Release Blitz & Book Review: When Stars Collide by Micalea Smeltzer

When Stars Collide

 by Micalea Smeltzer

Series: Light in the Dark #2

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: August 30, 2016

Blurb:

We were like two stars orbiting each other—dancing around the possibility that one day we might collide. When we finally did, we opened up a black hole, obliterating everything around us. No one would be the same.

Least of all, us.

Waking up in Vegas married to the guy of your dreams sounds like a good thing, right? Not when you’re Thea Montgomery and said guy is your brother’s best friend. 

Thea and Xander have always avoided the connection between them because her brother would never approve. Now, they’re married— the strongest bond you can have as a couple—and they’re not even a real couple…unless they want to be.

Thea wants an annulment immediately, but Xander’s waited too long to see her become his and he won’t let her go easily.

If she wants a divorce, fine, but he wants the summer to convince her that he’s the one. If at the end of the summer she still wants to end their marriage he’ll sign the papers, but until then…

All is not fair in love and war.

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BOOK TRAILER

EXCERPT:

(Unedited and subject to change.)

Holy mother of all hangovers.

I’d succumbed to the lure of Vegas and gotten completely wasted. Granted, that’s what everyone did in Las Vegas but I like to think I usually have more sense than the social norm.

I rub my eyes and blink them open. The hotel room comes into formation around me. The walls are a warm golden color and the flat screen on the wall plays some home improvement show. I can see the bathroom from the bed, the tiled walls and large soaking tub.

I roll over onto my side, hoping I can sleep off the hangover, and reel back.

“Oh my God,” I cry, flailing in bed.

My legs kick the sleeping guy beside me.

Not just any sleeping guy.

Oh no.

Xander Kincaid, my brother’s best friend, lays in the bed beside me.

His dark hair tumbles over his forehead and his cheeks are covered with several days worth of scruff. His chest is bare and…holy shit. He’s naked.

I look down.

Oh God, I’m naked too.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, reaching his left hand out to pull me closer to him. That’s when I see it.

“Is that a wedding band?” I scream shrilly.

His eyes narrow. “You don’t fucking remember?”

I shake my head and look at my own hand. A thin silver band rests on my finger. “What did we do?”

He sits up in bed and I try to ignore how adorably rumpled he looks with his hair sticking up.

Everything begins flooding back to me in quick bursts.

Drinks.

Kissing.

Laughter.

Confessions of love and desire.

A wedding chapel.

Vows.

Rings.

A contract.

“We’re married,” I whisper. “Holy shit.” It’s all I’ve ever wanted—to be with Xander, but not like this. Never like this. “My brother is going to kill us.”

Also available in the Light In The Dark Series:

#1 Rae of Sunshine – FREE

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Book One in the series. Cade and Rae’s story. Can be read as a standalone. 

Currently FREE everywhere. 

What I remember the most about that day was that it was completely ordinary. Then with one stupid decision everything fell apart and nothing was ever the same. 
Rae Wilder wants nothing but a do over—but life doesn’t work that way. She’s stuck living out the consequences of her actions. At times the burden feels unbearable.
College is supposed to be her second chance. New place. New people. New life. No one to know what she did.
Despite that, she has still vowed to avoid everyone and everything at all costs.
Unfortunately for her, an accidental run-in with the campus heartthrob, Cade Montgomery, derails that plan. He’s determined to thaw the ice around her heart and expose the girl she used to be. He wants to show her that life is worth living for and that she really is a Rae of Sunshine.

About the author:

Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling twenty-something author. She started scribbling stories before she even knew her alphabet. She currently resides in Virginia with her doggie side-kick Ollie.

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My review: 

I was so excited to read this book but I got a bit disappointed. Everyone was talking about how great this book will be but I was not so captivated by it. Sadly. I wish I could have warmed up to the characters sooner but the story couldn't always hold my attention. It got better closer to the end though. The writing was good and I believe when I was younger I would have loved it, though it was just not enough for me. The story was turning in a circle for a while and it was dragging for a bit. It was still a really nice read though, just a bit too long.

The Story:

When Thea wakes up in a hotel bed next to Xander in Vegas she is shocked to see a wedding ring on both of their fingers. Even though she had a crush on Xander since they were kids, she never thought they would end up being together because her brother would so not approve of them. The first thing she wants to do now is get divorced though Xander has other plans.

Xander got told so often by Thea's brother to keep his hands off her. While last night might have gotten out of hands, he doesn't regret finally being able to call Thea his. He wanted her for so long and now that he has her, he is not giving up without a good fight even though Thea is determined to get a divorce, he settles a deal with her to give him this summer to prove her that this was not a mistake and that they belong together.

