Review: The Story of Us by Tara Sivec

May 27, 2017 by ·

THE STORY OF US
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tara Sivec
Release Date: June 13, 2017

From USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec comes an emotional, breathtakingly romantic new book about the power of first love and the promise of second chances.

How much can a man take before he breaks?

1,843 days. That’s how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I’ll do anything to get back to her.

Only Shelby Eubanks isn’t the girl I left behind all those years ago. She’s someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother’s ambitions. But I won’t give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

I wonder if she still thinks of me as much as I do her. I wonder if she knows she’s the only reason I’m still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.

It’s been a while since Tara Sivec wreaked havoc on my emotions with Fisher’s Light. Now she’s completely destroyed me with The Story of Us. And no, these stories are not connected by anything other then the fact that they both equally broke me. I mean, God. GOD! This story. This incredibly poignant and powerful story of love and second chances. This gripping, emotional, utterly heart wrenching story. My heart will never be the same. I was a complete and utter mess at the end. I love a good second chance romance, but when that also comes wrapped in a story that’s as powerful as it is emotional, I’m putty. Total putty.

How much can a man take before he breaks? When do the dreams stop giving him comfort and he has to accept that he’ll never see her again, touch her again or hear her say “I love you” again?

Eli has lived through hell for the past five years. The only thing that kept him going through the daily beating and torture as a POW are thoughts of his one true love. When he’s rescued and returns home where everyone mourned him and thought him long dead, the only thing on his agenda is to make things right with the woman that he walked away from due to circumstances out of his control.

I’m broken and scarred and half the man I used to be, but if she’ll let me explain, I hope to God she can put me back together again.

But the girl that he fell head over heels in love with before he left for his overseas tour, is not the woman he comes back to. Shelby is now completely under her mother’s thumb of political ambitions and image. She’s buried her dreams of dancing and moving away from this town to live in New York. She’s engaged to a man who has political ambitions that may be grander than her mother and someone she feels no passion towards. She’s a pawn in a game she wants nothing to do with, mourning a man that she believes dead, walking around a shell of the woman that she used to be.

Eli may be scarred as much inside as he is outside, but nothing will stop him from bringing back the sunny, beautiful girl that whose dancing stole his heart almost as much as her smile.

I hug him tighter, one last touch of his warm body against mine, one last second of feeling his heart beating with mine. I take it all in and shove it into the compartment in my brain reserved just for him, where I can take it out whenever I want and remember this moment. This one moment where I could pretend, for just a few seconds, that this could be my life. Wrapped up in this man who went through hell and found his way back to me.

There is a lot of things that happen in the story outside of this couple. THere’s so much going on that happened to set the gears in motion for a lot that happened to them. As they try to navigate to the truth, they also find peace again in each other’s arms.

He makes me feel whole, he closes up wounds while at the same time ripping them wide open…and I never want it to stop. 

I loved the letters that Eli wrote to Shelby and the way she experiences reading them. I love the way he fought for her and my heart absolutely broke for everything he’s been through.

I would do anything for Eli, anything he asks, and that includes breaking myself wide open and letting him see all of my scars, inside and out.

Nothing is as it appears and soon the puzzle pieces begin to click together. But can Eli and Shelby survive the truth when it finally reveals itself?

This was such an emotional and gripping story. The only reason that held it back from being a full 5 stars for me was the amount of almost soap opera like intrigue and drama at the end. It was one thing after another and while it all does come a full circle, I felt like it didn’t have to get that crazy to be just as powerful. That certainly didn’t diminish my enjoyment much, because I truly did love it. Tara Sivec is such a versatile author; she can write romcoms that make you cry laughing and then turn around and write something that will punch you right in the feels. If you’re looking for a powerful second chance romance with plenty of feeling and steam, you seriously can’t go wrong with this one.

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#DGRFave & Review: Behind The Curtain by @BethKery

May 19, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Beth Kery
Release Date: May 2, 2017

Cultures clash and passion ignites in the novel that will leave you begging for more—from the bestselling author of The Affair and Looking Inside.

There’s something about this woman…

On a break between overseas jobs, journalist Asher Gaites returns to his hometown of Chicago—and allows his friends to persuade him to check out a hot new singer. At a downtown jazz club, he’s soon transfixed by the lyrical voice and sensuous body of a woman who performs behind a thin, shimmering veil…

…That could bring a man to his knees.

The veil gives Moroccan American Laila Barek the anonymity she needs since she has never been able to reconcile her family’s values with her passion for music. But one man is inexplicably drawn to her. And when Asher confronts her on a subway platform after a gig, he’s shocked to recognize the woman who walked away from him nine years ago…

Laila has never been able to forget the touch, the feel, the taste of Asher. And despite the doubt and fear that wind their way into their lives, they must trust the heat of their desire to burn down the walls the world has placed between them…

AMAZON | iBOOKS

Part of you is always a bit of a mystery to me. Uncommitted. Unavailable. A little bit of you is always veiled.”

