Maryse's Book Blog

It would appear a TON of recent releases are rocking our worlds, and I’m bringing the extra-recommended ones back on here so that they don’t get lost in my TBR list. LOL! There are 4 on here that had me bouncing in my chair on release day, on the blurbs alone, so I must adjust my reading schedule.

Okay so right now, this one is probably the most recommended book (at least per the recs I’ve received in comments and emails), so I’m reading this one right now: Bright Side (no idea what it’s about yet – I’m going in blind and I’m about a quarter of the way in, but I’ve been warned to stock up on kleenex). I mean, just LOOK at what Meredith just commented: “I downloaded “Bright Side” two days ago and CANT. PUT. IT. DOWN. I have loved ALOT of books, but this one has a special place in my heart. The characters are so LOVABLE and the story SO tragic!! I will read it over and over and over. Its one of those books, that just stick with you long after its over. I rate this one right up there with all my favorites, this author is just incredible!! Even if you don’t review it, READ IT!” <— How can I resist!!?? And then Melanie commented saying: “Based on reader recommendations I decided to give Bright Side a try. I went in knowing there would be tears. The thing no one mentioned was how many tears. I can’t remember crying that much reading a book. So fair warning, bring a box of tissues with this one. I think I cleaned out the whole box of Kleenex.” <— Oh boy. My stomach hurts already….

Then, as long as I don’t *squirrel* (and hey, I can’t make any promises!! LOL!) I want to read: Ten Below Zero (More tissues, I hear… and I’m still scared!!), Never Me (’cause I loved this author’s other standalone book and I hear this one might be even better!), FATE BOOK (’cause MichelleS LOVES it like crazy and calls it KA-lite!!! *squeeeee* YES PLEASE!!! I’ll probably place this one between the sob-books up there), Surviving Love (moody hottie that lives in her house, and she’s single & pregnant), and I Want It That Way (moody hottie single dad that lives in her apartment complex). Yep, can you tell I’m in the mood for brooding men? 😉

But then again… the other reader recommendations look crazy-good, too… You’ll see. Plus… some highly anticipated pre-orders (most coming out Monday/Tuesday). One of ’em that I had heard nothing about until today totally gave me a blurb jolt (Hostage)… YAY!

P.S. Let me know if I’m missing any or if you loved any (from this list or elsewhere). 

P.P.S. Don’t have a Kindle? No problem! Amazon offers various free Kindle apps and a free Kindle Cloud reader for any and ALL of us to use. You can either use the free Kindle App for your smartphone, tablet, AND your desktop computer (just like you’re using a Kindle, but right through your web browser <— No need to download anything!  )

NOTE: bargain priced when I added them, but prices can change on Amazon, so make sure to check before you finalize your order.

Todays latest reader recommendations and bargain ebook finds:

