Review: Captive by Brighton Walsh

He’s the most dangerous man she’s ever met…and she’s falling in love with him.

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. Daughter of a prominent businessman, she has everything a girl could ask for. Except for a family who’s present in her life, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls home. Madison dreams of one day leaving her life behind. She never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends at his mercy, the more she realizes he’s not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets down her walls, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could destroy everything. 

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

The very second that I heard that Brighton Walsh had a new book coming out, I added it to my to-read list.  There was no doubt in my mind that it would be great and that I would love it and that I would be inundated with swoons and UNFs.

Then I read the synopsis and a teeeeeny tiny little bit of me got worried because I am not generally a fan of  captor/captive story lines.  Okay, so maybe I was a little more than worried.   Maybe I was a lot worried.

But then I remembered that I am a huge fan of Brighton Walsh and that I have thoroughly enjoyed every single things she has written.   And there was no way she would write something squicky.  No way.

So I told that teeny tiny worried voice in the back of my head to get over it and I jumped at the chance to get my hands on an ARC.

Yeah...I was not disappointed.

At first glance, Madison and Ghost seem like polar opposites.  She is a college student that comes from a life of privilege and he is a hired thug that dropped out of high school.  But you know what they say about judging a book by its cover -- don't.   They have more in common than either one of them ever expected.

And without giving anything away, that's when things get interesting.  

At its simplest, yes, Captive is a story where the captive and her captor develop feelings for one another.  That much is true. But once you peel back that first layer, there is soooo much more.  And not one single word of it is squicky.

Definitely give this one a shot.   You'll be glad you did.

Review: Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.

But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.

Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

 MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

I finished this book just over a week ago and thought for sure that as soon as the snow melted and my kids were back in school that I'd sit down and my thoughts on this book would flow.  Because I had all the thoughts and all the feelings and Justin and Landry thawed my frozen book heart.

Yeah...I'm staring at the screen again wishing I could just say "read this book" and you would say "okay" and then you would love it and everybody would be happy.   

It would certainly make writing reviews easier - especially in this case.  Because I have no idea where to start.

I love book boys.  Boys in books.  NA/YA/Adult...I fall for them every time.  Because they are perfect in their own fictional way -- and in this book, THERE ARE TWO OF THEM!!!!   

PLUS, it is a friends to more story which will never lead you wrong.

AND...there is a road trip.

It is like the perfect storm of my favorite things.  

All this even before emotions got involved -- and once the emotional floodgates were opened, I was a lost cause.  This book was everything I want to feel as a reader.  There was humor and snark and romance and unf and fear and loathing and dread and tears and anger and pure love and love and love and love.  I am so afraid that somebody will see this book and be turned off without giving it a chance solely because it is a M/M story -- but that isn't what this story is about.   Finding the inner strength to trust himself, getting beyond the fears, the "rules", the prejudices that have kept him from feeling whole -- THAT was the journey for Justin.

I have a twelve year old who is so worried about what others think that he is afraid to take chances.  There have been instances where I can SEE his desire to let loose and be silly, and yet he doesn't let go because he is afraid to do things "wrong".  And I'm talking about insignificant things -- diving from the blocks during swim team practice, dancing at cotillion, playing soccer.  He is so terrified of being ridiculed that he holds himself back.  Just watching him hold back on the small things makes me want to hug him and I constantly try and figure out ways to make him get past the perceived social constructs of 6th grade.   

I can't even fathom watching somebody I love struggle with the bigger things.  Just reading Justin's -- a FICTIONAL character's -- battle within himself just about broke me.  

Reading Landry's struggles with Justin's struggles -- are you following me, here -- they were almost worse.  His light dimmed with every hesitation and while I knew Justin had to get "there" on his own, I wanted to smack him and make him see what was happening around him.  

GAH...SO MANY FEELS.  

Trust the Focus isn't my first Megan Erickson read...but I think it may be my favorite.       
 

Fading Out (Living Heartwood #3) by Trisha Wolfe

SYNOPSIS:

Love means fading out so another shines brighter.

