Review & Giveaway: Luck of the Devil by @Meghan March

February 12, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

LUCK OF THE DEVIL
Series: The Forge Trilogy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: February 12, 2019

New York Times bestselling author Meghan March continues the story of ruthless, calculating billionaire Jericho Forge in Luck of the Devil. 

 

My poker face has always been one of my greatest assets, along with my grit and determination. I was beholden to no one. Asked permission for nothing.

Then Jericho Forge took my life by storm.

I traded my freedom for something infinitely more precious, but I didn’t realize he was holding an unbeatable hand.

Now, all I have to do is survive the high-stakes game that is my life—with my heart intact.

But not falling in love with Forge? That will take the luck of the devil.

 

Luck of the Devil is the second book of the Forge Trilogy, and should be read following Deal with the Devil. The Forge Trilogy concludes in Heart of the Devil.

AMAZON

India wasn’t supposed to affect me like this. She wasn’t supposed to get under my skin and into my blood.

It’s official; I’m Forgestruck and I will never be the same!

Luck of The Devil continues the sexy and thrilling tale of Forge and India as more secrets continue to unravel.

Brick by brick, the wall around my heart is crumbling.

With each chapter, Meghan March sucks you deeper and deeper into Forge universe. I don’t think I ever want to leave. Where book one brought the cold, ruthless, and enigmatic man with plenty of secrets, this book begins to peel back the layers. You get more and more peeks into the events that made him into the man he is today. You also begin to get some pretty big revelations about what put India on his radar in the first place. I didn’t think it was possible to love this man any harder than I already did, but seeing him fall for India made me fall even harder for him.

India still continues to be one of my favorite heroines. The woman has sass for days and a pair of balls on her. I can’t get enough of her.

There are some pretty big revelations that happen in this book with plenty of plot twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages. But of course, in typical March fashion, she leaves you with more questions than answers at the end and salivating for the final installment to see how it all ends.

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret.

With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world.

A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

 

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Review: The Peer And The Puppet by BB Reid

February 5, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

THE PEER AND THE PUPPET
Series: When Rivals Play #1
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Author: B.B. Reid
Release Date: July 22, 2018

THE PUPPET

Borrow the bike. Win the race. Collect the cash. It should’ve been an easy job. Ran out of town with a broken leg and a lawsuit, my mother’s latest flame swoops in like a knight in gilded armor. Blackwood Keep is a place I don’t belong, and I’m not the only one who knows. To the boy across the hall, my savior’s only son, I’m a stray looking for a bone.

He’s lord of the manor.
King of the academy.
And number one on my shit list.

THE PEER

I have no intentions of becoming a happy family with the social climber and her wild daughter. A bottle of Jameson and a cracked skull gets my problem shipped to reform school, but I didn’t bank on her returning.

Four’s out to get even, and she almost had the perfect plan: expose the privileged kid moonlighting as a gangbanger. She’s smart, but she’ll have to be smarter. Sending her away won’t be good enough this time. I’m going to have to tame the little troublemaker. To the girl across the hall, the one without a name, I’m nothing without my silver spoon.

She’s lady of the trailer park.
Queen of the swamps.
And my new favorite pastime.

The Peer and the Puppet is a standalone romance, however, the series is one story. The plot introduced in Four and Ever’s story will continue in the following novels. Content suitable for 18+.

AMAZON

Would you like to know the difference between you and I, little troublemaker? You run from your demons. I chase mine.”

Oh the angst! The sweet, sweet, never ending angst of it all! How I love it! How I crave it! And BB Reid packs one hell of an angsty punch with this book. I have no idea why on earth it took me this long to read it!

I feel like I’m always looking for a book that reminds me of Bully or Paper Princess and coming up short. Either the angst is too manufactured, it filled with silly drama, or I just don’t buy into the romance. I had NONE of those issues here. I was immediately hooked by the story of a troublemaking heroine that loves to race motorcycles who gets uprooted to the upper crust when her mother begins dating a rich man. Thrown into the entitled and ruthless underbelly of the rich elite, Four finds herself in the crosshairs of her new housemate. The girl from the wrong side of the tracks meets the popular and rich boy that runs the school and has secrets and an agenda of his own? What could possibly go wrong?

