Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 29 of 86)

REVIEW – About That Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5) by Jill Shalvis

REVIEW – About That Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5) by Jill ShalvisAbout That Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5)
by Jill Shalvis
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with the unique finder-and-fixer skills who can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

. . . is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

Review:

About That Kiss is my new favorite Jill Shalvis book!  The characters captured my heart, the sexual tension between the two of them was scorching hot, and I could not put this book down.  I loved that there was a fabulous group of friends, an intriguing mystery, and scenes that made me have tears in my eyes.  About That Kiss was such a huge win for me!  If you haven’t read this series yet, you can jump in anytime.  Each book can easily be read as a standalone, which is always an added bonus!

“What kiss?”
He gave her a get real look.
“Oh, that kiss.” She shrugged nonchantely as she reached for her water bottle. “I barely remember it.”
“Funny,” he said in a voice of pure sin. “Cuz it rocked my world.”
She chocked on her water, coughing and sputtering. “The mirror’s still not for sale.” she finally managed to wheeze out, wiping her mouth.
I rocked his world?

One night, Joe and Kylie ended up sharing a passionate, smoldering kiss.  But afterwards, Joe never attempted to contact Kylie because he’s not a relationship type of guy.  And Kylie had no plans of letting Joe’s lack of actions hurt her heart.  But when something sentimental got stolen from Kylie, she knew that Joe could track it down. He worked for a security company and this was his area of expertise.  Yet what started off as a simple search, ended up being something more than either one of them could have imagined.

He grinned.  She was teasing him, and for some sick reason he loved it.  “You’re also not all that nice,” he said.  “And I really like nice.”
“Uh-huh. I bet ‘nice’ is right up there on your list next to, let me guess…a good personality?”
He laughed. “So young and yet so cynical.” he tsked, enjoying the hell out of himself. “You’re assuming the worst of me.”

While Joe was the one working the case, and wanted to keep Kylie safe, Kylie embedded herself into every part of the search.  So they ended up spending a lot of time around each other, and I found my heart melting.  I loved that we got to watch them slowly learn more about each other.  But their interactions weren’t always easy, so fireworks were definitely guaranteed!  You see, there was still a lot of tension from that last kiss.  And then there was an intense, sexual chemistry between the two of them.  It was so much fun watching their slow burn romance play out.  And I loved that slowly overtime, a true friendship started to emerge between the two of them.

She was an irresistible dichotomy of sweet charm and heart-stopping sexy, and she threw him off guard with every look, be it a smile or a glare. In fact, he kinda liked when she gave him dirty looks, which meant he was seriously losing his shit. And he never lost his shit.
Never.
Yeah.  He was royally screwed and the thing was even knowing that, he didn’t want to walk away because he enjoyed her so much.  How crazy was that?

I have to let you know that I absolutely loved Kylie and Joe.  Kylie was smart, stubborn, amazing at her job, honest, had the hugest heart ever and was so much fun!  I loved all of her little quirks and she was someone that I would have loved to have as a friend.  But one of my favorite things about her was how she brought Joe out of his shell.  And that’s because Joe was jaded and kept so many parts of himself hidden, because of his past.  Yet he had this loyalty, endurance and trust that was so beautiful.  He was such a hard worker and such a wonderful brother and son.  Ohhhh and I loved that he was very protective of those he loved.  So while the two of them were very different from each other in certain aspects, other times they resonated with one other.  They way they meshed together was breathtaking.

Vinnie trotted off toward the kitchen, stopping just short of the doorway to lift his paw and poke at the air.  When he was sastisfied that he wasn’t going to encounter a glass door, he happily made his way to the water bowl.
“What was that?” Joe asked.
“He has trust issues.”
Joe let out a low laugh.  “Well, at least we know where he gets them from.”

But there was so much more in this story that I fell for.  I Ioved Kylie’s adorable little dog, Vinnie.  He added so much heart and playfulness to the scenes!  And I loved this fabulous group of friends that this series revolves around.  They feel more like family to me and I loved seeing what they were up to!  So now I’m left beyond ecstatic for the next book in this series.  It’s going to be about Joe’s little sister and one of his coworkers, Lucas.  I already like the both of them so much and I can’t wait to read their story!  So yes, I absolutely loved this book and can’t recommend it enough!   

PS When Vinnie finally learned to fetch?!  Oh my gosh, I was laughing SO hard I had tears pouring down my eyes lol!!

*Book was kindly provided by Avon Books in exchange for an honest review*

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | GPlay | iBooks | IndieBound | Books-A-Million

 

Excerpt:

[scroll-box]

Joe studied her. “I asked you once before, but now I’m going to ask you again. Is there something going
on between you two?”

She tossed up her hands. “Why do you both keep asking me that about each other?”

