Review & Excerpt: Then You Happened by K. Bromberg

February 6, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

THEN YOU HAPPENED
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: February 3, 2019

“Bromberg is the master of making hearts race and pulses pound.” -Jay Crownover, New York Times bestselling author

Then You Happened, an all-new small town stand-alone romance from New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg, is available now!

 

Jack Sutton was the man I didn’t want to need.

His know-it-all attitude. His annoying suggestions. His outlook on life.

He was determined to help me while I had resolved to figure it out on my own.

But he taught me things I’d forgotten.

How to trust. How to believe in myself. Who I was.

The problem?

I went and fell in love with him.

—

Tatum Knox was the disaster I should have walked away from.

Her ruined reputation. Her failing business. Her chaotic life.

She hated me at first sight and yet intrigued me all at the same time.

I was only supposed to be there six months.

I was supposed to use that time to make amends for things I’d done wrong.

Instead I fell in love with her.

—

They say it’s better to have loved and lost, then not to have loved at all. Does that hold true when the love is based on a lie to begin with?

(THEN YOU HAPPENED is a STANDALONE enemies to lovers, small town romance. Full-length at one hundred and seven thousand words)

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

“Just face it, Knox. You’re head over heels in love with me.” Jack finally smiles, dimple winking and those eyes lighting up as he takes a step toward me, holding the scoop to his chest. “You can’t be near me because you want me, and you can’t talk to me because you get all flustered and tongue-tied.”“There is nothing about you I find attractive,” I lie.

He places the scoop in my hand but doesn’t let it go when I try to take it. “It’d be much easier and a whole lot less distracting if I could say the same of you.” He lets go of the scoop and dips the tip of his hat in an aw-shucks kind of way. “But I’m not one to lie.”

Our eyes hold across the short distance as his comment floats through the air and fades like the dust specks dancing in the sunlight.

“That won’t work, you know?” I say.

“What won’t?”

“You trying to charm me every time you want something. I know your kind, Jack Sutton, and I’m not impressed by them.”

“Is that so?” He shifts on his feet and adjusts his hat before re-crossing his arms over his chest. “And what kind is that?”

“A man who uses his good looks and smooth words to get his way with people. A man who turns on the charm to disguise it.”

His eyes darken and then narrow. “Just like you’re the woman who keeps living her privileged life . . . fiddling while Rome burns down around her?” he counters, making me want to scream that he knows nothing about me or how I live or what I’ve been through for the last year. A small part of me is shouting about how that was his point, but I tell the voice to shut up. “And if by good looks and smooth words, you’re implying I’m like Fletcher, I suggest you not infer that again.” That muscle in his jaw feathers in contempt.

“I’m not the woman you think I am.”

He twists his lips and stares at me in a way that feels like he is seeing right through me. It’s unnerving and unsettling, and I force myself not to look away because his silence is telling me that maybe he thinks I am.

I’m not sure why that bugs me. Why I want him to see me as someone different.

“I’m not even certain you know who that woman is either.”

There’s something about Jack Sutton that calls to me, and it’s so much more than learning how to trust again.

K. Bromberg is my happy place. She just is. And with every book she releases, she just solidifies that place more and more in my heart. Her stories hit me right in the feels and this one just rooted right in and made itself at home.
*happy sigh*

Tatum Knox. The unexpected woman I can’t seem to get enough of. I’ve definitely fucking fallen for her. And hell if that isn’t a hard one to swallow.

This is a heartfelt and highly emotional story of redemption, forgiveness, and moving on. It’s a wonderfully poignant romance with plenty of feels and all of the sizzle, and this reader couldn’t get enough.

Tatum Knox is one tough cookie. After giving up everything for a man once, she’s now learning how to pick up the pieces of the semblance of what her life once was. She’s tough, angry, and totally fierce. Trying to make ends meet living in a small town that hates her and holding on to her ranch that’s barely breaking even. She’s determined to make it work, and she won’t let anyone run her off, even when the town’s citizens are fully determined to do so. So when a gorgeous cowboy shows up on her doorstep promising to be her salvation as her branch manager, she promptly fires him before even hiring him.

Jack is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He’s in the small town and on Tatum’s doorstep to pay a debt he promised to keep. So even when she snipes at him at every turn and the gossip about her is less than pleasant, he has enough reason to stay and work through it. But as he works through Tatum’s defenses, he begins to see a whole different side to the woman she first seems to be.

This was such a beautiful romance, y’all. It was full of heart and emotion. Both Tatum and Jack are slow to trust, yet they soon figure out that they fit each other’s broken pieces. Jack is everything I love in my heroes. He’s a little cocky, funny, and determined. When he sets his eyes on Tatum, he fights their connection HARD. But the connection between them is simply undeniable.

I adored this story. Simply adored it. I loved the two of them together. I loved their road to HEA even if it was filled with plenty of bumps along the way. There are some characters that I would have loved some more closure for, but alas, this book wouldn’t be as touching as it was if that was there. If you’re looking for a memorable and emotional read, you need this one in your life!

