Tuesday, 28 July 2015

The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward ~ #bookreview #contemporaryromance

http://amzn.to/1D44tbN
The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings #1)

by

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal....

For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.

For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.

As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.






Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of NAL | Penguin Group
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Part 1 in a new series

My The Bourbon Kings Review ... 

I'm such a huge fan of JR Ward so when I heard she had a new contemporary book I was all ...


Then after read it I was all ....


This book took FOREVER to create the foundation of the story and character development.  But I'm a fan of JR Ward so I was patient but I gotta say I never ever really got into it completely and felt it was WAY TOO LONG.    As you all know that I'm NOT a huge fan of stories that mainly focus on secrets, assumptions and miscommunications and basically this was the WHOLE theme wrapped up in a very hoity-toity society.  


The story is revolving around the very wealthy family of the Bradfords where they live large and all is not as it seems with this family.   They drink lots, have sex lots, spend lots and have loads of secrets.

Some characters were better than others but my least favorite was Gin.  Did I understand her character? Sure.  Did I relate to her? Not at all.  She was too shallow and unfortunately there are consequences to superficial decisions and now she's paying for them.  Her and Samual T's relationship is so toxic.  

She couldn't . . .  she couldn't imagine a life of nine-to-five.  Couldn't fathom budgeting.  Saving. Denying.


She wasn't doing it for the family.  As usual, she had made the decision in her own selfish interest. 
 
The main couple of the book is Lizzie and Tulane (Lane) but the others are a huge part and I assume will have their own books in the future.   There was so much detail in building the foundation of the characters that it's hard to truly get completely enveloped with them.  Which each character there were secrets, assumptions and miscommunications.  But they were all relative to each character.   Another constant theme was .... Do none of these people ever use condoms?   They sleep with everyone with no real moral compass but condoms schondoms.


Lizzie had good moments for me at the beginning but then she lost with me her typical guilty before proven innocent philosophy.  I let her have one pass with the first time she assumed and NEVER communicated or listened but the repeated offenses of this made her not endearing to me. 

He had just put up a billboard in her proverbial town square.  Set her straight with no room for misinterpretation.  (Ugh!  Lizzie was getting on my nerve as she only listened to what she wanted to hear and didn't ever see what was truly in front of her eyes.)

"Otherwise, I'm going to have to come find you and talk to you about how you shouldn't believe everything you hear or read."  (Yeah! Why would she listen to this advice?)

"Are we back at this thing where you hear some thing you don't like and shut me out? ... "

At the core, though, she came to one, inescapable conclusion.  She had made a terrible mistake.  (You think?  Argh!  If I was Lane I wouldn't take her back but the heart wants what the heart wants)
Thankfully I did like Lane, Edward, Miss Aurora and Sutton, so there was a balance of like and dislike within the characters.   So, finally the end of the book starts to get some momentum but then its left with a cliffhanger and so many stories unfinished. ARGH!!!!!! Now that the foundation and characters are set I'm hoping we finally get to the meat of the story and it gets better from here.  Because as of right now I'm left with more of a meh feeling then a yeah as it was just too damn long for the end result. 

2.5 to 3 Room for more thumbs up! 

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs up 

Lauren




 

Just Once More & Just One Lie by Kyra Davies ~ #bookreview #contemporaryromance @GalleryBooks #releaseday #MercysChoice

http://amzn.to/1OxGjXK
Just Once More (Just One Night)

by


Robert Dade is a man who knows what he wants and never hesitates to go after it. Money, power, and—at long last—the woman he loves, Kasie Fitzgerald, are now his. But after so many years of living by his own rules will he really make the compromises necessary to keep Kasie by his side? And when a man even richer and more ruthless than he is takes an interest in Kasie, will Dade be able to protect her? Or will his controlling nature drive her toward the very danger he seeks to shield her from?










Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Pocket Star | Gallery Books via NetGalley
Genre: Adult Erotic Contemporary Romance Novelette (47 Pages)
Part 1.5 in an ongoing series.


My Just Once More Review ...

It felt like forever since I fell for Robert and Kasie in Just One Night.  So, this short story was a perfect little window into more of Robert and Kasie, as well as a perfect segway into Just One Lie.  Without this little story I don't know if I would have liked Just One Lie as much.  As this story starts the heart of the story for book two as well as intrigues us about the Gable's in the Pure Sin series.  After this I will definitely being putting those books on my TBR. 