His eyes narrowed. “I thought nothing was going on.”

“And before today, I could’ve passed a lie detector test on that,” she said.

“What happened today?”

She paused. Not because she had anything to be ashamed of, but because she wasn’t quite sure what
had happened.

“Kylie.”

She sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“Try again,” Joe said and gave her the very male universal go on gesture.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. He . . . finally made a move on me.”

Joe didn’t budge. Not a blink, not a muscle twitch, nothing, but she could’ve popped corn off the electric tension coming off him.

“Describe ‘made a move,’ ” he finally said.

She crossed her arms. “And again, how is this relevant to my case?”

He just gave her that careful stare again and she thought wow, those eyes of his should be registered as a lethal weapon, because she found herself opening her mouth and spilling her guts. “He kissed me.”

“He kissed you.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Do you know that you often repeat what I say?”

“What kind of a kiss?” he asked.

She was momentarily bewildered. “I don’t know. It was a kiss. A normal kiss. A nice kiss.” She cocked her head at him. “How many kinds of kisses are there?”

He just looked at her for a long moment before coming toward her. He backed her to the wall and pressed his big hands on either side of her head.

“There are many kinds of kisses,” he said.

Her breath had backed up in her throat, where her heart had lodged, pounding wildly. “S-s-such as?”

“Such as this one.” And then he leaned in and covered her mouth with his.
At the touch of Joe’s mouth, Kylie’s brain stopped being capable of rational thought. His tongue gave a knee-weakening stroke against hers and she let out a shockingly needy moan as she clutched at him, fisting her hands in the material of his shirt at his chest. Only when he’d thoroughly plundered and pillaged and left her boneless did he lift his head and
look into her eyes.

“Wow,” she whispered, fully aware she was still holding on to him like he was a lifeline, but the bones in her legs had liquefied. “I mean . . .” She shook her head. “Wow.”

He nodded. “Yeah. So to be clear, that wasn’t ‘a normal kiss’ or even ‘a nice kiss.’ It was a ‘wow’ kiss. Any questions?”

“Just one,” she said softly. “Can I have another?”

Joe didn’t have to be asked twice. His mouth immediately descended again, his fingers sliding into her hair to change the angle of the kiss to suit him. It was a controlled, alpha thing to do, but she had only one thought—nothing about the usually carefully, purposely leashed Joe was in control at the moment.

And she liked it.

She had no idea how long they went at it because she was in absolute heaven. Who knew that the man could use his preferred silent mode to communicate in a way that she finally approved of?

Only when she was completely breathless and about to strip him down to his birthday suit did she manage to pull back.

“Any more questions?” he asked, also a little bit breathless, which was more than slightly gratifying. Dumbly, she shook her head. His eyes softened and he gently he stroked his thumb over her bottom lip. “And FYI? Gib’s an idiot.”[/scroll-box]

 

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumbler | Goodreads

 

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Runaway Groom by Lauren Layne

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY -  Runaway Groom by Lauren Layne

I. Loved. This. Book! It was hilarious, sexy and so much fun! So check out my Five Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY –  Runaway Groom by Lauren LayneRunaway Groom (I Do I Don't #2)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

For one charming playboy, getting cast on a Bachelor-esque reality TV show is the shock of a lifetime—until he finds love where he least expects it. And now the chase is on!

Gage Barrett’s reputation as a ladies’ man has been greatly exaggerated, but none of that matters after a drunken bet lands him on Jilted, a reality TV show that matches runaway grooms with wannabe brides. Now he’s stuck at a Hawaiian resort with nineteen women competing to drag him back to the altar—and one contestant who’s even more miserable than he is. Gage has no idea how feisty, independent Ellie Wright wound up in the cast, but it’s obvious she hates his guts. And if there’s one thing Gage likes, it’s a challenge. . . .

Ellie can’t believe she let her best friend talk her into exchanging her dignity for a glorified bikini contest. Still, she could use the exposure—her business is struggling—and she’ll probably be one of the first to get eliminated anyway. But Gage isn’t the shallow jerk Ellie anticipated—and he’s in no rush to send her home. As stolen kisses turn into secret trysts, she finds herself losing track of what’s real and what’s for the camera. With the wedding finale looming, this runaway groom is tempting Ellie to start believing in storybook endings.

Review:

Runaway Groom was hilarious, sigh worthy, crazy at times and so much fun!  If you’re a fan of the Bachelor, Bachlorette or Lauren Layne, then I have a feeling you’re going to absolutely love this book!  Back before I had kiddos, I’d get together with friends, make dinner and we’d eat, talk and laugh while watching those shows.  So when I heard that this book was going to be about a Bachelor-esque reality tv show I was sold.  I forgot how much I missed this type of drama in my life and I found myself laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

But once, just once, I want someone I care about to look at the crapshoot that is my life, to take in the Jilted contract and the Killboy movie shoots and the never-ending tabloid rumors and say, “Yeah, that stuff sucks, but Gage is worth it.”
I want to be worth it.
Just once.

