Monday 30 September 2013

Book Boyfriend Monday - Jax Chamberlin

This week I thought I would go for the misunderstood leading man who just wants be expected as he is and not used for who he is and knows.  This week the honor of book BF goes to  Jax Chamberlin from Reckless (Renegades #1) by Skye Jordan.

Jax made it into my heart by....
  1. Being sweet and vulnerable
  2. Being gorgeous and successful ( I know sometimes I can be a bit shallow )
  3. Falling in love with the person not for what they look like (But he did get a bonus with Lexi being a knockout as well)
Some examples of why Jax trampled into my heart:

"When I fuck you, baby, it's going to be for hours." 
"Rock yourself to heaven, baby." 
"I've also never been in love with a woman-other than you-and I've certainly never told another woman that I loved her. Ever."

"I'll stay." He lowered his lips to hers, whispering, "Always."

All quotes and phrases from Reckless by Skye Jordan

Reckless (Renegades #1)

by
A couture wedding dress designer to the rich and famous, Lexi LaCroix’s image means everything. But crossing paths with a sexier-than-sin, bad-boy biker makes Lexi realize how much living she’s sacrificed for her success and one touch is all it takes to threaten her carefully choreographed life. When that touch fills far more than just Lexi’s physical needs, she finds herself torn between the career she needs and the bad-boy she craves.

Jax Chamberlin gave up the superficial life of acting for the thrill of running his own stunt company years ago. But a recent betrayal proves he’s still too close to the limelight to find a woman who doesn’t plan to use him as a stepping-stone to success. When the charming and mysterious Lexi offers him a totally anonymous hook-up during an out of town trip, Jax accepts. Only Lexi is more sextacular than charming, and Jax wants more.

But Lexi’s got a major hang-up over his renegade lifestyle, and Jax isn’t willing to change his ways. Especially not when he discovers who she really is. Because if she finds out his connections could catapult her to the top of her career, he’s afraid the fantasy woman he’s falling for might just end up like all the other gold-diggers. And this time, it’s not just his bad-boy reputation at risk, but his heart, too

Synopsis from Goodreads

PURCHASE RECKLESS - KINDLE

MY RECKLESS REVIEW 



Sunday 29 September 2013

Me, Cinderella? - Review

Me, Cinderella?

by
One kind deed can change your life forever...

Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart. But when she sees a stranger shivering in the snow outside of the college library, an inexplicable urge leads her to buy him a hot cup of coffee. It's just a small act of kindness, a few words of conversation. Brynn should be focusing on her finals, after all, not on the man who looked up at her gratefully with piercing blue eyes.

He could have been anyone - a janitor on break, a graduate student, a bum. But the man standing outside in the cold turns out to be Dr. Eliot Herceg, one of the most brilliant minds in mathematics and heir to a fortune. After years of reclusive isolation, he now finds his heart awakening to the kind girl whose name he does not know.

Brynn has spent her life trying to forget her desires, and Eliot's deep wounds have taken nearly a decade to heal. After so much hurt, will either of them be able to open their hearts again?



Source: eARC for Honest Review via NetGalley
Genre: NA Contemporary

My Review...

We were just two broken people, half-mended, struggling to make sense of the world as best we could.

I had not a lot of expectations when I picked up this book but I was pleasantly surprised with it after reading it.

Brynn was a girl who is struggling with the loss of her mother and all she wants is to go visit her burial plot in Budapest.  With her being on her own she has no way to get there expect via her exceptional math skills and the chance to win an internship.

Elliot is a man hiding from his past and has closed his doors to love until a random meeting by a sweet girl her breaks past his emotional barrier.

This random meeting turns out to be the key to Budapest and the chance for Brynn to find out answers from her past.

Elliot and Brynn's journey to be together is a bittersweet journey with trials and tribulations that they can finally overcome and take a risk on love.

It was a sweet story and left us with a HFN ending but we all know fairy tale endings come with a price.  There are secrets left unturned and drama on the horizon that we will get to see in book 2.

3 Math Loving Thumbs up!
thumbs upthumbs upthumbs up
Lauren

PURCHASE ME, CINDERELLA? - KINDLE

Thursday 26 September 2013

Unscrupulous (Manhattanites #2) - Review

Unscrupulous (The Manhattanites #2)

by
Book 2 in The Manhattanites series

At thirty-three Warner Truman is one of the richest men on the planet, a spa mogul who buys and sells resorts at will. He holds powerful executive’s careers in his well-groomed hands. Nothing is beyond Warner’s reach…until he meets her.

