Author: Chelsea (Page 40 of 111)

BOOK REVIEW+GIVEAWAY+EXCERPT-Cuff me (New York’s Finest #3) by Lauren Layne

March 22, 2016 / Chelsea / 3 Comments

Lauren Layne is easily one of my favorite authors-EVER-and this series is no exception. If you want laughs, a warm smile, and some intense feels in your future, take a look at the newest book in her New York's Finest series. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Take a look below for my 4.5 star review, a giveaway, and an excerpt from Vincent and Jill's story-ENJOY!

BOOK REVIEW+GIVEAWAY+EXCERPT-Cuff me (New York’s Finest #3) by Lauren Layne

Cuff Me (New York's Finest #3)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Vincent knows he's not the most charming of the Moretti brothers. He prefers brooding to flirting, reading to talking, and he sure as hell isn't about to give into his mother's insistence that he 'settle down with a nice girl.' Luckily, Vincent's gig as one of the NYPD's top homicide detectives keeps him busy. As does his long-time partner, Jill Henley–a tough-as-nails cop with the face of an angel and smart mouth that makes Vincent crazy in all the worst ways.

After six years of working the homicide beat with the tight-lipped Vincent Moretti, Jill figure she knows him better than anyone. Which is not at all. But when their most recent case points to a potential serial-killer situation, the higher-ups send them on a rare undercover mission to a place no NYPD officer dares go: the Upper Eastside.

Now the bureau's most antagonistic set of partners is posing as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks of Park Avenue. Spending 24/7 in the suspect's territory brings them closer and closer to their killer . . . and closer to each other. Soon Vincent and Jill are playing good cop/bad cop in and out of bed, and Jill's falling hard. But can she convince Vincent to give her a shot as partner in life, as well as at the bureau?

REVIEW

“We’re gonna be okay, right?” she asked, her voice muffled against his shirt.

Vin closed his eyes as his hand closed over clasped arms, his head hilting back so that the back of his head rested lightly on the top of hers.
And because he cared about her-cared about her so damn much-he did the only thing that he could.
He lied. “Yeah. Yeah, we’re gonna be all right.”

Like many of Layne’s novels, Cuff Me took my bad, tired mood and lifted it instantly with one chapter of banter between the Moretti brothers. I always get so excited when I see the opportunity for the New York’s Finest ARCs and blog tours because I have fallen so madly in love with this wacky, flawed, no-nonsense family. This series isn’t without it’s flaws, but it never ceases to put the largest smile on my face despite my dwindling appearance of good moods lately.

Jill Henley was Vincent’s opposite in every way.

Jill was chipper, charming, and smiley.
Vincent was…none of those things.

I have waited a long time for Vincent’s story, seeing as the plot is one of my favorite types-friends to lovers. When I found out that Vincent was next and that it was going to center around he and his partner’s apparent tension and mutual (although unnoticed) interest. Their banter, loyalty, and obvious affection for one another are an apparent love match in everyone’s eyes but theirs…So what happens when they are both too blind to see it?

The phone would not stop ringing.

“What,” he snapped into the phone without glancing at the caller ID.

He’d already heard from:
His mother (how come you never come to dinner anymore?)
His father (did you catch the guy yet?)
His grandmother (will you pick me up from my colonoscopy on Tuesday?)
Luc (Jill’s not seriously marrying that guy, right?)
And Elena (do you want to buy my old smoothie machine? I’m getting an upgrade? No? What if I give it to you? Still no?).

Jill has been courted by another man, ripping Vincent’s heart out just as he realizes he wants to be more than her partner. Jill has everything she could ever want-So why does she feel so…wrong?

“Okay, it’s like this,” Jill said, twisting so she could better face Elena. “When you were little, did you ever make your brothers play wedding with you? You know, make one of them pretend to be the groom?”

“Um, of course.”
“Luc?” Jill asked curiously.
“Obviously. He’s the nicest of the bunch, and the youngest, which made him easiest to coerce.”

With a little (or a lot) of help from the Morettis, they begin to see all that they have missed before. But in true fashion of any romance, their story wouldn’t be complete without a good dose of passion, stubbornness, and misunderstandings.

Ya know, I always adore every single one of Layne’s characters-But Jill, at a certain point, made me want to punch her. I really, really liked her…but there’s a certain point (you’ll know) where I couldn’t believe her actions. And, on the last negative note I really have, I didn’t quite buy what the other guy was selling. Or rather, what their relationship was, nor how it was handled. I am normally okay with this, buuuut I just couldn’t wrap my head around how easy it was.

“What is it you’d have me do? Hire an opera singer to serenade her? Hold a boombox over my head outside her window? Set up a scavenger hunt that leads to all her favorite kinds of tacos just to show I care?”

“Wait. She has multiple favorite kinds of tacos?” Luc asked. “That’s either hot, or weird, I can’t decide.”

