Review: Jessica's Guide To Dating The Dark Side (Jessica #1)

Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side (Jessica #1) by Beth Fantaskey

Publisher: Harcourt, 2009
351 pages, Hardcover

Source: Purchased from Book Depository

Release Date: February 1st 2009

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Fantasy, Supernatural

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The undead can really screw up your senior year ...

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

My Review:

Jessica’s Guide To Dating On The Dark Side is very refreshing and a good change from what I normally read in my spare time. It is a book where our main characters are Vampires but one character just doesn’t know it yet, Jessica is a normal American teen that is until Lucius appears in her life and told her that she is his long lost fiancé and a Romanian Vampire Princess. Lucius is a vampire who has to bring and marry Jessica to save a war between Jessica’s family and Lucius’s family. The relationship between Lucius and Jessica was very intriguing to read about and I did not know where it would lead, if they were going to end up being together.

I liked the arranged marriage part because I have never read about that before, it made the book a little unique in its own way sort of. I was able to relate to Lucius and Jessica. There are a lot of twists and turns and surprises in this book, but it felt like you knew what was going to happen in the end anyway but it is still able to surprise in the end too, so it really doesn’t disappoint you any way possible.

Author Bio:

Beth Fantaskey, author of the YA novels Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Jessica Rules the Dark Side, Jekel Loves Hyde, and, most recently, my funny, romantic teen murder mystery, Buzz Kill.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Blog Tour: Dancing To An Irish Reel by Clarie Fullerton (Review + Giveaway)

Dancing To An Irish Reel by Claire Fullerton

Release Date: March 6th 2015

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N

Synopsis:

On sabbatical from her job in the LA record business, twenty five year old Hailey Crossan takes a trip to Ireland for the vacation of a lifetime. What she finds is a job offer too good to turn down.

But her new life in Ireland comes with one major complication—Liam Hennessey. He’s a famous Irish musician whose entire live has revolved around performing. And Hailey falls in love with him. Because Liam’s not so sure love can fit into his life, he’s afraid to come closer, but neither can he bring himself to go away.

And so begins Hailey’s journey to a colorful land that changes her life, unites her with friends more colorful than the Irish landscape, and teaches her more about love than she’s ever known before.

My Review:

this book a was such a delight to read and it was more like a diary but truth be told it’s a beautiful love song to the land it’s people, culture and their beautiful language of the western Ireland. This author has captured the space and subtlety of the amazing Irish people in the patterns of their language.

The characters in this book we written beautifully with spunk and quirkiness along with uniqueness, this story follows Hailey the young American she navigates an on/off relationship with this Irish musician who is struggling with the meaning and inference of falling in love.

This crafted full description of the settings of Ireland both with its natural and man-made are very vivid you kind of feel as if you are there sitting in the village pub listening to the traditional Irish music with the characters.

Author Bio:

Claire Fullerton is the author of Paranormal Mystery, “A Portal in Time,” set in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California (Vinspire Publishing) and “Dancing to an Irish Reel,” Fiction, set in Connemara, Ireland, (Vinspire Publishing.) She is a three time award winning essayist, a former newspaper columnist, a contributor to magazines, and a four time contributor to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series. Claire hails from Memphis,TN and now lives in Malibu, CA. Currently, Claire is writing her third novel, which is based on her award winning essay in the 2013 San Francisco Writer’s Conference.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (OPEN INTERNATIONALLY) ENDS JULY 2ND 2015
1. Signed copy of Dancing To An Irish Reel
2. eBook copy of Dancing To An Irish Reel

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game #1)

The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game #1) by J. Sterling

Publisher: Lake Union, 2013
379 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Release Date: June 25th 2013

Genre: New Adult, Young Adult, Romance, Sports, College, Contemporary, Chick-Lit

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

He's a game she never intended to play.
And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind... like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

They're both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together.

Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful...

My Review:

I love sport romances but some character can be immature in most new adult books and that causes problems for people reading the books.

That is kind of what happened in this book but there wasn’t a lot of it in this book. The book kicked off great and one of the main characters Cassie, she was the perfect girl in the beginning feisty and she even had some spunk. With drooling of the man whore jock Jack chasing her, she stood her ground when it came to him and she did not relent with his bad boy reputation intake. Then she would do something which showed lack of common sense and that would make me want to throw things not my kindle of course, but she could be frustrating.

