Cage

Oh lambs... this is book 104 of my Goodreads challenge!!! My goal was 100, I clearly spanked it, so next year I'm going to shoot for 105. Crazy pants!

Cage - Harper Sloan

Greg Cage was born to protect. While growing up, he was his mother and sister’s shield against the world… until he failed. For the last decade, he has carried that guilt and need for vengeance around… until it was stripped from him. Now, with his best friend getting married and no longer needing his protection, he is even more lost, completely adrift, and desperate for some control. All he has ever known was how to protect: his family, his friends, and his country. Can he go against everything he has ever known, and give up that control?

Melissa Larson will never let anyone hold the reins in her life. She has been the rock in her family for more years than she can remember, and the fight to keep them together is her main priority right now. She has always been fiercely independent and proud. The last thing she will ever do is ask for someone else’s help. But when that choice is out of her control, forcing her to rely on others to save her and her family, and pick up the pieces that are left, will she be able to let someone else be her strength?

The second Greg locks eyes with Meli, he knows that she is someone he needs. Someone he craves. Meli knew the second she met Greg that he would be nothing but trouble and heartache. Her life takes an unexpected turn, and that bitch Fate is back to wreak more havoc on another member of the Corps family.

All hell breaks loose, leaving Greg no choice but to call in a favor. He hooks back up with his old friend Braxxon Breaker from the Breakneck MC. Together, they make sure that nothing threatens anyone Greg loves again.

Let's just say right out of the gate I'm giving a solid 4/5 stars. I'm itching so badly to give one of these books a full 5, and I'm going to guess that will happen when I get to Locke's book.

I really liked Greg Cage in the first book, AXEL, so I was pretty excited he was the next book, it felt like a logical step. In this one we have Cage meeting a nurse, Melissa, and it's basically love at first sight for him, but she has vowed to never let a man in. The connection between these two is that each of their sisters were caught up in the same guy and they both ended up dead. Once Cage makes that connection he thinks it would send Melissa running so he doesn't say anything right away. That catches up with him, we have drama with her sister's ex-mother in law, we have Cage's ex-girlfriend who is fifty shades of CRAZY, and then we have an introduction to some kind of career criminal, who I'm oddly hoping is a catalyst for another series. It's just a LOT going on in this book but I felt like that was more entertaining than the first book where I kept wishing something would happen. A lot happens in here. Which is easily my favorite part of the book. Also? Cage's dick piercings. Oh my. I had to Google an image and yeah... that's really something.

Things that were meh about the book? Melissa is kind of irrational. She flies off into despair over everything. Everything is a crisis worthy of being sedated to get through it. It's just really unrealistic. And Cage constantly saying the word "baby" was enough to make me scream. I felt like I should have kept count but I'm glad I didn't because that alone would make me knock it down a star. Can I just say though, that when Cage would say, "I need you to say the words" in order to get a concrete answer from Melissa, that was kind of hot. I really liked that even though I thought maybe I wouldn't, turns out I do.

So far, I'm really enjoying this series. I think I have purchased the rest of them now so I'll be working my way through them soon!

One Pink Line

You guys.. this is book 103 for the year!! How many more can I finish?? We'll have to see.

This one came in one of my Bookworm Boxes months ago and I've read another book by this author and it was pretty OK so I figured I'd probably like this one, too. And I did but for different reasons.

One Pink Line - Dina Silver

Can the love of a lifetime be forever changed by one pink line? Dina Silver's tender, absorbing novel, One Pink Line, is a warmhearted, wry story of love, loss and family, as seen through the prism of one singular, spirited young couple who find themselves in a predicament that changes the course of their lives, and those closest to them. With heart, humor and compassion, this debut work of women's fiction is certain to stir anyone who relishes a good laugh, can stand a good cry, and, above all believes in the redemptive power of love.

This unique, contemporary story gives readers a dual perspective. Sydney Shephard, a sweet-tempered, strong-natured college senior is young, in love with an exceptional man, and unexpectedly pregnant. Faced with a child she never planned for, she is forced to relay this news to her neurotic mother, relinquish her youth, and risk losing the love of her life. Then there's Grace, a daughter, who believed she was a product of this great love, grows to realize her existence is not what she assumed, and is left with profound and puzzling questions about who she really is.

Spanning generations and every imaginable emotion, One Pink Line reveals how two points of view can be dramatically at odds, and perhaps ultimately reconciled. Simultaneously deeply felt and lighthearted, One Pink Line deftly mines how the choices we make are able to alter so many lives, and how doing the right thing and living honestly can bring unexpected, hard-won happiness. It's a must-read for anyone who craves a great love story, absorbing characters, and plenty of laughs along the way.

I feel like I should mention I'm kind of at war on whether to bill this as romance, contemporary romance, or chick-lit. It's a little bit of everything and I feel like the main story isn't really Sydney and Ethan, it's Sydney and her daughter Grace. But Ethan is important too, so... it's a toss up. 

In this story we have Sydney, living up her high school years pining over a boy who doesn't know her from a hole in the wall. She meets Ethan, who clearly has been pining over her, and they quickly fall in love. Sydney is constantly surprised at Ethan's dedication, his logic, his calm personality, and even though they go to different colleges, they maintain the long distance relationship. Until Sydney gets restless once she knows Ethan is graduating and taking a job in a different city and won't be able to come home like he used to, so she decides maybe she doesn't want to be tied down. Her childish decision lands her with a one night stand with a friend, she ends up pregnant, the dad abandons her, and she makes big decisions for herself.

She goes on to have the child, her and Ethan slowly reconnect, and surprisingly- he doesn't hate her. He wants to be involved in everything but she doesn't want him to feel obligated now that she's a package deal. The story flip flops from all of these dramatic years to present day when Grace (the baby Sydney had) learns that her dad (Ethan) is not really her dad. She starts asking questions and becomes flat out hostile to her mother. I actually felt like Sydney should have set that girl straight from the word go about what a loser her sperm donor was and how she should be appreciative that Ethan loves her like she's biologically his. All of the questions get answered, and though I almost gave up on the book, I'm glad I finished it.

