[image] Title: Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl Series: Standalone Author: Jessica Sorensen Release date: August 26, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view s[image]
[image] Title: Rules of a Rebel and a Shy Girl Series: Standalone Author: Jessica Sorensen Release date: August 26, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]
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This was my first book by Jessica Sorensen in a few years and it was such a pleasure to read! Beck and Willow were just adorable together and their connection was so unmistakable it couldn't be denied. I was immediately drawn in by the cute cover and synopsis and I'm so glad that I decided to read it.
From the very beginning, we get a peek into the type of neglect that Willow endures from her mother. I grew an immediate loathing for her and it only increased a hundred fold as the story wore on. The horrible conditions that she forced her daughter to endure made my stomach turn. As a parent, she was completely selfish and uncaring. Even cruel. And I immediately sympathized with Willow's plight. Her childhood memories grew more grim by the page, but since her very first recollection there was always one common factor: Beck. He came into her life and became the one source of comfort and sense of safety.
Sometimes, I wished I could stay in his arms forever. Life would be so much easier that way.
Her father's abandonment took its toll on her mother when she was young. She turned from a woman who cared for her and did all the things a mother should do to an emotional wreck. She spiraled as far as she could go, turning to drugs and alcohol and leaving her child alone for days with no warning. She had a revolving door of dangerous men that dictated her happiness. Instead of Willow following her mom's bad example, she struggled day by day to feed herself, pay the bills, and make good grades so that she could escape the life that she was enduring. Along the way, she vowed to never make the same mistakes and depend on a man for happiness.
I just prefer not to think about boyfriends: of having one, of ruining my life to have one, of getting consumed by one, of ending up like my mom.
After high school graduation, it's becoming clear however that her no dating rule is in danger of being broken. Her feelings for Beck have been evolving over time and are becoming harder and harder to ignore. The sexual tension that crackles between them can only be stretched so far before it snaps.
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Tumbling, falling, out-of-control-that's how I feel when I'm around him. I like him too much.
There wasn't a lot of descriptive physical moments in this book. But the angst of will-they-won't-they tension was done so well that it more than made up for it. I never felt like I needed any explicit scenes between these two, there was enough sexual tension between them and bursts of surrendering to their attraction that kept me more than satisfied.
This was one of the cutest friends to lovers stories I've read in a long time. Beck was the epitome of chivalrous, adoring, and protective. There was absolutely nothing he wouldn't do to make her safe, happy, and comfortable. Being best friends with her since childhood, he knew everything there was to know about her. The shameful parts and the best parts. And he loved every side of her without exception. Total unconditional love. I loved this guy so much, he was one of the sweetest I've come across in a long time, and together they fit together so effortlessly and completely.
Willow's rules to keep him in the friend zone are doomed to fail because once Beck gets a taste of her, there's no stopping him from making his perfect girl his.
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But she's hiding things from him, and when the truth comes out will he still see her in the same light?
If you're looking for a sweet, feel-good friends to lovers book this will definitely be the one for you. This will not disappoint!
[image] Title: Furious Rush Series: Standalone Author: S.C. Stephens Release date: August 23, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[HFN (hide spoil[image]
[image] Title: Furious Rush Series: Standalone Author: S.C. Stephens Release date: August 23, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[HFN (hide spoiler)]
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When I saw that there was a book coming out set in the racing world, I was immediately drawn in and excited to check it out. I feel like this is a setting with untapped potential, you just don't see that many quality books about racers. The synopsis intrigued me-daughter of a racing legend goes head to head with a street racer on the track. Rivalry and competitiveness flare, then to top it off we have a forbidden romance thrown in to boot? There's plenty of hope there for a riveting read.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't end up feeling as enthusiastic for the story when my expectations met with reality. I wanted to love this one and tried really hard to overlook things. But there were just too many issues that cropped up that detracted from my enjoyment. There were some pieces of the story that I really appreciated, mostly the racing scenes between Kenzie and Hayden. I actually really loved seeing them face off on the track and see their energy feed off of each other.
For some reason that I didn't fully understand, Hayden was my center. I needed him to maintain my balance, and without him, I was lost.
Our heroine Kenzie is one tough woman. On paper, she has all the characteristics in a heroine that I favor. She's strong, independent, works in a male-dominated field and isn't a pushover. I loved her strength of character and her strong loyalty to her family. However, from the very first interactions between her and Hayden, she rubbed me the wrong way. And honestly, I can't say I warmed up much to her throughout the book at all.
When she meets Hayden at an illegal street race, she immediately snubs him and sneers at his participation in such a dangerous sport. I can't argue that what he's doing is reckless, but her judgement and disrespect of him for trying to work his way to what she had handed to her put me off. She's the daughter of a racing legend and her father paved the way for her to follow her dreams. She had opportunities that he never had, and her continued attitude toward him was confrontational and bitchy even when he was trying to reach out and help her.
