Ex-Army Ranger, Brand Killien, has always been good.

A good friend, a good soldier, a good everything. .

The problem is, good hasn’t gotten him anything but a crushed heart.

So after licking his wounds, he decides to move on. And moving on doesn’t include being good anymore.

Bad sounds so much better.

Jaded and detached, Brand is determined to never open himself up to anyone again. It’s not worth the pain. Instead, he becomes closed, hardened, aloof.

But then he’s called back home for a family emergency… a family that he is estranged from. A family that he put out of his mind a long time ago for very good reasons…reasons that involve secrets and pain. Reasons he tried hard to forget.

But home is where the heart is, and it just might be where Brand finds his again.

Why? Because home is where Nora Greene is. A fiery, red-headed spitfire, Nora is a thing from his past. A beautiful, feisty thing. When Brand left, she was away at boarding school.

But she’s back now.

And she wants Brand, scars and all.

5 BRANDed Stars

Being brave doesn’t mean not being afraid, Nora. It means being afraid and doing it anyway.”

If there’s one thing I know when I read a Courtney Cole book it’s that the woman is going to take all my emotions and feels and fuck with them like the sadist that she sure has to be. I’ve been a fan of this series since the very first book, and each one has managed to burrow inside me and stay. While I can’t say I loved the last book, Before We Fall, this one managed to blow me away. Emotional, captivating, steamy and unputdownable, Until We Fly is going to put you on an emotional roller coaster filled with twists and turns, but you’re going to love the ride.

What I love about Courtney’s books, are her characters. Those beautifully broken characters that never fail to tug at every single one of my heartstrings. And Brand? Well Brand I have been dying to get my hands on since first meeting him in If You Leave. He’s so different from most heroes you’d find in books these days. Yes he’s a sexy as hell, tatted up Army Ranger. So what sets him aside? He’s a nice guy. This is not a womanizing asshole. Nope. But he’s broken in his own way. Demons from his past continue to haunt his present, and Brand just learns to deal with it.

I knew that the woman that will finally steal Brand’s heart will have to be special. After putting it all out there and being there for everyone (Jacey in particular), Brand deserves a woman that would pursue him. And that’s definitely what he got with Nora.

Nora has practically been in love with Brand since she was a teenager. But then he left the small town they both grew up in and hadn’t returned since. Now he’s back to settle his father’s estate after his passing, and presents the perfect opening for Nora to make her move. When Brand gets injured rescuing her from the site of an accident, she has her perfect opportunity.

Nora seemingly has it all. Being the daughter of one of the most influential and richest families in town, a Stanford law graduate and on her way to work in her father’s company, her life is set. Only problem? It’s not what she wants. What she wants if even for a little bit, is Brand. Pure, wholesome, clean, hero Brand.

Nora is not shy about pursuing him, and she really doesn’t pull her punches when it comes to her seduction. Stuck in a cottage together with Nora taking care of him, Brand can only resist her for so long.

Nora hides her own demons. Demons that continue to haunt even her waking minutes. Demons that no amount of scrubbing and cleaning will ever cleanse from her soul. Demons that only quiet in the presence of Brand.

But I’m desperate, just for a few weeks, to see if I can lose myself in Brand. To see if his goodness can eclipse that part of me that is so irrevocably damaged, just for a little while.

Can’t say I blame her, Brand really was absolute perfection

What first started out as a strings-free summer fling, soon begins to turn into something much more for both Brand and Nora. But beyond the love story and the steamy sex scenes was an incredible story about 2 very broken characters and their journey to healing themselves.

This book, for me anyway, was probably one of the most emotional. It was filled with twists that I never saw coming and a story that kept me glued to my Kindle until the very last page. And that last chapter? Well you definitely know you’ve read a 5 star book when the last chapter manages to make you tear up like a baby. I almost didn’t want it to end. I could probably ramble on and on, but why read my review when you can experience it for yourself?

If you haven’t yet read this series, it is a must read. While you could read this as a standalone, I’d recommend starting with at least If You Leave so you can really get a better grasp of Brand’s character. But Courtney certainly gives you enough background that you wouldn’t be lost starting with this book. Definitely a huge rec from me.

**ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review**

And don’t miss the other Beautifully Broken, now available:

IF YOU STAY

IF YOU LEAVE

BEFORE WE FALL

Praise for the Beautifully Broken Series:

“I loved If You Stay. Like, really really loved it. The kind of love that kept me reading until 2:40 am and left me crying, smiling, devastated, and elated. The best kind of book love.” – Andrea, The Bookish Babe

“Beautiful, raw, gritty, emotional and breath-taking are just a few of the words I can find to describe this book…reading this book was one of the best experiences I have had.” –Amanda, Globug and Hootie Need a Book

“In If You Leave, we continue the wild ride Courtney Cole started us on in If You Stay. This raw story of heartbreak and hope solidifies Cole’s standing as a rising star in hot contemporary romance.” — New York Times Bestselling author of Down to You, M. Leighton

“Another raw, gritty masterpiece with a sexy-as-hell Army Ranger to swoon over.” — K.A. Tucker, author of Ten Tiny Breaths

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could. She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds. She loves chocolate and roller coasters and hates waiting and rude people.

Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.

Website |Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter SignUp| Pinterest

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.

If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…

5 Perfect Stars

Word to the wise: if you have to fight over a guy, he’s not worth it. Go for the one who’s waiting for you.”

This was. Hands down. Most definitely. My favorite book in the series. I can’t say I ever gave Ben much thought after the 1st book…or even when I was reading the first book. But now? Move over Trent and Kacey, because Ben and Reese completely stole my heart with this book.

Want me to tell you 5 reasons I loved it? That wasn’t really a question, since I’m going to anyway 🙂

1. Reese
Reese was snarky, sarcastic, smart mouthed and quick witted. Did I mention that she also drive a Harley? This girl was seriously made of pure awesome…too bad her douchebag of an ex husband broke her heart by cheating on her and asking for a divorce. So what’s a girl to do? Get disgustingly drunk in Cancun and exorcise the fuck out of her ex by fucking someone else. Enter, stage right, Ben Morris

I love the angry ones. Of course anyone who knows me would argue that I love any and all women, and I can’t exactly disagree. But I love the angry ones the most. They’re a challenge to be conquered, the reason for their fury usually fitting neatly into three buckets: insecure, scorned, hormonal.
And this purple-haired chick gazing up at me with fire in her caramel eyes?
I’m betting on bucket number two.

Oh Ben, how right you are. Reese also has a verra big side of crazy. This is a not a girl you want to scorn or fuck with.

2. The Banter!
Oh my god, the banter! It was seriously awesome. Any time these two would talk, it was comedy genius. I think I had a goofy smile on my face the entire time I was reading.

And what is it exactly about me that you don’t like?
The womanizing mama’s-boy football-player part who spreads charm on like peanut butter and has a different girl in his hotel room every night this week.
Not every night

Well at least you’re honest about it, Ben

But given enough alcohol and Reese decides to get her exorcism with Ben…too bad it turns into the one night stand from hell. Luckily she never has to seem him again. Right? Imagine Reese’s surprise when it looks like that Ben is her new coworker since he waas just hired as an associate lawyer at her step-father’s law firm where she works.

Which brings me to my next point

3. The banter
Yes, I know I already had it listed. But it deserves more than one mention because it was just THAT good.

They make extra-strong margaritas at Amigos, down the street. Just like you like them. I’ll bring a change of clothes, for after, of course.”
“Get out.”
“We could take a nice long crawl down the boardwalk, and then-“
“Fuck. Right. Off.”

Do you see what I mean? I was highlighting practically every barb and insult that they traded.

4. Ben
Swoon. Ben was just total perfection. Yes, he was a manwhore. But he was also sweet, hilarious, honest, make-no-qualms-about-who-he-is fantastic. He also wanted Reese. Bad. But just for sex, of course. He can’t compromise his career by dating his boss’s daughter PARTICULARLY when there’s a specific no dating rule in place. Reese really doesn’t make it easy for him, but he’s determined

If I laugh, she’ll hate my guts. I need her to not hate my guts. Ideally, I need to find a way to make her love my guts. I get the impression she doesn’t even like most people, so this may be a challenge.

And you are certainly correct in that, Ben. This is a girl that “accidentally” stumbled on her ex husband and his new wife going at it at a paintball game and proceeded to shoot the living hell out of both of them with paintballs. Naked ass and all.

Duly noted.

Now back to Ben. If you’re looking for a hero that’s cocky, but in an endearingly funny way? You will LOVE Ben as much as I did.

Have you always loved yourself this much?”
“I had an awkward year in ‘ninety-nine, but I got over it quick.”

And Reese was no exception. Ben managed to worm himself in to her black little heart and chip away at her defenses and walls little by little.

5. The banter
I’m telling you people, it was just that awesome that it needs to have 3 mentions on my list.

She’s my date.”
“Date? I guess you don’t know Ben very well yet.”
“He lied and used medicinal narcotics to bribe me into coming here, so I think I have him pretty well pegged.”

