Review & Giveaway: Getaway Girl by @mstessabailey

March 14, 2018 by · Leave a Comment

GETAWAY GIRL
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: March 26, 2018

This unlikely getaway driver never expected to help the mayor escape…

After a six-year absence, Addison Potts is back in Charleston to stir things up. And what better place to make her villainous return than her estranged cousin’s wedding? Only, the nuptials hit a snag when the bride doesn’t show, leaving Addison to play getaway driver for the jilted groom. A groom whose heartbreaking smile and deep, southern drawl she should not be noticing…

Elijah Montgomery Du Pont is the future mayor of Charleston. From his military career to city hall, every detail of his life has been meticulously planned. Until now. His only respite from life’s sudden upheaval is Addison, his new, improbable best friend. She makes him happy. Grounds him. And public disapproval be damned, he’s not willing to give her up. But with an election on the line and public pressure rising, Addison—and the cruel hand of fate—might not give him a choice.

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My best friend, my roommate, my conscience. The lines around our relationship blur immediately and fade into nothing. God. She’s nothing I’ve ever experienced.

And this book right here, is exactly why I’m so obsessed with everything that Tessa Bailey writes; her ability to create characters that I fall head over heels for and can’t get enough of. And Elijah and Addison were two amazing characters!

I just realized you always untuck your dress shirt before walking in my front door. Have you been hiding a GIF-worthy ass from me, Elijah Montgomery Du Pont?”
“Addison Potts, this conversation is indecent.”

When Addison decides to crash her cousin’s wedding, she never expects an unlikely best friend that she makes to be the jilted groom. With a history rooted in scandal, Addison isn’t exactly thrilled to be back in the town of Charleston. But after her grandmother passed and left her business and apartment to her, she’s determined to make it work. Being the getaway driver to the groom her cousin stood up at the altar and the town’s golden boy and future mayor isn’t exactly on her to-do list, but there’s just something about Elijah’s sweet smile and gentle eyes that call to her.

What begins with a ride soon turns into the unlikeliest of friendships. Addison and Elijah become an escape for each other. Their friendship is brimming with sexual tension and suppressed desire, but they both have too much to lose if they give in. After all, Elijah has his image to uphold and the last thing Addison needs is to be tabloid fodder. She wants to lay low and he’s always in the public eye. But the connection between them is too incendiary to ignore, and it doesn’t take long before they give into the inevitable.

You shouldn’t be allowed in polite company with this big thing dangling between your thighs, Elijah. Especially when it gets hard. Shame on you, Captain Du Pont.” I bite down on his nipple, laving it with my tongue. “You better apologize.” The muscles of his body bunch head to toe. “Addison.” I stop moving. “Fuck”

One of my favorite things about this book was the banter. Tessa Bailey is the QUEEN of witty and sexy banter. And this book brought it in spades. Elijah was this fantastic combination of sweet and caring but with a hidden layer of dirty talking caveman. I seriously couldn’t get enough of it, and man did I love that Addison managed to bring it out in him the way she did.

It reminds me of you.”
“Does it?”
“Mmmhmm. Old-fashioned and charming…” She squints at my backside. “With a big old kitchen.”
“It’s not polite to make ass jokes about your tour guide.”
“Oh come on. You know I love that thing.” When she crosses to the window and looks down, I ask, “What are you looking at?”
“Just checking to see if your milkshake brought all the boys to the yard.”

Getaway Girl was a light hearted and super fun romance full of swoon and sizzle. With plenty of banter, endearing secondary characters, and a deliciously entertaining plot, it clicked every box for me.

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Review: ★Blurred Lines★ by Lauren Layne

August 28, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Review Blurred LinesBlurred Lines
Genre: New Adult Romance
Author: Lauren Layne
Release Date: August 25, 2015add-to-goodreads-button3

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In a novel that’s perfect for fans of Abbi Glines and Jessica Sorensen, USA Today bestselling author Lauren Layne delivers a sexy take on the timeless question: Can a guy and a girl really be “just friends”?