Right clothes. Right school. Right fiancé. As a Wyndemere, Arian's expected to abide by the rules. The most important: be perfect. But Arian's seemingly flawless life is far from it. An embarrassing expulsion from her parents' alma mater spirals an already unhealthy obsession out of control, exposing a dark truth.

Faced with having to attend a small private college after a stint in rehab, Arian's just ready to coast under the radar and repair some of the wreckage, but her father's looming control is like a vise choking off her air supply.

When a run-in with Braxton's beloved star quarterback, Ryder Nash, puts Arian squarely in the crosshairs of his devoted teammates, the last of her controlled, orderly world unhinges. As the pranks and paybacks escalate, Arian and Ryder's rivalry takes a passionate turn. And once Arian glimpses beneath the all-star-athlete exterior Ryder projects, she realizes he's far more than just a jock.

As their relationship intensifies, outside forces feel the threat. Outrunning their pasts doesn't mean history won't repeat itself, but Ryder can't let that happen. He's just one Championship game away from breaking the mold. Only one moment, one choice, might change everything.

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

Fading Out is the third book in the Living Heartwood series and the third book I've read by Trisha Wolfe.  I've been all in since the very beginning -- which is saying something because I'm notorious for not seeing things through to the end.

What I like so much about these books is that yes, they are a series, but no - they don't have to be read AS a series.  Make sense?  There are characters that carry over from previous books, and characters that show up in future books, but they're not an integral part of each book.  So if you want to pick up with book 3...pick up with book 3.  You'll be fine.

And I love that.   (I think a big part of it is the fact that I don't like to be told what to read so knowing the flexibility is there is a definite plus).   Not to mention that Trisha Wolfe doesn't shy away from the tough topics.  Her books are New Adult, but they aren't just fluffy lovey dovey romantical unicorns and rainbows.  There is just the right amount of darkness to balance out the romance. 

Now...on to the characters.  

I loved Arian from the start.

As the mom of a daughter, I wanted to hug her and tell her that she is beautiful.  I wanted to fix all of her issues and feed her all the things -- healthy things, but all the things. 

As a person who has struggled with self-esteem issues for most of my life, I totally got her.  Guarded with a strong sense of self-preservation with the few parts of her life she could control...I totally related.   And I admit, my first impression of Ryder was that he was going to be an ass and I didn't want to like him.

But yeah, that didn't last long.  He managed to finagle his way into my feels and I started to crush on him a little bit.  And then the two of them together...perfect.  The tension, the chemistry, the swoony moments, the tenderness, the humor...all woven together through dual points of view to tell a story that grabbed my attention from the very beginning and is a solid part of a series I recommend to anybody looking for a good read.

 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.
For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit:
http://www.trishawolfe.com/.
To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7.
Author’s Social Media Links
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Trisha’s Heartwood Pack (Facebook Group)

Review: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe

Title: The Darkest Part

Author: Trisha Wolfe 

Age:  NA

Genre: Contemporary Romance

SYNOPSIS:

Pressing the boundaries of both the psyche and the heart, Sam and Holden embark on a dangerous journey that will test the limits of love.

Sam Wintry’s life used to be almost perfect. She was engaged to her childhood best friend and high school sweetheart, Tyler Marks, planning an amazing cross-country honeymoon during her college break. But after a hit-and-run leaves her in ruin, she begins seeing Tyler’s fractured, ghostly presence, and her family believes she’s losing her mind. Not until she completes their journey, stopping along the way to scatter Tyler's remains, will Tyler be able cross over. Only...is Sam ready for him to leave her?

When the black sheep of the Marks' family, Holden Marks, returns to check on Tyler's case, Sam convinces him to give her his brother's ashes. Despite their shaky history, she needs him...plus, he owes it to Sam and his brother. What she doesn’t count on is Holden’s relentlessness to go on the trip.

On the road, Holden realizes just how unhinged Sam has become. Dealing with her psychosis forces him to confront his dark past, making it harder to keep secrets hidden that should remain buried. Especially from Sam, the only woman he’s ever loved. And as Sam starts to unravel the truth, she begins to question if the brother she's unwillingly falling for again is in an even darker place than her.