Famous movie star and player extraordinaire, Gage Barrett, lost a drunken bet which landed him on the tv show Jilted.  It’s a lot like The Bachelor, except it’s about a past runaway groom (him) being matched up with potential brides.  And in the final episode, there’s to be a wedding.  While Gage stuck to his agreement to be on the show, he definitely wasn’t happy to be there.  And while he was grumpy about it, a tiny part of him couldn’t help but wonder if maybe this was for the best.  His heart was broken in the worst of ways and this could be the perfect distraction he needed.  Ohhh I absolutely loved Gage and his wounded, playful, seductive, charming ways.

“Send me home, Gage. Please. It’ll be better for both of us.”
He studies me. “You really want that?”
“I’m a businesswoman, not a groupie.”
He’s silent for a moment. “True. You did compare my eyes to avocados.”
“Exactly. You usually get, what . . . moss?”
His lips twitch, although the smile doesn’t reach his mossy eyes. “Emeralds, mostly.”
I turn away with a snort, opening the door slowly, listening for voices. When I’m met with only silence, I stick my head out.

To start the show off, Gage met all of the possible brides.  The shenanigans and drama started right from the get go, well until he met contestant Ellie Wright.  You see, Ellie is kinda like Gage, because she was not happy to be there either.  She never thought she’d make it as far as she did, and the only reason she was sticking it out was so her business could hopefully get some free publicity.  From the first time Ellie and Gage met, they got off on the wrong foot.  And it wasn’t the only time that happened lol.  The tension and emotions coming off of the both of them created a whole lot of banter that had me smiling, laughing and begging for more.

I want her lips against mine, her body under mine. I want her to sigh my name. I want to make her gasp. I want her to want me back, to fight for me.
But she won’t. I see it in the stubborn set of her chin, the confusion in her eyes, as though she can’t figure out why the hell I’ve singled her out.

But the story isn’t just about the two of them.  They’re in the middle of a reality show, and there’s also the producer, crew and all of the other woman.  And it was a crazy mesh with lots of drama behind the scenes.  The other women ranged from the sweet girl next door, to gorgeous supermodels to bat shit crazy.  Although there was wayyyyyyyy more contestants in that last category ha.  So we watched, along with Ellie, as these women would go to great lengths to get Gage’s attention or even spend a second of alone time with him.  The stuff that they would do was so insanely over the top, yet so perfect for reality tv, that I found myself laughing so hard that I just couldn’t stop the tears pouring down my face.  And it kept happening again and again.  If you adore hilarious drama, you’re definitely going to get your fill in this book.  I absolutely loved it!

For the second time today, my eyes sting with the threat of tears—for myself, yes, but also because I’ve been so damn worried about not letting him hurt me that I haven’t really realized . . . what if I hurt him?
And why does that bother me so much?

Shockingly in the middle of it all, Ellie and Gage found moments where they were alone with each other.  Where they were away from Jilted, the cameras and the other contestants.  And they started to see a different side to one anther.  Yet it’s all so complicated because Gage has a part to play in front of the camera and Ellie is stuck in her horrible assumption of who Gage is as a person.  And of course her thoughts are verified when he’s in front of the camera.  It was inevitable that feelings got hurt and I found my heart aching for the both of them.  But underneath it all, it created a whole lot of emotions and I loved when they were arguing.  They were intense and the tension between the two of them was electrifying.  It was so addicting and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out!  So yes, I definitely recommend this book. Runaway Groom was sexy, hilarious and oh so addicting.  I absolutely loved it and I hope that if you give it a try, you’ll love it just as much as I did!

PS This book is a stand alone.  It’s characters aren’t found in the first book in this series, Ready to Run.

*ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing – Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
 

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | GPlay | iBooks | Kobo

 
 
About Lauren Layne:
Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career. She signed with her agent in 2012, and her first book was published in summer of 2013. Since then, she’s written over two dozen books, hitting the USA TODAYNew York Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.


Author Links:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

 

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Say You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry

I fell head over heals in love with Say You'll Remember Me! So check out my 4.5 Star Review below, read an excerpt from the first day they met, check out the pre-order campaign and don't forget to enter an amazing giveaway. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Say You’ll Remember Me by Katie McGarrySay You'll Remember Me by Katie McGarry
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

"Doesn't matter who did it. Not anymore. I did the time. It's over."

When Drix was convicted of a crime--one he didn't commit--he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the Second Chance Program, the governor's newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.

Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor's daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn't may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.

When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle's parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix's messy life.

