Tag: New Adult (Page 27 of 48)

BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Good Girl by Lauren Layne

May 9, 2016 / Jen / 10 Comments

Good Girl has become my FAVORITE Lauren Layne book and I can’t wait for you to meet Jenny & Noah! It was definitely one of her sexier books, and it contained all of the laughter, smiles and heartfelt moments that I’ve come to love from her writing. So please check out my 5 Star Review below, read an excerpt that made me smile and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY – Good Girl by Lauren Layne

Good Girl (Love Unexpectedly #2)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In this steamy novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Blurred Lines, country music’s favorite good girl hides away from the world—and finds herself bunking with a guy who makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.

Review:

Lauren Layne has done it again! Good Girl was sizzling sexy, laugh out loud funny and pulled at my heartstrings! Upon closing that last page I knew that Good Girl was easily one of my favorite books of this year. I mean, I read it in one sitting. And that happens once a blue moon for me. But I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t even fake promise myself the ‘only one more chapter’ line. Nope. I devoured this story!

Good Girl played out in my head as though I was watching a movie. And out of all of Lauren Layne’s books, I would absolutely die if this were to get optioned as a movie, it would be fabulous. You see, Jenny is a country singer who had been dubbed as America’s good girl. Yet she got thrown under the bus, and instead of fighting it, she stepped away from Hollywood and off the grid. Jenny ended up staying in a house that captured a moment in time of her childhood. In Louisiana. And while Noah was the owner of the house, that’s not how he really played it. He painted himself as the caretaker, which had me smiling huge. Being on a rural property lead them into some very passionate, hilarious and heartfelt moments.

Jenny had such an adorable voice. She was funny without even trying, she talked to her Pomeranian named Dolly, and put chocolate chips in her supposed to be healthy smoothie. She was so easy to relate to, especially since all my family and childhood friends call me Jenny, I always talk to my two little Havanese babies and I’ve tried the whole chocolate chips in a spinach smoothie, because while it sounds great, yeah, it doesn’t really work out. But any who, I loved Jenny from the get go! And as the story progressed, she earned my respect by being a woman who had a heart of gold and always saw the best in anyone or any situation. I loved how positive she was!

I can’t wait for you to meet Noah! And in case you don’t know, the jerky dickheads always tend to be my favorite! So I loved Noah completely and whole heartedly! Noah had a jaded past, and he knew that he didn’t want to go down that same road again. Especially with a woman like Jenny. So he called her princess and pushed her away. Yet Noah could only push her so far away, because the sexual attraction between the two of them pulled them straight back to each other. And their attraction and banter was toe curling and probably one of the sexier books that I have ever read by Lauren Layne. I loved it! The scenes between them were SO hot. Who knew pink zip ties could be so sexy?

Noah always seemed to push Jenny away after they had a moment of being close, whether it was physical or emotional. He was hurtful. He was the biggest jerk. Actually, jerk is too nice of a word. He was the biggest asshole. YET, I never once disliked Noah. Since the chapters alternated between the two of them, I got to be in his head. I watched as he struggled. I watched as the realization would hit him with what he just did to hurt Jenny. And it hurt to watch him and Jenny suffer. Still, he always apologized. Those apologies left me with hope that he would work past those issues he struggled with. That he was redeemable. And that hopefully Noah deserved our love.

Lauren Layne continues to write stories that find their way into my heart, make me laugh, make me cry and make me fall in love with all of the characters she creates. This is why she is one of my favorite authors. So if you’re a fan of bad boys or reading books that play out in your head like a movie then definitely pick this book up! I have a feeling you’re going to fall head over heels in love with this story too!

PS I loved all the dog scenes! And how they played such a large part in their owners lives. Loved, loved, loved.

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

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Excerpt:

[scroll-box]Noah

“What time did you say this chick was arriving?” Finn asks around his cigarette.

“Tomorrow morning,” I say, rapping my toe against a funny-looking floorboard and wincing when it buckles.

“Huh.” Finn exhales and looks out the window.

