Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive. 

The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off. Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape. 
Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we’ve been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded: “What happened between Tristan and Danika?” 

DANIKA 

Even love couldn’t cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons. 
I struggled. I yelled and screamed. I scratched and kicked. 
I fought like hell, but even the most determined fighters have to stop before they break. 
No one could say I didn’t fight for him. 
“I love you,” I spoke softly into his ear. 
He gripped me harder. “I can’t ever lose you, Danika. I’m not sure I’d survive it.” 
“You’ve got me. And I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.” 
I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us. 
I’d have given my life for that fight. In fact, I very nearly did. 

TRISTAN 
She was the one. 
If I’d ever had a doubt, I didn’t now. She was the one I’d be thinking about, longing for, until I took my last breath. If I lost her tomorrow, I’d pine for her like a lovesick fool. 
This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life. This book is intended for readers 18 and up.

There was an anchor, tied around both of his ankles, and it was taking him deep, into black fathomless depths, drowning him slowly but surely.  

I didn’t tell him that he was dragging me down with him.

 

Sweet mother of angst. THIS BOOK. Gah! This fucking book. I knew it was coming. I prepared myself…at least I thought I did. But nothing, I mean nothing could have prepared me for the full emotional roller coaster that was the last 40% of this book. I can tell you one thing; thank FUCK I waited for book 3 to be out to finally read this, because I’m pretty sure I would have gone from batshit straight into crazyville after that ending.

Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive.

Rock Bottom starts where Bad Things left off; Tristan and Danika are dealing with the grief after Tristan’s brother died. They both have their own demons that they’re fighting, but they’re fighting them together. You can feel the connection that they have through the pages. You want so bad for them to be happy and be okay, but in the back of your mind you know that there’s a darkness that’s looming over their relationship. You know it’s coming, you know it will be bad, but you have no idea when. I swear, I think I was holding my breath in anticipation through the whole book.

I love you,” I spoke softly into his ear.  
He gripped me harder. “I can’t ever lose you, Danika. I’m not sure I’d survive it.”  
“You’ve got me.  And I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.”  

I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us.

The odds were stacked against them from the beginning and as much as you’re dreading for that moment to come, you know it’s inevitable. I think that’s what made this book so good, in a sadistic sort of way. That anticipation of not if but when.

Slowly you see Tristan spiral out of control more and more. Danika tries to help him, and your heart breaks along with her watching him sink deeper and deeper into darkness.

Even love couldn’t cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons.

I finished this in one sitting. I simply couldn’t put it down. I knew that whatever goes down between them is going to be bad. I just don’t think I was prepared for just how bad it would be. My god! That ending! Everything that happens! Danika! Tristan! Gah!!
(view spoiler)[

Know that I would take it all back if I could, and know that I hold myself responsible for all of the bad things that happened. I am so sorry that my hitting rock bottom the way I did impacted you. Any recompense you can imagine, anything you would ask of me, I would be happy to provide. I’m at your service. Always, Danika.  And it is my most sincere wish that someday, perhaps over time, you might consider being my friend again.

(hide spoiler)]
Damn that ending. Damn it!!!

Now if you’ll excuse me, my sleep deprived ass will diving into book 3, which I’ve been told has some major groveling. And you all know how much I love me a good grovel. And I thank you

***You do NOT need to read Songs of Submission to read Spin***


Mafia capo, Antonio Spinelli blew through my orderly life like a cyclone.


Gorgeous and passionate, with a breathtaking brutality, he put me under his spell the moment he touched me, drawing me into his underworld of risk, violence and betrayal.


And I found, just as this sophisticated savage didn’t trust me, I didn’t trust myself. Something happened to me. Some alchemy from the heat between us.


I discovered I was a savage, too

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Come volevi tu, Contessa.

2 days. I’ve been gathering my thoughts for 2 days after finishing this book in practically one sitting, and I still can’t come up with a review that will do it justice. Now I know that the book blurb says that you don’t need to read Songs of Corruption before this book in order to understand it, and you don’t. But I would highly recommend it. Why? Aside from the biggest reason which is it was hands down, one of the best series that I read last year, tt would allow you to see how far CD Reiss has come as an author. I loved the writing style in SoS, but in SoC I absolutely fell in love with it. For those that have read SoS and don’t think that it can better, prepare yourself, because IT IS. The writing had an almost lyrical, poetic feel to it. But enough of my gushing fangirling here. Let’s move on to my SPOILER FREE REVIEW.

