AToMR Blog Tour: The Space Between by Victoria H. Smith

Title: The Space Between

Author : Victoria H. Smith

Release date: April 2, 2013

Age Group:  New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

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                                                                                 Synopsis:

When Drake started the night at his father’s campaign fundraiser, he never imagined he’d end it being conned into buying drugs on the West Side. Losing high-stakes poker has its consequences, but he’d repeatedly face them just to hear Lacey Douglas sing. Drake sees Lacey light up the stage, and he has to have her. But his intentions for being on her side of town turn out to be the reason he can’t.

Chicago native Lacey has dreams of the opera, but life has its obstacles. Lacey has come to know her hardships as part of living in the real world and accepts them fully. When Lacey meets the intense and invigorating Drake, a fire is lit inside her, unleashing those dreams again.

Two paths that should have never crossed prove to create the exact pairing the other needs. But when their worlds take time to catch up, everything they have is tested. Finding the space between the two sides that challenge them will be hard, but it’s the only place that will keep them together.

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Lacey and Drake come from opposite sides of the street, so to speak. Drake comes from a wealthy family, whereas Lacey does not.  Despite this, they are attracted to each other and their chemistry is hot.  Because of the difference in their backgrounds, Lacey is hesitant to begin a relationship with Drake.

I think they both made snap decisions about each other in the beginning, but once things got straightened out, I loved seeing them together.

This story is told from alternating POV’s, which I really enjoyed. Having that in a romance story such as this is always a good thing. At least for me it is. Being able to see both Lacey and Drake’s thoughts/feelings made them easier to understand and relate to.

This might sound totally cheesy, but they fought for their love; they fought through several challenges from their own family and friends because of their race and way of living.

The Space Between is a sweet and fun romance that was quick and easy to get into. This is not your typical romance story filled with fluff, brooding heroes, and weak heroines. If you are in the mood for an entertaining romance with a little bite to it, then The Space Between is a good candidate. 

**You can follow The Space Between Blog Tour here.

 
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

**I received this book from the author/AToMR Tours in exchange for nothing, but my honest review.**

There is a Giveaway going on for 1 signed print copy of ‘The Space Between’ and some awesome swag. Enter below!

About the Author

Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.

In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes.

Social Media links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Tour Giveaway:

(2) The Space Between Necklaces and (5) The Space Between Key Chains – US addresses only.

(1) Signed Print Copiy of The Space Between. US only.

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Dark Tide by Elizabeth Haynes

Synopsis:

 The author of the acclaimed debut thriller Into the Darkest Corner returns with a taut, gripping murder mystery featuring a compelling heroine who unwittingly finds herself caught in an underworld of murder, corruption, and betrayal.

The first time Genevieve saw it, she knew it was the one: Revenge of the Tide, "an odd sort of a name for a boat." Genevieve had finally escaped the stressful demands of her London sales job and achieved her dream--to leave the city behind and start a new life aboard a houseboat in Kent. She left the boat's name as it was. Revenge had character after all, and living in a marina made her feel a bit safer, a little less lonely; almost as if the boat looked after her, hid her away from view.

But her dreams are shattered the night of her boat-warming party when a body washes up, and to Genevieve's horror, she recognizes the victim as a close friend from nights dancing on-stage at a private members' club, the Barclay. She isn't about to tell the police, though; next to no one knew what Genevieve did every Friday and Saturday night to save money for her escape, and she sees no reason to reveal her past. The death can't have anything to do with her. Or so she thinks.

Soon the lull of the waves against Revenge feels anything but soothing, as Genevieve begins to receive mysterious calls and can't reach the one person who links the present danger with her history at the club. And then there is the parcel on her boat she's meant to be safekeeping for an old flame, which seems to be putting her in jeopardy. As Genevieve begins to fear for her safety, she recalls the moment when it had all started to go horribly wrong: the night she recognized her day-time boss in the crowd of customers at the Barclay. . . .