I could say we all loved the bad boy falling for the good girl and change his ways with the snap of your fingers just like Jack, though I do not like characters who instantly change but tell me what girl doesn’t like a guy who does not fight his feelings for a girl he likes, like Cassie. He wanted her with everything he had and went for it and grabbed at with all his might. Yeap, he made the mistake but he did show his love for Cassie with everything he had. I thought what he did was a shit move and is paying for his consequences and bad choice but he is a good guy.

Author Bio:

I got fired from my last job. It's true. I know you're sitting there thinking "Jenn, how could anyone in their right mind fire someone as amazing and awesome as you???" And i'd love to give you a good reason, but the truth is- being this awesome is clearly very scary to other less awesome people.

So I said screw them and started writing my first book. And you know what I realized? Writing books that mean something to me is a million times better than working for my ass off for someone who doesn't really care about anything other than the bottom line.

My soul feels more satisfied.
My heart, more full.

So thank you for reading, loving and recommending the stories I write.
I appreciate it more than you know.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | TSU | Twitter | Goodreads

ARC: Her Secret Prince (Royal Holiday #2)

Her Secret Prince (Royal Holiday #2) by Madeline Ash

Publisher: Tule Publishing (Holiday Books), 2015

117 pages, kindle edition

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: April 7th 2015

Genre: Adult, Chick-lit, Romance, Contemporary

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

At sixteen, Dee Johnson gambled her heart on her best friend Jed Brown – and lost when he disappeared without a trace.

Ten years on, Dee’s life is uprooted when Jed turns up on her doorstep, asking for her help.

Dee has been left behind by everyone she’s loved: her parents, her close friend Alexia, and a stream of lovers. She moves fast with men and suspects this is why they move on fast. Now that’s Jed’s back in her life, she’s taking no chances. Despite the attraction ripping at her seams, she holds back, knowing she wouldn't recover from being loved and left by him a second time.

A constant traveler, Jed has only felt at home once in his life – with Dee. Now that he’s found her again, he's determined to make up for lost time. He'll never leave her again.

Until an unexpectedly royal revelation threatens to strip Jed of his freedom and future – including his place by Dee’s side.

My Review:

the author has got a unique kind of writing but it sort of held the lack of potential to be an amazing story but the main characters Dee and Jed do not feel as well rounded as they could have been and the storyline and some scenes are not as meshed together as they needed to be, but I wanted to get truly invested in what was happening. Sometimes I felt as if I was being told what was happening instead of being shown instead, I wanted to so badly to go on a journey with them but I think I expected a little too because of the previous book and at the time I did not realise that these book were written by different authors. This would have been an amazing read if it all meshed together with a flow about it like waves. I suggest you give this book a try, because what is said in this book is my own opinion, you may like how the story plays out.

Author Bio:

Madeline lives and writes in Melbourne. She is an author with Destiny Romance and Tule Publishing.

Online, she calls madelineash.net home, although she does have capricious blogging tendencies so might not always have fresh tea ready for visitors. That's not to say she doesn't welcome company.

She writes contemporary romance.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review: Chasing McCree (Chasing McCree #1)

Chasing McCree (Chasing McCree #1) by J.C. Isabella

Publisher: J.C. Isabella, 2012
334 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Release Date: April 14th 2012

Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, High School, Chick-Lit

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Briar Thompson had it all. The right clothes, the right friends, the right car. Being popular was all that mattered. Her parents were rich and treated like royalty throughout the community. She thought her senior year of high school was going perfectly, until the night her drink was spiked at a party by one of her so called friends.

That was the night she met Chase McCree.

Chase wanted to go back to Montana. To the ranch and the wild, wide blue sky that went on forever. He wanted nothing to do with flashy cars or spoiled rich kids. But he found himself head over boots for the quirky cheerleader who turned her back on her social status. She befriended him when no one else would.

Shunned and hurt by the people who were once her friends, Briar flees with Chase to his family ranch in Montana. There she discovers another world, and apart of herself she never knew.

