A Perfect Gentleman by Candace Camp My rating: 4 of 5 stars From New York Times bestselling author Candace Camp comes a delicious and steamy marriage-of-convenience historical romance in A Perfect Gentleman. Forced to marry an American heiress to save his family, Graeme Parr, Earl of Montclair, vowed their marriage would be in name only. Abigail Price thought handsome, aristocratic Graeme was her knight in shining armor, rescuing her from her overbearing father. But when she was spurned by her husband on their wedding night, Abigail fled home to New York. Now, years later, Abigail has returned. But this sophisticated, alluring woman is not the drab girl Graeme remembers. Appalled by her bold American ways but drawn to her beauty, Graeme follows her on a merry chase through London’s elegant ballrooms to its dockside taverns—why is his wife back? What could she want of him now? Torn between desire and suspicion, Graeme fears that Abby, like her unprincipled father, has a devious plan to ruin him. But is Abigail’s true desire Graeme’s destruction...or winning his love at last? Graeme Parr, Lord Montclair needs to get married to save his estate and cover his father's debts. Abigail Price is an American heiress who's father manipulates and blackmails Graeme into marrying Abigail for his title. There's this little problem of Graeme being in "love" with Laura (big issue with this woman) but he goes ahead and marries Abigail. He winds up resenting her though because he believes that she's in on the blackmail and leaves her on her wedding night and disappears. What a winner he is y'all!!! That's just a little side note - If your husband runs away from you on your wedding night...he might NOT be a keeper....JUST SAYING!! Poor Abigail who's been treated like crap by her father for years is a timid little thing. She thinks that when she met Graeme that because he treated her good before they were married that it would follow into the marriage...WRONG AGAIN. He holds nothing but contempt for her and storms out and goes back to England leaving her to go back to America. Fast forward ten years and Abigail has grown up a lot. She's beautiful, successful in her own right and knows what she wants. She want's to have a baby and if Graeme won't give it to her, then she wants a divorce. So, he has a choice to make. During this whole time, he's spent it in brothel's and spending it drooling after Laura or as I like to call her "hag who shouldn't be named." I really didn't see all that much character growth with him as a "person" and I didn't like him. I don't know if the author did that purposely, but he just got on my nerves. I mean, just because he doesn't find fathering a child with her a hardship...he's gonna do it out of the goodness of his heart?? OMG...I was laughing at that. However, overall this is another awesome book by Candace and there is some intrigue in this with...OH MY - you'll just have to read it to find out!!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
0 Comments
Make Me Beg by Rebecca Brooks My rating: 4 of 5 stars Bartender Mackenzie Ellinsworth has always gone it alone. So when she has a chance to open her own bar and restaurant, she’s got a plan for how it should go. Not in that plan: a ripped and rugged playboy stepping in to take over. Mack doesn’t do players, and she doesn’t do one-night stands. If Connor wants to work with Mack, he’s going to have to keep his strong, sexy hands to himself. Connor Branding is determined to prove he’s not the directionless playboy Mack thinks. But opening a place together causes more problems than it solves. The two of them can’t agree on anything—except how scorching hot their chemistry is. Connor may be ready to indulge every desire Mack’s been denying herself…but turning business into pleasure is likely to get him burned. My favorite books are those that are about a couple who have known each other for years and yet...they've never gotten together. I love a sassy female lead and a sexy guy who can hold his own. Connor is someone I would have as a best friend - as a matter of fact, he reminds me of my best friend!! He can give as good as he gets. Mack is just one of those heroine's that chip away at your sanity piece by piece. You could feel the slow build up of their chemistry from the very first chapter. Mack's main problem is that she's afraid that Connor is going to leave, but what she doesn't realize is that she's pushing him right out the door. Not only did this book have great chemistry, but it had humor and sexiness with a plot. The only downside was....ABBI!!! I hated that girl. I wanted to throat punch her as soon as she came on the scene. I know, we as writers, put them in there to have some conflict. However, I wanted to cause my own conflict and just slide past her name every time I saw it! I know it's a book, but when you get invested in characters and start seeing them as people then you "done good child!!" I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Title: Truth Revealed
Series: Confession Duet #2
Author: KD Robichaux
Genre: Erotic Romance/BDSM
Release Date: March 28, 2017
Blurb
It’s been a decade since I divorced the love of my life, after her confession while I was deployed. Ten years since I spoke to Vi, my soul mate, the girl who had brought me to life only to stab me in the heart, sending me into an even darker state than where I was before I met her. Ten years, I’ve been watching her from afar, keeping tabs. After a decade in the Army, two Purple Hearts and a Medal of Honor under my belt, I was kicked out with an honorable discharge, knowing no other skill than One Shot One Kill. Two years later, I’m part of a group of mercenaries who carry out justice. Criminals who hide behind their fancy lawyers and power—we take care of them and make it all look like karma. And with intel from our founder, Dr. Walker, a therapist with a long list of predators whose victims were too scared to turn them in, work is plenty and fulfilling. Until Vi begins her sessions and I discover the reality I’ve lived the past ten years was nothing but a lie, when the truth is revealed.
