Blog Tour: Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert

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Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert
Publication Date: August 14, 2013
Source: eARC via Xpresso Book Tours via author
Get it: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Horses, mansions, tea parties, and lies are twenty-year-old Hannah Taylor’s life. To others, her family and her relationship with Eric is perfect. But she knows the truth. She lives it.

After a fire takes her grandma’s life and kills her horse, Hannah’s immaculate life spirals out of control. Her father disapproves of her decision to run her grandma’s ranch instead of focusing solely on learning the family business; Animal Control brings her Argus, a mistreated horse that she can’t turn away even though she’s not ready for another horse; and her boyfriend, Eric Bennett, a world famous polo player, becomes possessive and authoritarian. Despite her best efforts to disguise it, Hannah grows wary of him.

Then, Leonardo Fernandes struts onto the polo scene. A cocky rookie with a messy life of his own, he’s drawn to Hannah and isn’t afraid of showing it, even when Eric makes it clear she is his and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. Hannah suffers for Eric’s jealousy. The abuse only gets worse when Leo steals the title of best polo player in the world from Eric.

But the title isn’t enough for Leo. He wants Hannah too, and she can’t deny her attraction to him either. Somehow, she must find a way to break free from abusive Eric before he breaks every bone in her body.

My Review

Breaking the Reins by Juliana Haygert is what I call one outstanding and well thought New Adult novel!



I’m going to start with Hannah. She wanted a simple life. She wanted to attend college and keep her grandmother’s ranch. She wasn’t into the money and fancy things that was part of her life. I liked Hannah for simply being Hannah. She wanted to do what she wanted to do and she didn’t let her father, mother, boyfriend, or anybody else tell her what she should or shouldn’t do. She was noble, wanting to give those she loved the care and help she thought she could give. I thought she was an amazing character for the all these things and for the way she handled herself and the situations she was in. 



The romance in Breaking the Reins was a very complicated one. There was Eric, Hannah’s extremely jealous boyfriend and Leo, kind and big hearted polo player from Brazil. Leo wasn’t perfect but the way he helped and cared for Hannah and his patience for her and his love for horses and passion for polo was what really made me adore him. Eric was a different character altogether. It was hard for me in beginning because I saw how kind and sweet Eric could be. I saw why Hannah fell in love with him in the first place. It wasn’t until he slowly started to show his abusive, evil true colors was when my emotions went in the other direction from like to absolute hateful rage. He was the worst person ever and it was so hard to take in who he was and what he did because of my initial impression of him. I completely commend Haygert for the way she created, built up and developed Eric’s character all the way.


My favorite part of this book is the work Hannah and Leo put into healing Argus. With Leo’s help, Hannah really stepped it up with Argus. There were many many set backs that even had me frustrated, but Hannah learned to be patient and not only gave her dedication, but her love to the horse. The scenes with Hannah and Argus having small breakthroughs had my heart bursting with love and joy and brought tears to my eyes. The relationship they slowly built with each other was the most beautiful thing I have ever read. I was so completely touched by what Hannah did for Argus, but especially was he did for Hannah. I loved that horse so much!



Haygert did an awesome job at packing in the emotions and reactions that Hannah was feeling. I totally felt her anger, fear, pain, love and turmoil throughout the book. The plot moved along nicely, it wasn’t slow or rushed either and I liked that. The book wasn’t entirely unpredictable, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. I was still surprised by other things that were revealed along the way. There was a realistic feel to the novel and nothing felt forced, especially what Hannah went through and how she and Leo fell in love. She balanced the romance with her plot giving both equal importance without one overshadowing the other. My only complaint was some of Portuguese words and phrases that weren’t translated. I used my imagination to fill it in and got too lazy to keep checking the glossary. Other than that, I really loved Breaking the Reins. 



All in all, Haygert brings something unique not just to NA, but to other contemporaries as well. Breaking the Reins has a bit of everything a contemporary romance needs from sweetness to darkness and just the right amount of Argus to truly steal your heart away.