Ladies, prepare yourself for the enigmatic whirlwind that is Antonio Spinelli. Let me warn you that once you meet him, the single thing that will flash through your brain every time you hear his name will be

Theresa Drazen is Jonathan’s sister from Songs of Submission. We get a small peek into her in that series, but it’s now time for her to fully step into the light. Coming off of a devastating break up with her fiance after he cheated on her, Theresa is slowly trying to move on. She’s not ready to give her trust to another man yet, and she may still be in love with her ex-fiance, but then her entire world changes the second she lays her eyes on a man in a smoky bar

Antonio Spinelli is not the man that Theresa needs, and he’s certainly not a man that she’s used to…

I liked nice men. Lawful men. Men with a future, a career, who could safely support children. I wasn’t the type to look for the dangerous, exciting guys.

And Antonio “Spin” is anything but safe or nice. But that doesn’t stop the scorching hot connection that burns between them.

Theresa attempts to fight their attraction and sexual chemistry in the beginning. She’s warned off. Spin is dangerous, he has secrets, and his life is not what it seems. Try as she might to stay away from him, he draws her like a fly to a flame. But how close can Theresa get before she gets burned?

Spin knows the man that he is, as well as he knows the type of woman that Theresa is. He’d destroy her life, and he tries like hell to stay away. But the strings of attraction that bind them together are just too strong to break

Can Spin and Theresa survive the scorching hot chemistry between them? Will the be able to trust the other enough to let them inside their world without being burned? Or will the dangerous secrets that Spin hides be their damnation?

Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. Because I certainly won’t be telling you.

What I can tell you is that this story will suck you in. It will grip you from the first page and keep you riveted until the last. It’s fast paced, suspenseful, and erotic as hell. Then there are the sex scenes. Sweet mother of cock, those sex scenes.

Oh God, Antonio. I’ve wanted you for days.”

“I’m going to fuck you so hard, little princess. I’m going to break you in two.”

“Do it. Take me hard.”

CD Reiss just gets better and better with each new book. I can’t get enough of her writing. The characters that she creates get forever engraved into my brain. I loved Theresa’s combination of strength and endearing vulnerability, the way she grows and develops into the woman she needs to be in order to be with Spin.

Spin. I have no words for the utter perfection that was Spin. The undercurrent of danger combined with extremely potent sexuality, Spin will absolutely capture your heart and not to mention every dirty and pervy fantasy. I could understand the path of corruption that Theresa took. If I had a choice and was told that to be with Spin I’d need to pull the trigger. Hell, I’d smile, raise my glass and say

For those that are concerned about a cliffy, don’t be. It is obvious that the story is unfinished and there is plenty more to resolve where it ends, but it is still a HFN ending. This is coming from the biggest cliffy avoider you’ll meet, so trust me. You’ll want to meet Spin as soon as possible.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to stalk the author for any crumbs about book 2 and maybe re-read some of the more (uhem) memorable scenes in Spim (and there were plenty). And I thank you

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

Arrogant womanizer Kyle Manchester hates blind dates; however, when best friend, Brad calls in a favor, insisting Kyle take out his girlfriend’s sister, Kyle reluctantly agrees. Attorney Lanie Carmichael’s appearance is no surprise. She is dowdy, awkward, and dressed in so many layers she resembles a wedding cake, but not in an edible way. Her brazen attitude though, astonishes him, especially when she explains she has no interest in gorgeous Kyle. Lanie Carmichael is in love with Brad, and wants Kyle’s assistance in winning his best friend’s heart. 

Kyle gradually accepts, justifying that the mystery of Lanie has sparked his natural, thirsty curiosity. As an ambitious journalist, he also can’t resist the Pulitzer worthy scoop she offers him. However, as Lanie sheds more layers, both emotionally and physically, Kyle begins to examine his life choices, and his true feelings for this enigmatic girl. With Kyle’s support, Lanie begins to unravel the secrets of her past, and the deep pain that has quietly defined her life. As they each learn more about themselves and each other, both question how a relationship built on fraudulent lies between two broken people could ever survive.

