BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY for Before Us by Jewel E Ann

BEFORE US

by JEWEL E ANN

I never saw him coming.

I didn’t know what would happen after my client found me sleeping in my car.

I’d been cleaning his house as his wife was dying.

I didn’t expect them to invite me to live with them.

I didn’t expect Suzie to become my lifeline—until she was gone.

I didn’t expect him to ask me to marry him when he found out I needed medical insurance.

I didn’t expect to fall in love with a grieving man.

There are so many reasons to keep my distance from Zach. Every tender moment secreted away.

When we’re not together, I miss the man I call husband.

Does he miss his wife? If so, which one?

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"The EMOTIONS this book evoked are the exact kinds of emotions I want in every book. The heaviness, the angst, the anger and the love - it all lends power to Zach and Emersyn’s love story.” ~ The Book Bee

REVIEW: YEP, READ IT. NOW.

"Regret has a way of coming to the surface no matter how hard we try to drown in it."

FIRST: A message to Jewel E Ann — please don’t ever stop. Your angst is my favorite. Your comedy is my favorite. Your lighthearted silliness mixed with profound sadness is my favorite. You add angst, silliness, drama, and real life into all your books and I always jump at the chance to read something new from you. Your storytelling is my favorite...just, thank you.

NOW: I'll just pour my heart out here because this book affected me on many different levels, but the emotional one hit home more than I can probably explain. To be fair, I always sing her praises in every review because she is forever giving me circumstances to think through, emotions to wade through, comedy to laugh through....and true awkwardness in droves - so that won't change with this review. However, this one certainly hit a little close to home. 

JEA's degree of reality mixed within the pages of her stories baffles me. It truly boggles my mind. She always provides an amazing love story full of growth, true love, witty comebacks, and....well, truth. But she always infuses them with a heaping dose of reality - regardless if I want to accept it or not. This one was no different. The emotions I felt from this story were compounded by real life that this book mirrored for me - and it physically jolted my heart. I cried. I laughed through tears. I fell in love. I just…wow. Watching Zach work through his wife's death and all he did for her was very reminiscent to what I went through with my gramma and I didn't think those wounds were still so raw. Apparently they are. To say I cried is an understatement. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. 

But the story doesn't stop there...

The emotional upheaval the characters go through with all the variables of their situation just made it that much more gasp-inducing. More heartbreaking. The pain of goodbyes. The pleasure and heartache of reality smacking them in the face. The unbearable truth of….well, truth. The individual and collective journey of both Zach and Emersyn caused me to think about what-ifs of a very personal nature. How do you let go of something so symbolic…and be ok with it because you can’t change it? I mean, I read this with my heart in my lap - there was no coddling at that point.

"How do you redefine yourself when what felt like the most important part of you no longer exists?"

So many different avenues to explore with lingering questions about how you can possibly move on from losing a loved one, to losing a best friend - and them being one in the same. The exploration of those emotions, of those personal morals being questioned, was such a high and low throughout this entire book. So. Emotional. So. Amazing.

What’s right?
What’s wrong?
Who determines it?

So many questions and I love that she explored that avenue thoroughly with this emotional love quest. I had the heaviest of hearts. My heart is so heavy, but the pain went deeper than I ever imagined it would with this story. This is definitely not for the surface reader or the emotional lightweight because it will challenge you, but you have to read it.

I love that she makes me question the status quo. The norm. The emotional side to what some would simply call yes or no only questions/answers, but I'll tell you this. Her journey -  it’s never, ever easy…everrrrrr. It’s always that journey she gifts me with that sucks me in. Full story, no missing elements - nothing, and a rollercoaster of emotions to match. The many different nuances she hints to, the way she breaks down scenarios, she is a very gifted storyteller and a favorite of mine. Hands down. I happily, honestly, and emphatically recommend her all the time. 

Take it from me, you want to feel this book. I mean, you want to feel it. Darnit, I mean, READ IT. Yeah, feel it.

