07 April 2016

The Natural History of Us: Review, Excerpt and Exclusive Recipe!!

TNHoU - blog tour banner
Rachel Harris' THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US is already getting swoons from readers everywhere! We can’t wait for you to get your hands on it. Known for her sweet romances, Rachel's THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US, is no different! Check out everything we have for you on this amazing title and then go grab your copy today. Justin and Peyton’s story is sure to put a smile on your face and keep you turning pages long into the night!
   
About THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US:
The Natural History of Us - coverOne class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who's forever owned his heart.
Justin Carter has a secret. He's not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy...and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she'd ever forgive him.
Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she's done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she'll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first.
For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate's given him a shot at redemption, he's determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton...well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.

My Thoughts:

TNHoU - Tour Teaser 3I'm a sucker for second-chance-at-love stories, and this one doesn't disappoint.

Justin and Peyton used to be in love, once upon a time back in freshman year. And they still are. But it's a secret. So secret that they haven't even told each other. But now they're partners for a school project, and Justin finally has a chance to make up for his freshman-year mistakes and win Peyton back.

Justin won me over from the very first chapter, and even though I totally understood why Peyton didn't trust him with her heart, I was absolutely cheering for them to reconcile. Which is saying a lot, if you know me. I've never been a fan of "the bad boy" as a love interest (give me the nice guy any day!) so I'll admit that I wasn't 100% certain I'd be able to love this match-up. But Rachel Harris is a master of character development, and it was obvious right from the start that Justin wasn't really the player everyone at Fairfield Academy thought he was. But his secret nice guy status was obvious in a way that didn't have me rolling my eyes or feeling like he was a cliche. And I could honestly cheer for this not-a-bad-boy-at-all to win back his true love.

At the same time, I wanted to be best friends with Peyton. I could totally relate to her side of the story too, and I absolutely understood why she wouldn't want to trust Justin's intentions after all this time. As much as I wanted them to get together again, I never felt like the conflict was drawn out artificially.

I loved the first book in this series (THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING), and I swooned over THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US. I just wish I could fast forward through time, because I don't want to wait to read more about the kids from Fairfield Academy!

Order THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US Today!


    Trust me. You want this book! Here's an excerpt to prove it:

Dropping my arm, Aly slides over to the goods. “Justin put me in charge of all things snackage this weekend since it’s my thing, and I want you both to give me your honest opinion.” She selects two giant squares and sets them each on a napkin. “Tell me if they’re too bold or too much.”

“I feel like those two words will never apply to chocolate anything,” I confess and accept the gift of fudgy goodness.

The brownie is moist, that’s obvious just from looking at it, and when I lift it to my mouth my fingers sink into the soft texture. My taste buds prep themselves for a happy dance. Then the rich scent of cocoa hits my senses and I close my eyes in bliss.

“Holy crap!”

A surprising burst of orange hits my tongue and I moan, taking another bite, hoping my sprung-open eyes tell Aly everything she needs to know, because I refuse to stop eating for something as silly as words. Seriously. Roll out a sleeping bag, call it a day, I’m good to go camping in the kitchen.

“You like it?”

I exaggerate a head nod, and Aly bounces on her sneakers. “Really? See, normally, I’m a brownie purist. Cookies, cupcakes, tarts; I go wild with those, but brownies are my religion. But the other day I saw a recipe on Pinterest and it sparked my imagination.” She raises an eyebrow and says, “That site is addictive… for realz.”

“They’re incredible,” I mumble, mouth filled with orange-flavored chocolate. “What’s in here? How did you get it to taste like this? I swear it looks like a normal brownie.”

Aly leans in with wide eyes. “The secret is orange marmalade. Fun, right?”

I nod my agreement and gather every possible crumb, pressing my fingertip into the moist morsels and licking without shame. I consider tonguing my napkin, too, but decide that may be too weird, so instead I break the edge off Cade’s remaining sliver and smile around my bite. He laughs and hands the whole thing over, blowing me a kiss.