When Parker Blanton meets Ben Olsen during her freshman year of college, the connection is immediate—and platonic. Six years later, they’re still best friends, sharing an apartment in Portland’s trendy Northwest District as they happily settle into adult life. But when Parker’s boyfriend dumps her out of the blue, she starts to wonder about Ben’s no-strings-attached approach to dating. The trouble is, even with Ben as her wingman, Parker can’t seem to get the hang of casual sex—until she tries it with him.

The arrangement works perfectly . . . at first. The sex is mind-blowing, and their friendship remains as solid as ever, without any of the usual messy romantic entanglements. But when Parker’s ex decides he wants her back, Ben is shocked by a fierce stab of possessiveness. And when Ben starts seeing a girl from work, Parker finds herself plagued by unfamiliar jealousy. With their friendship on the rocks for the first time, Parker and Ben face an alarming truth: Maybe they can’t go back. And maybe, deep down, they never want to.

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Review

3 starsBlurred Lines-DirtyGirlRomance

Ben and my no strings attached relationship?
Yeah. Turns out that there are suddenly strings after all.
And I’m completely tangled in them.

I adore all things Lauren Layne, so it was an absolute no brainer decision when I saw she was coming out with a book for one of my favorite tropes; friends to lovers, to dive right in. Lauren is my go-to author whenever I need a light and easy read filled with swoony romance and endearing characters. Blurred Lines certainly fit that and then some. It was the perfect afternoon read. I simply adored Parker and Ben together. I always seem to have a weakness for the manwhores, and Ben definitely hit the spot for that. Their friendship had a solid foundation, which I really appreciated. I loved their banter the most

I think we should hook up.”
I would just like to state- for the record- that I should win a goddamned medal for not laughing, fainting, or straight up walking out of the room.

While the chemistry was definitely present between these two, they spent so much of the book denying and not seeing what was happening between them, that it became difficult even for me to see it. I struggled to see beyond their friendship to the romantic entanglements. Sure they burn up the sheets together, but I just didn’t get that butterflies in the stomach kind of connection. Usually in a friends-to-lovers book, I always sense the undercurrent of romance and sexual chemistry between the couple even when they don’t, but that wasn’t the case here. I can understand given the many years of solid friendship they had how they may fail to see it, but it just lasted too long for my tastes. Perhaps if both of them began to noticed it at least in the middle of the book than towards the end of it? For whatever reason, I just didn’t get that sense of crackling chemistry I usually get with a Lauren Layne novel.

Don’t get me wrong, this was still a lovely romance and one I’d recommend for any lover of a good friends-to-lovers trope, it just wasn’t my favorite by this author. Then again, considering I’ve absolutely loved all her other books, that’s not exactly a rough criticism. Blurred Lines was an enjoyable and steamy romance that’s easy on the angst, had great character development, but just fell a little flat on the all-encompassing romance for me.

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#NewRelease Spotlight, Review & #GIVEAWAY: ★Shattered by You★ by @nashodarose

June 22, 2015 by ·
 It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVE all things Nashoda Rose. Heck, I practically sing the woman’s praises every single time I finish a new book by her. Why? Because with each new book she just continues to blow me away with her incredible characters, their heart wrenching stories and heart melting romances. Shattered By You is a bit different from anything she’s written before. It’s not the dark and angsty that readers that are familiar with her work would expect from her. This was more contemporary romance with a friends to lovers trope that broke my heart and melted it all at the same time. It’s packed full of feels and while it’s not the super steamy erotic romance that Nashoda has written for previous books in this series, it still has it’s side of sexy. I absolutely loved this book and it’s not often my picky self gets a a five star read. So when I do, of course I have to share it with you all.

Make sure you check out the excerpt below along with my 5 star review and don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of 2 ebooks of Shattered By You or a signed paperback of Shattered by You.

Shattered by You 
Series: Tear Asunder #3
Author: Nashoda Rose
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 22, 2015

What started out as a deal quickly became a friendship that conquered monsters.
I killed, but I escaped hell. Emotionless. Disconnected. Cold. A mannequin. It’s what I’d become in order to survive the years held in captivity. I was able to endure the abuse and devastating loss as long as I remained detached.

