ARC Review:Madly by Ruthie Knox

An impulsive trip to New York City, a heartthrob from London, and a scandalous to-do list turn a small-town girl’s life upside down in this sultry romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Truly and About Last Night.

Allie Fredericks isn’t supposed to be in Manhattan, hiding in the darkest corner of a hip bar, spying on her own mother—who’s flirting with a man who’s definitely not Allie’s father. Allie’s supposed to be in Wisconsin, planning her parents’ milestone anniversary party. Then Winston Chamberlain walks through the door, with his tailored suit, British accent, and gorgeous eyes, and Allie’s strange mission goes truly sideways.

Winston doesn’t do messy. But after a pretty stranger ropes him into her ridiculous family drama with a fake kiss that gets a little too real, he finds out that messy can be fun. Maybe even a little addicting. And as the night grows longer, Allie and Winston make a list of other wild things they could do together—and what seems like a mismatch leads to a genuine connection. But can their relationship survive as their real lives implode just outside the bedroom door?

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What I thought about Madly

Allie (May's sister from Truly) is in New York City, but she isn't there to visit with her sister, at least not right away.  It's her mother she's stalking.  It seems that Nancy Fredericks disappears from her life every now and then and Allie needs to know what she's doing.  There's more to this story, but I don't want to spoil it. I thought it was very cute how the story opened at Pulvermachers again. 

Allie meets Winston while at the bar, and he becomes her "mailman" -- someone she can tell her secrets too without worrying about judgement because he really doesn't know her.  It's clear from the start there's a spark between them, even though he's a bit stuffy and older than Allie. Their friendship grows quickly and they end up making a bucket list of "activities" that provides some seriously sexy moments for these characters.

I wasn't sure if I liked these characters right away, which only made me love them all that much more by the end of the story.  At first, Allie is all over the place, and Winston seems beaten down.  As they reveal truths to each other about their lives, that spark between them continues to grow into real affection and something more.  

Winston is the first to realize how lucky he is to have met Allie and his recognition of what she brought into his life made me start to love him. He wasn't really different when he was with Allie, it was like he was more himself. I loved that he learned from his past relationships and worked on his relationship with his daughter, who is a terrific secondary character in this story.

And the same went for Allie.  She beats herself up over and over about not doing the right thing and feeling inadequate which is helped along when May is incredibly hard on her after Allie reveals the "truth". It's Winston who really sees her and tries to get her to see herself the way he does without pushing her.

What I loved most of all in this story was how the story started out with a big moment and then leveled off for a while as the characters got to know each other.  It was really this pacing that intrigued me bit by bit until the big, wonderfully beautiful ending that left me with a smile, happy tears and oh so many feels.

If I had any complaint, it would be that I wanted to spend just a little more time with these characters.  I was sucked into this story and couldn't put it down.  It was all just perfect and fit very well as a followup to Truly.

This is a book and series that I'd buy for my friends and recommend to anyone who likes romance.  So happy to have this author on my e-reader again!

ARC provided for review.  

 About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After training to be a British historian, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deeply into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing.

Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-set romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life.

Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website at www.ruthieknox.com and drop her a line.

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Review: 5 stars for Truly by Ruthie Knox

May Fredericks hates New York. Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. Just weeks after moving from Wisconsin to Manhattan, she receives the world's worst marriage proposal, stabs her boyfriend with a shrimp fork in a very public venue, and accidentally becomes notorious. And that’s before she gets mugged.

At her wit's end, May washes up at a Packers bar in Greenwich Village, where she meets a surly, unhelpful guy who hates her shoes and calls her ex a douche.

His name is Ben. He used to be a chef. Now he's a rooftop beekeeper with anger management issues. She wouldn't even like him, but he reminds her of home … and he knows where to find all the best food in the Village.

She makes him laugh. He buys her tacos and cowboy boots. The longer they’re stuck together, the better May and Ben get along … and the harder they fall. TRULY is a quirky, modern New York love story unlike any you've read before.

What I thought about Truly

Truly is one of those stories that just got under my skin and into my heart.  I've reviewed it a few times since I've read it the first time last fall, and it's one of my go-to stories when I've had a bad day. It's probably my favorite read from Ruthie Knox, although I say that with a little hesitation since I think I say that about everything I read from Ruthie or her alter-ego Robin York.  But when it comes to Truly,  I just absolutely love this story and the characters.  

When I read this the first time, I fell hard for Ben.  I'd never read a character like him in other romance titles -- he's gruff, unhappy and isn't afraid to share that with others. It's not an alpha-gruffness either.  Life has dealt him some blows, and he's literally fighting his way back.  I totally got him. I could relate to his reactions to the overwhelming stressors in his life.