The cowboy wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met. The cheerleader wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. Apart their lives didn’t seem to make sense, but together, they were chasing forever.

My Review:

Man I think I come across this by pure mistake about a couple of years ago and thought yeah why not give it a go, these days that is how I decide I want to try a new book and guess what I fell in love with this book and I enjoyed every second of it. And it is because of this I am now in love with cowboys, this plot thought it gets to you it is about a young cowboy who is totally mature for his age and who is not at all who he seems to be, he meets this beautiful girl Brair who is a cheerleader faking everything in her life. He makes her see things differently and in turn Briar take a 1 in a million chance of a lifetime leaving with him for the entire summer.

During this summer Briar learns a lot about herself and her love for Chase grows even more, I Loved watching their friendship grow into love. They get up early in morning spends endless hours working on the ranch, hand in hand flirting in the hay, the pastures, the dirt and the hot sun. This plot moves onto the people who Chase had trusted on his homeland only to betray him, Chase is going to inherit something big and everyone wants in on it.

Author Bio:

I'm J.C. Isabella, and I love to write. I've been writing for about ten years now. Mostly it was just for fun, for me. But my friends liked my work, so I decided to self publish. I hope you enjoy the rest of my site, and the books I have written.

The reason I chose to write romance, is because I love a happy ending. In YA there are so many lessons to be learned, so many firsts to be had. Why not write about first kisses, first crushes, or trying to explain to your father you were bitten by your boyfriend, who happens to be a werewolf?

One thing I will always promise in my books is a happy ending. I've always hated getting to the end of a really great novel, and feeling let down because it didn't end the way I thought it should. So about ten years ago, I decided to write a book. I remember it was about these kids who hijack a boat to find buried treasure in Mexico....

Needless to say, my writing has come a long way since my teen years, and I know I have room to improve, but I feel guilty having these books sitting in my computer, with no one to read them. So I'm putting them out for the world to see!

I try not to take myself too seriously. I'm not an editor, nor am I a total wiz when it comes to grammar or language. I try my darndest though, and I hope to give people an enjoyable read that is nice a break from reality.

I put a lot of work into what I do, and I appreciate people reading my work. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

ARC Review: Rogue (Talon #2)

Rogue (Talon #2) by Julie Kagawa 

Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 2015

400 pages, kindle edition

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: May 1st 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Mythology, Supernatural

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant.

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

My Review:

Man this book was an amazing read I thought it wasn’t going to be as good as the first book, but it blow my expectation out of the window. What really catches me off guard is every time Julie tells a story it feels so real, but her imagination is very outside the box but you can picture things happening as if they are happening in front of you, she has a way of bring her characters to life and I think that is so awesome in telling stories.

This book is packed with action, action, action and more action, and you will really like dragons in this one there is also a lot of ass kicking dragon fights. And also the love triangle in this book works for them and its strange but it is like second nature in this story, with Ember being dragon and human it becomes a point like their being 2 separate entities it just made sense. Her dragon side wants a dragon only and her human wants a human only. In the end this is not your usual love triangle.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

Julie Kagawa, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey and Blood of Eden series was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time (okay, at least the illustrations did), but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a
real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dog trainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, an obnoxious cat, an Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and a hyper-active Papillion.

Author Links: Website | Google+ | Twitter | Instaram | Facebook | Youtube

Review: Broken Promises (Broken #3)

Broken Promises (Broken #3) by Kelly Elliott

Publisher: Kelly Elliott, 2014
241 pages, kindle edition

Source: Amazon

Release Date: December 14th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Young Adult

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Walker and Taylor's story...

Taylor Morris had been in love Walker Moore since she could remember. With Walker heading off to Texas A&M and Taylor making her way to Baylor, Taylor makes a promise to wait for Walker. But some promises have to be broken when finding out who you truly are…and who you truly love.

My Review:

This book is the 3rd in the series of broken written by Kelly Elliott, but this book can be read as a stand-alone but I suggest you read this series in order and I will also say is that you need to buy her other books they may seem cheesy to you but to me I love with them, so everyone each to their own. The Broken series is another fantastic series given to readers by this amazing talented author, the story is packed to the fullest of every emotion you can imagine anger, hot chemistry and steamy sizzling romance.