But oh my gosh, let me tell you-Luc, Anthony, and Nonna (odd comments and all) once again stole the show. Vincent is great, really, even a favorite! But when they are all together? My heart melts and I become goo in their hilarious Italian hands. When they hang out, I never cease to smile, laugh, and obsess over everything they do and say. And that is why this series is always such a joy to read-I can say it’s the men and their girls-and it is, for the most part-but this family is the essence of everything, and I have to say it’s why I continually come back for more. But that is what Layne does best, right?? Only this time, the series shines when the family is the one bickering.

“The indignity. I can’t even. I’ll take care of this. Straightaway.” Ava handed the orange Jell-O cup to Luc. “Luc, take care of this. Straightaway.”

He stared at the cup in his hand before shooting a puzzled look at the women. “And by take care of this, you mean…”
“Get her red Jell-O,” Maggie said from the chair in the corner. “Obviously.”
Luc glanced at Anthony with a what-the-fuck expression, but Anth held up his hands and shook his head.

Vincent was a wonderful, gruff, and backwards hero, all while being a wonderful partner and a badass cop-but underneath it all, he was as vulnerable as the rest of us, and it broke my heart when we began to see that. I am obsessed with each brother for different reasons and in their own way: Luc being sweet, funny, and always stirring the pot; Anthony for being the oldest, most abrupt, and straightforward brother; and now Vincent, the lonely, gruff, but left-out brother. They all are just so wonderful…I will always have a soft spot for Luc and Anthony, but Vincent definitely gave them a run for their money. I hope everyone takes the chance to enjoy this series as much as I do. 😛

Purchase Here:

Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

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About Lauren Layne:

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

Excerpt:

[scroll-box]There’s something wrong with a man that grins like that at a crime scene.”
Detective Vincent Moretti glanced up from where he’d been studying the gunshot wound of the vic and glared at the officer who’d been shadowing him for the past three months.
“I wasn’t grinning.”
Detective Tyler Dansen never paused in scribbling in the black notebook he carried everywhere. “You were definitely grinning.”
“Nope.”
Dansen glanced up. “Fine. Maybe not grinning. But I’m one hundred percent sure I saw you smile.”
“How about you be one hundred percent sure about who shot this guy instead?” Vincent said irritably.
Dansen returned his attention to his damn notebook, but he didn’t look particularly chagrined by Vin’s reprimand.
Oh, what Vin wouldn’t give to go back to those early days when all he’d had to do was look at Dansen, and the kid practically dropped into a deferential bow.
Three months of spending every workday in each other’s company had the newly minted detective acting nearly as impudent as Vincent’s actual partner.
Nearly being an important distinction, because Vincent didn’t think they made ’em sassier, more stubborn, or more annoying than Detective Jill Henley.
And he would know. They’d been partners for six long years, and their pairing up as partners was proof of God’s sense of humor.
Jill Henley was Vincent’s opposite in every way.
Jill was chipper, charming, and smiley.
Vincent was… none of those things.
Especially not the last one. Although, if he was being really honest with himself, Dansen may have been right about Vincent cracking a smile earlier.
It’s not that Vin was immune to death. There was absolutely nothing humorous about a man lying cold in his own blood and guts, dead from a gunshot wound to the stomach.
But after six years as a homicide DT for the NYPD, one learned to compartmentalize. To let the brain occasionally go somewhere else other than death even as you were staring straight at it.
It was the only way to survive. Otherwise it was nothing but puking and nightmares.
And speaking of puking…
Vincent stood and gave Detective Dansen a once-over.
“If you’re gonna barf, do it outside,” he said, just to needle the younger man.
Dansen threw his arms up in exasperation. “That was one time. One time! And I hear it happens to everyone on their first day.”
“Didn’t happen to me.”
“That’s because you’re a machine,” Dansen muttered under his breath.
Vincent didn’t respond to this. It was nothing he hadn’t heard before. Robot. Machine. Automaton.
He just didn’t know what people expected him to do about it.
In the movies, there was always some reason for the semi-mechanical, unfeeling action hero.
Either a dead wife, an abusive past, or some other sort of jacked-up emotional history. But Vincent had always sort of figured he’d been born this way. Quiet. Reserved. Broody.
It’s not that he didn’t feel. Of course he did. He just didn’t feel out loud. He wasn’t sure that he really knew how to, and wasn’t sure he wanted to learn.
[/scroll-box]

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #) *Each book can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed in order.*
Frisk Me #1 Reviews: Chelsea Jen	Steal Me #2 Reviews: Chelsea	Cuff Me #3 Reviews: Chelsea

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GIVEAWAY: RED RISING by PIERCE BROWN!

March 21, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

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We are so excited to offer you a chance to win 1 of 25 copies of Pierce Brown’s debut novel in the recently concluded Red Rising Trilogy! If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t had the opportunity to read this FANTASTIC, AMAZING, and MESMERIZING series, here is your chance to enter and win a copy so you can finally immerse yourself into this vivid and imaginative world. Or even if you’ve read it but haven’t gotten a chance to pick up a copy, take a chance and enter the contest to win one for yourself and also so you can also pass it along to your friends. Good luck, guys! 🙂

Synopsis: Pierce Brown’s relentlessly entertaining debut channels the excitement of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies . . . even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

We are so grateful to Del Rey – Penguin Random House for offering this wonderful surprise and allowing us to help giveaway one of our favorite books! We are so beyond excited to spread the love of one of our (or at least MY) favorite series ever!If you want to know more about Red Rising or the Red Rising Trilogy, then click on the book covers to go to Amazon or you can read my 5 Star review for each book!