Overall I'm giving this one 3/5 stars because it wasn't awful but I really wanted more romance since that's the kick I'm on, and this wasn't really that. Overall the story was good but I fear college age girls would read this and get their hopes up because let's face it, 9 out of 10 boys are jerks and wouldn't stick around like Ethan and take it all in stride.

The Wildwater Walking Club

I'm almost embarrassed to admit how long this one has been on my to-be-read shelf.... since 2010ish. I know, it's embarrassing and Matt would maybe have a stroke if he knew that, but to be fair, I got it on a major sale so that makes it better in my reasoning.

Anyways.

I picked this up because it was right around the time that I was starting to really try to lose weight and if you're a long time reader of this blog you might remember my love/hate relationship with the fuckmill... the name I so lovingly gave my treadmill. It seemed only fitting that I pick it up now because I'm trying to get back into that motivational spot I was in. Trying.

The Wildwater Walking Club - Claire Cook

After losing her boyfriend and her job in one fell swoop, Noreen has no idea what her next step is. So she puts on a new pair of sneakers and a seriously outdated pair of exercise pants, and walks. Before long she's joined by two neighbors as lost as she is and figures out time flies and fitness is actually fun when you're walking with friends. Throw in a road trip to Seattle for a lavender festival, a career-coaching group that looks like a bad sequel to The Breakfast Club, some terrific romantic comedy twists and turns, a quirky multigenerational cast of supporting characters, and the result is a tribute to female friendship that will inspire you to pick up the phone and call all your old friends--or maybe even start your own walking group.

Alright, from the book description alone, this book sounds intriguing. I'm going to be upfront and wish that there was more between Noreen and her loser boyfriend, I think that would have really made the book a better read for me. I'll just toss that out upfront. The book centers primarily around Noreen, freshly unemployed and dumped, she is a gal "of a certain age" so it isn't like she's got a spring in her step (you see what I did there??), she isn't that fresh face anymore. Though her resume is spectacular, she doesn't know who she is outside of that piece of paper so she's using her 18 months of paid unemployment to do that. Her last (and only) act of rebellion is to purchase a bunch of shoes from the company who unceremoniously kicked her out and decides she may as well put them to good use. She meets two neighbors who not only offer to help her with a clothesline and lavender garden, but they go on these walks with her. All of the women are at different stages of their lives but all are at a crossroads of sorts, and that's basically all they have in common. None of the women seem to actually like each other so, from my own experience with walking groups, if you don't like the people it isn't going to last. It's really like dating, I give you one shot, that's it.

Aside from the three women not liking each other (or so it seems), I didn't like Noreen's attitude towards her mother, and I could NOT stand Tess. I know it's billed as fast an easy read, and I suppose it would be but I had a hard time picking it back up to keep continuing. Put it this way, it doesn't make me eager to find the next book (I guess it's a two book series??) or anything else by this author. It's going in my donate pile. It was.. 2/5 stars. I didn't hate it but I definitely didn't love it, it was just blah.

Also? If you're keeping tabs- this is book 102 of the year for me. Two over my goal!

A Saving Grace

I am so stinking excited that I have finished my 2017 Goodreads Challenge of 100 books, and even more awesome? This was book 101!

A Saving Grace (Free At Last #3) - Annie Stone

After a grave injury Hunter is in a bad state. He can’t see the light anymore. Mackenzie can’t accept this and sends him a reason to live. With love and determination Hunter approves, but will life ever be the same again? 

I am really torn on this book. On one hand I am so glad I got through the trilogy, and that Hunter and Mac end up together. We all know that this is what the three book buildup was for. On the other hand, they have a LOT of issues that don't get addressed in this book and honestly, I was kind of wondering if this relationship should even happen. If you are an abuse counselor or therapist you will have all kinds of alarm bells ringing with this trilogy.

Alright, this book finds us with Mac, parenting little Hazel who is now around three years old, and Hunter, off doing the war hero thing. (Oh! Let me just throw in here a little note about the time line in this book- it is bizarre. You feel like you're reading about events fairly close in time but no, it's like three years. Never mind that makes this entire weird relationship between five and seven years and you're like, get off the pot, yall.) Anyways. On his way back to America, the convoy he's in is attacked in a surprise ambush and Hunter is seriously injured. Unable to get to America in that condition, he's sent to Germany to have his multiple surgeries and recover. In Germany they notify his next of kin (his brother Casey), who has been living with Mac and Hazel all this time as friends, so he sends Mac to Germany, convinced it'll be this amazing love story ending.

Except it isn't. Hunter isn't at all the same person, war changes someone, and he's become angry and hard. Once he learns the extent of his injuries he's dangerously angry, depressed, and suicidal. Seeing Mac only amps all of those feelings and she decides she's going to win him over with a blow job! (I know, this is as ridiculous reading it as it is me talking about it.) Anyways, so that's bad so she goes back to San Diego, dejected, and still hasn't told Hunter about his damn daughter. Fast forward to him coming to Virginia for the rest of his recovery and rehab, so Casey and Mac decide to temporarily live in Virginia, determined to win him over. Hunter finds out about his daughter, has all of the feels for her, and Mac because he's angry at her but feels like a jerk for abandoning her when she clearly needed him. Reluctantly they go forward with a bizarre relationship.

I'm only giving this book 3/5 stars because while I'm glad we've got the whole happy ending thing, there are so many red flags in this book that I'm uncomfortable giving it a higher rating. So we have Mac, a childhood sexual abuse survivor, now in a highly dominant relationship with a man who readily says he's going to use her how he wants, when he wants, and an orgasm for her is a gift? Oh hell no, asshole. While giving him a blow job he pushes her head onto him to the point where she's struggling and at the end has tears in her eyes? NOPE. I think the draw for Mac to Hunter was that he was kind, and caring, a soft spot to land, but he's become harsh, unkind, domineering, and a "take it or leave it" kind of guy. I just don't see how this would work in real life.Oh well. Overall the series was a fast read and I would recommend it.

