Review: ★Jockblocked★ by Jen Frederick

Review-JockblockedJockblocked
Series: Gridiron #2
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Jen Frederick
Release Date: February 10, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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She’s always played it safe…

College junior Lucy Washington abides by one rule—avoid risk at all costs. She’s cautious in every aspect of her life, from her health, to her mock trial team, to the boring guys she dates. When a brash, gorgeous jock walks into the campus coffeeshop and turns his flirt on, Lucy is stunned by the force of attraction. For the first time ever, she’s willing to step out of her comfort zone, but can she really trust the guy who’s determined to sweep her off her feet?

He’s always played around…

Entering his last year of college eligibility, linebacker Matthew “Matty” Iverson has the team captaincy in his sights. And it’s his for the taking, if he can convince his quarterback Ace Anderson to give up the starting position. Luckily, Matty already has an edge—the hottie he’s lusting over just happens to be Ace’s childhood best friend. Getting Lucy on his side and in his bed? Hell yeah. Matty is more than confident he can have both, but when he falls hard for Lucy, it’s time for a new game plan: convince the woman of his dreams that she’s not sleeping with the enemy.

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ARC Review: ★The Seal’s Secret Lover★ by Anne Calhoun

Review-TSSLThe Seal’s Secret Lover
Series: Alpha Ops #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella
Author: Anne Calhoun
Release Date: February 2, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

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The first in the Alpha Ops novella series that features an alpha Navy SEAL who meets his match in a buttoned-up firecracker who is hiding a passionate side.

Logistics director Rose Powell agreed to chaperone her grandmother on a guided tour of Roman ruins on one condition: her brother Jack would come with her. But when Jack backs out, his best friend and fellow SEAL Keenan Parker takes his place. Without a working cell phone, Rose’s orderly world drifts into dreamy days and hot, secret nights in Keenan’s bed. Keenan left the Navy but never made it any farther than Istanbul, much less to a viable future. Until he does, he’ll show Rose things she didn’t know about herself. Can he give his heart and his future to the woman he promised his best friend he’d never touch?

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Review: ★Unhinge★ by Calia Read

Review-UnhingeUnhinge
Genre: Romantic Psychological Suspense
Author: Calia Read
Release Day: January 12, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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With Unravel, Calia Read took readers inside the mind of a tormented young woman confined in Fairfax Mental Institute, seemingly without cause. In her new standalone novel of psychological suspense, UNHINGE (Ballantine Trade Paperback, On Sale 1/12/16), Read takes us back to Fairfax, this time to meet a very different patient, equally trapped, but doubly lost.

Hold your breath and count to ten.
Soon it will be over before it ever began.

No matter how many times Victoria Donovan repeats that rhyme to herself, she’s still locked inside a mental institution.

Once upon a time, her life was a fantasy: Wes, the handsome fiancé, a storybook wedding and a white picket fence. But then a picture-perfect marriage warped into something sinister. As Victoria’s world twisted from dream to nightmare, her husband’s jealousy pushed her beyond the breaking point.

Calia Read breaks the mold in this explosive story that grabs hold and doesn’t let go until the shocking truth is revealed. UNHINGE is about a woman trying to reconstruct her past and find the truth somewhere between her memories and her madness with the help of a handsome, mysterious stranger.

Buy LinksAmazon | iBooks | B&N | KoboReview3.5 starsUnhinge-DGR teaser

I’m beginning to see the truth has its price.
It’s your sanity it wants and craves more than anything.

I was craving a romance that was different and preferably a little bit of a mind fuck and when I read the synopsis for Unhinge, I knew I found myself a winner. It was a book that I read in practically one sitting not only because it read quickly and the writing grabbed me, but because the mystery of what was going on was driving me almost as crazy as Victoria was. Unhinge was exactly the kind of different I wanted.

This is how crazy begins. It creeps up on you very slowly, tapping your shoulder. It makes you turn around in fear. And then, when you think you’re in the clear, it attacks. It grabs a hold of you and drags you down, down, down…

Victoria has no recollection of her life before Fairfax Hospital, where she believes she’s been for the past three years when it’s really been six months. She knows two things; she loves her baby daughter, Evelyn, that’s in the institution with her and that she’s told that her beloved husband, Wes, is dead after a tragic accident. The details of how, why, and when are blurred within the shadows of her own mind. Determined that the hospital doesn’t hold her answers, she stops taking her pills. But there’s another two things that she knows; She sees her supposedly dead husband every day when he visits her in her room and a mysterious stranger that visits her is tugging not only at her memories but her heart. Her mind is frayed, but she’s convinced her husband is alive. So then why is everyone telling her he’s dead?

