Kingpin by Lili St. Germain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars They say love conquers all. It's a lie. The compulsive second novel in the USA Today bestselling Cartel trilogy. Five days a week, I dressed in smart business clothes. I painted my face, and went to work as an accountant. But nothing about my life was normal. For eight years I had been the property of the Gypsy Brothers Motorcycle Club. I laundered their money so well they'd never let me leave. My only glimmer of light was the man I loved. The man who had saved me. Dornan. His love had been the only thing that kept the demons at bay. But he'd become so immersed in the cartel's brutal business that I hardly knew him anymore. Dornan had been my salvation, but he was also my undoing. Would he pull me down into the darkness until he destroyed me? Could I save him? Did I even want to? Okay, so I have read every book of Lili St. Germain's and will continue to because she is an awesome suspense writer. In the first book, I almost felt bad for Dornan Ross and in this book I hated him more than ever. I've already made my Dornan voodoo doll to stick pins in. I already know the outcome because of the Gypsy Brothers series (Or do we?) We know how Lili St. Germain loves to have twists and turns in her books, so one begs to wonder whether Mariana is still alive? I, for one think she's still alive and behind everything but I might be wrong. I just fell in love with John in this book and felt my heart break knowing his fate. You go into these books knowing the outcome and yet you really are hoping against hope that it will change when you read the last one. I have to say that even though you think you know what's going to happen - you really don't! If you're one of those that read The Gypsy Brothers and think "I read those and don't need to read these!!" YOU ARE SO WRONG! You have to read them all and don't read them out of order because you think they'll make more sense. I thought that too and did that the second time around...It doesn't work that way and you'll wind up more confused. True Story lol. Yes, this series is explicit in sexual content and has a lot of explicit language but it also has a lot to do with drugs, MC and Mafia related issues that are true to life in some aspects. There is violence, drugs, sex and should carry a warning if they don't. I believe she puts in her bio that she writes dark disturbing romance. This is a dark disturbing read. It doesn't give you warm fuzzies. It kind of makes you want to take a shower and wash the scum off you but it makes you feel the violence behind what goes on in the book and it leaves off on a cliffhanger. You want to read more about what happens and the next book is sure to be just as awesome. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
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Cartel by Lili St. Germain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars How much is a life worth? The USA Today bestseller and first scorching novel in the Cartel trilogy. I grew up in Columbia, the daughter of a wealthy drug lord. I lived a life of extravagance, until one day a drug run went horribly wrong and everything came crashing down around me. I was given away. A payment for a debt. The Gypsy Brothers motorcycle club became my owners, and I did everything I could to survive. But falling in love with the man who owned me wasn't part of the plan ... This was a great start to the new trilogy by Lili St. Germain. My heart broke for Mariana and I felt so sorry for her. I fell in love with Dornan Ross in this book but I know in the other books that he's a cruel, murderous, evil man who has no redemptive properties. He's just evil incarnate and you think that it's because of his father but he chooses to be the way he is. He doesn't have to be that way. He could change and throughout all of the series, you see him make decisions and the turning points to all those decisions where he could make a different decision. Mariana is a woman who's in a tight spot. She can't leave, so she's making the best of what she has with what she's got. She's probably got Stockholm syndrome and she's using Dornan as a means to an end. In the end, she knows what her fate will be and she can't change it. She knows she's going to probably be killed by his family but she still fights back to some extent. This book also ends in a cliffhanger but it's so worth it and I would read it without having the other 2 books. There should be warnings on all the books regarding sex and violence but I think that people who read the reviews and the authors bibliography will get that when she says she writes "disturbing dark romance" that means exactly that. Is it worth it to read knowing that? Yes, if you can take the language and explicit sex and violence. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Fake Engagement Real Temptation by Joya Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Oh. My. God. Carrie Morgan can’t escape her cheating ex fiancé. She goes on her Hawaiian honeymoon fantasy vacation to prove she’s over him—but he’s there with his mistress in tow. Good thing Carrie’s annoyingly over-protective friend Blake came with her. How’s she going to prove to her ex she’s over him? Easy. One… Two… Three… She grabs Blake and kisses him. Blake Harris isn’t about to let anyone take advantage of his heartbroken friend Carrie. And that includes himself, even if she’s sexy as sin in that bikini. Then she kisses him—and he’s on fire. Damage done, but he can back off. Except he sees that broken look in Carrie’s eyes. No. Hell no. New plan. He intends to show her ex just what he’s thrown away. The kisses? For show. The heat? Part of the performance. The private practice sessions? Uh-oh. Those are starting to feel a bit too real… This book was okay for me but I also read another book with the same premise as this one that had almost no sex or profanity and it was a 5 star read. So was that harsh of me? No, because other people will hate that book but like this one. What worked for me in this book was the Hero and what didn't was the antagonist because he was a giant douche canoe. Yep, I called him a douche canoe! He just got on my nerves and I know you're not supposed to like him but I got sick of having him in the book...If I could have chucked my kindle through the wall, I would have. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Playing the Player by Amy Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars After a long history with crappy guys, high school teacher Em Newman is going man-vegan. Four months of revirginization has opened her eyes to her doormat imitation but, baby’s got spine now, and some smooth-talking—even if he is sinfully hot—rugby player, won’t be adding her as a notch anytime soon. Lincoln Quinn loves rugby, women, and poker. And he likes to win at all three. When his team mates bet him he can’t break through Em’s resolve, he’s more than up for the challenge. But this lady has a shoebox of stipulations before she’ll even go on a date with him, much less use that mouth for kissing instead of giving orders. Something’s gotta give but this time Em’s not settling. And Linc’s questioning everything he ever knew about matters of the heart. This was okay but again not something I would go right out and buy. I hate it when the hero isn't all that heroish lol. He just didn't do it for me. The heroine was kind of wishy washy and not definitive as a character. I just wanted to get through with the book because Linc didn't want to get married and his "bet" was to sleep with Em. Now, I'm pretty sure that puts him in the douche category. If you're going to bet that you can get a woman into bed in so many days and put a hundred dollars into the pot to bet for your ownself - you're a douche!! That's not a story I'd want to tell the kids or maybe some out there would. Maybe that is your story and if so then...that's great! However, the writing was really good and it was really fast-paced. There was a lot of sexual content and language. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Undiscovered by Sara Humphreys
My rating: 3 of 5 stars He's the man of her dreams A long time ago, Zander Lorens was cursed to walk the earth stripped of his Dragon Clan powers. Every night, trapped in a recurring nightmare, Zander relives his darkest moment. He can hardly believe it when the dream changes and a beautiful young woman appears. Zander believes she's the key to ending his torment. Finding her in the real world is one thing, but how will he convince her of who-and what-she really is? She's the end to his nightmare Rena McHale uses her unique sensitivity as a private investigator, touting herself as a "human divining rod" and finder of the lost. By day she struggles with sensory overload, and by night her sleep is haunted by a fiery dragon shifter. Nothing in her life makes sense, until the man from her dreams shows up at her door with a proposition. Usually, I love Sara Humphreys and all her books but this one just didn't kick off as quickly as all her other ones for me. It's not that the book wasn't good but I didn't think that it was on par with her other works. I had just read another supernatural book and then I read this one and that one was a 5 star read and this one just fell flat. I think that true fans will buy this book and wait for the next one because true fans do that. Not all books will you like but you'll always like an author. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Making Waves by Laura Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars A self-made woman with a sweet, successful life discovers that even the best-laid plans are no match for unexpected passion in this brand-new series from award-winning author Laura Moore. As the responsible daughter of an irresponsible socialite, Dakota Hale has plenty of practice catering to the whims of the rich and spoiled—and she’s turned that experience into a thriving concierge business serving the needs of the Hamptons’ wealthy elite. But living and working among the upper crust has never tempted Dakota to follow in her mother’s jet-setting footsteps. Anytime the drama on land gets too outrageous, Dakota finds calm surfing the Atlantic waves. But when sexy mogul Max Carr hires her, it rocks her balance in a big way. Max works hard, but he’s never had to put any effort into winning over a woman—until now. With her stunning beauty and keen intelligence, Dakota is worth the effort. But it’s plain she has no interest in a casual fling, and that’s all Max with his grief-stricken heart can offer. But one