Review: ★Idol★ by Kristen Callihan

review-IdolIDOL
Series: VIP #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Callihan
Release Day: June 7, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Idol VIP

Libby

I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match, the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly wearing me down, making me crave more.

He could be mine if I dare to claim him. Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone is intent on taking him away?

Killian

As lead singer for the biggest rock band in the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful decision. Now everything is in shambles.

Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse —and kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.

The world is clamoring for me to get back on stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find a way to coax the hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has changed. Everything.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview4 starsIdol-DGR

I’m a twenty-seven-year-old, multimillionaire singer-guitarist in the biggest rock band in the world, and I have no earthly clue how to have a relationship with a woman. I could laugh. But I don’t find it funny. Because I want Liberty Bell.

*pause for dirty thoughts about Killian*


And I’m back!
Seriously though, even the man’s name is hot. Killian. *rarr*
But I digress…

Idol marks book one in Callihan’s sexy new VIP series and if this book is anything to go by, this is the start of something addictingly good. This book had a little bit of everything that I love; hot rockstars, angst, tortured rockstars, angst, sexy times, sassy heroines, amazing secondary characters that I’m already itching for a book for, sexy times, fantastic writing, sexy times, humor, and lots and lots of sexy times. You getting the drift here?

I don’t spend time with anyone. It’s writing-composing, practicing, recording, touring, fucking, sleeping. Same old record spinning round and round.

Kristen is a masters of weaving some grade A sexual chemistry and boy do you get that here. When Liberty “Libby” finds a drunken bum passed out on her well manicured lawn, she’s not exactly thrilled. When she finds out that the same ‘bum’ will also be her next door neighbor for the summer, she’s not jumping for joy either. But a few snarky barbs soon turn into an unwilling friendship that soon begins to turn into something much more. But what happens when Liberty finds out that her new neighbor is also the lead singer of the world’s hottest rock band?

Tell me you want this too, baby doll.”
“Want what?”
“Everything.”

The chemistry between these two is so hot, it practically sizzles. What a refreshing change of pace to get a rockstar that doesn’t want to manwhore his way around town. Killian realizes what he wants early on and he’s not shy about going about it. I loved the way he was with Libby. He’s patient and sweet and yet there’s always an edge to him to with his dirty talking ways

There’s no one else like her. There never will be.

Libby is endearingly sassy. Girl can definitely hold her own and she’s not shy about telling it like it is. I loved her spunk and backbone. Sure, she has her issues, but she never lets it own her.

The characters are perfectly developed, and their romance is a natural progression. I love when the author can make that sexual tension burn and Kristen makes it hurt so good here.

I also fell hard for all the secondary characters, especially the tortured Jax. I can’t wait for his story along with the rest of the guys from Kill John. But I’m especially excited for the next book ESPECIALLY after the preview at the end. YUM.

Clearly I loved this book, so why not 5 stars? Well, while I loved the tension and build up of the first and last 30%, the in-between of it didn’t have me as riveted. It was still a fun read, but I had no problems setting it down for a bit and picking it back up later. So while it wasn’t quite the perfect five stars, it was a super solid 4 that I enjoyed thoroughly. If you’re a fan of this author, this is an absolute must read. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

Love breaks your heart, fucks you up- perfect, all-consuming chaos.


About the Author

KCauthorKristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a three-time RITA nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Cover Reveal: ★The Deep End★ by @KristenAshley68

cover reveal the deep endTHE DEEP END
Series: Honey #1
Genre: Erotic Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: March 7, 2017add-to-goodreads-button-2

Ashley_The Deep End

SynopsisEnter a decadent sensual world where gorgeous alpha males are pleasure slaves committed to fulfilling a woman’s every desire. At the elite Honey club, no boundary will be left untested, and one’s darkest desires will become a sensual reality.

Olivier isn’t sure what he’s gotten himself into when he joins the Honey Club, only that a dark part of him craves the lifestyle offered by this secret, exclusive club.

When Amèlie invites Olivier to surrender, she pushes him to explore his deepest desires as a submissive. As they grow closer and find themselves falling harder than either of them anticipated, the truth about Olivier’s past could threaten the budding relationship they both long for.

Gripping and seductive, The Deep End is the first book in a sensational new series from bestselling author Kristen Ashley.

Buy Links Pre-Order The Deep End!
Amazon | iBooks | Books a Million | GooglePlay | Kobo | More to come!
 About the Author
KristenAshleyKristen Ashley is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty novels. She grew up in Indiana, but has lived in Colorado and the West Country of England. Visit her online at www.KristenAshley.net.
 
Connect with Kristen Ashley!

Jennifer’s Review: ★Hold You Against Me★ by @skye_warren

review-Hold You Against MeHOLD YOU AGAINST ME
Series: Stripped #4
Genre: Dark Romance
Author: Skye Warren
Release Date: May 31, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Hold You Against Me Ebook Cover

Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.

This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.

My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.

Except there’s a chance that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.

Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me—the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.

 

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS Review4.5 stars

Fairy tales aren’t for the girls who have a choice. They’re for the girls shoved into corners, trapped in darkness, bent over desks. Places where hope is an act of bravery. Where believing in love is an act of rebellion. Fairy tales are for girls who dream of happy endings, knowing they might not live to see tomorrow.

19396391._SY540_I loved the conclusion to this beautiful story. Tough Love, the prequel to this series is where we first meet Giovanni and Clara. It was also my first Skye Warren book, and I have not looked back! Skye includes the entire Tough Love prequel in this book.

My Gio:

It takes a monster to take down a monster.

My Clara:

He dragged me back into my worst nightmare and somehow made me want it.

19396392._SX540_The story begins in the prequel. Clara is a mafia princess who feels trapped in gilded cage. Her father is not a good man and means to make her marry a horrible man. Clara meets Giovanni, a foot soldier, when she is 15 and he is 17. She is able to escape her father’s evil clutches with the help of Giovanni. Hold You Against Me continues the story 3 years later, when Clara believes Gio to be killed for helping her escape.

Those are not his scars. They’re mine. He took them for me.

This is NOT your typical fairy tale. Skye Warren tends to write on the darker side, which is why I love her so much. She warned her readers that this book is on the lighter side of her darkness, but I still enjoyed it so much! She always makes me FEEL something in every single one of her books, and this one did not disappoint. Skye’s writing is sensual, beautiful, and smart. Her heroines seem real, trapped, trying to break free of some sort of struggle.

