Tag Archives: happily ever after

Damaged, The Dillon Sisters by Layla Frost REview

I’m effed up. A hot mess. Haunted.

Damaged.

But he doesn’t think so.

He thinks my imperfectness is what makes me perfect. He loves my flaws. My quirks.

My scars.

He wants to protect me. See me happy. Make me alive. He wants to give me everything I need, no matter how twisted and wrong and depraved.

He needs me to need him.

Which makes me wonder…

Is he damaged, too?

Warning: Recommended for readers 18+. This beautifully damaged romance deals with seriously heavy topics, such as depression, anxiety, violence, and self-harm. Be advised. And be mindful and kind to your own mental health.

— Goodreads — Amazon — Bookbub —
Book Two in The Dillon Sisters series. See Deathly here.

Layla Frost has always been a rebel. A true badass.

Growing up, Layla used to hide under her blanket with a flashlight to read the Sweet Valley High books she pilfered from her older sister. It wasn’t long before she was reading hidden Harlequins during class at school. This snowballed into pulling all-nighters after the promise of “just one more chapter”.

Her love of reading, especially the romance genre, took root early and has grown immeasurably.

In between reading and writing, Layla spends her free time rocking out (at concerts, on the couch, in the car… Anywhere is a stage if you get into it enough), watching TV (the nerdier the better!), and being a foodie. Though she lives in NY (the state, not the city), she’s an avid Red Sox fan.

— Facebook — Naughty Cupcakes Group — Goodreads — Amazon — Website —
— Twitter and Instagram: @LaylaFWrites — Email: laylafrostwrites@gmail.com —

First and foremost, I’M SORRY I’M LATE WITH MY REVIEW. Second, major trigger warnings for everyone. This book deals with sensitive topics, including self-harm. There’s a trigger warning in the blurb, but it’s my duty as an authentic reviewer to make sure I reiterate that.

As someone who has self-harmed in the past, I can say that for me, Layla got it. Sometimes when reading a book with anxiety and depression, it can miss the mark. It’s a sensitive topic, especially as someone who cut themselves for years, to read a book where the author just doesn’t get it. Depression isn’t me crying all the time, it can be total apathy for life, surviving for the others around me. Anxiety isn’t always nail-biting, rocking in the corner, but the fear that you are never doing the right thing. Self-harm isn’t about hurting myself, or hating myself, but the relief you get from that one moment, that one cut.

Layla Frost absolutely gets it.

What else she gets? That no person can fix you. No man, no great, all consuming love will fix it. Briar struggles, and she goes to therapy, group therapy, hides her depression but still goes. It was refreshing not to have therapy seen in a negative light, to have Briar be the one who has to fix her self. But also have a man who will be by her side through it all.

Now, that’s not to say this book is a light, fluffy read. Cause it ain’t. Alexander’s got his own issues, his own darkness. But they work so well together.

Briar has had it bad. Eating disorders, physical abuse, parents that most definitely should not have had children. She’s got a sister she sees as the epitome of perfection (if you’ve read Deathly, WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE, you know that’s the furthest thing from the truth). Briar is completely uninterested in male attention.

In comes tech genius, self-made billionaire Alexander. A mystery, an enigma, hot-as-hell. He stays out of the public eye for personal reasons, but from the moment he meets Briar is carefully laid plans blow up in smoke. He understands her pain, can feel it. He pushes Briar out of her box, while understanding her boundaries.

I loved him. I loved Briar. I loved everything about this book.

There’s not to much I can say without giving away the plot. It’s a difficult book to review. Layla once again weaved a tale that sucked you in, made you feel pain, fall in love, and kept you on the edge of your seat. Swiping pages to see what the next one would bring. The steam was off the charts, the character building was out of this world, and the darkness was just dark enough to pull you in without pulling your hair to hard.

Safe squad – you’re good on this one. Layla’s good for that.

I bow down to you, Queen of Cupcakes. Keep writing. Pls. For the love of God.

I mean, great work, pal. Keep it up.

