Happy 2015!!! ♥♥♥

I am sorry I haven't been that active in posting here. I promised a lot of things but I was not able to do it. Forgive me because I was under a lot of stress the past second half of 2014 that I set aside everything else to focus on increasing my income.

Anyway, this 2015, I will be more active in reading, reviewing, and making sure that I help authors in promoting their work. I am also unveiling a BIG FEATURE here. It's all about MY WORK as an author! Yey!

Another thing that I want to focus on this blog is helping local authors get their books out there. I will read their work, review it, post the review in my Goodreads account, and promote it here, in my Facebook page, and in my Twitter account. I will feature local authors here and will try to get an interview with them.

I am excited for this year. I want to be active once again in the book blogging community. I want to be able to attend book signings, if I can, or just help others get their chance to meet their favorite authors.

Expect a lot of entries to be posted this year.

Happy, happy new year to all!

I know this will be a great year for us bookworms! Here's to more books from now until the 31st of December!

Yay!!!

♥♥♥

Consolidate!

I have two Goodreads account. The first one I made exclusively for my Addicted to Reading account. But then for some reason, that account won't load anymore when I try to sign in and my Sasha account is now where I update and post my reviews. I will consolidate both accounts and the Sasha account will remain.

I also have two Twitter accounts. One I exclusively use for personal updates while the other is linked to my Addicted to Reading Facebook page. The thing is, my personal Twitter account is the one I use most of the time so there's overlapping of posts on my book reviews. From hereon, I will concentrate on my Addicted to Reading Twitter account for ALL book-related updates!

Anyway, I will post more about this consolidation plan I have in mind this coming week.

Happy Easter everyone!

;)

Teaser for Tempting the Bodyguard by J. Lynn!

I got this teaser from Goodreads...

Struggling to get a grip on her quickly rising anger, she snapped the file folder against his chest. “Do you want to look at them? Or do you want to continue staring at my breasts like a pig?”

That ghost of smile spread into a full smirk. “I think I’ll keep staring at your breasts like a pig.”

“Well, that’s lovely.”

“They sure are,” he replied.

Alana took one deep, even breath. “Mr. Gamble, I’m here—”

“Because you need my help,” he interrupted. “I got that.”

“And I’m trying to show you what I’ve been receiving.” She smacked the folder off his chest once again. “So can we— ”
His hand shot out, as fast as a cobra striking, startling her. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, gently but firmly. Lowering his head, his lips came within an inch of hers. So close she could taste the minty scent of his breath. “While I liked to be smacked in the chest with random objects from time to time, you keep it up, I’m going to think that’s an invitation for me to return the favor.”

Her mouth dropped open.

“On a different part of the body,” he added, winking. “And with my hand.”

Ha! Ha! Ha! I can't wait for Tempting the Bodyguard by Jennifer L. Armentrout (writing as J. Lynn)!

Review: The Gamble Brothers Series, Books 1 and 2

First off, let me just get this out of the way... I freaking love J. Lynn/Jennifer L. Armentrout's Gamble brothers!!! I've read these two books at least three times now and I am planning to read it again if I find myself looking for something to make my heart go thump-thump-thump. Ha-ha!

I am making a two-book review here. I am still awaiting the release of the third and last Gamble brother book so here goes...

The first book in the 3-book series is Tempting the Best Man. It is the story of Chase Gamble and Madison Daniels. Here is the blurb from Goodreads...

She'll make him lose control...

Madison Daniels has worshipped her brother's best friend since they were kids. Everyone thinks she and Chase Gamble would make the perfect couple, but there are two major flaws in their logic. 1) Chase has sworn off relationships of any kind, and 2) after blurring the line between friends and lovers for one night four years ago, they can't stop bickering.

Forced together for her brother's wedding getaway, Chase and Madison decide to call a truce for the happy couple. Except all bets are off when they're forced to shack up in a tacky 70’s honeymoon suite and survive a multitude of "accidents" as the family tries to prove their "spark" can be used than for more than fighting. That is, if they don't strangle each other first...

I super love this book!!! I love how Chase kept fighting off his attraction towards Maddie but he would always end up near her, yearning for her in more ways than one. I also love how the two finally came together inside that cornballs love shack from hell. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Then there's the second book which is Tempting the Player. I loved Chase and Maddie's story but this second book is by far my favorite! I fell in love with Chad Gamble and Bridget Rogers! Goodreads has this about the book...

He's a player on and off the field...

Chad Gamble, all-star pitcher for the Nationals, is one of the best players on—and off—the field. And right now, the notorious bad boy wants Bridget Rodgers. But with her lush curves and snappy comebacks, the feisty redhead is the kind of woman a man wants to settle down with…and that’s the last thing Chad needs.

When the paparazzi catch them in a compromising position, Chad’s manager issues an ultimatum: clean up his act or kiss his multi-million dollar contract goodbye. To save his career, his meddling publicist says he'll have to convince everyone Bridget isn’t just his flavor of the week, but his girlfriend.

Being blackmailed into a fake relationship with Chad Gamble isn’t easy, especially when the sizzling physical attraction between them is undeniable. With a month to go on their arranged pretense, it's going to take every ounce of willpower they have not to fall into bed together...or in love.