But sometimes love can breach all barriers.

Fighting against a society that can't imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves--Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence--and each other to finally get what they deserve.

Review:

Say You’ll Remember Me was a beautiful, tragic, heartwarming story that had my emotions all over the place.  I love that it reeled me in and that it felt as though I was right in the middle of their lives.  I loved even more that I got to feel every single smile, hope, hurdle and soul crushing moment with them.  So of course I found my heart beating faster at the tension between Elle and Drix.  I wanted them to have more.  So much more.  Ohhh I absolutely loved Say You’ll Remember Me and I can’t recommend it enough!

It’s like every time we try to dig out of a hole, someone’s shoveling more crap on top of us. There will never be a way out. – Drix

Stepping into the story, I was already a goner for Drix.  I always fall hard for the tortured hero, and he played the part so hauntingly well.  You see, he spent the last year of his life paying for a crime he didn’t commit.  Which was robbing a liquor store.  And he sacrificed himself to save one of those he loved. *clutches heart*  When he was released back to his family, Drix was lost, broken and unsure of himself and how he fit back into his life.  It wasn’t until he met Elle, at the Midway, that he finally felt as though he could be himself.  There was an ease between them that he wasn’t able to find with his friends or family.  But it was all so ironic, because Drix learned that Elle was the Governor’s daughter.  And Elle learned that Drix was the face and voice of the Governor’s “Second Chance” Program.  They shouldn’t be friends, let alone be anything more.  Yet fate had other plans for them.

“Do you always grow horns when you’re mad, or do you save that for me?” Drix stretches back out, too.
I sort of hate myself that my lips turn up. “Evidently just for you.”

So even though they came from opposite worlds, they clicked.  And the more time that Drix and Elle spent around each other on the campaign trail, a friendship easily formed.  I loved that their friendship consisted of them being brutally honest while also throwing jabs at each other.  It was impossible not to smile or laugh when they were near one other.  But as time went by, we got pulled deeper into their lives.  And we watched as hurt and pain bled from the pages.  It all tore at my heart, and I can’t even count how many times I cried or found myself sobbing.  The struggles, heart ache, betrayal and revelations for both Drix and Elle rocked me to the core.

“Elle, it’s okay.”
That’s the thing— it’s not okay. I’m seventeen years old, I don’t know who I am, and I don’t have any idea how to get my parents to take me seriously. I’m trapped, and I can’t breathe. – Elle

Thankfully we got to alternate between Elle and Drix.  So while I fell hard for Drix, I also found myself loving every single thing there was about Elle.  Elle was honest, strong, determined, found the good in people and she definitely didn’t have a problem speaking her mind.  Welllllll except certain moments with her parents.  And those moments hurt to watch, because while she loved so strongly, her parents idea of love didn’t always line up with mine.  Thankfully she now had Drix in her life, because they found solace with one another.  And that only pulled them closer together.  Their slow burn romance was super addicting and when you add in that they were forbidden in a way, it just upped my obsession with them!  Together they were sweet, sexy and such an honest relationship to watch unfold.

“Why can’t you be both?” she asks. “The guy who wants to kiss me and the good guy?”

On top of Elle and Drix, there was side characters that I loved so much.  Drix’s “family” was beyond amazing.  I’m definitely keeping my fingers crossed that maybe someday there will be another book about his sister, brother or even best friend?!  Please??  Because I’d love to hear about their HEAs!  So yes.  I highly recommend this book!  And that’s huge for me since it had one of my triggers View Spoiler ».  Say You’ll Remember Me was such a beautiful story of love, friendship, redemption and doing what’s right, no matter the price.  And I absolutely loved it!  

*ARC kindly provided by Inkslinger/Harlequin Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

 

Excerpt:

[scroll-box]

~Ellison~

The two of us are different. Complete sliding scale different. The only thing we have in common, as far as I can tell, is that he appears about my age and that we are both wearing shoes. My sandals to his scuffed combat boots. His sagging jeans with rips and white T-shirt to my ironed khaki shorts and fitted blue top. My diamond earrings and gold bracelet with a heart charm to his black belt that has metal studs and silver chain that hangs from his belt loop to his wallet.

By looks, I should have more in common with the loser college boys, but it’s this guy I’m comfortable with. “What’s your name?”

He throws the ball, and he’s right, he sucks at it. While he has unbelievable power, his aim’s completely off. The ball hits the back curtain with a loud thud, then drops to the floor. “Drix.”

“Drix?” I repeat to make sure I heard him correctly.

“Drix. It’s short for Hendrix. Like Jimi Hendrix.”

“That’s cool.” Because it is.

I wait for him to ask for my name, but he doesn’t. Instead he says, “Are you here alone?”

He throws the second ball, and this time he hits the top of the three bottles, sending that one to the ground.