Loving Kate Becket, CC Monroe Review

I couldn’t find the “official” blurb on Goodreads. This is the second book in “The Loving Series” and follows the story of Kate Beckett, best friend of Sadie McCallister. See my review of “Loving Ben Cooperhere. Also, in my defense, I think I was using Photofiltre for those teasers so just like… don’t look at them. Maybe I should remake them? Whatever. They’re awful.

GoodReads | Amazon Coming Soon

Author CC Monroe is from the hottest city in the world, Phoenix, Arizona. She spends her days working in fashion and her nights with her face in her laptop telling the stories of the voices in her mind. She left Arizona a few years back and now lives in the beautiful snow state of Utah, where she married her true love!

When she isn’t writing or working, she is making people laugh with her mad sense of humor and tip of the tongue one liners.

Facebook  — Instagram — Readers Group — Goodreads — Amazon

Who told WordPress they could change EVERYTHING on me?? I’ve only been on hiatus for… well… nevermind. Maybe they could change things but it’s annoying. Just throwing that out there. As much fun as reading is, creating the teasers is a form of torture I TRULY enjoy, so having WordPress just mess up all my pretties is HIGHLY annoying.

In case you were wondering I am as dramatic as ever.

In my time off many things have changed. My job is stressful and I work long hours, a freaking pandemic happened (???), I got married through it, and I’m still breathing. One thing that hasn’t changed is my love for reading and writing. Unfortunately for my favorite authors, and the new ones starting out, due to my anxiety and depression it’s been a year of mostly re-reads. Rereading all of Alexa Riley, Cambria Hebert, Layla Frost, CM Steele, and a few others. They’ve gotten me through some of the toughest times in my life this year.

You know who I’m not rereading? This bish Monroe. Yeah, we’re on a last name basis now. Why don’t I reread her? Because my personal belief is that she enjoys tearing us apart, spitting us out, and then putting tape over our hearts like “TADA ALL BETTER”. I’m kidding (mostly) since I know she cries just as much as her readers do when she’s writing.

But when she messaged me saying “CHECK YA KINDLE” I ran. I think I might have stubbed a toe to get to my phone too. Cause I knew what was waiting for me… Ms. Kate Beckett. Hot damn. I have been waiting for this book for 2 years… less time than other people but still waiting anxiously. if it weren’t for the acrylics on my fingers I’d have no nails left. I loved, loved, LOVED Ben Cooper. Cried with Sadie, laughed with her, fell in love with her. And throughout Sadie’s story, you see snippets of this beautiful girl trying her damndest to fix a broken man.

I think at some point or another we have all felt our love could fix someone. Family, friends, lovers, whoever. We wanted to be the person that could change them, fix them, love them enough they would see how worthy of life and love they were. Maybe there’s someone out there reading this saying “that’s me! I was that person! I loved them and they changed!” but in my experience, that doesn’t happen. I have loved someone though they were toxic, dragging me down with them, so I was living through their hell. I had to make a choice, as does everyone when loving a manipulative, broken person. Stay or go?

For four years, Kate Beckett chose to stay. She stayed through the abuse, the cheating, the lies, the drugs. Choosing to be a martyr, would rather destroy herself then leave the man she loved. Eric charmed her, slowly revealed pieces of himself in the most sober moments, gave Kate a high to look forward to, just to rip it away with the next needle in his arm. The highs were great, but the lows, those destroyed her.

So she began dreaming of another man, began falling in love with another man, but still refused to leave. Turned her back on everyone and everything, to stay with the toxic man she’d chosen all those years ago. Why? Well… why does anyone stay?

Then there’s Nick. The man who loved her despite herself. When all he wanted to do was rip Kate out of Eric’s arms, watched her break down all of her broken pieces, watched Eric grind them into the ground, all while hoping and praying that this time would be the last. She would leave him for good, walk out the door.

I mean really… who had the addiction? Kate, Eric, or Nick?

There’s so much I could say about this book… watching Kate withdrawal from her drug of choice, watching Eric destroy and break her down, watching Nick try to bring her out of the sludge Kate had found herself in. I really felt like I was watching a movie unfold in front of my eyes. (A Lifetime movie some would say… READ THE BOOK YOU’LL GET IT). I. Felt. Everything.

And feelings are gross just throwing that out there. (Ironic coming from a cancer, hm?)