Chelsea’s Review

Chelsea’s Review

Chelsea’s Review

About Pierce Brown: Pierce Brown spent his childhood building forts and setting traps for cousins in the woods of six states and the deserts of two. Graduating from college in 2010, he fancied the idea of continuing his studies at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a magical bone in his body. So while trying to make it as a writer, he worked as a manager of social media at a startup tech company, toiled as a peon on the Disney lot at ABC Studios, did his time as an NBC page, and gave sleep deprivation a new meaning during his stint as an aide on a U.S. Senate campaign. Now he lives in Los Angeles, where he scribbles tales of spaceships, wizards, ghouls, and most things old or bizarre.

Giveaway (US & Canada): a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW: Fuel the Fire (Calloway Sisters #3; Addicted #3.1) by Krista Richie

March 16, 2016 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Fuel the Fire by Becca Ritchie, Krista Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Protect your family. At all costs.

It’d take the impossible to hurt Connor Cobalt, even for a moment.

Protect your family. At all costs.

At twenty-six, his narcissistic tendencies have made room for the people he loves.

Protect your family. At all costs.

And he loves Rose. But when his love is threatened, when his greatest dreams with her are compromised — what is the cost then?

Protect your family. At all costs.

Love will guide his choices.
For the first time in his life.

I never realized how bored I had been with life. How mundane my surroundings looked. How unchallenged I’d become.

I never realized all of these things.
Until I met her.

You know those books where you highlight so much that almost every page is filled with a rainbow of colors? No? Well, I can tell you that this happens to me frequently. And it’s not always the same types of books, the same types of characters, the same types of boys….it’s almost every type of book that gets me giddy, and that’s an awesome thing. But, I will admit that certain characters or series do tend to draw out the worst kind of highlighting fangirl in me, marking quote after quote in an endless stream of sighs, giggles, smiles, and heartaches; This is one of those series.

“And Rose?”
“Yes?” I breathe.
“I’m tragically in love with you too.”

I’m shocked to announce that perhaps one of my absolute favorite stories ever is none other than the Calloway Sisters spin-off of the Addicted series. I’ve heard nothing but bad things [from my closest and most trusted friends] when it comes to the first book of the Addicted series, and I was inclined to agree, at the time. However, when a certain best best friend of mine read the spin-off Kiss the Sky first (she is like me-no thank you on the depressing kind of angst) and absolutely GUSHED and OBSESSED over my dear boy Connor, I have to say my interest was piqued. I mean, she is as hardcore on rating as you can get (You know who you are, Dark Pup), and she was sitting here ranting and raving about a NA that is split down the middle on ratings.

Her mouth falls and eyes flame. “What we did wasn’t flirting.”
I arch a brow. “When I was seventeen you said you wanted to perform an autopsy on me, to crack open my rib cage and squeeze my heart until it burst between your fingers.”
What is that-if not flirting?
She lifts her head off a pillow to near me, propping her elbows on the mattress. “That was me hating you, Richard. I dreamed of your death.”
“You dreamed of clutching my heart,” I rebut.
“Of killing you,” she emphasizes.
I lean closer to her, our eyes locking, “Vous m’aimiez.” You loved me.

But then those magic magic words….Bu-bu-but, CONNOR!!! They changed my life forever. She knew that was all she had to utter to win me over completely, and I am so glad I am a sucker for her bu-bu-but explanations. I mean, what better language to express how abso-fucking-lutely perfect a boy is than utter nonsense babbling between two gal pals?? We know what each other likes, and we know what to pass along-we don’t fuck around by pushing books that test our boundaries in bad ways.

“Then you’ll need to buy me some barf bags.” She looked me up and down. I was always physically fit, and I appeared exactly as I dressed: well-off, cultured, proper, rich. An elite boarding school prick.
“Do you always vomit on guys you like,” I asked, “or just me?”
She glared. “The more you fish for compliments, the more I want to puke on you.”
“So it is just me then.”
She growled.
I grinned.

So when this New Adult book, of all things, brought the Frowner to her knees…I knew I just had to get in on this shit. Now, here I am, a couple months after finishing KTS and HF, having been waiting on the perfect opportunity to finally give enough time and devotion to my man, enough time to cherish his every word, breath, and phrase. I mean look it:

“Why aren’t you wearing green?!” the bartender asks Connor, sliding over my apple-tini and slicing into our conversation. I gratefully take the drink.
Connor has a shadow of irritation in his eyes, only perceptible by me, most likely. He answers the bartender very casually. “I make my own luck, so really St. Patrick’s Day should be celebrating me.” He pauses. “And I prefer blue.”

