Tag Archives: love

Reading List, romance

New Releases This Month!

Leave a comment

Keep an eye out for these books releasing soon!

  1. His Big Mountain Axe by Madison Faye
    39213534.jpgBeast. Monster. Outlaw. I’ve been called a lot of things, but let me promise you, a knight in shining armor ain’t f*ckin’ one of them.
    But when the man I’m supposed to kill lays a hand on her – the firecracker cocktail waitress with the soft lips and the sweet curves that make my pine tree grow – there’s no way I’m not stepping in.
    Beautiful, blonde, tempting as hell. She’s got a body that was made for me to claim, and legs that were born to spread around my bike. Or my waist.
    But I’m a man with a mission – a blood vendetta that has to be paid. Mixing it up with Larkin is a bad idea at best. At worst, it might get us killed. But once I feel that sweet little body of hers pressed against mine with my chopper rumbling between her legs, I know there ain’t a chance in hell I’m letting her go.
    I’m not here to save her. I’m here to take her – over my bike and across my bed.
    Pretty little Larkin is about to get a taste of how a real man claims his woman.
    Because up on my mountain, I carry a big axe.
    …And I know how to use it.

    Release Date: March 19, 2018. No reviews yet! Goodreads.

  2. Fast Burn (Body Armor #4) by Lori Foster
    35133833.jpgFor the woman who’s his perfect match, he’s willing to break the rules…
    The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards. For Sahara, the agency always comes first, and Brand needs more. Yet when she’s kidnapped by men searching for her missing brother, he doesn’t hesitate.
    Somewhere along the way, flirting with Brand for the sake of business turned very personal. Despite his refusal to join Body Armor, it’s Brand who steps up when Sahara needs him most. Now there’s no more time for games, and no point denying the hunger they both feel. They’ll escape together or not at all. But if they survive, can Sahara finally surrender control to claim this blazing passion?
    Release Date: March 20th, 2018. 4.63 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon. Barnes and Noble.
  3. Fighting Weight by Gillian Jones
    34835627We all have that voice inside our heads.
    The one that speaks to us incessantly. That voice we trust to make the right decisions, to keep us on a positive path, even when others try to bring us down.
    But what happens when that voice changes?
    When it’s no longer a voice of reason, a voice of comfort giving us a pep talk when we need one?
    What happens when that inner voice turns into a bully?
    You’re fat.
    Don’t you dare eat that.
    You’ll never be as pretty as her.
    You’ll never be as good as them.
    You’re lazy. You’re stupid.
    You are disgusting.
    You. Are. Nothing.
    What happens when that inner voice makes your body take its side?
    Binge.
    Purge.
    Binge
    Purge.
    And what happens when the bully starts to win?
    If your name is Alina Cassidy, then you fight like hell.
    Release Date: March 19th, 2018. 4.9 Stars on Goodreads (I reviewed it is as well!). Amazon.
  4. Hard Wood (The Ash Brothers) by Jenika Snow
    36511189The Dirty Bits from Carina Press give you what you want, when you want it. Designed to be read in an hour or two, these sex-filled microromances are guaranteed to pack a punch and deliver a happily-ever-after.
    A new supersexy insta-love novella from USA TODAY bestselling author Jenika Snow that has a gruff lumberjack yelling T-I-M-B-E-R for the woman he’s been waiting for.
    The Ash Brothers—they know how to handle their wood.
    I’m a hard man. A loner. Or so town gossip says. After having my heart sent through the chipper, I’ve kept to myself. I prefer the quiet of the woods to the ramblings of clingy women who think they can tame a wild mountain man.
    Until Mia. Now she’s all I think about.
    I should have stayed away. She’s too sweet for a brute like me, but I can’t stop wanting her, picturing her sated in my sheets.
    Mia knows just what kind of wood I’m working with. She’s the soft to my hard, the sugar to my bitter bark.
    And I love seeing her walk on the wild side.This book is approximately 15,000 words.

    Release Date: March 19th, 2018. 4.07 stars on Goodreads. Amazon.

