5 SMOOCHES!

SYNOPSIS:

A sexy new standalone from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Vi Keeland

The first time I met Caine West was in a bar.
He noticed me looking his way and mistakenly read my scowling as checking him out.
When he attempted to talk to me, I set him straight—telling him what I thought of his lying, cheating, egomaniacal ass.
You see, the gorgeous jerk had wined and dined my best friend–smooth talking her into his bed, all along failing to mention that he was married.
He deserved every bit of my tongue-lashing and more for what he’d done.
Especially when that lazy smile graced his perfect face in response to my rant.
Only it turned out, the man I’d just told off wasn’t the right guy.
Oops. My mistake.
Embarrassed, I slunk out without an apology.
I was never going to see the handsome stranger again anyway, right?
That’s what I thought…until I walked into class the next morning.
Well, hello Professor West, I’m your new teaching assistant.
I’ll be working under you…figuratively speaking.
Although the literal interpretation might not be such a bad thing—working under Professor West.
This was going to be interesting…

REVIEW:

I always enjoy reading Vi Keeland’s writing, but I’m just going to come out and say it: Beautiful Mistake is my favorite book from her yet. I adore workplace romances, and Keeland’s take on it here was unique and interesting. But this was more than just a simple office romcom; this was a gorgeous and seductive romance, and Keeland delivered powerful emotions in this fabulously complex and complicated love story.

“I’d felt a connection from the first time we met… whatever was between us had always felt bigger than me—bigger than us.”

From the part meet-cute, part angry confrontation that was their first encounter, the chemistry between the hero and heroine leapt from the page. More than just sexual chemistry, though, there was a genuine connection between Rachel and Caine that felt a whole lot like déjà vu and was more familiar than either could understand. Rachel, a music major graduate student, was also Professor Caine West’s teacher’s assistant, so a romance between the two of them would be an infraction of the school’s fraternization policies. Yet despite that, the two them were almost powerless to fight the growing attraction between them. It was a delicious, goose-bump eliciting build-up, and when they finally gave in to the pull between them, it was explosively passionate and far more intense than either of them had anticipated it would be.

“Maybe I couldn’t get you out of my head because you’re supposed to be there.”

That niggling feeling of familiarity between them, though, was something that never went away, and Keeland delivered an emotionally charged, meaningful and moving storyline there that made Beautiful Mistake a page-turner I had difficulty putting down. With each new revelation, I became more and more invested in these two characters and their happily ever after. Their back-and-forth bantering was on-point and lived up to the “Feisty” nickname Caine gave Rachel. She was a strong heroine, she knew what she wanted, and I loved how she had no problem calling him out when he needed it. Keeland filled out this story with a cast of side characters who added dimension and depth, taking this already deep story and turning it into something special.

“It’s us.”

“Us?”

“Together. It just works. I felt it the first night we met. Just didn’t want to accept it…”

“Do you accept it now?”

“…I never really had a choice, Feisty.”

This couple fought through some heavy history to get their happily ever after, and I was positively enthralled with their journey, devouring this story with heart-racing anticipation from cover-to-cover. Five smooches from me for Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland!

~ Danielle Palumbo

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4 SMOOCHES!

SYNOPSIS:

I don’t have a damn thing in common with the beautiful rich girl who walks into my bar; she’s southern class, fancy cars, and designer shoes.

I’ve got a drunk for a mother, a cheater for a father, and a reputation for trouble I’ve more than earned.

I look the other way, pretending I don’t notice how perfect she is. She wouldn’t give me the time of day anyway. Until she shatters that first impression and shows me she’s so much more—everything I never thought I deserved.

After a lifetime of being a disappointment, I want to prove to her that I’m better than my past.

We have one tragic thing in common, and the thread that binds us together will tear us apart as it unravels.

Are we strong enough to break through The Bars Between Us?

REVIEW:

This is my fourth time reading A.S. Teague. I absolutely loved her Undisputed series, a fighter series. The Bars Between Us is a standalone. Having read all of A.S. Teague’s books up to this point, I can honestly say that this talented author has a knack for stringing together beautiful, meaningful words. Her stories never fail to deliver a solid blow to the feels, they’re sexy, and they’re hard-won happily-ever-afters. The Bars Between Us was no different.

A fantastic example of not judging a book by its cover, The Bars Between Us is the story of two seemingly different people who took a chance and looked beyond the surface, and in doing so, found more than either of them bargained for in the other person. Bonding over a shared history of loss, grief, pain and abuse, Grace and Bronn connected instantly. The chemistry between them sizzled from their encounter, but even more than that, they found a kindred spirit in each other that both characters recognized almost immediately.

