Review – The Promise by Melody Grace

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The Promise by Melody Grace

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first time you fall in love, it changes you forever. No matter how hard you try, that feeling never goes away. ~Nicholas Sparks

Books are like love; we get lost in them. We feel them. We experience them. The Promise by Melody Grace crashed into me unexpectedly, casting me under its spell, where I could do nothing but succumb to this story that shattered my soul and hijacked my heart from beginning to end.

From the beginning, I knew that this was unlike any other Melody Grace book I’ve ever read; it was way better. I knew that this story with its simple title would not be simple at all. The Promise…so much meaning in two little words. So much hope. So much potential. Simple-sounding but significant words.

The Promise took me prisoner from page one, immersing me, as I was intoxicated by the beauty and brilliance of words that rivaled those in a Nicholas Sparks novel. My emotions entangled around me, engulfing every part of me where I felt powerless to stop the feelings that threatened to flow.

A 19-year-old girl, Claire Fortune, promised her dying best friend that she would complete her bestie’s bucket list. A bucket list that would take Claire out of her Texas hometown into unchartered territory, Boston, a big city for a small town girl. A new adventure. A new life.

“I half-expected this new adventure to be a dream that would dissolve with every yawning breath, and when it didn’t, I treasured it all over again.”

This bucket list was so out of the reserved Claire’s comfort zone but one she would see through until completion. A bucket list that altered Claire’s world. A bucket list that meant everything.

Sometimes love comes along when you least expect and changes you forever.

“I wasn’t looking for a man to walk through the door and change my life. I wasn’t that girl at all. But that’s not how this story goes.”

Claire didn’t expect to check off finding a man who would change her life, an item not on her bucket list, but one that was an unexpected surprise.

“I wanted something I’d never wanted before, with a fierce hunger that took the wind from my lungs.”

A gorgeous guy named Theo, a poet with a huge heart, walked into Claire’s life, shifting their worlds forever.

“We were gravity, we were the earth’s orbit, inexorably drawn together.”

Love is built on trust, so delicately woven that once broken, may break the already fragile love. Once lost, love is the greatest hit to the heart of all.

“I thought I knew what it was to love and lose, to feel that wretched agony split your world apart, the jagged edged of an empty forever taunting with every raw, ragged breath…and then I lost Theo too. It was over. It was all my fault.”

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I lost myself in The Promise, vanishing into this life-altering story, spellbound, as it seized every part of me: body, heart, and soul. The Promise hit my heart and shattered my soul where my emotions bled for this book. I was melded to every word. I smiled all the smiles. I cried all the tears. I felt all the feels. I FELT EVERYTHING.

Melody Grace poured her heart, blood, sweat, and tears into her most brilliant and best book yet, a perfectly poignant romance that remains for a lifetime like that epic love. The Promise is a story that is so much more than those two simple words. The Promise is taking that leap and living life to the fullest. The Promise is love against the odds. The Promise is happiness, hope, and heartbreak in a book bathed in beautiful words. The Promise is EVERYTHING.

Enjoy the little moments in life, for some day you will look back and realize they were the big things. Every day is a new beginning. A chance to love. A chance to live. A chance to dream. A chance to do! We live through our actions. We live through our memories. Sometimes we live through stories.

I lived and loved through The Promise, a breathtakingly beautiful and broken love story by Melody Grace, where I was wrecked in the worst and best way. I fell in deep and devotional love with The Promise. I gave my soul to this story—as if I had a choice—for it to be sucked in and stolen from me. I gave my heart to The Promise, this tender and touching tale, where it was massacred yet melted. I lost myself in The Promise where I may forever remain.

★★★★★ ‘but worth more’ perfectly poignant ‘full of promise’ stars

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“Promise me one thing. Promise me you’ll live.”

Claire Fortune arrives in Boston with an old notebook and her best friend’s dying wish – to finish the scribbled bucket list that Hope didn’t have time to complete. Moment by moment, Claire builds a life she never dreamed of – until Theo walks into the coffee-shop one crisp September afternoon, and her careful plans scatter on the winds.

Sometimes a chance meeting can change a life forever.
Sometimes fate knows exactly what we need.

Perfect for fans of ‘Me Before You’ and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, ‘The Promise’ brings together two people searching for a love that can overcome tragedy. A heartbreakingly romantic novel that challenges us to live – and love – every day as if it were our last.

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✮✮ THE PROMISE is live! ✮✮

iBooks ➙ http://apple.co/2dH3BRa

Amazon ➙ http://amzn.to/2dI63ou

Kobo ➙ http://bit.ly/PromiseKobo

GooglePlay ➙ http://bit.ly/PromiseGP

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Review – Elicit by M. Never

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As I came to the end of Elicit, hating with all of my heart to see that last page pop up on my Kindle, there were two words that came to mind to describe Jett Fox. Two simple words to sum up this character’s power, charisma, drive and determination. Two words that even as I think of this book, Jett and London’s painful pasts and their triumphant future, I have to say the words with a smile and a sigh….

Absolute perfection.

This love story with so many twists and turns, heartbreaks, and a soul shaking connection did not fail to disappoint. It was the story that I had been waiting for, and it was well worth the wait. Some may say that it is a bit of a rehash of Owned. There is some mention of the events of the first book of Decadence After Dark, but this is all Jett and London.

London came to Mansion and to Jett broken, lost and hollow. Believing with all her heart that she was nothing and no one… an empty shell to be used for sex, pleasure and pain. But not her own. London’s story is so heartbreaking, so painful… breathing in her story destroyed my heart. All of this is true. Still her story is so hopeful because of Jett. From the moment he opened the door to Mansion and there stood London, Jett knew that his life would be hers. He knew that he would do anything and everything to heal her heart, know her mind and capture her soul. This beautiful robin would be his.

Even knowing he would have to share her body with others, including with his best friend. Even knowing that they both had secrets, some of them deadly, Jett was determined to have London. He had grown up with women. He knew how to hamdle them, how to touch them, how to mold them in his own image. He would use everything he had to have her. I sat back, amazed and captivated. This man so enraptured me with his dominance, his tenderness and his love for one who had never known it. But when London caught on fire and began to feel her own power, I cheered loudly and proudly for her.

This story is so very twisty and full of dark moments. Things popped up that I never saw coming. The chemistry between Jett and London… I swear my kindle was on fire. The romance between them is sigh worthy. An amazing secondary cast that make this book so much deeper and richer. The bonds between Jett and his girls made me envious. The loyalty Jett displays to Kayne goes far beyond the bonds of friendship. These two were brothers in every sense of the word.

Elicit is a collection of beautifully written words that evoked raw open feelings. It’s an angsty, gut clenching emotional roller coaster, and I personally am sorry that the ride has ended.

Absolute perfection, M. Very, very well done.

5 Amazingly high flying stars!

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“You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

Jett Fox has been surrounded by women his entire life. He knows what makes them tick, how to make them feel beautiful, and how to work their feminine wiles to his advantage. Honing sexuality is in his blood.

It’s his gift.

Jett is accustomed to women eating out of the palm of his hand, but when a tall, mysterious, redheaded goddess strolls into Mansion – his domain – the eccentric Dom finds himself enamored. She becomes an obsession in his dark, secretive, and dangerous underworld – a world that appears one way on the outside but is entirely different within.

Forced to maintain the ruse at all costs, he’ll walk a treacherous line between allegiance and lust, deliberately deceiving the one woman who means anything to him.

But the mysterious redhead has secrets of her own – secrets inlaid so deep they could threaten to tear both their hearts, and worlds, and livelihoods apart.

You’ve been claimed by Kayne…seduced by Juice… now it’s time to live Elicitly with Jett.

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Review – Going Down Fast by Carly Phillips

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Carly Phillips is back with the next story in her Billionaire Bad Boys series. And what an amazing second chance love story it is! So full of twists and turns and an unrequited romance that has faced lies, jealousy and heartbreaking loss. Lucas and Maxie’s love story is as sigh worthy as it is frustrating… sexy and sinful.

Lucas Monroe and Maxie Sullivan have known each other for years. Always friends. JUST friends… and both always wanted more but were too afraid to reach for more. She knew that she could always depend on Lucas. He was always her strength – her place of safety. Lucas had his own demons. He was a skinny nerd who was never good enough for his parents no matter how brilliant he was. He could never measure up to his brother, Keith – the golden child, the sports hero… the bully who did everything possible to make Lucas miserable. Even going so far as to use lies to marry the girl that Lucas has always loved.