I loved the premise of this story and it only continued to reel me in further with every page that I read. I love a strong and sassy heroine and Four definitely delivered on that front. As a matter of fact, all the characters, including the secondary ones, were well developed and multi-layered. But of course Four and Ever stole center stage with their back and forth hate lust that they had going on. Neither is who they seem and their banter and insult field dance around each other only managed to stoke the fire between them.

I’m tired of fighting this.” I now had her trapped against the door with my hips pressed against hers. “Tell me what I need to do to have you. I’ll break bones.” I punctuated the vow with a kiss on her neck. “Ruin reputations…” Her body shivered when I trailed lower. “Destroy futures…I just need you to be mine.”

There’s a lot more to this book than just a romance. I’d probably describe it as more of a saga than a standalone. While you get a different couple in the next book, there’s just too many questions that are left unanswered here for me to consider it a standalone. Did I enjoy it? THOROUGHLY. Will I be reading the next book? I’m utterly RAVENOUS for it.

I loved the story of Ever and Four. And while I did find that at times they acted and spoke much older than their high school years, I couldn’t get enough of them. I loved Four’s tenacity and perseverance almost as much as I loved Ever’s intensity and ruthlessness. I loved that Four gives as well as she gets and I couldn’t get enough of the banter between them. I was immediately hooked by ALL of the secondary characters; Vaughn and Wren being at the forefront.

This was my first BB Reid book and I’m an instant fan! Now bring on the next book!!

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Review: Kiss The Girl by Tara Sivec

January 31, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

KISS THE GIRL
Series: The Naughty Princess Club #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tara Sivec
Release Date: September 4, 2018

A struggling antiques collector finds herself falling in love with a millionaire playboy; but can she ever be a part of his world?

Meet the Naughty Princess Club, a series from USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec that brings readers to Fairytale Lane and the hilarity—and romance—that three women fall into once they decide to strut their stuff and bring on their own happily ever after.

While her friends have broken free of their insecurities, Ariel Waters is struggling to come out of her shell. Her ex-husband took away her voice and her self-confidence, and Ariel is drowning under a sea of debt to afford the alimony she has to pay him. She refuses to ever fall for a man’s charms again, and is determined to make her own way.

When her house and her beloved antiques are taken by the bank after too many missed payments, Ariel finds herself adrift until the infuriatingly charming Eric Sailor comes to her rescue. Although she can’t stand the millionaire playboy, Eric’s kindness and unconditional support reveal hidden depths and a love that Ariel never imagined she could find.

But there are outside influences who will stop at nothing to keep them apart; can Ariel and Eric weather the storm and find a way to be together?

AMAZON

One of these days, Ariel, you are going to get your own fairy tale and I’m going to point and laugh at you when it happens.”

This book should come with a warning: DO NOT READ IN PUBLIC for fear of people thinking you may be crazy. Why? Because it will cause you to laugh like a lunatic at every page. I’m talking full belly laugh, tears in your eyes, laugh so hard you may pee sort of hilarity here. It was my favorite book in this series. And I loved the rest of this series, people! Maybe it’s in part because I’m convinced that the foul-mouthed, sassy, snarky yet with a hidden vulnerable side, Ariel, is actually my spirit animal.

Ah-ha!” I shout, pointing at the smug little asshole across from me. “Now who looks like an idiot? I don’t use my phone for that. NO ONE USES THEIR PHONE FOR PHONE CALLS! WE USE THEM TO TEXT PEOPLE, TO GOOGLE RANDOM SHIT LIKE IF YOU CAN DIE FROM A RUNNY NOSE, AND TO FIND A FUNNY MEME ABOUT HERPES!”
“Oh, Jesus,” Cindy mutters.
“Please, don’t be difficult, ma’am,” the older deputy says with a sigh.
“Piss off. I’m not difficult. I’m a fucking delight,” I mutter in annoyance.

See what I mean? Spirit animal, people!