Shivers. I have honest to god shivers. This author is simply incomparable. She writes such raw, emotional, sensual stories that are unlike any I’ve ever read. What makes them so memorable is that they’re just so…real. They’re immeasurably satisfying but without having to be wrapped up in a perfect little bow at the end. I truly believe that Behind The Curtain is Kery’s best book to date and easily my favorite by her. It was such a beautiful and poignant second chance romance that was packed with as much heat as it had feeling. I love every page of it.

It was the sweetest kiss: questing and sun-warmed and gentle. Laila had never known there was a part of her that was frozen, deep down inside, until she felt it thaw beneath Asher’s mouth.

Eight years ago, behind the veil of youthful innocence and nativity, Asher Gaites and Laila Barek fell in love. It was was lovely, pure, and true. Asher was just out of university and about to take on his career outside of his parent’s influence and pull. Laila was a sheltered young woman just discovering the wonders of love and lust. They had all the odds stacked against them; Laila’s conservative Moroccan family, Asher’s upcoming move to a different state to begin his job, yet none of it could stop them from falling head over heels…only to be ripped apart.

Eight years has passed since that wondrous Michigan summer. Asher is now hardened and renowned journalist that’s traveled all over the world one war torn country at a time. Getting together with his two best friends for drinks, the last thing he expects is to see a performance that rocks him to his very core. He sees nothing but her shadowed figure behind a sheer veil and hears nothing but her haunting voice as she sings, but something about the woman strikes him as familiar. He can’t get her out of his head and he doesn’t know why. He has no idea that the woman behind the veil is the girl that got away. The girl that he never got over. The girl that he never forgot.

She saw it then for the first time: that hard glint of determination in his light eyes, the stubborn set to his jaw, the diamond-hard focus. It suddenly struck her that Asher Gaites-Granville wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met in her life. He was like a force of nature: powerful and undeniable.

I absolutely LOVED the way the story unfolded. The author did an incredible job with transitions of past to present. It was flawless. You start in the present, then get the entire flashback to the past, to then continue in the present. There’s no back and forth. It’s fluid and perfect and utterly spellbinding.

Asher only got more intense with the years while Laila really grew up into a strong young woman. I loved watching them discover each other again and experiencing everything right along with them. Did I mention that no one writes a sweat inducing love scene like Beth Kery? Because OMG!

Do you hear that? Do you hear how wet you are? I could die in this pussy,” he grated out darkly. He was right. She was soaking wet. She could hear him moving in her flesh. “You know I fantasize about it. About fucking you raw. You know it, but you wanted me to say it. Didn’t you?” She cried out in unbearable excitement as he stroked her harder

If you haven’t read a book by this author yet, you can’t start with a better book than this one. It was so much more than just a romance. I loved every page of it and simply can’t recommend it enough.

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#DGRFave Review: Too Hard To Forget by Tessa Bailey

May 5, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

TOO HARD TO FORGET
Series: Romancing The Clarksons #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Tessa Bailey
Release Date: April 25, 2017

This time, she’s calling the shots.

Peggy Clarkson is returning to her alma mater with one goal in mind: confront Elliott Brooks, the man who ruined her for all others, and remind him of what he’s been missing. Even after three years, seeing him again is like a punch in the gut, but Peggy’s determined to stick to her plan. Maybe then, once she has the upper hand, she’ll finally be able to move on.

In the years since Peggy left Cincinnati, Elliott has kept his focus on football. No distractions and no complications. But when Peggy walks back onto his practice field and into his life, he knows she could unravel everything in his carefully controlled world. Because the girl who was hard to forget is now a woman impossible to resist.

 

AMAZON | iBOOKS

They called him the Kingmaker, because so many of his players had gone on to be first round NFL draft picks. That man. The one who visited her bed nightly. Well. In her dreams anyway.

Show of hands; who likes a good grovel?
How about an EPIC grovel?
How about a grovel that lasts for almost the entire half of a book?
How about when that grovel is wrapped into one of the sexiest and most delicious second chance romance stories?
And what if ALL THAT is written by the queen of dirty talk, Tessa Bailey?
Confession time, this was possibly my least anticipated book in the series. *cringes*
Don’t look at me like that! It just wasn’t, ok? Something about Peggy never really struck out at me, but boy am I eating my words right now because not only did I love her but this ended up being one of my top favorite Tessa Bailey books. Ever. True story.

