Contemporary Romance

Review: ★Idol★ by Kristen Callihan

June 14, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

IDOL
Series: VIP #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Kristen Callihan
Release Day: June 7, 2016

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.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

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.

Kristen 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

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Rockstars · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, Kristen Callihan, rock stars

Review: ★For 100 Days★ by Lara Adrian

June 11, 2016 by Lana ·

FOR 100 DAYS
Series: 100 Series #1
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary
Author: Lara Adrian
Release Date: May 24, 2016

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.

AMAZON | B&N | iBOOKS | KOBO

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.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Lara Adrian, trilogy

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

June 10, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

UNBREAK MY HEART
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Nicole Jacquelyn
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Formats: Trade Paperback & eBook

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…

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.

DGR: 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.

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.

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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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Author Spotlight & interview, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, DGR Favorites, Giveaways · Tagged With: angst, Book Reviews: 5 stars, DGR Fave

Review: ★Engaging The Bachelor★ by Cathryn Fox

June 8, 2016 by Lana ·

ENGAGING THE BACHELOR
Series: Pulse #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cathryn Fox
Release Date: June 6, 2016

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…

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

…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.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4 stars, brazen, let's play doctor

New Release & Review: ★Game Player★ by B.J. Harvey

May 26, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

GAME MAKER
Series: Game #2
Genre: Contemporary, Romantic Comedy
Author: B.J. Harvey
Release Date: May 26, 2016

From the USA Today bestselling author of the Bliss series comes a new spin off series featuring your favorite Bliss series characters who are yet to meet their match. This time it is Zach and Danika’s turn.

I’m a gamer by nature and by profession. I’m all about strategy, performance, and coming out on top.

Five months ago I threw caution to the wind, and in the first miscalculated step of my twenty-one-year life, I made a move on my brother’s best friend.

The first mistake we made was keeping our relationship secret. The next was going off half-cocked when a train wreck of epic proportions hit us.

Now our secret is secret no more. As I struggle to deal with all of the swirling emotions, conflicted feelings, and the multitude of burned bridges that I need to mend, the one person who can help me through it all is the same man I need space from.

To fix it I’ll have to pull on my big-girl panties, focus on what I truly want in life, and put everything I have into winning the most important game I’ll ever play.

Life is a game, and it is what you make it.

Coming out unscathed is a whole other matter.

AMAZON

Distance has never worked. Denial hasn’t either. Nothing has ever dimmed the way I feel- and have always felt- whenever I’m around him.

If steamy, feel-good rom coms that are light on the angst and heavy on the swoons are your thing, then B.J. Harvey’s Game series is your holy grail. Game Player was my first book by this author and I was absolutely hooked. Her brand of humor just clicked with me and I knew she had an insta-fan in me.

I’m a sucker for a older brother’s best friend trope, and when I read the blurb for this book, there wasn’t a doubt that I’d be jumping at the chance to meet it.

Danika Roberts is the youngest sibling in her family. She’s an adorably endearing ‘nerd’ that you can’t help but love from the very first page. As the youngest in her family, her brother Zander, who practically raised her, is understandably uber protective of her. Unfortunately for Danika, the object of her fantasies has been and always will be Zander’s best friend and fire fighter, Zach Cooper.

I present to you Zach Cooper Eau de Parfum. Lady boner guaranteed or your money back.

Zach was a refreshing change of pace for me that I absolutely adored. It’s not often you read about a man that actually wants a relationship. Everything that came out of his mouth had me swooning like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Swear to god. The man was utter perfection.

As for the story, it was just one of those light and easy reads that simply hits the spot. There’s no internal drama. These two have been hiding feelings from each other for years, and when they do give into it, there’s no question. The light angst comes from an outside factor of Zander and not knowing how to tell him that they’re together. It’s steamy, quirky, and just one of those feel good sort of reads that is perfect to spend a weekend afternoon with.

This was the risk I took when I kissed you back then. The risk I’ve been taking every minute of every day since then while falling in love with you, and the very reason why I’ll risk everything with everyone to have you now”

While Zach and Danika acknowledge their feelings towards each other from the very beginning, I appreciated that the author didn’t throw them into bed together straight away. There’s a bit of a slow burn with that and personally I would have loved more of one. I think for my personal tastes, I would have liked a little of them from the years when Danika moved back to Chicago. I would have loved the added burn and tension between them before they acknowledge it. As it was, it read a little…too easy for me.