He’s good people. 

Aly watches our exchange with happy yet curious eyes, and I can’t help wondering how much she knows. She and Justin parted as friends, surprising since other than me, I never knew him to have friends who are girls. 

“These are delicious,” Cade tells her, and she smiles in gratitude.

“Thanks. When you have a wicked sweet tooth, you learn how to bake pretty quickly.”

I was beyond honored when Rachel asked me to be Aly's kitchen stunt double - to create not just one, but TWO fabulous brownie recipes for Aly to bake in this chapter of THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US. And they really are as delicious as Peyton describes them. Here is the recipe for the Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies, so you can make them yourself. (It's a perfect treat to serve when your book club reads THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US!)

Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies: Aly's recipe from THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US


You can order a signed and/or personalized copy of THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US now through April 8th HERE! (That's TOMORROW!! Don't miss out!)

TNHoU - Signed Books


And if you haven't read it yet, go grab a copy of Rachel Harris’s

  THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING!

The-Fine-Art-of-Pretending

You don't have to read the first book in order to enjoy THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US, but if you haven't already read THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING, you absolutely should. I loved that one too! I absolutely want to be best friends with Aly, and I'm so glad she was back for THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US! And if you liked the brownie recipe from THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US, check out the Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles recipe I created for THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING! 

Rachel Harris - Author photo About Rachel Harris: New York Times bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books…and kissing. Lots of kissing. An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!    

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TNHoU - Tour Teaser 2

Rachel Harris’s THE NATURAL HISTORY OF US– Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
March 28th
A Leisure Moment – Review
Home.Love.Books. – Review
Swoony Boys Podcast – Review & Excerpt
JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Excerpt
March 29th
A Crave For Books – Review
Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt
Angel Reads – Review
Lovin' Los Libros – Review & Excerpt
I Read Indie – Excerpt
March 30th
Bookish Things & More – Review & Excerpt
Stuck In Books – Review & Excerpt
Reading Adventurously – Review & Excerpt
Typical Distractions – Review & Excerpt
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
March 31st
Dazzled by Books – Review & Excerpt
Kindle and Me – Review & Excerpt
The Cover Contessa – Review & Excerpt
Book Groupies – Excerpt
We All Make Mistakes in Books – Review & Excerpt
The Bibliophile Confessions – Review & Excerpt
Ticket To Anywhere – Review & Excerpt
April 1st
Bookaholics Reading Haven – Review & Excerpt
Books Eater – Review & Excerpt
SprinkleofBooks – Excerpt
Melena's Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Ficwishes – Review & Excerpt
Gaga Over Books – Review & Excerpt
My fictional escape – Review & Excerpt
April 2nd
Caitlin Audet – Excerpt
Andi's ABCs – Review
Defiantly Deviant – Review
Book Briefs – Review
April 3rd
Cheyanne Young – Review & Excerpt
Short and Sassy Book Blurbs – Review & Excerpt
Ashleyz Wonderland – Excerpt
April 4th
Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt
Addicted to Books – Review & Excerpt
Bookish Escapes – Review & Excerpt
Adventures of a Book Junkie – Review & Excerpt
Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
April 5th
Book it – Review & Excerpt
Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt
YA Book Madness – Excerpt
The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt
A Full Bookshelf – Review
April 6th
Books and Boys Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Behind Closed Covers – Review & Excerpt
The Procrastinator's Corner – Review & Excerpt
KatyaRath – Review
The book slayer77 – Review
April 7th
The Lovely Books – Review
thebookdragon – Review & Excerpt
Aira Reads – Review
Reviews from the Heart – Review & Excerpt
Literary Misfit – Review & Excerpt
Love & Life & Learning – Review & Excerpt
April 8th
Alpha Book Club – Excerpt
Three chicks and their books – Review & Excerpt
Reviews By Rah – Review & Excerpt
Library of a Book Witch – Review & Excerpt
The Bookmark Blog – Review & Excerpt
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