  5. Come A Little Closer by Kim Karr
    33985965.jpgI haven’t always been this bad…
    Up until recently, I was the kind of girl who wore white cotton panties and bent at the knees rather than the waist.
    Pomp and circumstance changed all that.
    Jaxson Cassidy was my first taste of bad, and I liked it more than I should have. Just not in the way I was meant to. I couldn’t help myself though. I found him irresistible. That sexy grin, those skilled fingers, and that dirty, dirty mouth were a lethal combination.
    I wasn’t supposed to want him. I wasn’t supposed to let him put his hands on me. I wasn’t supposed to do a lot of things…but I did.
    He wants to keep me close.
    I should push him away.
    He says he can help me.
    I’m not so sure.
    For some reason, he thinks there’s good left in me.
    What if he’s wrong?
    Everyone knows a good boy can’t turn a bad girl around.
    Everyone knows it’s always the other way.
    Everyone…except him.
    Release Date: March 28th, 2018. 4.69 Stars on Goodreads.
  6. The Dark Professor (The Therian Chronicles #1) by Candy Crum
    38799239He was told that war would find him… Now, it has.Decades ago, Luca fled Russia and the Therian Court by order of the queen–his mother. In an attempt to save his life, not only from the price on his head delivered by the vampire queen, but also to keep his own father from destroying him, the queen has forced Luca to the other side of the world. There, the dragon guardians (called Watchers) are low, and the vampire armies are small.
    Now, over sixty years later, Luca has built a life for himself, but he stays private as a way to ensure he is never found.
    Unfortunately for him, his fate was sealed the moment he met a particular human.
    Now, the war has found him, and his life is not the only one he must save…
    Release Date: March 16th, 2018.     Not rated yet on Amazon or Goodreads.
  7. Fearless (Rosewood Bay #1) by Carly Phillips
    36359784Fall in love with the Wards…
    Mechanic and garage owner, Kane Harmon is used to the wealthy beautiful women visiting his beach town. He doesn’t get involved because he knows most females would merely be slumming for the summer.
    Except Halley Ward isn’t just passing through. She lives a solitary life in a bungalow on the beach. A woman tormented by her past, distant from her wealthy family, different from Kane’s usual fare of town girls who know his M.O.- Don’t expect more than he’s willing to give.
    Kane rescues Halley and her broken down car from the side of the road and instantly he’s hooked. She says she’s not interested in him. He knows she lies. And he makes it his mission to bring her back to life, to return her emotionally to her family. To show her the colors around her were as vibrant as the ones she puts on her canvas.
    Until past meets present and threatens all the progress they’ve made. Then it’s Halley’s turn to step up and stand up for the relationship and life she’s finally coming to believe she eserves.
    A Standalone Novel
    Release Date: March 20th, 2018. 4.57 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon.
  8. Luther: 2 Truths and a Lie (Adair Empire #2) by K.L. Donn
    32981119
    2 Truths
    I was ready to die
    He saved meAnd a lie
    Rock bottom is your breaking point
    Or is it?
    Release Date: March 20th, 2018. No Ratings on Goodreads or Amazon yet.
  9. With This Man (This Man #4) by Jodi Ellen Malpas
    36233827Life is good for Jesse ‘The Lord’ Ward. Perfect, actually. He still has the charm, he’s in great shape, and he still reduces his wife, Ava, to a pool of desire with a mere look. He’s in full control, just how he likes it.
    But Jesse’s perfect world falls apart when a terrible accident lands Ava in hospital with a life-threatening head injury. Devastated and angry, he feels like his entire existence hangs in the balance. He cannot survive without this woman’s love. So when she finally comes around, his shaking world begins to level out. But his nightmare doesn’t end there. It’s only just begun. Because his wife can’t remember the last sixteen years of her life. That’s all of him. All of their time together. He is a stranger to her.
    Now Jesse must do whatever it takes to find her memories . . . and help her fall madly, passionately in love with him all over again.
    Release Date: March 20th, 2018. 4.58 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon.
  10. What a Difference a Duke Makes by Lenora Bell
    35068792.jpgWanted: Governess for duke’s unruly children
    Edgar Rochester, Duke of Banksford, is one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in England, but when it comes to raising twins alone, he knows he needs help. The only problem is the children have chased away half the governesses in London. Until the clever, bold, and far-too-enticing Miss Mari Perkins arrives.
    Lost: One heart to an arrogant duke
    Mari knows how to wrap even the most rebellious children around her finger. But their demanding, wickedly handsome father? He won’t be quite so easy to control. And there’s something else she can’t seem to command. Her heart. The foolish thing beats so wildly every time the duke is near.
    Found: A forbidden passion neither can deny
    As his employee, Mari is strictly off-limits. But what if she’s the one breaking all his rules? In the game of governess versus duke, how can Edgar maintain his defenses when the only thing he wants to do is let the tempting beauty win?
    Release Date: March 27th, 2018. 3.92 Stars on Goodreads. Amazon.
Book Review

Back to Her by Dani Wyatt Review

Leave a comment

blurb

38598834Going to prison and taking the fall was my gift to Mia. How was I to know her father would disappear with her and I would lose her forever? After serving my five years I’m finally out, but bars or no bars, I’m still in hell.

I never believed in miracles until today. Because I’ve found her. All plush softness, sorrowful eyes and lips that call to be kissed. She’s right here in the same place I’d met her all those years ago when she was too young. Before I could touch her.

There is no force on heaven or earth that will take her from me again. No force that will keep my hands off her now. I will take her. I will do as I please with her because she is mine. Now and forever. God help us both.

Author’s Note: Take five years waiting for her to be legal. Then another five locked up in prison and you’ve got one powder keg of alpha naughtiness waiting to explode. This love at the speed of light novella will warm your heart and your nether regions. All you expect…safe, smutty, swoony and happily ever after.

author

From the bio of Dani Wyatt on Goodreads: 
Since I was a little girl, I’ve made up stories. I would lay in my bed at night and before I knew what a trope was, I would make up these trope filled stories. Boy sees girl, boys falls for girl, boy saves girl….happily ever after. As I got older, the stories turned steamier and more intricate, but the basics never changed.

Now, my books are still full of romance but the naughty bits are naughtier, my hero’s are obsessed alpha types and my heroines are quirky, real women who come in all shapes and sizes.

So, sit back, banish the real world and get lost in some over the top romance with a heaping helping of hot. xoxoxo

Amazon:
Dani Wyatt used to feel bad about having such dirty thoughts. Luckily, one day she decided to starting writing them down. Her uber alpha heros have a wicked possessive streak and an insatiable libido. Her heroines are intelligent, quirky and worry about having too much muffin top. With her books, you can count on a heaping helping of HOT and always a happily ever after.