*Thanks so Xpresso Book Tours and Juliana for sending a copy for review purposes 

I was not compensated for my opinion 

About the Author

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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REVIEW: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Source: Edelweiss via publisher*
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

My Review

I’m not really sure how I actually feel about this book, but if you were going ask me to describe it, I’d called in these tamer words, screwed the heck up. And I mean screwed up in a semi-what the bleep is going on good way. 



So the main character and narrator of this creeptastic novel is supposed to be Annaliese, but well.. it’s not. What the heck do I mean? I don’t want to spoil the story, so just trust me when I say that though almost everyone calls the MC Annaliese, she is not Annaliese, but Anna. Like how I don’t really know how to describe this book, I don’t really know what to make of Anna. I felt bad for her that’s for sure because she was in such a crappy situation, but I was also disgusted as well. It was hard to sympathize with Anna because of the things she had done, but there was redemption for her in this book. Did I like Anna? Hell, I don’t even know myself. When she cared for the parents and when she loved Dex, sure. It was hard because the past and the present collided a lot in the book and had my emotions going haywire. Either way, Anna was a very interesting character. 


Now the plot of this book either renders me speechless or confuses the (insert the four letter inappropriate word of choice here) out of me. Honestly, I didn’t know half of the stuff that was going on when it came to Anna’s predicament. Her memories would come and go and though they were supposed to be insightful, they left me disoriented. I think my mind always had to race to catch up. But I think by the end, I understood the basic-ness of what was going on and what happened to Annaliese and what happened to Anna.



The problem I had was this: WHY? I wanted to know what the purpose was for what Anna and Franky were doing along with the Physician’s role in all of it. However this never really gets answered. Or at least, I don’t think so. I will say that Another Little Piece was in fact, creepy as hell and very very dark. Something sinister and gruesome was going on and my favorite parts were probably those graphic scenes because they gave me chills for sure. Though I was confused, I thought the driving force of this book was finding out what in the world happened to Anna and trust me, this all gets answered. 

My favorite part of this book by far is (how could you not know) Dex. I adored the little romance Dex and Anna had. It was unusual, yet kind and sweet. I loved Dex because he talked a lot, was told by his mother that he was a late bloomer, who hung on to a razor for someone without asking questions, who recorded screams and replayed them, who rocked out to Bohemian Rhapsody, and described his first kiss to a like letter written on the back of an envelope. He was the boy next door, literally and figuratively. The boy who wanted to help even when he could barely help himself. He was the boy who dealt with his problems and issues in a positive way and said that there was always a choice to make. He wasn’t a knight in shining armor, he didn’t rescue a damsel in distress, he wasn’t a bad boy, or even the hottest guy around. He was weird, maybe even shy, but he had such a big heart, I cannot be blamed for falling head over heels for this guy. 



While I did like Another Little Piece, I thought it lacked the compulsion to draw me in. I was never really invested into the story, but I wasn’t disappointed by it either. Nonetheless, this book was just sick and unique and I mean that in a positive way. 



*Thanks to HarperTeen for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion

Cover Reveal: Four Years Later by Monica Murphy

Time for another Monica Murphy 

book I'm dying to get my hands on!!

whooooooooooosh.

Four Years Later by Monica Murphy

Expected Publication Date: February 2014

Book Description (subject to change):

Guilt. That is all I ever feel when I think about my mom. Now she's back in my life, always wanting something. Having her around makes it so easy for me to fall into those bad habits that get me into trouble. Skipping class, smoking weed, fooling around with girls that mean nothing to me...I'm messing up. The last thing I need is my sister on my case.

So I keep my mom's return a secret. But promising I'll get my grades back up on my own isn't enough. Fable makes me see a tutor. And Chelsea is the smartest girl I've ever met. She's definitely not my type but there's something about her that I'm drawn to. She's sweet, she's shy and she seems completely immune to my usual moves.

Chelsea has her own secrets and she's not talking. Like I have any room to judge. How can I get her to open up to me? And will I ever be able to convince her that what we have could be something real?

