Book Reviews: 3.5 stars

Jennifer’s Review: His by Brenda Rothert

October 5, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

review-his-brenda-rothert HIS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brenda Rothert
Release Date: June 28. 2016

Quinn
I’d say I’m down on my luck, but that’s an understatement. I’m flat on my ass. Homeless, hungry and in hiding with my little sister at the age of twenty-one, I’ve never been so desperate. I’ve hit rock bottom when I get an offer I can’t refuse. Sell my body to save my sister? There’s nothing I won’t do to keep her safe. I make the rules and I’m not afraid to defend myself if this rich guy crosses the line. But once I see beneath his cold, calculating façade, the lines aren’t so clear anymore.

Andrew
She’s an intoxicating mix of tough and vulnerable I’ve never known before. This homeless woman who fits right into my upper-class world is running from someone powerful, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. But Quinn isn’t meant to be controlled, so I’m forced to choose between owning her and loving her. I’ve finally met my match, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make her truly mine.

Buy Links AMAZON | iBOOKS

Beginning – 5 Strong Stars!
Middle – 4 Still-Good Stars!
Ending – 3 Aw-man-but-I-still-liked-it Stars!

This book has a kick-ass, awesome beginning. Quinn and her sister are homeless. They are running from a secret, so they have to stay low. I really enjoyed how the author doesn’t give all of the secrets away so it made me want to keep reading. Quinn needs money because her sister is sick. She is given an offer that she can’t refuse, but I loved that she was on her guard even at the beginning and didn’t just give into the offer, but knew she would have to do what needed to be done to save her sister. I enjoyed the relationship between Quinn and Andrew. It was unexpected and sweet and sexy how they got to know each other.

My Andrew:

My Quinn:

I enjoyed the premise of this book. The fact that I read the whole thing says a lot because I am usually a quitter if I am not enjoying a book. There were definitely some cheesy lines where I kinda rolled my eyes. Overall, I liked the characters, but I thought they could use some polishing. Quinn came across as this strong homeless girl who doesn’t put up with shit, and I loved her in the beginning. I think the author wanted her to also show her vulnerable side, which is great, but there was a disconnect between Quinn’s strength and her vulnerability. They just didn’t seem like the same person.

The ending felt rushed. The secret reveal of Andrew’s job is a little too easy. The overall ending was a little anti-climactic. I wanted it to be more badass.

20741498

Review: The Goal by Elle Kennedy

September 29, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

THE GOAL
Series: Off-Campus #4
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Date: September 26, 2016

She’s good at achieving her goals…

College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes, one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.

But the game just got a whole lot more complicated

Tucker believes being a team player is as important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of twenty-two, he refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is, Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to accept his help. If he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that some goals can only be made with an assist.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I hate to tell you this, Sabrina. But you’ve made a big mistake.”
“What? Why?”
His fingers draw my thong tight, the fabric cutting into my swollen lips.
“Because I’m going to ruin you for all future guys. I apologize in advance.”

Time out. Did anyone else just have a pervy hot flash here? No? Seriously? You’re a bunch of lying liars, is what you are. You totally did. Admit it. That line right there just totally revved your engines.

It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it? Well if I had known the mouth that beard of Tucker’s was hiding all this time, I probably would have been stalking Elle Kennedy down on a daily basis and waving my fist menacingly at her to write his story sooner. What? I like pervy bearded heroes, and don’t you judge me either! Those BILFs get things done, I tells ya. But I digress.

Tucker has always been the calm, quiet, rational and unassuming one of the hockey bunch. Compared to the likes of Dean and Garrett, he always kinda shied away in their spotlight…or so it seemed. BOY was I wrong. Because when this man has a target he goes after, he spares no apology and isn’t afraid to play dirty. But Tucker is also incredibly sweet, humble, and beyond patient and understanding. All those things make him absolutely perfect! And dirty…so very dirty

Oh sweet baby Jesus. Sex with Tucker is dirtier and hotter than I thought it would be. He doesn’t look like he’d be this way, but isn’t it always the quiet ones?

The Goal runs parallel to the events in The Score, so if you haven’t read that book yet, I highly recommend reading it prior to this or some details may be lost on you. Admittedly, I hated Sabrina in the previous books. She was extremely waspish and off putting, to put it frankly. Luckily having her background and really getting down to the truth of why she is the way she is helped connect more with her character. That’s not to say she’s my favorite heroine of the series, but I certainly understood and liked her more in this book than the previous ones.

She’s not certain of me yet. I need to bide my time, but as long as I’m in the game, I’m not worried about the outcome.

