Tag Archives: Best of 2018

5 stars, Book Review

Mick by Jennifer Vester Review!

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arcblurbmickIn a city without justice, sometimes doing the wrong thing may be the right thing to do. Welcome to Kingston, a city of corruption, crime and greed.

Mick, now a fallen man, returns home after a tragic incident that haunts him. With the events of his past plaguing him he’s a broken man. Troubled by his memories, he knows that life will never be the same.

Alisa had her own agonizing journey in life. Her family rules the city through any means. When she moves home, her future seems decided, but she’s always known what it meant to be a King.

He’s a lonely haunted man. She’s the light to his darkness. A chance meeting and it all begins…

In this suspenseful, passionate story, two people will have to fight for their future, in a city that will test the truth of their convictions. Love has a cost, and only sacrifice will show the way.

— Goodreads — Amazon —

aboutheauthor29512396_1200506436747627_5896820014052574436_nJennifer Vester is a romance author whose ambition is to entertain readers with off-beat female characters and theover-the-top alpha men that love them.

Her books revolve around romantic suspense with a little something for every reader. Always an HEA….(but look out for those twists!) It’s romance suspense after all.

The Lakefield series deals with some very serious subjects at times.

— Facebook — Vester’s Vixens — Newsletter  —   Website — Goodreads — Amazon —

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Every time I read one of Jennifer’s books, I’m blown away. Truly. Reading the Lakefield series in succession, I saw Jennifer’s way with words go from great to amazing. In Mick I was left broken, with my pieces stitched back together, left hanging by a thread. I connected with Mick on a level I hadn’t with anyone in her other books. Although Brock will always be mine (hah S Van Horne had to give up her boys so I’m claiming him), Mick broke my heart.

We all got snippets of Mick in the last of the Lakefield series, though you don’t have to read those books before this one I HIGHLY SUGGEST IT, but that was before he was broken. We got little bits of the cold man, but that was before his soul was left withered and dried up. There was nothing he could do, nothing anyone could do, to breathe life into his life. There was no light to his darkness, no saint to his sinner.

…Until Alisa stumbles into his lap. From the first, they have a pull towards each other. As much as Mick wants to stay away, he can’t. And he doesn’t want to. Besides the fact, Alisa wouldn’t let him. She may have been sweet, choosing to see the good in everyone, but she got what she wanted too. And what she wanted was Mick.

This was darker, grittier, bloodier than I had been expecting (I’m lying, I totally stalk Jennifer’s updates so I was expecting the darkness), but it was so amazingly well written, you end up rooting for the bad guys. Because this isn’t like Lakefield, where the guys toe the line and sometimes blur it to their advantage. Mick is a bad guy. Alisa sees it, accepts it, loves him despite the demons that hold him back.

Everything about this book felt natural. The progression, the emotion, the bonds that were created. It was the definition of “page-turner”. If you’ve read my other reviews of Jennifer’s books, you know I dubbed her the Queen of Plot Twists… she doesn’t disappoint here either. Every time you think you’ve got something figured out, she twists it up on you, leaving you like one of Pavlov’s dogs, drooling at the sight of a new release.

And if you’re looking for a dark book that can make your glasses fog… look no further. Alisa and Mick burn the sheets in ways that had me reaching for a little paper fan in the middle of the night.

This book has it ALL.

mick45star
**All images are from freeimages.com and pexels.com and all fonts are from CreativeMarket.com. For more info on the fonts and images used, please email caitscreatures@gmail.com**
5 stars, Best of 2018, Book Review

Piece of Work by Staci Hart Review

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newarcbannerblurbpieceofworkMarble isn’t the only thing that’s hard at this museum.

His body is as chiseled as Adonis. His lips are as sculpted as David. And his ego is the size of the Guggenheim.

You know the type—wolfish smile and the gravity of a black hole. The kind of man who sucks all the air from the room the second he enters it. My cocky boss thinks this internship was wasted on me, and he doesn’t hesitate to let me know.

