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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…

 

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reviewperfect love story2

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, Book Review

My review of SWEET BABY JESUS by Gillian Jones

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blurb

mymindseyeRyker

She is the epitome of the girl next door, but with a feistiness that makes my dick throb.
I’m drawn to her like no other. She stirs things in me I have no desire to feel, makes me long for things I shouldn’t.

This is my game. I choose the players. I never play for keeps.

I don’t believe in fate. I make my own destiny. I work hard and play harder. Luck is for pussies, karma for idiots. Me, I make shit happen.

Meeting her fucked up my plan. Threw me off my game.

I’m now face to face with my karma. Her name is Kat Rollins.

Kat

Ryker Eddison is the epitome of a player. You know the type: Mr. Get In and Get Out.

He’s all about the chase, wanting just one night. Everyone knows this, I know this. Still, I find myself craving him, my greedy body betraying what my heart and mind already know: he will only bring me pain.

He’s the guy that girls like me should avoid. I’m smart, I know better. But when I’m with him, I feel things I’ve never felt before. Things I never knew I wanted.

I can’t deny it … I like the chase. The high is explosive but I’m afraid if I give in, I may end up losing more than I can handle: my heart.

Goodreads — Amazon

authorgillian jonesWife, mother, proud Canadian. Shoe addict, red wine connoisseur, lover of laughter and the friendships that cause it. I’m a sucker for those epic romances that steal my breath and leave me always wanting more.

Goodreads — Amazon — Facebook

 

review

mymindseye2

Ok first: JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH, I need to go to CHURCH after reading this book. I curse like a truck driver, but I think Ryker’s got me beat for f bombs. And Lord that man could dirty talk. The amount of times I took the Lord’s name in vain and squealed “OH. MY. GOD” while reading will surely mean a ton of penance for me. I mean JESUS. Kat was a goner before she even realized it.

And I loved every single minute of it.

I’ve read so many good books lately, and I’ve got a TON of reviews I need to get done (including Natasha Madison’s Perfect Love Story which freaking broke me) but instead of doing all the crap I need to do, I read My Mind’s Eye and finished it at 2:30 in the morning and immediately wanted to write this review. That’s how good this book is. I knew when I read Fighting Weight that I loved Gillian Jones. So much so that after one book, I found out she was going to be at the Books by the Bridge event in NYC this year, so I bought my ticket. Literally, just to meet her. (Am I a crazy stalker or is she just that awesome of an author?) So, while procrastinating writing reviews, I decided to grab My Mind’s Eye (which is available on KU-HOLLA). I made a couple mistakes while reading though.

Mistake #1: I was unprepared- so I’m preparing you. Grab your big girl panties, a glass of wine, and settle in for a read that will have you not wanting to put the book down. At all.
Mistake #2: I was expecting a slow burn, and it was, but LORD THESE TWO BURN. Grab yourself a fan too, with that glass-er bottle, of wine because you’re gonna need it. Kat & Ryker fight their attraction to each other for so long, both denying how they’re feeling, that when these two hit the sheets, I’m pretty sure my house could have burned down around me and I wouldn’t have noticed.

Ryker is a huge playboy, not looking to settle down with any one woman. Kat is just dealing with a nasty break up, and looking to relax after dealing with a fire in her dorm the previous year. Ryker freaking growls when he accidentally catches her changing one day (*fans self*) and loses all sense of the English language. Kat pushes him away, not sure she can do the one-and-done thing her best friend thinks will be good for her. Ryker isn’t ready to lose his playboy ways just yet. Though these two fight it, they both end up together when Ryker decides he’s not going to sit around and let someone else take his girl(*sprays water on self*). Ryker is one hell of an alpha male; jealous, possessive, but also caring and supportive of Kat’s dreams. He helps her study and wants her to continue having a good relationship with her friends. Kat is goal oriented, and definitely not a damsel in distress; when Ryker loses his stuff at work, Kat is not afraid to tell him to back off. She may be insecure, but she’s not weak.