Pre-order Four Years Later

Amazon / B&N

Baby boy Owen is all grown up and daaaaaamn if I'm not having inappropriate thoughts
Damn, did I say that out loud?

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Amazon Page

This cover reveal was brought to your by InkSlingerPR!

Blog Tour: Stalked by Death by Kelly Hashway

Stalked by Death by Kelly Hashway (Touch of Death #2)
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date: August 13, 2013
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

Unfortunately, Jodi has only convinced one Ophi to join her school: A hot guy named Chase who jeopardizes her relationship with Alex. Jodi loves Alex, but Chase can enhance her powers with just a touch—making her stronger than any Ophi has ever been.

Her mixed emotions send her powers surging out of control, and the dead start rising without her conscious summoning—exactly what Hades doesn't want! If she chooses Alex over Chase, she may lose the battle to Hades, leading the Ophi race to extinction. If she chooses Chase, she might be able to stop Hades for good… but lose everything else.

Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.

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Entangled Teen August 27 Release Party!

Welcome to the Entangled Teen August 27 release party! Today, we're celebrating the release of The Liberator by Victoria Scott, Relic by Renee Collins, Everlast by Andria Buchanan, Ward Against Darkness by Melanie Card, and Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Bad boy, meet bad girl.

Dante has a shiny new cuff wrapped around his ankle, and he doesn't like that mess one bit. His new accessory comes straight from Big Guy himself and marks the former demon as a liberator. Despite his gritty past and bad boy ways, Dante Walker has been granted a second chance.

When Dante is given his first mission as a liberator to save the soul of seventeen-year-old Aspen, he knows he’s got this. But Aspen reminds him of the rebellious life he used to live and is making it difficult to resist sinful temptations. Though Dante is committed to living clean for his girlfriend Charlie, this dude’s been a playboy for far too long…and old demons die hard.

With Charlie becoming the girl she was never able to be pre-makeover and Aspen showing him how delicious it feels to embrace his inner beast, Dante will have to go somewhere he never thought he’d return to in order to accomplish the impossible: save the girl he’s been assigned to, and keep the girl he loves.

B&N | Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Victoria Scott: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Relic by Renee Collins

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good.

B&N | Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Renee Collins: Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Everlast by Andria Buchanan

Allie Munroe has only ever wanted to belong, maybe even be well liked. But even though she’s nice and smart and has a couple of friends, she’s still pretty much the invisible girl at school. So when the chance to work with her friends and some of the popular kids on an English project comes up, Allie jumps at the chance to be noticed.
And her plan would have worked out just fine…if they hadn’t been sucked into a magical realm through a dusty old book of fairy tales in the middle of the library.

Now, Allie and her classmates are stuck in Nerissette, a world where karma rules and your social status is determined by what you deserve. Which makes a misfit like Allie the Crown Princess, and her archrival the scullery maid. And the only way out is for Allie to rally and lead the people of Nerissette against the evil forces that threaten their very existence.

B&N | Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Andria Buchanan: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Ward Against Darkness by Melanie Card

The last thing Ward de'Ath wants is more trouble. On the run from both the law and the criminal underworld, Ward and Celia flee Brawenal City only to stumble into the mansion of a powerful evil necromancer. And when Ward discovers the man possesses a dangerous grimoire, his duty leaves him no choice. He can't allow the necromancer to keep the grimoire. But the mansion is filled with monsters--human and undead--and Ward has no way of telling who's friend or foe. The only person he can trust is Celia who dominates more of his thoughts and feelings everyday. But there are still laws in the way of anything but friendship. She's still dead and he's still alive . . . for now.

B&N | Amazon | Indiebound | Goodreads

Melanie Card: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.
After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | Goodreads

Jennifer L. Armentrout: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Giveaway

To celebrate the new releases, Entangled is giving away a paperback copy of each book. Enter using the Rafflecopter below!

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Cover Reveal: Found in You by Laurelin Paige + Giveaway

Cover designed by Sophia Bleu

Found in You by Laurelin Paige (Fixed #2)

Expected Publication Date: October 1, 2013

Age Group/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Book Description:

Alayna Withers has only had one kind of relationship: the kind that makes her obsessive and stalker-crazy. Now that Hudson Pierce has let her into his heart, she’s determined to break down the remaining walls between them so they can build a foundation that’s based on more than just amazing sex. Except Hudson’s not the only one with secrets.