It was so different from Ben Cooper in the best of ways. Ben wasn’t so deep into his addiction he couldn’t back out. He didn’t change for Sadie, but for himself. So he could be a man worth of her and Melody. In many ways, Eric is Kate’s addiction. She knows it’s unhealthy, that she is not the best person she could be when she’s with him. And it’s not for Nick that she tries to be that person. It’s for herself. She knows she can be happier, better, without Eric. But how do you leave the last 4 years of your life? How do you get out of it? Kate Beckett is not the same girl she was when she fell into the pits of Eric.

Would life be different if only she had met Nick first?

Yes. But then the story wouldn’t have had the twists and turns it did. And trust me, if you didn’t hate Eric from the Prologue (which you absolutely should) then you will hate him towards the end of the book.

Here’s the part I curse and send CC voice messages of me screaming again. Yes, again.

Anyways. Read the book. It’s so damn good. Now, I’m going to drink another bottle of wine while I cope with the fact Nick & Kate are finally together and I have nothing left to live for.

(I did say I was dramatic didn’t I?)

Until We Meet Again…

blurbuntil we meet againA Club Alias Crossover

Justin, Kenton, and Nico did their job—catching and putting away the trafficker who had been kidnapping young women all over the state of Tennessee. But with all the money the bastard made from selling women as sex slaves, and lawyers as dirty as his bank accounts, Javier Flores was set free.

Frustrated and out of options, the Nashville boys call me, Brian Glover, a BDSM club owner and mercenary.

After a couple of difficult missions, I’m ready to get back to what I’m good at—eliminating bad guys and making it look like an accident. Plus, I’ll jump at any chance to spend time with Clarice, my best friend with benefits who meets me on all of my jobs.

Will this be the mission Clarice finally admits she wants more than friendship? Or will I have to wait… Until We Meet Again?

Happily Ever Alpha Kindle WorldauthorkdrobKD 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.

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Um, EXCUSE YOU MRS. ROBICHAUX. How dare you give me this masterpiece without a proper ending? I need their HEA. I give this book NEGATIVE 5 STARS because it’s not done!

Ok, I’m being dramatic. Sue me. This book was more than five stars. It was short and sweet and I may have fallen just a little (ok, a lot) in love with Brian. He’s full of contradictions and I freaking love the giant. The title maybe should have given it away but it didn’t so I want more.

I’m usually a bit hesitant about BDSM club books. By hesitant, I mean I don’t read them. I have to look things up because I have no idea what they’re using, or the sub culture is just too much for me, or the guy is into voyeurism and I like guys that are too alpha to let their women be seen by other guys. BDSM clubs just aren’t my kind of kink.

Usually.

I have the first Club Alias book on my kindle, but haven’t read it yet because of my hesitance of BDSM. I’ve read books with it before, and I’ve liked them, but I don’t usually willingly read a book about it (I suck at reading blurbs!). Plus with all the new releases, I kept pushing it off. But, now that I’ve read this book, I NEED to read the rest of the series. I need to know more about Brian and Clarice. I need it. I’m like that Spongebob meme right now (you know the one so don’t pretend like you don’t). I also need their HEA, which I’ve heard they’re going to get, but obviously I don’t have it in my hands right now.

Like it should be. If I beg, will it come out faster? Please?

I loved reading this because it was all in Brian’s POV. It was so fun to see someone so tall (6’8″, hubba hubba) be so deeply in love with Clarice, be so gentle with her, yet also be a Dom. He loves her, and trusts her, to switch with her. He trusts her with info on his jobs, which I think I love more than anything else. It’s so different than the “I can’t tell you but it’s for your protection” thing. This book was short, sweet, and sexy, so I’m going to make my review short and sweet too (but not sexy). Go get this book, because you will LOVE it. This was my first KD book but it won’t be my last!
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5star

Until Mallory by Ella Fox Review

blurbuntilmalloryMallory McDonald might have bitten off more than she could chew when she moved to Nashville. That could be because the temporary rental she’s in is a dump, or it might be that the police just kicked in the door of said rental and came in with their weapons drawn.

Officer John Wright is stunned to realize the girl standing in front of him with her hands up is the former neighbor he’s pined over for years. Now that he’s finally got her within his sights, he plans never to let her go.