If you love mafia romance, this book/series is for you! I have a soft spot for mafia men. The danger, the tattoos, the darkness, the power, the broodiness, just do it for me!

I love Skye Warren to the moon and back.

I would read her grocery lists.

*Can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting from the beginning because this series is worth it! Hold You Against Me is the 4th book in the series, but any of these books can be read by themselves.*


Stripped Series

Tough Love (#0.5) – Included in Hold You Against Me
Love Way You Lie (#1) – Love the Way You Lie
Heartbreak (#1.5) – Heartbreak
Better When It Hurts (#2) – Better When It Hurts
Even Better (#2.5) – Even Better
Pretty When You Cry (#3) – Pretty When You Cry
Caught For Christmas (#3.5) – Caught for Christmas

New & Upcoming Releases: June 14

New Releases-DGR

Is it just me or are we getting more and more awesome release weeks this summer? Check out all the prettehs releasing this week!


JUNE 14 RELEASE


RAW REDEMPTION by Tessa Bailey

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Disgraced cop Henrik Vance is having a shit year. Banished to a derelict undercover squad, he’s been tasked with hunting down the daughter of Chicago’s most dangerous criminal. His obsession with saving the beautiful girl destroyed his career. And this time, it might cost his life.

Ailish O’Kelly doesn’t need a hero. She’ll save herself from her father’s violent criminal dynasty, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the sexy as sin cop who crashes her hideout isn’t hearing reason—especially not after the kiss that becomes much more.

His boss wants her as an informant. Ailish wants Henrik to keep whispering filthy things against her skin. But she knows too well the evil they’re up against, and when it comes down to protecting the man who owns her body and soul, she only has one choice…

Each book in the Crossing the Lines series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.


BITTERSWEET by Sarina Bowen

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Farmers make the earth move.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

Warning: Contains sexual situations, gourmet yumminess, a steamy outdoor shower and proof that farmers don’t mind getting dirty.


ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR by Nalini Singh

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The “unparalleled romantic adventure”* of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as a new dawn begins for the Psy-Changeling world…

A staggering transformation has put the Psy, humans, and changelings at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies, new allies, wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten, and it threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost and protect the vulnerable—and to save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?


DOMINANCE NEVER DIES by Lexi Blake

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A loss he can’t forget

Since losing his twin brother, Theo, in the line of duty, Case Taggart has felt dead inside. The former Navy SEAL has dedicated himself to his family and their business but he can’t help but feel stuck as he watches everyone else move on with their lives. Only meeting the beautiful Mia brings Case out of his misery, until he discovered she was just a reporter looking for a story. Betrayed, he turned his back on her and never looked back.

An attraction she can’t deny

Mia Danvers can’t get Case Taggart out of her head. Though they hadn’t been lovers, she’d felt more for him than for any man she’d ever met. Growing up in the shadow of her over-protective, older brothers, she felt free when she was with Case and she longs to feel that way again. She knows that if she can find any trace of Theo Taggart, Case will be forced to let her back into his life. Months of searching have finally paid off and she knows this is her second chance.

A desperate search

Case and Mia follow the clues they hope will lead them to Theo and the villainous Hope McDonald, but the search becomes increasingly dangerous. From Dallas to South America and beyond, dark forces work against them and threaten their lives. With each step forward, Case and Mia are pulled closer together and forced to confront their mutual attraction. But when the truth about Theo is revealed, Case may have to make a choice between his brother and the only woman he’s ever loved.


LAST KISS by Laurelin Paige

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A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE FILLED WITH DARK DESIRES AND DANGEROUS SECRETS…

Emily Wayborn has made a decision.

She might not fully trust handsome and deadly Reeve Sallis, but he is the one person that gives her what she needs. With Reeve she can finally be herself. Submitting to him is the only thing keeping her grounded as the rest of her life falls apart. But the hotelier is a master at keeping secrets and as she continues her quest for answers someone is making sure she doesn’t find them.

Time is running out and she is questioning everything she thought she knew about friendship and love. She must now make an impossible choice that will determine if she will survive with her heart…or her life.


INTO THE LIGHT by Aleatha Roemig

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Sara Adams awakes blind, unable to remember the most basic details of her life, but her darkness seems a blessing when she discovers the terrors of The Light.

Stella Montgomery investigates the news from the mean streets of Detroit, where she’s noticed a disturbing trend: young women are vanishing. When her best friend disappears, Stella digs for answers—despite warnings from her police detective boyfriend—following a twisted trail that leads her through the city’s most dangerous and forsaken precincts. There she uncovers something more sinister than she could have imagined: a shadowy organization known as The Light, led by the enigmatic Father Gabriel.

As Sara struggles to understand her place in the strange world she’s awakened to—an oppressive cult demanding unquestioning obedience—and her feelings for Jacob, the husband she can’t recall and whose harsh and tender attentions confuse and beguile her, Stella risks all to discover the truth. But enlightenment always comes with a price…


WICKED SEXY by J.T. Geissinger

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A badass ex-Special Ops officer and a smartass hacker fight a dangerous enemy…and a blistering attraction to each other.

Connor Hughes is an ex-special ops officer, CEO of Metrix Security, and bonafide badass. His private security firm is renowned for its effectiveness. He’s renowned for his lethal precision and iron self-control. But when the former Marine meets a gorgeous young hacker with a mouth as smart as her brain, his control unravels in ways he never could have predicted.

Tabitha West is a genius MIT dropout with a bad attitude, an obsession with Hello Kitty and piercings in unmentionable places. Tabby amuses herself by outwitting the most secure technology systems on the planet. Known in hacker circles as Polaroid due to her photographic memory, she’s as secretive as she is accustomed to working alone. So when Connor decides she’s the only one who can help him catch a cyber criminal intent on taking down one of his clients, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.

But when the cyber criminal turns out to be the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime—and a dark presence from Tabby’s past—Tabby and Connor are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. They quickly find themselves fighting not only their common enemy, but also an explosive desire that threatens to consume them.

When the stakes are this high and the game this deadly, will falling in love be the most dangerous move of all?