So there you have it. 5 Ways I absolutely fell for this book. I laughed, I swooned, I laughed some more. I absolutely loved it.

If you’re a fan of NA romance, this is a book that’s not to be missed. Seriously. You’ll see exactly why I loved it as much as I did when you read it. It’s bittersweet to now say goodbye to this series, but what a perfect book and couple to end it with.

***ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

In Robin York’s provocative new novel, two young ex-lovers find themselves together again in the shadow of tragedy—and an intense, undeniable attraction.

Caroline still dreams about West. His warm skin, his taut muscles, his hand sliding down her stomach. Then she wakes up and she’s back to reality: West is gone. And before he left, he broke her heart.

Then, out of the blue, West calls in crisis. A tragedy has hit his family—a family that’s already a fractured mess. Caroline knows what she has to do. Without discussion, without stopping to think, she’s on a plane, flying to his side to support him in any way he needs.

They’re together again, but things are totally different. West looks edgy, angry at the world. Caroline doesn’t fit in. She should be back in Iowa, finalizing her civil suit against the ex-boyfriend who posted their explicit pictures on a revenge porn website. But here she is. Deeply into West, wrapped up in him, in love with him. Still.

They fought the odds once. Losing each other was hard. But finding their way back to each other couldn’t be harder.

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iBooks

5 Deeper and Harder Stars

You have to let yourself want what you want as hard as you can, as deep as that goes, even if it scares the fuck out of you.

Wow. Just wow. As much as I loved Deeper, Harder managed to absolutely blow me away. It shattered my heart into a million pieces, and then slowly mended it back together, piece by piece, managing to bring a captivating and emotional story a full circle. Robin York’s writing is both poignant and uplifting, and she has easily moved to the very top of my favorite NA authors. I do not recommend reading this book without having read Deeper first, it will simply not be the same. So let’s move on to the review, shall we?

It’s been some time since where Deeper ended, and although it’s not made clear what happened, it’s obvious that Caroline and West are not together anymore. Their relationship is stunted at best, tumultuous at worst.

Before we crashed and burned, though, I liked the person I was with West. He made me vulnerable, but he helped me be stronger, too.

In Deeper we saw West take a broken Caroline, and help put her together. He was her rock, her shoulder, her everything. But when Caroline put herself back together she was stronger, and this book paints that picture perfectly.

I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to read about a heroine in a NA novel that is as emotionally strong as Caro was. Because that’s precisely what she was. This was not a girl that flew off at the rails, she knew what she wanted and she fought for it…even if she may never win.

Yes there’s an event that happens here that had me screaming and raging in anger and devastation. But as I read more, I understood why it happened and the choices that were took place. I may not have liked it, but it fit the story. It fit THEIR story.

Caro’s reaction to this was something that really made me think. She did not react in a typical way that you would expect. She showed an immense amount of emotional maturity and intelligence, which was truthfully a first for me. I think I loved her character all the more for it. It was obvious that she knew West suspected a certain reaction from her, but she knew why he did what he did, and she knew what he needed.

I could tell you how much I’m hurting, or I could get out of the car, slam the door, hitchhike to the airport because fuck you, fuck you, West, how could you do this to me? How?

What I can’t do is pretend I don’t know what you did,” I say. “Or pretend I don’t still care about you.

If in the first book West was Caro’s rock, then in this one it came a full circle. The depth of Caroline’s love for West was evident in every word and action.

As for West? My beautifully broken, hurting, fucked up West. As much as I wanted to hate him for what he did, I just couldn’t. My heart hurt for him. The more I read, the more it hurt.

He was so lost in the first half of this book. His heartbreak is palpable. What he does to push Caro away is terrible, don’t get me wrong. But you can tell he felt he had no choice. And while he succeeds in one thing, he fails in another, because Caroline refuses to give up on him. Caro was the strong one here, she needed to be, to help West find his way out of the dark

She knows who she is deep inside herself. I can break her heart, but I can’t break her pride. I can’t break her. She’s never going to let that happen.

I want her

All the time, like a virus, a disease I caught, except the other way around- like a a cure I caught a year ago, and it’s inside me, winding through my veins, pumping through my heart.

His hope and hopelessness is swallowing him whole. He wants, but he doesn’t think he can have it. He doesn’t deserve it. But it doesn’t stop his yearning.

Spark. Spark. Flame.

The whole time, I was trying to convince myself that the flame didn’t look like hope, didn’t feel like it, but I’ve never been any good at that kind of deception.
That spark in the dark, that wavering flicker- Caroline. Hope.
For me, they were always the same thing.