The years and marriage are not kind to Maxie. A cheating drunk of a husband. An unbearable loss. Then death of the marriage in more ways than one. With no money and no place to go, Maxie turns to the one man that she has always depended on, the man she has always loved – the brother that has always been off limits. But things have changed. She has changed, but has Lucas? Is he still the playboy that she knows him to be? Lucas has vowed to always be by Maxie’s side. To keep her safe and protected. But it’s time to face the truth – he loves Maxie and he wants her. He’s no longer the skinny nerd being bullied by his brother and his friends. What Lucas Monroe wants, he gets. And Lucas wants Maxie.

A romance built on long time frendship is so much fun to watch blossom. These two have loved each other since they were teenagers but their timing never seemed right. Petty jealousies from outside sources and danger from even shadier dealings all work together to keep these two apart. But oh, the moment that Lucas and Maxie give in – amazing! They have so many insecurities to face, so many obstacles from their past to overcome but the steam coming from these two can run a locomotive! Lucas is so alpha, so dynamic and protective. It doesn’t hurt that he has a dirty mouth and knows how to use it! Maxie is stronger than she ever gave herself credit for. I loved her spunk, her guts and tireless determination. I couldn’t help but root for them to have it all!

Beautifully twisted and amazingly well done! A great second chance love story for a tech geek turned billionaire bad boy and his fantastic damsel in distress. Fantastic, Carly! Absolutely wonderful!

One more billionaire bad boy to go.

5 Long time in the making Stars!

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A stand-alone Billionaire Bad Boys novel.

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Lucas Monroe dropped out of college only to become a multi-billionaire and tech world God. He can have any woman he desires in his bed, but the only woman he’s ever wanted is off limits and always has been. When Maxie Sullivan finds herself in dire straits, the only man she can turn to is the one she’s always secretly loved: her childhood best friend.  Can they trust their hearts and make a future, or will their complicated pasts stand in the way?

This bad boy is going down fast …

And going down fast has never felt so right.

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30297093-going-down-fast

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Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/2acSVXh
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2acUdSf
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2aiVlWT
iBooks: http://apple.co/2awzmvS
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2asyBmA

Previous/Other books in the Billionaire Bad Boys series

Going Down Easy
Billionaire Bad Boys #1

Blurb:

Billionaire Bad Boys: Rich, Powerful and sexy as hell.

Billionaire Kaden Barnes has a reputation for being difficult and always getting his way.

Enigmatic and exacting, he’s unable to keep an assistant for long. Enter his newest hire, Lexie Parker. She’s no-nonsense, efficient and all business… She’s also hot as sin and soon starring in Kaden’s dirtiest fantasies.

As their passion for each other reaches a boiling point, neither can control the explosive outcome when they finally give in to their desires. He may think he’s calling the shots, but for this bad boy, going down easy has never felt so good.

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30064124-going-down-easy

Buy links:


Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/29CXgH0

B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/29qYYaS
Kobo: http://bit.ly/29wlJL1
iBooks: http://apple.co/29lk0G4
Google Play: http://bit.ly/29qcKMj

BBB Best Books of September 2016

The Bookalicious Babes Blog (BBB) Team read a ton of books this past month so our list is our biggest yet!!! BBB picked its TOP 5-STAR ROMANCE READS for September! It was not an easy choice as there has been so much book awesomeness this Summer and Fall where BBB has fallen in love with so many amazing authors’ stories.  

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BBB’s top picks are all ranked 5 stars and are not listed in any particular order. Click on the books below to purchase!

THE PROTECTOR — JODI ELLEN MALPAS

People think they have Camille Logan nailed: daddy’s girl; beautiful, spoiled young woman with her father’s bank balance to fund her lifestyle. But Camille is determined to have a life free from his strings. Caught between resentment and fear, Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. But nothing could prepare her for the ex-SAS sniper who crashes into her life.

Accepting the job of bodyguard to Camille Logan isn’t the kind of distraction from his demons he should take. He needs absolution. He comes to need Camille. But he knows he can’t have both.

SILVER — K.A. LINDE

Stacia Palmer had one goal in life: to become an NFL quarterback’s wife. For the past three years, she’s seduced her way through the university’s football line-up. But when she finally has a quarterback fresh off the draft, Stacia experiences a shocking change of heart. One that sends her back to the place she never thought she’d return to.

Vegas. Once there, she finds that no one believes her. Least of all Pace Larson, her sexy on-again off-again ex who has never quite gotten over her leaving him for someone else. Of course, he’s now the starting quarterback and determined to claim her as his prize.

PLAYBOY PILOT — PENELOPE WARD & VI KEELAND

Money or love? Which would you choose?

You probably just answered the question in your head thinking it’s an easy decision. For me, it’s not. Did I mention it’s a lot of money? A hell of a lot. I needed to go far away to think it through.

As I embarked on an impulsive trip, I hit a detour when I met sexy Carter in the airport lounge. We struck up a heated conversation. Then, he left. I thought I’d never see him again. But fate had other plans.

Surprise! He was the pilot of my flight.

CALL ME — GILLIAN JONES

Some know me as Chanel69.
But to my friends and family, I’m simply Ellie Hughes.
A university student who’s in desperate need of money. A lot of money, and fast. I’m about to start a new job.

Three nights a week I’ll be the star in your late night fantasies.

When he calls, I feel an instant connection. Over time, he becomes my regular, my friend, and my confidant. The problem is…he seems familiar…I think I know who he is.

And if I’m right, how will he react when he discovers that I’m Chanel69?

WELL HUNG — LAUREN BLAKELY


Here’s what you need to know about me — I’m well-off, well-hung and quick with a joke. Women like a guy who makes them laugh. Even better if he’s loyal and hard-working. That’s me.

Enter Natalie. Hot, sexy, smart, and my new assistant. Which makes her totally off limits…

Hey, I’m a good guy. Really. I do my best to stay far away from the kind of temptation she brings to work. Until one night in Vegas…

F*CKER — AMO JONES

Ryker Oakley only cared about three things during school —fighting, his band, and getting laid. When he took it upon himself to ‘babysit’ Bryleigh Munroe, he didn’t expect her to be so much trouble, and he sure as shit wasn’t prepared for how fast she would grow on him. Fast-forward to eight years later, his band—Twisted Transistor—is the most successful rock group known to mankind.

Bryleigh Munroe was a popular girl at school, but because her father was a politically powerful man in the San Diego region, the boys either swore away from her or were trying too hard to get with her. She wanted one night. Quick and dirty. No strings. Only she didn’t expect Ryker Oakley to flip the script on her without her even realizing.

WOLF PREY — NINA WEST

Forced to leave Alaska to run the family farm while her father recovers from a tragic accident, Abbi heads home knowing she has the one thing she wants most again –Henry’s affections. She’s determined to not let anyone get in the way of that again.

But love for Abbi has never been easy.

With an overbearing mother who believes she has the right to approve who her daughter loves, a childhood ex-boyfriend who will do anything to win her back, and a wealthy, handsome boyfriend who always gets what he wants, Abbi soon realizes she may have to make some impossible choices.

DIRTY TALK — S.L. SCOTT

I fell madly in love at first sight with Jane Lewis. The girl with bright green eyes, a pretty smile, and great ass owned my heart. I thought she was happy with the status quo, but ten years later, I foolishly let her go. Despite dating other women, no one compares to my first love. We are meant to be together, and I’m going to try my damnedest to convince her of that.

Luke Anders tricked me. The deal was sealed before I knew he was behind it. We agreed to be just friends. Simple. Easy. But it’s not just the weather that’s hot in Texas. I was a fool to think I could resist him. He knows how to work his charms and those kissable lips, that great jaw, and biceps. We are here to work, but he has become downright distracting. 

STROKED LONG — MEGHAN QUINN

From his dirty-blond hair and breathtaking smile, to the abs from heaven and the irresistible V in his waistline, everything about Bodi Olympic-gold-medalist Banks screams hot piece of @$$.

Yet there’s more.
Dark shadows lurk behind his soulful, serious eyes.
I’m enamored. He’s captured me.

How can I stay away from a broken, routine-driven man whose soul cries to be forgiven for a crime only he believes he committed? Or is that a lie?

JUST FRIENDS — MONICA MURPHY

It’s the end of summer. Just before I start senior year with my two best friends in the whole world. Dustin and Emily are everything to me. We’ve been inseparable since middle school, and when we’re together, nothing can go wrong. Dustin and I have hooked up a few times―and now he’s ready to take our relationship to the next level.