This book is so much more than just the romance between Dani and Zach. All the family members and friends make an appearance and I really loved that too. I’ll admit I was little bored with the lack of tension or angst at times, but that’s just my own personal reading taste. B.J. is certainly an author that can write one heck of a rom com and she’ll continue to be my go to for a light and humorous romance. Don’t let my three star fool you. I may be stingy with my stars, but this was definitely a book I’d recommend to any romance lovers…especially if you’re sick of angsty set ups with internal drama and manwhore heroes. Zach will certainly hit the spot just right for you. 😉

DON’T MISS BOOK ONE IN THE GAME SERIES

AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: BJ Harvey, Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, humorous, romcom

Review: ★The Ending I Want★ by Samantha Towle

May 26, 2016 by Lana ·

THE ENDING I WANT
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Towle
Release Date: May 10, 2016

Taylor Shaw had the perfect life—until she was sixteen. That was when everything changed. From that moment on, life went from bad to worse…to the worst.
After recovering from a brain tumor, months later, she suffers the tragic loss of her whole family.
Since that fateful day, she’s been coasting through life.

Now, the brain tumor has returned, and Taylor decides she’s had enough. She’s going to take her fate into her own hands.
No more hospitals. No more surgeries. No more anything.
She’s going to join her family.
It’s her decision.
What she longs for.
The ending she wants.

She just has a list of things to do before she goes.
First, go to England.
Second, kiss a stranger…

Only, Taylor didn’t expect Liam Hunter, the stranger—with his handsome face, his six-foot-three of gorgeousness, and his oh-so-hot English accent—to change things.
To change her.
To change the ending she wanted.

What is a girl, who is standing on the edge of nothing, to do when offered the chance of everything?

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Recently, I’ve found myself wishing for a lot of things. Things I have no right to wish for. But the heart can be a selfish and foolish thing. And mine is certainly both.

I have been sitting here for days trying to figure out how to rate this book. I adore Samantha Towle’s books. The Mighty Storm is still one of my all times favorites. When I first read the blurb to The Ending I Want, I knew I had to read it. It sounded like exactly the highly emotional reads I love that would tug at every heartstring. Unfortunately, that’s not quite what I got and what I had to sit and think on is expectation vs. reality. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it wasn’t just reality not living up to expectations for me, it was my lack of connection with the characters and their story that ultimately brought my rating down. So what do I rate it? Ultimately I had to go with a 2.5 because it just didn’t feel like a full 3 stars for me because aside from the first 15% and final 20%, I felt no emotional connection to the story whatsoever. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate it. Not by any means. But I didn’t quite like it either. I had to push myself to finish, and that’s what my rating reflects.

You’re mine, Boston, in every way that matters,” he whispers.

I loved the first 15%. The buildup, the chemistry between the characters, and then it progressively began to lose steam for me. The H and h connection was super quick, but still believable. I applaud the author in pulling that off because it’s not easy considering they get together pretty much right away.

I struggled with my connection to both Taylor and unfortunately even Liam. Taylor just never clicked for me. I didn’t buy her reason for choosing to die. I wanted to feel her reasons and never did. This holds especially true with the decision she made at the end because it just didn’t add up with what she kept saying for the entire book. I didn’t buy it. It felt….dare I say…shallow. There’s quite a bit of sex that happens in the book and ultimately it began to take away from the possible emotion it could have had. 15-20% the characters spend going on dates and having sex and I just wanted more. I wanted to feel Taylor’s plight. I wanted the emotion, the angst. And yet it never came. Not really.

Liam was incredibly sexy and enigmatic, but I struggled even with him. As much as I hate to use the word cliche, at times that’s what he read like. A billionaire with a tragic past. Nothing really new for me here. I wanted more. (view spoiler). It was all too much. I’d almost rather he was an average Joe. I simply didn’t need all that.

I also found some of the dialogue, especially the sex talk, to be forced and stilted at times. It almost felt like those parts were written by someone else. I don’t even know how to explain it, but it just felt…off.

You’re a little exhibitionist. I fucking love it. Just as much as I love your tight little pussy.
…
One of these days, I’m going to fuck you where everyone can see. Where they can watch me fuck your hot, tight pussy.”

Don’t get me wrong, it was really hot at times, but at other times it was almost cheesy in an OTT way.