Three years ago Peggy Clarkson fell for a man that was completely off limits. She was the popular and bubbly cheerleader, he was the closed off and brooding football coach. Their relationship was forbidden, their love was unexpected, and their end inevitable. Three years have passed and both their lives haven’t been the same. While Peggy has plowed her way through a string of failed engagements, Elliot has been married to his football coaching job. Now Peggy is back in town and she knows the one thing that may fix her broken self is to leave Elliot in her dust when she walks away from him this time around. But fate has other plans…

Man oh man did this book grab me from the very first. I love a good forbidden factor and Elliot and Peggy’s beginnings were certainly that. Peggy was always quick to smile and sunny and drew everyone into her orbit. Elliot is a man that only had two constants in his life; football and religion. Now I have to say, I was a little nervous about the religious element of the book. Tessa managed to take that fear and make into one of the hottest things I’ve ever read. Holy moly that one scene in the beginning that involved a certain Our Father prayer? *fans ovaries*

Every single detail of this book had a deeper reason. I loved the way that the author tied in Elliot’s self loathing, religion, and guilt into a particular kink that Peggy had developed. Both of these characters had such depth to them that you couldn’t help but fall for both of them. You want to be mad at Elliot for the way he treated Peggy but you just can’t. And then there’s the angst. Sweet mother, the angst! The first half of I want you but I can’t have you, I want you but I don’t forgive you push and pull? DE-LE-CIOUS. I was rooting so hard for both of them and I loved getting peeks into their past. The flashbacks were done so flawlessly that they seamlessly flowed into the story.

And then there’s the second half of the book that is one. long. delicious. grovel. Oh my god! It was so good. I don’t even have words. I cried, I swooned, I couldn’t stop reading.

This was easily one of my favorite Tessa Bailey books to date. It was EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING. It was swoony and ridiculously sexy. It was addicting and unputdownable. It was one of the most satisfying second chance romances I’ve read in a long while and I simply can’t recommend it enough.

ROMANCING THE CLARKSONS SERIES

TOO HOT TO HANDLE | TOO WILD TO TAME |
TOO HARD TO FORGET | TOO CLOSE TO CALL | TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BREAK

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Review: Black Sheep (Dark Desires book 2) by @ZCoxBooks

March 17, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

BLACK SHEEP
Series: Dark Desires #2
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Author: Zara Cox
Release Date: March 14, 2017

In a family of cold-hearted black sheep, 
I, Axel Rutherford, am the blackest.

My father has hated me since the day I was born. The feeling was mutual. In the shady underworld that was my legacy, Cleo McCarthy became my light. She was beautiful, passionate, and my whole world. So naturally my father had to destroy us. First he sent me away. Next he claimed Cleo as his own. But now I’ve returned, and nothing will stop me from taking back everything that is rightfully mine.

He was the love of my life – when my life was still my own.

We were young enough to believe we would last forever, Axel and I. But neither of us realized how cruel life – and our families – could be. Now I’m trapped in a gilded cage: desired by Axel, who must never know the full truth, and controlled by his father, who would sooner see me dead than free. And I wouldn’t even care, except that it’s no longer only my life at stake

AMAZON | iBOOKS

In a family of cold-hearted black sheep, I, Axel Rutherford, am the blackest. Abundantly despised by my three brothers, actively hated by my father. She was the golden princess. Put on earth to test every single one of my hardened edges. And I happily burned away every last one for her.

If I said that I was an insta-fan of this author after I finished I, Porn Star, this book solidified it. Damn. Just damn. Zara Cox knows how to weave one complex and erotic tale that’s equally spine tingling and toe curling. It’s addicting and twisty and downright intense.

Her eyes tell me she hates me. Her body beckons me with the promise of transcendental lust.

If you like a good second chance romance with a healthy dose of hate lust mixed in to blur the edges, all wrapped in a story with dark undertones and enough twists and suspense to keep you glued to the pages from start to finish, you’ve found your next read.

Whatever twisted roles fate may have chosen to star us in, the savage power of our mutual feelings for each other will never diminish.

Being born to a cruel and abusive father intent on hardening his sons enough to help run his mafia empire has hardened Axel. He’s the black sheep of the family, the son that wants nothing of his father; not his name and not his infamy in the dark underbelly of organized crime. He dreams of escaping the life with the only person that makes his heart beat and gives him hope. But that hope gets ripped away from him with a jarring betrayal that now years later still continues to haunt him. Losing everything and the one person he always thought he could trust is enough to change a man and change the course of his life forever. Now Axel lives and breathes vengeance. His father will pay, and if the woman that’s now back in his life after costing him everything is the pawn that he’ll have to use in this brutal game, so be it.

Once upon a time, when my addled state didn’t know better, I stupidly believed the phenomenon of our gazes connecting had the power to stop the world from spinning. That view has altered significantly.