Liza and walker have known one another since their birth and they are so meant for each other, they are getting ready to leave home for the college life they make one another a promise to wait for each other and get together as couple, but like all promises they are broken and then forget the promise and start dating other people and they end up falling in love with other people.

If you want to know what happens at the end well I suggest you buy the book and take a look at what happens in their lives after college is over.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

Kelly Elliott is married to a wonderful Texas cowboy who has a knack for making her laugh almost daily and supports her crazy ideas and dreams for some unknown reason...he claims it's because he loves her!

She’s also a mom to an amazing daughter who is constantly asking for something to eat while her fingers move like mad on her cell phone sending out what is sure to be another very important text message.

In her spare time she loves to sit in her small corner overlooking the Texas hill country and write.

One of her favorite things to do is go for hikes around her property with Gus....her chocolate lab and the other man in her life, and Rose, her golden retriever. When Kelly is not outside helping the hubby haul brush, move rocks or whatever fun chore he has in store for her that day, you’ll find her inside reading, writing or watching HGTV.

Author Links: Website | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Email

Review: Falling For Sakura (Falling For Sakura #1)

Falling For Sakura (Falling For Sakura #1) by Alexia Praks

Publisher: Prachan Press, 2014
338 pages, paperback

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Release Date: June 26th 2014

Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary,

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

This is a reverse harem romance, which involves multiple men falling in love with one heroine. If you like a contemporary romance with seven bishonens heroes pursuing one pretty young woman with all the love, angst, and drama that you’d expected from this genre, then this is the book for you.

One young woman.
Seven brothers.
When she falls in love with two,
which brother will she choose?

In Japan, Sakura is the beautiful cherry blossom that blooms vibrantly in spring and symbolizes the insightful Buddhist phrase mono no aware, which means the pathos of things, a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life. FALLING FOR SAKURA is the story of Caucasian-Japanese Sakura, her journey to finding herself, and her torn love for two very different brothers, Sebastian and Darcy Princeton.

Orphan Sakura, with no last name, is accustomed to being rejected, hated, bullied, and unloved. When she is adopted by the wealthy Princeton family, her seven brothers refuse to accept her, and her two sisters constantly bully her. Instead of admitting defeat, she gladly takes on her new life with a brave face, working hard to earn her new siblings’ trust and love. Her endeavor, however, ultimately leads to a series of unfortunate incidents.

Now years later, the twenty-three-year-old beauty dreads the moment she once again has to meet the drop-dead gorgeous brothers, due to arrive for their cousin’s wedding. Dodging their very presence is next to impossible since the brothers, who have forgotten who she is entirely, are attracted to her like moths to a flame and thwart her escapes at every turn. This, of course, leads to ungodly, tempting situations, awakens forbidden feelings, and ignites old flames that have been suppressed and laid dormant for many years. When she finds them competing for her—NOT for her sisterly affection, which she still deeply craves, but for her love as a woman—she is torn between Sebastian Princeton, the brother who loves her and watches over her from a distance, and Darcy Princeton, the brother who was once her best friend and now secretly yearns for her forgiveness and her love once again.

My Review:

Well I have to say that the multiple point of view really did work very well and it went smoothly in the book, I have never read any other book like it and I have to say it was a good and fun read. You can understand all the characters perspectives to the situation in front of them. But depending on the person I think not everyone will be into the book, but for those who are you would love this book, for myself I really did enjoy the book from the beginning to the last full stop. I felt that Sakura definitely had a strong willed attitude to many situations as well as a little weak willed in others which complimented each other with perfection.

The details of this book were perfect although personally, I hoped to see more details of the surroundings even though that was not the main focus I still felt just a little more detail would attach to the detail of the characters more perfectly. But however some surroundings were described really well and I was so engrossed with the book regard less of the details surrounding it. But the different scenes were described in detail with the intense scenes being and the funny scenes being funny leaving you craving for more throughout the entire book.