Sabrina is driven and highly independent. She doesn’t want or need a man, unless it’s for one night of tension relief. But that all changes when the man is Tucker, because Tucker wants more than a few orgasms from her, and he’s not hesitant to show her what she’s missing. Did I mention I adored Tucker?

So why the lower rating? Weeeelll….I actually wasn’t a fan of a particular trope used in this book. The hows of it seemed a little eye raising in the believability department, and the back and forths of it drove me a little bonkers. There were parts that I wanted to hug Sabrina, and others where I wanted to beat her with the nearest blunt object…or a really really big stick. But I digress once more.

Was The Goal my favorite in the series? Probably not. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Ultimately it was an entertaining read that kept me invested in the story and their characters and especially the romance. Tucker definitely is a large part as to why, but Sabrina did grow on me at the end as well.

Fans of this series will certainly enjoy this newest installment. And if you’ve been curious about the silent bearded one, you surely won’t be disappointed.

THE OFF-CAMPUS SERIES

: The Deal (book #1)

: The Mistake (book #2)

: The Score (book #3)

: The Goal (book 4)

THE DEAL | THE MISTAKE | THE SCORE | THE GOAL

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, New Adult, Sports · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, hockey players

Review: Too Wild To Tame by Tessa Bailey

September 28, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

TOO WILD TO TAME
Series: Romancing the Clarksons #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: September 6, 2016

Sometimes you just can’t resist playing with fire . . .

By day, Aaron Clarkson suits up, shakes hands, and acts the perfect gentleman. But at night, behind bedroom doors, the tie comes off and the real Aaron comes out to play. Mixing business with pleasure got him fired, so Aaron knows that if he wants to work for the country’s most powerful senator, he’ll have to keep his eye on the prize. That’s easier said than done when he meets the senator’s daughter, who’s wild, gorgeous, and 100 percent trouble.

Grace Pendleton is the black sheep of her conservative family. Yet while Aaron’s presence reminds her of a past she’d rather forget, something in his eyes keeps drawing her in. Maybe it’s the way his voice turns her molten. Or maybe it’s because deep down inside, the ultra-smooth, polished Aaron Clarkson might be more than even Grace can handle . . .

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She was forcing him to consider light and shadows, when he’d only ever dealt in black and white. And she was the light. Shining bright enough to flay him.

When I read Too Hot to Handle, Aaron was a character that intrigued me right away. Tessa Bailey gives the reader just enough to catch their curiosity but then like the sadist that she surely is, she makes you wait until that particular Clrackson’s book to appease it. Aaron is in his own personal hell; in a car with his siblings on the trek to NY with a brother that would sooner glare at him than talk to him and the regrets of what sent him away in the first place.

Aaron is advisor to the politicians and loves his job, but a mistake he made cost him everything. Now his only chance to resurrect his career, is to get on the good side of a senator that’s on the fast trek to presidency. But then he meets the woman that throws a wrench into all his plans and good intentions

Getting close to another person was suicide, as far as he was concerned. People eventually walked away, although he wasn’t sure if that was a universal rule, or one that pertained only to him. His father had replaced Belmont as the male rock in his life, built him up, and then he’d gone and fucked off, too, hadn’t he? Left him bitter and self-sufficient. He was grateful for seeing human nature for what it was, deep down. The women he took to bed didn’t seem to mind, either.

Aaron is broody and grumpy, but when that man lets his mouth loose? Holy explosive ovaries! Tessa knows how to write a hell of a dirty talker and she definitely doesn’t disappoint with Aaron Clarkson.

This book had all the things I felt lacking in the first book; angst, sexual tension, and that sweet sweet burn of a sexual tension that burns to scorching levels. So why not rate higher? Well, my picky self was still missing a certain connection with the story. I just wasn’t invested enough in the characters and the romance to be yearning to turn the pages. Don’t get me wrong, it was entertaining and I definitely enjoyed it for the most part. But will it be something I come back to? Probably not. I also loved Grace’s story, but something about her as a character just didn’t connect me with her.

I loved getting a glimpse into the other two Clarkson siblings, and I’m practically salivating for Sage and her brooding Clarkson brother to get together already but I’m thinking Tessa is saving that bad boy for last.

If you’re looking for a sexy contemporary romance with a whole lot of dirty talk and a brooding but completely endearing hero, definitely give this book a shot.

ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES

: Too Hot to Handle (Romancing the Clarksons, #1)

: Too Wild to Tame (Romancing the Clarksons, #2)

: Too Hard to Forget (Romancing the Clarksons, #3)

TOO HOT TO HANDLE | TOO WILD TO TAME |
TOO HARD TO FORGET (releasing 4/27/17)

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Dirty Talkers · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Tessa Bailey

Jennifer’s Review: An Indecent Proposal by Katee Robert

September 16, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

AN INDECENT PROPOSAL
Series: The O’Malleys #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense
Author: Katee Robert
Release Date: August 30, 2016

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert continues her smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys-wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets.