In this little peak we get to the see the unflappable Robert Dade become a bit more human when his heart is on the line. 

"The only thing I doubted was my own worth."

These two are a very powerful couple but are learning to become solid.  Relationships take work but these two know what it takes.  Communicate, Communicate and communicate. And we are left intrigued of the story behind Kasie's thought to be dead sister.  Can't wait. 

4 Can't wait for more thumbs up! 

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up 

Lauren




http://amzn.to/1U3m3AR
Just One Lie (Just One Night #2)

by

The long-awaited follow-up novel to the runaway New York Times bestseller Just One Night—which Publishers Weekly gave a starred review and proclaimed, “Davis skillfully creates an uplifting story in which sex is presented both as freedom and as a metaphor for power, and where raw chemistry is the clear winner over bland complacency.”

The death of her sister, Melody, shaped Kasie’s life in many profound ways. For the first time, uncover the story of Melody’s tragic love-triangle: Can a wild-child find balance and self-control without losing the essence of what she is?

  



 




Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Gallery Books via NetGalley
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Part 2 in a series

My Just One Lie Review ...

Thankfully I just read Just Once More, which helped set the stage for this book as it has been quite awhile since I read Just One Night.  In this book we get find out the real story behind Kasie's sister Melody who has now become Mercy.  


Gah! Poor Mercy.  What is done to us as a child can alter how we develop and for Mercy this is the catalyst for a long winding road of destruction for her.   And what a journey it was.  You felt Mercy's pain and downward spiral and at the same time you were rooting for her to get her head on straight. 

"I am exceptionally good at pretending that things are other than what they are.  Been doing it since I was four."

For Mercy, she's stuck between the past and the present but can't see the future.  She's full of self destruction and low self worth, but she's also full of insight and light.  

"Yeah, you're trying to get you mind out of the past by running away from it.  But that's like running away from a mountain lion.  Soon as you start to run it'll give chase."

Mercy is at first stuck in a like attracts like pattern. So she starts out with Asher because he's part of her past yet part of her future. Plus he's the first person who wants to be with truly her, which in itself is a milestone for her.  Unfortunately these two are also toxic together but both something they need to go through, so they can come out better at the other end.


" . . . I don't want to be numb.  I want to feel.  And sometimes the only thing to feel is, well, pain.  That's all that's available, and what's weird is the pain sort of helps, because when you hurt you're not numb.  When you feel that pain you know you're alive. "


Mercy's so lost, but there's something about Brad that anchors her.  Sadly she doesn't love herself enough to truly experience all that could be with him. 
 
"If there's something I want and it's within my reach, I go after it, with everything I have."
"Like poker winnings?"
"Like you."

Mercy has never been truly loved so with Brad and June it's different and she's doesn't know how to navigate through properly, which is a catalyst to so much more.

"You are a woman.  You are the woman who sees the world in ways no one else sees it.  You're the woman who has empathy for the people others scorn and who speaks truths to people who need to hear them.  You're the woman who is a complete mess and yet in some ways is more together than anyone else I've ever met.  You're the woman who has an angelic voice and devilish moves.  You're the woman I've fallen in love with."

With her world crumbling down around her, Mercy finally starts to see what she truly needs to become whole again. 

"But the problem is you don't want to help me, you want to save me.  And only I can do that."

Gah! Did I love Mercy's decision?  NO.  Did I understand it though?  Unfortunately yes.  Did I like how she truly handled her resurrection?  Not completely as she was still fearful and staying in the safe zone.  Thankfully though she did make it to the end of her journey in once piece.

"I'm still in love with you.  More than that, you're the love of my life."

However, the heart wants what the heart wants.  And home was calling, so Mercy had to make some firm decisions that were going to change her world again.  But was she able to handle it this time around? 

"Stop thinking, stop letting your fear guide you.  Find courage in your love and get your butt to San Francisco."

