Audio Review + Giveaway: On a Tuesday by Whitney G.


Welcome to my stop on the audiotour for On a Tuesday by Whitney G.! If you're a fan of sports romances, you're in for a treat. And if you love cocky quarterbacks (who are actually sweethearts), then you definitely want to meet Grayson Connors. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below!


ON A TUESDAY
by Whitney G.
Publication Date: September 19, 2017
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

We met on a Tuesday. Became best friends, then lovers, on a Tuesday. And everything fell apart on a Tuesday…

 Charlotte Taylor has three automatic strikes in my book: 1) She hates me. She also claims that I’m a “domineering jerk with a huge, overbearing ego.” (I do have something huge. It’s not my ego, though.) 2) She takes our mandatory tutoring sessions way too seriously. 3) She’s sexy as hell…And a virgin. 

At least, those were her strikes before our study sessions started lasting longer than they were supposed to. Until one innocent kiss became a hundred dirty ones, and until she became the first woman I ever fell hard for.

Our future together after graduation was supposed to be set: Professional football for me. Law school for her.

But she left me at the end of the semester with no explanation, and then she completely disappeared from my life. Until tonight.

We met on a Tuesday. Became everything, then nothing, on a Tuesday. And now it’s seven years later, on a Tuesday…

*This is a full length second chance romance, inspired by Adele’s “When We Were Young”

Purchase: Amazon | Audible | iTunes

College senior Charlotte is so over the guys who want nothing more than instant hook-ups. So when she's assigned to tutor football god Grayson Connors (Heisman trophy winner and total ladies' man) she has no patience for his flirtatious personality. But Grayson (more than) likes what he sees and is determined to win Charlotte over. And so begins their relationship. Like turns to love and they make plans for post-graduation. And then Charlotte is gone. Without a word and without a trace. Until seven years later they're once again face to face - and Grayson wants answers. 

I enjoyed this second chance romance and it was easy to pull for Charlotte and Grayson to have their happily ever after. Told in dual POV and also in past and present timelines, we get to see the evolution of Grayson and Charlotte's romance as well as the aftermath. Charlotte was not the typical girl fawning over the popular jock. She was an intelligent woman with a backbone and I loved how she made Grayson work for even her phone number. And Grayson was a guy who, while well aware of his athletic abilities and his charm, was also down to earth and self-aware and wasn't one to play games. He was obviously smitten with Charlotte and was willing to be patient while she came around. In the present day chapters, I loved how Grayson wasn't afraid to show his vulnerability and put his heart on the line for the woman he still loved. 

Narrators Erin Mallon and Joseph Discher enhanced the listening experience with their performances. Erin, especially, had a polished delivery and really brought Charlotte to life. 

On a Tuesday is a quick read/listen (only 5 hours on audio and just 216 pages in the e-book version) so it did leave me wanting a bit more - a little more development, a little more insight into their relationship, a little more from the ending - but overall Whitney G. provided a story that kept me thoroughly engaged from start to finish.

3.5/5 STARS 



About Whitney G.
Whitney G. is a twenty-eight-year-old optimist who is obsessed with travel, tea, and great coffee. She’s also a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of several contemporary novels, and the cofounder of The Indie Tea–an inspirational blog for indie romance authors. When she’s not chatting with readers on her Facebook Page, you can find her on her website at http://www.whitneygbooks.com or on instagram: @whitneyg.author. (If she’s not in either of those places, she’s probably locked away working on another crazy story.) Don’t forget to sign up for Whitney’s monthly newsletter here: http://bit.ly/1p9fEYF




WWW Wednesday #21 | August 29, 2018


WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.
Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.


WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
      
More Than We Can Tell - Brigid Kemmerer
I'm loving it - even while it's breaking my heart.
I loved Rev when he was a secondary character in Letters to the Lost and getting his full story here is wonderful but also heart breaking. He is very much still firmly in the clutches of his past and it's hard to see (and feel) the impact it has on him.

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
The Kiss Quotient - Helen Hoang
This was absolutely a case of the right book at the right time. I adored both Stella and Michael and the evolution of not just their relationship but their personal journeys, as well. This is one of those book that you just want to hug after you turn the last page.  

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?
         
If I feel like reading another YA after I finish More Than We Can Tell, Someone I Used to Know is a possibility. And if I need to jaunt back to the adult world for a while I might pick up The Girl & Her Ren. I think enough time has passed that I have sufficiently recovered from the first book. :)

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with a School Setting

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 
Favorite Books with a School Setting
I am being decidedly un-creative with this week's back to school theme, but work/packing/life/whatnot. You know how it is. :) So these are some of my favorite books where school/college is a prominent setting. 


Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda | Becky Albertalli
The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things* | Ann Aguirre
Eleanor & Park | Rainbow Rowell
One Small Thing* | Erin Watt
Wait For You* | Jennifer L. Armentrout
Trust* | Kylie Scott
Letters to the Lost | Brigid Kemmerer
Autoboyography* | Christina Lauren
Tell Me Three Things* | Julie Buxbaum
The Problem with Forever | Jennifer L. Armentrout

Titles with an asterisk (*) link to my review.
All others link to GoodReads.


