Rules are Made to be Broken by Mylissa Demeyere

Book Blurb:
I’ve loved Will Henderson from the first day I laid eyes on him. But I made a solemn promise that same day. I would never, ever date Will Henderson. For almost a decade, Charlotte Dubois has loved Will Henderson from afar, squelching her heart's silent yearnings. But no way could she date her best friend Kelsey’s brother. Their whole friendship is based on one rule: No friend of Kelsey can ever date Will. Instead, Charlotte has watched him date and break more hearts than should be legal. Will Henderson never got over that stolen kiss he shared with Charlotte years ago—though he's tried valiantly to rid his system of his sister's best friend. When circumstances bring the two into each other’s arms again, Will wants to convince Charlotte to break the rules and take a chance on him. But to do so, they will have to hide their relationship from the ones they love most. Can true love triumph, or will they both end up losing?

My Review: 
I thought this was a captivating read, once I started I couldn't put it down. Will and Charlotte have known each other for year, but they are forbidden to be anything other than friends and have tried to maintain an old promise, but Will is getting tired of hiding his true feelings. I enjoyed Will and Charlotte, they had good chemistry and were likable characters. A part of me feels bad that they have been kept apart for so long, but on the other hand it probably gave them each time to really grow individually. I thought this was well written, the story moved a long nicely and kept me engaged. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Demeyere. I love finding new authors to follow!

Content: Clean romance, very mild swearing a couple times, no violence

About Mylissa: 
Mylissa Demeyere was born in Belgium, and resides in the beautiful city of Ghent. She lives in a somewhat organized home with her four beautiful children and the love of her life. If she isn’t working, she’s writing, exercising, reading, or enjoying time with her kids, who are growing up way too fast.

Connect with Mylissa online:

https://www.mylissademeyere.com

https://www.facebook.com/MylissaDemeyereAuthor/

https://www.instagram.com/mylissademeyere/

https://twitter.com/MylissaDemeyere

Rafflecopter Giveaway:
Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card Ends 21/12/2019 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway is organized by Mylissa Demeyere. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guild of Secrets by Shannon Lynn Cook

Guild of Secrets by Shannon Lynn Cook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love finding a new Urban Fantasy series to follow. I broke my own rule (of not starting a series unless the whole thing is complete) and gave this one a try. I was quickly pulled into the story and it kept me glued to the pages. The worldbuilding was good, I thought it had a unique take on Fae and it was fun learning about the different factions. The story moves along quickly, and we're introduced to quite a few main characters. Has a good set-up for the rest of the series and leaves you wanting to grab the next book, but enough closure to not leave you totally hanging.

While I did like the characters, I just have to say, Madeline came off as pretty fickle. Putting it mildly, her interest in different guys jumped around a lot. Part of the problem, and the story's biggest weakness, is the whole thing takes place in a week. I have no idea why it needed to happen in a span of just a few days. Why not have after the first chapter or so, a time jump of a month or so at least? For me that would make the relationships a little more believable and the overall story a bit stronger. I did like the Knights a lot though, and the witty banter throughout. The characters are fun and intrigued me enough I want to see what happens with them next.

Overall, its a fun Urban Fantasy and entertaining read. Would recommend to anyone that's a fan of the genre.

Content (PG13):
Romance: Clean, some steamy kisses, mild innuendo
Violence: Mild (view spoiler)[an attempted kidnapping, crude remarks/intentions, an actual kidnapping. (hide spoiler)] Nothing overly graphic or disturbing

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10 Ways to Survive Christmas with Your Ex by Shari Tapscott

10 Ways to Survive Christmas with Your Ex: A 27 Ways Novella by Shari L. Tapscott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super cute! After finishing book two, I was excited to find this novella about Isaac. I loved him in the previous book and was excited to get his story. Isaac was great in this, charming and fun. Georgia is prickly and it was fun watching Isaac push her buttons. I loved the Christmas setting and thought it was an entertaining read. Love this series!

Content: Clean romance, no language or violence

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Catch a Falling Star by Cindy Roland Anderson

Catch a Falling Star: Hudson Brothers Romance by Cindy Roland Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved!!

