Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens

Moonlight and Oranges

by Elise Stephens

Genre: Contemporary Fiction | Romance | Young Adult

Review on behalf of AToMR Blog Tours

A timeless tale of young romance.

Lorona Connelly is ready for a change from her carefully planned, bookish life. When sparks fly at a costume party, she embraces a chance for romance with the handsome Kestrin Feather. However, she quickly realizes that even love and destiny may not be enough to overcome the reality of an overprotective mother-in-law and Kestrin’s long, tarnished history of relationships. When Lorona’s curiosity leads her to Kestrin’s journal, doubt plagues them both with insecurities and threatens the relationship. Can true love overcome the odds, or was their whirlwind romance just a frivolous crush?

Author Elise Stephens shares a journey of young love, fate, and wounded trust in the story of Lorona and Kestrin, a couple who must learn to overcome their fears to share a life together.

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Nell by Jeanette Baker

Nell

by Jeanette Baker

Genre: Contempory Fiction | Romance | Historical

Jillian Fitgerald, whose grand house had 60 rooms, grew up together with Frankie Maguire, the kennel keeper's son, in Northern Ireland. That she was rich and he was poor did not daunt their dreams of someday marrying. But Jillian was headed for a privileged life and the university. Frankie, drawn into the nationalist cause, faced a charge of murder and the dark walls of a jail cell.

With their lives torn apart, there seemed no chance for Jillian and Frankie. But the heart owns knowledge to which the mind is not privy. Generations before, an Irish princess, Eleanor "Nell" Fitzgerald, her family killed, her life in jeopardy, her beloved torn from her arms, was preparing to reach out to another woman who shared her heritage...a woman in another century. Now, from the court of Henry VIII to the violent streets of modern Belfast, Nell and Jillian will become two souls joined in one courageous battle to prove that neither prison bars nor the hands of time can stop the power of love...

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According to Jane by Marilyn Brant

According to Jane
by Marilyn Brant

Genre: Contemporary Fiction | Romance

In Marilyn Brant's smart, wildly inventive debut, one woman in search of herself receives advice from the ultimate expert in matters of the heart...

It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. From nowhere comes a quiet "tsk" of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there.

Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the trauma of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go, but Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham.

Still, everyone has something to learn about love -- perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond all she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending...

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All For You by Lynn Kurland

All For You
(de Piaget Family Series, Book #17)

by Lynn Kurland

Genre: Contemporary Romance | Time-Travel

FALLING THROUGH TIME IS DANGEROUS… Peaches Alexander is thrilled to receive an unexpected invitation to a weekend party given by the handsome, eligible Duke of Kenneworth. The only problem: Stephen de Piaget, a stuffy medieval studies scholar who seems determined to get in the way. Peaches has absolutely no desire to get involved with Stephen, until a quirk of Fate sends her hurtling through time…

UNLESS THERE’S SOMEONE TO CATCH YOU. Stephen de Piaget has been leading a double life: respectable professor by day, knight-in-training during holidays and summer terms. When Peaches goes missing, Stephen knows he’s the only one that can rescue her from medieval peril. Little do they know that the greatest danger they’ll face won’t be the business end of a sword, but their own unruly hearts….

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Fall For You by Cecilia Gray

 Fall For You: 
A Modern Retailing of Pride and Prejudice
(Jane Austen Academy, Book #1)

by Cecilia Gray

Review on behalf of AToMR Book Blog Tours

Genre:Young Adult | Contemporary Romance

To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He’s a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She’s a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It’s obvious that Dante thinks he’s way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pushing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie’s quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets… Secrets Lizzie can’t seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries…

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Conquered by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

 Conquered by a Highlander
(Children on the Mist, Book #4)

by Paula Quinn 

Review on behalf of NetGalley
(via Grand Central Publishing)

Genre: Historical Romance

BOUND BY DUTY
Colin MacGregor was born to fight-for his beliefs, his king, and his family's honor. After years away from his beloved Scotland, he yearns to return to its lush, green hills-and he can, after he completes one final mission for the king. Sent to infiltrate a traitor's home, Colin is determined to expose the treasonous plot and triumph on the battlefield . . . until he meets a sensual lass who tempts him towards other pursuits . . . .