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow.

Since publishing her first book in 2013, Kristy has sold over one million copies of her books across sixteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by Passionflix with the first movie slated to release in the summer of 2018.

She is currently working on her Everyday Heroes trilogy. This series consists of three complete standalone novels—Cuffed, Combust, and Cockpit (late spring 2018)—and is about three brothers who are emergency responders, the jobs that call to them, and the women who challenge them.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media or sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on all her latest releases and sales: http://bit.ly/254MWtI

 

Connect with K. Bromberg

Website: http://www.kbromberg.com

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2QYIfBC

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2sVi7Qe

Instagram: http://bit.ly/36ywE2S

Amazon Author: http://amzn.to/204Qnfz

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/1koZIkL

Join her Reader Group: http://bit.ly/1PMUoG3

Stay up to date with K. Bromberg by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/254MWtI

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Review: Long Lost by Lexi Blake

February 4, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

LONG LOST
Series: Masters And Mercenaries: The Forgotten #4
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: February 4, 2020

A stolen past

The only thing Tucker remembers of his past is pain. Used in a doctor’s evil experiments, his memories and identity were erased, and his freedom taken. He believed his nightmare was over when he was liberated by the men and women of McKay-Taggart, until he heard the name Steven Reasor. The idea that he could have been involved in the terrible experiments that cost his “brothers” everything crushed him. A desperate attempt to force him to remember the truth almost cost him his life. Now his world is in chaos and his only path to finally uncover the truth and atone for his sins leads to Veronica Croft.

A painful present

Veronica “Roni” Croft knew Dr. Steven Reasor was bad for her, but she also saw a side of the man that no one else knew. Even as she began to believe their employer was hiding something sinister, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Their affair was passionate and intense, but also fraught with danger. When he disappeared under mysterious circumstances, she took her first chance to run and never looked back. She has stayed hidden ever since, running from forces she knows are too powerful to overcome. But now the man she believed was dead, the man she mourned, has returned and needs her help.

A dangerous future

As Tucker and Roni unravel the secrets of his past, a dark force rises and threatens to destroy them. Their only chance for survival will require them to join forces with the Lost Boys’ worst enemy. Only together can they finally unlock Tucker’s past. But as Tucker’s memories begin to come back, will it free them both or tear them apart forever?

Veronica. He wanted her. He needed her. She was the one and he needed time to make her see that they worked.

How does she keep doing it? How does Lexi Blake create one addictive read after another. I loved her Masters & Mercenaries series. Then I became addicted to her spin off with The Forgotten. And now the addiction continues. One of the biggest mysteries since the introduction of the Lost Boys back in Submission is Not Enough is the infamous Dr. Razor. Tucker has been desperate for answers about his life and his memories. At the end Lost in You he sacrifices himself for his brothers, but survives. He also gets a dosage of the supposed cure from Levi Green that sends him into a coma. Long Lost takes off immediately where the third book left off. The team is desperately seeking answers while Tucker is still in a coma. The biggest answer might be held by a woman he worked with in Dr. McDonald’s lab, Veronica “Roni” Croft.

At one point, Roni and Steven were starting what felt like the beginning of their future. But then everything came crumbling down. Steven disappeared and Roni was left to collect the ashes. Now she’s come face to face with him again, but he’s not the man she remembers. He’s Tucker, and while he knows that they share a deeper connection, his memories are still blank.

The race for answers is on in the midst of a dangerous spy game. There’s secrets, betrayals, high octane action. Tucker is slowly getting his memories back, as the rest of his life remains a blur. As each memory comes crashing on him, more and more is revealed, and all of it is mind blowing. I loved the sweet and vulnerable side to Tucker. Especially how it clashes with everything we know about Dr. Reasor. You’re as desperate for answers as the rest of these characters. The Roni of today definitely clicked with me more than the Roni of years ago. She’s grown a lot and is no longer the naive woman she was. Being on the run for her life for the past few years has certainly forced her to grow up fast. I also loved her ball busting mom.

What I love most about Lexi’s world, is that you become so addicted to her characters. It feels like you know them. You’re so incredibly invested in them and their lives. You can’t wait for more. And this book certainly fed my addiction while still leaving me crave more. Especially since we FINALLY get Solo and Ezra’s story next. As for this one, it was everything I had hoped it would be and more! If you’re a fun of sexy romantic suspense, espionage, and thrilling action, you can’t go wrong with this one. I don’t recommend reading out of order, because you’ll be missing a ton of backstory. There’s an overarching story arc that continues through each book. So while each book is a different couple, the story continues through the series.

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Review: Bastard Bachelor by Sara Ney

January 29, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

BACHELOR SOCIETY
Series: The Bachelor Club #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sara Ney
Release Date: January 28, 2020

What is the Bastard Bachelor Society?

It’s a gentleman’s club—like the dignified men of the past used to have.