"Denial blurs good judgment almost as much as whisky."

~BEE

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~MEET JEWEL E ANN~

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree a a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course . . .heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

~CONNECT WITH JEWEL~

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DNF Review for Whenever You Call by Vicki James

WHENEVER YOU CALL

by VICKI JAMES

In all my time as a Los Angeles paramedic, I’d never taken a loss personally.

Not until America’s most beloved rockstar died in my hands.

Plagued with guilt, I stupidly watched over his wife from afar, only for some messed up form of karma to throw me into her life without me ever being able to turn back, because Hannah Moore was far too good for the likes of Hollywood, and it turned out she needed saving, too.

Allowing us to grow closer through a trauma she didn’t know we shared was a dangerous game to play, but when she looked up into my eyes, begging me to stay, I forgot all the reasons why I should go.

I forgot everything else existed but her.

Especially that, in Hollywood, the truth always came out in the end, and when mine did, I’d no longer be the hero she needed, but the nightmare she wished she’d never fallen into.

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REVIEW: DNF...for now.

With that cover and that synopsis - this was going to be a shoo-in for me. I could feel it. I just knew it. There is nothing more exciting than adding a new-to-me author to my circle of reads. I'm super sad, super upset....or super mad at myself because I couldn't get past a few hurdles in this one to actually get to the crux of the book.

I was looking forward to this book. I saw the cover and loved it. I read the synopsis and was extremely excited. All the hoopla and hype that surrounded it made me more intrigued - but I think that is where I went wrong. I think I set myself up, and should have waded a little slower into the waters. I am the type to ask opinions - just as any reader is, but I am usually reading an early copy so I don't feel like I need to meet someone's expectations with regards to how they felt vs how I felt. This one I didn't sign up to tour, so I read it on KU. Man, oh man, it just didn't work for me and I'm legitimately sad. 

I am merely saying this didn't work for me. ME. I felt like the male POV was contrived and overly emotional in a way that just made it feel fake. I didn't even like the way he all but stalked Hannah - which is weird coming from me, because I like a man that goes after what he wants!!! That's one of my "oh yeah" moments and this time, it wasn't hitting me like it really should have.

I like a strong male voice in my books. The kind that is confident and exudes strength. I don't like to read a weak man, or a man that is too soft and I think that's where Logan sat for me. He was just a little too whiny for me and it really just turned me off. He showed some good parts in the beginning that gave me a smile or three, but the over-dramatics of both characters really soured me. Again, it's supposed to read as an emotional story, I get that. We lost a husband. A father. An idol. A patient. I totally get where this was supposed to go. It just didn't work for me because nothing felt genuine and that really stifles my emotions when I'm trying to connect with the characters.

I think the biggest realization that this was going to be overly dramatic in all the "give me attention" ways was when Hannah repeatedly reminded me as the reader about the emotions that she was feeling or was supposed to be feeling - instead of setting up the story with this narrative in the forefront, and then allowing me to feed on it. I don't need the therapy notes about how every little thing goes down. I just didn't need that. I also raised an eyebrow at the fact that she passed out from a "panic attack" and that was apparently normal. As someone who suffers pretty bad, I've been hospitalized from them a handful of times and have been rocked to my core - I totally get it!! I do. Even the descriptions she gave for the noodley feeling your body goes through after an attack were spot on, but I have never passed out and that felt a little overly dramatic given the situation at hand. I am not saying it won't happen, but it's highly unlikely. It just didn't line up for me. Or when there was a "queue" of people behind her when we call them lines over here. Or the fact that Logan could just easily move her to the passenger seat without regard for there being a center console - like she was a 25 lb child - "up and over, there ya go!" No. I know I sound like I'm super picky...I mean, I am - but I'm not. It's when things start to pile up that I find myself nitpicking. The snowball effect takes hold and that's when I know I need to step away because I won't be able to enjoy the book for the love story being told, only seeing the issues I'm having with words and descriptions.