With Dark Tide, Elizabeth Haynes builds on the promise of her outstanding debut Into the Darkest Corner. Told in dual narratives that interweave past and present, this dark, sexy, exquisitely chilling thriller proves her "initial success was no accident" (Sunday Express).

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Genevieve has always dreamed of own and renovating her very own house boat. She attempts to work hard at her sales job in order to make the dream a reality. But in order to complete it she decides to get a second job as a dancer at a private men’s club.

She ends up purchasing a 75’ long boat called the “Revenge of the Tide.” Even though the boat needs some renovations, she is pretty confident she can handle it since her father was a carpenter and taught her the trade.

Not long after she has a part on her boat with some friends, a body washes up close to close to it and Genevieve’s recognizes it as her friend Caddy.

From then on she tries to understand what happened to Caddy and why. Her life is put in danger and she gets attacked, but she does not understand why someone would be after her. Could it be she saw something or someone she wasn’t supposed to? A mysterious package?

Genevieve was a little too naive at times. It seemed like she never completely understood that hanging around shady individuals and doing things like keeping a package for someone without even knowing what is in said package could get her into trouble.

Dark Tide was a bit slow going at first, but after the first few chapters, things began to pick up and become really interesting. The story alternates between past and present. The mystery part of the story was enjoyable to read. I liked the author’s style of writing; it made it easy to get into the story and keep reading until mystery ended.

Rating: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book courtesy of Harper Perennial/HarperCollins Publishing, in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you.**

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel

Today I’m hosting a stop on the Evidence of Life blog tour, along with a Q & A from the author, Barbara Taylor Sissel and a giveaway!




Synopsis:
On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn't last forever.… As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey's hair, reminds Nick to drive safely and kisses them both goodbye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all—a perfect marriage, a perfect life—until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace.
When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family.
With a voice that resonates with stunning clarity, Barbara Taylor Sissel delivers a taut and chilling mystery about a mother's love, a wife's obsession and the invisible fractures that can shatter a family.


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Abby is a wife to her husband Nick and mother to her two children, Lindsey and Jake. She believes that she is living the perfect life, well maybe not perfect, but a good one. Lately however she has been noticing changes in her husband’s behavior. She silently questions things that have happened, but never makes the effort to talk to Nick about them. In hindsight I imagine she wishes she had.

I’m not sure how I would have handled a situation like this one. I think if the bodies of my husband and daughter were never found in a flood, a part of me would always hold out hope that maybe they were alive somewhere and one day we would all be reunited.

The police say it’s possible their bodies will never be found. Her friends and family even her son Jake try to encourage her to just move on with her life and create a new one. But Abby doesn't want a new life; she wants her old one back.

I admire Abby’s strength and determination in not giving up in her search. With their bodies and car missing, it does start to make her question. She needs closure; she needs to know for sure if they were really gone or if something else entirely occurred. Abby discovers that sometimes the truth can hurt more than a lie and once she begins her search, there is not going back…

“There was only one thing she knew for certain: She would never find the answers to her questions by staying here. And something else she knew: If Nick and Lindsey were still alive, they weren't coming home on their own.” - Barbara Taylor Sissel, Evidence of Life

I never felt bored while I was reading. The story flowed at a good pace. My heart squeezed for her and Jake and how they tried to deal with the situation as best as they could. I enjoyed it more than I had anticipated. It was an emotional read with real characters that I easily connected to and an intriguing mystery that kept me turning the pages. 


Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5.


* I received this book from Liz Lauer/Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. as a part of the Evidence of Life Blog Tour in exchange for nothing but my honest review.*

Buy:

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Powells | Sony | Kobo

**AUTHOR Q & A**

What made you want to become a writer?
Reading. It beings me so much pleasure and joy. I wanted to see if I could pass the gift along.

