BLOG TOUR REVIEW - Team Lucas (Saints Team #1) by Ally Adams

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release: July 1, 2015

Publisher: Atlas Books

Available on Amazon

“I want to stay forever... I want to have you for as long as I can have you Lucas, even if that is a week or a year or a decade.”

Mia Carter never thought getting suspended from her part-time job for having attitude could be the best thing to ever happen ... maybe.

When Lucas Ainswright—one of the world’s biggest sporting stars—needs a minder, it just so happens that attitude is just what is needed to keep Lucas in line.

Now Mia’s job is to manage the sporting world’s bad boy and keep him at the top of his game for the season. Game on!

Next in the series: Team Tomás

About the Author

Ally Adams is a journalist who lives in coastal Victoria, Australia with her husband and furry friends. She is a literature major, romance reader and writer.

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This started out with plenty of potential, and the first few chapters of interactions between 

Mia and Lucas were actually pretty funny. But after a few more chapters, Lucas' behavior 

began to grate on my nerves. I can understand how his childhood really, really messed him up, but that in no way excuses his treatment towards Mia. There is a particular incident that occurs somewhere around mid-book that involves a flying projectile (if you've read the book,you know what I'm talking about) that had me almost ready to not finish the story, I was that disgusted. Although yay for Mia for wanting to get out; but I was taken aback again when 

Lucas' friend begged her to stay. WTF? They're all lucky she didn't sue. 

I know, I know, it's fiction. But argh, so damn frustrating!

Lucas' behavior did seem to calm down after the flying projectile incident, although he still 

had moments where you feel like throttling him, but at least Mia gave it right back to him anddidn't cower and be intimidated by him. I would have liked to see some type of resolution 

with Lucas and his parents.

Unfortunately, a big issue for me is the dialog. I know the author is Australian, and that 

Lucas is British, but with the story taking place in Cali, the author had Mia (who's American BTW), using either British or Australian terminology. One other issue is the whole X-chromosome/Y-chromosome for Mia. Mia claims to not be a girly-girl, but yet when she does something feminine, the author keeps stating that Mia does have some Y-chromosome. Pretty 

sure the Y-chromosome doesn't make you girly.

Overall, it's still an enjoyable story, and I'm actually looking forward to the next story in the series about Mia's BFF Alice and her potential love interest Pez.

ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW - Playing with Fire by Lexi Ryan

Adult Contemporary Romance

Release: July 7, 2015

Goodreads

Dr. Phoenix Reid isn't who she seems...

Everyone knows a phoenix rises from the ashes. What they don't talk about are the people she drags with her into the fire.

I thought one hot night with Max Hallowell was harmless. I never expected it would force me to face my past or bring back the man who swore he'd never let me go. Now Max wants to help me. Wants to save me. But if I let him, he'll be destroyed. I can already smell the flames. 

A woman with a secret past. A man determined to protect her. A dangerous passion that could cost them both everything.

Playing with Fire is the first in a new series of standalone novels featuring the New Hope characters Lexi Ryan fans have come to love. While you wait for Nix and Max's story, explore Love Unbound, the collection of books set in Lexi's New Hope world.

*Note: Each series can be read on its own, but for the chronology purists, the reading order is below.

Love Unbound: Splintered Hearts

Unbreak Me (Maggie’s story)

Stolen Wishes: A Wish I May Prequel Novella (Will and Cally’s prequel)

Wish I May (Will and Cally’s novel)

Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Splintered Hearts: The New Hope Trilogy

Love Unbound: Here and Now

Lost in Me (Hanna’s story begins)

Fall to You (Hanna’s story continues)

All for This (Hanna’s story concludes)

Or read them together in the omnibus edition, Here and Now: The Complete Series

Love Unbound: Reckless and Real

Something Wild (Liz and Sam’s story begins)

Something Reckless (Liz and Sam’s story continues)

Something Real (Liz and Sam’s story concludes)

Love Unbound: Mended Hearts

Playing with Fire (Nix’s story, coming July 7, 2015)