But he wouldn’t let me.

Crisis, the bass guitarist in my brother’s rock band, Tear Asunder. He’s cocky, rude, a total man-whore. But the rock star has far more beneath the surface of his inked skin, and he’s determined to make me laugh again.

He made me a “deal”, but really, it was blackmail.His terms were simple. Until his playful honesty became the building blocks to something unexpected. Something strong enough to pull me from the eye of the storm.

Because even though I escaped years of abuse, it didn’t mean I was free.

For mature audiences only. 

Shattered by You is written as a standalone, however, it is recommended you read Book 1 and 2 in the Tear Asunder series.

Words: 98,000

This is a Contemporary Romance.

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I settled her against the wall, a ways down from the room, then rested one hand above her head the other lightly on her hip. “We’re headed to Avalanche. You want to come with us or we can drop you off at home?” Then I added, “Or stay here?”

“I swore to never drink, but they tasted good, not like the beer.”

I half-smiled. She was cute tipsy with her cheeks flushed and her voice softer, sexier.
She reached up and touched me right between my eyes, the pad of her finger caressing back and forth. “The crease is there. You only get that when you’re worried about something.” My breath stalled. “And when you’re angry, your voice gets all gravelly and deep.” I closed my eyes a second and swallowed. Her finger trailed down my nose off the tip to my lips and it took everything, I mean everything, I had to not draw her finger into my mouth. “I love it when you sing. I can’t figure out which is better, when you sing or laugh. Because when you laugh, it makes my chest all warm and tingly. It’s nice.”

She rested her head against the wall, arm lowering to her side. Oh, fuck. I was putty, fuckin’ melted putty that was a puddle on the floor at her feet.

“You flirted with me today. At school.”

It took me a second to answer because fuck if she wasn’t the most stunning woman I’d ever seen and I was crawling back up from the puddle. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

I couldn’t very well tell her because I wanted to fuck her so badly my cock hurt. So instead, I said, “Things need to change between us.”

By her frown, she didn’t get what I was saying and probably wouldn’t remember any of this in the morning.

“We’re friends.”

“Yeah, baby.”

“I like when you call me that.” She sighed then bit her lip. “I probably shouldn’t say that. It’s safer as friends.”

Fuck no. No, it wasn’t safer. Safer would be making her mine and kissing her, then scooping her up in my arms, taking her home and putting her in my bed, and then waking up to her in the morning. Kite was right. If we went home together, I’d fuck her if she’d let me. “Yeah. Whatever you want, Haven.”

Because that was what it came down to. What she wanted.

I’d been good. Fuck, I’d been an angel, but the angel was losing its fight against the devil who wanted to kiss her. Take her. Make her mine. But I was determined that she had to come to me. Her past was too screwed up to have it any other way. She may not have told me what happened, but we all knew it was really fuckin’ bad.

She was looking at me with parted lips, eyes a little droopy and if I pressed in a little closer, our lips would touch. Her warm breath drifted across my face like a sweet caress and I automatically leaned in closer.

Her breath hitched.

I felt it. Heard it.

“What’s your real name?”

“Vincent.”

We all know the definition of shattered: to break into pieces; to weaken, destroy; to damage, as by breaking or crushing.
But my story isn’t about being shattered.
It’s about surviving the pieces.

Every single time I think Nashoda Rose can’t possibly top the last book I read by her, she goes and blows me away. Her writing is poignant, sensual, and emotional; which make her books completely unputdownable. With each new book I read by her, the woman proves just how talented she is as an author because none of her characters sound the same. She gives you her signature writing style without giving you that feeling of “I’ve read this before with a different character name.” Her characters and their stories are so full of depth and I have to say that Crisis and Haven’s story was probably the most emotional one that I’ve read from her to date. Their story broke my heart and melded it back together piece by devastating piece. It’s quite a bit different from her other books because there’s no dark or grit (besides Haven’s memories). It’s an incredibly emotional romance that while isn’t heavy on the steam, it still gives the reader just enough to satisfy. I absolutely loved it.