As a young girl, Cleo loved Axel with everything she was worth. He was her everything…until he wasn’t. Forced back into his orbit by an arrangement in which she’s nothing but a puppet on a string of a cruel master that dangles the one thing she wants in exchange for her cooperation isn’t what she wants, but she’ll do it. Even if it forces her to own up that while she hates the man he is now and doesn’t see a remainder of the boy she once loved in him, the carnal effect his mere presence has on her hasn’t changed even a little.

You may have condemned my decayed soul and closed your heart to me, but in some respects, nothing has changed. Your body will always sing the perfect tune for me.”

Black Sheep delivers on another twisty story full of betrayal and revenge. Zara Cox is truly a master of her craft and I’m absolutely captivated by her writing style and the characters she creates. I couldn’t put this book down for even a second. I walked the edge between hating and loving Axel. But between all the secrets and twists that kept unearthing, my mind was too busy spinning to focus on any singular emotion.

She never needed a gentle knight in shining armor. So I become her marauder.

Axel was perfection. He was a dirty talking, angsty, domineering and deliciously sexy perfection. My heart broke for him and what he’d been through. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for all the secrets to finally get revealed so the puzzle pieces can click together. And let me just tell you, when they did? Mind. Blowing. Yet another addicting installment in what’s now become a favorite series of mine. I absolutely can’t wait for more!

I want to roar with rage. I want to fuck until I explode into a million pieces. This is what she does to me. What she’s always done.

Each book in the Dark Desires series is a standalone in an interconnecting world. So if you’ve read the first book, you’ll appreciate Quinn’s cameo in this one 🙂

DON’T MISS THE FIST BOOK IN THIS SIZZLING SERIES!

BEAUTIFUL LIAR (Previously published as I, Porn Star)

I may be Quinn Blackwood, occasional user of prescribed meds to keep the demons in check, who moonlights as Q, porn star to an exclusive few who pay millions for my work. And I may be an unhinged asshole with serious daddy issues. But no one said I wasn’t a giver.

PURCHASE | READ MY REVIEW

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Review: Sweet Cheeks by K. Bromberg

November 14, 2016 by · 1 Comment

sweet-cheeks-reviewSWEET CHEEKS
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Standalone
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Day: November 14, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

sweet-cheeks-k-bromberg

An all new second chance love story by the New York Times Bestselling author of the beloved Driven series.

It all started with the invitation. To my ex-fiance’s new wedding.

I should have ignored it. Thrown it away. Set it afire. But I didn’t. I replied.

With a plus one.

And then my assistant accidentally mailed it.

Enter Hayes Whitley. Mega-movie star. The man who has captured the hearts of millions. But I gave him mine years ago. He was my first love. He was my everything. Right until he up and left to chase his dreams without so much as a simple goodbye.

When he showed up out of the blue ten years later, I should have known to steer clear of him. I should have rejected his offer to take me to my ex’s wedding. I should have never let him kiss me.

But I didn’t.

And now we’re left wondering if the pieces of the life we once shared still fit together somehow. First loves are hard to forget. The question is, do we want to forget? Or do we risk the chance and see what happens next?

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBooks | B&N | KOBO squareshowerscene

Review-DGR4 starssweet-cheeks-dgr-teaser

Hayes Whitley twists me up like a Rubik’s cube. He did way back when and still does now. He’s changed me. Turned that naïve, solid-color blocked puzzle I once was and left me scattered all over the place. I’m a mix of emotions when it comes to him. And no matter how hard I’ve tried to get back to that solid state I was before him, I know I never will. He’s left his fingerprint on me, marking me with invisible ink.

Oh the swoons of it all! What a delicious little treat this book was, sure to satisfy every romance sweet tooth out there. Sweet Cheeks was the ultimate second chance romance fantasy. It had the swoons, the steam, the banter, the angst, the emotion, and absolutely everything else I’ve come to love and expect from this author. All with a sassy heroine and one of the swooniest heroes that sweet talks just as well as he dirty talks. Let’s face it, K. Bromberg gives good romance.

The funny thing is most people would want to sow their wild oats. And maybe in time I will, but for now, I’m still trying to settle the ever-shifting world beneath my feet.

Who doesn’t wish their high school sweet heart that’s now a famous actor will come back to town to make your selfish ex and his spoiled family see that you’ve not only moved on but to much greener pastures at that! But that’s exactly what happens when to Saylor.

Saylor was such a lovable heroine. She’s sassy and independent and gives as good as she does. After leaving her fiance right before their wedding, getting an invitation to his wedding to someone else only 9 months later isn’t as shocking as the fact that’s it’s identical to the wedding she planned. Not only that, but now she finds out that his family has been badmouthing her business that she’s been pouring her blood, sweat and tears into. When the Hollywood heartthrob and her blast from the past and first love is back in town and offers to take her to the wedding, she wants nothing to do with it…or him. After all, Hayes broke her heart when he walked away without a word over ten years ago. Now he’s back, a famous actor, and offering her the answer to all her problems. But can she trust herself not to fall for him all over again?