MY THOUGHTS:

4.5 out of 5 stars

I was a little nervous about this one, I have to admit.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to read it, but I was scared that I'd have issues with it.

And at first, I thought my worries were justified.  There was no way I was going to be able to get through this story.  I was totally crazy about Tyler and my heart was broken for Sam and Holden was just a selfish ass who didn't care about anybody but himself.

Yeah...not so much.

This story rocked my emotional world.

I have been craving a book that made me feel all the feels.  And there have been a few that were close, so very close - but this one was exactly what I had been needing to read.  My heart was shattered in parts, bursting in others.  What I thought I wanted at the beginning was the opposite of what I ended up needing at the end.  There were layers to these characters that you don't see in the synopsis and these layers make this story so much more than what you think you are getting.

Before The Darkest Part, I had never read anything by Trisha Wolfe.  That will change.  I've already added the other upcoming books in this series to my to-read list and I'm excited to get my hands on her previous works.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From an early age, Trisha Wolfe dreamed up fantasy worlds and characters and was accused of talking to herself. Today, she lives in South Carolina with her family and writes full time, using her fantasy worlds as an excuse to continue talking to herself.

For more information on Trisha Wolfe and her works, please visit: www.trishawolfe.co.

To be the first to hear about new releases and sale events, sign up for Trisha Wolfe's Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rXTKI7.

Website | Goodrea ds | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | YouTube |Pinterest

Review: Miles from Kara by Melissa West

SYNOPSIS:

Kara Marcus is desperate to forget the past and move on. But she can’t escape her choices—especially when she finds herself falling in love…

Since the first day she stepped into her childhood Southern Baptist church, two truths have been engrained in Kara Marcus’s head: sex before marriage is bad and murder is a sin. And that’s why Kara can never forgive herself for what she did at the age of sixteen.

Now, as second semester of freshman year comes to a close, Kara has stood by her high school boyfriend, Ethan. But as they seem to grow further and further apart every day, Kara realizes that she has feelings for someone else: Ethan’s roommate Colt.

Suddenly, Kara’s clear-cut world shifts out of focus, and she’s torn between what her head tells her is right and what her heart is desperately pushing her to do—even if it means committing another undeniable sin...

 
MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

This book was exactly what I needed.  And so was Colt.

Ahem.

I read the first book in this series, Pieces of Olivia, when it first came out and was very excited to learn that there was going to be more.  I put Miles from Kara on my to-read list and on my radar...and then life got busy like it always seems to do and well, my to-do list becomes more of a wishful-thinking list and I haven't had the chance to read as much as I'd like.

SOOOOO...when I got the ARC, I was super excited and jumped on this title like I jump on cupcakes.

For those of you that know me in real life, you know I am pretty even-keeled and introverted, so I do have to confess that in the first book, my relationship with Kara wasn't the best.  She is bubbly and outgoing and cute...so I was giving her serious side-eye reading Olivia's story.  But then I started to notice things and realize that Melissa West was doing what all good authors do -- setting up for the next book in a way that makes you interested but doesn't take away from the current book.  I suddenly found myself realizing that Kara wasn't just some flaky secondary character...the girl has her own story and I needed to know more.

And then there was Colt.

Holy Swoons, Batman!

But I digress.  Kara.  Yeah, back to Kara.

She has her demons, like we all do, and after years of trying to keep them suppressed, they were dying to come out.  Throw in a dying long term, long-distance relationship and questions about her career choices and BOOM -- perfect storm.  Especially when her internship gives her a great big giant dose of the "what could have beens."

I felt her struggles.  I found myself equally frustrated with Kara and sympathetic for her.  I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her a little bit, but then I totally understood her actions.  And when a story can do that, I know I've found a good one.

Miles from Kara was exactly the right book for me at the right time.  It takes a controversial subject and creates a story that is emotional without being judgy or preachy.  I laughed, I cringed, I wanted to comfort...the balance is real with this one.

Please do yourself an favor and check out this series.  I can't wait to read more myself.
 