In case you couldn’t tell by anything I’ve said previously, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It is so freaking amazing, and it’s safe! By safe, I mean that Ryker isn’t out trying to bang other girls to get Kat off of his mind; and when he does try, Kat seems to be there reminding him of exactly why he hasn’t even wanted to touch another girl since he met Kat. Kat tries to push him out of her mind, and when she does try to get Ryker out, he is right there to remind her that it ain’t happening.

I’m pretty sure I could fangirl over this book ALL NIGHT but you will just have to read it to see. And when you do, message me so we can talk about it. I’m not even kidding.

mymindseye35star

4 stars, Book Review

Keeping 6, Freya Barker Review

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newarcbannerblurbd4416-252312bkeeping2b62bcopyBookstore owner Kerry Emerson finally seems to be back in control of her life. Her failure of a marriage firmly in her rearview mirror and her recent business expansion a success, she is in charge of her own future. One that is looking better than ever.
The sight of the tall man, with the familiar salt and pepper goatee pushing open the door of her store, sets her hair on end. He doesn’t exactly bring good memories.

FBI Special Agent in Charge, Damian Gomez, is just looking for a decent cup of coffee when he walks into the small store offering books and brew. The pretty, feisty woman behind the counter is an unexpected surprise. Not at all unpleasant, especially since her finger that used to hold a wedding ring is now bare.
Her wild hair, boho style and silvery grey eyes suddenly hold a lot of promise. But when his office is pulled into an international investigation into the trafficking of rare books and manuscripts, the straight-laced SAC realizes he has to keep his distance from the woman who might well be involved.

Easier said than done, since fate seems determined to throw them together.

Goodreads — Amazon(Coming Soon)

authorf4a14-publicity2bshotFreya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and some hot, sizzling sex in their lives.

A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down.

She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Goodreads — Amazon — Website — Facebook — Twitter — Instagram — BookBub

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Keeping 6 was my first Freya Barker novel, and it was a doozy. This book was jam packed with action, alpha men, and strong independent women, and a huge dose of crazy. There were twists and turns everywhere. When I was almost at the end I found myself watching the page count going “HOW IS THIS GOING TO BE RESOLVED?!” (RELAX, there’s no cliff hangers here!) I was hooked.

Keeping 6 the story of FBI Agent Damien Gomez and book store owner Kerry Emerson. Damien and Kerry met each other a few years before, when Damien was involved in rescuing Kerry from a crazy kidnapping, but she was married at the time. When Damien stumbles into her new book store in Durango, sparks fly once again, except this time she’s no longer married (thank God, because in that prologue and from what Kerry talked about he sounded like a complete butt head.)

Damien, who is resigned to bachelorhood because of his career, tries to ignore the feelings Kerry evokes in him, which isn’t to hard because Kerry seems to dislike him and is completely rude to him when they see each other again. Kerry just got divorced from an overbearing dirtbag, so has no interest in dating or getting married again. She tries to ignore Damien and the feelings he seems to draw out of her.

These two were like cats and dogs at first. Over time, Damien came to terms with his feelings and became super alpha (hot) and Kerry tried to come to terms with Damien’s alpha macho-ness, but has some super hang ups. At the end, I was in love with these two. I thought Damien’s family was awesome, and he tried so hard to keep Kerry with him all the time, but when it came to his mom he threw her under the bus (typical male). Kerry was hard for me to like. I didn’t read the book where we meet Kerry and find out how she was kidnapped or anything, but reading her in the beginning, I wanted to shake her. She took awhile for me to warm up to. It seemed she was always snapping at people and then apologizing. Heck, she snapped at Damien and then he apologized. I felt sometimes she was in the wrong, and would admit she was, but would let Damien take the blame. I felt she still had to grow up. Her snipping at everyone in the beginning and refusing to allow an inch for ANYTHING, even with the people she loved like her friend Kim, was what really brought this book to 4 stars in my head. It was still a really amazing book, Kerry was just so hard on everyone and everything in the beginning, and even towards the end too.

