Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway for Iron Princess by Meghan March


IRON PRINCESS
by MEGHAN MARCH

He’s a mystery. An enigma. 

His very identity is a secret buried beneath layers of deception.

He’s also an addiction I can’t shake. An attraction I can’t fight. 

And then I found out exactly who he is—a man more dangerous than the devil himself.

Now I need him in order to save everything that matters to me. 

I have to pull back. Protect myself from the danger that haunts his every step. 

Which would be easy . . . if I could stop myself from falling in love with him.


REVIEW: 4.5 SOLID STARS
"I see you, Temperance. I see every single part of you - even the ones you don't want to see yourself."

I just finished this book and I am writing this review on my high of "WHAT IN THE EVER LOVING EFF JUST HAPPENED!!!!" I actually was betting this went a different way, but then Meghan March sure enough sent my thoughts packing and now my heart is reeling for Temperance!!! My head and my heart are spinning because of that twist!!  And now I have to wait?? This cliffhanger will be a hard one to wait out!! That ending just killed me!!!

Ok, to start, this book is my favorite in this trilogy so far. It was hotter. It was more fleshed out. It was deeper. And it was most definitely eye opening. The story flourished in this book. It really took off and sealed the trajectory of the storyline well. I loved the symbolic line between wanting what we can't have and not thinking the option is even possible. That played a very heavy part in this book, and those lines were very jagged. MM did a really good job on the push and pull aspect of wanting what they couldn't have. My gosh, I am still smiling and excited about that ending!!!

Meghan wrote about this very private man and this very tempting woman. It was hot and sexy, but believable and not cliché - thank gosh! I felt him fight and give in. I watched her tempt and submit. The proverbial power exchange and it had me all giddy inside. It was just sexy!! But, I feel like I need to define how heartbreaking their desperation was- not just hers, not just his, but theirs. The thing about it for me was it was just so authentic. I felt the desperation. I felt that visceral need. This book had more emotion than the first one - for me, by far, and I was completely caught up in their almost clumsy fall into each other's hearts. I don't mean clumsy as in awkward. I really mean it in the manner of them falling without any control over their hearts in any way, stumbling through this new reality of theirs while trying to make sense of it. I liked the way she showed them navigating this unchartered territory and how they had to literally feel their way through it. I just felt like I was discovering a new love, a new feeling, right along with them. But that ending got me like...

"I should be cursing her, but all I want to do is make her feel the same storm that's raging inside me."

This book got suuuper interesting, real quick, and by the fourth chapter, this book was already standing out as intense and quite fascinating. So much happened, and so much has to happen, for everything to button up. The goings-ons caused some serious gaspable moments for me and I definitely wide-eyed it through a few pages. She spun an easy to read story, full of emotions, crazy actions and likable characters. It just felt authentic, but man did she mess me up bad with that ending!!

I am definitely enjoying these books of hers because they are a tale spun of unknown adventure and she adds a ton of excitement to an underworld I would never have given a second thought to. While I don't feel these books are super deep, they are ripe with emotions in general, and this plotline has never dragged for me. As with any drama filled books, there are bound to be some eye-roll worthy moments here and there. I can't deny there were some in this book, as well as some over the top cheesy lines, but I don't think we can honestly get away from them completely and they didn't hinder the story for me at all. Having said that, the sentiment was there and it kept the momentum going in this second book. Overall, this was a really good book and I loved it! Did I tell you that ending jacked me up?? Maybe I should mention that....

"I'm still going to test your limits, temptress. Because you're trying to destroy mine."
~BEE

PURCHASE LINKS:

SAVAGE PRINCE     IRON PRINCESS     ROGUE ROYALTY

SERIES LINK: ANTI HEROES COLLECTION
SERIES LINK: SAVAGE TRILOGY



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

~CONNECT WITH MEGHAN~

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Friday, April 20, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway for The Real by Kate Stewart


THE REAL
by KATE STEWART

They say it happens when you least expect it.