But she’s also the loudest and crudest of the three friends, and I loved her for it. The sexual tension between her and Eric was always sizzling. There’s just something about the hate/lust thing that they had going that just did it for me. Oh it did it for me so hard. Eric knows exactly how to handle Ariel, much to her annoyance. So when she finds herself evicted from her home and has to leave all her beloved antiques behind, he has no problem being her white knight. Even if she does threaten his life and his balls in the process.

Suddenly Ariel finds herself living on a neighboring yacht to Eric, who inherited his family yacht business and had one to spare. The sparring between them doesn’t decrease but the sexual tension only continues to mount. Add into that one evil looking hairless cat named Derrick Alfredo and all of the hilarity ensues.

Care to tell me why you’re holding a cat that’s inside out against your crotch?” my dad suddenly asks, pointing at Derrick Alfredo. “He . . . uh . . . likes the warmth. You know, since he doesn’t have any hair and he’s always cold. My dick warmth comforts him, sir,” Eric replies with a nervous clear of his throat. “And here I thought you were just covering up a boner. I like this guy, Ariel,” my dad states, clapping Eric on the shoulder before he walks over to the couch and makes himself comfortable.

I loved every single hilarious chapter. I adored the slow built sizzle between Ariel and Eric. I loved the way he just knows how to handle her and brings out the spot gooey side of this spitfire.

I also love the friendships between them all. The girls have a bond to put Sex And The City to shame. I adore their friendship and the way they care for each other. I also love the heck out of their banter.

This is such a good idea. You’re so pretty and smart. We should make out.”
“Jesus, Belle, stop trying to kiss me. We’ve got important smit to do. Slit to do. Shiffy do.”
“I think the words you’re looking for are ‘shit to do.’”
“STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO PJ! I’VE GOT SHIFFY DO!”
“My teeth feel funny. Do I still have teeth, Vincent?”
“You still have teeth, sweetheart.”

I loved every single page of this hilarious romcom. I never wanted it to end. I adore the devious comedic mind of Tara Sivec and the way her characters practically leap out of the pages at you. If you’re looking for a book to put a ridiculous smile on your face for days after you finish it, this is simply a must read. A. Must. Read.

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Geri’s Review: Three Little Words by Jenny Holiday

January 31, 2019 by ·

THREE LITTLE WORDS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Jenny Holiday
Release Date: January 29, 2019

 

Gia Gallo is officially in bridesmaid hell.

Stranded in New York with her best friend’s wedding dress, Gia has six days to make it to Florida in time for the ceremony. And oh-so-charming best man Bennett Buchanan has taken the last available rental car.

Looks like she’s in for one long road trip with the sexiest – and most irritating – Southern gentleman she’s ever met…

Bennett’s pretty sure that if there was ever a woman to break his “no flings” rule, Gia would be it. Sure, she’s stubborn. She’s also funny, smart, and the attraction between them is getting hotter with every state line they cross.

While Bennett doesn’t do casual, Gia doesn’t do “relationships.” But if they break the rules, this unlikely pair might discover that their impromptu road trip could turn out to be the best ride of their lives.

 

AMAZON

The setup was perfect to ask for something dirty. That’s what you did when you played truth or dare in the dark with boys, right?

 

Jenny Holiday delivered another delightfully swoony romance in the final installment of her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. I adored all the previous couples in this series but Gia and Bennett might be my favorite. ?

I’m not a huge fan of models, actors or entertainment persons in books so I was wary because Gia is a model. Tall, beautiful & unattainable. Something that I always find hard to relate to. But Ms. Holiday proved me wrong because I ended up loving Gia. She’s complicated, pricky, high maintenance & in Gia’s own words, unlikable. But I adored her. She has no illusions about herself and what other people thought of her. Despite that, she’s very loyal to her friends.

Bennett as a sweet, charming Southern gentleman, always atoning for his past mistakes was the hero we all deserve. At first glance, they couldn’t be more opposite. But as the book progresses, we get to see them in their element and realize that they actually fit. Bennet might be sweet but he was no pushover. He had to deal with his own issues in the book, and I must say that some of the most emotionally charged scenes come from Bennett.

Overall, this book was a delight from start to finish. The romance was top notch & steamy. I highly recommend this whole series not just for the romance but also for the friendship between the four women!