I’m not into set ups. You know that.”
“Lanie is very nice. She’s an attorney too and works at my firm. She’s very successful.”
“Yep, and I bet she wears granny panties.”
“You’re disgusting. Do you know how offensive you are?”
“Offensive? To grandmas?”
“She’s not bad looking.”
“Yeah, well, ‘not bad looking’ doesn’t mean good-looking, and even if it did, that’s way below hot.”

That quote there? I was pretty much sold into the story the second I read that. 3% in, and I knew this was going to be a book that I was going to simply love.

If you like romantic comedy type stories with an endearingly quirky heroine, an sexy asshole player hero, lots of laugh out loud moments, and even more steam then this is a must read.

And if you like the whole player finally meets his match trope, then this book is definitely for you. Ladies, meet Kyle

Kyle is not the relationship kind. He’s not even a more than one night kind. He’s cocky, successful, and his looks guarantee him not lacking for women. When his friend asks him to go on a date with his girlfriend’s sister, he’s not exactly thrilled but he reluctantly agrees.

Much to his dismay Lanie is everything he thought she would be…and yet also not. She’s frumpy looking, hides behind shapeless layers of clothing, and brash…

I’m in love with Brad.”
“What?”
“Yes, I love Brad, and you’re Brad’s best friend. Or at least a close friend, and I thought maybe you could help me.”
“Does the loony bin know you’ve escaped or should we call them?”

Lanie is a successful attorney, but she’s completely hopeless in the love department. She would ask her sister, but unfrotunately she hasn’t lucked out in the family department. Talk about your cunty women, her sister was one. A HUGE one.

Oh and she also happens to be dating Brad. But Lanie knows her sister, and knows it won’t be long before her sister cheats. But she’s not vindictive or malicious. She wants Brad to love her for who she is, without forcing his hand, she just needs a little help. This is where Kyle comes in.

Although Kyle is not exactly thrilled with the idea, eventually he agrees since the mystery behind Lanie and who she really is intrigues him too much.

He felt sorry for Lanie, but he had no idea why. She was the kind of girl he did everything to avoid. She was mousy but arrogant about some things, like her work. She didn’t care about her appearance, to the point where she accepted she was unattractive She had low self-esteem but confidence too. An air of sorrow surrounded her, but she had a great sense of humor despite that. She was a total paradox, a puzzle that Kyle wanted to solve or at least understand

What starts out as simple advice somehow turns into something much more where Kyle decides that the perfect plan is to pretend to be Lanie’s boyfriend.

But what happens when fake slowly starts getting real?

I adored this book. The writing, the characters, everything. It was fun, and sexy, and even emotional. As Lanie’s layers are slowly revealed, Kyle can’t help but fall more and more for this quirky girl who is also an incredibly refreshing breath of air from any other woman he’s known. Lanie was such an endearing heroine. You simply can’t help but love her. She may be shy and awkward when it comes to people and relationships, but she also has this layer of strength and has a good head on her shoulders.

Kyle was utterly delicious. And you know what they say? The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And I loved watching Kyle fall more and more. The banter between them was hilarious too.

Guess what else I Googled? she replied, running her lips down his chest.”
“Oh God, I love the Internet,” Kyle whispered.
“I know…so…informative.”

I forking loved it! I could go on with the quotes, but you really must read this book and experience it yourself.

I have found me another auto-buy author to watch out for. A huge huge rec from this girl! Read it, you wont be able to help but fall in love with this book and the characters like I did.

When one touch isn’t enough, why resist?

Road trips are supposed to be fun. Or, at least, full of hot sex. For photographer Lilly Grayson, the fifteen-hour drive to her friend’s wedding with Nate Jennings will be neither. Not that Nate isn’t sexy—the man is six-foot-three-inches of mouth-watering Marine. But Lilly’s been there, done that…and he walked away. Now it’s time for a little payback. The kind that’ll make a man desperate for a taste of what he can’t have.

And Nate wants a taste—so badly that he can barely keep his hands on the wheel. But the scars and ghosts of his last tour still haunt him. He can’t give into temptation, not this time. Lilly deserves a whole man—one who can love her the way she deserves to be loved, even if she doesn’t believe it can happen. And that can’t be Nate. Not when he’s leaving again in two weeks, and this time, he’s not sure he’ll return…

The only issue to work out was that Nate Jennings suffered from a severe case of assholeitis. Unless they’d found a miracle cure, she didn’t see a future that included playing nice with soldier boy.