“No. My parents are here. I’m supposed to meet them at the convention center. What about you? What happened to the people you were with? Or are you here alone now?”

“Yes, but no.” Drix pulls his arm back, releases the ball, and when the ball hits the bottom bottles, my heart lifts with the idea that he won, but only one of the bottles goes flying. The other stays completely untouched.

He turns in my direction, but his gaze roams over my shoulder, then flickers to the left. Drix then glances behind him, and when he returns his attention to me he raises his eyebrows. “They appear to be gone.”

That’s awesome news, but I’m still stuck on his answer of “yes but no.” Honestly, I’m stuck on him. He’s a million questions without a single answer, and he makes me incredibly curious.

“My parents weren’t thrilled about me hanging out alone at the midway, but I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. It’s just Whack-A-Mole, you know?”

“And a ball toss.”

“And a ball toss. None of it should have been complicated.”

“Shouldn’t have been.”

“Elle!” Part of me is relieved to see Andrew craning his neck over the crowd. Another part of me is majorly disappointed. There aren’t many times in my life I’m left alone. Not many times I’m able to explore new places and people without someone hovering and not many opportunities when I would meet someone like Drix.

“Elle,” Andrew calls again. I wave at him, hoping it will buy me a few seconds, and he waves back in a way that tells me he needs me to walk in his direction. That works well for me.

“Is that a friend of yours?” Drix asks.

“Yes, but no.” I borrow his answer because it’s apropos. Andrew’s a few years older. More friend of our family than a personal friend of mine, and I don’t like the idea of explaining that my parents think I need a babysitter.

Drix’s mouth twitches at my words, and my lips also edge upwards. “I just made you smile a third time. Is this a Guinness Book of World Records thing?”

“I liked your answer.”

“I’m just creative like that.”

[/scroll-box]

 

Pre-Order:

Amazon B&N iBooks Google Play BAM Kobo
        

Pre-order SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, register and you will receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, a novella that features your favorite Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road characters!

From the Pushing the Limits series, Noah, Beth, Isaiah, West and Logan are all grown up. Catch up with your favorite characters as one of them finally says, I do.

Pigpen, Eli and Addison from the Thunder Road series: Three separate personalities who still needed to find love…and still had someone important to meet.

This is a limited time offer! So hurry! Registration ends on February 3, 2018! You must register your pre-order to receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

https://a.pgtb.me/4tLZSM

 

About Katie McGarry:

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.    

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumbler | Instagram

Givweaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Follow The Tour:

[scroll-box]

January 22nd

A Book Fanatic Obsession

Books, Coffee & Passion

Feed Your Fiction Addiction

Girl Plus Books

Lattes & Paperbacks

Read more sleep less

Sanaa’s Book Blog

Tales of the Ravenous Reader

The book slayer

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Boyfriends

 

January 23rd

Book Twins Reviews

E-Romance News

Kim’s Reading Nook

Milky Way of Books

phishbowl reads

Read. Eat. Love.

Resch Reads and Reviews

The Book Hammock

The Lovely Books

TSK TSK What to Read

 

January 24th

Actin’Up with Books

Binding Addiction

Booknerd1107

Ficwishes

Kindle and Me

Literary Misfit

Red Hot + Blue Reads

Star-Crossed Book Blog

The Book Maven

The Start of Something New

 

January 25th

Beyourselfbebhaltair

Books first work later

Broc’s Bookcase

Dazzled by Books

Eye in Bookland

KDRBCK

Movies, Shows, & Books

Reads and Thoughts

Sister Sister Book Blog

Taylor Fenner’s Bookish World

 

January 26th

Ali’s Reviews and More

Beneath The Covers Blog

BookWorm221

Collector of book boyfriends

Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf

Little Read Riding Hood

MrsLeif’s Two Fangs About It Book Reviews

Rad Babes Read

The Bookish Sisters

The Reading Faery

 

January 27th

An Asian Chick & Her Cat Walk into a Book Blog

Angel Reads

Becky on Books

Book reader addicts

Brittany’s Book Blog

Contagious Reads

Geronimo Reads

Less Reality More Books

Romancing the Laser Pistol

The Escapist Book Blog

 

January 28th

Book Bitches Blog

Bookishly Yours

KatyaRath

Lo’s Lo-Down on Books

Mary Had a Little Book Blog

Not the Path to Narnia

Reese’s Reviews

Stuck In YA Books

The Butterfly reads

We Live and Breathe Book

 

January 29th

Adventures in Writing

Boundless Bookaholic

Book Boyfriend Reviews

Confessions of a Wordaholic

Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile

Reading with Jessica

Roasted Romance

The Heart of a Book Blogger

The Readdicts

Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews

 