• The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward <— Her latest BDB release is on sale!! And Sally and Stephanie found us this sale! Sally says: “And the awesome Stephanie told me that The King: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward “
• Rule: A Marked Men Novel by Jay Crownover <— Kat found out this series is one sale, saying: “The Marked Men series is on sale.” and Stephanie loves ’em! “I really enjoyed Rule by Jay Crownover. It’s the first book in her Marked Men series. I can’t remember if you’ve read that one yet, but it was one of my faves last year. The second and third books are out now too.. I loved them all 🙂 Happy reading!” This one is on sale today!
• Jet: A Marked Men Novel by Jay Crownover <— except this one is on sale today. 😉
• Rome: A Marked Men Novel by Jay Crownover  <— This one is on sale today!
• Nash: A Marked Men Novel by Jay Crownover  <— This one is on sale today!
• Reed’s Reckoning by Ahren Sanders <— Football player, heartbreak and… second chances? “Arianna ‘Ari’ Williams thought she experienced the depths of true love until the man of her dreams dismissed her with no explanation. Heartbroken and humiliated, she found herself changing the course of her life and picking up the pieces of her shattered heart. Now four years later, she has a successful career, amazing friends, and a young son with crystal blue eyes that reminds her every day of the love she imagined. Emotionally she has moved on but the wounds never healed….” (and then they meet again, 4 years later…
• Thin Love by Eden Butlet <— another angsty sounding football player one… second chances, betrayal and all that…
• Within These Walls by J.L. Berg <— Oh here’s another recent release that sounds right up our heart-ache alley! “I was drowning, a prisoner to the illness that owned me, until he appeared. He thinks he’s blocked out the world with his tattoos and hard exterior, but I see the real Jude, the one he so desperately wants to forget. But is he the answer to my prayers or will he break my already damaged heart forever?”
• This Is Falling (The Falling Series Book 1) by Ginger Scott <— Recently released!! Another sports-star (baseball player) “An All-American baseball player, Nate wasn’t supposed to notice a ghost-of-a-girl like me. But he did. He shouldn’t want to know my name. But he did. And when he learned my secret and saw the scars it left behind, he was supposed to run. But he didn’t…”
• Bright Side by Kim holden <—I’m bringing this one back on the list as it’s one of the most highly recommended books this week, and I’m reading it as we speak!  Heather says: “Bright Side is good….total ugly cry. Well written, cute, fun, witty writing yet kind of slow build up but hang in there.” <— Thank you Heather for that. I am enjoying it, I’m about a quarter way in, so this helps tons!! 😀 Cheryl: “The blurb for Bright Side is SOOO good and all the reviews I saw were 5 stars. Looks like the angsty, “ooompf” book I was looking for! Click!!” and Kim loves it, too! “Almost finished with Bright Side..I started last night…definitely a MUST read! I’ve never come a character so genuinely beautiful as Kate. She’s by far my favorite female character ever… Head’s up be prepared to be shocked to your core and make sure you have multiple boxes of tissue available…. A phenomenal read!” YAY ME!!! 😀
• Ten Below Zero by Whitney Barbetti <— another one I’m bringing back to the list, ’cause this is the other most highly recommended book this week. Ohhh I think it’s gonna hurt! <— Linh says: “Now you HAVE to read Ten Below Zero Maryse!  It was such a good book.” and Michelle agrees: “I will second Ten Below Zero and have already raved about it on here. It’s a tumultuous read… *cough* Maryse. It’s one of my favorites this year for sure.” <—- Eeeeeep!!!! YAY US!!!
• Never Me by Kate Stewart <— This author rocked my world a few days ago with her crazy-angsty standalone love story “Room 212” (<— my review) so I’m VERY excited to try this one. Especially since some of my fellow readers told me it was even better! Heather says: “Omg Maryse I loved this book And her other one, Never Me.. Gahhhh it’s even better!!!! I’m a Kate Stewart stalker now! Lol” and Yamara loves it too! “Now go read her next book NEVER ME! Also a stand alone and don’t let the blurb fool you!!!”
• Room 212 by Kate Stewart <—- I’m bringing this one back on the list since I just finished it and loved it. Good ol’ fashion “new adult” romantic angst!!!!! Prepare to want to pitch your kindle across the room! 😉 (P.S. my review) and Anne loves it, too! “Room 212 has taken the title of my favourite book EVER! Never Me comes very close. Kate Stewart makes you “feel” with her amazing writing!”