I was sucked in right from the start and had a hard time putting it down. From the super fun “meet cute” to the end I was hooked. I liked Londyn and Owen, they had great chemistry together and a fun, believable romance.

I look forward to reading more in this serious and getting to know Owens brothers better!! Great read.

Content: Clean romance, no language or violence.
Rating: PG

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Love and Second Chances by Shannon Guymon

Love and Second Chances by Shannon Guymon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yay! I love when there is a new Shannon Guymon book out. I'm really enjoying this new Belfast series, such a fun setting. This book takes place in the winter and the author did a good job of having the cold weather play a character in the story. I've lived in some really cold places (North Dakota for one) so I could totally relate!

I really enjoyed this one, I couldn't put it down. Luckily, I was on a road trip yesterday and was able to sit and read without too many interruptions. Charlie, our heroine, was a likable lead. She's come from a rough upbrining, but has overcome so much and has such a positive outlook on life. Donovan, who I loved in book one, is ready to move on from his unrequited love and thinks Charlie is just the one to help him do that. They have instant chemistry, but an underlying friendship that was fun to watch. It's not an easy road for them, lots of forces trying to keep them apart, so I was glued to the pages wanting to see just how things would work out.

This is the second book in the series, I think it stands well on its own, but you'd probably want to read the first book to really understand the side stories that take place in this one. Overall, a fun read with a lot of depth and character development.

Content: Clean romance, no language, no violence, talk of abusive childhoods (nothing detailed)
Rating: PG

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Just the Essentials by Shari Tapscott

Just the Essentials by Shari L. Tapscott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute and sweet. I believe this was one of the authors first published books (I could be wrong). I liked the overall story, fun setting and characters. I didn't quite love it as much as the authors newer books, but I still enjoyed it.

Content: Clean romance, no violence or language

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Blog Tour: The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden

Synopsis:

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school and a well-respected author of “silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories—the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Mr. King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.
 
Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Mr. King started taking all of his readers--and his profits. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the rights of the less-fortunate.
 
Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered. 
 
For the first time, Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.

My Review:

I always know when I pick up a Sarah Eden book that  I will get a wonderful story, relatable characters, accurate history and an overall entertaining reading experience. Her books are an experience, especially her historicals.  I went into this one without reading the synopsis first, I have started doing this more with books and think it adds more surprises to the story. I was quickly sucked into this one, I don't want to give too much away, but as usual Ms. Eden has written a captivating story. I enjoy the characters she creates and how she is really able to bring them to life. I could be wrong, but I think this is her first Victorian novel and I really enjoyed the time period. 

Our main characters Fletcher and Elizabeth were charming, unique and perfect for each other. I enjoyed their chemistry and what each brought to the story. It was an interesting take to have both of them authors with their stories woven into the overall story. It was handled well. I liked that it stayed light, while still addressing serious issue. 

I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historicals or just great stories! 

Title: The Lady and the Highwayman

Author: Sarah M Eden

Genre: Victorian Historical Romance, Suspense

Publication Date: September 3, 2019

Content: Clean, mild peril, mild abuse (not overly description), kissing

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Love and Karma by Shannon Guymon

Love and Karma: Book 1 in the Belfast Series by Shannon Guymon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Y'all, Ms. Guymon is back! I was so excited when I found out she had a new series coming up and jumped at the chance to read this first installment in the new Belfast series. Ms. Guymon is the Queen at writing small-town romance. I don't know how she does it, but by the end of the book I was ready to pack up and head for Belfast, Maine. She really created a fun atmosphere and great location. I've traveled through Main a few times and so it was easy to picture this charming seaside town.

Riley Nash is a likable character. I liked that she has a positive outlook on things, even when things are not going her way. She is a fighter and stands up for those around her. She is also brave, I can't imagine packing up and moving across the country all by myself. Riley makes it seem fun though! I enjoyed the supporting cast and how things play out. A touch of drama, betrayal and romance! There were some fun side characters that I hope get their own books in the future. I look forward to returning to Belfast again and again!

Overall, this was a fun read. Kept me engaged and turning the pages. I thought it was well written and the characters were well developed. Good balance of lightheartedness, romance and enough drama to keep you on your toes! Great job, Ms. Guymon!

