Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 30 of 88)

REVIEW – This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

February 27, 2018 / Jen / 2 Comments

This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A new heart saved her life―but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor?

C. C. Hunter's This Heart of Mine is a haunting, poignant tale about living and dying, surviving grief, guilt, and heartache, while discovering love and hope in the midst of sadness.

Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was ― a boy from her school ― and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened.

Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew living, took more courage than dying?

Review:

This Heart of Mine was such a touching story. It revolved around family, friendships, sacrifices, new beginnings, first love and so much more. I just know that so many people are going to absolutely love this emotional story! I wish there wasn’t a but…….but I wasn’t able to connect to any of the characters. I tried again and again, and continually failed all the way till that very last page. I felt so heartless, especially since I got tears in my eyes reading the author’s letter to the reader, at the end of the book. Sigh. So I closed the book wishing that I could have felt that same emotion towards Matt and Leah.

I grin. “If you’re Matt, I’ve wanted you to kiss me since seventh grade.”
His gaze slides lowers to my mouth and lingers. “Is your heart strong enough?”
I burst out laughing. “Are you that good of a kisser?”
“Maybe.” A smile crinkles the corners of his eyes. He leans down. His lips are against mine, soft and sweet.

Leah’s thoughts and words could be so heartbreaking. Yes she’s pragmatic about the fact that her odds of getting a new heart are low, but it still was shocking to see how she viewed the world. I was hoping to resonate with her realness, but hopefully others will. And while there were some heavy moments before her heart transplant, there’s this one moment that was filled with nothing but brightness. Leah ended up having a study session with a boy named Matt. She’s had a crush on him forever, and after studying they shared one of the sweetest kisses. But after that moment, they both go back to their own lives. Leah knew she was fated to die and Matt had too many family problems at home to start a relationship with Leah. Yet both of their lives become irrevocably changed in the near future.

Gasping for air, the fear, the raw, ugly panic I felt in the dream, hangs on with sharp claws. My heart thuds against my rib cage. I can’t breathe. – Leah

One month later, Matt’s twin brother died and Leah, who was in desperate need of a heart transplant, received his heart. Every one believed that Matt’s twin killed himself, but Matt believed his brother was murdered. And after, they both started to have these dreams that ended up weaving their lives together. So when the pieces of their dreams started to come together, they both found themselves in the middle of a huge mystery. I’m not really a suspenseful person, but it was a fun mystery to figure out. While I had some guesses here and there, 3/4s of the way into the story I figured out exactly what happened, and I was excited for the characters to catch up with my knowledge.

“Why would I hate you?”
She unfurls her fingers and brushes the tear away. “Because I’m alive and he’s not.”

Both Matt and Leah were definitely likeable and I enjoyed alternating between the two of them. So I was grasping why I couldn’t connect to them. I’m not sure if it’s because I had just finished an extremely emotional book, and I was still partially hung up on that story? Oh, I don’t know. But what I do know is that it made me SO sad. This was the type of book that should have easily pulled me in and broken my heart and then mended it perfectly back together. So while this one didn’t work for me, I’d still recommend to give it a try. And here’s hoping you absolutely love it!

*ARC kindly provided by St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK REVIEW: Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

February 26, 2018 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Everyone knows Abby Turner is in love with her best friend, Cooper Wells. Including Cooper Wells. But despite what people tell her, it doesn’t affect their friendship. And she’s practically over it, anyway. What she really can’t get over is when her boss at the local museum tells her that her paintings lack heart.

Art is Abby’s passion and she hopes her future as well. She is determined to change his mind and earn her way into the upcoming exhibit at the gallery. So along with her family’s help, she compiles “The Heart List,” a series of soulstretching experiences that are sure to make her a deeper person and better artist in six weeks or less. When Cooper decides to complete the list along with her, she realizes this list is expanding her heart in more ways than one. Maybe she needs to start another project.

