Showing posts with label J.A. Huss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J.A. Huss. Show all posts

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Blog Tour: Losing Francesca ~ Review & Giveaway



 
Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That's not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca's face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it's haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he's compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long-lost friend.

But Francesca knows she's not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn't so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

Losing Francesca is a YA/NA crossover contemporary romance. :)

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My Thoughts

Full of love, longing, and the search for truth, JA Huss had me captivated from the beginning. What happened twelve years ago and is this girl really Fiona or is she Francesca? There was so many unanswered questions and mystery along the way that I was constantly theorizing. 

Entering the US, Francesca is recognized as a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago. Her claims otherwise don't really add up as she fails polygraphs about her identity, has multiple passports, and refuses to talk about her life, her father, or what he does. She is sent to live with the Sullivan's, who believe her to be Fiona, and she does everything she can do to be rude, hateful, and disrespectful toward them. All she wants is to go home and get back to her life. Nobody knows what that life entails, though. Who is she, really?

Then she meets Brody and as she gets to know him, she softens. We start to see a little bit of who she really is, and how she's not a hateful, hurtful person, she just wants her life back. But as she and Brody spend more time together, she starts to question everything she knows. She sees a picture of Fiona, and even she has to admit she looks an awful lot like the missing girl. We see a lot of internal as well as external struggle, and JA Huss writes it all very well.

Although this is labeled as New Adult, I definitely see crossover appeal for YA as well as Adult. There's no graphic scenes that would make it inappropriate for younger readers and it's a story that transcends age at the basic core. Who are we really? Does it matter who we were twelve years ago, or now? Or does it only matter who we want to be?

Buy It


About the Author


J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author links:

Trailer



Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Revolution 
I am reading this as part of July's ReReadathon and loving it again.

Recently Finished

Losing Francesca  Heist Society (Heist Society, #1) 
Losing Francesca was a great read, and I reread Heist Society as part of the ReReadathon. :)

What I Might Read Next

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2) The Space Between
I'm looking forward to continuing the Heist Society series. To continue the ReReadathon I think I might pick up The Space Between.

What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Losing Francesca 
I'm about 20% of the way through this one and really enjoying it. :)

What I Recently Finished

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)  
I liked it, but it didn't wow me like some of her others. :(

What I Might Read Next

Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie (Books of Faerie, #2)   Another Little Piece 
If Ballad comes in (I've ordered it at my library), I'll probably read that one. I got Another Little Piece as a birthday gift and I'm excited to read that. 
Girl of Nightmares (Anna, #2) 
I'm looking forward to this sequel and it's sitting on my shelf just begging to be read!

What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

WWW Wednesday


WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception (Books of Faerie, #1)
I'm a little ways into this one and liking it so far. :)

Recently Finished

Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2)  The Lover's Dictionary
I loved DoBaS... an intense continuation of the story and I can't wait for the third book to come out... unfortunately I have a long wait. lol
The Lover's Dictionary... it was different and I loved the writing. I didn't love it though.

What I Might Read Next

I still need to read this one for the tour coming up. I have plenty of time, but I don't want to procrastinate too much. :)

What have you been reading?

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Tragic by JA Huss: A Review




Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage.


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I participated in the Release Day blitz for this and I did receive a copy from the JA Huss (she's awesome). For some reason I could only open it on my computer at work, though, so I ended up buying it from Amazon for .99 cents. ;)  I read it in a day. That's a feat for me, given time constraints. But anyway. 

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I had no trouble diving right in. We meet Rook, we know she's jobless instantly; we know she's broke, homeless, and running. But she's strong. Despite everything, she not living as a victim of her circumstances, she's fighting. She meets Ronin, and we know her past has broken her just by her reaction. She's thrown into this world of modeling as she tries to save money and get her life back on track.

I did feel her acclimation to being touched constantly in this model setting seemed a bit rushed, though, given how she had reacted to hearing the argument when she arrived at the studio. She quickly accepted the idea of being touched in varying ways rather quickly, which took me out of the story as I pondered how realistic that was. 

Ronin is the quintessential bad boy. He's dark, edgy, and an asshole (I could quote from the book for that one), but he's also caring, patient, and gentle. I loved that he wanted to take care of her, more than was just his job. He wanted her to feel she deserved to be loved and cared about. I did enjoy the relationship building as it did. It was intense and smoldering.

A pitfall for me: The length. I felt some things were a bit rushed, like I already mentioned above. I think the story could have been developed a little more to allow for the changes Rook needed to make.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. JA Huss did a great job of telling us a story and making it believable, plausible. I am definitely looking forward to reading more when Manic comes out in August.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

WWW Wednesday


WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2) 
I am loving this sequel! ♥

Recently Finished

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight 
Such a fun story with some depth to it as well.

What I Might Read Next

The Lover's Dictionary  Losing Francesca 
Lover's Dictionary is sitting on my desk at work, and Losing Francesca is on my Kindle, waiting to be read for the blog tour. :)
 

What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

♪ Summer Lovin', Had Me Some Books ♪ {Top Ten Tuesday}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books At the Top of My Summer TBR List

So many books that could make this short list, but I'll just go with first thoughts and see what happens. :)

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

WWW Wednesday


WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4) 
So far really enjoying this final book in the series. 

Recently Finished

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1) 
Such a creeptastic book. I loved it.