That’s it, babe. Fuck my finger. Just like I’m going to fuck you with my cock. God, I want to fuck you now- so bad.

….

I think we we both know that you and I are more than friends. I think my thumb up your arse while I was fucking you with my cock earlier on should have confirmed that fact to you.

I spent the majority of the book waiting to be hit with the emotion that the blurb promises, and I barely got that in the last 20%. Unfortunately for me, by then it was simply too little too late.

Now to be fair, the author does an amazing job with Liam. I truly felt for him and I loved getting his POV.

I’ll beg if I have to. If that’s what you need to change your mind. I’ll get down on my fucking knees and beg.”

I may not have fully connected with him in the story, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy him. Because I really did.

Don’t let my rating deter you from reading this and judging for yourself. Sometimes you click with a book and sometimes you don’t, and sadly this fell into the latter category for me. Many people loved it; I’m simply getting too picky for my own good. I will without a doubt read any and all future books from this wonderful author. You can’t love every book, even from your favorites, and this was my one fluke. I look forward to what miss Towle will write in the future.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 2.5 stars

Review: ★Kissed★ by Elizabeth Finn

May 25, 2016 by Lana ·

KISSED
Standalone
Genre: Erotic, Contemporary Romance
Author: Elizabeth Finn
Release Date: May 23, 2016

Reputation is everything, a fact Keegan Lauri knows all too well. A political PR strategist by trade, he makes his living creating and protecting the image of men, protecting them from women like Gabrielle Kitrick. She’s a threat to every man who falls for her. Beautiful, innocent, young, and available … for a price… Gabe is the shiny little trophy men of power seem to desire. But possessing her is a risk, a risk Keegan is responsible for removing from his client’s life.

He’s not above manipulating her for his own professional gain. He’s not even above seducing her and enjoying every second of it. But he finds out quickly her looks are a façade, and the more he comes to know Gabe, the more difficult it becomes to ignore her humanity. Because behind her beauty and crimson-lipped smile lies a young woman fighting for a better future, a future his very involvement with her jeopardizes.

When Keegan’s professional responsibilities threaten to expose her, will he choose to do his job or protect the young woman he’s become so attached to?

AMAZON

So how much then?”
“How much…?”
“For your lips.”
“They’re not for sale.”

If there’s one thing I know when I pick up a new book by Elizabeth Finn, it’s that angst and a punch straight to the feels is guaranteed. There’s a damn good reason why she’s become my go-to when I’m craving an addicting combination of angst and feelings and she’ll deliver on the promise 100% of the time. Reading the synopsis I knew I was in for one heck of a read and I was not wrong. It’s everything I hoped it would be; seductive, emotional, angsty and hot enough to burn.

Keegan Lauri is ruthless when it comes to his job as a political PR strategist. He will do whatever it takes, even if it requires playing dirty. When he realizes that his new “assignment” happens to have a weakness in the form of the stunning woman that shows up on his arm to a political function, he knows he needs to get rid of her by any means necessary. What he doesn’t expect is to be lured in by her beauty and intriguing vulnerability himself…

Don’t worry. I won’t tell your secrets,” I whisper.
“You ARE the secret,” she whispered back.

Gabrielle Kitrick may be my favorite heroine I’ve read of Finn’s in a while. She’s this endearing combination of vulnerability and strength. The way that the author unveils all her layers though each chapter only serves to connect you to her even more. She may be a high priced escort, but she has a damn good reason for doing what she does. She’s not one of those in your face with her sexuality heroines, yet she doesn’t exactly berate herself about it either. When the devastatingly handsome Keegan shows up instead of her ‘client’ and propositions her for a night, the pull between them is too strong for her to refuse and so she gives in.

You want me to kiss it and make it feel better again, all those feelings you have bottled up inside, torturing you? Our lips sure do know how to make it disappear, don’t they?

What begins is a dangerous push and pull between two people that have everything to lose and yet chose to loose themselves in each other. The chemistry between them is undeniable and you can practically feel the electric current that crackles between them. The fact that you’re basically reading the book just waiting for the other shoe to drop makes it for one absolutely unputdownable read.

You know that something will go wrong, but you don’t know when or how. And that particular weight is a shadow over each and every one of their stolen interactions.

He leaned down, kissing my shoulder and then up to my ear. “Use me,” he whispered. ” I know you need to.”