Make it Right by Megan Erickson - Review and Giveaway

Title: Make it Right
Author: Megan Erickson
Series: Bowler University #2
Publication: September 9th, 2014 by William Morrow Impulse

Max Payton lives by two rules:

Size and strength win any fight, and never show weakness.

When a rash of assaults sends Bowler University for a tail spin, Max volunteers to help teach a self- defense class. One of the other instructors is the beautiful pixie-faced girl he keeps butting heads with...and who challenges everything he thought he knew.

Lea Travers avoids guys like Max - cocky jocks who assume she's fragile because of a disability caused by a childhood accident. She likes to be in control, and something about being with Max makes her feel anything but. But during the moments he lets his guard down, Lea sees a soul as broken inside as she is outside. Trusting him is a whole other problem...

When the assaults ramp up and hit close to home, Lea and Max must learn, before it’s too late, that true strength can come from vulnerability...and giving in to trust is sometimes the only way to make things right.

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

I have to admit that I was a little nervous reading Make it Right.  I absolutely loved Make it Count (my review can be found here) that I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep the two books separate and that I'd compare them when they really deserve to be reviewed based on their own merit.

Well, that and I really really didn't like Max in the first book.  In fact, I kinda pictured him as Bumper from Pitch Perfect.  So the idea of reading a book with him as the focal point (and presumably romantic lead)...yeah. 

I wasn't sure it was going to go so well for me.  

But then there was a cat and suddenly there was hope.  Maybe Bumper Max wasn't as completely irritating as I thought he was. 

And then there is Lea.  Gah...hello new girl crush.  Without knowing any better, she may look like she is this fragile little flower with scars and limitations...but that is not it at all.  The girl is a total badass.  Sure she has her weaknesses and insecurities, who doesn't...but she is more than capable of handling her shi...situation and handling Max.

The two of them work.  The work so well that maybe maybe maybe a little piece of my heart that loves Alec and Kat so much can be freely given to Max and Lea.  

That's right, I said it.  I love Max (and Lea).  I'm not afraid to admit when I am wrong.

Make it Right ended up being a super fun read for me, in spite of my initial hesitation.  Cute and sassy and entertaining, I can't recommend it enough. 

Purchase:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes | Google Play

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About Megan

Megan Erickson grew up in a family that averages 5’5” on a good day and started writing to create characters who could reach the top kitchen shelf.

She’s got a couple of tattoos, has a thing for gladiators and has been called a crazy cat lady. After working as a journalist for years, she decided she liked creating her own endings better and switched back to fiction.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. And no, she still can’t reach the stupid top shelf.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Review: Had to Be You by Juliet Chatham

SYNOPSIS:

After college, Rory Finn left behind the familiarity of her quiet, picturesque hometown to pursue a professional career in the city. With her sights firmly on the future, Rory pressed on in hopes of forgetting the past until a jarring bit of unwelcome news forces her to confront it.

Her first love, the one she'd tried so hard to forget, is about to marry someone else. That pang Rory feels isn't envy, it's not even regret. It's love. But Rory can't be that girl. She won't. But if she doesn't, she'll never know what could have been. She'll never have another chance to tell him how she feels.

As she embarks on an impulsive, desperate bid to win him back, her mission turns into an unexpected and emotional journey of rediscovery. HAD TO BE YOU explores a history of love from its tentative beginnings to what may just turn out to be its final bittersweet end, as Rory ignores her head and follows her heart.synopsis:

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

The best way to start this review is to put it all out there.  This book rocked my socks off.  Seriously.  I loved it.  LOVED IT.  LOVED IT.  LOVED IT.

It doesn't help that I am a sucker for a good "first love" story.  I mean, who doesn't love the chance to remember the way it feels, the flutters, the swoons...and for some, the heartbreak. 

The emotional reader in me gets giddy just THINKING about it and Had to Be You was everything I had hoped it would be and more.    

Rory and Matt.  Matt and Rory.  The best of friends, you rarely found one without the other.  Their relationship was a slow burn that was nurtured through years of pig-tail pulling and affectionate insults.  It happened over the years, before they even realized what was happening and when the spark ignited, resistance was futile.

