Book Spotlight & Giveaway (CLOSED): @SourcebooksCasa @RebeccaaYork43

Title: BETRAYED

Author: Rebecca York

Release Date: July 1, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes  

Synopsis

There is a spy in S&D systems who is leaking top-secret information that could lead to extreme disaster. It's up to Shane Gallagher to uncover the mole and set things right.

Systems analyst Elena Reyes had no intention of stealing company secrets until her brother's life was threatened by the cruelest of mobsters. When Elena finally confesses her deeds to Shane, he's ready to do everything he can to keep her out of danger. But will Shane's help be enough to protect them, or will his good intentions leave them all for dead?

Excerpt

Elena had never thought about seducIng a man. She wasn’t even sure of her moves. But she knew that Shane wanted her, even if he wasn’t prepared to admit it. She also knew he felt protective of her, which was probably part of the conflict he must be feeling.

Before he could come up with another objection, she cupped the back of his head with her hands and brought his face down as she raised her own head toward him.

She hadn’t been sure what would happen. Or perhaps she’d been afraid that he’d wrench himself away from her. But the danger must have affected his emotions as well as her own. When their lips met, it was as though someone had tossed a match into a pile of gasoline- soaked kindling. Invisible flames rose as heat flared between them.

She heard him growl her name and felt him gather her closer as he kissed her with purpose, running his hands up and down her back.

The heat coming off him made her dizzy. She should be afraid, but she kept kissing him, letting him feel all the passion that she’d held inside herself for so long.

Opening her lips, she invited him to explore her mouth, then did the same with him, absorbing his taste and the way the mouth-to-mouth contact sent shock waves to every part of her body. 

“You know that you’re playing with fire?” he asked. 

“I know what I want.”

“Then take off your clothes.”

Again, a dose of reality. Was she ready to get undressed in front of him? Or was she going to back away—the way he hoped she would.

She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of scaring her off. Not because she was trying to score any points, but because what she wanted hadn’t changed, even if he was trying to make her take a step back.

She did step back, but only a few feet. She kept her gaze on him as she reached for the hem of the T-shirt and pulled it over her head, then let it drop on the floor so that she stood before him naked to the waist…

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rebecca York’s writing has been compared to that of Dick Francis, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Maggie Shayne. Her award-winning books have been translated into twenty-two languages and optioned for film. A recipient of the RWA Centennial Award, she lives in Maryland near Washington, DC, which is often the setting of her romantic suspense novels.

Social Networking Links

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Want a chance to read the book?? Enter down below for a awesome giveaway!!

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Best of Luck to everyone!! I can't wait to read this one. I've loved Rebecca's writing for years and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this one as well.

Happy Reading

Waiting On Wednesdays: July Edition

Hosted by: Jill over at Breaking The Spines.  This is a weekly book lust prompt, asking for us to share our absolute can't wait to get our hands on a copy books. Swing on over to find out how to participate and to see what others are sharing.  

Here's to another week of serious book lust. This week's edition is going to highlight my can't wait to have them books of July. At least these are the dates we've been told; and these are the ones I know of right now. LOL!!

Young Adult/New Adult

Vast & Brutal Sea (Viscous Deep 3) by Zoraida Cordova
This is the third and final installment in this series and I'm looking forward to it. The author has made this series an amazing read.  I have love the characters and the adventure and I can't wait to read the final battles.

The conclusion to the trilogy featuring teen merman, Tristan Hart, as he competes in a vicious championship to claim his birthright as the next Sea King.
Due Out: July 1st.
Print Type: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Breathe Annie, Breathe Miranda Kenneally

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race. But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.
Due Date: July 2014
Print Type: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire



Adult Fiction:

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy) Book 3 Deborah Harkness
Ahhh!!! It's the final book, OMG I'm too excited!!! ( I got this at BEA)

The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchant­ing series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they re­unite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its miss­ing pages takes on even more urgency. In the tril­ogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowl­edge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

Due Out : July 15th. 

