More Than Friends by Monica Murphy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One day someone is going to hug you tight that all your broken pieces will stick back together.

There is something that shines in a young adult (YA) romance. Maybe it’s the movement, the faster pace, or the engagement of the characters with the reader. Perhaps it’s the childhood innocence resonating through the story. It could be the trip down memory lane it takes to those teenage years, sparking good and trying times. The glue that usually cements YA stories—with tough topics, some sexy scenes, and lots of depth—together is hope. Who doesn’t need a little hope?

After lighting my YA fire with Monica Murphy’s Just Friends, that flame while fueled still yearned for more; I NEEDED More Than Friends. Fast and furiously, More Than Friends became my drug…my fix…my fascination. I could not put this all-consuming story down.

With the heady concoction of allure, addiction, and angst, I read this book with bated breaths. This story seduced me where I sank so hard. More Than Friends is a sweet and seductive coming of age romance that bleeds angst with passion penetrating straight through the pages.

I was anxious to meet More Than Friends. Amanda and Tuttle’s story just begged to be read. I’ve wanted more Amanda and Tuttle since their explosive chemistry and cat and mouse game ensnared me in book one.

“He kisses me again. Another brief brush of lips on lips, yet I’m decimated.”

Once a high school girl messed around with a football player from school at a party on a rebound, a boy she’s known since grade school. An unknown girl and the most popular guy at school have an unlikely connection, full of chemistry and ready to combust.

This pretty and extraordinary girl with dark hair and eyes plus endless legs, Amanda Winters, thinks she’s only ordinary. Undeserving of attention from the most amazing guy at school.

“You didn’t even notice me.”

Though this insanely hot, tall, muscular quarterback thinks Amanda is the most amazing girl he’s ever known.

“I’ve always noticed you.”

Jordan Tuttle, this gorgeous guy plagued by family demons planted by a father he will never please is looking for someone who truly sees him, the young man behind the mask like an angel named Amanda.

“I have no real dreams. I just go through the motions…I don’t give a piece of myself to anyone…not a soul. I’d give her every piece of me. All she has to do is say the word and I’m hers.”

Oh did I break, my heart shattered into pieces, bleeding for this broken young man who made me sob and swoon.

“I know someday he’s going to break my heart. And I’m going to let him.”

I did not expect to love a YA story as much as a contemporary romance…but I did! I did not expect to become engrossed and entangled in story of high schoolers…but oh I was so tangled and twisted up in every part of this tale! I did not expect to fall in insta-love with More Than Friends…but I FELL IN LOVE SO HARD with this sweet and spellbinding story! I did not expect More Than Friends to be my best book by this author but oh now each romance by Monica Murphy romance becomes my new favorite of hers!

More Than Friends tormented me in the best way where I welcomed every ounce of angst! My pulse pounded. My heart beat out of my chest. My feelings flowed all over the pages. I laughed. I cried. I hoped. I FELL IN UTTER LOVE!

I sank so hard, fell so hard, and LOVED THIS STORY SO HARD! I gave myself to More Than Friends. Every tear. Every smile. Every laugh. Every gasp. I surrendered my heart and soul to this seductive story full of feels where they still remain.

★★★★★ more than amazing stars

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He’s not perfect, but he’s all I want…

I’m your average girl at your average high school, trying to figure out my place in life. After catching my now ex-boyfriend messing around with my now ex-best friend, I’ve made some big changes. No more band, no more backstabbing friends and no more boring old life. Now I have new friends, a new job and new interests.

But there’s a certain someone who’s interested in me, and I don’t get it. Jordan Tuttle could have anyone he wants. He’s the most popular boy in school. Rich, gorgeous, smart and the star quarterback, he’s perfect. Yet he acts like he wants no one else but…me.

So despite my fears and doubt, I let him get close. Probably too close. I discover that he’s not so perfect after all, but it doesn’t matter. I’m falling for him, even though he runs so hot and cold. I know someday he’s going to break my heart.

And I’m going to let him.