I desperately wanted the Hero to find redemption.

I desperately wanted the heroine to find love again.

I desperately wanted to fall in love with these characters because the plot was there...

This could have - should have - worked for me. I believe that whole-heartedly, so maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. SOO, maybe this will be picked back up later. I sit here and see all these glowing reviews and I wonder why I couldn't look past all these little issues to get to the good part. I want to pick it back up. And to be honest, this is the first book I've genuinely wanted to put down, walk away to collect myself - only to come back and continue reading. That's my hope. So this is a hold spot...for now.

~BEE

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~MEET VICKI JAMES~

Vicki James is a teenage girl stuck inside a much older body, and she refuses to grow up because that’s just boring. With a ridiculous obsession for Rocky, Jax Teller, and Jamie Fraser, all she wishes to do is introduce the world to unforgettably flawed yet lovable characters like them.

Vicki currently lives in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two sons. Having had a strong passion for stories from a young age, she credits her love of literature to her Grandma Bess who taught her that you don't need a lot of money to travel to different worlds, experience new places and live a thousand lives. When she’s not listening to music or writing, she’s usually at the gym pretending to workout.

~CONNECT WITH VICKI~

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BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY for The Intern by Marni Mann

THE INTERN
by MARNI MANN

A scorching hot enemies-to-lovers office romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann…

In the legal world, everyone knows my last name. So, when Declan Shaw—the hottest, most ruthless and sought-after litigator in the state—comes in to mentor my class’s mock trial, I decide not to reveal that piece of personal information.

I want a one-on-one with him like I’m any other law student, especially when we go out to celebrate after class.

But the one-on-one ends with us in the alley behind the bar.
With us stripping off our clothes.
With me screaming his name.
It’s desperate-to-have-you, no-holds-barred, downright filthy sex.

And then, he ghosts me, like a complete alphahole.

But a few weeks later, when I walk into The Dalton Group—my family’s law firm—where I’m starting my internship, my new boss is waiting for me.

The man I despise.
The man I can still taste in my fantasies.
Declan Shaw.

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REVIEW: 3 STARS

"I wanted Hannah Dalton to be mine."

The long anticipated book in Marni Mann's Dalton Family series and boy was I excited to start this one!!!! I can definitively say this is my second favorite series of hers, because I am loving this legal side of it because it's allowing the story to grow for all the characters she's writing. And yes, The Bachelor is next and I am ridiculously excited for Camden's story because I have an inkling of who "she" might be...

One thing I know, Marni Mann has repeatedly given me character and story depth with a heavy hitting love affair of the heart. I've never, ever questioned her ability to pull me in and spoon-feed me a love that has me drooling over their journey. It wasn't until this one that I have struggled with those very pieces that I love about her writing. While this one gave me the perfect storm of anger and lust, it lacked in depth and relationship development for me - that cohesiveness I look forward to reading with each of her books. BUT - thankfully, not to the point that I was unable to enjoy this story because, for the most part, I did. It was a good book.

"His gaze wasn't a normal stare. It was power. Pleasure."

Declan is the definition of a very cocky, very sexy lawyer who knows his stuff. He's strong in the courtroom and that carries out into his personal life in many aspects - whether it's mentoring college students....or some more "private affairs." I love a cocky Hero. They're one of my favorite kinds of men to read because a man buckling for his woman is the best thing to witness and Declan was going to fall hard. I just knew this from deep within. Sadly, it was the journey from point A to B that I got lost somewhere. Even though I found my way and it was an enjoyable read, it missed the heartfelt punch I have to come to expect from Mann.

I struggled mostly with the anger and vitriol from Declan - more than I thought I would. I feel it's mostly due to how strong and smart Hannah was portrayed, so seeing her undeservedly belittled and talked so negatively to and about made me justifiably angry for her. It also inhibited my understanding of her allowing Declan back in each time he did something because I didn't really see a reason for this or feel it through the writing. I just missed out on that soft spot this time, even though I knew the reason *why* he was being the way he was. It just didn't flow with how it was all hitting.

