Friends become lovers over a whirlwind summer of rockabilly rhythms, twirling skirts, and a mystery that takes them hilariously far out of their element in this humorous and heartwarming romantic comedy!
About All Shook Up:
Title: All Shook Up
Author: Chelsey Krause
Publisher: Tryst Books
Release Date: August 17, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781988387048
Natalie’s world is shaken to its core when she discovers an old photo of a woman who looks like her. Could this woman be related to her birth mother, who put Natalie up for adoption as a baby? When she tracks down the person who dumped the photo album at her thrift shop, she’s shaken again. Especially when the gorgeous fire-fighting guitarist offers to help her find the owner. They quickly become friends – which is all they’ll be, as far as Natalie’s concerned. Her rebellious youth turned her off cheating men, and the new Natalie is looking for true love and a family of her own – something Casey isn’t willing to provide. But how long can Natalie ignore her undeniable attraction to the man with the Irish accent and the broken-down ’57 Chevy?
In Chelsey Krause’s second novel, friends become lovers over a whirlwind summer of rockabilly rhythms, twirling skirts, and a mystery that takes them hilariously far out of their element.
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Excerpt:
A breeze picks up and a chill settles around me. I pull my knees to my chest and pull the blanket tighter. Casey looks at me from the corner of his eye, and after a beat, he lifts up his arm.
“Come here.”
I hesitate for a moment, noticing that my pulse has quickened.
“I know you’re cold,” he says. “You have goosebumps.”
“Umm, yes,” I say, feeling like my tongue is slow and awkward, stumbling over my words. My body feels jittery and cold, as if all the blood has rushed to my heart, and my flesh prickles with an intoxicating mixture of excitement and nervousness. There’s no way I’m admitting that these goosebumps are from being around him.
He tilts his head to the side, inviting me in once more. A shiver passes through me. Probably half from the cold, half from adrenaline. I’m not sure if this is a good idea, but I’m freezing my ass off. I slide over and let him wrap his arm around my body. He pulls the blanket up higher with his free hand and tucks it around us.
“There. Snug as a bug in a rug,” he says.
Casey’s body is incredibly warm. Solid. Reassuring. I catch myself thinking that I wouldn’t mind staying right here for the rest of the night.
“So, did you sleep with her?” I ask casually after my raging hormones have calmed down a little.
“With who?” he asks, sounding genuinely confused.
“Ginormous boobs.”
He laughs. “No, I didn’t. I just walked her back to her trailer and said good night.”
“No good-night kiss?”
“No. She smelled like cigarettes. Yuck.”
It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest and I can breathe again. The cool night breeze picks up and I shiver. Casey tightens his hold of me.
“Wish I’d brought another blanket,” he mutters.
“I’m glad you didn’t,” I say without thinking.
“Why?” he guffaws.
My heart throbs a quick, panicked pulse. Crap! He can’t know how I feel about him! How can I fix this?
“Oh you know,” I say, my voice sounding high and tinny. “You, uh, wouldn’t want to over pack.”
He grunts, sounding amused. “Okay then…”
My Review:
The cover and excerpt of Shook Me Up drew me in. I liked the retro feel and the story doesn’t disappoint.
Told in first person, this is the story of an adopted woman’s search for her biological parents and the adventures she has along the way.
Sweet and humorous, the author has a great grasp of characterizations. I loved the insights given by the main character, Natalie. And Casey, the new man in her life, is just swoon-worthy!
The bonus for me was a setting of Edmonton, Alberta, close to my hometown, so it was a trip home for me too 🙂
I give All Shook Up 5 lovely kisses and will be looking at this author for more reading pleasure!
I was gifted a NetGalley copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
About Chelsey Krause:
Chelsey Krause has a thing for thrift stores and used bookshops. A nurse, wife, Starbucks addict, and mom to two children, she can often be found repurposing other people’s junk or considering whether the library would let her move in. The rest of the time, she’s reviewing for Chicklit Club or writing. All Shook Up is her second novel.