So when my best friend betrays me in the worst possible way, guess who’s there to help me pick up the pieces of my broken heart? Ryan. Annoying. Sweet. Sexy. I want to trust him, yet he makes it so hard. What I really want is for everything to go back to the way it was before.

Before I found out that best friends make the worst kind of enemies.

WILDER — REBECCA YARROS

I’m Paxton Wilder–Motocross phenom with more tattoos than scars. I’ve never seen a stunt I couldn’t pull off–Or a girl I can’t get off. Until she walks in.

My new tutor is sexy, smart, more stubborn than I am, and one hundred percent off limits. That’s right–the only rule this semester is Don’t Touch the Tutor. For the first time in my life, I want someone I can’t have. She’s the girl who obeys every rule. I’m the guy who breaks them.

Our biggest risk is falling for each other,  but I live for risk…

UNSTABLE — S.E. HALL

After eight years, Henley Calvert is headed home. Back to the family farm and small town she left behind, never to be thought of again.
But she’s the only one left to see to her family’s legacy, so she must return to Ashfall and face all the ghosts that haunt her. 

Gatlin Holt, the family farmhand, awaits her arrival, and lends a hand—in more ways than one. He reacquaints Henley with the lay of the land while helping her heal her soul with a new outlook on life. Yet every time she thinks some peace may be within reach, Henley hits another roadblock. The biggest of which is Keaton Cash—her childhood nemesis who owns the farm next door. 

And no, it’s not a love triangle. That’s impossible when Henley’s heart is closed, incapable of love.

CHASE THE SUN — CHRISTINA LEE & NYRAE DAWN

Jamie Tolland has only ever known his small Oregon town. He feels obligated to stay…but when a situation presents itself in the form of a vintage sports car, he jumps on the chance to not only repair it, but also drive it to its new owner in LA. Conner Murphy left Oregon years ago to make his life in West Hollywood…never settling on one job or girl for too long. When he inherits his late uncle’s classic Chevelle, he’s more than happy to let his childhood friend Jamie help.

Jamie and Conner are as different as night and day. Even after years of living apart, they still have a blast together—but now it’s mixed with an undeniable spark of attraction. As Jamie’s time in LA comes to an end, and the more they struggle to get on the same page about their feelings, the more Jamie realizes that trying to tie Conner down is as futile as capturing the sun.

DIVINE REDEMPTION — ROSE HUDSON

I showed Erin the darkest parts of me, and she stayed. We were supposed to start our new life—my Beauty and me. But in one breath, faster than a hairpin trigger… she’s gone.

With unquenchable vengeance, my stepmother brought back a past I thought I’d escaped. She has Erin in her grasp, and the police can’t save her. The FBI can’t save her. Only I can. I’ve never had to fight against the grip of the past because I’ve never had a reason—I’ve never loved. But my love for Erin has given me purpose. The fear of losing her is my reason for redemption.

In this story of a life for a life, how many lives can be saved? How many lives will be lost?

POSSESSION — HELEN HARDT

Jade Roberts’s love for Talon Steel is the real deal, and she’s more determined than ever to help him come to grips with whatever is haunting him. To that end, she continues her investigation of the Steels…and unknowingly attracts some dangerous foes from their shrouded history.

Talon loves Jade deeply and longs to possess her forever, so he faces his worst fears and exposes his rawest wounds in an attempt to heal. The road is icy and treacherous, but if he perseveres and comes out whole on the other side, he’ll finally be worthy of Jade’s love.

The untamed passion between the two still blazes, but as the horrors of Talon’s past resurface, Jade and Talon aren’t safe…

ALL THE BROKEN PIECES — ANNA PAIGE

How far would you be willing to go for someone you love?

For Lauren Caldwell, the answer was: as far as necessary. She had done what she had to do to protect the one person who meant the most to her in the world—her uncle. She wasn’t proud of herself, but in the end, she had protected him just as he’d always protected her. A year later, a year of being ostracized in the small Virginia town she called home, she found herself helplessly watching her worst nightmare unfold.

Brant Matthews never wanted to fall in love again; he had worked diligently to avoid emotional entanglements at all costs. He knew what it was to lose the one you loved, to fail them so irrevocably that the entire trajectory of your life shifted. But seeing the broken look in Lauren’s crystal-blue eyes, feeling that old pain flare anew and knowing from experience exactly how much she was hurting… he never stood a chance. She had him, whether she was ready to accept that or not. He would die for her or kill for her.

CAN’T TOUCH THIS — TESS HUNTER,  A.K.A., PEPPER WINTERS

I don’t want to touch it.
I really, really don’t.
He’s egotistical, crass, and my patient’s owner–which makes him totally off limits.
Yep, that’s right. He owns the wiener I’m currently working on.
His bossy commands switched to a cocky smirk.
He gave me permission to do something I promised myself I would never ever do.
I can touch it.
If I want…

FIGHTING TO BE FREE — KIRSTY MOSELEY

All his life, people have told Jamie Cole that he was born bad. Maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not. But that doesn’t matter now. Because after a lifetime of demons, Jamie has finally found an angel.

Ellie Pearce learned the hard way that boys can’t be trusted. But the night she meets Jamie, something shifts. He’s different: brooding, a bit dark, determined to change. The connection they share is intense, compelling. Ellie tries to resist, but with each breathtaking kiss, she can’t help falling deeper.

Things between Ellie and Jamie are perfect-and perfection can’t last.

FIGHTING DEMON — WINTER TRAVERS

A shared past that no one knew about until Demon and Paige’s worlds collide again.

Demon and Paige both made mistakes eight years ago, tearing apart the love they had for each other.

Now, Demon has Paige in his sights again, and he isn’t going to let her go. But things aren’t always what they seem.

Could Demon and Paige be over before they even start again, or will the past fade, making room for the ending they’ve always wanted?

ROAD TO DESTINY — JANI KAY

Life couldn’t be more perfect.
With the woman I love and twins on the way, I’m a happy man.

But the strange thing about life? Nothing stays the same for long. Bad things happen when least expected, throwing the club and my life into chaos. This time I could lose everything that matters to me. My world ripped apart and turned on its axis.

Only I can’t allow what Jade and I have to be destroyed. I’ll lay everything on the line, fighting until my last breath because life is worthless without her. Jade is my reason for breathing. This time the fight is not for survival, it’s for love.

EMPIRE — KATHY COOPMAN

We’ve loved. We’ve lost. We are hated.

Our Empire is crumbling right before my eyes. No one can be trusted for reasons that are consuming me, controlling me and ripping me away from my family.

This new family who has taken over the streets of New York has taken someone away from us. We will not let them take anymore. The only way to stop them is to sacrifice one of us.

I’m loved. I’m lost. I hate.

THE SILENT WATERS — BRITTAINY CHERRY

Moments.

Our lives are a collection of moments. Some utterly painful and full of yesterday’s hurts. Some beautifully hopeful and full of tomorrow’s promises.

I’ve had many moments in my lifetime, moments that changed me, challenged me. Moments that scared me and engulfed me. However, the biggest ones—the most heartbreaking and breathtaking ones—all included him.

This is the story of a boy and girl who loved each other, but didn’t love themselves. A story of life and death. Of love and broken promises. Of moments.

CHANDLER — LAURELIN PAIGE

I’m good in a boardroom, but I’m better in the bedroom. Much better. I can charm the skirt off any woman in one encounter. I’ll even give her an orgasm before I put her in a cab. Or three. No more or she’ll start making plans for the future and I’m not into that.

Or I wasn’t until Genevieve Fasbender. She’s the first woman in five years that I want to spend the whole night with. And she’s the first woman who’s told me I’m not what she wants in a lover, even after multiple O’s. She’s brash and bold and stubborn as hell, and she doesn’t believe it’s possible to satisfy her.

But I’m up for the challenge. Genevieve Fasbender will never know what’s coming.     

BRETT — KYLIE WALKER

He was a one night stand that I wanted to last a lifetime. The tattoos, shaggy hair and massive shoulders were enough to make me quiver at the knees. He touched me, every part of me.

We’d known each other for one night and he’d been inside of me more times than I could count…and now-5 years later, it appeared he’d done pretty damn well for himself. Quarterback for one of the best teams in the biz…the sight of him was enough to make me wet in places I thought I’d forgotten.