DARK AMOUR by L.A. Kennedy

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Book 2 in The Genesys Project series

There’s war brewing and only one group of Slayers to protect their race. Their second-in-command must choose between the life he’d be forced to live and the life he’d kill for.

Something inhuman is taking out the upper crust of society, and it’s up to the Slayers to confront an evil so great that it threatens to destroy all they hold dear.

Blood Alley will earn its name, as the war between the Slayers and the Rancor Order spills from the trenches and onto the streets of Van City.

For Slayer Zylan, his demons haunt him as he comes face to face with his own personal hell. For ten years, Zylan—Zy to his friends—has been deep undercover infiltrating the Rancor Order.

Now, shoulder to shoulder with the Slayers, Zylan must choose between his birthright and his heart’s desire. He is forced to call in his one true love, his Fyrvor, Neri. He is given a taste of pleasure unlike anything he’s had before—until fate comes knocking on his door holding a blade.

You can’t run from fate. You can’t hide from the darkness.


CRAZY ABOUT LOVE by Cassie Mae

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From the author of Doing It for Love (“The perfect blend of humor and sizzle.”—Rachel Harris) comes a hilarious and heartwarming rom-com about two people who are meant to be . . . even if they can’t quite seem to get it together.

Single again on Valentine’s Day, struggling actor Alec Tucker agrees to help out his longtime friend—and unrequited love—Theresa Jones by filling in as one of the bachelors for her company’s charity auction. Alec figures it couldn’t hurt to meet someone new. Still, working with Theresa reminds him of all the reasons he never got over her. So it feels a little bittersweet when, out of nowhere, a beautiful young street artist buys a date with him for a whopping four grand.

Little does he know, Theresa’s had a major change of heart. She’s crushed when someone else wins a date with Alec—but she isn’t going down without a fight. After a pep talk from her best friend, Theresa makes a desperate move that goes against her better judgment . . . and things only get crazier from there. But with Alec ready to move on and Theresa afraid she’s pushed him away for good, maybe a little crazy is exactly what they need—before they both miss their shot.


INK INDURING by Carrie Ann Ryan

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The Montgomery Ink series continues with a forbidden love between three friends and a past that they can’t escape.

Jake Gallagher knew from the moment he saw Maya that she was the one for him—it had the same breath-taking intensity as when he’d first set eyes on Border. Only life never turns out the way one plans, and now he’s falling for someone else…or at least he thinks he is.

Maya Montgomery never should have looked past the friendship she already had. Now that she has, she can’t stop thinking about Jake and what he means to her. When a mysterious stranger from Jake’s past shows up at their door, she’s forced to admit that if she doesn’t take the risk of a lifetime, she’ll regret it for the rest of her days.

Border Gentry walked away without a second glance once because of what could happen if he let go, but now he’s back and ready to see what he’s missed. He’s been on the road a long time and has seen things no man should ever see, yet once he rediscovers the broody Jake and meets the inked and fierce Maya, they’re like a balm to his soul and he realizes what path his future should take.

It will take more than sizzling chemistry and a heat that never dies for the three of them to overcome their pasts. And when someone from the outside wants to stand in their way, it’s not only their hearts on the line…but also their lives.


CROSSING THE LINE by Audra North

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He wanted her the first time he saw her. It didn’t matter that he was on stage in front of a room full of reporters, or that his publicist was telling him to move on, or that she was asking him a question about racing. One look at her “just been bedded” hair — completely at odds with her deliciously prim appearance — and Ty Riggs is hooked.

Corrine Bellows is one of the woefully few women in a male profession: sports reporting. In a field where “Hey, sweetheart, can you fetch me a cup of copy” is part of her job description, she’s determined to keep things professional. And while interviewing Ty Riggs, the hottest new driver on and off the track, is a major scoop, Corrine knows that she is in major trouble when it becomes clear that Ty wants so much more and is determined to get it. As things heat up between them, Corrine finds herself on shakier ground. Her big secret just may destroy everything.


CLAIM ME by Anna Zaires

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Book 3 in the dark romance Capture Me trilogy

She’s on the run.

Yulia Tzakova’s freedom comes at a heavy price. Her former captor dominates her dreams, and survival consumes her waking moments. She may have escaped, but she’s far from safe.

In the shadowy world of spies and betrayal, nothing is what it seems.

He’s obsessed with getting her back.

Lucas Kent’s rage knows no bounds. The danger of his job occupies his days, but hunting down Yulia is what he lives for. When he finds her, she’ll never escape again.

He’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.

Note: This is a LONG novel that concludes Lucas & Yulia’s story.


JUNE 15 RELEASE


FEARLESS IN LOVE by Bella Andre & Jennifer Skully

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Meet the Maverick Billionaires―sexy, self-made men from the wrong side of town who survived hell together and now have everything they ever wanted. But when each Maverick falls head-over-heels for an incredible woman he never saw coming, he will soon find that true love is the only thing he ever really needed…

After growing up dirt poor in a seedy Chicago neighborhood, Matt Tremont seemingly has it all now–brains, brawn, and billions. And most importantly, Noah, his five-year-old son, the one good outcome of a disastrous relationship that destroyed his last ounce of trust. The only thing he’s lacking is the perfect nanny for his son. And Ariana Jones is absolute perfection. Utterly enchanting. Completely fascinating. And totally off limits.

Like a match made in heaven, this is Ari’s dream job. Swallowed up in the foster care system after losing her brother and mother, Ari has always dreamed of family. She showers five-year-old Noah with all the love she’s kept bottled up inside. Love she could also offer to her gorgeous billionaire boss–if only he weren’t the very last man she could ever hope to have.

But when sizzling sparks of attraction turn into a forbidden, sinfully hot night of pleasure, will Ari’s love be enough to make Matt forget the past and love fearlessly?

 

 

Review: ★Hot SEAL Lover★ by @LynnRayeHarris

review-Hot SEAL LoverHot SEAL Lover
Series: Hot SEAL Team #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lynn Raye Harris
Release Date: June 14, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

HotSEALLover-2

One night in the sheets is all she wants…

Christina Girard is a lady. But she’s a lady whose world is about to implode. She’s done everything right, but she can’t escape the taint of scandal when her husband cheats on her with another man. She’s broken, her spirit battered, her confidence at an all-time low.