The ending for this book was also well written affecting the reader with multiple thoughts of what to expect in the next book. I think the author has really explored the thoughts of what each character would feel, think and behave in that time and the readers can grow attach to the characters and portray their hate for the villains (the sister and the adopted sister and the high school bully). But overall I think this book was one of my top reads and it was fan-bloody-tastic, it really left a very good impression with me and I’m craving for more and I can’t wait for the next book to come out and I want to find out what happens in the next book.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

As a Cambodian-Kiwi gal growing up in a diverse cultural environment, I find romance and multicultural very fascinating. That’s why I like to write about the relationship between two people from very different racial background falling in love, no matter if it is set in a contemporary or a fantasy world.

Apart from working as a full time Medical Lab Scientist and occasionally losing myself in my own dream realm where hunky heroes and sweet heroines fight for their happily ever after, I loves self-cultivation (who doesn’t?), am fascinated about Bazi (four pillar of destiny), and dream of one day having my very own chef to cook me amazing food every day, second of course from finding myself a hunky hero.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

Review: Beneath This Mask (Beneath #1)

Beneath This Mask (Beneath #1) by Meghan March

Publisher: Self-publisher, 2014

290 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Release Date: September 29th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Military, Mystery, Erotica

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

He loves me, and he doesn’t even know my real name.

The limelight that follows him could expose everything I’m hiding. But even knowing the risks, I can’t force myself to stay away.

I’m going to break his heart, but mine will shatter right along with it.

Will we lose it all when I reveal what’s beneath this mask?

My Review:

Author Meghan March’s second Novel, it is the first ever book I have read by her and I liked it! This book was sexy edgy, and very emotional. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, which is Con’s book! Charlotte Agoston is on the run from her past, her family name was publicly tarnished. Everyone knows who she is and after her father was convicted of stealing billions of dollars from thousands of innocent people, she decides the only way to move forward is to hide her identity and run away. She goes to one of the best places on Earth, New Orleans Louisiana.

This boo picks up after nearly a year after she started her new life as “Charlie” Charlotte Agsoston wore designer studs. While Charlie wears tattoos and converse shoes proudly. Working in Voodoo Ink, a local tattoo parlor, her plan to stay out of the public eye is going well up until a certain someone waltzes right through the shops front door and charms the pants off of her, Simon Duchesne.

I loved the pull and push of Simon and Charlie’s relationship, when she found out who he is and learned of his family’s rather public image, she wants to run but Simon is a very good chaser. Both Simon and Charlie have ghosts in their own pass, as the 2 of them get closer, Simon starts to trust Charlie with one of his secrets. But Charlie is scared to share her own secrets, but before long she soon realises her heart is in too deep with Simon. He makes her want to stay and she allows herself to be caught up in him regardless of all the consequences all because of the way he made her feel. I highly recommend you get your hands on this book it is great, it’s an enjoyable read and lots of fun.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

Meghan March is the author of contemporary and erotic romance novels.

Meghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

Meghan is represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Instragram | Pinterest | Twitter | Goodreads

ARC Review: The Dating Quiz

The Dating Quiz by L.J. Young

Publisher: Penguin Australia/Destiny Romance, 2015

211 pages, kindle edition

Source: Netgalley

Release Date: February 17th 2015

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Magazine stylist Dani Conroy has a tragic dating history. She's popular with men, but Dani is after a lasting relationship and the guys she dates never want to stick around. When her most recent boyfriend breaks up with her at the cinema, she decides to give up dating entirely.

Dani swears off romance and turns to ice-cream, old movies and her girlfriends. When she realises they're having their own dating problems, she whips up a quiz to unearth everyone's perfect partner and starts matchmaking – with unexpected results.

Meanwhile, her dedication to staying single is challenged by Josh Reeves, the gorgeous new staff photographer. He's not interested in dating either, although he won't say why. The two of them start hanging out as friends, but it isn't long before Dani is wondering exactly why he's not interested in a relationship – with her or anyone else.

My Review:

Dani is dumped at the cinemas, she seems to be a fun girl and has a great set of friends. Work is something else and they are an odd bunch and everyone seems to do everything expect their jobs apart from Josh work gets done and work get him and Dani to meet, though their first meeting really sets the tone of most of their interactions. It is the kind of thing that would happen to me and he sees the good side of Dani though, the funny caring person she is and can’t help but be attracted. He doesn’t date either though – so won’t coin in Dani’s dating quiz where she is searching for the perfect partner for her friends Susi.