fraught night changes everything, with consequences neither Dakota nor Max anticipated. Now they must navigate the rough waters of society gossip and devastating secrets that threaten their fragile relationship. If they can trust in the strength of their growing feelings, they’ll find that the dreams they’ve been chasing are close enough to embrace . . . together. I must say this was a good book. I loved Dakota except she lets people walk all over her. Piper - what can I say about this woman, other than she's crazy, self-centered and the mother (if you can call her that, I just call her the breeder of Dakota) she was that loathsome!!! And yes it gets worse as it goes on! She has a sister, Dakota's aunt who is an evil, conniving, blood-sucking parasite. Is that a little harsh? Does that sound like I'm a little bitter and wanted to at times slam my kindle into the wall or run it over with my Corolla? Why yes, yes it does. The whole family hated Dakota because she was illegitimate and she kept going back...Why? I would have been like...Peace - out and given the finger but not Dakota. They never let her forget her illegitimacy and threw it up in her face every chance they got and I have to say if it had been me - I would have not taken the high road and sticks and stones route. Her breeder mom was a lush and a slut who slept with anything with 2 legs or is it 3 legs? :P She would constantly describe the details of her exploits to Dakota, like that girl wanted to hear that trash!! I say "Girl, run and stay away lest you get fleas and rabies!!" All her life she wanted a dad and she finds out that her blood-sucking stench of a mother has been lying to her (big shock...NOT.) She knew who the man was that got her pregnant. So, Dakota finds out his name and goes to look for him. They live in a super rich neighborhood where Dakota runs a concierge business called Premier Service and if her clients wanted something - she provided it. From cleaning houses to buying food, booze, ice cream for kids - you name it and she got it. All her families she provided for loved her. Her uncle goes and sells her grandparents mansion to a man named Max Carr and he hires Dakota to stock, remodel and furnish it for him. He looks at her and she looks at him and BAM...it's on!! Max though is a hard guy and no nonsense. He's all about work and money, money and work. Throw some sexy, sexy, sexy in there and that's Max!! Max...Oh Max!! Max blamed himself for his twin sisters death since he was 18 years old and his mom's death a year later because his Dad told him he was the reason they were both dead...What is it with these horrible parents?? Max, of course leaves home brokenhearted and becomes a cold-hearted man - not feeling anything until meeting Dakota. She teaches him to surf and they form a kind of friendship - then the sex happens lol!! The cast of people you come to love in this book that I thought were standout - Hendrick!! The gay Psychiatrist was just a sweetie - I wish there was more about him. He was a father figure to Dakota that she met when she was in middle school. He gave her her first job watering his plants, raking his leaves and a friendship was born. He also bought her the first surfboard she ever had! I love Hendrick and I think we all need a little bit of a Hendrick in our lives. Her friends, Alex, Gen and their kids - Which as a side note can be found in the story "In Your Eyes." I'm not big on sex scenes and I think the Lords name could have been avoided and not been in there but the majority of books today throw that in there constantly so comparing it to other books - it wasn't OTT. I could have knocked stars off for that but I don't believe in doing that just because a book has that. If so, every book would have 1 star!! *****Spoiler Alert***** I had a really hard time believing at one point the ending. If you are in labor, HARD LABOR - You don't go for a stroll along the beach while you're water is breaking and you just keep strolling!!!! Honey child, you are screaming "Where are the drugs and drive to the hospital NOW!!!!" Overall, I thought this was a worthwhile read and would read it again but skip over the mom parts cause she sucks life out of people! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Wedding Date Rescue by Sonya Weiss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars As a Firefighter, Kent Wakefield has been burned before, and not just by fire. So when Casey Bradford, his best friend's off-limits, gorgeous little sister, asks him to be her fake boyfriend, he flat out refuses. He doesn't do relationships, real or otherwise. But when his well-meaning, marriage-pushing mother corners him about his cousin's wedding, he panics and tells her he has a date. After being left at the altar, Casey is out of options. She needs a boyfriend ASAP or she can kiss her dreams good-bye. Who better than her brother's emotionally unavailable best friend, Kent. She may have nursed a childhood crush, but this arrangement will be purely platonic...that is until he kisses her and suddenly it gets a lot harder to remember it's all pretend. This was an excellent book that had no sex, hardly any language and some awesome characters!! Sonya Weiss knows how to write a true romance novel with good build up to a love story. Everybody in this story knew