My Review Stop on the Tasty Virtual Book Tour for TRULY SWEET by Candis Terry with #excerpt + #giveaway

Welcome to my review stop on the Tasty Virtual Book Tour for the final book in the Sweet, Texas series by Candis Terry. Yes, the series is coming to an end and it does with a truly happy ending for everyone in TRULY SWEET. Check out my thoughts on this one, an excerpt, and a giveaway!

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for TRULY SWEET:

Candis Terry returns to Sweet, Texas for the last time when former Marine Jake Wilder discovers how truly sweet love can be.

When the one you’ve always wanted…

 
At sixteen, Annabelle Morgan hoped her crush on Jake Wilder was just a passing phase. Now she’s twenty-nine and nothing has changed—except Jake. The once-carefree Marine has come home with a giant chip on his shoulder. He insists a single mom like Annie deserves more than he can offer. Yet no matter how gruff his gorgeous exterior may be, Jake’s toe-curling kisses convince her that this attraction is definitely mutual.

Becomes the one who wants you back…

Butting heads with feisty Annie was always a thrill. Add other body parts to the mix, and Jake is in serious trouble. He can’t be a forever-and-family guy—and Annie’s not a friends-with-benefits kind of woman. But love has a way of changing the best-laid plans, and surrender has never been so tempting…

The outcome is truly sweet.

My Review:

If you’ve been following this series then you’ve met Annie Morgan, younger sister of Abby who got her HEA with Jackson Wilder in SWEETEST MISTAKE and you’ve met Jake, the youngest Wilder hunk who made his first appearance in SOMETHING SWEETER. Jake is home finally, which makes the rest of the family very happy but not him. He’s not happy about it because he didn’t come home on his terms but because of an injury and is carrying a heap of guilt over the death of his men and most of all, his best friend. Right from the start, Annie realizes Jake is going to be a grump but his attraction to her cannot be ignored…even though he tries as much as she does. (You’ll see in the excerpt.)

I am very sorry to see the end of this series because I’ve come to care very much about the wonderful people of Sweet, Texas. I had also hoped for more of a climactic end to the series but then again, I wasn’t wholly disappointed. Everyone gets a happily-ever-after in the Wilder family including the adorable Miss Giddy…it seems she isn’t the only goat in town. If you read TRULY SWEET for no other reason, you must read it for Miss Giddy and some of the Wilder boys' banter over their mother, Jana, and her love life. Candis wrote it true.

Whereas, TRULY SWEET by Candis Terry might not be my favorite of the Sweet series – I think Reno in ANYTHING BUT SWEET still holds that honor – I wouldn’t have missed reading this final book for anything in the world. It’s the happily-ever-after that the Wilder family deserved. So with that said…I do highly recommend that if you’ve read the series then you’ve got to read TRULY SWEET, the final book of the Sweet, Texas series by Candis Terry because it will leave you with some laughs, a big smile and maybe some sad moisture in your eyes.

If you haven’t read this wonderful, sweet, heart touching series yet…please do…it really is the very best in small town romance. Happy Reading Everyone!

Excerpt:

“Forget something?” Her eyes narrowed just slightly and the silky blond ponytail hanging down her back swung to the side as she tilted her head in a way that suggested she was primed for a challenge.

“Not that I’m aware.”

“Uh-huh.” She tucked the stub of a standard yellow pencil behind her ear. “Guess you’ve been away too long to remember that most folks walk in here wearing a smile. Looks like you left yours at home.”

“Guess I’m just not much in the mood.”

“Seriously?” Her eyes narrowed a bit more, yet somehow a shower of silver sparks still managed to flash. “Why?”

He hated to use the word “Duh,” but it seemed so apropos.

“So . . .” Her shoulders lifted and dropped. “What? You’re going to let that walking cane snuff out the eternally grinning smartass that lives inside of you?”

Her comment hit its mark with stinging success.

Jake clenched his teeth and lowered his gaze to the laminated menu he’d been able to recite by heart since he’d been twelve. “Annabelle, how about you go away and give me a minute to look over the menu?”

“Because that would be a total waste of time, Jacob.”

His gaze jerked up again just as she shifted her weight to a position she probably intended as a show of obstinacy. Yet all it really managed to do was push her full breasts against that snug white Bud’s Diner T-shirt. Instinctively his gaze dropped lower to the little black skirt hugging nicely rounded hips and the pair of tanned shapely legs that ended with the sparkly blue sneakers on her feet. Liking what he saw, his gaze took that same slow ride back up her body.