I really don’t know that I counted this as a romance…and if you go into it expecting a grand one, it will be painful. Like it was for me. Oh yes, you heard me correctly. Yeah, this is labeled a contemporary romance, but it really was, I don’t know, more about finding out who you are as a person and learning to love yourself enough to do what’s best for YOU. Learning that life isn’t always perfect. That there’s so much more to learn than what you realize. It’s a story of personal growth…even when its painful to do so.

Grandpa went straight to the kitchen sink when he walked in the door and began scrubbing his hands with soap and water. “Is everything all right?”
Okay, maybe I needed to work on my tone when making announcements. “Well, there wasn’t an earthquake,” I said.
“Am I supposed to get that reference? Is that a young-person phrase for something earthmoving? Has your earth moved, Abby?” He turned off the water and dried his hands on the towel hanging on the oven.

This story bothered me if only because I felt like it was too breezy. Too easygoing. Our MC was essentially a doormat and it bothered me on a personal level. But, really, I’m lying. She wasn’t even a doormat. She was a young girl who thought she loved her best friend and maybe-hopefully-one day he’d return her feelings.

On the bright side, this wasn’t a feeling I purposefully had very often. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this amount of sheer panic. Or this amount of hatred toward Cooper. So maybe this would help me paint emotion.

It was painful to read-PAINFUL. And not the good kind of pain, the kind that makes you cringe. Everything felt short, the list too contrived, the list moments almost a backdrop…

But to get through these painfully awkward moments, there was sarcasm. I always LOVED the sarcasm. It was cute, it was witty, and it was right up my alley. I actually even laughed through the whole book, to be honest. I love when I can identify with the main character in this way. But, sadly, it wasn’t enough. I’d close the book and I’d be happy at that moment, but then I’d realize I was bored. I wanted to be done. I wanted my new release (Come ooonnnnn, Cruel Prince) to come out (it just popped on my iPad (when I was reading this FOREVER AGO) EEK!). And I wanted more. But then, out of nowhere, our spineless heroine grew a pair and became my own personal version of a female YA contemporary hero.

“Come in.”
The door opened wider with a squeak. “Hey, you feeling better?”
“Physically? Yes.” I could tell my fever was gone and the headache I’d had for the last couple of days was gone with it. But anger still glowed in my chest like an evil that needed to be exorcised.

I choose to believe this isn’t hot. Lol.

And this is when it crashed and burned-And it wasn’t just because of some plot device or only to further the ‘romance’ (even though the week leading up to said crashing and burning was painfully obvious it would not go according to plan), it was because everything built up to this moment in a huge tidal wave and we got hurled in the side of the head with a crushing crescendo of feels that all crashed down at once….we were in the middle of a hurricane (sorry for all the water analogies????).

Then there was true pain-out of nowhere. It was real. It was raw. It broke my fucking heart-because I felt it. I felt every emotion she felt. And frankly? I didn’t know what I wanted to happen. Did I want a HEA? Did I really??? I have never felt this emotion. Ever. My stomach was in knots-HUGE knots. My heart twisted beyond comprehension and I couldn’t get the bitter bus to go away. I just…I felt like this book, out of nowhere, grew its spine, right alongside our sappy, lovesick, clueless MC.

This book may have been about a list of firsts…but I think it accomplished more firsts with me:
-The Cooper/Ris deal (I can’t explain what I mean until you read it)
-Abby/Elliot’s relationship-adorable. Come on, now.
-CRYING DURING A KASIE WEST NOVEL (THREE TIMES!)
-Hurt in my heart in a way I didn’t think possible for Kasie West
-True, raw pain from Kasie West
-Definitive no nonsense ending (for a KW)

And for once, and I won’t say how, this wasn’t a HFN. It was a real deal definitive end. And I loved it. But, hey. Still a short end…but I kinda tend to like those rather than long drawn out endings that prolong what’s supposed to be a short story…much like my long-winded reviews. 😉

He sat down on the yellow-and-white-striped towel on my right side and handed me the bottle of water.
“What’s this garbage? I want caffeine.”
“Just yesterday you told me you were giving up soda. You said it quite dramatically, in fact. And then you said, keep me honest, Cooper.”
“What?” Rachel asked from my left side.
“You had forty-four ounces of Mountain Dew at my house last night.”
“Shhhhh.” I pressed my finger against her lips. “We’re not talking about that.”
Cooper scoffed and Rachel pushed my hand away.