But he’s wrong, and I’m going to prove it to him. If I can stay away from his devil lips, that is. Lips that cut me down and kiss me in the same breath, leaving me certain he’s on a mission to ruin my life.

And maybe my heart.

— Goodreads — Amazon (Coming Soon) —

authorstacihartStaci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom to three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, even though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey, and her favorite word starts with f, ends with k.

From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north in Denver, until they grew a wild hair and moved to Holland. It’s the perfect place to overdose on cheese and ride bicycles, especially along the canals, and especially in summertime. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, gaming, or designing graphics.

Stay connected!
— Goodreads — Facebook — Snapchat: @quirkybird — Instagram — Reader’s Group — Website —

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Piece of Work was a novel full of laughter, finding your own person, as well as diversity. It was full of love and pain, mixed in with sass and attitude, and finding the way to become the person you want to be while staying true to who you are. It was a novel that had so much in it besides just finding love, that my head is full of both Renaissance work and also life lessons. I highlighted so many quotes in this book, not only the sweet ones filled with love, but also the ones that broke my heart. I highlighted the ones I wanted to remember forever.

In romance, it’s often hard to find books that don’t feature the typical white female and white male. I’ve found I mostly read white girls meeting white boys. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just true. To read this novel, and see a six foot Asian girl, who’s smart as hell, and her roommates that are everything in between, and it was awesome! Rin lives with her three roommates, who are all varying degrees of shy and anti-social, but so incredible in their own ways.

Rin is almost done with her PhD when we meet her, and she got an internship at the Met to complete it. We see her in the beginning as an insecure girl, trying to hide herself in clothes that don’t fit. Throughout the novel we see her bloom into a woman confident in her height and her intelligence, with new clothes and a new attitude about how to handle life. Not for Court Lyons, no for herself which makes gives the confidence in her clothes and her abilities as a future curator, that much more strength.

When we meet Court Lyons, he is closed off to relationships, both for friendships and for love. He is focused on her career, and definitely not looking for a woman to match him in both wits and art history. Throughout the novel, we see him make his own self discoveries, including that he is turning out to be the person he most despises: his father. We watch him find a woman that arouses him physically and mentally. He falls for Rin’s brain before her body, and the confidence she finds to not only stand up for herself, but put herself first. This pushes Court to reevaluate his life, to become the best person he can be.

This is going to go down as one of my favorites for 2018! As my first of Staci’s work, I am in absolute love!

pieceofwork15star

5 stars, Best of 2018, Book Review

Between the Raindrops by Sydney Logan Review

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newarcbannerblurbcovercomingsoon**Official cover reveal is May 12th**

Seventeen-year-old Scout Ramsey’s life is a mess. With a dead father and a junkie mom, she can’t imagine things can get worse.

Then her mother tries to sell her for a bag of meth.

After her mom’s arrest, Scout’s forced to switch schools in the middle of senior year. Scared and alone, she pours her heart into her journal and dreams of the day she turns eighteen.

For Wyatt Campbell, senior year is predictable purgatory. Then the new girl steals his seat in history class, and suddenly, school’s not so bad. They bond through their love of music, and Wyatt finds himself falling hard for the journal-loving girl with the sad blue eyes.

Wyatt’s heard the rumors. He knows Scout’s had it rough.

He’s determined to be the one thing in her life that’s easy.

In this captivating teen novel, Sydney Logan weaves a touching story that tackles the heartbreak of addiction, the power of forgiveness, and the wonders of first love.

— Goodreads — Amazon —

authorsydneyloganSydney Logan writes heartfelt romances that feature strong women and the men who love them. In addition to her novels, she has penned several short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul. She is a Netflix junkie, music lover, and a Vol for Life. Sydney and her husband make their home in beautiful East Tennessee.