When the hell had little Annie Morgan grown up and gotten so curvy?

“You can stare at that menu all day long,” she said through lips that were pink, plump, and glossy. Lips that looked like they needed to be kissed.

The unexpected and unwanted thought was like a splash of ice water in his face. Annie had been a pain in his backside for as long as he could remember. The last thing he should be doing was thinking about her damned mouth. Or her curvy body. To his dismay and against his commands, awareness tightened his body below the belt.

“In the end,” Annie continued, “you’re going to choose a double Diablo burger with extra peppers, a side of sweet potato fries—extra crispy, and a chocolate banana shake.”

Challenged, he leaned forward and met her glare. “How do you know what I want?”

“Because.” She planted her palm down on the table and leaned in till they were nearly nose-to-nose. “While you and your football buddies parked your cocky behinds in the booth by the door so all your minions could see you and come in to fawn all over you, some of us were slinging hash and cleaning up your mess after you left.”

He leaned back. “I don’t remember you working here.”

“Why would you?” She shifted her weight again and he’d have to be dead not to notice that somewhere between his last visit home and now Annie had become quite a knockout. “In those days you could barely see beyond Jessica Holt’s big brown eyes and bodacious ta-tas. I, Annie of the flat-as-a-surfboard chest and metal mouth, deterred your hormonal teenage boy scrutiny.”

She certainly wasn’t flat chested any more.

He could argue about the hormonal part, but why bother. In high school he’d been interested in three things; having fun, getting laid, and getting laid.

Some things were important enough to be counted twice.

“You make me sound like such a jackass.”

One corner of her luscious pink lips kicked upward. “You were.”

Yeah. He probably had been. And he wasn’t really sure he appreciated the reminder.

“So why are you working here now?” he asked, deftly changing the subject. “Didn’t you get enough slinging hash the first time around?”

“A girls got to earn a living somehow. Slinging hash is all I’ve ever really done. My hand-dipped chocolates haven’t exactly taken off like wildfire. And since Sweet’s street corners are already occupied with whiskey barrels and petunias, there isn’t any room for me to hang around waiting for customers.”

“Always the smartass,” he said.

“Takes one to know one.”

About the Author:

Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily ever after.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

   

Unwrapping a Review for SWEET SURPRISE, a Sweet Texas novel by Candis Terry

I am totally in love with the Sweet, Texas series by Candis Terry so when I got a chance to read a galley for her upcoming newest release, SWEET SURPRISE, I jumped at it. It was worth squeezing it in. Stay tuned for a special Scavenger Hunt Tour to celebrate its release on Tuesday, January 27, 2015. It’s going to be a blast.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for SWEET SURPRISE:

Fiona Wilder knows all about falling in lust. Love? That's another story. Determined not to repeat past mistakes, the single mom and cupcake shop owner is focused on walking the straight and narrow. But trouble has a way of finding her. And this time it comes in the form of a smoking hot firefighter who knows all the delicious ways to ignite her bad-girl fuse.

Can lead to heartbreak...

Firefighter Mike Halsey learned long ago that playing with fire just gets you burned. He's put his demons behind him, and if there's one line he won't cross, it's getting involved with his best friend's ex. But when fate throws him in the path of the beautiful, strong, and off-limits Fiona, will he be able to fight their attraction? Or will he willingly go down in flames?

Or a sweet surprise! 

~*~                    ~*~                 ~*~                 ~*~                 ~*~ 

Jackson Wilder’s ex, Fiona Wilder is moving to Sweet, Texas to open a cupcake shop and also so her darling little girl, Izzy, can be closer to her father and his soon-to-bride, Abby. On the way, she is the unfortunate victim of two drivers’ road rage. Now she’s trying to get moved in, get the shop set up, and settled into her new life while recovering from her injuries. When her knight in shining armor from the accident shows up to help, she fights the offer. Not because she doesn’t want or need the help but because she is far too attracted to the man who also happens to be a firefighter, a very sexy, very hot firefighter. After her failed marriage to Jackson, she promised herself she’d never get involved with another hot man like that again - it was part of her wild Fiona life she'd left behind. Then again, aren’t promises made to be broken?