It did for me.

It started the moment I saw the simple message pop up on my computer screen:

Cameron’s Mac: Hi.

And when I met the eyes of the gorgeous man messaging me from across the coffee shop, I never thought my reply would lead to the most intense, sexual, and passionate relationship of my life.

We both agreed to check our bags at the door and put our future hopes and aspirations on the table.

It worked.

I fell in love with his no holds barred attitude, sexy smirk, and undeniably good heart . . . and for a while we forgot about our baggage. We happily tripped over it to get to the other, neither of us willing to show the contents of our pasts in the off chance it could ruin us.

We built our love on a foundation of gray.

It was life in black and white that threatened to tear us apart.


REVIEW: 4.5 STARS
"Sacrifice would be my penance for taking her trust and muting it to hear my own heartbeat."

FIRST AND FOREMOST:  I will need this signed on my shelf. I will need to regularly pet it, smile at it, think about it, and then set it back very carefully. This will be the kind of book that you remember fondly after reading it. While 95% of it was the epitome of the perfection of falling in love, there was some heaviness to it, and it was very well written, but overall it's a very fun story to read. I smiled throughout...I may have even <sighed> a few times.

This book pulled me in and, for the sake of not sounding cheesy.....well, I'm going to: It held me hostage! I blocked out the world and got sucked up into messages and hearts, secrets and filthy comments. I loved the feeling of the anticipation for new messages. I reveled in the excitement of butterflies and the discovery of a new love. I felt giddy at the possibilities and where this was leading up to. I swooned at how PERFECT Cameron was. With a heartbreaking chain of events, some out of their control, and others slipping away without them even being ready to accept them, this book was one heartfelt exercise in trust. Dreamy....seriously. Dimples on a man make me weak in the knees, but add a sexy smirk, a wink, and a raspy voice and I'm a goner.

Sometimes, there is an author that writes that perfect boyfriend....the one that makes you smile, makes you squirm and gives you the goosebumps. Well, Kate did that with Cameron. Even though I was on edge because there was a secret he was hiding, I couldn't help but fall for him. His secret, while it was his to bear, was a true testament to his character as a whole. I had a really hard time with what happened to him, but it made me fall deeper for him, for his entire character, in the long run. The weird thing is, I figured out the twist, but it was a "what if" scenario for me and seeing it all unravel was making me turn the pages with intent. Because if I thought I had it figured out, Kate made sure I did NOT.

"Love broke us both and put back together."

And my gosh, when I say Cameron was just so perfect, I mean it - flaws and all. Even though they both had a rough go at love, Cameron didn't let it stop him. But Abbie was jaded. It took someone with the patience of a saint to bring her back to a trusting person, and while that was no easy feat, Cameron went in with determination. The thing about his determination (and love) was that it wasn't over the top. It wasn't in your face. It wasn't anything that made me side-eye him or his intentions. What it was was pure. It was understanding. It was patient. It was comforting. I just loved how he took care of her from afar. How he made sure she was always ok. He always had her best interests in mind. There was a lot of gray in their world though....some murky parts that needed some clarity. I adored him. I just did.

I can definitively say that you want to read this book. You do. It was that fun. That smile inducing. That perfect of a love. This one was just one of those books I fell in love with easily and comfortably. I know that Kate seems to have the words that speak to me. Her flow is easy. Her cadence is easy. Her stories are easy. Twice now I've read her and twice now I've loved her books. I will happily recommend this book to anyone that wants a book with a truth behind the love; a depth behind the need. I loved it so much.

"And in case it's not clear by now when it comes to weakness, you're becoming mine."
~BEE


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~MEET KATE STEWART~

Kate Stewart lives in Charleston, S.C. with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. A native of Dallas, Kate moved to Charleston three weeks after her first visit, dropping her career of 8 years, and declaring it her creative muse. Kate pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it's what she loves as a reader. A lover of all things '80s and '90s, especially John Hughes films and rap, she dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity only and does a horrible job of playing the ukulele. Aside from running a mile without collapsing, traveling is the only other must on her bucket list. On occasion, she does very well at vodka.