Thoughts:

I couldn't warm up to the characters until almost to the end. The story was well written and had a good flow though sometimes it felt a bit dragging and some aspects of the story just didn't make sense to me. I still didn't understand why they were so scared of her brother? I would be scared as hell to tell my parents that I got married so young to a guy I didn't even date. Though it didn't seem that big of a problem to Thea or Xander and for their age and the sudden marriage it felt like no big deal to anyone. Since both wanted each other for a long time now it was no real challenge for them to be married either. I think if one of them hated the other it would have been a lot more fun but I guess that was not what the author had in mind.

I can't say that I hated this story but it couldn't always hold my attention and my mind often drifted up while reading which is sad because this book sounded so promising.

This was my first read by this author and I will definitely give another book of her a shot though I hope it will be more capturing than this one.

-- I received an ARC of this book from Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review. -- 
 
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
View full review on goodreads

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Release Blitz & Book Review: Rushing In by Lexi Ryan

Rushing In

by Lexi Ryan

Series: The Blackhawk Boys #2

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: August 30, 2016

 

Blurb: 

The favor seemed simple: Keep my new stepsister out of trouble for one summer.

I’ve never met Grace Lee, but Mom tells me she’s a quiet and artsy college student with a troubled past. When I agreed to let her stay with me, I thought it was no big deal. I expected to share my apartment with a sullen girl who’d spend hours locked in her room. 

I didn’t expect a walking fantasy determined to make me lose my cool.

I didn’t expect a woman with secrets so dark, so deep, I’d throw away everything if it would save her from the past.

Rushing in to do this favor is turning my life upside down—and not just because Grace needs her ass spanked. Keep her out of trouble? Grace is the trouble. And I want in.

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EXCERPT:

 (Rushing In Excerpt © 2016 by Lexi Ryan)

Chris arches a brow and skims his gaze over my body—correction, my dress and Chucks. “You’re gonna go hiking in that?”

I shrug. “It’s not like it’s full-length and gonna get tangled around my legs or anything.”

His gaze drifts down my body again, this time landing on the thigh visible beneath the hem of my dress. “It’s certainly not,” he mumbles, and the way he says it has my cheeks burning and me reaching for my water.

So damn thirsty.

We finish packing up our lunch together, and after we put the cooler back in the car, I grab the park pamphlet out of the front seat. “Come on,” I say, nodding in the direction of the outlook. “It’s my turn to be in charge.”

The park is beautiful, but as soon as we enter the woods and I see the overlook, my breath catches. From here, we have a view of the ravine below and the creek rushing through the bottom. Mossy rock faces make up the ravine walls, and trees protrude from them. It’s possibly the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I head past the overlook and take the stairs down into the ravine. It’s shady back here and feels ten degrees cooler than our picnic table in the sun.

At the bottom of the stairs, the trail splits in three directions, and when I follow the sign with the three, Chris puts his hand on my arm. “Hey, this one has ladders.”

I arch a brow and drop my gaze to my shoes. “I can handle it.”

Something passes over his face I don’t understand, and then he sighs and nods. “Okay, but I’m climbing the ladders behind you. If any creep is going to be looking up your dress today, it’s gonna be me.”

My cheeks heat, and my brain instantly diagrams his words and starts analyzing the nuance of each. Just comedy or more? Stupid brain. “Fair enough.”

He mutters something that sounds like “Dreams really do come true,” but I can’t be sure.

The trail leads down into the ravine and along the creek bed. It’s so much cooler down here, and I love the sound of the creek rock crunching under my feet as we walk along.

By the time we come upon the first ladder, there’s no one else around.

“Ladies first,” he says, gesturing toward the ladder.

“Pervert,” I mutter, but I move forward and begin my climb. The rungs are coated in mud, and when I’m halfway up, one foot slips and suddenly Chris’s hands are there, holding me steady, his hands strong and warm against the backs of my legs.

My breath catches, and I force myself to breathe and find my footing. The feel of his hands against my skin causes something to swirl hot and tight low in my belly.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice as thick as the forest beyond the trail.

I’m not okay. I’m afraid to move. Afraid not to move. Trapped by a fear that has nothing to do with a slippery ladder and everything to do with falling.

Then, slowly, his thumbs begin to slide over my skin. His hands inch up my thighs until his fingertips skim the bottom edge of my underwear and slip under to trace the bottom curve of my ass.

I cannot breathe.

I force myself to turn my head and look down at him. His jaw is set tight, a picture of self-control, but when his eyes meet mine, his face relaxes and he shoots me a boyish grin. I attempt my best poker face. “Are you copping a feel, Christopher Montgomery?”

His grin goes wide, putting his dimples on full display. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, his Southern accent drawing out his words. “I’m just trying to perform a necessary rescue mission.”

