Goldilox and the Three Weres: July 2019

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Month in Review: July 2019

It's been a bit slow around here this month. Sorry about that. We've been busy Weres outside the blogosphere lately. But we're gearing up for some fun stuff in August so stay tuned.

Here's what we posted in July:

Check out our July book hauls!

Gretl

Rose Red

Gretl

Ever Strange by Alisa Woods
A Highlander Walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham

Rose Red
ARCs

Aurora Blazing by Jessie Mihalik

Backlist Books

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean
The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian

Riven by Roan Parrish
Rend by Roan Parrish

New Releases

Treasure Trail by Morgan Brice
Raze by Roan Parrish
Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse

A Highlander Walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham

We Love Lists
Our Most Anticipated Book of the Second Half of 2019

Our Most Anticipated August Releases:

August 6
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The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Reticence by Gail Carriger
To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

August 27
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Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews
Rage by Cora Carmack
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks

Monday, July 29, 2019

Really Short Review: A Highlander Walks Into a Bar by Laura Trentham

A Highlander Walks Into a Bar
(Highland, Georgia #1)
Laura Trentham
Release: July 30, 2019
Goodreads Amazon
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

The timeless romance, soaring passion—and gorgeous men—of Scotland comes to modern-day America. And the rules of love will never be the same…

Isabel Buchanan is fiery, funny, and never at a loss for words. But she is struck speechless when her mother returns from a trip to Scotland with a six-foot-tall, very handsome souvenir. Izzy’s mother is so infatuated by the fellow that Izzy has to plan their annual Highland Games all by herself. Well, not completely by herself. The Highlander’s strapping young nephew has come looking for his uncle…

Alasdair Blackmoor has never seen a place as friendly as this small Georgia town—or a girl as brilliant and beguiling as Izzy. Instead of saving his uncle, who seems to be having a lovely time, Alasdair decides he’d rather help Izzy with the Highland Games. Show her how to dance like a Highlander. Drink like a Highlander. And maybe, just maybe, fall in love with a Highlander. But when the games are over, where do they go from here?

Review:

A Highlander Walks Into a Bar is a perfect summer romance! I'd love to see it as a Hallmark Channel movie (even though they'd take out the smexy parts.) It's got an earl in disguise, a small town festival and a couple that keeps getting interrupted when things get serious. It's fun and funny and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The town of Highland, Georgia is both picturesque and over the top with its small town charm and Scottish-themed kitch. Quirky small towns are my catnip and this one did not disappoint. I also loved the dueling accents! That would be great in a movie. Oh, or in audiobook!

I'm looking forward to the next one in the series, which is set up nicely at the end. Can I have it now?

Recommended for fans of: Hallmark Channel movies, men in kilts

4 stars

Thursday, July 4, 2019

Blog Tour: Wolf Instinct by Paige Tyler

I love Paige Tyler's SWAT series! It got me out of a major reading slump a few years ago. Paranormal police stories have always been one of my faves. And I love the found family element in this series. The latest installment came out last week and I'm so excited to get back into this series.

Here's a little bit about Wolf Instinct, an excerpt and a chance to win the previous book in the series.

Wolf Instinct
(SWAT #9)
Paige Tyler
Release: June 25, 2019
Goodreads Amazon B&N

Apple IndieBound BAM

He’s a wolf shifter.
She hunts monsters.
How can she be The One for him?

SWAT werewolf Zane Kendrick will do whatever it takes to take down the man who attacked his pack. His search takes him to Los Angeles, but when he meets Alyssa, the smart, sexy agent who comes to his aid, he’s immediately interested in pursuing more than just the next lead. All his wolf instincts tell him that she’s The One.

FBI agent Alyssa Carson has investigated some weird stuff lately, and finding missing people drained of their blood definitely falls into that category. When following a clue leads her to Zane, she agrees to work with him and his team. She’s attracted to the gorgeous Brit, but she doesn’t have time for anything but finding answers.

When Zane and Alyssa discover the sinister truth, it’ll take everything they have to make it out of this mission with their lives—and hearts—intact.

My reviews of other books in the SWAT series:
Wolf Hunt (SWAT #6)
Wolf Hunger (SWAT #7)
Watch for my review of Wolf Instinct coming soon

Excerpt

“Are you?” he asked. “Happy being an FBI agent, I mean.”

“Yeah.” She smiled. “The pay isn’t the greatest and I practically live in hotels, but I love what I do.”