This was also different for me because I tend to read romances featuring couples in their 20s, or with girls in their 20s. Damien and Kerry, from what I gathered because I don’t remember reading Kerry’s age, were in their 40s. Normally I avoid that, not on purpose, but because I feel like I connect more with characters closer to my age. But I really did love Damien and Kerry, and the story unfolding.
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4star

5 stars, Book Review

Smoldering Heart, the Fleming boys are back!

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blurbsmoldering heartHigh-risk. Something that Madison had been avoiding for the last five years. After the loss of her fiancé years ago she had vowed that dating would never enter her life again.

Being single was safe. No danger. Zero. She had her shop and her dad’s firefighting buddies to take care of to occupy her time. It was enough…most days.

Then he barged in bringing danger with him in more ways than one. Green eyes with a body that fueled fantasies. And oh — that dirty mouth. He would burn her if she let him. All she had to do was resist his looks and the flames he was igniting. Simple, right?

High-risk. Something Owen Fleming had always loved. Bounty Hunter by trade, occasional bodyguard. As long as he kept bad things from happening to good people he was in.

Being single was a choice. He didn’t have time for love with his occupation. The job wore on him more days than not, and he craved a change. It was enough…for now.

Then he met her. It only took one powerful moment. She ignited something in him and made him burn. And now he was on the hunt to possess her while protecting her from the danger he’d brought into her life. She would be his one way or another. Simple, right?

Goodreads — Amazonauthor

Jennifer Vester is a romance author whose ambition is to entertain readers with off-beat female characters and the over-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.

Come follow me!
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Or, join my reader’s group on Facebook:
Vester’s Vixens

Newsletter  —   Website

reviewsmoldering heart2

Oh man I love the Fleming brothers. Have you read the Lakefield series yet? If so, you’ve met Brock, Noah and Owen in Chase, and if you’ve read my review, then you know I love Brock(he’s mine!). After I was traumatized and was recovering from a book hangover from Damage, Jennifer kindly pointed me towards Owen’s book (I also maybe wanted to petition her for the Fleming brothers stories but she was already starting them).

Smoldering Heart is a novella filled with insta-love, self realization, healing, and crazy families. Maddie is still recovering from the loss of her fiance. She’s not mourning his loss per-se, she’s just not sure she can ever love someone the way she loved Jason. Owen has become complacent in his career, which has led to mistakes made. One of those mistakes led to Madison, and a new career path. The moment he sees Madison, his world shifts.

Owen, in true Fleming fashion, goes overboard with trying to get Maddie to realize they would be perfect together. They have ups and downs, which lead to both of them coming to terms with the other, while also compromising on certain things. Owen still tags Madison with the Fleming Family Tracker, which ends up saving her life, so she can’t really be mad when she finds out about it.

In true Jennifer Vester fashion there are some major plot twists, which I loved. We also get to see a softer side to Owen, when he writes letters to Madison to apologize for (some) of his mess-ups. Rachael, Madison’s crazy sister, also adds some humor to the situation because she’s a she-devil, and since Noah wants her tagged too I think she is his love for the next book (which would be SO awesome seeing him try to manage her in his orderly world).

As always, Jennifer kept me smiling from the very first page. There was just enough darkness and heaviness to counteract the ridiculous encounters scattered throughout the book. This was also written in dual-POV, and I loved reading through Owen’s eyes. It brought new depth to the book that I hadn’t seen from her yet. She’s left me anxiously awaiting the next Fleming brother’s book, but also wishing I could meet the Fleming parents that raised three crazy protective brothers.

smoldering heart35star

5 stars, Book Review

CASTIEL IS ALMOST HERE!