Stunning, tantalizing, and perverse, Taddy Brill captivates Warner’s carnal desire like no woman he’s ever met. A self-made millionaire, Taddy is tougher than steel, more brilliant than diamonds and, at twenty-seven, she’s never depended on a man for anything…until she meets him.

The more Taddy plays with Warner’s affections, driving him to erotic heights, the more she is confronted by a dark past. But before she can love him, Taddy must meet her worst fears head-on or risk losing it all, including herself.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora's Cave



Source: eARC for Honest Review via NetGalley
Genre: Adult Contemporary

My Review...

So this book was a perfect combo of naughty, spice, humor and love.

We first meet Taddy who is all business and too busy for a sex life even though she is chomping at the bit for one.

Now we have Warner who is all manly man and uber successful but has been hurt by love.  He keeps woman at hands reach until Taddy blows him away and he can't get her out of his mind.
"Now, now, Red. Let's not get our vajazzled self in a glitter knot, shall we?"
Taddy doesn't know to much about relationships but she likes what she sees in Warner.
"Waiting..." She gave him a nod to say "bring it on". Big Daddy dropped his drawers. She dropped her jaw. Shut the front flippin' door! "Anaconda"
This book is all types of fun but from a world that I know nothing about.  Being a Manhattanite is a world in its own with everything glamorous, large and over the top.


Taddy wouldn't be where she is today without the love and support of her friends.  They taught her how to love and became her family when she didn't have one. 

Due to her shitty ass parents Taddy doesn't know how to trust in love so she has some trials and tribulations in the journey of trusting Warner's love and devotion.


Humorous story with elements of fun, shitty parents, family when you least expect it, great friends and love.

4 Manhattanite Thumbs up!
 thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up
Lauren

PURCHASE UNSCRUPULOUS - KINDLE


 





Tuesday 24 September 2013

Only For You (Boys of the South #2) Blog Tour - Review

Only For You (Boys of the South #2)

Tour Information

Title: ONLY FOR YOU

Author: Marquita Valentine

Release date: September 16, 2013

Age Group: NA

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Links to find the book:



Book Description
The conclusion of Cole and Violet Rae's story.

Loose ends left loose for too long tend to strangle. Cole and Violet knew it wouldn’t be easy. They knew their relationship would take work. But when the press finds out about Violet Lynn’s newest boyfriend, they start digging. And when his past come to light, exposing all of his family’s secrets, their relationship begins to fray.

Country Music’s Golden Boy, Jaxon Hunter, has it all, except the girl that got away. What she saw, she really didn’t. What she thought happened, he allowed her to believe for reasons so insane that no one would ever have believed him if he had confessed. But now that everything’s out in the open, he’s going to do his damndest to convince her that he’s the only one for her.

Now Violet must choose between Jaxon— her first love and the guy she thought had cheated on her—and Cole—the guy who helped her heal and love again.

Or will one of them make the decision for her?




About this Author

New York Times Bestselling Author, MARQUITA VALENTINE, writes small town romances that are anything but small. She met her husband aka Hot Builder at Sonic when they were in high school. She suggests this location to all of her single friends in search of a good man -- and if that doesn't work, they can console themselves with cheesy tatertots. She lives in North Carolina in a very, very small town with Hot Builder and their two children.

Links: 
Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Facebook


To see other stops on the tour for reviews, guest posts, and excerpts click here.





 Tour Giveaway:  
(1)
$75 Amazon Gift Card




Source: eARC for Honest Review from Author
Genre: NA Contemporary

My Review...

I was so looking forward to rainbows and sunshine for Cole and Violet Rae but sadly that is not what happened. Instead it was doom and gloom for these two due to Cole's insecurities and Cole's dad being a royal douche.

But for Violet Rae she knows what she wants and needs....which is Cole.
"For what it's worth, you're everything to me, Cole Morgan. Everything."
Unfortunately things aren't easy for these two and while Violet is holding out for Cole,  Jax makes his play to get Violet back.  At the same time Cole is finding out more about himself and his family.
Finding happiness and love is not always an easy journey but when something is meant to be it's worth the journey.

This series is turning into one of those that has captured my intrigue and heart.

I can't wait to find out what happens next  with Jax and Bliss (True for You Oct, 2013) , West and McKenzie (Nov.1) and Wyatt and Lacey (January 2014).