Did I like Mercy?  Yes but at times she didn't endear herself to me.  Did I like Mercy's journey and growth?  Very much.  Did I love Brad?  YES, but he too had his own path to walk on for them to find any sort of happiness?  Did I like the change in Mercy after?  Yes, but what is it with woman who start to giggle after they find themselves.  Never a big fan of giggling, so when this was some sort of show of strength or a window into her happiness it ended up having the opposite effect for me.  Did I like the ending?  Absolutely.  Did I like the book?  Yes, but at times this book did feel a bit too long.  It felt like forever before we started to get to the crux of the matter.  Do I like this series?  Very much.  Do I like Kyra's writing style?  Yes.

4 You have to love yourself first thumbs up!

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs up thumbs up

Lauren









TEASER BLITZ: In the Dark by Monica Murphy @MsMonicaMurphy @wordsmithpublic



Blurb:

IN THE DARK (The Rules Series, Book 2) August 25, 2015
 
Stuck spending the summer with his screwed up family, Gabriel Walker is bored out of his mind and looking for an adventure. And he seems to find it with the hot girl who lives next door. The attraction between them is instant. Electric. Soon they’re spending every stolen minute together. Talk about the perfect summer fling…

Lucy isn’t what she seems. She doesn’t live next door—she’s the girl who’s been hired to house sit for the summer while the family goes on a worldwide vacation. If Gabe wants to believe she’s a spoiled rich girl looking for some fun, she can go along with that. After the summer, she’ll never see him again.

They don’t count on running into each other at college. Now Lucy must keep up the pretense of being a rich girl—and it’s exhausting. She knows she’s falling in love with Gabe and she’s scared he feels the same. Will he still care about her when he discovers the truth?


 
 
 
 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 
 
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She's a workaholic who loves her job. When she's not busy writing, she also loves to read and travel with her family. She writes new adult and contemporary romance and is published with Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.
Facebook | Twitter | Website

Monday, 27 July 2015

Breaking (Fall or Break #2) by Barbara Elsborg ~ #bookreview #MM @samhainpub

http://amzn.to/1KsU1x9
Breaking (Fall or Break #2)

by

Archer Hart is on the move before the man he’s just killed is found. When a bullet whizzes past his ear, he realizes hunter is now hunted. So much for his retirement plans. Someone wants him dead and all he can do is keep running.

Downed by a hit and run driver, barrister Conrad Black is certain the ‘accident’ was deliberate but he has no proof or support. In recovery, struggling to work out of partial paralysis, he has plenty of time to wonder who regrets not striking him harder. At this point, running anywhere is a distant dream.

The confidence, determination and stamina of two alphas males will mean little if neither is willing to bend—seize the love offered—and work together to understand why they’re suddenly both marked men. Not easy for either when Archer has broken the law in the worst possible way and Conrad is the law.





PRE-ORDER FOR JULY 28/15: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN)


Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Samhain Publishing via NetGalley
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance
Part 2 of a on going series but could be read as a standalone

My Breaking Review ...

After reading Falling and falling in love with Barbara Elsborg's writing I jumped at the chance to read this book.  As well as we get Conrad's story.  Technically this is book two in this series, and yes it does help with the back story of Conrad, but if by chance you read this first it would still be a great story, and it would make you want to read Falling to see how it all happened. So basically a win win in all. 


Yeah! We finally get to see a more behind the controlling game playing Conrad.  In Breaking we get the battle of the tops between the super secretive Archer and the once on top Conrad.

After an incident that has left Conrad in a different position then he usually is, he goes to lick his wounds and heal on his own.  Once here he meets the elusive Archer who intrigues him as well as unsettles him.

"Fuck you."  That was mature.
Archer laughed.  "Maybe, but not until I've fucked you."
Conrad turned his face into the pillow but he smiled.

Both of these strong men don't want to give up their dependence but they're also finding it hard to stay away from one another.   I loved Archer immediately and especially the change he has brought with Conrad, but now its the battle of the wills between these two until one of them submits.

"Why the hell do you keep walking away?"
"When you want me to fuck you, I won't"


"Then don't, but giving in doesn't make you weak.  The power is yours.  You're the one making me feel this way, making the breath catch in my throat, making my balls ache.  Can't you see the desperation in my face?"

As these two are battling with each other they are also trying to live when they become targeted.  But who's the real target?  As they both learn that all is not as it seems in their worlds.

"I know exactly what you are and I know I should be asking you to leave my son alone,  but I've seen the way he looks at you.  Don't run away from him.  Whatever you're striving for in your life is right in front of you.  Don't lose it.  Conrad is broken but I believe you can mend him.  If you give him a chance, maybe he can mend you too."