the main characters were in love but them and I love those kind of books. This was about a couple in their thirties who had been friends since they were children - which was another check in the box of golden romance stories. I love when you have childhood to adult sweetheart stories. They just have a way of tugging at your heartstrings. I fell in love with the extended families in this story and was rooting for them to all have a book because if they do...I will definitely be reading and reviewing! I loved that this was a honest to goodness plot-driven romance. So often, there isn't a plot in books nowadays - it's just sex with a side of plot. This book was totally different. Sonya reminds me of Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery rolled into one. She weaves a story of family, love and loyalty. Pick this book up as soon as it comes out and you won't be disappointed!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars As one of the Embraced—one born with magical powers—the beautiful, innocent Luciana escaped certain death after her father hid her away on the Isle of Moon. Now, nineteen years later, her father has returned with a frightening request. He will be executed unless Luciana returns to the mainland and marries a man feared throughout the land: a terrifying brute known as the Beast. Luciana accepts her fate and agrees to wed the Beast—Lord Leo—in order to save her father. Soon she learns that her betrothed is also one of the Embraced. With the ability to wield lightning, Leo’s immense power strikes fear into the hearts of men. . .and his mere touch can put an end to a woman’s life. But Luciana cannot deny the passion that burns between them. How can she resist the man who scorches her soul and makes her feel intoxicated with desire—even if surrendering to him could destroy them both? This really should have been titled "How to Tame a Beast in Two Days" because it didn't take seven days nor did it seem like it. Seriously, there was no build up between the characters and no real romance that I felt. The good thing is...It's my opinion and everyone has one and die-hard fans may truly love this book. I, for one...just couldn't. I love Kerrelyn Sparks and read all her novels but this book really didn't feel "KS" to me. It was well-written grammar-wise but I just couldn't get into it. I kept reading other books in between. If I start doing that with a book - it doesn't end well! Will I pick up her next one? Definitely!! Because I don't think that you can judge an author by one book. You just don't. It's like judging a person by their one outfit. It's wrong and against some readers creed or something. LOL. So if you love Kerrelyn, you'll probably make a voodoo doll with my name on it and burn it in effigy. I'm okay with that because I try to be honest with my reviews and not blow smoke up your butt. It's your money and I try and save you that and time. Wait for her next one which I'm sure will be awesomeness personified! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Making Faces by Amy Harmon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Ambrose Young was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have . . . until he wasn't beautiful anymore. Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us. I dropped all other books when this showed up on my shelf. I've read this book three times and every time I'm a snotted mess at about 72 percent until the end of the book. This book is one that resonates in your soul and doesn't let go. It hangs on, it's one that you recommend to your friends, family and everyone in-between. I love it and hate it at the same time because I know I won't be able to breathe the next day. Amy Harmon has done something that not many authors do - she tells a story without explicit sex or language. She tells a story and keeps it going til the very last page and you're sitting there with a feeling of loss, strength, hope and love. I bought this book for my mother when it came out to read. My mother is someone who only reads Christian books but yet I wanted her to read this so bad. This book has some Christian scripture and references, it does have some language but not a lot. I bought it in hope that she would see past it and boy did she. She loved this book and for my mother to give her stamp of approval on a book, it means the world. I read this book in about 5 hours and didn't stop. That means radio silence for everyone and I was on-call. This book is about Fern, Ambrose and Bailey (Oh Bailey, how I love you!!) and it goes back and forth through their childhood. I loved all these characters, there wasn't one of the main characters that I could say I didn't like. I loved Brosey's (Ambrose's) friends, even Beans. This book was a tearjerker. It was heartbreaking and tore at your heartstrings. Bailey has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and it can't be cured and the first time he finds out he's going to die, I thought I was going to go through a whole box of Kleenex so I cut up an old t-shirt and used it instead. To listen to Fern tell him she might die first by getting hit by a car while walking down the road to make him feel better is so real to life. She starts listing all the ways she might die first to make him feel better. How we all need a Fern!! She is