Because it was hitting - all those spots in the bedroom. They were on fire when it came to chemistry and their infatuation with each other. They always came together in a fiery, lust-filled explosion and there was no denying their draw to one another. But I feel like that was the only strength of these characters that worked so well. I just feel like I wanted, or needed...more.

The breakdown of the story felt rather hasty....almost rushed in some aspects. Not all of it, but the pressure, the tension - the angst I crave in these kinds of stories was missing for me and plenty was just glossed over. I also feel like the chapter endings were sometimes abrupt with no follow up at the beginning of the next one. I understand a chapter cliffie so to speak - it keeps me turning the pages to find out more, but I look for some follow up on some happenings and felt like that was missing. The actual depth was lacking for me which isn't the norm with Mann's books. I can appreciate her easy style of writing, but the tension and growth born of the characters' turmoil is what I didn't get here. I absolutely love that aspect with these kinds of heavy-handed books and missed it immensely with this one.

HOWEVER, ultimately, none of these issues stopped me from enjoying this story. Overall, this was one that I read rather quickly and still smiled at the end. A positive experience - just not my favorite experience. I keep saying it, but I love that Mann keeps incorporating her foodie addiction with her characters' storylines whether it be their love of desserts or their willingness to bake and enjoy/share the love. I love that smile each and every time. 

I recommend this book for anyone that needs an easy read without a lot of angst but wants some drama to wade through.

"Tell me you want me, Hannah."

~BEE

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The Dalton Family Series on Amazon - Kindle Unlimited

THE LAWYER

A sexy, billionaire, Hollywood, stand-alone romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

I’m not the type of girl who picks up a man on a rooftop bar.

Not the kind of girl who lets a man’s hands roam my body, discovering I have no panties on.

Never the girl who has hours’ worth of o’s from a smoking-hot one-night stand.

But Dominick makes it so easy to say yes.

His body, his moves, and his oh-so-wicked tongue have me saying it over and over again.

Yes, please.

Yes, more.

Yes, right there.

He worships every inch of my body, and I’m still sore the next morning when I meet him again.

This time, he’s Mr. Dalton, my sister’s cutthroat entertainment lawyer.

And he has a proposition for me.

He wants to make me famous.

Of course, that means sharing a screen with my wildly jealous sister.

It means giving up my career.

It means the whole world will suddenly know everything about me.

Which presents one catastrophic problem—Dominick doesn’t date famous people.

So, do I take a chance at becoming a Hollywood star, or do I pass up the opportunity to be with the man who gave me a taste of forever?

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THE BILLIONAIRE

A sexy, forbidden, age gap, stand-alone romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

I’ve always been a good girl.
But the second I walk into the hotel bar, I see temptation.

The man sitting there is delicious. Older. Experienced. Once our eyes meet, I know I’m not walking away unscathed. I’ve heard about men like Jenner Dalton—richer than God and hotter than sin. He’s got heartbreak written all over him.

But it only takes fifteen minutes before we’re headed up to his room.

I’ve never done anything like this before, but something tells me he’s worth it. Every swipe of his tongue feels electric, every kiss sets me on fire and his experience has me begging for more.

And more.

And more.

In one week, I’ll return to college in Miami.

He’ll go back to being LA’s most eligible billionaire.

The miles and years between us are just too many for this to mean anything.

So, between now and then, I plan to spend every moment being anything but good …

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THE SINGLE DAD

A sexy single dad and nanny romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

Most college-aged girls go to Europe to experience their sexual awakening.
All I had to do was come home.

Ford Dalton isn’t the kind of man I’d look at twice—because I can’t stop looking at him at all.

We can’t take our hands off each other in the bar.
Back at his house, it’s our lips.
And in his bed?
There isn’t a single part of us that’s not on fire.
One night would never be long enough for Ford to show me every delicious thing he can do to my body.