I adore him way too much and find him way too funny lol

When I read the first, I had hardly any time to cherish the narcissistic words he spoke, only using the time I had, not knowing how big of a deal my love for him would be. But, you know, there really is no perfect time for your favorite books. *shrugs* There just isn’t. So I finally took the plunge and read the GD book I’ve been wanting to read since early January.

Rose drills a hole in them, like they’ve offended her. “What are those?”
I answer first, “Sneakers. Tennis shoes. Running shoes. There are a plethora of useless names for them in my opinion.”
When her eyes ping to me, they narrow. And I grin, any sort of annoyance starting to seep into better sentiments that I enjoy.
“Your opinions are useless,” she retorts.
“And your opinions are biased. Do you want me to keep going?”
Lo cuts in, “Please don’t.”

I can’t say I loved having to read 10-20% a night, this is a travesty to me, breaking apart all he and Rose’s moments as if they didn’t deserve to be read in a perfect sequence with zero interruptions and my undivided attention. It took me basically a week to read it (vile, just vile, I tell you), which normally stunts my enjoyment of a novel. Who likes stopping and re-starting all the time? Not me. But, as I have said many times before, if you love a book enough…it just doesn’t fucking matter. I may have lost some bits and pieces, sure, but no amount of breaks stole the love I had for each and every character and each and every scene about each and every one of them loving, protecting, caring, and watching out for each other. Nothing can top that. Nothing.

I scowl. He always has to one-up me. I’ll beat him, make him uncomfortable for once. Game on. I scan the wall and remove the largest of the dildos, big and fat, also a shade of blue. Its girth alone looks insanely miserable. My vagina quivers in warning like hell no.
I check the tag: horse cock.
I swear I’m not lying.
I rotate it to Connor. He’s not the least bit flustered.

You see, this wasn’t simply a book about Connor and Rose, though there was that, but a book about the bonds that have been formed throughout this devastatingly hopeful and tragic series. Addictions are abundant in their household, possibly filled with more downs than ups, but they have all stuck together from the very beginning. The Calloway sisters are blood, obviously, but Connor and Ryke and Loren are not. Ryke and Lo are half brothers, and Lo has been around since the girls’ childhood-but, for the most part, and what I’m trying to say here is, these bonds have grown stronger not only by blood, but by friends and lovers who have been through it all together.

A string of tense silence lingers in the air.
He sips his coffee.
I sip mine. “I’ve had better conversations with a stuttering parakeet Frederick used to own, though he wasn’t nearly as intelligent as you.”
Ryke digests my statement quicker than most. “I’m sure you loved hearing your own fucking words repeated back to you.”

This book made me cry more than I have for any other book in a long long time. If I wasn’t laughing out loud or giggling or sighing or my heart wasn’t beating out of my chest and stomach erupting with butterflies, I was tearing up….or bawling. What is it about these people that touch me so deeply? Everyone knows from my first review that I am utterly obsessed, infatuated, and in love with Connor (and Rose, for that matter), but the other characters are like family to me, too. It means so much to love the main two of a story, it does, but when you add in a never ending stream of love and support that break your heart almost as much as your main man does…you really have something here. I cried for Connor as his world came crashing down on him. I cried for Rose and how she would never let Connor go through anything alone, acting as his equal in every physical and intellectual way.

I glare, spinning fully towards him while we wait for the green light. He wears a blue button-down and suit jacket, tailored perfectly for his six-foot-four frame. Connor Cobalt is as classy as he is conceited. Both attract me.
Both annoy me.
I’m a paradox. And maybe that’s why he loves me.

I cried as their hopes and dreams began to crash and burn around them. And I cried for all the brothers, sisters, friends and their broken moments that Connor’s untimely (almost) demise brought down on them.

My defenses waver in my mind.
We have sex tapes.
Staged, they will say.
We have a child.
Business arrangement, they will argue.
I am hopelessly in love with her.
Who else can see this but you?

So, okay, I won’t make this much longer because I’ve already written a review for KTS that was extremely long already (sigh, I lubbs my Connor), but I do need to touch on Rose and Connor’s growth as a couple-not that they needed much. Did you know the authors didn’t plan this book? They did it for the fans. So, you know, this was just a bunch of extra we got to feast our eyes on-Connor and Rose awesome-ness! And awesome they were-Connor and Rose together are unstoppable. #RCCthisislove …..just sayin’.

Her words flood me, choke me, grip me and burn me.
Her words light me in a lethal blaze, and I’m smothered in hot sentiments that pull at me and beg me to scream. I hold her harder, tighter, my forehead pressed against hers.
I’m on fire, every part of me.

Connor, to me, was everything I could ever ask for, in this book. Yes, we still got the self-assured, perfectly kempt, responsible, and level-headed boy we have grown to love. Of course he was abundantly arrogant in this, or else would he even be Connor? But what we got to see here was the new and improved Connor.