Print Type: Hardcover 

Pages: 592 

Publisher: Viking Adult

Fast Track by Julie Garwood  (I got this as an eARC and it's awesome!! Finished quickly)

A corrupt congressman, a mother’s secrets, and a sizzling romance ignite passion and suspense in the new novel from #1New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood.
Cordelia Kane has always been a daddy’s girl—her father raised her alone after her mother died in a car crash when Cordelia was just two years old. So when he has a serious heart attack, Cordelia is devastated, and the emotion is only intensified by the confusion she feels when he reveals the shocking truth about her mother.
Cordelia can’t suppress her curiosity about the woman who gave birth to her, and when she discovers the answers to her questions lie in Sydney, Australia, she travels there to get them.
Hotel magnate Aiden Madison is Cordelia’s best friend’s older brother. He’s oblivious to the fact that she’s had a crush on him for years. When he gets railroaded into taking her along to Sydney on his company jet, he unknowingly puts her life at risk. He’s recently angered a powerful congressman by refusing to purchase overvalued land. Congressman Chambers is not a man to let such an offense slide, and he has the resources to get even and to get what he wants.
In Australia sparks are flying between Cordelia and Aiden, but multiple attempts on Aiden’s life are made while Cordelia is with him, and he realizes he must put a stop to the madness before he loses the thing he values most
Due Out: 7/29
Print Type: Hardcover
Pages:
Publisher: Dutton Books

Romance/Erotica

How To Marry A Cowboy (Cowboys & Brides 4)  Carolyn Brown
(Got at BEA, haven't had a chance to read it yet, can't wait)

Rancher Mason Harper’s two little girls want nothing more than a mama of their own. So when a pretty woman appears on his front porch in a tattered wedding dress, while Mason’s looking for a nanny, he can’t help but wonder if it’s fate.
Annie Rose Boudreaux is in a downright hellish mess. She’s just a few steps ahead of the low-life ex who’s been hot on her heels, but she’s tired of running, and nannying Mason’s two sweet girls may be just what she needs. As her days on the ranch fly by, and the night’s with Mason get hotter, Annie Rose decides that she’s going to stay…for a lifetime

Due Date: July 1

Print: Mass Market

Pages: 352

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

The Captive by Grace Burrowes
(Got it at BEA, I can't wait to dive in)
He'll never be free... 
 Captured and tortured by the French, Christian Severn, Duke of Mercia, survives by vowing to take revenge on his tormentors. Before the duke can pursue his version of justice, Gillian, Countess of Greendale, reminds him that his small daughter has suffered much in his absence, and needs her papa desperately. 
Until he surrenders his heart... Gilly endured her difficult marriage by avoiding confrontation and keeping peace at any cost. Christian's devotion to his daughter and his kindness toward Gilly give her hope that she could enjoy a future with him, for surely he of all men shares her loathing for violence in any form. 
Little does Gilly know, the battle for Christian's heart is only beginning.
Due Date: July 2014
Print: Mass Market
Pages: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

The Saint (The Original Sinners: The White Years) Tiffany Reisz
**fangirl freak out, I meet Tiffany at BEA 2014, it was freaking awesome!!**

In the beginning, there was him. Gutsy, green-eyed Eleanor never met a rule she didn't want to break. She's sick of her mother's zealotry and the confines of Catholic school, and declares she'll never go to church again. But her first glimpse of beautiful, magnetic Father Søren Stearns and his lust-worthy Italian motorcycle is an epiphany. Suddenly, daily Mass seems like a reward, and her punishment is the ache she feels when they're apart. He is intelligent and insightful and he seems to know her intimately at her very core. Eleanor is consumed—and even she knows that can't be right. But when one desperate mistake nearly costs Eleanor everything, it is Søren who steps in to save her. She vows to repay him with complete obedience…and a whole world opens before her as he reveals to her his deepest secrets. Danger can be managed—pain, welcomed. Everything is about to begin.
Due Date: July 2014
Print: Trade Paperback
Pages: 448
Publisher: Harlequin

Are you getting any of these?? What are your book lusts for this week, or month?? Share in the comments down below!!  I got all the books at BEA 2014 that I marked, I didn't know I was going to get them when I originally wrote this.  I still wanted these books because I was anticipating them.  
Fast Track I got as an eArc due to First Read by Penguin. I also got an eArc The Vast and Brutal Sea from Harlequin.  I'm still going to be purchasing the books that are ebooks.  
Happy Lusting!!!