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newarcbannerblurbcastiel.jpgWith lies, nothing comes easy.
With lies, love it hard.
With lies, trust is broken.
With lies, comes the deepest
Pain you’ll ever know.
With lies, I’ll own you.

**WARNING** The Adair Empire is a dark and graphic romance that will push your buttons, and maybe your boundaries. Each book contains a new couple but ends with a plot cliff-hanger. Series must be read in order of release.

Release Date: April 24th

 

Goodreads — Amazon — King — Luther

author

kldonn

Krystal is a proud Canadian girl, hailing from Sherwood Park, Alberta. She has a strong dislike for the winter, and a love for spring. Married to her husband Steve, for 13 years, they have 4 beautiful read headed spawns ranging in ages 5-12. She has a strong love of coffee, sarcasm, and wine. (Not necessarily in that order either.)
She has been a published author for over 2 years now. With 9 full length novels (1 unpublished) and a dozen novellas with 3 published, 3 waiting to go into edits, 2 being rebranded, and 1 being extended into a novel.
Krystal loves to write about instalove between couples looking for love. She has a passion for contemporary romance and springs into menage as often as she can.
Currently, she is working on 2 new series, the Adair Empire (with the first 3 books already written). The Adair’s are a whole lot darker, dirtier, and grittier than what her readers are used to, but boy has she had a ton of fun writing them.
The What Happens When series will begin with Anonymous Bride on Oct 19 and continue with untraditional love stories. Bringing you all the good feels, a ton of love, and maybe – if you’re lucky 😉 a surprise baby or two!
With the exception of Anonymous Bride, you’ll be able to find all her books on all platforms!

You can find KL in any of these places! She loves to hear from readers all over the world!!
Contact her in any of these places:
Facebook — Friend — Reader Group — Twitter — Instagram — Email

Or stay up to date with all her latest releases here:
Amazon — Newsletter — Website — Bookbub — D2D release

reviewcastiel1

Castiel Adair is here (well, on the 24th he’ll be here) and he is so awesome y’all are gonna love him. No lie. He was everything I was hoping he would be, and more. I’ve been teased with Castiel with little quotes, but to read them in place and not in teasers on KL Donn’s Facebook was amazing. You guys. I devoured the book in an hour. AN HOUR. I was sucked into Castiel and Talia’s story from the very first page.

As always, the Adair family is rife with depravity and pain. Castiel’s tastes are different than Luther and King, but he’s still messed up. He just happened to find a girl that’s as messed up as he is. Although Talia enjoys everything with Castiel, and wants to take Castiel’s pain, she still brings light to Castiel.

King, Luther, and Castiel, are NOT standalones, and must be read in order (though I messed that up with Luther). The Adair family is a family filled with sick men and women who are loyal to each other. You mess with one of them, you’re getting all of them. And when they get revenge, you better be ready. They are some scary mf’s.

One of my favorite things about this series is that there are two broken people coming together to feed each other their darkness with total acceptance. There are women, Lilith, Ariel, and Talia, who are damaged,  opening themselves up to darkness. They still have the ability to calm the monsters raging within their men, but still love the demons that haunt them. And when it’s time for the women to heal, to finally break the last change that’s been keeping them down, the men make sure their women have that ability, while still keeping them away from too much darkness.

Castiel was amazing, only made me want Atticus that much more (I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL MAY?!?!), and then wait for Carver (JUNE?!?!) and a mysterious sixth novel. I’m trying hard not to be annoying and bug the crap out of everyone because I’m impatient and want everything now (I learned from the best growing up- Angela Pickels and Veruca Salt), and instead be grateful that I have Castiel in my hands. I’m gonna go do a re-read now since all Castiel did was make me want to go back and read from the beginning… but KL Donn has the ability to make me want to read her stories over and over again. And dark romances have always been my favorite…

Just a quick recap: Luther is still mine. Thanks 💋

castiel35star

5 stars, Release Blitz!