I have a plan. I have my world. My perfect, chaotic, surreal, fucking awesome world and there’s no room for error. She fits nowhere in it. That’s what I told myself when I left. That’s what I’m standing by now.

Hayes was amazing. God but I adored him. I loved the chemistry and that sweet burn of unfulfilled sexual tension between them. It burned so good. Hayes was not your typical cocky alphahole. This was a man that gave a good measure of swoons right after he made your ovaries thump.

My pace, Saylor. Not yours. I’m in control now. You may own pieces of me you never even knew, but right now, I’m going to own you. Every single part of you.”

This was such a sweet romance, with the perfect amount of steam, endearing characters and a lovely romance that you can’t help but root for. I adored it. The perfect sweet treat to spend a weeknight with. Just you, a glass of wine and a side of Hayes. Yum!

4-sweet-cheeks-mockupAbout the Author

dsc_0087New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

She’s a mixture of most of her female characters: sassy, intelligent, stubborn, reserved, outgoing, driven, emotional, strong, and wears her heart on her sleeve. All of which she displays daily with her husband and three children where they live in Southern California.

On a whim, K. Bromberg decided to try her hand at this writing thing. Since then she has written The Driven Series (Driven, Fueled, Crashed, Raced, Aced), the standalone Driven Novels (Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat, and Down Shift), and a novella (UnRaveled). She is currently finishing up Sweet Cheeks a standalone novel out November 14th.

Her plans for 2017 include a sports romance duet (2 books: The Player, The Catch) and the Everyday Heroes series (3 books: Cuffed, Combust, and Cockpit). She’s also writing a novella for the 1,001 Dark Night series that will be out in February 2017.

She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon Author | Driven Group

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Review: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

September 6, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

Rookie Move-Review ROOKIE MOVE
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sarina Bowen
Release Date: September 6, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

rookie move

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold… 

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast….

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&N

Review-DGR3.5 starsRookie Move-DGR Teaser

You and I don’t have one-night stands. We have forever night stands.”

If you love second chance romance with a hero that’s so sweet and devoted it will make even the most cynical heart swoon, then you’ve just found your next read! It seems the romance genre is well saturated with a good share of alpha-holes lately, and I have to say that Leo Trevi was a breath of fresh air. Don’t get me wrong, alpha-holes happen to be my crack of choice. But every now and then it’s also great to get a genuinely nice guy that fell hard once for the love of his life and never fell out of it.

Georgia and Leo were high school sweethearts, until the Georgia broke Leo’s heart at the end of their senior year and they haven’t seen each other since. Now Georgia is trying to live her dream as the publicist for the NHL and gets the surprise of a lifetime when the new player to the team her father is now coaching is none other than the boy she’s never forgotten or gotten over.

He inhaled, and the familiar fruity smell of her shampoo misted his already hazy mind. Slowly, she lifted her chin, her nose tracing a line up his cheek. Then their lips found each other’s effortlessly, like magnets realigning.

Their reunion was not angst filled but it was certainly full of tension and emotion. It’s hard not to fall for Leo the very second he appears on the pages. The man is swoon with a capital S. Seriously. He doesn’t hide from his feelings or try to punish Georgia. He’s so incredibly pure with the depth of his emotion, that it practically jumps off the pages at you.

There’s plenty of tension from outside forces like the team coach and Georgia’s father and his mystery loathing and hate for Leo, Leo being the rookie to the team and trying to prove himself, and of course trying to deal with the event that led to the ultimate breaking point of their relationship.

As much as I love a good second chance romance, I have to admit that I did find myself a little bored in the first half. Leo was swoony and sweet, but alas I love my men with a little more edge to them, so while I was full, I wasn’t quite satisfied if that makes sense. The second half more than made up for the first and the story read a whole lot quicker. I was antsy to finally get the full reason about why the coach has it out for Leo and the progression of Leo and Georgia’s relationship really picked up while making me curious about the slew of other characters that were introduced like Silas, O’Doul, Becca, and Nate. I’m already salivating for their books….O’Doul especially.

So while this was a little tame for my tastes and so sweet it almost made my teeth ache at times, it also made perfect sense for this story. I could’t see it play out any other way. I loved the ending and while I wasn’t reading this with my usual devour pace, it was still a light and easy romance that I enjoyed quite a bit. It’s definitely the start of what looks to be a fantastic new series and I can’t wait for more.

Are super sweet heroes my thing? Not really. *ducks head in shame* But Leo made a believer out of me just this once.