But there’s something he’s keeping from me: he’s already met the love of his life.

His daughter, Everly.

And there’s something I’m keeping from him: I just applied for the job of my dreams.

Everly’s new nanny.

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COMING MARCH 28, 2023: 

THE BACHELOR - CAMDEN DALTON'S STORY

A sexy, billionaire, forbidden, stand-alone romance from USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann …

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~MEET MARNI MANN~

Bestselling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their two dogs, who have been characters in her books. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.

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BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY for TANGLED IN TINSEL by Trilina Pucci

TANGLED IN TINSEL

by TRILINA PUCCI

Imagine being snowed in with four hot successful men.

P.S. they've all played the hero in too many of your naughtiest dreams.

Problem is, you work for them, and that makes them off-limits.
Except now they're looking at you like you're Santa's cookies.
And they definitely want to take a bite.

Talk about making you reconsider your life choices.
These four are aiming for Santa's naughty list, and I'm pretty sure I'm getting:

Jace
Reed
Alec
...and Cole

for Christmas.

It might've started as a decorating job.
But it ended Tangled in Tinsel.

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REVIEW: ALL the NAUGHTY STARS

Ok, seriously? This was probably one of the funniest and naughtiest books I've ever read. Not just naughty, but ridiculously funny too. I cannot wrap my head around her creative process - but I love being witness to it. This one is the perfect example. Not a lot of substance to the story, but a whole lot of naughty to the holiday. This book definitely has the tongue wagging and the face-fanning on high. If you want naughty holiday fun, this is definitely it. This was the dirty definition of hot...

I do have to say, because I heard this in her voice...HER voice, it made it so much better. And that made it all that much more funny to me. Trilina Pucci is easily one of my favorite authors to follow - her books are always worth the click. She has a very steady voice in her writing and all of her books I've read have been winners for me. I have always enjoyed our book conversations, so finding out she was writing this was a very hilarious phone call - quite entertaining, to say the least. 

Well written smut is a great way to categorize this. It was enjoyable and naughty and delicious and naughty and fun and naughty. Did I mention it was naughty...? It was.

Jace is the smile and hug you never knew you needed.

Reed is the smirk that sets your insides on fire.

Alec is the smart ass that loves to see you...in all your glory.

Cole is the intensity that holds you captive with one glance.

They are all delicious in their own right and I wouldn't mind running into them - all at once, or individually. Either or...

And before you ask, I know...I know. Why don't I have a rated star on here? Well, I don't think I am entirely able to "rate" the book because it was literally just a book filled with one naughty romp after another without a lot of actual storyline. While it was super fun to read and I smiled throughout the entire book, I don't know about it being a rateable (is that a word??) book for me. Would I recommend it? If you love Trilina Pucci in all her snarky amazingness, with her intense and very dreamy men, and her "put yourself in her shoes" heroines, then an emphatic YES. This is a must read for some down and dirty naughtiness and I for one thoroughly enjoyed it.  Just straight up (pun intended) naughty fun. Truly.

Overall - as long as you're not a pearl-clutcher, or the mention of c*nt offends you, this book might just be the naughty deliciousness you crave to heat up your holidays. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

~BEE

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~MEET TRILINA PUCCI~

It all started when…

Trilina decided, 3 years ago, that between making grilled cheese sandwiches and running carpool she was going to write saucy novels for readers to titillate and excite them. She hasn't slowed down since!

Trilina has always had a love of writing; as a child she would journal and typically change the ending of whatever she was writing to suit her daydream. A knack for storytelling has translated into her debut, as an author, being met with rave reviews.

She lives in California where she multitasks the roles of wifey, mama and author. She hopes you enjoy her words and keep coming back for more!