Have you read any of these books?

The Sunday Post #117


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's a chance to share news - a post to recap the past week on your blog, 
showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is
coming up on your blog in the week ahead. You can find the info here:

It was a busy week with work, physical therapy appointments and packing. I'd love to kick back and spend today reading (and napping) but there's still so much packing to do. The Husband made another Home Depot run yesterday for more boxes. And my beautiful library has gone from this to this:


     

I've seen several people comment on their cooler temps and fall-like weather... and I'm so jealous. It's still hitting 90 degrees here and that's why this watermelon granita is looking so refreshing. And so simple!  



Tuesday, August 21
Top Ten Tuesday:

Wednesday, August 22

Friday, August 24

WHAT I FINISHED IN THE LAST WEEK:
      
 I finished Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski and wow, what a read! Yes it was a long one (600+ pages) but I was so invested and was turning pages as fast as I could. This one was anything but dull! I was pretty sure the ending would break me... and it did. And now I desperately need the next book. And it was pretty cool to see Jessica leave a comment on my review! :)

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING: 
This one is so living up to the hype! Thanks to Sam and Lindsi for badgering gently encouraging me to read this one. I love Stella, I adore Michael, and depending on how much packing I get done today I will probably finish this tonight. Loving it!

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY LISTENING TO:
On a Tuesday - Whitney G.
I'm listening to the audio version of this one for an upcoming blog tour. It's my first by Whitney G. and I'm enjoying it so far. I like the "then" and "now" narrative but Charlotte sure is one stubborn lady!
    

          

I'm intrigued by this series since it has a military aspect.
I've looked at this one for ages and since it was $0.99 this week...
The cover is so cheesy but I'm trash for Abbi Glines.
I've read three from this series and they're fun light romances.




How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share? 
I'd love to hear about it!

Review+ Giveaway: Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski



Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Everything Under the Sun! Reading the synopsis (and seeing that cover) I knew this was a story I wanted to read. But this wasn't just another read - it was an experience. Jessica Redmerski created a world that was scarily realistic - and all too believable - and took me on a journey that I won't soon forget. It's a rare book that gets 5 stars from me but this one did just that. So check out my thoughts, enter the giveaway, and use the links below to get your own copy today.
Everything Under The Sun 
Jessica Redmerski
Publication date: August 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Suspense
Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.
Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?

 This book…
Oh my goodness, this book!
I would say I’ve been left speechless but that’s not really true. It’s more like I have So Many Feelings that I just don’t know where to start. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything so completely engrossing, so heart wrenching, so dark and yet so hopeful. Everything Under the Sun is a post-apocalyptic dystopian tale but it’s also so much more. It’s an epic story of good vs evil. It’s a story of survival. It’s an action-adventure. And it’s a love story. It’s all that and more.

When you die, you won’t need the soil to hold you, Thais, because I’ll be right there next to you holding you myself.

Everything Under the Sun starts off with a bang. Redmerski throws us into a world of utter lawlessness, filled with violence and danger. Years after the world’s population has been devastated by a virus, society is stripped not only of life’s luxuries but of basic human needs like food, shelter and clean water. Living quietly and remotely with her father and sister, Thais’s circumstances change in an instant and so begins a journey that will see her through enormous loss, terrifying challenges, and seemingly insurmountable odds as she struggles to find safety and freedom. Her meeting with Atticus is under the direst of circumstances and is the catalyst that changes the course of her life yet again.

Everything under the sun… it’s all going to be yours someday. It will, Thais, because you’re so good and pure. And you can change the world.

I adored these characters. Thais was kind and sweet and vulnerable but also strong and fierce as hell. She rose to challenges instead of being defeated by them and she clung to her belief in the goodness of people and her hope for a better future. And then there was Atticus. Carrying a mantle of self-recrimination and guilt, Atticus was a like an onion whose layers were peeled back one at a time. I appreciated the complexities of his character and the changes in him over the course of the story were subtle yet powerful.

I knew I could never leave her here, or anywhere, without me. She was my charge. She was my last chance at redemption.

Told in dual POV’s (sometimes within the same chapter which took some getting used but I ended up loving it), Everything Under the Sun is filled with ups and downs that made it almost uputdownable from start to finish. Redmerski deftly added a subtle undercurrent of faith and belief in something greater than what can be seen. I usually find elements of religion or spirituality in novels to be heavy-handed (and, frankly, a turn-off), but it is so seamlessly woven into the story that it feels like a natural balance to the themes of good vs evil and lightness overcoming the dark.

I want to teach people not to be afraid. I want them to understand that the world needs goodness now more than ever. That's all I want: for people to understand, and not be afraid of doing what is right.

With main characters that captured my heart, a cast of secondary characters that I rooted for and railed against, world building that was so immersive I could practically smell the fires burning and hear the chants and jeers of the crowds, Everything Under the Sun was everything I wanted and didn’t even know it. The ending was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful and has me desperate for the continuation of this incredible story. Yes, I may have had a few quibbles with the pacing of the plot and the pacing of Atticus and Thais’s relationship, but those issues are so minor compared to my love for the overall story. Redmerski has created a beautiful love story set in a brutal world – a story that warmed my heart, hurt my heart, made me cringe, and made me think. This is one that will stay with me for a very long time.