To learn more about Sydney and her books, visit her online,

— Facebook — Amazon — Facebook — Goodreads — Website —

reviewbetweentherain

I’ve always stayed away from YA. I’ve always found the characters hormonal and annoying. Even when I was in high school, reading the intense emotions, the life or death feelings, for something so small was always annoying. So, I skipped over the majority of young adult romances and fiction. However, I read the blurb for this book and knew I wanted to read it, despite the characters being in high school. I haven’t read Sydney Logan before, so this sure was one hell of an introduction to her writing.

Scout is so amazingly strong. When her world falls apart, and literally too- not just the “I’m going to die, my life is ruined” feeling you have when you’re 17- she does her best to pick herself up off the floor. When her life seems to get worse instead of better, she tries to look for the future instead. She counts down the days until she’s eighteen, instead of focusing on the storm brewing around her.

Wyatt is such a good guy. The teenager in me is totally in love with him. Once he’s of age, that boy is mine. He finds himself curious about Scout, while also wanting to protect her. Since they have almost every class together, it works out well when they’re in school, and when they’re at work (since they work together too). The only time he can’t protect her is when she’s at her uncle’s house, though he does everything he can to try to get her at his house…

And Wyatt’s family, though worried about how obsessive and possessive he is of Scout, open her with arms wide open. They don’t judge her for her mother’s past, or for the situation she found herself in. Wyatt’s parents and sister become her family, and it is so beautiful. You find yourself rooting for Wyatt and Scout as much as you do for Scout and her second family, the one she chose. And when she has to chose between a rock and a hard place, she makes the decision you hate she has to make, but know she has to do it.

But I kept wanting to cry out for Scout. HOW MUCH CAN ONE GIRL GO THROUGH?! God, every time I turned the page I kept hoping for everything to be ok, even though I knew her problems couldn’t magically disappear. Scout, though, I think is much stronger than me. Every time, every single time, she is knocked down in her life, she gets back up and is stronger than before. Any way I could petition for this to be a series? Following these two to college? Or how about an extended epilogue- one where they’re happily married? *Enter crying gif here*

betweentherain15star

5 stars, Best of 2018, Book Review

Voyeur by Fiona Cole Review

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blurbvoyeurI didn’t know she was my student the first time I paid to watch her at Voyeur.

Once she walked into my classroom, another smiling college freshman, I knew I should stop going. Stop watching.

But I couldn’t do it. Everything about her makes me want more, and once I realize she wants me too, the temptation becomes irresistible.

The worst part is that she has no idea her professor is the one watching behind the glass.

I just have to hope that once she finds out the truth, she wants the same thing I do. Because now that I’ve seen all of her, I can’t look away.

— Goodreads — Amazon —

author

29872499_1945047725537165_8521270309032165253_o.jpgI never imagined I would ever write a book. I wasn’t even really a reader until the age of twenty. But I picked up a romance and that was it for me. I fell in love. And then one day I stepped into this indie world of books and I started writing. Then I wrote enough to keep going. And then I had a book. Sometimes things happen when you least expect it, but it all falls into place. Writing is it for me.

I’m a stay at home mom with a degree in chemistry and biology. I LOVE science. If you get me started talking about biochemistry, it’s all over. I’ll rattle on for days! But I use all that knowledge to take care of my two little girls. Mostly while my husband is away being a soldier.

It’s taken me a long time to get here, but I like it … And I think I might stay a while.

— Goodreads — Amazon — Facebook —

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When I saw this book, I was really nervous. Voyeurism isn’t my thing; it makes me uncomfortable. And this went even further because there are some couple scenes in the book, though they’re faked. I didn’t know this when I went to read it, but I figured there would be couple scenes, which put me off even more because it felt like cheating in my head. So, I didn’t sign up to try to get an ARC, didn’t even plan on reading it, really. But, I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book, from authors and readers alike, so I decided I’d give it a try. Worse thing to happen? It just wasn’t my thing so I wouldn’t finish it; wouldn’t leave a review or anything because just because it wasn’t what I was into didn’t mean it was a bad book.

