Chance Encounters Scarlett Hopper Book Release

Title: Chance Encounters

Series: The Encounters Series

Author: Scarlett Hopper

Genre: NA College Romance

Release: August 7, 2018

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38309786-chance-encounters

Blurb:

What are the chances your first love will be your last?

Winona Clark hasn't been the same for years. After numerous attempts to start fresh abroad, one phone call brings her back home to some harsh truths and distant, but never forgotten, faces. Yet, there is one face she never expected to see again—the face of the boy who stole her heart all those years ago. Finally ready to deal with her past, Winona attempts to confront her trauma and embrace the love she feels she deserves. With love comes secrets though, and when you open the door to the past, you never know what will come out, including everything you wish had stayed inside.

Nick Wilder can't outrun his demons. Tormented by what he has lost and the things he has done, Nick does whatever it takes to extinguish the images of the girl who stole his soul all those years ago. On the outside, he's a broody bartender, but on the inside, he is holding on by a thread. When the one person he never expected to see again appears in his living room, Nick's world is thrown. Determined not to be affected by the woman who knows him best, Nick does all he can to avoid the ghost of his past. But could the one woman he so desperately wants to avoid, be the one to save him?

Buy Links:

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2mkpw4E

Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2NjJOqj

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2zKSkwM

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2Nf8kc4

Giveaway:

Direct Link:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/81aa78941869

In the Series

Brief Encounters (The Encounters Series #1)

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2oQVuq8

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2oRvhrp

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2Fl9N0v

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2H8niOm

Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2D2fScH

Author Bio

Scarlett Hopper was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to Los Angeles when she was 10 years old. Her passion for writing came about at a young age when her sister would read her the works of Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath. Three years ago, Scarlett re-located back to Sydney where she studies creative writing and communications. When she isn't writing or reading, she spends her time traveling and searching for the best record stores, while eating at 24 hour diners. After her graduation, Scarlett hopes to move back to the US and begin a new adventure in Seattle.

Social Media Links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_s.hopper/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.s.hopper/

Website: https://authorscarletthopper.wixsite.com/author

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16952718.Scarlett_Hopper

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/timtamscarlett/

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

Publication date April 2, 2019

Annika Rose is an awkward English major at the University of Illinois. She has anxiety in every social situation--she doesn't know how to respond or how to act. She over analyzes every interaction with others. Her over analysis comes in handy every Sunday night when she casually plays chess with the members of the chess club. This is the only time she enjoys the company of others--she prefers her solitary life.

Jonathan Hoffman is trying to finish out his last year of college at U of I since he had to transfer there from Northwestern. Jonathan has always enjoys a good game of chess. The first time he ever loses is the same day he loses his heart to the quiet awkward girl.  He slowly uncovers what makes Annika tick one piece at a time. She is brutally honest --almost to a fault. But he loves that she doesn't play games and tells it like it is. She pushes and challenges him like no one has before.

Jonathan was offered a job in New York and Annika remains in Chicago to finish her degree and recovery. Though the two made plans to be together after her graduation...they grew apart by tragedy. Annika realized that she needed to learn to take care of herself without her best friend and roommate or without Jonathan. But that didn't stop the anxiety or her "weird quirks" as her co-workers call it. Later, Annika finds out exactly why she is the way she is. Her therapist helps her cope and deal with her inner turmoils and encourages her to step outside of her comfort zone. That's what lead Annika to give Jonathan her phone number when she ran into him at the grocery store ten years later.

What started out as a "let's catch up" lead to a new relationship. But Jonathan is fresh off of a divorce and is attempting to re-establish himself at the Chicago office of the financial brokerage company he works for. How can he have a relationship with Annika and have a flourishing career where his is required to take a plus one to assist him with networking? Annika can barely talk to him let alone socialize with strangers! But after a new diagnosis from a neuropsychologist and her therapist--Annika has new skills that she didn't have before.
Annika is further pushed beyond anyone's comfort with a new tragedy that changed not only her life but the lives of an entire nation on September 11th. Her boyfriend, brother, and best friend's husband were all at work in the financial district in New York. One of them were in the South Tower of the World Trade Center when a commercial flight hit the building. Annika is determined to get to her loved one--no matter her own personal fears including her fear of driving. 

Chance Encounters Scarlett Hopper Book Review

Book 2 of the Encounters Series--

I will definitely buy the first book in this series and the remainder of the Encounters Series. 

Winona Clark has been traveling the world for the past four years with James a fellow traveler. She hasn't heard from her best friend since she was 16--Eleanor called Winona back home. Eleanor left Winona heartbroken, but she was able to put herself back together with the help of her first love Nick. Nick like Eleanor left Winona, but Nick shattered Winona's heart. Everywhere she went reminded her of Nick and their love, thus she left for a country wide road trip where she met James. The two of them traveled around the world together for four years. Winona's love of photography continued even after she came back for Eleanor and her cousin Vivian. A few days after Winona returns Eleanor and Vivian invite Winona and James to a party at Eleanor and Vivian's boyfriends' house (the boyfriends have five roommates). 

Nick Wilder has been taking care of his little brother Max and his father since his mother passed away shortly after Nick turned 18. Nick's father talked Nick into spending a year with his aunt before going to college. Nick wouldn't never imagined that he would find the love of his life there or that he would have to leave her in order to take care of his little brother due to his father's heavy drinking. Nick's father didn't drink before his mother's death. His father is beside himself with grief and depression after his beloved wife dies. Nick certainly never imagined that the one woman who has haunted him and still holds his heart would be standing in his living room with his roommates' girlfriends. Or that she would slap him. 