So neither are dating and yet get on so well they start not dating. Not dating lets them be free to be themselves and to be honest it is a great premise of course in time they both want a bit more than that not dating faze, and that is where things start tripping up. Poor Dani is heartbroken but then Josh was too and it is catastrophe grown from a simple misunderstanding.

It is a fun read with lots of gentle humor and wry looks at life and I really enjoyed it. It is not just Dani and Josh though but the great mix of friends that make it so much more fun and the way romance crops ups where you least expect it. It is great for a one off for me, so if you just want something simple feel good romance with some real feeling humor this is the book you want.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

L.J. Young was born and raised in Melbourne with an older brother and sister, which is why she's very loud. She spent most of her early years on a skateboard or at the beach.

She started writing her first book when she was 12-years-old, with her best friend Leah. It was always going to be confusing so, from then on, she decided to write on her own.

Since then, Leah has written many manuscripts, thousands of advertisements and a few articles. She's also lived overseas, studied Film and TV and attempted to wear fake eyelashes with decorum.

She now lives in Yarraville with her own alpha male, Greg, and their three daughters, Mazzy, Lulu and Poppy, who think it's, like, ace, that their mum is published.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Review: Obligation (Underground Kings #2)

Obligation (Underground Kings #2) by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Publisher: Self-published, 2015

215 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Release Date: February 11th 2015

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Erotica, Suspense

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

This is a standalone by an author who believes in love at first sight.

[ob-li-gey-shuh n]
An obligation is a course of action that someone is required to take, whether legal or moral.

At six years old, Myla was sent to a family her father and mother had chosen for her when they knew their time on earth was almost up. What they were unaware of was what they thought would be her safe haven would become her living hell.

Kai has been watching Myla from afar since he took over the family business from his father and inherited the responsibility of keeping her safe. When word gets back to Kai that Myla is not only in danger, but that his assets are being compromised, he immediately jumps into action and does the only thing that can be done at the time by marrying her.

Neither Myla nor Kai would have thought that something that started off as a farce would become the most important thing either of them could've ever done.

My Review:

Kai is the protector of Myla, he is fighting to gain a better life for future generations. He wants clean hands and safety for his children that will come into the world, I love how alpha yet gentle Kai was with Myla, he wanted Myla to trust him and share her secrets. Kai will stop at nothing to exorcise Myla’s demons. But will Myla ever share what haunts her most?

Aurora Rose Reynolds gives us a story about family and love, I was absolutely taken with Kai and Myla’s families. They were very embracive  when it came to Myla. And OMG Uncle Frank was bloody hilarious, there were so many funny scenes that had me rolling on the floor laughing my ass off. I just couldn't figure out how Uncle Frank could get himself into the messes that he did. Especially when it came to Myla. Kai had his hands full when it came to Myla and Uncle Frank hanging out together. I’m telling you readers will have tears of laughter in their eyes you can’t help it when it comes to Myla and Uncle Frank.

This book is so worth the 5 butterflies. There is action between each page of this book, from the very beginning to the last page. I can tell you that this book and along with all her books before this I have re-read them time after time. This book was like all her previous books it was hard to put down and not try to start reading it again. Time flew from beginning to the end. Everything around was put on hold till I could finish this, it gets like that when it is one of your favorite authors.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

NEW YORK TIMES & USA TODAY BEST SELLING AUTHOR Aurora Rose Reynolds is a navy brat who’s husband served in the United States Navy. She has lived all over the country but now resides in Tennessee with her Husband. She’s married to an alpha male that loves her as much as the men in her books love their women. He gives her over the top inspiration everyday. In her free time she reads, writes and enjoys going to the movies with her husband. She also enjoys taking mini weekend vacations to nowhere, or spends time at home with friends and family. Last but not least she appreciates everyday and admires it’s beauty.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review: Unconditional Love (Journey Of Love #1)

Unconditional Love (Journey Of Love #1) by Kelly Elliott

Publisher: Self-published, 2014
325 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Release Date: June 24th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Military, Contemporary, Love, Drama

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Lark Williams leads a fast-paced life, always on the edge of danger. Running from his past and fighting to keep his present life a secret, he keeps his heart out of reach from love. The walls he built around himself come crumbling down when he meets Azurdee Emerson.