 

A Losing Battle

I just want to say that this is the 100th book I read and reviewed in 2017! This one officially closes out my Goodreads Challenge, but I'm going to give you a teaser- I surpassed it. HA! I'll review those later, but let's start with this one.

A Losing Battle (Free At Last #2) - Annie Stone

Hunter has left home to join the Marine Corps, leaving Mackenzie behind, confused and unsure about her feelings. She loves Carter, she really, really does, but could there be a spark between her and Hunter, as well?

Mackenzie does the only thing she can in the circumstances: she buries her conflicting emotions in her work. But when she sees Hunter again, she knows the time for a decision has come.

Little does she know, time is running out for the both of them.

I reviewed the first book earlier this month and I told you I was hesitant to keep reading it because it had a weird premise- Mackenzie (Mac) was dating Carter, but Carter's 17 year old son Hunter was falling in love with her. He turns 18, shares his feelings, she's torn, and he's joined the military and left her there. It's kind of odd and just felt a little wrong, but still, I was intrigued enough to keep going so I promptly ordered book two and three. 

Book two of the Free at Last series finds Hunter excelling during his time in the Marines, going through all of the training he can in the hopes of becoming one of the elite members, like top tier Marine. His motivation to get through the grueling BUD/S "hell week" was Mac- he thinks about her constantly and wants her to be proud of him and his achievements. It honestly feels like a really warped mommy issue thing since his mom is not great and out of the picture. But eventually Hunter gets a much needed break and comes back. It's hard because he cut off communication to and from Mac but also his brother Casey, so he has no idea that Mac and Carter's relationship is falling apart quickly, and he has no idea how lonely and sad Mac is without him around. His quick visit includes them having sex for the first time, it's everything amazing and more, and then Mac makes the DUMBEST CHOICE EVER, and when Carter finds the two of them? Let's just say it doesn't go well, Hunter leaves angry, and Mac is devastated. 

The book ends with Mac having a baby, Hunter's baby, but she has no idea if he knows about her because she's written letters and emails but with no response. She knows he has gone to Afghanistan to fight so she worries endlessly and places all of the guilt of a potential injury or his death on herself. She feels like she drove him to go and in a way, she did.

I am SO GLAD I had already purchased book three because I had to rip right into it as soon as I finished this! I'm giving this one a 4.5/5 stars. I'm dropping it down a notch because Mac is kind of annoying in this one and I feel like she should have and could have tried harder to get through to Hunter but what do I know?

     

Cowboy's Legacy

I've read another book in the Cahill Ranch series and I remember I liked it, so when I got the chance to review another one, I jumped for it.

Cowboy's Legacy - B.J. Daniels

After a rocky marriage and even rockier divorce, Sheriff Flint Cahill finally has something good in his life again. Maggie Thompson's down-to-earth charm and beautiful smile hooked him from the start. When she disappears on the day they plan to start their lives together, all signs point to abduction- and his ex-wife. 

Functioning on adrenaline and instinct, Flint must call on his every resource to bring Maggie home before it's too late. His past and future are blurred. Maggie's only chance at surviving her abductor and a raging winter storm depends on an old vendetta that could destroy it all. But the Cahills don't give up easily, and flint's love will have to be strong enough to conquer anything, including the unimaginable. 

I'm giving this... a solid four stars, let's just get that out of the way. If you like romantic suspense, and are a fan of Karen Robards, Linda Howard, and maybe even a little Nora Roberts when she dabbles in suspense, then you will like this one. Though it's the third book in the Cahill Ranch series, it is a stand alone so not reading the previous two isn't going to be an issue.

So in this book we have Flint, Sheriff with a crazy as a loon ex-wife. It's believed she's stalking, harassing, and intimidating his new love interest, Maggie. Nothing anyone can prove so she's not gotten in trouble for any of it, but she adamantly denies any involvement. Things go from minor to dangerous the day that Maggie impulsively agrees to move in with Flint and ends up abducted. Before things get too crazy, we also learn of another woman who was thought to be murdered by her husband but it turns out that she ran away, assumed another identity, but has now vanished for real this time. Are the two disappearances related?

Let's dig in to the good and the not so great. First, this book was interesting because while it is a romance, and Maggie and Flint's relationship is the point and we see it develop, it develops with them apart. For most of the book. So it's interesting to see a relationship get stronger considering the situation, I really can't think of another book where I've encountered that. I do have to mention that the suspense aspect of this book is really pretty great, I had no idea what was going on, how the web all connected things, I couldn't see the larger picture, so as I got to the end it all unraveled really well and that made this a pretty hard book to put down, so bravo there. I also want to point out it does have a Christmas feel to it, so it feels weird to recommend a book about abductions as a good holiday read, but I'm doing it, guys. The only reason I'm not giving this a 5 star is... I kind of couldn't stand Maggie. I know! It's kind of an unpopular opinion but right away she rubbed me wrong. She comes off as annoying and hard to like, she overthinks everything, she obsesses over minor things, she wants to marry Flint but doesn't want to move in because it's a big step... it just felt odd. I also thought it was odd that we have a woman who has no interest in delving into Flint's past and finding out what worked and what didn't in his previous marriage, and also no interest in sharing anything from her past- how was that really going to work out long term? Honestly if she was just a little less frustrating and conflicted I would have given this 5 stars because the suspense made it worth reading.

Happy reading, lambs! Are you following me on Goodreads? If you are then you know my goal was to read and review 100 books this year... I am ONE away. Will I do it by December 31? Psh- of course I will. Come on now. Do you have reading goals? Are you making any for 2018? I think I'm going to stick with my 100 again. Maybe I'll say 105? That feels a bit crazy though. I don't know. We'll see!