You’re stranded on a desert island and only have three books in your suitcase, what are they?
Now this is impossible! I would want books that were thick and involved with compelling plots. Michener’s The Source might be a good one, maybe Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom. I've been meaning to reread it to see if I can penetrate any more layers of its meaning. Maybe a volume of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays, or a beautifully illustrated book of classical fairy tales. It would be very hard to decide.

If you could date any character from literature who would it be?
Oh, I really don’t know. I did kind of fall for the character of Dennis, the lawman I created in Evidence of Life, and I also loved the character of Ari Ben Canaan in Exodus. He was compelling, especially when he was played in the movie by Paul Newman.

What does your writing space look like?
It has two long library tables (I think other people might call them occasional tables) that hold reference books like my dictionary and thesaurus, and a world atlas. There’s my desk where my Mac sits. I also have a narrow, glass-door antique, drop-leaf secretary, where I store all of my old books. I love the look of the old, faded bindings. A lot of them are books I had as a child that I read to my children. Usually the room is fairly neat, but I reach a place with most projects where I can’t keep it that way, the numbers of scribbled-on notecards and scribbled-on post-its are piled and stuck everywhere. It looks very messy but there must be some kind of order to it that I  don’t consciously know until I straighten it up and can’t find that one particular note that I need. I’ve learned now to leave everything alone and only thoroughly clean at the end of each project, so sometimes there’s lots of dust. 


Is there a book you've  wished you never read?
I can’t think of one specifically. I know I’m not a fan of graphic horror, or graphic anything for that matter. I like the author to leave room for my imagination. I remember being devastated for days after reading Dalton Trumbo’s, Johnny Got His Gun. I’ve never forgotten that book.

Follow Barbara: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

5 copies of Evidence of Life are being given away on my blog.

To win a copy enter below! 

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Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell

Synopsis:

A rich tale of power and forbidden love revolving around a young medieval queen

In 1002, fifteen­-year-old Emma of Normandy crosses the Narrow Sea to wed the much older King Athelred of England, whom she meets for the first time at the church door. Thrust into an unfamiliar and treacherous court, with a husband who mistrusts her, stepsons who resent her and a bewitching rival who covets her crown, Emma must defend herself against her enemies and secure her status as queen by bearing a son.

Determined to outmaneuver her adversaries, Emma forges alliances with influential men at court and wins the affection of the English people. But her growing love for a man who is not her husband and the imminent threat of a Viking invasion jeopardize both her crown and her life.

Based on real events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Shadow on the Crown introduces readers to a fascinating, overlooked period of history and an unforgettable heroine whose quest to find her place in the world will resonate with modern readers.

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Shadow on the Crown is a rich story chronicling the life of Emma of Normandy.

Imagine being taken away from the only home you have ever known at the age of fifteen to marry a King who is a complete stranger. Especially when that King mistrusts her from the very start and there is the Kings mistress who would do just about anything she could in order to be Queen herself. Talk about frightening.  Trying to forge good relationships with the royal court and win over the people of England is anything but easy. All too quickly Emma is thrust into a new place where people are plotting her demise and trusting the wrong person could be a costly mistake.

What I liked:

The fact that this novel is based on real events made it much more enjoyable to read. For me the story did not drag. It kept a nice steady pace with unpredictable events unfolding along the way. I loved Emma. She could have played the victim with everything that was happening around her, but she did not cower, she stood firm, and wanted to do what was best for England.

Final thoughts:

I was a bit surprised to find that this is the first book for author Patricia Bracewell. Shadow on the Crown was an engaging read that satisfied my fix for a good historical fiction book. Emma’s story does not end here; this is just the first book in a trilogy.  I would recommend this book to readers who like historical fiction with a solid story line, a good dose of history, and character.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

** I received this book from Penguin Publishing/Viking Adult in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!** 

Buy:

Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | B-A-M | IndieBound | Powells | Kobo

My Blog: http://lifeasabookaddict.blogspot.com/

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