I cling to the rarities in life, the unusual fragments that open windows into a person’s soul. Rose’s genuine, warm smile is a rarity. It’s not a constant. And I wouldn’t want it to be. It’s a powerful blip that punches me hard. If this happened frequently, it wouldn’t have the same effect. It wouldn’t be unique anymore.

The Connor that loves Rose with all his heart. The Connor that would risk it all to keep his family safe and happy, even at the cost of his own happiness. The Connor we once knew would never have thought of such a thing, risking everything he’d ever worked for and knew to be true in life…but for Rose? He’d risk it all.

Rose will be dragged into this by her ankles, suffocating beneath someone else’s rising tide, and the best I can do is hold her while we go under. I’ve never imagined myself drowning before. Not like this. And I’ve never imagined I’d have these two choices: drown apart or drown together.
Together.
Always.

And the same for Rose, the ice queen. I absolutely adore her snide comments, stupid tests and rules, and glares that could turn anyone’s heart to ice in less than a moment’s notice. Never Connor, though, he merely catches her glare and smirks in return.

My scathing look could burn holes in a man, and yet Connor doesn’t even bat an eye. He’s sleeping in the same bed as a volcano that would very much like to sear and scald everything around me, including him, and he’s okay with it. What is wrong with my husband?

She is his equal in every way, challenging his mind and heart at every turn. She is everything he has ever needed to make him not an unfeeling monster, but a man who knows everything…but can relinquish his soul that he has kept and held inside and swore wasn’t able to beat in time with another. He can concede on things, bend and break, whereas before he had a rigid finality that kept him perfect and without doubt, completely in control of himself and all those surrounding him.

‘”I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart.’” My lips pull higher, into a livelier smile. ‘”I am, I am, I am.”‘

But this is the story where we see not only his love, but his tears, his heartache, his determination to stop something that already is in motion….and he is finally unable to control something that can tarnish his life forever. I loved, asshole that I am, seeing his broken heart, his loss of control, his tears, his determination to keep Rose safe under any and all circumstances. I just loved seeing him not so sure of himself all the time-and loved every minute when he was. I love every little thing about him, his comments making my day no matter my mood. And his and Rose’s banter, along with Ryke and Lo, caused my heart to squeeze and me to burst into fits of laughter when I least expected it (and even when I did, whatever, it’s all funny no matter what).

“I shoved it up your ass, don’t you remember? Or are you still trying to forget?” I mime a tear streak down my cheek.
There it is. He flashes me that dry half-smile. “Your husband pulled it out for me. He likes my ass.”
I roll my eyes. “I gag at your friendship.” It’s too sweet for me. The compliments they bounce back and forth. Ugh.

So, yeah, like always, I could go on and on and on about a book I consider a favorite. Would you believe me if I said that I had no clue what to say at the beginning? I typed one sentence, and then BAM! This review took off. I love when that happens, when I don’t want to write a review but end up publishing a book, because that means it was something that truly touched my heart, and that’s hard to come by these days. Rose’s loyalty, Connor’s devotion, Lily’s support, Ryke’s unflinching encouragement, Lo’s underhanded trust and admiration, and Daisy’s unflinching happiness and positivity are things I will never forget. They are all so important to each other, making a broken household whole…and every single one of them will always own a piece of my soul.

(Shout out to Coconut and Sadie :P)

*QUOTES I REFUSE TO DELETE EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T FIT*….

My hand shakes. “Rose,” I murmur, my chest blazing the longer I stare into her. She fuels the fire in my soul, the embers slowly dying, and she tries feverishly to awaken me.

One more step and I’ll feel his pelvis against me. His toned arms always seem larger and more sculpted without a shirt: perfect with a suit on, not too bulky, and perfect with a suit off, not too lean. There is too much perfect behind me-it’s infuriating.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I tell her. “And what are you still doing awake?” I feel old, asking my mother this. Connor watches me intently and I whisper to him, “Am I old?”

His lips pull upward. “No, darling. We’re still young.”

****

Rose will be dragged into this by her ankles, suffocating beneath someone else’s rising tide, and the best I can do is hold her while we go under. I’ve never imagined myself drowning before. Not like this. And I’ve never imagined I’d have these two choices: drown apart or drown together.
Together.
Always.

I mean…I can’t even.

RTC.

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BOOK REVIEW: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

March 2, 2016 / Chelsea / 3 Comments

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

“I’m not here to fall in love, am I? I’m here to avenge my parents.”
“Don’t the two work hand in hand?”
Abruptly, he stops dancing and steps away. He stares at me with eyes as deep as the night.
“No,” he replies softly. “I’m not sure they do.”
I stand still, bewildered, as he turns and melts into the crowd.

Roped into reading this as a birthday buddy read, I wasn’t a happy camper. I mean, no, I wasn’t mad or upset or anything, but come on!! I had so many other books I wanted to read at the time, you know??? And I’m about to lose a ton of time too, here soon. So when I picked this book up, I may or may not have had a rather disinterested look on my face. But, once again, I was proven wrong. And, by none other than my dear Banana. Shocking.