   

Bertyl: I just want to belong

One of the habits I picked up years ago was to clear your desk before the end of the year. I had a boss who wasn't superstitious, but this was something she was adamant that we all clear our desks off, finish all of the tasks, you want to go into the new year on a clean slate. I haven't worked for her in years but it's still something I think about this last week of December every year. In that spirit, I'm going through my desk and basket, throwing things out, filing them away, finishing up everything possible. Hidden in my basket was this gem of a book, with my notes on a sticky note, all ready for me to review on here for you, I just never did it. So here we are.

Bertyl: I Just Want To Belong - Sandra Dobozi

How can Bertyl fit in? Bertyl is a charming adventure story written in rhyme about a sweet little turtle searching for his identity. When Bertyl is born he becomes a beloved surprise to his family. But Bertyl wonders why he is different and doesn't look like other turtles. Beryl's loving family and wise friends help him understand that "We all fit in and we all belong." This charming, wise tale reassures readers that we're each exactly right, just the way we are.

I am such a sucker for children's literature, it just holds a special place in my heart because every children's book is the potential catalyst for a lifelong reader. I really love books that naturally give you questions to ask a child about the book, it makes reading more of an experience. In this book we read about Bertyl, a little turtle who was born with no color. Bertyl is pretty sad about this, wants to look like her parents, so she goes on this mission to get color. It becomes clear (see what I did there? Bertyl is a clear turtle... I crack myself up. HA!) that it isn't about looking like everyone else to fit in but rather fitting in just the way you are. Finding friends who will like you for your imperfections anyways. It's a pretty cute little story, Penelope (age 2) really liked it. She can't understand the greater meaning of it of course, but she was astute enough to pick up that Bertyl started off sad and then was happy at the end.

I imagine this being a good book for the younger demographic when talking about making friends, fitting in, being inclusive to others, etc. Bright illustrations highlight the story throughout so it would also give great visual clues to the story as well for emergent readers.

If you have a little one in the 2-7 age range, this might be a nice little book to have in their library or as a classroom read.

Presidents' Day

I am so close to reaching my Goodreads goal of 100 books this year, I have three more to read by the end of the year. Totally do-able, right??

Presidents' Day - Seth Margolis

From the author of The Semper Sonnet and Losing Isaiah comes a tautly plotted political thriller, perfect for fans of the Netflix series 'House of Cards, ' where being President is the second most powerful job in the world-behind the person who put you there.

I need to admit that I signed up for this review simply because I really like House of Cards and this is thought to be in that similar vein. It's a political thriller and I can see why there are also Dan Brown comparisons, he isn't really a political thriller author but this book also has the larger than you can imagine, big picture story. The running theme in House of Cards is that sure, the President is a big deal but how much power does he really have? Isn't it more powerful to be in other positions, where deals are actually made, bribery and blackmail run rampant? Who really elects the President, us? Or is it really all rigged for reasons we can't understand? The argument can be made that's actually a reality given our current President was elected based on the electoral college yet lost the popular vote by millions- is there any point to voting? It's a really depressing way to look at American politics, especially given the current climate we're in right now, so if that isn't your jam or you just can't absorb any more of that in your life? Avoid this book. If you like to entertain a conspiracy theory, believe that true politics lie within the closed doors of the nation's capital, then this is your book.

So in this book we have Julian Mellow, who is the villain of the story, much like Kevin Spacey's character in House of Cards. He's determined to essentially buy the next President of the United States and make him a puppet in his larger plans of avenging his son's death in Africa. He has a shady history himself and once others figure out what he's doing they come in to "save the day" but they have their motives too. I can't really give you more without giving away some key plot points in the story that you really need to read in order for it all to unravel the way it's meant to.

Here's what I liked: if you are a fan of HoC you know that the characters have a plan, a backup, a backup to the backup, etc and can seemingly switch direction at the drop of the dime and it all still works- that's what we have here. No matter what is happening it seems like Julian is always a few steps ahead, every move has a purpose and has fingers grabbing onto other directions he could go at any moment. For that alone it's a fast read because it is action packed, there is quite a bit of violence in the book, but you find yourself not putting it down because it's just always moving forward. Oh! One of my favorite characters from HoC is the journalist out to uncover the story, he knows there is a larger game at play and ends up going to prison in the show. In this book that character is Zach and though he isn't totally the same, there were enough similarities for me to get excited about him in here. Aside from the violence (which I'm finding is a sticky thing for me as of late, I'm not sure why it bothers me, to be honest) this book teeters on the impossible. I'm sure some of this could happen. Maybe. But I am not a conspiracy theory buff, I don't think the government gives a hoot about us and I don't think they track us like people believe, so I'm not one to grab a political thriller normally. I firmly believe that if you ARE a political thriller fan, if you think there are larger things at work behind the government, you will very much enjoy this book. Overall? I'm giving it a 3.5/5 stars. Not quite up to a 4, but no less than a 3.

Moonlight Over Manhattan

I know Christmas is right around the corner, but this would be SUCH a good book to read over the holiday break. Truly. If you are avoiding family, aren't interested in last minute shopping, or (worse) the day after Christmas shopping, I suggest you unplug the phone, turn the TV off, and cuddle up with a book. This book.

Moonlight Over Manhattan - Sarah Morgan

She'll risk everything for her own Christmas miracle... 

Determined to conquer a lifetime of shyness, Harriet Knight challenges herself to do one thing a day in December that scares her, including celebrating Christmas without her family. But when dog walker Harriet meets her newest client, exuberant spaniel Madi, she adds an extra challenge to her list--dealing with Madi's temporary dog sitter, gruff doctor Ethan Black, and their very unexpected chemistry.

Ethan thought he was used to chaos, until he met Madi--how can one tiny dog cause such mayhem? To Ethan, the solution is simple--he will pay Harriet to share his New York apartment and provide twenty-four-hour care. But there's nothing simple about how Harriet makes him feel.

Ethan's kisses make Harriet shine brighter than the stars over moonlit Manhattan. But when his dog-sitting duties are over and Harriet returns to her own home, will she dare to take the biggest challenge of all--letting Ethan know he has her heart for life, not just for Christmas?