his person. She's his helper but also his cousin who I honestly believe God sent to him and you find out at the end of the story that her father always believed that once Bailey was gone God would take Fern soon after because of it. It's a sad thought to think that God would do that and he's a pastor but he does. Fern always has Bailey's best interests at heart and always helps him and he is one of those characters you can't help but love. He's all about wrestling and wanting to wrestle but he's also all about Ambrose and helping him become a better person and wrestler. Bailey is really the hero in this story. Hands down, this book wouldn't be what it is if not for Bailey. Fern is an ugly-duckling and she's never the one that the boys look at. She writes letter to Ambrose for her friend Rita who's beautiful, even though she's always been in love with him. Ever since he helped her bury BS "Beautiful Spider" and sang the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" at it's funeral when they were ten. She's a deep character who writes the most eloquent poetry that says: If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me? Does he make the legs that cannot walk and eyes that cannot see? Does he curl the hair upon my head 'til it rebels in wild defiance? Does he close the ears of the deaf man to make him more reliant? Is the way I look coincidence or just a twist of fate? If he made me this way, is it okay to blame him for the things I hate? For the flaws that seem to worsen every time I see a mirror, For the ugliness I see in me, for the loathing and the fear? Does he sculpt us for his pleasure, for a reason I can't see? If God makes all our faces, did he laugh when he made me? How many times have we all looked in the mirror and thought this? It's like the author reached inside my very soul and knew what I felt and how long I'd been feeling it. Those words I will have written on a plaque and framed, so I can read them everyday and know that I'm more than a face. This book just has all the feels!! There's a scene in the book that I love where Fern refers to Bailey as BS like the spider but calls him "Beautiful Sheen, Beautiful Bailey Sheen" and it's at a part in the book that I'm not going to give away but I had to get up and take the dogs out...at 4 a.m. because I couldn't breathe from crying. I literally was like "NOPE...can't handle no more snot, gotta get up and find something cause I'm dying here." And then I went right back to the book of the best night of my weekend. You come to love all the characters in this book but one. Ambrose's friends: Beans, Paulie, Grant and Jesse - You love them all in their differences. It's not an easy story to read about them. It's about September 11th, the fallout afterward and 5 boys who join up to make a difference not knowing that the difference will be made in 4 families and a whole town. There was a lot going on in this book but I didn't feel at any time that I didn't know what was going on. I always felt like everything was explained. There were some really hard topics in this book: War, domestic abuse, dying, peer pressure, ugliness of the world and of oneself, terrorism. It's all in there and it's dealt with appropriately. Buy this book, buy it for your friends, family and gift it to people you love. It's an awesome book and has made me read all of the authors books since. You will not be disappointed you read it and if you are, then you're not human...you just can't be!! I will guarantee that a part of this book will resonate with you somewhere unless you're a sociopath and then it probably won't! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Trigger by L.P. Dover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars A killer . . . that’s what I am. It’s what I do. It’s what I live for. I’m no longer the Preston Hale everyone knew. I left that life and the people in it a long time ago the second I made my first kill. I wasn’t going to give in, but when I heard the screams there was no going back. It triggered the pain, the need. I knew what I had to do, and I did it well. But I never expected for Emma Turner – the only link to my past – to come back into my life. She triggers a different emotion inside me, something I hadn’t ever felt. It’s not a want to kill . . . but a need to CLAIM. I love Preston ***swoon and sigh***!! Even if he is a killer. He totally can kill for me, no seriously he can!! He can be my best friend and hang out in my house...cough bedroom. I love LP Dover and her writing style and when she says she's writing suspense - do you honestly think I'm not going to read it? Heck no, I'm going to beg, plead and bargain to get a copy. Her characters are always multi-dimensional and fully fleshed out. She always thinks about a plot and doesn't throw her books together. You can tell that she believes in quality over quantity. I really love it that she does that. This was an exceptional read. I loved Emily and the fact that best friend stories just rock for me. You can take a good friendship story and work that all the way to the bank. I felt that I could have kept reading this and found myself putting other books on the backshelf while I devoted my time to this one. She is up there with Kristen Ashley, Lani Lynn Vale and Lori Foster for me. That is a tough group to be in but she does it and does it well. I'm not really going to give anything away because I think it's kind of like a Colleen Hoover novel - you need to go into it with a clear mind and no preconceived notions of what it is or isn't. Some books I love to gush about the plot, what it's about and share, share, share. Some books I think readers need to read on their own with no ideas or opinions forced upon them by others and this is one of those books. So..... Please pick up this book for yourself and read it. You won't be disappointed and if you are, I'd seriously check to see if you have a pulse!