BROOKLYN BRUISERS SERIES

ROOKIE MOVE (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

HARD HITTER (Brooklyn Bruisers #2) <– available January 3, 2017
GOODREADS | AMAZON

PIPE DREAMS (Brooklyn Bruisers #3) <– available May 2, 2017
GOODREADS | AMAZON

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Review: Below The Surface by Elizabeth Lee

July 15, 2016 by ·

Review-Below The SurfaceBELOW THE SURFACE
Series: On The Gold #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Elizabeth Lee
Release Date: May 12, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

below-the-surface1

Daniella Alvarez and Dylan McKendrie used to be in love. They used to be a team. An inseparable force to be reckoned with. But, when tragedy struck, their relationship sank faster than the ships they used to scour the ocean floor for. Now all that’s left are scattered remains of what used to be.
Dylan, no longer seeking the mysteries on the ocean floor, now goes for the sure things and the guaranteed paychecks. When a longtime friend suggests he has hard proof that one of those legends that used to keep Dylan up at night could be real, he’s torn between going after the gold and maintaining the life he’d built since leaving The Florida Keys.

Daniella was always a dreamer. She’s always been chasing what would most deem unattainable—professionally and personally. Everything she’d ever wanted seemed to slip through her fingers the day he left, which is exactly why his return has her seeing red.

Can the two of them put their past aside long enough to figure out a mystery that has plagued them both for years? Can they work together to see what lies below the surface?

Buy-Links10AMAZON 

Review-DGR3 stars

There were two things I absolutely knew for sure: finding treasure on the bottom or the ocean was every bit as exhilarating as my father had said it was, and Danielle Alvarez was the love of my life.

This was my first book by Elizabeth Grace and I doubt it’ll be the last. Below The Surface marks book one in what will be a series based on treasure hunters and it’s certainly different from anything I’ve ever read.

I’m a sucker for a second-chance romance, and the story here gave me serious Into The Blue vibes, which certainly didn’t hurt my metal visual…uhem.
It’s been five years since Daniella ‘Dani’ and Dylan have seen each other. Their relationship didn’t end on the best of terms and both still hold on to the resentment and anger of the past. But when a mutual friend claims that he has proof of the existence of sunken Spanish ship that many believed to be just a legend and had been a borderline obsession of Dani’s to find, it brings them back together again.

Dani stayed on the little Florida Keys island and barely making ends meet as a diver on boat tours. Dylan left her five years ago to make a different life for himself in Boston. If they find the ship, it can make all their dreams come true…or shatter them altogether if it proves to be just a legend.

As interesting as it was to read about underwater treasure hunters, I got a little bored with a lot of the details. I wanted a deeper look into the characters and their past. As it was, I felt like it barely grazed the surface. The reader gets bits and pieces of what happened to Dani and Dylan’s relationship five years ago, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make me truly understand why each made the decision they did. I wanted more development on the characters individually and wouldn’t have minded more focus on them as a couple. As it was, it felt like the romance came secondary to the treasure hunting and the rest of the story. I just never connected to the characters or their relationship to really get invested in the story and so I found myself skimming quite a bit.

That’s not to say it still wasn’t a fun read, because it was. The deep sea diving, the history of the sunken ship, the found diary, all of it made for an adventurous little read. I just wish the romance itself was a touch more developed. If you’re looking for something different, definitely give this book a go. It’s well written and the romance is quite steamy. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series, especially after that tease in the synopsis.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: ,

Review: Playing By Her Rules by Amy Andrews

July 13, 2016 by ·

Playing By Her Rules- ReviewPlaying by Her Rules
Series: Sydney Smoke Rugby #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Amy Andrews
Release Date: July 11, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Rules

In this grudge match, the first to score…

When style columnist Matilda Kent accidentally lets slip that she was once involved with the captain of the Sydney Smoke rugby team, she suddenly finds herself elevated to the position she’s always wanted – feature writer. The catch? She’s stuck doing a six-part series on her ex. Still, there’s no way she can turn down a promotion…or the chance to dish the dirt on the guy who so callously broke her heart.

…could win it all!

Tanner Stone wants to be involved in a feature series about as much as he wants to snap an Achilles. But the thought of seeing Tilly again is a bonus—and has him more worked up than he wants to admit. Only he’s not prepared for how different she is – all cool and professional. His Tilly is still in there, though…and he still wants her, now more than ever. All he has to do is charm her into giving him a rematch. And this time, winner takes all!

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKSReview-DGR4 starsPlaying By Her Rules-DGR Teaser

Everyone had parts of their job they hated. It just so happened that today hers had a name: Tanner Stone.

A swoony second chance romance with a hot Aussie Rugby player? Sign me up! What can I say? I’m an easy sell. But after reading and loving Amy’s No More Mr. Nice Guy, when I saw she was coming out with a brand new series, I was all over it!

Matilda Kent has dreams of being a serious journalist. Writing about crotchless panties for the style column of the newspaper she works for is not exactly where she saw herself after Stanford. So when she gets a chance to be a feature writer at her newspaper she should be thrilled…if the subject of her article didn’t also happen to be her ex and the man that broke her heart eight years ago.