Now he’s my patient. F*ck! My career is going to be damned!

DARKEST BEFORE DAWN — STEVIE COLE

Sixty-four days in captivity. Sixty-four days to lose yourself—or find yourself.

I’m Ava Donovan. I was abducted at the age of nineteen. I’m told I’m a survivor, but the truth is, I only survived because he saved me. Even when he kept me locked in that room—he saved me.

Constantly wondering when and how you will die, that does something to you. To your mind. But what do you do when it does something to your heart? What do you do when the man holding you captive seems just as broken as you are, when his mere presence becomes a comfort you crave—when you love him even though you shouldn’t?

DISCLAIM — PAM GODWIN

Camila was seventeen when Van Quiso kidnapped her. Ten years after her escape, the shackles refuse to release her. Not while there are still slave traders preying on her city. She will stop at nothing to end them. Even if that means becoming a slave again. Returning to chains is her worst fear—and only option. They won’t know who she is or what she intends to do.

She’s prepared for every complication. Except him. The one who decimated her sixteen-year-old heart. Matias is charming, gorgeous, and dangerously seductive. He’s also untrustworthy and enshrouded in secrets. After years of no contact, he finds her—on her knees, wrists bound, in the clutches of her enemy. Will he sabotage her mission by needlessly saving her? Or will he keep her in chains and never let her go?

SCANDAL — HJ BELLUS

I followed their rules. Married the right man with the perfect last name. Made the best wife and partner for, Zack Blackwell, on his triumphant trial to the Senate.

My reward…
lost my best friends.
watched myself dissolve in front of the mirror.
hidden bruises, broken bones, and a crushed soul.

I’ve ran and know there will be punishments, but there’s no way I can get this bone set in the hospital. Zack will be exposed. In a sick and twisted way I can’t hurt him. It’s all part of the Scandal.

JUNKIE — HEATHER C LEIGH

I’m a heroin addict. A junkie. A whore. I’ll do anything to get my next fix. Anything.

Including walking right onto the property of Austin’s most ruthless and feared drug lord to beg for some H. I don’t know his name, only that people call him Boss. Oh, and that he won’t think twice to put a bullet in my head.

But like I said, I’ll do anything to get my next fix. Even if it costs me my life. Or changes it forever.

AMORE — BELLA JEWEL

I’m just a normal girl.
Or so you would think.
I’ve never thought of myself as anything different.
Until I met him.
He doesn’t think I’m normal.
He thinks I’m special.
Special enough to be in his life.
Special enough to enter his world.
Special enough for his bed.
Rafael Lencioni. Dangerous. Beautiful. Terrifying.
My story is the one that’s never told.

RESCUED — FELICE STEVENS

When Jason Mallory’s girlfriend gives him an ultimatum to get married, he shocks everyone by breaking up with her instead. He believes he’s too busy for a relationship now that the construction company he started with his brother is taking off. When he discovers a group of abandoned pit bulls and calls the local dog rescue group to pick them up, an uncomfortable encounter with Ryder causes Jason to question feelings he’s hidden deep inside for years.

RETRIEVAL — ALY MARTINEZ

I proposed on our first date.
She laughed and told me I was insane. Less than a day later, she said yes.
It was a whirlwind, but we were happy…
Until we got greedy and wanted a family.

We were left broken, battered, and destroyed.
They say love is in the details, but it was the details that ruined us.

This is the story of how I took back what had always been mine.
The retrieval of my wife and our family.

JAGGER HEATHER C. LEIGH

I sell drugs. Heroin to be specific. And I’m fucking good at my job. Enough to fight my way to the top, controlling all of Austin’s supply.

So what if I had to kill the previous boss to do it. I do what has to be done. Never cared about consequences because I never had anything to lose. Until I met Miri. My doll. She’s my weakness and somehow, my enemies found out about her.

If they hurt her, they will regret the day they ever heard my name. Boss. They call me Boss for a reason. What I say goes, including the price on the heads of anyone who dares to fuck with what belongs to me.

LOCKED ELLA FRANK & BROOKE BLAINE

Sorry, ladies—and fellas—Hollywood’s hottest action star, Ace Locke, is officially off the market!

The man on Locke’s arm has been identified as Dylan Prescott, the sexy new “it” model currently featured in the latest Calvin Klein ads. Sources tell TNZ the men met on the set of Locke’s upcoming action film Insurrection 2, and that “they only have eyes for each other.” This is the first public gay relationship for Locke, who came out a year ago, and there has been much speculation on who would finally be the one to catch his eye.

BOLD BEAUTIFUL LOVE — ANGEL PAYNE

Bold fate…
Cassian Court—powerful, beautiful, sensual—is the man who has changed Mishella Santelle’s life with the world’s most unconventional business contract—and captured her heart with a destiny neither of them can deny.

But passion comes with a price. They’ve both had to confront demons, banish ghosts, face fears, and dig to the deepest truths of their souls—hells that have been worth it for the promise of finding their heaven.

Until fate delivers them a crushing new blow.

TORRID AFFAIR — CALLIE ANDERSON

I’m f*cked.
The life I have lived for the past ten years is built solely on lies and secrets.
But I can’t help myself.
I’m in love with two different men. And one of them is my brother-in-law.
He’s my drug. My fire. My addiction.
But he’s married to my best friend. And I’m married to my husband.
I’m not ashamed. I have no guilt.
None.
I’m not only f*cked. I’m a f*cked up person.
This is the story of how I ruined my life.
And the life of the one I love most.

PRETTY STOLEN DOLLS — KER DUKEY & K. WEBSTER

Have you ever had to make a decision that haunts you every single day for the rest of your life…the life you stole back?
I have.
I ran for my survival, rocks and twigs cutting into the soles of my feet, my lungs burning and screaming for rest, every muscle tensed and fighting along with me for existence.
I left her.
I ran, ran, ran—from Benny and his lone, pretty little doll—until I couldn’t remember where to find them again.
I’m sorry.

CAPTIVATE ME — RYAN MICHELE

The Ravage MC is a family. Always has been, always will be. But life took them all on a different path, a path where they suffered loss, betrayal, and heartache.

Now it all comes down to this moment: a day of reckoning. After all, now they know the cause of all the turmoil their lives have become. And only one thing is on their minds: vengeance.

As with everything else, revenge comes at a price. And sometimes, the cost is far greater than one can bear. Can they live with their choices and the consequences? Or will the entire club feel more pain and loss?

OBSESSION — ANN MAYBURN

All my life, I’ve only wanted one thing: someone to love me and someone who will let me love them in return. I thought I would never find a man who could feed my craving for constant attention–and then I met Leo. He fills the void inside of me, haunts my dreams, and does things to me in bed that are so good, they’re probably illegal. I can only pray I don’t scare him off once he figures out just how needy I really am.

…The moment I saw Hannah, I knew she was mine. We were bound together by fate, our paths crossing first as children, then as adults, each time marking me. There is only one way to ensure Hannah’s absolute devotion, and I hope that she doesn’t hate me forever when she finds out that not only have I brainwashed her into loving me, but that I don’t feel an ounce of guilt about doing it. She’s mine, only mine, and I’m keeping her forever.

THE PLAYBOOK — KELLY ELLIOTT

My life revolved around two things. Football and my cock. And not necessarily in that order.

Being the head football coach for a top university in Texas had its ups and its downs.

The ups? Endless women to f*ck.

The downs? The politics that came with the job.

From the moment Aubrey Cain walked into my office, she turned my world upside down. Being forced to have her follow me around for a month was going to be a pain in the ass. Especially since I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.

The best I’d hoped to come out of this was a few nights with her in my bed. I never imagined she’d be the game changer.

ENDLESS OBSESSION — ALEX GRAYSON

I’ve silently watched her for a year, staying hidden in the shadows, biding my time. She may know me as two different men, but she doesn’t have a clue what I’ve done. She unknowingly became mine the moment my eyes touched her beauty.

I’ve stayed away, but I’m tired of watching her from afar. It’s time Poppy finds out just who I am and what I’m willing to do to take what’s mine. She may hate me when she finds out the lengths I’ve gone to with the things I’ve done, but she has no choice but to accept it. She will be my wife. She will mother my children. I will claim every part of her heart, body, and soul. Anything else is unacceptable.

Poppy Lexington has become my endless obsession. I will become her uncontrollable addiction.