Except, we’re not gentleman, and we’re not dignified.

We’re ineligible bachelors; bored, jaded and not looking for relationships. Quite the opposite actually…

We’re so committed to being single, we’ve created a high stakes bet to see who can remain single the longest. Rules are involved. Prizes.

Laugh it up, but I’m no loser.

Enemy number one to my single status? My irresistible neighbor, Abbott Margolis. She with her evil cat Desdemona, and Sexy AF pencil skirts. She’s kind and beautiful and hilarious. We can’t get involved, no matter how much her meddling grandmother pushes us together. But if I was going to lose this bet for anyone? It would be for Abbott.

Let’s face facts: I’m a bastard, unwilling to settle down. Especially when there’s a bet to win.

AMAZON

I already decided to friend-zone her—where does she get the audacity to friend-zone me? Doesn’t she realize the pecking order here? It starts with me. Me, at the top, hen-pecking away and deciding who gets what. I do the zoning in my relationships. Me. Not her.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, sweet, laugh till you pee, and super swoony romance, look no further! Because this book was all of those things and so much more. Sara Ney has started her brand new series with a bang by giving us a charming and hilarious romance between two neighbors that you won’t be able to get enough of.

Abort, my head cries.
Touch her, my dick urges.
Everyone calm the fuck down, my brain shouts, irritated.

I love Ney’s brand of sass, but she seriously brought it with these characters. Brooks and Abbott were pure magic on the pages. Their chemistry was instant and potent. I fell hard and fast for the two of them and their adorable road from awkward neighbors to friends to romance.

Abbott Margolis is the female version of myself, and I want to strangle her and stick my dick in her at the same time. Wait—that didn’t come out right, which only makes my mind wander further into the gutter: what kind of kink is Abbott into? Choking? Spanking? Biting? Licking? Bent over from behind?

Brooks has sworn off women after his last relationship ended. Who needs the complication of women when you have the lustrous career you’ve worked your entire life for? You have good friends, a great apartment, what else is missing? Ah yes. A secret society formed between said friends that swears off relationships and comes with stylish smoking jackets. Unfortunately for Brooks, he doesn’t really stand a chance…poor bastard.

Brooks lives in a shiny new apartment, but he’s never met his sassy new neighbor. And when they finally do? Fireworks. Well, kinda. It’s a lot awkward and seriously hilarious. They soon develop a sweet friendship that’s full of incredibly endearing secondary characters. There’s the fiery gran, the evil cat, and the hilarious best friends. All of it combines into one funny, swoony, and charming read that I couldn’t put down for even a second.

I loved Sara’s Douchebags, but I have a feeling I’m going to obsess over her Bachelors even more! Can’t wait for more.

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Review: Riven Knight by Devney Perry

January 21, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

RIVEN KNIGHT
Series: Tin Gypsy #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Devney Perry
Release Date: January 21, 2020

Genevieve Daylee didn’t expect to be standing in front of a judge on her twenty-seventh birthday. But ever since her life became entangled with a former motorcycle gang, she’s learned not to expect anything but trouble.

Her mother, a woman she once admired and adored, is gone, leaving behind a trail of secrets and lies. She’s living in a tiny apartment above a garage owned by her brother, a man who loathes her very existence. And the father she met beside her mother’s grave is as much of a stranger as Isaiah Reynolds, the broken man with soulless eyes standing beside her in front of the judge.

Isaiah is her protector from the murderer at large in Clifton Forge. Though he’s more like a riven knight in dented armor than a prince on a white stallion. She knows next to nothing about him, other than he works as a mechanic. As of tonight, he’ll be sharing her bathroom.

And, according to the judge, Isaiah is now her husband.

AMAZON

Isaiah looked in the mirror and saw everlasting broken pieces, but maybe my broken pieces would fit with his. Together, maybe we’d make a whole.

Oh.
Oh wow.
My whole heart right now.
This story owned me from beginning to finish.

I remember a day when I used to devour MC romance. Now? Not so much. It all just kind of started blending into one another. Or it was filled with gratuitous violence and crazy plot twists for shock value. This book? This book reminded me all over again why I loved MC in the first place. But it’s so much more then that too. It’s a heart wrenching, heart pounding, and beautiful romance full of suspense and incredible depth.

She needed to leave this town and fade into a memory. Before I forgot that I didn’t deserve her.

You need to read this series in order. Even though Riven Knight is the story of a different couple, there’s an overarching story arc that continues from book one. This is the story of the mysterious Isaiah and Genevieve, and It. Was. Everything.

Isaiah has been the quiet and unassuming recent addition in the Tin Gypsies garage. The man is an ex-con, and you just know those soulful eyes of his hide some dark demons and pain. Genevieve is Dash’s half-sister that he didn’t know existed from an affair he’s still struggling to forgive his father for. But while Dash is dealing with her, she’s struggling just as much with her new reality. Her mother has been murdered, her killer is still on the lose, and the father she never knew about is suddenly wanting to get to know her. Add into this her sudden marriage to Isaiah for a secret that both of them are keeping close to the vest, and there’s a lot of things happening in this story.