~CONNECT WITH KATE~

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Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway for SEVER by Mary Elizabeth


SEVER
by MARY ELIZABETH

Misery overstayed its welcome.

But fate will not be so easily swayed.

Gabriella Mason and Teller Reddy have walked a thin line between affection and hostility for years. The intensity that once set them on fire has ended their engagement and separated them by more than just miles.

Forced together by circumstances they never saw coming, Gabriella and Teller have no choice but to face the past that brought them together and ultimately severed them apart.

Wrecked and Damaged have collided.

This is what happens when they try to pick up the pieces


REVIEW: I Just Can't Right Now....
"To a fiend like him, my unease is delicious, and he licks his lips."

This story is the exact reason why I look forward to Mary Elizabeth's books. This is the reason I crave her words, her angst, and her stories. I make no secret as to how much I love angst and how much I love a painful love story. A truthfully painful love, no less. Well, Mary definitely made this one painful. I mean, she took stubborn to a whole 'nother level. Yes, I said 'nother because it fit. Work with me here. I am not entirely sure what to say about this one, because I know without a shadow of a doubt that you need to live through Teller and Ella's story in order to understand, but this one was rough. Necessary.....but rough. After reading Closer, I knew I was in for a rough ride. I just didn't imagine it would be this rough. Waiting this long for their conclusion almost felt symbolic in a way. the fight alone was worth it. Painful, but worth it.

"I wish hurt were as easy to wash away as a hangover is."

How do you explain a love so volatile it's necessary to function? Teller Reddy and Gabriella Mason embody this kind of love like no other. It's probably not healthy, and I'm sure there will be people that will complain about it because of the real issues that can surface from it, but if you look deeper, if you look to the root, deep inside, you can see and feel the truth behind their love. Their love was deep. It was built out of circumstance, but one that thrived. Did it thrive on pain? On love? On purpose? On accident? This one took me through the wringer - it's exactly the kind of story I love.

I loved Teller. His misguided attempts to right all the wrongs, to fix all the broken, to make everything ok, all because he loved Ella so desperately? The depth of his love is unmistakable in it's entirety. He loved her to the detriment of his own sanity, and you can see she's loved with every fiber of his being. This was a painful love to watch unravel.....and I reveled in it. I sound evil, don't I? I just loved how she spun their pain and their love, as if it was symbiotic....or harmonious, even. But it wasn't. Their love was only necessary to live. To breathe. To exist. I felt every tether snap between them and I was seriously freaking out. Their love story seized me wholly and completely.

"Teller Reddy is one hell of a drug, but I'm rehabilitating."

Mary Elizabeth's words are so poetic. Her descriptions and her dialogue are so heavy with meaning. When the excitement for the pain, the giddiness for her angst, grips me, makes me breathe funny and makes me pace, I know it's gonna be a good story! I love the anticipation of destruction that Mary Elizabeth gives me. Love it. She easily, slowly and meticulously lays out this story, one word at a time, and she brings me deep into this world of depravity and agony while single-handedly breaking my heart with ONE line:

"I don't know how to be without you, Ella."

Broke. My. Heart. And Ella is one stubborn and confused woman that knows the truth and the reality behind that ONE line, yet she also understands the perfectly crazy side to his undying love. She can't deny it. She can't deny her own love. Her own need. It's gritty and raw, it's real and painful, but it's true. It was a love story that needed to be felt. And I did.....painfully so.

I can tell you that this cover is the most accurate deserving cover I have seen in a very long time. That picture was 100% Teller to me. An amazingly beautiful muse for him. I am not one to comment on covers often, but after reading and falling in love with Teller and Ella, living their story with them for so long, I can definitively say this one was perfect. <sigh> I will never have enough of Mary's tumultuous words....never. Ever. I know Teller's palpable need for Ella, because that's how I feel when I read one of her books. I soak it up. I can't get enough. This will once again be on my favorites list. The heaviness and the aching I felt while reading this one was undeniable and intense. Just how I like it.