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Stroked Hard by Meghan Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Show me the most damaged parts of your soul, and I will show you how it shines like gold. ~Nikita Gill

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always loved a good fairy tale where I could pretend to be a princess and marvel in magic. Today my favorite fairy tales are romance books, love stories with a hard-fought happily ever after. I live and feel fantasies through love stories like Stroked Hard by Meghan Quinn. Enchanting and Entertaining, Stroked Hard is a sports romance with a feel-good fairy tale twist that radiates the perfect balance of heat, humor, and heart.

I FELL IN INSTA-LOVE WITH EVERYTHING STROKED HARD!!! Stroked Hard cast a spell on me from the first page, seducing every ounce of me. I was utterly addicted as this story swiftly satisfied my ache to laugh, and oh did I howl with laughter, while also lighting me up with lust from head to toe. I was caught like a fish in the water as this story claimed every part of me. I WAS ALL IN!!!

After meeting the all-star Olympic diver, Hollis Knightly, in Stroked, I suspected his story would be my favorite of this series…and oh did Hollis hook me HARD! Hollis Knightly is equal parts HOT and hilarious. I fell in love with him from the very beginning, a love as strong as his chiseled abs. Oh how the incredible Hollis puts most book boyfriends to shame!

A is for alpha as Hollis is the ultimate alpha and also abs because of the glorious six-pack Hollis rocks that is so hard and perfect
B is for blue eyes as deep as the ocean that penetrate passion and the big package under Hollis’ speedo
C is for confident and cocky attitude that is extra hot
D is for devoted as Hollis is a rare, one-gal man, a boyfriend not bed hopper
E is for entertaining and endearing as you can’t help but be amused and addicted to Hollis
F is for both flirting and f**king where Hollis is also a gold medal expert
G is for gallant because Hollis is brave with his constant pursuing of a gal until she can’t resist him
H is for huge heart as Hollis’ has a heart of gold; hot as Hollis is panty-melting hot with his perfect fauxhawk, tall and muscular body; and hilarious as in over-the-top hilarious

Hollis is a man of so many talents that I could list them all to Z and beyond, but I’ll sum it up and say he is PURE PERFECTION and one of my ultimate alphas. For this alpha, it was an instant attraction when he laid eyes on the beautiful makeup artist, Melony, first seen in Stroked.

“Ah, so you know who I am. I knew you did from the way you tried to see through my shirt. Don’t worry, sweetheart, the abs everyone talks about are real.”

With her light brown hair, green eyes, lush lips, and perfect body, Hollis wants a taste of this pretty lady who won’t give him the time of day though he won’t stop trying to woo Melony with a lethal dose of heat and humor.

“I’m going to take that as a no.”
“Take that as a go to hell.”
“That’s a little hostile for someone who was just staring at my crotch for ten minutes.”
“I was not staring at your crotch.”
“Hey, it’s okay. No need to be embarrassed. I have the kind of crotch worth staring at. Just try to keep it under five minutes next time. It gets a little awkward if your staring is any longer than that.”

I love a man who makes me laugh and Hollis’ lines made me howl with laughter! I giggled so hard that my gut ached. Meghan Quinn’s comedy is PURE GENIUS!!!

My body that hurt from laughing was soon ignited with lust as Hollis is one delicious dirty-talker. HOLY HOT!!!

“Sooner or later, I will be f**ing you against a wall, fingering you under the dinner table, and eating that sweet pussy of yours on the kitchen counter. Mark my f**ing words, Melony, I am going to woo you so hard, you won’t know what hit you.”

Melony is having a hard time fighting the chemistry she and Hollis have, a spark that ignites whenever he is near her, so hot it nearly burns. The sexual tension is so thick it could be cut with a knife…so powerful and passionate.

“…He looks at me. No, he’s not looking. He’s devouring me with a passion-filled gaze I’ve never seen on a man before. It’s like he’s on fire…for me.”

The passion bleeds through the pages, penetrating through me. I’M IN SO MUCH LOVE!!!

“God, he’s going to kiss me. And I’m going to let him…Just one taste. Just one night. That’s all I want. One night with Hollis. So he’ll move on.”

That kiss is off-the-charts hot but so much more. Intense. Incredible. The kiss of a lifetime.

“This isn’t just about sleeping with you, Melony. This is about getting to know you; when I find something I like, I go after it.”