 

Goodreads — Amazon

authorellafoxUSA Today Bestselling Author Ella Fox has learned a bunch of stuff along the way but the most important of all those things is that anything is possible when you try. In 2012 she took a big leap of faith and published her first book, Broken Hart. Since then she’s written fifteen more full-length books and several novellas– and every one is a reminder that you can live your dream as long as you work for it.

Ella’s favorite things are music, movies, traveling, The Foo Fighters and, of course, reading. This isn’t a surprise considering the fact that her mom is USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Halliday.

Stay up to date with Ella by LIKING her on Facebook- she gives a ton of stuff away that you won’t want to miss!

Facebook Page:
Facebook /EllaFoxAuthor 
or join her Facebook Group for sneak peeks, teasers and excerpts of upcoming books,
Fox’s Fanatics — Websitereview
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Every time I read one of these books, I swear it’s my favorite. They literally just keep getting better and better. My standards for writing and love stories have also gotten higher. Ella Fox created a story that was so sweet, so beautiful, and it fit right in with the Maysons.

John is a cop who moved away from Chattanooga to escape the feelings he’s had for his neighbor for over two years. He wanted to take her out, treat her right, but his neighbor’s strict grandmother refuses John access to the woman who stole his heart after a brief meeting.

Mallory has lived with her strict grandmother since she was three years old, and has tried to adhere to her grandmother’s rules. She was always a good girl. She met John and felt an instant connection with him. She always wondered why he never asked her out, never realizing he tried to. A month after John left Chattanooga, Mallory’s grandmother passes away, leaving her on her own. She works her butt off before deciding to move to Nashville, where John is, and try to connect with him.

And they connect in an explosive way. I thought Brandon and Asher moved their women into their houses fast, but I seriously think John wins. And Nico wins his bet- you’ll get the reference if you go grab the book. (Nico has lots of bets…)  And I freaking LOVE that John has a cat with an attitude. My list of swoon-worthy alphas is seriously single dads, men with pets that they treat like prince/princesses, and guys with tattoos. (Can you guess who my favorite Mayson brother is?)

I loved and adored this sweet story. Mallory is the absolute cutest, and John is so freaking swoon-worthy. He is so adorable, and hot, and everything. I’m going to stop babbling now, and let you go pick up the book yourself, but SERIOUSLY it’s 5 stars.

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5star

Rayne-y Days

blurbuntil rayneNick Stevenson is all about the rules. He’s khakis and polos, the boy next door, and certainly not a risk taker.

Rayne Summers hates rules. She’s leather and lace, a free spirit, living from one moment to the next.

When Rayne rolls into town, Nick suddenly discovers a new side of himself. He’d never believed in love at first sight and yet, BOOM! From the moment he saw her, he instantly knew Rayne was his and he would do anything to keep her by his side.

GoodreadsAmazon

 

author

ellechristensen.jpgI’m a lover of all things books, a hopeless romantic, and have always had a passion for writing. Between being a sappy romantic, my love of an HEA, my crazy imagination, and ok, let’s be real, my dirty mind, I fell easily into writing romance.
I’m a huge baseball fan and yet, a complete girly, girl. I’m an obsessive reader and have a slight (hahaha! Slight? Yeah, right) addiction to signed books.
I’m married to my very own book boyfriend, an alpha male with a sexy, sweet side. He is the best inspiration, my biggest supporter and the love of my life. He is also incredibly patient and understanding about the fact that he has to fight the voices in my head for my attention.
I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed writing them!

GoodreadsAmazonFacebook — Website

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Loafers, you are one sneaky lawyer. Seriously. Nick seriously caught the book curse from the Mayson brothers, takes one look at gypsy traveler Rayne Summers and he’s gone. Predictable, staid, safe Nick Stevenson, who wears loafers to a bar, sees Rayne and learns about a darker, more possessive side of him that he’s never known before. Rayne Summers has been traveling around since she was little. Her parents home schooled her so they could travel, and left her to her own travels when she was eighteen.