Lifting my jaw as I refocused my resolve, I told him, "I'm a grown woman, a daughter of a legend, and I don't need your help. Now give me back my phone."
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It got to be too much how she constantly treated him, it came off as so bratty and immature. I did understand what she was up against, and it was considerable. Living in her father's shadow has her desperate to break the mold and prove to everyone she has what it takes. And it doesn't help that her father's lack of acceptance causes her confidence to take a major hit.
How the hell was I supposed to stand a chance at succeeding when the bar was already set on the top rung?
When Hayden suddenly enters the professional racing circuit, and more specifically their rival team, she grows an even deeper dislike of him. The Cox and Bennetti teams share the same practice track, but a long standing feud keeps the tension always on the verge of snapping. This hatred her father held for Hayden's team makes her resistance to him even stronger. Despite her immediate attraction, there were too many factors that made even a friendship with him impossible. Her career, her family's financial problems, and finally earning her father's respect all hinged on her keeping her focus on one thing: winning.
Hayden was the complete opposite of Kenzie. He was the rebel, the rule breaker, and I really loved that edge he had.
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"I never said rules were stupid, sweetheart. If there were no rules...well, then, it would be impossible for me to break them, wouldn't it?"
He's willing to break any law or push through any obstacle to reach his end goal. He has hidden motivations throughout the book, always keeping you guessing whether or not he was completely trustworthy. The seeds of doubt are constantly being planted when accidents and bad luck plague the drivers. It adds a little layer of mystery to the story, which I liked.
There was a lot of push and pull between the h/H, that caused the tension and angst to build to soaring levels. They had some incredible chemistry arcing off of each other. With every step forward they took, Kenzie took two steps back. The fear of discovery and ruin kept her from admitting her true feelings, even to herself. Just when you think she's going to own up to what was between them, she was reminded of everything she had to lose. It was a dance that kept me spinning in circles with them. At some point, she needed to prove to him that he mattered to her, and I wanted it to happen earlier than it did.
Just a warning, the ending is very abrupt. There is no series listed for this book, but the way things are left off, it's pretty clear there's more of the story to be told. It's not what I'd call a cliffhanger, but there are things that need to be resolved. Overall, I enjoyed the idea of the story, it had great potential. I liked the forbidden element and the racing scenes, but I needed more from the heroine to feel fully connected to their romance. Her abrasive attitude put me off quite a bit. I still think fans of S.C. Stephens will enjoy Furious Rush, it was a unique story with two complex main characters. You may feel completely different than this as me and not be bothered at all by my own personal issues.
Title: Close to You Series:Fusion #2 Author: Kristen Proby Release date: August 9, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler[image]
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Title: Close to You Series:Fusion #2 Author: Kristen Proby Release date: August 9, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]
I just looked at Kristen Proby's backlist, and it appears that this is my twelfth book that I've read by her. This author used to be one of my go-to authors. I knew what to expect and I was just fine with that. She writes light, steamy, and feel-good stories about groups of friends that will put a cheesy grin on your face.
I'm not sure if the formula has lost some of its shine, or if my tastes have simply changed, but the last few books of hers I've read haven't had that wow factor like they used to. Regardless of that fact, I still found the story to be a fun and frothy romance with loads of sweetness. If that's what you're in the mood for, this will be right up your alley.
Cami has known Landon ever since they were kids. They grew up together and she developed a major crush on him that evolved into what she thought was unrequited love. Little did she know, her best friend's brother had deeper feelings for her as well. He was just better at hiding them.
I was a young girl being raised by elderly parents, my siblings already out of the house, and this boy would smile at me, and I felt like I was home.
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I liked that the feelings were originally two-sided but never pursued. Landon was a little older than her and felt that she needed time to grow up some. But before he had a chance to make his feelings known, she was married to someone else and he was away in the Navy. They both always regretted that they were never given a chance to see what could have happened between them. She was the girl-next-door who got away, and he was the love of her life whom no one could ever compare.
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Now Landon is back in town to start over after being discharged from service and they quickly discover that their feelings have never died down in all their time apart. Supported by their friends, they decide to explore a romantic relationship and see where it goes. The attraction between them flared quick and bright. They had a type of chemistry that was deep seated, one that had been nourished through years of unfulfilled feelings for each other. And when they came together, you could really feel their passionate connection.
I want to kiss her madly and lay her back on this couch and uncover her body, inch by inch, discovering what makes her moan and what makes her sigh.
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My reasoning for giving this an average rating was simply that there seemed to be absolutely no conflict at all in the plot. Even when they faced a tragic moment at one point, there never was a struggle or an excess of difficulty. They seemed to move from one phase of the relationship to the next with no bumps or setbacks. Which in my opinion, led to the story falling flat. However, if you're looking for a quick and entertaining read that's drama free, this could be the right book for you.