The first half of the book was an emotional roller coaster. The feels, the pain, the heartbreak, it was devastating. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and the second half was the light.

What I truly loved about the book was that Robin York didn’t throw in any more additional drama in the end. There was no unnecessary angst, the angst that was there was intricately important to the plot, not excessive. She manages to take the story a full circle while painting a love story that’s emotional and touching.

If you loved Deeper, you will love Harder. There are events here that may take you out of your comfort zone and make you question what you feel. It will capture you and draw you in. It will break your heart and then put it back together. I’m in love with Robin’s wring, story telling, and her words. I really hope she continues this series with another couple…like perhaps Bridget and Krishna? (Hint, hint. Nudge nudge) LOL!

Highly recommended read. If you want a NA romance that’s unlike any you’ve read before, this is a must read.

**ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Burned by an unreliable source, Savannah Carmichael, returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia with her once-promising journalism career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get her skin back in the game by writing a patriotic human interest piece, Savannah turns her attention to the town hermit, Asher Lee, a wounded veteran who returned to Danvers eight years ago, and hasn’t been seen since.

After an IED explosion in Afghanistan took Asher’s hand and disfigured half of his face, he’s lived a quiet life on the outskirts of Danvers where the locals respect his privacy…that is, until Savannah Carmichael comes calling in a borrowed sundress and a plate of homemade brownies. When Asher agrees to be interviewed by Savannah, he starts feeling things for the beautiful reporter that he hasn’t felt in years.

Misfits in small-town Danvers, Savannah and Asher create a bond right away, touching each other’s hearts in ways neither thought possible. When a terrible mistake threatens to drive them apart, they’ll have to decide if the love they found in one another’s arms is strong enough to fight for their hard-won happily ever after.

I wrote this book as a fundraiser and 50% of my profits in June and July 2014 will go directly to Operation Mend at the UCLA Medical Center. UCLA Operation Mend is a groundbreaking program that provides returning military personnel access to the nation’s top plastic and reconstructive surgeons, as well as comprehensive medical and mental-health support for the wounded and their families. By offering cutting edge reconstructive facial surgery, prosthetics and intensive therapy to those heroes with calamitous injuries, Operation Mend helps our returning warriors live fuller and more comfortable lives once home.

To learn more about Operation Mend, I encourage you to check out their website here:http://operationmend.ucla.edu/

My adoration for this book was helped tremendously due to my love for a well written book that tugs on the heart strings and gives my reading heart a well placed squeeze. It also didn’t harm the enjoyment that my favourite Disney animation of all time is the classic ‘Beauty and the beast’. I couldn’t even begin to imagine that I would fall so in love with a book that I was requested to read and review and I’m more than pleased that I gave my reading time over to a book that quite honestly has stolen my heart. This author is obviously talented with a heart to share stories that make the reader not only fall in love but think about the world around them. Timeless in it’s delivery I won’t ever be forgetting about the story of Savannah Carmichael and Asher Lee. Katy Regnery I have had the most beautiful time spent with your heart stopping novel and I’m left with a story to remember for a time to come.

What’s it all about?
Leaving New York after being publicly humiliated and loosing her job as a successful journalist, Savannah Carmichael returns to her very southern and charming home town. Feeling desperate to gain respect in the reporting world again she sets out to deliver a story that would make her be noticed for her writing talents once again. Asher Lee is the town recluse and hermit after serving his country and injured in a tragic and near fatal accident he returns to his home town. Disfigured and equally as tormented by his experiences he has given up on a world of love and the idea of living a life of freedom. When Savannah and Asher’s lives cross paths they never expected to be thrown into a friendship so powerful that it changes the way they feel and act. And as their relationship starts to bond them in a life altering way they have to take the steps to overcome the difficulties that they must face together. Beautifully poetic and tragically love struck their story is one that is worth fighting for.

What did I love?
This novel was not only beautifully romantic with a well paced unfolding plot and love story, it was also powerfully touching and heart melting. There are stories that you happily read that are enjoyable, even used as an escape but there are also those books that make you sit up and take notice and change the way you see the world. ‘Vixen and the vet’ had a clear message about friendship and love and how we can be the difference to those around us and for me if nothing else this author did the perfect job of showcasing how relationships can change lives. I admired and fell for this authors writing style she swept me right into the middle of the love and action of this story and I could not have loved two characters more. Savannah and Asher were beautiful to read about, both equally wonderful and easy to fall in love with and I was cheering for their friendship and romance from their first encounter. As you can imagine from the description of the book, the storyline dealt with some difficult topics but the book although thorough in it’s message never felt heavy or difficult to read instead it pulled at my heart strings in the best kind of way and felt a joy to read.