I know that tone. “What?”

“Seems she might have gotten here early,” he says, a second before the quiet afternoon erupts with the sound of my dog losing his mind, mingled with the shrill piercing yap of a much smaller dog.

“Seriously?”

Finn shrugs and nods. “There’s a girl outside.”

“Shit,” I mutter as I head toward the stairs, dodging the two broken ones.

Ranger’s about as good a dog as they come, wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he’s a big dog with a big bark, and one serious weakness: gleefully humping smaller dogs. He’s a rescue, and though he was fixed after they brought him in, he’d already gone through canine puberty, or whatever. He’s still got the fierce urge to hump, although it’s more habit than hormones.

“Ranger, no! Down.”

I run forward, my hand finding the collar of my dog and yanking him backward as I search the ground to find the source of the small-dog barks still piercing the air.

Then I register that the sound is coming from above, and realize . . .

The cotton ball isn’t a cat.

That orange piece of fluff is a dog, and Ranger is apparently in love.

“At least my dog is actually a dog,” I say, staring in horror at the pointy face of a canine that could fit in one of my hands. “I’ve seen dust bunnies bigger than that thing.”

“Dolly’s a Pomeranian,” she says, setting a hand on top of the monster’s head. “She’s supposed to be this tiny.”

“Well, Ranger’s a Lab. He’s supposed to be this normal.”

“He attacked me,” she says, giving Ranger a wary look as his tongue hangs out the side of his mouth, his eyes locked lovingly on Dolly.

“He didn’t want you, he wanted the . . . dog,” I say, forcing myself to acknowledge that the creature in her hands might be part of the canine family.

“For what, dinner?”

I don’t respond, because now that the crisis is averted, I’ve managed to shift my attention from the dogs to the girl, and . . .

Holy shit.

I’m not sure I’ve ever been sucker-punched by equal waves of lust and disdain before.

Jenny Dawson is hot as hell.

I knew that going in, but up close she’s even more mouthwatering. Her white skirt is short and tight, her legs long and toned.

She’s wearing some billowing pink top, so I can’t get a good look at what’s happening there, but it doesn’t really matter. I’ve always been a legs man, and I can’t stop looking.

The legs are a 10.

The face is a 10.

And the long blond hair spilling over one shoulder definitely begs to be spread over a man’s pillow. My pillow.

And yet even as my cock says yes, my brain is saying hell no.

Gorgeous as she is, she screams diva from the pink toenails to the sky-high stiletto sandals and all the way up to the carefully made-up face.

I just turned my entire life upside down trying to get away from a woman exactly like this one, so this is definitely a look, don’t touch situation.

But I’m looking. I’m definitely looking.[/scroll-box]

About Lauren Layne:

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.

Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Giveaway:

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BOOK REVIEW: Good Girl (Love Unexpectedly #2) by Lauren Layne

April 27, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Good Girl (Love Unexpectedly #2)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Lauren Layne brings all the unpredictable heat of her USA Today bestseller Blurred Lines to an all-new cast of characters! Country music’s favorite good girl is hiding away from the world—only to find herself bunking with a guy who makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

“A little more time, Vaughn,” I say quietly. “I hate having to say this out loud, but I’m…I’m reeling, man. I feel like I’ve been in an aimless free-fall for years, and this place…it’s helping. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but it’s helping.”
He searches my face carefully. “You sure it’s the place?” he asks slowly. “Or is it the girl?”

Romance is an escape. It’s a good break from the hardcore fantasy and soul-crushing dystopian. And, most importantly, if it’s a romance novel by an author I like, then it makes all the bad things go away, turns my frown upside down, and gives me the laughs I need to make it through the day. And as it turns out?? This is an author I really enjoy and this was a week where I needed a little bit of happiness.

I look from her to the dog, who I belatedly realize is now wearing a pink bow.
No. Just hell no.
What have I gotten myself into?
More important, how do I get myself out?