MAD SEA — K. WEBSTER

Motorcycles and the ocean are my only loves.
Until Hali.
Every Sunday, I exchange my mancard for a punch on my pink frozen yogurt card.
Just to see her.
This is what stalkers do, you see.
I’ll do whatever it takes to catch one tiny glimpse of her bright smile—a smile she shines upon me, even if only for a few brief moments—to light up my usually dark, lonely world.
Hello, my name is Madden Finn.
And I’m in love with a girl who doesn’t even know my name.

A PLAYER FOR A PRINCESS — TIA LOUISE

Zelda Wilder is on the run, this time from the ruthless assassins who’ve decided she knows too much to live.

“Playboy Prince” MacCallum Lockwood Tate isn’t about to let the beautiful player who stole his heart get away–if only he could decide whether he wants to save her or strangle her for her dangerous choices.

After tracking her down to a casino in St. Croix, Cal follows Zee back to Tortola where he intends to keep her safe. One problem: Zelda’s criminal liaisons are two steps ahead of her.

Lives are threatened, and all of the players’ skills are tested in this plot to capture a killer and save a princess.

ROMAN CRAZY — ALICE CLAYTON & NINA BOCCI

Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds–and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man–the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage…

SEX MACHINE — MARIE FORCE

He’s good for one thing and one thing only—and she wants it bad.

Honey Carmichael has never had a decent orgasm, and she’s out to change that with the one man in town known for his superior skill between the sheets.

Blake Dempsey is happy to help Honey with her “problem” as long as she knows he’s only interested in sex. His heart was broken when his high school girlfriend was killed in the car he was driving, and he has nothing to offer other than more orgasms than Honey can handle.

Which is just fine with her—until fantastic orgasms aren’t enough anymore for either of them and unexpected feelings turn hot sex into messy entanglement—and that most definitely wasn’t in the plans.

But you know what they say about plans…

Review – Pucked Under by Helena Hunting

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Pucked Under by Helena Hunting

karens-review

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

That moment when you’re reading a book and the world around you doesn’t exist anymore. Some stories…series…are shut-the-door, shut-off-the-world, do-not-bother me books, ones you know you’ll devour in one sitting. We lose ourselves in these brilliant books; we find ourselves too. I lost myself in Pucked Under by Helena Hunting and did not want to be found. This hockey story, like the series, was…is…my addiction…my ache…my ALL. I. CAN’T. GET. ENOUGH. I’ll never get enough.

Helena Hunting is one of my favorite writers and among my go-to authors FOR LIFE. Her words do so many things to me, melting me from the inside out. I love Helena’s writing so much I would put a ring on it if I could. I’ll just have to settle for dating her brilliant and blissful books, with Pucked Under the latest of crack in my Hunting expedition.

When I need a good laugh, the kind that makes me contemplate slapping on a Depends adult diaper due to the thorough laugh-to-bladder work-out, I’ll grab a Helena Hunting book. I’ll stalk these stories so hard that I could teach those wanna-be Hollywood stalkers outside celebrities’ homes a thing or ten. Once a story from Helena Hunting’s hot and hilarious Pucked series appears on my e-reader, I drop off of the earth or go missing for hours. I may be physically present, but my mind is stuck in a sensational sports series that is my delicious drug.

From the beginning to end, I WAS ALL IN. I was SPELLBOUND…SUNK…as I swiftly succumbed to Pucked Under that stole every piece of me. A big grin quickly formed, spreading across my face. I don’t know if I’ve ever loved a set of characters with charisma in spades—the perfect culmination of humor, heat and heart—as much as I do in this Pucked series. I was elated to be wrapped up in this witty and wonderful writing, a deep sea dive into Pucked Under, part of a hockey series that are not just stories but SO MUCH MORE.

There is no other series that makes me drunk girl giggle like Helena Hunting’s Pucked series and characters. Characters who not just make me laugh but make me LOVE…oh so hard. Characters with charisma in spades. Characters who have burrowed themselves in my heart where they will likely remain forever. Characters so raw and so real they feel like family; they are my family.

Ever since devouring Pucked Over with the hot bearded alpha, Randy ‘Balls’ Ballistic, and his now-girlfriend, the beautiful Lily Le Blanc, I’ve panted for more. Lily is a trip to the amusement park as she channel’s her inner Violet; both are spirit animals. I loved that Lily’s confidence has skyrocketed throughout this series and it’s due to her Balls or Randy worshipping her like the princess she is as she deserves his devotion.

Even after a year, Randy and Lily’s chemistry is still SMOKIN’ HOT and their relationship grows by leaps and bounds. My favorite Pucked heroine, the spitfire, Violet, sums up Randy and Lily’s chemistry perfectly, which has not waned and, if anything, has grown stronger.

“For the love of broken beavers, do you two ever take a break? Seriously. Is your vagina lined with leather? I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if one day your vagina fell right off.”

I can’t help but roll in laughter with nearly every word that wanders out of Violet’s mouth. Her humor knows no bounds…and I love every funny-filled moment!

I loved that the spark that still shoots through Lily and Randy, that passion permeating throughout the pages.

“Randy may be right; he has the incredible ability to get me off with very little physical contact. He’s rather cocky about it…He can make me come just by rubbing up on me. Our chemistry is ridiculous.”

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A bit cocky, fun, and blunt like Lily, Randy too is quite the fire cracker with lines laced in lust and laughter. Tall, muscular, bearded and gifted with a magic tongue, Randy is a woman’s wet dream and knight in shining armor rolled into one. I loved his dirty mouth…A LOT.

“You can tell me exactly what you liked best about my eating your pussy in the changing room and if there’s anything you’d want me to do differently next time.”

HOLY. HOT. Barely into the story and I am melting like molten lava. Holy mounds! I’m crowning Balls both King Clit and Magic Button Magician. From being a Chicago baller, Randy definitely knows his way around the Canadian beaver. Lily is one lucky recipient.

As dirty and delicious as Randy’s mouth is on Lily, what pours out of it made me melt in a sugary sweet way.

“Her touch is gentle, soothing. It’s what I need. She’s what I need. Sometimes it makes me nervous how much.”

The softer Randy swathed me in sweetness. I SWOONED HARD. This man is a HOT hockey GOD with a huge HEART that’s unleashed even more in Pucked Under, and I FELL EVEN HARDER FOR RANDY…my Balls for life.

Hot, hilarious, and heartfelt, I thoroughly loved getting Pucked Under. I CRIED HAPPY TEARS. I CRIED SAPPY TEARS. I CRIED A FEW SAD TEARS. The feels flowed through the lust and laughter.

Deliciously dirty, fabulously flirty, laced with laughter, and filled with feels, Pucked Under fully satisfies while seducing the senses. A hot and hilarious hockey story with huge heart, Pucked Under is PURE PUCKING PERFECTION. These Pucked stories make my soul sing, my gut giggle, and my heart happy. I can’t get enough of this achingly-addictive Pucked series, stories that will remain in my hockey-loving heart forever.

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★★★★★ Pucking Perfect Stars

*** ARC provided by the author, publicist, or publisher in exchange for an honest review ***

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Randy Ballistic and Lily LeBlanc are head-over-heels, bed-breakingly, screaming orgasmically in love. But even they have their challenges, mostly outside of the bedroom.

With the off-season coming to a close and the boys gearing up for training camp, one more weekend of fun is the perfect way to welcome the new season.

The entire crew piles into vehicles and drives to Alex and Violet’s Chicago cottage for a few days of relaxation—and hopefully a chance for Randy to shake the anxiety that’s been plaguing him.

Accidental wardrobe malfunctions, typical Violet inspired overshares, and a whole lot of private time round out the perfect weekend getaway.

But the moment they return to the city all of Randy’s angst resurfaces with the arrival of a surprise houseguest.

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Get your hands on some BALLS!

Amazon US ☛ http://amzn.to/2d7bI6E
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Audible ☛ http://adbl.co/2d5IXdG

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Review – Bedmates by Nichole Chase

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Bedmates by Nichole Chase

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Karen's Review

You know how it is. Politics makes for interesting bedmates.”

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In D.C., politics is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Politics is everywhere! Growing up in the D.C. suburbs of Virginia, I could not help but live and breathe politics—whether I wanted to or not. Oh did I loathe the dishonest and dirty D.C. politics. 

“Living in D.C. required the ability to see the strings attached to everything behind the scenes, the lies, and the manipulations.”