4 Bright Thumbs up!
thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up
Lauren

Monday 23 September 2013

Running From Forever (The Forever Series #5) Blog Tour - Review and Giveaway


Synopsis:

Recent college graduate, Kayla Reynolds was ready to leave the university, sorority life behind. Leaving her boyfriend of over three years, she packed her bags and moved four hours south to the big city…New York City.  Bright lights, streets that never sleep, and a business lifestyle that she yearned to have were all at her fingertips.
Kayla Reynolds was chasing her dream.
Determined and eager to make it in the corporate world, Kayla changed everything- her image, lifestyle, and outlook on life, putting her career first and her personal life second. That was until her first day, the first time she got a glimpse of Miles Blackwell. Corporate CEO and part owner of ETV, and not to mention, incredibly handsome, Miles Blackwell took Kayla by surprise, stealing her heart as he did.
But nothing had ever come that easy for Kayla. Life had always seemed to have a personal vendetta against her, stepping in when everything seemed too good to be true, reminding herself of whom she really was. It wasn’t until she met Merrick Drake that she realized when to stop; when running was no longer an option. For the first time in her life she had someone she could relate to; someone who wouldn’t judge- who saw the person she was inside. She and Merrick connected…on more levels than one.
When life was too much to handle, they ran.
But there was only one person that could make Kayla stop for good. Only one man that made her want to stay.
Would Kayla finally stop running or would it all be too much to handle?

Giveaway: (1 Kindle Paperwhite & 2 signed copies of Running From Forever)
a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Teaser...

She let out an exasperated breath. “No. No, I gotta figure this out.” She turned to face me, legs crossed, intertwined. “I don’t know what to do, Merrick.”
I felt it in my chest. She was lost, pleading for help. I didn’t know if I was the best person to help her. I’d lived just as fucked up a life myself. From the age I could run, I did, staying at friend’s houses almost every day of the week, stopping home quick after school just to make sure my mom hadn’t overdosed and was dead on the floor. I did this almost my whole life…up until I ran here.
“I can’t really help you, babe, if I don’t know what happened,” I told her as sympathetically as I could, looking into her sad eyes. Even if I wasn’t the most qualified person to give advice, I wanted to help, but I also needed to know what happened first.
Kayla rubbed her face with her hands, keeping them over her eyes for a minute longer. She was thinking; questioning if she was ready to spill. I didn’t want to force her to do it, so I sat there quietly. I wish I could just sweep her up and run far, far away; take her away from all the bad in her life permanently, but that would mean I had to run again, and I was done running. I couldn’t do it anymore.
“I loved him.” Her voice was a whisper. She removed her hands from her face but only to look down to her crisscrossed feet. She couldn’t look at me while she told me, and I was okay with that. “I let my guard down when I knew I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it.”


About the Author:

Some may consider me a jack of all trades, but I consider myself well rounded.
I’ve waitressed, styled hair, answered phones and, most recently, worked full time as mom to my two beautiful little boys.
Then there was this book… Everyone and their brother started talking about this book series titled Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I didn’t really pay attention to the craze at first, since I wasn’t a big reader- okay, I didn’t read at all. But curiosity got the best of me, so I downloaded it to my kindle.
I was immediately hooked. I read the whole series in three days. Yes, three books in three days.
I kept finding all these great books that I HAD to read (just ask my credit card!).
Then I started hearing voices. Voices that turned into stories; stories that were begging to get out of my head.
I started writing them down on scraps of paper. Then I transferred them to my computer. Before I knew it, Planning on Forever was born.
The voices in my head are still talking, so I’m still writing.


Links:




http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564533.Ashley_Wilcox?from_search=true

 

Source: eARC for Honest Review from author
Genre: NA/ Adult Contemporary

My Review...

So this series is somewhat bittersweet for me.  There are parts that I love and others not so much.

In this book we find Kayla doing a cowardly breakup which she does so she can begin the life that she always wanted and thought she needed.

On her first day she meets her new boss Miles who shakes her world and everyway.

Things are looking good and going smoothly until the truth comes out and blows everything up.

Kayla needs to figure things out so she runs to her new friend the neighborhood bartender Merrick.

This new found relationship is something that the two of them didn't even know they were needing until they found each other. 

After the truth comes out Miles does everything and anything to get Kayla back. 

After Miles wins Kayla back everything is coming out roses. 

So the story was cute but things that were hard for me to believe was this over the top love story all happened over a week which made it hard to believe.  I'm all over love at first sight but this was just too quick to truly believe.

One of the high points was the friendship between Merrick and Kayla.  I can't wait to find about Merrick's HEA.

For this story I give it 3 too quick thumbs up! 
thumbs upthumbs upthumbs up
Lauren

Book Boyfriend Monday - Garth Black

Gah!! I love this man and all his asshole ways.  This week's Book BF is Garth Black from Finders Keepers (Lost and Found #3) by Nicole Williams

Why did this particular asshole steal my heart????
  1. He is so vulnerable and needs to be loved
  2. He is loyal and has a huge heart
  3. He is a bad ass asshole oozing with sarcasm but you know what underneath is so worth it.