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Review: Not A Hero by Cherise Sinclair

January 30, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

NOT A HERO
Series: Sons of the Survivalist #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance/ Suspense
Author: Cherise Sinclair
Release Date: January 29, 2019

In the Alaska wilderness, four streetwise boys became men—and brothers

Now the crazy ex-military survivalist who plucked Gabriel and three other boys from an abusive foster care home has died. But the sarge leaves them a final mission–to revive the dying town of Rescue.

Gabe is done with being a hero.

Wounded in body and soul, the retired SEAL simply wants to remain holed up in his isolated cabin. He sure doesn’t want to be chief of police in some defunct town. But he has his orders.

Audrey needs a place to hide

After the Chicago librarian discovers a horrendous crime, she wakes to an assassin in her bedroom. Injured and terrified, she flees, covering her trail every inch of the way. New name, new ID. New home. As Audrey learns to survive in Rescue, she begins to fall for the town…and the intimidating chief of police who protects it.

Can the shy introvert and the deadly police chief find a life together?

Despite the discord in town, Gabe is finding his own peace…with the quiet young woman who seems to have no past. She’s adorable and caring and so very lost. But how can he trust someone who lies to him with every breath she takes?

AMAZON

Ever since I met the four foster brothers in Defiance, I’ve been itching to get my grabby little hands on this brand new series. Four boys that grew up hard and were finally rescued by a tough as nails ex military survivalist and grew up into incredibly fascinating yet broken in their own way men? Yes, please, and thank you! Sign me right up for that! I will say that while it helps to read Defiance to get an intro into this series, you don’t have to. You can easily jump right into this book if you wish.

Gabe is the more serious and grounded of his brothers. After a mission gone wrong costs him his life and the life of almost his entire team and leaves him with as many internal scars as external, he retires from the mercenary life to live a peaceful existence away from everyone. But when his beloved foster father dies, he leaves his boys with a letter of request to revive the dying little town in Alaska that they grew up in. Now Gabe finds himself as the chief of police, begrudgingly serving the citizens of a town that enjoys their seclusion as much as he does.

Audrey has never been good with people. A shy introvert, her job as a librarian was everything to her. A skilled researcher, she finds herself running for her life when her research unearths a criminal underbelly that she never expected to target her. A secluded town in Alaska seems like the best place to hide when a ruthless hitman is after you. Too bad a grumpy and too observant for his own good chief of police now sets his eyes on her.

I have to admit, shy introverted heroines are not at all my cuppa. But there was just something so incredibly endearing about Audrey. She’s honest to a fault and so sweetly vulnerable that you can’t help but like her. But beneath the shy exterior is an understated strength and the soul of a warrior. I love seeing her unassuming personality turn fierce and protective when it came to those she cared about.

The relationship between her and Gabe was a slow burn filled with plenty of sizzle. If you’ve wanted to read this author but aren’t a fan of BDSM, you’ll definitely need to check this out. But while there’s no kink, there’s plenty of action, suspense, and steam to keep you turning the pages.

Not A Hero was a deliciously suspenseful read with a swoony romance tied in. I loved the slower pacing and the relationship development. I loved getting a taste of the other brothers (especially Hawk), and I loved the vividly quirky citizens of this little town. Everything together turned this into a perfectly blended contemporary and suspense romance. I can’t wait for more in this series.

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Review: 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne

January 29, 2019 by · 2 Comments

99 PERCENT MINE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sally Thorne
Release Date: January 29, 2019

Crush: a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that’s inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

AMAZON

If I can just get Tom Valeska to lose his mind over me, I can die happy.

Alright. I have a confession to make before I dive into the review for this book.
*whispers*
I haven’t read The Hating Game yet.
*hides*
*pokes head back up*
Are you still judging me? Because quit it! I bought it immediately when I started this book, ok?! From this author’s magical writing style, I can clearly see what I’ve been missing. But I digress here. What I’m going to be doing, is reviewing my very first Sally Thorne book. And spoiler alert, I adored it!

I’m a scary bitch. He’s a bashful sweetheart with pink cheeks.