ARC Book #Review: Perfect Kind of Trouble (Finding Fate # 2) @chelseafine

FTC: Received from Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Book Title: Perfect Kind of Trouble (Finding Fate 2)
Author: Chelsea Fine |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Hatchette/Forever/Grand Central Publishing
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 2
Format: ebook, paperback

Cost: $4.99

Pages: 336

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Thriftbooks
Publication Date: June 17th, 2014
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Sometimes when perfect falls apart, a little trouble fixes everything . . . Twenty-one-year-old Kayla Turner has lost everything. After spending most of her life taking care of her ailing mother, she just wants to spot a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. So when her late father-a man she barely knew-leaves her an inheritance, she finally breathes a sigh of relief . . . until she learns the inheritance comes with strings. Strings in the form of handsome playboy Daren Ackwood, her father's protégé. To see any of her inheritance, she's forced to team up with him. From his expensive car to those sexy dimples, Kayla's seen his type before. But Daren isn't who he seems to be . . . Struggling to make amends for his family's mistakes, Daren has a life more Oliver Twist than Richie Rich these days. He's beyond grateful that James Turner included him in his will, but working with Turner's princess of a daughter to fulfill his cryptic last wish is making Daren wonder if being broke is really so bad. Still, she's just as beautiful as she is stubborn, and the more time he spends with Kayla, the less it feels right being without her. Soon Daren and Kayla begin to wonder if maybe the best gift Kayla's dad could have left them . . . was each other.

This is another good new adult book. I'm loving the books I have been reading so far.  This is the companion novel, following two characters we were introduced to in The Best Kind of Broken,   I loved this one more than the first, this was extremely sexy and hot; but mostly this is a redemptive story.  I loved Kayla who was desperate to cling to hope, to find her way back to herself.  She had a tough time and due to the selfish actions of another is struggling to stay afloat.

Daren known as a 'legendary lover' is desperately trying to staunch the flow from his soul.    Deeply wounded by his mother's actions and the death of his girlfriend Daren struggles to find something to hope for.  With the death of Kayla's dad they are thrown together and given one last chance to find hope. This book broke my heart and made me feel so deeply.

This book really hit at the concept of appearance and what may be seen doesn't always give the full story.  This was wonderful to read.  Kayla is considered beautiful and because of it, she's very rarely given the chance to prove she has a brain, because of it, she's wary of women (because way too many of us are catty when we first meet other women) and Daren is known as the kid from the wealthy family who gave the town a reason to gossip and even though it's been years there are still people who won't let the old gossip die. (sad little lives they must live, can you tell I live in a smallish town??)  This was wonderful to read, because I'll be honest at first I really thought Daren was just a player as well, I mean that's all he would let us see.

I really felt connected to the characters but especially to Kayla after she started off with

" I knew it was going to be a bad day when I woke up with a spider on my face. A SPIDER.ON.MY. FACE"

Yeah she and I could be really good friends.  I loved her in that moment.

Now I want Ellen's story, I want to know why she's so awesome. She's completely awesome.    I do take a few points off for some errors of editing like "fishes" ..just no.. It's fish goddamnit.  One fish, two fish, three fish. never fishes; and someone can't count last summer she was 13, this summer she's fifteen.  Le Sigh people Le Sigh.

I still love it, Highly recommend for those in love with the new adult genre and are looking for good books and good stories to read.  I can't wait until the third book comes out.