BETRAYED BY PASSION
Lady Gillian Dearly is no stranger to temptation. Cast out of her family for bearing an illegitimate child, she's now the ward of a barbarian conspiring against the king. Her only desire: freedom for her son and for herself at any cost, even if it means making a deal with the devil. Yet when a mysterious Highlander appears in their midst, his braw strength and smoldering gaze give her hope for a future beyond the castle walls-and promise a desire unlike any she's ever known. But passion comes at a price . . .

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Existence by Abbi Glines

Existence
( Existence Trilogy, Book #1 )

by Abbi Glines 

Genre: Young Adult | Dark Romance | Fantasy

What happens when you're stalked by Death? You fall in love with him, of course. Pagan Moore doesn't cheat Death, but instead, falls in love with him. Seventeen year old Pagan Moore has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn't let them know she could see them, then they left her alone. Until she stepped out of her car the first day of school and saw an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead. Not only does he not go away when she ignores him, but he does something none of the others have ever done. He speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What she doesn't realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul at all. He is Death and he's about to break all the rules.

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The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

The Winter Sea

( UK Title: Sophia's Secret )

by Susanna Kearsley

Genre: Contemporary | Romance | Historic

History has all but forgotten the spring of 1708, when an invasion fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown. Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors, and starts to write. But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory...making her the only living person who can know the truth of what did happen all those years ago - a tale of love and loyalty...and ultimate betrayal. 

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Lord of the Isles by Debbie Mazzuca

Lord of the Isles

(Isles Series, Book #1) 

by Debbie Mazzuca

Genre: Historical Romance | Time-Travel | Fantasy

After traveling to Scotland on business, the bed of a highland laird is the last place Ali Graham expected to wake up. But there's no mistaking the irresistibly masculine Scottish Highlander whose chambers she's accidentally infiltrated—or the severe wound he's suffered in battle. As a doctor, Ali knows how to heal his injury, how to nurse his body back to health. What she doesn't know is how to heal his heart...A proud warrior and the leader of a powerful clan, Rory MacLeod is ready to fight to the death to protect his homeland. After all, ever since tragedy robbed him of his wife, he has had nothing to lose. Yet the mysterious woman sent to tend his wounds is beginning to reawaken something inside him—something that he'd rather stay buried. But when true passion is mixed with Scottish magic, even the most fearsome warrior could begin to fall...

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Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

Garden Spells

by Sarah Addison Allen

Genre: Contemporary Romance | Fantasy
 

Claire has everything she thinks she needs, until one day she wakes to find a stranger has moved in next door and a vine of ivy has crept into her garden... and her carefully tended life is about to run gloriously out of control.

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The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test
(Goddess Test, Book #1 - Harlequin Teen)
by Aimee Carter

Genre: Young Adult | Romance | Mythology

Every girl who has taken the test has failed.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Katie is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll becomes Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails . . .

Kathrine Winters is in a difficult place right now. She's trying to keep it together even though her Mother is close to death and she has to start a new life in a new place, knowing she could be alone in the world within just a few months. She has no other family, thus she desperately clings to her Mother and knows once the cancer becomes fatal that everything will change and she's not prepared for that. Then one night she meets a young man who makes some outlandish promises and her life now takes her in a whole new direction. Can the myths of the past really change her future?

It's been awhile since I've read a book as quickly as The Goddess Test. I simply couldn't put it down!!! I highly enjoyed the mythology and the simplicity of the overall story. When a reader can engage solely on the protagonist without a lot of outside interference ( too many side-characters, side-plots, settings, etc. ) it makes the tale a lot more entertaining, especially for my reading taste. I quickly become engrossed in Kate's emotional struggles that before I knew it . . . it was over. Thus, I'm thrilled Book #2, Goddess Interrupted, is coming out soon on March 27th.

Likes: Kate was very down-to-earth and easy to identify with as a character, thus her tale quickly become emotionally gripping since it wasn't difficult to see the world through her eyes & experiences.