When he meets May, he tries to keep her at arms length, but it's impossible.  She's also dealing with some bad stuff in her life -- she's stuck in NYC without any money, unwilling to go back to her former boyfriend-without-a-clue.  She finds an unlikely ally in Ben -- and once he opens up to her, it's the start of him finding a way out of his own darkness. That's not to say that May saves him -- oh no. They really save themselves.


It's not just a romance, it's a story of two people finding a new path at those crossroads in life we all have to face from time to time. And while the romance between Ben and May is hot and intimate, it is their individual discovery of the  path into their future that really hit home with me. 

This was the story that made me a Ruthie Knox fan for life. If you haven't read it, I wholeheartedly recommend it. The writing is top notch and the story is interesting, fast paced and has very unique characters. 


I just loved Truly and if you are looking for a romance that's a little different, you might like it too.

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ABOUT RUTHIE KNOX:

USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After training to be a British historian, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deeply into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing. Her debut novel, Ride with Me, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with About Last Night, a London-set romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then Room at the Inn, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life. Ruthie moonlights as a mother, Tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website at www.ruthieknox.com and drop her a line.

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Harder by Robin York Release Day Launch & Giveaway

We are thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Robin York's HARDER!! HARDER is a New Adult contemporary romance being published by Random House’s Bantam imprint and is the 2^nd novel in Robin York’s Caroline & West Series. This book, y'all.

HARDER Synopsis:    

In Robin York’s provocative new novel, two young ex-lovers find themselves together again in the shadow of tragedy—and an intense, undeniable attraction.

Caroline still dreams about West. His warm skin, his taut muscles, his hand sliding down her stomach. Then she wakes up and she’s back to reality: West is gone. And before he left, he broke her heart.

Then, out of the blue, West calls in crisis. A tragedy has hit his family—a family that’s already a fractured mess. Caroline knows what she has to do. Without discussion, without stopping to think, she’s on a plane, flying to his side to support him in any way he needs.

They’re together again, but things are totally different. West looks edgy, angry at the world. Caroline doesn’t fit in. She should be back in Iowa, finalizing her civil suit against the ex-boyfriend who posted their explicit pictures on a revenge porn website. But here she is. Deeply into West, wrapped up in him, in love with him. Still.

They fought the odds once. Losing each other was hard. But finding their way back to each other couldn’t be harder.

 

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Advance praise for HARDER:

“Bursting with chemistry, emotion, and heart, Caroline and West’s story will take your breath away!”—Katy Evans, New York Times bestselling author of the REAL series “Robin York writes exceptionally real characters in achingly real situations. Harder had a hold on my heart and didn’t let go until the very end.”—New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack And don’t miss the first book in the Caroline & West Series….DEEPER!

Advance praise for DEEPER:

“The perfect new adult story . . . West will make you swoon!”—New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy

“Beautifully written and full of swoony tender moments, toe-curling chemistry, and delicious, twisty angst . . . Stop whatever you’re doing and read this book.”—Christina Lauren, author of the Beautiful Bastard series 

Excerpt:

When West’s ringtone starts playing in my darkened bedroom, it slips into my subconscious, and I have one of those last-second-before-you-wake-up dreams that’s pure sensation—his skin warm against me everywhere, his weight and smell, the muscles in his thighs against the backs of mine, his hand sliding down my stomach. All of that, slow and melting and West, until the song finally manages to pierce through the haze of my sleep and pinch me awake.

I fight my way from under the sheet, turned on and pissed off because I know how this goes. The rock in my stomach, the day ahead during which I’ll try and fail to shake that flood of sense-memory.

I’m going to have to live through it, and then I’m going to lose it, every good memory I have of West, again, when what I want is to drop back into that dream and live there instead.

It sucks. It sucks, and I’m so distracted by the suckage that I’m picking up the phone and swiping at the screen with my thumb before I completely register what’s going on.

West’s ringtone. West is calling me.

West is calling me at one a.m. when I haven’t heard from him in two and a half months.

If he’s drunk-dialing me, I’m going to fly to Oregon and kick him in the nuts.

That’s what I’m thinking when I put the phone to my ear—but it’s not how I feel. I wish it were. I wish I could say Hello?and hear West say Hey, and not feel . . . I don’t even know. Plugged in. Lit up. Juiced.

I stand in my dark bedroom, aware in every centimeter of my skin that he’s breathing on the other end of the phone, somewhere on the far side of the country.

I have too many memories that start this way. Too many conversations where I told myself I wouldn’t and then I did.

I have this enormous burden of longing and pain, so heavy I can hear it in my voice when I snap, “What do you want?”

“My dad’s dead.”

My head clears in an instant, my attention sharpening to a point.