It’s no secret that I’ve never really rated an LL below a four-I always feel like that day is coming, yet it hasn’t. And it may not be the author so much as me-Do you ever feel like an author just…gets you?? Like, if you were to write a book in this genre, or write a book at all, that author takes almost all the words out of your mouth and handles things just as you would? Almost as if he/she is you in author form. Well…I think LL is that person. She never fails to make me smile and I’ve yet to be near the end of one of her books and wishing it would ‘just be over already’. LL is my author soul mate and I’m not afraid to admit it. If ever I need a smile…I know just where to go. But, as it turns out, I’m always out of her books lol.

I hurriedly grab my stuff, making sure there’s no sign of my presence before I can dash into Noah’s tiny closet, leaving it open just a crack so I can breathe and see what I’m doing.
Oh, what’s that? I didn’t mention that my revenge plan is totally creepy and a lot immature? It is.
Don’t care.

This book has been getting a really bad rap. I mean yeah, there are lots of four star reviews in the community section, sure. But, more often than not, my feed has made me cringe with the status updates and reviews. And, ya know, I get it. I went into this expecting to hate it (even though I am almost always on my own in the ‘LL is the best’ fan club) because a lot of my close friends did. And I’m not going to name any names, that would be ridiculously rude, but even someone who I think is my equal in LL love gave this a three. Why, you ask?? Well…let me list the ways.

I stand still, my body humming in anticipation, as Noah comes in the door.
“Hey, boy,” I hear him say quietly to Ranger. “Where’d you get that bone, huh? You steal it from the stupid cotton ball?”
I roll my eyes. Sure, my dog’s the stupid one. I saw Ranger barking at his own shadow the other day.

Noah is an asshole. Noah is an asshole who continually hurts Jenny. Noah is an asshole who says things that are basically unforgivable….yet he is always forgiven. Jenny is the girl who wants to see the good in everybody (much like me-something that didn’t escape my attention as I was reading-EEPS) and wants to believe Noah isn’t a total jackass. Now, some people believe she was a doormat….but I disagree (See reason above…why would I diss on myself, flawed or not?).

But anyway, back to Jenny.
Am I avoiding her? Yes.
Out of embarrassment? No.
I’m avoiding her because I can’t even think her name without remembering what it felt like to have her hands and mouth all over me. I can’t blink and not see her in that sexy black bra. I can’t breathe and not smell her scent, all sweet and innocent.

Just because you repeatedly forgive someone doesn’t make you a doormat…it makes you someone who just wants, I don’t know, the happiest life with the person you have feelings for. And hey, let me just say, I don’t like doormats for main characters, and I know a damn doormat girl when I see one, and Jenny was distinctively different based on her actions. Or, at least, I’ve seen much worse. Namely…myself.

I dump a handful of chocolate chips into the blender. Chocolate fixes everything.
Tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder, I put the lid on and flick the blender back on, sort of relishing the hacking noise the chocolate chips make as they whir.
“What the heck is that noise?” Amber asks.
“Just throwing some carrots into the blender,” I lie.
“Oh, good call! I love how carrots add that delicious bit of sweetness,” she says.
I roll my eyes. Sweetness my ass. They’re carrots.

Just wanted to put here that I deleted three paragraphs of a personal story because I don’t want friends and family here at home to get the wrong idea-It was relevant to why I loved this story so much, but this is what’s best for me. Back to the review! 😛

So here is my disclaimer, and it is different from the one that I put in my pre-review: This is unlike any LL book I’ve ever read….and I’ve read them all. If you don’t want change or something different than you’re used to with LL, then don’t read this one. That can be the only warning I give you. I may have loved the different style of this story, but ratings have proven that others don’t. It is what it is-just use your gut and go from there. I can’t make that decision for you.

I exit out the front door just in time to see my big brown Lab leap forward, his clumsy paws finding the shoulders of a blond girl who lets out a shriek, holding a cat above her head like that scene from The Lion King.
“Ranger, no! Down!”
I run forward, my hand finding the collar of my dog and yanking him backward as I search the ground to find the source of the small-dog barks still piercing the air.
Then I register that the sound is coming from above, and I realize…
The cotton ball isn’t a cat.
That orange peace of fluff is a dog, and Ranger is apparently in love.