Greed. Ambition. Violence. Those are the “values” Olivia Rashidi learned from her Russian mob family-and the values she must leave behind for the sake of her daughter. When she meets Cillian O’Malley, she recognizes the red flag of his family name . . . yet she still can’t stop herself from seeing the smoldering, tortured man. To save her family, Olivia sets out to discover Cillian’s own secrets, but the real revelation is how fast-and how hard-she’s falling for him.

Plagued by a violent past, Cillian is more vulnerable than anyone realizes. Anyone except Olivia, whose beauty, compassion, and pride have him at “hello,” even if she’s more inclined to say good-bye to an O’Malley. While his proposal of sex with no strings seems simple, what he feels for her isn’t, especially after he learns that she belongs to a rival crime family. Cillian knows that there is no escape from the life, but Olivia may be worth trying-and dying-for . . .

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I wish wish wish I would have read the two books before this one, and I definitely want to go back and read them. It sounds like we get more of a picture of Cillian before the Cillian we see in this book, given the hints of the next siblings throughout this book. I am very intrigued by this family. This crime/mafia book definitely stands out among the others. It is more emotional and not as violent.

My Cillian:

My Olivia:

Cillian is one of 7 children who makes up the O’Malley Irish mob family in Boston. He is a former party, playboy, but now he is plagued by his brother’s death and the need to just be better. I LOVE Cillian. He is unlike any character I’ve ever read, and I immediately pictured Stephen James as Cillian right away with the tattoos and the suits and his demeanor. He wants to do right by Olivia.

Olivia is tied to the New York Russian mob, so she knows what it is like to be part of a family of secrets and violence. She is trying to escape this part of her life, so she tries to stay away from Cillian, but she is drawn by him.

”I promised myself I’d never get involved with someone like you.”

“Sweetheart, there is no one like me.”

What I loved most about this book is the writing style and emotions in this book. There isn’t much to say about the story. I wish the plot would have moved more. This is a personal preference. I am fan of plot writing. Nevertheless, I really enjoy Katee’s writing style. I got swept up in the emotions of the characters. Cillian and Olivia were well-developed, enough that I didn’t want to stop reading. I really enjoyed the beginning, but the middle of the book fell flat for me only because we get caught up in the characters’ heads.

I am a FAN of Katee Roberts. She is easily becoming one of my favorite go-to authors. Her style is intriguing and keeps me guessing. I’ve read her Brazen books, which are a little more light and fun, but I love this darker side of her as well.

THE O’MALLEYS SERIES

: The Marriage Contract (The O’Malleys #1)

: The Wedding Pact (The O’Malleys #2)

: An Indecent Proposal (The O’Malleys #3)

: Forbidden Promises (The O’Malleys #4)

THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT | THE WEDDING PACT | AN INDECENT PROPOSAL

FORBIDDEN PROMISES – releasing May 30, 2017

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Jennifer Reviews, Katee Robert, Mafia

Review: Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton & Nina Bocci

September 15, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Roman Crazy
Series: The Broads Abroad #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Authors: Nina Bocci & Alice Clayton
Release Date: September 16, 2016

Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…

Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?

A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, Roman Crazy is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.

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It wasn’t love or lust, but something we both recognized as a possibility of something. It was so pure, so uninhibited … We just threw ourselves into it. These moments that were little pockets of perfection. It was like nothing else mattered. Just us.”

Finding your husband banging his secretary isn’t the most shocking thing Avery Bardot has recently experienced. The shocking thing was just how little it truly affected her. Was she mad? Sure. But did she feel that bone deep ache over the ultimate shattering of her marriage to her college sweetheart? Surprisingly…no. Avery sacrificed her own dreams and life to watch her husband make his happen, and she’s done with that. She’s taking charge of her life and starting it with getting on a plane to visit her best friend in Rome.

What starts off as a mere plan to get away for a while soon begins to turn to something so much more when all the pieces that have been missing in her life begin to fall into place. But then Avery runs into a man from her past, a man that affected her like no other. A man that she left behind in her youth but never forgot.

Marcello looked every bit like my greatest love and my biggest regret.

Avery and Marcello are not the same young and loose free people as they were when they met, but their feelings for each other haven’t changed. And what starts from an uneasy truce, soon turns to friendship and then to much much more.