I did, however, have a few issues with this book that affected my overall reading experience, which is why I’m giving it four smooches instead of five. I’m a very dialogue and interaction centric reader. I found that there was a great deal of internal dialogue, bordering on too much, and as a result, I found myself longing for more interaction between the characters. There were scenes where the characters were in the same room, but the reader was in the head of one of the characters instead of experiencing some sort of communication between the two of them. There were several points throughout this story where the internal, single-character reflections went on a bit too long for my taste, and I found that those parts didn’t hold my attention and left me fighting the urge to skim over them. It did get to be a bit frustrating for me after a while, but thankfully, those passages were followed up by fantastic scenes (that more than made up for the previous scenes’ frustration!) between the characters that definitely got – and held – my attention. The bottom line is that I wanted more of Grace AND Bronn together, and less of Grace OR Bronn individually.

Ultimately, though, despite those issues – which, again, were a matter of my personal taste – I found The Bars Between Us to be a poignant and beautiful love story, full of passion and healing and hope. It was richly developed, and readers will find a gorgeous and very sexy love story within these pages.  A.S. Teague’s The Bars Between Us gets four smooches from me.

~ Danielle Palumbo

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5 Smooches!

Synopsis

A Standalone New Adult Sports Romance in the For You series. Each book follows a new couple.

Trace
I’m Alabama’s star wide receiver. I’ve got mad skills on and off the field, and it’s no secret I’m heading into the draft after the upcoming season. But I’m home for the summer to make some cash before my senior year. Being back under my parents’ roof isn’t the ideal situation, but the moment I see Marin, the star of my adolescent fantasies, I know it’s about to get interesting. She may not have noticed me back then, but I’ve got a feeling it’s just a matter of time before she lets me turn those fantasies into reality.

Marin
The last time I saw Trace Forester he was just a kid tearing up the neighborhood on his skateboard. That was when I was foolish enough to think I had the perfect husband and the perfect life. But now my life is in shambles and Trace is back, all grown up, hot as hell, and exuding major confidence. It would be so easy to fall for his good looks and undeniable charm. So easy to let him into my life. Too bad I learned the hard way that nothing worth having ever comes easy.

REVIEW

J. Nathan kinda snuck her way into my top ten favorite authors.  It all started a couple of books ago when I took a chance on a net galley arc of a book in another series of hers and before I knew it I was devouring everything she put out.  And when this book came out I was too dang excited.  It was then that I realized, I loved this authors books HARD.  Her books are angsty, sweet, sexy, and somehow still manage to make me laugh and grin through out.

I admit, I was worried about this one.  Books where the heroine is much older aren’t usually my jam, but this author proved me wrong.  She made me love and respect the heck out of Trace and even though Marin seemed pretty dang focused on his age, I completely overlooked it because his character was just so dang good to his core.

Stories of single mothers always give me the feels.  And I absolutely loved Marin’s story.  Her insecurities, her reservations, they all made so much sense to my thirty something mommy self.

I loved this one.  Great writing.  Witty Banter.  Super Steamy.  Another touch down for J. Nathan.

~Amie

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5 Smooches!

Synopsis

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Whoever coined that phrase is a bald-faced liar. Words are often the sharpest weapon of all, triggering some of the most powerful emotions a human can experience.
“You’re pregnant.”
“It’s a boy.”
“Your son needs a heart transplant.”
Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.
Lies.
Syllables and letters may not be tangible, but they can still destroy your entire life faster than a bullet from a gun.
Two words—that was all it took to extinguish the sun from my sky.
“He’s gone.”
For ten years, the darkness consumed me.
In the end, it was four deep, gravelly words that gave me hope of another sunrise.
“Hi. I’m Porter Reese.”

REVIEW

This book!  This freaking book that made me swoon.  Made me cry like a baby.  Broke my dang heart.  Nearly obliterated me.  But all the while it lifted me up.  Made me laugh.  The amount of emotions I went through reading this book was just insane.

I laughed through my tears.  I cried through my smiles.  Porter Reese stole my heart with his sweet nature and over the top hand holding.  That same heart broke for Charlotte Mills, all that she lost and the darkness that holds her captive.  And through all of this, I rooted for this couple that seemed doomed from the start.  Because the author had me so incredibly invested in them and their happiness–their love!

Sometimes a favorite author really surprises you and even exceeds your wildest expectations of them. You think you’ve read Aly Martinez?  Well, you ain’t seen nothing yet!  The Darkest Sunrise is pure gold, and the best yet from Aly Martinez!

~Amie

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