But holy hell, thank you Jennifer Vester for telling me how good it was, and thank you Fiona Cole for writing this book. I was sucked into the taboo of someone watching someone else perform sexual acts, as well as the characters in the book. Although naughty, I mean hello how can it not be, it was so supremely well written, that I found myself sucked into the world and the lives of Oaklyn and Callum. And God what crazy lives they lead.

I’m not going to put a synopsis of the book, because it’s everywhere, and the blurb covers it quite nicely. When writing a taboo novel, such as teacher and student, and then adding in the voyeurism aspect, there had to be a careful dynamic so no one had more power over the other. Of course, they both thought the other had the power in the relationship, but in reality, they didn’t. And it was SO. WELL. DONE. These two have a distinct friendship that pushes the boundaries of teacher/student, even when you take away the fact that Callum had seen her getting herself off.

There were also sexual awakenings in the book, for Oaklyn and Callum. Oaklyn has to discover her inner strength and sexuality in order to perform for anonymous strangers, and Callum has his own discovery (which I won’t discuss cause hello spoilers!). But Callum is so broken and my heart literally hurts for him. And when he recognizes he’s put all his happiness, his survival, on one person, he recognizes that it’s not fair to her, and has his own reflection on the life he’s lead. So, he goes back to get help for it in order to lead a healthier life, with Oaklyn.

AND LET THE CRYING COMMENCE. So many times I wanted to hug both Cal and Oak, tell them that it was all going to be ok, even when it wasn’t. Individually, these two were HELLA strong, for sticking to what they believe in and also for asking for help and asking the other to communicate even when it was hard to do. Even when they didn’t want to. By the end, I had real tears running down my face. This book was that good.

So yes, I started out reading the blurb and seeing the title and thought “This book isn’t for me.” And no, not everyone will love it, because that’s the nature of people and writing a book that’s dirty (in all the right ways if you ask me), but I implore you to try it. It is so freaking worth it. From beginning to end, it was worth it. I can’t promise you’ll love it, but I KNOW I DID.

(Sorry for the shouty caps)

voyeur15star

5 stars, Best of 2018, Book Review

Perfect Love Story by Natasha Madison Review

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newarcbannerblurbperfect love storyWhen one man’s death exposes a complex web of lies, three couples discover the true meaning of love, loss and redemption.

Hailey 
What do you do when you find out your whole life was a lie?

That your husband really wasn’t your husband but someone else’s.

That the vows you made to each other were simply empty promises.

You pick up and move to the country to start fresh.

When life hands you limes, you make sure you have tequila because your life is about to get stirred up.

Jensen 
Married to my high school sweetheart, the best thing she gave me was my baby girl.

But we weren’t enough for her. I wasn’t enough for her.

The last thing I expected on my birthday was a Dear John letter, but that’s what I got when she upped and left.

Now, it’s just me and my girl against the world till the new girl moves in next door.

Is there such a thing as a perfect love story?

Goodreads — Amazon

author

natasha madisonWhen her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

 

Goodreads — Facebook — Reader’s Group — Amazon

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I don’t know if I hate Natasha, or love her. Every time I read one of her novels I feel like, emotionally, I need ice cream, tissues, and a book that has only laughs and no drama. The best is I’m a sucker for single parent books, and Natasha writes some of the best I’ve ever read. This one included.

The prologue to this book broke me. I wanted to cry when Hailey found out her husband had died. But then his secrets are exposed and I wanted to die. For Hailey. Hailey is strong, and I know she’s a lot stronger than me, because I don’t know what I would have done if I were in her shoes. Her family, her support system, are phenomenal in helping her not only move on from the death of her husband, but also with not allowing her to fall into a depression she wouldn’t be able to get out of. The first step to moving on from Eric is moving out of the house.

Hailey moves into a house that is literally falling apart because the renter, Jensen Walker, has no idea it’s been rented out. His grandmother rented it out, and he hates it. That was the house he, his wife, and his daughter were supposed to live their HEA in. If his wife hadn’t cheated and left him with his daughter. So he’s let the house sit in disrepair because he hates it, and hates that Hailey is renting it. He is a total a-hole to Hailey too, simply because she’s living in the house.