Under this gorgeous and alluring alpha with the perfect physique, is an old-fashioned romantic, something rare in a man. This perfect man wants Melony and he’s pursuing her like his next gold medal.

“One thing you need to know about, Melony, I’m the real thing.”

Stroked Hard seduced every part of me. I was spellbound, swimming in swoon, where I did not want to surface for air. I WAS ALL IN.

Melony has walls up that make the Great Wall of China look like LEGO bricks; her heart is guarded from a painful past.

“I’m damaged, not good enough to keep around. I’m not the one a man would stay for.”

Brick by brick. Word by word. Action by action. Kiss by kiss. Hollis is determined to destroy Melony’s walls. This knight-in-shining armor is going to claim his maiden, Melony. 

“There is no rhyme or reason to what I’m doing. I’m just taking everything I’ve ever wanted when it comes to this woman. I’m just hoping she’s willing to hand it all over.”

Hollis’ story made me swoon where I became breathless as I bathed in the butterflies fluttering in me. My heart was his!!! Hollis has a huge heart and oh did he hijack my heart, owning all of my laughs and love, owning ALL OF ME. Oh is Hollis Knightly a knight-in-shining armor, a panty-melting Prince Charming, with charm and sentiment in spades.

Stroked Hard by Meghan Quinn was one sweet surprise of a story that hugged my heart and stroked my soul where I swooned in spades. Oh did my soul soar to the stars! Stroked Hard struck me hard and fast with ALL THE FEELS. I LOVED THIS STORY SOOOO MUCH! Stroked Hard brought my favorite Cinderella fairy tale to life and I loved living through this dreamy delight of a romantic read full of heat, humor, and heart!

Intoxicating and incredible, Stroked Hard is a phenomenal page-turner that penetrated me from beginning to end. I smiled, smoldered, shed tears, snickered, and swooned through Stroked Hard. Meghan Quinn’s books become more brilliant with each one, and this is her BEST BOOK YET!!!Filled with feels, anchored in angst and amusement, and laced with love, Stroked Hard BLEW AWAY!

I’m still swimming in swoon, stroked hard, in a fairy tale with a powerful prince and princess who rendered me utterly spellbound. Oh how I did not want this spellbinding and swoon-filled story to end. Stroked Hard is my beloved Cinderella but much better, a fairy tale that’s still hijacking my heart and dancing in my dreams.

5 heart of gold medals (because Olympics)

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He’s hot. Like, stop breathing kind of hot with his killer body, vivid blue eyes, and constant five o’clock shadow.

Did I mention his body?

Watching Hollis Knightly, Olympic diving gold medalist, man-pony specialist—and cocky bastard—stand up on the diving platform in nothing but a small piece of Spandex? Yeah, I’m beguiled.
And easily seduced.

I want to keep things light but he won’t leave me alone. And hell, if he’s not wearing me thin.

What is supposed to be a simple summer fling with a very hot man, has now morphed into a f*cked-up mess of feelings, attachment, and dare I say it…love. But I don’t do relationships. And Hollis Knightly does.

Grab your copy of STROKED HARD today!

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Hard to Fall by Marquita Valentine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly? ~Erin Hansen

I decided to leap blindly into Hard to Fall, the fourth story in the Take the Fall series by Marquita Valentine. Sometimes you just have to take that jump in life and in books. So I jumped, free-falling into Hard to Fall. I had not read any other stories in this series or any of this author’s books. Oh did I fall hard for Hard to Fall, a spellbinding and sexy story of love against the odds that hijacked my heart with a hero who made me swoon.

From the very first page, I sank into this story, submerging myself where I quickly became spellbound. The sweet, small town setting and vibe brought me back to my time living in a little North Carolina town. This Southern gal now living in Europe was transported back into the South where Hard to Fall felt a bit like coming home.

Coming home also meant politics. Growing up in the D.C. suburbs of Virginia, I could not help but live and breathe politics—whether I wanted to or not. I share a dislike of politics just like the hero in this story; his was part of his family where mine was part of my roots.

“It’s our family business that comes first… Walkers are career politicians. Have been since the Revolutionary War…and I f**king hate it.”