With their pasts pulling them into a web of unfounded mistrust, Alayna turns to the one person who knows Hudson the best—Celia, the woman he almost married. Hoping for insight from someone who understands all sides of the story, Alayna forms a bond with Celia that goes too far—revealing things about Hudson that could end their love for good.

This is the first relationship where Alayna hasn’t spiraled out of control. And she might lose Hudson anyway…

Check out the first book, Fixed on You!

About the Author

Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by the wonderful Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.

Website / Facebook / Goodreads / Twitter / Pinterest

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REVIEW: Inspire by Heather Buchine

Inspire by Heather Buchine
Release Date: March 31, 2013
Source: eARC via author via Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: 1.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

18-year old Paige Rice, an exquisite beauty from East Hampton, NY, has just celebrated her high school graduation and is expecting to spend her summer living it up with all her socialite friends. But her parents have a different idea – she is being hauled away-literally- to the mountains of Vermont for the entire summer- in an RV!

Assuming she will be an outcast amongst the other teens at the campground still does not prepare her for the treatment she receives, which is far worse than she imagined. She also isn’t prepared for Travis, the campground owner’s son and the “Sexiest” guy she has ever laid eyes on. Travis is the only one who shows any interest in getting to know Paige. The only problem is that they have to explore what lies between them in secret. But once all the secrets are stripped away, the truth may be crushing.

My Review

I thought Inspire by Heather Buchine had some potential in the beginning and I was looking forward to where the story was going to take me. However, I was massively disappointed by this one. It was an ok read, but I had so many issues with it that couldn’t be ignored.



Let's start with Paige. She wasn’t really all that special, to be honest. I thought she lacked some personality and backbone. She did have some appealing things about her, like how she wasn’t just a rich spoiled girl, built up her own charity to help those in need and how she was friendly even when others were being mean to her. Don’t get me wrong, these are good qualities. I didn’t not like Paige, she just wasn’t a character I cared for and that was hard considering she narrated the entire book.

The second problem I had with this book was the romance. Or maybe I should say the insta-love. I thought it was good until feelings were happening not three days of meeting. Then they were in a relationship five days in with Paige thinking about being in love with Travis already. No, just no. It was way too fast. To add to this, their romance was so not convincing. It basically felt forced to me. I couldn’t believe they had such an easy connection to the point where they were spilling secrets on what they considered was their first date. I don’t know about Paige or Travis, but I wouldn’t be spilling personal stuff to someone I just met two-three days ago. It just didn’t seem realistic at all. 

The plot of this book was just not all I thought it would be. There was not much build-up, excitement or even tension.  Not much happened besides Paige and Travis falling in love so quickly. The drama that did happen between Paige and the other girls at the camp were more annoying than anything else. I think the other girl’s individual drama were more exciting than Paige’s drama. It just wasn’t enough to give this book the boost it needed. The romance basically overshadowed everything in this book. Paige and Travis were already in love that by the time Travis’ secret and deception came out, I wasn’t all that surprised (since I already suspected beforehand) nor did I really care that Paige was hurt in the end. I was more irritated by the fact that Paige allowed Travis to keep their relationship a secret in the first place. I was even more horrified that the whole deception thing was forgiven by Paige in such a short amount of time. I just don’t think any of Travis’ reasonings justified the lies and secrecy. 


My other problem was the writing. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t all that great either. There wasn’t a nice flow to the book. The writing was just choppy and affected the way I read. The dialogue between the characters didn’t feel natural either. Especially with Travis, his dialogue was cheesy and didn’t make him sound authentically male at all. Another thing was the excessive giggling in this book. I think every female character giggled at something that was probably not even that funny to begin with and I rolled my eyes every single time.



Overall, Inspire was just not a book I particularly enjoyed all that much. It may have had some shining moments tossed in here or there, but the problems I had drowned those out completely. 
 