This is a good story, but not one of my favorites. I'm so glad that Max is finally getting his chance for a HEA, especially after what he went through with Hanna. Unfortunately, the object of his desire has a scary past that's coming for her and Nix will do whatever it takes to keep him from the fallout. Luckily for her, Max ain't having it and is just what she needs to confront the danger head on. This one is emotional, but aren't all of the books throughout these interconnected series emotional in some kind of way? Again, while this one wasn't my favorite, I'm still looking forward to the next book in the series.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author Lexi Ryan’s novels have been described as intense, emotional, and wickedly sexy. A former college professor, she now writes full-time from her home in Indiana, where she lives with her husband, two children, and a neurotic dog. Find her on Facebook or Twitter to chat about books, TV, and her children’s latest antics.

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BLOG TOUR - What the Lightning Sees Trilogy by Louise Bay

Adult Contemporary Novella Series

Part One Release: March 31, 2015

Jake Harrison is everything that Haven Daniels hates about men: over-confident, born into money and too handsome for his own good. Haven finds it difficult to keep her opinions to herself and can’t help but tell Jake exactly what she thinks of him, again and again.

Haven Daniels is uptight, smart and a bit of a bitch – the perfect challenge for Jake. It doesn’t hurt that she’s movie star beautiful and has no idea.

Forced to work together, verbal sparring turns into sexual chemistry but men like Jake are trouble and Haven has had enough trouble to last her a lifetime.

Will Haven give into Jake’s charms? Can Jake peel off Haven’s prickly mask, revealing the woman he knows lies beneath?

Part Two: April 27, 2015

Haven had thought her first impressions of Jake had been wrong, but apparently she should have trusted her instincts. He wasn’t the man she thought he was. The chink that Jake managed to put in her armor has healed over. She’s shut down and as far as she’s concerned, it’s all business between them from now on.

Thrown together on another assignment, anger, frustration and jealousy are at the forefront of Jake’s emotions. Will Jake convince Haven that he really cares or will he let her go as she insists he must?

Part Three: May 25, 2015

Jake and Haven have finally found a way to be together. Haven realized that she is ready to trust Jake and wants to open up to him. For Jake, Haven isn’t an option, she’s not just another girl, she’s his future. He’s certain of that, or he was.

Jake has been delivered life-changing news that he is yet to share with Haven. Will he confide in Haven and if he does, is their bond strong enough to withstand the bombshell?

What the Lightning Sees Part Three is the final part in the series. 

USA Today Bestselling Author Louise Bay writes sexy, contemporary romance novels – the kind she likes to read. Her books Faithful and Hopeful are stand-alone novels although there are some overlapping characters. Bestselling The Empire State Series of novellas starts with A Week in New York. My next series is What the Lightning Sees.

Ruined by romantic mini-series of the eighties, Louise loves all things romantic. There's not enough of it in real life so she disappears into the fictional worlds in books and films.

Louise loves the rain, the West Wing, London, days when she doesn’t have to wear make-up, being on her own, being with friends, elephants and champagne.

She loves to hear from readers so get in touch!

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This was the second trilogy I've read by Ms. Bay, and I have to say that while I liked and enjoyed both trilogies, I actually liked this one more, maybe because it seemed to have more angst and turmoil. Nothing outrageous, but just enough drama to shake things up. But the flipside to that is a few questions I had over the course of the books that weren't really addressed.

The plot itself is pretty straightforward, possibly a bit predictable, but entertaining nonetheless. Haven comes across as someone who is judgmental and quick to make inaccurate assumptions. It's clear that she doesn't have that many people in her life who will have her back regardless of the situation, and it seems that she sometimes doesn't understand the finer nuances of cultivating friends, but it's not really explained why she is the way she is; and by that I mean, did something traumatic happen in her childhood (other than the deaths of her parents. I get that, but not the way she comes across as brusque and abrupt at times).

Jake is the typical, but not typical hero of the story. He's only working temporarily at the magazine to help out a friend, but his business lies out of journalism. He's a playboy, but not in a that is all about using women for just one purpose. Of course he's intrigued by Haven, simply because she seems to be clueless about how she looks and sometimes she has no filter for her thoughts.

I could understand how devastated Haven felt when she overheard Robert talking about the reason Haven got the assignment to cover the celebrity interview and how Jake didn't say anything to refute Robert's claims. I would have liked to have gotten a bit more information about Jake's sister and what really went down, and I wondered how come there wasn't any more fallout from the situation in Paris.

However, I will say I knew exactly what Jake's ex was calling about at the end of book two, and I had a feeling how it would all play out, and I was right on point. But it was still a good trilogy to read, but I'm really looking forward to reading about Ashley's story next.

 

Trilogy provided in exchange for honest review.

BLOG TOUR - Saving Me (Heat Wave Series #1) by Alannah Lynne

Adult Contemporary Romance

(Heat Wave Novel #1)

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play

“A hidden gem in contemporary romance” ~~ Café Bibliophile

In SAVING ME (Previously released as SAVIN’ ME), Erik Monteague has spent the past thirteen months trapped by the memories of his scorching-hot one-night stand with Kat Owens. When she takes over his advertising account, he’s more than happy to discuss positioning… but not the kind to increase his business… the kind that will put her back in his bed and in his life. While his perfectly executed seduction gets Kat back into his bed, their emotional connection rips open old wounds and Erik is forced to either face his tragic past, or spend the rest of his life running.

Advertising executive Kat Owens has one last chance to prove to her aging grandfather she can be a success. She can’t afford to be distracted by a charming, bad-boy client she knows from personal experience delivers high-voltage sex but nothing more. After succumbing to his advances and spending a weekend in Erik’s arms, she realizes there’s more to life than a successful career and she sets out to prove to him love can be good and lasting.

But Erik’s scars run deep and love may not be enough to save him.

Each book in the Heat Wave series stands alone and can be read out of order.

About the Author

Alannah believes there's nothing more magical than finding the other half of your soul, experiencing fiery passion, and knowing you've found happily-ever-after.

She loves going to work each day (in sweats and a T-shirt) and writing about hot heroes and feisty heroines who torment each other in the most delicious ways before finding their happy ending.

She lives in the coastal region of North Carolina with her husband, who also happens to be her best friend and biggest fan. They have two sons, a dog, and two cats.

Website | Blog | Facebook |Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

This was my first time reading this author and I really enjoyed the story. It wasn't overly angsty, which is good because I've had my fill of over-the-top angst. The chemistry between Kat and Erik is great, and I especially liked that we got some of their story through a series of flashbacks. Erik's past is tragic, and in doing what he can to prevent any further heartache for himself, some of his decisions hurt Kat instead, and for that I wanted to slap him lol. But Kat knew what she wanted and fought tooth and nail for them to succeed as a couple and finally Erik got his head aligned with his heart.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW - Shaken, Not Stirred (Last Call #5) by Sawyer Bennett

Casey Markham is a man-eater in a rut. Swearing off relation- ships may keep her heart safe, but she’s beginning to question if her casual flings will ever leave her satisfied. She’s wondering if it’s finally time to let go of the past and stop letting history control her future.

Bad boy biker, Tenn Jennings can’t get Casey off his mind. A chance encounter with the beautiful blond has left its mark, and now he’s determined to prove her wrong about everything she thought she knew about men.

It’s safe to say… Casey Markham has met her match.

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED can be read as a stand-alone.

The Last Call Series: Tenn’s Story

Release: March 17, 2015 

Publisher: Big Dog Books, LLC 

Goodreads: http://www. goodreads.com/book/ show/24308751-shaken-not- stirred

Other titles in The Last Call Series:

ON THE ROCKS
MAKE IT A DOUBLE 

SUGAR ON THE EDGE 

WITH A TWIST

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.

Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, Cold Fury Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

So Casey is the last Markham sibling who isn't looking for love, but finds it anyway, despite her stance that love isn't in any of her plans after the one time she gave her heart only to have it broken in the most humiliating way. Casey is fine living her life the way she sees fit, being with a man without all the feelings getting in the way; she's also upfront with the men she sees and lets them know that she won't catch any feelings and will walk away if they happen to fall for her outside of the bedroom activities.

Lucky for her, she meets Tenn Jennings, the man who will eventually win her heart. Tenn is by far my most favorite character from this series. He's got the whole bad boy look going for him, but in actuality he does have a soft side to him that is awesome to see. He eventually shows Casey what it's like to love with whole your being when that someone you're with loves back just as fiercely.

Let me warn you now: Tenn knows how to talk dirty. And he does it so well that I was giving my husband the side eye for not talking as dirty as a fictional character! But unlike some dirty talkers I've read where I felt the need to scrub my eyes with a brillo pad after reading their words, Tenn's dirty talk is delivered so smoothly it gets you in the feels.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

ARC REVIEW - Something Real (Reckless and Real #2) by Lexi Ryan

Reckless & Real #2

Adult Contemporary

Release: March 3, 2015

After everything blew up on Christmas, Liz walked away from me, and I let her. She said she needed space and a chance to pursue her dreams. But we both knew she was running from the mess she made. Now the political campaign she used as an excuse to leave is bringing us back together and I’m proving to her what she really needs—not just the hot nights, greedy hands, and undeniable physical chemistry. What she really needs is something real. What she really needs…is me.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Jx0yXs

B&N: http://bit.ly/1Ag7WAm

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1EgOvJ8

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1zWs6dI

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1MIw3g8

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1FaNfVX

It's been a while since I've read a full-length novel in one day, but once I got started with this story, I couldn't stop till I finished.

Lucky for us, the prologue gives us the scene that happens directly after Liz realizes the truth about River's identity (if you read Something Reckless, did you figure out who it really was before the end?)

The story picks up five months after that disastrous confrontation at the Bradshaw homestead, with both Sam and Liz unhappy beyond belief. Of course, the sh!t hits the fan in the first chapter, and that is what sets the precedent for the remainder of the story. 

Sam got on my nerves with his reactions and treatment of Liz, only to turn around and expect her to forgive him. I think he should have come clean and tell Liz the truth sooner than he did. And I really can't fault Liz, she at least had enough sense and self-respect to not end up becoming the other woman. But, sometimes you do things you wouldn't normally do when you're in love. Got to give it to Liz though, at least she followed her instincts and figured out the big secret, and managed to save the day when it counted.

I was glad to see how everything wrapped up in this story, although there are a couple of issues that were never really resolved: (1) what was the reason a key player was working both sides? (2) whatever happened with the baby?

I can't wait to read the next installment of this series, I'm sure it's going to be a good matchup.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

Reckless and Real #1

Release: December 2014

He talks dirty to me, but I don’t know his name.
He wants to tie me up, but I don’t know his face.
He turns me on, but I couldn’t point him out in a crowd.
I’ve fallen for an anonymous stranger, and tonight the anonymity ends. Tonight I want more than typed secrets and texted promises. I want something reckless. Heat. Passion. The thrill of being entirely possessed.
Because I suspect this anonymous stranger isn’t a stranger at all.

Lizzy Thompson met riverrat69 online through Something Real, a service promising to deliver meaningful relationships by forbidding its users to share names or photos until they’ve reached a certain benchmark. She was looking for love. He was researching an investment. They hit it off. Talked and flirted, hid behind screen names and cartoon avatars.
Now they’re breaking the rules and meeting in person. But Liz is prepared. She’s picked up hints and followed clues.
She’s ninety-percent convinced she’s discovered the identity of her dirty-talking online friend.
She wonders if her ex-lover Sam Bradshaw knows her identity too.
When she rolls the dice on one reckless night, her chance at something real could crumble.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1AgaZse

B&N: http://bit.ly/1D2Wxna

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1B1scI7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/18dSSZA

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1rcGtNp

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1ByJTOL

 

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 en- joyed 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.

Website: http://lexiryan.com

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

Twitter: @writerlexiryan; https://twitter.com/writerlexiryan