Purchase Links
Also Available
Author Bio
KD Robichaux wanted to be a romance author since the first time she picked up her mom’s Sandra Brown books at the ripe old age of twelve. She went to college to become a writer, but then married and had babies. Putting her dream job on hold to raise her family as a stay at home mom, who read entirely too much, she created a blog where she could keep her family and friends up-to-date on all the hottest reads. From there, by word of mouth, her blog took off and she began using her hard-earned degree as a Senior Editor for Hot Tree Editing. When her kids started school, and with the encouragement from her many author friends, she finally sat down and started working on her first series, The Blogger Diaries, her very own real life romance.
Author Links
My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s been a decade since I divorced the love of my life, after her confession while I was deployed. Ten years since I spoke to Vi, my soul mate, the girl who had brought me to life only to stab me in the heart, sending me into an even darker state than where I was before I met her. Ten years, I’ve been watching her from afar, keeping tabs. After a decade in the Army, two Purple Hearts and a Medal of Honor under my belt, I was kicked out with an honorable discharge, knowing no other skill than One Shot One Kill. Two years later, I’m part of a group of mercenaries who carry out justice. Criminals who hide behind their fancy lawyers and power—we take care of them and make it all look like karma. And with intel from our founder, Dr. Walker, a therapist with a long list of predators whose victims were too scared to turn them in, work is plenty and fulfilling. Until Vi begins her sessions and I discover the reality I’ve lived the past ten years was nothing but a lie, when the truth is revealed. This book has potential triggers for anyone that has been raped or abused. I wouldn't suggest it for those reasons to those people. This was a hard book for me to read after reading the first book. I came to love Corbin and Vi. I loved their relationship. For me, it was a thing of beauty. It was innocent, and then it wasn't. Corbin's one request is not to break his trust and Vi makes him think that she's betrayed him. The second book picks up a decade in the future and Vi is a shell of who she used to be. She hides out in her apartment and only goes out when she has too. I thought the way the author portrayed rape victims was very knowledgeable. At times, I wanted to smack Corbin upside his head, and then I wanted to hug him because it was evident he had never gotten over her. The topics discussed in this book will not be for everyone. I know that, and I even struggled with it because I don't like these types of books. However, and this is where I have to be a well-rounded reviewer...It's a book that may or may not help someone understand the culture and why rape victims tend to get into the subculture of that world. For me, I never read Fifty Shades and never will, but that's personal preference. This book explains the inner turmoil that someone goes through when they can't outwardly express how they feel when something traumatic happens. I see it more often than I would like but this book did hit the nail on the head. The emotions evoked throughout the story are heartwrenching, and you'll need a box of tissues just for that. KD did a fantastic job of portraying two characters who had been through something that was both traumatic and at the end freeing. The editing and formatting were a welcoming change to other books that usually have mistakes during ARC copies that I review. I didn't find a mass of errors, and it made reading a joy, and I didn't have to read twice. Usually, I like to go through twice because I pick things apart the first time and it was wonderful not to have to do that with this. View all my reviews Too Blessed To Be Stressed. . .Inspiration for Every Day: 365 Devotions for Women by Debora M. Coty My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thousands of women have had the pleasure of reading the wit- and near-wisdom-filled books from beloved inspirational humorist, Debora M. Coty. Her Too Blessed to be Stressed has become a perennial favorite, selling upwards of 46,000 copies since its 2011 release. Now, ready to rescue you from the joy-sucking dully-funks, is an all-new 365-day devotional featuring just-right-sized, truth-filled readings (gift-wrapped in humor) for your heart. The Too Blessed to be Stressed daily devotional touches on everyday life topics like relationships, love, boundaries, hope, brokenness, and praise, while helping you to arrive at healing, refreshment, and revitalization of spirit, body, and faith. I'm a devotional buff!! Seriously, on my bedside table, I've been using for 3 years Jesus Calling and it's so worn that the pages are falling out. I have to get another one. The thing I like about devotions every day is that you have a task that you have to complete daily. Scripture, devotion, and prayer to go along with it....So what didn't I like? I didn't like that all through the book she uses Papa God...I have a best friend who uses that and it's endearing but at the same time I'm old school and use Father God. For people that it doesn't bother, it won't be a big deal. For me, it just chipped at my nerves a little and then I had to do the "too blessed to be stressed!!" Overall, this is a funny, informative, relaxing, devotional that I think women will enjoy. I would definitely buy it for my friends and family because I know that they would enjoy it and take something away from it. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews A Moment of Madness by Brooklyn Skye My rating: 3 of 5 stars Sailor Carlson comes back to Boston to make amends with her dad, only to find he passed away, and his bar, the Alibi, now belongs to a bearded, grumpy hottie. Mr. Hottie liked her enough for a night of nameless sex on the kitchen counter, but he wants nothing to do with her now he knows who she is. Ryan Edwards has been running the Alibi for seven years. Being in a bar night after night means he’s no stranger to one-night stands. But when the quirky, beautiful blonde he spent a hot night with shows up at his bar claiming it used to belong to her father, his guard goes right up. Ryan’s desperate for a waitress, and Sailor wants a chance to work in the place that meant so much to her dad. If only the tenuous trust they establish were as strong as the pesky attraction simmering between them. My major issue with this book was the hero. I usually have to like the hero at some point to like the book and I didn't like the hero by the end of the book. I didn't feel that he grew any by the end either. Usually, there is some growth on both ends and this only had growth on Sailor's end. She's a completely loveable character and I felt like she deserved better than a broody, moody guy like Ryan. However, I love Brooklyn's writing style. I think she writes in a very emotional and light way so that you get the characters. I just didn't like Ryan. I tried. I had 3 books that kind of had me in a book funk of bad heroes. I usually don't read reviews about books I'm reviewing because I don't want to be biased but I was really torn on this book and needed to see if others were as well. I was glad to see that others were having the same internal dialogue with themselves and saying the same things about the hero as me. One of their big complaints was that he was too moody and that was mine as well. I hate it when I'm torn as to what I'm going to write but I don't read other reviews until after mine has been written. This book was okay for me but I'll still be reading whatever Brooklyn comes out with next. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Hot for the Fireman by Gina L. Maxwell My rating: 2 of 5 stars Ex-Army Ranger Erik Grady lives for the job. So when his chief at the Boston Fire Department offers him two choices—mandated therapy for supposed PTSD or a permanent desk job at the station, he reluctantly agrees to see a shrink. Only this doctor is unlike anything he expected. Female and curved in all the right places? Check. Hotter than a four-alarm fire? Check. The kind of woman that can heat his blood in and out of bed? Check, check. And oh, yeah, he just happens to have first hand experience... Of all the men to walk into psychologist Olivia Jones' office, why did it have to be him? Her one-night stand isn't playing by the rules of just. One. Night. She’s had her heart broken in the past, and no way is she going there again. And now he's blackmailing her into three dates? Well, if that's what it takes to make him see a different therapist, fine. She can handle it. So what if the chemistry between them is combustible? She's a professional, damn it. She'll date Mr. I'm Too Sexy For My Bunker Pants. But it won’t end in the fun he expects. It’s time to see how much heat this fireman can take... Wait. A. Minute. WTF? She's a therapist and he's her patient???? I can tell you, in all honesty, that this is FICTION for a reason....because it doesn't happen. Your one-night stand doesn't show up in your office to have therapy and if he does then you just tell him to mosey along. You don't let him blackmail you. I run a psychology practice and we don't hop into bed with our patients - it's unethical...it's not done. It's not worth losing your license over. Did I say it's unethical? I'm all for suspending reality in a book because it's...well fiction, but this just chapped my hide. For starters, it's taking advantage of someone who is already in a precarious position. A therapist is in a position of "authority" if you will. They are supposed to be your "safe place" and your place of refuge, not your place of sexy time. Now, I'm really at a loss of how to write this review without sounding like a harpy on a soapbox. So, I'll just tell you. At 15% they are on top of each other - Really???? How many question marks can I add? I know that Olivia went out with him for 3 dates because he's blackmailing her in the book, but...no! He's your patient!! I think the therapist needs a therapist. It doesn't take a degree in Psychology to say the therapist needs a therapist and the only reason that Gina gets 2 stars is because she was spot on in the way PTSD attacks patients. Also, because I'm sure there are therapists out there that fall for their patients. However, for the most part, it isn't after one visit and they don't make bets with their patients because it isn't therapeutic. My head is exploding writing this review...like popping off. I had to finish the book because the whole time I'm sitting there thinking "seriously, I can't put it down and not see the happily ever after on this train." So, imagine with me five years down the road, the therapist has another patient who's a sexy cop and wants to rehabilitate him....Hey, it's another book idea, y'all!! Okay, I just can't...like keep going. So, I'll just end it here. If you love this type of book, you'll buy it and if you don't...don't. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Meant for You by Michelle Major My rating: 5 of 5 stars Single mom Jenny Castelli has a temper to match her red hair. When the former mean girls of her high school insult her son, Jenny fires off a big lie—that she’s engaged to a rich, handsome guy and is bringing him to their ten-year reunion. Now she needs to find the perfect fake fiancé for one night. And only one man fits the bill. Geek turned tech entrepreneur Owen Dalton already had his heart broken by Jenny Castelli. Still, he finds himself agreeing to her proposition—even as he struggles to remember that the chemistry sparking between them isn’t real. But when Jenny’s ex makes a play for custody and Owen is forced to deal with the family who always treated him as “second best,” their arrangement suddenly becomes very personal. And that lie they’ve been telling everyone? It isn’t nearly as big as the one they’ve been telling themselves. My favorite romance books are those where there are "fake fiance's" and kids involved. I will put this on my reread shelf. Owen is kind of a sad guy to me. His whole life he's been this dorky kid who's wanted to be accepted by his parents or specifically his dad and he just never felt like he measured up. He's always been the smart one. His younger brother's always had his dad's attention and love. His fiance left him for his brother because she thought he was the better catch. To me, I'd rather have brilliantly sexy over just "plain handsome" any day, but that's my opinion. Owen's brother is a total tool in this book, and I disliked him to the point, I wanted him to beat him with his golf clubs (you'll see the part of the book where they play golf) but alas he didn't. Jenny was a frustrating character because part of me wanted to slap her and the other part wanted to hug her. She's so smart, but part of her is just dumb for letting Owen go in the first place. They have excellent chemistry together, and Owen would do anything for her. For Jenny to betray Owen once, I was like "okay she's running from her feelings!" When she goes to do it again, I was about to throw my kindle to the side and pick up a paperback. There were a couple of twists and turns I didn't see coming in this book, and when they were revealed, I was like...HOLY MOSES!! I'm so used to books that have this "Big Reveal," and then it's something on the Heroine's side that when they revealed on Owen's side, I was left with WTF? Overall, I fell in love with the characters and would like to see Connor grow up and have his own book...Hint Hint! He stole this book. His "real" dad who showed up for a bit part was such a creeper and I know we have to have those types of characters in books but...uh, just put creeper dad and tool brother in a boat and ship them out to shore!! I haven't read Michelle before, but I'll be picking up any previous books of hers and anything she writes after this because I really thought this was a cute read. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews The Attraction of Adeline by Lisa Wells My rating: 5 of 5 stars Adeline Rigby will live with Accountant Jack Foster and pretend to be his fake fiancée for one month in order for him to seal a promotion to partner. In return, Accountant Jack Foster will intimately tutor Adeline Rigby in French before she leaves for Paris where she will fulfill her dream of attending Le Cordon Bleu. The Terms: 1. Maintain distance. Three get-to-know-you dates before announcing their engagement will be tempting enough. 2. No kissing. Okay, fine. Three kisses. Maybe four. And neck kisses don’t count. 3. No touchy feely stuff. Or at least not too many public displays of touchy-feely stuff. 4. No sex. 5. All right, all right. One night of sex in order to be a believable engaged couple. 6. Two nights of mind-blowing sex to make sure first night wasn’t a fluke. 7. Absolutely, positively, no falling in love. I really liked this book. The premise is one of those that's "been there and done that" but the actual book was great. The writing was stellar, and the characters were well fleshed out and funny. I would describe Adeline in one word - Aspergers. The girls got serious social skill issues. She says the wrong things at the wrong times, and she does the wrong things at the wrong times. I was sitting there reading and counting on my fingers all the symptoms of Aspergers she had. She reminded me of Temperance from Bones. Her directness and sometimes bordering on rudeness - that she didn't mean. I found this book refreshing! Jack, Oh Jack!! You are the perfect man! Dude kept me reading all night. If there were an accountant like Jack in our town, well he'd have our business. He was sweet, funny, sexy and did I mention sexy? I did, didn't I? He meets Adie while she's dancing on a stripper pole and knocks herself out...Jack being the great guy he is and also being the responsible brother of Adie's best friend - get's manhandled into watching Adie by said sister. What starts out as a night of watching a concussed Adeline, turns into a proposal for a fake fiancee for his accounting firm. Craziness, sadness, and outright hilarity ensue between these two and make this an absolute gem of a book for me. I would definitely pick up another novel written by Lisa Wells in a heartbeat. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Sex in the Sticks by Sawyer Bennett My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wake up and feel the wood! In the first of a series of irresistible standalone romances from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett, a city girl rediscovers love and lust in the Alaskan wilderness. Valentine French may be the sassiest dating columnist in New York City, but the abundance of metrosexuals in her adopted metropolis is seriously cramping her style. Where are the beefy all-American boys? Hoping to find some inspiration, Val heads to Alaska, where the men outnumber the women fifteen to one and wrestle grizzly bears for sport. Or so she can only imagine. Suddenly the most eligible bachelorette in a town full of horny lumberjacks, Val is writing her best columns ever. But if she doesn’t get her nose out of her laptop, she just might miss out on Mr. Right. Logan Burke is the sheriff of the little podunk town that Val finds so charmingly backward. He’s not that different from the guys she’s using for her little experiment; it’s just that one date would never be enough for Logan. As he listens to Val complain about love over beers in the local tavern, he realizes that she can’t see the forest for the trees. Because if she would ever give up her Prada bags and fourteen-dollar martinis, Logan would give her the only luxury that matters: his heart. I love all of Sawyer Bennett's books, so when I saw that she had a new book out - I jumped at requesting it. I didn't think that I would get it and when I did, I got right to reading. It's unlike all her other books. It's not about hockey; it's standalone, it's not a suspense. It's just a heartwarming book about a guy and girl who meet and fall in love. You might be thinking that that's boring, but it's anything but boring! It's about Logan, who's a Sheriff of this podunk town in Alaska. He's what you would describe as an all-around hot guy. He's six foot six of hotness and Valentine is interested in getting to know him on a deeper level. She's used to dating "metrosexuals" who are more interested in dating their phone than dating her, so for her to give up New York and move to Alaska, it's a huge step. It's a step that she's more than enjoying because of all things that are different there - the men being the main thing. She wants to date around and compare New York men to Alaska men, but she didn't count on Logan blowing all of her ideas out of the water. She also didn't want to share their relationship with the world on her blog. She wants to keep that to herself, so she takes her blog on hiatus. All good things must come to an end, especially when the good sheriff finds out about Valentine's blog. What happens when a couple of misunderstandings come between two people that are surely meant to be together? Check out Sawyer Bennett's new release and 5 star read!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rae Wallace would rather drown in a vat of pinot greezh and be eaten by her own beagle than make another trip down the aisle--even if it is her best friend's wedding. She's too busy molding the minds of first graders and polishing that ol' novel in the drawer to waste time on any man, unless it's Jason Segel. But when her be-fris stage an intervention, Rae is forced to give in. After all, they've hatched a plan to help her find love the 21st century way: online. She's skeptical of this electronic chlamydia catcher, but she's out to prove she hasn't been too picky with men. However, when a familiar fella's profile pops up--the dangerously hot substitute teacher from work (Nick)--Rae swipes herself right into a new problem... This was a complicated book for me to rate and read. On the one hand, I could relate to it, but on the other hand, I felt at times like instead of the main character being in her thirties, she was in her twenties. I love a book about internet dating and dating disasters, but this kind of fell flat for me. I think it was all the internal dialogue going on in Rae's mind that had me going "uh is this book going to end?" I also had a problem with the fact that there was cheating in this. Not with the main character, but a side character and it was made to seem like it was okay because when you're married a long time, you have a lot of children and things get hard - cheating happens! Well, I have news for you...my parents have been together for 43 years, and they've never cheated and had plenty of tough times. I guarantee that if one of them did cheat, it wouldn't be handled with a paragraph, a wink, and some guilt and that's all. I have issues with books like these. There should be just a cheating warning at the beginning because come to think of it, Rae's first relationship breaks up because the guy is married. So yeah...married, cheated, divorced and cheat some more. The only saving grace was that they threw Nick in the book and he was a kind-hearted, substitute teacher at the school Rae taught at and he was also a stripper. Yep, they had everything in this book lol!! Anyhow, if you've read the author before and like her books you'll read this one. I might read another book by her because I don't judge all books by an author by just the one. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews
Hard Limits by Elle Aycart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Nico Grabar, head of one of the most ruthless cartels in the world, is in the last stretch of a two-year nightmare, his agenda extremely busy. He has a criminal organization to run. A cover to maintain. A promise to fulfill. Too bad he’s bleeding to death in the middle of nowhere, about to meet his maker on a deserted street. A fitting ending to a bleak existence, really. When a beautiful Vintage bride with raccoon eyes and a choke collar, covered from head to military boots in blood, came to him. It looked like the Grim Reaper had gotten a makeover just for him. What an honor. Who finds a frigging drug lord in serious need of resuscitation while coming back from a bachelorette party at the wee hours? Paige, aka magnet for psychopaths, of course. The Goth waitress at Rosita’s has already survived a major asshole, narrowly escaping with her life. The last she needs is to have to play Nightingale to a dangerous kingpin. What if he dies on her? Or worse; what if he doesn’t? What do you do when you find out that Elle Aycart has a new book in the Bowen series coming out? You request an ARC copy!! What do you do when said author IM's you and asks for your Kindle email address? You throw your kindle off the bed and squeal like a fourteen-year-old girl fangirling over a teenage boy. That's what you do! I literally put all books to the wayside and hers to the front because I love the Bowen novels. Who doesn't? I mean, each one just gets better and better. This one is about Paige and Nico. He's not a Bowen man, but it doesn't matter because he's ALL Alpha. He's also got it bad for Paige. If you read the last book - Jacked Up then you'll remember Nico in that book. I fell in love with him in that book. I loved the way this one starts off...it jumps right off into some action and just keeps going. I loved the dynamic between Nico and Paige. It didn't feel forced or stale at any time. I loved that we got to see all the characters from previous books. For it coming in at just 163 pages per Goodreads, it had surprisingly a lot of information. I'm picky about my heroes and heroines and at no point did I feel like Paige was a weak character. She kicks major butt at one point, and Nico lets her, but he also takes things out of her control and becomes the "Alpha" we all know and love. Elle Aycart reminds me of Kristen Ashley and vice versa, they both know how to write strong male and female leads. It's amazing to me that she can give a loud voice to a character, that I can potentially see other authors giving a weak voice too. That's not an easy feat as a writer to take the road less traveled. Read the book - I think it's important if you're a survivor of domestic violence that you know that you're not alone and that you don't have to continue to be a victim. There is quite a bit of sex in this book so that I wouldn't recommend for anyone under the age of 18. The language wasn't as bad as some novels out there today. The overall quality is exceptional. I found the formatting and editing to also be above board. I'm a picky reader and editor at times, so I go into a book the first time around and speed read through it. The second time I read through it, is totally for editing and formatting issues. I didn't find any formatting issues whatsoever on the Kindle version for this book. Anyone that loves Elle's books will love this one and this is definitely a reread book for me!! I cannot wait for the next one that comes out, whether it be the OG or the Bowen series...I'm there!! View all my reviews Falling Hard by Pamela Clare My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Gold Star wife alone… Ellie Meeks promised her pilot husband that if he was killed in combat, she would live her life to the fullest. Three years later, she is still alone, raising the twins he never met. She has no interest in dating or meeting men—until one snowy night when a stranger helps her get her sick kids safely home. That stranger turns out to be a former Army Ranger and a member of the elite Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He’s also tall, rugged… and irresistibly sexy. All it takes is one kiss… Jesse Moretti came to Colorado to get Iraq out of his head, using the adrenaline of extreme sports and high-risk mountain rescues to keep his mind off the past. But getting involved with Ellie might be the riskiest thing he’s ever done. It’s not just their explosive chemistry. There’s something about Ellie that gets inside him, opening him to feelings he’s tried hard to ignore. When passion ignites… Ellie feels alive in Jesse’s arms and happier than she ever thought she’d feel again. But their relationship comes at a price for him, and soon Ellie sees that she must help Jesse fight the demons of his past to protect the love of a lifetime—and save the heart of a hero. I never really look at book covers when picking a book because you can have the best book cover and have the worst book ever but....OMG this book just gave me all the feels. I am a sucker for veteran heroes. I love a great storyline that has a hero who was in Iraq. When he comes home and has to fight some inner turmoil (I secretly pick those novels for pure enjoyment purposes!), I looked at the cover of this book and probably flipped past it six or seven times because the dude on the cover is HOT!! I don't know who he is, but I could drool over him all day...with a bucket and some sponges! He's what I picture Jesse to be and did I mention - He's hot? Cause he is. Ellie and Jesse have some electric heat and not the kind in an electric blanket y'all! It's the kind that sets your skin to blazing and makes you realize that you want a Jesse. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this a couple of weeks after I read it and I'm thinking of reading it again...cause I want to and not because I have to. A couple of thoughts about this book: It's why I love Pamela Clare so darn much in the first place. That girl can write!! She makes her characters loveable, and you can relate to them. Living in a military town, I can see so many of our men and women in uniform going through what these two went through in the book. They're a lot of widowed combat veterans out there that lost their spouses while they were pregnant or had children and haven't moved forward with their lives...they're still stuck where they were when the Military officials came and notified them that their spouse was killed in action. Every day I see veterans walk in and out of our office who suffer from PTSD, it's a real diagnosis, with real suffering. Sometimes, the men and women who suffer from it, do so in silence because they don't feel that they have anyone to talk to but that's why it's so great that authors are writing about it. It's a very debilitating disease and disorder and if not helped, can make the veteran who suffers from it feel even more isolated from society. The way that Pamela Clare portrays both the hero and heroine in the book just made me, as someone who works in the mental health field...proud of the way she portrayed both of them. She didn't make them weak characters, and she didn't make them so proud that they looked like they didn't have faults. She showed that they were "real" characters. If you can get so lost in a book that you "feel" the characters are real, then as an author you've done a great job. Excellent job. I'll not spoil the book because you have to pick this one up for yourself. If you or someone you know have PTSD, you owe it to them and to yourself to read this book!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Delayed Call by Toni Aleo My rating: 5 of 5 stars Vaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders. As the staff reporter for the Assassins, she balances her high-profile job and its heavy travel schedule with being the sole provider for her adult brother with Down syndrome. Sure, she'd like to find love. But who has time for that when there are bills to pay? Brie has been the match to Vaughn's gasoline since the day she first held out her microphone to him. They strike sparks off each other, keeping their friends, the team, and the Assassins fans in stitches. Brie’s refusal to fawn over Vaughn sets his teeth on edge and his blood boiling. Especially in that body part... Brie's been let down by love before, but she knows she deserves nothing less than real, forever love. Vaughn's past has left deep, hidden scars, and there are some secrets he cannot bear to reveal. As much as Brie wants him, Vaughn may be too big a risk for her wary heart to take. But he is at his best under pressure. When the delayed call is in effect and he has no choice but to score, Vaughn always delivers. I absolutely love this series! I'm an avid hockey fan, and I've read all of the books in this series so when I say that they keep getting better and better - that's a compliment to the author. I love when a story doesn't just throw hockey in there as an afterthought. So many books nowadays do that as a trope, and I hate that because hockey is an excellent sport. It's not talked about as much as football and basketball, but it's just as hard to play and just as fun to watch. When you write about it - you need to know what you're talking about because real fans will pick up on something as inconsequential as what icing is or slicing. What I love about Toni Aleo is that she comes from a hockey background and knows how to write it. You can tell she's gone to games and she's studied the in's and out's of the sport. Reading about Vaughn and Brie, I could just imagine every scene in my head as it was happening and at no point did I feel like putting this book down to pick up another one. If a book can keep my attention for hours, then it's a fabulous book. The things that came out of Vaughn's mouth, I could see a hockey player saying because I've been around them and heard them talk. It's something that you're left going "Did he really just say that?" Every book I read of Toni's, I'm left with this feeling of "how can she get better than this?" It's a difficult question because her books are that good and that spot on. I loved the way that she worked in how do you deal with having a sibling that has Down Syndrome? It's a touching and thought-provoking scenario that not many authors want to tackle. They would rather throw a lot of sex into a novel and call it a plot. Toni doesn't do that...she has a slow build up and a lot of plot which I found refreshing. Buy this book and settle in for a great read. Each book is a stand-alone but I would recommend the whole series just because they're all good books. I would say this is probably my favorite of hers so far in the series. I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews My rating: 5 of 5 stars Audra Madison simply wanted to walk in the shoes of Emily Cavanaugh, a free-spirited teenager who died too young. After all, Audra wasn’t supposed to be here. Thanks to Emily, Audra has a second chance at life. She’s doing all the things that seemed impossible just two years ago: Go to