*Thanks to Heather/ Xpresso Book Tours for sending a copy for review purposes 

I was no compensated for my opinion

Win an ecopy of the book here!

REVIEW: My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron

My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron (My Favorite Mistake #1)
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Source: Netgalley via publisher*
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Two secrets. One bet. Who will break first?

Taylor Caldwell can't decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate or punch him.

On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome blue-eyed bundle of charm. On the other, he's a tattooed, guitar-playing bad boy. Maybe that's why Taylor's afraid of falling in love with him, or anyone else. She doesn't want to get burned, so she needs him gone before it's too late.

Hunter himself has been burned before, but Taylor's sexy laugh and refusal to let him get away with anything make her irresistible. Determined not to be kicked out of her life without a fight, Hunter proposes a bet: if she can convince him she either truly loves or hates him, he'll leave the apartment;and leave her alone.

But when the man behind Taylor's fear of giving up her heart resurfaces, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

My Review

Please excuse my language, because My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron was fuckably amazing and I mean that in the highest praise possible. I am just absolutely smitten with Cameron’s writing, characters, and the romance she built up in this novel. I’m kicking myself for not reading this sooner and now that I have, I can honestly say that Cameron’s books will forever be on my auto-buy list for sure!



Main character and narrator of the whole book, Taylor, was not entirely likable at first because of her temper and anger issues. However, this was the best for Taylor’s character because she won me over bit by bit as I got to know her. I got to see her grow as a person scarred by a traumatic past and watched her accept and admit her feelings to where she learned to embrace her happiness rather than push it away. Taylor was expressive, feisty, and one intense person. She had snark with fire and bite that totally handled Hunter from the very beginning. What I loved most about Taylor was seeing both sides to herself. There was the strong, brash, and no damsel in distress side and then the broken, scared and vulnerable side she tried to tuck away. Also noteworthy was Taylor’s smart tongue and her ability to throw a mean ass punch!

While I thought Taylor was a great character, I have to admit that Hunter stole the show and became the heart of this book. Yes, Hunter was a douche asshat nearly 80% of the time, always making a move and hitting on Taylor, basically driving her nuts. But the other 20% of him was pure charm and sweetness that made up for everything. How could I possibly resist a guy who believed in luck, who was clean and neat with his belongings, can dance, can sing, played guitar, wrote cheesy grin worthy songs, and can cook!? Hunter didn’t care what other people thought, was confident, flirtatious and just plain ol’ fun. Any man who can bake a cake and can sing Love Story by heart has my heart. It was the little things Hunter did for Taylor that had me head over heels in love with him.



Only Chelsea M. Cameron can have me hooked by the first sentence alone. I was basically a goner and struggled with wanting and not wanting to finish the book all at once. I just enjoyed every single part of this book. I fell in love with Taylor and Hunter as they fell in love with each other. I just adored the way they tried to hide their attraction to one another by their crazy arguments and even when they were getting along just fine. They were so adorable, I was just giddy with happiness every time they were on page together. Their relationship was odd, but I was so diggin’ it. I thought Cameron balanced the darker aspects of Taylor and Hunter’s individual secrets and demons well with the witty banter and swoon worthy moments. Nothing overshadowed the other and I found myself to be really entertained, but also caught up in the emotions the characters were feeling while reading. I believe Cameron has a talent not only for storytelling but for creating characters one can truly love and invest in wholeheartedly and I felt this way in this novel with each and every character. There is just something about Chelsea’s writing that is natural, so easy and makes me feel content each and every time I close a book of hers. 


Overall verdict on My Favorite Mistake:

 
Hated it? -
 Nope.

Loved it? 
 - More than the stars.

*Thanks to Harlequin HQN for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion.

Favorite Quotes

"The first time I met Hunter Zaccadelli, I punched him in the face."

"Screw you."

"I'd like to."

"Piece of cake. Or toast, in your case. I'll stuff your toast, baby."

"Are you aware that I am in the position to grab your dick and break it off if I wanted to?"

"Very aware."