I have read a couple others in this series and I think I've mentioned it before, but these always feel like Hallmark movies waiting to happen. If you love Christmas novels, or just really sweet romances that don't involve whips and spreader bars, this is the series for you.

Alright, so this book begins with Harriet, who I absolutely adored. It starts with her on a really awful blind date, and she's sneaking out of a restaurant's bathroom window to escape the guy. Honestly? The fact she's doing this would make her my new best friend. But during her escape she kind of hurts her ankle, and she's a professional dog walker so she needs to be able to walk, so she goes to the ER just to have it checked out.

Enter Ethan. Hunky doctor who has learned to shut his emotions off and just treat patients. He sees Harriet and assumes she's looking for medication, can't figure out if she's truly that genuine and sweet, but she's gone before much thought goes into it.

BUT!

Ethan (very reluctantly) agrees to watch his sister's dog, Madi, while she handles a family crisis, and he has no idea that his sterile life is going to be turned upside down. It feels like fate is lining everything up just right because Harriet is Madi's dog walker, and he realizes he's not equipped to care for a dog like Madi, so he proposes that Harriet live in his apartment to care for this dog because he is hardly home. Normally Harriet would never agree to this, but she's on a personal  mission to push herself to do things outside of her normal so she agrees because this is something Old Harriet would never even consider. Ethan and Harriet quickly fall for each other, and the rest of the story is just really sweet and perfect.

If you love chick lit, sweet romance, a female lead you can relate to, and a male lead who is likable, this is your next read. No question. This is part of a series but they are all stand-alone, and I really think you are going to enjoy the others so it's maybe worth ordering more than one because they aren't very expensive at all. There is also a really fun giveaway with this book (see below) that's always worth entering, you just might win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hot In Aruba

I first learned of Marissa Campbell way back when her debut novel, Avelynn, came out. A historical romance, not typically a favorite in my wheelhouse, won me over immediately. The sequel was also good, but not as good as the first for me, but still- Marissa has a special writing talent that makes it hard to not enjoy what she gives you. Imagine my surprise when her third book was introduced as a romance, but set in modern time, promising hot sex in Aruba?

You don't need me to tell you that I was completely sold. I love following her on social media and as soon as I saw review copies were ready- I jumped at the chance. I wanted to see if she could be a hit outside of historical romance and she is. I liked this book even more than Avelynn.

Hot In Aruba - Marissa Campbell

Vulnerability is Samantha Mackay’s kryptonite, and she keeps her emotions—and her men—at arm’s length. But when her good friend Carlos Naldini invites her on an all-expense-paid trip to Aruba, her resolve waivers.

Tired of being relegated to the friend zone, Carlos enacts his foolproof plan, inviting Samantha to join him in Aruba, hoping the trip to paradise will soften her reluctant heart.

Samantha agrees to Carlos’s proposal, giving him exactly ten days to prove he’s boyfriend material. After some wild Aruba nights and hot, sexy days, things appear to be progressing swimmingly, until Carlos’s ex-girlfriend arrives, exposing an intricate web of deception and betrayal. When news from home shatters Samantha's hopes further, she leaves Aruba, giving up on her dreams of happily ever after. Devastated, Carlos is determined to do whatever it takes to bring Samantha back to Aruba and into his arms. 

Secrets, lies, and heartbreak lurk in the shadows behind sunshiny days of sex on the beach, cocktails by the pool, laughter, and friends. It’s getting hot in Aruba—but the sparks might just consume them.

I'm not sure where to start with this, but I also don't want to give too much away and ruin it for you. So we have Samantha, comes from a drug addicted mother, dad is long gone (or is he??), has a terrible record with guys, and is your typical do-it-for-myself kind of gal. Enter Carlos, going to law school even though he doesn't want to be a lawyer, family is wealthy, he wants to be a musician. He's talented and is on the cusp of signing a music deal but he really wants Samantha. She has put him firmly in the friend zone, but he's sure if he had the chance, he could win her over.

Enter Carlos' brother's wedding in Aruba. Carlos invites Sam instead of his pretend girlfriend in Italy (See? I can't give too much away about this without ruining it!), his friends find out what's going on, his family finds out, shenanigans happen, all hell breaks loose, miscommunication all around, someone dies, and a great ending. How's that for vague? In between all of it we have Sam reluctantly falling for Carlos, Carlos already head over heels for Sam, some hot sexy times proving Spanish/Italian men do it best, and in the end, a sweet romance any of us would be totally jealous of. Marissa manages to take a story from textbook to fairy tale in 306 pages. It was pretty great. I wanted more with Sam and Carlos, I didn't want it to end. Also? I may or may not have added cave sex to my bucket list. Just saying.

All great stories come to end but it doesn't mean there can't be a sequel! I'm thinking...Lora and Paul? It would be GREAT. Maybe they can go to Jamaica or something. No! Maybe they go to to Carlos and Samantha's wedding in... somewhere that speaks Spanish! YES. Lora feels like a spitfire, this could be amazing.

Sigh.

Overall? I'm actually going to give this one 5 stars. You know I don't throw these out willy nilly, but I absolutely loved this book, I loved the romance AND the drama, it played out as the best, "you'll never believe THIS" story you'd share with girlfriends comparing who had the worst blind date experience. This would win it. Easily. I highly recommend this is you are in the mood for a good romance that will make you wish you were on an island.. or anywhere it isn't winter.

Axel

I'm going to preface this by saying I have not ordered the rest of this series yet, but they are all in my Amazon shopping cart and I think I'll be able to get them Wednesday. I don't want to get presumptuous, but I think that will be what I'm doing next weekend.

Axel - Harper Sloan

Fate hasn’t always been friends with Isabelle West. In fact, fate has been a downright bitch. 

Isabelle has learned the hard way how hard life can be when fate isn’t by your side. It can hand you dreams on silver platters, but it can snatch them right back and hand you nightmares. One thing Isabelle knew for sure fate was consistent with was taking away everything she ever loved.