I LOVED these two together.  Their dominance and submission with one another is a balance that they both need. 

"Harder,"  Conrad grasped.  "All of you."  "You're my anchor,"  Archer whispered in his ear.  "You keep me safe."

Conrad ended up being a big ol' softie.  Loved that part that once he found his right match he morphed into something so genuinely sweet and charming yet still strong and demanding.

"I'm just like you but for different reasons.  You're my second chance.  What do I have to do to make you see that I'm yours?"

Is Barbara Elsborg becoming one of my favorite authors? You bet.  Did I love this book? Hell, Yes.  What was my favorite part?  Conrad coming into his own.  Did I love Archer and Conrad together?  Yes, every moment of it.  They are the perfect match for one another.  Did I love the story?  Yes, from the love match to the suspense?  Was it better then the first book?  Tied.  They're both great but different.  Which I love as often authors become formulatic within series.  Will I continue with this series if there are more?  You couldn't stop me. I loved it.  It's dark, raw, deep and so lovely at the same time.  

Great Couple. Great Story.  Great Dialogue. Amazing Book!

4.5 Loved it Thumbs up!

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up . 5

Lauren


PRE-ORDER FOR JULY 28/15: AMAZON (US) | AMAZON (CAN)





Sunday, 26 July 2015

Burn by J.C. Emery Blog Tour ~ #bookreview #excerpt #teasers



http://amzn.to/1LIQmtO


http://amzn.to/1LIQmtO
BURN

Release Day: July 23
Tragedy cuts deep. Revenge burns deeper.
The blood of their enemies coats the leather of their cuts and a trail of bodies lie in their wake, but the Forsaken Motorcycle Club isn't done yet. Carlo Mancuso still needs to pay for his sins. Nobody knows that more than Ian Buckley, the Treasurer for Forsaken.
Ian prefers his pleasure mixed with pain and he's only ever at peace when he's doling out justice. Convinced that he's too unstable and sadistic to take an old lady, he keeps his trysts, like all of his relationships, brief and anonymous. But with his club at war, and the stakes being so personal, Ian's feeling the events around him more deeply than he expects.
Mindy Mercer is the sweet daughter of Fort Bragg’s most respectable cop. At least that’s how the town sees her. Very few people know the Mindy who hides her tracks and battles her cravings by lying to everyone around her. She thinks she has control of her addiction until she suffers an attack that leaves her searching for a way out of her own personal hell.
Mindy has never been more desperately in need of a savior and Ian has never seen a more beautifully destroyed creature in his life. Their attraction is intense, but their damage is extreme. Some scars never heal, and some people never get better.
Love is never more painful than when it can kill you.







About the author:


As a child, JC was fascinated by things that went bump in the night. As they say, some things never change. Now, as an adult, she divides her time between the sexy law men, mythical creatures, and kick-ass heroines that live inside her head and pursuing her bachelor's degree in English. JC is a San Francisco Bay Area native, but has also called both Texas and Louisiana home. These days she rocks her flip flops year round in Northern California and can't imagine a climate more beautiful.

JC writes adult, new adult, and young adult fiction. She dabbles in many different genres including science fiction, horror, chick lit, and murder mysteries, yet she is most enthralled by supernatural stories-- and everything has at least a splash of romance.





website: http://www.jcemery.com
twitter username: jc_emery




“I like talking to you. I want to get to know you.”
“What’s the point in getting to know me when you’re just going to end up hating me eventually, anyway?” This is why I don’t want to bond with her. I don’t want to let her in and to love her the way Ma does, the way Michael does. Even Ryan loves her and I’ll be damned if Pop doesn’t love her too. She’s squirrelly like that.
“I can’t hate you. If I can’t hate my father, then I can’t hate you either. I won’t ask you not to hurt him, and I can’t tell you how I’ll feel when he dies because I don’t know how I’ll feel. But I can tell you this— he stole you and my mother from me. My father hurt you, and he hurt me in a different way. He hurt Michael too, but he might be too proud to admit that just yet. Carlo Mancuso has his family and I have mine.”
She takes a step closer and reaches out, grabbing my arm. The tears she was holding back slide down her cheeks as she stares up at me.
“I don’t like violence and I hate to see people get hurt, but no matter who I am today, I was a principessa, a Mancuso. I understand the need for justice and deep down I know that this war goes back further than last year and that it was only a matter of time for my father to get what’s coming to him.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I find myself saying. My chest aches and my jaw is tight. I reject the emotions that make me weak and force myself to think about anything but how good it feels to get this gift from her. “Every year on your birthday, we have a party. It used to be just me and Ma, and then when Pop and Ryan came around, they’d join in. It was always just something we did. Ma never wanted to forget either of you, and she made sure I never could. I don’t want to hurt you, but I have to make this better for her.”