If you never remember us, that’s okay; I’ll remember for the both of us.

The story is told in alternating flashes of past and present, but what I enjoyed is the past plays out like Victoria’s memory so the reader experiences it right along with her. With ever puzzle piece that she unravels, you get it along with her. Having it told solely in Victoria’s POV just solidifies the experience.

Little by little Victoria begins to unravel the mystery of her past through the pictures that her therapist shows her. She begins to remember the man she loved and the details of the events that led them down the path of her ending up where she is…

I would die for him. Kill for him. I loved him more than life. I couldn’t let him go. I’d found a man who could undress me with just one look. He spoke and I was undone. His actions unraveled me.

The writing was captivating and I was sucked in more and more with each page I read. I was salivating for every new detail and eager to put all the puzzle pieces together.

I think this could have easily been a solid four or five star read for me up until the ending. Unfortunately, I found it to be convoluted, OTT and quite honestly it ruined the effect the entire book had for me quite a bit. I don’t want to say much since I don’t want to give it away, but while it was meant to wrap things up, it left me with more questions than answers about the hows of it. I certainly didn’t see it coming, so I suppose the twist of it worked in that respect.

While the ending left a little something to be desired for me, I still enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it for readers that are looking for something a little different with a dash of suspense. I loved Calia’s writing style and I’m hooked on the series. I love the Girl Interrupted vibe of it all so I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment which I’m hoping will be Reagan.

Every single day. Every fucking hour. Every second you’re on my mind.

Graphics are stock purchased and created by me for DGR blog. Please don’t share without permission

Review: ★Silent Scars★ by Ada Frost

REview- Silent ScarsSilent Scars
Series: Surviving #4
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Ada Frost
Release Date: November 28, 2015add-to-goodreads-button-2

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Her Man.

Their Hero.

His Pain.

What happens when you pray for death and you’re ignored?

You have to live.

You have to survive.

But what if the last thing you want is to take your next breath?

To the world, Ryan is a hero, an ex-marine, brother, son and protector. He has devoted his life to keeping others safe. He will do anything and everything to ensure his loved ones are protected, even if that means destroying his very own soul. After an explosion on the battlefield ends his career in the Marine’s, Ryan is sent home with an honorable discharge. But the war hasn’t ended for him.

He is home, he is free and he’s breathing, but he’s dead inside.

He wants nothing more than peace, but the nightmares in his mind will not grant him that. They taunt him, tease him and torture his waking moments. The darkness within him is slowly consuming him, blackness has seeped into his veins and is rotting his core. Ryan is a man on the edge of destruction. For once he is the one in need of saving. He needs a saviour.

He needs her.

Ryan is commissioned as a bodyguard to Aloura Cavendish. When he initially meets her, he believes her to be a spoiled rich brat, wasting his time. But the fire inside her astounds him. When he pushes, he never expects her to push back. When he runs, she chases. For the first time in his life, Ryan has a protector willing to fight his demons. The only problem – he is too afraid to release them.

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Review3.5 starsSilent Scars-DGR

In a world of chaos and pain, you are my silence.”

Silent Scars was my first book by this author and I can say with certainty it will not be my last. I do think I did myself a disservice by jumping into book 4 in this series without having read the previous books. Don’t get me wrong, this works well as a standalone and I was never confused, but it’s clear there’s a history with the secondary characters that I was missing. Ryan’s relationship with his brothers is something I would have loved to have read first before jumping into this book, but it is what it is. I definitely plan on going back and reading the rest of this series now.

…I needed to know how you healed silent scars.

This was an extremely poignant and emotional read that was almost difficult to experience at times. Ryan’s history is absolutely devastating. Everything that he’s been through and the memories that continuously haunt him to this day made my heart bleed for him. This is not an easy story to swallow. It’s dark, it’s emotional, and it’s a story of survival.

I’m not broken, Aloura. That would imply I could be fixed. There is nothing left inside me.”

After a devastating injury on his last tour in the Marines, Ryan is out. And while he may have his share of physical scars, none are as debilitating as his silent internal ones. The scars of his past and what he’s survived is what haunts him. The guilt of what he’s been through continues to eat at him. He’s a shell of a man that doesn’t believe he’s worth anything, let alone the attention of a beautiful woman he’s hired to protect.

I don’t want to be someone’s possession, Ryan. Belongings can be expandable, thrown away when they are old and dirty. I want to be a part of you. I want to wake up each morning with a feeling of completeness because I know you’re near. I want your soul to greet mine. Show me all of you. Give me your pain and I will give you my joy.