The story is multi-layered and the characters even more so. Both Isaiah and Genevieve had so much depth, every new page revealed a new layer. I loved watching them unknowingly fall for each other during their fake marriage. I loved their road to happiness.

There’s a lot of events happening around The Warriors and Tin Gypsy, and plenty of twists and turns along the way. I don’t remember the last time a book was able to evoke so much emotion and reaction out of me. It gutted me, it broke me, and then it put me right back together again. I cannot wait for the next book. I’m so addicted to this series!

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Review: Siren Reborn by Lexi Blake

January 7, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

SIREN REBORN
Series: Texas Sirens #8
Genre: Erotic Romance, MMF menage, Suspense
Author: Lexi Blake
Release Date: January 7, 2020

Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.

Cole Roberts and Mason Scott loved each other since childhood, but they needed something more to make them whole. They searched for a woman who could complete them, but a terrible accident tore them apart. Their perfect life shattered, they were each left angry and alone.

Kitten Taylor’s past is filled with heartache. She yearns to be part of a family she can call her own. When Cole takes her in, she hopes to finally find the place she belongs, but quickly realizes something is wrong. There is a chasm between them and every day it seems to get worse. When they are alone together, she can sense the wonderful bond they could share, but they can’t seem to find a way to connect.

Everything changes when Kitten meets Mason for the first time. She instantly feels a connection and realizes how perfect their lives could be if Mason and Cole could look beyond the past.

When a killer puts the trio in their crosshairs, Cole and Mason will have to put aside the betrayal and hurt they allowed to consume them in order to forge a future with the woman they love.

AMAZON

Kitten was the picture of innocence and Mason of decadence. His. They were fucking his. His to command. His to protect. His to fuck and pleasure. His to love. His to lose.

This was easily my favorite book in the series. Seriously. A sizzling hot MMF menage, a second chance romance, and a sweet wounded soul finally finding love with two men. This story was EVERYTHING.

Now as much as I love everything Lexi Blake writes, I was a little worried jumping into this book. Kitten, while a sweetly endearing secondary character in the previous books, just didn’t sell me as a heroine. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about her. This is a woman that was almost broken beyond repair at the hands of an horrible man and she’s still dealing with it. Taken, beaten, raped, this man didn’t just steal Kitten’s innocence, but ultimately her identity. But this book was the story of her finding her voice and her identity and I loved that!

Mason and Cole, though. GAH. These two simply stole the show for me. I loved them so much. They were each other’s everything at one point. But then instead of a woman bringing them together, one ripped them apart. Cole walked away and he hasn’t been the same since. Mason is still dealing with Cole’s abandonment and everything that Cole doesn’t know or realized years after.

Kitten has been living with Cole as they test the boundaries of a potential contract and relationship. But Cole’s treatment of her with kid’s gloves is starting to widen the already big gap between them, no matter how much sexual chemistry they have together. When Kitten takes a call that turns out to be from the hospital because Mason still has Cole as his only emergency contact, she believes she’s doing right by her master to pick him up and take care of him. Suddenly Mason is back in Cole’s life and forcing him to deal with everything he caused those years ago with walking away. Mason is a wounded man seeking revenge, and what better one than to take his previous master’s girl.

But it doesn’t take long for them to realize that there’s something much deeper between them. Mason and Cole is everything that Kitten needs, and Cole begins to realize the depth of his mistakes and becomes desperate to right his wrongs with Mason. Mason is a switch to Cole’s Dom, and kitten is the ultimate submissive. Together, they’re absolutely incendiary. I loved this book from beginning to finish. A sizzling and emotional read, the way only Lexi Blake can write.

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Review: Release by Aly Martinez

January 5, 2020 by · Leave a Comment

RELEASE
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Aly Martinez
Release Date: January 5, 2020

From USA Today Bestselling Author Aly Martinez comes an all new standalone.

Growing up, Ramsey Stewart branded my soul in ways time could never heal.

At twelve, he asked me to be his girlfriend.
At thirteen, he gave me my first kiss.
By sixteen, we’d fallen in love, planned a future together, and had our eyes set on the horizon.

Love never fails, right?
But for Ramsey, it did.
Love failed him.
I failed him.
The entire world failed him.

At seventeen, Ramsey was convicted of killing the boy who assaulted me.

Move on, he wrote in his first and only letter from prison.
Start a new life, he urged.
I don’t love you anymore, he lied.

There was no such thing as giving up on Ramsey. Love may have been our curse, but he was mine—then, now, and forever.

So here I am, twelve long years later, waiting for a man I don’t even know to emerge from between the chain link gates.

AMAZON

“I can’t do this without you.”
“Do what?” I asked.
He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Breathe.”

