4 Smooches!

Synopsis

“Love is a messy thing. That hopelessly devoted, deep-in-your-bones kind of love we used to dream about when we were kids—it turns out that it’s hard. It aches. It takes time. Like a house that weathers the ages, it must be built, brick by brick.”

Snarky and ambitious Dawn Campbell almost had it all: a job producing lavish celebrity events, a hip downtown apartment, and a studmuffin of a boyfriend. But after losing all three in one fell swoop, Dawn finds herself resorting to the unimaginable: returning home to Bridgeport, an oceanside town where the air smells sweet but not much happens.

When a chance encounter brings her into the sturdy arms of John Brown, her childhood best friend, old feelings come rushing back. As the sparks fly, life finally starts to look up for Dawn…until she meets his wife. 

Marguerite Brown has everything that Dawn doesn’t: a killer fashion sense, a breathtaking beauty, and a French accent—oh, and the kind of temperament that makes great white sharks seem docile in comparison. Determined to release John from an unhappy marriage, Dawn turns on the charm and makes a plan to finally win back her one-that-got-away.

But after Dawn stumbles upon a secret that, up until now, Marguerite has meticulously kept hidden, the two women are thrust into an unexpected friendship. An Imaginary House by the Sea follows Dawn’s journey towards self-rediscovery, finding purpose, and building a more complex, steadfast kind of love than she could have ever imagined.


“Cecily’s writing reads like a snarky Nicholas Sparks. An Imaginary House by the Sea is an emotional rollercoaster grounded by her uniquely wry voice.” – India Lee, author of HDU and the Hidden Gem series

Review

Dawn Campbell had it all….well almost. When the axis tilted and Dawn found herself going back to her hometown of Bridgeport, she didn’t think she could have it any worse. Until she met her best friend growing up and unrequited love, John Brown, shortly after moving home, she knew that love and romance was on her side…until yet again, it wasn’t.

I can honestly say that at the beginning of this book, I had prejudged and decided I hated it. I didn’t like Dawn’s selfish, shallow, self-absorbed attitude or behavior. If it wasn’t about or for Dawn, she wasn’t having it. However, the more I read, the more I began to enjoy the story, as well as the characters.

The story line reminded me somewhat of the movie “Stepmom”. I fell in love with Marguerite when she challenged Dawn to be herself and face her dreams. I laughed and boy did I cry (So have the tissues ready)!!!!!

Cecily Gates did a great job in making you connect with the characters and feel what they were. The way she did the snippets of the past really helped to understand the characters and where they were coming from, without bogging down the story. She could be a sassy Nicholas Sparks .

All in all, I’d give An Imaginary House by the Sea by Cecily Gates 4 SMOOCHES!

Tricia Phelps

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3 Smooches

Synopsis

“Damn my father and damn this trip. He died and left his affairs in a mess for me to settle. If I return to my hometown, I know the inevitable will happen. I’ll run into Lauren Mitchell! When someone blasts a hole on your heart, like Lauren did to me, it tends to stay open and seeing her again will not ease the pain.”

Aedyn Dell Cumberland left his small hometown after watching his mother pass away in the hospital the night of his high school graduation. In the years to follow he distanced himself completely from the small town and was transformed from a member of the geek squad to a handsome and successful businessman. 
When he finally returns to attend his father’s funeral, he runs into his high school crush, Lauren Mitchel. Old feelings he’d wanted to be left buried are stirred up until he learns about Lauren’s short-tempered boyfriend. 
Can a couple miss their destiny the first time, and then get another chance at it? Or will Aedyn’s heart remain a puppet for which Lauren holds the strings?

Don’t miss the latest erotic romance, Flirting with Destiny: Aedyn Book 1, by New York Times Bestselling author, Eve Carter.

Review

Aedyn Cumberland is a gorgeous successful businessman.  But he wasn’t always gorgeous. In high school, he was the smarty nerdy boy that Lauren Mitchell never gave a second glance to. With the passing of his father, Aedyn has to return to the town he despises. Will he be able to go into town and get out fast or will running into his crush change everything?

         As a new reader of Eve Carter, I can’t say the writing style was bad. It was good, no errors and it flowed just fine. I liked that both point of views were given, so that was a plus. What I couldn’t connect with were the characters. To me they were lukewarm and mediocre. No definite age was specified, and if it wasn’t for the references of jobs/companies, I would have thought their actions were that of teenagers. It took me a while to get through this book for that reason.
         Aedyn is very driven by his past, that of his father and of Lauren. He talks of how she “blasts a hole” in his heart. And I guess it’s because she ignored him in high school? So Chip is Lauren’s boyfriend, he is totally not a like-able character. And the author has build him as so. He treats Lauren like crap and his very self-absorbed. His image is his priority. Now Lauren is the female lead that I wanted to like. And my reason is, she was the popular head cheerleader, I wanted to see more remorse for her social status climbing ways. It just didn’t deliver, she has mentioned her beauty routine, her availability to money, her life choices. All this made me detach myself from her character.
         Beware that the story does end in a small cliffhanger. So a book 2, Flirting with Desire, will be out soon. I would recommend this book in hopes that others can prove me wrong and say “Sarah, I loved it! What’s wrong with you!”  If I am able to review book 2, I hope I will feel differently. At this time, my rating is 3 smooches.

Sarah

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4 Smooches!

Synopsis

A trip to France was supposed to fix everything for Gavin and me. Two weeks in one of the most romantic places on Earth should’ve been a dream come true. Instead, it was turning out to be a nightmare. 