"How could the universe be so cruel to make this man both my beginning and end?"
~BEE


PURCHASE SEVER: AMAZON
PURCHASE CLOSER: AMAZON 

My review for Closer is HERE.



~MEET MARY ELIZABETH~
Mary Elizabeth is an up and coming author who finds words in chaos, writing stories about the skeletons hanging in your closets. 

Known as The Realist, Mary was born and raised in Southern California. She is a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She's a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night. Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Book Review and Giveaway for Chaser by Kylie Scott



Given his well-earned bad boy reputation, Eric is having a tough time scoring.. When single Jean moves to town, she seems heaven sent by the sex gods. Only problem is, she not only wants nothing to do with him, but it turns out that she's pregnant.

Starting over in a small town, Jean is determined to turn her wild lifestyle around and be the kind of mother she always wished she'd had. Since local bar owner and all round hottie, Eric Collins, is now determined to steer clear of her pregnant self, it should be easy. When she goes into labour during a snow storm and her car slides on some ice, it's Eric who comes to the rescue.

There seems to be a bond between them now, but is it enough? And can Eric give up his manwhore ways to be the man Jean needs?



REVIEW: 3.5 Stars
"I just smiled. The truth being that her whole existence worked for me."

Ok, this was only my second book by Kylie Scott, and I was SO excited to jump into it after loving TRUST. So, having said that, you will understand that I have not read any of the books in this series. This was described as a standalone book within the series, but make no mistakes (like me), this is most definitely a book that you will benefit from reading the other books in the series first. There was just too much going on that was alluded to, and not sufficiently explained in the beginning, that it kinda caught me off guard....as well as the character buildup as to who Eric was in the group. Again, I realize I went into the third book in the series, but sometimes a standalone series isn't as standalone as they were quoted as being. BUT, having said that, after I got into the book and started to fall into the storyline of Eric and Jean, their story flowed much better. 

I will admit that I eventually fell in love with Eric and his awkwardness, and even though he was billed as this womanizer, he was just.....a goof! A good looking one, but a goof, nonetheless. But it's safe to say, Eric *really* started to grow on me. His nature, his demeanor, was completely different than one I have read.....ever? in a long time? Not sure, but he was.....different, and I liked it. I tried to explain him to a friend while I was reading it that he was a doofus. Not in a bad way, just in a "I have conversations with myself all the time" kinda way. And with reading these monologues, I really got to know his inner workings. I scratched my head in the beginning - because I struggled with his description vs the actions I was getting, but I easily started to fall for him. His heart was pure. He was so sweet and his growth was one I could easily measure in chapters. With Jean being his kryptonite, I could actually feel their toe-dipping into this potential world of maybes. Maybe we can hang out. Maybe we can hook up. Maybe we can be more. I definitely enjoyed their story. Their buildup was gradual and I looooved that part about it. Not knowing all the characters from before, it made me pay extra close attention to everything happening - so that was a bonus, but after getting in line with everyone, the story picked up and flowed nicely.

I will say this: I didn't like how mean Nell was to Eric. I am aware that they have a pretty volatile past and so there is already some bad blood between them, but it was just awful the way she was so rude to him and about him. Again, this is something I waded through having not read the previous books, and I know their story is the one before this, so I will have to check it out. Get to the bottom of this mystery! HA! I just hope this doesn't harm my enjoyment of the previous stories with her in it. 

I definitely walked away from this book feeling like I needed to not only read more from this series, but also from Kylie in general. I really like her style. It's a little more crisp, a different tempo/beat to her words, but her stories have always drawn me in. While the beginning was a rough start for me, the entire crew grew on me. I will be checking out more by her, for sure!