Aly Martinez is the queen of feels and plot twists. The woman will tug at every heart string you have and then turn your world upside down with a twist you never see coming. And Release brings both of those things in spades. MAN. My heart. My whole heart.

Thea and Ramsey owned my heart from the very first chapter. Martinez takes you on a spellbinding journey as they meet as children. What starts off as grudging friendship between two broken kids, slowly blooms into something much more potent. Ramsey and Thea meet at a time where they need each other the most, though Ramsey’s pain isn’t as obvious as Thea’s. Young Ramsey is undeterred by Thea’s hissing and swatting him away as kids. He slowly but surely weaves his way into her heart with his easy smile and sweet demeanor. But that easy smile hides painful secrets, secrets that young Thea doesn’t spot right away. Their friendship slowly blossoms into teenage love, but then one dark evening shatters their life as they know it.

Ramsey has spent the last twelve years behind bars for killing the boy that tainted what should have been the best night of their life. Thea has spent the last twelve years for Ramsey to finally come back to her. But the man that walks out of the prison isn’t the boy she fell in love with. He’s broken in ways that Thea isn’t sure she can put back together again.

I loved the two halves of a story this gives us. There was a sort of poetic justice in seeing Ramsey fight for Thea and do everything she doesn’t realize she needs in the first half as they were kids, to then watch Thea return the favor for Ramsey all those years later. She doesn’t shy away from his growling and convincing he doesn’t need her. She knows the heart beneath the new roughened exterior and she won’t rest until she proves that their love isn’t so easily forgotten.

My heart broke for Ramsey and everything that he went through. This was no light read. It was full of depth and emotion in a way that only Aly Martinez can write. It was slow paced but poignant. A sizzling slow burn that kept me riveted to the pages until the very end.

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Review: The Guy on the Left by Kate Stewart

December 17, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

THE GUY ON THE LEFT
Series: The Underdogs #2
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult Romance
Author: Kate Stewart
Release Date: December 8, 2019

From the bestselling author of The Guy on the Right comes a heartwarming, second chance romance. The Guy on the Left is BOOK TWO of The Underdogs Series, but can be read as a stand alone.

Now an AMAZON TOP 100 Bestseller!

It started with a lie. A night of blurred lines between a teacher and a student.

I wasn’t her student, yet it was the single most defining night of my life.

I’ve never been the man she thinks I am.

Most people have no idea about the life I’ve lived or the words that ring true when it comes to me—still waters run deep.

But you’d be hard-pressed to find a coed on the TGU campus who knows otherwise…because I’ve never corrected them.

The clock is ticking down, it’s Fourth and Inches with the ball inside the one-yard line and the focus is on me, The Guy on the Left. I’ve never felt like a football god, inside I’m…just Troy.

It’s time to set the record straight.

For my son, I‘ll find the strength.

In her eyes, I’m determined to gain redemption.

I will have them both, even if I have to take my eye off the ball.

The Underdogs Series Order
The Guy on the Right
The Guy on the Left
The Guy in the Middle-releasing WINTER 2020
All books can be read as a stand alone.

AMAZON

Wanting this woman is torture. Loving this woman is fucking humiliating.

I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for this book. But nothing could have prepared me for the impact Troy’s story would have on me. When I first met him as a secondary character in The Guy on the Right, he was the ultimate hottie. A jock, a womanizer, a guy that had the world handed to him and took full advantage of it. Well ha! The joke is on me. Because while he may exude the typical hot jock vibe, he’s anything but. He’s truly the underdog, because beneath the good looking exterior is the broken heart of a boy just looking to belong and have love. He longs to be seen for who he is, but life hasn’t always been easy on him. What makes it all the more excruciating is everyone’s perception of the easy going playboy that gets everything handed to him when he’s had to work for everything he has.

Troy’s story runs parallel to the events in The Guy On The Right, but also takes you back to the beginning to the night that set everything in motion. The night when Troy told a lie that irrevocably changed his and Clarissa’s life. What was supposed to be a hot one night stand, turned into something different. But then Clarissa gets the surprise of not only a pregnancy, but also that Troy’s not exactly as old as he said. While he’s 18 because he was held back a year in middle school, he’s still a senior in high school and she’s a high school teacher. The lie causes the ultimate rift and causes Clarissa to cut Troy out of her life to raise their baby on her own.

Now I have to admit, I really, really disliked Clarissa for large parts of the book. I understood why she did what she did, but at the same time, I hated everything she puts Troy through four years later. Troy never abandoned them and was contempt of watching from afar while still trying to be a part of his son’s life in a silent help sort of way. I think being in Troy’s head made it that much more difficult to like Clarissa through some of the more painful parts.

My heart broke for them and for Troy. I loved their adorable little boy Dante, and the way he forms a bond with his father unknowing of their connection. He was the sweetest secondary character and I couldn’t get enough of his cute and sassy personality.

