Sunday 31 August 2014

Right Kind of Wrong By Chelsea Fine - Finding Fate #3 - 4 Stars

Right Kind of Wrong by Chelsea Fine


4 I Heart Jack Stars
Blurb - Sometimes wrong can feel oh so right . . .

Jenna Lacombe needs complete control, whether it’s in the streets . . . or between the sheets. So when she sets out on a solo road trip to visit her family in New Orleans, she’s beyond annoyed that the infuriatingly sexy Jack Oliver wants to hitch a ride with her. Ever since they shared a wild night together last year, he’s been trying to strip away her defences one by one. He claims he’s just coming along to keep her safe-but what’s not safe for her is prolonged exposure to the tattooed hottie.

Jack can’t get Jenna out from under his skin. She makes him feel alive again after his old life nearly destroyed him-and losing her is not an option. Now Jack’s troubles are catching up to him, and he’s forced to return to his hometown in Louisiana. But when his secrets put them both in harm’s way, Jenna will have to figure out how far she’s willing to let love in . . . and how much she already has.



Right Kind of Wrong is book #3 in the Finding Fate Series; this is the first book I have read in this series and by this author. I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review so here goes...

Obviously this is a standalone book although the couples from the previous two books are seen although only briefly.

I liked Jenna she is full of attitude and sass; I love the fact that she is tatted up and generally doesn’t take any shit from anyone.
Jenna is a serious commitment phobia which is hilarious especially when faced with Jack!!!

Jack, what to say about Jack.... well swoon seems appropriate!!!

I LOVE Jack he’s tatted up, he’s alpha in bed but hilarious, witty and caring and generally the perfect guy!!!

I loved the banter between Jack & Jenna, they had some serious sexual chemistry bubbling and for the first part of the book it crackled between them in a barrage of quick one liners and put downs.

There isn’t a great deal of sex in this book but it was smoking hot and sexy as hell. All of the intimate moments were really emotionally charged, for the characters the sex was a culmination of the love and passion they felt for each other.

Jack is a serious badass in a previous life and in this book there are gangsters, drug dealers and some serious dodgy dealings. But to be honest all of the action is completely overshadowed by Jack & Jenna trying to figure out how to love each other and still fulfil their dreams.

I hate starting in the middle of a book series but as this was a standalone I don’t feel like I missed out on too much background info. I think I will definitely have to work backwards and read the other two books in the series too.

I loved Jack, the love he felt for Jenna was so evident in everything he did and it was just adorable, he never held back and was just honest about the way he felt even after she behaved like a man and tried to run in the opposite direction.


I really enjoyed this book, good banter, hot sex and a HEA 4 Stars.

Handpicked by Dani Oden - 3 Stars!

Handpicked by Dani Oden

3 Huge Potential Filled Stars
Blurb - College freshman Jill Holloway takes one look at the stuck-up girls going through sorority rush and nearly returns her borrowed dress and heels. Against her best judgment, she ends up falling for the prestige and parties, and snagging a bid from a top house. After moving in, she quickly grows skeptical of her too-perfect sorority sisters. She tries to ask questions, though no one will take time from their busy social calendar to give her any real answers. 

Jill wastes no time digging for everything she’s not supposed to find, and soon comes face-to-face with a big and bloody secret hidden in her sorority’s basement. She knows she’s in over her head, but taking off so soon would raise the perfectly-plucked eyebrows of her suspicious new sisters. She’s stuck until she can make a smooth exit. 

But the closer she gets to leaving, the more it becomes clear that it won’t be as simple as she hoped. A tempting fraternity guy, a best friend who needs her, and new details about what has really been happening in the basement have her questioning what her next move should be, and whether or not it’ll be worth the risks. 



Handpicked is a novel by an author I wasn’t familiar with, I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review so here goes....

I’m sure I won’t be the first to admit that as a brit I’m fascinated by the Greek system of frats and sororities, so when I read the blurb for this book it’s sounded great and defiantly worth a read.

This book is a real mixed bag some parts are brilliant and some bits are not so great.

I like Jill she’s a bit naive and daft but I kind of liked her inquisitive nature and that she couldn’t not go searching. She reminded me of a not quite so savvy Veronica Mars lol but I loved that show so hell it works for me.

I thought Jill, Lindy & Hannah together were hilarious and a bit of a cross between Charlie’s Angels and the three stooges lol.