“He got shot,” West says, “and it’s . . . it’s a fucking mess, Caro. I know this is—I shouldn’t ask you. I can’t ask you, but I just need to tell you because I can’t fucking—” A crackling whooshing noise interrupts him, the kind of interference that fills your whole head with white sound. I just stand there, waiting for his voice to come back.

I’m pushing the phone so hard against my ear, my breath coming shallow and fast, aware with the kind of clarity I’ve only found in moments of crisis that it doesn’t even matter. Whatever he says next. It doesn’t matter.

The thing I never understood before West was that there are some people who, when it comes to them, reason and logic are never going to be in charge.

He left me. He hurt me.

But I stand there in the dark, holding the phone, and I know that in a few hours I’ll be on a plane.  

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  Robin York Bio: Robin York grew up at a college, went to college, signed on for some more college, and then married a university professor. She still isn’t sure why it didn’t occur to her to write New Adult sooner. Writing as Ruthie Knox, she is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, including RITA-finalistsAbout Last Night and Room at the Inn. She moonlights as a mother, makes killer salted caramels, and sorts out thorny plot problems while running, hiking, or riding her bike.        

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 HARDER Goodreads ** Author Amazon Page

4 1/2 stars for Summer Rain

I loved this anthology. I can't say enough about it. Usually with anthologies, there are one or two stories by favorite authors I read, but I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories in Summer Rain.
Summer Rain is an anthology of nine romance novelettes, edited by Sarah Frantz. Each story is introduced with a special note from the author, and I thought that made these stories very special and really enhanced their  enjoyment. So here are a few brief notes from each one.
 
All proceeds from the volume will be donated to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (www.rainn.org), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States. 


Redemption by Ruthie Knox...Redemption is the kind of story I've come to expect from Ruthie Knox -- two ordinary people with problems trying to find their way. Both Jesse and Mike are down on their luck, the kind of bad luck that can break a person. Will they grab on to what they have? Is it enough? Sweet and simple story about opening up and taking chances.

The Heart of It by Molly O'Keefe ... High class escort Elena and sexual abuse survivor Gabe work through some tough issues that illustrate just how deep abuse can scar. I had a hard time getting into the very beginning of this, but once they started talking to each other the story really exploded into something achingly sad and beautiful that had me choked up in a good way by the end.

Sacrifice by Cecilia Tan A very creative supernatural story about a demigod and the virgin sacrifice tithed to him. This sweet story was unique and I liked it alot. Best line: "Close your eyes," he murmured into my ear, though my eyes were already closed. "There will be thunder when I come."

Real Feelings by Charlotte Stein An amazing story of love from Charlotte Stein. There’s so much more to this than just love between a woman and her android. It is about Real Feelings as the title suggests. So lovely and believable. Favorite line: “He used that massive processor in his head not only to map my reactions and interpret my desires, but also to see right to the heart of me.”

Rainy Season by Mary Ann Rivers..Working as a barista, Lisa can see what everyone is missing in their lives but she doesn't see what's missing in hers until she asks out the math teacher that's been coming into the coffee shop for the last 6 months. Will he open her eyes to see what’s been missing in her own life?

The Rain in Spain by Amy Jo Cousins A young married woman struggles with feelings that she’s incompatible with her list-making husband and puts off a serious conversation about it until the end of their trip. After a night of the spontaneity she craves,will they be able to move forward together? Very nice slice-of-life story in a young married couples life.

Fitting In by Audra North “Not conforming to people’s expectations doesn’t mean someone deserves to be shamed.” This might have been my favorite story of the lot. So many messages here, I loved how Leila helped Stas “see” things differently. I loved Stas’s journey in Fitting In. Every word of this hit the target for me. Lovely, lovely story full of heart.

Private Study by Shari Slade Tess is a bit rebellious and has a different way of expressing herself sexually. Her website and her videos have some of her male classmates thinking she’s a slut because of it. After one creep makes inappropriate suggestions, another classmate comes to her defense, not that she needs it. But Jameson just wants to get to know the real Tess -- will she let him?

Storm Warning by Alexandra Haughton When Amy returns home to Texas after her dream job in Los Angeles doesn’t quite work out the way she planned, the first person she runs into is Tom, her former best friend who told her that her dream was stupid. There’s still a lot of anger over that as far as Amy is concerned, but a sudden storm forces Amy and Tom to talk through what happened all those years ago and uncovers deep feelings that can take their relationship out of the friend zone. Sweet second chance story.



About the Authors

In this romance anthology, RITA-Award winning authors come together to tell the tales of the power of love, second chances, and self-sacrifice. Weathering the storm and romance has beautifully come together in nine novelettes. Each story unique, told through the voices of many talented authors. All proceeds from the volume will be donated to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (www.rainn.org), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States.