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Almost a Bride by Jo Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Annie knows life isn't always fair. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you get mistaken for a crazed intruder when you come home early and find your boyfriend wearing nipple clamps with a coworker on the night you thought he was going to propose to you. The important thing is to move on, and for Annie that means treating herself to a tropical vacation. But when she runs into her ex and his new woman staying at the same resort, reason is washed out to sea. Caught off guard, Annie pretends she's with Chris, a cute screenwriter she meets on the beach. With his own writing blocked, Chris is happy to help Annie craft a story to save face. Soon Annie isn't just getting over her ex, she's getting under Chris. As her fictional feelings grow increasingly real, Annie has to decide if she's ready to risk her heart on a new relationship. This book could have been a miss for me based on the unlikable Double T's (Trev and Tess or Tress OMG!) That's Trevv with 2 VV's!! I don't think I've ever hated an antagonist as much as I hated these two. They were horrible, down to the fact that "Trevv" bordered on creepy, stalker, "I-want-to-make-a-skin-suit-out-of-you-while-you-aren't-looking" type of guy. So many times in this book I wanted to yell "Anne, grow a spine, you weak nit!!" Trevv sleeps with a partner in his firm while Anne and him are dating and she pulls the Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy "Be with me, Date me, Love me" card. I would have taken the knife that she carried up those stairs while Nippleclamp Trevv and Rodeo Tess were getting it on and chopped it off Lorena Bobbett style ...Now, maybe that's just me but let's see who's whining now!!! To all the women out there who have ever wanted to beat down a skinny, perfect-haired, botox-induced broad because she stole your man - DON"T READ THIS BOOK! You have been warned. You will throw your kindle in the trash after running it through the food processor. I almost did this 1o times and I've never been cheated on. So if you have....read this in a tiny room with no hacksaws, food processors, paper shredders, sharp objects or fire....yes you read that right. All through this book I kept asking myself "Why doesn't she kick Creepy Trevv in the nuts?" Or better yet - rip off those babymakers and make the world a safer place? Are some women like that? If you are and you're out there - there's help for you!!! Just don't read this...skip to the end of the book LOL. A little about the book: Anne goes on Holiday and meets Chris who's a writer and after telling an astronomical lie that he's her "pretend boyfriend" to keep Creepy Trevv from perving on them through the trees of their penthouse suite...hilarity and fun ensues. There's a lot of angst and Anne not feeling good enough about herself because of Pervy Trevv and Botox Tess however Chris is a gem of a guy so he makes up for it. Her friends are one in a million and it's worth it to check out the book for all of them. I could have really done without the Twinsies (Tress) but then the book wouldn't have been the same because I was laughing out loud at some places over the fact that Trevv broke in their room to "catch" them not sleeping in the same bedroom. He really was a douche. Or when Chris delivers them the drink Slippery Nipples because...Nippleclamp LOL!! The fake wedding they have will have you pumping your fist in the air and shouting Breakfast Club style. After a mistake and misunderstanding, a lot of growing on both their parts they find their happy ending. True love prevails for Chris who doesn't believe it exists but it's a long road. Final thoughts: This author was new to me, I had no preconceived notions going in so it could have been a total miss but I'm glad it wasn't. Buy this book but stay away from anything remotely electrical, fire related or power-related while reading. You might keep looking at the man your with like he's a little bug after reading the parts with Creepy Trevv....just a forewarning. Enjoy because Jo Watson did an awesome job! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews *****It Started With A Kiss*****
With a kidney transplant behind her, Avery Adams is determined to channel her inner adventurer and explore everything life has to offer. Only problem is, the closest she’s ever come to a real-life adventure was sixth-grade science camp. So to seize the summer in her rustic Sierra Nevada town, she takes a job as a guide at the local adventure lodge. But Avery doesn’t realize her biggest challenge will register at six-plus feet of rugged good looks and alpha-male charm.
