Top Ten Books I've Read in 2014 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's topic: Top Ten Books I've Read So Far This Year

Scary Modsters...and Creepy Freaks by Diane Rinella: This book was so fun and quirky. I had a darn good time reading it, and with all that unique feel mixed with Diane's fabulous writing, this book was absolutely fantastic.

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins: A sweet romance, a soldier, and a little twist that sets it apart from other books like it. I flew through this book and cannot WAIT for the next book by Sabrina Elkins. I also love how this book rides the line between YA and NA. It has a theme that gives off a NA vibe (to me, anyway), but the MC is still in high school. I just really want to cuddle this book.

Rome by Jay Crownover: It's not a secret that I heart me some Jay Crownover. I mean, I WAS Rule's advocate in the NA Crush Tourney last year. So the fact that Rome is my new fav Marked Men book is kind of a significant fact. I loved this one, and Rome and Cora were just great. SO GREAT, Y'ALL.

Be with Me by J. Lynn: I fell in love with Jase in the first chapter. The first. Effing. Chapter. Yeah, he ticked me off throughout the story, but my love was established early on so I was a fan of him, and I really liked Tess, and this book was completely up my alley. As are all of JLA's books.

King Cave by Scarlett Dawn: We remember that huge crush I had on Ezra, yes? Well, that crush has now exploded into something I don't even have a word for, thanks to this book. This was the first book I read this year and it was the PERFECT read to kick off a year of great books. I loved it and even though this one was quite long, it felt way too short. Remind me, when does King Tomb come out again?

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris: I highly enjoyed My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and I was expecting to go in and like this one the same way. Then I actually picked it up and NOPE. I loved this one sooooo much more, which baffles me since I had such a great time with the first one. But it happened and I loved it and this book makes me feel so happy!

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck: Tigers (tiger SHIFTERS, no less) and romance. Need I say more? I think not.

Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg: A cute story about friends growing into more and the struggles and accompany that process. This one was dual POV, which is something I adore, and I loved how this one started from when the two MCs met, instead of just jumping into their relationship and trying to catch us up to speed with explanations and whatnot. I fell for Levi and his realistically adorable tendencies and Macallan (dear god please tell me I spelled that right) with her stubborn need to stand up for others. These two characters were so perfect for each other and I ADORED their story so much.

The Warrior by Victoria Scott: Oh, Dante. Trust Victoria Scott to give us an ending like this. It was so magnificent, I just...I can't even. I laughed (because Dante's a hoot, as is Max and I mean...fanny packs), I cried (because REASONS), and I freaking loved this book. Whenever anyone asks me which book in this trilogy is my favorite, I'm always floored because I'm not sure. It's a tie between the first one and this one. Because this one is so kickass and such a phenomenal ending. I honestly can't imagine a better ending for Dante Walker and his people. POW!

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine: My favorite New Adult book! I felt so many things while reading this book. At one point, I legit hated it. But then I reached a point (30something percent through, if I'm not mistaken) and I realized how much I loved this book. The characters were so raw and I really enjoyed watching them work through their issues while trying to deal with each other at the same time. It was hard for them, and that made it even more wonderful when they finally found it, you know? Their own new little normal. Goodness, I love this book so hard.

What are your favorite books you've read so far this year? Have you read any of mine? Are there any books that aren't on this list that I NEED to have in my life ASAP?

Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris Release Day!

Rachel Harris' SEVEN DAY FIANCE is finally here! 

You can get it in your hands (well, on your ereader) right now! You don't want to miss this fantastic Contemporary Romance from Rachel Harris. Book 2 in the Love and Game Series, SEVEN DAY FIANCE can be read as a standalone. Check out all of the information regarding this fantastic novel and Rachel Harris below! Then, celebrate Rachel's Book Birthday by entering the giveaway for an ecopy of Book 1, TASTE THE HEAT!

Isn't that cover pretty?? Read on and find out everything you need to know below! 

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Synopsis:

Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.

Rachel Harris Bio:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her atwww.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Links:

Website: www.RachelHarrisWrites.com

Twitter: http:/ /twitter.com/#!/RachelHarrisYA

Facebook: http:/ /www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA

Goodreads Author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5347676.Rachel_Harris

SEVEN DAY FIANCE Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17926005-seven-day-fianc?ac=1

Entangled Website: http:// www.entangledpublishing.com/

And now for the Giveaway! Go enter to win! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

♥Jessica(:

SEVEN DAY FIANCE by Rachel Harris Cover Reveal!

Seven Day Fiancé (Love and Games #2)

by Rachel Harris 

Release Date: 10/14/13

Entangled Bliss

Summary from Goodreads:

Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.

