Cover Reveal: Slowly We Trust by Chelsea M. Cameron

Slowly We Trust by Chelsea M. Cameron (Fall and Rise #3)

Expected Publication: April 2014

Book Description:

The first time Audrey Valdez met Will Anders, she thought he wasn't her type. At all. She didn't mean to fall for him, but he made it hard not to with his goofy smile, Star Wars quotes and athletic body. He makes her laugh more than she has in years. But as much as she cares about him, there are things about Audrey that Will doesn't know, things he can't know. She tries to push him away, but he just ends up getting closer to her and her secret. Is the risk of losing him forever worth the chance a being with the only person she's ever loved?

EXCERPT: 

Will:

“No sucking face until after midnight,” Lottie said.

“You little hypocrite! You’ve been attached to Zan’s lips plenty of times tonight.” She definitely had. There were so many couples here that the kissing was almost constant.

“Hey now. This is a night about love. If somebody wants to express it, then I’m all for it,” Simon said, and Brady gazed at him adoringly. Those two were something else. I’d never seen Simon so gone on anyone, and it was a little bit of an adjustment, but Brady was cool and I was glad Simon was happy.

“Hear, hear!” Stryker said, raising his glass. Lots of toasting followed and then Lottie turned on the television so we could watch the party in New York City. The pizza finally arrived and we all ate and drank and were merry. The night would have been better with a beer, but you couldn’t have everything.

As the clock ticked closer to midnight, we got our handfuls of confetti, poppers and noisemakers ready to ring in the New Year.

I pulled Audrey close and instead of watching the glittering ball fall in New York, I watched her face.

“Three, two, one, Happy New Year!” We yelled in unison and Audrey turned toward me for the traditional kiss. I wanted to linger on her mouth, but I had something that was more important.

“I love you,” I said. “I love you.”

AUTHOR LINKS: 

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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."

REVIEW: Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron

Title: Faster We Burn (Fall and Rise #2)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Publication Date: April 20, 2013
Format: eARC*
Rating: 5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Katie Hallman is done with douchebags. Done with guys who treat her like crap and leave her broken. But then Stryker Grant is there anyway. With his numerous piercings and bleached hair, he’s the polar opposite of all of her past relationships, which makes him the perfect candidate.

At first, Katie just sees him as a physical escape from her previous rocky relationship, and Stryker doesn’t seem to mind just being a distraction from Katie’s problems. But soon he’s getting under her skin, peeling back layers she’d rather keep covered. She tries to make it clear that she doesn’t want a relationship, but keeps breaking her own rules.

Then a tragedy sends Katie into the only arms who are there to catch her, and she’ll realize that she needs him more than she ever thought possible. But is she ready to let herself trust another guy with her already-battered heart? Or will she push him away to protect herself from getting hurt again?

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

I was touched with Lottie and Zan’s love story and was introduced to all of their friends in Deeper We Fall. Among those friends were Katie and Stryker, two characters that made an imprint in my heart early on. This time around in Faster We Burn, it’s Katie and Stryker’s story. A story that is full of hope, strength and of course, love. 




Getting to know more of Katie in Faster We Burn was a lovely experience. That strong sometimes self-absorbed and happy go lucky girl I first saw was just one layer to Katie. Due to her previous abusive relationship, that spark of light I saw in Katie dwindled into a girl who became a little broken, bent, and was scared to open her heart. Katie loses herself, but slowly finds and rebuild herself with the help of her amazing friends and her most complicated non-relationship with Stryker. With him, Katie was sarcastic, stronger, fiercer, and able to open up more than ever before. What Katie goes through in this book is tough and heart breaking, but she really perseveres. The immense amount of willpower she shows was commendable. Katie made mistakes, but she really learns from them and grows as a daughter, friend, and girlfriend. 


I was infatuated with Stryker Grant the minute he showed up on page in DWF. He fascinated me and being able to be in his head and feel his emotions was exhilarating. Stryker has had a rough and hard childhood, but he has made something of himself. The man was extraordinary! He was highly intelligent, artistically and musically talented and loved to restore cars. He was comfortable with Katie’s obsession with the color pink and wasn’t embarrassed to paint her nails either. Stryker even likes to keep his kitchen in order and has a spice rack that is arranged in alphabetically. Though he looked like a bad boy with his tattoos and piercings and could sometimes be an asshole, he had a really big heart. He saw something in Zan and in Katie. He never reserved judgement and always gave them the benefit of the doubt. He stood up for what he believed in and defended anyone he cared about. He was there for Katie whether she needed him or not. When he thought he would never fall in love, he did and he fell hard and deep and not without passion. I loved Stryker, his wrongs and rights and every little flaw and perfection he had. 