When she’s not writing (which is not often) she is probably laughing about some irony (like A-1 Steak Sauce is vegan), riding her horse, wondering why The Walking Dead can’t have a new episode every night, or looking cross-eyed at some piece of technology sent to ruin her day.

Friend her on Facebook here.

review

3-stars

I’ve read quite a few Dani Wyatt books, and I’ve always loved her OTT Alphas, but Walker just didn’t do it for me like some of Dani’s other alphas. The book started out strong, but eventually Walker and Mia just bothered me.

First, I don’t know what the heck Walker did to make money. When he first got out of prison he said he still had a lot of money, but that he needed more. But then later he doesn’t have enough money to help Mia and her Nana? And then there’s Mia, who has been kept inside her whole life by her father and no longer wants to be trapped hoping a man could take care of her. Admirable, but the first thing she does is lie to Walker and meet with a creep. A creep she didn’t like before her father disappeared with her. There was also a lot of unexplained things in the book, and it made parts of it feel rushed. Then there seemed to be unnecessary drama, that was resolved very quickly.

I still gave this book three stars because Dani always delivers on at least two things: the quality of writing, and super steamy love scenes. While the flow of the novel wasn’t my favorite, I can’t complain about her style of writing. While Walker wasn’t my favorite alpha that Dani has created, he is still Over The Top and completely in love with Mia. He knows what he wants, and waiting ten years to get it doesn’t stop him.

This is a short, insta-love story available free on Kindle Unlimited. Goodreads.

Freebie

10 Freebies You Need To Have

1 Comment

On my Facebook page I’ve been sharing books that are showing up free on Amazon. So lets take a look at all the goodies that are available for free today… (in no specific order).

  1. Tough Love by Skye Warren

25089619A prequel about the sacrifices we make for love…

I sneak out of my room every night. My father’s guards don’t see me.

No one sees me, except him.

He’s the son of a foot soldier. My father is his boss. The boss. I shouldn’t even know Giovanni. And I definitely shouldn’t kiss him. Our relationship is doomed to fail, but that won’t stop me from being with him.

Not every girl wants to be a princess. I just want to be free.

Amazon: 4.3 Stars
Goodreads: 3.82 Stars

2. Forever and Ever Box Set Books 1-3 by E.L. Todd

35237582I’m in love with Skye Preston.

The Skye Preston.

The daughter of the wealthiest businessman in the world, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Her looks don’t compare to her golden heart. And her heart doesn’t compare to that big brain of hers.

But I could never tell her.

Because we’ve been best friends for twenty years.

She has a jerk for a boyfriend, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. The rest of the gang can’t stand him either. But I’m not the kind of guy to intervene. I respect her too much to pull a stunt like that.

But then I spot her at a party, too drunk to even walk. The men are eyeing her like easy prey so I take her home. But when we get there Skye is different. She looks at me differently. She touches me differently.

And she wants me differently.

Amazon: 3.9 Stars
Goodreads: 4.21 Stars

3. One Call Away by Emily Goodwin

35657273Chase Henson doesn’t play by the rules. He doesn’t let himself get attached, doesn’t stay in one place long enough to call anywhere home. So when he returns to the small town of Summer Hill for the first time in years, the last thing he expects to find is a reason to stay.

Sierra Belmont is lost. Devastated after a sudden tragedy that left her heart broken in a million pieces, Sierra is just barely getting by. Burying herself in work at Summer Hill’s only bookstore, all she wants to do is make it through another day.

And then Chase walks through the doors of The Book Bag, claiming he’s just there to buy a book. Rumors that he’s dangerous fly through the town, but Sierra isn’t afraid of him. He might be the last person she should be with, but he’s the only one who understands the depth of her pain. For the first time, Chase stands still, fighting the desperation to mend Sierra’s broken heart.

Always running, the past has never had a chance to catch up to Chase. But there’s a first time for everything.

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.34 Stars

4. The Cowboy and the Kid by Anne Mcallister

33141711Having a father is a big responsibility.
And finding him a wife is a challenge eight-year-old Becky Jones takes seriously. Ex-rodeo cowboy Taggart Jones is adamant. No marriage. Been there. Done that.

Not even if Becky’s dream candidate is her beautiful, blonde teacher, Felicity Albright, who knows about barrettes, patching up scrapes, and hates carrots as much as his daughter. Taggart’s still not interested. Much.

What’s a daughter to do? Becky’s nothing if not ingenious, and she’s determined to convince a stubborn Taggart and a bemused Felicity that they really have met their match.

The Tanner Brother series
Book 1: Cowboys Don’t Cry
Book 2: Cowboys Don’t Quit
Book 3: Cowboys Don’t Stay
Book 4: The Cowboy and the Kid
Book 5: Cowboy Pride

Amazon: 4.4 Stars
Goodreads: 4.32 Stars

5. Dropout by Jamie Schlosser

38659932JIMMY
Over the past year, I’ve been called a lot of things. Slacker. Troublemaker. Party animal.
I thought I was on top of the world. Turns out, I was pretty close to rock bottom.
Now I have a new title: college dropout.
Talk about a reality check.
But I’ve got a chance to redeem myself. One summer to turn things around. Two months to prove I’m not a complete f*ck-up.
It’s time to change.
I want to get back to being one of the good guys.

MACKENNA
I have everything I need to live out my dream of being a reclusive songwriter—my guitar, my notebook, and blissful silence.
At least, I did until Jimmy moved in next door.
With tattoos, piercings, and mischievous green eyes, he’s got bad news written all over him. And last time I got with a bad boy, it ended horribly.
Jimmy makes me feel things I shouldn’t feel. Want things I shouldn’t want. He’s a hazard to my carefully laid plans.
But he’s only here for two months.
I can resist him…right?

