5 Smooches!

Synopsis

Signing with Brighthouse Records was supposed to be everything we ever wanted—our better life. Our chance at everything we never had but always wanted. All our dreams would finally come true and we were on top of the world. It was our chance at the happiness we never had in life.

Our every desire was at our fingertips and the power of that feeling was all consuming. But then it took every dream we thought would come true and it slapped us in the face with the cold hard reality.

Dreams were just that…something that floated on the cusp of untouchable, taunting you with every graze of your fingertips before slipping even further away.

Happiness…that feeling is a joke.

In the end it became painfully obvious that each of us would always have each other, but we would forever be alone.

*Jaded Hearts is the first book in the Loaded Replay series.*

REVIEW

Jaded Hearts is the first book in Harper Sloan’s Loaded Replay series and is a spin-off of her Hope Town series. I’m a huge fan of Ms. Sloan’s, I’ve read everything she’s written, so it was a given that I’d be reading this. There is something special about a Harper Sloan alpha that never fails to make my romance reading heart happy. Always unique and individual, they share common threads of strength, protection, bravery, dominance and good looks with a bit of an edge and a complete commitment and devotion to their women. I was positively thrilled to see those core traits woven into the fabric of Chance’s character. I also noticed that this book had a definite Corps Security-esque feel to it, so readers of Sloan’s who have been saying that they hoped that this story would come from those roots got their wish.

“…fame and fortune were nowhere near anything I ever dreamed it would be like.”

I think a lot of people assume that the life of a rock star and all the trappings that come with that lifestyle would be a dream come true, but Sloan really did a great job painting the picture of the other side of the fame and fortune coin in Jaded Hearts. Years of a relentless and demanding recording and touring schedule required of them by their greedy record label have taken its toll on the members of Loaded Replay. It’s one thing after another, between appearances and interviews and the label ordering them back into the studio, and let’s not forget the little matter of the stalker fixated on Wren, the one that no one but the four members of the band is taking seriously. They’re all exhausted, and they desperately want and need a break.

“We’re cut from the same cloth, honey. Both of us wear the scars of our jaded past…”

My heart went out to the heroine, Wren, in the first few chapters. The only constant in this young woman’s life was her twin brother, Wes, and the only other genuine people around her were her bandmates, Luke and Jamison, and her best friend/stylist, Dyllan. It made for a rather lonely existence, and almost overwhelmingly, that’s exactly what I felt coming from her in those chapters. From the hurtful history of her and Wes’ childhood to the secluded, stressful existence of her present, Sloan makes it crystal clear why this young woman has become so cynical. Chance, whose experiences are different from Wren’s, has his own painful and valid reasons for being so guarded.

“…the something I’d been searching blindly for has finally been found.”

Just like Chance and Wren, I felt the attraction crackle between them from the first meeting. These two were drawn to each other in an insistent, unavoidable and undeniable way. I’ll even go so far as to say that this is about as close as you’re going to get to insta-love in a Harper Sloan novel. The thing is that these two had been through enough, they were both so beleaguered, so weary in matters of the heart, that I really wanted their connection to come easy and early. The fact of the matter is that their relationship was unconventional, and Wren said it best when she told Chance that theirs wasn’t like normal peoples’ relationships due to their circumstances, and because of that, it would advance at pace that takes most people years to attain. And, you know what, in this book, and in this situation, it worked exceptionally well. They were in sync, they were solid, and neither one of them waivered in their commitment to the other. I really liked the way that this part of the plot played out. They were just so great together – they were fun, they were sweet and they were sexy. But even more than that, they anchored each other in the storm of fame that constantly swirled around Wren, and in an industry where it doesn’t always play out that way, they recognized what they had in each other and held tight. Loved that!

“… the something I had been searching blindly for has finally been found.”

Based on their histories, both Wren and Chance came from places where drama and disappointment was often dished out to them by other people, and they were both suspicious and distrustful of others because of it. This book wasn’t short on drama, though, it’s just that it wasn’t a part of the love story portion of the plot. But what I said earlier about this book having a Corps Security feel to it holds true. The drama and angst in this book come from the suspenseful portion plot, and I liked that a whole lot. That part of the plot held my interest, hooked me right in and kept me tapping my Kindle. Ms. Sloan always does her suspense plots justice, though, so it’s no surprise that it was well done here.

“I need what you give me more than my next breath…People fight a lifetime to find this, and I had almost lost faith that I would have this.

I really enjoyed Jaded Hearts. I loved Wren and Chance both individually and as a couple, and I really liked all of the other characters. I’m very much looking forward to more in the Loaded Replay series, and Jamison’s story is next – I  can’t wait! Harper Sloan’s Jaded Hearts gets five smooches from me!

~ Danielle Palumbo

BUY IT NOW

5 Smooches

Synopsis

Not all those who wander are lost.

Rebel, runner, recluse, rich girl.
Nine years ago, Erin Walsh ran away from everything.

Home.
Family.
Secrets.
Tragedy.
Herself.

The only permanence in her life is catastrophe.

She travels from country to country, chasing disaster, teasing fire, playing with poison. She guards against real connections, and shuns the only family she has left.

She holds everyone—even her siblings—at a mile-long distance. It’s the only way to protect herself.

But she can’t protect herself from him.

He’s the ice to her fire, and he’s willing to sacrifice everything to bring her home.

Review

“There are tornadoes in my head sometimes,” I said, my words growing progressively sharper as he pushed inside me. “I know,” he said as his lips met mine. “But your storms, they don’t scare me.”

THIS BOOK!!!! Ok, so I want to tell you all the juicy details about Erin and *** (nope can’t say a name) but I am terrified of giving anything away. Everything in this book is something you the reader need to discover for yourselves. I urge you to stop reading reviews and go and read the book. Now, let me also be clear that this can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY recommend reading this series from start to now. I know six books is a large commitment but they all beautifully play into each other and an overarching storyline follows through. You will get the best, full experience reading them all in order.

‘I didn’t have a clear vision of our future, or how we’d get there, I only knew that my compass pointed toward Erin,’

Erin Walsh is everything you expect and nothing you saw coming. She is beautiful and complex. She is delightful and frustrating. She is a grown woman and still a child. And when she meets her match it is AMAZING. Ok that is all I am going to say. This book is chocked full of Walsh secrets and Riley’s book (May 2017) cannot get here soon enough.

‘I lost my damn mind, and I was almost certain that Erin Walsh was to blame.”

Let’s just end this by saying I am in complete awe as to the power of Kate Canterbary’s brain. She is smart, and witty and writes like no one else. Her book’s are filled with depth and surprises and once you read one I guarantee you will be desperate to read them all.

~miranda

4 Smooches!

Synopsis

Viola Fisher is the epitome of perfection.
She despises my one-night stands and mocks my less-than-classy habits.
She’s smart, beautiful, and too good to be true.
And I want her.

If she were anyone else, I’d have made my move years ago, but considering she’s my best friend’s little sister, she’s always been off-limits. Not to mention how much she loathes my very existence.

Hating me is her religion, but needing her is mine. Her sexy curves and filthy smart mouth make me want her even more, and I’m more determined than ever to change her mind.

I’ll prove I’m done playing games.
But until then, we’ll continue to play by her rules.
Viola Fisher may have won the battle, but the war isn’t over yet.

Checkmate, princess.

REVIEW

~BETHANY

BUY IT NOW

5 Smooches!

Synopsis

“My name is Scarlet Stone, and my biggest fear is that someday I will find what I want most in life, and it will be impossible to steal.”

What happens when life just stops? When one moment makes you question your entire existence?

Scarlet Stone is a third-generation thief who has everything: a doting fiancé, a spacious London flat, and a legitimate job offer. In a single breath, everything becomes nothing, and she finds herself on a plane to Savannah, Georgia in search of the meaning of life.

After securing a six-month lease for a beachfront house on Tybee Island, Scarlet changes the way she looks, thinks, eats—basically her entire outlook on life. She needs peace, but what she gets is a housemate who looks like Thor, acts like a warden, and smells her proximity like a Bloodhound.

Theodore Reed is a carpenter and perfectionist with a body built of steel, a black, hollow heart, and a hunger for revenge. He doesn’t like company, girly-smelling crap, and British accents.

He resents every breath she takes.
She’s fascinated by his every move.

In time, they discover their coexistence is toxic, their physical attraction is electric, the secrets they keep mean the difference between life and death, and the only truth they share is that everything is a lie.

“Over eighty-five percent of the world’s population believes in a higher power, yet, very few people believe in miracles.”

Do you believe?

REVIEW

THIS BOOK!  THIS FREAKING AMAZINGLY ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE BOOK!  HOLY MOLY!  This author always writes the most gratifying heroines–women that are inspirational and strong.  Women you can look up to.  But Scarlet.  She took the freaking cake.  I loved her so much.  And her story?  Well, it is just phenomenal!

‘My name is Scarlet Stone and my biggest fear is that someday I will find what I want most in life and it will be impossible to steal.’

You guys, I seriously cannot wait for you to pick up this book and on go on a spiritual journey with Scarlet.  Because that’s what this is.  It’s her book.  Her life changing right before your eyes.  Her learning and growing and healing.  I cried.  I cried so darn much.  Because the author managed to surprise me again and again and each twist and turn gave me too many feels.

‘I won’t love you, Theodore Reed.  I can’t.’

And when I wasn’t feeling and experiencing the journey, I was laughing.  Literally one minute tears would be falling down my face and the next I’d be laughing through them.  God, the emotions this book brought out.  It was truly like nothing I’ve read before.  And this author always manages to do that–give me a story like no other.

‘What if we started counting time in breaths instead of seconds?  What if I could hold my breath and stop time?’

Scarlet and Theo’s story is epically unique and heart wrenching.  And speaking of Theo!  The man is awful.  Did I still love him?  Absolutely.  Because Jewel E. Ann can write the absolute heck out of a mean man and he is the cream of the crop.  God, I could have eaten him with a spoon.

So, what I’m saying here is, pick this one up.  It’s sexy, has all the angst, and a hero and heroine that will steal your heart right out of the gate!

~Amie

BUY IT NOW