As a member of the Sequoia Elite Mountain Rescue team, Tyson Donovan has made a life out of cheating death and rescuing weekend warriors from the treacherous terrain. “The world is my home” is more than just a motto; it’s what scares off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. When his dad’s health lands the family’s adventure lodge in serious danger of going up in flames, he moves home—and quickly remembers why he left. Until he meets Avery, the irresistible new guide who makes him want to stay. Tyson gives the inexperienced Avery a lesson in romance that her books could never teach her. And with her undeniable spirit for life, Avery shows Tyson the healing power of love. But with one misstep, everything comes crashing down, and they’ll both have to take the biggest leap of all—into the kind of adventure that lasts a lifetime. I loved this book so much after reading a couple of books this weekend that left a less than stellar taste in my mouth. This book had it...a quirky heroine and a hero who had a true "hero complex' and I liked it!! It had some sex in it but it didn't really detract from the storyline because....guess what? There was an actual storyline in this book! Thank you Jesus but there's a story and plot and not just sex on and sex off!! I recommended this book to my mother and I bought her a copy as soon as I saw the Pre-Order button. I was telling her all about it like they were real people and that is the test of a good book. It's that test that I put all books through. I truly enjoyed this book and fell in love with Avery and Ty. I could have honestly read for another 100 pages and not gotten bored or skipped any of those pages. I loved Harris, Dale and Irene and Avery's friends. She was a great character to have fall in love with Ty. I loved where she wrote on his truck in lipstick "I owe you a screw" and then her lipstick breaks and the whole time he's watching her because she dropped his screwdriver down the drain. She's always doing stuff to surprise him and yet it's not a surprise. He can only play off her mistakes and genuine flightiness. Pick this book up and read it, gift it or keep it...you won't be disappointed. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review.
Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars OMG...This book just gave me all the feels!!! I love Kristen Ashley and I want to live in her world, no I take that back - I want to live in her brain! Seriously, I want to be one of her characters. Just name one Janeen and I'd be cool with that. She is a literary genius and I discovered her about 3 years ago. I still haven't read all her books because I want to savor them all. I haven't read her Fantasyland Seriess at all and I'm going to buy those and savor till the last page and then I might dip them in gold and pay homage to them. She's that good a writer. Seriously, Rock Chicks buy this book!! This is the book that turned my mother into a ROCK CHICK!!! Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author, Kristen Ashley, comes the long-awaited story of Daisy and Marcus, Rock Chick Reawakening. A prequel to Kristen’s Rock Chick series, Rock Chick Reawakening shares the tale of the devastating event that nearly broke Daisy, an event that set Marcus Sloan—one of Denver’s most respected businessmen and one of the Denver underground’s most feared crime bosses—into finally making his move to win the heart of the woman who stole his. Marcus and Daisy - Oh, how I love you with your big hair and pink track suits Daisy! Marcus, with your brooding ways...you are the man we all want and measure all men against. We don't care that you do illegal things and that you might kill people! Sometimes, the ends justify the means. The way you care for Daisy - Oh my Gosh. I just couldn't breathe when he was laying there and she was inconsolable about what had happened and she said she couldn't build castles because they didn't exist to "her" and you knew he made up his mind right then and there that he was going to make her a castle. For all his hardness, he was like a kitten with her but he sure turned into a tiger with whoever hurt her. It was epic and Daisy was someone who just loved people but people didn't love her back. The glimpses of her early life were so heartbreaking that I kept a hankie close by because I knew I was going to snot all over the place. I did. It was worth it. KA has this style of writing that sometimes if you're not familiar with her writing style - you're like hold up, say what? I'm familiar with it so I knew going in what to expect, my mother however was not! I laughed my butt off because she kept asking why she was leaving words off the end of her sentences....uh mom she's KA - she can and that's her style of writing! Other writers try to copy her and fail - miserably. She finally figured it out by the end of the book and now wants the box set which is my hint that I'm getting it for her. A good book tells a story and this did that in spades. We got to see Daisy's backstory and I really enjoyed that. I would have loved to have seen Sloan's backstory as a kid but we're told about it, so all's good. We see some characters from the Hot Bunch in this one, but alas just a taste because this is a prequel. However, seeing them is WORTH IT...now I have that song in my head which is fitting. We get an awesome Epilogue and all these women are pinning boards on Pinterest about what the Wedding looked like, the silverware, the