Mike Halsey hasn’t stopped thinking about the gorgeous Fiona Wilder, off limits ex-wife of his firefighter buddy, Jackson. With a bad marriage as baggage, he has his reasons for keeping his distance from the beautiful single mom. But when the ever matchmaking Jana Wilder collects on her auction purchase, and asks him to work it off by helping the sexy Fiona with her move, and her cupcake shop, he can’t refuse even though he knows he's playing with fire. Sweetness comes in all forms and Fiona is a sweet treat he desperately wants to taste and make his own but there’s a code between men who live on the edge, and since he’s been there with Jackson, he needs to keep his distance even though he doesn’t want to.

As usual, Candis Terry creates characters that most certainly make us care. Mike is sexy, caring, and most definitely, a knight in shining armor. Fiona is a good loving mom and has goals to be a successful woman in business. There were times when I felt I’d read this story before because the plot is rather typical. Then Candis does things like throws in a sweet ‘Milo’ moment where Mike gets to show how big his heart is, or like when Fiona gives him the space he needs to get his emotional stuff together. Fiona gets a big star for patience and it pays off big time in the end for her, and for Izzy. Truly Sweet ending to this one.

Perhaps SWEET SURPRISE didn’t tug at my heartstrings the way ANYTHING BUT SWEET did, or make me want to smack anyone upside the head the way Jackson did in SWEETEST MISTAKE, but this one was still a good solid Candis Terry read. Although, I did find it a bit of a stretch that the relationship between Fiona and Abby could be quite so intimately friendly. Of course, it lends itself to the fantasy of romance being perfection.

I most certainly recommend reading SWEET SURPRISE, book four in the Sweet, Texas series by Candis Terry. If you haven’t tried this series, or if you already love the rest of the series as much as I do, you don’t want to miss yet another of Jana Wilder’s crazy matchmaking meddles. Besides, who can possibly resist such a big-hearted sexy fireman as Mike Halsey. Also, you don’t want to miss the Milo moment or the sweetest of sweet marriage proposals.

Happy Reading Everyone and don’t forget to come back on Tuesday, January 27^th for a SWEET SURPRISE Release Day Blast Scavenger Hunt. You know there will be great prizes. 

SWEET SURPRISE, a Sweet Texas novel by Candis Terry, Avon Romance, release date - January 27,  2015, print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks. $4.99 digital/$7.99 print

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Unwrapping a Review of SWEETEST MISTAKE, a Sweet, Texas novel by Candis Terry

I am a huge fan of Candis Terry’s stories and her newest, the Sweet, Texas series featuring the sexy Wilder boys is fast becoming my favorites. It’s for this reason that when I got the chance to read a galley of her upcoming release, SWEETEST MISTAKE, there was no doubt I was adding it to my reading list.

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for SWEETEST MISTAKE:

WHEN FRIENDS BECOME LOVERS . . .

Firefighter and former Marine Jackson Wilder has tough guy down to an art, but he’s learned the hard way that promises were made to be broken. Abigail Morgan was once his best friend, his first kiss, his first love, his first everything. He’d just forgotten to mention all that to her and she blew out of his life. Five years later, she’s back and he’s battling a load of mistrust for her disappearing act. But for some reason he just can’t keep his lips—or his hands—to himself.

IT CAN LEAD TO DISASTER OR . . .

When her stint as a trophy wife abruptly ends, Abby returns home to Sweet, Texas, and comes face-to-face with Jackson—her biggest and sexiest mistake. Time and distance did nothing to squash her love for the act-first-think-later stubborn hunk of a man, and when he suggests they renew their old just-friends vow, Abby realizes she wants more. She’d cut and run once. Could she do it again? Or could she tempt him enough to break his promise?

THE SWEETEST MISTAKE.

*              *             *             *             *

Abby Morgan has returned to Sweet, Texas after being away far too long and having left without a word to anyone, especially Jackson Wilder – her best friend and the man she’d loved forever. After a failed marriage that has left her feeling rather worthless, unwanted, and alone, she wasn’t eager to discuss why she left home, or why she was back.

Jackson Wilder went off to fight for our country’s freedom, watched his brother die, and returned to find his best friend had abandoned him when he needed her most. Now she’s back and he’s intrigued as to why but the anger keeps getting in the way. Can these two fated lovebirds find their way back to each other or will their pride, frustrated anger, and their inability to keep their hands and their lips off each other get in the way.