Aloura was an interesting character. She’s a bit quirky and introverted, she’s shy and unsure of herself. As the daughter in an unorthodox family, the quirkiness is basically guaranteed. Her father is the owner of a medical research company that’s been working on trialling a new cancer treatment drug and controvercially they test their drugs on human patients. When the threats turn to his beloved daughter, he hires security, and Ryan just so happens to be the unwilling bodyguard. Aloura is non too happy about the shadow, but when she meets Ryan, there’s something about his brooding intensity that calls to her. She wants to find his secrets and she wants to heal his deepest wounds.

How was it possible to know someone for only a few hours and feel so connected to them?

The story itself was an exercise in frustration for me. Ryan runs hot and cold so frequently it’s enough to give a girl whiplash. He yearns for a true connection and love, but in the same breath he doesn’t think he deserves it. And he certainly does his utmost best to push Aloura away in the cruelest of ways. While a part of me completely understood his behavior given everything that he’s been through, it’s Aloura’s that I had trouble connecting with. Ryan is a flat out asshole to her at times, he’s intentionally cruel and his words to her were sharp enough to cut at times. Yet she takes it all and wants to fix him. It just seemed like her connection to him was much too quick for me to really connect to. Ryan doesn’t give much for Aloura to be as invested as she is and at times I had a tough time swallowing his treatment of her and her acceptance of it.

Tiny dancer, I am not a fairytale prince. I’m not one of your heroes from those romance novels. I’m fucked up, inside I have nothing worthy of you.”

I struggled with my rating for days. I want to rate it highly simply on the poignancy of the story, but at the same time I just didn’t connect with it as much as I wish I did. I loved Ryan, but something about Ryan and Aloura never quite grabbed me. The story is angsty as hell and filled with plenty of bumps along the way. It kept me reading well into he night but there was always also something missing and while I can’t quite place my finger on what it was, it prevented me from enjoying the story as much as I’d hoped.

I needed her like oxygen, she was becoming my reason to breathe.

I have to say that I loved the author’s writing style, and I absolutely loved the setup behind the series. I will definitely be reading all the books before this one and the future ones after. While Silent Scars wasn’t quite what I had expected, it’s still a beautiful story of perseverance and survival that I’d highly recommend to any readers that enjoy that sort of thing.

Review: ★Say You’re Mine★ by Diane Alberts

Review-SYMSay You’re Mine
Series: Shillings Agency #5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Diane Alberts
Release Date: December 7, 2015
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Navy SEAL Steven Thomas has only ever been able to count on three things: waking up in the morning, going to sleep sometime during the night, and Lauren Brixton. She’s been his best friend since grade school, and what they have is the only relationship he’s managed not to ruin.

Until one drunken night puts that all in jeopardy.

Lauren’s watched Steven flit from one-night stand to one-night stand, seemingly not interested in something more. So when the long-ignored attraction between the two of them blows up in their faces, she does the only thing she can—she pretends she doesn’t want him. But all’s fair in love and war, and Steven’s not about to lose the only person in his life who matters…

 

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Review3.5 starsSay You're Mine-DGRHe’d die for her. Kill for her. Fight for her. But not love her. He didn’t do love. Didn’t want it. Hell, he didn’t deserve it. Guys like him didn’t get to be loved.

Diane Alberts remains one of my go-to authors in category romance for constantly delivering on the swoony and panty-melting romance with deliciously stubborn heroes. Her Shillings Agency series has been a favorite of mine from the beginning. I’ve been itching to get my hands on Steven’s book since a little peek of him in Taking What’s His. While this is book 5 in a series, it is also easily read as a standalone.

Steven Thomas is exactly the kind of hero I love to read about; a lot broody, broken, with a strong penchant for dirty talk. Still suffering from the remnants of his last tour as a SEAL, Steven turns to alcohol and women to heal him. But lately he’s become almost too numb for even the strongest alcohol to do the trick. But one night after too many shots, he gets a whole new perspective on life…when he realizes that his best friend of over twenty years, Lauren may be open to more than friendship with him.

She was his one constant, in a world full of chaos.

Lauren has had feelings for Steven that she’s tried to deny for years. She’s been there for him though it all; his tours and the rock bottoms he hit after. But she’s never seen him quite like this and she knows if she doesn’t do something drastic soon it may be too late. So she tells a little fib to keep him close. But no good deed goes unpunished, and all of a sudden the fiery chemistry that’s been brewing between them comes to a head and becomes too much for either one of them to deny.
Say You're Mine teaser-DGRBut what happens when the man that despises lies above anything else finds out that the person closest to him has been deceiving him?