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.4 Stars

6. Property of Drex #1 by C.M. Owens

29516776EVE

What’s the most selfless thing you’ve ever done? What price tag would you put on the ability to save the ones you love?

They say the worst decisions are made by the desperate or the fools.

I was desperate enough to make a foolish decision to save my family. The cost? Me.

They may be a motorcycle club, but in all honesty they’re really an elite unit of criminals who just happen to drive motorcycles. They’re a business. An organization. A fully functioning army…

What I’ve learned? They work in the gray area; life and death is real; and everyone wants everyone dead. Okay, so maybe that’s dramatic… No. No it’s not. It’s legit.

I prepared for the worst, fully anticipating hating my new life. Turns out, I finally found out where I belonged. Oh, and I discovered I’m a little twisted or crazy. Maybe both.

Drex Caine, the man without a conscience, didn’t ruin me the way I thought he would. Instead, he made me feel like I was living instead of just waiting to live. And I can never go back to the way things used to be.

*Graphic Language
*Sexual Content
*Dual POV
Please note: Book 1 does end on a cliffhanger, but book 2 has the conclusion and will be released March 28, 2016. After book 2, the rest of the series can be read as stand-alone novels without cliffhangers and will have different main characters featured.

Amazon: 4.6 Stars
Goodreads: 4.28 Stars

C.M. Owens actually has quite a few novels for free. (Always the first one though because she’s a tease!) Blood’s Fury (Deadly Beauties #1), Hooked on the Game (Sterling Shore #1), Daughter of Aphrodite (Daughter Trilogy #1), The Devil’s Artwork (Faders Trilogy #1), Treasured Secrets (Coveted Saga #1).

7. The Gamble by Kristen Ashley

18246040Love is the greatest gamble of all…

Nina Sheridan desperately needs a timeout vacation. With a fiancé who can’t even remember how she takes her coffee, Nina wants some distance to rethink her engagement. Flying halfway around the world from England to a mountain town in Colorado should do the trick. But when she finds a gorgeous man at her rental cabin, Nina’s cold, lonely adventure suddenly heats up.

The owner of the house, Holden “Max” Maxwell is surprised by the beautiful woman who turns up at his door. But when Nina becomes ill, Max spends days nursing her back to health. A private man with a broken heart, Max finds himself drawn to the strong-willed woman. Soon it becomes impossible for Nina and Max to deny their growing attraction to one another. Yet even as these two wounded lovebirds think about taking a chance on a relationship, a dangerous secret from Max’s past emerges-and threatens to end their love for good.

Amazon: 4.4 Stars
Goodreads: 4.29 Stars

8. Emphatic (Soul Serenade #1) by Kaylee Ryan

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00072]There comes a point in your life where you have to say enough is enough.

I wasted my college years on a guy who played with my head, played with my heart. I was blinded by the fairytale, the one that didn’t exist.

The day I gave up on the idea of happily ever after, my focus became me. Moving forward and establishing my career.

Until one day…

I didn’t expect him. My new boss, a six foot two, inked rock god. I believed I was working for the record label, I was wrong.

It’s impossible for me to keep my distance, believe me I’ve tried. He’s not who I expected him to be. He’s so much more he’s… Emphatic

Amazon: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads: 4.18 Stars

9. Bad Idea by Nicole French

38963304.jpgBad boy meets good girl. Sparks fly. Stars cross. And a bad idea is born.

From the start, I knew we were all wrong. For people like her, New York is a city of dreams, but for me, it’s a maze of burdens. Now my chance is here to leave and become more than the criminal everyone sees. There’s no reason to stay except…

The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen…

The most kissable lips I’ve ever known…

Now I have to break both our hearts to escape this concrete jungle. She might be the girl of my dreams, but I was always a bad idea.

Amazon: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads: 4.27 Stars

10. Black Ink by N.M. Catalano

30625884Alexander Black
Ruthless. Powerful. Dangerous. Intoxicating. Twisted. A prick.
There is nothing or no one beyond his reach anywhere in the world.
He uses any means to get what he wants.

He wants Gemma Trudeau. For two reasons, first, to find out if she helped her husband steal three million dollars from him. The second, he wants to do very bad, very twisted things to her.

He always gets what he wants.

Gemma Trudeau
Her life was destroyed. She’s alone, homeless with no money.
A brilliant successful lawyer, she must now beg to work for the one man who suffered as much as she did from her husband’s illegal schemes, the only one who can help her get her life back. What she didn’t know was he would rock her world.

Alexander Black has Gemma right where he wants her. The heat between them rages, leaving them in an constant aching burn.

A stranger breaks into her house and she’s terrorized. He has one purpose, to take her, bind her, force her into a night of raging passion, leaving her stunned, confused, and very, very satisfied. He promises he’ll be back. She can’t wait.

The Capo di Tutti Capi has offered her protection. But at what price?

Someone is stalking her. The mob who wants to own her? The faceless man who seduces her in the dark blindfolded? Or the one man who should hate her, Alexander Black?

Who can Gemma trust?

First book in the BLACK INK Series. A bit dark, a bit edgy, and a whole lot of heat. It does have a bit of a cliffhanger.
**18+ adult audience, very strong sexual content.**

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.43 Stars

Book Review

Until Harmony Review!