For the last two years Isabelle has been slowly clearing the clouds of her past. Happiness is finally on the horizon. She has a thriving business, great friends, and her life back. All she has to do is jump over the last hurdle…her ex-husband. 

When problems start causing her to fear her new life, and memories that are better left forgotten start rushing to the surface the last thing she needs is a ghost from her past to come knocking on her door. 

Axel never thought he would look into the eyes of Isabelle West again, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to now. He’s carried his anger for so long he isn’t sure he can just turn it off, but when he is faced with protecting her and an unexpected desire to have her again, life gets a little more complicated. 

How will Axel and Isabelle deal when all their cards are put on the table and everything they thought was true blows up in their faces? 

I'm going to start by being honest and saying the cover didn't scream "drop everything and read me right now", but I picked it over everything else because it wasn't very long and I'm desperate to hit my Goodreads reading goal. I've got to seriously kick it up a notch if I'm going to make it. Gulp.

I also need to say that while I'm going to give this book 4/5 stars, it's 100% because the sex scenes are good and Axel is pretty damn hot. Isabelle (Izzy) is literally one of the worst characters ever. Imagine the most sensitive damsel in distress, incapable of functioning like a mature adult, whose only solution to a tough day is to get out of control drunk, and you've started describing Izzy. She's literally the worst. I actually almost tossed the book because I did not like her at ALL. Not even a little bit, not even when I heard her story (as tragic as it is), and I just thought- Izzy is actually really stupid.

The book centers around Izzy and Axel, high school sweethearts. He's off for the Marines, and she's vowed to wait for him. He had a chance to advance in the Marines, her parents die, she moves, and they lose contact. No wait, Izzy tries to keep in touch by sending letters to his foster parents which any reasonable moron would know would NEVER pass them onto him, and he would never visit. I mean, you're stupid, Izzy. So they are apart 12 years.

Well in those years Izzy gets married to Brandon, classic abusive husband. Their relationship fails after a particularly violent incident, but he's still harassing her so she reaches out to her friend Dee and her brother, Greg for help. Greg enlists his friend Reid to help but WAIT!!

Reid IS AXEL!

Holt Axel Reid is out of the Marines and is operating a successful security business. When he discovers the woman with the abusive husband is HIS Izzy? Shit goes to hell quick.

I feel like it was all a little to quick the whole "forgive and let's sleep and be together" thing, but I'm looking for a fast read so that's fine. It's a good introduction for the series, which I'm hoping to buy later this week, and I'm hoping the author has worked out some of the kinks in her writing style. There are parts of the book that you can tell she wanted to expand and maybe she didn't know how or maybe it got cut out during editing, but the ending felt really rushed for me. I wanted more with Brandon (the crazy ex), but at least he isn't a loose string in the plot line. Axel himself was maybe the best part of the book and he made the entire thing readable.

A Fighting Chance

Oh boy, I have a couple of great reviews for you this week! I'm going to start with this one, which I bought on a whim through the Bookworm Box shop. It's a signed copy and it was half off so I threw caution to the wind.

A Fighting Chance - Annie Stone

When Mackenzie meets Carter, it’s love at first sight. They have a blissful year together before trouble arrives. In the form of Carter’s two teenage sons.

When Hunter and Carey decide they want to live with their father in California, Mackenzie knows right away that she’s in for a tough time. And she couldn’t be more right.

The two boys show her on a daily basis that she’s not good enough for their dad. In fact, they make it quite clear their lives would be better without her. But could it be that Hunter has quite a different motive for hating her?

Let me start by saying I went from one end of the book loving spectrum to the complete other end during this book. I started it thinking it was going to be weird, that I was going to hate it. By chapter five I wasn't sure if I was even going to finish it or if it was worth finishing. Once I got 3/4 of the way in I was on the edge of my seat because I didn't want it to end. I loved this book THAT much.

It centers around Mackenzie (known as Mac) and Carter, they've been together for a little over a year, she's moved in, and now she's meeting his sons Hunter and Carey. Hunter is 17, Carey is 15, their mom is a drunk so they are visiting their dad for a break. While on that break they tell him they want to live with him permanently, which normally wouldn't be a big deal but it's clear that they hate Mac. They aren't nice to her and actually are aggressive with her. Alarming for Mac, considering she has abuse in her past and works in a domestic abuse advocacy organization, so the fact that she feels like an insecure victim in her own home is alarming for her.

As summer progresses, Carter is gone more and more, forcing Mac to interact with his sons. A lot of things happen over the summer that lead to them bonding, but it soon becomes clear that Hunter wants Mac for his own. It all comes to a head when Hunter decides he is enlisting in the Marines. Carter, in a fit of rage, tosses Hunter out, and Mac follows him because she wants to make things right before Hunter goes.

I won't tell you any more but I will tell you that I've ordered the rest of this series and it should be here Tuesday. I am prepared to literally drop everything in my life to read these. Ha!

I'm giving this one a 4/5 stars and I'm only knocking it down because it was a bit slow. I honestly thought we'd have something major happening sooner in the book, but it was still a great book. The most conflicting part of this book is I found myself actually hoping that Mac (age 25) and Hunter (17) got together. You guys, I KNOW THIS WOULD BE ILLEGAL, so I felt terrible. And then OK with it, then terrible again. It's been a long time since a book has made me feel the full range of emotions, but this did it. Bravo.

Bubbles & Books - LUCAS

So this post is going to be two-fold because I'm going to talk about my first box from Bubbles & Books, and then I'm going to review the book I received in that box. Normally I'm not able to do that but this was a really short book so I finished it in just a few hours so you lucked out!