Roman Crazy is a heartfelt and romantic journey of love and second chances. It’s a story of friendship and lifelong bonds. It’s filled with humor, painted within the beautiful culture of Italy, engrained with the beauty of its streets and people. I loved the way these authors truly brought Rome to life in this book. I was lucky to visit most of Italy, and I swear I could actually smell the cafes as they were being described.

So now you’re asking yourself, why only 3.5 stars then? Well, that’s more a personal thing than anything with the book really. See, this read more like a chick lit than romance to me. Don’t get me wrong, the romance is still very much there, but the story is so much more than that too. But I’m not a reader that really reads chick lit so it’s not a preference of mine. While the story is entertaining, I began to get bored in certain parts and hoping for a quicker pace. I loved being engrained in the culture of Italy and Rome, but wanted more of the romance. The story is actually very well paced, and well balanced with romance, but ultimately it just wasn’t something that kept me riveted to the pages.

Was it entertaining? Absolutely! Is it something I’d recommend to fans of Alice Clayton? You bet! Will it make you a fan of the newcomer Nina Bocci? Oh yes! Was it entirely my cuppa? Not quite, but that doesn’t mean I’m not already anticipating the next installment in this fun new series!

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

Jennifer’s Review: The One Real Thing by Samantha Young

September 10, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

THE ONE REAL THING
Series: Hart’s Boardwalk #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Samantha Young
Release Date: September 6, 2016

Welcome to Hartwell, a quiet seaside escape where uncovering old secrets could lead one woman to discover the meaning of a love that lasts…

While Doctor Jessica Huntington engages with the inmates at the women’s correctional facility where she works, she’s always careful to avoid emotional attachments in her personal life. Loss and betrayal taught her that lesson long ago. But when she comes across a set of old love letters in the prison’s library and visits the picturesque town of Hartwell to deliver them to their intended recipient, she finds herself unable to resist the town’s charm—and her attraction to the sexy owner of a local bar proves equally hard to deny.

Since his divorce from his unfaithful ex-wife, Cooper Lawson has focused on what really matters: his family and the boardwalk pub they’ve owned for generations. But the first time Jessica steps into his bar, Cooper is beyond tempted to risk his heart on her. Yet as their attraction grows hotter and Jessica remains stubbornly closed off, he begins to realize it will take more than just passion to convince her there’s only one real thing in life worth fighting for….

AMAZON | iBOOKS

”If you’re destined for true love, you’ll find it on the boardwalk.

Love Letters. Do kids these days even know what a letter is? I need to teach my kids to write letters because it is so classic. The love letter story really grabbed my attention at the beginning. I wish this story lasted throughout the book instead of just the beginning and ending. This book is about finding yourself and starting over. I loved the setting of the boardwalk and the comfort of it. I felt like I was in another time and place while reading this book.

Jessica is a doctor, and she enjoys her job but she has no other attachments besides her job. She finds hidden love letters inside an old library book and is intrigued by the sad story. She knows she needs to get away, so she escapes to a small town in Delaware to find the man to whom the letters are written. She gets lost in this little town, and it a short amount of time, connects with the people like she has never felt before.

My Jessica:

My Cooper

The moment I met Cooper Lawson felt exactly like that hot shower after a very long, cold storm.

Of course, one of those people is the gorgeous bar owner, Cooper. Cooper is described as the BRF (blue-eyed, rugged, and flannel). He’s been through a rough marriage and worse divorce. He is a nice guy but just hasn’t settled down with anyone specific since he has been hurt so much in the past….until he meets Jessica. There is flirting and sexy grins and chemistry and feels and I just ate all of it up!!! I want to go to this little town in Delaware and just be there….preferably with Cooper.

Bartender, mechanic, carpenter…was there anything this man couldn’t do with his hands?

Stop thinking about his hands.

I cleared the lust out of my throat before I said, “You’re very handy, aren’t you?”

What?

Why would you mention his hands?

I flushed immediately when Cooper looked at me, eyes bright with amusement and not a little bit of flirtation. “You have no idea.”

And….mini orgasm.

This book picked me up and settled me down into this quaint little boardwalk town, and I fell in love with it and all the characters. I always enjoy Samantha Young’s writing style. It is easy and the perfect escape. I’m excited for Bailey and Vaughn’s book, and I really hope Emery gets a books too :).

THE HART’S BOARDWALK SERIES

THE ONE REAL THING (Hart’s Boardwalk #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

EVERY LITTLE THING (Hart’s Boardwalk # 2) – Releasing March 7, 2017
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Jennifer Reviews, samantha young

Review: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

September 6, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

ROOKIE MOVE
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sarina Bowen
Release Date: September 6, 2016

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold…

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast….

AMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

You and I don’t have one-night stands. We have forever night stands.”