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Fellow Canadian, Chelsey Krause, dropped by the blog for a quick chat today. Thanks for joining us, Chelsey!
Do you have any personal heroes/heroines?
My personal heroines are Dr. Brene Brown and author Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve listened to their TED Talks and podcasts dozens of times.
Have you had any unusual or noteworthy occupations?
HAHA! What a fun question. One of my first jobs was working at Blockbuster video. We had to do inventory every few months, and there were a LOT of barcodes to scan. I was really efficient at doing inventory, so guess who got put onto EVERY inventory shift? Moi. Inventory would start when the store closed at midnight, and carry on until whenever we finished. Sometimes, we didn’t get out of there until 5 AM.
It wouldn’t have been so bad, but my super weird manager (50-year-old guy with beer belly who shared TMI stories with his teenage employees) liked to play ABBA at full blast on our store’s sound system. Don’t get me wrong, I love ABBA. But this was like an “ABBA Worst Songs Ever” album. Stuff no one knew, no one could sing along to. He’d play it on repeat. For 5 hours.
What was your best date ever?
I call it “The Ice Skating Disaster.”
I was 18 and newly single. I had just broken up with my boyfriend of two years, and a co-worker set me up with her son. He worked out of town, and I hadn’t had a chance to meet him. So, one night, he calls me up, say’s he’s in town for the weekend and wondered if I’d like to join him at an outdoor ice rink. Even though I was in my pajamas and had already washed my make up off for the night, I said “yes.”
I thought to myself, “How fun!” I pictured this exciting, idyllic date, where we’d glide around the ice rink, arm in arm, while the mutli-colored Christmas lights twinkled in the trees around us.
There’s one HUGE problem with this: I can’t skate.
I’m probably the worst Canadian ever, as I don’t know how to ski, skate, or do any winter sport, really. I’m more of the “let’s stay in the lodge and drink cocoa” sort of Canadian.
Anyway, I didn’t care. I figured how hard could it be? So I threw on some clothes, put on some fresh make up, and dashed out the door.
Yah. It turns out that ice skating is like, super-duper hard.
My skates didn’t fit well. The ice was bumpy. I couldn’t find my balance. And, I’d worn clothes that were more fashionable than warm, so I was freezing my arse off.
But the worst part was that I fell every few seconds. I’d barely glide forward a few feet before I’d slip and smash myself on the ice. I was sure I’d shattered a hip bone by the end of the night.
And to make things even more embarrassing, he was an excellent skater.
Now, I’d like to point out that this could have been a great romantic opportunity. He could have put an arm around me, helped me stand up, teach me how to skate. It could have been some story we laughed about later. But, no. Instead, he would skate awkwardly beside me, sometimes take off to do a quick lap (while I stumbled around like a newborn fawn). After maybe an hour, we parted ways. We had one more awkward date after that, and then called it quits.
All I had to show from that date was a bruised ego and even more bruised backside. Seriously, my bum was black and blue for weeks afterward!
Though, I’m happy to say that I’m still friends with his sister! (Hi Lindsay!!!!)
FUN NOTE: I love this story so much that it put it into my first book, when Sophie (the main character) attempts to skate at an outdoor rink.
Tell us something you are really proud of.
The silhouette painting I did of Frida Kahlo. I did a friggin’ amazing job, if I do say so myself.
I agree! That’s gorgeous!
Can you confide something you wish you were better at?
Whistling! I can’t whistle. This is highly embarrassing. Even my friend’s 5-year-old can whistle.
Don’t feel bad, me either 🙂
Rafflecopter for All Shook Up Release Week Blitz Giveaway:
Tryst Books is offering one (1) lucky winner a Kindle loaded with the following titles: All Shook Up, Sweet Bliss, Drawn Through You, Ms. Conception, & Lessons in Pure Life! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:
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Jacquie Biggar-USA Today Best-selling author 
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