I read somewhere in one of my friend’s reviews before starting this that the person was kind of like me, over Kasie West, only because it’s been hard to relate lately when her first books were so lovable and the last few have been so underwhelming-I kept thinking l know…why even bother? And I regretted starting this book…But then THISSSSS.

“And it’s not even the Fourth of July,” I said, quieter this time.
“Barely two weeks. Imagine how booked they are for that day.”
“Would you rather have to listen to only quartets for the rest of your life or screeching cats?”
“That’s a hard one. But quartets, I think. Unless they can only sing patriotic songs. Then the cats.”

I’m happy to say this one is my personal favorite by her, and I don’t know why, because I felt it was so weak the whole time-but my heart is a fickle fellow. And I never ignore what my heart’s praises sing. I made myself swear (I did, I kept repeating to myself in a mantra, ‘no matter how cute this ending is, do NOT pull a Chelsea and give it a quick, hot, and dirty 5 star’)

Four thirty in the morning. You owe me.
That’s why I brought you doughnuts. I owe you nothing.
He sent me back the pile of poop emoji and I laughed.

Eh…I folded. I folded like a cheap hooker the minute my heart melted-and that’s all there is to it. Everything came together all of a sudden in a harmonious melody and it was kind of like Kasie West actually intended for us to feel this way…Like she wanted us to be pissed so she could say, ‘ha, you doubted me, you buttholes (I have since edited this part (and it wasn’t a-holes either…) now that a month has almost passed and I can calm my tits lol), well here you go-take THAT. RIGHT IN THE FEELS. BOOM.

I smiled and stole one of his fries.
His face went serious. “Don’t eat my fries, Abby. You said you didn’t want any fries, and I said, you’re going to steal mine if you don’t get your own, and you said, no I won’t.”
“Are you reenacting a conversation that happened five minutes ago?”
“Yes, because you seem to have forgotten it.”

I feel played. I feel very played…but, I don’t care. I lost. My heart won and Kasie West stole my heart [again] after a couple years of waiting for her to reappear like her old self. I thought she and I were parting ways, but alas-She is here to stay.

And I don’t mind that one bit.

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BOOK REVIEW – More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer

February 20, 2018 / Jen / 10 Comments

More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
With loving adoptive parents by his side, Rev Fletcher has managed to keep the demons of his past at bay. . . until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.

Emma Blue's parents are constantly fighting, and her only escape is the computer game she built from scratch. But when a cruel online troll's harassment escalates, she not only loses confidence but starts to fear for her safety.

When Rev and Emma meet, they're both longing to lift the burden of their secrets. They connect instantly and deeply, promising to help each other no matter what. But soon Rev and Emma's secrets threaten to crush them, and they'll need more than a promise to find their way out.

From the author of Letters to the Lost comes a new compulsively readable story for fans of Nicola Yoon.

Review:

More Than We Can Tell was an emotional book that was the perfect mixture of heart-wrenching and oh so sweet. So I definitely wasn’t surprised that I had tears in my eyes, when I was only a few chapters into this story. It was a testament to how easily these characters captured my heart. And while this can be read as a standalone, I recommend picking up Letters to the Lost too. That story first introduced us to Rev, and it was one of my favorite books from last year.

I think of the girl beside the church.
You’re afraid.
I’ve spent years learning how not to be afraid. And now, with a few short sentences, my father has sliced through all my defenses. – Rev

Confession time – I had already fallen for Rev Fletcher in Letters to the Lost. He was Declan’s best friend, and we saw what an amazing man he was. He was always there for Declan, had so much compassion in his heart, and was such a good guy. Even though it was obvious that he suffered from his own personal demons. So to start off the book with his world exploding? Oh. My heart ached so badly for him. And it was all because he received a letter from his biological father. The man who raised him till he was eight, and who physically and mentally tortured Rev. All in the name of God. And from just that one letter, Rev started to spiral down into a dark abyss.