Then she meets Navy SEAL Remy Marchand, and parts of her she’d thought dead flare to life. Except Remy is part of the Hostile Operations Team, the Black Ops group her brother works for, and that means NO in flashing neon letters. Yet Christina’s tired of always doing what’s expected. Just once, she wants to saddle up and ride a tattooed, dirty-mouthed bad boy before she kicks him to the curb and goes on with her life.

One night is not enough to put out the fire…

Remy Marchand burns with guilt and regret that he couldn’t save his twin sister from her abuser. He lives his life slaying dragons for the innocent and vulnerable. He thought Christina needed his strength and protection too, but he was wrong. After a single night of pleasure, she disappears from his life.

But then his SEALs get tasked with a mission: infiltrate war-torn Qu’rim and get Christina out before the enemy finds her. With bombs exploding, blood spilling, and survival not certain, Remy protects Christina from harm while vowing not to succumb again to her sweet temptation.

One night is only the beginning…

But life in a war zone is intense, and vows mean nothing in the face of danger. Giving in is inevitable. Staying alive is not—especially when the greatest menace still waits for the perfect moment to strike…

Buy-Links10PRE-ORDER
AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N


Review4 starsHot Seal Lover-DGR

He was a revelation to her. A need beyond any she’d ever had before.

Let me sum this up for you in a few words: Navy SEAL, Cajun accent.

I’ll let you marinade on that for a bit.



What? You need more? Pfft! Clearly you’re not easy like me. But this may also be the case because I’m obsessed with all things Lynn Raye Harris. I’ve been a huge fan of hers since the very first HOT book, and suffice it to say I’m thoroughly enjoying the spin-off with some hot Navy SEALs.

Now the order of the book may be confusing, so let me explain. Hot SEAL marked book 1 in Harris’s HOT SEAL Team spin-off. While the time line follows the rest of the HOT books, there is a slew of new characters introduced in the form of a SEAL team that works with the HOT men. Still with me? Good. And while it’s book #11 in the HOT series and #2 in the HOT SEAL series, each book may be enjoyed as a standalone as it’s a different couple with their own HEA in each book. The author gives plenty of background so the reader will never be lost. Unless you’re one of my series OCD friends. In that case pretend you didn’t just read the aforementioned, kay? Great!

Moving on to the review…

Christina Girard is Matt Girard’s younger sister from Hot Pursuit but we don’t really get to know her until this book. So if you haven’t yet read Hot Pursuit, no worries. You won’t have any trouble jumping right in. (Sorry, OCD friends. Ignore this too)

After the scandal of her husband’s affair implodes her life, she’s left shattered, unable to trust any man. Her family life and especially her father just further solidify her stance. Her divorce almost final, she goes out to spend time with her friends and lays eyes on the incredibly sexy SEAL, Remy Marchand. Remy is immediately taken with Christina and wants to explore their attraction further, but all Christina wants from him is one night to explore the chemistry between them.

He wanted it to be more, but she didn’t. And that pissed him off.

One sizzling night together is all they have before Christina runs scared. Now it’s six months later and Remy is part of the mission sent to infiltrate war-torn Qu’rim and get Christina and a few other US citizens out before they’re discovered and captured by dangerous rebels. Now they’re forced to deal with all the unanswered tension and questions between them, but can Christina learn to trust again in order to let Remy in?

But I’m scared. I’m scared it’s too soon and I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m scared you aren’t what you seem to be, and that tomorrow you’ll walk away- I’m scared of so many things.

Considering these two spend the night together pretty early into the book, I was a little afraid it’ll be the case of insta love. That wasn’t it at all. If anything, there was the added spice of second chance romance mixed in with their reunion months later. Remy is understandably angry with her and gone is the sweet man that Christina first met. In his place is the angry, slightly bitter SEAL with an air of danger around him. There was plenty of tension and burn to make this romance deliciously sexy.

It takes Christina some time to really come into her own, but I enjoyed watching her growth throughout the story.

She’d let him back into her life, and she had to ride out the storm to see where it went. She just hoped there was some little piece of her left when the storm was over.

While it wasn’t my favorite book in the series (but I’m a touch biased since I’m practically salivating for Ian Black’s book), it was definitely a satisfying installment in what’s become one of my go-to romantic suspense series.

Harris has become synonymous for me with heart-pounding and deliciously sexy romantic suspense. Her heroes are just the right amount of protective and intense with an air of danger around them. Her heroines are strong and assertive. Her romance sizzling hot and addictive. If you haven’t discovered this series yet, you’re seriously missing out. I’m not just recommending it, I’m insisting you read it. It’s that good.


HOT SEAL (Hot SEAL Team #1)25716896GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Review: ★For 100 Days★ by Lara Adrian

review-For 100 DaysFOR 100 DAYS
Series: 100 Series #1
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Author: Lara Adrian
Release Date: May 24, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

100Days_highres

Pleasure has a price . . .

Just when everything in my life is falling apart, I find a chance to turn it around–to step into someone else’s glittering world, if only for a little while. I become someone new, no longer the woman defined by an ugly past, but a woman freer and bolder than myself. A woman who isn’t afraid to explore every passion, even at its darkest, with a mysterious and seductive man who believes my mask is real.

Handsome and commanding, enigmatic and irresistible, billionaire Dominic Baine is an obsession I cannot afford and should not risk. He ushers me into consuming new pleasures and addicting new desires, until the line between my real life and the fantasy one I’ve stolen with him begins to blur.

I know I cannot keep my truth from him. I know my past will not stay buried forever. But before I can make it right, everything comes crashing down. I have deceived this powerful, dangerous man . . . and now there is a price to be paid.

* * * * * * * *
FOR 100 DAYS is the first novel in a passionate new contemporary romance trilogy from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Lara Adrian. Coming soon: FOR 100 NIGHTS and FOR 100 REASONS.

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Review3.5 starsfor 100 days

With Nick, all I know is need. It’s pure, untainted. Primal and raw.

As a long time fan of all things Lara Adrian, when I saw she’s releasing an erotic romance trilogy, I was all over it. I’ve been obsessed with her Midnight Breed series, so I already know this woman can write. So all it took was a quick glance at this synopsis to know that I need to read this book.

I learned a long time ago that help never comes without a price tag, hidden or not. And even the people who claim to care about you the most can turn against you in the blink of an eye.