Content
Romance: Clean, just kissing
Language: None
Violence: None
Series: Belfast, Book One

*Eligible for a 2019 Swoony Award for Contemporary Romance https://bit.ly/2Wv6dXk

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Announcing the New and Imporved 2019 Swoony Awards!

After going over all the responses from the questionnaire and having several discussions amongst the three of us, we have finalized all the changes that will take effect this year!

So... without further adieu... we proudly present the...

 2019 Swoony Awards! 

What are The Swoony Awards? 

The Swoony Awards are a Reader’s Choice Award recognizing excellence in clean, secular, wholesome romance. We wanted a way to show our appreciation to these amazing authors who write the kind of books that we love. It’s also a great way to find new books, new authors and it's a good go-to when you're looking for something fun to read.

What are the published dates for eligible books? 

Eligible books will need to be released from January to December of each year. Since we didn't want to leave out books that were published in December 2018, the date range for the 2019 Swoony Awards will be December 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019.

Will there be a list showing eligible books?

Yes! We will have a reference list on Goodreads showing eligible books. This will be a REFERENCE LIST ONLY. It will NOT be the way to VOTE. The numbers listed on Goodreads will NOT be counted as votes. Click here to head on over to the reference list. We will also try to keep a running post on our blog showing the eligible books in each category for those voters who are not on Goodreads.

When and how do you vote? 

Voting will be taking place during the entire month of December by using a Google Form. We will share the voting form on December 1, 2019. You will be able to vote for up to 3 books per category. There will be a total of 24 categories. When voting, please make sure to include the title of the book as well as the author. If the author is left off, then the vote will be removed. Winners will be announced on or before January 31, 2020.

What are the categories for the 2019 Swoony Awards? 

Best Book of the Year
Best Anthology
Best Contemporary Romance
Best Young Adult
Best New Adult
Best Western Contemporary
Best Billionaire/Celebrity/Royal
Best Christmas
Best Military/Police/Firefighter
Best Suspense/Mystery
Best Sports
Best High Fantasy Romance
Best Fairy Tale Retelling
Best Urban Fantasy Romance
Best Paranormal
Best Time Travel
Best Steampunk Romance
Best Dystopian Romance
Best Historical Romance
Best Historical Western
Best Medieval/Highlander
Best Regency (1811-1820)
Best Victorian (1837-1901)
Best Novella

Is there a full list of the eligibility requirements? 

Yes! See below for the full list. As in previous years, if the book does not meet the qualifications then it will be removed from the list.

Eligibility:

-ONLY books PUBLISHED December 1, 2018 – December 31, 2019 are eligible.
-Books must be published OR have arc reviews before being nominated. Since the award is based on readers having actually read and enjoyed the book(s) they are voting for, the book has to have been published or arcs read in order to receive nominations.
-Intimacy: No sex, no/low closed door/fade-to-black, no/low innuendo, nothing crude or crass. G-PG13.
-Language: None/mild (No F words or other explicit language), nothing overly crude.
-Violence: Mild/low.
-Page Count: 100 pages or higher, anthologies are okay. No short stories. No collections.
-Age: Only Young Adult, New Adult and Adult. NO children’s or middle grade.
-Religious: NO Christian fiction, some *very mild* religious elements may be allowed.

And just in case you're wondering, here's all the ways to stay updated on all things Swoony!

Blog: The Swoony Awards

Facebook: Swoony Awards Group and Swoony Awards Page

Instagram: SwoonyAwards

Twitter: @theswoonyawards

Pinterest: The Swoony Awards

We are SO excited for this year's Swoony Awards and we hope you are too! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us! 

Happy reading our fellow Book Dragons! 

Wager for a Wife by Karen Tuft

Wager for a Wife by Karen Tuft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I just typed up this nice long review, hit save and it all disappeared! Ugh, sometimes I hate technology. I'll have to come back later and try and rewrite it. For now, I liked this one. It has a fun spin on the marriage of convenience trope and our Hero and Heroine are both likable characters. I liked that they were opposites in a lot of way, but have a strong connection that makes for a fun story.