Dislikes: The ending somewhat surprised me and it will be interesting to see where this will lead in Book #2 since many of the "relationships" between the characters quickly got altered.

Rating:

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern

Genre: Historical | Fantasy

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Two kids are raised to compete in an unknown magical challenge one day. Neither knows what will be rewarded to the winner or who is their competition ( or even much about the overall challenge itself ), but nonetheless, they both dutifully work on their magic under very different and very eccentric teachers. One takes a more physical force when learning about illusions while the other studies from books how to bend the imagination, yet they grown up into powerful figures who can easily enchant and delight through there impossible tricks. Thus, when Le Cirque des Rêves is created, both find themselves drawn to it and each other as the battles truly begins.

This was a refreshing read for me since it was something new to excite my romantic taste and yet satisfy my historical curiosity. The overall book covered many different genres throughout, thus sometimes it felt very mysteriously charming, other times like a young adult adventure, and then it would flip into a very unrealistic delusion of fantasy - so it will definitely keep the reader on their toes. The narration skips all over though, so you do have to pay close attention to the year and the characters since the book will easily go back and forth in time to expand on a tale related to the circus. In the end, it all comes together but it is a bumpy ride for all ( lots of side characters and settings...even within the circus itself ) until the final chapters, so expect lots of passion and excitement as The Night Circus does what it does best . . . enchants!

Likes: (( Spoiler )) Great name for the young male character, Bailey, since it instantly brings to mind "The Greatest Show on Earth" BARNUM & BAILEY ® Circus

Dislikes: Luckily I devoured this book in just a few days, but if this was something you kept by your bed for a few weeks, I could see how easily overwhelmed one could get with the numerous narrations and small stories intertwined within the larger tale. Lots to take in!

Rating:

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Never Love a Highlander by Maya Banks

Never Love a Highlander
(McCabe's Trilogy, Book #3)
by Maya Banks

Genre: Historical Romance

Caelen McCabe’s young, reckless heart nearly destroyed his clan. Now putting family loyalty above all else, he steps up to marry his older brother’s jilted bride and salvage the uneasy alliance between two clans. While beautiful Rionna McDonald is a fit wife for any man, Caelen trusts no woman, especially not this sweet temptress who torments him with white hot longing.

As the sacrificial lamb in her father’s power game, Rionna will do her duty but protect her heart and her pride from another man’s humiliation. Despite everything, the heat in Caelen’s touch melts her defenses and she craves the sensual delights of a husband who guards his emotions as fiercely as his clan. But when the ultimate battle for the McCabe legacy is upon them, Rionna’s true warrior spirit emerges. She will risk the wrath of her father, the fury of her enemies, and her life to prove to Caelen that his wife’s love is too precious to lose.

The youngest McCabe brother, Caelen, marries the twice-jilted bride, Rionna, out of duty to his family. Both go into the marriage for different political reasons but eventually end up sharing a mutual understanding that blooms into affection. Though it is a rocky relationship at first with many trivial arguments ( followed by many bouts of make-up sex ), both Caelen and Rionna create a satisfying ( and somewhat suspenseful ) romance that concludes presently . . . all while building up to the final/fatal battle with the trilogy's evil villain, Duncan Cameron. Expect lots of clan wars, stubborn male tactics, devious plotting, family ties, and a fierce maiden, but overall an enjoyable read!

Likes: The stubborn warrior personalities that both share . . . when you get past their tough outer-shell, they also are both rather vulnerable and hopeful.

Dislikes: I'm not a fan of books that focus on brutal physical abuse and yet that was quite obvious in both Rionna's past as well as her present lifestyle. That is always an emotional downer for me ( even though I can understand the author's motive to create a bleak background story for the protagonist to grow stronger from )

Rating:

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His Christmas Pleasure by Cathy Maxwell

His Christmas Pleasure
by Cathy Maxwell

Genre: Historical Romance | Seasonal

Anything Can Happen at Christmas!