This was a sexy little friends-to-lovers romp. I love me my dirty talkers and Steven certainly didn’t disappoint on that end. I enjoyed this thoroughly and read it in one sitting. I knew from the very beginning where everything was leading up to, but my issue with the book wasn’t the predictability. I just failed to see the main conflict as being much of a…conflict. It just seemed a little contrived and blown way out of proportion for what it was. While I can understand Steven’s issues, it just didn’t add up for me I suppose.

That being said, I most definitely enjoyed this recent addition to the series and would gladly recommend it to any lovers of a sexy friends-to-lovers trope. It’s a quick and entertaining read that’s bound to leave you satisfied.

Let me be your lover. Your friend. The person you come home to at night, the one who holds you when you’re upset. The guy guy who needs you as much as you need him. Let me be yours, and say you’re mine.

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: ★Reclaim Me★ by Ann Marie Walker & Amy K. Rogers

reclaim-me-virtual-tour-3aRECLAIM ME
Series: Chasing Fire #3
Authors: Ann Marie Walker & Amy K. Rogers
Release Date: October 20th, 2015
Berkley Intermixadd-to-goodreads-button3

ReclaimMe_HiRes

As the heart-pounding Chasing Fire trilogy concludes, a dangerous entanglement leaves Hudson and Allie wondering how much they’re willing to risk for the love they can’t live without…

There’s almost nothing Alessandra Sinclair wouldn’t do for Hudson Chase. He was her first love, and she’s determined that he’ll be her last. But when the terrible truth Hudson has been hiding comes to light, Allie finds herself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a man from her past who’s determined to use what he knows to ruin Hudson. Now, the only way to save the man she loves may be to lose him forever…

Hudson has always known that the secrets he keeps could be his downfall, but he never expected them to put Allie’s life in danger as well. It’s time for him to come clean–before everything he’s ever wanted is destroyed…

Includes previews of REMIND ME and RELEASE ME, the first two books of the Chasing Fire trilogy.

Praise for the Chasing Fire trilogy

“Exceptional…Seriously sexy and sinfully steamy. Can’t wait for more from this writing duo!”–New York Times bestselling author Tara Sue Me

“Walker and Rogers strike the perfect balance between blistering physical desire and heartfelt connections…”–RT Book Review  

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ExcerptHudson pored over the dossier, trying to find something, anything, that might explain what the hell was going on. Had the past few days been an act, waiting for the perfect out? Or had it been a final good-bye, fucking each other senseless just to purge it out of her system? Had Allie realized that no matter what his zip code, he still wasn’t good enough? He gripped the document in his hand to avoid punching his fist through the tinted glass. He hadn’t even had a fighting fucking chance to talk her out of it.

“Mr. Chase.” Max’s voice cut through the rhetoricals and Hudson’s laser-sharp eyes darted to the rearview mirror. “The plane is on standby and the crew is ready to depart as soon as we arrive. ETA, eight minutes.”

Hudson checked his watch. “Thank you.” He took a deep breath in an attempt to downshift his nervous energy into focused calm, but his need to find Allie overrode all logic. If she thought she was walking without hearing him out. . . . Well, news flash, she was wrong. So fucking wrong.

After going through the airport’s private security entrance, the Mercedes shot down the tarmac and around the fat turn that lead to the hanger housing the Chase Industries plane. The car came to an abrupt stop inside, its tires squeaking against the highly polished concrete floor. Hudson exploded out of the vehicle. He didn’t give a shit if he had to fly halfway around the world to do it; he was going after her. Winning Allie back was a necessity, and if this was the way she wanted to play it, he was all fucking in.

groom putting on cuff-links as he gets dressed in formal wear close up


 GUEST POST


“Top 5 Hudson Chase Pick Up Lines” from RECLAIM ME

  1. “There is no one else, Allie. Just us.”
  2. “I can’t go this long without you,”
  3. “Spread your legs. Show me how much you want me.”
  4. “You’re aching to feel me inside you, aren’t you?”
  5. “Bend yourself over the desk and lift your skirt.”

 


Review3.5 starsReclaim Me-DGR

He had no idea what tomorrow held. But for now, she was his.