“Do I look like I need rescuing?” I ask. Under the lace edge of my panties, his thumb strokes again, a long, slow motion that makes me want to close my eyes and moan. I resist and hold his gaze.

“Who said you’re the one I’m rescuing? Maybe I’m trying to save myself.” He drops his hands and grabs a hold of the sides of the ladder, then he climbs up behind me so his body is pressed against mine, my back to his front. His mouth hovers above my ear, his breath hot and uneven. “Because I swear if I have to go much longer without touching you, I’m going to implode.”

His lips skim my earlobe, and my eyes float closed. My brain has no room for sight when it’s overloaded with sensations. His lips on my ear. His hard chest against my back. His breath against my neck. “I need to know, Grace.”

I open my eyes and swallow hard. I don’t want to talk. Not right now. I’m too afraid I’ll ruin this moment with my choppy stutter. “What?”

“I need to know . . .” He leans his forehead against my shoulder, and I watch his knuckles turn white as he tightens his grip on the side of the ladder.

On the ground beneath us, someone clears his throat. “You two heading up or down?”

Chris mutters a curse and takes a step down so I have the freedom to move. I scramble up the ladder with him behind me. When we reach the top, I can’t look at him.

“Sorry about that,” he calls to the people below, then he grabs my wrist and pulls me off to the right toward a rocky alcove just off the trail. A wooden sign tells me this is “The Devil’s Ice Box,” and beyond the sign, a thin waterfall drizzles into a pool of crystal-clear water. Chris leads the way, following the rocky edge around to the backside of this semi-secluded space and stopping by the waterfall. I pass him, feigning interest in the rocks and water so I don’t have to meet his eyes. There’s a cavern behind the waterfall, a haven from the falling water.

“I have to know,” Chris says, his words nearly drowned out by the falling water. “Is it just me? Everything I feel when you’re close to me? Tell me you feel it too.”

Also available in the Blackhawk Boys Series:

Football. Secrets. Lies. Passion. These boys don’t play fair. Which Blackhawk Boy will steal your heart? 

#1 Spinning Out – Arrow’s story

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#3 Going Under – Sebastian’s story – Coming Late 2016
 

About the author:

 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of emotional romance that sizzles, Lexi enjoys reading, sunshine, a good glass of wine, and rare trips to the beach. 

 Lexi lives in Indiana with her husband, two children, and neurotic dog. You can find her at her website: lexiryan.com

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 My review:

This was such a fantastic story! It was unexpected good and surprisingly amazing. I couldn’t stop reading and was really captured by what’s going on with the characters. 

The writing was sooooo good I didn’t want to stop reading if it weren’t for my work and life interrupting. I devoured this book. I loved Grace and Chris’s characters and I rooted for them from the beginning.

The Story: 

Chris is a good guy and quite the opposite of Grace who seems to make troubles on end – or at least that’s what her father thinks. That’s why Grace is supposed to stay with Chris over the summer that he can keep an eye on her and out of trouble.

Chris is never the guy seeking trouble and if he is near a fight he is the one stopping it. Chris is someone you can count on. He may seem boring to some people but he is responsible and thinks before he does something.

When Chris agreed that Grace can stay at his place for the summer, he really didn't know what he got himself into. He just wanted his mom to have her dream honeymoon traveling through Europe without her or his stepdad worrying about Grace. Now his world is about to turn upside down.

Thoughts:

This is exactly how I like my kind of stories. There is everything included. From funny moments to sad and heartbreaking ones and also gut-wrenching parts that make you angry at how unfair and horrible the world can be, all that wrapped up in sweet and lovely.

Amazing capturing story, awesome writing, believable characters and a story that feels so real it makes you believe you're a part of it.

Chris made me swoon and Grace made me wish I had a friend like her.

Hats off to the author, she did an amazing job combining all the right essentials for this perfect book.

It was entertaining and fun. I loved it. I actually thought at first that this would be an easy and predictable story but I was so wrong. The story was really good and a lot happened that I just didn’t see coming. Fate didn’t mean well with Chris and Grace and I hoped throughout the book that it will still end well. I felt so bad for the stuff Grace had to endure in her life and that people were so mean. She really deserved a good guy like Chris and even though Chris was so different than Grace, she made him crazy in a good way and that just made their lives so much fuller of love.

Go grab this book about a love that may not have meant to be but is going to happen one way or the other. This is a story about two people having to overcome ones past, the others future and some troubles along the way. But if you stick together and hold on tight, you get through the bumps in the road together and will come out of it stronger than before.

I can’t believe that I didn’t check out the first book in this series yet but I have to get to it ASAP. =)

-- I received an ARC of this book from Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review. -- 
 
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads

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