Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Review: Falling for the Wingman



Title: Falling for the Wingman
Series: The Kelly Brothers, #3
Author: Crista McHugh
Self Published
Release Date: February 19, 2014
Pages: 198
Buy LinksAmazon (Kindle) | Amazon (Paperback)

Blurb:

Air Force pilot Caleb Kelly has come back home with one mission in mind—to propose to the woman whose letters and lucky charm helped him survive his deployment in Afghanistan. But when he finds their apartment empty with a note saying she’s left him, he arrives at her mother’s house in rural Alabama less than a week before Kourtney is about to marry another man. Now he’s out to win her heart again and gets some unexpected assistance from her younger sister, Alex.

Alex Leadbetter has always thought Caleb was too good for her manipulative, social-climbing sister. She had assumed Kourtney’s identity to write letters to him and keep his spirits up until he returned home to the hard truth, never expecting to fall in love with him along the way. After he shows up in town, she convinces him that the best way to get Kourtney back is to make her think he’s fallen for someone new — her.

But when a fake romance becomes all too real, her deception may leave them both grounded.


Review

What a lighthearted book!

Crista McHugh is one of those authors who is so amazing, it's a wonder why she doesn't have a publisher. Her books are light, but oh-so-romantic, and this book is no exception.

I really liked the fact that Caleb would still call his older brother Adam for advice. That goes to show that he has a tight bond with his family.

I really liked this story because of the undeniable chemistry between Caleb and Alex. Alex wanted a chance, and Caleb was only too desperate to fall for her plan. I loved the way that Alex was so easy going and Caleb was finally noticing her as a woman. She lit up a room wherever she went.

Caleb was set on convincing Alex's sister Kourtney to come back to him. He was confused and he fell in love with the woman who were sending him emails while he was deployed. Talk about a romantic story.

Overall, the character development was superb, and I really enjoyed the quirks of each person in the town of Jackson Grove. If you're looking for a good read, definitely check out this book and the whole series!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Review: Dare to Resist



Title: Dare to Resist
Series: The Wedding Dare
Author: Laura Kaye
Publisher: Entangled: Brazen
Release Date: May 12, 2014
Pages: 136
Buy LinkAmazon

Blurb:

Trapped and tempted, this battle of wills rages all night long...

Kady Dresco and Colton Brooks click on a level that defies logic. There are only two problems. One, he's her older brother's irritating best friend, and two, they're bidding on the same military security services contract.

When the competition heats up, Colton is torn between wanting to strangle Kady (and her annoying brilliance) and kissing her into submission. Which is a bad idea for a million reasons, because Kady's submission is exactly what he craves. Being trapped in a tiny motel room with the object of his darkest fantasies will require every ounce of his restraint.

Kady doesn't want his restraint, but Colton knows better. She deserves love, marriage, and a white picket fence--three things Colton can't give her. But her proximity and the memory of their steamy near-miss three years ago slowly destroys his resolve. And he's not sure how much longer he can keep his hands off...or his heart closed.



Review

Explosive read!

Kady and Colton were old-time rivals competing for a contract. Kady was very good at her job; even better than Colton, in fact. However, being a woman put Kady at a disadvantage, not to mention Colton was a former military giving him an edge.

Despite their constant banter, they both had a secret yearning for each other, which made the tension quite intense. Poor Kady thought for a long time that Colton only saw her as his best friend's younger sister. 

When the steamy encounter finally started, I was in heaven. I just love the way they embodied "rough". To me, it really wasn't that rough. Not exactly BDSM material, but nonetheless, I enjoyed reading about their time together.

I also appreciated when they had the "talk" before they went any further. Colton was such a gentleman to make sure that Kady knew what she was getting into.

I would love to see where their relationship goes after that ending. I'm not sure this series will really highlight that, but I'm happy for them both :)

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Review: How to Rope a Real Man



Title: How to Rope a Real Man
Series: Catcher Creek, #3
Author: Melissa Cutler
Publisher: Zebra Books
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Pages: 352
Buy LinkAmazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle)

Blurb:

Jenna Sorentino is as independent as they come. Despite her wild past, she's grown up enough to keep quiet about the identity of her baby's daddy, go to night college--and hide her plan to escape tiny Catcher Creek. She's also stopped dreaming of happily ever after--except in the case of gorgeous, rugged, Santa Fe native Matt Roenick. Too bad the oil rights attorney acts like he barely knows she's alive...

Matt knows only too well that Jenna's alive--in fact, she's driving him crazy with desire. But Matt's got his reasons for resisting her. And when her son's father shows up, those reasons multiply. Trouble is, Jenna's secrets are more complicated than he imagined, and forgetting her isn't as easy as he'd hoped. Matt knows life can be messy as hell. For Jenna, maybe it's time he got dirty...


Review

I love all of Melissa Cutler's books!

But..

This was one kind of a drag to read...

Jenna and Matt took way too long to get together. When they finally did, the excitement wasn't quite there for me. The lies and deception probably had something to do with it. It was quite predictable and that took away the suspense of the story for me.

There were a lot of great moments, but not quite as memorable as the first two full novels of this series. Anyway, let's talk about the characters...

Jenna - what a strong woman. Whether she was nursing a broken heart or just having a bad day, her son Tommy was always at the forefront of her mind. She was a strong lioness for sure.

Matt - he wasn't the alpha male I wanted him to be. Vulnerability is great in a man, but he just didn't have quite that character that blew me away like Kellan and Vaughn did. I did like that he was very good with children. That's one characteristic I'll always like.