January 30th

All Things Dark & Dirty

Book Reader Chronicles

Crazii Bitches Book Blog

Desert Divas Book Addiction

Dirty Girl Romance

Nerdy Soul

The Book Hookup

The Wandering Bookaholic

Total Book Geek

 

January 31st

Alotabooks13

Bookishly Nerdy

Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog

Greyland Reviews

Jen’s Reading Obsession

Little Bookworm Reviews

Mundie Moms

Readers Live A Thousand Lives

Recommended Reads

The Cover Contessa

 

February 1st

A Literary Perusal

Bibliobibuli YA

Book Hoarder Mom

Bookaholics anonymous

Ceres Books World

Dorothy Gale Reviews

In Between The Pages

Katy and Zetti’s Book Ramblings

Miss Riki

Perspective of a Writer

The Bookish Introvert

 

February 2nd

Angie and Jessica’s Dreamy Reads

Bookalicious Babes Blog

BookCrushin

Bumbles and Fairy-Tales

CJR The Brit

Crazy Chaotic Book Babes

Do You Dog-ear?

Jax’s Book Magic

Mean Girls Luv Books

The Book Avenue

 

February 3rd

Bookgasms Book Blog

Books & Tea

Chapter by Chapter

Defiantly Deviant

G & T’s Indie Café

Live Read and Breathe

Midnight Book Girl

Ms. Me28

The Book Addict’s Reviews

Vera is Reading

[/scroll-box]

BOOK REVIEW – Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts

BOOK REVIEW – Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown RobertsResisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Spirit committee leader Mandy Pennington is secretly in love with her best friend, Gus, but when he hooks up with her archenemy at a party, she decides to win him over once and for all. She just doesn’t know how. But who better to help than hot loner Caleb Torrs?

Caleb’s got his own problems, but when he sees Mandy pining over Gus at a party, he thinks she’s finally smoked the spirit stick and lost her mind. Maybe he has, too, because he just asked Mandy to be his fake girlfriend. She’ll get her loser friend’s attention, and he’ll get his stalker ex off his back. It’s a win-win.

But soon one fake date blends into the next and before he knows it, he actually wants to kiss Mandy. For real. Too bad their plan is working, and Gus is finally noticing the one girl Caleb just might be falling for…

Review:

Resisting the Rebel was the cutest book ever!  I just can’t get over how adorable this fake boyfriend story was!  I constantly found myself smiling while sighing and laughing out loud.  And when you add in banter and angst that was perfectly done, well I couldn’t help but go back and re-read a ton of my favorite scenes!  I am completely obsessed with this heartfelt story and it’s definitely one of my favorite books from this year!

“Y-you’re such a—” He was still holding her hand, though he’d loosened his grip.
“Jackass. I know. But let me pretend to be your jackass boyfriend and we’ll both get what we want.”
Everything in her screamed no, but when she finally opened her mouth, the word that fell out was “Okay.”

But here’s the thing, I wasn’t so sure in the beginning that I was going to connect with Mandy Pennington.  Her thoughts and words seemed all over the place and her endless supply of energy had me pausing and looking at her sideways.  She was a lot to take in.  But by the second chapter I was laughing so hard I had tears pouring down my face and I absolutely loved everything about her.  And just a heads up, we do learn about her diagnosis that explains why she is the way she is.  Mandy was this sparkly, thoughtful, caring, sweet girl who had the hugest heart ever.  But she had a problem that she couldn’t figure out how to solve.  She desperately wanted her friend Gus to want her back.  And thanks to Caleb, it looked like her problem would be solved.

Mandy snatched the cup from his hand. “Apparently they don’t teach manners in hell.”
He licked a few drops of chocolate from his lips, keeping his dangerous eyes on hers. “Oh, they do. Just not the kind you’d approve of.” His lips curved into a wicked grin that sent her body temp into the stratosphere. “They teach us demons all kinds of bad things.” He leaned in close, lowering his voice. “Very bad things, babe.”

While Caleb Torrs spent his time by himself and his classmates were intimidated by him, he convinced Mandy to become his fake girlfriend after a run in at a party.  It was a win win for the both of them since he’d get rid of his stalker ex and it’d push Gus to make a move on Mandy.  Or so that was their plan.  But what happens when a friendship starts to form between them that has a very strong undercurrent of lust?  Or what happens when touches start to feel real and you want more?  How can you tell what’s fake and what’s not?  It all played out sooooooo good and the best part was that we got to alternate between Mandy and Caleb, so we got to know every single one of their thoughts.

“Practice makes perfect, Disco.” He closed his eyes and brushed his lips across hers, barely making contact, but it was enough to light him up inside. He wanted more. A lot more. Fake, real, whatever the hell this was, he wanted more.