So, the good stuff! This is my favorite atmosphere yet by this author-

I both loved and hated this book in equal measure, making this a completely foreign feeling, which I’m totally unaccustomed to. I went into this not expecting to like it, yet came out with the goofiest smile on my face, scolding myself all the while because it felt wrong to love something that, at times, was vile. But it made me feel strongly, and that’s all I ever really want when I read-To feel strong emotion for a story, both good and bad, instead of the typical, ’Okay, onto the next!’ This was a situation of ‘like-love-hate’, but love-more-than-dislike and happy-more-than-not that it was a 5 star love/hate relationship rather than a 3 star love/hate. Does that make sense? No?? Oops.

I climb into the truck, moving the seat slightly, since Finn’s a couple inches shorter than me. I glance over at Jenny, hoping she doesn’t ask why I’m adjusting the seat in what she thinks is my truck, but she’s too busy fiddling with something orange and hideous on her head.
I pause in the process of jamming the key into the ignition, staring at her in horror. “What the hell is that?”
“A wig,” she says, pulling down the visor to look in the mirror. Only there isn’t one, it having broken long ago, so she turns to me. “So how does it look?”

The writing, the banter, the conversations, her eye-rolls, Noah’s looks of horror when Jenny did something moronic. The humming her songs in secret and then humming them to taunt her. The way he always walked her back to her house no matter what so she’d be safe. Jenny reminded me of myself, wanting to hold her resolve but unable to when Noah looked hurt or hopeful. And hey! He teared up..I can’t even.

You know how I said Jenny’s voice sounded like her heart?
I’m wrong.
Her voice sounds like my heart.
And I want it back. I want her back.

I do have to say this: this book set a record of firsts for me: One being her Pomeranian, Dolly!!!! LL has a pom, and I have a pom, so naturally we know the breeds mannerisms and what makes them so fucking perfect…and it all translated perfectly onto the page. I just….it was so sweet to feel like I was reading about my baby every time I read. It was just awesome. And then, oh yeah, Noah was so cruel one time that I actually found myself tearing up for Jenny. Like…wow. That has NEVER happened before. Bravo…or…ouch, I dunno.

“What the heck is wrong with your dog?” the girl says as she slowly lowers the puffball from over her head, cradling the hideous little monster against her chest as it continues its high-pitched bloody-murder yips.
“At least my dog is actually a dog,” I say, staring in horror at the pointy face of a canine that could fit in one of my hands. “I’ve seen dust bunnies bigger than that thing.”
“Dolly’s a Pomeranian,” she says, setting a hand on top of the monster’s head. “She’s supposed to be this tiny.”

^YES

Yet I liked him, loved him, swooned over him (at times) –especially at the end. It definitely makes me want to re-evaluate what types of dudes I like (book wise). I get what she was trying to create-A different guy, a different atmosphere….and she succeeded-He was so mean, almost unforgivably so, and I’m always on the guy’s side.

His eyes rake over me. “Playing dumb won’t change the fact that you’ll be thinking about me all night, princess. Your fingers will be a poor stand-in for my tongue, I can promise you that.”
“I’m trying to figure out which word better applies here, delusional or disgusting. I’m thinking it’s a tie.”
Noah bends down slightly, enough so that I can feel his warm breath on my mouth. “Enjoy your night, princess.”

Soooo yeah. Feeling super vulnerable after this one, but the review took me there, and I respected it’s wishes. I don’t think this one is for everyone, but I think a lot of people will still love it-If you like the type of book that makes you smile so big your face is bursting or you like laugh out loud banter and conversations or inner monologues, LL is the author for you, and this book is most likely something you’ll enjoy….just know that this one has a crueler guy and he’s unlike any of her other heroes-Even Paul was kinder (I ADORE PAUL I LOVE YOU PAULLLLL). I giggle snorted (hey, a new first) and covered my mouth to stifle my smiles and giggles and, frankly, LL won again. But is this a shock to anyone?? Hmmm…no. Even when I try not to like it…I like it harder. Whatevs. I lose…like usual.