• FATE BOOK (a New Adult Novel) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff <—  MichelleS highly recommends this one, and it sounds AWESOME!!! The first time she mentioned it, she said: “Well, I finished “Fate Book” – … it was just what we needed…. a funny book. It reminded me so much of the Rock Chicks…. but a bit funnier. It had action and adventure and comedy and mystery and everything. I can’t believe I am saying this, but it was kind of like a Kristen Ashley book if she wrote a New Adult book. That was the feel it had for me. And the best part? No cliffhanger, total stand alone, and a HEA. I am a happy camper. I can’t even begin to summarize the plot because it would be full of spoilers. It’s just a crazy ride…. with very a very likable heroine and a very alpha yummy hero. FUN FUN FUN….” and then… 😉 “I will mention AGAIN the book I just finished. I want someone else to enjoy it, dang it. It’s called Fate Book. It was such a surprise. It starts off with a girl who tells a whopper of a lie because her arch-enemy is such a bee-yotch. She posts on FB that she has a boyfriend and uses a picture of a hot model she finds on the internet. Who is going to find out? He’s in the Hamptons!! THEN….. one day he shows up!! nd he tells her to go along with it, or else. or else what? Why? what the? Then it gets crazy. The girls is so funny and loveable. And he is a complete mystery. And you have NO IDEA why he is pretending to be her hot boyfriend. The writing was great. It’s a stand alone. HEA. Epilogue. It was like KA lite….. loved it. If nothing is doing it for you, you should read this one.” YAY MICHELLE!!
• He Found Me by Whitney Barbetti <— Ohhhh another one from the author up there with her highly recommended book! This one sounds so good, too. She’s in hiding (for 6 years and finally meets someone to love…): “And the moment I started allowing myself to open up, allowing someone to see through the superficial, was the very same moment the Monster from my past would return to find me.” <— Eeeeep!! Michelle says: “Oh and I still am thinking about Ten Below Zero sigh – I liked it so much that I looked for other books by the same author and she has another one on countdown sale He Found Me that I grabbed… that looked excellent too…” I agree, it sounds right up my alley!!
• Surviving Love by Ada Frost <— I’m bringing this one back, ’cause it caught my eye on release day, and I don’t want to forget to read it. Super-moody-grumpy hot guy living with her… I love when the grumps finally open up. 😉 “What do you do when you find out you’re pregnant, your boyfriend rejects you, your sister is beaten half to death and the most annoyingly gorgeous man takes up residence in your house?“
• I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre <— and this one!!!! ANOTHER MOODY GUY!! Single father, to boot. 😉 Another from that same “release-day” list that SO has my attention BIG TIME, and I’ve since received a comment from Tracie (one of my reading buds – we have VERY similar tastes) saying: “Tracie says: “It. Was. Awesome. It was exactly what I wanted and I just fell in love with everyone! Their honesty was so refreshing, and their intimacy was just beautiful, the sweet words.. I want more. I never wanted it to end… I don’t know what it was, but this book just grabbed me, everything Ty said had me melting.” I couldn’t help but one-click it immediately. This is my way of reminding myself that I need to read this ASAP.
• Taking Control: A Novel (Kerr Chronicles Book 2) by Jen Frederick <— JUST RELEASED! The author says: “Taking Control is a continuation of the story begun in Losing Control (not a retelling) but can be read alone.” Kandace was excited for it! “I’ve been waiting for taking Control by Jen Frederick and I just saw it is released early (today). WOOT!”
• Full Circle by Lisa Marie Davis <— M/M ROMANCE ALERT!!! And Bobbi went nuts for it! “Oh mer gawd … Maryse … Maryse … Maryse … Full Circle by Lisa Marie Davis. HOLY HOLY HOLY CRUD. That book started off innocently enough, and even knowing what what was coming based on the blurb … I swear I felt like someone kicked me straight in the gut. It absolutely shattered me, and most of the action took place off the page!! I have never, ever, ever had such visceral reaction to a scene (which again mostly takes place off the page) and I have never felt such incredible hate for a character, either.  There are aspects of the book that could have been improved, but JEZ-US something was done right to make me feel like THAT.” <—- WHOA. I am loving this reaction!!! 😀
• Heavy: A Contemporary Romance by J.C. Mells <— Also JUST RECENTLY RELEASED!! Hot shot tattoo artist and bad-girl socialite (with a dark secret) collide! “…she’s everything Thatch is NOT looking for in a potential soul mate. If he were looking for one at all, that is…“
• Alluring Infatuation (Bayou Stix Book 4) by Skye Turner <— Also JUST RECENTLY RELEASED!! Lori says: “I have read the series… and enjoyed them. The first one was a little rough, I believe it was the authors debute, but I liked it. They’ve gotten better as the series has progressed. I’m really looking forward to the new one. They’re definitely not heavy, I’m not a huge fan of major angsty stories…”
• Fate’s Mistake (Los Rancheros) by Brandace Morrow <— Oh yes!! I remember this one striking my fancy on release day ’cause of the abusive husband storyline… “Until Danny. Danny saw me. Danny was my hero. Danny was the one I was supposed to be with. But now I’m broken, shattered into pieces too jagged to fit back together.” and Shell says: “I loved that book.” (so I brought it back on the list!) 😀