IT’S LIVE~THE HARDEST FALL BY ELLA MAISE

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Title: The Hardest Fall
Author: Ella Maise
Genre: Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance
 Release Date: April 18, 2018
Blurb
The first time you meet someone, you make eye contact. You
smile, say hello. Should be simple, if you’re anyone but me. The first time I
met Dylan Reed, I found myself making eye contact with a different part of his
body. You see, I’m very good at being shy, not to mention extremely well-versed
in rambling nonsense and, unfortunately, rather highly skilled at making a fool
of myself in front of a guy I’m attracted to.
At the time, I knew nothing about him and thought none of
what I said would matter since I’d never speak to him again. Turns out, I was
very wrong. He was the star wide receiver of the football team, one of the few
players expected to make it into the NFL, and I ended up seeing him all over
campus.
I might have also propositioned him, run away from him,
attacked him with a cooking utensil…and…uh, maybe I shouldn’t tell you all of
it. It’s pretty normal stuff, things you’d expect…from me. Eventually, the time
came when I couldn’t hide anymore—not that he’d have let me even if I tried.
Before now, he never knew I was secretly watching him. Now
that we see each other every day, he knows when I have a hard time looking
away. It doesn’t help that I’m not the most subtle person in the world either.
He smiles at me and tells me he finds me fascinating because
of my quirks. I can’t even tell him that I think my heart beats differently
whenever he’s around.
He thinks we’re going to be best friends. I think I have a
big thing for him, and the more I get to know him, the more I don’t care that
I’m not allowed to be his friend, let alone fall for him.
The thing is, that’s exactly what I’m doing—what we’re
doing, I think.
Falling.
Hard.

 

 

Purchase Links

 

$2.99 for a VERY limited time!
 
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
 
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Writing has become my world and I can’t imagine myself doing
anything other than giving life to new characters and new stories. You know how
some things simply makes your heart burst with happiness? A really good book, a
puppy, hugging someone you’ve been missing like crazy? That’s what writing does
to me. And all the hard work, all the sleepless nights, all the
anxiety…everything is worth it at the end. And I’m hoping that reading my books
will leave you with that same happy feeling.
Author Links

 

4 stars, Book Review

Corrupt by Jessica Prince Review

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With the release of Defile, the second in the Civil Corruption series, on the horizon, I received a copy of Corrupt in exchange for an honest review.

blurbcorruptGarrett Wilder is rich, famous, and totally bad for me. After one night that ended with me wanting to punch him in his face, the self-absorbed rockstar has become a permanent fixture in my life…
Whether I like it or not.

Now I’m forced to see him every day, and that shield I put up to protect my heart is quickly crumbling to the ground. I’ve gone from hating him to craving him. And the scariest part is that he feels the same.

He wants to know me.
He wants to own me.
He wants to corrupt me.

And if I’m not careful…
I just might let him.

Goodreads — Amazon

authorjessicaprinceBorn and raised around Houston, Jessica is a self proclaimed caffeine addict, connoisseur of inexpensive wine, and the worst driver in the state of Texas. In addition to being all of these things, she’s first and foremost a wife and mom.
Growing up, she shared her mom and grandmother’s love of reading. But where they leaned toward murder mysteries, Jessica was obsessed with all things romance.
When she’s not nose deep in her next manuscript, you can usually find her with her kindle in hand.

To be in-the-know before anyone else, follow along on my website, or join my newsletter.

www.authorjessicaprince.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/_KJ0n

Connect with me everywhere else:
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Instagram: @jessprince_writes
Twitter: @JessPrince2013
Amazon
reviewcorrupt

Here’s to another rock star romance I loved instead of cringed at. I laughed, I wanted to strangle people, and I was heartbroken at the same time. Jessica Prince had me entranced from the very first page, with an added “holy exploding ovaries, Batman” and I was hooked.

Gwen is a character that pulled me in. The prologue details how, while she’s still grieving the loss of her father, she loses her mother to cancer. Because of this, she falls into bed with the drummer of Civil Corruption, Garrett. This girl needs some serious therapy, though, because even after four years of grieving, she’s still holding onto their losses in an unhealthy way.