 If you haven’t yet read Overwhelmed by You, I highly recommend you do. While you may read it as a standalone, you will enjoy it much more read in order. Some story arcs get carried over in the next books and it will help truly understand each character’s background but in this case; Haven’s

Haven is Ream’s twin sister that he long thought died from a drug overdose. What he never knew was the hell that Haven lived through at the hands of monsters. Forced to surrender her body and her mind, lost to the haze of drugs that were forced on her; Haven was a shell of the girl that Ream once knew. Now back in his life after rescuing him from his own hell by killing the woman that was the cause of it all, Ream hopes that he’ll soon get his twin back, but that woman is gone. She’s too damaged; drowning in the demons of her past and the nightmares of what she’s survived.

My past would never have me again. Conquer. Destroy. Bleed the memories.

Crisis has always been the most lighthearted member of Tear Asunder. He’s had a happy upbringing with 2 amazing parents that adopted Ream at 17. He’s never suffered for female attention and he’s never denied himself a meaningless night spent between the thighs of a band groupie. But then a pair of haunted eyes change him and his life completely. He wants Haven but he knows he has to work for it. He knows she’s damaged but he doesn’t know the extent of it…no one does. But he’s willing to put in the work, even if it takes him months.

Don’t want to fuck a girl so damaged she can’t breathe without hurting.” He lowered his voice and it went all husky. “What I want is to help her learn to laugh again. And I want her trust.”

I adored Crisis in this book. While he may have come off as the unrepentant manwhore and jokester in the previous two books, there’s so much more to him. He systematically begins to wear down all of Haven’t walls. He’ll be her friend first if that’s what it takes; he’ll be there for her. He knows that they need that foundation before anything else because of her history.

Crisis was like a leech that kept sucking the blood out of me, but it wasn’t blood. It was my coldness. It was as if he was the heater turned on high and I was the block of ice that was slowly melting.

Don’t get me wrong, while this book was more emotional than erotic; Crisis definitely still had his edge. He was a dirty talking bad boy who at his core was also an incredible man.

The romance element while very much predominant throughout the entire book is a slow build. I loved that Nashoda stayed true to both of these characters and didn’t make things happen in a few weeks. It took them months to get to where they are and the reader gets to experience every devastating memory of the past and each swoon worthy memory of their present.

You didn’t break, Haven. Your pieces may have scattered, but they didn’t break.

I honestly think this may have been Nashoda’s best book to date.

Don’t get me wrong, while this may have been a touch less on the steam then the previous books in this series, that doesn’t mean it was any less hot.

Vincent. Please.”
His voice vibrated against me and I swear it was why he spoke. “Please won’t work this time, Ice. Melting is a slow process.

When these two finally get together, they burn up the pages.

But their road there was also a believable one. It wasn’t easy and filled with many bumps but the one constant that remained through it was Crisis. Did I mention just how much I adore him? Haven was an amazing heroine. For everything that she’s been through (and nothing will prepare you for just how devastating her past is) she still has this core of strength. Her pieces may be a little more broken than most, but she’s determined to put them back together again.

 I don’t think I can name one thing I didn’t love about this book. Crisis and Haven’t story was everything I’d hoped it would be and yet so much more. Then there was also a peak into Kite, and holy mother of ovaries does Nashoda know how to tease you with a future character because GAH! A piercing (I’ll let you imagination full in where), a penchant for the kinky and rough sex, and perhaps even a Dominant streak? Oh mama! Sign me the hell on. I’m calling dibs now. I NEED his book.

 If you haven’t read this incredible series yet, I can’t recommend it enough. The boys of Tear Asunder will ruin you for all other men, that much I can guaran-fuckin’-tee you. Trust.



