop media mogul Hermes from turning Bethany into a global mega-celebrity. The catch? Aphrodite partners Sophie and Kai to work together … and treat this suicide mission as a date. Which could work out for Sophie’s plan to force Kai to admit his feelings for her–if she doesn’t kill him first.

Add to that the fact that BFF Theo’s love life and other BFF Hannah’s actual life are in Sophie’s hands, and suddenly being a teenager—even a godlike one—seems a bit like … well, hell. Whatever happened to dinner and a movie?

The YA romantic comedy/Greek mythology fireworks continue to fly inMy Date From Hell. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book two of this teen fantasy romance series. Breaking up is easy; dating is deadly.

REVIEW

I was so excited to start reading the sequel to My Ex from Hell, it was totally worth the wait! I had no idea how Tellulah Darling was going to improve on the first book, but boy oh boy, she surprised me to no end. From the get go, with a recap of the previous book aptly titled The Cheat Sheet to my Life Thus Far, laughs abound in this fantasy adventure novel.

If you’ve enjoyed the first book, you’ll love My Date from Hell. That I can assure you. The plot moves at an incredible pace and the story hardly allows the reader time to take a deep enough breath before plunging into the next action sequence. The romance between Sophie and Kai heats up, and if that’s a plus point for me (who isn’t one for romance in books), then it should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. The lighthearted tone throughout this novel adds to the enjoyment thereof and keeps the story flowing. But of course, the real star of the show is our lovely protagonist, Sophie, who is the personification of brave and witty. I absolutely adore her character. And as much as she shines in her role as innocent-bystander-thrust-into-the-middle-of-a-supernatural-war, many secondary characters – especially Sophie’s friends – help make this book a hit.  

As per what I’ve grown accustomed to in My Ex from Hell, this sequel sure doesn’t disappoint. The writing is clever and concise, the dialogue is natural, and the characterization for each character is realistic and believable. Tellulah Darling sets the bar high for the next book in this series and I’m even more excited than I was before to read more from this author. I’d recommend My Date from Hell to anyone looking for a read that would make them laugh, take them on a mindboggling fantasy adventure and leave them feeling as good as when coming off an adrenaline-pumping theme-park ride. Just in case I wasn’t clear enough before, I’m saying you should get the first book and this one and add both to your to-read list asap!

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My Date from Hell by Tellulah Darling has 43 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.

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ABOUT the AUTHOR

Tellulah Darling
noun

1) YA novelist
2) Alter ego of former screenwriter and instructor
3) Sassy minx

Geeks out over: cool tech.
Squees for: great storytelling.
Delights in: fabulous conversation.
Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.

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GUEST REVIEW: UNSEELIE TIES (Hayle Coven, #14) by Patti Larsen

Title: Unseelie Ties

Series: Hayle Coven, #14

Author: Patti Larsen

Publisher: Self-published

Publication Date: February 24, 2013

Genres: YA, Paranormal

Reviewed by: Ellen Fritz

Source: Received from author for review

Ellen’s rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

Second year of witch college has been a little boring for Syd so far. She suddenly wishes she could go back to her boredom when the Unseelie Lord Venemeth appears, a guest lecturer at Harvard. Despite all her warnings to her mother and the board of governors about him, Venner is given free rein. But what his handlers don’t understand is he’s not working alone—and his partner has her own plans for the Sidhe realm that have nothing to do with him going home...

REVIEW

Yet again a Hayle Coven novel - Unseelie Ties this time – that kept me reading long into the night. Syd's boredom with her second-year classes is transformed into another life threatening adventure when the Unseelie Lord Venemeth, Liam's mother, Sonja O'Dane and Syd's old nemesis, Ms. Spaft, surface and once more upset the peace of Syd and her friends. With Liam gravely ill, several souls in peril and, most likely, an even bigger nemesis behind it all, Syd must venture into another realm in order to save her loved ones.

It is so refreshing to find a brand new adventure in a so far unexplored world in every new Hayle Coven novel. While the author keeps the key characters in place, she constantly introduces new characters to broaden the Hayle universe. The regular characters however, undergo notable growth as the series progresses.

From a girl who wanted nothing to do with magic at the age of fifteen, Syd has grown into a young woman who embraces her power and uses it for good. Unfortunately, with powerful vampire, demon and sidhe souls co-habiting with her own, she is the target of power hungry individuals like Ameline and numerous others. Add to this that she qualifies as one of the magi and that Ameline Benoit, for one, is determined to become magi, Syd has much to protect. Unfortunately her friends and family often get caught in the cross fire.

Apart from these constant threats and dangerous situations, Syd still has a coven to lead and the issue of coven second to resolve. Despite all this seriousness, life threatening situations, imminent sidhe battles and romantic issues there is still much to laugh about. Syd's inner dialogue and quirky personality kept me smiling and the lively, witty dialogue in this book often had me laughing out loud.

I would advise that readers get the previous books in the Hayle Coven series before reading Unseelie Ties. I happily give this page-turner five stars and declare it an absolute must-read.

