Christie's review: The Empty Jar by M. Leighton

Title: The Empty Jar

Series: Standalone

Author: M. Leighton

Release date: May 8, 2016

Cliffhanger: No

Synopsis:

Three months touring Europe.
Romantic. Dazzling. Unforgettable.
The trip of a lifetime.

But some lifetimes are shorter...

We couldn’t have known it would work out this way.
No one could. No one could’ve guessed that something so beautiful could be so tragic.

But it is tragic.

Yet so, so beautiful.

That’s what sacrifice is—beauty and tragedy.
It’s pain and suffering for something or someone you love.

And this is the ultimate sacrifice.
One stunning act of true love.

This is our story.
Our true love story.

The Empty Jar is being hailed as "The Ultimate Love Story". I think we can all agree that these are some tall words to live up to. Though I was hopeful this would be an unforgettable reading experience, I had my doubts that these words weren't exaggerated. Let me preface this review by saying that this book scared me before starting. Judging by the synopsis and the little I had read about it, it seemed like something that would be a very challenging read. To my peace of mind most of all.

I'm the type of reader that needs a HEA in her books. I'm all about some angst and an emotionally gripping read, but I need some hope and sense of optimism after closing the book. There were no guarantees on that end and I knew I'd be pushing my comfort boundaries. There was a voice inside my head that wouldn't quiet every time I tried to dismiss The Empty Jar. And when my gut tells me that I need to read something, I listen. I'm so glad I did.

This book is not a light book by any means. Not in any form, so if you're looking for something to simply entertain you for a few quiet hours, this will decidedly not be for you. However, if you're looking for something that will deeply affect you to your core and stay with you...well you may want to close your eyes an take the leap. I cannot express to you how this book made me feel, at least not adequately.

There really aren't words for how worthwhile this story is. M. Leighton examines every facet of love, the very nature of it in it's purest form. She shows us a love free of greed or selfishness. It's often painful and debilitating on it's harshest days. It can heal you and ruin you, but how do you see the soaring beauty, or the rewards of the purest love without experiencing the acute lows? I envied this couple their love while at the same time feeling nothing but dread for what they had in store for them.

These two...they were devoted.
Worshipping.
Cherishing.

They made me ache for them and struggle to endure what they were going through with every page. I wanted to put my arms around them and just make everything whole again, to make their harsh reality disappear in a puff of smoke.

Their story isn't your typical love story and it will open your eyes to a lot of horrific truths that many hope to never have to experience.

However, it went beyond your traditional love story, it was about the heroine's own personal self discoveries and finding her center, her calm in the midst of a frightening storm. It was also an examination of this woman's emotional battle. The most important one of her life. Her bitterness over the tragedies of her past, her loss of her loved ones has made her reject her own spirituality. Until one twist of fate had everything true and solid slipping away unexpectedly in the sands of time. And while the clock started ticking she was given one choice. A choice that would mean learning sacrifice and a new scope of love as she never could have anticipated.

I know I haven't really given anything away about the plot, but I feel like this is one of those books that need to be fully experienced as it was originally intended to reach the impact that she was searching for. Let me assure you, if you're expecting this book to be difficult, severe, raw...it's most certainly all of those things. But it's also one of the most genuine books-there was sincerity dripping from every word. This message is something that's just screaming to be heard.

Many of the struggles we see are a direct result of the author's own personal experiences. And it shows. I've read several of her books, and none of them compare to the incredible highs and lows of this beautifully inspirational story. She wrote this with every ounce of her heart and I have a feeling it will creep into a corner of many reader's minds, settle in, and never leave. This will certainly stay with me for a long, long time to come.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

View all my reviews

Read More

A Thousand Boy Kisses Blog Tour!

Title: A Thousand Boy Kisses

Series: Standalone

Author: Tillie Cole

Release Date: 15 March, 2016

Rating: 4.5 stars

Cliffhanger:. No

One kiss lasts a moment.
But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime.

One boy.
One girl.
A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade.
A bond that neither time nor distance can break.
A bond that will last forever.
Or so they believe.
When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation?
Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.

Standalone Young Adult Tearjerker Romance.
For ages 14 and up.

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city. After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel. Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters. 

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of

chocolate.

follow tillie

Website | Twitter | Facebook |Instagram| Goodreads

[ Yes (hide spoiler)]

Write down where you were when you were kissed. You'll have a treasure jar of all the precious kisses that made your heart soar.