************
Soooo yikes. Black sheep much??? Okay, so, here is the most honest thing you will ever hear me say, so listen closely: I legitimately feel guilty for loving this book. There-I said it. The way Noah treats Jenny is deplorable, disgusting. And yet….I just couldn’t help smiling and, ultimately, falling in love with this story. And the sickest part: I DID NOT WANT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS STORY BECAUSE IT FELT SHAMEFUL TO DISAGREE WITH THE VALID POINTS MY FRIENDS HAVE SO ASTUTELY POINTED OUT.

And the bottom line? I loved this fucking book, even though I tried to not like it, just so I would feel like everyone else. And it makes me extremely mad at myself. Shame on me. I can like whatever the fuck I want and I shouldn’t feel like I first did when I got on GR. So. There it is. I don’t give a fuck if I have five starred fifty books this month- I like what I like and I refuse to feel ashamed about it.

I loved the Louisiana setting. I loved Dolly. I loved Ranger. I loved Jenny and Noah and Finn and Vaughn. They are flawed and they are wrong and they make lots of mistakes…but my heart wants what it wants.

I didn’t like this because it was an LL-I liked this because I was having a shitty week and this cheered me up immensely. *shrugs* whatever.

Baaaaah

Review to come-a less crazy sounding one, for sure

BOOK REVIEW – Undecided by Julianna Keyes

April 24, 2016 / Anna

Undecided by Julianna Keyes
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Nora Kincaid has one goal for her second year of college: be invisible. Last year’s all-party-no-study strategy resulted in three failed classes and two criminal charges, and if she messes up again she’ll lose her scholarship. But there’s one problem with her plan for invisibility, and his name is Crosbie Lucas: infamous party king, general hellraiser…and her new roommate’s best friend.

Crosbie’s reckless reputation and well-known sexcapades aren’t part of Nora’s studious new strategy, but as she’s quickly learning, her new plan is also really boring. When Crosbie’s unexpected gestures of friendship pull her head out of her books long enough to see past his cocky veneer, she’s surprised to find a flawed and funny guy beneath it all. The muscles don’t hurt, either.

But as Nora starts to fall for Crosbie, the weight of one of last year’s bad decisions grows even heavier. Because three failing grades and two misdemeanors are nothing compared to the one big secret she’s hiding…

2.5 stars? 3 stars? I think I’ll remain forever Undecided (and sorry for this terrible pun, you know I had to do it). Don’t get me wrong, I was actually pleasantly surprised by Crosbie’s magic tricks. And no, I’m not being naughty.

Much.

If I had to compare it to most of the NA I read, Undecided would have really interesting things to offer :

✔ The drama is never over the top, as in : no important issue used as a background to try (and fail) making the main character interesting. Thank you.

✔ For once the fact that the male-lead played around before doesn’t mean that he has to be obnoxious because really, why assholes are the only ones to get laid in NA is beyond me. Hello, some guys have 20+ hook-ups in a year and are actually nice and decent persons. They don’t need to slut-shame or be such cocky bastards. See, I don’t hate 99% of the “player” kind of male-leads because they have sex with multiple women. No. I hate them because more often then not, they’re unredeemable sexist jerks. Crosbie isn’t. Crosbie is actually very sweet. Kellan *cough* …. isn’t the love interest. Yet I can’t deny that if he cares about his friends, love-wise he’s oblivious at best, irresponsible, and infuriating at times. He’s not my favorite person, let’s say, but I do not hate him.

✔ There’s no love-triangle, no matter what the cover and the blurb are trying to tell us. WTF, really. Do they really think that it’s a selling point? Because it’s not. There are two guys, but in no way can their relationships with the MC be called a love triangle. It seems like it at first but… no.