The one thing that this author knows how to do amazingly well is give her characters an incredible amount of depth and you certainly feel that with both Keegan and Gabe. Keegan is a wonderfully multi-layered character. He may be ruthless when it comes to his job and he may not be able to control some of the insults that fly out of his mouth in the heat of the moment, but there’s also something so incredibly vulnerable about him too. The way that these emotions of his get unveiled is utterly delicious. With each new chapter brings an added depth to him and you can’t help but fall for him even though you know that he just may be Gabe’s ultimate demise…

They can’t hurt me. They can’t make some cruel off-the-cuff remark like you and cut me to the bone. The don’t get to make me cry. They can’t truly touch any part of me that really matters. You”- it came out on a rush of breath, trailing into nothing for a moment- “hurt.”

This is a story that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to finish. While I knew what was coming, it still managed to pack in a few surprises with the way everything took place. I believe the point is that the reader ultimately knows what would happen and spend the entirety of the book with their heart in their throat waiting for that other shoe to drop. Finn manages to wrangle quite a few emotions in the process making this not only one sizzling read but something beyond your typical escort book. The pacing is perfection, the characters are phenomenally developed and the story itself is purely addicting. If you haven’t read anything by this author yet, I highly suggest you start with this one. I guarantee you that you’ll be hooked. Elizabeth’s brand of angst just works for me and she seriously outdid herself with Kissed. I can’t wait what else she has in store for us with her future releases.

I’d entered her life too thoughtlessly, too callously, too selfishly, and try as I might to undo that, I’d just never succeeded.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Rom · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, Elizabeth Finn, escort

Review: ★Too Hot To Handle★ by Tessa Bailey

May 24, 2016 by Lana ·

TOO HOT TO HANDLE
Series: Romancing the Clarksons #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: May 17, 2016

When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble…

The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .

Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

This is what’s going to pass for conversation tonight. Small talk will be my tongue flicking against your clit until you cry out my name like a swear word. My headboard slapping the wall is going to be our heart-to-heart. And that gorgeous body riding my dick is going to be our nighttime prayers. You with me, Rita?”

Ladies, guard your ovaries, because the Queen of Dirty Talk is back at it with her brand new series featuring the four Clarkson siblings and their journey to a HEA.

The Clarkson siblings have been almost estranged for many years. They love each other but their camaraderie has been strained at the very least. When Rita reads her mother’s journal upon her passing and finds out that her last wish was for all four siblings to travel to NY and jump into the ocean as she did many years ago with the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, she’s not exactly sold on the idea. Then a fire burns down her mother’s award winning restaurant and with insurmountable guilt over it causes her to re-evaluate it. And while her siblings begrudgingly agree to accompany her, the road trip is not smooth sailing. Having their suburban break down in the middle of New Mexico is certainly not something they need to help their bickering even more.

A random good samaritan pulling over his motorcycle to help them wasn’t in their plan either. And neither was the instantaneous connection between him and Rita.

What is this about for you? What do you want from me?”
EVERYTHING. This acquintance with Rita was no longer some test of his worth. It was something bigger. He could feel it. “Time. I need more time with you, Rita.”

Jasper Ellis used to be the town’s bad boy. But he’s looking for more from his life now than simply the owner of the local watering hole and bad boy rep. It takes just a glance at the brown eyed beauty on the side of the road for him to know he wants more than just a good time with her. But Rita is only passing through, so it’s up to him to convince her that their connection deserves more than just a few hours spent between the sheets.

If you’re looking for Tessa’s signature dirty talk, you’ll certainly find that here…in spades.

Welcome to show-and-tell. You’re going to slide those sexy legs apart and show me where I’ll have the privilege of putting this hungry cock. And I’ll tell you tons read them wider.

Jasper delivers on that promise and more!

What I unfortunately found lacking here for me, was a connection with the characters. As much as I wanted to love the two of them together, their instant connection just didn’t work for me. There was definitely plenty of sexual tension and push and pull between them, but I wanted more. I just didn’t buy it, I suppose. For some reason they just fell flat for me. Perhaps it was because the entirety of their relationship in the book spans only three days and I’m just too cynical of a reader for that? Perhaps because at times it wasn’t only their relationship that fell flat for me but the characters themselves as well. I just didn’t connect with them or their romance. The sex was hot, as always, but I wanted more emotion. I also found myself thinking that some of the dirty talk was a bit too much at times, as well. Personally it does nothing for me when I read the hero referring to the heroine’s clit as “sweetheart” and having an actual conversation with her. But then again, since I didn’t have much of a connection with the story, I did nitpick quite a bit.