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Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Crushed★ by @_laurenlayne

April 24, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Crushed
Author: Lauren Layne
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release Date: April 14th, 2015
Loveswept: Flirt
Lauren Layne’s latest novel about the healing power of redemption tells the story of a crush gone wickedly wrong, proving that what you want isn’t always what you need.Growing up in New York, Michael St. Claire never expected to spend his twenties wearing cowboy boots. But that was before he learned about his real father, a total stranger with a family in Cedar Grove, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, Michael meets Kristin Bellamy, who is exquisitely refined and everything Michael always thought he wanted in a woman. The only problem is that Kristin is dating Michael’s new half-brother, Devon.Kristin’s mouthy, curvy sister Chloe has always been in love with Devon Patterson. So when Michael offers to help Chloe break up Devon and Kristin, Chloe agrees to a deal that seems too good to be true. Before long, Chloe finally gets her man, only to make a startling discovery: She no longer wants the guy she had to fight for—she wants the one who stood by her side.

After all he and Chloe have been through, Michael swears he’s damaged goods. Can Chloe convince him that love is worth the risk?

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Excerpt

I’ve been in love with Devon Patterson since I was eight.

And I know what you’re thinking . . .

That I didn’t have hormones when I was eight, so it wasn’t real love, or even real attraction.

You’re wrong.

I love him.

And I know he could love me back, if only he’d look at me.

But ya know? I can’t even blame Devon for not seeing me.

It’s probably hard for him to be aware of his surroundings when my Disney Princess sister has her tongue in his mouth.

I mean, why would you want the funny sidekick when you can have the heroine?

And that’s the type of person Kristin is. Or at least thinks she is. She’s the heroine in every story.

Even other people’s.

As if he reads my mind, Devon slowly pulls back from his reunion kiss to join the land of the living where the actual people do not have eyelashes the size of small bats and a waist the size of a toddler’s.

But, actually, it’s not fair to pick only on Kristin for her blinding good looks.

Of the four of us here on this godforsaken tennis court, I’m the only one that’s not outright beautiful.

Take Devon, for example. Blond. Blue-eyed. Chiseled jaw. Tall, but not too tall, muscular but not bulging. Yummy.

As for the new tennis instructor . . . I don’t even know what to make of him.

My first thought? Beefcake. It’s obvious why he was hired, and it’s not because he can make contact with a tennis ball ten times out of ten.

Nope, it’s definitely the way his biceps strain the requisite Cambridge Country Club polo, and the way his tanned skin contrasts perfectly with the crisp white fabric.

That and the sulky bad-boy gaze that I’m pretty sure he’s aware of. Maybe even practiced.

New guy is definitely gorgeous. And Kristin’s definitely noticed.

I shift my gaze to where Devon is tucking a lock of Kristin’s ever-silky hair behind her ear. We both have curly hair, but Kristin’s is the kind that can be blown out into all kinds of satiny shine. Unlike my corkscrews, where each curl is like its own rebellious teenager.

It’s clear which version Devon prefers.

And Beefcake, too, given the way he was practically undressing Kristin with his eyes when he thought she wasn’t looking.

I liked that about him. The way he didn’t let her know he was looking. He was playing games, but by his own rules.

But, anyway, who cares about tennis boy.

Tall, dark, and brooding isn’t my type.

I like them blond, smiley, and kind.

I like them like Devon Patterson.

Did I mention I love him?

Review

3.5 stars

I don’t think it’s about who loves you first. It’s about who loves you best.”

There’s a reason that Lauren Layne has become one of my favorite New Adult authors. There’s just something about her writing and her characters that never fails to reel me in and keep me glued to the pages. It also never fails to give me that warm and fuzzy feelings right in my tummy that I’ve come to adore about New Adult. There’s no insta anything and her characters are far from perfect and watching that progress and develop through the story is the best feeling in the world. I have to admit that I wasn’t too keen on Michael after first meeting him in Isn’t She Lovely. But then right around Broken that changed. My heart hurt for him and I couldn’t wait for the guy that fell in love with his best friend’s girlfriend only to be devastatingly rejected by her in the end to get his HEA.