Rayne truly believes she’s not meant to settle down, that she’s supposed to travel the world and find her own way. Nick thinks she’s just scared of being abandoned. Although Nick does want to travel and see the world he’s missed out on, he still likes being dependable. He’s earned his respect from the Mayson crew, except Asher still doesn’t like him obviously, and he’s learned how to deal with a woman who’s scared. You just push her until she agrees.

Alpha-Male-Syndrome. AMS.

Nick doesn’t look like he’d be suffering from AMS, but he is. And Rayne loves that he’s got hard edges to his loafer and glasses wearing side. He’s got layers (I will not make a Shrek reference-even if it kills me) and Rayne enjoys peeling them back, all the while trying to convince herself that she’s going to leave. She’s cute like that. Nick, being oh-so-smart, doesn’t comment on this. He quickly moves Rayne into his house, makes room for her in his life, and slyly makes her fall in love with him.

Like I said, he’s sneaky.

Their chemistry is off the charts, and the connection they have is amazing. I love how completely opposite they are, and how he’s alpha specifically for her. Basically I love this book. I love how sweet Nick is, in everything he does, but he’s also all possessive about Rayne, to the point others are shocked about his behavior. And I love how Rayne finally accepts them together. This book is sassy, sweet, and safe.

5 Stars Elle! I loved your contribution! Can’t wait to read more of Elle’s work!
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5star

Until Brandon by Natasha Madison Review

blurbuntil brandonRead about Brandon and Aurora story in this Kindle World Novella.

Kindle World of NYT Bestselling Author, Aurora Rose Reynolds. Happily Ever Alpha, a new Kindle World, will debut April 3, 2018.

Brandon
Anytime I heard someone speak of the boom, I laughed.
Surely only crazy people believe they can fall in love as soon as they lay eyes on someone.
I thought it was all in their heads until the moment she walked into my office asking for a job.
The instant my gaze locked with hers, I knew she was mine, and I would do anything in my power to protect her.

Aroura
I never thought I would be applying for a job at a strip club, yet there I was.
When the stunning owner offered me a job, I thought taking off my clothes would be the most nerve wracking thing.
When I walked in the next morning, I found out I wouldn’t be stripping, I’d be working side by side with him.
It doesn’t make sense for a man like him to desire a woman like me—a woman with baggage and a past.

One phone call changes everything and I’m forced to realize that until Brandon, I might have had it hard, but with him I will have it all.

GoodreadsAmazon

author

natasha madison.jpgWhen 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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Holy. Crap. That’s it. That’s my review. I’m obsessed with this series, but Brandon is definitely one of my favorites. This was my first Natasha Madison book but it won’t be my last! (She just released a single dad book so you KNOW I’m reading it ASAP!) Brandon definitely learned from his dad and the Mayson crew on how to treat a woman, but I think he may hold the record for fastest move in date. Brandon and Aurora move at light speed but in the best way!

Brandon is Mike’s, November’s Dad, step-son that we meet in the novella Second Chance Holiday. You would never be able to tell he isn’t Mike’s blood though. And nowhere in the book does he say “step-dad” (though there is some background as to how Mike became Brandon’s father) which I love.

Aurora’s parents died in a car crash, leaving her to raise her teenage sister by herself. Due to trouble Cassie got herself into, Aurora tries to work at the club as a dancer, but meets Brandon instead. (Like Brandon was gonna let her work there after seeing her. Pffffft). From the moment they meet, Aurora gets the “Brandon fog” though she doesn’t use those terms. He moves so fast, she’s left spinning in circles trying to keep up.

Plus, Brandon gets some help from Cassie.

I LOVED this book so much! Natasha really captured the essence of the Mayson crew, even bringing in Kenton for a sneaky appearance, and made it so effortless falling in love with these three. And she gives us double epilogues which basically means I love her forever. Ugh, I’m sleep deprived and crying because I loved this story so much. It was sweet, fast, and almost like a single mom book, since Aurora is raising Cassie, though they have a true sister relationship.

And Brandon gives Cass the same treatment he got from Mike: so much love but with a stern hand. I’m surprised she didn’t have to sign a contract *wink wink* (Please read this so I don’t look like such a weirdo writing that reference. Thanks). Ok 5 stars and ice cream!