If you love second chance romance with a hero that’s so sweet and devoted it will make even the most cynical heart swoon, then you’ve just found your next read! It seems the romance genre is well saturated with a good share of alpha-holes lately, and I have to say that Leo Trevi was a breath of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong, alpha-holes happen to be my crack of choice. But every now and then it’s also great to get a genuinely nice guy that fell hard once for the love of his life and never fell out of it.

Georgia and Leo were high school sweethearts, until the Georgia broke Leo’s heart at the end of their senior year and they haven’t seen each other since. Now Georgia is trying to live her dream as the publicist for the NHL and gets the surprise of a lifetime when the new player to the team her father is now coaching is none other than the boy she’s never forgotten or gotten over.

He inhaled, and the familiar fruity smell of her shampoo misted his already hazy mind. Slowly, she lifted her chin, her nose tracing a line up his cheek. Then their lips found each other’s effortlessly, like magnets realigning.

Their reunion was not angst filled but it was certainly full of tension and emotion. It’s hard not to fall for Leo the very second he appears on the pages. The man is swoon with a capital S. Seriously. He doesn’t hide from his feelings or try to punish Georgia. He’s so incredibly pure with the depth of his emotion, that it practically jumps off the pages at you.

There’s plenty of tension from outside forces like the team coach and Georgia’s father and his mystery loathing and hate for Leo, Leo being the rookie to the team and trying to prove himself, and of course trying to deal with the event that led to the ultimate breaking point of their relationship.

As much as I love a good second chance romance, I have to admit that I did find myself a little bored in the first half. Leo was swoony and sweet, but alas I love my men with a little more edge to them, so while I was full, I wasn’t quite satisfied if that makes sense. The second half more than made up for the first and the story read a whole lot quicker. I was antsy to finally get the full reason about why the coach has it out for Leo and the progression of Leo and Georgia’s relationship really picked up while making me curious about the slew of other characters that were introduced like Silas, O’Doul, Becca, and Nate. I’m already salivating for their books….O’Doul especially.

So while this was a little tame for my tastes and so sweet it almost made my teeth ache at times, it also made perfect sense for this story. I could’t see it play out any other way. I loved the ending and while I wasn’t reading this with my usual devour pace, it was still a light and easy romance that I enjoyed quite a bit. It’s definitely the start of what looks to be a fantastic new series and I can’t wait for more.

Are super sweet heroes my thing? Not really. *ducks head in shame* But Leo made a believer out of me just this once.

BROOKLYN BRUISERS SERIES

: Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)

: Hard Hitter (Brooklyn Bruisers #2)

ROOKIE MOVE (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

HARD HITTER (Brooklyn Bruisers #2) <– available January 3, 2017
GOODREADS | AMAZON

PIPE DREAMS (Brooklyn Bruisers #3) <– available May 2, 2017
GOODREADS | AMAZON

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Sports · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, hockey players, Sarina Bowen, Second-chance-romance

Blog Tour & Review: Bad Judgment by Meghan March

August 29, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

Bad Judgment
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Meghan March
Release Day: August 22, 2016

He’s so arrogant.

She’s so self-righteous.

I can’t stand him.

I want her.

He’s a distraction I don’t need.

She’ll say yes eventually because I’m not giving up.

Justine Porter is stuck between a rock and a stripper pole. She lost her law school scholarship, which means she has two choices to keep her life on track: strip for her tuition or tutor the most distractingly sexy guy in her class—the one she’s been turning down for two years straight. It should be an easy choice, but tutoring Ryker Grant could derail her plans to graduate with honors faster than two-for-one night at the Déjà Vu. Then again, topless has never really been her color.

She could take the easy road, just this once . . . but the deal has enough loopholes to trip anyone up.

Who knew they taught bad judgment in law school?

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“I’ve got some things I need to say to you, and you’re going to let me.”Her brown eyes snap up to mine, surprise clear in them. “Why should I?”

“Because you’re nothing if not curious, and you want to know what I have to say.”

She steps backward, and I let my fingertips trail across her skin before they drop away. Justine adjusts the straps of her backpack on her shoulders and tucks Chewbacca into a side pocket.

“You know you want to hear the rare sound of me apologizing, don’t you?”

Justine purses her lips, and all I can think about is the dreams I had all weekend of her staring down at me from a stage while she danced and stripped. My own private show. I’m not going to admit how many times I jacked off to the mental picture. I need the real thing, and I won’t have another shot if she won’t even give me a chance to talk to her.

I don’t know what changes her mind, but she relaxes her posture and relents. “Fine. You’ve got five minutes. This better be good.”