5/5 STARS

Note: Everything Under the Sun contains scenes that are sensitive in nature and may be troubling to some readers: violence, allusion to rape/sexual assault (off the page), and suicide.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.



Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and award winner who juggles several genres of fiction.She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.







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WWW Wednesday #20 | August 22, 2018


WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.
Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.


WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
      
Everything Under the Sun - Jessica Redmerski
Same as last week - I'm still reading this post-apocalyptic/dystopian novel by Jessica (J.A.) Redmerski. And I'm loving it. I'm 90% in and have a sinking feeling the ending is going to break me. 

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Nothing in the last week or so. At more than 600 pages, it's taken me a while to read Everything Under the Sun.  

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?
    
Still planning to pick up either More Than We Can Tell or The Kiss Quotient after I finish Everything Under the Sun.

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Ban the Slump

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic: 
Books to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump
Sooner or later it happens to all of us: the dreaded reading slump. Whether it's because of a recent read or just one of those things, no one likes a reading slump. Sometimes you just have to let it run its course, but sometimes the right book at the right time can help you bounce right back. Here are my picks for the books that help me ban the slump.


Re-read an all-time favorite.
I very rarely re-read but I make an exception for the Lux series. I've re-read the first few books in series several times and it's my go-to for when I'm in a slump (or just need a Daemon Black fix).

Laugh a little.
Sometimes you just don't have it in you to concentrate on silly things like plot and characters. Why not grab a lighthearted memoir or some humorous essays? Have a few laughs with little brain power required.

Cute contemporary for the win.
No matter what genre you typically enjoy, if you're feeling slumpy you probably don't want to delve into anything too heavy or complex. A light contemporary might just do the trick.

Grab some middle grade.
If, like me, you never read middle grade books, and you're mired in a reading slump, consider giving it a try. The shift in POV to that of a child might do you wonders.
Example: Wonder by R.J. Palacio (see what I did there?)

Try a different genre.
If you read from one (or two) genres almost exclusively, try switching it up the next time a slump hits. The times I've branched out to mystery/thrillers have usually been a big hit!

Short stories, anyone?
My last reading slump lasted months and I rarely felt like reading at all. And even when I did I found my attention span was short. Short stories to the rescue! 

Novellas are your friend.
Along the same line as short stories, novellas are also a great option. If a favorite book or series offers up a novella, chances are you'll enjoy revisiting those characters or that world again.

More cute contemporary FTW.
It bears repeating - a cute contemporary will always, always do the trick for me. Contemporary romance is already my genre of choice so when I'm feeling slumpy I usually still go the contemporary route. I just make sure I go for something cute and light instead of dark and angsty.

Same book... different format.
This is possibly my favorite tip/trick/hack for breaking out of the dreaded slump. I pick a favorite book, a plot I loved, characters I adore, but instead of trying to re-read it I go the audio route. There are several books that I listen to again and again on audio and they never get old... even during a reading slump. 

Explore a new world.
Sometimes losing yourself in a totally new setting can re-energize your reading. Grab a fantasy, a sci-fi, or even a contemporary that's set in a faraway place, and be transported.


Do you experience reading slumps?
What's your best trick to get past it?

The Sunday Post #116


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It's a chance to share news - a post to recap the past week on your blog, 
showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is
coming up on your blog in the week ahead. You can find the info here:

Things are moving along with the sale of of current house. We had the roof replaced last week and now we're waiting for the buyers to schedule the appraisal.The closing for the house we're buying is just a few weeks away so we really need to get on the ball with packing. Ack!

I am so over this heat. Summer is my least favorite season as it is (I'm a native Floridian who doesn't like the heat, avoids the sun like the plague and never goes to the beach - oh, the irony) and this summer is feeling especially brutal. I'm so ready for fall - or what passes for fall in Florida. Which means it's just slightly less hot. LOL What's the weather like where you are?

I am so not an animal person but how cute is this dog?! That face. I might have followed him for three blocks, too. :)

WHAT I FINISHED IN THE LAST WEEK:
       Not a thing. I started reading Everything Under the Sun last week and I'm still reading it. It's a long one! 650+ pages!

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING: 
 Everything Under the Sun - Jessica Redmerski 
When I started reading this one last week I'd check my percentage ever so often and feel like I wasn't getting anywhere. Why am I only at 5%? Why am I only at 11%? I finally checked GoodReads and realized that this book is 657 pages long. Whoa, baby! I feel like I've hit my groove with it, though, and now at 47% I'm so into it. This post-apocalyptic world Redmerski has created is brutal and frightening - and doesn't feel so very far-fetched. Not only do I love the main characters but I never know what's going to happen next and that adds an intensity that makes for a great reading experience.

    


Nothing. Not a single thing.
Not a physical book. 
Not a Kindle book.
Not an audio book.
Who am I???





How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share? 
I'd love to hear about it!