Hayden Walker with his dark blond hair, blue eyes, tall, and muscular body is the definition of hot. Speaking of hot, Hayden is a fire captain, every woman’s fantasy. A hardworking and hard-partying fire captain who doesn’t want to follow in his senator father’s political footsteps though it has been Hayden’s destiny since day one. Hayden feels hopeless and that feeling hits me, where I want to tell him to run for the hills and never cave into the cut-throat career of politics that can eat you alive.

“I know this is my duty. I know it is what’s expected of me, but I have a job, a career, but none of it matters to anyone but me.”

One distraction from Hayden’s political calling is the wedding of his best friend Hunter in Mexico, a much-needed getaway that comes at the right time for Hayden. A time to let loose and party before the reigns are tightened and the political noose is around his neck. Oh does Hayden party hard, so hard that a la Hangover style, he wakes up the next day in a blur though the beautiful woman he spots the next morning looks oddly familiar.

Saylor Dean, a beautiful brunette with brown eyes and curves in all the right places is the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and absentee father of a Senator and runs an animal shelter. Her heart is as big as her brown eyes.

“Some might call me a lonely little rich girl with first world problems. I disagree with that descriptor, well, the lonely part anyway.”

Saylor may have gone to see her best friend, Evangeline, get married in Mexico but had no idea that she too would become a bride. One tonight together in Mexico was forgettable for Hayden but unforgettable for Saylor.

“Our night together was nothing but a fluke. Worse, it was forgettable. I am forgettable. Easily disregarded.”

I wanted to reach though the pages and hug Saylor and life her low self-esteem that had my heart breaking. Hayden can’t help but be attracted to his the best friend of his best friend’s wife; a woman who keeps crossing his path. A woman who he has no clue is his wife. Saylor is unique and Hayden can’t stop pursuing her.

“I like the beat of your drum.”

Hayden has never felt anything for a woman before beyond a physical attraction. Saylor is special; she is a spark of light in his darkened world that feels hopeless.

“You make me feel like…things can get better for me. Like my own ray of sunshine.”

His father has increased the political pressure, giving Hayden the choice of landing a bride in 45 days to help the Senator’s campaign or run for the second vacant senator position himself. Little does he know he is already married.

“My reprieve from a life of politics is quickly coming to a close.”

The chemistry between Saylor and Hayden is like fireworks, sparking with passion and promise.

“He gently grabs my chin, forcing me to acknowledge he’s there. With incite tenderness, he kisses me and I tremble.”

The past parades through Hayden and Saylor like a tornado, threatening to destroy everything and everyone in its path. Secrets and scandals await their debut. In the dirty world of politics, love may never stand a chance.

“I finally matter to someone…If I tell him the truth, I could lose that…I would lose that. He won’t look at me in the same way again.”

Politics is often fake but everything about this politically-powered romance felt raw and real. I could not help but feel every word I read in Hard to Fall, a tender and touching romance full of twists and turns that tugged at my heartstrings. The hero in Hard to Fall, Hayden, stole my swoon as he was utter perfection in the lethal mix of sexy alpha with a huge heart. The small town setting in the South brought more sugar to an already sweet romance. The surprise scandals with this tale’s twists and turns kept the reader guessing and wanting more.

Hard to Fall was my first book by Marquita Valentine and oh did I fall hard in love! I FELT ALL OF THE SWOON. This story quickly wrapped itself around my heart and never let go.

★★★★ ‘hard not to fall in love’ stars

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As a hardworking, hard-partying firefighter, Hayden Walker values his career and his freedom. But as the eldest son of a U.S. senator, he agreed long ago to follow in his father’s footsteps and run for office, and that means settling down and marrying the picture-perfect wife. Hayden just isn’t ready for that sort of commitment . . . not with women like beautiful, curvy Saylor Dean—the naughty bridesmaid he recognizes the morning after his buddy’s wedding—tempting Hayden to stay single forever.
 