"Maybe I'm more me with you."
~BEE

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON     B&N     iBOOKS     KOBO     GOOGLEPLAY



~MEET KYLIE SCOTT~
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance  Writer of the year, 2013 &amp; 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

~CONNECT WITH KYLIE~

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Thursday, April 12, 2018

Book Review for Rebel Heir by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward


REBEL HEIR
by VI KEELAND & PENELOPE WARD

How to kick off a great summer in the Hamptons:

Snag a gorgeous rental on the beach. Check.

Get a job at a trendy summer haunt. Check.

How to screw up a great summer in the Hamptons:

Fall for the one guy with a dark leather jacket, scruff on his face, and intense eyes that doesn't fit in with the rest of the tony looking crowd. A guy you can't have when you'll be leaving at the end of the season.

Check. Check. Check.

I should add--especially when the guy is your sexy, tattooed God of a boss.

Especially when he not only owns your place of employment but inherited half of the town.

Especially when he's mean to you.

Or so I thought.

Until one night when he demanded I get in his car so he could drive me home because he didn't want me walking in the dark.

That was sort of how it all started with Rush.

And then little by little, some of the walls of this hardass man started to come down.

I never expected that the two of us, seemingly opposites from the outside, would grow so close.

I wasn't supposed to fall for the rebel heir, especially when he made it clear he didn't want to cross the line with me.

As the temperature turned cooler, the nights became hotter. My summer became a lot more interesting--and complicated.

All good things must come to an end, right?

Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.


REVIEW: 4.5 Stars.....and waiting. 
"Sometimes you don't realize what you're missing until you see it right in front of you."

#Vinelope is my favorite writing duo. I've made no secret about that love and once again, they've showcased it perfectly as to why. Their ability to write a Hero that can bring any woman to her knees is very evident. We get a very swoony man in Rush that has just enough flaws to make him relatable, and just enough charisma and swag to make him dreamy. But this time, their heroine made me really happy as well! I loved her strength and her carefree attitude. 

The thing is, they nailed these characters with ease. I loved Gia, and Rush was drool-worthy. Gia was obviously written a little close to their heart, given her occupation and struggles. I loved seeing that side of her journey because that gave a little more depth to her story - and it was a depth seated in reality. Gia stood up for herself and what she believed in, and with her unassuming nature and bold mouth, she was all sorts of perfect for Rush. Rush had a mouth that was sinful and deliciously tacky! He was dirrrrty and it was so natural and sexy on him! And with Rush being the rough on the outside, soft on the inside jaded man being brought to his knees, the reasoning was different and unique. This story worked really well for me, and it all came to a head nicely. I mean, even that cliffhanger wasn't too bad. I figured out the twist a little earlier than I wanted to, but being able to see how they spun this story was what kept me going. 

"Second base? What the hell is second base if you think going down on me is first?"

There was wit. There was banter. There was sexy times. There were great characters. Some of it felt...a little too perfect, but their writing was fascinating and lively, and I was all caught up in the lives of Gia and Rush, as well as their jobs and their love - a full story! I just really enjoyed this one. One thing to note was that there wasn't any drama...

Until.
The.
Very.
End.

Let's face it: while this one may have been a little cliché, a little predictable, the way these ladies set it up, it made this book one I couldn't put down. Sure, we've heard the story before, but again, their storytelling came through because not once did I roll my eyes or feel like I was reading the same story. The development of their characters, the absolute perfection that is Rush and Gia, I had a smile on my face throughout the entire book. I easily fell in love with both characters and nothing ever felt forced between them. This is what will bring me back for more of Gia and Rush's story, as well as more of #Vinelope as well. Very good story! I only wonder how they are going to work this one??

"Loyalty is pledging the truth to yourself and others."
BEE

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A COPY OF THE DUET WILL BE GIFTED WITH MY REVIEW OF REBEL HEART

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~MEET VI KEELAND~
Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

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~MEET PENELOPE WARD~
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island. 

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