The pacing of the story was slow yet never boring, but ultimately my lack of connecting did force me to skim certain parts. Don’t get me wrong, it was still entertaining, but I supposed I simply wanted more from it.

I did love the relationship between all the siblings and getting a deeper peek at that with this story. It was enough to hook me to want to read the next three books.

If you’re a fan of this author, I definitely recommend the book. No reader is the same, and this may just be a winner for you! As much as I wish I could rate this a bit higher, it just didn’t hit me as much as I wished it would. This is one of those times where I really wish that GR had half stars, because while it wasn’t quite a 3 stars it wasn’t exactly a 2 either. To be fair, I’ll rate it a 3 here because ultimately I did still enjoy it for what it was. Perhaps it was my mood and coming off another book that blew me away and so my expectations were higher than normal. Read it and judge for yourself 😉

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 2.5 stars, Tessa Bailey

Review: ★Wicked Heart★ by Leisa Rayven

May 16, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

WICKED HEART
Series: Star Crossed #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Leisa Rayven
Release Date: May 17, 2016

The one guy she can’t have is the one she can’t forget.

Liam Quinn is one of the biggest movie stars in the world…and the only man Elissa Holt has ever truly loved.

After being out of her life for six years, he and his gorgeous fiancé are set to star in the new Broadway show Elissa is stage managing. The only trouble is, when late night rehearsals bring Elissa and Liam together, the line between what is and what could have been gets blurred. Now one moment of weakness is about to create a scandal that will echo around the world.

Elissa knows that falling for Liam again would be a tragedy in the making, but as any good romantic knows, love doesn’t always follow the script.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

Heartache doesn’t teach you to be resilient. It teaches you to protect your fragility. It teaches you to fear love. And it draws a bright red circle around all the ways you’ve failed as a person and laughs while you cry.”

I feel like I’ve been run over by the angst truck. I don’t know whether I want a drink, a hug, or a cigarette. All I know is that I love the absolute hell out of this book and I’m not even a little sorry!

As a self professed angst whore, second chance romance happens to be my favorite catnip. I lurve it. Seriously. If there’s a grovel involved? Putty. Just scrub my completely melted self off of the floor and go about your business because I can’t even! So when I read the blurb to this book, I knew I had to read it.

Confession time: I didn’t love the first two books in this series. (hides) I know, I know. But save your rotten tomatoes because while I didn’t love the characters, I knew this author was gonna be one to watch out for me. The woman writes good angst and the feels she’s able to pack into it, I gobbled right up. So I knew it was just a matter of time before she was going to give me characters to swoon over and luckily for me, Liss and Liam were that.

I’m not saying goodbye,” he says as he shoves his hands in his pockets.
“Because this isn’t over.
One day, fate’s going to fix this.
Bring us back together.
I believe that.”

Liam wasn’t a famous action star when he first met Lissa. But for one day six years ago, he was her everything. That is until he walked away and shattered her heart. Lisa never quite recovered and she’s held herself aloof to all men since. Now a successful stage manager, she gets the shock of a life time when not only is the new star of the show she’s working on the love of her life, Liam. But the co-star is his gorgeous and disgustingly sweet finance, who’s also impossible to hate.

Enter: über angst. Holy mother. You GUYS. I couldn’t get enough of them. The tension was so thick and palpable, you can practically taste it. And. It. Was. Delicious.
I didn’t know what I was feeling. I wanted to hate Liam, but it was impossible. I wanted Lissa to make Liam grovel, but I also got why she couldn’t. The connection they share is so obvious, and the chemistry between them was so hot, it made it completely impossible to put the book down for even a second.

I used to think that if I just waited long enough, fate would bring us back together. That our stars would align, or whatever, and you’d come crashing back into my life to stay. But that didn’t happen. So now I say, screw it. I’m done waiting. Sometimes, fate is what you make it.”

The one thing that I need from a second chance romance is a good reason for the separation. I want to understand it, I want to feel it, and I really got that here. When everything is finally revealed, it’s like the puzzle pieces all clicked together. It just made sense. And I loved that we got that. It wasn’t some silly miscommunication or something ridiculous. It just made you connect with the characters that much more.