Avery is the definition of a tortured artist. She left everything behind to start a new life in New York and make something of herself as an artist.

I haven’t known disease, but I do know pain. I know corrosion- the kind that comes from within and from without. I’ve survived both.

For the time being, she’s barely making ends meet working as a bartender at a popular restaurant and selling a few of her paintings at a renowned gallery. Unfortunately her job comes with a douchebag of a manager, her rental apartment is being converted to condos forcing her to move out, and her paintings may no longer be good enough for the gallery. The answer to her salvation comes from an opportunity to house sit an apartment in New York’s most luxury buildings…and this is where Avery comes face to face with the enigma that is Nick Baine.

Nick is magnetic with a capital M. The man draws your interest from the first look and he keeps it with his dark intensity. He’s easily what kept me turning the pages eager to find out the secrets that are brewing beneath the surface.

I’m a reader that appreciates a slow burn in my romance. I want to practically taste the tension between the characters, but unfortunately I didn’t get that here. Avery and Nick are thrown into bed together quite literary after the second time they lay eyes on each other. While I can sort of understand Avery’s reasonings behind this, I also couldn’t. Her attraction and pull to Nick is so instant, that given her history I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it.

What begins next is a number of erotically charged encounters that practically make up the majority of the book. While on the one hand, the steam factor was though the roof, on the other hand I was hungry for something more. It seemed like sex was the primary factor driving this book and ultimately it began to feel like mostly filler.

Now if you’re a reader that enjoys trilogies, this will certainly hit the spot for you. For me, trilogies are a hit or miss. I have to be involved in the story on a certain level, and I had a tough time really getting that here in the midst of all the sex. Avery went from a damaged but strong heroine, to someone that left all her responsibilities in the wind for a few hot encounters with someone that’s ultimately a stranger. It wasn’t until the very end that we’re given a taste of what her past really contained, but by then it was a case of too little too late…at least for me. I have to feel a need for a story to be told in 3 parts, and to be honest, I didn’t get that here. There was a lot in the way of sex, but not much in the way of true story development. Perhaps that will be something we get in the next book, but I needed something to hook me here. While the revelation at the end was intriguing, I’m not sure if it was enough to leave me panting for the next one. Will I read the next two books? Sure. Will I be eagerly jumping to them on release day? Probably not.

Release Blitz, DGR Top Fave Review, & Giveaway: ★Unbreak My Heart★ by @AuthorNicoleJ

Unbreak My Heart Blitz BannerUNBREAK MY HEART
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Nicole Jacquelyn
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Formats: Trade Paperback & eBook
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What do you do when your soul mate marries your best friend?

If you’re Kate Evans, you keep your friend Rachel, bond with her kids, and bury your feelings for her husband. The fact that Shane’s in the military and away for long periods helps-but when tragedy strikes, everything changes.

After Rachel, pregnant with her fourth child, dies in a car accident and the baby miraculously survives, Kate upends her entire life to share parenting duties. Then on the first anniversary of Rachel’s death, Kate and Shane take comfort in each other in a night that they both soon regret.

Shane’s been angry for a year, and now he feels guilty too – for sleeping with his wife’s best friend and liking it…liking her.  Kate’s ability to read him like a book may have once sent Shane running, but their lives are forever entwined and they are growing closer.

Now with Shane deployed for seven months, Kate is on her own and struggling with being a single parent. Shane is loving and supportive from thousands of miles away, but his homecoming brings a betrayal Kate never saw coming. So Kate’s only choice is to fight for the future she deserves – with or without Shane…

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Excerpt

I don’t remember the drive to the hospital or even where I parked that afternoon. I can’t recall what the nurse looked like as she searched for Rachel’s name in their computer system or the walk toward the room where I waited for someone to speak to me.The first thing I remember clearly is the white-haired doctor’s kind face as he sat down across from me, and the young chaplain’s small smile as he chose the chair to my left. Their words became a litany that I would hear in my dreams for years.

My Rachel was gone, but her son was alive and in the NICU.

“Is there anyone you’d like for us to call? Any family or friends that you’d like to be here?”

The question jolted me out of the fog that seemed to be getting thicker and thicker around me. Dear God.

“I’ll make the calls,” I answered, looking blankly at the wall. “Can I have some privacy please?”

“Of course. I’ll be right outside if you need me,” the chaplain answered, reaching out to pat my hand. “I’ll take you up to the NICU when you’re ready.”

The room was silent after they left, and I fought the urge to scream at the top of my lungs just to hear it echo around me. I understood then why people hired mourners to wail at funerals. Sometimes the lack of sound is more painful than the anguished noise of a heart breaking.

My hands shook as I pulled my phone out of my front pocket and rested it on the table in front of me.

It only took a moment before the sound of ringing filled the room, and I rested my head in my hands as I stared at the name across the screen.

“Hello? Kate? What’s wrong?”

“Shane—” I said quietly, my voice hitching.

“What? Why are you calling me?” His voice was confused, but I could hear a small thread of panic in the urgency of his words.

“I need you to come to Tri-City Hospital,” I answered, tears rolling down my face and landing on the glass screen of my phone, distorting the letters and numbers.

“Who?” His voice was frantic, and I could hear him moving around, his breathing heavy.

“Rachel was in an accident.” I sobbed, covering my face to try and muffle the noise.

“No,” he argued desperately, as I heard two car doors shut almost simultaneously. “Is she okay?”

I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.

“Kate! Is she okay?” He screamed at me, his anguished voice filling the room as I’d wanted mine to just minutes before.

“No,” I answered through gritted teeth, feeling snot running down my upper lip as I heard him make a noise deep in his throat. “She’s gone.”

He didn’t say a word, and less than a second later, the connection was broken.

I rubbed at my forehead, trying to convince myself that it was all just a nightmare. Where was I supposed to be? What was I supposed to do now? My best friend in the entire world was there in that hospital, but not really. I couldn’t bear to see her. I couldn’t help her. Where the fuck was I supposed to go?”

I made my way to the NICU as quickly as I could, and within minutes, I was holding my new nephew in my arms. The nurses told me that he’d passed all of his tests with flying colors, and I was in awe as I sat down in a rocking chair, cradling him to my chest.