There were some very glaring obvious problems with this book, the first being if you found a severed hand why wouldn’t you call the police!!!!! Now I can kind of forgive this idiocy as fear, but why once more weird things start to happen would you not call the police!!!!

Secondly if Bea the reporter was a legacy for Iota Beta why didn’t she get in???? If like the exec’s did for Jill’s rush class they got extensive background checks on everyone why would they not know this very important detail???

The way the author builds the suspense in this book is great and I waited for something really big to happen but I found the ending really anticlimactic. If you have gone to the effort of planting a severed human limb I would think you would have a better big finish!!!

I thought Tad & Jill were adorable together but the romance felt abit disconnected from the mystery elements.

What happened to Hannah why did she just leave and was basically never thought of again????

Why was Lindy upset about getting into Iota Beta was this not her first choice???

Although I actually quite enjoyed this book I found it a had a great start and then it felt like it was rushed at the end or perhaps the author just had some dodgy editing advise?

There is a hint in the epilogue that perhaps there might be a second book and to be honest I would read it as this just book just didn’t feel like it had a proper ending.


There have been some really awful reviews for this book but I feel like it has masses of potential I give it 3 solid stars.

Saturday 30 August 2014

A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand - 4 Stars

A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand


4 Happy Sunny Day Stars
Blurb - When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale. 

Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.

Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. 

Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy. 

When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.



A Risk Worth Taking is a standalone novel and the first book I have read by this author.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review so here goes.

I love Ford, the whole hippy dippy live for the moment thing really works for him.

Summer needs a bit of a slap at the start, she’s a twenty something women who is having a temper tantrum about the fact that her parents have split up. I know that she based her lifestyle and relationships on her parents example but let’s be honest she’s behaving like a brat!!!

I really feel like Casey needs an honourable mention for being adorable, if Heather Hildenbrand writes his story I would definitely read it!!!

This book is generally a fun, easy read, Summer & Ford are perfect for each other she makes him more grounded and he makes her more fun!!

There is definitely an undercurrent of sexual tension between them and that translates to the reader, I engaged with them as a couple and I was rooting for them to have a happily ever after.

I love how happy and cheerful this book is, there’s a hint of drama but it’s mainly love and fun. I love angsty books but now and again it’s great to read a fuss free love story and that’s exactly what this book is.

I’ve got a fairly good mental picture of what Ford looks like and when he pulled out his Alpha card at Danny I did have a tiny bit of a swoon lol.

Summer defiantly found her inner sex kitten and I engaged with her a hell of a lot more when she pulled the stick from out of her butt and started to enjoy life!!

Overall this book is a great sunny day read, all you need is a glass of wine and it’s the perfect indulgent HEA book 4 stars.


***Blog Tour - What Doesn't Destroy Us by M.N. Forgy - Out Now - 4.5 Stars!!***

          Book Title: What Doesn't Destroy Us                                         (Devil's Dust Series #1)                                              Author: M.N. Forgy                               Release Date: June 27th, 2014  Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult






Synopsis:

When Dani's sheltered life is turned upside down by her mother's secrets, she finds protection with her estranged outlaw father. Against all warnings, she falls for bad boy biker, Shadow. He is beast and beauty sealed in a leather cut with a gun holster. Can Dani learn to live within the Club rules? Is she more like her father than she could imagine?
Shadow has grown up among drug addicts, whores and murderers. The only family he's ever trusted has been the Devil's Dust motorcycle club. He will do anything for a brother; even kill. In fact, killing is so easy, he's made a career of it. His one regret is not being able to kill his own worthless mother. When Dani shows up with her provocative temper and innocent charm, Shadow begins to question his violent lifestyle. But can he trust her with his demons?
Sex.
Blood.
Betrayal.
Will Dani and Shadow let family ties destroy them?


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Excerpt:






Teasers:








My Review:


4.5 Badass Biker Stars

What Doesn’t Destroy Us is book #1 in The Devils Dust Series and the first book I have read by this author, I was given this book in exchange for an honest review so here goes.....

Right well how should I start..... Hmmm I think BLOODY BRILLIANT about sums it up!!!!

I’ve only recently become a MC book convertee, but now I’ve discovered them I’m well and truly hooked.

This book grabbed hold of me and dragged me along for the ride and this book has a fair few bumps along the way!