 ★★★★★

Happy Reading

#Review & #Giveaway (CLOSED): Tangled Up @Megan_hart @sarahmorgan_

Book Title: Tangled Up
Author: Megan Hart, Sarah Morgan 

Publisher: Harlequin/Cosmo Red Hot Reads
Genre: Erotica Romance
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Format: Trade Paperback

Cost: $11.95

Pages: 220

How I got it: Publisher

Purchase:  Publisher
Publication Date: June 2014
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

Twice the fun…and twice the heat! New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart and USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan team up for fun and fearless tales of women who don't just cross the lines between pleasure and control…they tangle them up! Crossing the Line by Megan Hart—Caitlyn Fox has one chance to prove to her outrageously hot—and ridiculously controlling—boss that she's got the chops to succeed. But Jamison Wolfe isn't quite what he seems. And once they cross the line between business and pleasure, Caitlyn discovers the one place where she's in control… Burned by Sarah Morgan—Trainer and martial artist Rosie Miller's zen is seriously compromised when Hunter Black—her former coach and lover—becomes her new boss. And with all the sexual energy still crackling between them, her poor little zen doesn't stand a chance. So this time, Rosie is determined to play by her rules…

Participant in an Tour hosted by 

Make sure to share the love by checking out the other reviewers in the tour!!

Monday, June 23, 2014:

Booksellers without Borders NY: 

Ramblings from This Chick: 

Bewitching Bibliophile: Reviews: 

Tuesday, June 24, 2014:

Anny Books: 

iequals Alissa: 

D & S Book Blog: 

Wednesday, June 25, 2014:

Falling in Fall Book Blog: 

Whirlwindbooks: 

Gigi’s Book Blog: 

Thursday, June 26, 2014:

Cheekypea Reads and Reviews: 

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews: 

Chris’s Book Blog Emporium: 

Friday, June 27, 2014:

Wild Wordy Women: 

Book Boyfriend Hangover: 

One of my favorite go to authors is Megan Hart, for this she is writing  "Crossing The Line".

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

First Impressions Ratings: 4 stars

5 Rules for Sexy Play in the Workplace!1. Know the company policy;—You just got an opportunity to finally snag that sweet corner office. The last thing you need is a wicked distraction….
2. Don’t date your boss—Sure, Jamison Wolfe has a smile that could send a woman into instant orgasmic joy. But more important, he’s your strict, control-freakish boss. Your hot, sexy, control-freakish boss.
3. Keep PDA out of the office—Okay, so you slipped up. Once. It was just the temptation of having Jamison at your complete naked mercy.
4. Prepare for the worst—This can’t go anywhere. You know it, he knows it. So why stop now?
5. Be discreet—Even when it gets more intense. Even when you push every limit you both possess…

I loved the writing it really pulled you in, felt good without being overly descriptive.  As this is a contemporary world building isn't really needing, Four for making it realistic, I laughed when reading the names of the social sites since some of them are clearly supposed to be like the real ones vine/tumblr/twitter.

The pacing was good, gets to the point quickly, has enough tension to keep you interested and was actually pretty smoking when they got down to it.  I really loved how the characters develop, and how the story flowed.

This was very different from my normal erotica/contemporary with a strong power flip. It's barely defined for what it really is, but I loved it.  I knew I was going to love Caite when she told Jamison " You'd be pleased too, if you paid attention to it...You should pay better attention, Jamison".  I just knew it was on from then and I couldn't wait to read how they would work it out.  Jamison had himself a long journey and I loved when he was finally figured out how this was going to work, man did he put in the work.

Megan Hart

When she was in third grade, Megan Hart fell in love for the first time. Not with a boy (that would wait until fourth grade), but with a story. Homecoming by Ray Bradbury leaped out at her from the pages of a library book, and she tumbled head over heels. In the dark ages, before the days of photocopiers, the only way for her to keep a copy of this story was to copy it out by hand so she could read it over and over again. Something funny happened, though, as she carefully printed it on lined notebook paper.

She made "improvements."

At age twelve, reading Stephen King's The Stand for the first time one memorable summer, it occurred to her that people really did write books for a living. That's when she decided to become an author.