Now here’s the thing. Nice guys aren’t usually my thing. And there you go, judging me again. What did I tell you about that? Back to my review, though. So while the bad boy alphas are typically my thing, I couldn’t get enough of Tom Valeska, the alpha male with the beautifully wolfish eyes, sweet tenderness, and understated sexiness. I fell in love with this man through Grace’s eyes. The entire book is in the heroine’s POV, and yet you get such wonderfully developed characters through her eyes.

The first touch of his tongue loosens my knees and I’m grateful that he’s holding me up. I shudder a breath out. He breathes it, changes our angle, exhales it back to me. Air is better from his lungs. Life is better with his kiss. The word mine is now something I need to make him understand.

Darcy is spunky and enigmatic. This is a girl that doesn’t stay in any one place for long. She craves adventure and hasn’t dated any guy seriously. Admittedly, she can come across as brash at times. The way that she almost rabidly lusts after Tom was a touch much at times. She’s loved Tom since they were kids, but the one time she could have had him, her teenage thoughtlessness cost her that chance. And while he’s been as strong a staple in her life as her twin brother, he’s also been engaged to another woman. But now the renovation of her recently passed grandmother’s house that her and her twin inherited bring them together again, she’s not about to waste another opportunity with Tom. Especially since he’s now surprisingly single.

This was a deliciously character driven slow burn of a romance. I loved learning about Tom and seeing him through Darcy’s experience. He’s such a sweetheart that you can’t help but fall completely head over heels for him.

No one else is kissing you anymore,” he tells me in a conversational hush, not breaking our contact. “Your mouth is mine.”

I have to say that only being in Darcy’s head did get a bit exhausting at times. This is a girl that’s always at a ten, and I wanted her to bring it down to an 8 or 7 at times. But there’s also something oddly endearing about her. She loves her friends and she’s completely in love with Tom. I also loved the way that Tom cares for her. I struggled a bit with the relationship she had with her twin brother, but they did win me over in the end.

But one thing is for sure, I fell so hard for this wonderfully quirky and sweet romance. I adored Tom and Darcy together. I adored the friends to lovers trope. I loved their love and couldn’t get enough of it. 99 Percent Mine was a perfectly paced, feel good and lighthearted romance. It was endearingly sassy and swoony. A definite rec for any slow burn lovers out there that love their alphas sweet and their heroines edgy.

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Review & Giveaway: Deal With The Devil by Meghan March

January 15, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
Series: The Forge Trilogy #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Date: January 15, 2019

“You can put that man in a suit, but he’ll never be tame.”

 

One look at Jericho Forge and I knew the rumors were true.

 

He was a predator, and he had set his sights on me.

 

I knew better than to bet more than I could afford to lose that night.

I knew better than to bet myself.

But desperation leads to bad decisions, and I thought there was no way I could lose.

I was wrong.

Now I have no choice but to make a deal with the devil.

AMAZON | KOBO | B&N | GOOGLE PLAY | iBOOKS

PRE-ORDER

LUCK OF THE DEVIL | HEART OF THE DEVIL

What do you want?”
One eyebrow rises. “From you? For $10 million? You should already know the answer to that.” The corners of his mouth lift until his expression is the picture of sheer triumph. “Every-fucking-thing.”

Sweet mother of ovaries, the woman did it again. Each time I think March wrote her best alpha yet, she outdoes herself with the next one. And Forge is sure to make ovaries flutter all over the world. Add into that one of the best heroines I’ve read in the longest time, and stick a fork in me. I’m on book cloud 9!

I’ve said this about Meghan’s books before, and now I’ll say it again: Welcome to your next addiction!

He’s a marauder, plundering just like the pirate I thought he was the first time I saw him. He takes without permission or apology. And I love it.

There is nothing I love better than an uber alpha. And let me just tell you all, Forge is that and more! This is a man that’s driven by forces that we only get a peek into. Driven by a revenge that he’s so close to having now that he can taste it. And the beautiful woman that has unknowingly stumbled into his web, will be the conduit for him to get it.