Winona hates that Nick is in the circle of friends with Eleanor and Viv. If she wants to spend time with her oldest and closest friends she has to figure out a way to tolerate the man she loathes, loves, hates--ugh..she is so confused about what she feels for Nick. The more time goes by...the more she remembers and sees her Nick under his tough exterior. The more she is falling for him ...again. But she holds a secret that may obliterate the new relationship they are building together. She is scared to tell him even after he reveals that someone she loves has hidden truths from her about their previous relationship. 

Can the two of them rebuild their love or will their secrets and past further destroy them?

A Thousand Letters Staci Hart

A Thousand Letters  is one of my re-read novels. I realized a week or so ago that I haven't left reviews for the novels that I actually bought! I felt that is a HUGE disservice to the authors. In between my ARC reviews I'm going back to re-read the novels that I've bought. I'm starting my my re-read list. Perhaps in another post I'll give my entire re-read listing. It is a bit long. But my all time favs!! I continue to go back to them over and over. 

Staci Hart is slowly becoming one of my favorite contemporary romance authors--I own two of her novels with two more in my wish list on Amazon. This novel sealed the deal for me. I will automatically add a Staci Hart novel after reading this novel. Ok, onto the actual review of this fabulous novel. Like I said this is one of my all time favs. 

Elliot has been in love with her best friend Sofie's older brother Wade since high school. They were high school sweethearts. Sofie and Wade's family was Elliot's salvation from her own self serving father and sisters. Elliot has always been a people pleaser and peacemaker--some might say a bit of a wallflower. She blends into the background and sacrifices for those that she loves. She had to make the hardest sacrifice her senior year of high school. Wade had enlisted in the Army. Their plan was that he would go to BASIC training and get situated in his first duty station and come back for her after her high school graduation. They would get married and run off into the military sunset together. 

Wade was scared. He thought that Elliot would forget him or worse that Wade would be killed while deployed in Iraq. He wanted to ensure that Elliot would always be taken care of. He asked Elliot to come with him--now instead of waiting until her graduation. Elliot's father and Wade made Elliot decide between her family and her heart. 

Seven years later, Wade has returned. His father had a stroke and was has cancer. He only has weeks to live. Wade comes home to take care of his younger siblings, Sofia and Sadie. Sadie is a senior in high school. Rick, Wade's father is Elliot's mentor. He encouraged Elliot to get her literature degree and to write. Only Elliot is a nanny for her older sister and doesn't publish any of her poetry. When Wade sees Elliot all of his buried feelings surface--anger, love, empathy--all he can think about is holding her again. His pride gets in the way. He's still hurt. Sofie and Sadie need him so he will need to find a way to be around Elliot. Even when Elliot reads his father poetry and soothes his younger sister. The more he's around her the more the ice is melting around his heart. The more he understands why she made the decision she did. 

But can Elliot finally get completely through to Wade or will he continue to hurt her? Will Elliot finally be able to stand up for herself or allow her family to railroad her?  

Author Website: https://www.stacihartnovels.com/a-thousand-letters/

Better Together Crista McHugh

Better Together:

One Fond Embrace--Book 1

Crista McHugh

Alex Kahale lost his father and brother within the last year. Now he runs the family cattle ranch on Kauai. If Alex wants to continue to expand the ranch, he will need some help from his estranged wife, country singer Shelby Morris or as he knows her Britney Moore. Who knew that their wild week in Vegas could be benefical for both of them or that the chemistry between them is still alive. Alex needs to convince the Idaho rancher to sell some of the Wagyu heifers and a bull or semen to stimulate his cattle production. The old Idaho rancher wants a family man which means Alex needs to bring Britney to the island. Hopefully he can convince the rancher and Britney that he and the ranch are just what is needed. 

Britney has been sending divorce papers to Alex for the last seven months. She needs to maintain this sweet girl next door persona for her fans especially after her win on Nashville Idol. Britney or Shelby is recording her new album and she only has one more song to record before it's finished. She can't let the media find out about her marriage to Alex. The girl next door would never have a week long fling and marry a guy--even if she still dreams about that week. God, if they find out her real name --that would be even worse since her mother is in prison. Britney has too much at stake. When Alex offers her two weeks in Hawaii on his ranch in return for signing the divorce papers--she jumps at the chance. But things don't go according to plan. Seeing Alex again reminds her of why she fell in love with him in Vegas especially when he arranges a recording session for her and takes her horseback riding. If she falls for him again will he leave like all the other men in her life? How could they make a marriage work if he can't leave the island?

Due for release on August 20, 2018

Christa McHugh website:

http://www.cristamchugh.com/wordpress/

The Lucky Dress Aimee Brown

The Lucky Dress

Aimee Brown

his novel reminds me of a Sofia Kinella or Marian Keyes with the various hilious antics that arise from Emi. Emi ran away from Oregan after her fiance Jack had his half nake receptionist on his lap. Emi also had a mean girl moment with Greta--her former boss's daughter. Greta wasted no time when she found out that Emi broke up with Jack. Now Emi has to return to Oregan for her twin brother Evan's wedding to Hannah--Jack's younger sister. To make matters worse for Emi, she is in the wedding party with Jack. During a dinner at her brother's house, Emi finds out that Jack is dating, not not dating just anyone--her arch-nemisis Greta. Greta has always gotten what she wanted. Greta set her sights on Jack and she is going to do everything she can to ensure that she gets him even if Jack's heart belongs to another. The more the wedding party spends together the more hurt Jack is for what happened between himself and Emi. He can't forgive himself for what happened--how can he expect Emi to forgive him and take him back. Emi ran away over a thousand miles away to forget him. 
The big wedding day holds numerous surprises for the entire wedding party from an unexpected dye job to an orange spray tan to past secrets being revealed. Brown had me laughing and crying for Emi. This novel will be added to my repeat reading list!