A sexy, captivating and thrilling conclusion to a trilogy that captured me from the very start! If you haven’t met Hudson Chase, you haven’t lived. The man is intense, sinfully sexy, protective, with a touch of broody. While I’m not usually a reader of trilogies since my attention span seems to wane somewhere around book 2, I’ve been dying to get my hands on this book for one reason and one reason only: Hudson.
Reclaim Me teaser-DGRRelease Me ended on a cliffhanger that was guaranteed to leave readers desperately panting for the final book. After everything that Allie and Hudson have been through, will the secrets that Hudson kept from her and a man determined to ruin everything finally tear them apart? I already knew that Julian was going to be playing a huge role in everything that happens in Reclaim Me from the events of Release Me. And now he finds himself with an ace in the hole with the information he’s holding against Allie. He’s determined to get what he believes is rightfully his; Ingram media. This was one villain that I loved to hate. What a slimy, little asshole this one was. Everything considered, however, the suspense part of the story really took a backseat to Allie and Hudson’s relationship. I never thought I’d find myself saying this; but there was a touch too much sex in this story. So much so, that it almost felt like filler at parts. I could have done with less of that and more fleshing out of the actual plot. As it was, I found a lot of it to be almost overshadowed by the amount of sex that took place.

Not to say that I complained too much because said sex happens with Hudson and there’s never a dull movement with that man. He’s that good. Add in a touch of humor and I was putty in his very skilled hands.

How was that?”
“Amazing…Adventurous. Arousing…Awesome.”
He chuckled quietly. “Allie’s orgasm brought to you by the letter ‘A’?”

My only other minor quibble is the big secret from Hudson’s past that has been hovering over him and Allie like a dark shadow for the last two books. I suppose that I built it up in my head and that’s mainly to blame for my finding the big reveal to be anticlimactic , but it did explain quite a few things.

For those that enjoy a thrilling trilogy with intense alpha males that are as protective as they are kinky, this is surely not to be missed. While I enjoyed the previous two books more, the conclusion was still highly satisfying. I’m definitely a big fan of these two authors and look forward to whatever they have in store for the future.


About the Author Though thousands of miles apart, Ann Marie Walker and Amy K. Rogers are in constant contact, plotting story lines and chatting about their love of alpha males, lemon drop martinis and British supermodel, David Gandy. You can find them on twitter as @AnnMarie_Walker and @Amy_KRogers. 

Amy K. Rogers
Ann Marie Walker
 

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Review: ★Always Dangerous★ by Dee J. Adams

Review-ADAlways Dangerous
Series: Adrenaline Highs #6
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Dee J. Adams
Release Date: October 6, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

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Leo Frost has lost his house, his car and possibly his acting career. Releasing an independent film is his only hope of paying for his sister’s twenty-four/seven care, but he’s got to finish it first. The last thing he needs is a curveball from the one woman who could break his focus with a look, a smile and the most unexpected news of his life.

Kim Jacobs wants it all—a career in a big city, a husband and a family, but a tryst two months ago with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars leaves her pregnant. Knowing Leo doesn’t want kids or a wife, Kim decides to make her own happily-ever-after with the help of a recent inheritance. All that’s left is to tell the man and move on.

Kim’s short visit to L.A. turns deadly with a series of mysterious attempts on her life. Suddenly Leo not only has to save his career, he has to find out who’s trying to murder the lady who is stealing his heart. As an actor, danger was staged and nothing was at stake, but now the threats are all too real. If Leo wants a future and a family with Kim, he has to prove he can do more than play a hero onscreen, he has to be one in real life.

Buy-Links8Amazon / iBooks / B&N / Kobo / ARe

Review3.5 starsAlways Dangerous-DGR

God, he loved her like this. Out of control. He loved her begging for him. Loved to see this businesswoman let her hair down and give it up to him.

Always Dangerous was my first book by Dee J. Adams and it’s safe to say after finishing, that it certainly won’t be my last. I love a steamy romantic suspense, and Adrenaline Highs delivers on that end flawlessly. Now you’re probably thinking to yourself, but Lana, this is book 6 in the series and you’re starting with this book. And to you, my OCD friend, I say, I like to live dangerously.
Right then.

What I appreciated about this book and is how effortlessly the author brings a new reader into the fold without being repetitive or overly detailed with what I’m assuming happened in the previous books. This truly allowed me to enjoy the story for what it was without ever feeling like I’m missing details or backstory. Though part of the story takes place in Dangerous Race, there’s just enough detail given to bring you up to date and immediately immerse you into what’s taking place in Always Dangerous.

Leo Frost and Kim Jacobs shared one sizzling night together in a time when Leo lost everything. Now he’s on his way to working his way back to where he began, but their night together left quite a souvenir. When her aunt passes away and leaves her millions in an inheritance, Kim is determined to make her own happily ever after, whether Leo shares that with her or not.

The last things on Leo’s agenda now are kids, and for a deeper reason than he lets on. He lost almost everything thanks to his embezzling accountant and now he’s working to pick all the pieces back up. To say that Kim catches him off guard with her surprise news is an understatement and he makes no secret about how he feels about it. But when her life is threatened, it puts all his protective instincts to the front and he knows that he’ll do anything to protect her and their unborn child.

