Review: Academic Pursuits by Lou Harper

Source: we received a copy of the book from the author for review purposes.

I became familiar with Lou Harper’s work after reading the Winter Warmers anthology. I loved her novella and I've been enjoying her stories ever since. Academic Pursuits is another charming and fun novella that made me smile when I read it.

Our main protagonist is Jamie Brennan. He is enjoying college life immensely and his main pastime is seducing straight boys, in fact, he is so good at it, that straight guys actually approach him to find out if they are going through an identity crisis, or just want to experiment and get it out of their systems.

Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

Confession time! I do not like Ms. Kleypas’ historicals. I don’t know why, but they just don’t work for me. However, her contemporary romances are some of my favorite books in the world, so I couldn't be happier right now because we’re getting not one, but two new contemporary novels this year.

Rainshadow Road is the newest book in her Friday Harbor series about three brothers trying to raise their orphaned niece (more like one brother raises her, one helps and the other drinks). The heroine’s name is Lucy Marinn. When she was little, her baby sister, Alice, got meningitis and ever since then their parents became very permissive with her. While Lucy was asked to behave and reprimanded when necessary, Alice could do no wrong, she was never grounded and always got what she wanted. Flash forward to the present and what Alice wants is Lucy’s fiancé, Kevin. So when Kevin ends their engagement and asks Lucy to move out of their home so that Alice can move in, Lucy is devastated but not surprised. 

Guest Post: Author Christine Nolfi

Author Christine Nolfi is with us today to talk about her road to publication and her decision to self-publish. Her newest book, The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, is available now. Please let’s give her a warm welcome.

News, Celebrations and Tournaments

Of Birthdays and Blogoversaries

I can’t believe it's March already, at this rate I’ll blink and it will be Christmas again. I’m actually happy that this month came so fast because on the 21st Romance Around the Corner will be celebrating its first year anniversary. The blog went live on the 9th but the 21st was the day we posted our first review, so that’s the day it counts. We need to plan something special to do that day, but to be honest, just the fact that you’re reading us and we continue to post reviews is special enough for us. Also, my birthday is March 28th and the blog has been the best present I’ve ever given to myself (although I once ate two whole racks of BBQ ribs which comes a close second, and as the most delicious present I’ve ever eaten, followed but the worse birthday indigestion that shall not be named).

Review: Ember by Bettie Sharpe

I read this novella a couple of weeks ago and I was so enchanted by it that I couldn't wait to tell you about it. I wasn't familiar with Ms. Sharpe’s work but since the book was free and the reviews were good I decided to give it a try. After reading the first chapter I bought the Kindle edition so I could read it more comfortably, that’s how good it was.

Ember is a retelling of the Cinderella story. It’s literally an adult version of the fairytale, but it maintains enough elements of the original so that the reader can make the connection, but the real appeal comes from all the differences and how the author was able to make this story her own.

Extremely Long (review) and Incredibly Freaky (book): Heat by R. Lee Smith

I discovered Heat thanks to a review posted at Dear Author. I was very intrigued by the plot, and I’m sure that everyone else who read that review was as well. This is a book that elicits reactions, they can be positive or negative, but no one can deny that it’s an eye-catching story. So I was presented with the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and I decided to take it.

This is a simple story set in a complex world universe. Kane is a chemist and a pirate. His main business is a drug called Vahst, which he manufactures. Vahst’ main component is dopamine, a chemical that can be found in human’s brains. So Kane, his father and their crew, travel in search of buyers, using humans to harvest dopamine (the harvesting process is quite easy, just open their heads and rip the gland that produces the chemical) and also as slaves. 

Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop: Sign Up Now

We’re back! That’s right, we had so much fun with the Shameless Giveaway Hop, that we decided to do a new, hotter edition. 

Because it’s never too early to celebrate and prepare for summer, we bring you the Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop.