Review: Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez

SYNOPSIS:

Sound is an abstract concept for most people. We spend our lives blocking out the static in order to focus on what we believe is important. But what if, when the clarity fades into silence, it's the obscure background noise that you would give anything to hold on to?

I've always been a fighter. With parents who barely managed to stay out of jail and two little brothers who narrowly avoided foster care, I became skilled at dodging the punches life threw at me. Growing up, I didn’t have anything I could call my own, but from the moment I met Eliza Reynolds, she was always mine. I became utterly addicted to her and the escape from reality we provided each other. Throughout the years, she had boyfriends and I had girlfriends, but there wasn't a single night that I didn’t hear her voice.

You see, meeting the love of my life at age thirteen was never part of my plan. However, neither was gradually going deaf at the age of twenty-one.

They both happened anyway.

Now, I'm on the ropes during the toughest battles of my life.
Fighting for my career.
Fighting the impending silence.
Fighting for her.

Every night, just before falling asleep, she sighs as a final conscious breath leaves her.

I think that's the sound I'll miss the most.

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone.

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

I first became a fan of this author with her Wrecked and Ruined series and when I saw the sign ups for this book, I jumped on the chance to read it.  The books I have read (and reviewed) were all 5 star reads.  I loved the plots, the characters, the way the story flowed off the pages.  I had no doubt that I would enjoy Fighting Silence, but I had no idea that "enjoy" would be a total understatement.

Y'all...my love for this book knows no limits.

Let me put it to you this way...after I finished reading Fighting Silence, I proposed to Aly Martinez.  

She said yes.  And I have the tweets to prove it.

I'm not even sure where to start when it comes to Fighting Silence.   As I've said from the very beginning of my blogging days, I am an emotionally driven reader.  Aly has never let me down in that department, but what I got from Fighting Silence was so much more than I was expecting.  The vulnerability in her characters...it added a depth to this story that knocked my socks off.

Till and Eliza.  Maybe it was that their story starts when they are thirteen.  Maybe it is their "apartment".  Maybe it was the fact that they were friends first and foremost.  I don't know how to describe it, but I absolutely fell in love with them as individuals and as a couple.  They make sense, they complement each other, they just work in a way that I celebrated and cried and laughed and fist pumped and unf'd and felt all the feels for them.

I made a comment to another blogger today about how I wasn't sure how to write this review.  How to translate "puffy heart eyes and stupid grins" into coherent thoughts and reasons.  What I should have done was take live actions shots of my face as I read and posted them in chronological order because there were so many cheesy grins and flails and tears...and all of them were integral to the story.  There wasn't a single part of the story that didn't make sense.  It all worked.  It all fit together like this perfect emotional puzzle.

I cannot wait to see where she takes this series.  Till and Eliza...their story ends where it should and I'm content.  But Flint and Quarry - Till's brothers -- they have so much to give and I know Aly will do wonderful things.

I've struggled recently with this blog, not really wanting to read or write reviews and I have seriously considered riding off into the bookish sunset -- but Fighting Silence has reminded me just how much fun it is to get excited about a book and how much fun it is to talk about it.

Thank you, Aly.  I look forward to starting our life together :)
    

EXCERPT:

"That wasn't yours to take away," he exploded into the otherwise silent night. His words echoed off the surrounding buildings, each wave slicing me to the quick all over again. "That was our place. Not yours." His voice cracked right alongside my heart.

"Yeah, well, there was a lot of stuff that wasn't yours to take either." I held his gaze, desperately trying to be strong, but as his eyes grew wide, I whimpered.

His long legs strode forward, stopping only inches away from me. He was crowding me, but he still leaned in closer to my face. "There is nothing in this world that was ever more mine than you," he stated. Though it was the absolute truth, I wished with all my heart that it were a lie.

"Till," I cried, swiping the tears from my eyes.

"Why!" he shouted, causing his muscles to tense under the force. "Goddamn it! I needed that place."

Porch lights flashed on from the surrounding apartments, illuminating not only the dark but also my rage.

I shoved my hands into his chest. "What about what I needed? You left! I waited in that fucking apartment for weeks."

He didn't budge, but my bare feet slipped, sending me toward the ground. Impossibly fast, Till's hand snaked out and caught my arm. I didn't let his chivalrous gesture douse my fire. I had six months’ worth of words to say to the man I was irrevocably in love with.

"You took what you wanted. Then you left me."

"Doodle," he whispered.

I had been perilously close to the edge of insanity, and with one single word, he’d pushed me over.

I lost it completely.

Pounding my fists against his chest, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "It's Eliza! My name is fucking Eliza! Not Doodle!" I spun to march away, but Till's arms folded around me, lifting me off my feet to restrain me.

I was miniscule compared to him. There was no use in fighting, but I still kicked my legs, irrationally desperate to get away from him—but only because I knew I couldn't keep him for forever.

"Stop it!" he growled into my ear. "I know your Goddamn name—probably better than I know my own."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.  
After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

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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
Website l Goodreads l Twitter
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YouTube l Pinterest
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.

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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.
 

Review: Love Me to Death by Marissa Clarke

Medical research scientist Elena Arcos has always lived her life under the radar, which is not easy to do when you live with the craziest woman in the world. But eccentric Aunt Uza is a picnic compared to the other people who enter her orderly life after she is shot in a convenience store robbery.

Elena finds herself rocketed from comfortable predictability to supernatural insanity courtesy of her own private angel of death who happens to have the sexiest accent on earth and a body to match. Her death angel is convinced she’s some kind of freaky half vampire thing and that her deceased dad was the real deal: a blood sucking monster.

Yeah, right. She’ll play along, but then she doesn’t have much choice seeing how as the guy claims to be some immortal law enforcer and has taken her prisoner.

* * *

Nikolai Itzov had expected to fight the urge to torture the progeny of his father’s murderer, but he’d never anticipated battling the urge to kiss her her.

As a Slayer, an elite law enforcer descended from Azrael himself, his charge from the Underveil General is clear: Kill her or die. He has been told she is one of them--an Undead. Nothing but a parasite to be destroyed. But he has been told wrong.

Nikolai and Elena find themselves in a life and death battle to stop a plot designed to lift the Underveil and enslave humans.

With her analytical mind and his centuries of training and experience, they might be able to foil the plot with their lives and maybe their hearts intact. But in order to succeed, he must help her become the very thing he hates the most: an Undead.
 

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

I used to read PNR's like they were air I needed to breathe.  For every title I started, I had at least four waiting for me to finish.  Have you seen the book igloo on Pinterest...yeah, I could probably build it with the books I've accumulated.

And then, just like that, I dropped the genre completely.  Because sometimes you just need to read something different...and then you discover all the books in your new favorite genre and the cycle starts over again.  Hence my stack of YA and NA and Fantasy books that I can use to build neighboring igloos.

There was something about this book though, that made me want to read it NOW.  Even though I wasn't looking for a PNR, I NEEDED to read it.  (And ok, yes I'll admit it...the cover wasn't hard to look at).  So when I was flying to attend a conference a couple of weeks ago, I had it all set on my Kindle ready to go -- 2 flights and a 3 hour layover in between...perfect!

Thrown headfirst into a world she didn't know existed, Elena Arcos has quite the situation on her hands.  Vampires, hunters, elves, shifters, new powers...welcome to life underneath the veil.  Oh, and Nikolai - can't forget him.  Especially once they are joined together by magic that doesn't break easily.

Oh, and there is the tiny little bit about a prophecy.  So that also complicates things a bit.


I have to confess that I was a bit confused with the story at the beginning -- granted my PNR wheels were a bit rusty, but it took me a few chapters to visualize the different worlds and beings that exist "beneath the veil".  But once I did, I was hooked.  I found the story to be funny, attention-grabbing, and...well, lets just say that all the elements that I look for in a paranormal romance book were there.

As a reader with an overwhelming number of books on my to-read list, I sometimes feel like starting a new unknown series can be a bit of a risk - especially when it is an genre that has been off my radar for a while.  No risk, no reward though, right?  While this book is primarily the story of Elena and Nikolai, the world that has been built and the other characters introduced are intriguing and I look forward to reading more in this series and more from Marissa Clarke. 


Thank you to Entangled Publishing for allowing me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

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Fall to You by Lexi Ryan - Review and Giveaway

SYNOPSIS:

Torn between two men…

When I woke up after the accident, I couldn’t remember anything from the last year—including my relationship with Max Hallowell or anything about Nate Crane. Now my memories are returning, but instead of answering my questions, they’re leaving me with more.

The man who broke my heart and wants to be my future…

Max is all I ever wanted, and now he wants to marry me. He’ll do everything he can to fill my life with love, family, and security. I need those things now more than ever. But can I trust him?

The man who stole my heart and wants to let me go…

Nate never made me promises, and I never asked him to. I’d been on the rebound, looking for a distraction, and he made me feel beautiful and wanted when I needed to feel those things most. He says he has to let me go, but what if I can’t let go of him?

With every revelation and every passing day, I feel more like Alice down the rabbit hole. I’m falling. Who will catch me?

Fall to You is the second book in the Here and Now series. It is not a stand-alone and is intended to be read following Lost in Me. Hanna’s story concludes in book three, All for This.

MY THOUGHTS:

4.5 out of 5 stars

(You can read my review of Lost in You, the first book in the Here and Now series, here.)

My love for Lexi Ryan and this series continues with this book.  Seriously.

If you read my review for Lost in You, the first book in the Here and Now series, you know I was all kinds of

  for the next book.  I wanted it bad.

So when I saw the sign ups for the tour for this book and when I got my ARC, it was all kinds of awesome.

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more.

Continuing with chapters that alternate not only between the past and the present, we also get POVs from Hanna, Nate and Max.  While that may seem like a lot of jumping around, it makes perfect sense in the book.  The relationship between these characters is complicated and you definitely need these different perspectives to see how they all fit together.

Especially since the different perspectives make you realize that maybe what you think you know isn't really as black and white as you think it may be.

I say this because I found myself feeling things I did NOT expect to feel.

I found myself thinking that maybe I had misjudged characters from the first book, that maybe I wasn't seeing them clearly through my Nate-inspired-swoons.  And dear LORD, there are swoons.  And blushes.  And even a little

 

Then something happened that really knocked me for a loop.  And while I hoped hoped HOPED that I knew how things would eventually turn out, I wasn't sure and didn't want to get my hopes up even though they were already.  (And no, I'm not going to tell you, so don't even ask.)

BUT, I like to believe that everything happens for a reason and during this part of the book, Hanna is allowed a chance to take control of her life.  All the confusion, all the conflicting emotions, all the (misplaced) loyalties...she finally gets the chance to start figuring out what SHE wants.

And as much as I didn't think I'd ever say this when I started reading this book, I was even a happy for where things were heading.  

Yeah, I said it.

But then it happened.  The ending.

 

The cliffie that I SHOULD have been expecting since it is quite obvious that Lexi Ryan likes to make me suffer.  I mean...I WANT TO KNOW NOW.

Why is it not August yet?!?!?!

And yet, in a sick sort of way, I kind of enjoy the not knowing -- not a lot, but it is almost like the week before Christmas when the anticipation starts building and you can see the presents but you can't open them.   But instead of secretly unwrapping them when nobody is looking (which I will neither confirm nor deny ever doing), I'm going to sit patiently and wait for the email to come that will let me sign up for the next tour.

I'm gonna be first on that list. 

 

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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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

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/make-it-count-megan-erickson/1118915758?ean=9780062353399&itm=1&usri=make+it+count

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Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2) by Aly Martinez - Review and Giveaway

Title: Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)
Author: Aly Martinez
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 19, 2014

SYNOPSIS:

I fell in love with Manda Baker eight years ago, and I loved her to the core of her soul. We were supposed to have that elusive happily ever after and spend a lifetime together. But that was all before she was STOLEN from me.

Her best friend, Sarah Erickson, killed her. It wasn’t intentional. It was far worse. Everyone claims it was just an accident, but I can see through the lies. Even if it’s with my dying breath, I will make her pay for what she did.

Fate hates me. It robbed me of my first love and left me to navigate through this world emotionless and numb. Then, one day, spiteful fate gave me a woman to fill my shattered soul and make me feel again. It gave me Emma Jane Erickson. Now I spend my days searching for the answers that will ruin Sarah and my nights falling in love with her sister—the one person who is bound and determined to save her.

But what happens when everything you know to be true explodes around you? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?

**Each book in this series can be read as a stand alone.**

PURCHASE LINKS:

Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N
 

MY THOUGHTS:

5 out of 5 stars

Can I just tell you how much I loved this book?  The whole Wrecked and Ruined series?  I mean, I am in forever debt to Celeste over at The Book Hookup for telling me about the signups for this tour because I consumed every last word.

(Due to a scheduling conflict, I am posting this review before I post my review of  the first book in the series, Changing Course, and it may SLIGHTLY be messing with my bookish-OCD tendencies.  I keep telling myself that this is a good opportunity for me to grow as a blogger.)

Stolen Course picks up shortly after Changing Course ends.  Leaving Brett and Jesse's story behind, it is now time to learn more about Caleb and Emma.**

Right from the start, from the very first interaction, their relationship seemed doomed.  Emma's sister is responsible for Caleb's fiancee's death...I mean, not exactly a simple issue to overcome.  In fact, the more I think about it, their situation is probably one of the toughest scenarios I have read in all my romantical perusings.

But as we all know, emotions and attraction aren't always in sync and from the moment Caleb sees Emma in the hospital, he can't get her out of his mind and it frustrates him.  They can not happen.  Can. Not.  Nope.

Until he decides that maybe he just needs to act on it, make her one of his passing encounters, since those are the only type of relationships he has managed to have since the accident.  Since Manda.  Surely that will be enough.

Yeah, right.

There are so many unanswered questions that come into play and need to be addressed, not to mention the issues of forgiveness, letting go, guilt, family responsibility, healing...all the things that make Stolen Course so much more than a simple romance book. 

Y'all...Caleb and Emma's story blew me away.  Up and down and over and under and around and up and down again.  Knowing what I know from the first book, I had no idea where Aly Martinez was going to take this book.  I mean, the visceral thoughts I had about Emma's sister...I haven't loathed a character like that in a ridiculously long time...and while admittedly unfair, I had some serious preconceived notions about Emma.

And some serious flutters about Caleb.  

The good thing about books though, is that they tell a story.  And that maybe just when we think we know everything there is to know about a situation, we realize that we don't.  Because, yeah...because.  #nospoilers 

I absolutely loved Caleb and Emma together.  And while they definitely had their ups and downs, and while Caleb, in true form, had moments where he was a bit of an ass, their chemistry was undeniable.  They made total sense and their personalities absolutely worked together.  When the book ended, I was sad to let them go.  Yay for strong characters!

So, here is what needs to happen.  You need to go and read this book, this series and then we can talk about Brett and Caleb all the bookish things.  Yeah.  That.  I need something to do while I wait for the next book in the Wrecked and Ruined series -- is it September yet?!?!?


**One thing I do feel like I need to mention is while this book can technically be read as a stand alone, I HIGHLY recommend reading Changing Course first.  Not because the plot depends on the first book, but simply because it will allow you to have a deeper understanding of the dynamic and connection between characters.   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in Chicago, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side. After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.
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Review: Mended by Kim Karr

 

SYNOPSIS:

MUSIC HAS THE POWER TO HEAL ALL…BUT NOT ALL BROKEN HEARTS CAN BE MENDED.

Always in control, Xander Wilde considered life on the road to be a perfect fit for him. But when disaster strikes on the Wilde Ones’ latest tour, fate intervenes…and a newly single Ivy Taylor, the only girl he has ever loved, steps back into his life.

After moving past her painful breakup with Xander years ago, Ivy was poised to become the next big name in pop music…when suddenly she withdrew from the limelight—the same day she announced her engagement to her controlling agent, Damon Wolf.

Xander knows he should keep his distance. But once they’re on the road, he can’t resist pursuing her for a second chance. Yet a jealous Damon can’t let her go—and he’s keeping dangerous secrets that could destroy them all.

When the three of them come together, everything falls apart. But if Xander and Ivy can hold tight to the bond that connects them, they just might have a chance at reclaiming the powerful love they thought they had lost forever.

MY THOUGHTS:

4 out of 5 stars

I have discovered another series to add to my guilty-pleasure summer reading list.  Yippee!!!

Mended is the third book in the Connections series and tells the story of Xander and Ivy.  I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed when I learned of the change because I felt such an emotional pull towards River and Dahlia in the first two books, that I wasn't sure I'd be able to...ahem...connect...with a change in cast.  Connect...Connected series...see what I did there?!?!  (Sorry...it is really early and I haven't finished my coffee yet).  Plus, the little bit I learned about Xander in the first two books didn't really excite me and well, I'm a bit stubborn.  BUT, I started reading and realized that maybe I need to be a bit more open-minded because sometimes change is good.

I've made no secret of my love of second chance romances and that is what we get in Mended.  Together in high school and torn apart by secrets and circumstances beyond their control, Xander and Ivy's paths cross again when they least expect it.  He is reeling from the news that the band has lost their lead singer for an undetermined amount of time if not forever, and she is engaged to a man that she doesn't love.

And the best part?!?!  Even after years of being apart and living different lives, neither one of them has been able to forget the other.

 
Now don't get me wrong, seeing each other again did not result in them frolicking around in the woods like that god awful scene in New Moon.  It opened old wounds and bad memories.  It piled on the guilt and exposed deceit that had long since been buried.  Basically, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and puppies.  Ivy was bitter and rightfully so.  Xander did what he thought he needed to do and now is faced with those decisions coming full circle all the while holding hands with ghosts from his past.  I mean, how good does this book sound?!?!

Now this is where the beauty of second chances comes in.  People grow up.  They mature, they change, they realize that the impulses that make sense at 17 and 18 seem ridiculous in hindsight.  They learn to communicate and tell the truth...well, most of the time.  And as the tangled webs and knots woven all those years ago start to unravel, Xander and Ivy begin to find their way back towards each other and towards the truth.

Mended has everything.  Love, romance, lies, manipulation, chemistry, tears, frustration, secrets, thrills, flutters, happiness, a slow burn,...everything that I look for in a good romance.  Xander grew as a character and I enjoyed reading his story.  I look forward to continuing with the series and reading more by Kim Karr.   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim Karr is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance, including her sexy New Adult romance series, Connections.  She describes herself as wearing a lot of hats–writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all-around go-to person of the family.  However, she always finds the time to read.  She believes in soul mates, kindred spirits, true friends and Happily-Ever-Afters, and loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.  Kim lives in Florida with her husband and four kids.

Lost in Me by Lexi Ryan - Review and Giveaway

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

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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