This was a slow burn of epic proportions with enough angst to make you want to rip your heart out. Kate Stewart is truly the queen of feels, and she tugs at every single heartstring with this book. It was a beautiful, emotional, and utterly unforgettable story of forgiveness and second chances. I can’t wait for more in this series.

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Review: The Punk and the Plaything by B.B. Reid

December 12, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

THE PUNK AND THE PLAYTHING
Series: When Rivals Play #3
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: B.B. Reid
Release Date: December 9, 2019

From bestselling author B.B. Reid comes a riveting, second chance romance…

Never trust a nice ass and a smile. That girl is definitely poison.
When I first came to Blackwood Keep, I was just looking for a thrill.
Instead, I found a beautiful fraud—a tomboy my wildest dreams couldn’t conjure.
Bee didn’t just run with boys; she ran the boys. It was only a matter of time before I gave chase.
It took one summer for me to win her over and two to lose her forever.
My summer love turned ice queen. Without heart or thought, she ruined me.

Four years and an ocean between us, I still can’t forget that she chose my cousin…so I won’t.
When the clock strikes twelve, you’re mine, Cinderella.
It’s too late to turn back time.

Jameson and Barbette’s story.

Are the When Rivals Play books standalone?

Each novel depicts a unique romance; however, the plots connect. It’s recommended that you read them in order for the best experience.

AMAZON

Are the When Rivals Play books standalone?

Each novel depicts a different and completely unique romance. However, the stories and their plots are connected. It’s recommended that you read them in order for the full reading experience. 

It is strongly advised that you read The Peer and the Puppet and The Moth and the Flame before reading The Punk and the Plaything. Content suitable for ages 18+. 

Read The Peer and The Puppet today!

Available FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited.

AMAZON

Read The Moth and The Flame today!

Available FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited.

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Read Evermore: A When Rivals Play novella

Available FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited.

AMAZON

“Well, isn’t this the most delicious surprise.”My head confirmed what my eyes were showing me, but my stubborn heart still refused to believe. Jamie was back from Ireland? Why hadn’t Ever told me? Neither of those answers seemed to matter as much as why Jamie was back.

The short sleeves of the button up he wore were rolled and bunched at the shoulders, displaying the muscles he’d grown since I’d last seen him four years ago. The white cotton only pronounced his tanned skin. He’d left the buttons undone, allowing anyone who laid eyes on him to see his hard chest and defined abs…and the many tattoos that covered them. Most of them were angry and aggressive, almost scary as if he were showing off his demons for anyone to see. Recalling my sweet Jamie from long ago, and what happened the last time I’d seen him, I knew I was responsible for every one of them.

Gone was the gentle boy next door with a full mop of hair, a lanky body, and an easy smile. This boy standing before me was darker, edgier…more tragic to my lonely, fragile heart. Was that yearning burning in the pit of my stomach or fear of the unknown? Because I didn’t know this Jamie, and judging by the wicked gleam in his eyes as he flashed that mocking grin, I didn’t want to know.

“What the hell are you doing back here?”

“Is that any way to greet your first love? I got to say”—his gaze slowly traced every dip and curve of my body—“I love how well you’ve grown up, Bette.”

“First love?” I scoffed, even though it felt like he’d stolen my breath. “You were hardly that.”

“Then what was I?” he challenged, backing me against the opposite wall. “I’m breathless to hear more of your lies.”

“You were nothing.”

He flashed me that sad, beautiful smile I hadn’t realized I’d missed so much. I stood perfectly still as his wolfish gaze ate me up. As close as he stood now, he wouldn’t miss a single fucking flaw. There were many, but no one dared looked close enough to see. I might as well have been Medusa. As he ran his gaze over me, I took the time to study him as well, noting the silver bar piercing his right brow and the small diamond in his right nostril. I could have sworn I’d even glimpse a flash of metal piercing his nipples. Jamie had taken all that sinful deliciousness he naturally possessed and multiplied it by ten thousand. As if the world didn’t already have enough injustices.

“You’re so beautiful. Did it hurt?” He kept his gaze on me as he turned his head and blew out smoke.

“Did what hurt?” I could feel the heat from Jamie’s cigarette when he defiantly brushed his thumb across my bottom lip. To Jamie’s knowledge, I belonged to his cousin now, but he clearly didn’t give a damn.

“When you fell from heaven, Satan.”

I slapped his hand away while telling myself to get a grip. Jamie might have surprised me, but he was nothing I couldn’t handle. “Get lost, Jameson.”

Tapping the end of his cigarette, he sprinkled ash onto my designer blouse. A piece of the flame had fallen, burning through the sheer material, scorching my skin. Before now, I’d never thought Jamie capable of hurting me. The truth was now so blatantly blazed into our history that it could never be unwritten.

Without warning, he pressed closer until I could see nothing but the angry blackness of his eyes. “I’m afraid I’m not going anywhere. By the time I’m done with you, Barbette Montgomery, you’ll be crawling back to me… but I doubt I’ll want my cousin’s sloppy thirds.”