PURCHASE LINKS

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ABOUT the AUTHOR

My official bio reads like this: Patti Larsen is an award-winning middle grade and young adult author with a passion for the paranormal. But that sounds so freaking formal, doesn't it? I'm a storyteller who hears teenager's voices so loud I have to write them down. I love sports even though they don't love me. I've dabbled in everything from improv theater to film making and writing TV shows, singing in an all girl band to running my own hair salon.

But always, always, writing books calls me home.

I've had my sights set on world literary domination for a while now. Which means getting my books out there, to you, my darling readers. It's the coolest thing ever, this job of mine, being able to tell stories I love, only to see them all shiny and happy in your hands... thank you for reading.

As for the rest of it, I'm short (permanent), slightly round (changeable) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can't seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my very patient husband and four massive cats.

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REVIEW: UNCHOSEN (The Reaper Diaries, #2) by Michele Vail

Title: Unchosen

Series: The Reaper Diaries, #2

Author: Michele Vail

Publisher: A Freeman Publication

Publication Date: October 29, 2013

Genres: YA, Paranormal, Mythology

Reviewed by: Books4Tomorrow

Source: Received for review

My rating: 5/5

SUMMARY

I thought the worst of my reaper training was behind me… turns out I was wrong. Dead wrong. 

Molly Bartolucci has done a lot of growing up but after being accused of using illegal magic at her school for necromancers, reaper-in-training Molly is treading lightly. As the destined leader of Anubis’s Chosen, she needs to study hard, train harder, and stay out of trouble. 

Uh, right. 

It doesn’t help that she’s feeling more than academic about her melt-your-bones hot reaping instructor, Rath. And if her relationship drama isn’t enough to drive her over the edge, she has to deal with mother issues, nosy little sisters, suspicious friends, and an unnamed force stalking her at school. 

Then her family is attacked, and her bio-dad ends up comatose in the hospital. Now, Molly has to uncover who’s trying to hurt her loved ones—and all without the help of Anubis.

REVIEW

This book was absolutely amazing! I loved the first book and was afraid the second book might not live up to the awesomeness of its predecessor. Turns out I had nothing to worry about.

As with Undeadly, the sequel is full of mystery, laughs, and surprises. The more I discover about Molly and her abilities, the more I want to know about her and her mysterious family. I love that this book is something refreshing and new in the paranormal genre in that it’s about necromancy. Can you imagine a more captivating story than one that has zombies, ghosts, reapers, necromancers, and Egyptian mythology all rolled into one? Unchosen gives new meaning to the term “spellbinding”!

I can’t tell you much more about this magnificent read without including spoilers. But this is definitely one series I’ll be reading until the end. Just a pity I have to wait so long for the next instalment! I loved the characters and easily lost myself in Molly’s world. The writing is engaging and once or twice I even had to wipe away a tear.

I recommend this series to all fans of the paranormal genre. Michele Vail has created something new and unique, and if you haven’t read the first book yet, no worries, Unchosen can be read as a stand-alone.

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Unchosen by Michele Vail has 23 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.

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ABOUT the AUTHOR

Michele Vail writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers. 

She likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, in the impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate. 

Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking and their family.

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A GIFT FOR YOU FOR PRE-ORDERING: RACING SAVANNAH by Miranda Kenneally

Sourcebooks has put together a fun campaign to thank readers for pre-ordering Racing Savannah by author Miranda Kenneally. Send them your proof of pre-order and they’ll send you a fabulous horseshoe key chain! You have until December 2 or until quantities run out to get your hands on this beaut. This is for U.S. and Canada residents only.

Book Summary from Sourcebooks:

Right before her senior year, Savannah’s father whisks the family off to Tennessee to work as head groom at fancy Cedar Hill Farms. Savannah finally sees it as the perfect opportunity to earn extra money as an exercise rider—no matter how many others don’t want a girl around the barn.  But she’s also caught the eye of Jack Goodwin, the owner’s son. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries. With her dream of becoming a jockey, Savannah is not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack.

Here’s how to get your charm:

1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com. Put “Racing Savannah Pre-Order” in the subject line. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the horseshoe key chain! If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out.

4. Enjoy Racing Savannah when it comes out in December!

Optional: take a pic of you and your horseshoe key chain and share it with Miranda Kenneally or Sourcebooks Fire on Twitter! You can find Miranda @mirandakennealyand Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire.

BLOG TOUR: EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: RECKLESS by Danielle Weiler

Tour Schedule

Title: Reckless

Author: Danielle Weiler

Publisher: Ranga Books

Publication Date: August 9, 2013

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Tour Hosted by: Xpresso Book Tours

SUMMARY

Milly Benton wants it all to go away. Wants to flip the bird to the nightmares and her parent’s grief and the incessant questions about when she’s going to make something of herself.

But when her parents exile her to the country, Milly has to cope with her annoyingly helpful aunt and three cousins instead. Bitter at the hand she’s been dealt, Milly has stopped dreaming of a future. 