Michael’s world changed forever right around the time his heart was shattered into a million pieces. First he gets rejected by the girl he’s been in love with for years. A girl that just so happened to be his best friend’s girlfriend at that he cheated with. So in the span of one kiss, he lost the girl AND his best friend. Then his world gets rocked when he finds out that his whole life has been a lie and his father isn’t his father. In the hopes to get to know the man that is his true father, he moves to Texas, but he’s no longer the boy that he was. He’s broody, he’s disenchanted and jaded. He no longer believes in love, but working as a tennis pro for the rich and the bored, he has no problem being the boy toy to the spoiled housewives. But he has ulterior motives to working there. He has his eye on a girl that happens to be his half-brother’s girlfriend. A half-brother that has no idea he exists. And while Michael has his eye on Kristin, the gorgeous and spoiled rich girl, her frumpy sister is in love with Devon.

On a good day I’m curvy. On a bad one, I’m plump.
Most of the days are bad ones.

Chloe is honestly what truly made this book for me. Her ability to laugh at herself and this lighthearted presence she had to her was a breath of fresh air. She’s so fun and quirky and just this girl next door that could be anyone’s best friend. Being the frumpy sister to the perfect skinny one is no easy feat. It’s also twice as hard being in love with her boyfriend for as long as she remembers. But Chloe knows she has no chance. So when Michael offers her a chance to make Devon “notice” her, she may be hesitant at first, but she takes it. What ensues is an unwilling friendship that slowly begins to turn into much more.

Michael might be sick of being “second choice.” But the rejected-woman part of me?
SHE’S tired of being the platonic sidekick.

These two were polar opposites but yet made perfect sense together. And the banter between them? Absolute perfection.

So, what’s the problem?” he asks.
“I just…it’s never like it is in the movies.”
Michael makes a strangled noise and turns toward my nightstand, opening a drawer.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Looking for a gun,” he mutters, before shutting it again. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re one of those girls waiting for the movie kiss?”
I scrunch my nose at his disbelieving face. “They do exist.”

But then somewhere between the personal training and just hanging out together, their plans shift and it begins to turn into something much more.

With Chloe, it’s easy to forget that I’m nobody. Because she makes me feel like somebody.

I loved the slow burn element to the story. It’s truly brilliant when the reader discovers things right along with the characters. Chloe and Michael didn’t lust for each other at first sight, and that was evident. But somewhere along the way their feelings shift, and you get to experience that with them.

It was perfection.

It’s not often that this self proclaimed smut slut enjoyed a story that basically has zero sex this much. But to be honest, anything more would have been plain filler. The one and only scene is filled with so much feeling that it’s satisfying all on it’s own. Immensely so.

Did I also happen to mention the fantastic banter?

…at the lesson, the other day, she was…forward.”
“FORWARD? I swear to God, Beefcake, every now and then you slip in a word that makes me think you’re a nineteenth-century butler.”
“Yeah? You like? What if I slip a British accent in there?”
“Don’t you dare. I’ll swoon. I mean it.”

I adored this book. My only quibble was the somewhat cheesy-ish reunion at the very end, but then at the same time I was hoping for one, so I can’t complain much.

If you’re a fan of New Adult that has a witty heroine, a broody hero, a slow burn romance and incredible writing, this book is simply a must read!

About the Author

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

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Review: ★Before Jamaica Lane★ by Samantha Young

April 8, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Before Jamaica Lane (On Dublin Street #3)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 7, 2014
One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more…
Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…

Lines were being blurred, and other lines were actually being crossed. There were a whole lot of lines and none of them were of a solid consistency.

I only have one question after finishing this book: WHERE HAS THIS BEEN ALL MY LIFE?! I have no idea why I didn’t continue with this series after reading On Dublin Street when it just came out. I’ll blame my mile long TBR. But after hearing all about Nate from gushing GR friends, I figured it was way past time we get introduced. I was a little bit hesitant starting this since I read On Dublin Street such a long time ago, I remember a sum total of nothing from it. Oh and I kinda sorta mighta skipped book 2. (What? I’m a rebel like that) But I digress. My fear was since I couldn’t remember any of the secondary characters introduced in ODS that I’d feel lost jumping straight into book 3. And while it took a bit for me to get everyone straight, I never did find myself confused. I was totally enraptured in this wonderful book in just a few paragraphs.