I love Dani, we really see her mature and change once she comes in contact will Bull her dad and the rest of the MC.

The scene where she attacks Candy was just bloody brilliant!!!

I need to post a warning label about this book though it ends with a cliff-hanger!!!!!

I’m not against harassing authors to get books, so stand assured that I will be begging for an ARC of the second book The Scars That Define Us.

Ok so now onto the best bit.....

Shadow talk about sex incarnate. God he just made me dissolve into a puddle. Hell when he went full blown alpha Dom guy I was squirming in my seat!!!

Dani’s mom is a serious Psycho Bitch, pure evil especially after we find out who she is at the end!!!

I love Dani & Shadow together and I refuse to believe that they won’t ultimately get their happy ending.

There’s something incredibly sexy about a badboy and it oozes out of shadow in spades. He may be a closed off, emotional mess but his shadows and darkness give him such a passionate edge. But he can also be incredibly sweet and endearing I loved his POV chapters!


I loved this book its sexy, gritty and generally just brilliant 4.5 stars!!





THE SCARS THAT DEFINE US
(Devil's Dust Series #2)

PRE~ORDER

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 31st 2014 



Synopsis:

The Devil's Dust MC has a list of new threats to the club's lifestyle. Dani, to prove her loyalty, is trying to embrace a part of herself that she never knew existed until now. A sinful beast lurking beneath her surface has been awakened and is ready to eliminate anyone that stands in its way. Looking at her stained hands, she rinses the blood from them. She resigns herself to innocence lost and welcomes her thirst for more blood. 


After a breathtaking turn of events, Shadow is looking at life in a different perspective. Not knowing who he can trust or who he can forgive has left him feeling desolate and alone. As Shadow is laying behind his rifle, he wonders if he can pull the trigger to eliminate the threat. He takes a deep breath and squeezes the trigger, the rifle recoil ignites the fuel that drives him. 



Retaliations will be required. 



Boundaries will be shattered. 



Redemption will be lost. 



Betrayal so deep, yet they still yearn for one another. Can Shadow overlook Dani’s transgressions? Can Dani overlook the mistrust that Shadow has placed upon her? 




***WARNING*** 

This novel contains explicit language, sex, drugs, violence, and sexual situations that some might find offensive. This book is intended for adults 18+ years of age.







Author Bio:




M.N. Forgy was raised in Missouri where she still lives with her family. She's a soccer mom by day and a saucy writer by night. M.N. Forgy started writing at a young age but never took it seriously until years later, as a stay-at-home mom, she opened her laptop and started writing again. As a role model for her children, she felt she couldn't live with the "what if" anymore and finally took a chance on her character's story. So, with her glass of wine in hand and a stray Barbie sharing her seat, she continues to create and please her fans.

Books:
What Doesn't Destroy Us (Devils Dust Book One)
The Scars That Define Us ( Devils Dust Book Two) Releasing October 31st

Stalking links:


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*** Blog Tour - A Whole New Crowd by Tijan - Out Now***

*** Blog Tour -
A Whole New Crowd by Tijan 
Released 18th August 2014***


TITLE: A WHOLE NEW CROWD
AUTHOR: TIJAN
GENRE: YA
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 18, 2014


SYNOPSIS
Taryn grew up in a different world. Her boyfriend was a criminal. His older brother was part of a gang. They weren't great people, but they were her family. Then everything changes when she's sent to a new family in the neighboring town. New family. New friends. A new world. She's elated. This is her chance for a new beginning, but secrets start being revealed and Taryn learns her new life has some ties to her old one, ties that she's not happy about. Her new family might not have been the lucky break she thought she had.



**TEASER**

 


“She’s one of mine. She’s one of us.” He spread his arms out wide and raised his voice even louder. “We persevere. We’re the strong. We take on any circumstances and we still thrive. We’re going to keep thriving. Hell, we’re going to conquer. She’s got that rush in her and she won’t be satisfied with you. None of you. You just wait and see.” He looked down at me, his eyebrows lifted, as if seeing me for the first time. He fell back a step. Sweat was running down his face. He whispered to me, “I’ll wait for you, Taryn. I love you. You’re mine. No one else can take your place.”
Tears were rolling down my face. I ignored them.