Azurdee lives a peaceful life in the small town of Wimberley, Texas. Her tame world quickly becomes heated as she begins to fall in love with Lark. He’s everything she has vowed to stay away from—dark and mysterious, and not to mention, sexy as hell and full of secrets.

Just as Lark and Azurdee give in to their feelings of love, Lark’s present life threatens the safety of the one person he would sacrifice his own happiness for. When Lark finds history repeating itself, he makes a decision that will forever change both of their lives, leaving one heartbroken and lost and the other fighting to survive.

My Review:

Azurdee and Lark’s story would not be amazing without everything it took to get them to where they ended up. There was heartbreak, jealousy, secrets, hot sex and everything that comes in between. These 2 character once they finally admitted they like each other went to hell and back to be together and it really made their story so much better to read.

I really fell in love with Azurdee’s character she knew what she wanted in life, and once her and Lark got together she seemed to be more awesome in my eyes and I hope in everyone else’s eyes too. I mean there are a few times I did not like her as much but she really was an amazing character and I was not sure about her after reading Cherished, but I am very glad this one not only because Lark is hot, Azurdee is absolutely amazing is well.

Lark is your total bachelor player but with that softer side, he was hurt so bad years ago and guards his heart, but when Azurdee steps into his lie he finds this is harder and harder to do. I loved getting to see inside Lark’s pretty big head and watching him slowly being to realise how he really felt about Azurdee. His time with his parents during Christmas was so amazing. I fell in love with the Journey talk that his father gave him and Tristan, and watching Lark ho through with everything from that talk was heartwarming and pretty amazing.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

Kelly Elliott is married to a wonderful Texas cowboy who has a knack for making her laugh almost daily and supports her crazy ideas and dreams for some unknown reason...he claims it's because he loves her!

She’s also a mom to an amazing daughter who is constantly asking for something to eat while her fingers move like mad on her cell phone sending out what is sure to be another very important text message.

In her spare time she loves to sit in her small corner overlooking the Texas hill country and write.

One of her favorite things to do is go for hikes around her property with Gus....her chocolate lab and the other man in her life, and Rose, her golden retriever. When Kelly is not outside helping the hubby haul brush, move rocks or whatever fun chore he has in store for her that day, you’ll find her inside reading, writing or watching HGTV.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Review: Breaking The Ice

Breaking The Ice by T. Torrest

Publisher: Self-published, 2014
298 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Release Date: December 16th 2014

Genre: Adult, Sports, Romance, Contemporary, Funny

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Zachary McAllister's entire life revolves around hockey and sex, in that order.
When a career-ending injury changes everything, he’s left mourning the life that could have been. Now the owner of a rundown local pub, the ex-NHL star finds himself grappling with his "ordinary" existence, trying to come to terms with a very uncertain future.

His former team is on track to win the 2003 Stanley Cup Championship without him, and preparations are being made for a victory party at the bar.

Enter Avery Brooks.
She’s the straitlaced event planner hired to arrange the party, thanks to her father's connections.
Her father who just happens to be the General Manager for the NJ Devils…
and the guy who handed Zac his walking papers four years ago.

Suddenly, Avery finds herself face-to-face with her teenage crush.
The two had a minor flirtation going on back in the day, when Zac was just an arrogant, womanizing rookie and Avery was a naive, starry-eyed fan.

Their chemistry is undeniable, but both are completely different people than they were all those years ago.

In order for this fiery Devil to melt the heart of an ice princess, Zac will need to up his game.
All he needs to do is relearn everything he ever thought he knew about how to play.

My Review:

This is a great story about misunderstanding and forgiveness, the characters development was in depth. Provided a great opportunity to bond with them, I liked that the author gave clear timelines as the story progressed so it did not feel like everything happened so fast. I liked that the first half was Avery’s point of view and the second half was Zac’s. There was not a lot of repeating. There were some surprising touches of humor as well. This is a new author to me and I am excited to try more.