“I wouldn’t hold your breath.” I wasted little time pushing him away. Tragically, the moment my hand connected with his warm skin, the electricity threatening to make my broken heart beat again became too obvious to ignore. I tried to run from it, but some inexplicable need to seal our fate had me spinning on my heel to face him again. “Better yet, Jameson, do us both the favor, won’t you?”

You preyed on the wrong McNamara, kitten. My trust fund has more zeroes. Dick’s bigger, too.”

You know that feeling when you read a book that you’ve been dying to get your hands on FOREVER and it doesn’t just live up to your expectations, but blows them out of the water? Because GAH! Y’all. This book. I can’t.

CRACKILICIOUS.

There’s just no other way I can describe it for you. I knew Jamie and Bette’s book would be epic, and I was not wrong. I went through wanting to chuck my kindle at the wall and rip my hair out, to giddy anticipation, to goofy grinning, back to ripping my hair out, and giddiness again. This book took me through the wringer. The angst. The sweet, sweet angst. I can still taste it.

I’ll admit, Barbette definitely wasn’t my favorite character when we first meet her in The Peer and the Puppet. BB Reid gives us an entire different outlook on her in this book. We not only get to be inside her head, but we get to know the young and rambunctious tom boy that she used to be before she became the beautiful ice queen. You get snippets of her history with Jamie, and piece by piece you see how the fell in love and inevitably fell apart. You get to experience the lies, secrets, and betrayals. You get to understand why they are who they are today.

Barbette was it for me—my slice of heaven and my one-way ticket to hell. I could never trust her with my heart again, but maybe I was kidding myself thinking I could stay away completely.

Jamie was a character that had my immediate attention from the first. I didn’t need to be inside his head to warm up to him, the guy set me on fire as a secondary character, so I already knew he’d be sizzling in his own book. And again, I was NOT wrong. Jamie is full of anger at Bette’s betrayal. While you learn the whole of it piece by piece throughout the book, you know that whatever happened between them was bad. Jamie may still be attracted to Bette, but now he just wants revenge for his broken heart, even if his cousin is the collateral.

Jamie was the kind of thrill every girl sought at least once in her life. Maybe that was all he’d been for me, too.

I devoured this book. I was completely incapable of setting it down for even a second. I was glued to the pages, totally invested, and completely riveted. There’s a few puzzle pieces that come together on the whole Fox mystery here. But for as many questions as are answered, there’s a hundred more that are left. Reid also throws out the most delicious of lures for the next book and OMG! I’m not sure I have the patience for it.

This was everything that I had hoped for and so much more. Angsty, sexy, with just the right amount of suspense to make it a perfect page turner. Did I want to jock punch Jamie more than a few times? Absolutely! But my inner cougar still wanted to bang him after, so it wasn’t all bad. (It’s fiction so stop judging me here. He was 18, ok?!)

Bette really grew on me and came into her own here. I love stories with strong females, and I loved watching Bette grow her backbone and turn it into steel. Her and Jamie were incendiary together. I loved catching up with past favorites too! My one quibble was a particular scene in the book that I felt blurred and confused more than anything. Was it hot? Absolutely. Was it necessary to the story? Maybe. But the way it came together just struck me as…well…odd. That aside, I absolutely LOVED the book. I’m utterly addicted to this series and I’m practically salivating to get my grabby little hands on the next book.

B.B. Reid is a bestselling author of new adult romance. She grew up the only daughter and middle child in a small town in North Carolina. After graduating with a Bachelors in Finance, she started her career at an investment research firm while continuing to serve in the National Guard. She currently resides in Charlotte with her moody cat and enjoys collecting Chuck Taylors and binge-eating chocolate.

Please visit her website for more information: www.bbreid.com

Connect with B.B. Reid:

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Website www.bbreid.com

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Review: Chase The Butterflies by Monica James

December 5, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

CHASE THE BUTTERFLIES
Genre: Contemporary/Total WTF (snort laughs)
Author: Monica James
Release Date: December 3, 2019

“Victoria, will you marry me?”

Those words changed my life forever…just not in the way it would for most. I had it all until one fateful evening transformed my life in ways I never imagined.

Nine months later, I move to a sleepy little town, hoping to escape the demons of my past. As I attempt to claim back my life, Jude Montgomery enters my world, and things begin to change.

I thought running would appease the nightmares, but I soon discover my past won’t let go. Things are not what they seem, and I begin to question the world as I know it. Jude may hold the answers, but will my love for him blind me to the truth?

Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas? In my case, yes, it does.

Will the truth set me free? Or will it imprison us both?

My name is Victoria Armstrong, and this is my story…I think.

AMAZON

I want to consume you just as you’ve consumed every…single…part of me.
Everything I am, I give to you. Mind. Body. Soul. You own every part of me. That’ll never change. Regardless of our circumstances, I’ll love you for eternity.”

So I…
yeah so…
This was…
And then it…
…Yeah, I got nothing. Seriously. I can’t even begin to process, let alone review what I just read. I have no idea. I really don’t. Total and complete mindf*ck.