Tillie Cole is one of my favorite authors. She’s absolutely and wonderfully skilled at winning me over with her stories. I think she has some secret ninja skills that help her play with my emotions and tug at my heartstrings. She just made me weep for hours and hours. I think my eyes are still a little bit puffy. Now I desperately need someone to hug me! My poor, poor heart..

How to describe the experience of reading A Thousand Boy Kisses without giving away everything? I’m not sure I’m capable of that! I feel like I’m a second away from bursting and spilling EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. That book just made me feel so much and I have this strange urge to share all of thoughts and feelings it had evoked.

On the other hand, I would commit a serious bookish crime if I decided to spoil this story for you. It’s best to go into Poppy and Rune’s world without any additional knowledge (beside what was mentioned in the blurb) and slowly sink into this romantic, poignant coming of age story. So although I’m itching to write more about them I will not overshare (though it seriously kills me!).

One kiss lasts a moment.
But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime.

I loved the main characters. Seeing them grow, fall in love, share their ups and downs, it was all an amazing experience. The Dual point of view helped me understand Poppy and Rune better, it also made this story richer, more intricate and mixed with Tillie’s fabulous writing, it was a complete winner. I think I highlighted most of the book.

"It was so special that my heart almost burst."

A Thousand Boy Kisses is a special story and will definitely stay with me for a long while. It’s a young adult novel (I rarely read them anymore), but at the same time it’s very complex and mature (don’t be afraid to give it a chance just because you consider YA novels to be juvenile/frustrating/immature);

In this case the book is sweet and heart melting where it needs to be, and completely wrecking, gritty and angsty in other parts.

Tillie once again managed to mix sweetness with real hard life and created something so vivid, true and meaningful that I am still very much trembling from the emotions overload.

‘Rune pressed a kiss just below my ear and whispered, “Sleep, baby. I got you.” And he did. He had me. Just like I had him.’

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

Read More

Cover Reveal: The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan

Title: The Game Plan

Series: Game On,#3

Author: Kristen Callihan

Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance

Expected Release Date: 1st November 2015

PREORDER

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | iBOOKS

A beard-related dare and one hot-as-hell kiss changes everything.

NFL center Ethan Dexter’s focus has always been on playing football and little else. Except when it comes to one particular woman. The lovely Fiona Mackenzie might not care about his fame, but she’s also never looked at him as anything more than one of her brother-in-law’s best friend. That ends now.

Fi doesn’t know what to make of Dex. The bearded, tattooed, mountain of man-muscle looks more like a biker than a football player. Rumor has it he’s a virgin, but she finds that hard to believe. Because from the moment he decides to turn his quiet intensity on her she’s left weak at the knees and aching to see his famous control fully unleashed.

Dex is looking for a forever girl, but they live vastly different lives in separate cities. Fi ought to guard her heart and walk away. But Dex has upped his game and is using all his considerable charm to convince Fi he's her forever man.

Game On​

I grin up at him. “You know, before this, I’d have taken you for a hard rock, or maybe even a bluegrass fan.” 

“It’s the beard, isn’t it,” he asks. 

“And the man-bun.” 

He laughs, a short rumble of sound. “Want me to let it down?” 

Yes. Maybe. 

“Not necessary. Man-buns are hot. I blame Jason Momoa. There was only so much watching him bang Khaleesi the female population could take before they wanted their own Khal Drogo.” 

Shit. I really don’t know what the hell I’m doing. Because it sounds a lot like flirting to me. Instinct tells me flirting with Ethan Dexter isn’t something to do lightly. And there’s the fact that I don’t go for athletes. At all. I don’t care how fit they are. Or how confident. I don’t like sports. Football bores me. Oh, I know tons about the sport—kind of impossible not to in my family—but I don’t want to pretend that I care when I’d rather talk about other things. 

Dex’s eyes crinkle again, and he turns toward me, leaning an elbow on the table. “Doesn’t Momoa have a beard?” 

I wave my hand. “Who has time to look at his beard when his muscles are on display?” 

I most certainly do not look at Dex’s phenomenal arms. 

“So your stance on beards is?” His gaze so strong I feel it in my toes.

My breathing picks up. “Don’t particularly like them.” 