“That’s what’s important.” Zane leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “I am curious how you find time for anything resembling a social life since you’re never in one place very long.”

She snorted, remembering how Christine had ragged on her about this same subject. “Social life. What’s that? As far as I’m concerned, if the FBI wanted me to have a social life, they’d issue me one, like my sidearm and badge.”

Zane lifted a brow. “Are you saying that a woman as beautiful as you hasn’t gone on a date with anyone in a year and half?”

Coming from anyone but Zane, that question might have irritated her. But for whatever reason, it didn’t. She especially liked the compliment. “While I’m not going to come out and put an exact time frame on it, I’ll admit it’s been a while. But if we’re going to discuss our social lives, how about you? Don’t tell me a big, good-looking man like you isn’t involved with someone.”

Zane’s gaze turned molten in the sun coming through the window and she felt her stomach do that funny flutter thing that had only started happening after they’d met. “If I were involved with someone, do you think I would have kissed you like I did last night?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “Would you?”

He lifted his mug and took a long, slow sip of coffee. “No, I wouldn’t have. I’ve dated a few women since moving to Dallas. Probably more than a few, I guess. But it never felt right with any of them, and after a while, it didn’t seem worth the effort. Then I met you and everything felt different. That’s why I kissed you.”

She’d just been messing with him about kissing her if he was involved with someone. His response was a lot more real than she’d expected. The part about why he’d kissed her made her warm all over. But the stuff about him not connecting with anyone since leaving London hurt more than she would have thought possible.

“You broke up with your fiancée a long time ago,” she pointed out. “Are you saying that in all that time, you never met anyone you could see yourself falling for?”

He didn’t answer at first, pausing to slowly chew his Pop-Tart. When he did finally answer her question, he kept his gaze fixed on the mug in front of him. “This probably won’t make much sense, but for people like me, it can be difficult finding that perfect person we’re supposed to be with. Some might even say it’s impossible.” The words were so soft she had to lean forward to hear them. “When the woman I thought was the right one for me walked out, I didn’t think it could happen again. But since meeting you, I’ve started thinking maybe I gave up too soon.”

Alyssa didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t a declaration of love or anything, but still…

Picking up her mug, she got up and poured herself more coffee. She held the pot up in Zane’s direction, but he shook his head. She didn’t necessarily want a refill, but it gave her a chance to think about everything he’d said. The guy had just unleashed a lot. It would take a while to absorb it all.

Like those three simple but significant words: people like me. Just that fast, the big, sexy Brit had confirmed he was different. Surprisingly, that acknowledgment didn’t bother her as much as she thought it might. While she’d discounted the possibility of him using some kind of spell on her, part of her wondered if Zane was putting out some kind of supernatural pheromone to attract his victims with and make them easier to subdue. But one look at him sitting at the table chewing thoughtfully on his frosted brown sugar Pop-Tart made her toss that ridiculous idea right out of her head. Zane didn’t need to put out any pheromones to lure her in. All he had to do was look at her.

She shook her head. One smile from him and she was ready to throw caution to the wind. Was she really that easy?

Alyssa walked back over to the table with her coffee, thinking about the other stuff Zane had said—especially the part where he’d confessed he’d given up on the idea of finding someone until meeting her. She’d never thought of herself as the kind of woman who cared about romantic drivel, but when Zane said those words, she had to admit there’d been some serious feels going on. Part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and hug him. The other part wanted to throw him on the floor and bang him like a cheap screen door—but that part was only making noise because it had been so long since she’d gotten laid.

“So,” she said, ignoring her chair and instead sitting on the edge of the table right in front of Zane. “I’m guessing you think I might be this perfect someone you’d given up hope of ever finding? Do you mind if I ask what makes you think that?”

Zane pushed his chair back a bit to make room for her, his dark eyes meeting hers. “You’re not going to like this answer, but…it’s complicated.”

He was right. She didn’t like it. “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Let’s just say the first time I saw you at that club, taking down Stefan’s goon, I knew you were someone special. And even though I’m still not sure if I’m comfortable with the idea—actually, I’m downright terrified—I’m also sure you’re The One for me.”

That sounded so romance-bookish Alyssa almost laughed out loud. The serious expression on Zane’s face was the only thing that stopped her. It might be crazy as heck, but the big, sexy hunk seemed to genuinely believe it.

They sat there looking at each other, Alyssa cupping both hands around her mug, breathing in the warm coffee while Zane seemed to be holding his breath like he thought she might bolt for the door at any second. Which was crazy since this was her room.