Avery has been around hockey players her whole life. She know what playboys they can be, so when she meets Xac ‘Maniac’ McAllister, she immediately puts him in the friend zone. But after 3 years she then decides to take a chance.

Zac gets traded to Dallas after one of the best nights of his life, he suspects Avery had something to do with it. But he gets injured before his first season with the new team is over. 4 years later he is still bitter and back in Jersey running his father’s bar, when Avery strolls back into his life. Will this be his chance to make everything right and try again? But all he knows for sure is that she is the only person who makes him feel again.

My Rating:

Author Bio:

T. Torrest is a New Adult fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance.

Ms. Torrest was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. She's not much into health food, but she does enjoy talking about herself in the third person.

A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two sons.

Author Links: Twitter | Goodreads

Review: Bait (Wait #1)

Bait (Wait #1) by M. Mabie

Publisher: M. Mabie, 2014

370 pages, kindle edition

Source: Purchased through Amazon

Release Date: October 13th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Chick-Lit, Eroctica, Love

Links: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon AU | Amazon UK

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

He was trouble from the start, but I couldn't resist.
She was the best kind of trouble. The kind that was so wrong, it felt right.

I’ve tried and failed to stay away from him.
I’ve done everything in my power to make her mine and keep her.

He’s almost impossible to say no to.
She never tells me yes.

We’re always fighting.
When we’re not fighting, we’re… well… making up.

He makes me laugh so hard.
I miss her laugh the most.

I'm a liar.
She knows the truth, but won’t admit it.

Sometimes, I wish I'd never met him.
I wish we could meet all over again. I'd do better.

His girlfriend knows.
The guy she’s with is a fool.

I’ll never love anyone like I love him.
She doesn’t love me enough to choose us.

It was the wrong place.
It was the wrong time.

It should have been him.
It will always be her.

This book contains adult situations and is recommended for adult readers.

My Review:

Bait is told in dual points of view through the eyes of Casey and of Blake. These two could not have been more wrong for each other, yet somehow I couldn’t stop rooting from them. They are both written in ways that, on the one hand, you want to love, and on the other hand, you love to hate. Their chemistry is undeniable and the sex is steamy and oh, so satisfying! The dedication that Casey showed, and his inability to let go of what he desired with her was incredibly admirable. There was just something that had me rooting for him, even if he was technically the “other guy”. His chapters are written in a way that gives us the perfect glimpses into his head; it’s impossible to dislike him. My heart continually broke for him, and I honestly don’t know how he found the desire to keep pursuing this relationship. As a reader, you get a true feeling of kismet and that these two characters are meant to be together, which I honestly think is hard to accomplish through print.

As for Blake, I loved the complexity of her character. As the woman who couldn’t choose between two men, you wanted to hate her. For leading both of these men on and not being able to choose between heart and head, you wanted to dislike her. Somehow though, I completely felt and understood her plight. Between the way she is written and her point of view chapters, there was just something about her that made me feel for her. I often found myself getting frustrated with her and internally yelling at my Kindle pushing her to do the opposite of what she was. However, every step she took just made me appreciate the journey she was on a little more. She has a lot of redemption that needs to happen, especially after that ending, but I have absolute faith that M. Mabie will pull through!

This book is one that I know a lot of people may pass over because of the love triangle or cheating aspect. However, I can honestly say that it isn’t like anything I have previously experienced. M. Mabie is such a talented writer that she truly makes you fall in love with these characters. She might make you feel morally ambiguous at times for thinking a certain way, but it’s quite honestly done beautifully. There are scenes in this book that had me laughing out loud, and there were scenes where my heart was utterly breaking. The cliffhanger is rough and left me with so many unanswered questions. I seriously can’t WAIT to get my hands on the next book in this series! Time cannot come fast enough until I’m sucked back into this vortex!

My Rating:

Author Bio:

lives in Illinois with her husband. She is the author of the steamy comedy Fade In. Her sophomore release, Bait, is the first book in the angst-filled erotic Wake Series. She writes unconventional love stories and tries to embody "real-life romance."

She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne's World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost.

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