Yes, he’d screwed up. Big time. Yes, he had a lot of making up to do. But he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed her. Until now.

Thus begins a slow-burn second chance romance of a woman determined to hold on to old grudges and the man determined to right all his wrongs.

I have to say, while it wasn’t the sort of steam I’m used to in a Brazen title, it really worked for this story. The chemistry between Tilly and Tanner was so hot it sizzled and I loved the build up. While the trope was a bit of been there, read that; especially the reason for their break up, it still had a refreshing enough spin on it that kept me entertained from beginning to end.

I think what really hooked me with this story was Tanner. He was just so freaking swoony. I loved how sweet he was and the way he works to woo Tilly. He knows he screwed up and he needs to get his woman back and man oh man did I appreciate the way he went about it.

That old Tilly was still in there, he was sure of it. She was just hiding, buried beneath a shit-ton of hurt, and he hated knowing he was, at least partially, responsible. The thought needled like prickles on sunburn. He had to try and make amends somehow. If he’d broken her, wasn’t it his responsibility to fix her? To coax her out from behind that wall so she could smile again— could be happy within herself and shine bright for the whole damn world to see?”

This was a fantastic start to what promises to be a great series. I for one can’t wait for Lincoln’s book because, well, manwhore. *Pervy shudder* What? I have a type.

Definitely looking forward to the next installment and can happily report that I have myself a brand new Brazen series to stalk.

· Filed Under: All Reviews, Contemporary Romance · Tagged With: , ,

Review: ★Steadfast★ by @SarinaBowen

July 7, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

Steadfast-ReviewSTEADFAST
Series: The True North #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sarina Bowen
Release Date: July 12, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Steadfast-Amazon

She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there’s no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never turn up volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie’s police chief father. But it’s a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&NReview-DGR4.5 starsSteadfast-DGR teaser

When I was seventeen, I thought Jude was sent to me from heaven. When I was eighteen, I let him take me there. When I was nineteen, he broke both my heart and my family.

From the very second that Jude was introduced in Bittersweet, I knew that I needed his book. There’s just something about the broken and tortured heroes, and it doesn’t get more tortured than the man who let his addiction take away not only his freedom but the love of his life. Three years ago, Jude made a mistake that cost him everything. He’s always been able to hide his drug addiction from his beloved Sophie, but when he crashes into a tree and sent to prison for the death of his car’s passenger, all his darkest secrets tear wide open. Now after serving three years, the last place Jude wants to come back to is the town where everyone knows him as an ex-con, but there’s not much choice for him while he gets back on his feet again. So back to his father’s house he goes to work in his auto-shop and hopefully save up enough to get himself a second chance elsewhere.

My name is Jude Nickel, and I am an addict. Also, I’m a big fucking idiot.

Sophie Haines was the love of his life. Letting her go was the hardest thing he’s ever done, but she was always too good for him and meant for greater things. He expects Sophie to be living her dream on Broadway and not stuck with her life in shambles in their small town with a mother that’s a shell of a person and an abusive, jaded father.

It’s inevitable that they run into each other and the love that neither of them ever forgot or got over soon brews to the surface once more.

We’d ended up exactly where I hadn’t wanted us to land, slotting ourselves right into position in both my bed and my memory.

Steadfast packed quite an emotional punch. I loved the realism with which Sarina wrote Jude. This is not a man that suddenly forgets he’s an addict once he detoxed. His struggle is daily and your heart breaks for him experiencing all of it with him. His love for Sophie was easily one of my favorite things about this book. It’s just so unwavering and pure. His inner struggle of loving her but knowing he can’t be with her was heart-wrenching.

The first time I ever kissed Sophie was in a car in the rain. That kiss had made my blood surge with lust and hope. But this one made me ache with impossible longing.

But reading how supportive Sophie was with everything about him and his past made it that much better. Sophie was an amazing heroine. She’s been through so much herself and her family life leaves something to be desired, but you truly understand what draws her to Jude and why she never really blamed him for what happened three years ago.

An addiction is when you can’t keep away from something that’s bad for you. Maybe Jude was a drug addict, but I was a Jude addict.

I absolutely loved the two of them together. The story is highly emotional, angsty and with a touch of forbidden. It broke my heart and melted it. It shattered me into a million pieces and then slowly put me back together.

You own me. You always have.”
“Even when you’re not perfect, you’re still mine.”

The love between Sophie and Jude was a palpable thing. I couldn’t get enough of them. It was beautiful in a tragic way. My heart was aching reading their road to a second chance together. I’ve been a huge fan of all things Sarina Bowen for a while now, but Steadfast put her on a whole different level to me. It was easily one of my favorite second chance romances I’ve read in a long while and certainly the most memorable. It was beautiful and emotional. It was everything I had hoped it would be and so, SO much more.