“You sure got a shitty beginning, little man,” I murmured against his fuzzy scalp, rocking back and forth gently. “I’m so sorry, buddy. You’re probably missing your mama and that warm bubble you’ve been in for so long. I can’t help you there.”

I sniffled, closing my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. My whole body ached, and even though I had that little boy in my arms, the whole day seemed like some sort of surreal dream, foggy in some parts and crystal clear in others. I wanted to hop up and take his sleeping, little form to Rachel, to tease her about the weird Mohawk thing he was sporting and make joking comments about how men always seem to sleep through the hard parts of life. I wanted to see her smile proudly at the sturdy boy she’d produced and grumble that I was hogging him.

I wanted everything to be different.

I hummed softly with my eyes closed for a long time, holding the baby close to me. It was quiet where we sat, nothing breaking up the stillness of the room until I heard someone open the door.

“There he is,” the nurse murmured from the doorway.

My eyes popped open to see Shane’s ravaged face just feet from me. He looked like he was barely holding on. I swallowed hard as his red rimmed eyes took in his son carefully before rising to meet mine.

“Is he okay?” he asked thickly, searching my face. I’d never seen him so frightened.

“He’s perfect,” I answered, my voice throbbing with emotion. “The nurses said he’s a rock star.”

He nodded twice, reaching up to cover his mouth with his hand, but before he could say another word, he was stumbling and falling to his knees with an almost inaudible sob.

Author InterviewDGR: What was your favorite scene to write in Unbreak My Heart and what is your favorite scene to read in Unbreak My Heart?

NJ: My favorite scene to write was probably the scene when Kate is singing to the kids over the phone. She was devastated but pulled it together to get her kids to sleep from a thousand miles away. That’s such a mom thing to do.

My favorite scene to read is when Shane is taking the kids back to California and Keller decides that he’s going to stay behind. He comes across as a bit of a brat in this story, but when the chips are down he’s worried about who’s going to be taking care of Kate. That’s Keller. He might not get his point across in a constructive way, but he feels things very deeply.

What can I say? I like the ones that seem to punch you right in the belly.


review-Unbreak My Heart5 starsUnbreak My Heart2-DGR

I’d pushed her aside for so long that there was no foundation to build on. Just a mess of shattered pieces that I’d crushed with a sledgehammer every time she’d grown closer than I was comfortable with.

God. GOD. This book. This heartbreaking, incredibly written, gut wrenching book. If it had any more of my favorite elements in it, I’d feel like it was custom written for me. I don’t remember the last time I read a book that gripped me the way this one did. To the point that I felt it on a visceral level. To the point that now days later after finishing it, I still can’t stop thinking about it. This was easily one of my top favorite reads this year. I picked it up and read it straight through because I couldn’t bear to put it down for even a second. I was an ugly crying, sniveling, raging mess the entire time and loved every painful second of it.
If The Unwanted Wife and Walk Through Fire had an angst baby, this book would be IT. I’m so book hungover right now, I can’t even form words.

Unbreak My Heart is an unbelievably gripping story of love and loss and second chances. This book absolutely owned my heart. It was a compelling, angst-filled, emotional, and completely unputdownable read from beginning to finish. You will love to hate this hero and then you’ll just flat out love him.

I don’t need you to save me…
I never needed you to fucking save me.”

Nicole Jacquelyn has a true gift with words because her characters are so incredibly compelling, you don’t just read about them, you experience them. There is not an ounce of telling in this book. Everything is shown, including the character descriptions. Yeah. I was blown away to say the least.

Shane is not an easy hero to love. As a matter of fact he will make you down right hate him. He will break your heart so many times over, you’ll wonder if there is a road back. But there is. Oh but there is.

I didn’t know how to be with someone like Kate. She’d demand more from me than anyone ever had before, and that was terrifying.

You may be asking yourself if it’s possible to write a book with a dead spouse and not make the heroine feel like a consolation prize prize. And to you I say, abso-freaking-lutely.

Kate is a character with so much depth. She takes so much emotional punishment throughout this book that you want to say that she may be too forgiving. But the author instills so much growth in her throughout the story that you’ll love her more and more with each page.

I won’t give you anything about the plot, because to be quite honest, everything you need to know is in the blurb. Anything more than that will be a spoiler. And if there’s one thing I can recommend is to go into this book absolutely blind with NO preconceived notions.

I couldn’t change the past, but hell if I didn’t want to be what Kate needed now.

Everything about this story is brilliant; from the feelings it will wrench from your very soul to the emotional mess it will leave you at the end of it. Shane and Kate’s story is not an easy one. It’s filled with pain and heart break but it’s also beautiful in its own right. You don’t read the characters’ journey, you experience it. Everything from the fundamental changes in their relationship to their feelings and everything in between.

For the past couple of nights when I’d lain down beside her, after she’d called asleep and I knew she couldn’t hear me, I’d promised her that she’d never have to forgive me again if she could do it one last time.

If you’re questioning picking this up, don’t! If you’re a fellow angst-whore like me, if there’s one book I can recommend you read, it’s this one! Grab some tissues and some alcohol and prepare to read the whole night through because I guarantee this book will own every piece of you by the time you’re finished.


About the Author

Nicole Jacquelyn NO CREDIT

 

When Nicole Jacquelyn was eight and people asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she told them she wanted to be a mom. When she was 12, her answer changed to author. Her dreams stayed constant. First, she became a mom, and then during her senior year of college–with one daughter in first grade and the other in preschool–she sat down and wrote a story.

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Giveaway

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DGR Top Fave & Review: ★Backfire★ by @KeriLake

review-BackfireBACKFIRE
Series: Vigilantes #2
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance
Author: Keri Lake
Release Date: June 9, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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This book is a standalone set in the same world as Ricochet.

No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness.

A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die.

They failed. I survived.

Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge.

Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side.

Then she drifts into my life.

Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows.

Or to take her for the depraved fantasies her body alone can rouse in a man’s mind.

Me? I want her for the fire in her touch that feeds my addiction, forces me to feel what has become numb, but my appetite for bloodshed runs deeper than flesh.

For my own sanity, I’ve vowed to stay away from her. Because she’s my only weakness, an obsession that leaves me craving more—one that could make even the most steadfast plan backfire.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSBackfire-DGR teaser 2

Review5 starsBackfire2-DGR teaser

Shit thing about life is, when you throw an immovable object into the path of a bullet, it doesn’t follow any laws or principles.
It backfires.

