Smiling Book Reviews: Blog Tour Giveaway & Review: Seaside Christmas

ABOUT THE BOOK
He can’t stand her. She thinks he’s crazy. Will their feelings stay etched in permanent ink?

Cruz Hunter has always stuck out in his small hometown. Now that he’s covered in tattoos, the residents peg him as even more of an outcast. It seems like the whole world is against his dream of opening a local tattoo parlor.

When he finally finds the perfect place for his new business, Cruz discovers a pastor and his daughter have already bought it. The only thing more irritating than the change in his plan is Talia, a beautiful and feisty argument in a dress. Cruz would like nothing more than to have her out of his life and his mind, but for some reason, she’s the only thing he can think about.

If Cruz and Talia can stop arguing long enough, opposites may do much more than attract.

Seaside Christmas is the fifth standalone novel in the Seaside Hunters collection, a series of sweet contemporary romances centered on the Hunter brothers. Author Stacy Claflin's beautiful seaside town of Kittle Falls will make you want to visit… and stay! If you like chemistry, budding romance, and love in a quaint small town, then you'll fall for the latest tale in the series.

EXCERPT
Cruz double-checked the house number and walked up the sidewalk and to their walkway. A street lamp turned on as he walked underneath. He’d gone over what he was going to say countless times. There weren’t any other buildings in town he could use for his tattoo shop—the city council had made it clear the only place he would be allowed to do business was the outskirts of town—so he needed to be convincing if he wanted to talk them out of the building.
His sense of humor and charm had always gotten him out of trouble growing up, so he needed to tap into that. So many times, all he’d had to do was tell a joke and laugh, and his teachers would just melt and let him get away with whatever trouble he’d created. It didn’t work quite as well now that he had facial hair and tattoos, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.
Cruz walked up the steps to the porch and knocked on the door, avoiding a wreath. It smelled of pine, like it had been freshly made.
Noise sounded from inside, and then the door opened. The blonde chick from the day before—what was her name again?—stood before him, wearing another dress. It was bright yellow with a pattern of tropical flowers. Her hair was pulled back and a floral scent engulfed him—her perfume?
She smiled and stepped back. “Come on in, Cruz.”
And she remembered his name. He forced a smile and nodded a thanks, stepping inside. The house had bare furnishings and almost no decorations, spare a few holiday ones.
Blondie closed the door and then Cruz saw a pile of moving boxes. That’s right. They were new to town. “Nice place.”
“We’re still trying to figure out where everything is. You know how moving is.”
“Not really.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“But I imagine it’s a pain in the—uh, neck. I grew up in one house, and the only time I moved was when I went to college, and all I packed fit on my motorcycle.”
Her gorgeous blue-green eyes widened. “Really?”
“Don’t look so shocked. I went to UCLA. I graduated, even.”
“That’s not what surprised me. It was because you got everything on a motorcycle.”
He shrugged.
“Isn’t UCLA hard to get into? Less than ten percent get in, don’t they?”
Cruz looked away. “I didn’t really pay attention. Just wanted to hang out in LA for a while.”
“What brought you back here?”
“Sure wasn’t the town. My dad had some health problems and I wasn’t really gettin’ along with the guy I was working for, so I just packed up my bike and came back.”
“Is your dad okay?” Talia’s eyes widened. “Do you guys need anything?”
“No, he’s okay now. Takin’ care of himself and everything. My mom and all five of us brothers help out, too.”
“Oh, good. Well, if you do need something, you have our number.”
Cruz nodded and slid off his jacket. Her eyes widened as her gaze went over his heavily tattooed arms. He tried to tell if she was judging him or checking them out. It was hard to tell because her expression didn’t reveal anything. He’d been judged before by religious people, making wild assumptions based on his body art.
Cruz flexed both arms and then held out his jacket. “Someplace I can hang this?”

MY REVIEW
This is a well written book and I enjoyed reading it. I had no problem following the story or the characters even though it is the fifth is a series. As it states, it is written to be a stand alone.

Cruz is a somewhat gritty character (a tattooed, smoking, motorcycle riding kind of guy) and for him to be paired with a pastor's daughter gave the story plenty of room for mishaps as well as an unexpected romance. I like how Cruz is trying to be a better person. He's trying to start his own business and move out of his parents house and he's trying to quit smoking. He also does a good job of trying to control his temper when faced with a nemesis from his past. He tries to talk himself out of falling for the pastor's daughter, Talia, because he doesn't think he's good enough for her. I liked how Talia and her dad (the pastor) show him that he's wrong. I loved the family dynamics and interaction with Cruz' family. Both Talia and Cruz are dealing with the loss of a family member which allows them to be sympathetic to the other's grief. All in all, this is a nice fast Christmas romance read.

*Thanks to eBooksForReview for a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are my own.*

View all my reviews

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Meet the Hunter brothers of Kittle Falls…

The Seaside Hunters novels are a series of contemporary sweet romances. They’re set in the beach town of Kittle Falls, following the Hunter brothers as they make their way back to their hometown and find the loves they couldn’t elsewhere. Each book is a standalone.

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Author Stacy Claflin

I don’t stick to a single genre in my writing, reading, or viewing. My favorite shows include Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, Lost Girl, Vampire Diaries, and Once Upon a Time.

I've been writing and telling stories for as long as I can remember. As a kid, my story telling would get me into trouble because I would try to convince others that my stories were real.

When I'm not busy writing, I like spending time with my family and friends. I also educate my kids from home.

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$25 Blog Tour Giveaway

Enter to win an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/27/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by readinglight.com. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Blog Tour Schedule

December 7th

I Am A Reader – Spotlight

I Love Romance – Review

Katie’s Clean Book Collection – Review

Shelf Full of Books – Review

Wall-to-wall books – Spotlight

A Writer’s Life – Spotlight

December 8th

Getting Your Read On – Review

My Read Journal – Review