4 Smooches

Synopsis

Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it is both.

Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying in exquisite places, before returning to Oviedo High School. From the outside her life is picture-perfect. Captain of the dance team. Popular. Happy. Too bad it’s all a lie.

It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And I don’t care.

Eighteen-year-old Diego Alvarez hates his new life in the States, but staying in Cuba is not an option. Covered in tattoos and scars, Diego doesn’t stand a chance of fitting in. Nor does he want to. His only concern is staying hidden from his past—a past, which if it were to surface, would cost him everything. Including his life.

At Oviedo High School, it seems that Faith Watters and Diego Alvarez do not belong together. But fate is as tricky as it is lovely. Freedom with no restraint is what they long for. What they get is something different entirely.

Love—it will ruin you and save you, both.

Review

“One thing’s clear. He’s dangerous. And he’s beautiful.”

I am going to be honest and say that this review is hard for me. Parts of this book were five star and parts were 3 star so I decided to split the difference and go with 4 stars. While overall I enjoyed the plot of this book, and I am a sucker for a from different worlds romance I felt that the writing at times was not as smooth as I would have liked. The two main characters Faith and Deigo, are both ones I fell for right away and I was rooting for the two of them to get together straight from the beginning. However, as the story went on I wanted to shake Faith and tell her to let it all go and give in! But I guess sometimes that is needed in order to build up the story. These two could not come from different worlds. Faith is a middle class white preachers daughter who has a few things in her past that only her BFF knows about. Diego has just moved here from Cuba where he was involved in some less than good things. Both of these two just want to be themselves but have a hard time giving in.

“By the way, I see right through you.”

While a bit of a cliche, I really liked Diego. He made the story for me. He was both a jerk and a sensitive man. He pushed and pulled Faith and forced her to stretch past her comfort zone. Before You is packed full of love, desire and action. I found it to be a fast read and once the story started I needed to know how it ended! I will warn you while romantic and action packed this story is very YA and if you are looking for some sex this is not the place to find it. But if you are looking for a different twist on a high school romance this might be for you.

~miranda

5 Smooches!

Synopsis

Before Lynae, my heart was just sitting lifeless in my chest. I wasn’t living. I’ve hidden away the shame and the regret for so long, that I never thought anyone could break through. She did that, and so much more.

I need Lynae more than I need air to breathe. She is everything to me. The night Lynae walked into my life, I knew that I would never be the same. My heart started to feel again.

Now that I’ve pushed her away, the walls that I had built stand to destroy us. I have to get her back. I can’t live without her.

She is the one thing in this world that can make my heart beat.

Review

Make My Heart Beat is the second book in the Shameful Regret Series and I am so so happy to finally get the conclusion of Lynae and Connor’s story.  I liked this story even better than the first book in this series, In A Heartbeat.  I don’t know if it was the anticipation or just the culmination of so much drama that came to a head at the end of the last book, but I really enjoyed all of the angst in this one and how it all played out.  Another reason that I might have loved it just a bit more than the first is that this book had dual point of view and I am a really big fan of that.  It certainly made a difference hearing and seeing things from Connor’s point of view.

Lynae and Connor were left with some serious problems and obstacles at the end of In A Heartbeat.  The biggest being that Lynae does not feel she can trust Connor because he won’t open up to her about whatever problems he is having.  I really felt for these two troubled people.  Honestly, I was pulling hard for Connor this entire book, even though I know he made some pretty terrible mistakes where Lynae is concerned.  These two are both just a hot mess, and I absolutely loved it.  No one loves drama more than me and Connor and Lynae are just one dramatic event after the next.

OK, a few things here that I need to say.  In A Heartbeat was really great but Make My Heart Beat was even better.  I think that it flowed better and the story kept my attention the entire time.  I literally read it in one sitting.  I feel like Liz’s writing and presentation of her stories is improving with each book.  Also, I really just love ALL of her characters.  I am most certainly excited for Sly’s book.  He is such a macho hot head that I just know he is going to deliver the drama and the steamy sex!  Whew, I know what is coming Sly. and I am definitely looking forward to it!  But, I really feel like I need to talk about Seth for a minute.  He really stood out in this book and I am head over heels for this man.  I am DYING for his book.  I really very much need his happily-ever-after right this moment.  I do not know why but he just stole my heart, and I need to know more about him right now!  This series is coming together so nicely.  My love and attachment to the characters is growing every book and I think that Liz may need to quit her full time job so that she can write and feed my Shameful Regret addiction.