If showcased in a romance book, I can love and play politics night and day. Oh did I want to play with Bedmates, a politically-lit love story by Nichole Chase that made me want to parade into the White House wearing red, white, and blue. Intense and intoxicating, Bedmates is a politically-powered friends-to-lovers romance that harnesses the heart and sparks the soul.

From the very first page, I sank into this story, immersing myself where I quickly became intoxicated. I dove into Bedmates with a deep hunger and did not want to come up for air. I expected to detonate with desire. What I did not prepare for was for Bedmates to administer an assault on my heart where it was pounded into pieces. As a military wife, those pieces shattered even more, bleeding for broken heroes. Bedmates was what I expected yet it wasn’t; it was so much more.

Beautiful Maddie McGuire is the President’s daughter completing her last year in college with a strong passion for many issues including saving animals and the environment. It’s too bad that that passion seems to land her in trouble.

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Maddie is now stuck doing community service for veterans, serving alongside the Vice President’s son, Jake Simmon.

“Jake hated me and I wasn’t exactly his biggest fan.”

Jake, the boy who is now all man, has swayed from friend to enemy territory during most of Maddie’s teenage years. The scorching alpha is also a former Marine who has just returned from the war in Afghanistan after being injured in combat, a war that haunts him every day. Jake has been Maddie’s crush since she was a teen, and for him, the feeling is mutual.

“Maddie was infuriating, sexy, and so far off limits she might as well live on Pluto.”

Maddie is funny, flirty, and fearless, and not what you’d expect from a President’s daughter. Blunt and brazen, it’s refreshing to have someone in politics be completely free where she speaks her mind, carrying so much charisma that those can’t help but love her. I so wanted to hang out with Maddie…LOVED HER!

Working with her forever crush is one challenge that’s proving difficult for Maddie to ignore. Jake’s cockiness and playboy lifestyle gets under her skin, but Maddie sees the man beneath the mask.

“There was a darkness behind his eyes that made my heart ache, despite his pompous attitude.”

Jake won’t own his feelings towards the First Daughter, feelings he’s tried to bury for years. Even war in Afghanistan didn’t destroy that ache that surfaces for Maddie when she’s around. Oh does Jake want to scratch that Maddie ache.

“I wanted nothing more than to pull her into a dark corner, grip that perfect ass with both hands, and kiss her until she couldn’t think to tease me anymore.”

The all-alpha Jake is having a tough time reigning Maddie to his fantasies when he wants to ravish her in real life. Staying in the friend zone proves to be one race that Maddie and Jake may not beat.

“As his mouth danced over mine, fire ran through my veins. Everywhere he touched me came alive…I’d waited for this moment most of my life.”

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Maddie doesn’t want to like the panty-melting hot playboy, but his dirty words bring out her inner wanton woman and his concern for her and others bring out more, whether she wants to admit that chemistry crashing through them or not.

“I want to touch you, taste you. I want to be inside of you. I want to watch you as you come. Can I have that? Can I have you?”

Holy HOT. Jake’s wanton-inducing words delivered involuntary thigh clenches that melted me everywhere. A fire blazed by body, burning me from head to toe where I melted like molten lava. This beautiful and broken alpha was my addition. Jake, so sexy and perfectly imperfect…I LOVED HIM!

“I let myself drink her in, drown in her. She was like a spring day after a painful winter.”

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My scorching has morphed into swooning. I SWOONED HARD at this tough guy with a heart of gold though shielded by one wall of steel. Jake is broken but Maddie is the glue helping repair his shattered soul. Maddie sees not the injured Marine, but the real Jake. Jake doesn’t think he deserves a beautiful soul like Maddie, but he does. His soul, while broken, is just as beautiful.

“Maddie was the kind of woman you kept forever. And I wasn’t looking for that kind of relationship.”

As Maddie and Jake get closer, the past strikes hard like lightning, threatening their renewed friendship and budding love.

“Now that I’d opened Pandora’s Box and I wasn’t sure that I’d ever be able to close it.”

Politics tends to be fake but everything about this political romance felt REAL. My emotions entangled in this romance were REAL. I could not help but feel every word I read in Bedmates, words that reached inside and hitched themselves to my heart, tugging it the whole way where my heart stayed stuck in this story that stole my soul too. My LOVE for Bedmates was so much more than its title…it was…is…REAL.

First Bedmates bewildered me, this story instantly becoming the unexpected. Then Bedmates blazed heat through me as the passion from the characters melted the pages…melting me. Finally, Bedmates broke me where my tears bled onto the pages. Heartbreaking tears. Hopeful tears. Happy tears. This military wife bled for these broken heroes too, one of whom is still hijacking my heart along with the bewildering and brilliant Bedmates.

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★★★★★ 5 politically-powered and perfect stars

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From the bestselling author of Suddenly Royal comes the first in a sparkling new series about America’s favorite royal—the First Daughter.

Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you’re the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire’s latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president’s son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.

Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They’re like oil and water and every time they’re together, it’s combustible. But there’s a thin line between love and hate, and it’s not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.

When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he’s resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn’t about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie’s fallen for him, and she’ll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can’t lose.

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Review – Sweetest Taboo by J. Kenner

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Sweetest Taboo by J. Kenner

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All of the best love stories have one thing in common: You have to go against the odds to get there. Like the best love stories, books often go against the odds with the unexpected and exceed what we expected. Sweetest Taboo by J. Kenner EXCEEDED ALL OF MY EXPECTATIONS.

I did not expect to become so engrossed and entangled in this steamy suspense…but oh was I tangled and twisted in every part of this thrilling tale! I did not expect to fall in insta-love with these characters who captivated me and coerced me into their story, but oh did I fall for them so hard! I did not expect to love the S.I.N trilogy by J. Kenner as much as the Stark series that is one of my all-time favorites…but oh did the Stark series meet its match in the S.I.N spin-off.

I wanted to take my time, but all I could do was DIG IN, devouring this scintillating and suspenseful story fast and furiously. All I could do was succumb to the seduction of Sweetest Taboo as I rushed to read this riveting roller coaster of a romance where the world closed around me, opening up to all things SIN. I tore through this story as the adrenaline from this thrilling tale coursed through this Sweetest Taboo straight to me.

The twists and turns.
The blazes and burns.
The thrills and chills.

I knew that this thrilling yet tender tale would dig itself deep in my heart, sending my feelings flying into one tornado of a tailspin. Sultry. Sinful. Scorching. Sweet. Sensations traveled through me at lightning speed. I was not prepared for Sweetest Taboo to sink into my soul.

Sweetest Taboo struck hard and fast. Dallas and Janes’ relationship takes another tumble, its broken pieces that just became bound are splintering again.

“Remnants of fear cling to him like palpable things, but there is joy, too. And when he whispers my name, it’s like a lifeline pulling us back together, making me whole. Making us whole.”

I love a hard-fought love story and what Dallas and Jane have is worth the fight. These two broken souls are whole together as one.

“You’ve always taken care of me.”

“I have and I always will.”

Dallas and Janes’ love is sweet, but their chemistry is combustible. So super scorching HOT. Dallas delivers the involuntary thigh clenches with mere words that melt me everywhere.

“Is this what you want? My mouth on your pussy? My tongue teasing your clit while I thrust my fingers deep inside you?”

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Dallas’ words possessed me, lighting a fire that burned from head to toe where I melted like molten lava. I could not help but combust from the fire-hot words that raked over my body as if I were floating over hot coals. Oh Dallas…delicious and dirty-talking Dallas. This sweet and sexy man was my addiction.

“You’re mine, Jane…You were my dirtiest secret…now you’re my sweetest taboo.”

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Just when Dallas and Jane are ready to throw caution to the wind and show the world that they are in love, deception and danger dangle like a creeper lurking in the shadows, threatening to strike. This strike may hit the hardest of all, hurting the most.

“Please, Dallas. Bring me back to life.”

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I fell hard; I fell fast. My emotions dangled from the edge, hanging onto hope for a happy ending. I cried tears of heartbreak. Tears of hope. Tears of happiness. Sweetest Taboo broke me in the best way.

Sweetest Taboo was my addiction. My ache. My adrenaline. MY ALL. Sweetest Taboo twisted itself around every piece of me, quickly capturing me in its clutches. IT did not let go; I did not let go. I knew from the start that this story would break me, sending me on an emotional and adrenaline-filled adventure; that it did. I WAS ALL IN.