The unwanted love child of a well-known politician, Saylor has always felt isolated and alone, her only solace the animal shelter she runs in Forrestville. Then she meets Hayden at her best friend’s wedding. During their impulsive and unforgettable night together, Saylor feels desired like never before—only to wake up and find that Hayden doesn’t remember his drunken proposal, or their hasty marriage, or her. But when the truth comes out, Saylor finds it’s a lot harder to fall out of love than in love.

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The Promise by Melody Grace

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.”

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.

✮✮ THE PROMISE is live! ✮✮

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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!

“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.

Bedmates by Nichole Chase

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

★★★★★ 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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Stroked Long by Meghan Quinn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Show me the most damaged parts of your soul, and I will show you how it shines like gold.” ~Nikita Gill

You don’t look for love; it looks for you. Love often surfaces when you least expect it, throwing a curveball your way. It sneaks up on you and steals your heart and soul, where you can’t help but surrender to the serendipity of something spectacular you find when you weren’t even searching. Like love, books brandish you to them with a power you never predicted. Stroked Long by Meghan Quinn struck me hard to the heart with a force I did not see coming where my soul surrendered to the feels that flowed from this spellbinding story.

I dove into this pool of heat, humor, and heart, and barely came up for air as Stroked Long struck me hard, seducing my soul from the very first page. I was utterly immersed and intoxicated as this intense read rapidly captured and claimed every part of me. I expected a typical Meghan Quinn comedy—maybe with lighter laughs than Stroked—but still a comical masterpiece. Stroked Long was nothing like I expected; it was SO MUCH MORE.

It took only a few pages to realize that this Meghan Quinn book dared to be different. Dared to be serious. Dared to be heartbreaking. Dared to be hypnotizing. Damn if Stroked Long didn’t dare to destroy yet mend me. OH DID I FALL IN INSTA-LOVE AS STROKED LONG STROKED ME SO HARD.

Bodi Banks is an Olympic God in spandex: golden-sparked hair, blue eyes, a sensual six-pack, that perfect ‘V,’ and a tall and muscular body that melts panties. Bodi is a swimmer with a body made of sin and a soul that has been through hell.

“There’s a dispute between who’s hotter: Bodi or Reese King. Yes, Reese has the dark smoldering look going for him, but Bodi? There is something about his light brown hair, dark blue eyes, and damaged soul that calls out to me. There’s no contest where I’m concerned.”

Ruby Hearts, a beautiful blonde and brown-eyed with luscious curves, is the best friend of Bodi’s sister, Eva Banks. She is funny, fierce, flirty, frank, and so free…totally uncensored. I LOVE HER!!!

“So I gave myself a camel toe in front of one of the most decorated Olympic swimmers, that doesn’t mean you had to point it out to him.”

Ruby is a trip where I wanted to laugh at her and hug her hard at the same time! Tasked with working with Bodi for their newly-formed art foundation, Ruby is instantly captivated by her crush—her fantasy—who is now very real. Though Bodi, as Ruby soon discovers, appears like a beacon of force in the water as one sensational gold-medal swimmer, but is broken inside.

“I choose not to expose others to my demons and insecurities. Who would want that anyway?”

Bodi suffered a horrible tragedy as a child that impacts him every day. His days are performed with precision, planned out with regular routines. This beautiful and broken man has quickly captured my heart, shattering it to pieces as it broke for Bodi.

“I f**king hate everything about me.”

My heart that broke now bled, this man now shattering my soul. This Olympian is closed off to the world, only letting his family inside to see the real Bodi, though Ruby seems to be cracking the surface. Ruby Hearts with her huge heart tries to get Bodi to open up to her—let her inside—so she can share some of that pain that has held him captive to those dastardly demons for so long.

“Why does my heart hurt so much? There is something about Bodi that runs deep in my bones, that causes me to feel the pain he’s feeling, or the panic, or his awkwardness. It’s as if our bodies are spiritually connected.”

Ruby is the light to Bodi’s dark. The color and vibrancy to his grey and dull life. The outgoing to his reserved persona. The warmth to his cool demeanor. The calm to his storm. She is perfect for him if only he would let her inside those walls he’s plastered around himself.

Bodi grants Ruby one sensual, toe-curling kiss, perhaps the kiss ever. 