“Okay,” she said, setting her mug on the table. “Assuming you’re right and I’m The One for you, what do we do now?”

Zane grinned. “Kissing would be nice, yes?”

His big hands were coming up to wrap around her hips, tugging her forward off the table and onto the chair with him until she was straddling his thighs. As sexy as that position might be, Alyssa couldn’t help laughing. “Seriously? That’s the movie line you’re going with to get into my panties?”

Zane buried his fingers in her hair, tugging her mouth closer to his. Just before their lips met, he flashed her that thousand-watt smile, which made her pulse skip a beat. “I don’t know,” he murmured, his coffee-scented breath warm on her skin. “Did it work?”

Alyssa hadn’t realized exactly what she’d said—about getting into her panties—until right then. But as she gazed down at Zane and his beautiful smile, she decided letting him have his way with her unmentionables sounded like a really good idea. After that, who knew what she might let him get into?

She didn’t bother to answer his question. Instead, she lowered her mouth to his and kissed him hard enough to pull a growl out of him. And what an interesting growl it was, rumbling up through his chest and straight into her open mouth, making little tingles and shivers dance all over her body.

Apparently, she was into guys who growled.

***Excerpted from Wolf Instinct by Paige Tyler. © 2019 by Paige Tyler. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sexy, romantic fiction. Paige writes books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines they fall in love with. She lives with her very own military hero (a.k.a. her husband) and their adorable dog on the beautiful Florida coast. Visit www.paigetylertheauthor.com

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Wednesday, July 3, 2019

We Love Lists: Our Most Anticipated Books of the Second Half of 2019

Last week, we recapped our favorite books that we read in the first half of 2019. So it only makes sense to tell you which books are our most anticipated new releases for the second half of the year.

Gretl

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett
Release date: September 10
Jenn Bennett will always make my list but this one has treasure hunters and Dracula relics. Sign me up!

42265183

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
Release date October 8
We've seen vampires in 19th century New Orleans before, but I'm curious about Ahdieh's YA take on the subject.

42438218

Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter
Release date: October 29
Jane Yellowrock's world was completely turned upside down at the end of her previous book, so I'm excited to see where she goes from there.

43092891

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
Release Date: November 5
I've been a fan of Hibbert's indie published romance. This is her first book with a big publisher and features a chronically ill heroine with a bucket list.

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Wicked Hour by Chloe Neill
Release date: December 3
Since I heard about the Heirs of Chicagoland series, I've been hoping Neill would go into more detail about the shifter world. It looks like it's finally happening in Wicked Hour.

Note: I’ve already read Sapphire Flames, Aurora Blazing, The Right Swipe, and Brazen and the Beast, all of which would have been on my list.

Rose Red

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Release Date: August 27

I'm so excited for more books in the Hidden Legacy universe! I can't wait to see what kind of shenanigans the Catalina and the Baylor clan get into in this book.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Release Date: September 10

All I know about this book is that it's about lesbian necromancers exploring a creepy castle in space and honestly that's all I need to know.

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: September 24

I finally read Carry On earlier this year and I absolutely adored it! I'm dying to get my hands on the sequel because I need this magical road trip through America book with Simon and Baz and the gang. The shenanigans are going to be high in this one, I can tell already. Now, I just need to decide which of the gorgeous special editions to pre-order.

Archangel's War by Nalini Singh

Release Date: September 24

I am still gutted from the ending of Archangel's Prophecy and I really need to know what the heck is happening. I'm pretty sure that this book is going to be a roller coaster ride of emotions and I need it in my hands ASAP.

The Name of All Things by Jenn Lyons

Release Date: October 29

One of my favorite books of this year has been Jenn Lyons' The Ruin of Kings so I'm pretty much ecstatic that the sequel is also coming out this year. I'm excited and scared to see what kind of trouble Kihrin and the gang get into next. I'm also hoping that my main ship for this series will finally sail in this book.

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: November 5

I've proclaimed my adoration for Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series loudly and often for the last three years so I am ridiculously excited that we're getting the first book in the spin-off series about Ronan this year. I needs the precious! I needs it!

What books are you looking forward to in the last half of 2019?

and

Monday, July 1, 2019

Month in Review: June 2019

It's been a slow month here on the blog. We've been celebrating summer by staying inside and binging on TV. But we did make a little time to talk books. Here's what the Weres were up to in June:

Check out our June Book Hauls!

Gretl