Olivia, even though she’s not my preferred type of heroine, was easily one of my favorite characters I’ve read in a while. She’s so quirky in her nerdiness that her insecurities never bothered me. As a matter of fact, I found absolutely everything about her endearing, especially her insecurities. After losing her mother to cancer, Olivia moved to live with her father in Scotland. Having been taking care of her ailing mother, Olivia never really had a chance to experience the things that most teenagers do; going on dates, fooling around. So despite her outgoing and quirky personality, the second she’s around a guy she’s attracted to, she gets shy and absolutely tongue-tied. Meeting Nate when she first moved to Scotland, she would have been just as shy around him, had he not immediately put her directly in the friend zone. Now they’re the best of friends. So who else can Liv come to to help her get over her shyness with men so that she can catch the eye of a super cute graduate student she meets in the Library where she works?

Nate is the biggest manwhore of the group. His gorgeous looks and charismatic personality guarantee that never spends the night alone. But Liv gets something that the women don’t get… his true self. So when she comes to him for help, he knows that he’ll help her. If the constant zing of attraction that runs between them is any indication, it certainly won’t be a chore either.

Liv?” his brows creased. “Just say it.”
It rushed out in a burst of geek. “It’s size is a little problematic because despite my tendency to ramble, my mouth is pretty small and it won’t all fit in it and I have a gag reflex that might be a problem so I don’t know how-”
“Liv-” Nate was choking on laughter. “Take a deep breath.”

OK…so maybe it won’t be all serious either.

I have to say how much I loved Liv and her personality. Her nerdy sayings, her and Nate’s movie nights and “would you rather” games were so adorable. I honestly couldn’t get enough of it. Also, it’s so refreshing to read about a shy and awkward with the opposite sex girl that isn’t a virgin. And despite her insecurites, Liv was anything but weak. This is a woman that had no fear speaking her mind and standing up for what she wants and is right.

Then there was the electric connection between her and Nate that only continued to get hotter and hotter with each new “lesson”

God…Nate…”
“That’s right, babe…
I’m taking you straight to heaven.”
“Heaven. Hell,” I panted, my fingers raking the wall. “Who cares as long as I ride there on an orgasm.”

Nate is not the simple manwhore that he appears. Having had an experience in his teenage years that have forever put him off of love, he has reasons for his sleeping around. And for once in my reading history, I thought they were ones that make sense. Nate was just this perfect combination of sexy and adorable. The way that he’s with Liv makes you completely fall in love with him.

Does this feel like I don’t want you?”
I reared against him, silently begging for more. “No.” I shook my head, and then arched back as he thrust into me. Just like that, Nate began to screw the mortification right out of me.

There was also the sex. Did I mention the sex? Because oh my god, the sex.

Even though you know right away where these lessons will lead, it was still fun as hell watching both Liv and Nate fall for each other. Liv being strong and accepting of it, while Nate? Not so much. I wanted to throttle him for the way he handles everything. And then I wanted to hug Liv for not being the pushover that she could have been and standing up for herself…no matter how stubborn she may have been about it later. This was one of the best grovels I’ve read in a long time. It was, in a word, perfection.

You’re not ready to hear this yet,” he concluded. “But I do need you to know that I’m going to fight for you. I’m not making the mistake of walking away from you again. The only man in your future is me, Liv. The only kids in your future are mine.

If you’re a fan of the friends to lovers trope, this book is simply a must read. Don’t be an idiot like me and keep pushing off reading it. Drop whatever you’re doing right now, and read it immediately. Trust me. You won’t be sorry.

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Blog Tour, Review & #Giveaway: ★Fighting Silence★ by @AlyMartinezAuth

February 24, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Meet Till & Eliza in Aly Martinez’s newest fighter series!
It’s no secret that I adored this book. I’ve been singing it’s praises all over the place. Now you get to see exactly why. Scroll down to read my review and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
About The Book

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it’s the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?I’ve always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn’t a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

Now, I’m on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.

Fighting for my career.

Fighting the impending silence.

Fighting for her.

 Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

 I think that’s the sound I’ll miss the most.

Review
5 stars

I’d never had anything I could call my own, but Eliza Reynolds would always be mine.