dress and it all seems to be spot on. Now either they are obsessed with KA (uh we all are) or Kristen Ashley described everything so well, we could find these things on the internet to pin!! I say that she did such a great job at describing everything that we could go out and find it on the internet. Her power (yes she has a superpower and it shall be called Literary Romantic Genius Inducer LRGI for short) makes all of us grab her books as soon as they come out and hoard them. We don't share them, we talk about them for months at a time until the next one releases and we generally live in KA's world. If we get a tweet, mention or facebook post that references something that we relate to - we squee around our living room like we were 13 years-old all over again. I've done it. I KNOW! This book for me was bittersweet but yet I'm hoping beyond hope that she decides to write about the children because after all there are 19 of them now. Wouldn't that be a great thing? 19 more Rock Chick Children books? I'm just throwing that out there Kristen Ashley!! LOL. Just giving incentive to write until you're Betty White's age :) Believe me when I say that you have a fan base that would span several generations. So, it is with great sorrow that I finish this book but look forward to starting the Fantastical Series. I don't ever read reviews because I never want them to cloud my judgement but my boss is like a supercomputer of KA books and knowledge and I just tell her I read them so she won't tell me about them! Some last thoughts on this book: Get it, Read it, Buy some for your friends and family, if you haven't read anything else from Kristen Ashley then you need to start!!! View all my reviews
Jacked Up by Samantha Kane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars The secret about the Birmingham Rebels is out: With a girl in the middle, two mouth-watering football studs are better than one. Linebacker Sam Taylor feels like a ticking time bomb. He left the army with emotional wounds as fresh as the scars on his back. Sam’s been living like a monk, but his best friend, defensive lineman King Ulupoka, wants to get him laid. Easy for him to say. The larger-than-life Samoan is a hard-bodied, tribal-tattooed fantasy. Sam agrees, under one condition: King stays to watch. ER nurse Jane Foster is done being a good girl, and nothing says wild like picking up two of football’s sexiest players and bringing them back to your hotel room. Trouble is, she can’t decide which one she wants more. Sam is hot, sweet, and vulnerable. Jane’s more than willing to ride him into oblivion. But King’s intense gaze from across the room promises that the best is yet to come. Sure, King has had his choice of girls and guys in the past. That doesn’t mean he’ll jeopardize his relationship with Sam over a case of locker-room lust—until a naughty nurse pushes them both out of their comfort zones. Seeing Jane and Sam together turns King on more than he ever imagined. If they’re game, he’s ready to tackle a three-way play. Apparently, Loveswept has changed over the years and it now needs to be labeled Erotica...I don't know what to say about this book except if you like 2 on 1, get it. If you don't...don't read this book - You've been warned people!! There should be a warning on this book that puts it in the M/M category and M/M/F Category. Some people will love that, I for one am not one of those people. Anyone who reads me or knows me, knows I like my romance subtle and my sex non-explicitly written. This couldn't get more explicit if you watched some porn on the internet and googled it the way I typed it above. I'm a writer that types pretty much how she speaks, which means that if you don't like my reviews then you probably won't like me cause I don't blow smoke up your tail just to tell you something you want to hear. I'm sure this book will get lots of reviews saying how awesome it is and that's super great. Here's why that'll happen: The author did something that even I, as the reviewer didn't like but I had to say "oh, say again?" I liked the characters. I really liked Sam, King and Jane. Which is why I gave her 4 stars. I skimmed over dang near all the sex scenes and there were A LOT!! So many that they made my eyes water with steam. However, the author was onto something that I think a bunch of other authors should start taking for granted more often - she used her characters and made them into real people for her audience to relate to. Whether you are Army, Navy, Marines, Nurses, Football players, Straight, gay, or anything in-between she made you feel what her characters were going through. She researched PTSD and brought that home to me as a reviewer and reader. Although, at times I didn't like some parts of the book I wanted to see what happened with the characters. That was the saving grace and made it so that it wasn't a DNF for me. I still believe it needs to contain warnings for people because this may not be their cup of tea. I can't see a 80 year-old grandma sitting there listening to it on Audible going "get it boy!!" I definitely wouldn't recommend it to my 16 year-old cousin to read because I wouldn't educate her on any of what's contained in the pages even if she already knows (I'm praying that she doesn't and if she does, I'll be over here in denial.) Less is more people. Less is sometimes more. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. |
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