college. Date. Stargaze in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe get a tattoo. You know, live. Jake Cavanaugh, a photographer with mysterious, brooding gray eyes, agrees to help chronicle her newfound experiences. She makes him laugh, one of the only people who can these days. As they delve into each other’s pasts – and secrets – the closer they become. But she’s guarded and feels like she can’t trust anyone, including herself. And he’s struggling with the fact that his beloved sister’s heart beats inside her. This book was so heart-wrenching for me that I found myself looking back on my life and seeing so many things that I wish I had done differently. It's one of those books that you read and you really think to yourself "How can I be a better person and live my life to the fullest?" I don't want to be an introvert anymore who sits on the sidelines and doesn't interact with people. People see me and they think I'm outgoing but the truth is...I have intense Social Anxiety Disorder and this book for me made me really approach my "illness" head-on because life is short. Time waits for no man. I loved the characters in this book and when a book makes you stop and look at your own life...it's a good book. Jake is an awesome hero because he's damaged and broken because he lost his sister. Audra has Jake's sister's, heart. This book reminded me of the movie Return to Me with Minnie Driver and OMG, I loved that movie (PICK IT UP!!) Seriously, this book had me crying and while first-person books are really hard for me to read, I'm starting to love them. You will absolutely adore this book from Lindsey! She is on my List of Authors to look out for. Audra received a heart transplant from a young girl and when she's given the option to know who the donor is, she sends a letter with a request. She would like to complete her "Done it list" on Instagram. She finds out that Jake is on campus with her and chooses to approach him to ask him to complete the list with her. Will he help her? You’ll definitely need some tissues with this book, if not the whole box! In my opinion, she knocked it out of the park with this book. What you’ll take away from this book is to live every moment like it’s your last because it might be. Live it to the fullest. Love the ones you’re with and tell them that you love them. Don’t let fear be your guide. Make your own list and live it out. I couldn’t recommend this book more!! I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's. View all my reviews Changing Lanes by Leaona Luxx My rating: 5 of 5 stars Change. It's change and how well you handle it which defines a person. Three times in my life, I have been faced with such changes. Once when I was fourteen. Again, at eighteen. And now again at twenty-eight. Twice, she was there. Ten years ago, I gave up everything, including her. At the time, it was the right thing to do, for both of our sakes. Walking away from her isn't what I wanted, it's what had to be done. Now, she's here. People like me don't always get second chances, this happens to be mine. That's if she'll have me. If she'll accept why I left and the fact, she'll always be second. You see, I have a secret. It could change everything when she learns the truth. She may be the one walking away this time. We're about to find out. ****************************************** I actually wasn't asked to review this book from anyone...I just picked it up because I wanted to read something that was different from what I'd been reading. I was intrigued by the blurb and after reading the intro that they give you on kindle unlimited, I decided to buy it. I did not know that the same book I was getting ready to read was from the same author I would meet a couple of weeks from then. OMG!! I held myself together but really y'all...I was astounded that I didn't hop over her table and mob her. I wanted to buy ALL her books but I reserved myself to this one because it was the first one and only one I've read so far. It holds a very special place in my heart because it was not only my first book from this author (who by the way is awesome!!) but my first conference. I cried, I laughed, and I even wanted to throw my kindle at the wall a couple of times because of the absolute stupidity of Torrie sometimes...hindsight is always 20/20. I wanted to reach through and shake her and go "GIRL....please just ask Brannon about what happened!!! For the love of God, if you don't stop throwing it up in his face every 5 seconds - He needs to run yo tail over." I was seriously saying that and a bunch of people who know me so well are shaking their heads because....they know me. Brannon - Dude had the patience and heart of a saint. I think I would have seriously buried her body on my ranch...probably halfway through and called it a day. But, then that would have been the end of the book! I hated Torrie's dad - I kind of kept hoping that he'd get hit by a semi, but that just NEVER happens or a bird would just crap on his head at the closing ceremony at the Hotel opening but nada...no poop!! As a side note, working in mental health has taught me about women like Ava...Jesus help us for those types of women and y'all know if you're reading this and you've read the book if you're an Ava. I have this mental pic in my head of her and it's just crazzzy eyes lol. Leaona did this book an awesome justice and I'll definitely be reading her other books!! Pick it up and if you don't...then you're crazy!! |
|