True. Love. Forever.

Except for when they break up.  And get back together.  And break up.  And get back together.  And break up.  

Surely the next "back together" will happen...until it doesn't.

From the very beginning, when Rory learns about Matt's impending wedding, I found myself totally relating to pretty much every. little. thing.  The gut-punch of seeing the invitation...gah, I can still feel it and it hurts.  It hurts a lot.  And of course, the questions and what-ifs begin to fly...and the wine begins to flow...and ideas get tossed around.  Throw in some flashbacks to happier times and BAM...bring on the feels. 

The flashbacks made this book for me.  The parallels and connection to "real time" moments provided a depth to Rory and Matt's relationship that only knowing their history could do -- but in a way that didn't make me feel like I was being inundated with back story.  

This book has everything I look for.  I laughed, I cried, I fetal-rocked and found myself thinking about...well, thinking about people and places I hadn't thought about in a long time.  You know how a certain song can take you back in an instant to a very specific place or time in your life...yeah, this book did that for me more than a few times.  I wanted to wrap myself up in Rory and Matt's story and never ever let go.   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A lifelong New Englander, I divide my time between the North Shore and Cape Cod. My favorite things are beaches, boats, books, bars, the Boston Red Sox and boys, but not necessarily in that order. Consequently, you’ll probably find that these are the things I write about, too.

Author Links:
http://sunnybeachday.wordpress.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7778778.Juliet_Chatham
https://twitter.com/JulietChatham

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Gone by Anna Bloom - Review and Giveaway

SYNOPSIS:

Title: Gone
Author: Anna Bloom
Genre: Mature YA (intended for readers ages 16-19)
Publication: July 28th, 2014

Rebecca Walters harbours a dark secret, and as the fifty-three bangles she wears on her wrists as a self-imposed sentence of guilt remind her, she can’t even begin to consider moving on. Not after what happened on that night six months ago… a night which she can’t remember and yet managed to change her life forever.

When Rebecca comes across Joshua Adams, man equally haunted by past tragedies, on a moonlit beach, both of their lives are destined to change forever, and when the girl made out of the sun meets the boy made out of the moon and sea, anything can happen… but will the knowledge of their murky pasts bring them together or drive them apart?

Will Rebecca finally be able to claim her freedom? Will she stay and fight to be the girl she found on the sandy beaches of Cornwall or is she destined to keep running and hiding from a past that won’t stay Gone? One thing’s for certain: either way, nothing will ever be the same again.

Amazon                  Barnes and Noble

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MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

Gah.  This summer has been a bit different for me in that I've been on a bit of a rereading kick and have sort of put the blog on "vacation mode" to let my batteries recharge and maybe figure out a few things.  I definitely cut back on the number of book tours on my schedule.  

But this book - it has called to me from the very first time I saw it mentioned in a book blast sign up.  I love good angst and there was something about it that called to me and even though I really did intend to stay away from scheduled reviews, I knew I had to read it.

Y'all, when the book heart knows, the book heart knows.

Gone absolutely owns me right now.  I want to gush about it and quote pretty words and talk about how the angst was just the perfect amount without being over the top and how much I enjoyed the characters and how I wanted to make everything better and how Joshua is now my new book boyfriend.

Joshua.

Dreadlocked surfer painter boy with a heart and a car named Daisy.  For real.  My inner 20 year old is in love (and maybe my 39 year old self is a little bit as well).

He makes me grinny.

There was so much emotion in this story...I felt a little bit of everything, but not too much of anything if that makes sense.  The darkness felt by Rebecca and by Joshua was balanced with hope and swoons, the anger and sadness with happiness.  The angst...it was so so so good.

I'm sitting here writing my thoughts and wishing that I could just gush endlessly about Gone.  I want to reread it already.  I want to read it for the first time all over again.  I want to gather all my bookish friends and watch them read it and then talk about all our favorite parts.  As an emotional reader, I connected with this book in a way that doesn't always happen and I can't recommend this book enough.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series she also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys – all in the name of her art.