Garrett doesn’t help though. They fall into bed, and he has his assistant kick her out the next morning. When she finds out she’s pregnant, and tries to get a hold of him, she’s instead pointed in the direction of lawyers and the stupid assistant. Garrett is not like-able in the beginning. He tries to stay involved in his daughter’s life, while still maintaining his rock star status, but he misses the important stuff in Liddy’s life. Don’t confuse it though, he loves his daughter, but he likes being single too.

When the truth of Gwen’s situation comes to light, along with the scheming assistant and manager, Garrett decides he wants a to be more involved in Liddy’s life. Through this, he learns just what an amazing woman Gwen is. While Gwen tries to guard her heart, and rightfully so, she’s still yearning for the family she lost a long time ago. Garrett and Gwen have ups and downs, and a lot more downs, but they come together in a beautiful way.

I wanted to strangle Gwen at times, definitely wanted to smother Garrett, but I loved both of these characters. When Garrett decides he wants his family to be whole, he turns into a rockstar alpha, and seriously, who can resist that? These two had so much learning to do, about each other and about relationships, that I almost feel like they needed couples counseling, to move on from the past and have a better future. While I loved this book, I felt like the ending was wrapped up nicely, but didn’t resolve much? The ending just left me wanting more. Which is good, because Defile releases this year, and now I get to see these two interact from an outsider’s view.

But seriously, if you don’t want to strangle your man at least once a day, do you even love him? KIDDING…

…maybe.

corrupt34star

4.5 Stars, Book Review

Look at your newest mafia obsession.

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newarcbannerblurbbloodandsecretsTake a walk on the wild side with Blood and Secrets. Lovers of Meghan March’s Mount series, Amo Jones’ Devils Own Series and The Elite Kings Club, and Tillie Cole’s Scared Souls series will lose themselves in this story of all-consuming passion, vengence, and dark dealings.

Don’t miss the first installment in a deliciously, seductive new series from author Rose Harper.

I’m dangerous. Calculated. Bloodthirsty.
The perfect motherfucking trifecta of crazy.

The name’s Mateo Calvetti, and Brooklyn belongs to me.
My reach knows no bounds, and I always get what I want.
Including the little gem currently twisting my insides.

She’s been promised to me since birth.
Nothing anyone says will change that.
She will be mine, whether she wants it or not.
I’m going to own her. Consume her. Fuck, I may even keep her.

Yet, something comes to light I never expected in my wildest dreams.
Blood, secrets, and lies all fall around my feet.
Carina Ricci isn’t what she claims to be.
It appears she’s just as fucked up as me.

Come on, baby, let’s make them scream.
Let’s show them what happens when you anger a King and his Queen.

This is volume 1 in Blood and Secrets, and is not suitable for anyone under 18. Some portions of this will be hard to read, so be warned before continuing onward. If you do decide to read, Blood and Secrets #1, just remember: The author is not responsible for any kindle’s being set ablaze from the raw passion and heated moments between a king and his queen.
Release Date: May 1st, 2018

Goodreads — Amazon (Coming Soon)

author29261298_155041311980631_2937846471862517760_n

 Goodreads — Facebook

reviewbloodandsecrets1

I broke my rule again. I fell in love with a book I know I shouldn’t– this book comes with major trigger warnings in case you (like me) didn’t really read the blurb. We all know by know I suck at reading warnings… One of the things I hate in books is abuse of any sort… Yet I want- nay need to see Carina put Mateo, and the freaking world, in it’s place.

Carina is being severely abused by her parents- they why isn’t revealed until the very end and HOLY PLOT TWIST. She has been promised to Mateo, the new boss for the Calvetti family. Even he isn’t sure why the mouse has been promised to him. He was promised a strong woman, a queen, but what he got was a broken woman. Since he has to marry her, he keeps his mistress.