As always, Meghan gives just enough to tantalize the reader but also leave them with plenty of questions. Deal With The Devil was all of the things; suspenseful, and sexy. It was full of amazing banter, humor, and enough sexual chemistry to spark fire to your kindle. I absolutely loved the heroine, India. Here’s a woman that’s full of fire and sass. She doesn’t take things lying down and gives as good as she gets.

Blessed mother of all things holy. He’s naked. Totally, completely naked. And his dick is massive. And the ocean can’t be super warm. Which means . . .
“It’s like someone unleashed the Kraken,” I whisper as he moves toward me, his dick bouncing from side to side with each step.
…
“Are you going to look at my face or just stare at my dick?”
“I’ve seen your face before,” I tell him, not looking up. I got caught staring; I might as well make the most of it.

I’m hooked, line and sinker, and cannot wait for the next installment!

Making the jump from corporate lawyer to romance author was a leap of faith that New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Meghan March will never regret. With over thirty titles published, she has sold millions of books in nearly a dozen languages to fellow romance-lovers around the world. A nomad at heart, she can currently be found in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, living her happily ever after with her real-life alpha hero.

You can find her online at: MeghanMarch.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Review: Ruthless King by Maya Hughes

January 10, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

RUTHLESS KING
Series: Kings of Rittenhouse #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Maya Hughes
Release Date: January 10, 2019

A STANDALONE second chance, enemies to lovers romance.

My dick never got me in half as much trouble as my heart…

We were high school sweethearts. I was head over heels for her and no one could tell me we weren’t going to last forever. College? Going pro? My family’s money? None of it mattered. She was all I needed.

Then she ripped my heart out. But I’m not going to let that happen again.

She’s back. Invading my life and acting like she was the wronged one. The pain is still there, but I can’t keep my eyes off her. I can’t stop thinking about her and how much was left unsaid between us. Being this close is making me question everything I thought I knew about her.

This time everything will be on my terms. Everything…

AMAZON

I never stopped loving you. Even when I hated you with all of my being, even when I hated myself for it and wished I could carve my heart out of my chest, I still loved you.”

The second I read the blurb to this book, I knew this would be my first Maya Hughes read. I’m a sucker for a good second-chance romance, and this one checked all of my boxes.

Avery Davis had dismantled me and left me as a shell. Even knowing the pain she’d caused, every night I closed my eyes, it was her I dreamed about.

I dove into this book without having read the previous two in this series, and while I had absolutely no problem enjoying it as a standalone, I’ll definitely be reading the other books if only because I’m intrigued by the characters and loved the author’s writing style.

As for this book? It was a mildly angsty read with plenty of feels that I fell in love with from the very first pages.

Emmett and Avery were high school sweethearts. They were everything to each other, and even though they were young, their love was one that should have been a forever kind. The reader doesn’t know what happened to rip them apart, but you know it was enough to plant a seed of resentment into Emmett that even years later he can’t get over.

When fate and circumstance throws them together once more, they are forced to acknowledge everything that happened between them, though it’s certainly not a smooth road. I’m not typically a fan of the continuous misunderstanding plot device in my books, but it actually worked here. I understood why Avery was hesitant to shed light on everything that happened in high school. And while I wanted to smack Emmett for his reaction to the bumps on their path to a HEA, I also couldn’t help understanding him either. These characters are both flawed in their own way, but in a very endearing way. Avery is extremely loyal to her family and I loved her fierce protectiveness and care for her sister. I understood why she did what she did.

Emmett, while being a successful pro-hockey player and having his pick of any woman he wants, is like a lost boy when it comes to Avery. She was the only woman he ever loved and he never got over her breaking his heart. I loved this vulnerable side to him.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters and the pacing of this book. I wished there was a little more angst beyond the constant misunderstanding between Emmett and Avery, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Maya Hughes is a new to me author that is now going straight to my auto-buy list and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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Review: Third Strike by BJ Harvey

January 10, 2019 by ·

THIRD STRIKE
Series: Chances #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: BJ Harvey
Release Date: January 10, 2019

Falling for your best friend’s sister has never felt so bad yet so damn right.

From USA Today Bestselling author BJ Harvey comes the third and final standalone in the Chance series, this time it’s the much anticipated story of Drew and Ashley.