Knowing the identity of the villain for pretty much the entire book was quite a change of pace for me. I can’t say if it was refreshing or the suspense part lost a little of it’s luster because of it. I think as a reader, I prefer the mystery and the intrigue of trying to figure out who the bad guy is, that knowing it did fizzle things just a little for me. Having said that, the book was not even a little boring. It was quick paced and sexy and packed with quite a bit of action.

I also loved the direction the author took towards the end of the story. While I was an emotional mess reading it, I appreciated what she did with that particular twist and it only served to make the ending that much better.

Miss Adams has a new fan in me after this, and I’m definitely planning on going back and reading all the previous titles in this series. If the final book is anything to go by, I’ve been missing out.


READ THE SERIES IN ORDER


Dangerous Race
Adrenaline Highs, #1

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Danger Zone
Adrenaline Highs, #2

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Dangerously Close
Adrenaline Highs, #3

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Living Dangerously
Adrenaline Highs, #4

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Imminent Danger
Adrenaline Highs, #5

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A Little Danger
Adrenaline Highs, #5.5

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Always Dangerous
Adrenaline Highs, #6

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: ★Until Jax★ by Aurora Rose Reynolds

until jax book tourUntil Jax
Series: Until Him #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds
Release Date: September 29, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

Meet Jax and Ellie in this instalove, alpha romance!

Until Jax is LIVE! #Boom

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About The Book

until jax

Ellie Anthony isn’t looking for love. She isn’t even looking for a man, but when Jax Mayson insists on keeping her and her daughter safe, she’s left with no choice but to trust him. Now she just hopes she doesn’t get hurt when she falls hard for a guy who’s known for breaking hearts.

Jax Mayson knows that Ellie is his BOOM the moment he sees her. When he finds out she has a daughter, he realizes he wants a family, and he will do whatever is necessary to keep both of his girls safe, even if that means facing the demons from his past.

 


Excerpt

“Thank you again for taking me.” Pulling my eyes from the road for a brief moment, I look at Ellie. Her head is resting against the window, her legs pulled up onto the seat, tucked near her ass, and her arms are wrapped tight around them. One thing I’ve noticed about her over the last few hours is she’s always wrapping her arms around herself or tucking her body into a tight ball. It’s like she’s forcing herself to stay together.

“I told you I got you, baby,” I say gently, wanting more than anything to take her hand in mine, but every time I touch her, she freezes up like she’s waiting for me to strike out at her, and I would be lying if I said that didn’t piss me the fuck off. It does; it feels like a slap in the face every time it happens.

“I know,” she whispers, and the tears I hear in her voice cause a sharp pain in my chest.

Fuck.

“This is the turnoff.” Her feet go to the floorboard and her hands to the dash as she sits up taller, moving her face closer to the windshield. We drive up a long dirt driveway with forest and the occasional broken down car on each side. When we make it to the top of the hill, a singlewide trailer comes into view, with junk cars and garbage piled up out front.

As soon as I come to a stop, she opens her door and hops out before I can tell her to keep her little ass in the cab. I don’t even know how I’m going to deal with the range of emotions that have settled over me since seeing her for the first time.

“Fucking Boom,” I mutter, getting out behind her and doubling my steps until I’m able to reach her side, where I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her closer to me. She’s so fucking tiny that the top of her dark head sits right at my chest. So fragile, from her too soft skin to her petite size. And she’s mine.

Review3.5 starsUntil Jax-DGR

She’s mine. She may not understand it- hell, I don’t even know if I understand it- but she was made for me.

Aurora Rose Reynolds books always have been and will continue to be my guilty pleasure. A little fluffy, a lot steamy and with a dose of insta love, I don’t know any other author that can pull all that off in one book and actually make me enjoy it. Something about this boys and their “booms”. I can’t even explain it. But I like it.

I was a little confused as this book shows to be the first in the Until Him series but it starts off basically exactly where Until July ended with Jax meeting Ellie as she escaped her captors and ran from them in the woods. Those that haven’t read Until July yet may find themselves slightly confused as it almost feels like you’re starting the book in the middle of the chapter. It does get better explained later in the book but I do feel like reading Until July first would help. I’m not sure why these are two different series as the characters are all interconnected. But ah well.

Until Jax was a a fun read that was a little muddled with ow drama for me. While most of the author’s heroes tend to come with a manwhorish past and Jax is no different, I’m used to all that and it doesn’t bother me at all. But in the case here, it was just a little much. Perhaps if there was only just (view spoiler).

Aside from that, it was a very fun read and one I finished in one sitting. Total escapism book. Nothing that makes you think too hard; just a sexy hero, the heroine that brings him to his knees, and their journey to HEA. Easy and to the point.