If ever there was a book that everyone has to add to their TBR, this is that book. This incredible, emotional, beautiful, simply unforgettable book. This is Aly Martinez’s best book to date and quite honestly one of the best books I’ve read in a while. It was also probably my favorite friends-to-lovers romance I’ve ever read. Period.

…I had already been drowning in the ocean of life. Every gasp of air was a struggle. Just as I would breach the surface, filling my lungs with hope and determination to make it through another day, I was forced back under- harder every time.

Till Page met Eliza Reynolds when they were just 13 years old, and they each became an escape for the other. An escape from their glum reality. An escape from their problems. An escape from the real world. A fantasy built from the innocence of young hearts that built into an indescribably love as they got older.

Till’s life has never been easy. Forced to raise his two younger brothers from the time he was just a child himself because their parents couldn’t care less about anyone but themselves. Till struggles to make ends meet, all the while knowing that he’s facing a future of silence. A future in which a genetic condition may cause him to lose his hearing. A future that’s he’s absolutely terrified to face. When he climbs though a window of an abandoned apartment, looking to escape his reality, he comes crashing into a pair of blue eyes that irrevocably changes his life forever.

Eliza Reynolds grew up always fending for herself and never knowing the warmth of the love of her parents. But when a scrawny boy with tears in his captivating hazel eyes comes into her life, nothing is ever the same. She knows exactly who Till is, they go to school together after all. But he’s never acknowledged her, and that doesn’t change after they meet. But under the shadow of the night, in that abandoned apartment, they became the world for each other.

It was more than a friendship, but there wasn’t romance or sex. There was definitely love though. Immeasurable amounts of it. I knew Till had this grand fantasy about me. But what he didn’t realize was all that he gave me in return. He was the only thing I’d ever had that I honestly thought I couldn’t live without.

As they grow older, their friendship begins to turn into something much stronger. Something that Eliza knows is love unlike any she’ll ever feel for any other man, and a love that Till is absolutely terrified to acknowledge as more than that for a friend in fear of losing Eliza.

Turning his head, Till Page spoke words that solidified his claim on me for all eternity.
“I love you, Eliza.”

The book spans from the time Till and Eliza are 13 until they are 21, but it’s such a perfect progression that you can’t help but fall harder for them with every chapter. The author did such an incredible job infusing their romance with just that right amount of angst and emotion. It was absolute perfection.

There was nothing, NOTHING that I didn’t like about this book, and that’s a rare thing to happen to me. You feel everything right along the characters; their struggles, their pain, their love. I was an emotional wreck reading the second half of this book. And then that last 30%? Forget about it! I down right ugly cried.

I absolutely loved how Aly Martines was able to tie in characters from her previous books (Leo, Slate and Caleb make an appearance). But she does this giving readers that have read her previous books a little bonus, but allowing new readers to get to know these characters without ever feeling lost.

This book was so much more than just a romance though. It was also more that a fighter romance. It was a story or perseverance, of strength in the truest meaning of the word. Till’s story will absolutely break your heart. His relationship with his two brothers will also melt it. And his love for Eliza? It will warm it.

Eliza was a fantastic heroine. She was the perfect match for Till. Her strength, her maturity that’s well beyond her young years was so refreshing to read. This book truly had everything. It was emotional, it was a little angsty, and of course it was oh so sexy.

I may’ve been the first, but this time when I make you come I want to know I’ll be the last. Now,  fucking tell me it’s forever.

God, I just loved it so much. I don’t want to give you more of the plot because I don’t want to ruin the experience of reading it for yourself. Take my advice and go into this book without reading many reviews. You’ll just enjoy it that much more.

One of the most touching and unforgettable romances I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I absolutely cannot wait for Flint’s book next. Aly Martinez has given me a fighter romance that is a not only an auto-buy, it’s a MUST buy. I simply can’t recommend it enough. If you’ve loved her previous books, you will flat out adore this one. And if you haven’t discovered this phenomenal author yet, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll become a fan after reading Fighting Silence.

About the Author

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

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Leave a Comment · Filed Under: All Reviews, Blog Tours, Contemporary Romance, Fighters · Tagged With: , , , ,
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