Pre-Order Buy Links:

    

Excerpt:

Angelle stopped beside a folding table boasting boxes of fresh, crispy cracklins and selected a thick piece. Cane watched, mesmerized, as she puckered those gorgeous lips and blew on the sliver. With a flirtatious glint in her eyes, she held it up to his mouth, and he opened.
 

Holy crap.
 

He’d had cracklins before. Fried pork fat was a standard gas station treat, usually shrink-wrapped and stale as shit. But this, fresh from the pot and piping hot, was unbelievable. Cane widened his eyes, and it was possible he even moaned. It was thatgood. And as he swallowed, Angel rewarded him with a rich, throaty laugh.
 

“Ca c’est bon?” she asked, grinning when he grabbed another handful.
 

He touched her nose and popped a piece in his mouth. “Good would be an understatement.”
 

Grinning, she took a fried morsel for herself and sent the balding, overweight gentleman tending the table a wink. “Now that’s what we like to hear.” Then she closed her eyes as she savored the treat.
 

The sounds of Angel moaning, and watching her face soften in the throes of a foodgasm, had to be the sexiest damn thing Cane had ever seen. His pants tightened, embarrassingly so considering he knew the audience was still watching, but what pushed him over the edge was when her eyes opened. The pleasure in them was his undoing.
 

Feeling the weight of the crowd’s disapproving stares and not giving a damn, figuring now was as good a time as any to give the people the show they clearly wanted, he grasped her hip and tugged her forward, pausing only to inhale her gasp of surprise before brushing her mouth with his.
 

It was like setting off a damn forest fire.
 

Angelle, his shocking little hellcat, pounced. Forgetting all about their audience, or maybe not giving a damn either, she wound her arms around his neck, lifted onto her toes, and kissed him back with everything she had. Cane had intended to steal a quick taste, take the edge off his craving for her, and prove their point with the town’s people. But hell if he was gonna be the one to back down now. Tightening his grasp on her slim hips, he brushed his thumbs across the smooth, exposed skin near her waistband. He deepened the kiss, thrilling over her telltale shiver. Whimpering, she yanked on the hair at his nape and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. Hot damn.
 

Okay, now he had to start backing down. With all her male relatives watching, not to mention the knives and axes still lying around from the butchering earlier, if Cane valued his life, he needed to wrangle control of the situation. He’d heard patience was a virtue. That was a line of bull—he’d always sucked at waiting for anything he wanted. But for Angel, he was willing to try.

Loosening his grip on her belt loops, Cane slowed the intensity of the kiss. He smoothed the hem of her shirt down, grazed her lips one last time, and, placing his forehead against hers, inhaled through his nose. Sunflowers mixed with cayenne may be his new favorite scent. Angelle released a heavy breath, a flush blooming on her cheeks. She darted a glance at the crowd, then looking into his eyes, grinned lazily. “My goodness. If anyone doubted we were a couple before, I guess that showed them.”

About the Author

I grew up in New Orleans, where I watched soap operas with my grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading my mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, I still stay up way too late reading my favorite romances, only now, I can do so openly. I firmly believe life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations. 

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, I homeschool my two beautiful girls and watch reality television with my amazing husband.

I write YA, NA, and Adult Fun & Flirty Escapes. Taste The Heat is my adult romance debut, and I'm also the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, as well as a ton of other books to come. I love hearing from readers and dishing books!

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized:

♥Jessica(:

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris Release Day!

 

 

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris

 

Release Date: August 6, 2013 (TODAY!)

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Series: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #2

 

Description from Goodreads:

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

 

Teasers

 

 

 

Oh, Austin... Hehehe

 

Excerpt

 

Without stopping or even slowing his stride, he grabs a map from a vendor and flips it open. “So Lethal Xperience is at the back of the park. We’ll hit that first and then make our way up to the front.”

 

He seems unaware that the length of his legs far exceeds my own. As I frantically attempt to match his stride, I must pant or wheeze because he finally looks down at me, no doubt pink-faced and wide-eyed both from the sensory overload surrounding us and my huffing at a near jog to stay beside him. He grins. “Try to keep up, Short Stuff.”

 

I grit my teeth with determination and somehow keep myself from muttering, Yes, Master. But the thought still makes me smile. Cat must be rubbing off.

 

We pass a circular ride filled with fake horses going up and down. Giggling and drooling children clap their adorable hands from their belted saddles while a spirited tune blares overhead. Just past that is a miniature roller coaster made to look like a giant, happy centipede. The child in the front seat waves to his mother as the cart dips, and his squeal of joy tails behind him. It’s too bad that not all roller coasters can be five feet tall.