Jackson is all out sexy, and all out stubborn but the most lovable pain in the ass hero I’ve ever met. Abby Morgan is my girl. She survived a marriage so like mine, except for the wealth, that I have to side with her. She’s forward, outspoken, and knows what she wants and will do whatever it takes to get it, including a striptease that drives Jackson wild even when he’s fighting his fear of losing control if he were to touch her. I’m wondering if Candis knows me better than she ever imagined. *wink*

SWEETEST MISTAKE, book two in the Sweet, Texas series by Candis Terry didn’t capture my heart and tear it to shreds like ANYTHING BUT SWEET did but I enjoyed every minute of it. Candis has created the most exceptional cast of characters living in Sweet, Texas. The Wilder family contains swoon-worthy men, a mother you want to roll up in a hug and take home with you, and townspeople that make you want to move to Sweet. I had a problem with how the ending was rushed but understand that sometimes these things happen. But don't worry, the story was filled with enough angst, flirtations, humor, sweet moments, and hot sexual tension to keep you glued to each page.

SWEETEST MISTAKE by Candis Terry is a funny, sweet, down home tale about friendship, falling in love, and regrets that can haunt you far down the road. It’s about what happens when two people fear admitting their feelings because they value the relationship that’s always been there not realizing that even the deepest love must start with a friendship. I highly recommend reading SWEETEST MISTAKE by Candis Terry for no other reason that it features the sexiest hero, the most likable heroine ever, and the Wilder men, who are absolute tens on any hot list.

Happy Reading Everyone and Happy New Year to all!

SWEETEST MISTAKE, a Sweet, Texas novel by Candis Terry, Avon Romance, release date – December 31, 2013, available in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links or cover for purchasing information

   

Wacky Wednesday: Stop on ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry Tasty Book Blog Tour - Interview with Candis & Huge #Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry Tasty Book Blog Tour. There was no way I wasn’t going to read this first book in a new series by the author of the amazing Sugar Shack series, Candis Terry, so when asked if I wanted to join the blog tour, I leaped at the chance. Even better, I was given the opportunity to talk one on one with the lovely lady herself. Feel free to check out my review that I published for y’all on Monday, just click on the title above.

Candis Terry was born and raised near the sunny beaches of Southern California and now makes her home on an Idaho farm. She’s experienced life in such diverse ways as working in a Hollywood recording studio to chasing down wayward steers. Only one thing has remained the same: her passion for writing stories about relationships, the push and pull in the search for love, and the security one finds in their own happily ever after.

I hope you will all help me make Candis comfortable while I grill her wonderfully, sweet brain. Please join me in welcoming Candis Terry, author of ANYTHING BUT SWEET, to Unwrapping Romance … 

Amy: Welcome Candis, it's an absolute delight to have you with us today, and I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your busy day to join us.

Candis: Thank you! I’m so excited to be here today!

Amy: Perhaps you'd like to tell us a little bit about yourself for those who don't know you yet.

Candis: Well, for those who don’t know me my road to publication was a long and bumpy road that took 22 years. Why? I’m either a slow learner or stubborn. Most likely both. My first book for Avon Romance—Second Chance at the Sugar Shack—was literally meant to be my last attempt at being published. In 2011, I happily grabbed the attention of an amazing editor and finally received the call. Since then I’ve completed another two books in the Sugar Shack novels and Home Sweet Home, a short story that appeared in For Love and Honor with Cathy Maxwell and Lynne Hinton, and also in Crazy, Sweet, Fine with Rachel Gibson and Jennifer Bernard. My June release, Anything But Sweet, is the first book in the Sweet, Texas series. Lucky for me it’s been a busy couple of years!

Amy: I’ve read them all and can tell you that you were well worth the wait. Candis, you began your writing career with Avon Impulse but you're now being published in print as well as ebook. It's been an amazing journey for you. Perhaps you could share with us how it felt when you first learned that your Sugar Shack series was going into print and that your newest series would be as well.