And I’m so grateful for that because I loved being in Caleb’s head.  You see, Caleb was everything I want in a book boyfriend.  He was dark, broody, mysterious, and had a tragic history.  But my favorite thing about Caleb was when he took control of a situation or acted as Mandy’s fake boyfriend.  Every single one of those moments he was insanely seductive and incredibly sigh worthy.  It was amazing how hot he could make some of the scenes, even though not much physically was truly happening.  You have to see what I’m talking about because he completely melted me into a puddle and I was absolutely obsessed with Caleb.  

“I know about life sucking, Caleb,” she muttered. “Trust me, I know. But I choose to believe…I have to believe there’s a reason for everything.”
The desperation in her voice hit him like a punch. He hoped like hell he hadn’t hurt her. He reached out his hand tentatively, resting it on her knee. After a moment, she rested her hand on top of his.

And while their story alone would have been more than enough, we got to witness some beautiful friendships and family dynamics that pulled at my heart.  Some of the friendships already existed, like Mandy with J.T. And Cammie, and others we got to watch form like Caleb and J.T.  I absolutely loved Caleb and J.T.’s bromance.  Especially their Red Ranger and Blue Ranger verbal spars!  I was laughing, cheering and their moments together always left me feeling all warm and cozy inside.  Ohhh I also loved Mandy’s Grandma.  That woman made me laugh so hard I couldn’t catch my breath.  This story was filled with so many fabulous characters that I want everyone to meet!

“Mandy,” he whispered against her cheek, his mouth almost to her lips. Let’s stop pretending. The words were almost there, just hovering in the back of his throat, waiting to escape.
“Caleb,” she whispered back, just as he was about to finally taste her lips for real. “I want…”
You
, he willed her to say. Say you want me, not that tool Gus masquerading as a dork.

Resisting the Rebel was exactly what I needed and I’m so thankful for this story!  So if you’re looking for an adorable book that will make you laugh, smile and leave you in the best mood ever, then definitely pick up Resisting the Rebel!  I can’t recommend it enough!

PS The song titles at the beginning of the chapters were so cute, and they fitted each chapter perfectly.

PPS Slade and Trina were in this book?!?!?!  Oh my gosh, I love them!  They were in Playing the Player and if you haven’t read that book, I definitely recommend it too!

BOOK REVIEW: Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

BOOK REVIEW: Amour Amour (Aerial Ethereal #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca RitchieAmour Amour (Aerial Ethereal)
by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Love is a circus

"Every day,” he says lowly, “I hold a person’s life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me.”

The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future—acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world.

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.

She’s trying to find herself. Some days I still wonder if I’ve found me. Maybe we never stop searching. Maybe we evolve the way seasons change, seamlessly without really knowing, not until all the leaves have fallen.
This is who I am today.
Tomorrow I may be the same.
But in years, I’ll be someone else. Someone I may like more. Someone I may like less. And that’s okay. Because I’m still living.

It’s no secret that I loved Connor Cobalt with all my heart when I read the Calloway Sisters spin-off series in 2015. He and Rose made me happier than I could have imagined possible. And while I adored those two books that centered on the controlling and over-achieving duo, I just couldn’t fathom liking another book out of that series. They were always a bit long and always….heavy-ish, so I just couldn’t reconcile liking a book by these authors that relatively none of my friends have talked about.

I wish I could tap into his mind, even for a moment. To see how he sees me. For as much as Nikolai conveys, he’s still a mystery.
And I’m the curious girl who’ll step into it. Time and time again.

Then one day I just decided to give it a try….and I met one of the sweetest, most dedicated, most loyal men ever. I swear, why did all these books I adore have to come near the end of the year? What I needed was a book that wasn’t your typical romance, that wasn’t NA smut, something with some substance. And, ya know, normally I don’t love books that are a bit slower build, longer than they really need to be (which is a Ritchie trait, if you ask me) without much action, but it seems that some of my absolute favorites this year are just that: Punk 57, An Enchantment of Ravens, and now Amour Amour. There must be something in the water, because I am DYING of thirst when it comes to these books.

It became something more without noticing. Without realizing. “Am I a mistake—”
“No, myshka. You’re just the unexpected, beautiful thing in my life.”

Thora is selected to go try out for an Aerial company that has circus shows all around the world-her dream show? Amour. I kind of just pictured Cirque-du-Soleil (which I think was the point?) as I read, and it seemed to resonate and help me picture things I might have skimmed over before (I’ve never been that imaginative…which is why I use all the same stock actors and actresses with each book I read lol). Anyway, she gets called in for an audition, but she just isn’t up to par-not yet. And that’s where Nikolai comes in.

And he assumed right. Again. Probably based on Shay’s height, frame, build—like he did me that first night in Vegas. “Can you at least pretend to be full of remorse and regret?” This would be so much easier.
“No. A devil protects his demon.”