Megan began writing short fantasy, horror and science fiction before graduating to novel-length romances. In 1998, now a stay-home mom, Megan took up writing in earnest, attending her first writing conference and getting her first request for a full manuscript. In 2002 she saw her first book in print, and she hasn't stopped since.

She's published in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.

Megan's goal is to continue writing spicy, thrilling love stories with a twist. Her dream is to have a movie made of every one of her novels, starring herself as the heroine and Keanu Reeves as the hero. Megan lives in the deep, dark woods with her husband and two monsters…er…children.

Find Megan on the Web: Website| Facebook| Twitter

This is Sarah Morgan's contemporary addition to the series.  "Burned" takes on the concept of what would happen if you ran into your first love.
 First Impression Rating: 3.5

Every girl needs some self-defense. But at Fit and Physical, you’ll learn martial arts and get fit at the same time. Look great, feel better and kick a little butt! Check out one-on-one personal training with our favourite karate black belt, Rosie Miller. She loves her job, the world of martial arts, and her life is just…well, brilliant.

Trainer and martial artist Rosie Miller’s zen is seriously compromised when Hunter Black—her former coach and lover—becomes her new boss. With all the sexual energy still crackling between them, her poor little zen doesn’t stand a chance. So this time, Rosie is determined to do more than put up self-defense. She and Hunter are going to play by her rules….

As a contemporary we're in modern London and the authos' love of London comes through clearly as she makes it the playground for our characters.  The story was well written, flowed well and the sexy times were well written and steamy.  This is a great quickie romance that is paced well and had good time, not a quckie lust to love, but a renewed love story.

I liked that the character was a strong well rounded character in all of her life, her love life sucked but she knew that and was working on it in her own way.

For the characters we get almost nothing about Hunter until close to the end.  It's all from Rosie's point of view and her pov is pretty freaking narrow.  Other than her obsession with her flat chest, we don't get much description of herself or others so it's hard to create a frame of reference, which made it a little hard to connect to the characters.  Hunter kind of felt cardboard flat because we knew next to nothing about him except that he's a good looking man who inspires fantasies in Rosie's part.

Steamy on sexy times, I mean really steamy. I loved their connection which felt real and very raw.  I loved Rosie's thoughts she's funny as hell, but would have loved bearing from Hunter (I'm spoiled like that).  The only cons of this story I get that Rosie or Ninja as Hunter loves to call her,  is a karate enthusiast (as she's a teacher and does competitions) but ummm... how may women do you know who are going to be dressed to the nines in heels and everything and decides she's going to celebrate her birthday present by doing this??

In a tube hanging over London?? Let's be real??  That felt way too out there, still in line with character but still weird for 'reality'.  I loved that she even can be a little bit of an idiot and she was still obsessing over her past mistakes ( which I can totally understand).

Overall I liked the story, I just think it would have been better as a longer novel, give us more time to get to know them.

Sarah Morgan

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. RT Book Reviews has called her 'a magician with words' and she has made numerous appearances in their 'Top Pick' slot. Sarah lives near London, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying. She loves chatting with readers by email and on Facebook and Twitter. More information can be found on her website.

Sarah on The Web: Website| Twitter| Facebook

These were quick fast reads, that were steamy and drew you in, this is a perfect summer read!!

Want a chance to check out the books for yourself?? Harlequin is giving away five physical copies to five lucky winners. Void where prohibited. Must 18 years or older to enter.
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 ★★★★☆

Happy Reading

#Review: Fast Track (Buchanan ~Renard #12) @JulieGarwood

Book Title: Fast Track (Buchanan ~Renard #12)
Author:  Julie Garwood |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Dutton Adult
Genre: Mystery
Series/Standalone: Series Book 12
Format: ebook, hardcover

Cost: $15.99

Pages: 352

How I got it: First to Read Program from Publisher

Purchase: | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: July 29th, 2014
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