In steps Jerome with his tormented blue eyes. Familiar from her childhood and as broken as she. They need each other. But how can they forget?

EXCERPT

The day before Aunt Charmaine was due to visit, Pierre arrived. I couldn’t shake off a feeling of dread. What if I didn’t like him? He came all this way to see me, only me ...


Driving to the bus stop that afternoon, my hands shook.

What if he was, like, forty years old, seedy and hairy? What if Ava laughed at me ’cos I got fooled? As I turned into the pick up area, I was instantly relieved. I recognised Pierre straight away. He was the only one left. I slowly got out of my car and walked towards him, feeling coy. At the same time, I wished I could back away and go back to my normal life of no commitments. But I wasn’t committing myself, was I? I could walk away from this whenever I wanted, right?

‘Milly,’ he said as we closed the gap, and his voice was the only familiar thing about him. I felt odd as he opened his broad arms to give me a hug as a long lost friend, yet a stranger. ‘It’s so good to finally see you. You are just as beautiful as your photos.’

‘Thanks,’ I said shyly. I wasn’t sure I could say the same. He was shorter than I thought he’d be from his photos. And I’d never seen the back of his head. Now, I could. The 3D thing was weird. ‘Let’s get your stuff into my car.’

I could feel his eyes on me, checking me out, drinking me in.

After making a joke about the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the car, we started driving.

‘You are a very good driver,’ he commented.
I said nothing as I turned the last corner into the nearest beach car park. He made me self-conscious.
A high-pitched sound began ringing in my head, like a warning buzzer.
‘I don’t really think about it,’ I said finally. ‘I bet you’re good at a lot of things.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘OK, that was lame,’ I said, and forced a smile. I hoped he wouldn’t notice the fakeness in it.

‘That’s better. I like it when you are relaxed.’
He leaned over and kissed my cheek lightly. ‘Let’s see what these Australian beaches are made of.’


We walked up the white, powder-like sand. He tried to make me laugh, telling me stories about the flight over, and how the air hostesses flirted with him.

‘You’re so full of yourself. It’s their job to be nice,’ I said as I shook my head.

‘They were about to lock me in the toilet. It was only because I told them I was going to see the girl of my dreams in Australia that they backed off.’ He nodded towards me.

I pushed his shoulder playfully then, surprised at how much I liked the feeling of his tense muscles under my palm.

Pierre suddenly started chasing me, all the way down to the water, until I only had the ocean at my back. My heart raced.

‘Pierre, you don’t want to do this,’ I said as he stepped gingerly into the icy cold water.

‘I’m sure I do,’ he answered, ‘but why don’t I want to?’

‘Because there are really big sharks. Haven’t you seen the documentaries? They can eat you.’

I eyed off ways to get around him while he kept coming closer into the water, intent on his target.

‘Let the sharks come!’ he bellowed, then went down like a little girl falling off a bike, straight into the crashing waves.

‘Pierre?’ I shouted, running to help him.

‘I’m stung! I’m stung!’ he screamed, his face contorted, hands clutching his right calf. ‘Something is eating me!’

I looked around wildly for a stingray, a blue-bottle jelly- fish. Anything sinister enough to be causing him this much pain. Then I saw little clear tentacles floating aimlessly near Pierre and rolled my eyes.

‘Ah, yes, I forgot to tell you about our deadly stingers, too. My bad.’ Smiling behind one hand and giggling, I helped him up.

Four long red streaks across his calf showed where the stinger had offered its tattoo.

Pierre began to gesture and spit in French. I could only assume he was swearing and fussing about dying. People walking past us on the beach looked at Pierre strangely. Worse, they then looked at me.

I just laughed at him.


‘Well I’m glad this is so funny for you,’ he said darkly, rubbing his calf. ‘Sook.’

‘ “Sook?’’ ’


I rolled my eyes at his accent. ‘Pierre, you’re so ... I don’t know. French.’

‘You haven’t seen anything yet,’ he winked. And the playful Pierre was back.

I shook my head to clear it, wondering at how quickly he could change his moods.

The peach sun was slowly disappearing into the horizon as we made our way back to my car.

‘Let’s go out to dinner, yes? My shout.’ Pierre’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

Yet he was limping. From a stinger.

‘After we drop off your bags. We need to check you in, King Neptune.’

‘OK, then we’ll go for our first date.’

I nodded, stomach churning.

PURCHASE LINK

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ABOUT the AUTHOR

Danielle Weiler loves all things written. She has her best story ideas in the middle of the night when there’s no chance to remember them the next day. Her first YA novel, Friendship on Fire, was published in 2011. Reckless is Danielle’s first novel for new adults. She has lived and taught high school in New South Wales and Victoria but prefers the sunny weather in Perth. She is kept company by her husband, son and naughty cat, Ginger.

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The author is offering signed copies of Reckless and Friendship on Fire as prizes for this giveaway! Enter by completing the below rafflecopter. Open internationally.

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