Nikolai lives and breathes the circus, grew up participating in shows with his family from the beginning. He’s a show stopper, and the spot for his partner just opened up…which is why Thora is in Vegas trying out for the coveted position. While doing his after-hours show on a Saturday night at a club, he challenges a cute girl to oppose him-and he instantly feels something towards her. A need to shield, to protect her perhaps. When they part ways that night, he warns her to not let the city eat her alive…and then the day of try-outs arrives, and he’s shocked to see that she wasn’t just a visitor in his town, but a tiny girl with more passion than she knows what to do with.

The slight prick of fear heightens my adrenaline, setting a fire beneath me.
Who can explain the drum of their heart or the burst of their lungs? Give me that person. I need them because words fail my senses.

So the story goes. Alas, I will say that, while I knew what the end would produce, the rest of the story was surprising the whole way through, a mystery until the end-and I respected that. I loved that I kept guessing and was never really right, and that, even though the story was a little predictable all in all, the writers kept it out of the cliché zone. Did I love that the motto of the story basically implies love comes second? Hmm no. When I read, I look to escape reality, not drench myself in it. But I did love that they weren’t pushovers for their attraction to one another. Did I love that it took so long for what I wanted to be said and for it to be admitted? Actually…yes. I did. I LOVE a slow burn, and I love how the authors didn’t just give me all the cookies in the cookie jar right away, but also didn’t keep them from being together. I won’t spoil, I’m just saying that it worked for me, and I didn’t think I’d be happy about it…but I was. I SO was, because it just gave me millions of butterflies and melted my crusty self into a puddle of goop when all the little things happened, leading up to a crescendo of feels.

He said, “All you need is luck. The rest, you’ll do great at.”
I smiled. “Is that my trainer speaking?”
“Yes,” he said, “but you’d probably think it’s a problem.”
I hesitated, “Why’s that?”
He stood up, towering above me with those intense grays. “Your trainer is in love with you.”

I’ve gotten even more dramatic in my old age, haven’t I? I’m a sap, a puddle of goo…but I just love that I can still be surprised by books when I thought I was starting to lose all my fangirl feels. Nikolai…I don’t know. He’s Russian, which was hard for me to picture? I know that makes me sound like a snob, but obviously I’m not a total snob because he won my heart over in, like, two pages. He stole my breath at the oddest of times, when I least expected it, and he would do ANYTHING for Thora.

“I’d help you every day so that you could see a better tomorrow. I will never give you less than that.”

***

“Why help me?” I ask softly. I expect him to say, I don’t have an answer.
“I admire your courage. I know what you’ve given up to be here. I know the kind of artist it takes to land a role. I know that you won’t receive one on your own. And I imagine you, myshka, two years from now, working at Phantom with the same aspirations, the same dreams, in the same place where you are now. It’s wasted courage. And wasted love. You shouldn’t have to waste those things.”

Which, okay, let’s talk about that name real quick-it’s like a couple name smash that went wrong-Thor and Nora for the win? Ha BUT ANYWAY, he had rules. He was strict with his ‘Circus before love’ bit. But Thora wiggled into his heart, made him feel whole…and she made him question what was more important. And, when faced with the fact that he may lose her if she didn’t make the Aerial team in January, it broke his heart-but not once did he let it show that he would die if she left, because her dreams were more important to him than his own happiness. I mean…I can’t even. He was just…I can’t. Not once had he been distracted from the true love of his (and Thora’s) life, the circus, but Thora made him break the rules, made him do things he’d never done before. And one scene breaks my heart in the best possible way, and I can’t say but….I think you guys would know if you read it. It’s EVERYTHING.

He stares down at me, waiting. I always pause. And he rarely fills the silence with his own voice. He just looks so deeply into me and gives me time to find the right thing…
“I’m in love with you,” I whisper.
He tries to smile but his eyes flood instead. “Don’t love me more than your dreams, myshka. Because I love you too much to let you give them up for me.”

So yeah, it wasn’t a perfect book-it didn’t have non-stop action, it might have dragged JUST a teensy bit, and I wanted to punch her best friend. But Nikolai’s adorable jealousness, the family bonding that only these sisters can write/produce, the friendships, the palpable love between Nikolai and Thora, the tenderness with which he treats her, takes care of her, the story line that makes you feel like you’re a part of Vegas…yeah, I’d say this is one of my absolute favorites. Hands down. And I’d say you’d be silly to not give this one a try.


I never even dreamed of finding love. It’s been low on my list of pursuits. I thought I’d tackle that later. Maybe in ten years. I’d fall in love for the first time then.

I wish someone would’ve told me that you can’t search for love. That one day, it will find you.
An unexpected thing.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