What I Might Read Next

Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2)     Losing Francesca 
I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel to Daughter of Smoke & Bone, so if Malissa is ready when I finish up Beautiful Redemption then I'll read that one. If not, I'll read Losing Francesca, which I got for review recently for a book tour. :)

What about you? What have you been reading? What do you think you'll read next?

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

WWW Wednesday


WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1) 

Recently Finished

Tragic (Rook and Ronin, #1) 

 What I Might Read Next

Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone, #2)   Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4)

What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

Monday, May 20, 2013

Release Day Giveaway: Tragic by JA Huss

Tragic: Rook and Ronin #1
By JA Huss
New Adult Contemporary Romance
Published May 15, 2013
Science Fiction Press

About the Book


Rook Walsh is TRAGIC.

Because life so far - just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky...

 Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone - you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she's got The Look. The dark and desperate look he much have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he's everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn't. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine's camera.

Rook's luck changes in an instant and suddenly she's the darling of the modeling world. It's a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there's always a price to pay - and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage

Find It!

Goodreads          Amazon
Kobo                  Barnes & Noble

♥ Giveaway ♥



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt

Antoine's camera is on Ronin's left, so Ronin's left hand begins to caress my foot with small circles, a touch so light it actually makes me squirm because my feet are totally ticklish. He takes the hint and slowly sweeps up my calf, which is just about the most sensual feeling I've ever experienced. I moan out a little and his bruising kisses are back, crushing against my mouth. 

Just as Antoine takes his attention to our lips Ronin's right hand also begins at my foot, swirling his fingertips around the soft pad of my arch. I laugh into his mouth and he pulls me close, my hair hiding our faces for a moment, and says, "Shhhh, now. Be good Gidge." And then his right hand sweeps up my leg and under my dress, caressing the same small circles along my inner thigh. 

"Oh, shit," I whimper as as I bury myself in his neck. Just a few more inches and I'm going to come undone. My neck tilts back as the sensations all crash together and he takes his kisses to my plunging neckline, his left hand, the one still out in the open, slips up to my breast just as the hidden hand drops down a little farther, just a flutter of a touch against my crease.

He reaches over, not with the hidden hand, and picks up a glass of wine and hands it to me.

My fingertips barely understand what to do with the glass because the only thing on my mind is where his other hand is. We each take a sip and then he bites into a cherry, taking half of it in his mouth, and spits out the pit.

Antoine barks something harsh in French and Ronin laughs. "It's a fucking pit, Antoine, it's not litter." he rolls his eyes at me. "Sit still now, Rook, and keep your mouth closed for a moment."

My mind is still on his fingers as they caress my inner thigh, but I do my best not squirm.

He brings the cherry to my lips and I keep my mouth closed. This makes him smile and then he traces my lips, dripping juice as he paints them. I'm just about to let my tongue dart out and get the juice when Ronin's mouth reaches up and licks it off, stopping to suck on my bottom lip, and then gives it a little nibble that makes me cry out.

He bites into another cherry and again, to Antoine's disgust, woofs out the pit into the grass. Spitting is a skill only boys really acquire. They are so good at it. It might gross out Antoine, but not me. I think just about everything Ronin is doing with his mouth is astonishing right now. The secret hand under my dress appears again. he lifts my left hand and paints each fingertip pad with cherry juice, then sucks it off, nibbling them one by one, just like he did my lips.

I just stare at him and his eyes never leave mine. "What?" he finally asks.

"You-" I say.

He raises his eyebrows.

"-are bad."

He laughs. "If you were naked right now I'd drip this juice all down your belly and let my tongue--"

"OK, that's enough," Antoine says. "Excellent job, Rook."

Fucking Antoine.

I bite my lip as Ronin licks my fingertips one more time and then grins up at me like an idiot. "Want to come over and watch a movie, Gidget?"

I nod enthusiastically as Elise helps me up, and then Ronin bounces to his feet and puts his arm around me protectively. "You fell asleep pretty quick last time, are you sure you're up for a movie?"

I'm not sure if a movie is the code word for sex or not right now, but either way, I'm definitely up for it. 

About the Author 

JA Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really - Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master's degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with the farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Find Her


 



Monday, May 6, 2013

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Losing Fransesca by J.A. Huss

Losing Fransesca

By: J.A. Huss



Publication Date: July 1st 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Cover Design By Phatpuppy Art

Goodreads-badge-add-plus 

 Synopsis


Francesca Sabatini came to America to take in the sights, celebrate her high school graduation, and have fun wasting time before college starts in the fall.

That’s not what happens.

Fresh off the plane and barely on American soil more than a handful of minutes, Francesca’s face is recognized by TSA scanners to be a match for a child who was kidnapped twelve years ago.

Brody Mason remembers the day Fiona Sullivan went missing during a family vacation in Italy and it’s haunted him his whole life. So when Francesca shows up at the Sullivan farm down the road, he’s compelled to figure out if this girl really is his long lost friend.

But Francesca knows she’s not Fiona Sullivan. She knows exactly who she is. At least she thinks she knows – until Brody Mason relentlessly pursues her and she begins to have feelings for him. Maybe being Fiona isn’t so bad?

Reality becomes blurred, secrets are revealed, and life will never be the same when the final questions are answered: Is she Francesca or Fiona? And where does she really belong?

 

Book Trailer

 

Giveaway

In celebration of the cover reveal, enter the giveaway below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway    


About the Author

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author links: