Raising the Stakes by Karen Rock + $100 and Book Giveaway!!

Raising the Stakes

by Karen Rock

Genre: Adult

Age category: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 1 April, 2015

Blurb:
Hiding from the world…

Tucking herself away in the Adirondack woods was supposed to keep Vivienne Harris safe. From dark memories of the Bronx, from danger, from entanglements. But when an orphaned bear cub raids her pantry and conservation officer Liam Walsh appears with news of poachers nearby, her private, peaceful world is turned upside down!

Suddenly two forces are drawing her out—Button, the cub who needs her help, and Liam, the man who's dead set against her rehabilitating the bear. If she can just win Liam's support, Vivie knows she can give Button a good life. And maybe find the courage to embrace a future with Liam…

You can find Raising the Stakes on Goodreads

* Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Harlequin *

This post contains some of my favorite things.  Harlequin Heartwarming + Clean Romance + Karen Rock.  It all equals a happy me.  :)

I don't think this was my very favorite book that Karen Rock has written, but it was still really good.  I loved the setting and I could easily picture where the characters were and what they were doing.  The characters were well developed and easy to like.

Both Vivie and Liam have inner demons that they struggle with.  Vivie especially.  Her isolated home is meant to seclude and protect her.  She keeps to herself mostly and doesn't venture too far out of her safe circle of life.

Then a cute little bear cub shows up and it needs her.  Vivie is forced to face some demons and expand her life outward.  I love her growth and her strength.  I love how Vivie fights for what she thinks is right.  She fights for the underdog.  

This is a slow growing romance, more focused on Vivie and her bear cub than romance, but it was so sweet and endearing.  I enjoyed the story and I ended the book satisfied.

About the Author:
Karen Rock is an award-winning YA and adult contemporary romance author. She holds a master’s degree in English and worked as an ELA instructor before becoming a full-time writer. Currently she writes for Harlequin Heartwarming and her first novel for the line, WISH ME TOMORROW, has won the 2014 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2014 Golden Quill Contest and a finalist in the Published Maggie Awards. The first novel in her co-authored YA series, CAMP BOYFRIEND, has been a finalist in the Booksellers Best and Golden Leaf awards.

You can find and contact Karen here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Tumblr
- Quarterly Newsletter
- Amazon Author Page

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Raising the Stakes. These are the prizes you can win:
- a 100$ Amazon gift card (INT)
- a set of signed paperbacks of Wish Me Tomorrow, His Hometown Girl, Someone Like You and A League of Her Own (US only)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is my stop during the blog tour for Raising the Stakes by Karen Rock. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 1 till 7 April, you can view the complete tour schedule on the website of Lola’s Blog Tours.