It’s not much, but I’ll take it. I lead the way out of the classroom, slipping out the side door I used to make my unobtrusive entrance. Or at least, it was unobtrusive until I decided to share my strike-out history with the entire class at Professor Turner’s invitation.

Glancing behind me, I’m marginally surprised to see Justine actually following. I head for the third-floor doors to the library, where the private rooms are. This conversation isn’t for public consumption.

The first private room on the right is empty, so I push the door open. Justine trails me inside, and I shrug off my backpack and drop it on one of the four chairs.

She closes the door behind her and leans against it, her arms crossed over her chest. I’m guessing she wouldn’t stand that way if she realized how it draws attention to her chest. I force my eyes back to her face. I’m not about to fuck this up.

“Wow, you must really plan on groveling if you need privacy,” she says, an eyebrow raised in challenge.

“Maybe I just wanted to get you alone.”

She rolls her eyes. “And I’m already getting bored.”

“You love to bust my balls, don’t you?”

“I don’t really like to think about your balls, if you want to know the truth.”

I try on my charming smile, the one that has dropped panties for years. “I’m calling bullshit on that. You’ve thought about me at least once.”

She pushes off the door and turns halfway to reach for the handle. “And if that’s all you wanted to say, then I think we’re done here.”

“Wait.”

I’m shocked when she listens.

Justine rubs her hands over her face, her every move revealing her frustration. “You ask me out for two years, practically blackmail me into a kiss, then you blow me off completely, and now you’re all up in my business again. What the hell do you want from me?”

Her confusion punches me in the gut, making me wish I could tell her why I wasn’t there the morning I promised to help her move. It wasn’t for any reason she thinks.

I stride toward her, pressing one palm against the door beside her head. “I’m not blowing you off, and I haven’t stopped thinking about that night.”

“Then why—”

I can’t give her the explanation she wants, so I try something different.

Lowering my head, I catch the next words out of her mouth on my lips. They’re just as soft as I remember, and I drop my other hand to her hip, drawing her against me. Her fingers curl into the fabric of my T-shirt, almost reluctantly, but she’s not pushing me away.

I take her mouth, my tongue diving between her lips to taste her again—finally, but the pulsing of my dick against the zipper of my jeans forces me to back off. If I don’t, I’ll be laying her out on the table behind us, and that’s not what this is about. At least, not all of what this is about.

With her face flushed and her hair messy from my fingers, Justine shutters her expression. She’s rebuilding her walls brick by brick.

That’s not going to work for me.

“What’s it going to take, Justine?” I remember asking her the same question at the bar.

Her dark eyes fill with confusion. “What’s what going to take?” The words come out defensively.

“With you. To get a second chance. I fucked up once, but doesn’t everyone deserve another shot?”

That’s not how this works. We come. We study. We leave.”
“If we’re doing this my way, you’d definitely be coming.”

This book may be titled Bad Judgment, but reading certainly was no error on my part. No sir. Meghan March never fails to disappoint with introducing readers to yet another hero that’s sure to melt panties within a 50 mile radius. Guaranteed. Ryker Grant was dirty talking, possessive deliciousness and I couldn’t get enough of him. Nothing beats a man on a mission and a woman that’s determined to resist him at every turn.

I want it all, Justine. Including the chance to show you how fucking amazing life can be when you let a few distractions in.

Justine has been avoiding the temptation of Ryker for over 2 years now. She’s doing good, dammit. That is until she’s stuck between a rock and a broke place. When her scholarship is snatched from her quicker than she can say “objection”, she has two choices; strip to finish her final year of law school, or tutor the man that tempts her beyond reason yet she knows is so very wrong for her. So what’s a girl to do?

I want her addicted to me. It’s only fair, because I’ll never get enough of her.

Yeah. She never stood a chance.

Bad Judgement was a slow burn sizzle. It delivered on what I’ve been missing in Meghan’s books lately; that tension and sizzle of a couple that doesn’t give into their lust but lets it burn between them until it explodes. It was utterly delicious! Ryder is a bad boy and definitely one that didn’t deny himself the pleasures of women, but once he sets his eyes on Justine, she’s all he wants…and he won’t stop until he gets her.

Justine was a pretty endearing character. Usually when the woman is pushing the man away as much as Justine did here, I begin to get annoyed. But it surprisingly really worked for me here. Their chemistry together was fantastic and when they finally get together? Yowza! Incendiary.

So why not a higher rating? Welp, the ending. There was just way too much happening at the end. There’s his stuff, her stuff, their stuff, a lot of stuff basically. Quite honestly it just felt unnecessary. And the fact that all of it hits you right at the final 15% just felt OTT for me. It would have been good with one or even 2 issues, but having all 3 combined just didn’t do much for me, unfortunately.