Some examples of why I love Garth:
"...Around here, we shoot coyotes, wolves, and assholes. And it's been a while since I've got to shoot an asshole. I'm going through withdrawals."

"You're the one who has everything to lose. Let's face it, the only things I have left to lose are my boots and whatever scrap of dignity I have left.  You have the world at your fingertips, and I have the weight of it on my shoulders. I know the man I am, and I know that I'm nowhere close to deserving you...But if you feel anything for me like I feel for you, I'm asking you to give us a chance. I'm begging you to give me a chance to prove I won't make the same mistake and do you wrong one night and abandon you the next morning. I can and will stay at your side for as long as you want me to stay there."

"Because you deserve better than my best.  You deserve the man I can and should be. Not the one everyone else knows."

"Don't apologize for them. If you spend your whole life apologizing for other people's actions, you're going to wake up and realize you didn't get to do anything on your own to apologize for. Live your life. Don't wast it apologizing for others."

"So that's what this guy taught me about love.  It was nothing to do with deserving, and everything to do with who we want and choose to love...."

"I wasn't the guy who fell in love with you this past winter."  I shook my head. Pain flashed across her face.  "I was the boy who fell in love with you that day on the school bus when we were five.  And I'm the man that always will."

All quotes and phrases from eARC of Finders Keepers by Nicole Williams

Finders Keepers (Lost and Found #3)

by
There’s tortured. And there’s Garth Black.

His life has been a constant carousel of tragedy and disappointment, including his love life. Of course, applying the term “love” to Garth’s conquests is a gross misuse of the word. Some people were made to give and accept love, and others weren’t. Garth Black redefines the “others” category. He’s made a vow that the day he meets a woman who could sucker him into falling in love will be the day he runs away.

Garth’s plan has one flaw. What happens when he’s already fallen hard for a girl before the warning signs and red flags go up? What happens when the love he’s avoided his entire life brings him to his knees? What happens when Garth Black lets the dirtiest four letter word he’s ever known into his dark, lonely life?

This cowboy’s about to find out he can control some things, and he can’t control others. Number one on the what he can’t control list?

Love.

Synopsis from Goodreads

PURCHASE FINDERS KEEPERS - KINDLE

Sunday 22 September 2013

Running From Forever Release Day Event

Runningecover 

 Synopsis: Recent college graduate, Kayla Reynolds was ready to leave the university, sorority life behind. Leaving her boyfriend of over three years, she packed her bags and moved four hours south to the big city…New York City. Bright lights, streets that never sleep, and a business lifestyle that she yearned to have were all at her fingertips. 

Kayla Reynolds was chasing her dream. 

Determined and eager to make it in the corporate world, Kayla changed everything- her image, lifestyle, and outlook on life, putting her career first and her personal life second. That was until her first day, the first time she got a glimpse of Miles Blackwell. Corporate CEO and part owner of ETV, and not to mention, incredibly handsome, Miles Blackwell took Kayla by surprise, stealing her heart as he did. 

But nothing had ever come that easy for Kayla. Life had always seemed to have a personal vendetta against her, stepping in when everything seemed too good to be true, reminding herself of whom she really was. It wasn’t until she met Merrick Drake that she realized when to stop; when running was no longer an option. For the first time in her life she had someone she could relate to; someone who wouldn’t judge- who saw the person she was inside. She and Merrick connected…on more levels than one. 

When life was too much to handle, they ran. 

But there was only one person that could make Kayla stop for good. Only one man that made her want to stay. 

Would Kayla finally stop running or would it all be too much to handle?

Chance to win a Kindle Paperwhite & 2 signed copies of Running From Forever! Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway!

Excerpt: She let out an exasperated breath. “No. No, I gotta figure this out.” She turned to face me, legs crossed, intertwined. “I don’t know what to do, Merrick.” I felt it in my chest. She was lost, pleading for help. I didn’t know if I was the best person to help her. I’d lived just as fucked up a life myself. From the age I could run, I did, staying at friend’s houses almost every day of the week, stopping home quick after school just to make sure my mom hadn’t overdosed and was dead on the floor. I did this almost my whole life…up until I ran here. “I can’t really help you, babe, if I don’t know what happened,” I told her as sympathetically as I could, looking into her sad eyes. Even if I wasn’t the most qualified person to give advice, I wanted to help, but I also needed to know what happened first. Kayla rubbed her face with her hands, keeping them over her eyes for a minute longer. She was thinking; questioning if she was ready to spill. I didn’t want to force her to do it, so I sat there quietly. I wish I could just sweep her up and run far, far away; take her away from all the bad in her life permanently, but that would mean I had to run again, and I was done running. I couldn’t do it anymore. “I loved him.” Her voice was a whisper. She removed her hands from her face but only to look down to her crisscrossed feet. She couldn’t look at me while she told me, and I was okay with that. “I let my guard down when I knew I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help it.”  