A corrupt congressman, a mother’s secrets, and a sizzling romance ignite passion and suspense in the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood. Cordelia Kane has always been a daddy’s girl—her father raised her alone after her mother died in a car crash when Cordelia was just two years old. So when he has a serious heart attack, Cordelia is devastated, and the emotion is only intensified by the confusion she feels when he reveals the shocking truth about her mother. Cordelia can’t suppress her curiosity about the woman who gave birth to her, and when she discovers the answers to her questions lie in Sydney, Australia, she travels there to get them. Hotel magnate Aiden Madison is Cordelia’s best friend’s older brother. He’s oblivious to the fact that she’s had a crush on him for years. When he gets railroaded into taking her along to Sydney on his company jet, he unknowingly puts her life at risk. He’s recently angered a powerful congressman by refusing to purchase overvalued land. Congressman Chambers is not a man to let such an offense slide, and he has the resources to get even and to get what he wants. In Australia sparks are flying between Cordelia and Aiden, but multiple attempts on Aiden’s life are made while Cordelia is with him, and he realizes he must put a stop to the madness before he loses the thing he values most

I'm very excited to be back in the Buchanan~Renard world.  This world always has hot me, good stories and a long winding road to a great romance.  Now personally I wouldn't have hung around as long as Cordie did, but I guess when you meet your one and only at a young age it's hard to let go. I'm happy finally have the last friend's story and to see Alec again.  Loved the fact that they were friends first. It's funny how obtuse Aiden is. Even when the truth was staring him in the face.

Because this book was told from the perspective of two civilians, it doesn't have a lot of action ( since this time he wasn't a cop) but enough to make you take notice.  I loved that Cordie wasn't an idiot who would run off to do her own thing like there wasn't a killer on the loose ( I hate when characters do that they act surprised when things blow up in their face, why?? There is a killer on the loose stop being an idiot), she had a strong sense of self, of her purpose in life, she was accomplished. and had a good life. She had friends and even though she was happy she was really in love and when she realized she was stuck she decided to make a change.

I loved Cordie, and I loved Aiden, although he was a little slow on the uptake. I loved how Alec and his wife were facilitators in helping Aiden realize he's an idiot.  I loved meeting new characters. I'm sure she'll give them their own books. I'm looking forward to reading those.  The mystery story began to unfold pretty quickly. and it didn't take long before we learn the why of the mystery.  Some people shouldn't be allowed to live, much less become parents.  I wasn't really a fan of her doing what she did, I totally agreed with her friends, WTF was the point?? It felt unnecessary and was to me pointless.

The story arc is getting good and I'm loving the characters.  Julie always writes characters that are amazing to read.  I loved Cordie and Aiden together, they were pretty steamy even though Aiden was as I said before slow on the uptake and Cordie was now a woman, but man oh man did he show up when it was necessary.  As a character Aiden was a strong man who when necessary did ask for the help he needed. he was smart, and fun.  He had always been a good friend and a good hero for Cordie, so it took him a while to become used to the little girl he had grown up with as a woman.  He, however wasn't too fond of her meeting and moving on.

 ★★★★☆

I recommend this for those who love the series, if you haven't read it yet, get reading the series is really good!!
Happy Reading

ARC Book #Review: Best Kind Of Broken (Finding Fate 1) @chelseafine

Book Title: Best Kind of Broken (Finding Fate #1)
Author: Chelsea Fine |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: Forever/Grand Cenral Publishing
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: ebook

Cost: $0.99

Pages: 336

How I got it: NetGalley

Purchase:  | Barnes & Noble | Publisher
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Add To Goodreads
Synopsis:

New Adult Romance Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward. All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

I received this book via NetGalley a few months ago, right before it came out actually, but I kept putting it off, because it was anew to me author and I didn't want to be disappointed in new adult, I'd just attempted to read a book that was a total fail for me, and needed a new adult break.  I'm not sorry I took the time, this book was totally worth it.  I had recently read an article by a new adult author complaining that because new adult was the genre to be in, too many were writing young adult with sex and she's right, way too many are sliding by without any substance to them. However, there are way more with good characters, emotional depth and that deal with real issues.  This book deals with how those coming into their own handle grief, loss of a stable home, friendships, and the budding relationship, along with survival guilt.