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5star

Until Sunrise by Sarah O’Rourke Review

blurb

Michelle Buchanan wasn’t looking for the perfect man to fill her life.  She’d settle for Mr. Right Now to fill the empty spot in her bed – just someone that could help her with the little problem of her lingering virginity.  But when Luka Templeton invaded her blind date and suddenly begins taking over her every waking thought, she realizes that she is in way too deep with the confident alpha male currently wreaking havoc on her life.

Join us on this romantic comedy romp as Chelle and Luka find their way to happily ever after!           
Romantic comedy.  Releases on April 3 as part of Aurora Rose Reynold’s Happily Ever After Kindle World.  (And if you’ve read Aurora’s Until series, you’ll know Chelle from Until Ashlyn!)
AMAZON US

author

Sarah O’Rourke is actually TWO besties who live three states apart and write at all hours of the day and night! Born and raised in the Southern United States, they are overly attached to their one-click accounts, can’t make it through the day without copious doses of caffeine, and spend way too much time on the phone with each other.

Between them, they have four children and twenty-plus years of marriage…one to a retired super soldier and the other to egomaniac engineer. They hate empty chocolate wrappers and writer’s block, love to talk to readers…and oh, by the way, they write about strong, kick-ass women and hot alpha heroes!

FACEBOOK     TWITTER     AMAZON     WEBSITE     NEWSLETTER

review

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Not going to lie, even a little bit. I had another book I wanted to read today, because I’ve been waiting months for it to come out… and then the Happily Ever Alpha crew released a day early and I dropped everything to start reading… It’s 3AM and I’m up reading!

When I first heard this story was going to be titled Until Sunrise, I really didn’t get it. Most titles in this crossover series are pretty obvious- not this one. Once I got into it, I knew why it was. And I FREAKING LOVE IT! Luka has a dirty, foul mouth that goes well with his previous player ways (though he wasn’t that much of a player), and Michelle has some serious issues with men and has a crazy case of RBF. Together, sunrise means something special.

Though I commend them on their dedication to sunrise, I’d stab someone who wanted to meet at sunrise. I think I could give Ashlyn or Chelle a run for their money on morning grumpiness.

Michelle isn’t looking for her boom, in fact she doesn’t even believe in it. She’s just looking for a guy to fill some of the loneliness she feels. Luka takes one look at her and knows shes the One for him. His father fell in love with his mother in a split second, and told Luka the story (which is super cute by the way and absolutely amazing) so when Luka saw Michelle, he knew. He wasn’t afraid, but excited about the fact he found the love of his life. Chelle was a little less excited about the feelings she felt.

And Luka comes off as crazy, and I love the homicidal tendencies Chelle tends to have towards him. I totally get it. How Michelle talks her self off the ledge, many times, is absolutely fantastic.

I smiled through the entire reading of this book. Luka’s nickname for Michelle is so sweet, and his over the top alpha is awesome. He tries understanding Michelle, giving her the support she needs, but he also doesn’t back off. And Michelle gives it right back to him when he’s being too much (yes feminism!)

All the drama in this book comes from Chelle and her fear of being hurt by Luka. While I would have liked a little less craziness from her, I still loved this book.

Thank you Sarah!!!
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4star

A Lion is Called “the King of Beasts” for a Reason… and it’s LEO.

arc review 1blurb

untilleo.jpgHaving been burned in the past, Leo wasn’t sure he believed in the boom. Not even seeing the happily married Mayson couples had him convinced…until he met Carrie and felt it for himself.

Carrie wasn’t looking for love when she crashed into the hot cop, but that’s exactly what she found. Then his past reared its ugly head, and she found a strength she didn’t know she had…until Leo.

 

 

author

rochellepaigeI absolutely adore reading – always have and always will. My friends growing up used to tease me when I would trail after them, trying to read and walk at the same time. If I have downtime, odds are you will find me reading or writing.

I am the mother of two wonderful sons who have inspired me to chase my dream of being an author. I want them to learn from me that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.

When I told my mom that my new year’s resolution was to self-publish a book in 2013, she pretty much told me “About time!”

