The Friday 56 and Book Blogger Hop: 15th-21st June 2018

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: The Hating Game a Novel by Sally Thorne

“I want to know why you were so sad today, Shortcake.” It's uncanny how he senses shifts in my mood.

“I just was. I was thinking about everything at stake for me.”

“Tell me.”

“I can't. You're my nemesis.”

“You're awfully snuggly with your nemesis.” It's true I'm snuggling.

“I don't want to talk about me. We never talk about you. I probably don't know anything about you.”

(blurb from Goodreads)

Nemesis (n.)

1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;

2) A person’s undoing;

3) Joshua Templeman.

Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

*****

Book Blogger Hop

About the Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, I relaunched the meme on February 15, 2013.

Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. 

Question: 15th - 21st - You have just won a $100.00 Visa gift card. Will you spend the entire amount on a rare collector's edition you have always wanted, or buy several newly-published books? Explain your choice. (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

Answer: I like buying books, but I'm not so interested in owning a collectable first edition/rare edition. If I was a serious collector, I very much doubt $100 would be enough to secure such a purchase...it depends on the author. 

I would probably spend the gift card on books I'd like to read that have been too expensive to buy...outside my reading budget. I may also look to see if a favourite book has been published in hardback because I love owning those. Therefore, I wouldn't restrict my options to only buying newly published books. My choices would be flexible.

Book Blogger Hop 4th-10th May 2018 & The Friday 56

Book Blogger Hop

About the Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer's permission, I relaunched the meme on February 15, 2013.

Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end on Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop's purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. 

Question:  Do you ever feel like you have emerged better for reading a book? (submitted by Rubina @ Booklove)

Answer: Yes. I love reading books where I learn something new. It can be opinions, facts or even a recipe. It doesn't necessarily make me feel better in a physical sense, but in a feel-good way knowing my knowledge base has grown a tiny bit more.

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on my Kindle:

Today he'd pronounced us ready, and we were leaving Eve behind to await her mysterious dinner companion.

“What do you think?” I asked Finn, sliding into the front seat. “Is it Captain Camerson she's meeting?”

“Wouldn't be surprised.”

1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She's also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie's parents banish her to Europe to have her "little problem" taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister.

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she's recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she's trained by the mesmerizing Lili, the "Queen of Spies", who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy's nose.
Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. Until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn't heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth...no matter where it leads.

The Friday 56: Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: by Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

“What's wrong with you? You look ready to puke.”

I lean forward, too, deciding to lay it out and play it totally straight with her, because she''s my best friend and she deserves it.

“When you pitched this whole friends with benefits thing, how long did you envision it lasting?” I ask

(from Goodreads): When Parker Blanton meets Ben Olsen during her freshman year of college, the connection is immediate—and platonic. Six years later, they’re still best friends, sharing an apartment in Portland’s trendy Northwest District as they happily settle into adult life. But when Parker’s boyfriend dumps her out of the blue, she starts to wonder about Ben’s no-strings-attached approach to dating. The trouble is, even with Ben as her wingman, Parker can’t seem to get the hang of casual sex—until she tries it with him.

The arrangement works perfectly . . . at first. The sex is mind-blowing, and their friendship remains as solid as ever, without any of the usual messy romantic entanglements. But when Parker’s ex decides he wants her back, Ben is shocked by a fierce stab of possessiveness. And when Ben starts seeing a girl from work, Parker finds herself plagued by unfamiliar jealousy. With their friendship on the rocks for the first time, Parker and Ben face an alarming truth: Maybe they can’t go back. And maybe, deep down, they never want to.

The Friday 56: The Story Of Us by Tara Sivec

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: The Story Of Us by Tara Sivec

Sitting with my back against the headboard, I stare at the shoe box at the foot of my bed, my hands shaking with the need to open the lid and read the rest of the letters piled inside. As much as I want to read them, I've done nothing but sit here for five days and stare at the box, afraid to see what else Eli tried to tell me six years ago.

(blurb)

How much can a man take before he breaks?

1,843 days. That's how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I'll do anything to get back to her.

Only Shelby Eubanks isn't the girl I left behind all those years ago. She's someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother's ambitions. But I won't give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.

The Friday 56: The Promise by A.B. Michaels

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: The Promise by A.B. Michaels

The man looked at his daughter, who looked back at him with so much trust and hope in her eyes that I wanted to cuff him alongside the head and say, “Don't you ever betray her again.”