I stand still a moment longer, watching him. “Zahra.”
He pauses and looks over his shoulder. “What?”
“My name,” I stammer. “I mean…one of them. You can call me Zahra.”
He turns around fully, his grin as wide and as bright as the moon. “I’m Aladdin.”

I guess I just didn’t know what to expect….and that by far is this book’s largest selling point. This isn’t simply a retelling of Aladdin-it’s something so much more. Gone are the Genie and Jafar and the Sultan. Gone are Abu and the magic carpet and Jasmine. What we have here is a twisted imagining where Aladdin is still Aladdin…but what lead him to the magic lamp is so different from what we know and love. Jasmine is a rebel princess who is being forced to marry a man she doesn’t love (kind of the same?) and the list could go on and on. There are lots of twists, turns, and exchanges of characters in ways you never would have imagined possible. But by far my absolute favorite twist in this story is who Aladdin falls in love with. One hint: It sure ain’t Jasmine.

The way he looks at me-steady and silent, bold and bright-makes me feel as if the storm outside were trapped inside me, thunder and rain and light, rolling and crashing.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs. “How could anyone believe you were just a servant?”

So who could it be, then, if not our lovely Jasmine? Well, that is the biggest twist of all, and it isn’t even a secret. The Genie we know and love is no longer a big, friendly, blue guy who may or may not be a man-No, our Genie is none other than a centuries old Jinni….in the female form. Her name? Zahra.

“What did Caspida want?”
“To talk about elephants and dead queens.”
“What? Really?”
“Oh, stop frowning. She asked about you too-what you’re like, what kind of person you are. Don’t worry.” I pat his hand conspiratorially and smile. “I lied.”

I will admit-I didn’t think I’d like this twist. But from the moment Aladdin met Zahra, the Jinni (Genie), their spark was unmistakable. I mean, no, it wasn’t insta-love, love at first sight, or even friendship at first sight-But, from the very beginning, Aladdin’s beautiful compassion, loyalty, and determination were something that glued your eyes to the page, made your heart beat in time with his own as he went through each perilous activity, and compelled you to fall hard for this kind young man who is known as nothing but a thief…but is so much more.

He looks down, one of his hands moving closer, until the back of one finger comes to rest on my wrist. I stare at it, unable to breathe. My skin warms under that gentle contact. “You saved my life twice already. That doesn’t sound heartless.”

And Zahra-she captured you from the moment she is freed from the lamp. Hardened by years of servitude, loneliness, and an event that shaped the way people look at Jinnis forever, yet she still jumps to defend and protect our Aladdin from the beginning…no matter what the rules say. Yes, as you can most likely remember (I mean, Aladdin was beloved by almost everyone! I sure know it was a top two or three movie for me in the Disney era) there were many rules that came along with the Genie and the magic three wishes. And, in this story, the stakes are even higher. Not only are there guidelines in which the master of the lamp must abide by, but also, there’s a much more to be afraid of…..Now, for each wish you make, there is a price to pay. Each wish can be twisted, manipulated, and turned into something nasty and unforgiving, a feat our young Aladdin didn’t have to deal with in our beloved animated story.

A force, writing below. Not human. But then it is gone, and when I try to pursue it, I nearly go too far from the lamp. I stop, frozen at the edge of my unseen leash, and stand for several long minutes, unable to go forward, afraid to go back.

But probably the most dangerous and appealing rule that can never be broken….is not to fall in love with a Jinni.

I lift my eyes skyward and start to lean away, but then Aladdin reaches out and grabs my wrist, stopping me. I look up at him questioningly, and freeze.
His eyes are staring deep into mine, suddenly curious and thoughtful, and a strange wind rustles through my body. I go very still, not even breathing, as his hand lifts and he runs his finger so gently, so softly, along my jaw. He gazes at me as if seeing me for the first time, his lips just slightly parted.

That’s right, everyone, you heard me correctly: Forbidden love is the name of the game…and Aladdin is drunk in love with his Genie.

This has been the great lesson of my long life: To love is to destroy.

From the very beginning he had a soft spot for the misunderstood girl hidden in the lamp, even as she repeatedly told him she could manipulate anyone and everyone and immediately make all his hopes and dreams crumble into ashes. He didn’t believe she could possibly be that evil after subtlety saving him time and time again even though one of her rules is to not interfere with what is going on with her master unless it is wished upon. It’s clear they were closer than they ever should have been…yet they both couldn’t seem to pull away when they needed to most.

“You are worth every risk. I know what I want, Zahra. Do you?”

And, come on….ALADDIN!!! He was just…he was just beyond words perfect. I’ve seen a couple remakes of this book, and I know they were just horrible, from what I’d heard. And then there was The Wrath and the Dawn, which I’m not sure if it was a remake or not, but it was EPIC. So there is both good and bad for this story being retold. What makes this one different? I can’t really tell you. All I know is this: The writing was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. The forbidden romance between Aladdin and Zahra was stunning and I could not breathe when I was reading about one of their secret moments. The re-telling was crafted in a way that made it impossible not to fall head over heels in love immediately. And Aladdin??? He was just fucking perfect.