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Guys, I’m a big blubbering mess right now. Until Leo is part of the Happily Ever Alpha Kindle Worlds Crossover, along with 15 other authors. When I heard Leo was going to get a story I was jumping up and down, literally. From the moment Aurora Rose Reynolds originally had him freaking out about his cheating ex, I’ve wanted his story. And now I have it and I’m never giving it back. I’ve said it once, and I’ll keep repeating it because it’s true: single parent books get me. Every. Single. Time. This wasn’t my first Rochelle Paige book (it was my second-still writing the review for her Blythe College series) but I know for sure, it will not be my last.

Leo was introduced in the Until series in Nico’s book, and this is his story. He is a cop who meets Carrie at a daddy-daughter class to help teach father’s how to do their daughter’s hair. Carrie is the teacher for the class, and the minute Leo sees her, he believes in the boom. Until then, he had always thought the Mayson’s were full of it when they talked about it. Carrie immediately falls in love with both Leo and Lynn (who’s ovaries don’t explode when they see hot guys with kids? I mean seriously.)

They move fast, and he takes a few pages from the Mayson brothers, but Carrie seems to move along with it just fine. Their love is fast, but so utterly amazing. I’m a blubbering mess because I am in absolute love with Leo and Carrie. And it’s even cuter because Carrie’s father met her step mother when her step mother taught her father how to do Carrie’s hair. I’m sure there’s a literary term for this somewhere, but I’m sleep deprived since I stayed up all night to read this book.

I absolutely devoured this, and I’m giving it 5 bright, shining stars because it deserves it. And there’s only one epilogue (can I petition for another one?) but it made my heart so happy to read. Carrie’s love for Lynn and Leo is so pure and amazing, and Leo loves Carrie HARD. And he goes so alpha so quickly, I got goosebumps. God, I love this book.

This book, and the rest in the series, release April 3rd… TOMORROW SO GET YOUR KINDLES READY!

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5star

Trigger Warning! Finder’s Keepers by BJ Bentley

blurbfinderskeepersCharlotte
I was a world-class thief.
I was tasked with stealing a valuable artifact in order to save my brother’s life.
I must avoid detection, evade capture, and meet my deadline.
Unfortunately, my plans go awry when Jensen Holm, a dangerous and powerful criminal himself, finds me in his home.
And decides to keep me.
Jensen
I was a criminal kingpin.
I collected rare and beautiful things, and nothing was more rare or beautiful than this thief who intended to steal from me.
I had to show her who was in control.
I had to show her who she belonged to.
I had to show her that she had stolen my heart.
**Finders Keepers is a dark romance with possible triggers for graphic violence and non-consensual situations.

author

29136192_175603263078789_8700093008424468480_nFrom her Amazon: I’m a psychic medium, romance author, and cat mom. I shamelessly based my character, Sabrina Rhodes, on myself (write what you know, and all that.) Weaknesses include alpha males and badass babes.
The Intuitive series is a collection of rom-com novellas, and I’m also working on a full-length dark romance novel.
I’m very active on social media, so feel free to stalk me! (Please stalk me, this is a cry for attention.)
Follow me!
—  Facebook — Twitter —  Instagram —  WebsiteAmazon —  BookBub  —

 

review
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Ok, I’m so going to contradict myself here. Remember my post about things I hated reading about? One of those things was abuse… Well, I just read this book that contains non-consensual situations, and freely states what it is, but I still loved it. I think one of the things I liked was that the author didn’t gloss over it, or say it was something else. Jensen is a bad guy, who thinks of Charlotte as a possession to do what he pleases. However, I was sucked into this book from the prologue, and I couldn’t stop reading. At all. I need to remember to read warnings better… I still would have read this book though. (I think we all have exceptions to our rules… except cheating!)

ANYWAYS

This is the story of Charlotte Benson, pixie, a thief who makes a rookie mistake and is captured by Jensen Holm, a criminal and a collector. He collects beautiful things, and when he catches Charlotte trying to steal something from him, he decides to collect her too. He’s not used to women not wanting him. And he’s not used to being so possessive over one woman.

