TOP FIVE SUMMER READS
CD Reiss, Elle Kennedy, JA Huss, KI Lynn, N. Isabelle Blanco, Penelope Doulgas
Genres: Adult Suspense, Contemporary, Erotic Romance, New Adult, Romance I don’t know about you, but all my friends (teacher friends especially), ask me what they should read in the summer. I’m always looking for a good book, but there’s something about reading a good book in the summer that makes my day. Maybe it’s sitting outside, next to the pool, with a fruity cocktail in hand…but I especially love reading a good book in the summer.
Whenever I’m asked by someone, what should they read, it always brings on a conversation, and a lot of questions. So I asked one of my book friends what HER top five are, and well, here is our SUMMER LIST, so far. We decided to keep it to books released thus far this year… so January 2015 book until now.
First up… MICHELLE NEW’s PICKS…
Michelle’s Top Five
Three, Two, One (321)-JA Huss: This was the IT book for me. It was raw, honest and all out grit. It was a book about sex that ended up being about so much more. I lost myself to this story and I even lost my pants a few times. Julie did an exceptional job not only in telling this story, but making her characters so gripping that you just could not help but fall in love with them.
Coda – CD Reiss: All the feels were felt. This was the stunning conclusion to one of my all-time favorite series. This was pure perfection. It wasn’t a happily ever after tied up in a pretty little bow. It was real and it was all emotion. Christine puts power behind her words when she writes. Reading her work is not just a break from reality, it is an experience.
Need – KI Lynn and N. Isabelle Blanco: OMG. I don’t think any book has ever made me want two people to get it on more than this! And although this story isn’t able to fully round home plate, both these ladies filled the pages with nothing but pure angst, sexual tension and so many oh-so-close moments. Everything (and I mean everything) was on high alert during this read.
Kaleidoscope Hearts – Claire Contreras: Not only did I get a second chance romance, but I got the little sister falling in love with her brother’s friend. Claire did a brilliant job creating this romance. I think this is one of those stories that has the ability to touch readers beyond just with the written words on the pages, but somewhere deeper – some place in their own lives, their own experiences.
Wasted Lust – JA Huss: Not only did this read keep me on the edge of my seat with excitement and anticipation but it had me strung out emotionally. I cried. I choked up. I found it hard to breath. Julie nailed the conclusion of The Company Saga completely, giving me every ounce of closure I needed. I think this was her most emotional read to date.*This book will be released June 24, 2015.
Thanks Michelle for your amazing picks! We have some of the same…and I’m glad that the ones we don’t share, I already have on my Kindle. To stay connected with Michelle’s reviews, make sure to check her out on Goodreads.
Kristi’s Top Five:
Three, Two, One (321)-JA Huss: I was so shockingly, pleasantly, surprised by how much I loved this book. I went into reading this book thinking it wasn’t my thing and it totally wowed me. It’s twisty, addicting, and utterly beautiful. It’s not a typical threesome book. I couldn’t put it down, and I loved the ending! Julie is a favorite of mine, and this is a top read for me, ever! For my full review, click here.
Need-KI Lynn and N. Isabelle Blanco: OK. This book was sitting in my Kindle library after I one-clicked it from Michelle’s rec for weeks before I actually started it. And when I started it, I couldn’t put it down. It’s no surprise that I love the taboo books, and this is one hot, steamy, new adult book! Brayden and Kira have known each other since they were children. They have an instant connection that only grows stronger with time. But when they decide to act of their feelings, life throws them a curve ball. I am (not so patiently) waiting for book 2, but I’m told it’s in the works for an early fall release—so if you’re like me and hate waiting, it’s not such a long wait afterall. If you love a steamy, hot, cocky guy, pick this book up! Brayden is so worth it! For my full review, click here.
The Deal-Elle Kennedy: This book is the epitome of the best new adult summer read. I fell in love with this book on page one. First, exceptional writing. I loved every word. Second, amazing characters who I totally connected to. Third, I was totally invested in this story. I laughed. I cried. I swooned. It’s an amazing read. Highly recommend. For my full review, click here.
Bad Romeo-Leisa Rayven: I still remember when I read this book because I simply couldn’t put it down. This story is told in present day and flashbacks and is a love story about a good girl and a bad boy. Both are acting majors who can’t help their feelings towards each other. Especially when they’re paired together to perform the greatest love story of all time. Present day brings these two former lovers back together along with a lot of angst and emotions. Book two, Broken Juliet is out!
Aflame (final book in the Fall Away Series)-Penelope Douglas: This is the final installment in one of my favorite NA series. It was a bittersweet moment for me as I truly adore this series, and I’m sad to hear it’s the end. I fell in love with these characters. Each and everyone. What I loved about this book, is that while Jared and Tate got their HEA in book one, they were in high school. And well, college and growing up changes people and relationships. This book shows their growth and what needed to happen for them to each be true to each other and themselves. It was a great ending to a fantastic series, and my only hope and wish is that I’ll see a spinoff one day! (Hopefully soon!) For a full review of one of the series books, click here. Reading order: Bully, Until You (book 1.5), Rival, Falling Away, Aflame.
Let us know your favorites, I’m always looking for a good book!
About CD Reiss
CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It’s about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.
Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.
About Elle Kennedy
A USA Today bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
About JA Huss
JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.
You can chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss), Twitter (@jahuss), and her kick-ass romance blog, New Adult Addiction (www.newadultaddiction.com).
If you’re interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list (http://eepurl.com/JVhAr) and get those details delivered right to your inbox.
About KI Lynn
K.I. Lynn spent her life in the arts, everything from music to painting and ceramics, then to writing. Characters have always run around in her head, acting out their stories, but it wasn’t until later in life she would put them to pen. It would turn out to be the one thing she was really passionate about.
Since she began posting stories online, she’s garnered acclaim for her diverse stories and hard hitting writing style. Two stories and characters are never the same, her brain moving through different ideas faster than she can write them down as it also plots its quest for world domination…or cheese. Whichever is easier to obtain… Usually it’s cheese.
About N. Isabelle Blanco
N. Isabelle Blanco was born in Queens, NY (USA). At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with studying her mother’s handwriting, she began to read and write. By the time she’d reached kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to bleed into every aspect of her life.
N. Isabelle Blanco spends her days working as an author, web programmer, marketer, and graphic designer. That is when she isn’t handling her “spawn”, as she calls her son, and brainstorming with him about his future career as a comic book illustrator.
About Penelope Doulgas
Penelope Douglas is a writer living in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the damn degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she HATED public administration. One night, she told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later she was married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The 100, and she shops at Target almost daily.
Bully (Fall Away #1) is her first book, published June 2013. The companion novel, Until You, was released in December 2013 and Rival in August of 2014. Please look for Falling Away on Jan. 6, 2015 and Aflame April 21, 2015.
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