✔ It’s surprisingly well-written. Surprisingly, because I’m sorry, but if I – as a non English speaker – can notice weird phrasing or grammar mistakes, I tend to think that it’s really, really bad, and it happens a lot in NA. Bonus points because it made me laugh.

See? It’s not near as bad as I expected it to be. However, if the beginning put a smile on my face and let me hope for a shocking winner, I have complaints I can’t overlook :

✘ Alright, so I already said that Crosbie was cute – I didn’t? He is super cute, trust me – and I really liked the build-up of his relationship with Nora. Unfortunately, if they do share chemistry, I never really saw their feelings growing after they started dating. Oh, yeah, they had sex. Loads and loads of sex. I mean, GREAT. Sex is important in a relationship. But somehow I felt that their story was lacking and that they didn’t really get to know each other. No matter all of Crosbie’s gestures – adorable, this one, did I say that? – they don’t really spend time together except for having sex, and it got boring pretty fast. That’s why the Iloveyous in the end made me roll my eyes a little, because where did that come from? Infatuation, yes. Crush, yes. Lust? Oh god yes. Love? Hmmpf. Nah.

✘ Although I’m pretty sure that Julianna Keyes had good intentions, the treatment of double standards when it comes to sex – and especially one-night stands – felt short in my opinion. See, I’m really glad that it was actually acknowledged, because slut-shaming is so ingrained in NA that the mere mention of the existence of double standards is pretty good. Pretty good, but not nearly enough. It remains that Nora, the MC, who’d lived in the “wild” side the year before (her words – not mines), only had sex with 5 guys. Sure enough, the sex-part of her year isn’t the only thing that made her want to go all serious. BUT the fact that she slept with 5 guys – and one in particular – plays such a major part in the plot that I’m feeling a little dizzy at the unfairness of it all. I mean, Kellan “dated” more than 50 girls. Crosbie, more than 20. If it’s okay for them, it should be okay for her, too. Don’t get me wrong, neither Kellan nor Crosbie act like jerks about it, but I still felt like the issue was only brushed off – so much potential wasted on that account.

✘ “Sexy” is ALWAYS a better choice than “slutty” in my book. Please use it.

► In the end, Undecided isn’t a bad book by any means, but it isn’t amazing either. I wasn’t enthralled, and I can’t help but feel that the love story was lacking. Forgettable, you know? Oh well. I’ve read far, far worst.

Also, ~~magic tricks~~ sorry, illusions.

BOOK REVIEW: Eversea (Eversea #1) by Natasha Boyd

April 13, 2016 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

Eversea (Eversea #1)
by Natasha Boyd
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
An orphaned, small-town, southern girl, held hostage by responsibility and self-doubt.

A Hollywood A-list mega-star, on the run from his latest scandal and with everything to lose.

A chance encounter that leads to an unlikely arrangement and epic love affair that will change them both forever.

When his co-star and real-life girlfriend is caught cheating on him with her new director, A-list hottie, Jack Eversea, finds himself in sleepy Butler Cove, South Carolina. Jack hopes the sultry southern heat in this tiny coastal Lowcountry town will hide him not only from the tabloids and his cheating girlfriend, but his increasingly vapid life and the people who run it. He doesn’t count on meeting Keri Ann Butler.

Keri Ann has relied on herself so long, dealing with her family’s death and the responsibilities of keeping up her family's historic mansion, that boys and certainly the meager offering of eligible boys in Butler Cove, have never figured into her equation. But fate has other plans. Suddenly face to face with the man who played the movie role of her favorite fictional character, Jack has Keri Ann yearning for everything she has previously avoided ... and Jack must decide whether this funny, sassy girl is worth changing his life for, before his mistakes catch up to him.

Okay-I lied. I have a major issue in the way of migraines right now and I think I am going to skip writing a full-fledged review on this one. I regret that I can’t give this the review that it deserves, but in a way I’m relieved. Relieved I don’t have to badmouth a book *MOST* of my friends loved and relieved I decided not to give up any of my minuscule reading time because of constant headaches. But, I have added the quotes I would have otherwise used with a full review and have also added bullets of what did and didn’t work for me (so, ya know, I saved you twenty minutes of reading my review while I blabber about said things that did or didn’t work). Two birds, one stone and all that.