Jake - oh my gosh, can we stop for a minute? This guy... I didn't know what to expect from him, but then I started reading comments on the author's social media page. People were asking for him to get his own story so I got curious. Let me tell you, this guy had heart and was all around surprising. His relationship with Kellan wasn't that great, but when given the chance, he was the amazing brother and friend that he could be... I also liked that he couldn't care less what Matt thought about him and Matt's sister, Tara ;) *brain bleach!!*

Matt: "It's all good. I need time alone."
Jake: "Take it easy, okay? Maybe things will work out with you and Jenna. You never know, I'm sure whatever you did, she'll forgive you eventually."
Matt: "What makes you think I was the one at fault?"
Jake and Tara looked at him like he was a moron.
Jake: We're guys. We're always the ones screwing stuff up."

Rachel - the amount of respect I have for her was amazing. Even though she found love with Vaughn in the second book of the series, her love for her family was also first and foremost. The scene with her and Jenna joining forces to protect the little cub that was Tommy... magnificent. No one messed with the Sorentino sisters and got away with it! Woop!

Jenna: "There's something else I haven't told you. Something big."
Rachel: "Goddamn, Jenna. You always were the one to give me gray hair. You got any ice cream here? I need to indulge in some stress eating."
Jenna: "Only chocolate fudge Popsicles."
Rachel: "Good enough. You want one, too?"
Jenna: "No, thanks."
Rachel: "Let me get a head start before you drop your other news on me."


So, that's my review. If you've read it, let me know what you think in the comments! I'd love to start a discussion :)

Friday, May 2, 2014

Cover Reveal: Hard To Come By

Hey everyone! I'm so excited to be part of this cover reveal! I absolutely have the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye! This reveal is for Derek! I'm so glad each of the guys are finding their partner through the duration of the hardest mission of their life yet.

This book is due to release on November 25 and it is the third full length novel of the series. Are you ready?!


ABOUT HARD TO COME BY:


Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn’t trust.

As the team’s investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away…



Pre-Order at Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon UK | BN | iTunes

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Review: Night Child



Title: Night Child
Series: Night, #3
Author: Lisa Kessler
Publisher: Entangled: Edge
Release Date: April 28, 2014
Pages: 304
Buy LinkAmazon ($0.99)

Blurb:

A psychic gift...
Muriah La Deaux's latest job requires her to locate an ancient codex detailing a prophecy of an immortal birth. But before she can deliver it, her client is brutally murdered. Now a man with chaos in his eyes wants the codex she's hiding.

An immortal child...
Issa is one of the original Night Walkers, a proud protector of the mortal world. Now, when the survival of his entire race rests on protecting an unborn child, Issa is the only immortal strong enough to protect Muriah on a risky mission--locate the lost scrolls that will trap their foe--but his tenuous grasp on his sanity is slipping.

The ultimate sacrifice...
Muriah's headstrong spirit awakens feelings in Issa that are best left buried. But as the battle between love and chaos ensues, sacrifices must be made...


Review

From god to man, there's no transformation more fulfilling.

I enjoyed the immense power that radiated from Issa when Muriah first met him. He was the god of sacrifice and his duty was to "rip hearts out" regardless of his feelings toward the task. He was arrogant and he only knew of being a god, not of being a man. His ancient behavior was truly amusing. I enjoyed very much the way Muriah torn down his defenses and barreled her way into his "heart."

Muriah: "Lukas's spirit animal is a huge great horned owl. Do you fly, too?"
Issa: "No. My spirit is connect to the black jaguar."
Muriah: "A jaguar? You're going to show me sometime, right?"
Issa: "I do not shift to impress mortals."
Muriah: "Oh, I forgot. I'm so much lower than you." She rolled her eyes. "We're going to be partners on this trip. Try calling me Muriah."
Issa: "I also do not take orders from mortals. Get your things. We should go."
Muriah: "I don't care if you're some kind of Mayan god, that's no excuse for being a condescending ass."

Being that Issa never experienced being human, he was not knowledgeable or aware of many things. One of them was the modesty factor. The guy knew he was a god and cared not who saw his body. Whew! Hot much? I can't imagine how Muriah must have felt.

Wasn't there a saying that goes something like " love conquers all"? This book capitalized on that for sure. The nobility of Issa and his willingness to open his heart to Muriah was incredible. He seriously didn't know fear, until he met her. I was very honored to bear witness to his transformation.

"I could not bear to care for another who cared nothing for me in return. Not again. My existence is empty enough. If you were only with me because you shouldn't be... That is a risk I am not willing to take. I can continue to slake my lusts without damaging my heart. Contrary to what you saw in the alley tonight, I do have one."

As with any book, I always enjoy humor. Thankfully, this book was not lacking in that department. Even if they were few and in between, whenever I came across them, I truly enjoyed them. I even snickered a little bit when I was reading the book at work. I knew this book was good when it left me with a giddy smile on my face.

"I am many things. Stupid is not one of them. Your wrath is impressive for a mortal."

Besides the humor and the undeniable sexiness of Issa, I really did enjoy his vulnerability. There was a great mix of emotions in this book and I think the author found quite a balance.

"I don't know how to do this... No one has ever cared about me."

Finally, when this book brought tears to my eyes, I knew I was a goner. The climax of this book was amazing. The pain and anguish Issa felt traveled outside the screen of my phone into my heart. (Dramatic much?)

So, there you go. Obviously, this book is a must-read. Go and get it, it's only 99 cents! I leave you with a final quote :)

"I have never, since the dawn of mankind, been adorable."