• Fan Girl (Los Rancheros Book 1) by Brandace Morrow <— Okay and here is book #1, although I *think* they can be read as standalones (different characters…). PLUS! It’s a ROCK STAR BOOK! She’s had a crush on him since she was young… “Moving to the Big Apple, she gains a new outlook on life, a snarky online friend, a college degree, and a unique internship others would kill to have. Though she grows leaps and bounds, her first love remains the same…” but… “As an adult, Deklan has the potential to devastate her.” <— Has anyone read this one yet? Sounds pretty good!
• Nothing Left to Lose (Guarded Hearts Book 1) by Kirsty Moseley <— Okay and I’m bringing this one back ’cause I don’t want it to get lost in my TBR list. I REALLY want to read it! Michelle is loving it: “I’m reading Nothing Left to Lose right now and can enthusiastically recommended it without even being finished yet. I really adore it already but that first chapter (went in blind) gave me a freak out moment! Ashton seems so realistic to me and I’m really enamored with his vulnerability, of course that’s on top of the bad ass part.”
• Touched (The Marnie Baranuik Files) by A.J. Aalto <— Michelle recommends this one, too!  “…it had everything for me suspense, romance, paranormal twist and the main character is hilarious too…read only the first book in the series of three so far but first one was great and want to get the next two for sure.”
• Half-Blood (Covenant Book 1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout <— We’re HUGE fans of this author, and Amy highly recommends this series! “Jennifer Armentrout’s Covenant series is one of my absolute favorites! Yes, even more than the Lux series (I still love Daemon and all his hotness though!!). It is about descendants of mythological gods, and it *is* YA, but if you have ever read her work then you know it’s easy to forget you are reading YA… As much as I love the Lux series, I would recommend this one even MORE. It reads *fast* and I would actually re-read the whole damn thing even with my crazy TBR list. And it is complete!  Oh man, this is making me want to re-read it right now! …there aren’t many books I would recommend paying the slightly higher price for but *these* I definitely would!!! They are sooooo worth it!!!”
• TAINT by S.L. Jennings <— Kristin found us this one! “Taint by S.L Jennings is on sale right now.
  I had to grab it…” Yep! Great GREAT blurb, and a quick steamy read. It didn’t rock my own world as much as I expected from that blurb (and that cover… ;)), but there are many that loved it!
• Wife Number Seven by Melissa Brown <— Stephanie found us this one saying: “Straight From My Wishlist…Cannot Wait To Read! On SALE for a limited time!”
• Stirred Up by S.E. Hall, Angela Graham <— And Stephanie found us this one saying: “Previously 2 volumes, now get the entire story in one shot….On SALE for a limited time! Erotic stand-alone. No cliffy.”
• Seduce Me (Ravage MC Book 2) by Ryan Michele <— and Stephanie found us this one saying: “Attention: MC Romance Lovers Alert… On SALE for a limited time!” Oh I LIKE the sound of this one! Unrequited love and pining!! “Casey Alexander grew up part of the Ravage Motorcycle family since the day she was abandoned by her mother and thrown into her father’s lap. Always seeing herself as an outsider, she spent her whole life trying to fit in, but never really succeeding. When she loses her beloved father, the utter aloneness engulfs her, leaving her searching for solace in the one man she’s always craved. Confessing her love for him only results in devastation when he pushes her away…“
• Rules of Protection (A Tangled in Texas Novel) (Entangled Select) by Alison Bliss <— YES PLEASE!! Another one I’m bringing back on the list ’cause it’s blurb had my attention on release day a week or so ago… (she’s in the witness protection program and her special agent “handler” has to hide her deep in the Texas woods… with him ) and now it’s on sale AND Christine recommends it! “Great, hilarious book!”
• The Summer I Fell (The Six Series Book 1) by Sonya Loveday <— Rori recommends this one! “I just finished reading the Summer I Fell by Sonya Loveday and it was such an amazing book. A lot of angst and heartbreak. Keep the tissues handy and it ends on a major cliffhanger, but worth reading.” Oh yeah I remember this blurb!! “Riley Clifton can’t remember a time when she wasn’t a part of the Six, a group of rowdy boys who would do just about anything for her. Growing up alongside of six guys is never easy. Especially in high school. Falling in love with one of the Six? Even harder when Ace has a hold of her heart, and he doesn’t even know it…“
• Heart Of Light by T.K. Leigh <— Michelle found us this one!! “Is this one on your blog list anywhere? Didn’t see it and it sounds DARK – human trafficking is always a tough subject – but if it ends is an HEA then I can deal with it…. and it has almost all 5 star reviews…. hmmm…..” Yep it is. I posted it on it’s release day and it totally gave me a blurb jolt. Thanks for reminding me, Michelle!! “Why was she left in the custody of a man who would sell her each and every night to the highest bidder? After a few years, she shut off, giving up hope that anyone would ever find her. Until her luck changed one night and she escaped.“