About the Author:
ashley wilcox 
Some may consider me a jack of all trades, but I consider myself well rounded.
I’ve waitressed, styled hair, answered phones and, most recently, worked full time as mom to my two beautiful little boys.
Then there was this book… Everyone and their brother started talking about this book series titled Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I didn’t really pay attention to the craze at first, since I wasn’t a big reader- okay, I didn’t read at all. But curiosity got the best of me, so I downloaded it to my kindle.
I was immediately hooked. I read the whole series in three days. Yes, three books in three days.
I kept finding all these great books that I HAD to read (just ask my credit card!).
Then I started hearing voices. Voices that turned into stories; stories that were begging to get out of my head.
I started writing them down on scraps of paper. Then I transferred them to my computer. Before I knew it, Planning on Forever was born.
The voices in my head are still talking, so I’m still writing.

 Links: http://www.ashleywilcoxauthor.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ashley-Wilcox-Author/534100859949004
 https://twitter.com/ashleywilcox55
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564533.Ashley_Wilcox?from_search=true 

  RunningFromForeverFinalbanner profilewebsite

Saturday 21 September 2013

Cage (Corps Security #2) - Review

Cage (Corps Security #2)

by
Greg Cage was born to protect. While growing up, he was his mother and sister’s shield against the world… until he failed. For the last decade, he has carried that guilt and need for vengeance around… until it was stripped from him. Now, with his best friend getting married and no longer needing his protection, he is even more lost, completely adrift, and desperate for some control. All he has ever known was how to protect: his family, his friends, and his country. Can he go against everything he has ever known, and give up that control?

Melissa Larson will never let anyone hold the reins in her life. She has been the rock in her family for more years than she can remember, and the fight to keep them together is her main priority right now. She has always been fiercely independent and proud. The last thing she will ever do is ask for someone else’s help. But when that choice is out of her control, forcing her to rely on others to save her and her family, and pick up the pieces that are left, will she be able to let someone else be her strength?

The second Greg locks eyes with Meli, he knows that she is someone he needs. Someone he craves. Meli knew the second she met Greg that he would be nothing but trouble and heartache. Her life takes an unexpected turn, and that bitch Fate is back to wreak more havoc on another member of the Corps family.

All hell breaks loose, leaving Greg no choice but to call in a favor. He hooks back up with his old friend Braxxon Breaker from the Breakneck MC. Together, they make sure that nothing threatens anyone Greg loves again.


Source: Kindle
Genre: Adult Contemporary

My Review...

Harper has done it again with yet another amazing alpha male with a heart of gold.

Greg Cage has always been the one to be the protector for the ones he loves ever since he failed the one he loves the most...his sister.

After a random meeting and a small world Melissa pops into his world and shakes it up.

However Cage is still male so before he solidifies things with Melissa he is still dipping his wick in things that he shouldn't namely...Mandy (who just happens to be a bit Cray Cray!)
The walls of her pussy clamp down hard...or at least try to; it would help if she weren't so used.
While Melissa is a tough nut to crack protecting herself from the male species as a whole due to things that happened to her sister in the past which has left Melissa as a part time mom to her nephew.

Once Melissa lets Greg in they both start to see life in technicolor again instead of the grey existence they both lived in before.

But things don't go smoothly for these two because Cage is holding a big secret that could destroy things and the ironic thing is if just told from the start it wouldn't have been a big deal but time let it fester and it became larger than it should have.

Then add the loon Mandy who doesn't know the word NO to the mix and all hell breaks loose.


Poor Melissa has the shittiest luck when it comes to loss but thank goodness for the love of Greg Cage, her friends and her awesome nephew/son Cohen (who steals my heart)
"Better than okay.  Greatest moment in my life, next to meeting you, was hearing that little boy call me his dad. I love him just as much as I love you, Melissa, and that moment was one to celebrate. Stop the tears. Okay, baby?"
Greg has enough love to give to Cohen and Melissa so they can both finally have their own deserved HEA.

Great Alpha male, Great story, Great series.

4.5 Cage loving Thumbs up!
 thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up . 5
Lauren

PURCHASE CAGE - KINDLE