The Bayonet Scars Series: 
Ride Blurb:

Death comes in Armani. Salvation comes in leather.

Principessa to the Mancuso crime family, Alexandra knows a thing or two about living outside the bounds of the law. Suffocated by the future her father has laid out for her, she makes a choice she can't take back, changing the entire trajectory of her life.

Thrust into the dark and dangerous world of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club for her own protection, Alex finds herself faced with the last thing she needs right now: the man of her dreams. He’s sex in leather, the devil incarnate, and one hell of a kisser. But he’s also off-limits. Ryan Stone can be her friend, but he’s forbidden to be her lover.

Third-generation Forsaken, Ryan knows nothing other than life on two wheels, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He enjoys the many privileges that come with the patch, and the only laws he recognizes are the ones set-forth by his club. That is, until who he wants more than anything isn’t allowed on the back of his bike —or in his bed. Balancing his desire for her body, and need to keep her safe, Ryan tries to keep Alex at a distance. Finally having made a choice for herself, she’s done hearing the word “no” and will push boundaries even Ryan himself doesn’t dare cross.

Love is never more tempting than when it’s forbidden.

Thrash Blurb:

Loneliness suffocates the heart. Acceptance breaks down walls.

As a Lost Girl to the Forsaken Motorcycle Club, Nicole Whelan knows how to party. She’s not cut-out for relationships and her life is way too complicated for anything more than casual encounters. But one night when she falls into Duke’s bed at the clubhouse, he sees something in her that he can’t let go of—no matter how many times she tries to run.

Having been left to raise her teenage brother, Jeremy, she’s already got her hands full and isn’t looking for anymore complications. But Duke’s just watched his best friend fall for the only girl he couldn’t have, and then almost lose her so shortly after, shaking him to his core. Faced with his own loneliness, he’s more determined than ever to break down Nic’s walls and show her that he can be good for her; but he’s got a bad track record and she’s got a bad temper. Changing his ways isn’t easy when he’s not sure what he’s even changing for.

The violence and turmoil are at an all-time high, and Forsaken is in a vulnerable place when a twist of fate breathes new life into the club. It’s a much-needed beacon of hope for the embattled biker family, even if everyone’s not exactly on board. With Duke and Nic’s relationship already on shaky ground, and something even more important at stake, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club will fight like hell to keep their family together and whole.

Love is never more precious than when it’s new.

REV Blurb
 http://amzn.to/1LIQLfH

With the looming threat from the Mancuso Crime Family, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club is preparing for a war that could destroy them. Grady, the club’s Sergeant-at-Arms, knows that love makes you weak, and he has zero interest in adding to his liabilities– especially now. He’s already got his teenage daughter who keeps him on his toes and a beef within the club that could fracture his relationship with a fellow brother for good.

For Holly Mercer, her life is finally getting on track and the last thing she wants is trouble from her hometown’s resident outlaws. Keeping her nose clean is easier said than done, when suddenly she finds herself embroiled in club business. Holly might like the idea of being with a real-life bad boy, but even being in the same room with tough-as-nails Grady flusters her.

When Holly inadvertently finds herself on Mancuso’s radar, she has two choices: trust that Grady will protect her, or continue to refuse the club’s help. Both roads are dangerous, but only one has the chance to damage her beyond repair.

Love is never more dangerous than when it can destroy you.