It’s official; I have PTKD (Post Traumatic Keri Disorder). The woman has ruined me. This book? I hope you all have your big girl panties on, because a walk through the meadows with unicorns it. Is. Not.

Backfire is dark, gritty, and unapologetic. You’ll be reading it with your heart in your throat and your stomach twisted up in knots. It’s violent, a touch depraved, darkly erotic, action packed and absolutely, positively unputdownable. The story is filled with so many unpredictable twists and turns that it will make your head spin! It’s brilliantly written and I will even go so far as to say this was darker than Ricochet and that’s saying something, trust me.

He was dark and threatening, sexual and magnetic all rolled into one three dimensional package of fuck me.

Jase has spent the last year of his life in hell. Now he’s free and the only thing burning inside him is revenge. It’s what he eats, breathes, and lives. The chain of events that began on that one bloody night a year ago that cost him him his family all lead back to one man; Tesarik. Only problem is? He’s so powerful he’s practically untouchable. So when the mystery man standing before him promises him the vengeance he seeks for the price of a favor, he knows that he may fight it but he’ll agree. The favor will take him deep into the bowels of the worst sort of human depravity. Into a something only known as The Seventh Circle; a group of men that get off on pain and death.

And his first stop? Finding the mystery woman with the camera that may be the reason why he was thrown into the crosshairs of Tesarik in the first place. But Lucy is not at all what Jase thinks though. A photo journalist that saw something she shouldn’t have seen, she’s on the run for her life, and the only man that can help her may be the most dangerous of them all…

I’ll be the bastard you need me to be, Lucy. Whatever darkness you crave, I’ll give that to you.”

What begins is a story filled with heart-stopping moments, eroticism in a way only Keri Lake can write, and enough grit and darkness to leave you crying for your mama.

My life was a turbulent storm and she sat in the center of it, in the calm, making me forget the chaos that swirled all around me. I needed that calm, to own it, if only for one night.

If you’ve read any book by this author, then you already know she’s not afraid to go to the very pits of darkness. She’ll take the readers deep into the bowels of the worst of humanity. Her writing is raw, gritty, and absolutely unapologetic.

You’ll live and breathe Jase and Lucy’s story. It’s a page turning, heart in your throat, painful to read but never wanting it to end anyway sort of book. Jase is the epitome of the perfect anti hero.
Backfire-DGR teaser 3He’s not a good man, but he skates that fine edge between the good and bad. He’s a man that was forced to do some bad things for some very good reasons and you’ll love him for it. Guaranteed.
If nothing else but for his dirty mouth alone.

Set aside a whole night, because this is one book you’ll read in one heart-pounding sitting. Trust me on that.

You’re in my blood, infecting every dark part of my soul, Lucy. Nothing else matters to me.

The characters are incredibly multi-layered and the story has depth. It’s not your run of the mill dark romance.

For my brother, I was willing to go to war. For you, mia Luce, I’m willing to wage it.

Long story short? I loved the absolute fuck out of this book and I cannot wait for all of you to meet Jase and Lucy!

If you haven’t read Ricochet yet, I highly recommend it. But while Backfire is set in the same world as Ricochet, you don’t have to read Ricochet first in order to enjoy this one.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhbke…


DON’T MISS THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

RICOCHET (Vigilantes #1)
READ MY 5 STAR REVIEW HERE

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The only sure way to destroy a man is to take what he cannot live without.

Three years ago, I had everything.

A beautiful wife.
A son.
A reason for living.

Until a ruthless task force, assembled under Mayor Michael Culling, with a brutal strategy to make the streets of Detroit ‘safe’, ripped away everything I loved in a deadly hunt called The Culling.

They tried to kill me, too. I wish they had. Now I’m cursed by the memories of that night, and the words I whispered to my dying wife.

A promise—to avenge the wrong and set it right.

I’m no longer Nick Ryder. I’m a masked vigilante. Faceless. Loveless. Fearless. A man with nothing left to lose—one who’s seen the dark and violent truth behind the city’s flawless veneer.

Michael Culling doesn’t know who I am. Or what I want. All he knows is that I’ve kidnapped his beautiful wife.

An eye for an eye—isn’t that how the saying goes? And Aubree Culling is the perfect pawn to destroy him.

If she doesn’t destroy me first.

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Review: ★Engaging The Bachelor★ by Cathryn Fox

review-Engaging The BachelorENGAGING THE BACHELOR
Series: Pulse #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cathryn Fox
Release Date: June 6, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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Hot, Southampton doctor, Carson Reynolds isn’t the kind of man Gemma Carr should be playing with. But his offer of a fake engagement comes with sexy, late night house calls, and despite her bad girl reputation, it’s been far too long since she’s taken two and called anyone in the morning.

When Carson sees Gemma at a charity event, he knows he has to have her. It’s been ten years since he’s had her in his arms, but that hasn’t lessened his intense need for her. To save her reputation and get his parents off his back, he makes her an offer she can’t refuse.

It’s the perfect set-up—until this fake engagement starts to feel a little too real…

 

 

 

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Review4 starsEngaging The Bachelor-DGR

…I have a date tonight.”
“Break it.”
“I can’t-”
“Doctor’s orders.”
“You’re not my doctor,” she argued.
A ghost of a smile played on his lips. “Not yet.”

Hubida hubida *fans self*
It’s been a long while since I’ve read a book by Cathryn Fox, and for the life of me I don’t know why. The woman can write one sizzling romance. I was in the mood for something fun, steamy and light, and this book delivered all of that in spades.

A hot Southampton doctor+ the town bad girl+ a fake engagement= sexy times ensue. Engaging The Bachelor marks book one in the brand new Pulse series and if this book is anything to go by, it’s bound to be crazy good. Think Grey’s Anatomy but hotter. Got your attention don’t I?

…I’m not having sex with you, Carson.”
“Say that again.”
“I’m not having sex with you, Carson.”
“No, just that last part.”
“Carson.”
“Yeah, that’s it. I want you to say it just like that when I’m inside you.”