So far, for everyone of my reviews for Natasha Madison, I think I stated that I was wrecked in it. BUT Y’ALL I’M WRECKED. GONE. DEAD. GUTTED. This book was an emotional roller coaster. From wanting to strangle Jensen, to wanting to cry for Hailey, I was all over the place. I wanted them both to be happy, and I wanted Jensen to get his head out of his butt and realize that the best thing ever was RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM. Hailey is kind, caring, forgiving, and she’s also lost. With the help of Jensen, Mila, the Walker clan, the Williams clan, and the ocean, Hailey heals herself. With the help of Hailey, Jensen learns to let go of the bitterness he had towards his ex.

AND THEIR LOVE IS SO AMAZING. Go get this book now. Pre-order it. Set you calendars for the release date (May 1st). I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

CAN.
NOT.
WAIT.

Pink stripes and gold glitter circles seamless pattern. Glamour modern endless texture, background, wallpaper.5star

5 stars, Best of 2018, Book Review

Something So Unscripted

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blurbnatashamadisonZack 
Finding my teammate in bed with my wife made the decision I had been fighting with for years easier.
It’s time to move on.
A fresh start and a new NHL team in a big city. Most importantly, it’s my son Jack’s best shot.
It would be both of our best shots.
Denise 
After a bad childhood, I made sure I would succeed.
The problem is I die a little with each patient I lose. It’s part of my career at Hudson Children’s Oncology Hospital, but it doesn’t make the sting of loss any easier.
Seeking anything other than a life saved isn’t on my agenda until a NHL player walks into my hospital with his son.
We’re officially off script the moment we meet.
If this love is anything, it’s unscripted.

Goodreads — Amazon — B&N — Kobo

authornatasha madisonWhen her nose isn’t buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she’s in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It’s a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn’t listen to her…

 

review
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I am so completely and utterly wrecked by this book. I won a copy of this book in a giveaway (join Madison’s Maniacs for updates and more giveaways ;)) from the amazing Women Who Stare At Books, Yamina. I laughed, I cried, I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt, and I died a little on the inside when this book finished. Single parent books always tug at the heart strings, but this one got me. It got me.

Sports star? Check.
Single dad? Check.
Little boy that’s so loveable you want to hug him and squeeze him? Check.
Evil birth mother? Check.
Heroine that loves the little boy like her own? Check.
Big, epic, crazy families? Check.
Alpha males? Check.
DOUBLE EPILOGUE? Check.

Seriously, does this book need anything else? Besides being turned into a movie? This book was so fantastic, I wish I could give it more than five stars. Zack and Denise were so freaking amazing as individuals, but they come together and it’s indescribable how awesome they are. And God, little Jack makes me weep with how strong he is. I want to be just like him when I grow up.

I read Something So Irresistible in preparation for this book, and read it in like five hours, then immediately picked up SSU and just devoured the whole thing. I stayed up all night to read this book. It is that good.  Natasha Madison has somehow created an alpha male that wants to rip someone’s head off for even thinking about his girl, while also being able to show his emotions without being thought of as weak (and Zack has so many reasons to show how he’s feeling). It was so amazing and wonderful to be able to read about a man crying, and not one iota of teasing from anyone else. They are able to fully, whole heatedly, fall in love and wreck me emotionally in the process.

This has got to be, hands down, one of the best novels I’ve read this year (and I’ve read a ton of amazing books this year). This book will forever stay with me. I will come back to Jack, Denise, and Zack when I’m needing strength, when I need to smile, or when I need to drool over some hockey players (lets go NJ Devils!). I’m begging you, go pick this book up today. Now. Buy it in paperback, ebook, I don’t care. You need to read this book. You need to have Natasha Madison in your life, and you need the Morrows, Grants, Hortons, and Stones in your life. You need the Stingers.
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5star