“I have no ability to speak, not with Bodi gripping me so tenderly, mere moments away from caressing my lips with his. It’s too much. His presence is strong, commanding, dominant. Flat-out intoxicating…Light explodes around me, my stomach bottoms out, and my grip tightens on his shirt as he kisses me.”

That kiss?!? I felt the passion pouring off the pages straight to my soul. Oh did my soul soar to the stars and make me fall even harder for Bodi!

“I want to spend more time with her and that terrifies because more time means more exposure to the true monster I am.”

Ruby wants more than friends with Bodi, a chance to show him he could be with someone who cares about him. While Ruby sees and adores the real Bodi, she is determined to make Bodi see the light; make Bodi see her.

“I feel lucky then. Because I’m one of the few who gets to see the real you.”

I did not expect this book to be so broken. I did not expect this book to be so beautiful. I did not expect this book to blow my mind. I did not expect to swoon more than snort-laugh in this story. I did not expect for my soul to soar so high. I did not expect my emotions to explode. I did not expect for my heart to be hit so hard, struck by this story. Stroked Long exceeded my expectations, hijacked and hit my heart, and sent my soul soaring where I WAS BLOWN AWAY in Meghan Quinn’s BEST BOOK EVER!!!

Intoxicating and incredible, Stroked is a phenomenal page-turner that penetrated me from beginning to end. I smiled, sweated, shed tears, and swooned through Stroked Long. A roller coaster of a riveting romance filled with feels, anchored in angst and amusement, and laced with love, Stroked Long blew me out of the water! This devastatingly beautiful and brilliant book stole my soul and every other piece of me. I was Stroked Long and I loved every mesmerizing minute where ALL OF THE FEELS WERE FELT BY ALL OF ME. I can’t wait for the final Stroke.

5 soul-stroking stars

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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 running an art foundation with Bodi Banks turns into a slow-burning, epic romance, even though he tries to push me away at every chance? 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?

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Confessed by Nicola Rendell is a captivating, consuming read that grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go. 

So before I go any further I must address a huge point. One I feel you need to know before you read.. You ready? 

This book is F’ING HOT! So hot, you’re gonna need an ice bath. Literally, just sit in one while reading BELIEVE ME. Sheesh, some of the scenes in Confessed were ON FIY-AH! Honestly Vince and Lucy…. Hot mother effers! 

Okay so, Confessed is Nicola’s second release and from this day forward I pledge to read every book this woman writes because her storytelling capability is on point. Words flow into thrilling sentences throughout this whole book. There was never a time where I felt a lull or wanted to leave the book. Confessed sunk it’s claws into me and held on. TIGHT. 

Vince and Lucy are an amazing couple. Both hopelessly flawed. Both from opposite lifestyles. But both so similar. 

I have to say I have a major woman crush on Lucy, this woman has balls! I loved her! She’s super strong and so funny it’s ridiculous. I want to be her friend, like RIGHT NOW. 

Vince Russo, is rugged, raw, ruthless and dangerous to womankind. Seriously this man is DELICIOUS! Vince is one of those cocky alphas you just know you’re going to love. And I loved him HARD. Fell hook, line and sinker for the dude! 

What I also loved about Confessed though is the epic storyline Nicola has penned here. The connection I felt as a reader to this book as a whole was so deep. The story hit me full force, ticking every box on the “great books checklist”. Confessed had connection, charisma, love, lust, breathtaking romance, intense HOT scenes, laugh out loud humour, gutting, heartbreaking moments just everything.

All in all Confessed is an insanely addicting read. Super hot and utterly breathtaking!

A brand new dirty, sexy, funny standalone romance…

Lucy Burchett is the heiress to a notoriously disastrous family, and she’s left home for good. But when she runs a big, black pickup off the road, totaling it, she finds herself stuck in the middle of nowhere with the driver. He’s got a body to die for and a hair-trigger temper. Vince Russo looks like a felon, but he’s also pretty funny. He’s on the lam from the cops… and a psychopathic, Russian mob boss who wants to put his balls on a barbeque. Literally.

After a night of ill-advised cocktails and bathroom-wrecking sex, Vince just can’t get Lucy off his mind. But he’s got plans to rob her. And Lucy’s life is about to get a little bit criminal too.