I could personally relate to this story because I dealt with a similar situation when I was first getting out of high school and moving into college.  Right before school started my best friend Amanda died and I felt like I did, too, for a really long time; it felt wrong to even laugh, to share secrets with anyone else, hell it felt wrong to excel in school because well what was the point, someone who mattered wasn't here because of an idiot.  A drunk driver swerved in front of a tractor trailer, forcing the driver to break up which forced his load into a jackknifing, and it took out Amanda's car as she headed into her freshman week move in day. I totally understood how Pixie's and Levi's grief become all consuming survivors guilt is a bitch.

I loved Pixie because I could relate with her in her floundering.  I hated her mother, loved Ellen and Jenna who were there for her completely and tried their best to love her enough until she could love herself again. As I was reading I totally felt called out by Jenna because I tried to protect my heart, much like Pixie was doing and like her,it only made me lonely. So this book is me, it's my journey and for that I loved it.  I loved their confusion, their need for each other I loved he wasn't a horrible bad boy but a grief struck friend, one she knew and loved.  I loved that neither knew all the answers, that they were mourning and blaming themselves and wanted to protect each other from both the pain and each other.

I loved the flow of the story, the growth each character had to go through, how each of them had to learn to accept their part in the accident, while learning to forgive themselves and the other.  I loved how well they flowed together The characters weren't whiny or stagnant, they also weren't unnaturally angry with no just cause., They were regular kids, someone you would know, heck maybe even at one point they were you.  I loved that the conversations they had felt real and their thoughts also felt like something a teenager moving into adulthood would think.  Their actions, and reactions felt genuine and made reading a joy instead of a chore.

I loved reading Levi as well.  He was a genuinely good guy who had been dealt a bad hand. He wasn't the town's bad boy, nor was he the golden boy, he was just a really great friend to Pixie from childhood, and her hero.  He was also the one she loved since he saved her, Levi loved her and was slowly learning to want more when tragedy struck and he felt guilty for hurting Pixie. Lost without his family and his best friend, he stops trying, he just stops being more. He becomes the handyman as a way to keep active.  It's here that he begins to heal and it's here that he learns to see beyond the pain.

This is new adult at it's best.  It's not a perfectly neat package, the couple have issues, their families are broken and hurting, they are struggling to find themselves and their place in the world.  This is good new adult, because the characters don't know everything, but they are learning, and not just about themselves.

Ellen is a wonderful character because she steps in a gives both of the two lost souls a place to live, a place to work, and eventually a place to heal.  By being a good shoulder to cry on, a kick in the butt when they needed it and just there, backing their play. She did more for them than their parents did. Her sister however was one hell of a piece of work.  Sadly way too many people like her exist in the world.

 I loved this and I am highly recommending this book especially because I'm currently reading the second book and loving it as well. More on that later.

 ★★★★★

Happy Reading

Blog Tour #Review: Better When He's Bad @JayCrownover

Book Title: Better When He's Bad (Welcome to the Point 1)
Author: Jay Crownover |Website| Twitter| Facebook|

Publisher: William Morrow 
Genre: New Adult Romance
Series/Standalone: Series Book 1
Format: ebook, paperback

Cost: $12.00

Pages: 384

How I got it: Publisher

Purchase: Books a Million| Barnes & Noble | Publisher | IndieBound
Publication Date: June 17th, 2014
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Synopsis:

Welcome to the Point There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter. Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way. Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced. Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad

Ok so y'all already know I fangirl hard over Jay's Marked Men series, so when I heard she had a new series coming out and this guy was badder than Rule?? Girl chile you know I signed right the hell up right?? Of course you see the title, you know I did.