How do I even categorize this for you? I don’t know what genre this would fall into. Unless there’s a mindf*ck genre. Is there? No? Dang. But seriously, though. I am floored. Shooketh. Utterly SHOOKETH. This book took me right out of my comfort zone and then took a sharp left somewhere off of the everything I thought path and veered right into OMG lane. No lie. I read it with bated breath. With my jaw on the floor. With tears in my eyes. And when I finished? I immediately went back to re-read it. Because it’s a story that’s meant to be experienced twice. This also needs to be a movie. IMMEDIATELY. Because wow. WOW!!!

There’s actual footage captured of me reading this book. Please find below for reference:




As you can clearly see, myself was SHOOKETH.

How do I even begin to review this book without spoiling it for you? I can’t. I don’t know how. This book needs to be experienced absolutely blind. Trust me. Tori and Jude’s story will be unlike anything you’ve ever read. It’s a story of undying love and redemption. It’s a story of soul mates and heartache. It’s a story that’s as riveting as it is unique. It’s heartbreaking and completely unforgettable.

Yes, my cynical self popped up every now and then. But the story was so unique that I was able to tell that bitch to stfu and sit back down so I can keep enjoying it.

If you’re looking for something that’s different an unlike anything you’ve ever read, do yourself a favor and read this book.

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Review: The Fake by Rebecca Jenshak

November 23, 2019 by · Leave a Comment

THE FAKE
Series: Smart Jocks #4
Genre: New Adult, Sports Romance
Author: Rebecca Jenshak
Release Date: November 21, 2019

I’ve made a lot of dumb mistakes but none dumber than losing her.

Senior year. I should be partying and living it up with my friends before graduation, but one more mistake and I’m off the team.

Enter Chloe.

She comes into my life at a low point, but she becomes the bright spot I reach for every day.

She’s the kind of girl who makes a guy want to be a better man.

And for a while, I even start to believe I’ve changed enough to deserve her.

I’ve got my eye on the future, and I’m letting my past stay where it belongs.

But the thing about the past… it always comes back to bite you when you least expect it.

AMAZON

Catch up on the Smart Jocks series!

Book 1 – The Assist

AMAZON

Book 2 – The Fadeaway

AMAZON

Book 3 – The Tip-Off

AMAZON

I feel like we’re finally seeing each other without any pretenses or expectations, and us like this—as a real couple—we’re even better than I ever imagined when we’d been faking.


What is it about Rebecca Jenshak’s books that just make me giddily happy every time I finish one? She has this knack for writing completely addictive sport New Adult romance that I fall head over ovaries for and The Fake was no exception! I simply ADORED Nathan and Chloe’s story.

I’ve been a huge fan of this series since discovering it early this year, and it seems like it only keeps getting better with each book. Because I think The Fake was easily my favorite of the Smart Jocks. There’s just something so incredibly endearing about Nathan. He may have the looks and the talent on the outside, but he’s struggling to hold his family together and keep them afloat after the passing of his father. His desperate need for money leads him to a terrible decision that almost costs him everything. On the cusp of dealing with the repercussions, he meets Chloe, a girl dealing with her own personal demons.

Chloe is a recent transfer who’s desperate to make a name for herself on her volleyball team and gain the trust and respect of her teammates. Tarnished with her parent’s mistakes, she’s still struggling to prove her worth. Money has never been a concern for this rich Cali girl. But proving herself and stepping outside of the stain of of her parents money and privilege has been a struggle. Nathan is the perfect storm that she never saw coming. He holds the answers to what she needs. Her teammates love him and she’s desperate for her teammates acceptance. The answers? A fake relationship. Only it’s not as fake as she tries to make herself believe.

Nathan is such an incredibly sweet guy. He’s absolute perfection. I couldn’t get enough of him. He’s an endearing combination of cocky and vulnerable; sexy and sweet. His treatment of Chloe and the way that he was always there for her just warmed my heart. Chloe was wonderful in her own right. She’s strong, smart, and incredibly loyal. I loved all of the secondary characters along with past favorites that make cameos. The Fake delivered on the feels and the steam and I loved every single page of it. I’m obsessed with this series! If you haven’t read it yet, you’re seriously missing out.

The author is giving away a signed set of the Smart Jocks series (US only) and a $25 Amazon Gift Card (open international). ENTER HERE —> www.facebook.com/rebeccajenshak

Rebecca Jenshak is a self-proclaimed margarita addict, college basketball fanatic, and Hallmark channel devotee. A Midwest native transplanted to the desert, she likes being outdoors (drinking on patios) and singing (in the shower) when she isn’t writing books about hot guys and the girls who love them.

Stay up to date with all things Rebecca!

Newsletter | Website | Amazon | Bookbub | Facebook | Instagram | Join Rebecca’s Rad Romantics on FB

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance, New Adult · Tagged With: , ,
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