(blurb): HE’LL RISK EVERYTHING TO KEEP HIS WORD

April 18, 1906. A massive earthquake has decimated much of San Francisco, leaving thousands without food, water or shelter. Patrolling the streets to help those in need, Army corporal Ben Tilson meets a young woman named Charlotte who touches his heart, making him think of a future with her in it. In the heat of the moment he makes a promise to her family that even he realizes will be almost impossible to keep.

Because on the heels of the earthquake, a much worse disaster looms: a fire that threatens to consume everything and everyone in its path.

It will take everything Ben’s got to make it back to the woman he loves—and even that may not be enough.

The Promise, a stand-alone novella, is the latest offering from A.B. Michaels’ multi-genre series “Sinner’s Grove.”

The Friday 56: Falling Into Drew by Harriet Schultz

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56




56% on Kindle: Falling Into Drew by Harriet Schultz

“You know, if Drew saw us like this, he would kill me, although in this case, I think he'd understand,”

(blurb from Goodreads): She stumbled. He caught her. 
She didn’t know who he was until she saw his face in a magazine. 

When New York book editor Kate Porter trips and falls into Drew O’Connor’s arms, she has no idea that the man with the drop-dead looks is an Olympic champion skier, the face of famous luxury brands, and a serial dater of models and actresses. Their attraction is immediate but neither does anything about it. He rides off on his Harley and she returns to her office. 

The chemistry between them is undeniable when Drew’s agent brings his reluctant client to Kate’s office a few weeks later to pitch a book about his life. As they move forward, their sexual tension makes it difficult to maintain a professional distance. The relationship quickly heats up, but Drew’s fame, dark past, and a life-changing secret test their feelings for each other. 

The Friday 56: Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino

Adam blinked as he stared up at the mural. “No. I remember painting it. When me met, things were getting really foggy for me. I remember being with you at the loft but before that, not much else.”

(blurb from Goodreads) Charlotte has spent her twenties adrift, floating from interest to interest, job to job, and guy to guy, searching for a spark but never quite finding it. All she knows is that she won’t discover it working as a waitress at a pies-and-fries joint in Los Angeles or living with her fun but aimless best friend in a tiny apartment in the Arts District.

Then Charlotte collides with Adam, a gorgeous and soulful painter who seems just as lost as she feels. Their instant connection turns into a midnight drink… and a whirlwind night of champagne, Chinese food, and the kind of conversation that only happens in romantic comedies. But the next morning, Adam gives Charlotte the cold shoulder, leaving her confused and hurt—and wondering if the few odd moments between them the night before were red flags in disguise.

Months later, Charlotte hasn’t been able to shake Adam, so she decides to find out what happened the morning after their magical night together. This fateful decision rewrites their wild love story, but what Charlotte doesn’t know yet is that the ending has already been written.

The Friday 56: Primrose Lane by Debbie Mason

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: Primrose Lane by Debbie Mason

“Olivia can be your fake girlfriend. Everyone will buy it and back off, and you can get back to what you do best, taking care of your patients, not just the ones who want to get naked with you.”

“They don't want to get naked with me...Okay, a couple might, but mostly they want a ring on their finger.”

(Blurb)

Olivia Davenport has finally gotten her life back together. She's left her painful past behind, started over in a new town, and become Harmony Harbor's most sought-after event planner. But her past catches up to her when Olivia learns that she's now guardian of her ex's young daughter. With her world spinning, Olivia must reconcile her old life with her new one. And she doesn't have time for her new next door neighbor, no matter how handsome he is.

Olivia may act like she's got everything under control, but Dr. Finn Gallagher knows a person in over her head when he sees one. He'd really like to be the shoulder she leans on, but Olivia makes it clear she doesn't want his help. Since he's returned to town, his waiting room has been full of single women feigning illness. Yet the one woman he's interested in is avoiding him. But with a little help from some matchmaking widows and a precocious little girl, Finn might just win Olivia over.

The Friday 56: The Bride Gift by Sarah Hegger

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: The Bride Gift by Sarah Hegger

Then he snorted. He liked the way she was. He admired her spirit and her fire. She stood shoulder to shoulder with him and, oft times, chin to chin. This morning, he needed her help and it bothered him not one whit that he did.

(Blurb from Goodreads)

1153, in the period dubbed ‘The Anarchy’, King Stephen and Empress Maud are not the only ones embroiled in a fierce battle of the sexes.