Poor criminal is still learning…

Jensen slowly comes to terms with his feelings for Charlotte, including the *spoiler* regret he feels over how he treated her in the beginning. I also like the fact that he knows what he did to her, and how it was wrong, and he tries to make up for it, in his Jensen way. And Charlotte has a sense of humor despite what she’s going through at the hands of Jensen. Neither Jensen, Charlotte, nor the author make light of a non-consensual situation. It is not a joke. But it is a part of the world Jensen and Charlotte are apart of so it was in the book.

This is the story of Jensen finding his humanity and Charlotte coming to love his humanity, and his darkness.

This novel is extremely dark. Seriously dark. It has trigger warnings all over the freaking place. Definitely one of the darkest I’ve ever read. That may help me wrap my head around Jensen’s treatment of Charlotte in the beginning, and if not accept it, move on from it. I’m not Charlotte, though, so I really don’t have to accept it. This book also moves extremely fast. Jensen gets over his criminal-minded crap fast. They fall in love, fast. Jensen kills a lot of people-fast. I got the book in the morning, and finished it by the end of the day.

By the end of the book, my heart fell in love with the characters BJ Bentley created, and I fell in love with this book. It was so good. Their love is darkness. Their love is criminal. This book is not going to be fore everybody, but if you can make it past the super ugliness it gets so much better! So…

Can I have the next book?

P.S. DOUBLE EPILOGUES!! (We all know how much I love those…)
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5star

Setting me on fire wouldn’t make me as hot as Until Arsen…

blurb

untilarsenLove is a novel creature.
Mysterious, heart pounding, like smoke on the wind.
We find it, only to lose it.
Until Arsen Daniels…
Marina Parks didn’t think she’d ever have it.

 

 

 

 

author

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

review

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I’m not crying, you’re crying… Fine, I’m crying. K.L. Donn’s contribution to the Happily Ever Alpha world was absolutely fabulous. Marina Parks and Arsen Daniels are so perfect for each other it’s crazy. K.L., in her style, effortlessly (it seems) tells the tale of a damaged woman, and a detective who wants her to see she’s perfect.

This wasn’t my first K.L. Donn book; in fact, since I read her first Hogan Brother’s book I’ve been trying to get my hands on everything she’s written. So I can say this with full authority- K.L. Donn keeps the essence of the Mayson brothers, while keeping true to her own characters. This is the first in a new series for Ms. Donn, and I can’t wait to read about Kol and Ember. (By the way, these names? Love ’em!)

Marina Parks is a twenty-two year old kindergarten teacher who suffered an accident the year before, and has tried to move on. The scars are all internal. And while she loves teaching her children, she’s afraid they’re the only kids she’s going to have…

Detective Arsen Daniels is thirty-five looking for love. My favorite quote from him is “My name is Arsen Daniels, and apparently, I’m a fucking sappy little girl.” Usually, that would piss me off (hello feminism!) but honestly, he does sound like a girl looking for love in the beginning. And then what happens? He meets Marina Parks and, boom, his life is changed.

We get to see these two fall in love, with a little help from Sophie and Nico (*sigh*) and it is magical. And the pain that Marina goes through to try to open herself up makes me want to hug her tiny self. I almost feel like Arsen, and want to put her in a bubble so no one can hurt her. But she is strong, so strong, and seriously I wanna be like her when I grow up… even though she’s younger than me.

Or maybe Arsen can put me in a bubble, or in his truck so I can sit next to him.

If you had told me before reading this, I would be ok with the “Good Girl” thing I would laugh. Loudly. I hate that phrase, because my immediate response is “what am I, a dog?” But for some reason, I didn’t feel that way about Arsen calling Marina his good girl. I loved it. It wasn’t demeaning in anyway, shape or form. And Marina needed those words.

But if my man calls me good girl I will probably still stab him with a spoon or something. ANYWAYS…

My favorite part? MY FAVORITE PART WAS THE DOUBLE EPILOGUE. Ok, I’ll stop yelling. But seriously, I love double epilogues. And these were so freaking emotional that I’m still crying. Their love story was so sweet, and emotional, and I love Marina’s mom so much… I just had to sneak that in there. Her mom’s great. Can she adopt me?

Anyway, there are 5 days left until the big unveil of the Happily Ever Alpha world. I’ve got my countdown set, do you?
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5star