This Sky by Autumn Doughton

Gemma Sayers has spent the last six days rotting in a hotel room, wallowing in a noxious combination of gin, junk food and self-pity. She’s no stranger to disappointment but nothing could have prepared her for the chaos that unfolded when her celebrity boyfriend publicly humiliated her. Now the fairytale is officially over and Gemma is determined to put the past behind her and strike out to find a new dream. Just a few teeny-tiny details to work out: she’s currently broke, homeless and unemployed.

Landon Young has his own worries. Surfer by day and bartender by night, he doesn’t have the interest or the time to be anyone’s happily-ever-after. Weighed down by the memory of what happened two years ago, Landon can barely keep his head above water.

This Sky is the thoughtful and often funny story about broken trust, an unexpected love and the hopes we keep sewn in the linings of our pockets.

Book: This Sky by Autumn Doughton (Goodreads)
Published: August 12th, 2014
Pages: 334
Genres: Romance, Rom-Com, Athlete, New Adult, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 23-25, 2016
Rating: 4 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔

Can I just start of by saying how much I truly enjoyed the authors humor for this book? I loved Julie and her friendship with Gemma. Loved their discussions!

Landon and Gemma were absolutely perfect for each other. They each had their own demons but found a way to make things work for them. It was so refreshing to read a novel where the characters actually fell in love with each other over time! I've read so many novels where the characters meet and BOOM! they are happy and in love, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I really don't have much to say about this one except that everyone needs to read it! Its has comedy, romance, drama. This book has it all and I truly enjoyed reading it. There was nothing that needed to be added or removed. The book didn't dawdle at all and the characters were easy to envision in my mind.

I will definitely be reading other books by this author - she did an amazing job!

Within These Walls by J.L. Berg

Within these walls, he became my solace, my sanctuary and my strength.

I am not strong. I am just a survivor of circumstance.
Isn't that what we all do? Survive?

Each of us has our own set of circumstances to muddle through. Mine are just more...complicated. Born with a severe heart defect, I've seen the inside of a hospital room more than my own bedroom.

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?

My name is Lailah Buchanan, and this is our story of hope, redemption and sacrificing it all for the one you love.

Book: Within These Walls (The Walls Duet #1) by J.L. Berg (Goodreads)
Published: August 18th, 2014
Pages: 307
Genres: Romance, New Adult, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 22-23, 2016
Rating: 5 Potatoes! 🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

I am absolutely in love with this book! In Love!

I loved Jude and Lailah (love the way her name is spelled, even!)! Jude was a perfectly flawed character who managed to make Lailah, as well as me, fall in love with him! He was tattooed, angsty, mysterious, kind, funny, thoughtful, the list goes on and on. He was so wonderful to Lailah and she deserved all of it and more.

A lot of books like this upset me because they promise a strong heroine and that is almost never the case. With Lailah, I found myself applauding her at every turn! She was strong, courageous and such a great soul. My favorite scene (spoiler alert!) was when she stayed up late and pretended to sleep to catch whoever was leaving her chocolate pudding while she was sleeping. I think that scene shows so much about her character, not to mention that we get a good look at how spunky she is!

Lailah and Jude, Jude and Lailah - their names were truly written in the stars; they were meant to be together.

I loved every single thing about the characters and this storyline. I love all of the hospital nurses, doctors, administration and even liked Lailah's mom! The author did such an amazing job weaving this tale and bringing these characters to life. I could picture everyone in my mind and this talented author gave me that. Brava!

This book is worth every bit of the high rating it has. If you haven't read it yet, what the heck are you waiting for?

Maybe Yes (Maybe #1) by Ella Miles

Her future is already set, all she has to do is marry a complete stranger.

Kinsley Felton has everything. Money, a loving family, and a modeling career. She graduates from Yale in just days, but unlike a typical college student she doesn’t have to spend hours looking for a job when she graduates. Kinsley will inherit the multi-billion dollar gaming and hospitality company her great-grandfather started. The only problem is she has to do everything her family asks for in order to get that money. That includes marrying a man of her family’s choosing. That’s not a problem since Kinsley has been following her family’s orders all her life. Until a phone call from her grandfather changes everything.

Will she marry the man her family chooses or will she decide her own future?

Book: Maybe Yes (Maybe #1) by Ella Miles
Published: March 21, 2016
Pages: 192
Genres: Romance, ARC
Format: PDF
Date Read: March 18-22, 2016
Rating: 4 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm still reeling from the major cliffhanger at the end of this book so I'm thinking about what I want to say. Our heroine, Kinsley. Did I like her? Sometimes. I was proud of her for making her own decisions and standing her ground but other times she was like a lost puppy following her master and letting the men in her life tell her what to do and how to live. However, with the way she was raised, I'm surprised she has a brain at all since it seems her father and grandfather had total control over her life.

Killian. I went back and forth with my opinion of him as well. On one hand we have this cocky, but sweet, sexy man who only wants what's best for Kinsley. And on the other hand he's controlling, a workaholic and very closed off. All in all, I did like him - he's definitely swoon-worthy!

The cliffhanger is what killed this book for me and what caused me to give the book a 4 star rating. I don't usually care for cliffhangers in general but this one was too great for me. The cliffhanger just made no sense and made me re-think the entire book. I know, I know, that's what cliffhangers are supposed to do but in the case of this book, I felt like it didn't fit. Maybe it's just me that feels that way.... However, I'm not the author and I'm sure she has great reasons for doing the cliffhanger the way she did. I'm interested to see what happens in book 2!

Carrots (Shelby Nichols #1) by Colleen Helme

Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children.

All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer.

The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting affects until later, when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know? As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever.

In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed.