 

Then I get a wicked idea.

 

Austin believes I am a child, naive and boring, and, it would seem, without any humor. This second challenge is supposed to be about fun, and nothing—not even the lead role in a prestigious play with a crowd of a thousand—will give me more joy than turning the tables on him, even if only for a moment.

 

Looking back at the children’s ride, I grab Austin’s elbow and say innocently, “Is this not the roller coaster you are looking for?”

 

He stops rather abruptly and peers at me through squinted eyes. “You know, it’s like you look normal…” He trails off and shakes his head. He points a long tan finger at the centipede ride and in a tone dripping with condescension explains, “Less, Arthropod Picnic is a kiddie ride. It’s made for pint-size ankle-biters ages three and under.”

 

I try my best to look disappointed. I do everything I can to contain my mounting delight. But after no more than a few brief moments, I let forth a victorious giggle.

 

Realization dawns on his face. “You think you’re funny, huh?”

 

When I nod, he chuckles. He leans back on his heels and lets his gaze travel over my body. Humor dissipates as my skin prickles to life. On Austin’s slow ascent back up, he pauses to look me in the eye and an emotion crosses his face. It’s so fleeting—gone and there in an instant—that I cannot catch it.

 

“So, you think you’re ready to play at the big girl table now.” The left side of his mouth kicks up in a grin. “We’ll just have to see about that.”

 

The apparent taunt and Austin’s added wink spur me on.

 

This is my chance to prove to him that I’m not the timid girl I once was. To prove to myself that I’m no longer the child of my youth but a woman ready for the future.

 

I sashay toward a person dressed as a shiny nugget of gold posing for pictures with children, feeling Austin watching me, his gaze on my every step like a physical touch. My legs feel wobbly under my skirt, but an energizing spark ignites in my blood. I glance over my shoulder, confirming I have his complete attention, and then with an outward shrug (and an inner dance), I reply with every ounce of confidence I can muster, “Yes. We will.”

 

Austin’s smile widens. The sounds and patrons of the park fade away, and it is as if we are the only two around. I don’t know what is happening…I scarcely even recognize myself in this moment. Being with Austin does that. It turns me into someone else.

 

And I like who I become.

 

I watch his slow saunter, my body poised with tension. I don’t know what is going to happen next, but I wouldn’t trade the delicious expectation for anything. Austin doesn’t stop until he is right in front of me, close enough that I have to look up to meet his demanding blue gaze, and so close that warmth fans across my face as he says in a low voice, “Careful, girl. You’re playing with fire.”

 

“I’ve been careful my whole life,” I tell him, surprising myself with the resentment ringing in my tone. But it’s the truth. “And you know, I think it’s about time for me to be a little…” I bite the corner of my bottom lip, searching for exactly the right word to describe the emotions and thoughts that have surfaced the last few days. When I find it, I smile and wiggle my eyebrows suggestively “Wild.”

 

Austin sucks in a breath. He searches my eyes and I boldly stare back, praying that he cannot see my knees shaking. Then, obviously concluding that I meant every word, he flashes his devilish grin. “I can work with that.”

About the Author

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her at www.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

 

More places to find Rachel:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 

 

 

Giveaway!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

♥Jessica(:

Sizzling Summer Giveaway! ♥ Excerpt from Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris!

 

For this SUPER huge, SUPER awesome giveaway, I get to be an incredibly lucky duck and host not only one of my favorite people, but one of my favorite authors:

 

Rachel Harris!

 

She wrote this fantabulous book that I'm sure I've told you about called Taste the Heat. It is...yeah. I heart it. A LOT.

 

Check it out real quick!

Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris



Release Date: July 8, 2013

Publisher: Entangled: Bliss

Series: Love and Games #1

 

My review on Goodreads.

 

Description from Goodreads:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

 

And now I have a super awesome excerpt to share from Taste the Heat! Eeep!

 

Excerpt:

Colby inhaled deeply, trying to get a hint of what Jason cooked. Not picking anything up, she asked, “What’s for dinner?”

A muscle clenching and unclenching in his jaw was her only clue—and not much of one—before he said, “That’s a surprise.”

Curious, she let him pull her farther inside. But instead of heading toward the dining room as she’d expected, or even toward the more intimate kitchen table, he led her into the living room. He gently backed her against the leather sofa. “Take a seat.”

Okay. No need for concern here, she told herself, sinking into the soft cushions. Just because she absolutely hated surprises, didn’t trust them, and hadn’t had a good one since her life fell apart twelve years ago, she didn’t need to go mental. This was a date, and dates were supposed to be fun. Spontaneous. She could go with the flow.