***
I have a long history of acting first and thinking it through later. In fact, I’m the definition of a screw up.

Case in point – I’m having a baby with a woman I can’t stand, my ex is now my best friend’s wife, and I’m in love with a woman I can never have.

My biggest secret is falling for my best friend’s sister twelve years ago.

My biggest mistake is thinking I could live without her.

And now my biggest regret is the look on her face the moment I tell everyone I’m already married to the woman they hate most.

AMAZON

You’re my beginning, middle, and end, Ash. 

Oh.
Oh wow.
Oh my heart.
Oh the feels.
Oh the everything!
I simply loved this book.

There is nothing I love more than a flawed but completely redeemable hero. And it just doesn’t get more flawed than Drew. He’s so perfectly imperfect and with a heart of gold. The fact that you spend the entire book inside his head was one of my favorite things. You really get to see the heart of gold beneath the well-meaning intentions that turn out to be disastrous decisions.

Drew has always thought of his best friend’s family as his own after the loss of his mother. So he’s always known that Millen’s little sister is entirely hands off. There’s just one problem with that; he can’t stay away from her. The odds are stacked against them and there’s every reason why they can’t work, but sometimes love happens when you least expect it.

Third Strike is a romance that spans 12 years; through heartbreak and devastation, life takes Drew and Ash through the ringer. I have to admit, had I not been inside of Drew’s head, I probably would have not loved this book as much as I did. This is a man that makes his fair share of mistakes. But understanding the root of them and his intentions, you can’t help but fall for his bumbling ways. He’s successful, sexy and sure of himself in every aspect of his life…except when it comes to Ash.

This story is no walk in the park. It’s painful, and tragic, and downright infuriating at times. But it’s also beautiful and emotional and a book that sucks you right in and doesn’t let you loose until the very last page. It owned my heart. It made me cry, it made me rage, it made me swoon. And there’s one scene in particular that I’m fairly certain made me spontaneously ovulate…

But I digress. If you read the first book in this series, you may have some thoughts on Drew’s character. But let me tell you, if you have doubts that you’d like him, you need to read this. He struggles with loyalty to his best friend and his love for his best friend’s sister. Every painfully beautiful memory between him and Ash owned my hear.

I still haven’t forgiven BJ for bastardizing my name with the twat of a character that she decided to name Lana, but man, even dealing with her was worth it for the experience of this book.

I’ve loved BJ’s romcoms, but she’s definitely stolen my heart completely with this beautifully angsty read. I loved it from start to finish and didn’t want it to end. I devoured it in a day and can’t recommend it enough!

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

#DGRFave & Review: The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen

January 9, 2019 by · 2 Comments

THE KISS THIEF
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: L.J. Shen
Release Date: January 10, 2019

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

AMAZON

Our hearts were tarnished. Stained. And guilty. Unpredictable to a fault. And bound to break.

I got two words for you here: Must. Read.

I know I say this each time I finish a book of hers, but this was my favorite LJ Shen book to date.

I was born into a glided cage.

If you like a modern day arranged marriage trope, welcome to your next addiction. This book? GAH! It had an anti-hero that only Shen can write; brutal and hard but completely redeemable. This is someone you won’t be able to help rooting for! This was like if Vicious and Sparrow had a baby, and that baby threw down the gauntlet of delicious angst and grit. A clashing of a ruthless politician and the mafia, and a young beauty used as a pawn that gets caught in the crosshairs of political agendas and blackmail.

Francesca Rossi was such a breath of fresh air. For someone so young, she had this endearing naiveté to her that was beneath her hardened persona. She’s not a doormat, even when dealing with an extremely dominant man. This is not a woman that takes things lying down. She’s sharp-witted and smart-mouthed. I absolutely loved her.

The Kiss Thief was a book that kept me riveted to the pages from beginning to end. It was unlike any book I’ve read in a long damn while and it was absolutely everything. EVERYTHING, I tells ya!

I know you’re thinking, Lana, you’re being vague as hell right now. But trust me, you don’t need or WANT to know more. This is a book that you NEED to go into absolutely blind, or you’ll do yourself a great disservice. So, you’re welcome 🙂

2 Comments · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites · Tagged With: , ,
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