"Just wrap it before you tap it, Kid."

"You are my business. I made you my business. I want you to be my business."

"But I'm a freak. You wouldn't want me."

"I don't want anyone but you."

"I wanted to crawl inside him and hide."

"Don't worry baby. I'll protect you."

"I'm not scared."

"Liar."

"Sex goddess."

"Wuss."

"Beautiful."

"You're going to make my head gigantic."

"I'd love you even with a giant head."

Cover reveal: Love and Other Games

Love and Other Games is a collection of four sexy new adult stories centered around athletes competing in the Winter Games by Ana Blaze, Melinda Dozier, Aria Kane, and Kara Leigh Miller. It releases October 1^st from Swoon Romance in all major electronic formats.

Worth More Than Gold by Ana Blaze

Amy Pierce, the klutzy sister and manager of America’s Skating Sweetheart, is used to being invisible. But when a friend drags her to a party near the Olympic Village, Amy catches the eye of a sexy Norwegian ski jumper. It’s a magical night, but an awkward next morning has her running.

Everyone knows Erik Andresen’s best shot at an individual medal was back in 2010, before an injury pulled him from the competition. He’s there for his team, but a hot night and a remarkable final training session have him wondering if a gorgeous good-luck charm could give him another chance at the podium. With a little bit of luck, these two might have a shot at something worth more than gold.

Ana Blaze's: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Trouble With Gold by Melinda Dozier

US snowboarder and notorious prankster, Ty (Trouble) Madsen is only getting a taste of his own medicine when his Olympic teammates shackle him to a fence wearing nothing but his boxers.

Reception and protocol volunteer, Nadia Hoffman, gets up close and personal with the sexy snowboarder to rescue him, but she's not the kind of girl who lets her hormones get in her way. A professional performance could help her land her dream job at Olympics Committee Headquarters, but her new assignment supervising the rambunctious US Snowboarding Team is making that difficult.

Can she see behind the snowman in the community center bathroom and into the warm heart of the man everyone calls Trouble?

Melinda Dozer's: Website | Twitter | Facebook

The Girl Behind the Gold by Aria Kane

Greek aerial skier Lia Milonas’s parents are about to lose the family farm. Saving it means medaling and landing a huge sponsor. While her no-nonsense attitude has her well on her way to a medal, it hasn’t won her a place in fans' hearts.

“Come back with a story that will make readers cry, or don’t come back.” This is what Brandon James’ boss told him before he left New York to cover the Winter Games for Moment Magazine. With a wink and a smile, he can charm his way into any invite-only party, but that career-making story is nowhere to be found – until he meets Lia.

The two strike a deal that should get them both what they want - but neither would have guessed they’d also find what they need.

Aria Kane's: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Ice Gold by Kara Leigh Miller

Colton Campbell thrives on the fast paced, adrenaline rushed lifestyle of being an Olympic hockey player. Despite Brenna Jessup's abhorrence for the games and the athletes, she's hand-picked as the official photographer for the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. When a faux pas by Brenna almost costs Colton his career, she owes him. Too bad for her, Colton doesn't want apologies -- he wants retribution! And he knows just how to get it -- and her -- in the process.

Kara Leigh Miller's: Website | Twitter | Facebook

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REVIEW: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #2)
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Source: Netgalley via publisher
Rating: 5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

My Review

There are very few books that I know will be epic before I even start and Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas wasn’t just that, it was phenomenally epic. I can barely begin to explain how I thought and felt about this book. It just simply took my breath away. 



Can Celaena get any more badass? Well, apparently in this sequel she can! This time around, I really got to see Celaena in action. She really lives up and possibly surpasses her title as Adarlan’s Assassin. She was never just a simple girl with fighting skills, but a girl who was beautifully dangerous and deadly in every way. She was a girl who was relentless, sometimes ruthless, and daring to boot. I really got to see Celaena at her highest and at her very lowest in this book. Her ability to hone in and focus on her craft was absolutely chilling. We definitely see the old snarky, fierce Celaena, but also the good hearted and compassionate Celaena as well. Either way, I adored her. 