Jerk.

Carina is from another mafia family, that was supposed to have been “trained” to be Mateo’s wife. Mateo takes her from her family when he hears from his informants she’s been in hell instead of training. This hell has broken her- temporarily- and he is furious. Although she’s supposed to listen to whatever Mateo says, she lashes out. This results in abuse (ugh). Not much, but still enough to make me want to shoot Mateo myself.

So why did I keep reading? Because Rose Harper drew me in from the beginning. I love a good mafia/dark romance, and I was so entranced by the characters, the dynamics between Carina, Mateo, and the guards, that I wanted to see what happened. And now I have to WAIT for the next book because apparently authors like to torture me with cliffhangers… KIDDING (maybe).

I know nothing about the mafia, or crime at all except what I watch on Gangland (yes- I’m a dork in case this hasn’t been established by my previous reviews), but this book seemed so real. Although I hated the way Mateo treated Carina, hence my 4.5 star review despite this book being so awesome, Rose Harper kept me entranced and captivated. I cannot WAIT for the next book. And you need to read this book so I can talk about it with someone. Because it is that good.

By the way, I only have two quotes for this review, instead of my usual three, because anything else would have given away plot lines and it was soooo hard to pick the ones I did.

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5 stars, Book Review

Jennifer Vester did it again.

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newarcbannerblurbdamageWhat if the pivotal moment in your life, hinged upon all the events that happened in your past?

Suzanne had survived, had endured. At least that’s what she told herself. So many mistakes littered her life, and she was determined not to repeat them.

Living in Lakefield, with the memories of a man she loved and lost hanging over her, she decides to embark on a new life. It’s a choice that will put a series of events in motion, that could ultimately save her or break her.
When she meets a man who isn’t who he says he is, her reality is suddenly altered, and nothing is quite what she thought it was. Everything in both of their lives will dramatically change.

Fighting against their pasts and a determined killer, two people that thought they knew what defined them, will have to rethink what they know about themselves and each other.

With love and their future on the line, they’ll have to find a way to survive the maniac that’s working to destroy them.
Release Date: April 24th, 2018

Goodreads — Amazon(Coming Soon) — Seriesauthor

Jennifer Vester is a romance author whose ambition is to entertain readers with off-beat female characters and the over-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.

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reviewdamage2

I just want to start out by apologizing in advanced for the shouty caps- there will probably be a lot of them.

Can I give something more than five stars? Because that’s what this was. It was amazing. It was everything I wanted and needed from the last Lakefield book (though I’m sad it’s over!). This book wrecked me. I was 15% in, FIFTEEN PERCENT IN when Jennifer Vester started breaking me with this book. Did it get any better? NO. If I thought Break had plot twists, it was nothing– NOTHING– compared to Damage. Ok, now to try and write this without giving anything away…

Suzanne has been a figure in the Lakefield series since Olivia’s story. She and Cade had been dancing around each other for awhile, but they hadn’t acted on it. And then Break happened and Cade DIED. And left me completely destroyed. Eight months after his death, Suzanne decides it’s time to move back home, away from Lakefield and the memories, and help her mom. When she moves home, she meets Mark, the manager of the bar and grill she applied to work at.

Sparks fly immediately between these two. But what happens when a serial killer targets Suzanne? Alpha Mark comes out. And, Mark is hiding his own secrets– secrets that will wreck Suzanne all over again. Can she handle it?

Well, duh she’s awesome. She can handle anything. Including alpha males that don’t know when to shut up, or trust her to make the right decisions. She can handle the FBI and Latimer security getting involved. She’s a fighter, so she’s going to fight for everything, and everyone, she wants.

This book was gold. GOLD. And it was an amazing conclusion to the series. (Can I get a petition to add Brock’s brothers to the series? I’m not ready to let the craziness go). I hope my review got across how much I loved EVERY SINGLE MINUTE of this book, I devoured this book. It wrecked me in all the best ways. I have a book hangover now. Excuse me while I try to drown myself in another book while I desperately try to move on from the epicness this novel was.