Arc provided by the author(s).

Flash Giveaway: About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Flash Giveaway!  

With every new title I read from Ruthie Knox, I fall more in love with her writing.  So here's a chance for you to experience it for yourself.    One lucky commenter will get a e-copy of About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

About Last Night...

Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from RITA finalist and USA Today bestselling author Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, "about last night" is just the beginning.

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she's made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.
Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family's banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine--even her name turns him on--with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.
When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

All you have to do is comment on this blog!  So say hello and have a chance to win! 

Contest concludes February 26, 2014 11:59pm 

Thanks to Inkslinger for sponsoring this Flash Giveaway!

Robin York's DEEPER Excerpt and Giveaway!

I'm so excited for this book! Scroll down past the excerpt for a Giveaway from Robin York!

DEEPER Synopsis:

In this New Adult debut by Robin York, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.

When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.

West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.

They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.

When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Advance praise for DEEPER:

“The perfect new adult story . . . West will make you swoon!”—New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy

“Beautifully written and full of swoony tender moments, toe-curling chemistry, and delicious, twisty angst . . . Stop whatever you’re doing and read this book.”—Christina Lauren, author of the Beautiful Bastard series

Excerpt: 

Meet West (from Caroline’s POV)

West’s eyes go wide. “Jesus, Caroline, did I hit you?”

He stands, stepping close, reaching for me. It’s as if he completely forgets he’s beating the shit out of Nate, and he just comes for me. The look in his eyes, the outstretched hand—it’s so much like the first time West reached for me, more than a year ago, that I have a moment of déjà vu. My knees buckle, which annoys me. My body is the enemy right now—my incompetent knees, that noise my throat decided to make, my leaking nose, and the pounding pain in my face.

Not to mention my heart, which is trying to escape my chest by flinging itself violently against my ribs.

West’s hand lands on my waist, steady and firm, and it’s stupid. My body is stupid. Because his hand feels kind of awesome.

Obviously I’m concussed. West is the one who hit me, probably, and he’s definitely the one who hit Nate, who—

Fuck.

Nate is sprawled out on the floor, bleeding from the mouth.

Worse, I can’t really bring myself to focus on Nate, because West’s other hand landed on my shoulder briefly, and now he’s lifting my chin. The blood makes his fingers slippery. I’m bleeding on him. And I like it.

This happens with West. He’s only touched me once before, but it isn’t the kind of thing a girl forgets.

God, there are so many, many reasons this is not good, though. Most of them aren’t even health-related. For starters, I’m not into guys who punch people. I’m not into guys at the moment, period. And if I were, I wouldn’t be into West, because West is trouble, and I’m allergic.

“You’re bleeding,” he says.

“You hit me.”

“Let me see.”

He tugs at my wrist, and I let him drag my hand away from my nose, because basically I will let West Leavitt do anything. It’s possible that he’s some kind of magical creature. I mean, he’s not. I know he’s not. He’s a twenty-year-old sophomore at Putnam College, majoring in biology. He shelves books at the library, waits tables on weekends at the Gilded Pear—which is the only fancy restaurant in Putnam—and works the overnight shift at the bakery in town. All that on top of at least a couple of shady, unofficial sources of income, plus classes, makes him a busy guy.

He’s tall—around six feet, maybe a little taller—with messy brown hair, light blue-green eyes, and a great tan.

He’s a guy who goes to my college. That’s all.

But that is not all.

His face is . . . You know how they say human beings are more attracted to symmetrical faces? Well, West’s face is slightly off in every conceivable way. One of his eyebrows tilts up a little bit, and the other one is bisected by a thin white scar. His eyes are a color that isn’t actually a color, with these tiny little flecks that sometimes look shiny, and I don’t understand how that’s possible. His mouth is wider than it ought to be, which makes him look like a smart-ass every time he smiles or almost smiles or thinks, vaguely, about smiling. His nose must have been broken once—or maybe more than once—because it’s not quite where it’s supposed to be. It’s shifted a titch to the left. And honestly? I think his ears are too small.

When he looks right at me, I can barely make words.

That’s why I’m standing here, bleeding, letting him inspect my nose. 

And now for the giveaway! 

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Robin York grew up at a college, went to college, signed on for some more college, and then married a university professor. She still isn’t sure why it didn’t occur to her to write New Adult sooner. Writing as Ruthie Knox, she is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, including RITA-finalistsAbout Last Night and Room at the Inn. She moonlights as a mother, makes killer salted caramels, and sorts out thorny plot problems while running, hiking, or riding her bike.

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Links:

Website: http://www.ruthieknox.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobinYorkNA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerrobinyork

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7279470.Robin_York

DEEPER Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18525821-deeper?ac=1

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Robin-York/e/B00G194QRC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1