Between Chaol and Dorian, there was definitely more page time for Chaol. At least on the romance side of it all. It was too cute to see Chaol worry so much about Celaena. And I just loved their playfulness with each other. It was so different from their hostility in Throne of Glass and to see them now with tension and passion definitely had me swooning. While I wasn’t entirely convinced on Chaol and Celaena in the first book, Maas totally makes me understand the connection and understanding between them in this book. I am a firm Team Dorian fan for life, but Maas made me love Chaol more than I ever thought I could that I realized I wouldn’t mind if Celaena really did end up with either man. Dorian fans shouldn’t be disappointed because there was enough of him to go around in this book. His charm and sweetness that I originally fell for was still there. 

To say that I was impressed by Maas in the creation of this sequel is an understatement. I was mind blown by the creativeness, the action, and the heartbreak that Maas put into this stunning novel. I liked that each character had their own issues to deal with: Celaena and her missions, Chaol’s struggle with loyalty to the king vs. his feelings for Celaena and Dorian with his discovery about himself. Even better, they all showed growth and even more potential in the future books to come. There was definitely a lot more insight to everything that was happening with more magic I hoped for in the first novel. There was Fae, witches and creepy inhumane things lurking in the library stacks that was just fantastically awesome if you asked me. The Wyrdmarks, the king's true plans, rising rebel movements, secret passages, riddles, betrayal, death and more death were also heavily intertwined into the story to truly make this book more than entertaining. What I really loved about Crown of Midnight was the unpredictability. I never knew exactly what was going to happen next so everything seemed to put me on edge. This made the twists and turns even more shockingly surprising. And don’t even get me started on the explosive mind blowing what-the-effery-just-happened-right-now kind of ending. That revelation along with everything else Maas intricately spun into this book brought this series way up high on my favorite lists for sure! 


In a world full of treacherous people with ulterior motives, Celaena plays a dangerous game in Crown of Midnight and each calculated or spontaneous move is a risk that is both thrilling and heart stopping. Maas gives a sequel better the first novel that is so spine-tinglingly good, I’m running in circles for the book three!

*Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion

Cover Reveal: Hopeless For You by Hayden Hill

Hopeless For You by Hayden Hill

Expected Publication: September 23, 2013

Click Here to be notified when the book releases!

Book Description:

Ash Jensen, a squeaky-clean sophomore at the University of Tennessee, has a trail of baggage a mile long. She swore she'd never love again but when she finds herself interned to a yummy Canadian conservation officer that promise is tested big-time. Kade Gyllenhahl sports wild tattoos, a rebellious attitude and a fohawk to die for. He's definitely the wrong man for her and she knows it.

Kade doesn't have time for a girl like her. She's a pretentious, unreadable princess who lives her life by her parents' rules. Besides, he'll lose his job if he sleeps with Ash. Now if only he could get his mind off her.

When the two of them end up alone and isolated on a routine field trip into the woods, things get a little complicated...

About the Author
Hayden Hill is the author of HOPELESS FOR YOU, an upcoming New Adult contemporary romance.

When not writing, Hayden enjoys photography and travel. Hayden is known to have a weakness for a certain white chocolate cheesecake...

Goodreads  / Facebook / Twitter / Website

REVIEW: The Dominant by Tara Sue Me

The Dominant by Tara Sue Me (The Submissive Trilogy #2)
Publisher: NAL Trade (Penguin Group: Berkley, NAL)
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Source: Netgalley via publisher*
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Nathaniel West doesn’t lose control.

As the playboy CEO of West Industries, he governs the boardroom during the day; as a strict dominant with exacting rules, he commands the bedroom at night. He never takes on inexperienced submissives, but when Abigail King’s application comes across his desk, he breaks his own restrictions and decides to test her limits.

Abby’s combination of innocence and willingness is intoxicating, and Nathaniel is soon determined to collar her as his own. As long as she follows his orders and surrenders herself fully to him, no one will get hurt.

But when Nathaniel begins falling for Abby on a deeper level, he realizes that the trust must go both ways—and he has secrets which could bring the foundations of their entire relationship crashing down...

My Review

I’m going to start off by saying that I actually read The Dominant (along with its predecessor and sequel) when it was still a fanfiction story. While I did enjoy it as a fanfiction, I didn’t enjoy it so much as a published novel even with the similarities I originally fell in love with.

What can I say about Nathaniel? He’s a controlling, demanding, possessive, but has a touch of compassion and kindness somewhere in there. He was a Dom who loves the Dom lifestyle, but feels like something is missing. He sees that missing something in Abby. However, Nathaniel didn’t believe their worlds would ever cross until Abby’s submissive application is set in front of him. Throughout the book, Nathaniel struggles with his feelings for Abby, wanting to be her all while trying to separate his Dom tendencies. 

The romance was not entirely there since it was mostly sexual from the beginning, but it does grow into more later on. And I must say that their sexy times was way more than sexy. It was effing hot up in here, is all I’m going to say. I did like that both Nathaniel and Abby took their time to be reacquainted to one another and gave each other a chance to be more.

I’m new to BDSM type of books. I don’t know much about it, but I definitely got a more eye opening experience from this book. Possibly a more understanding view on this lifestyle. I don’t see it as something deviant or something not normal so I sympathized with Nathaniel and his confusion on wanting to be a lover or Dom or both. 


I think the problem with this book was the lack of description on the characters, especially Nathaniel and Abby. I couldn’t visualize what they were supposed to look like in my head. There was some character growth for both of them, but I believe it would have been better if The Submissive and this book were joined into one book with dual POVs. There would be more development on both sides instead of just one or the other. My main issue with this book was basically it being almost identical to the fanfiction. There was not much difference besides the changed names and a few minor scenes here and there that were tweaked. I guess I was expecting more change from fanfic to the published book. I was mostly disappointed by that front. 


*Thanks to Penguin Group: Berkley, NAL for sending a copy for review purposes

I was not compensated for my opinion

Book Blitz: Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters

Xpresso Book Tours

Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters
Publication Date: September 6th 2013
Genre: New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance

A New Adult Dark Contemporary Romance, not suitable for people sensitive to grief, slavery, and nonconsensual sex. A story about finding love in the strangest of places, a will of iron that grows from necessity, and forgiveness that may not be enough.
–

“My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”

Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?

Deleted Scene from Tears of Tess

The sparkling pool sprawled before us, flowing under quirky bridges, around islands of palm trees, with an infinity edge cascading onto the beach. The crisp teal water glistened against the dark sapphire of the sea, like a priceless gem.

Already my skin pricked with sweat and we’d only just left our room. My white bikini, embroidered with little black seahorses, made my skin look darker than its natural shade of white, and my flower crocheted sundress revealed glimpses of flesh through the needlework. Both items I’d bought at the Melbourne markets a few days ago. I wanted to look hot for Brax. I hadn’t been working out this hard at the university gym for nothing.  I was in the best shape of my life, tight and toned; I had every intention of flashing my man.

Maybe that was why my libido was sky-high?  Didn’t people say your sex drive increased when you exercised?

I peered at Brax across the table, eating his breakfast of fresh fruit and cereal. He wasn’t like a typical Aussie builder. He didn’t eat pies or junk food. He took care of himself, and his exercise came in the form of lugging bricks and timber around in the toiling Melbourne sun.

He crunched a mouthful of muesli, watching me with an amused look. “You’re spacing again, Tessie. Anything you want to tell me?”

So adorable in his lavender t-shirt and baggy white shorts, he was the poster boy of holiday chic. His hair damp from a shower and a droplet of milk trembled on his lower lip.

My stomach clenched. I unsuccessfully tried to get him in the mood this morning. Food was the only thing on his brain. But now that we’d eaten…I had a plan.

About the Author

Writer, reader, sometimes wife.

An avid devourer of sexy romance and angsty New Adult.

Nothing beats lolling in a bubble bath with her array of book boyfriends.

Her two titles: Tears of Tess and Broken Chance are coming soon.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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