My heart belongs to Rome but then Bax came along. He did his very best to hijack my heart and let me explain why.  I love Bax, when I went into this book I had no idea what I'd signed up for; Bax makes Rule look tame and I do mean tame.  This story grabs you by the throat  and drags you down into the ground and makes you a part of it.  I loved the grittiness; the showcasing of a world that normally doesn't get any love. Bax was a kid from the streets, someone who loved cars and was able to parlay that into a job, not a legal one but still it kept him in food and home because his mother wasn't well, his brother had abandoned him and he doesn't know who his father is.

His life was a hard road through the toughest parts of the city, the parts the bright lights hide and pretend isn't there, it's the parts the people with money come to play in and leave behind when they have decided that slumming is no longer their thing. But people have to survive and Bax & Dovie struggle to survive, thrive and still have something worth smiling about.  I loved reading this story, I told my sister it was like reading an old school rap song, amazingly graphic, raw, raunchy and real.  It pulled me in, made me feel like I was watching the story unfold in real life.  Although I have never lived on this side of the city I have friends who are from there, I have driven through it, I have worked with people from these parts of town, and I have worked with patients who have survived these parts of the city, and it's about time, the stories start being told.

It made me feel like I was there and witnessing it real life, I loved Dovie and OMG Race!! (who was briefly in there was still not enough to make me very excited for number 2 "Better When He's Bold") Dovie was likeable character, she was vulnerable, yet tough and boy did she love fiercely.  I loved how she was open to seeing more than meets the eye but also saw reality.  She refused to be stuck with just what she was born with, she wanted more and aimed for that; she tried to be a good role model and give back to those who have less than her and all the time, she strives to stay above the fray, and not get pulled down by the many vices that rule the city.

I LOVE THESE BOOKS!!  (And no I don't get paid to say this, I just love them!!)   I would fangirl more but y'all need to see it for yourself.  It was like an episode of the Wire just as gritty and real.  I was completely absorbed and found myself checking the counter to make sure I wasn't running out of book before the story gave me everything it had.  Bax!??!! OMGAWD Bax, he's just so amazing.  I'll be real I have no idea if I could have made his decision in the warehouse.  That moment made me feel so many feels, just the rawness of it, the fear, the desperate moments of hope, the fleeting glimpse of love, and just knowing any moment it could go all the way wrong.  I was deeply emotionally vested in this story.  There was mystery, trying to figure out who all the players where, why they were playing, and even why this game in partiular.

Please check out the series, I just know that I can't wait for January 2015 for book 2).  This is an amazing story and it's about time the 'average guy from the block ' gets some love in the new adult genre and I'm happy Jay is writing it.

 ★★★★★

Happy Reading and please don't forget to share the love with others and of course with Jay.  I'm not even ashamed to say I have already read this again for a second time this month. LOL 

Book Spotlight: Better When He's Bad @JayCrownover @WmMorrowBKS

So you’ve met Rule, Jet, Rome, and Nash!  But there’s a new boy in town, along with a new series, by Jay Crownover.  Better When He’s Bad (Welcome to the Point #1) is a new adult novel scheduled for publication on June 17, 2014, by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing. 

This is how Jay describes her new novel/series: 

“It’s dark and dangerous and set in a fictitious underworld/bad part of town. The men in all of the books are way more along the line of being anti-heros than true leading men. I guess the easiest way to sum them up is by saying the books are all about the choices these characters have to make and the outcomes and results of those decisions. Bax’s book is all about having to make the hard choices and what becomes of him and his lady in doing so. They are super fun, very atmospheric and I think really what writing a bad boy should be like if you’re going to do it :)”

Look in the back of Nash’s book to find the first chapter of “Better When He’s Bad.”

Synopsis

Welcome to the Point

There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.

Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.

Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.

Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.

Addto Goodreads

Pre-Order Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | IndieBound

About the Author

I’m supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I’m an natural redhead even though I haven’t seen my real hair color in years, I’m a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that.

I love to write, love to read and all I’m interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something.

Connect with Jay:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

This book is on tour on the blog June 17th and I'll share all my thoughts!! Once I can get them back together. LOL

See you then!!