Ten years ago, eighteen year old Carson shared one stolen night with a nameless girl that left a brand on his heart and took off running before he could learn her name. He’s been unable to stop thinking of her since, but has given up hope trying to find her…until he recognizes the sassy beauty at a bar holding a Bachelor Auction for the doctors of the local hospital. She may have gotten away from him once, but he’s not making it easy this time around. All he knows is that he has to have her, one way or another, and he’s not afraid to play dirty….very very dirty.

I’m going to kiss every inch of you, then I’m going to pound into you until you’re screaming my name. Tonight you’re mine, Gemma.”

Gemma plays up her bad girl image not to let anyone in. But one boy ten years ago stole past her defenses and she’s never forgotten him. But nothing prepares her for the potency of the man that he is right now.

I loved both Gemma and Carson. Gemma has her issues after a childhood with an alcoholic mother that jumps form one man to another. But something about Carson makes it impossible to stay away. And when he offers her a proposition of a fake engagement with benefits? Well, let’s just say she can’t say no.

What a super fun read this was. It offered just the right amount of steam and dirty talk to make for the perfect book to spend an afternoon with. The sex is dirty, the story engaging enough to make it more than just hot sex, and the characters were fantastic. Carson is swoony and sexy, Gemma is a great combination of tough and vulnerable. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and can’t wait for the future installments in this series.

Review: ★Chasing Butterflies★ by Terri E. Laine

Chasing-butterflies-blog-tourCHASING BUTTERFLIES
Standalone
Genre: NA Romance, Second Chance Romance
Author: Terri E. Laine
Release Date: June 2, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

CHASING BUTTERFLIES EBOOK B&W

USA Today Bestselling Author, Terri E. Laine brings a new standalone New Adult Romance novel, Chasing Butterflies, about second chances on and off the field.

One night … one kiss … one touch … will change everything.

Kelley Moore’s tragic home life should make him a survivor. But when he’s uprooted yet again, his plans for a better future seem impossible. Being a player on and off the football field is all he knows, until Lenora Wells. The beautiful town princess makes him feel and want things he never thought he could have…

Lenora will do anything to get out of her town, even if it means dating the wrong guy. There’s one problem: she can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, complicated boy with the unusual eyes who gives her butterflies and makes her question her choices.

When their lives collide, the world shifts and not in their favor. Four years later, the sins of their past can never be taken back and forgiveness won’t come easy.

College is a different game, a second chance for something better.

She’s not the girl he remembers and he’s the one boy she can never forget.

He’s made a name for himself as the star quarterback — the golden boy who can do no wrong. But he’s only interested in being her hero.

Despite everything, she can’t deny he still makes her heart flutter; and she’s got him chasing butterflies.

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ChasingButterflies-Teaser2Review3 starsChasing Butterflies-DGR

 

I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that with anyone else.”
“Felt what? Butterflies?”
“If that’s what they call it. You’ve got me chasing them.”

Wow. Before I get to my review, let me say this. Don’t let my rating fool you. This book had me riveted to the story from beginning to finish. Aside from a few quibbles that I had, the story itself was beautiful. It drew me in from the very first chapter and kept me glued to the pages. The author clearly has an incredible talent and I strongly believe she has great things ahead of her. While this may not have been a full four star read for me, it was a damn solid 3 and I’ll get to my reasons why shortly.

Go back to the ball, princess. You won’t find any castles or princes here.

Kelley Moore has grown up in a way that no boy should ever have to endure. From a volatile home life to numerous tragedies throughout his life, he’s never had it easy. He dreams of making it big in football and making it out on his own.

Lenora Wells may not have had the tragic life that Kelley has, but doesn’t live an ideal one either. At the instance of her parents for the good of a potential business deal, Lenora allows them to convince her to date the most popular boy in school. But the boy that gives her butterflies isn’t her seemingly too good to be true boyfriend, but the boy from the wrong side of the tracks with the beautifully unusual eyes.
What starts as stolen encounters soon turns into something more only to shatter before their eyes and leave both of them grasping at the jagged pieces.

But time didn’t heal wounds. They only dug horrible gouges in my heart as I felt pierced through my very soul.

Chasing Butterflies is told in two parts: past (high school) and present (college). The first half is almost 60% of the story and so emotionally gripping I forgot at times that I’m reading about teenagers. I’m not typically a fan of YA but yet something about these characters simply stood out for me.

Admittedly there was a few minor issues I had with the writing; odd transitions (one chapter being told in Lenny’s POV and the next chapter jumps back a day or a few hours and retold in Kelley’s). There was a lack of clear transitions between these scenes at times, that while it wasn’t confusing, it did stand out enough to take me out of the story a bit. There were also some odd phrases like …my brain shorted and some strange analogies that stuck out to me as well..

But even those few issues aside, the story was so strong that it was easy to overlook it. Ultimately what made me lower my rating was the second part of the book that’s told in present. While their high school years have strong development and spans over half the book, I had hoped that their college years would bring the same, but alas it didn’t. I wanted that sizzle of a second chance romance, and I didn’t get that. It felt almost rushed. There were also some (redundant) choices made by the characters that left me scratching my head.  And as much as I hate to use the term cliche, there were quite a few scenarios of it present in the last half. I liked Lenny in the beginning even though some of her decisions and choices frustrated me. While I can understand why she did what she did when she’s older, I still feel like she regressed a bit as a character. I wanted her to find her inner strength and that didn’t happen until pretty much the last pages. I suppose I just wanted that sooner.

But here’s the thing; even with the aforementioned, this is still a book I would definitely recommend to any lovers of NA romance. The author spins a tale that’s tragic and beautiful that even managed to bring a tear to my eye on more than one occasion. The story is well developed, the characters are multi-layered, and it’s certainly not a book I’ll be forgetting any time soon. So if that blurb intrigues you, read it. One thing guaranteed; it will keep you up all night reading. I definitely look forward to any future releases this author has in store.

ChasingButterflies-Teaser1 (1)About the AuthorTerri E. Laine, USA Today bestselling author, left a lucrative career as a CPA to pursue her love for writing. Outside of her roles as a wife and mother of three, she’s always been a dreamer and as such became an avid reader at a young age.

Many years later, she got a crazy idea to write a novel and set out to try to publish it. With over a dozen titles published under various pen names, the rest is history. Her journey has been a blessing, and a dream realized. She looks forward to many more memories to come.

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