Leave a comment

until harmony

The book I have SERIOUSLY been waiting for! The next installment of the Until Her series, Until Harmony. The biker and the babe!

Harmony and Willow Mayson are twins, and their parents are Sophie and Nico (which were probably my favorite couple in the original Until series). Harmony has goals, long term and short term. Her life is planned out and scheduled and she works hard to obtain those goals. Harlen MacCabe puts a wrench in those plans in the best way possible.

Compared to the previous novels in the series, there’s not a huge amount of drama. It’s more fluffy. No crazy ex’s no pushing each other away. There’s some tension in the beginning, and then there is craziness at the end (which gives us sneak peeks into Until Cobi coming late 2018) but there wasn’t the massive tension that has been present since the Until books. And I loved it! It was just the right amount of messiness to give the novel substance, and the right amount of romance to keep it from going too dark.

And Nico is there being his usual over-protective, cussing self. And it is glorious.

Harmony got her BOOM, but I’m pretty sure Harlen got his too.

tenor

“Until you, I didn’t think I’d find a man who I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. All my other goals have been attainable.  Finding a man who loves me the way you love me seemed outlandish, completely impossible.”

I absolutely devoured this book. I pre-ordered it awhile ago, so when I finished reading another book around 9 this morning, I immediately started reading Harmony’s story. I finished it at 12. Now, I know I’m a fast reader, but I devoured all 200 pages in 3 hours. I think that’s a new record for me. I’m going to need to do a re-read of this novel! It went by way too quickly.

I think one of my favorite things about this novel, was the easy acceptance Harlen has for Harmony’s goals. He wants a life with her, a family with her, and he makes it known, but he also respects her so much, and respects her job so much, that not once (can I repeat that NOT ONCE) does he complain she works too much, or says she should just stay home. He’s so alpha it’s not even funny, but the fact he loves her and respects her and her job just make him that much hotter to me.

Harlen may be my new favorite…

at least until Cobi comes out…

5 HUGE CRAZY GOLD STARS FOR THIS AMAZING READ!!

Goodreads — Amazon — Author Facebook — Author Amazon

**This is the Fourth book in the Until Her series but the Until Her/Him series’ over lap. The order is:

Until July
Until Jax
Until June
Until Ashlyn
Until Sage
Until Harmony

Until Her Series — Until Him Series

Book Review

I Wanna Play Hyde and Seek!

Leave a comment

Untitled design (3)Hellooooooo jello legs.

HOLY HANNAH MONTANA. Looking for a new OTT(over the top) brooding alpha man for your romance collection? Look no further than Layla Frost’s Hyde and Seek series. She’s one of the authors writing in the Kindle Happily Ever After Crossover series with Aurora Rose Reynolds, and she’s writing Until Nox (and I am in desperate need for this book.)

I think my favorite alpha is the borderline-neanderthal kind, and Layla Frost’s Jack Hyde is such a caveman. The book kept me smiling from the very first “Babe” and had just enough twist in it to make me seriously want to cry and scream. But I held myself together enough to read it. Jack is a mechanic and owns his own shop, and Piper Skye is starting her own cake business.

Piper wins over almost everyone she meets by just being herself. Maybe feeding a bunch of huge, mega hunky guys with sweets she bakes to perfection helps too. Normally, when there’s a character that is so charming the people around them can’t help but be protective of them makes me want to gag. But it’s hard to hate Piper. She’s fictional, but I so wish I could meet her and be her friend. She won me over. Her sweet exterior totally matches with her sweet interior, but she knows how to rock. My favorite kind of people.

Jack Hyde makes me want to fan myself while I’m reading. And I’m not a fan of the man-bun or long hair look usually, but thinking about this caveman with long hair? Yeah totally did it for me. His rough, grunting ways are not because he is unable to speak, just that he chooses his words. And when shit hits the fan, he chooses to use more hands-on methods. His insecurities with dating someone ten years younger than him (plus some!) get to him, but he and Piper work it out. With the help of some friends.

If you read my Brynne Asher review, you know that one of my biggest pet peeves in a book is discounting therapy as unnecessary because they are fine, or don’t need it. Well, after some traumatic events, Piper needs therapy. And she admits she needs it! There’s not as much depth as I would have liked, but the acceptance of needing to gather more tools to help cope with something you weren’t equipped to handle, is something I think more authors should be doing.

There were some editing choices at the end that I wasn’t a fan of. There was a lot of quick flashbacks, and back and forth between Jack and Piper’s POV. Most of Hyde and Seek was told through Piper’s POV. Adding Jack in there was something I loved to see, but the back and forth on the timeline was a little disconcerting. It did help to amp up the anxiety and tense situation, but it just wasn’t my favorite aspect.

Untitled design (4)

The love that Piper and Jake find together is truly amazing. It is all consuming. But my favorite part that Layla details, is the parts you don’t think about. It can be hard to detail the little things that make you fall in love with someone. It’s not always the big grand gestures, but the way that someone searches for you in a crowded room, or the way they look and you when no one is watching. Layla manages to effortlessly make you fall in love with characters as they fall in love, while getting glimpses into the life that is hard to detail. As an author, you can’t always show or describe those little things, but Layla slips them in there.

So my rating? FOUR SOLID STARS. I cannot wait to devour everything Layla Frost has to offer. Her books are offered on Kindle Unlimited if you are a subscriber, but I am totally buying them the second I get the chance.