The chemistry between Stryker and Katie wasn’t something I was expecting, but they totally had me smiling like a fool and feeling all the fuzzy feelings at every turn. I enjoyed their complicated undefined relationship that started out as a physical attraction and builds into something more as they spent more time together, slowly destroying the walls they had. The blooming love and realization of that love was beautiful to read. The mutual connection and understanding Stryker and Katie had was proof how meant to be they really were. 

Again, Chelsea Cameron managed to captivate me and uplift me. She created a story that was a total knock out, one that was impressionable and memorable. Cameron brought out the best and worst of these characters, putting them situations that are relatable to all. Faster We Burn was definitely heavier, darker, and a lot more emotional. There is just something about Cameron’s writing that just hits home. Her ability to create heartfelt stories with such an authentic voice takes my breath away and completely leaves me needing more and more. 


*Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours & Chelsea for sending a copy for review

REVIEW: Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron

Title: Deeper We Fall (Fall and Rise #1)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron
Published by: DRC Publishing
Publication Date: January 24, 2013
Format: ebook* 280 pages
Rating: 5/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N

Two years after her best friend was involved in a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury, Lottie Anders is ready to start her freshman year of college. Ready to move on. Ready to start forgetting the night that ripped her life apart.

Her plans come to a screeching halt when not one, but both brothers responsible for the accident end up back in her life again.

Zack is cruel, selfish and constantly rubbing what happened to her friend in Lottie's face.

Zan is different. He listens to her awkward ramblings. He loves "To Kill a Mockingbird" as much as she does, and his dark eyes are irresistible. His words are few and far between, but when he does speak, she can't help but listen.

The trouble is, Zan was the driver in the accident, and now Lottie's discovered he lied to her about what happened that night. Now she must decide if trusting him again will lead to real forgiveness, or deeper heartache.

My thoughts, feelings, and reactions

I’m going to tell you straight up that Deeper We Fall by Chelsea M. Cameron was sensational! I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started, but I assure you I was feeling all the feels while I read and after! 

Charlotte, better known as Lottie, talks too much and I loved that so hard! This girl was freaking funny and had me laughing out loud from her banter with her twin brother, Will and with her inner thoughts and reactions. The best thing about Lottie was her loyalty to her family, friends, and anyone she cared about. Her snarky attitude, the way she speaks her mind and tends to babble when she was uncomfortable was not only charming, but downright fiercely adorable. I was disappointed in Lottie being too quick to judge when it came to Zan, but I understood where her pain and hatred was coming from. I loved that even after all those years, she made an effort to be there for Lexie no matter how hard it was for her. And I really got a kick out of Lottie’s passion for books and how she would go on book buying binges when stressed out. I think the girl is after my own bookish heart! 


Imagine my surprise when I found that this book was spilt between Lottie and Zan’s points of view. I was more than thrilled to say the least. While I loved Lottie’s hilarious lines and her inability to shut her mouth, I craved the deep, dark and angst thoughts from Zan. He gave me huge mutant butterflies in my tummy and made me swoon all over the place when he announced that he loved reading, when he recited poetry, when he freaking ate Pop Tarts for breakfast and when he played the banjo and started singing. The guy was a walking, talking dream boat. My heart cracked and splintered from the all pain and guilt that he felt. He may have been more than six feet tall, known to have meaningless fucks and even did drugs back then, but I still wanted to wrap myself around him and make him all better because he was the sweetest thing to ever grace this earth. He really wanted Lottie to see he was a different person, but he never pushed and was patient all the time. I simultaneously loved and hated how Zan cleaned up after his brother’s messes and still cared despite everything Zack had done.

I love dual POVs and Cameron hit the spot with Lottie and Zan! It couldn’t have been more perfectly well written. Being able to get into both of their heads just really added to overall experience of emotions I felt throughout reading book. Cameron really dived deep into Lottie and Zan’s characters and I was amazed at their tentative physical and emotional development. The anticipation of them being together was inevitable, but still had me holding my breathe waiting for it to happen. Cameron also does an outstanding job of making the secondary characters prominent in the book. They weren’t just in the background, they were memorable and I felt the bond and closeness they all with each other. I loved how though this book centered around Lottie and Zan coming together, it was also about family, friendship, forgiveness, and redemption and Cameron continued to impress me at her ability to weave in all this in a balanced and well profound manner. Though this book had its dark aspects, it is not without wit! I was flailing and grinning more times than I can count. And all the music and literary references was just that flawless touch that made this book the whole package. 


All in all, Deeper We Fall was like tasting chocolate for the first time; luscious at the first bite, addictive when finished.

*Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours & Chelsea for sending a copy for review