Wicked Heart is an angsty and emotional roller coaster with enough sexual tension to make even the toughest reader hurt. It was effortless in its execution and beautiful in its delivery. Liam and Lissa together were absolute perfection. If you don’t head over heels for Liam Quinn, we haven’t been reading the same book.

Ask me to give up a limb and I swear, I’ll find a way to do it. But don’t ask me to live without you anymore. I can’t. I’m so goddamn in love with you, it hurts.”

I already can’t wait for the next tale that this talented author has in mind.

I did wish for a little more from the ending, which is what kept this from being a full 5 stars for me. But overall it was still a fantastic read!

THE STAR CROSSED SERIES

BAD ROMEO | BROKEN JULIET

Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet are a duet based on Cassie and Ethan. Wicked Hearts is Ethan’s sister, Elissa, and while she’s first introduced in the previous 2 books, you may also enjoy it as a standalone.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 4.5 stars, Second-chance-romance

Review: ★Never Let You Go★ by Monica Murphy

May 4, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Never Let You Go
Series: Never Tear Us Apart #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Monica Murphy
Release Date: May 3, 2016

The second novel in this darkly sexy contemporary series from bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up an emotionally powerful two-part tale of forbidden love.

The truth hurts, they say—and my pain cuts deep. While I was falling for Ethan, he was deceiving me the entire time. He held a huge secret, protected by his lies. When I discovered what he was hiding, the truth shook my world, threatening to ruin us forever. Ruin me. But I soon realized that what we share can’t be destroyed.

The connection between us is too strong. It always has been. I can’t deny him any longer. And I can’t deny my truth: I’m in love with Ethan.

I don’t want to let him go.

While we’re trying our best to make this relationship work, other forces are fighting against us. My family, who wants to keep me safe. The media obsessed with my tragic past. The public that feeds off of it. Even Ethan’s father—the man who nearly destroyed me all those years ago. He’s doing his best to finish the job.

Despite my love for Ethan, the doubts creep in, clouding my mind. Is he worth the pain? Will our love survive, or will we have no choice but to end it—end us—once and for all?

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

Ethan. Will. The boy of my past. The man of my future. The one I can never, ever let go.

Never Let You Go is the powerful conclusion to the emotional duet that started with Never Tear Us Apart. It begins immediately where the first book ended; both Ethan and and Katie dealing with the aftermath of the revelation of Ethan’s lie and the continuous hounding for their story by one very determined reporter.

I fell in love with this story and this couple in the first book. It was gripping and emotional, poignant and tragic love story of two people that should never be together yet make perfect sense together. The journey that the author sends them on individually as well as a couple was equal parts powerful and easy to believe. The story is equal parts emotional and devastating at times. Katie is still dealing with he afteraffects of all she’s been through. But now, she’s not only dealing with her issues after her kidnapping and rape when she was young, but the boy from her past all of a sudden being the man of her present. Who is Ethan/Will? Does he truly want her? Can she allow herself to feel for him?

Ethan was an incredible character. His unwavering love for Katie was so emotionally powerful, it’s almost heart breaking at times because all the odds are stacked against them.

The pace of the story is very slow, even more so than the first book. But whereas in the first book I found it to be a slow burn, here I just found it to be too slow. I can’t say it’s boring, because it’s more character driven than plot driven most of the time, but it didn’t have me gripped to the book and eager to turn the pages either. But even then, this was a solid 4 star read for me…up until that last 20%.

The crazy action and drama of that ending left my mind reeling. It was just too much. The pace of the book is quite slow and steady and then BAM, you get hit with all of that. I think that many people will actually enjoy the way things resolve, but for this reader it just felt out of the blue and unnecessary. I think the story was quite solid as it was and had everything just resolved quietly with some people out of the picture, it would have been best. I felt like I was watching a soap opera ending unfold. Add into this mix a somewhat cliche revelation and I was left with a lot of meh feelings.

Now all that aside, a 3 star rating means I did enjoy the book, because I did. While it didn’t wow me, it was still a satisfying conclusion. I’d gladly recommend it for readers that want something a little different in their romance because this is definitely that. It’s poignantly written and it’s certainly not a story I’ll soon be forgetting.

READ THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL

NEVER TEAR US APART
GOODREADS | AMAZON | MY REVIEW

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3 stars, monica murphy

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