I reach out and brush Aladdin’s hair back, my fingers lingering in his black curls. I can feel his life force crackling like sparks on my skin. So bright, so brilliant this moral boy, here and gone so quickly, a strike of lightening.

Loyal, intelligent, and fiercely protective of his girl, Zahra, I couldn’t help but to fall in love with him, you know?? Another boy in 2016 who immediately went onto my list, I didn’t even have to THINK about it after I had finished. It isn’t often I fall so deeply in love with both the book and the boy, but thus is the case with this masterpiece. And it’s no secret that I am obsessed with re-tellings, the good ones are just so rare and few and far-between. Aladdin’s breaking barriers to keep the lamp and Zahra safe resonated deeply within me, even as his world began to spiral downward into the dark abyss. His artfully crafted web of lies began to ensnare him, slowly but surely, just as the spider was meant to snare those in the castle. What?? I can be weird, I like what I like, OKAY? Jeez.

The chaotic roar of the fight fades away, replaced by a deafening rush of wind. Aladdin crushes me against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me, and he presses his lips to my forehead.
“Together,” he whispers. “No matter what.”

So, you know, I wanted to write a fangirl review on Friday right after I finished it and felt like gushing, but didn’t have the time (That real life I was talking about). Now I’m calm and have thought rationally (Not near as fun)-I wish I could have written this review then, but I think some of the crazy seeped through, didn’t it?? Either way, my message is clear and simple: Read the book. There are not many re-tellings that break the boundaries and excel in ways others have crashed and burned, but this is one of those that I don’t think you’d want to miss. Beautifully crafted with writing that draws you in at each and every turn, it is a winner in all ways, in my opinion, and is not to be missed. And hey!! Not only did it make me love the boy and the story, but also broke another wall in Chelsea’s harsh exterior: I NEED THIS ON MY BOOKSHELF-STAT!

******

(Belated B-day read for Banana!!!)

This book…I just…I can’t even…

I didn’t even want to read this book.
I mean, it was for Banana, so I couldn’t not read it for her-As creepy as it sounds, I’d follow her into a flaming inferno if she told me to read a book: I trust her with my life. That’s right, my book life is in her hands lol. My point in all this, if you will, is that this book, this story, these characters….they became an instant favorite. Hands down. End of story. My heart…it is in pieces. And my stomach?? Still tied up in knots.

Rif raf…street rat…

I don’t buy that… Lmao

RTC on Monday. I have all the words right now, but I’m at work so they will have to wait…unfortunately. Damn it.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: All Broke Down (Rusk University #2) by Cora Carmack

February 26, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

All Broke Down (Rusk University #2)
by Cora Carmack
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In this second book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack s New Adult, Texas-set Rusk University series, which began with All Lined Up, a young woman discovers that you can't only fight for what you believe in... sometimes you have to fight for what you love.

Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.

Environmental issues, civil rights, corrupt corporations, and politicians you name it, she's probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail overnight, she meets Silas Moore. He's in for a different kind of fighting. And though he's arrogant and infuriating, she can't help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause.

Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it's trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He's met girls like her before fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn't think he's broken, and he definitely doesn't need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about: his spot on the Rusk University football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.

Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all.

I drop my head against the steering wheel and groan. So much for keeping things simple. “You are in so much trouble, Dylan Brenner.”
And trouble’s name is Silas Moore.

Oh em gee…This is a literal OMG. I started another book that made my eyes burn on the SECOND PAGE and thought shit, what will I read now?? So, on Friday at 10 pm (what…I have a life-I DO!), when my book didn’t work, I went to another that my lovely lovely Jennfier had bought me…and from page one on…I WAS A GONER.

“Are you hurt?” I ask.
A flash of a smile has a field of goose bumps sprouting along my arms. “You worried about me, Pickle?”
I throw my head back and groan.
“I’m going to kill him.”

One word, Y’all…one word: SILAS. I just…I can’t even. This book just popped out at me one day and I couldn’t help but mark it as TBR. I mean…football. But I never thought I’d actually read it, ya know?? I thought it was a filler that would sit there for years and eventually I would delete it on one of my epic TBR sweeps (just did one recently, Hallelujah!). But no, for some reason, on a late Friday night when I needed a pick me up, fate led me to this hidden gem…and I couldn’t be a happier little Silas fangirl. XD

And…fuck.
Just fuck.
I could probably live the rest of my life only using that word and it would sum things up fine.

So, here’s the deal, I’m guna level with you all-I have written a LOT of fangirl reviews lately. A LOT. A LOT A LOT. And I am tired, lol. I HATE when this happens right when I read a wonderful book that was not only well-written and sexy, but surprisingly heartfelt and addicting without being trashy. I had so much to say while I was reading-I mean, from the first chapter I was out of breath from all the butterflies attempting to escape through my throat. There is just something so sweet about a boy that has always had it rough, who is fighting for something he thinks is so out of his reach, and finding the girl of his dreams while trying to achieve greatness. And, better yet, thinking he doesn’t deserve the girl who lights up his whole life.