TRUE NORTH SERIES

BITTERSWEET (True North #1)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

STEADFAST (True North #2)
GOODREADS | AMAZON

KEEPSAKE (True North #3) – releasing October 2016
GOODREADS 

 

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Review: ★Wicked Heart★ by Leisa Rayven

May 16, 2016 by · Leave a Comment

review-WHWICKED HEART
Series: Star Crossed #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Leisa Rayven
Release Date: May 17, 2016add-to-goodreads-button-2

Wicked-Heart-1500

The one guy she can’t have is the one she can’t forget.

Liam Quinn is one of the biggest movie stars in the world…and the only man Elissa Holt has ever truly loved.

After being out of her life for six years, he and his gorgeous fiancé are set to star in the new Broadway show Elissa is stage managing. The only trouble is, when late night rehearsals bring Elissa and Liam together, the line between what is and what could have been gets blurred. Now one moment of weakness is about to create a scandal that will echo around the world.

Elissa knows that falling for Liam again would be a tragedy in the making, but as any good romantic knows, love doesn’t always follow the script.

 

Buy LinksAMAZON | iBOOKS | B&NReview4.5 starsWicked Hearts-DGR

Heartache doesn’t teach you to be resilient. It teaches you to protect your fragility. It teaches you to fear love. And it draws a bright red circle around all the ways you’ve failed as a person and laughs while you cry.”

I feel like I’ve been run over by the angst truck. I don’t know whether I want a drink, a hug, or a cigarette. All I know is that I love the absolute hell out of this book and I’m not even a little sorry!

As a self professed angst whore, second chance romance happens to be my favorite catnip. I lurve it. Seriously. If there’s a grovel involved? Putty. Just scrub my completely melted self off of the floor and go about your business because I can’t even! So when I read the blurb to this book, I knew I had to read it.

Confession time: I didn’t love the first two books in this series. (hides) I know, I know. But save your rotten tomatoes because while I didn’t love the characters, I knew this author was gonna be one to watch out for me. The woman writes good angst and the feels she’s able to pack into it, I gobbled right up. So I knew it was just a matter of time before she was going to give me characters to swoon over and luckily for me, Liss and Liam were that.

I’m not saying goodbye,” he says as he shoves his hands in his pockets.
“Because this isn’t over.
One day, fate’s going to fix this.
Bring us back together.
I believe that.”

Liam wasn’t a famous action star when he first met Lissa. But for one day six years ago, he was her everything. That is until he walked away and shattered her heart. Lisa never quite recovered and she’s held herself aloof to all men since. Now a successful stage manager, she gets the shock of a life time when not only is the new star of the show she’s working on the love of her life, Liam. But the co-star is his gorgeous and disgustingly sweet finance, who’s also impossible to hate.

Enter: über angst. Holy mother. You GUYS. I couldn’t get enough of them. The tension was so thick and palpable, you can practically taste it. And. It. Was. Delicious.
Wicked Heart-DGRI didn’t know what I was feeling. I wanted to hate Liam, but it was impossible. I wanted Lissa to make Liam grovel, but I also got why she couldn’t. The connection they share is so obvious, and the chemistry between them was so hot, it made it completely impossible to put the book down for even a second.

I used to think that if I just waited long enough, fate would bring us back together. That our stars would align, or whatever, and you’d come crashing back into my life to stay. But that didn’t happen. So now I say, screw it. I’m done waiting. Sometimes, fate is what you make it.”

The one thing that I need from a second chance romance is a good reason for the separation. I want to understand it, I want to feel it, and I really got that here. When everything is finally revealed, it’s like the puzzle pieces all clicked together. It just made sense. And I loved that we got that. It wasn’t some silly miscommunication or something ridiculous. It just made you connect with the characters that much more.

Wicked Heart is an angsty and emotional roller coaster with enough sexual tension to make even the toughest reader hurt. It was effortless in its execution and beautiful in its delivery. Liam and Lissa together were absolute perfection. If you don’t head over heels for Liam Quinn, we haven’t been reading the same book.

Ask me to give up a limb and I swear, I’ll find a way to do it. But don’t ask me to live without you anymore. I can’t. I’m so goddamn in love with you, it hurts.”

I already can’t wait for the next tale that this talented author has in mind.

I did wish for a little more from the ending, which is what kept this from being a full 5 stars for me. But overall it was still a fantastic read!

THE STAR CROSSED SERIES

BAD ROMEO | BROKEN JULIET

Bad Romeo and Broken Juliet are a duet based on Cassie and Ethan. Wicked Hearts is Ethan’s sister, Elissa, and while she’s first introduced in the previous 2 books, you may also enjoy it as a standalone.

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