When her father threatens to marry Abigail Montross off to a man twice her age (and with thirteen children!), she decides to elope instead with the irresistibly handsome Baron de Vasconia. She know all abut his notorious reputaiton. He is the most seductive man in all of London, but he’s vowed to protect her, so she allow herself to be tempted into his bed, promising to guard her heart at all costs.

Andres believes he’s entered into nothing more than a marriage of convenience with a charming and very wealthy young woman. But the days–and nights–Abigail spends in his arms soon reform this rogue. He’ll do anything to gain her love–until they each discover the truth about the other and old wounds are revealed.

It’s the season of miracles and passion–when love not only awakens the senses but delivers the greatest gift of all . . .

Abby is cherished by her parents and foolishly in love with the wrong man, but she doesn't know that. She's been jilted, past the "marriageable age" and isn't the most popular lady at the ball, but things quickly change when one of the hottest bachelors in town, Andres, defends her beauty and causes a big hoop-la throughout the gossip scene. Yet, when both Abby & Andres find themselves in a sticky situation, they turn to each other for aid in a daring plan that could be a blessing in disguise - but only if they have enough courage and love to pull it off!

I was kind of taken back by how much I found myself enjoying this book. I started reading one night before bed and next thing I know, I'm staying up till 1am engrossed in the tale and having a grand time with Abby & Andres's adventures. I found myself relating very closely to Abigale (shockingly so!!!) and that really bonded me to the main characters. The way the story was written felt like there were almost three different sections: Part One in plotting to run away and following their fated dreams, Part Two in the actual escape & capture, and Part Three in dealing with the consequences and making the best of it. Each section had very different feelings for me, thus adding to the realization of how the characters were changing emotionally and really developing throughout. I loved it!

Likes: It was entertaining to watch how comfortable the two main leads were around it other, especially from the very beginning. They made scenes very comical and memorable without a lot of effort.

Dislikes: Got a little lovey-dovey cheesy near the end, but that didn't change my feelings toward an overall enjoyable book! BUT, I felt there was very little seasonal aspects in this story to really make it a Christmas themed book.

Rating:

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A Winter Scandal by Candace Camp

A Winter Scandal
(The St. Dwynwen Series, Book #1)
by Candace Camp

Genre: Historical Romance | Seasonal

Gabriel is intrigued by the vivacity in Thea’s flashing gray eyes when she accuses him of fathering the orphan, even as he adamantly maintains his innocence. The brooch is one he remembers all too well, however, and Gabriel is determined to find the mother of the missing child. As the mystery around the baby deepens, Gabriel is continually thrown together with Thea—and finds himself growing more entranced every day.

Even with whispers of winter scandal swirling around them, they cannot deny the longing in their hearts. A longing which promises the best gift of all: a shelter from the storm... in each other’s arms.

Thea Bainbridge has fully acknowledged she's a spinster and being the vicar's sister while turning twenty-seven unmarried has fully put her "on the shelf". Even though she dearly prays that things were different, she accepts her way of life until a baby is mysteriously left in her church's Christmas manger scene. Her only clue from the baby leads to the newest resident in town, Lord Morecombe (aka Gabriel). Before either of them know it, they're swept up into a race to uncover the babies identity and the reason behind its abandonment ... all while confronting their deepening feelings for each other during the festive Holiday season.

What a pleasing book! I highly enjoy the concept of time passing for two people who shared a pivotal moment in the past and meeting again in the future, but that was just one of the many delightful parts of the story. Little Matthew was way more adorable than a real baby could ever be, but he added a lot of cuteness to the overall tale and his interactions with everyone throughout really warmed up their written characters. The mystery concept was intriguing and it was nice to see Thea bloom throughout and really witness her hardened persona becoming softer and more open to love. Many of the side characters were appealing and I'm interested to see who will be the next couple in this series (*fingers crossed* for Damaris & Lord Rawdon)

Likes: Gabriel's persistent passion toward Thea was something I highly enjoyed throughout, he wasn't shy about public displays of affection or playfully tuning Thea's words back on her in a "mind-in-the-gutter" sort of way - Fun guy!

Dislikes: I had a different outcome in mind for Gabriel's sister, thus I was somewhat sad to find out the real truth!

Rating:

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