Was it my favorite book by this author? Not quite. But I have no doubt that she has plenty more planned in that devious little pervy mind of hers and I can’t wait to read it. Meghan is still an auto-buy author for me and will continue to be. I love her alphas and the woman can write one hell of a hot sex scene. Did I still enjoy this? Abso-freaking-lutely! Would I recommend it? Without a doubt!

Don’t make me beg.”
A darkly satisfied smile tugs at his lips. “Oh, you’re going to beg.”

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, Excerpts · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Meghan March

Jennifer’s Review: A Brit On The Side by Brenda St. John Brown

August 23, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

A BRIT ON THE SIDE
Series: Calder Castle #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Brenda St. John Brown
Release Date: August 15, 2016

Bea’s English escape plan:
• Work in a real British castle
• Quality time with bestie
• Figure out what spotted dick really is
~~• Fall for bestie’s older brother. Hard.~~

Bea Gillespie would rather do anything than teach summer school math two classrooms down from her ex-fiancé. So when her best friend, Scarlett, invites her to England for the summer to work in her family’s castle-turned-hotel, she jumps at the chance.

Now Bea’s an ocean away from her problems at home, but she’s got a bigger one. A British one. Scarlett’s older brother, Jasper, is at Castle Calder for the summer, too. And he’s as sexy and smart as Bea remembers. Two years ago Jasper came stateside, and he and Bea shared a hot weekend. But that’s all it was — a weekend. One she purposely didn’t tell Scarlett about.

It didn’t feel like much of a secret until now. As Bea falls for Jasper, what started off as a fling begins feeling more and more like the kind of thing you’d gush about to your best friend. If you hadn’t been lying to her all along.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I was a moon to your star. Wherever you were, I was painfully aware of your orbit. Painfully being the key word.

This is such an easygoing book, and it swept me away. If you are looking for a book to escape into, this is it. It was relaxing to read this book. I just wanted to sit in a corner window with some English Breakfast tea and disappear into this book. This book is “ace.” *giggles

My Jasper:

My Bea:

Jasper, Jasper, Jasper. I loved him! Jasper is…intense. Jasper is Bea’s best friend’s brother. I would have loved to be inside his head to get his point of view. He was little hot and cold, and I loved the contradiction of him. After Bea and Jasper have a sexual tryst one weekend, they don’t keep in touch, so Bea moves on and gets engaged. After the engagement falls through, she decides to move to England to work through the summer and get her head out of her ass. I loved all of the people in this story, such interesting main and supporting characters.

Bea is still finding herself. She is still confused about her feelings for her ex-fiance. She is confused about her feelings for Jasper. She is confused about her weight. And I felt a bit confused during her whole confusion, but maybe that was the point? I actually struggled casting her because it was difficult putting a picture to her character. I kinda wish she was a little more sassy and threw that sass back into Jasper’s face sometimes. Maybe she was meant to be a little awkward. If so, I got that.

If it’s possible to die of awkward, I’m going to keel over right here, in a borrowed flannel shirt with chocolate on my lips.

There is some angst, but not too much. On personal preference, I usually don’t enjoy the angst, so I gravitated more toward the light bickering and flirty side of Jasper of Bea, and there was enough of that to keep my attention zeroed in on these two.

This was my first book by Breanda St. John Brown, and I think she is an excellent story teller with a side of spicy hotness. Her writing reminds me of Samantha Young, but still has her own unique quality to it. If you are a fan of Samantha Young, you will love this book.

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Jennifer Reviews

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley

August 14, 2016 by Lana · Leave a Comment

MIDNIGHT SOUL
Series: Fantasyland #5
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Author: Kristen Ashley
Release Date: August 15, 2016

Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover vice cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and parallel universes. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world.

And things aren’t going real great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world.

What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides there.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her mask slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

AMAZON | B&N | GooglePlay | iBOOKS | KOBO

~Franka~

That day had been one I wished to quickly forget.

Indeed, the months since those witches took my Antoine had been time I wished I had the power to erase from my memory.

I had power.

I did not have that kind of power.

These thoughts on my mind, I moved down the hallway of the Winter Palace, seeking my room where I planned to pull the cord, ring a servant and request several bottles of Fleuridian wine.

Wine might not make me forget, but I’d found of late that it served well to dull the pain.

I turned the corner, my eyes to my slippers, but my senses made me lift my gaze to the passageway.

At what I saw, I halted and grew still, then slowly and quietly retraced my steps and ducked behind the corner, peering back around.

Oh my.

The Prince Noctorno of the other world was in the doorway to a bedchamber.

Although, he was not actually a prince. Not in this universe. Apparently they had very few princes in that other world. A world that existed on a parallel plane where all beings had twins to my own world.