Amie

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4 Smooches!

Synopsis

After a horrific breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Brooklyn Caldwell is completely disenchanted with the notion of mingling with the opposite sex. Damon Williams had been everything she thought she wanted…until he wasn’t.

In an attempt to escape her heartbreaking past, Brooklyn seeks refuge in bustling Washington, D.C. where she folds into the fast-paced society unnoticed…until she meets a young entrepreneur, Logan Colton.

Brooklyn is surprised to find that while she has been successful in keeping the opposite sex at bay, somehow she is defenseless against Logan’s confidence and charm—and it doesn’t hurt that he is absurdly beautiful.

As much as Logan didn’t plan on pursuing her, he is drawn to Brooklyn’s muted beauty and her witty persona. For all his success, Logan is ensnared in the coveted world of unequivocal wealth and power, but behind closed doors is taunted by demons and an undeniable need to atone for a monumental mistake.

As the two embark on a tumultuous obstacle course saturated with unknown twists and turns, Brooklyn is left to question whether she can endure the journey ahead.

Review

Unsettled is S.C. Ellington’s debut and she is off to a great start. This book was well written and kept me engaged throughout.

Brooklyn was happy. She was in love with her boyfriend and they had a plan for the future. When Brooklyn’s Boyfriend Damon decides to end things she is totally shocked and completely heartbroken. Needing a change, she moves across the country for a fresh start. Three years later Brooklyn still hasn’t moved on, the breakup has left her damaged and untrusting.

Working at her dead-end job as an assistant, she has a chance encounter with a gorgeous guy who just so happens to be a mega rich CEO. Logan is instantly taken with Brooklyn and will not take no for an answer in his pursuit of her. Logan is sweet and patient but has been weary of relationships up to this point.

Both characters are carrying some heavy baggage that they need to take care of before they can move forward as a couple.

I really like both Brooklyn and Logan. Brooklyn was fun and cheeky despite her insecurities and Logan was just such a nice guy! It was really great to see their relationship progress. This is the first book in their story and I will tell you that there was a definite cliffhanger at the end of this one that had me wishing I could start the second book right away! I am usually not a big fan of cliffy’s but I am really looking forward to seeing how everything plays out between these two so I will absolutely be picking up the next one!

Dana

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4 Smooches!

Synopsis

Cash is determined to fight his new found attraction to Clair. She’s a good girl, sweet, gentle and kind. Not qualities he’s usually interested in. But things have changed. She’s changed. And now that Clair is in danger he’s finding it harder to keep himself under control.

Clair is sick of being the sweet girl nobody notices. Its time to be the girl she always wanted to be. But in the process she’s caught the attention of someone else, someone dangerous, someone who now wants to hurt her.

Can Cash protect her from this new threat? And keep it in his hands off her, even though there’s no denying the attraction between them?

Review

This book follows Cash and Clair. Cash is a businessman who at the start of the book is in a miserable drowning his sorrows place, he is left by the girl he loves or thinks that he does. Clair is his office manager and this quite little innocent girl, until she receives a call to pick up her drunken boss from the bar. Then you get to see the feisty little spitfire side to her.

Cash sees this new side to Clair that he likes, but he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to taint her with his life, he feels she deserves better and that she is too good for him. He spends so much time trying to fight his attraction to her, but when her life becomes in danger he will do whatever needs to be done to protect her. “She might think she wants me, or even loves me, but It’s impossible for an angel like Clair to be with a hellion like me. I could never forgive myself if I allowed myself to taint someone so pure.”

Clair has been living a quiet life as she moves on from a bad background. She is quiet. She isn’t talkative, she keeps herself to herself and she is also madly in love with boss. She decides that she is going to take charge and go after what she wants. She tells Cash how she feels and she is trying to get him to see her the way she wants to be seen.

Clair and her cousin Tessa (b*ch face) move into Cash’s house under his instruction as he wants to protect her from the person who is trying to hurt her. Cash even calls in favours from friends to help him protect his girl. Cash and Clair grow closer and their relationship soon turns from sex to something more. Cash decided that he wasn’t going to fight his attraction to her anymore. He wanted her and he wanted her forever.

Tragedy strikes and it leaves the fate of these two up in the air. While one of them is fighting for the relationship the other is fighting against it. Who will win, will they be together. Read this book to find out.

This book had me gripped from the beginning, the twists that came sucked you in that much more. Well done Eliza Brown on a fantastic read. I look forward to Kai’s story.

“The attraction between us was undeniable.”

Stacey

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