Cracked Grunge Background.5star

5 stars, Book Review

Love on Hold by Mia Miller

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newarcbannerblurbloveonholdWe both put love on hold until now. How long will love wait for us?

3:45 in the morning: unknown number calling.
Send the stranger on their way and go back to sleep, right? Except – his gruff voice made me think twice.
I was a small girl with big dreams. I juggled college, charity, and a job, while dodging an annoying ex. Getting to know a guy? That was way down on my list. So I had every intention of ignoring sexy Joel Thomas when he woke me up.
But he wouldn’t let me. When did texting and calling turn into feelings? We kept our identities a secret, and didn’t see each other. Yet, we fell in love.

Will our chemistry stand the test of reality?
Release Date: April 26, 2018

Goodreads — Amazon (Coming Soon)

authormiamillerMia Miller started writing as a getaway from a taxing day job in a multinational corp. A lover of all things romance since forever, Mia tries to find a little bit of a love story even in zombie movies. She likes her book boyfriends Alpha and her novels naughty.

Nowadays Mia can be constantly found typing away, with her Dogo Argentino at her feet. Mia brings to her readers books in the New Adult and Contemporary Romance genre.

— Goodreads — Amazon (Coming Soon) — Website — Twitter — Instagram — Newsletter — Readers Group — Facebook

reviewloveonhold3

Have you read Teagan Hunter’s Let’s Get Textual? Because this book reminded me of that. It was still different, Joel is SO not like Zach and Leonie definitely not like Delilah- just similar concept: wrong number leading to the love of your life. I love when books include texting banter, but when a book is centered around it? You have me at hello!

Leonie Marsh wakes up at 3am to an unknown caller looking for a booty call (why else do you call at 3am?). Leonie isn’t looking for love. Love is for after. After school, after she gets settled into her career, when she’s ready. But who’s ever ready for love? Leonie is looking to work at the UN, so while she’s studying her butt off with all those languages, she’s also volunteering at the hospital (playing games with the kids), and working as a hairdresser for the campus barber shop.

Joel Thomas moved away from his alcoholic father, who also happens to have a lot of power in the world. While he’s trying to make it in the world of journalism, he has to deal with his father demanding he come home, and blocking any chances of him actually getting a job in the field he wants. For reasons completely unlike Leonie, Joel doesn’t believe in love; He doesn’t believe in relationships. But something about Leonie calls to him, and he can feel the pull with just the sound of her voice.

What starts out as a simple wrong number turns into an everyday interaction, it turns into a relationship, calling each other when they have a bad day, texting each other constantly, even though they don’t even know what the other looks like. They talk about their hopes and dreams, their goals, what they want from the future, they talk about their past. They open up to each other in ways they never imagined they would to a total stranger. What starts out virtual leads to them meeting in person, and the connection they had on the phone only grows.

I loved many things about this book, but one of my absolute favorites was that they were both busy trying to carve out their own futures and they both tried to think of what they could do to help the other. When Leonie gets super busy with all she’s doing, Joel tries to do more with her, like volunteering at the hospital. When Joel gets frustrated with not being able to find work, Leonie tries to help him still follow his dreams while going around his father’s blocks. The way they try to support each other and it. Is. AWESOME.

Also, there’s not much drama between the two. There’s no cheating (thank God!), there’s some other woman/other man drama, but not much. There’s some push and pull between Leonie and Joel, but nothing that makes you go crazy (well nothing that made me want to punch anyone, anyway). They have their own hangups, but they give each other the time and space to work through them. They’re both 21, so they have some immature moments (don’t we all), but they try to work through them the best way possible. Basically, this novel was gold, and it’s only a debut. I cannot wait to see what Mia Miller has in store!! I will definitely commence stalking- eh, following, Mia!

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