What began as the Dirtiest Secret became The Hottest Mess that ended as the Sweetest Taboo, the perfect S.I.N that’s sheer brilliance from beginning to end. Sweetest Taboo, like the rest of this series, is scorching, suspenseful, and scandalous…but so MUCH MORE. It’s a soul-searing story of strength, survival, and second-chance love. Sweetest Taboo seduced me—heart and soul—where I fell under this story’s spell. I could not help but feel every word I read and live every part of this devastatingly beautiful book.

Watch out Stark series, you have some serious competition with S.I.N. J. Kenner ended this enthralling and explosive series perfectly, and oh how I was left panting for more. More forbidden tales of twists and turns that burned my body. More emotional-entwined stories that hit my heart hard. More wonderful writing that blew me away. Sweetest Taboo is not simply a story; it’s an enticing and enthralling escape from reality. I was not ready for this achingly-addicting adventure to be over.

★★★★★ sweet and seductive stars

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All eyes are on us . . . and there’s nowhere to run.

Everyone has their own ideas about Dallas Sykes: He’s a reckless billionaire, a devilish playboy, a man who gets whatever he wants the minute he wants it. But I know the real Dallas behind the money, bravado, and power—and he’s completely, blissfully mine.

We carefully guarded our secrets, and in each other’s arms we sought refuge from our dark past. Our pain became our pleasure, our control within the chaos. But we could only hide from the truth for so long.

Now we’ve let loose our inhibitions and are ready to face the future. And no matter what people think or say, coming clean is its own sweet reward.

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Review – Down Shift by K. Bromberg

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Down Shift by K. Bromberg

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“We were two broken souls in love and maybe our crooked pieces were what made us fit together so perfectly, just like a puzzle…The puzzle I didn’t know I needed, and the puzzle he didn’t know he wanted.” ~Unknown

Have you ever begun and ended a story with tears? The first, last, and so much of the middle of the book render you a wreck, where the tissues are a lifeline, controlling those feels that flow like a river. Those emotions are entangled so deeply where you feel EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Down Shift by K. Bromberg hit my heart hard and sank itself into my soul where all the feels flowed fast and furiously, leaving me bound to this devastatingly beautiful book where I may remain forever.

JUST JUMP.

Oh did I want to jump! I wanted to devour Down Shift. I wanted to savor it, Zander, and Getty. I wanted to rush. I wanted to take my time. Down Shift stormed its way into my heart and soul, a bolt of lightning, striking me hard and hastily. Feelings flowing. Pulse pounding. Soul spinning.

I WAS ALL IN. Happy tears. Nostalgic tears. Weary tears. Sad tears. So many tears. I knew Zander’s story would be one of heartbreak, and perhaps hope and healing. However, Getty’s story dealt me a few emotional blows where I broke just as hard. So many emotions cut through me like a knife.

The Prologue dragged me into Down Shift. Before I could catch my breath, I was thrust into this story. Utterly immersed. Emotions engaged. Air amplified. It took but a few words to become one with this touching tale. One line…two lines…three and my emotions were standing at attention, preparing to fight the ensuing flood of feels…a losing battle.

“The stain on my soul darker than ever before.”

After just one paragraph, Zander embedded himself in my heart. The Prologue spun me around, my head in disbelief, my heart heavy and hurting for Zander…for Colton…for Rylee. I was brought back into the Driven world—with just a few words—as if I never left. I saw a newer and even better Colton as a father who melted me to pieces. This Colton is wiser and more mature but still passionate and persuasive. Oh Down Shift, I gasped for air as this story stole my breath and took my tears.

“Everything important taken away from me with the slam of the door: my family, my ride, my anchors. And the sting is real.”

The sting was real indeed. Zander Donavan, Colton and Rylee’s son, has never dealt with his painful past. Now, the past floats around him like a ghost, returning again, haunting him, wrecking his racing, and leaving his life in ruins. He has no choice except to fight the demons head on, a battle that needs to be fought solo. Self-healing.

JUST JUMP.

Oh does Zander have to take that jump. Rebuild his life. Rebuild himself. Leaving his LA life and spot as the top racer behind, Zander relocates to a friend’s house on the Washington coast to work those demons out of his system, eliminate those complications and purge that painful past.

“I can’t chase the ghosts away for good if I don’t face them head-on.”

My heart that has held Colton for so long now holds Zander. Cocky and complicated, wounds rush through him that are years old, causing Zander to wound others in his path. I wanted to hug him and help him soothe the pain.

The gorgeous dark-haired, blue-eyed, tall, and muscular Zander didn’t expect to meet the beautiful brown-haired, brown-eyed, long-legged, and curvy Getty Castor. Getty is running from demons too after being controlled like a puppet all her life. She leaves home for a fresh start, a new life, one where she will be confident and commanding.

“That unmistakable zap of chemistry. My neurons catching fire…for a split second I think he feels it too.”

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Zander and Getty are electric. Their chemistry is a current that flows fast and furiously through them, perhaps carved by fate. Despite the deep desire and attraction, they are complications to each other. Zander does not need Getty mixing up his mind further when he needs to fix his failures while Getty is done with men after they have let her down all of her life.

“Words. Thoughts. Confessions. The look in his eyes and the comfort of his touch cause my head to whirl, make me want to let him in.”

Both Getty and Zander have messed up, made mistakes in the past. Zander is supposed to be finding himself but Getty is who he has found and who is softening his hardened heart.

“You complicate things, Getty. Because there is something about you that continually reminds me why I came here.”

JUST JUMP.

Zander and Getty succumb to the temptation of touch, waging a war on those fireworks that ignite whenever they touch, heating them from skin to soul.

“You kiss me like I matter.”

This story…oh does Down Shift matter. Tears that tried to tangle with me during the first half of the story won the war, trickling down my cheeks like drops of the ocean.

“Right now every damn part of me wants to kiss you again. Kiss you till we can’t breathe, then lay you down on my bed and show you what it’s like to feel that kind of worship…But I can’t do that to you. I can’t knowingly walk you into my storm without showing you where the lighthouse is so you have a way out before you even begin.”

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I FELL IN LOVE fast and furiously with Zander, Getty, and Down Shift. My heart bled for these broken souls who should heal and be happy together as one.

“It’s like I’m trying to come up for air and he’s trying to pass me his.”

I swooned so hard from these beautiful words that seduced my soul, carving a piece of my heart out with every word…every paragraph…every page.

JUST JUMP.

Zander and Getty need a relationship jump. Their chemistry is off-charts-hot but their compassion is just as combustible. Getty and Zander care so much for each other but won’t take that lap around the relationship track. It’s too bad that they still think of each other as a complication, something they don’t want or need. 

“I snarl and clench my jaw, because the last thing I need is her presence here to cloud my thoughts. Give me reasons to want to stay. Make me want to walk up to her, back her against the counter, and kiss her senseless. Which is exactly why I’m leaving. Right now. Distance. Space. Clarity.”

Love may be washed up on the shore before it’s even ridden the waves as the past collides with the present. Darkness dangles itself in the air, threatening to steal the light. Zander must find himself without losing Getty. He’s the puzzle she didn’t know she needed, and the puzzle he didn’t know he wanted. Two broken hearts must find a way to fit together.

“Everyone’s churning ocean is fueled by a different type of storm.”

Down Shift was my perfect storm, an electric current that lit me up like a lightning bolt, sparked with sensations, where a force of feels flowed through me. Dark yet light. Turbulent yet tender. Broken yet beautiful. Explosive, exhilarating, and enchanting, Down Shift is EVERYTHING. This shattered and stunning epic love story is the perfect complement to the Driven series. Those beautiful and broken words broke me where I was drowning to breathe as Down Shift stole every piece of me: mind…body…heart…soul.

JUST JUMP.

Oh did my heart jump as I was free-falling into Down Shift, riding the waves of emotions that crashed into my soul, where I felt every word I read. Down Shift was ALL OF THE FEELS. ALL OF THE SENSATIONS. ALL OF THE SOUL. Oh did this story hit my heart hard. Bate my breath where I held it for periods in anticipation. Pounded my pulse as adrenaline rushed through me. Mesmerized my mind that fell hostage to this latest Driven book from the very first page. Stole my soul that was tied to this story like a race car to a track.

Like Colton and Zanders’ cars around the track, my heart is still racing for Down Shift. What started with Driven, a series that stole my heart years ago and still holds it closely today, has ended with Down Shift, a shift in gears. I’m not quite ready to shift gears. Down Shift and the Driven series are not just stories; they are beauty in words…adventures that feel so very real. The forever kind of real. The voodoo vortex kind of real. The real that I raced over two years ago, race today, and will still race tomorrow from A to mother f**king Z. 