A kilig-fest, I tell you! I felt as if I am Bridget while reading this story. It made me feel like I am living in her shoes and wanting Chad, feeling it in the deepest recesses of my soul! Ha! Ha! Ha! I was laughing while I read this story, and I cried a little, too, on that part during Christmas Eve. And I think I swooned upon reading Chad's proposal! It's so freaking sweet!!!

If you want books you can read again and again, especially when you are feeling down and out and in need of some hope, love, and cheering up, The Gamble Brothers Series are the books you need to have on your shelf! Make sure you have it!

I really can't wait for Chandler Gamble's story to come out! According to Goodreads, Tempting the Bodyguard will be published this coming May.

Yeehaw!!!

***

Tempting the Best Man rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Tempting the Player rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Fifty Shades Series

I have read the Fifty Shades Series - Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed - by E L James a long time ago, way before the hype started. I heard about it from a book blogger and I got intrigued with all the gushing so I bought the first book at a local bookstore and, well, I fell in love with Christian Grey.

In a nutshell, the Fifty Shades Series revolves around the story of Christian Grey, filthy rich entrepreneur bachelor who has an eccentric taste in the bedroom, who fell in love with the lovely Literature student Anastasia Steele. Hooked on her, he asked her to become his girlfriend, making sure that she understands his terms when it comes to his erotic taste in sex. They overcame a lot of obstacles in their relationship, including Christian's inner demons, and ended up getting married. Compromise is a big word in how everything became fine in their world.

You know, I kept on reading and hearing about how bad the writing of this series by E L James. I know for a fact that this is fan fiction, a story created out of E L's love for Twilight. And even though this series is tagged as an erotic novel, it is tame and timid compared to other truly erotic and raunchy novels out there. I find this series to be 50-50 when it comes to eroticism. It is sensual, yes, and a bit of a shocker in some instances. Let me use as an example the shower scene wherein Christian took out Anastasia's tampon so they can have sex. That's the first time I read a scene like that! Ha-ha!

Corny in some instances. Trying hard to become a great novel, yes. But you know what? I enjoyed every bit of the three books! I had fun reading this series! It doesn't matter if most people who read it find it too shallow. What's important is that the overall story is one that captivated so many readers' attention. Yes, it is the typical rich sophisticated guy falling for the damsel in distress kind of girl plot. The guy is head over heels in love with the girl and he is one very possessive guy who will move heaven and earth just to make her happy. The girl is also head over heels in love with the guy who will do whatever he wants just to please him and make him happy. Typical love story with lots of not-too-explicit sex.

I love the first two books a lot! The last one is so-so because I find it was written haphazardly. But again, I love the series all in all!

***

Fifty Shades of Grey rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Fifty Shades Darker rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Fifty Shades Freed rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

DNF

I was stalking some book bloggers in Instagram when I saw one comment that said DNF. The bookworms were talking about what books they gave up on due to a lot of reasons number one of which is an uninteresting progress in the story.

That's when I realized what DNF means... Do/Did Not Finish!

Most of the bloggers in that post commented that they would give up on the book they're reading and move on to the next one.

If you ask me, I also experience this in some of the books I've read. I would like to have categorized some into the DNF list but I am the type of person who hates giving up on anything. Ha-ha! What I would do is I set aside the book when I feel like my interest is waning and when I am up for it again, I would go back and force myself to finish it.

I am currently in this rut with the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I am at a crossroads with this book. I know people are gushing about how good this book is but I really have a problem with the book being too wordy. The author is too noisy in my head and it's turning me off so much! The plot is getting lost on me because of my annoyance towards the book's noise. I don't know if you get what I am saying but it's like reading the book with the author talking incessantly in your ear.

BUT I will finish this book this weekend, by hook or by crook! Just to get it out of the way. Ha-ha!

Review: Through to You

I remember clearly how I kept looking for this book I saw in Goodreads recommendation. I checked with two big local bookstores but both didn't have it in their stocks. So what I did I got an ebook copy of this book that got me so intrigued by the blurb I found in Goodreads...

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. He’d give anything to have just one more glimpse of her. But when Cam visits the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees an apparition. Her name is Nina, and she’s a girl from a parallel world. When Cam follows her there and makes an unbelievable discovery, it’s as if all his wildest dreams have come true. But things are very different in this other world. Nina is hiding a secret, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with the truth, he’s forced to make a choice that will change his life forever.

Do you know the idea of a parallel world, where a world similar to ours is co-existing with us? I've been fascinated by that concept since I was a kid! I believe that there is a world out there with people just like us and we are only separated by a plane.

The very reason why I was intrigued by Through to You by Emily Hainsworth is the concept of a parallel world. So you can say that I have very high expectations with this book.

Let me say first that I enjoyed reading the book. I couldn't put it down! I wanted to know why the parallel worlds of Camden and Nina suddenly opened up to let them in each other's worlds. I also wanted to know what the greenish glow that opens up both their worlds could do to resolve their issues.

Unfortunately, the author, this novel being her first, failed to communicate that very reason. I was waiting for a closure of some kind but there was none. It would have been nice for the story to have had an ending of some kind. Maybe, not the happy ever after we are all used to. But something that would have resolved the issues between Camden, Viv, and Nina. And that greenish glow separating the parallel worlds.

Two more chapters would have been nice :)

All in all, this is one enjoyable book if you don't have anything captivating to read at the moment.

***

Through to You rating: 3 out of 5 stars