Determined to control her own destiny, wilful Helena of Lystanwold has chosen just the husband to suit her purposes. But when her banished guardian uncle attempts to secure her future and climbs through her bedroom window with a new husband by a proxy marriage, she understandably balks. Notorious warrior Guy of Helston is everything Helena swore she would never marry; a man who lives by the sword.

This marriage finally brings Guy close to his lifetime dream of gaining lands and a title. He is not about to let his feisty bride stand in his way. A master strategist, Guy sets out to woo and conquer his lady.

Against a backdrop of vengeance, war, and betrayal, Guy and Helena must learn to forge a united front or risk losing everything.

The Friday 56: Caught Looking by Jody Holford

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: Caught Looking by Jody Holford

She smiled, soothed by the tone in his voice. He hadn't said the words to her earlier, but she suspected Ryan was falling every bit as much as she was.

(blurb)

Sometimes loving enough means letting go…

Major league baseball player, Ryan Walker, takes a mandatory leave of absence to escape the paparazzi and the false drug charges against him. All he wants is a little peace of mind out in the middle of nowhere.

Eager to rid herself of the empty socialite life, Frankie Vaughn moves to a rundown home in Minnesota that she inherited from her aunt. But Frankie is shocked at what she discovers inside: three young boys. When Ryan discovers that Frankie, his new neighbor, has taken on the three homeless kids as her own, he has a new hope for humanity.

Despite how easily and lovingly Ryan takes to Frankie and the boys, his past just might be the reason Frankie can't adopt the boys. Now, Ryan must choose between loving them or letting them go. Can he walk away from what he's been looking for all along?

The Friday 56: Eye Candy by Jessica Lemmon

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: Eye Candy by Jessica Lemmon

Is Vince bluffing? Could he feel how badly I wanted that kiss-or how much I want to do it again? That'd be disastrous.

(blurb from Goodreads) Jacqueline: As an adult woman--and the vice president of a marketing firm--I shouldn't be waiting by my office window to ogle the mystery man who jogs by every morning at 11:45. Sure, he's a gorgeous, perfect specimen of the human race, but I can't bring myself to hit on a total stranger. However, my best friend-slash-colleague Vince Carson thinks I should do more than talk to the guy. In fact, he's borderline obsessive about "getting me laid." (His words.) But the more time we spend together, the more it's clear: The one I'm falling for is Vince.

Vince: Jackie Butler's got it bad for some pompous, over-pumped A-hole who struts his stuff past her window. That doesn't bother me. I know she deserves nice things. What does bother me is that she friend-zoned me big-time last year, so I can't ask her out myself. But what if I set her up with Mr. Steroids? Then, when he breaks her heart, I can swoop in and save her like the nice guy I am. Everything's going according to plan . . . until we share a ridiculously epic kiss. And suddenly anything is possible. 

The Friday 56: Stubborn As A Mule by Juliette Poe

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.

*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader (If you have to improvise, that's ok.)

*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)

*Post it.

* Head over to Frida's Voice to find more #Friday56

56% on Kindle: Stubborn As A Mule by Juliette Poe

She looks young and carefree as she leans against the door holding her box of Sweet Cakes and waiting for me to get my glory.

And I can't freaking help myself.

I take two steps, come toe to toe with her, and my hands go to her face. She lets out a slight gasp as I pull her away from the door and the sound of the Sweet Cakes box hitting the floor doesn't even bother me.

(blurb from Goodreads) Down in Whynot, NC, there are three things that hold true: 1) life moves just a little bit slower, 2) family means everything, and 3) you don’t mess with history. 

When his family decides to sell a home that’s been part of their history for over a century, Lowe Mancinkus is madder than a hornet. To add insult to injury, the woman who purchased it is some fancy pants, city girl looking to fix it up and sell it off. Doesn’t matter that she’s sexy as hell or that just being near her gets his blood racing like never before. That home belongs to his family, or at least it did until she came to town. 

Well that just won’t do, now will it? 

From the moment that she laid eyes on the historical home in rural North Carolina, Melinda Rothschild knew Mainer House was something special. The perfect escape from life in New York City, Melinda signed the papers and set to work restoring the house to its natural beauty. That is until an angry Lowe showed up on her doorstep one day. With a scowl on his handsome, chiseled face. And a shotgun in his strong, muscular arms. 

Is it getting hot in here? 

Melinda’s about to get a lesson on life in the south, but Lowe is about to learn a lesson of his own – this city girl doesn’t back down from a fight.