But now her best friend is getting married and she’s stranded without a flight due to a tropical storm.  Left with no other option, she agrees to a ride to the wedding from the one man she’s determined to avoid at all costs. Forced into closer proximity, it only solidifies one fact for her, as much as she may hate Nate, she still wants him. She may try to feel an attraction to other men, but it’s just no use.

But neither sparked even a flicker of interest inside her. No one had since her night with Nate. Yet another reason to hate him. The bastard had broken her libido with his wonder penis. Jerk.

Nate isn’t quite the asshole that he seems. Suffering from deep rooted survivor’s guilt and wounds from his last tour, the last thing he feels a woman like Lilly needs is a broken man like him. So he does his best to push her away. There’s just one problem with that; every insult that flies between them only seems to heat his blood more. There’s no denying he still wants the beautiful blonde,  and he’s not going to take the barb flying from her mouth sitting down.

But know that ever time that pretty little mouth pisses me off, I’m going to retaliate.
“I might actually feel threatened if I thought you’d keep your ward. But I think we both know how good you are at that.”
“I think I might be motivated enough to follow through this time.”
“Oh yea? And what exactly do you plan to do? Spank me?”
His smirk curled. “As tempting as that sounds…” He leaned in close enough to share the air touching her lips. “I’ll do the one thing I know terrifies you the most.”
“And what is that?”
“I’ll kiss you.”

Lilly and Nate can only fight the attraction still burning between them for so long before finally giving in. And once they do…well let’s just say that Nate does not disappoint.

I loved this book so hard! It made me laugh, it made me swoon, it even brought a tear or two from my cold and pervy little heart. I read it in one sitting. I almost didn’t want it to end. And then that ending!! Holy mother of swoon.

Perfection! We also got to catch up with Jace and Hayden from book one and get a beautiful continuation to their HEA. So suffice it to say, I devoured this book and now I’m sitting in pervy anticipation of future releases from Nicolette Day because the woman just seems to get better and better with each book.

If you like a slight change up on the enemies to lover trope, wounded and broodingly sexy Marines, sassy heroines, and a whole lot of sexy times, then get to the one-clicking because this book is not to be missed!

Four lessons, no strings…

Detective Rafe Davenport has always made Courtney DeLollis uneasy. While her instincts whisper, Touch him, her mind says, Run. But since she learned that he’s dominant in the bedroom, she hasn’t been able to forget about it. She should be appalled—she knows all too well what happens when a man has too much control—but a deeper, darker part of her is fascinated…

And so is Rafe. The sexual tension between them is thick enough to touch, and damn, does he want to touch. So he suggests something that will benefit them both. Four scenes—because anything more is a relationship, and Rafe won’t go there ever again. Each scenario is designed to tease and torment. To show Courtney that with every submission comes the reward of scintillating pleasure. But once he has Courtney down on her knees, Rafe realizes that she might be the one woman capable of bringing him to his…

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5 Spank me, cuff me, kinky stars

Maybe it was because his nature wouldn’t allow him to leave a gauntlet unretrieved on the ground between them. Maybe it was because he knew he had the key to unlocking something that had clearly bee trapped in her for so long. Hell, maybe it was because she was so fucking beautiful and the thought of her on her knees in front of him, begging for more of whatever he had to give, made his cock hard enough to cut glass. Whatever the case, he sure as hell couldn’t bring himself to walk away.

And ladies, let me tell you, when Rafe sets his mind on seduction….holy panty change batman! The man does not disappoint.

Courtney may not want to get wrapped up in another domineering man, but she knows her attraction to Rafe is just too strong to walk away from. So when he offers her a way to slake their lust without any entanglements, how can she say no? The proposition? 4 scenes. No more, no less. No feelings, no complications.

And oh my god! When the scenes start? Sweet baby jebus! This book had by far one of the hottest cop fantasies I have ever read. Seriously. Underwear change required scene. So hot it might melt you on the spot scene. I guess what I’m trying to say here is it was HOT AS FUCK!

Prepare yourself to meet your ultimate Brazen dirty talking Dom.