Final thoughts …
This is the first time that I have read any work by Katy Regnery and it comes as no surprise to me that she is an award winning romance novelist. She made this potentially heart breaking story come alive and I fell utterly in love with her story of the beautiful journalist and her admirable beast. Nothing could have torn me away from the pages of this novel and for once I enjoyed the differing emotions that this story line created, nothing was over dramatised or unnecessary instead it was simply a poetic journey of finding that other half that no matter what will cause you to be whole. ‘The vixen and the vet’ is a book that I felt proud to have read and I’m hoping that other readers will feel, experience and love this book as much as I did. Go fall in love with a hero that demands to not be forgotten, enjoy … Kisses.

Lawrence Ellis, with vast wealth and power, has made it known that he wants control of Signal Bend, Missouri. He is a man who always gets what he wants; there are no limits to the lengths he’ll go, and he has the means to pay all manner of people to do his dirty work for him. The Night Horde MC, led by its President, Isaac Lunden, is wildly outmatched but prepared nonetheless to defend their hometown to the last man, and they are willing to do whatever they must to protect their home. Lilli Accardo, Isaac’s old lady, with her own special skills and resources, stands with them, rebelling against Isaac’s need to shield her.

After toying with them for months, Ellis loses patience for the game and rains down destruction on the Horde, their families, and the town itself. Tested to their very limits, beyond anything they could have imagined, forced to travel dark roads, the citizens of Signal Bend fight a war no one—not even they themselves—thinks they can win.

Challenged constantly from without, beset by their own inner demons, Isaac and Lilli must find the true strength within their bond. Isaac needs to protect what is his; Lilli needs to stand on her own; but they are stronger side by side.

Even in the deepest darkness, love brings hope.

NOTE: dark themes; explicit sex and violence.

I fucking love the FUCK out of this fucking book!

Yes, all those fucks are necessary here. It stressed me the fuck out! I’m running on 3 hrs of sleep, but you know what?

I WOULD do my own casting, but I have the dream cast that Miss Fanetti herself picked out, and I love it, so I’m just gonna go with that 🙂
(Well that and I’m a lazy shit LOL)

L’amor che muove il sole e l’atltre stelle.

The love that moves the sun and the other stars.

It’s no secret that I may be just a little, tiny bit, eetsy bitsy obsessed with this series. And by that I mean I am somewhat short of stalkerish with Susan about all her future releases. I can’t help myself. It’s not often you read a book that not only manages to grab a hold of you with a story that’s not only erotic, but gritty, emotional, gut wrenching, and beautiful. While I enjoyed the first book, the continuation of Isaac and Lilli’s story in this one was so gripping, I couldn’t seem to put it down. And then right after the 40% mark? FORGET ABOUT IT!!!

So without giving you any spoilers or revealing much of the plot, let me tell you what this book has.

ISAAC

Quite possibly the most perfect man…(well for an MC book hero anyway). If you liked Isaac in the first book, be prepared to fall hard for him in this one. Really. You don’t believe me?

Baby, I will burn this house down tonight. I don’t care. I don’t. My home is with you. If you don’t want to take my name, we’ll figure out a way to get yours back. I want to marry you, but I don’t care if you’re a Lunden, if you don’t want it. None of it matters. You matter. Tell me what you want, and I will make it happen- no. No. I’ll get out of your way while you make it happen.

I rest my case.

Lilli
The best heroine I’ve ever had the pleasure to read about. No exceptions. She’s strong with just the right amount of vulnerable and a twist of ‘kick ass’. Everything that she goes through and the way she gets through it…Damn. You just can’t help but love her. She’s no damsel in distress, I can tell you this much. This is a heroine that is more than capable of rescuing herself, and she does, on several occasions.

The plot

Sweet mother of anxiety! If you’re looking for a gritty read, this will deliver it in spades. I’m not even going to give you any hints, because even a little would be a spoiler. But what I can tell you is be prepared to read the last 60% in one sitting. I couldn’t believe everything that happened. My heart hurt, my stomach was in knots, my anxiety was through the roof. When I finally finished, I felt drained

And by food, I mean vodka, of course. Obviously.

I’m a huge fan of Susan Fanetti, and this book proves exactly why. If you’re a fan of gritty, erotic, emotionally gripping and action packed MC reads, this series needs to be at the top of your list. Trust me. You’ll see what I mean when you read it.

In short, I’ll put it this way. Do I recommend this book? FUCK YES.