It’s the truth. And yet I can’t help but look at his. It’s dark, framing his mouth, which should be a turnoff for me. Only it draws all my attention there. To the shape of his mouth—the upper lip a gentle curve, the lower lip fuller, almost a pout. There’s something slightly illicit about the whole effect. 

I clear my throat, glance up, and find him watching me through lowered lids. He doesn’t seem particularly put out by my frankness. 

“What don’t you like about them?” 

Is he serious? 

He stares at me. 

I guess he is. 

Taking a quick sip of my drink, I search for an answer. “They’re just so…fuzzy. Prickly.” 

He moves in, not crowding me, but putting himself at arms’ reach. He smells faintly of cloves and oranges. It must be his aftershave or cologne, but it works for me. 

I’m distracted by it and almost jump when he speaks again. “Do you know this based on experience, or are you making an assumption?” 

My gaze narrows. “Aren’t you the philosopher.” 

“You didn’t answer the question.” 

“Fine. Assumption.” 

His lips quirk. “You should find out if your assumption is true before you condemn the beard.” 

“Is this some sort of creepy way to get me to touch your beard?” 

A challenge flashes in his eyes. “There are a few guys at the bar sporting beards. You could go ask them. But I figure since we know each other…” 

“Not that well.” 

“You’d rather ask a stranger?” 

“You’re assuming I care enough to ask, Slick.” 

His teeth shine white in the shadows of the club. “I know you’re curious. You’re fairly twitching with wanting to know.” 

I flatten my hands against the table and glare. Is it just me, or is he closer? Close enough that I can see his eyes are hazel, lighter around his cornea with a starburst pattern. I wish I could see the colors, but he’s painted in shades of blue and gray right now. 

And he’s watching me. Patient. Calculating. Tempting. 

“It’s always the quiet ones,” I mutter before taking a breath. “Okay, I’ll pet your fuzzy face.” 

“Hold up.” Without hesitation, he reaches for my drink and takes a sip. “Liquid courage.” 

A strangled laugh leaves me. “Because I’m sooo scary.” 

“You have no idea, Cherry.”

I think I growl at him. I definitely want to give his precious beard a good, hard tug. But he simply lifts his brows at me. “Get on with it, then.” 

This cheeky bastard is totally playing me. And here I am falling into his trap. Because I cannot look away from his beard now. More specifically, his lips, which are parted just slightly. An invitation. A dare. 

Shit. I’ve never been very good at ignoring a dare. 

I hate that my hand trembles as I reach up to touch him. He stays perfectly still, his arm casually slung on the edge of the booth behind me, his body turned toward mine. But I don’t miss the way his breathing has kicked up just slightly. 

I hesitate, shy almost. Hells bells, I’m only going to touch a bit of facial hair. Why does it feel like we’re two kids tucked in a dark corner, playing a game of “I’ll show you mine”?

Annoyed with myself, I close the distance between us.

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather do. She is a three-time RITA nominee, and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading. 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

Read More

Surprise Early Release: INITIUM (Nocte #2.5) by Courtney Cole

The end is coming. LUX is almost here. But everything has a beginning. A beginning before the night. Before Finn. Before Calla. Everything starts somewhere.

This is where the darkness is born. ANOTHER STORY.

INITIUM (Nocte #2.5), a Nocte Trilogy between-the-books novella, is now available...and only $0.99 for TODAY ONLY! Includes an exclusive FOUR CHAPTER sneak peek of Lux (Nocte #3)!†

Get it on Amazon | iBooks
 Coming soon to:Nook | Kobo

Add it on Goodreads

I never knew what the consequences would be. I say that like itís a defense, an excuse. Itís not. Itís simply the truth. I never knew what he would become to me. Through everything, heís become everything. My rock, my air, my love. My everything. And thenÖ. Things changed. Because it was wrong. Because sometimes, our sons must pay for the sins of their fathers. Or their mothers. Iím afraid that Iím lost, that Iím damned. After you read this, youíll probably agree. Really, it doesnít matter. All that matters is that I save him. Because he shouldnít pay for my sin. Judge me if you like. But keep reading. This is our beginning. This is where the darkness truly starts.

Get INITIUM on Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo
Add it on Goodreads

Get NOCTE, the first book in the trilogy Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo†| Audible Audiobook

Get VERUM, the second book in the trilogy Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo†| Audible Audiobook

LUX, the final book in the trilogy, is coming October 28, 2015.

Read More