#SixforSunday ~ Tropes You Love

#SixforSunday is hosted by Steph at A Little But A Lot. Every week there is a bookish-themed prompt to inspire 6 choices.

Today’s topic is Tropes You Love.

Running Mate ~ Review

Alison here ~

Title: Running Mate
Series: Running Mate #1
Author: Katie Ashley
Release Date: Mar 1, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Blurb: 

Barrett

The name’s Barrett Callahan. Yeah, that Barrett Callahan—the one the press dubbed “Bare” after those naked sexting pictures surfaced. At twenty-five, I was armed with an MBA from Harvard, an executive position at my father’s Fortune 500 company, a penthouse, and a different piece of delectable eye candy in my bed every weekend. I had a life most men dreamed of. But then my father decided to run for president, and my playboy lifestyle became a liability to his campaign that was built on family values. My “makeover” comes in the form of a fake fiancée who I don’t even get to choose–one who is an uptight, choirgirl acting priss but also sexy-as-hell.

Addison

My latest relationship had gone down in flames, and I was drowning in a sea of student loans when in true Godfather status, James Callahan made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Seven figures for seven months on the campaign trail pretending to be the adoring fiancée of his son, Barrett. As soon as he won the election, our engagement would be dissolved amicably for the press, I was free to ride off into the sunset a million dollars richer, and because of the NDA, no one would be the wiser. Sure, I’d never met the guy, but I’d been a theater nerd in high school. I could pull off any role from Lady Macbeth to Maria Von Trapp. But that was before I met my fake fiancé—the infuriating, self-absorbed, egotistical, drop-dead-sexy King of the Manwhores.

The race will be a fight to the death finish, and that’s not even the actual campaign.

WWW Wednesday ~ 2/5/20

Ali here ~

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

 

The Hard Way ~ Review

Ali here ~

Title: The Hard Way
Series: N/A
Author: Katie Ashley
Release Date: Aug 29, 2016
Genres: NA Sports Romance
Blurb:Cade Hall has always been the golden boy of the gridiron. Because of his talent at football, coupled with his father’s wealth, he’s always gotten his way. But when a night of drunken debauchery lands him in hot water with the college athletic board, neither his influential father nor his charming grin can save him. He finds it a total buzz kill when he is sentenced to community service with troubled youth at an inner-city shelter. But his nightmare is only beginning when his greatest high school regret is the very one in charge of the program, and she has him by the balls in more ways than one.

For Avery Prescott, senior year was a nightmare of epic proportions, and Cade Hall played the lead villain. After she fled her small town for college in the bright lights of Atlanta, she thought she had escaped the painful memories of her past. She never could have imagined Cade would waltz through the door of the outreach program she presided over. But Avery has news for Cade–she isn’t the same shy, doormat of a girl she was in high school. Since she holds Cade’s football future in her hands, she’s more than ready to make payback a real bitch.

Will the two stay in the defensive zone or discover that sometimes life’s greatest lessons are learned the hard way?

Amazon | Goodreads

*****What I Loved About This Book*****

• Comical prologue!
• I love the Cade is smart and that despite his being really good at football, his education means a lot to him.
• Cade has one of those cute cocky attitudes. He’s arrogant, but it’s endearing.
• It made me laugh!
• Second chance romance!
• A few heartbreaking moments that’ll really get to you! And one scary violent scene! And one completely heart wrenching moment!
• I’m glad Avery didn’t make things too easy for Cade. She made him work for it.
• I like Avery’s relationship with her mom.
• I was left wanting Jonathan’s story!

***What I Didn’t Like***

• Cade’s transformation happens a bit quickly. I think a slower transition would have been more realistic. But Cade’s behavior in the beginning didn’t reflect his intelligence level either.
• I didn’t like that Avery never discussed with Cade what happened to her after he dumped her. And speaking of his dumping her. I understood why he did, but the how was just horrible and didn’t make sense.
• I feel like I would have enjoyed the book better if the past was shared in smaller snippets with more time spent in the present tense.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t my favorite Katie Ashley novel, but it was still worth the read. I do have to say, though, that I think if this book was stretched out longer and more time was spent on the present tense, this book would have went from good to amazing. 4 Stars!

Have you read The Hard Way or any of Katie Ashley’s other books? What did you think? Have a recommendation for me?

Happy Reading,

Ali

TropeAThon 2 Finish Line #tropeathon

TropeAThon Round 2 took place from Oct. 21st through Oct. 27th. Thanks to Chelle’s Book Ramblings and Misty’s Book Space for putting this on! You can check out @tropeathon for info!

 

Here were the prompts ~

#IMWAYR ~ 10/28/19

Ali here ~

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date. Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

Quips & Quotes 10/27/19

I LOVE keeping track of quotes that speak to me. Some turn me to mush. Some are profound and make me think. Some are just funny or entertaining. I often include a quote or two in my reviews, but I thought it would be fun to start a weekly post sharing my favorites from the previous week. So, without further ado, here’s my first Quips & Quotes post!

“Tell me that doesn’t sound like a heaping helping of crazy, with bizarre gravy, and a slice of mashed loco for Cocoa Puffs.”

 

“Think of how much better the world would be if people craved compliments about the beauty of their heart rather than the beauty of their face.”

“The impure are confounding to the righteous.”

WWW Wednesday ~ 10/23/19

Ali here ~

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme is hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

 

#IMWAYR ~ 10/21/19

Ali here ~

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date. Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

TropeAThon 2 TBR List #tropeathon

TropeAThon Round 2 is taking place Oct. 21st through Oct. 27th. Check out @tropeathon on Twitter if you’d like to participate! Thanks to Chelle’s Book Ramblings and Misty’s Book Space for putting this on!

Here are the prompts ~