I heard about Bubbles & Books a few months ago as part of a round up of book subscription boxes and it caught my eye because it's focused on romance novels and instead of crappy swag I just throw out, this box mails bath related goods. In my first box I got a handmade bar of soap, which smells so good, a felt bookmark, a weird sponge thing, and then a perfume sample which was terrible. It was definitely how you would think an old lady would smell. But the book... I wasn't sure what to think about it. This box allows you to choose from three different romance genres: bad boy, paranormal, historical. I went with bad boy because I felt like paranormal can be really hit or miss and historical isn't always my jam. It's not that I won't read them, it just has to be a really interesting sounding story for me to commit. Frankly, there are thousands of books that fall into the bad boy romance so I thought for sure we'd get something amazing so when I saw this I was disappointed. I don't mind that it was only 148 pages, but it's clearly a self-published/indie book and I'm going to be a book snob here... but 75% of the books in that category aren't picked up by a major publisher for a reason. Are there exceptions to that? Yes. Absolutely yes and I've read a bunch of them. I'm saying an overwhelming majority is crap. This basically falls into it.

Lucas - Susan Fisher-Davis

Emily Walters needs help fast. Her ex-husband is being released from prison and Adam swore he’d never let her go. She knows he’ll come for her. Her only choice is one of the bad boys of Dry River, Lucas Taggart. Lucas raised a lot of hell when he was younger and never backed down from anyone. It's what Emily needs in a protector and a husband. She offers him half of her ranch in exchange for protection and marriage. Whispering Pines is one of the largest horse ranches in the States. Would it be enough to entice the brooding man? 

Lucas Taggart isn't interested in marriage but he is interested in Whispering Pines and when he looks into Emily’s eyes, he knows it wouldn't be a hardship being married to her, as long as it's a real marriage. 

When Adam shows up to claim the woman he still thinks of as his wife, will Lucas have to do the unthinkable to protect the woman he's come to love with all his heart? What happens if or when Adam is finally out of the picture? Will Emily still want Lucas around and will she ever return his love?

I'm going to start this review by saying this is 100% not a book I would see on a shelf, read the description, and put in my cart. I only read it because it came in my recent Bubbles & Books subscription. Secondly, this book is listed as "erotic romance" on the title page and I'm telling you it absolutely is not. Well, unless you consider the author insinuating the characters are having sex as filthy, then by all means. I've hardly read a more vanilla standard romance, so if you are going into these 148 pages looking for erotic romance you will be disappointed.

The premise of this book is Emily runs a successful ranch but has an ex-husband in prison set to be released soon. Instead of trusting the authorities to help her (because the ex-husband is just so rich, he buys them all off) she decides the best way to protect herself is to get married to a "bad boy". And by "bad boy", I'm talking a guy who was a little punk as a kid but turned into a decent, law abiding citizen. So she asks Lucas if he'd do this (he's not a total stranger, though- he helped her when she was a kid and fell off a horse but that was years prior and she's harbored a crush on him since, of course) and he agrees.

He AGREES on a damn whim. No, I take that back, he agrees knowing he'd own half of the ranch Emily owns.

Because every decent marriage is based on bribery.

So they get married but Lucas decides he wants it to be a real marriage for all intents and purposes, and Emily agrees, but she's no hussy- she wants to get to know him first before having sex. (Are you rolling your eyes yet? Just wait, it gets better!)

But WAIT, you guys! Ex-husband is out (Adam) and he's crazy as a loon, y'all! He's killing people left and right because nobody is going to take his Emily away! Instead of making his character really despicable and have him being physically abusive or something, turns out Adam is just mildly verbally abusive but basically a misogynistic pig. Emily is terrified of him though, hence Lucas. Lucas is a bad ass though, so he's going to save everyone.

I won't ruin it for you but know there's a happy ever after. But can I just talk about something that drove me NUTS when I was reading it? These people take a shit ton of naps. I have chronic fatigue, I understand being tired ALL of the time but this is over the top. Emily has a conversation, needs to lay down. She did payroll, need to lay down. Adam calls, need to lay down. Also, for someone who describes herself as self sufficient, she relies on Lucas a LOT. She can't even take one of her 375 naps without him. It's just too much. This entire book was laughably terrible. I don't even want to donate this book anywhere, I honestly want to toss it in the trash.

The Goal

I had a lot of feelings going into this book, but it was so good that I honest to god hope there are more. I know- I'm that person who doesn't think everything should be a series, but I really love Elle Kennedy's writing and I love this series. I hate to see it end.

The Goal (Off-Campus 4) - Elle Kennedy 

She’s good at achieving her goals…

College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes, one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.

But the game just got a whole lot more complicated...

Tucker believes being a team player is as important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of twenty-two, he refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is, Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to accept his help. If he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that some goals can only be made with an assist.

I am just going to get picky and say this cover here? LOVE IT. The new cover featured below? Strongly don't like them. They aren't eye catching at all and the original covers should have stayed. I have three of the hot covers and now this one and ugh.. I hate it. Anyways.

OK! So this is an interesting book because though it is a stand alone, it's so much sweeter if you read the entire series in order because this book features the other guys and their gals quite a bit, I thought. It's John Tucker (goes by Tucker) and Sabrina's story, and if you have read the other books you know that Sabrina is a the bitch on campus. She's smart and knows it. She's gorgeous and she's bitchy. Just by looking at her you would assume "mean girl" but you'd be wrong. Turns out, Sabrina has a pretty awful home life. She lives with her grandma and stepfather, her mom up and left years ago. Stepfather is a disgusting pig who kind of leers at her all of the time and is almost always drunk. Grandma has no backbone, but is sleeping with the stepfather, and is kind mean to Sabrina. She drives an hour each way to campus and she excels at everything so she can get out of her situation. She avoids relationships partly because she doesn't have time for them but also she doesn't think she's deserving of anything good.

Enter Tucker. He's a good guy. He's maybe the best guy out of the bunch of them and he falls for Sabrina fast. He knows that patience is a virtue and that Sabrina needs to be handled with kid gloves... so he does. He's maybe the most patient male character you will ever find in any book because holy hell. It's well over a YEAR before she says she loves him and that's through a pregnancy.

Yup- Sabrina, fresh on the heels of being accepted into Harvard Law School, finds herself pregnant. It was the first encounter between her and Tucker and accidents happen, birth control fails, but she's devastated. She has to decide to keep it or not but she also wants to lean and depend on Tucker.. but is convinced by doing so she'll drive him away and he will end up resenting her. She's convinced she is ruining his life. Tucker sees it all differently- he's in love with her, ready to move to the next level or two with her, and wants nothing more than to be a dad.