Now there was also the introduction of Kim and the mother of all teases of her connection to Sage, Jax’s younger cousin. If Aurora doesn’t give us a book for them soon, I think I’ll explode. Seriously. That set up? GAH!! I can’t even. It was like it was custom written to tease the ever loving hell out of me.


until jax teaser 1

Until July (Until Her)

Meet Wes & July in Until July!24151121

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About the Author

aurora new bioAurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in New York City with her Husband and pet fish. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband and cookie. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.

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Review: ★Dare Me★ by Stella Rhys

Review- Dare Me
Dare Me
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Stella Rhys
Release Date: September 30, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

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CALLUM

Lake and I never had a chance at normal. She was drop dead gorgeous from day one – our maid’s granddaughter who became my mother’s spoiled living doll. I hated that girl with all my heart and at the same time, I worshipped every inch of her skin, every word that she spoke. I lived for her and the twisted game of truth or dare we created to feed our f***ed up needs for shock, shame and one-upping each other. Lake was my drug, my bad lifestyle choice.

And I’d fallen in and out of love with her a thousand times till the day she disappeared.

LAKE

I know I ruined Callum Pike and going back to New York may be the worst decision I’ve ever made, which is saying a lot. But I’m willing to risk it. I never wanted to leave and now that I can, I’m going back – to be with the man I made, who made me. I know I screwed him up. I know he’s hardened and become cold. I know the love we had is gone. But I need him now more than ever and no matter how much it hurts, no matter what kind of sick or satisfying way he decides to torment me, I’m going to fight through it.

I’m going to repent for the way I broke him and I’m going to find the Callum Pike I loved again – even if it tears me apart.

**a standalone novel**

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Review3.5 starsDare Me2-DGR

Dare MeDare Me by Stella Rhys
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars


Plain and simple, I hated her…
Because of my mom, this random girl became my damned responsibility, and I wound up hating her as much as I fucking loved every inch of her skin and every goddamned word that she spoke.


Now before I get into my review, allow me to clarify my rating. 3.5 stars means I liked the book. Quite a bit. And I did. I loved the story, the characters, and I highly enjoyed the writing. There was just one particular part missing for me (which has everything to do with my tastes as a reader and not with the book itself) that kept this being from a solid 4 stars. But I’ll get to that in a bit…

Stella Rhys is a new to me author that caught my attention with this book and it’s delicious synopsis. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the hate-to-love trope and I haven’t read one book with it yet that I haven’t liked. Dare Me was certainly no exception. We have hate to love AND second chance romance all in one book? That’s like waving a bone in front of a rabid dog for me. I kid you not. I’m on it like there’s no tomorrow.

Lake and Callum grew up together when Lake’s grandmother passed away and Callum’s mother unofficially adopted her into the family fold. Always wanting a daughter, she doted on Lake and spoiled her with all the luxuries Lake’s former upbringing didn’t allow her. Callum was the boy that she hated to love…. or is it loved to hate…

While they’re not “together” in their youth, they do allow themselves a game through their truth or dare games that constantly finds them together. They date other people, but always find themselves gravitating towards each other until they finally fall in love….but then Lake disappears and leaves Callum a broken, and cold hearted man in the place of the naive boy that was in love. Now six years later she’s back and determined to right her wrongs, but Callum won’t make it easy on her. He wants answers for her leaving; answers she’s not so ready to give.


Am I worth it to you, Callum?”
“You are. You are and you always will be.”

Now here is where I felt the book had a chance to go from good to great; the flashbacks. The flashbacks to their youth is told in a recap type of writing, that’s not quite past tense and not quite fully recap. Basically you get a retelling of what happened but you’re not fully taken back to the moment…if that even makes sense. This is what effectively took me out of the story a bit. Had the story given an actual flashback as opposed to the recap, it would have been more effective in my opinion. As it was, I felt like I was more on the outside looking in as opposed to truly being a part of the story. I also wished that their past was fleshed out a lot more. As it was, I found it difficult to truly connect to the why’s of their game. They have feelings for one another, but they continue to date other people and they’re never officially together. I can write it off as youthful stupidity or naivety, but there’s never a good enough reason that we’re given. Had this part of the story been fleshed out more, I think I would have been able to connect to it better.