But can a bad boy and a good girl really escape from their troubles together? Can they trust each other at all?

In the steady march of disasters that follow them west, they fight and they laugh. They tease and they’re tender. They’re either oil and water, or chocolate and peanut butter.

Except, they can’t run from the real world forever. And there’s a hell of a surprise in store for both of them…

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Just Friends by Monica Murphy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is something that shines in a young adult (YA) romance. Maybe it’s the movement, the faster pace, the engagement of the story. Perhaps it’s the childhood innocence resonating through the story. It could be the trip down memory lane it takes to those teenage years, sparking good and trying times. The glue that usually cements YA stories—with tough topics, some sexy scenes, and lots of depth—together is hope. Who doesn’t need a little hope in their life?

While I’ve read many college romances in the past few years, I can’t recall the last time when I hit the ‘rewind button’ even further and read a high school romance: a full-on young adult story. With adrenaline surging through me, I was excited to be reunited with a true YA romance.

Just Friends came to life before my eyes as I fell into a deep coma of captivation, fully immersed and intoxicated, where I felt every word I read. I feel deep into this slightly dark and deceptive tale, so deep that Just Friends found my lost high school years. I felt my teenage years flash before my eyes. Those years when I was a rebel against my parents…against the world…where I knew everything and they knew nothing.

Fast and furiously, Just Friends became my fix…my fascination. I could not put this all-consuming story down. This alluring tale was my addiction, my angst, and my amazing escape. These characters wrapped me into their web of deceit and dangerous consequences from playing with ones’ hearts where I fell into their tumultuous triangle of messy love. Oh did I LOVE every messy minute!

“The problem with messing around with your best friend who happens to be a boy is that they form certain expectations. We’ve crossed the line. In his eyes, there’s no going back. He wants more. He wants it—me—all the time. I think I want that too, but I’m not sure.”

Once a girl messed around with a boy, one of her best friends. Then that boy best friend messed around the with other girl best friend. Their triangle of friendship became one of fraud. A new boy enters the mix, messing with two of the best friends in the triangle, making for one screwed up square of deception.

“When he looks at me like this, I can feel that crackling chemistry between us…I can’t wash away his touch. His words. His everything…And I shouldn’t. He doesn’t belong to me. He belongs to Em. I should be thinking about Dustin. Not Ryan.”

Olivia, Emily, and Dustin are best friends, best friends for life, or so they thought until things became difficult. One Summer, Olivia went away to stay with her dad. One Summer, everything yet nothing changed. One Summer, friendships were formed and friendships fell in one messy love triangle or more like square. High school that’s supposed to be care-free became complicated.

“He played us both. She’s a fool. But then again, so am I.”

I did not expect to love a YA story as much as a contemporary romance…but I did! I did not expect to become engrossed and entangled in story of high schoolers…but oh I was so tangled and twisted up in every part of this tale! I did not expect to fall in insta-love with Just Friends…but I FELL IN LOVE SO HARD with this spellbinding story! I did not expect Just Friends to be my new favorite Monica Murphy romance but it is now my favorite story by this amazing author!

Intoxicating and intense, Just Friends is a coming of age romance that bleeds angst, penetrating the heart and soul, where you’re thrust full throttle into this tender yet turbulent tale of first love. This story tormented me in the best way where I welcomed every ounce of angst! My pulse pounded. My heart beat out of my chest. My feelings flowed all over the pages. I WAS ALL IN…hook…line…sinker! I sunk so hard, fell so hard, and LOVE THIS STORY SO HARD! Just Friends is JUST AMAZING!!! I’m dying for the sequel like yesterday.

5 terrifically turbulent stars

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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.

But things aren’t always what they seem. Em’s turned into a drunken mess who parties too much. Dustin and I have hooked up a few times—and now he’s ready to take our relationship to the next level. Yet I’m not sure I want things to change. I’m scared if I take it any further with Dustin, our friendship will be ruined forever. Then there’s Ryan. The new guy. He’s hot. He flirts way too much. And Em has totally set her sights on him.

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. But he’s so confusing. 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.

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