Candis:  I have to be honest and tell you that I still can’t believe it. It’s my dream come true. And yeah, I cried a whole lot of happy tears. Seeing my books for sale in a bookstore or online? Crazy! My heart still pounds. I’ve now had the privilege to be at several occasions with other Avon authors and all I can think is ‘What am I doing here?’ When I first signed with Avon Impulse, the sun was still rising on the whole ebook thing. Other than marrying my husband and having my daughter, I’ve never made a happier decision.

Amy: You’ve achieved the dream that some of us are still hoping for – I guess that’s why I wanted to know what it felt like. Yes, I’m jealous but so glad you’re writing because I love your stories. The title of your newest release, ANYTHING BUT SWEET, obviously gives tribute to the town in which the story is set. So what inspired your creation of Sweet, Texas and the characters we meet there?

Candis: In coming up with the new series idea, the first character who popped into my head was Charlotte (Charli) Brooks, the heroine in Anything But Sweet. Since I am an avid HGTV watcher and a person who really would like to have a makeover designer come to my house, I knew Charli just had to be a cable TV host/designer for a makeover show. Instead of her just popping in and redoing a single room for someone, I gave her the task of going into a town sorely in need of a facelift and having to renovate several buildings in a short six weeks. All this is much to the dismay of the hero, Reno Wilder, who does not want his little town to change.

Then my task became creating Sweet. Since I live in a small rural town, it isn’t difficult for me to conjure one up. However, when I decided to make the town in Texas I knew I had to take a road trip. I’d only been to Dallas before, and since in my personal life I have to see hills or mountains to be happy, I knew the new town had to be in Texas Hill Country. So I grabbed the Hubster and away we went. We fell in love with the towns and the people. Along the way I kept seeing these big ranches and in my head I pictured these hard-working, honorable men and the Wilder brothers were born. Most of the other characters you’ll meet in the series are either a happy and sometimes quirky composite of people I’ve met throughout my life, or people I’d love to meet.

Amy: The characters in ANYTHING BUT SWEET were most definitely a great part of its charm. I’m sure they’ll play a large part in the rest of the series. Is contemporary romance where you see yourself staying with your writing, or do you see the possibility of dipping your pen into other romantic genre directions? 

Candis: I love contemporary romance and it really fits my particular voice very well. But there are also stories in my head that are much darker or more suspenseful. So while I have no intention of moving away from the sexy, fun type of stories that I write anytime soon, I’m also the type to never-say-never. I think the point is to always be able to stay fresh for the readers and my imagination.

Amy: As a fan of dark and suspenseful stories, I may just have to bug you about writing one. LOL!  I know you're as prolific a reader as well as writer. I know my readers would like to know what authors have influenced your writing, but in addition, perhaps there's something about your talent that you hope inspired readers (such as myself) come away with from reading your works? Is there?

Candis:  Oh, I am a crazy reader! Just ask my husband. I’m the one with the headlamp on under the covers in the middle of the night (because I still have my original Kindle). As a child, reading kept me sane. Seriously. I still have most of the books I purchased through Scholastic Books and yes, that includes Mr. Pudgins. I cannot bear to part with them. As far as authors who have influenced me? Wow. There are so many. Judith McNaught. Suzanne Brockmann. Nora Roberts. Johanna Lindsey. Judy Blume. Jane Austen. OK, I should probably stop now.

Amy:  Once a reader, always a reader, eh? I’ve still got books from my youth, too. I hate parting with books and so some look very ragtag.  : )

Candis: As to the second part of your question, I don’t know that I have as much talent as I do drive. Once I get a story in my head I have to see the characters find their happily ever after. I want my readers to feel that love. The heart of the story. To take that journey the characters take. Some of my story situations—in part—come from real life. Mine or others. While making it a fun adventure I try really hard to make the characters relatable or at least seem like someone they might know. The most important thing I would like readers to come away with, after reading one of my books, is a little hope that even when life doesn’t seem to be going your way, or things are just a little freaky, there is a little cheerleader at the end of the tunnel waving a flashlight saying - “Come on, you can do it! I got your happily ever after right here!”

Amy: Wow! I think you do just that, Candis. I love the way I feel when I finish reading one of your stories – like I just experienced something wonderful and now I’m happy. I like that I’m always left with a smile even if I shed tears while reading, which I did while reading ANYTHING BUT SWEET.

So now for my last question for you, and it’s my personal favorite. If you could be ANY character in ANY book, who would it be and why?