“It’s amazing,” said Jack, shaking his head and looking at me.
“What’s amazing?”
“It’s amazing,” he repeated, “that you seem to have no idea how fucking beautiful you are.”

Well…this was both good and bad in equal measure. I’d love to say the good outweighed the bad but, sadly, my curse still stands. As it turns out, I really am not a ‘Hollywood Romance’ book genre lover. I just…I love angst, right? So why can’t I get behind ANY of these ‘I’m famous but don’t wana be’ books? The truth is simple, when I get right down to it: This type of angst makes me feel, well, angsty-but not in the good way. These always make me depressed and sullen and moody and they always have that same cop out-I love you soooo much but I have to participate in this fake relationship for Hollywood.

His hand left mine, and he pressed it palm down in the center of my chest. “If I’d known you were in my future, I would have chosen differently.”

What the fuck ? I HATE this, and it just…it’s never handled well. I will admit, however, that this is the least disgusting scenario I’ve read about yet. And Jack is pretty unforgettable, as far as male leads go. What with his swoony declarations of adoration and wanting to be with our main character despite the horrid situation surrounding them. And I’ll get to all this when I write a real review, but I just couldn’t wait to say these things. I guess that also leaves one thing: The writing. I just did not like the writing and, frankly, I didn’t get how they were into each other so quickly…or rather, how he fell so hard for her.

Me: Sorry, should have warned you she’d probably come by. She and Nana were close. Who did you say you were?
Late Night Visitor: That I was a friend doing you
My eyes widened.
Late Night Visitor: A favor! A friend doing you a favor! Sorry. Damn phone. Banging head on wall…

I can see how it happened, I just don’t believe it. The beginnings, that is. Anyway. Okay. I’m done, but I’ll be back. I really really really did love Jack…he was just absolutely breathtaking. I just wish some of the horribly handled convos didn’t happen…those can’t be erased from my mind. Ugh.

The GOOD:
–Great quotes, LOADS of feels-Jack’s freaking mouth…it only produces magic that turns me into a heaping pile of goo. Why couldn’t he have been the only character in this story, hmm???
–LOVED the club scene-always a favorite. Like…GAH!! Top three absolute favorites scenes ( Me lubbs the jelly green monsters)
–My favorite scene, for some inexplicable reason, is the scene where they accidentally meet up while running. Dunno why. Lots of cute feels from beginning to end of that part
–WIll read book two someday, but will do so when in mood to be masochistic, since this shit gives me the bad kind of book ulcers

The BAD:
–It goes back and forth CONSTANTLY. Will he or won’t he? Back. And forth. Back. Forth. Back…..and forth again.
–Cheesy conversations that had me rolling my eyes (not to be confused with the moments I liked with childhood memories and his ‘I am so in like with you’ moments-THOSE I LOVED) I mean when he can’t be with her. But maybe can. How it will be handled. How it won’t be handled. The conclusions. *Rolls eyes*
–SAME OLD ‘END ALL THE HAPPY’ PROBLEM: THE EX DUN DUN DUNNNNNN. Will will this stop being in the Hollywood trope. Create angst, fine, but leave the fucking ex out of it like GAG
–Not necessarily bad writing, but amateur…ish. Didn’t flow well and didn’t draw me in like I’ve become accustomed to.

So I really did love some parts, really, I can’t lie about such things. But Jack can’t be everything. There needs to be a reason for the angst and a reason for these bad things to happen, and this all was just so fabricated-and drawn out, for that matter, so she could get a second book in-to make things difficult for them. I don’t like that and I never will. Create real problems, BELIEVABLE problems. I know books are books but…I didn’t believe this fiction that is, indeed, meant to be fiction. Whoops. I lied again…I still blabbered lmao. hehe. I lie.

~~RTC~~

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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.