Book: Carrots (Shelby Nichols #1) by Colleen Helme (Goodreads)
Published: February 23rd, 2011
Pages: 220
Genres: Romance, Mystery
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 10-15, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I absolutely loved the beginning of this book - it completely drew me in and enraptured me. It was nice to start reading a book that hasn't been done a million times before. However, once all of the drama started was when I started to lose interest and was able to pick out the hints of what was going to happen.

I enjoyed this book but it was extremely predictable and a lot of parts felt unnecessary and repetitive. I liked Shelby well enough but her husband just got on my nerves. He was kind enough but his thoughts weren't very authentic - he was too "nice" in them.

This book was good enough to pass the time. Would I recommend it? Sure, but its not on the top of my list.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Goodreads)
Published: January 10th, 2012
Pages: 313
Genres: Romance, YA
Format: Hardcover
Date Read: March 8-10,2016
Rating: 4.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔

I truly enjoyed this book and, while it was very well written and a pleasure to read, I felt that it was overrated. Does it deserve the ratings it has? Yes. BUT there are so many other books with similar storylines that make you feel the same emotions.

I truly enjoyed reading about Hazel, Augustus and their budding relationship, I really did. However, I have read too many books that literally made my heart ache and cause me to bawl my eyes out. This book did not do that.

Like I said, this is a very good book and I enjoyed reading it but I have read many other books that I felt were far more deserving of 5 stars.

Oblivion by Jessica Wood

I wake up to a life and a man that I can’t remember.

He says his name is Connor Brady—the tall, sexy CEO of Brady Global, Inc.

He says my name is Olivia Stuart, and that I was recently in an accident and lost my memory.

Also, he says I’m his fiancé.

Although I don’t remember Connor, or anything about my past, something about him seems familiar. He is kind, protective, and breathtakingly-gorgeous. But there is just one problem—he seems too perfect.

As I begin to rebuild my relationship with Connor and accept the idea that I may never remember my past, I unexpectedly meet Ethan James.

Ethan is the mysterious, rebellious stranger who pushes my boundaries to their limits and makes me feel alive. As our lives collide time and time again, the bits and pieces of my past start to unravel, unearthing the secrets that have been buried deep inside my subconscious. With every new memory I gain about who I once was, I become more torn between the man who is my fiancé and the stranger who is the key to my past. Is my life with Connor really as perfect as he leads me to believe?

Book: Oblivion by Jessica Wood (Goodreads)
Published: October 27th, 2014
Pages: 324
Genres: Romance
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 8-9, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I'm only giving this book 3.5 stars because I just didn't feel like the story was as fleshed out as it could have been. It was very good but I spent a lot of the book confused because things weren't explained. This isn't my first book by this author and I felt the same way with the other books so I know it's not a coincidence.

I loved Ethan - he was absolutely perfect. He was the stereotypical "bad boy" with a heart of gold, figuratively speaking, of course. Connor, he just never sat well with me from the start so I wasn't surprised to read what he was really like. Liv was okay, not a great heroine, but she was okay. Anna, the best friend, was great - loved her!

There really isn't much to say about this book. Was it good? Yes, but it could have been so much better. I really liked the idea of the story and it just didn't live up to the premise (in my opinion, anyway).

Everblue (Mer Tales #1) by Brenda Pandos

Best friends share everything with each other. Or do they? Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she’d thought to be true her whole life, wasn’t, and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.

Book: Everblue (Mer Tales, #1) by Brenda Pandos (Goodreads)
Published: July 29th, 2011
Pages: 305
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, YA, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: March 8, 2016
Rating: 4 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔🥔

I literally read this book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down!

I love the friendship between Ash and Tatiana aka Tatchi, I would have loved to have seen more interaction between them and I'm sure we will in future books.

Fin, Fin, Fin. Let me count the ways how much I love Fin! I love his charm, how protective he is of his family and those he loves, the way he doesn't give up and he keeps fighting. I just love him. I was pulling for him and Ash from the beginning and I love them together. Seriously.

Other than the King and the King's family I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. Well, my heart did break for poor Tatchi but hopefully she'll get her happy ending later on in the series!! Overall, great book and I'm sure the rest of the serious is amazing as well. It was a nice, quick read!

The Enforcer (NHL Scorpions #1) by Nikki Worrell

Lacey Benoit is in need of a fresh start. Her best friend, Dr. Zoe Millis, has been begging her to make the move from Maine to California. Taking a leap of faith, Lacey does just that.

Living in San Diego definitely has its perks, such as, sunshine and beaches. The best part of moving to the west coast, however, is that Steven is still on the east coast. Catching your almost husband having sex with one of your bridesmaids on your wedding day would make even the strongest woman jaded. Therefore, Lacey has sworn off men for a while, especially men who travel a lot that have easy access to loose women.

When Lacey meets the new enforcer for the San Diego Scorpions, she thinks she might be in trouble. But she is determined to fight her attraction to the sexy NHL hunk. And she is successful...for about a day.

Book: The Enforcer (NHL Scorpions #1) by Nikki Worrell (Goodreads)
Published: March 7th, 2013
Pages: 320
Genres: Romance, Athlete, New Adult, Freebie On Amazon
Format: Kindle
Date Read: February 23-March 8, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Potatoes 🥔🥔🥔

I'm not really sure what to say about this one. I liked the book well enough but I certainly didn't love it. I did love the character of Jody - he was wonderful in every way! He was sweet, funny, athletic, a true alpha male and handsome to boot! But, there was something about Lacey that got on my nerves. To be honest, she wasn't very smart and I didn't agree with a lot of her decisions. The whole Stephen thing was just ridiculous!

All in all, this book was okay but it needed more "meat". She met Jody and eventually agreed to go on a date with him but then it was like boom - they're together and in love and happy, blah, blah, blah.

I may check out Vlad's story, he intrigued me a lot. Time will tell!