CRUSH BLURB
http://amzn.to/1LIQRUG

Young love is always perfect. Until it's not.
Cheyenne Grady is a total daddy's girl to her bad-ass father, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club. She's funny, and kind, and she just wants that deep, earth-shattering love like her dad has with her school secretary, Holly. But Cheyenne's been looking in the wrong direction, because the only good that can come from the way she looks at Jeremy Whelan is a lesson in heartbreak.
Jeremy always wanted to prospect for the Forsaken Motorcycle Club and wear the same patch as his father. When a life-long dream becomes reality, Jeremy realizes that the outlaw lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it easy on relationships. He wants to be a good man, but temptation is everywhere.
Cheyenne is beautiful, and strong, and exactly what Jeremy could have forever. As long as he doesn't screw it up.
Love is never more powerful than the first time.


Source: eARC for Honest Review Courtesy of Author & Inkslinger Promotions
Genre: MC Contemporary
 Part 5 in an ongoing series

My Burn Review ...  


Burn is part of a series and it definitely needs to be read as a series to get the whole story as it is an intrinsic layered web of information that would be missed if read only as a standalone.  

It feels like forever that I have been waiting for this book, to find out how Mindy handles the aftermath of one of the most horrific nights. 


~ Everything in me hurts, both physically and emotionally and it never gets better-except when Ian is around.  Only then do I feel less dirty, and broken, and hopeless.  ~

~ She's strong and defiant and so goddamn broken.  It's like she was made for me. ~

Gah! Poor Mindy.  So broken.  However being near Ian, it helps.  Helps more than she thought possible.  But Ian has his own demons.  So many demons that he wants more for Mindy.  He doesn't want her near his darkness.


Ian's battle with himself is heartfelt and torturing.  But his need to take care of her wins out.


"I gave you a chance to be responsible for yourself, but twice now you've proven to me that you can't handle it.  From now on, I make your decisions for you."

"I've never tried, but I could be gentle with you.  I could be so much because of you-for you."

~ I stay where I am though everything in me begs to reach out for her, to hold her and keep her safe.  I'll protect her body and her heart.  I'll keep every part of her safe even if I have to kill again to do it. ~

~ I won't be another thing she has to get over.  I'm going to be the thing that pieces her back together. ~


Ian puts up a good fight but loses, while at the same time Mindy makes great strides to heal and move forward, knowing that she will never be the same ever again. 

"Not a gift you meant to give, but her life is because of you."

"More than likes you.  Don't take it for granted and don't fuck it up.  He chose you and I respect that, but make no mistake about it, babe.  You do him dirty and you'll answer to me."

~ My father calls him a killer, Holly calls him dangerous, and Nic says he's disturbed; but to me he's just Ian. ~

"I'm a twenty-four old widowed junkie.  And in case you fucking forgot, my pussy is tainted because a couple of fucking animals raped me."

~ Worse than being a fucking victim is being a fucking statistic. ~

Gah! These two are so beautiful together with their broken selves.  They both may be broken but together they balance out the good and the bad. 

"I always mean what I say, I just don't always mean to say it."


"The only thing that makes me better is you,"

"You're strong, beautiful.  You're pretty fucked up, too."    

It's not enough that they are fighting for each other but they still have the whole shit storm of the Italian mob to contend with as well as the reason why Mindy got so broken.



"Gonna piss him off.  The man's an artist when he's pissed."

"Don't you see? This helps me. You told me once I might benefit from therapy,"  I say.  A soft, amused laugh escapes me.  "I didn't really mean torture porn," he says, fighting off his own smile."

"I did things I wish I could forget.  If you knew the things I've done, you wouldn't worry about corrupting me. You'd know I came to you that way.  You're so consumed with the idea that I won't be able to handle your darkness, but what about mine?"





"I did things I wish I could forget.  If you knew the things I've done, you wouldn't worry about corrupting me. You'd know I came to you that way.  You're so consumed with the idea that I won't be able to handle your darkness, but what about mine?"

"Proud of you, brother.  Don't think I ever told you, but your woman and I had words some months back.  She's good people.  I have no doubt that crazy bitch is gonna protect your six."

I absolutely love this series and especially Ian and Mindy.   The growth these two have to go through is raw and rough yet still profound and beautiful.  I loved JC Emery's way of portraying Mindy & Ian's brokenness without them coming across as weak, frustrating, or annoying.  Instead you felt their pain and were rooting for them the whole time to find their light within their darkness.  There is still so much left open in this series that I can't wait to find out how it all plays out.


4 to 4.5 Raw and rough yet still profound and beautiful thumbs up! 

thumbs upthumbs upthumbs upthumbs up . 5

Lauren