Follow Layla Frost on Facebook!

 

By the way… I’m totally finding amazing books by being in crazy book clubs on Facebook, and Layla has one for her cupcakes!

Book Review

Welcome to Hell

Leave a comment

…well Welcome to Frat Hell. S.M. Shade is back with her second installment of Violent Circle. (If you haven’t read Scarlet Toys yet, then you need to get on it ASAP.) If you’re looking for something deep, moving, or emotional than move along to a different book. Check out S.M.’s Safe Hands series if you’d like (super recommend that series!). This book is full of fun, light romance. It is a romantic comedy at it’s best.

The book just came out today, February 27th, and is on Kindle Unlimited, but I pre-ordered it. I could not wait to get my hands on this book. I have been waiting for Noble and January’s story since Noble catwalked his way into a date.

frathell

Noble and January are introduced in Scarlet Toys, as Noble tries to get a date with Jani, and Jani tries to brush him off. To get that date, Noble participates in a lingerie show, wearing a ball gag and leather underwear. Frat Hell, which is also the nickname for the house Noble shares with his college bros, opens with Noble finally getting his date with January, and their date is something I am now dying to try for myself. Magnet fishing! Please read this just so you can find out what the heck it is if you don’t already know.

January has her own issues with dating, since her mom has multiple sclerosis, but Noble tries to overcome them in heartwarming ways. Noble has his own insecurities, one of them being adulthood looming around the corner. But the love these two find is mushy goodness. Noble may come from Frat Hell, but he’s learning to grow up.

frathell1

Overall, this book was exactly what I thought it was going to be when S.M announced the release. It was funny as hell, and kept me smiling and laughing from page one. I enjoyed every minute reading it, and devoured in it almost six hours. Because it wouldn’t be romance without someone screwing up, someone does. But there’s no long drawn out forgiveness, and it keeps with the comedy feel. And the crazy antics that make Violet Circle become Violent are very much alive and well. This book was absolutely, 100% worth it. 5 stars all around.

Now I have to keep my eyes peeled to see if there will be a third, because I am so looking forward to more!

Book Review

Who Doesn’t Love Big Crazy Families?

3 Comments

In anticipation for the Kindle World’s Until crossover series (also known as the “Happily Ever Alpha Kindle World”), based on Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Until Him/Her series, I’ve gone and read some of the authors crossing over. It’s releasing in April 2018 and I am so excited, because I seriously love the whole Mayson crew. (And Until Harmony comes out March 6th, look for my review after it’s released!)

The first author I picked up was Brynne Asher, and the Carpino series, because Byrnne’s novel, Until Avery, will be a crossover with this series. And Ms. Asher, I NEED MORE! It was a short series, only three books, but there were so many people that could have had a story, and the family is just so crazy, that I cannot wait until Avery releases. I need more Carpino’s in my life.

The first novel is Overflow, starring Gabby Carpino and Jude Ortiz.

BeFunky Design

Gabby is an interior decorator, not designer don’t mess it up, with a huge, crazy Italian family. After decorating her friend’s laundry room, the FBI and ATF come barging in, hand cuff her, and pat her down. Jude Ortiz is the FBI agent that pat her down, and then barges his way into her life when she could be in even more danger. Jude, with his police get up, ability to put Gabby in a Jude coma with his kisses, and his bossy-ness, not-so-slowly moves into Gabby’s life and home, protecting her and going out of his mind with worry. Because as much as Gabby likes Jude’s bossy behavior, she still gets her way when she wants to.

This book started out slow. So slow, I was seriously worried if I would be able to finish it. I loved Gabby and Jude almost from the beginning, but because Gabby is an interior decorator, it seemed the first chapter was dedicated to just the laundry room Gabby had designed. Gabby’s eye for detail certainly made her job a profitable one, but the paragraphs dedicated to just how a room looked, were not for me. I bullied through, and I am so glad that I did. Gabby and Jude’s love story is one that I don’t think I will ever be able to get over. It has the perfect amount of struggle and darkness, and tons of comedy to keep it light, and fun.

After giving Overflow 4 stars, I moved onto Beautiful Life.

BeFunky Design4

This story had some more darker themes to it. Leigh, who is Gabby’s best friend since they were 8, has an abusive ex-husband, whom she left because she got pregnant and he beat her. She miscarried. Tony Carpino, who is Gabby’s cousin, who’s always had a thing for Leigh but waited too long, slowly moves in so he can get his chance to be with her. Leigh, who is still struggling with the four years she spent with her husband, and still coming to terms with how to be Leigh again, tries to ignore her feelings for Tony. Gabby was in a Jude Coma, Leigh had Tony Torture. Little touches, gentle caresses, that Tony gave Leigh to show her that he was not Preston, he would never be Preston, and he was going to wait until she was ready. He pushed, just enough for Leigh.

This book was a little darker in it’s nature. Leigh’s life was a hard one, but Brynne makes expertly navigates the emotional trauma Leigh suffered, and Tony’s struggle to be with Leigh, help her move forward with her life and not be stuck living in her mental prison, but also end up happy with her. The one thing that bothered me, that bothers me about all books that have an extreme emotional and physical trauma, is that everyone says their fine and they don’t need to see a therapist. Like going to therapy is a bad thing. Therapy is not bad! And I’d love to see more authors writing a more accepting view of therapy.

But I think that’s more my personal issue than an actual issue with the book. I have never been the victim of physical abuse so I don’t know how it feels to be abused by someone, and I can’t tell if this accurately portrays that. I do know, that it was believable.