I loved the characters and their romance. Lake and Callum are both very compelling characters. I knew right away that I’d fall for Callum, and I really did. His struggle for his feelings for Lake were like a live-wire you feel though the entire book. He wants to hate her, but he simply can’t because a part of him has always loved her even when he hated her. I didn’t expect for the story to be as deep as it was. It was certainly no shallow hate/love thing they had going on. Lake had her reasons for doing what she did, and the reasons you get piece by piece throughout the story. I really found myself wishing that these reasons were once again told in the form of a true flashback by really taking the reader back to that day as opposed to getting it in the form of a recap, as I felt that this would have made the actual story a lot more compelling. As it was, I found myself going in and out of the story since I did struggle a bit with the transitions of present to “recap” back to present again. For me, it messed with the flow of the story.

I did however really enjoy the author’s voice and writing style. I loved the story itself, my quibble aside, and I can say I would read any future books from this author. If you’re looking for a sexy hate/love story with an intense alpha hero and the heroine that brings him to his knees, this is a book you want to check out. My quibble aside, this is definitely a book I’d recommend and enjoyed myself quite a bit. It may not have been perfect, but it was perfect for my mood and it hit the spot just right.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: ★Sacked★ by Jen Frederick

Review- Sacked SACKED
Series: Gridiron #1
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Jen Frederick
Release Day: September 6, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

sacked-400x592

What he wants he gets… 

Knox Masters is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. And…virgin. Knox knows what he wants–and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he’s set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she’s the sister of his fellow teammate, but that’s not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one.

…but he’s never met her before. 

But Ellie isn’t as sure. She’s trying to start a new life and she’s not interested in a relationship…with anyone. Beside it’s not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother’s teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing.

Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.

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Review

3.5 starsSacked- Dirty Girl Romance

 

When you meet the girl who’ll be sitting on the front porch holding your hand when you’re eighty, you don’t let a thing like cool dismissive looks, big brothers, or fucking rules stand in your way.

Now before you start reaching for rotten tomatoes and pitchforks, allow me to clarify my rating here. See, here’s the thing, I liked this book. It was wonderfully written and being my first book by this author I already know I’ll be reading all her others. I’m also completely hooked on this series and absolutely loved the set up as well as all the secondary characters. I also truly enjoyed both MCs here. At this point you’re probably sitting there and thinking, then why the hell are you marking this only 3.5 stars?
Well…bluntly put…it was just too sweet for my tastes. *ducks flying tomatoes*
I know! I know! Clearly there’s something wrong me with me and obviously this is a case of me and not the book if ever there was one but it just wasn’t quite my cuppa and I’ll get to the exact reasons why now…
Knox Masters is the All American Defensive End, football superstar, walking wet dream…and virgin.
Now I loved that this wasn’t a source of shame or secret for him. He owned it. It wasn’t a secret and he didn’t make it one, nor does he make it a given to spread it around campus either. The problem? I just don’t buy it. Ugh. I’m sorry! It’s that damn cynic in me, but a college junior, surrounded by football groupies, all his teammates are male sluts, but he’s a virgin because…reasons.
But this was also wonderfully…refreshing. This is my second time reading about a male virgin and I believe Jen Frederick pulled it off very well. Knox is just one of those characters that you can’t help but love. He goes after what he wants with a single-minded intent and feels no need for immature mind games that you’d find with most heroes in the NA genre.

I’m not experienced, but I know when a girl is into me, and you’re into me. You want to play it casual, then that’s how we play it…for now. But fair warning, I’m bringing everything I’ve got to tear down your resistance. my specialty is reading plays and then overcoming the barriers.”

It also doesn’t hurt that the man is packing more than shoulder pads…uhem.
What ultimately brought my rating down was 2 specific things.

(1) The insta-love.

Right now, as the sun peeks over the top of the stands and lays a solid ray of love on the field of my greatest accomplishments to date, and the girl sitting by me waxes poetic about the greatest game in the world, I get it.
Her.
This one.
The universe is talking to me.

This was at 4%!
In the book’s defense I am not, nor will I ever be a fan of insta-love, no matter how well it’s pulled off. And it IS pulled off wonderfully here. It’s just not my cuppa. I can’t help it. I gave it the old college try (pun intended) but could never really see past it. Perhaps because he was also a virgin on top of everything else? Whatever the case may be, I suppose I just wanted a little more interaction between them before this came into the mix. Like say, at least 12%?

(2) The last 20%.
Oh the cheese of it all. Now before you toss the rest of your rotten tomatoes at me, I will say that most readers will love this. For me it was just too much. (view spoiler)

I believe most readers will absolutely adore Sacked. It’s just one of those light and sexy, sweet and easy feel good romances. It’s wonderfully written with endearing characters and it’s definitely a series that I plan on following. I just don’t think that male virgins will ever be my cuppa.

I highly recommend this book for any fans of New Adult romance. If you’ve avoided this genre because of the male manwhores and super angst, this is the perfect book for you. A guaranteed love 🙂

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