After the tease for this book at the end of Reap, I was beyond excited to read the next installment in the Scarred Souls series. Raze and Reap were big winners for me. The continuing mafia storyline is one that roused my attention and frayed more than a few nerves. Intense, savage, and powerfully done, these books will make you feel an overwhelming array of emotions. There are parts that made my skin crawl, and made me squirm in my seat at the horrible atrocities and evil that was displayed. Yet Tillie Cole always manages to deliver a love story underneath all the grit that calls to my love of romance. Sadly, while the mafia aspect was once again just as engrossing, the emotional connection between Valentin and Zoya was lost to me.
Once again, we meet another poor unfortunate soul who has been tormented and drugged by this horrible crime faction. Abducted as a child with his sister and enslaved to the mind-altering drug pumped into his body, Valentin is forced to become an animal with no free will. He's a stone cold killer with no hope of becoming anything more in his lifetime. And worse, the evil "mistress" who controls him takes joy in demanding his obedience even further. Stringing him along with the faint hope that one day he could earn his sister's freedom, he clings to his desperate goal in vain.
The enormity of the bleak world Valentin resides in is almost too much to contemplate. It's devastating what he experiences and sees every single day. There is no relief from his hellish life, and despite his grim existence, his one ray of light is that somehow he could save his beloved sister. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that he wouldn't do. His moral code has been obliterated, and he has nothing left to fear-not even death.
I think seeing the boy he was, how protective and loving he was towards his sister really made his current situation even more heartbreaking. You really get to see what drives his desperation in the horrible things that he's forced to do. Even in the moments when the drug allows some semblance of free will, he crushes his qualms quickly and carries on with his directive. To kill Zaal by any means necessary.
Zoya's news that her brother lives after all these years has her making a very foolish mistake. One that could cost her her life. In her haste to reunite with Zaal, she puts herself in the path of a killer and what follows is one excruciating situation. Let me just come right out and say that this was the turning point of the story for me. Up until Zoya's abduction and the following events, I was fully on board with the plot. I truly believe that Valentin had no other options and understood what forced his hand to do what he did. However, it was their lightning quick switch in emotions to "love" that I completely did not feel or see happening in a realistic way. The reasoning was too flimsy for my liking, I was never made to feel their connection growing naturally.
This feeling, this strange feeling for the savage but mysterious man, was engulfing me.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting an idyllic stroll through romance land with this book. I was expecting dark and gritty and that certainly was what you get in Ravage. Nonetheless, a romance was fed to us and I felt that it was the weak side of the story. As hard as I tried, I could not understand the feelings that they supposedly had. Especially growing from their unfortunate meeting in that much haste. I'm sure many will disagree with me, but for me it wasn't fitting in with the circumstances.
The latest installment in the series certainly wasn't short on suspense. It takes you on a break-neck pace through the vile Jakhua Clan's vicious depravity. You also get to catch up with the couples and family from the previous books which was for me, very satisfying. This is no light and easy read by any means, it's disturbing at times and not for the faint of heart. Valentin's sister's book is next, and I'm extremely curious how her story will pan out. I have no doubt that it will be another crazy ride from Tillie Cole.
[image] Title: Hard Rules Series: Dirty Money #1 Author: Lisa Renee Jones Release date: August 9, 2016 Cliffhanger: Yes HEA(view spoiler)[No (hide s[image]
[image] Title: Hard Rules Series: Dirty Money #1 Author: Lisa Renee Jones Release date: August 9, 2016 Cliffhanger: Yes HEA(view spoiler)[No (hide spoiler)]
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The Dirty Money series has snagged my full attention with its first powerful installment Hard Rules. There was conniving and back stabbing around every corner and I never fully knew who was trustworthy, if anyone. I felt like I was constantly being forced to decipher every word, action, and nuance of the story in an effort to keep my head above water as to where the plot was unfolding. Every character was a piece on a chess board being moved around strategically by the author and the only question was who would finally be the victor?
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The war that Shane Brandon is waging against his family is a war that he's determined to win. and finally wash their empire clean of the filth that has tarnished it. Lack of morals, greed, and power struggles are characteristics that I would attribute to the environment that he's become trapped in.
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After returning to Detroit to save his shady family from serious legal trouble, he knows his job isn't done, no matter how hard he wants it to be true. As much as he wishes he could return back to New York and his ideal life as a corporate lawyer, his inability to give up on his family holds him strong. His father is seriously ill, and he's not willing to allow himself the freedom of turning his back on everything.
Shane's not afraid of a monumental fight, but he is feeling weary of the daily power struggle. When he runs into Emily in a coffee shop, he's immediately attracted to her refreshingly sweet nature. What is first supposed to be a passionate one-night stand quickly flares and burns out of control. Neither was expecting to see each other again, neither expected to care. But they were wrong on both counts.
"You rock my world and I don't get rocked. I'm damn sure going to do my best to make you do this my way." "Which is what?" "You stay with me." I lower my mouth a breath from hers. "Stay."
Emily is on the run, hiding her true identity and with every day, we see her indecision grow over whether or not she should continue to selfishly potentially lay a whole new set of problems on Shane. Knowing she may be a serious danger to those around her if her house of cards come tumbling down is consuming her with guilt. On the other hand, Shane is making her feel more understood and connected to another person more than any other time in her life. She may not reveal much to him, but he's a shrewd man and sees the truth in her eyes. They're more alike than either could have anticipated.
We are one in this moment, two people lost and found in each other, both of us fighting a battle the other understands in ways no one else can.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two. She was a great heroine who knew how push back when his control started to reach too far out of the bedroom. Working in close proximity, she's able to hold her own amongst the deceit and hidden agendas.
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And though he had his moments of arrogance and pushiness, it all came from a place of protection. They both had secrets and were surrounded by lies, but with each other were able to find a safe oasis from the mind games they both had to play.
Hard Rules was a very promising start to the series. I felt like I was tossed around in a pool of sharks on the hunt for blood. There was quite a cliffhanger at the end, but with a four book series, I'm sure most people will be expecting that. I know even without the suspense and uncertainty of what's to come, I would still be on board with continuing with the next book.
*Damage Control is scheduled for release in February of next year.
[image] Title: Swear on This Life Series: Standalone Author: Renée Carlino Release date: August 9, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide [image]
[image] Title: Swear on This Life Series: Standalone Author: Renée Carlino Release date: August 9, 2016 Cliffhanger: No HEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]
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This is one of those stories that will leave its mark on many readers. I thoroughly consumed this book, not in several mini-meals, but in one huge satisfying bite. Once I started, I was pulled in so completely that I didn't want to set it down. I couldn't set it down. Renée Carlino has a way with words that really reaches down deep and grabs you.
It's a story about a boy and girl both living in a dark and bleak reality, who found friendship and a deep and powerful love. Theirs was a love that transcended poverty, abuse, and years of separation. Nothing could dull the strength of what they felt for one another, and no one else could ever come close to making them forget the immensity of what they lost.
Jase had planted himself inside of my heart so deeply that when we parted he kept growing there.
Her past was off-limits, even to her long term boyfriend. The was so much resentment, hurt, and shame from her upbringing and the events that led to her leaving her small town for good. All she wanted to do was move on and fulfill her dreams of being a writer, but suppressing her emotions was causing her dreams to be unreachable. That long dirt road where hunger, fear, and loneliness overwhelmed her was a road she no longer wanted to travel. She escaped and made a life for herself, a life she was just going through the motions in now.
Even through years of trying to bury the importance of her feelings, one moment brought a flood of emotions back into her neatly ordered life. Emiline's discovery of her life fictionalized and exposed for the world to see left her raw and wounded.
My heart was growing right alongside the pain, and I didn't know what to do with myself.
I really loved the story within a story that we're given. If was such a unique reading experience to view the flashbacks as Emiline was viewing them. As a novel that she was reading and interpreting. What was Jase's motivation in airing all of her most hidden hurts? Was it purely selfish, or something more? These were all questions that spun around in her head and she wasn't going to leave them unanswered.
They made a promise to one another, in another life. But they hadn't seen each there in twelve years, so why drag everything out of the dark, why now? Emiline's turmoil was heart wrenching, but something told me that Jase wasn't the self-serving person whom she believed him to be.
"Jason Dean Colbertson, how'd you get so great?" There was a silence. He kept his eyes closed and said, "You made me this way, Em."
Revisiting her past through her readings opens your eyes to how desperate their situation was. Their last day together was the culmination of a series of misfortunes. An impossible choice had to be made, and that decision altered the course of their lives. At this point in the book, I was desperate to find out Jase's motivations, where his heart lay. I needed to know the ending of their story. Was it a closed door in the past, or were they heading toward a window of opportunity in the future? There were no easy answers. Emaline had a lot of soul searching to do and allow forgiveness to lift the burden on her heart.
For me, Swear on This Life was emotion-packed and beautifully written. Though it falls into the common categories of second chance romance and friends to lovers, nothing about this story is standard fare. It explores several heavy topics but manages to hold that weight without pulling you down along with it. The love that they shared was unquestionable, leaving no doubt in the mind that these two were meant to be. If only they could finally shape their own fates.
Christie«SHBBblogger»
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Books:
august2016
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