My one question: for all that Gabby and her friends complained about Preston being an asshole, and never seeing Leigh, how could they not know that he was being abusive?! It seemed pretty obvious to me.

Still 4 out of 5 stars!

The last of the series is my favorite installment, Athica Lane.

BeFunky Design5

This is the story that, start to finish, kept me smiling and laughing. Paige Carpino meets Cam Montgomery after literally bumping into him at a burger store. After they’re both a mean to each they’re both mean to each other, they go their separate ways thinking they will never see each other again. But, Paige is watching his kids while her sister Sophia is on her anniversary vacation. While Cam would love to never see her again, and vice-versa, Cam’s kids quickly fall in love with her. Cam and Paige struggle with some crazy events, and Cam struggles with his ex-wife Bekki with an i (please read this novel so you can understand that reference), and the damage she did to him when she left him with two kids.

The third installment of the Carpinos includes two crazy families, a lot of psychos, and some more darker themes. This is probably the craziest of the three books when it comes to struggles, but it is also my favorite. I was engaged from beginning to end, constantly waiting for the next part, the next crazy antic that would happen. My favorite part? There’s something that Paige wants that Cam can’t give her, and she sticks with it. She agrees there’s things she has to do, to stay safe; she agrees there’s things she has to do for the kids, and will do everything she can to protect them; but she will not give up her dreams. And she doesn’t force Cam.

I do love a strong heroine.

This book? 5 stars. Hands down.

“You’re going to go down in the books as a first class donkey face with a pile of shit on your head.” – Jen Montgomery

Quotes like the one above are what made me laugh out loud, literally. Brynne’s writing is amazing. And she truly brings the Carpino family to life. I cannot wait to continue reading more of Brynne’s work.

Book Review

How to Date a Douchebag Review

Leave a comment

**SPOILER ALERTS BELOW!!**

Early February Sara Ney came out with another stunner in her How to Date a Douchebag series. This time, it’s the Coaching Hours.

This addition to the series was a little different. First, we get to see Elliot, Sebastion “Oz” Osbourne and Zeke Daniels’ roommate from the first two books in the series. I, for one, was so excited to see Elliot’s return! But, Elliot is not a douchebag.

Elliot’s love interest? The wrestling coach’s daughter, Anabelle. And Anabelle is not a douchebag either.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. But where are the douchebags?

The douchebags come in the form of Rex Gunderson, wrestling team manager, and Eric Johnson, member of the wrestling team. These two knuckleheads bet on who can get into Anabelle’s pants first. But Anabelle isn’t having it.

BeFunky Design2

Anabelle moves in with her father, the Coach. Although she loves him, she wants to get her own place. While searching for an apartment, she overhears the wrestlers talking about Gunderson and Johnson’s bet. Anabelle and Elliot meet in the library, after Anabelle overhears some guys in the gym talking about the bet. Then Elliot meets her again at a party when she gets very drunk. Elliot, the sweet guy that he is, takes care of her. He helps her when she’s sick, and helps drive her back to her house in the morning. Anabelle realizes he has an extra room in his small apartment, so asks to move in.

Elliot’s thoughts? “What if she decides to walk around the house with no pants on and I have to see her ass cheeks? What if I like it?”

They move in together, and Anabelle gets her revenge on the boys, while she slowly falls for Elliot, and Elliot falls for Anabelle. The problem? Elliot is leaving once he graduates. He’s moving to another state for school.

Sara Ney has done it again with this installment. She also says it’s the final one. *sigh* I so would love to see another douchebag story! The writing, the comedy, the story. Everything about it is fantastic.

And oh the twists and turns! There were some WICKED plot twists that I was not expecting, but were fully appreciated!! This read was 5 stars for me!

And I can’t wait to read more from Sara Ney!

BeFunky Design3

Book Review, Uncategorized

Carter Reed by Tijan Review

Leave a comment
UM HELLO CARTER REED.
I’ve read many of Tijan’s books, but I think Carter Reed is my favorite. It’s not *exactly* a second chance romance, since Emma and Carter were never together when they were younger, but they wanted to be together.The novel begins with Emma killing her roommate’s boyfriend because he is raping her. After getting Mallory, her roommate, to a safe place, Emma has to figure out her next steps. She can’t go to the police, but there’s a dead body in her apartment.

Oh, and the now-dead boyfriend was the son of a mafia boss. This pushes her to do something she’s wanted to do for 10 years, but has never done. Emma goes to Carter Reed, her brother’s best friend, her one-time crush, and the only person she can go to for help. Carter is also the current head of a different mafia family.

Can I just say I don’t know if I could have handled everything the way Emma does? She has her moments, with panic attacks and questioning her decisions, but she is strong. Emma makes decisions her friends are not able to make. She has to decide and war with her own morals and values, rationalizing the life she is now apart of. Emma has to fight, not only for her own safety, but to be a part of Carter’s life.

And Emma was never known to be a quitter.

Emma is not the only one who struggles though. Tijan teases the readers with glimpses into Carter’s mind, showing his struggles to bring Emma into an inherently violent world. This is the woman he would go to war for, and do anything to protect. His entire life is and was always devoted to keeping her safe. And Carter coming to terms with feeling something other than the thrill for killing is beautifully shown.

Overall, this was a 5 star novel. I would HIGHLY recommend this for those that love dark romance. NO CLIFFHANGER!! There is a second book but this book does NOT end on a cliff hanger!!