                  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads  

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Make it Count by Megan Erickson - Review and Giveaway

SYNOPSIS:

Kat Caruso wishes her brain had a return policy, or at least a complaint hot-line. The defective organ is constantly distracted, terrible at statistics, and absolutely flooded with inappropriate thoughts about her boyfriend’s gorgeous best friend, Alec…who just so happens to be her brand new math tutor. Who knew nerd was so hot?

Kat usually goes through tutors like she does boyfriends—both always seem to bail when they realize how hopeless she is. It’s safer for her heart to keep everyone at arm’s reach. But Alec is always stepping just a little too close.

Alec Stone should not be fantasizing about Kat. She’s adorable, unbelievably witty, and completely off limits. He’d never stab his best friend in the back…

But when secrets are revealed, the lines of loyalty are blurred. To make it count, Alec must learn messy human emotions can’t be solved like a trigonometry function. And Kat has to trust Alec may be the first guy to want her for who she is, and not in spite of it.

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

This book is ridiculously cute.  I'm talking "couldn't wipe the smile off my face when I finished it" level cute.  It made me happy and who doesn't love it when a book does that?

Kat is everything.  Funny, sassy, witty, and though she has her insecurities, she is determined to graduate from college and make something of her life.  She refuses to settle for working in the front office of her family's business.  Nope.

And Cam.  Holy nerdy hotness, Batman.  I fully admit I'm a sucker for a ridiculously smart boy in glasses.  But beyond the flutters, Cam believes in Kat and knows that she isn't as "stupid" as she is convinced she is.  That she is more than just a pretty face and flirty girl that she projects when she gets defensive.

Which brings me to what I loved so much about this book.  So many books in the New Adult genre focus on traumatic relationships, previous abuse, even current abuse -- and don't get me wrong, those topics are SO very important -- but Make it Count focuses on an issue that I don't see get nearly the attention it deserves.  While my issues are not the same as Kat, I remember struggling a bit with my classes in college and thinking that maybe I wasn't cut out for it -- ok, and maybe part of that was the fact that 8:00 classes were so early and it was super easy to hit the snooze button.  But when I met the man that would eventually become my husband, for whatever reason, he took it upon himself to make me realize that I wasn't as academically hopeless as I was starting to think I was.  And to this day, that still means so much to me.

Cam truly cares about Kat.  Sure there is physical attraction, and swoons, and more than a few moments where I needed to stop and fan myself, but there was also genuine care between characters.  All the characters -- primary, secondary, even Kat's ex-boyfriend managed to redeem himself after a bit.  There wasn't one single character that I felt was superfluous or a bit ridiculous.  They all seemed real and I can't wait to see where Megan Erickson takes them in this series.

So...basically what I'm saying is that I loved every single thing about Make it Count.  Thank you so much to Edelweiss and the lovely ladies at Bookslapped for allowing me a chance to read and review this fun book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Megan worked as a journalist covering real-life dramas before she decided she liked writing her own endings better and switched to fiction. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two cats. When she's not tapping away on her laptop, she's probably listening to the characters in her head who won't stop talking.

Website: meganerickson.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson

Amazon buy link: http://amzn.to/1jxeZI8

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Review: Whisper to Me (Between Breaths #3) by Christina Lee

SYNOPSIS:

A hot and consuming New Adult romance about a wayward musician and the one girl who keeps him grounded…

At college, Rachel has a reputation for being a sarcastic flirt with a thing for star athletes. No one at school knows that she’d had her heart ripped to shreds by her high school sweetheart, who’d driven them both off the side of the road on a borrowed motorcycle, and then abandoned her. No one knows the real Rachel Mattson—except one person…

Ever since he helped nurse his sister’s feisty best friend back to health, pierced bass player Kai Nakos has been head over heels in love. But the supposed bad boy can’t risk letting Rachel know the truth—especially now that the two of them are back in their hometown for the summer, together for the first time since the months following that fateful night. Never mind that Rachel’s ex is back, groveling for her forgiveness.

Shaken by her ex’s return, Rachel finds herself turning to the one guy she knows she can trust. Kai is willing to hide his feelings for her, just to have Rachel touch him again. After all, this is only a temporary fling. Until it becomes something more. But maybe it had been more all along.

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

After reading and enjoying the previous books in the Between Breaths series by Christina Lee, Whisper to Me was everything I had hoped it would be and maybe even a little bit more.

This book tells the story of Rachel and Kai.  And while I have to admit that it took me a little while to remember how Rachel fit in with the series, once I placed her, I was excited to learn more.  As the more...ahem, social...of the trio of friends (Avery and Emma being the other two), I didn't feel a strong connection with her as a character, so it almost felt like I was starting completely over from the beginning.

Not unlike Rachel.

What I really liked about this story was the fact that Rachel and Kai had a history even before the story begins.  Friends since childhood, there were no real secrets between the two, aside from their developing attraction towards the other.  In fact, there were more secrets between Rachel and Dakota (her BFF and Kai's sister) than there were between Rachel and Kai.  They just "got" each other.  They were friends before and they were so determined to remain friends that their chemistry was really the only speed bump on the path towards the next step in their relationship.

I mean, what a tough problem to have, right?  </sarcasm>  No lies, no deceit, no cheating...seems like an easy obstacle to overcome, right?

You'd think.

But is a summer romance with somebody that knows your heart and soul worth the risk of losing them forever?  

As the story progresses, I started to realize that Rachel was so much more than she seemed in the other two books.  While in the previous installments, she never seemed to have a care in the world and seemed so certain of her path in life, the truth is actually the opposite.  The only real constant in her life has been Kai and it is only when they are together that she starts to realize that she isn't being true to herself or to her friends.  He allows her to feel safe and face the reality that she has been trying so hard to change.  

As for Kai, he has always been a bit of a lost soul.  The "bad boy" that really wasn't.  The brother who lived in the shadow of an over-achieving sister.  The musically talented son that always felt that he was disappointing his parents by not wanting to run the family business.  I found myself rooting for him from the very beginning.  

Simply put, I loved these two characters together.  I loved watching them travel down the friends to more path, all the while growing as individuals.  Their solid history as true friends allows them to support the other completely without having the issues of a brand new relationship getting in the way.  To me, they are about as real as two fictional characters can get and I truly enjoyed their story. 

 

Book Trailer -- Tease by Sophie Jordan

A born flirt and good-time party girl, Emerson has never had a problem finding a willing guy. She’s always chosen her hook-ups carefully, and she’s never broken her three cardinal rules:

· Never let them see the real you.

· Never fall in love.

· Always leave them begging for more.

Then comes Shaw. A hottie from the wrong side of the tracks, he’s immune to her flirtatious banter and come-hither smile. After rescuing her from a disastrous night at a biker bar, he doesn’t even try to take her to bed-he calls her a tease and sends her home instead. Unable to resist a challenge, or forget the sexy dark-eyed bad-boy biker, she vows to bring him to his knees.

But instead of making Shaw beg, she finds herself craving him. For the first time in her life, she’s throwing out her rulebook. Suddenly, she’s the one panting for a guy she can’t control. A guy who won’t settle for anything less than the real Emerson, who forces her to do things she’s never imagined, including facing a past she thought she’d buried.

A guy who just might leave her wanting more . . .

 

Sophie Jordan is an international and New York Times bestselling author whose books include historical romances and the Firelight series. When she’s not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-television shows. She lives in Houston.
 

Lost in Me by Lexi Ryan - Review and Giveaway

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SYNOPSIS:

LOST IN ME is the first book in the Here and Now series, a spin-off of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Hope series. This sexy amnesia love triangle is intended for mature readers.

The last thing I remember is having drinks at Brady’s and trying to avoid eye-contact with my life-long crush—the gorgeous, unattainable Maximilian Hallowell. They tell me that was a year ago, but I have no memories of anything since then. What I do have is this ring on my finger that Max says he gave me, and this much-thinner body I’ve dreamed of most of my life. Aside from a case of retrograde amnesia, everything seems almost…perfect.

But the deeper I immerse myself into this new world of mine—planning a wedding to a man I don’t remember dating, attempting to run a business I don’t remember starting—the clearer it becomes that nothing is as it seems. Do I have the life I’ve always wanted or is it a facade propped up by secrets I don’t even know I have?

I need answers before I marry Max, and the only person who seems to have them is the angry, tatted, sexy-as-sin rocker Nate Crane. And Nate wants me for himself.

LOST IN ME is not a standalone novel, as the story continues in Here and Now book two, FALL TO YOU, releasing in June.

MY THOUGHTS:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Two weekends ago, my son had a Odyssey of the Mind tournament that would last all of Saturday.  I took Lost in Me with me thinking that I would have a lot of down time to sit and read between his obligations and the awards ceremony that afternoon.  I fully intended on getting a jump on my reading and maybe even write this review ahead of time.

(Please note that I am writing this the day before my scheduled posting date -- but that is purely due to my epic procrastination skills.  For real, they are epic.)

Anyway, after my son fell asleep in the hotel room on Friday night, I started reading - again, thinking that I'd just read a few chapters and then have all day the next day to finish it.  Yeah...I finished the book that night.  

Lost in Me is a story of the past and the present.  We open up as Hannah and her friends are enjoying a girls night out.  There are beverages and boys and all the ingredients for what could be a fun night.  

But that's all we know because the next chapter opens with Hannah in the hospital after having an accident.  While she knows who she is and recognizes her family and friends, she has lost the last eleven months of her life.  Gone.  Poof.  Nope.  

While losing any memory is tragic enough, there had been some pretty important changes in Hannah's life over those eleven months.   She'd lost weight, she'd opened her own business, and she was apparently engaged to Max, the man of her dreams.

So why was there another man crawling into her bed?  

And now I need to just take a moment to remember all the things about Nate Crane, because... 

Needless to say, there are questions that need to be answered.  And through flashbacks and conversations with her friends and family, Hannah starts to put things together...all the while struggling with the fear that maybe remembering will change what she thinks is her perfect life.

Now can you understand why I stayed up way past my bedtime reading until I finished?

(All that being said, it would be cruel of me to not mention the GIGANTIC CLIFFHANGER at the end of the book -- thankfully the remaining books in the series are due out this summer, so at least we won't have to wait too long)

So anyway, this story was exactly what I was looking for.  And while I was reading it, I started to remember the other book that I'd read by this author -- in a separate, yet still related series -- and I remembered how much I loved that one. Dude...Lexi Ryan knows what I like to read.  That's the only way I know how to put it.

There is something about the way she tells a story that clicks with me.  And she has solidified her spot as one of my "go-to authors".  Basically, if she writes it, I'm gonna need to read it.  

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.

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Cover Reveal: Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh

It is no small secret that Brighton Walsh is one of my very favorite people on the planet, so when I saw the opportunity to participate in the cover reveal for her upcoming New Adult release, I jumped at the chance.

I can't wait until the day I can post my review -- but until then, just look at this cover!

~*~*~*~*~

In this emotional and sexy New Adult debut from Brighton Walsh, the only thing more frightening than commitment is hope…

Aspiring chef Cade Maxwell is immediately, viscerally attracted to Winter Jacobson. But it’s not her mouthwatering curves he’s drawn to—it’s the strange emptiness in her eyes. When Cade saves her from a drunken customer with grabby hands, he’s shocked at her response…

Winter doesn’t need Cade’s help. After a lifetime of getting by on her own, she’s happy to rely on herself. She’s exactly seventy-six days away from graduating college, and if she can hold it together that long, she’ll finally be able to rise above the crappy hand she was dealt.

But now, every time she turns around, Cade is there, ready to push her, smile at her, distract her from her plans. Winter knows she can’t afford to open up—especially to a man she’s terrified to actually want.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brighton Walsh spent nearly a decade as a professional photographer before deciding to take her storytelling in a different direction and reconnect with her first love: writing. When she’s not pounding away at the keyboard, she’s probably either reading or shopping—maybe even both at once. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, and, yes, she considers forty degrees to be hoodie weather. Her home is the setting for frequent dance parties, Lego battles, and more laughter than she thought possible. Visit her online at www.brightonwalsh.com.