I keep worrying about my father, wondering when something is going to snap inside me. Wondering when I’m going to turn vicious and cruel, just like he did. – Rev

While Rev found himself sinking into a horrific darkness, he met someone who was suffering too. Emma Blue. Within that first interaction, they shared a tiny piece of what they were feeling. I loved that with just a few words, they felt that connection. They made each other not feel so alone in the world. And from there, each time they ran into one another or met up, they let each other in just a little bit more. It was such a beautiful progression to watch their friendship blossom. They listened, they offered advice, they confessed and they found solace in each other. But within it all, was butterflies and the possibility of a first love.

I block him.
Then I slam my laptop shut. I flip over in bed and scream into my pillow.
I scream so loud and so long that I forget what silence is like.
I scream until I run out of breath. – Emma

I was so thankful that Emma met Rev. Because it felt as though she had no one at times. She struggled in her relationships with her parents. They weren’t supportive of her, weren’t around, and they treated her like an inconvenience. On top of that, she seemed to be drifting away from her best friend. As if that wasn’t enough, she suffered from horrific online bullying. And while I loved how outspoken and tough Emma could be at times, I did struggle with her. She had a habit of pushing others away or saying hurtful things. And the few times she did that to Rev, well it hurt me too. Even though I saw where she learned that behavior from, and I got why she did it, I still didn’t like it at all. But thankfully Emma made up for it again and again.

“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For seeing me.”
Then he turns, jogs across the street, and disappears into the darkness beyond.

There were so many beautiful messages in this book, that I believe are extremely important. They ranged from bullying, to trusting the wrong people, to discovering solace in the ones you love and to also finding acceptance within yourself. And on top of the messages, there were other people that added so much heart to this story. Such as Declan, Rev’s adoptive parents and Matthew! Ahhh I can’t say anymore, but I’d love to read Matthew’s own book someday *fingers crossed*! So I found myself closing the book extremely happy with how it all ended. It’s a fabulous read, and I definitely recommend it!!

PS If you want to read my 5 Star Review of Letters to the Lost, the book the first introduces us to Rev, you can read it here.

*ARC kindly provided by Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

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

February 13, 2018 / Jen / 2 Comments

About That Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5)
by Jill Shalvis
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
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:

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.

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BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Runaway Groom by Lauren Layne

January 29, 2018 / Jen / 1 Comment

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 Layne

Runaway Groom (I Do I Don't #2)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
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*

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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 TODAY, New York Times, iBooks, and Amazon bestseller lists.

Author Links: WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | T WITTER | GOODREADS | INSTAGRAM

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REVIEW – This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter

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Gasping for air, the fear, the raw, ugly panic I felt in the dream, hangs on with sharp claws. My heart thuds against my rib cage. I can’t breathe. – Leah

“Why would I hate you?” She unfurls her fingers and brushes the tear away. “Because I’m alive and he’s not.”

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I think of the girl beside the church. You’re afraid. I’ve spent years learning how not to be afraid. And now, with a few short sentences, my father has sliced through all my defenses. – Rev

I keep worrying about my father, wondering when something is going to snap inside me. Wondering when I’m going to turn vicious and cruel, just like he did. – Rev

I block him. Then I slam my laptop shut. I flip over in bed and scream into my pillow. I scream so loud and so long that I forget what silence is like. I scream until I run out of breath. – Emma

“Thank you.” “For what?” “For seeing me.” Then he turns, jogs across the street, and disappears into the darkness beyond.

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

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BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – Runaway Groom by Lauren Layne

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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.

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?

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“Why would I hate you?”
She unfurls her fingers and brushes the tear away. “Because I’m alive and he’s not.”

I think of the girl beside the church.
You’re afraid.
I’ve spent years learning how not to be afraid. And now, with a few short sentences, my father has sliced through all my defenses. – Rev

I block him.
Then I slam my laptop shut. I flip over in bed and scream into my pillow.
I scream so loud and so long that I forget what silence is like.
I scream until I run out of breath. – Emma

“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For seeing me.”
Then he turns, jogs across the street, and disappears into the darkness beyond.

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.

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?