Read Sexy, Stay Sexy!

xoxo, Trilina

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BOOK REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: A Wild Heart by Amie Knight

A WILD HEART

by AMIE KNIGHT

I lost a huge piece of myself the day my husband was killed in action.
In the months that followed, I felt like my grief would swallow me whole.
My only solace was my daughter, whose bright light guided me through the darkest of times.

I never wanted to meet someone else.
I vowed to never fall in love again, especially with a marine.

It was supposed to be no strings attached and for a while it was.
But Weston Reeves’s grumpy soul called to my tortured one.
Maybe it was the midnight rides on his bike or the way that only I could make him smile.
He lit me up, set my body afire, and for the first time in five years made me feel alive.

Our relationship was probably the worst gamble I’d ever taken.
But my stupid, wild heart needed him, even if our love was destined to burn me to ashes.

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REVIEW: 3.5 STARS

"My chest burned with every breath, fire in my lungs, agony in my heart. My body and soul ached unbearably."

Ok?? Did you read that synopsis? Tell me that doesn't make your heart want to get its battle gear on!!? I knew I was going to jump into this one with a smile knowing that the heart was guarded by not one, but TWO characters - and I was here for it!!

Having said all that, I have officially read my FIRST Amie Knight book and I will most definitely read her again. When I am in the mood for an easy read, one that I know will bring a smile to my face - I know I can turn to her books. This book, this one brought me all the smiles with Emily and Weston's electric connection and heartfelt fight to persevere through the muck to get to the beauty. That part of this book is what kept me reading - I won't lie. I loved that they fought, but came together....literally and figuratively.

A journey that met plenty of obstacles, I knew this needed to have some heartbreaking moments interspersed with the high-flying, endorphine causing happy times in order for it to truly work. I have made no secret of my love for the up and down aspect of a relationship that is ripe with turmoil - because in the end, that shows the tenacity of the love that is fighting to push through and survive. This one definitely had that. I needed that for a new voice in my library. While it wasn't super hard hitting, and could have given me some more "time" in a sense of allowing the emotions to percolate, I did really enjoy the ease in which I read this book.

One of my favorite things is a "warning" before I go in. I love the fact that a story is going to give me something to think about. The words are going to give me something to hold onto and dig deeper into. This one? I was warned by a dear friend that I would need some tissues for this one, and knowing me - you know I don't cry easily - so that was a warning I was excited about. That quote I posted up there definitely started the potential for the tears. Knight put me in Emily's heart...in her broken soul, and she made me feel Emily's agony and pain over the loss of her husband. I put myself in her shoes because I can't fathom the thought of losing my husband who is my best friend. So, this really started out with a bang for me.

However, this one didn't produce any tears, because I feel the rush to get the emotions out was almost too quick, not allowing my emotions the time to punctuate. BUT, it most definitely had the potential. It just didn't quite hit hard enough for me. So the truth for ME: I was expecting more oomph behind the words. I wanted that depth and that angsty pull that I always crave when matters of the heart are involved. I like the pain...we all know this. This one just didn't provide the angsty pull I would have hoped it had given that synopsis and predicament both characters were in, but I can still say it was a great book and I enjoyed it a lot.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read and a good introduction to Amie Knight. Easy is the word of the day because it was a great read but the writing was not overly deep for me. Definitely worth the read and a good base for me for her voice, so I know what to expect when I dive into my next book of hers. Bring on the recommendations!! (Note for new readers: this is book four in a series, but is a standalone. We meet some previous characters, but there isn't any overlap to worry about.)

"Weston may have owned my heart, but fear had an insurmountable choke hold on my soul."

~BEE

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~ MEET AMIE KNIGHT ~

Amie Knight has been a reader for as long as she could remember and a romance lover since she could get her hands on her momma's books. A dedicated wife and mother with a love of music and makeup, she won’t ever be seen leaving the house without her eyebrows and eyelashes done just right. When she isn't reading and writing, you can catch her jamming out in the car with her two kids to '90s R&B, country, and showtunes. Amie draws inspiration from her childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, and can't imagine living anywhere other than the South.

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