Besides, it was possible he wanted to talk before they ate. Or watch a movie, breaking out the TV trays like they did when they were kids. She could handle that. It wasn’t romantic, but she didn’t need romance. She and Jason were just two old friends hanging out, throwing in some much needed benefits, and getting their freak on.

Do people still even say that?

Colby shook her head, her inner-monologue only confirming how long it had been for her. And how badly she needed this. She put on her sexiest smile and glanced up at him, feeling it freeze on her face when she glimpsed the object in his hands.

A black silk blindfold.

Now that was the type of surprise she could get behind.

“And the night takes a turn for the intriguing.” She bit her lower lip as Jason started rubbing the soft material between his long, work-roughened fingers. She cleared her throat and asked, “But shouldn’t we eat first? You know, shore up our strength?”

Jason chuckled. “This is for eating.” At her nose crinkle of confusion, he sank to his knees in front of her. “I’m going to feed you blindfolded.”

Oh my.

She didn’t know what she had expected from tonight, but this certainly wasn’t it. Not that she was complaining. She knew very well how sensual food could be. And how turning off one sense heightened all the others. Colby swallowed hard as Jason leaned forward, gently stretching the elastic band of the blindfold.

“Do you mind?” His voice was a husky whisper at her ear. All she could manage was a small shake of her head. Already her pulse was taking flight and heat was pooling in her belly.

What will it be like later? Was it possible to self-combust from anticipation alone?

He chuckled lightly under his breath, most likely hearing the pant of her breath. She’d be embarrassed if she weren’t so damn excited. As he secured the band around her head, the spicy scent of his aftershave flooded her senses, making everything electric. Goose bumps skittered down her spine as his palm smoothed the back of her hair. Just before tugging the silky material over her eyes, Jason looked into them and said, “Bon appétit, Chef.”

A pop of a joint and the rustle of fabric told Colby that he was moving. The pad of his footsteps on the carpet grew faint, letting her know he was walking away, probably into the kitchen to get their dinner. She still couldn’t pick up any scents, but then, the thrum of expectation coursing through her body made it hard to concentrate. Soon those same soft footsteps returned, growing louder as Jason neared. “I hope you don’t mind, but I outsourced dinner. This is a three-course tasting.”

She stopped herself from saying that all she wanted to taste at that moment was him. The admission seemed a bit over the top—even if it was the truth. Instead, she said, “Can’t wait to see what you brought me.”

The sounds of preparations stilled and then the warmth of Jason’s hands pressed on her thighs. “Colby, before we start, I just want you to know that I care about you. And all I ask is that you trust me.”

 “I do trust you.” Right now, in this moment, she couldn’t think of anyone she trusted more.

He squeezed the sides of her legs and moved away, taking the heat of his skin along with him. A clink of glass meeting glass then, “Open your mouth and suck.”

Colby barked a laugh. The teasing tone of his voice told her he knew exactly how that had sounded. “So that’s how you’re gonna play it, huh?”

           

            His seductive whisper came at her ear. “Gotta keep you on your toes.”

 

About the Author: 

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, and she has SEVEN contracted books, YA, NA, and Adult, publishing in the next twelve months.

 

She loves hearing from readers and can be found on Twitter (where she lives), her Facebook page, or at her Website.

 

Giveaway!

There is a super cool and humungous giveaway going on right now. The prizes?

 

- 1 Kindle fire HD with NA/Adult e-book prize pack

 

AND

 

- 1 Kindle Fire with YA e-book prize pack

 

Um, yeah. YOU can win one of those! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

♥Jessica(:

My First Crush(es)!

This is another post in honor of Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris! So before I get into my story, I shall give you the book details:

Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris
Release Date: July 8, 2013
Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

Okay, so. Taste the Heat. HOW does my first crush have ANYTHING to do with this marvelous book?

Well, funny you'd ask. You see, the two main characters, Colby and Jason? They've known each other since they were kids. And, HELLO FIRST CRUSH. Colby was all over it. Jason sounds hot, though, so I completely understand.

Now, on to MY story. When I first saw that this was going to be a thing (posts about our first crushes), I thought I was going to have to bring up a story I wrote this year in creative writing class. Which would have totally sucked because that story is SO embarrassing. But that story was about me when I was, like, twelve, and my first crush happened way before that.

Or, well. I'm actually going to talk about my second crush. Because I know for a fact my first crush happened when I was four with a guy named Jesse, but I was FOUR, therefore have no story to tell because I don't remember much. He was, like, my next door neighbor's boyfriend and he was over all the time and he would kiss me on my forehead as I walked by and I swooned my four-year-old face off.