Content: Clean romance, no language or violence

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My Brother's Bride by Rachael Anderson

My Brother's Bride by Rachael Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rachael’s books always captivate me, I have a hard time putting them down! I had to wait until after the holidays were over to dive into this one because I didn’t want any interruptions! As usual, I fell in love with the characters and setting.

I decided to just jump into this one without reading the synopsis first (I've been doing that more and more lately and really enjoy it), just going off the title I was wondering how this story was going to come about. I was glued to the pages as this story unfolded and these character jumped off the pages and really came to life for me. I liked Abby and Morgan. I don't want to give too much away, it's better to just read and enjoy. One of the many things I love about Rachael's books is the obvious time and effort she puts into them. Her writing is always on point, character's are unique and well developed and the story always sucks me in and keeps me turning the pages.

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild (view spoiler)[A character had been raped and became pregnant. No details of the act, only talk of what happened and other possible victims. Handled tastefully and wasn't too heavy. (hide spoiler)]
Series: Serendipity, Book Two: Can stand on its own


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The Best of 2018

So, I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with KJ's Book Nook and Katie's Clean Book Collection and share my favorite 18 books of 2018! I didn't read as much as I usually do this past year, it's actually one of my worst years as far as reading goes. I only read about 95 books (which I guess is still a lot!). I really want to READ MORE in 2019 and I am going to make more time for it. Anyway, since I wasn't reading as much I was a bit picker about what I did read and ended up finding some great books! Below are the ones that really stuck with me, in random order.

2018 Swoony Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Swoony Awards! The Swoony Awards were created to recognize excellence in clean fiction. We wanted a reference for all those out there looking for a swoony romance without the steam. We also wanted to recognize and show our appreciation to all these great authors who write the kinds of books we love. We couldn't be more pleased with all the participation and great book nominations we received. We have found a lot of great books this year and even found some new authors to try!

So, without further ado, here are the winners...

Best Novel of the Year

The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel

Best Anthology

A Night in Grosvenor Square by Sarah M. Eden, Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore

Best Billionaire Romance

Her Big Fat Foxy Billionaire Best Friend by Victorine Lieske

Best Christmas Romance

Keep Me At Christmas by Lucinda Whitney

Best Contemporary Romance

The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel

Best Fairy Tale Retelling Romance

The Twelve Dancing Princesses by K.M. Shea

Best Fantasy Romance 

Mistress Grim by Jane Redd

Best High Fantasy Romance 

Champion of the Crown by Melissa McShane

Best Historical Romance 

Loving Lieutenant Lancaster Sarah M. Eden

Best Historical Western Romance 

A Perfect Bride by Ginny Sterling

Best Medieval Romance 

Highland Secrets Revealed by Bridget Freya

Best Military Romance

The Protective Warrior by Cami Checketts

Best Mystery/Suspense Romance

If I Could Stay by Annette Larsen and Pass Protection by Christine Kersey

Best New Adult Romance 

#Starstruck by Sariah Wilson 

Best Novella 

Stone Cold Sparks by Cami Checketts

Best Paranormal Romance 

Lady of Breken Manor by Heather Moore

Best Regency/Victorian Romance 

My Sister's Intended by Rachael Anderson

Best Royal Romance

Dating the Prince by Addison Quinn

Best Science Fiction Romance 

Royal Ball by Sheralyn Pratt 

Best Sports Romance

Match Me if You Can by Lindzee Armstrong

Best Steampunk Romance

Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen

Best Time Travel Romance

Against the Magic by Donna Weaver

Best Urban Fantasy Romance

Lightning Struck by Nichole Van

Best Western/Cowboy Romance 

Once Hitched, Twice Shy by Kimberly Krey

Best YA Contemporary Romance 

Love, Life and the List by Kasie West and Meet Me There by Judy Corry 

Best YA Fantasy Romance 

Flicker by Rebecca Rode

Best YA High Fantasy Romance 

More Than Just Luck by Jaclyn Weist

Best YA Urban Fantasy Romance 

The Dragon Lords by CJ Hill

Kathy's Choice 

The Gentleman's Deception by Karen Tuft

Katie's Choice 

Illegally Wedded by Jennifer Griffith

Kathy Jo's Choice 

The Secretive Wife by Jennifer Peel

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