When Carrie arrives at her hotel to find two naked women in bed, claiming that Gavin invited them, she thinks things can’t get any worse. Then she meets Alizee, yet another gorgeous woman who has her sights set on Carrie’s man. To distract herself from her boyfriend’s constant interaction with these women, Carrie teams up with Pierre, a handsome local journalist trying to uncover a sex trafficking ring in the Cannes. Despite a renewal of passion in their sex life, Carrie can’t help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end for her and Gavin. 

You won’t want to miss the second book in M.S. Parker’s sizzling series, Club Privé: French Connection.

Review

Club Prive French Connection Vol 2 continues where Vol 1 left off. So naturally I would suggest reading Vol 1.

Carrie left off in book 1 with a surprise in their hotel room. And it definitely left Carrie speechless. As the story continues we get introduced to 2 new characters, Pierre and Alizee. While Pierre seeks out Carrie for information about her area of expertise, Alizee is showing interest in Gavin. Not wanting to be rude with the helpful competition, Gavin tries to find the best way to dodge her advances. These two just can’t seem to keep out of trouble in their relationship. Just as soon as they are able to reach a common ground in their relationship, a new element turns up.

I enjoyed reading this installment, can’t wait for the next. Steamy scenes are in this book and I will be honest, one act threw me off guard. Not something I would have done but to each their own! With the introduction of the 2 new characters, I’m curious as to how this will all play out. 4 smooches for sure!

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5 Smooches

Synopsis

When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan’s romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they’re forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they’ll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks.

Review

“I’ve never had someone rub me the wrong way so intensely before. If I’m being completely honest, I kind of like the spark.”

OMG! I don’t even know where to start with this book. Bad Romeo is New Adult/ Contemporary GOLD! I put it in both categories because the chapters alternate between their time together in college and the present day years later. The story focuses on Cassie and Holt who have one of the most beautifully complicated relationships I have had the pleasure of reading.

“I can’t believe one kiss has turned my world upside down. I used to think I wanted him, but now what I’m feeling isn’t even in the same universe as want. It’s compulsion. Powerful and hungry. I wish I could go back to the vague yearning I used to feel.”

Holt is my kind of book boyfriend. He is equal parts sexy, mean and damaged. He is closed off and keeps to himself never letting anyone close. He uses sarcasm and wit to keep everyone at bay and doesn’t mind saying what he feels despite how it might make others feel. To be fair if I met him in real life he would piss me off. His anger at life has made him cold and lonely and all of this has him coming off as an ass. Then he meets Cassie. Cassie doesn’t change him, she accepts him, is drawn to him, loves him.

“I push him away. He can’t kiss me like that and say my name with that tone, and completely own me without my fucking permission.”

Cassie and Holt meet at auditions for The Grove, a top acting academy in New York. When paired up during auditions the natural chemistry between the two is evident to everyone around and when they both get accepted Cassie sort of forces her friendship on Holt who is constantly doing his best to push her away even though he is clearly very aware of their connection. When the two are paired up as the leads in the school play, Romeo and Juliet their draw to each other quickly cannot be denied.

“It can’t be natural for one man to be so infuriatingly sexy. Maybe he’s made a pact with the devil. See, that I could understand. He sold his soul to Lucifer in return for sexual powers over frustrated virgins. It would explain a lot.”

Flash forward to the present day and after years of not talking because Holt has so deeply hurt Cassie in some way that these two with their intense connection have not seen or talked. Now all of a sudden they are once again paired up in a play but this time on Broadway and as much as she wants to Cassie cannot walk away from this role  . . .or Holt. Most of the story in the present day has to do with these two trying to see if they can work past their numerous issues and if Cassie can grow past the deep hurt that Holt has caused her deep in her soul.

“Dear Cassandra, sometimes it’s not about trying to fix something that’s broken. Sometimes it’s about starting again and building something new, Something better.”

There are so many aspects of this story that pulled me in. The entire part in the past was gloriously funny, exciting and endearing. Watching these two youthful somewhat outcast youths find each other and fall in love had my heart swelling and my stomach hurting from laughing so hard. Cassie is a desperate virgin who is hopelessly horny and very much wants Holt to help her get rid of her virginity. This made for so many great one-liners my kindle was full of high-lighted potions.

“I bet if he entered his penis in a competition, it would win “Best in Show: and he could walk a giant blue ribbon stuck to his crotch.”

The part of the story that takes place in the present was angsty and at times gut-wrenching. Cassie has been scarred by the damage Holt caused when he walked out of her life that she is no longer the carefree girl she was when we met her. She uses men and sex to drone out the pain in her heart he caused and hearing her pain had me so worked up all I wanted was for her to find a way to love again.

 “As he watches me, he stands a little taller. His chest rises and falls in a deep sigh. Oh yeah. He totally wants to orgasm me. He wants to orgasm the hell outta me. Maybe he’ll use his fingers this time. Please, God let him use his hot-assed fingers.”

Holt for his part has grown and changed too. The way he responds to Cassie now and how he feels shows that he is not the same selfish man he was when he was with her at The Grove. He wants to prove to her that he is different now and capable of getting close to another but the damage done might be too deep.

“That look, That belongs to me. The way your mouth drops open. Your eyelids flutter. That look is all mine.”

The amount of things I loved about Bad Romeo are vast including the plot, the characters, the youthful wit but what stands out among everything for me was Leisa Raven’s way with words. She tells a  beautiful story and she does it with an elegant grace that even when you are reading about something as silly as a young Cassie being addicted to internet porn it doesn’t feel cheesy or over the top at all. The worst part of this story is that I have to wait till April to get my hands on Broken Juliet. I cannot wait to see if after all the work these two put into working through their issues if they can get the HEA they very much deserve.

~miranda