In this New Adult debut by Robin York, a college student is attacked online and must restore her name—and stay clear of a guy who’s wrong for her, but feels so right.
 
When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.
 
West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.
 
They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.
 
When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

Advance praise for DEEPER:
 
“The perfect new adult story . . . West will make you swoon!”—New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy
 
“Beautifully written and full of swoony tender moments, toe-curling chemistry, and delicious, twisty angst . . . Stop whatever you’re doing and read this book.”—Christina Lauren, author of the Beautiful Bastard series

Review

I have been on a long and well deserved hiatus from the NA genre. While there’s been a handful of NA books that I had absolutely loved, recently most NA books I’ve read had been filled with overdone drama, unnecessary angst, and a giant headache at the end of it for me. But when I saw that Ruthie Knox plans on releasing a NA novel under the pen name of Robin York, I didn’t even bother reading the synopsis. I jumped on the chance to read this. And you know what?

Caroline Piasecki is a good girl. She has her life organized, planned…ordinary. Until the day that everything changes, when her plain and ordinary life gets shattered all with one click on the internet. She knew she shouldn’t have let her boyfriend take those intimate pictures, but she loved him, she trusted him. The last thing she expects when she breaks up with him is for those very pictures to appear on the internet.

How does a young woman in college with her entire life ahead of her deal with this incredible breach of trust and intimacy? She becomes a shell of herself. How can you even sleep when all you hear when you close your eyes are the vulgar words of all the strange men that have seen you at your most vulnerable?

West Leavitt is a bad boy. He’s not afraid to throw a punch, he deals weed, and his past and family are not exactly picture card perfect. But yet something draws these two broken people together. Although they each have every reason to stay away from each other, they find that they’re the only ones that bring comfort to one another. But what happens when something you want is not something you need or can have?

This book is slow paced, and it might be off putting to some. I for one devoured every word. I absolutely adored the writing style and the fact that it was written in dual POVs

You know when you pick up a book and start reading, and all of a sudden the words blur on the page and simply become a film that is continuously streaming through your mind? Well Deeper was that book for me.
I was sitting in pervy anticipation waiting, just waiting until that moment when West and Caroline will finally give into the sexual tension current that ran between them.

Robin York wrote a poignant, emotional, and incredible story about 2 broken characters. In 400 pages she took them through an emotional, yet entirely relatable journey. I loved watching Caroline grow stronger and stronger and finally come into her own at the very end. You can’t help but cheer for her. She’s just one of those characters that is perfectly imperfect.

West. Now what can I tell you about West? I fell head over heels in love with him in a manner of one chapter. my heart broke for him with every new details of his past being revealed. He was this perfect combination of vulnerable and strong.

As for the ending…
I’m not a fan of unnecessarily drawn out series. As a matter of fact I hate them. And at first I thought to myself 400 pages and no HEA? Yea

But then the more I read, the more I could tell that I simply couldn’t evision it ending any other way for now. It’s not a cliffy cliffy, per say. Let’s say that even for a cliffy avoider like me, I am not going crazy after reading it. What I am, is anticipating the next book like crazy. I can’t wait to see the conclusion for West and Caroline’s story (And dare I hope for Krishna and Bridget next?)

About the Author

Robin York grew up at a college, went to college, signed on for some more college, and then married a university professor. She still isn’t sure why it didn’t occur to her to write New Adult sooner. Writing as Ruthie Knox, she is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, including RITA-finalists About Last Night and Room at the Inn. She moonlights as a mother, makes killer salted caramels, and sorts out thorny plot problems while running, hiking, or riding her bike.

Author’s Social Links

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Giveaway

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Kat MacGregor has forty-eight hours to make good on the debt her ex-boyfriend owes a crime boss. Unfortunately, the measly tips she makes waitressing are barely enough for her to live on, much less cover the twenty-thousand needed to keep her breathing. With time running out, Kat ‘s forced to accept help from the only man who’s ever made her feel fire rather than fear.

When he learns a friend’s sister is in trouble, former Boston MMA fighter Aiden “Irish” O’Brien heads to Louisiana to offer himself up as collateral to keep her safe. But to satisfy the debt, he has to do the one thing he swore he’d never do again: fight. With more than just money on the line, will Irish have what it takes to not only reclaim the man he once was, but become the man he needs to be for the woman he can’t live without?