Love, Short Story, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day Discount

4 Comments

I strolled through the supermarket, pushing the cart in front of me. The wheel was broken and it squeaked as I pushed it down the aisles, searching for the discounted candy. The constant squeak of the wheel as I forced it to go straight instead of the cart turning with the one wheel. Of course I would pick the cart with the squeaky, crooked wheel that wanted to make the cart careen down the aisles.

I turned down the aisle that housed all the Valentine’s Day candy, now 50% off, and smiled for the first time since February 1st. For a second, I allowed myself to bask in the glory that was discounted candy, before I looked through the selections.

“Reeces, or a bag of assorted? Bite size or full size?” I debated quietly, while lifting a bag of Reeces Pieces, and another bag full of assorted bite size candies.

“Oh, Mary! What a surprise!”

I suppressed a groan, and turned toward the voice of my neighbor, Debby. I knew for a fact I waved to her as I got into my car today, so I know she saw me leave. Did she leave the house five minutes after I did this morning? Follow me here?

Debby had the perfectly straight, blonde bob; her makeup was flawless and looked natural, but I knew her makeup routine took an hour. She was wearing skinny jeans, not mom jeans like she should be wearing, since she had three kids and still looked like a high school cheerleader. Her purple sweater had little red hearts all over it. I tried my hardest not to roll my eyes at her tacky Valentine’s Day sweater. I swear I tried, but its possible my eyes rolled. Just a little.

“Deb, what are you doing here?” I made my lips move in semblance of a smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace.

“Oh, I forgot the boys have a game on Friday, so I need to pick up some groceries for Saturday. They always have friends over the next morning,” she smiled, her perfect white teeth gleaming. Then she looked over my outfit, which consisted of a hoodie with the Egyptian goddess Tawaret, and black yoga pants with black converse, and then she looked at the candy in my hand. “Oh, honey I’m so sorry. Yesterday must have been really hard for you. I should have come over and seen you.”

I forced another smile.

“Actually I was fine. I’m just here for the discounted candy.” I laughed slightly. Awkwardly.

“Oh yes of course. I just meant, you know, that you’re single now. So a day all about love must be really difficult. If you need anything you just come right on over. Ok, hun?” Before I could thank her and try to escape the conversation, she pat my arm and kept talking. “Now you listen to me, Mary. You will find someone ok? Someone better than Joe. Do not even think about him and his new girlfriend. I heard they’re having a baby now, did you hear that? Anyways, don’t even think about them.”

She kept talking to me but I tuned her out. Yes, my ex-husband was a cheating scumbag, it was the day after Valentine’s Day, and we broke up last year on Valentine’s Day. Yes, I was wearing yoga pants when I so obviously was not doing yoga. I was not depressed, my life was not over, I was just trying to buy a bag of assorted bite size (“fun size”) candy for half the price it usually was.

I.
Was.
Fine.

I had mourned the loss of scumbag, as I usually called Joe in my head. I had cried that he left, cried that he was a lying jerk, cried that he gave another woman what he told me he didn’t want. I cried about it all, and I grieved the loss of someone in the house with me. But I was done grieving the loss of someone I didn’t miss.

I was happy he was out of my life because now I could live my life. I could go and find someone who wasn’t a jerk.

In fact, I went on a date a couple weeks ago, but nobody seems to care about that. We were going out again soon, but we just didn’t want to date around Valentine’s Day because there was so much pressure to have someone on a day that was created by the greeting card companies. We both thought it was stupid.

Debby was still talking to me, her mouth was still moving, but I still was not listening to her. I just put the candy down in my cart, next to my purse. I opened my purse and grabbed the gun and pulled it out, pointed it at her head and shot her. Right between the eyes. She was annoying anyways. I put the gun back in my purse, and went back to debating on what candy I was going to buy. I heard people milling around me, I heard them wondering if they should call the police. But I didn’t care. I was going to buy my damn candy and no one was going to say anything about it.

I did not care that Debby was bleeding out on the floor, that her blood had started to pool around her head. I did not care that the blood would eventually run and might soak my sneakers. I was tired of caring what Debby said, or what she did, or even if her blood stained the bottom of my sneakers. I just didn’t care!

Debby wasn’t the only one either. My whole town, though it was small, would see me and want to talk to me about Joe, his new girl, their new baby, the baby they had when we were still together, how was I feeling?, had I spoken to Joe?

It got old. Really. Old.

“Hon, you gonna get your phone?” Debby’s voice brought me out of my day dream, and I reached into my purse to grab my phone. I looked at the caller ID before putting it away.

“Telemarketer,” I said with a little smile. Debby just smiled her perfect, Stepford wife smile.

“Oh, I didn’t know they had cell phone numbers. Anyways, I have to go finish shopping. You come over anytime, ok, hon?”

I nodded my head as she walked away, and I blew out a breath. I put both bags of candy in my cart with a muttered fuck it.

I bought two bags of candy.
I was single.
But most of all, I was happy.

I was happy being single, and not in a relationship with someone who was comfortable. I enjoyed dating. I enjoyed having my house to myself. I was living life again for the first time in years, and I didn’t need someone else to make my life complete. Sure, sharing my life with someone would have been nice; but I wasn’t going to settle for second best. Not again.

Joe-shmoe. I was fine. I would continue to be fine. Hell, I may even be better than fine. I was not going to let the scumbags get me down.

And I was going to eat my damn candy.