But then my second crush...I was in first grade. His name was Chris and he was sooooo nice. Well, for a six-year-old boy, that is. And six-year-old boys aren't always nice to six-year-old girls because of cooties and all that important stuff. But he was nice and we were friends and we were assigned seats next to each other on the rug in our first grade classroom.

He was my first boyfriend. We held hands, I wore dresses to look pretty for him, and we picked each other whenever we needed partners for things. It was so sweet and completely innocent. And we felt so cool for being boyfriend and girlfriend--at that age, all you ever want to do is be older and like the big kids, and by being in a "relationship" we totally were.

We were like that for a few days, MAYBE a week. And then...well, I'm pretty sure we both just forgot about it.

Seriously. We went home for the weekend, came back to school, and were normal six-year-olds again.

Which is actually incredibly funny now, because that's NOT really how those kinds of things work...ha! But we were in first grade. Short attention spans and all that.

Where is he now? In high school, like me. We don't go to the same school anymore, though, since I moved to Texas. We WERE in the same school until eight grade, and I'm pretty sure I still have him on Facebook. We were friends (along with everyone else in our small school district) from first grade until eighth. And then I moved away and...yeah.

That is all.

I kind of wish I'd gone with the Jesse story right now. That would have been cute. But I have no idea where he is now. Or what his last name is. Or how old he is. Or anything. All I remember about that one was having a crush and one specific time when I was sitting on our front porch painting my nails (terribly. I sucked at painting my nails back then) and he walked around me to get inside and stopped to kiss my forehead. And BAM! Total swoon.

That's all I've got with that, though.

So, yeah! That's my first swoon.

I wanted to show y'all this video Kiera Cass made that has nothing to do with Taste the Heat, but IS about her first swoon. I think this story is soooooo incredibly funny and cute and you should watch it!

 

And...yeah, that's all I had to say. Yay for crushes!!

 

♥Jessica(:

Taste the Heat!

Hello, lovely people. SO. Yesterday (or maybe today, depending on when I post this...), this super awesome book came out by Rachel Harris called Taste the Heat! Check it out real quick before I go on:

Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris
Release Date: July 8, 2013
Publisher: Entangled: Bliss
Buy It: Amazon | B&N

Description from Goodreads:
One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef, One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

I already read Taste the Heat and I loved it. Legit--LOVED. And I wanted to let you know that. Because it was seriously fantastic. (I DID review it for Bookish, but it's not posted yet, but here's a link to my Goodreads review if you want to check it out!) And then Rachel Harris, being the brilliant person she is, mentioned that writing about cooking with our families might be something fun to read about, since it has to do with Taste the Heat.

At first I was like, "Pfft, I don't cook. Darn."

But now I'm like, "WAIT."

First of all, I am the pickiest eater of all time. I always read about people randomly having food together and I always think how HOLY CRAP I'd never eat that. I am NOT the kind of person who you can just give food to and tell me to try it. I wish I was, but I'm just not.

Seriously. I don't even like PANCAKES, y'all.

I do like waffles, though.

So...cooking isn't really my thing. If it were to be, it would be incredibly limited by what I like. And that's really no fun. BUT, I do like baking.

Okay, let's get the laughter out of the way now: Jessica Baker likes to bake, hehehe hahaha.

I don't bake often. I am incredibly lazy and we don't exactly have ingredients to make kickass cookies lying around all the time (sadly). But then there is Christmas, and I must say--if there ever was a time for cookies, CHRISTMAS would be it.

--HOLD UP--

How does this tie in with Taste the Heat? The main girl, Colby, is a chef. Her family owns a restaurant. Cooking is/was a family thing growing up for her. And then the guy, Jason, has a daughter named Emma. They cook together and it's important. FOOD and COOKING are two things that very much bring people together in this book.

--OKAY, BACK TO WHAT I WAS SAYING--

Christmas cookies. I remember when I was in, like, second grade. We were making these cookies around Christmas time and it was getting late. My brothers had gone to bed and I was waaaaaaay too excited about the cookie thing to follow their lead. So my mom let me stay up while the cookies did their cooking thing in the oven. And when they were cooling down on the counter. And then she and I put the pretty pink and green and blue icing on the tops of them.

^That. That right there? It probably seems like nothing, and I honestly don't remember a bunch of details from that night (because it was, like, nine years ago), but it was really nice. It's something I think back on whenever families cooking together come up. It's also what I think about happily every Christmas season when we bake those FANTASTIC cookies.

And that is my story! Sadly, it's all I have since I don't really cook. Unless you want stories about my brother and I buttering biscuits on Thanksgiving, which actually wouldn't be a bad idea...my brother is a goofball. But NOPE.

That is my story. WOOT!

♥Jessica(: