How (Not) To Fall In Love by Lisa Brown Roberts (Review)

Title: How (Not) To Fall In Love
Series: Standalone
Author: Lisa Brown Roberts
Published: February  3, 2015 - Entangled Teen
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 352/Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Darcy Covington never had to worry about money or where her next shopping spree was coming from. Even her dog ate gourmet. Then one day, Darcy’s car is repossessed from the parking lot of her elite private school. As her father’s business hit the skids, Dad didn’t just skip town, he bailed on his family.

Fortunately, Darcy’s uncle owns a thrift shop where she can hide out from the world. There’s also Lucas, the wickedly hot fix-it guy she can’t stop crushing on, even if she’s not sure they’ll ever get out of the friend zone.

But it’s here among the colorful characters of her uncle’s world that Darcy begins to see something more in herself...if she has the courage to follow it. 

How Not To Fall In Love by Lisa Brown Roberts teeters on the edge of being New Adult, but still remains a Young Adult book.  While I don't usually dip my toes into the younger waters, I did find this book to be enjoyable.

Blind Faith by Rebecca Zanetti Print Release w/ Top Five, Excerpt and Giveaway!

Blind Faith

Rebecca Zanetti

A betrayal he couldn't forget . . .

For Nate Dean, love is a four-letter word. As part of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be ruthless soldiers with an expiration date. They were loyal only to one another . . . until Nate laid eyes on the woman who stole his heart and blew his world apart. Now, years later, his family is still paying the price for his mistake. But as time runs out, there's only one person who can save his family: the very woman Nate swore he'd never trust again.

A love she couldn't deny . . .

The moment Audrey Madison spies Nate across a crowded ballroom, she can barely breathe. He's just as undeniably sexy as she remembers, yet there's an edge to him now that's as irresistible as it is dangerous. When he asks for her help, Audrey can't refuse. But she has secrets of her own-secrets that, if Nate ever discovers them, may cost them both their lives . . .

Today's post is packed full of awesome for you!!  To celebrate the print release of Blind Faith, I asked Rebecca Zanetti who her top 5 favorite heroes were - and she had some really awesome picks!!  And if you haven't read Blind Faith yet - you need to!!  This series is so fantastic, I go rabid when each new book is released!!  Enjoy the post, and good luck on the giveaway!!

Kick by Carmen Jenner (Review & Giveaway)

Title: Kick
Series: Savage Saints MC #1
Author: Carmen Jenner
Published: January 26, 2015
Format: Ebook received for review

When I was ten, my father indoctrinated me into the family.

A brotherhood who would fight, protect, and give their lives for one another. A club whose ties ran thicker than blood, murkier than the dirt and grime that tainted my soul. Stronger than the bonds that connected me to my own family.

A band of brothers, where loyalty was kept and paid in a currency of blood.

When I was twenty-seven, I betrayed that brotherhood.

I’ve spent every day since running, avoiding paying back that debt.

My name is Daniel Johnson. I have betrayed everyone I ever loved.

And I’ll betray her too.

This is my story—if you’re screwed up enough to want to read it.

Warning: Kick contains graphic violence, profanity, drug use, and explicit sexual situations of a taboo nature. Intended for an 18+ audience only. Not intended for pussies.

I have been so ready to find a new motorcycle romance series to sink my teeth into, and I think Carmen Jenner just totally gave me that.  Ladies, Kick is very dark, raw, sexy and one hell of a hot book.

Hell's Ink by Nicole Reed (Release Day Blitz & Giveaway!)

Hell's Ink

Nicole Reed

In this Brotherhood you live or die by the three-piece patch. For Hold Dawson, Vice-President of the Hells Highwaymen Motorcycle Club, it’s not just black ink tattooed on his body, but the religion he worships, and the law that governs his life. Nothing else matters. Family by choice and not by blood. More sacred than a shared name. Bound by respect. Loyal to death. 

Unity. Respect. 
Love. Devotion. 
Forever. 

But there’s another side to this life. One the President, Hold’s own father, lives and regulates by. 

Merciless. Wrathful. 
Murderous. Dishonest. 
Lethal. 

It’s blood in and blood out and only one man gets to be king. 

Warning: This book is not suitable for children under the age of seventeen due to language, sexual content, and intense subject matter.

Happy Friday everyone!  Happy Release Day to Nicole Reed!  Today I have Hell's Ink to share with you - and I think it looks really great!  What do you think, is it going on your TBR?

Whisper by Crystal Green (Review)

Title: Whisper
Series: Aidan Falls #0.5
Author: Crystal Green
Published: January 20, 2015 - Intermix
Format: EGalley
Pages: 63/Goodreads

“Confess What You’re Hiding , Show Who You Really Are, Meet Others Just Like You..." 

That’s the promise of the social media app called TellTale, and shy new girl Carley Rios is drawn by its lure of finding friendship…and maybe even more than that. Since she dropped out of college, she’s been aimless and lost in Aidan Falls, a town where everyone seems so tight-knit.

When she comes across an anonymous, heartfelt confession on TellTale that seems to be about her, she feels a spark of hope. And when one sexy, sinful confession leads to another, she becomes swept up in a game of secret admirer. All signs point to her admirer being another newcomer in town, Micah, who’s quickly gaining a reputation as a lothario.

But Carley is about to find out that love and acceptance is sometimes only a heartbeat away—and in a place where you haven’t bothered to look until a whisper finally catches your attention…

 Whisper is the opening novella to the Aidan Falls series.  This was also my first book from author Crystal Green.  One thing I learned is that I am most definitely reading on with this series.

Thicker Than Blood by Claire C Riley & Madeline Sheehan (Review)

Title: Thicker Than Blood
Series: Standalone...ish
Authors: Claire C Riley, Madeline Sheehan
Published: January 2015
Format: ebook received for review
Pages: 366/Goodreads

A true friendship never dies. 

Leisel and Evelyn lost everything. Husbands. Families. Friends. Lives that made sense. All they had left was each other, and a friendship that could withstand anything…

Even an apocalypse.

Until one fateful night, the marginal safety they’d come to rely on comes to a vicious and brutal end. With the help of Alex & Jami, both unlikely allies, Leisel and Evelyn are able to escape their shattered sanctuary only to find themselves face-to-face with a much altered, much crueler life where they have to find the way—and the will—to stay alive in a world they no longer recognize.

Traveling across a broken and infection-ridden country; the road-weary group are pitted against endless violence, improbable circumstances, and the ultimate loss.
Everything comes at a price—especially safety, the cost of which could very well strip them of the one thing they’ve tried so hard to cling to: their humanity.

Yet along with all the trials they’re forced to endure, there’s also hope in the form of love. Having loved Leisel from afar, Alex attempts to put the pieces of her fractured heart back together.

But in such a savage world, is there room for love?

In a place of nightmares-made-reality, where the living should be feared far more than the dead, an unbreakable friendship and a love amongst all odds can mean the difference between life and death.

There are friends…

And then there are Leisel and Evelyn.

Of course you knew I wanted to read this book.  I had to.  I've read both authors before, and they are fabulous - so a collaboration had to be just as fab, right?  Right.  And the book lives up to the hype.  Unfortunately, this book took me forever to read - due to my own scheduling.  It really burned me up, because I just wanted to jump right back into this world and find out what happens next!  Thicker Than Blood did a fantastic job of keeping me captivated.

Entice by Rachel Van Dyken (Review)

Title: Entice
Series: Eagle Elite
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Published: May 2014
Format: Amazon Lend
Pages: 325 (Goodreads)

“As burns this saint, so burns my soul. I enter alive, and I will have to get out dead.”

Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandanato family. Now that he's been given a second chance to right a wrong--he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He's not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange, the girl who's innocence he stole, and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US, asks him for a favor. He actually says yes, not realizing that that one yes has the power to destroy them all. 

Mil's been in love with Chase as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, the love turned to hate, and now that he's agreed to help her, she's wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn't a teenager anymore. He's a hot blooded male, bent on owning every part of her body and soul, and willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way. 
It's time for secrets to finally be revealed...but make no mistake, it's going to take a lot of bloodshed for those truths to be discovered.

You've never read a New Adult Mafia story like this before...loyalties will be tested, lovers reunited, and friendships obliterated. Welcome to the Family. Blood in--No out. 

Holy hell.  This series is definitely amazing.  I've read three books, I'm about to start a fourth.  Next month there is a prologue reveal that I'm chomping at the bit to read, myself, so you'd better be sure to come back and check that out!

Hard To Be Good by Laura Kaye (Cover Reveal)

Hard Ink Tattoo owner Jeremy Rixey has taken on his brother’s stateside fight against the forces that nearly killed Nick and his Special Forces team a year before. Now, Jeremy’s whole world has been turned upside down—not the least of which by a brilliant, quiet blond man who tempts Jeremy to settle down for the first time ever. Recent kidnapping victim Charlie Merritt has always been better with computers than people, so when he’s drawn into the SF team’s investigation of his army colonel father’s corruption, he’s surprised to find acceptance and friendship—especially since his father never accepted who Charlie was. Even more surprising is the heated tension Charlie feels with sexy, tattooed Jeremy, Charlie’s opposite in almost every way. With tragedy and chaos all around them, temptation flashes hot, and Jeremy and Charlie can’t help but wonder why they’re trying so hard to be good…

So check it out!  Have you been keeping up with the series?  What do you think? I'm a bit behind on the series, but I am super excited for this book.  I mean, come on - Jeremy and Charlie?  Hot!!!

Branded by Laura Wright (Review)

Title: Branded
Series: Cavanaugh Brothers #1
Author: Laura Wright
Published: June 2014, Signet
Format: EGalley

In the small town of River Black, Texas, sits the Triple C—a working cattle ranch that sustains the town. But it also holds painful memories and shocking secrets for the Cavanaugh brothers...

When the Cavanaugh brothers return home for their father’s funeral, they discover unexpected evidence of the old man’s surprising double life—a son named Blue, who wants the Triple C Ranch as much as they do. The eldest son, Deacon, a wealthy businessman who couldn’t wait to leave the ranch and move on with his life, is looking to use his powerful connections to stop Blue at any cost. He never expected the ranch’s forewoman, Mackenzie Byrd, to get in his way.

Mac knows Deacon means to destroy the ranch and therefore destroy her livelihood. But as the two battle for control, their attraction builds. Now Deacon is faced with the choice of a lifetime: Take down the Triple C to feed his need for revenge, or embrace the love of the one person who has broken down every barrier to his heart.

Well, Branded by Laura Wright is a pretty good book.  I think a lot of readers will love this series, mixing a bit of cowboy, romance, and suspense.  However, for me personally, it was just good.

Tag by Shari J Ryan (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Tag

Shari J Ryan

What if your family had a big secret . . . a life changing secret. My dad, the bigwig CIA agent, was always on the run, whether he was being chased or doing the chasing. I missed him. Then my mom passed away, and my sister was murdered. I turned my solitude to strength because the alternative was too bleak.

But my luck seemed to turn: I met Tango. And while I want him more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my twenty-two years, danger lurks around every corner and I simply can’t take the chance of it finding me. But his tattoos, his smell, his darkness, and his body— that marine has taken over my every thought. But, what if he too isn’t what I think? A ticking time bomb isn’t going to leave me much time to waver. Even the bravest person can be in need of a miracle.

Before she was gone, my mom warned me to know everyone and trust no one. But what was I supposed to do when I found out I am the one not to be trusted? Turns out, I was always the bait in this conspiracy.

In author Shari J. Ryan’s gripping novel, TAG, the canyons hold secrets, the waterfalls provide safety, and romance has a pesky way of showing up when you are sweaty and dirty and least expect it.

Well Saturday is here, and if you are like me, you have to go outside in the bitter cold and clean some snow.  But before that happens, I want to bring you Tag!  We've got an excerpt and a giveaway, so I hope it makes your weekend a little bit warmer!  Let me know what you think  - is this book making it to your list??

One Night of Trouble - Elle Kennedy (Review & Giveaway)

Title: One Night of Trouble
Series: After Hours #3
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: January 2015, Entangled Brazen
Format: Ebook received for review

No More Mr. Nice Guy…

The moment AJ Walsh sees the sexy, tattooed pixie walk up to his bar, it's lust at first sight. He's always been labeled the "nice" guy―opening doors, buying flowers, and never, ever having one-night stands. But with this wicked little angel with red lips and unfathomably dark eyes? Oh, yeah. Tonight, "nice" has nothing to do with it...

Brett Conlon is trying to convince her family that she's put away her reckless wild girl side for good. Nothing―and no one―could be better for her reputation than golden boy AJ Walsh. So they make a deal: if he plays The Good Boyfriend for her family, he can be a very, very bad boy with her. Now their one naughty night is about to turn into a whole lot of trouble...

 So here I am.  My final post for this series.  I'm kind of sad to see it go!!  But AJ and Brett were great, so I'm glad it ended on a good note. I know I said Gage was my favorite - and he is.  But AJ is definitely the most interesting.

One Night of Scandal by Elle Kennedy (Review/Giveaway)

Title: One Night Of Scandal
Series: After Hours #2
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: September 2014, Entangled Brazen
Format: Ebook received for review

The wrong man never felt so right...

Ex-fighter Reed Miller has been secretly lusting over his best friend’s girl for months, but he refuses to jeopardize a friendship over a woman—especially one who doesn’t like him all that much. Now that Darcy’s on the market again, it’s even more imperative to stick to his strict hands-off policy. But the sizzling attraction between them is too powerful to ignore, and once he’s had a taste of her…all bets are off.

Darcy Grant is tired of walking the straight and narrow path. She’s on the hunt for passion, and there’s no denying Reed is just the man to give it to her. Although she has no interest in dating a bad boy, and certainly not her ex’s best friend, it’s impossible not to melt beneath Reed’s skillful touch. Now it’s just a matter of setting a few ground rules—and hoping her rule-breaking, sweet-talking bad boy agrees to follow them. But if she lets Reed into her bed, does she stand a chance of keeping him out of her heart?

Yesterday I posted my review for One Night Of Sin, so today is One Night of Scandal.  This one is Reed and Darcy's story - and it's completely terrific.  I'm telling you - you'd better read this series.  Trust me, you will enjoy these dirty talking fighters!

Mission Delivery by Jessie Lane (Promo)

*Previously published in the back of Ice, Regulators MC #1. This is a short story that should be read after both Secret Maneuvers and Stripping Her Defenses in the Ex Ops Series.*

Add it to your Goodreads

Bobby Baker is a man with new lease on life.

He is engaged to his high school sweetheart, and he is bonding with the fourteen year old son he wasn’t aware of a little less than a year ago.

But there’s more. The love of his life is pregnant with their second child. This time, he’ll be there to witness the birth of one of his children instead of missing out on it.

Or will he?
Belle unexpectedly goes into labor a month early while Bobby is coming off a mission half a world away. Will he be able to make it home in time for the birth of his second child?

Or will he miss this delivery, too?

One Night of Sin by Elle Kennedy (Review & Giveaway)

Title: One Night Of Sin
Series: After Hours #1
Author: Elle Kennedy
Published: August 2014, Entangled Brazen
Format: Ebook received for review
Pages: 162

Sometimes it’s good to be bad…

When it comes to sex, good girl Skyler Thompson always plays it safe, choosing stable and sedate over wild and thrilling. She doesn’t do one-night-stands, but one look at sinfully sexy Gage Holt and she’s willing to reconsider. He makes her want to be bad for once in her life, and she’s prepared to take what she wants.

Danger follows former MMA fighter Gage Holt like a shadow. Despite his successes as part owner of Sin, an exclusive nightclub in Boston, Gage can’t risk getting involved with a woman, especially one as sweet as Skyler. Still, he can’t resist a taste—and it’s so damn good he has to see her again. 

As addicted as he is to her, Gage knows there’s no future for him and Skyler—not with his past lurking in the dark corners of an MMA cage. But Skylar’s tougher than she looks, and she’s ready to fight for her man.

Welcome to the first of three posts I have this week reviewing the After Hours series!  I am so excited to share this book with you, the whole series really.  I absolutely loved it!  This is my first read from Elle Kennedy, and I was definitely impressed.

Elect by Rachel Van Dyken (Review)

Title: Elect
Series: Eagle Elite #2
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Published: December 2013, Forever
Format: Personal Purchase
Page: 267

Would you die for the one you love?

Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the love of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family's enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him. 

Trace Rooks has fallen irrevocably in love with the son of her family's sworn rival, and she knows in her bones nothing can tear them apart. Until Nix suddenly pushes her away and into the arms of his best friend... But Trace isn't ready to give up on a future with Nix--and if he won't fight for them, she will. 

In the end, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a life. For what better way to cover a multitude of sins than with the blood of a sinner . . .

This weekend I read Elite, which I loved.  I loved it so much that I immediately bought Elect - and it blew me away.  Elect goes above and beyond Elite, and has absolutely guaranteed I am reading this entire series as fast as possible.

Dirty Angels by Karina Halle (Promo)

Dirty Angels

Karina Halle

From the USA Today Bestselling author of Love, in English and The Artists Trilogy, comes a dark romance about a good girl and a very, very bad man. It’s a deliciously twisted take on forbidden love, set among the drug cartels of hot, steamy Mexico and is not for the faint of heart. It contains explicit sex, violence, abuse, drug use, bad language and sexy Mexicans. You have been warned…

For Luisa Chavez, a twenty-three year old former beauty queen, a better life has always been just out of her reach. Sure, she’s had men at her feet since she was a young teenager but she’s never had the one thing she’s craved – security. Having grown up in near poverty, her waitressing job in Cabo San Lucas can barely let her take care of herself, let alone her ailing parents. Every day is another unwanted advance, every day is a struggle to survive.

When Salvador Reyes, the depraved leader of a major Mexican cartel, takes an interest in her, Luisa is presented with an opportunity she can’t afford to pass up. She’ll become Salvador’s wife and exchange her freedom and body for a life of riches – riches she can bestow upon her deserving parents. But Luisa quickly finds out that even the finest wines and jewels can’t undo the ugliness in her marriage, nor the never-ending violence that threatens her every move.

Soon, Luisa is looking for an escape, a way out of the carefully controlled life she’s leading. She finally gets her wish in the worst way possible.

As it is, being the wife of Salvador makes her an ideal target for rival cartels and there’s one particular man who needs Luisa as part of his cartel’s expansion. One particular man whose quest for power has destroyed lives, slit throats and gotten him out of an American prison. One particular man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.

That man is Javier Bernal. And he wants Luisa. He wants to take her, keep her, ruin her.
Unless she ruins him first.

Some men were born to create empires, some women were meant to be queen.

**Dirty Angels is the first standalone novel in the Dirty Angels Trilogy, in which all books feature or involve different characters. The character of Javier Bernal is from The Artists Trilogy, and while reading TAT is recommended if you want additional insight into this twisted character, it is not required.**

Good morning (or afternoon for some of you!)  Hope you are all having a great Tuesday!  So, as you may have heard, Karina Halle has a new book coming out called Dirty Angels.  It's kind of related to The Artists Trilogy, so that's pretty neat in itself.  I love when characters cross-over and demand their own series!  So feel free to check it out, let me know what you think!  Are you going to jump right in?

Falling Away by Penelope Douglas (Review, Excerpt,Giveaway!)

Title: Falling Away
Series: Fall Away #3
Author: Penelope Douglas
Published: January 6, 2015 - Penguin
Format: Print ARC received for review

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.

K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away....

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.… 

Holy hell.  This book.  When Rival came out, I read that - and loved it beyond words.  I couldn't wait to read Jax's story - and I definitely was not let down at all.  Jax has every bit of passion that Madoc and Jared have.  This series is so freaking awesome - I love it. So today I have my review and an excerpt - because this book publishes tomorrow!!

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken (Review)

Title: Elite
Series: Eagle Elite #1
Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Published: April 2013
Format: Galley
Pages: 322

When I won the annual Eagle Elite College Scholarship lottery, I was thrilled. After all, my grandma had just died and I wanted to take care of my aging grandpa -- he couldn't be a farmer in Wyoming forever. And graduating from Eagle Elite meant opportunity.

But I wasn't counting on meeting Nixon.

Nor was I counting on the rules of the Elect.

1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

And worst of all? Don't discover the secret they hide, because in the end, you may just realize... it's about you.

*This is a New Adult Book, blood, violence, cursing, sexual references, and drug use. Not recommended for those under 17.*

I picked Elite up on NetGalley eons ago, it's one of those books that got lost in the shuffle.  I am so sorry that it did!  I picked it up today on a whim, not reading the blurb and going in knowing nothing at all.  As it turned out, I loved it and read the whole book today and as soon as I finish this post, I'm going to purchase book two.

Packing Double by Ruby Dixon (review)

Title: Packing Double
Series: Bedlam Butchers #2, Motorcycle Clubs
Author: Ruby Dixon
Published: October 2014
Format: Ebook received for review

When Kitty hears about the notorious ‘panty raid’ happening at a bar Friday night, she heads in looking for a good time with no strings attached. She might want to get laid, but she does not want to be part of any motorcycle club's lifestyle. She’s not good with following directions or taking orders, and she’s been told that’s what an old lady does.

But when she meets Gemini and Domino, everything changes. The dual presidents of the Bedlam Butchers, they stake their claim on Kitty and decide to show her what the club lifestyle is really about: riding free, living on the edge, and letting them show her just how good being claimed by two men can be. Kitty might like being the center of their attentions, but when her life takes a dangerous turn, she has to decide who to trust both in bed and out of it.

This novella contains boy on girl on boy, fun on and under a table, and a naughty heroine who gives as good as she gets. 

I love motorcycle romances!!  And man, Ruby Dixon can certainly write them hot and steamy!!