This I thought was rather mad (everything about it, obviously), but with few princes, that meant there were few kings, so who ruled?

He reported that he was instead a member of the city guard, an occupation he referred to as being “a cop.” A rather surprising statement considering all that was him.

He was no member of a guard.

He was a prince.

And he called himself Noc, for some unknown reason, as Noctorno was a fine name, a strong name, a regal name (this last was true as his counterpart in this world was a prince).

And right now he had has back to me.

He was wearing a pair of trousers the like that couldn’t be found in my world. They were made of a rough, sturdy, faded-blue material. He also had a shirt that was not the fashion in this world. It was attractive and made of an equally attractive plaid. And it was a shirt that fit his broad shoulders magnificently.

His thick, black hair was untidy (this also attractive).

And I could see his light-blue eyes but only in my imagination as he had his back to me.

They were not eyes you were likely to forget. With his dark hair and skin browned in the sun, those eyes were deliciously striking.

There was a day, though now that day seemed lifetimes ago, when a sight such as Noctorno Hawthorne of another world (or indeed this one) would have caused me to have a much different reaction, not only to him, but to my plans for the imminent future.

That was before Antoine.

That was before I met the man who introduced me to, well…me.

But there was a reason I carried a midnight soul, for the evil contained in both my parents set their souls to cinders years ago. It was not a wonder I’d inherited the blackness.

What a bittersweet book this was for me to read. Midnight Soul marks the conclusion of one of my favorite Kristen Ashley series. After all, it’s the series that brought me The Golden Dynasty, only my top favorite KA book of ALL time.

This is not a series I recommend reading out of order. You need the entire backstory and it’s one that develops with each story arc and later carries over into the next. Yes, there’s a new couple in each book, but it just wouldn’t be the same experience to read them as standalones.

I have to admit I was nervous reading a book with Franka as the heroine. Considering the woman has sharpened her claws on plenty of previous heroines, I had to wonder how KA could redeem someone like her. While she wasn’t quite a villain, she wasn’t exactly a nice person and she certainly wasn’t someone you’d root for in the previous books either. After the culmination of events at the end of Broken Dove, I also wondered where the story had left to go. The ultimate baddies had been beat. Everything was right in the world and most questions answered.

If you’re expecting a book much like the rest of the Fantasyland series, don’t. This was as different as it gets and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I certainly enjoyed the flip side of the switch here. I don’t want to give you too many details and ruin it for you, but let’s just say I appreciated the slight reversal Kristen took with the last book in the series. It was most fitting.

I loved the mix of the heroine being the one from the ‘other’ world and the hero being the modern one as well. It was different and refreshing. Plus, let’s be real, I loved me some Noc. There’s also a secondary romance that happens on a mix of in and off the pages here that I would have absolutely loved more page time for. I was hoping to get more of them towards the end, but alas they were mostly just loosely mentioned.

So why not a higher rating? Well, I just didn’t get the oomph here that I’ve come to rely on this series. There’s not much in the way of things happenings. After the resolution in the first 20%, the rest reads like the typical second half of a KA book. The relationship development, the hero and heroine getting to know each other. It was a lot of pages of their day to day lives, and while it wasn’t quite boring, it wasn’t exciting either. I kept waiting for the typical conflict at the end, but there wasn’t much in that respect either. To me, it read like one long epilogue. There wasn’t much conflict past the revelation in the first 20% and that may work for some or not.

I loved the way the author redeemed Franka and made her into a heroine to root for pretty much right away. You get the true heart of her and you understand they why’s of what she did in the past. No, this wasn’t the action packed thrill ride that some of the other books in the series were, but it was by no means a bad thing…just different. The epilogue at the end is nothing short of what I’ve come to expect from Kristen and definitely managed to bring a tear to my eye. So while this may not have been my favorite book in the series, it was still a fitting ending to what had come to be one of my favorite series and one I strongly recommend to any lovers of fantasy romance.

And Don’t Miss the First Books in the Fantasyland Series!

WILDEST DREAMS | THE GOLDEN DYNASTY | FANTASTICAL | BROKEN DOVE

Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA and nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn’t taken her first breath!). Her mother said they took Kristen away, put her Mom back in her room, her mother looked out the window, and Gary was on fire (Dr. King had been assassinated four days before). Kristen’s Mom remembered thinking it was the end of the world. Quite the dramatic beginning.

Nothing’s changed.

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana and has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus, she’s blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her family was (is) loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. They all lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing, it keeps getting better.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Excerpts, Giveaways · Tagged With: Book Reviews: 3.5 stars, Kristen Ashley

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