★★★★★ broken and beautiful stars

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Behind the wheel, racing champion Zander Donavan is at the top of his game. But after too much excess in his personal life, he’s forced to step away. He needs to accomplish something all on his own—outside of his famous father’s shadow. 
 
Getty Caster is running away from the abuse that clouds her past. She thinks she’s found the perfect escape—until she discovers a stranger in the beachside cottage she’d been promised. He’s undeniably sexy, but she’s there to heal. Alone.
 
Before long though, fighting with each other turns into fighting their attraction. And giving into desire sets off a chain reaction that has their pasts colliding. With an unexpected love on the line, can they overcome the fallout to build a future?

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Review – Fighting to Be Free by Kirsty Moseley

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Fighting to Be Free by Kirsty Moseley

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My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When life deals you a bad hand, just keep playing. Tomorrow you might be wearing a smile and holding all four aces. ~Susan Gale

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Sometimes life deals you the worst hand. Blow after blow. Letdown after letdown. Heartache after heartache. You’re in a hole of despair so deep that you may never break free unless you fight for that freedom, releasing the chains that bind you. Fighting to Be Free is a tale of guts and glory that grips your heart, sinking itself into your soul, where you can’t help but feel everything.

Fighting to Be Free started out slow but a burn built that beckoned me right into the flames as my heart caught fire, struggling to get free. This story’s slow burn seeped into my soul. Fighting to Be Free fought with me. Hot and cold. Dark and light. Tough and tender. Amplified, my emotions were entangled, engulfing me. The feels flowed me like waves, crashing hard and fast…all over me.

I only had to read the synopsis to know that Fighting to Be Free would entangle my emotions, wrapping this story around my soul…and that it did. The first page packed a punch to the gut where I knew Fighting to Be Free would be a hard-fought tale, one perhaps where hell would happen before happiness. Instantly, I was cast into this story’s clutches…captivated…claimed. I knew this broken boy who was indeed fighting to be free would break me.

Dark-eyed, dark-haired, and muscular 18-year-old Jamie Cole has just been released from juvenile detention after two long years for a crime that is rather…complicated. He has had to grow up fast at a young age, wiser than his teenage years. His focus is to start a new life, build something from nothing.

“This was my second shot, my chance to come out of the darkness and into the light. With every cell in my body I was planning on fighting to be free of this life, even if it killed me.”

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Jamie doesn’t need any distractions, especially a young woman.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off of her; I’d never wanted a girl more in my life.”

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Beautiful red-haired and blue-eyed Ellie Pearce just dumped one piece of pathetic baggage, her first and only boyfriend of two years that became stifling like a straightjacket. Out on the town with her friends at a dance club, her mission is to let loose and have fun for the first time in her life. Until one young man across the room captured her with just a look, a look that morphs into more.

“His mouth claimed mine in a kiss that was so hot I was surprised we weren’t both on fire.”

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The chemistry ignites like an inferno, blazing a ring of fire around the broken boy fighting to be free and the girl who wants to be his lifeline. Jamie was supposed to be Ellie’s one night of fun, one night of throwing caution to the wind. Jamie was not supposed to be the boy making her fall, the boy who would likely break her heart. Jamie and Ellie are kindred spirits. One light, one dark. One soft, one hard. One young man who melted every piece me.

My heart broke for this broken boy—forced to fight and forced to commit crimes—who didn’t think he’s worthy of love and a life to live free from the chains of the past. Jamie hit my heart hard as I felt his heart escape under his hardened exterior, melting and mesmerizing me. I was in awe at this amazing man trying to rise from nothing but slowing becoming everything. This broken but beautiful soul stole my soul.

“I know that I’m not good enough for you—you deserve so much better than me.”

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Fighting to Be Free by Kirsty Moseley is a spellbinding and soul-searing story of Fight Club meets The Fast and the Furious, a story that is hard yet soft, tough yet tender, and dark yet light. I fell in LOVE, HARD AND HOPELESSLY, with the heart-hitting Fighting to Be Free. This devastatingly beautiful and brilliant book broke me in the best way. THIS STORY IS EVERYTHING.

Fighting to Be Free flung itself at me, hitting my heart…hijacking it…hijacking me. I felt every word I read as these pages, like a fighter to the mat, pounded into me. The feels…I fought them. They fought me. Those feels flowed as did my tears—fast and furiously—as I hoped for happiness. Intense and intoxicating, I could not help but FEEL Fighting to Be Free, a story that still owns my heart that may never break free.

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★★★★★ tough and tender stars

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Jamie Cole has just been released from juvenile detention. Determined to go straight, he tried to cut ties with crime boss, Brett Reye, who has no intention of letting him go. Jamie’s life is already more complicated than it needs to be, yet when he meets a beautiful stranger at a bar, Jamie knows he’s in over his head.

Ellie Pearce has just gotten out of a terrible relationship and isn’t looking for anything serious…until she meets Jamie. Their attraction is overwhelming and intense—Ellie can’t seem to shake her growing feelings for him, even though she’s trying to keep it casual.

But when fate goes horribly wrong and Jamie’s family is faced with ruin, he’s forced to strike a deal with Brett. Despite his struggles, he wants nothing more than a future with Ellie. That’s until Ellie finds out that he’s been hiding more from her than she could ever imagine…

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Review – Unstable by SE Hall

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You can put up a front… but destiny already has your back.

From first glance, I believed this book was going to be a hot and heavy love triangle. I was ready for the angst of star crossed lovers, the agony of being separated from one’s truest love. This was truly unlike anything that I expected. This was the story of a young woman already in tremendous pain facing yet more pain as she returns to the one place that she ever planned to return to. She goes home to Ashfall to say goodbye to her beloved mother and to finally face her past. That past includes the boy on the farm next door who has grown into the man running that farm and wanting more from that girl than she’s ready to give.

Henley Gene Calvert was a twin. She, her sister Hadley and her mother were a team that survived through the hardest of times – only to be divided by a tragic loss. Henley left home and stayed away for eight years, severing her ties and trying to regain her sanity. But yet another death brings her back, only now she has to face not only her past but make decisions for the farm her mother has left her. Then we meet Gatlin. He’s been her mother’s farmhand and is determined to see Henley stand on her own and become the woman she was meant to be – strong, resilient, ready to be in control. They become friends… He becomes the one that she can depend on. But there’s someone else who wants to be her support too.

Keaton Cash has always had his eye on Henley. He watched her walk away and feared that he would never have the chance to let her know how he truly felt about her. He’s Just as determined to have her in his life as she is to ignore him. And once this alpha (oh so sexy alpha) cowboy makes up his mind to have Henley Calvert, nothing stops him – not even Henley herself.

The more of this story I read, the more it snared me. Henley’s struggle to accept her losses, accept her pain and find forgiveness was so heartbreaking. So much anguish. So much hurt. Eight years of suffering alone… my soul hurt for her. The friendship she has with Gatlin is so strong and helps to build her confidence and her belief that she can survive. But it’s her relationship with Keaton that is so incredible. Watching their relationship turn so fully on its axis. The long simmering chemistry between them and the obvious fact that they have loved each other for so much longer than Henny Penny is willing to admit to.

Beautifully written. I found myself laughing so hard and then crying much harder. I was so sucked in and so invested in Henley, Gatlin and Keaton. I couldn’t help but care and hope for a joyful ending for all involved. Unstable is such a moving tribute to the power of forgiveness, finding a path to embrace the past and forging ahead to accept all the future holds – pains and all. Even the twists and turns that we never see coming.

Incredibly well done, Stephanie!

5 Amazing Stars!

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After eight years, Henley Calvert is headed home. Back to the family farm and small town she left behind, never to be thought of again.

Too much regret and shame to bear.

But she’s the only one left to see to her family’s legacy, so she must return to Ashfall and face all the ghosts that haunt her.

****

Gatlin Holt, the family farmhand, awaits her arrival, and lends a hand—in more ways than one. He reacquaints Henley with the lay of the land while helping her heal her soul with a new outlook on life.

Yet every time she thinks some peace may be within reach, Henley hits another roadblock. The biggest of which is Keaton Cash—her childhood nemesis who owns the farm next door.

****

And no, it’s not a love triangle. That’s impossible when Henley’s heart is closed, incapable of love.

Sexy young cowboy with his shirt open

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