His lips are still at my ear, and he lowers his volume so that Matt won’t hear. “I promise not to get you dirty. Unless you ask real nice.”
I don’t even…I can’t…Oh my God.

Oh! And a little tidbit for those who hate this kind of thing (It personally has never bothered me): No slut shaming. Well….I didn’t think there was. Maybe I’m wrong? Anyway-My point in all this-I’ve written a lot of reviews for a lot of books in the last three weeks (the majority of them 5’s), and I am officially worn out on writing them lol. So, if this review falls short, in the end, it is not for a lack of perfection in this novel. No, the reason for shorting my poor, tortured Silas is because this bitch be tired. I am just…ugh. So tired.

His eyes really are far too pretty for a guy like him. Dudes who look dangerous should just be dangerous. Period. The end. They should not be dangerous and beautiful all at the same time. It leaves the universe out of balance, and it makes me do stupid things like stare.

I think the most charming thing about this story…is it’s writing. I mean, I don’t judge that harshly on books, really, but I certainly can appreciate a well-written and humorous story. The reason this is so wonderful, to me, is that the book didn’t merely rely on sex and witty banter and a smoldering hot male who only has eyes for our girl (He is a former manwhore-a plot I know most people might be tired of, but that I NEVER grow tired of, tee-hee). There was a lot of that-the sexy looks, the ‘I’m falling for you but I’ll take what I can get’, the broken and torturedness-but it wasn’t the only thing. And that, in NA, is amazing.

I will never be able to turn this girl down. Whatever she wants from me, it’s hers. No matter what she asks for, I’ll find a way to give it to her. She may not be mine, but somewhere along the way, I ended up hers.

The heart and soul of this story, though, is how much Silas wanted to make something of himself, to break the barrier of being just a brat who grew up in non-homes and trailers. He met Dylan in the oddest of circumstances…one might say they were immediately ‘handcuffed’ together

(LMAO I AM SO NOT CLEVER BUT BAHAHA). And from that moment on, he was intrigued by her. Tied to her. Into her. And, most importantly, protective of her.

His tongue peeks out to worry at his swollen, busted lip, and I feel a wave of heat curl up my spine.
Totally inappropriate. Totally psychotic because he is way out of my league. Or I’m way out of his league, I don’t know. Either way, someone is out of someone’s league.

GAWD his protectiveness just got me. I ADORED HIM. He could get violent, an offense that almost loses his place on the team, but he never got where I think people reading this would get a bad vibe from him. He thinks with his fists first, especially when it comes to his girl, but never in a, hmm, psycho way. And, despite what I implied…no insta-love. Just no. Stop it. Stop thinking that. STOP IT! But boy oh boy…I was pleased with their first….encounter.

I want to make her come so hard that for the rest of her life, she remembers me anytime someone touches her. I’m going to leave my mark on her perfect body, beneath the skin where she’ll never get me out.
I want to ruin her for anyone else.
And I’m pretty damn good at ruining things.

Dylan was also a character I really enjoyed. She knew what she wanted. She was goal oriented and into helping others who cannot help or speak for themselves. She never blew Silas off because he didn’t grow up like her, and she never felt above him…but this was also a part of the story in ways they need to overcome-Just to be clear. I can’t say she was as good as Silas, but *Scoffs* who is, am I right? However, she was a great heroine and she didn’t make me cringe, roll my eyes, or anger me in a way that endangered my enjoyment of the story. I loved her in a lot of ways, and she was always there for my beautiful broken football player.

Except I’m starting to think that the idea of “belonging” anywhere is false. We go through our whole lives thinking that we belong in one place and not in another. We think certain ideas and actions have to be relegated to the tiny little boxes we place them in. What if we just react instead? What if we take whatever the world gives us and instead of focusing on what it isn’t, we enjoy what it is?

So, you know, my fingers are ITCHING to type more about Silas and his jealousy and his fierce protectiveness and possessive tendencies and his loyalty and his loving nature and his longing to be good enough for her and…oopsy poopsy. My bad….

But I think this said enough. And hell, if I need to add more tomorrow, I will. I mean, I get to add my quotes next and EEEEPSSSS that is my favorite part. Who wants to be too tired to enjoy re-reading my favorite Silas moments?? Not I. But, I digress-I just recently went on a deleting massacre of my TBR, and Cora’s other popular series, Losing it, was deleted because I knew I’d never read it and it had been on there since, like, 2012. But, you know…I think I might be re-evaluating that decision. Hmmm….is that a pig in the sky?? Because that has NEVER happened before. What? I can admit when I’m wrong.

*********

I will never be able to turn this girl down. Whatever she wants from me, it’s hers. No matter what she asks for, I’ll find a way to give it to her. She may not be mine, but somewhere along the way, I ended up hers.

Ahhh!!! I am beyond excited I decided to give this one a try. Started another book, didn’t get any feels, picked this one up….and ALLL THE FEELSSSSS!!! Silas stole my heart from page one-SO unexpected!