Candis: Holy snickerdoodles! Any character? Well, not Harry Potter because even though he has some really cool magical stuff going on, he’s got too many freaks after him and he’s got to wear those really bad glasses. And not Scarlett O’Hara because even though Rhett is pretty hot, he leaves her, and her house burns down, and she’s got to wear drapes.

Amy:  *laughing*

Candis:  Hmm. Maybe Princess Buttercup because she gets to go on a fun adventure through the fire swamp and ends up with Farm Boy Wesley aka the Dread Pirate Roberts. But probably right now I’d choose Charli from Anything But Sweet. I’m a glass half-empty girl and Charli is someone I aspire to be. She’s had a tough life but she’s always an optimist. She’s energetic, funny, smart, and she has an enormous heart that she’s just so willing to share with anyone. Yep. I’d want to be Charli—and not just because she ends up with sexy Reno Wilder. OK, maybe because of that.

Amy:  Great answer! I totally agree with you about being Charli. She is an awesome heroine. Who knows, maybe someday a real Charli will come and do a full house makeover for you.

Candis, thank you so very much for joining us today and for sharing ANYTHING BUT SWEET with us. Congratulations on your new series, and I'm sure my readers are as excited as I am to read more. 

Candis: Thank you for having me! I’m really excited about Anything But Sweet and hope you enjoy. And keep a lookout as there are three more Wilder brothers to come.

Amy: Indeed. Folks, Reno and Charli’s story is just the beginning and what a beginning! I hope you’ll all read this fabulous contemporary romance when it releases June 25th from Avon Romance.

Blurb for ANYTHING BUT SWEET:

A man who doesn’t like change . . .
The Wilder family is something of a Sweet, TX institution: between their yearly BBQ blow-outs and their Hardware and Feed store, they’re an institution—an institution that ex-marine Reno Wilder has tried to preserve, in honor of his lost loved ones. But it seems like he’s the only one who’s got any respect left for traditions when a new TV makeover show rolls in to renovate Sweet to bring in more tourists. Everyone is pleased except Reno—and this cowboy is determined to keep everything just the way he likes it.

A woman who wants to change everything . . .
Inquisitive. Stubborn. Smart. Drop dead gorgeous. That would be makeover show host and designer, Charlotte Brooks—the woman Reno has declared war against. And yet, he can’t seem to keep away from her, or to get her off his mind. Charlotte isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge—of any kind—and she’s promised to prove to Reno that change can be sexy, hot, and very, very sweet, if Reno and Charli learn to let go of their pasts and grab hold of a future full of promise.
 

                                       *                 *                *                *                 *

If you’d like to learn more about Candis Terry and her wonderful books, please visit her website and feel free to follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. She’d love it!

Now, normally, I run some kind of giveaway with my Wacky Wednesday interviews but since this is part of a blog tour, Candis has something truly fabulous for you – I mean HUGE! Knock your socks off amazing! You’re going to want in on this Giveaway! Please use Rafflecopter to enter here and all along the tour – click HERE for a complete list of blogs.

*Prize will be given away after the end of the tour and will include: 

Black and White Striped Summer Tote Bag, "Cooking with Love" Heart-Shaped Baking Set, Red Heart-Shaped Alabaster Paperweight, Signed copies of ANYTHING BUT SWEET, SECOND CHANCE AT THE SUGAR SHACK, ANY GIVEN CHRISTMAS, SOMEBODY LIKE YOU, FOR LOVE AND HONOR, and CRAZY SWEET FINE.  *Giveaway is also open to international readers.

Is that not amazing?! I know I want in. Have fun, good luck, and ...

Happy Reading Everyone!
 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/521ac478/

ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry, Avon Romance, release date – June 25, 2013 in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Indiebound, Powell’s Books, and Books-a-Million.

***click on links or cover below for purchasing/pre-order information.

                                                                     

Unwrapping: Review of ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry

As a huge fan of Candis Terry’s Sugar Shack Series, it was a no brainer for me to sign up for the Tasty Book Tour promoting Candis’s upcoming new release, ANYTHING BUT SWEET. On Wednesday, the lovely lady will be joining me for an interview so be sure to come back then to meet her.  

***eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest and unscripted review. 

Blurb for ANYTHING BUT SWEET: 

A man who doesn’t like change . . .
The Wilder family is something of a Sweet, TX institution: between their yearly BBQ blow-outs and their Hardware and Feed store, they’re an institution—an institution that ex-marine Reno Wilder has tried to preserve, in honor of his lost loved ones. But it seems like he’s the only one who’s got any respect left for traditions when a new TV makeover show rolls in to renovate Sweet to bring in more tourists. Everyone is pleased except Reno—and this cowboy is determined to keep everything just the way he likes it.

A woman who wants to change everything . . .
Inquisitive. Stubborn. Smart. Drop dead gorgeous. That would be makeover show host and designer, Charlotte Brooks—the woman Reno has declared war against. And yet, he can’t seem to keep away from her, or to get her off his mind. Charlotte isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge—of any kind—and she’s promised to prove to Reno that change can be sexy, hot, and very, very sweet, if Reno and Charli learn to let go of their pasts and grab hold of a future full of promise.

 

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Charli Brooks is the host designer of a reality makeover show and the folks of Sweet, Texas rallied for a chance to have her and her crew come to their charming, yet somewhat bedraggled, town in hopes that she can bring it back to life. Charli loves a challenge and when that challenge presents itself in the form of a tall handsome cowboy who wants nothing more to get her to stop her attempt to change his beloved town; she pulls out all the stops to prove him she can only make things better. 

Reno Wilder is a truly tortured hero. He’s suffered through more losses than any person should ever be confronted and so he doesn’t like change. Change represents loss, loss of memories, loss of love, and forcing him to move forward, something he’s dead set against doing. So, when a bubbly, energetic powerhouse of gorgeous female arrives in a Hummer to turn his life upside down, he pushes back as hard as she gives.  

Charli falls in love with Sweet, Texas and Sweet, Texas falls in love with her. She’s made to feel like one of the community and for the first time in her life, she feels like she’s found a place she can call home. More so, she hopes she can convince a tall, grumpy cowboy that he wants her to call it home with him. How long can Reno hold out against the charm and conviction of the Fancy Pants female that has wiggled into his heart? Charli hopes not too long. 

ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry is everything I hoped it would be from this author who had me falling hard for a new generation of contemporary romance with her delightful and emotion-filled Sugar Shack Series. Candis conjures characters that pull you in with their hopes, their dreams, their torments, and their pasts, some of which will break your heart. 

I love how she brings forth a subject that touched me deeply as someone who knows the heartbreak of it – child neglect and abandonment. When I read the lines, - “Just because a woman could give birth to a child didn’t make her a mother. Just because a man could get a woman pregnant didn’t make him a father. – I had to set my reader down for a while. It touched me so hard. It’s the truth. I’ve always said, “a womb does not a mother make.” It’s love and hard work that makes a parent. ANYTHING BUT SWEET is a story about a family who took in a little boy left on his own by a mother who didn’t care. He found himself enveloped in the love of a family who didn’t care that he wasn’t their son or brother by birth, it only mattered that he was there. It’s this sense of family love that draws Charli to the Wilders. They’ve suffered their losses, their relationships don’t always work out the way they want, but their love for each other stays strong. Charli understands the loss of a parent who loved her and left her with only a father who holds back his affection, so when she encounters this sense of belonging in the Wilders, she wants more. She wants Reno, his family, and his town filled with the most amazing characters to grace the pages of a book, for her own. 

The torments of the past aside, ANYTHING BUT SWEET is filled with laughter, joy, wild nights, and a few tear inducing moments that will keep you well satisfied and turning the pages. From the first moment when Charli Brooks climbs down from her yellow Hummer, on through drunken good times, references to country rockin’ songs and sweet temptations of the flesh that pull the dimples from Reno Wilder’s cheeks, clear to the happily-ever-after ending that I almost didn’t think Candis would pull off. Then again, as in those reality shows, it all comes down to the end reveal, right? 

I highly recommend ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry to any and all lovers of a good romance. This is a must read if you love tortured heroes and sassy heroines, sweet family interactions, and sexy men. I can’t wait for more from the Wilder brothers and Sweet, Texas. 

Happy Reading Everyone!

Y’all come back on Wednesday for an interview with Candis Terry and a blog tour giveaway that will have you hollerin’, Yee Haw!   

ANYTHING BUT SWEET by Candis Terry, Avon Romance, release date – June 25, 2013 in print and ebook formats. **click on cover for purchasing info.