The book is full of miscommunication and I actually kind of liked Sabrina. I really identified with her though I will say that I expected her to come around MUCH faster than she did. It was almost too much and I was getting a little annoyed with her myself. Overall? I really liked this one. I've really enjoyed this entire series, but if this really is the end, it went out on a good note. All of the characters are matured, ready to graduate college, and all go their own way. It feels like a fitting conclusion. But I'm going to just mention book 5 would be fantastic, and we could focus on Fitz's character. Just throwing that out there.

   

Dear Professor

This is one of the books I bought from the Bookworm Box shop and I bought it solely for the cover. Obviously.

Dear Professor - Blair Drake

Dear Professor,

Does it bother you that you’re ten years older than me?

Have you ever thought it’s wrong that you watched me fuck another guy on camera for months?

What do you want from me, really? All I wanted was my letter of recommendation, but now I’m stuck, aren’t I? Stuck under your thumb… And your body.

From cam girl to personal whore, and all by the age of twenty-one. You’ve got me good, haven’t you?

But guess what? I can play too. Grab the polish, because I’ve found your skeleton, and it's time to dust.

I’ll see you in class.

Oh and, Sir? I’m not wearing any panties.

Love, Darcy

P.s. you’re an asshole.

Aside from the fact this went through a shoddy editing process (lots of minor grammatical errors throughout), I kind of loved this book. I know it's getting just under 4 stars on Goodreads and normally that would be my cue to go to the next book but the cover was good so my gut was telling me to stick with it and I'm glad that I did.

Darcy is a senior in college who excels at all of her classes. Notably so. Her dream is to go to Harvard Law School and in order to apply she needs a letter of recommendation from all of her professors. Not an issue for them, they are happy to recommend her, but Professor Jordan Keaton isn't so quick.

Jordan is a bit of a pompous asshole. He knows he's good looking, but he's also highly intelligent, aloof, and nobody really knows the story with him. Jordan knows Darcy's secret though- she's a cam girl. She does live video of her masturbating, having sex with other partners, pretty much anything a viewer wants in exchange for money. It's how she is paying her way through college and potentially Harvard. As it turns out, Jordan is her number one fan and Darcy is horrified to find out he's the one behind the mysterious user name. Even more shocking is Jordan's ultimatum- either Darcy becomes his personal whore (basically) for the next six weeks OR he tells the college what she's doing on the side, kissing her chances at Harvard goodbye. In exchange, he'll write her the much needed recommendation letter.

Obviously she has no choice or other option, so she signs on the dotted line and that is how their very hot, very push and pull relationship begins. We find out why Darcy isn't looking for love, why Jordan is the way he is, will the college find out about their arrangement, and what happens when the two of them come together?

Overall? I'm actually giving this 4.5 stars. I know, it's pretty high and a lot of people are going to read this story and do a major eye roll. I liked it because it's reminiscent of Fifty Shades of Grey, but also Sylvia Day's Crossfire Series because we have the highly dominant male, in a position of power, and the seemingly dainty woman who turns out to be a spitfire capable to breaking through to the guy. It's a recipe for success and women like this story line for a reason- we all think we're capable of changing a man, aren't we? I flew through this in a day and I couldn't put it down. I kind of wish there was a bit more in the end, but overall I'm more than thrilled that this is not the start of a series, it's a one and done. THANK YOU for not turning this into a series. I'm so tired of authors doing that.

Break Me

I can't remember when it was but I ordered a couple of books from The Bookworm Box store, they offer various titles signed by the author for purchase. They were on sale and I figured I'd just grab a few shorter ones so I can play catch up with my Goodreads goal. This was one of them.

Break Me (TBX #1) - Ashley Christin

Returning back for the spring semester of college, Brealynn and her best friend, Kelsey, are ready to start a new chapter. 

After the loss of their mother, Pro BMX rider Colt Taylor and his brother, Parker, hope to rebuild their lives by concentrating on competitions. 

One night brings them together.

One night shatters it all.

Can they survive the break?

I guess the best way for me to start my review for this is buying telling you I have zero interest in the sequel, Kelsey and Parker's story. If you know me at all, you know that I am a sucker for a series and even when I'm not in love with a book, I will force myself through it and this is one of the very few times when I can say... I don't really care if I read the part two. Yikes.

The book centers around Brealynn, fresh off of a break up with high school boyfriend who turned out to be a complete douchebag, and Cole, a playboy BMX pro-rider, fresh from his mother's death. Unlikely duo but you know what happens- good girl hooks up with bad boy, both have terrible communication issues, she's a general moron, and he believes you can never ever love someone without it going to shit.

Sigh.

We've read this story so many times, haven't we? Change out the names and his career/hobby/whatever it is, and it could be any basic self published romance novel out there. My overall opinion is that it isn't well written. My friend Shirley (who has almost the same opinion I do on most books) said the dialogue is ridiculous and far fetched, and she's right. None of this is stuff you would say in real life. Would a girl ever say, "Breathe me in" in reference to letting her into his heart as he's pushing his penis into her vagina? No. No that would never happen, and if she did I would strongly suggest that guy run like hell and change his phone number. No normal girl will say that. Also, would a guy suggest a girl move in after what, a handful of weeks? No. Clinger alert! CLINGER ALERT!

At best I'm giving this one 2/5 stars. I didn't like Brealynn's character at all- she goes from clueless, insecure, bitchy and unreasonable all over the place. If I were Cole I'd honestly wonder if she was stable. Cole is better, but his hang up on his dad being a jerk thus making him incapable of loving a woman is bizarre and I wish authors would give this reasoning up. STOP IT. There are so many other reasons a person would be hung up on falling in love, use them.

Sigh.

I will say it's a rather fast read, but only because you're busy waiting for something exciting to happen.