 



**Excerpt**
His hand curled around the back of my neck, and he moved me so I was looking up at him. Our eyes caught and held. He was somber. “This scares you?”
“What you can do to me scares me.” I was being honest. It was freeing. Then I frowned. I had never been this open with Brian.
“You mean this?” His hand dipped down and went between my legs again. He paused, his fingers right there where I wanted them and he smiled. “Or this?” His other hand rested between my breasts. My pulse was racing, but my heart seemed to leap to meet his touch.
He felt it and his smile grew tender.
I swallowed. “Both. You’re real.” Real relationships. That’s what we had talked about. “That makes me want to shit my pants.”
He laughed. “Speaking of.” His fingers teased me and slid back inside. Then he grew serious again. “This shouldn’t scare you.”
“Spoken from someone who knows his family, who’s had the same friends probably most his life, who never had to move from home to home.”
He frowned, but said, “Spoken like someone whose father is a disgrace to me.”
I sat upright. “You’ve never said much about your family.”
“Neither have you.”
“My family was Jace and Brian. I’m trying to move on from them.”
He shook his head. “Seems like we’re both holding back.”
I took in a deep breath. That was the truth. That’s why I had been struggling since his party. It was time to let go and move forward.
He touched my bottom lip, drawing my attention back to him. “What are you thinking?”
I hesitated, then said, “About letting you in.”


**Buy Links**




About the Author


Tijan started writing later in life, after she had already graduated college with a different direction in mind and a different degree under her belt. Hitting the brakes on that path, she taught herself how to write a good book and began posting at sites such as Fictionpress, along with Wattpad. After receiving such encouraging messages from readers, she self-published Fallen Crest High and has continued throughout the year. She continues to keep writing NA books!

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***Blog Tour - Bittersweet Catastrophe by Maureen Mayer - Out Now***

Bittersweet Catastrophe (Second Chances #2.5)
Author: Maureen Mayer
Genre: New Adult/Coming of Age
Release Date: August 18, 2014






Forever : without end; everlasting; eternally

It might have taken twenty-two years to find Liberty, but now that Shayne has her, he’s not willing to let her go without a fight.

Shayne and Liberty finally found their forever, leaving Shayne’s past indiscretions behind and moving forward to start a life together. But what if forever wasn’t truly in the stars for them?

What should be one of the happiest times in their lives as newlyweds quickly turns into a race against time. Liberty must choose between accepting her fate and protecting her family, and taking a risk that could ultimately end in more heartache.

Liberty’s decision will test the strength of their trust, but is it enough to keep Shayne from breaking down altogether and losing the woman he loves



Amazon / B&N



My Review 

Bittersweet Catastrophe is book #2.5 in the Second Chances Series, Having read the previous two books in the series I was excited to get started on this follow on story for Shane & Liberty. I was given an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review so here goes...

This book was not what I was expecting at all!!!

If you are looking for a happy go lucky extended epilogue with a smidge of drama this is NOT the book for you!!!

This book is harsh and heart breaking and incredibly sad, to be honest I spent the whole book on the verge of tears.

If I hadn’t have been given this book for review I probably wouldn’t have finished, this is in no way a reflection on the quality of writing because as always Maureen Mayer’s books are beautifully written. I may have given up simply because it was just far too sad for me!!!

This book sees Shane & Liberty dealing with a really shitty hand being thrown at them whilst pregnant with twins.

I don’t want to give too much away as it really will spoil it for future readers.

This whole book was heartbreaking and to be honest not really my cup of tea.

I like my books heavily tilted towards happily ever after and to be honest I don’t really enjoy too many reminders that life is short and that fate can be fickle.

Please don’t think that I hated it because I didn’t!!! It just made me sad, by the time I had finished I just wanted to curl up into a ball with my kids and cry like a baby.

I also want to say Maureen Mayer if you ever read this..... You almost gave me a heart attack at the end of the last chapter, I was actually shouting at my ereader!!!

I gave this book 3 stars purely and simply because it was just too serious and far too sad for me.
































Maureen Mayer was born, raised and currently resides in Buffalo, NY with her loving and supportive family and boyfriend of 9+ years. She’s always had a love for the outdoors, and when the city isn’t buried under snow, she can be found hiking, fishing, camping or lying on the beach. She’s a sucker for off-color humor, but holds a sweet spot for sick and twisted horror films. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in bed with her kindle, diving into a steamy romance novel and falling in love with the latest book boyfriend.