Synopsis

Falling in love? Courtney Grayson has been there, done that.
Men, who needs them? Love wasn’t everything she thought it would be. This time around she’s doing things differently. She hasn’t sworn off men for good, just isn’t interested in settling. Trusting someone with her heart again? Someday, but not today.
Falling in love? Sorry, Clay Bradshaw is not the guy for you.
He’s never been in love and he doesn’t see it happening. Hooking up can be fun, but more often than not, women are a distraction he doesn’t need. He’s a busy man, and doesn’t have time to date, let alone fall in love. Will someone ever change that? There’s always a chance, someday.
Life doesn’t always go as planned, and love may find them both on the other side of someday.

Review

What an amazing, uplifting story about life after you start living your ‘someday.’ When Courtney has the worst day in the history of days, I mean, everything bad that could happen, happened to this poor woman, she is left alone. It’s almost like starting completely fresh. She no longer has a fiancé, or a job, or a place to live, or even cell phone. Life as she has known it for the past eight years has been completely turned on it’s head, and surprisingly, she handles it very well. Sometimes, life throws so much at you at once, you just have to deal. She starts to reflect on her relationship with her former fiancé, Michael and slowly starts to realize that her relationship with him was not healthy. She wasn’t herself with him. They were both just going through the motions of what a relationship should be, not really connecting.

I loved how Courtney was described. She’s realistic, adorable, and funny. She has her own little quirks that round out the story so nicely. I love that she isn’t afraid to speak her mind. That’s so refreshing in a character, and her being thirty, it really rings true for me. I remember being a lot more pensive in my twenties, wondering if I was ‘doing the right thing’ and now, much like Courtney, after her failure of a relationship, she starts to peel the layers of who she wants to be and isn’t afraid to just do that, be herself.

After a series of crazy events, Courtney meets Clay. A gorgeous mechanic, or so she thinks, and they immediately hit it off. Of course, who wouldn’t love a quirky blonde who blushes and flirts? I love how they aren’t afraid to speak openly to each other. They are in their thirties, and have certainly learned from their past fuck-ups. They begin their relationship with the truth, no lying and no hiding. This is something that’s hard to do if you don’t already know who you are and who you want to be. Both of these characters have endured times in their lives that they are not proud of who they were, and starting out fresh with each other proves to be the winning ticket. I loved how, dare I say, Alpha Clay is. He is strong, and a Southern Gentleman in public, but he is very ‘take what I want’ in the bedroom. Courtney and Clay’s chemistry is off the charts, but there is a nice balance of everyday life, some extreme situations, loving friends, and the start of someday.

I absolutely loved this romance. It was sweet, and really hit home for me. It’s nice to read about characters that you share similarities with. Characters that are bright, and vivid, and yet realistic. They all have their faults, just like anyone, but they own up to them and try to make their lives worth living. That’s all you can try to do. It was a beautiful story that came full circle, which I absolutely love about Carey’s writing. She always leaves me with a smile on my face.

5 SMOOCHES

~Nicole

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5 Smooches

Synopsis

My name is Tate. He doesn’t call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he’ll barely even speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way in hell I’ll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It’s time to fight back.

I’m not going to let him bully me anymore.

***This novel contains adult/mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

Review

Wow, where do I start other than saying I do not know why I waited so long to read this book. It was absolutely amazing and unique. I bought Bully a while ago and it has been staring at me on my kindle for a good long time and after some pushing from my co-blogger, Amie, telling me how great a book this was, I finally picked it up this week and gave it a shot. OH MY! Why did I wait so long? I am a New Adult lover and this book had everything I want and love in a book. It was filled with angst, wit, unanswered questions, drama, supreme sexiness, and characters I could both love and hate.

Jared and Tatum were childhood best friends who did everything together until one fateful summer when Jared went away and when he returned he was a complete ass to Tatum. He and his friends literally went out of their way to make her life a living hell and they succeeded. Needing a change of pace, Tatum decides to spending a year abroad as an exchange student will finally make her high school career survivable. When she returns she isn’t surprised that the bullying and relentless picking on her picks right back up. But now one thing is different . . . Tatum! She isn’t taking it and when she finally develops a backbone her whole world changes. There are so many questions between them and if they could actually act civil around one another long enough to talk maybe they could actually get answers.

Penelope Douglas has a wonderful way with words. I was drawn in right away and the story was something so different I had to read until I knew how it would end. I loved how this story tackled real issues that are being faced by kids today. This was not a subject taken lightly. It takes a great writer to make you hate a character so much with your whole being and then suddenly also fall in love with him at the same time. Going into Bully I absolutely hated Jared and wanted to hurt him badly. He was everything I hated about high school. He was petty and mean and not afraid to publicly humiliate Tatum seemingly for his own pleasure. How was I supposed to root for him when I could barely stand to read about him. But that is where Penelope shines in her writing and the way she describes things makes anything possible. I honestly think any New Adult lover should read Bully and I personally am looking forward to a re-read in my future.

~Miranda

Synopsis

Luke Barringer finds himself in the desert near death, unsure of his name and with no recollection of his past. As the hot sun bears down on him, his will to live slips away, but he can’t close his eyes. Sleep is the enemy and now it seems he has found his own slice of hell. But through the mist of his agony, a girl’s soft voice drifts over him and the sound of it draws him away from the darkness. 

While riding her horse, Evangeline “Angel” Sharpe finds a man bloodied and beaten. Despite knowing that she’ll be in trouble for bringing him to the Bedlam MC compound, she takes him home to tend his wounds. While the handsome stranger heals, Angel finds herself falling for him. As the mystery of his past is revealed, she helps him struggle with the truth, a truth that will lead to his true identity . . . an identity that could destroy Angel’s world.

Review

I have read many of Tess’ books in the past and this is her first take on a Motorcycle Club read. Let me tell you, it’s sweet and sexy and very…dangerous. You are instantly enthralled with the lives of these hellions that reside on the footfall of a mountain in the high desert outside of Reno, Nevada. I love how she described the arid desert, the heat of the day and the cold of the night. Having lived in such a place, it was both familiar and eerie. The story opens up with a young girl, riding horseback and finding a man dying on the desert floor outside her grandfather’s compound. Angel is a decent human being and so she does what anyone else would do, she tries to help him. She gets him into the confines of her gated, secured life only to be thwarted by her grandfather. Of course, he doesn’t want a stranger within his walls, within his domain, no matter if his granddaughter trusts the man. The catch is, the poor man has been beaten and deprived of food, water and shelter for so long that he doesn’t remember who he is. It’s all a blank void, his mind, and of course, this makes Angel’s grandfather, Dreygon, extremely suspicious. He is the President of the Bedlam MC and doesn’t take too kindly to strangers, even ones that are half-dead. He strings up the man, “Reno” and proceeds to torture him some more. Of course, it’s a fruitless endeavor when Reno can’t remember anything. Angel saves him from more senseless torture and thus begins the relationship between Angel and Reno. It’s an instant connection, something they feel in their bones. It’s extremely passionate and even though Reno’s body is trying to heal, they still find a way to connect on some very intimate levels.

The combination of the amnesia, the crazy MC President grandfather, and in the end, the realizations that come screaming back into Reno’s head make for such a fun, fast paced read. I loved this first installment in the new series and can’t wait for more! It’s sexy, and sweet, and very intriguing. There are many characters that you just know are going to be trouble. The ending will leave you shocked! And I have to say, that is much appreciated after reading many books lately. It’s nice to be thrown off a bit. The one question you are really left wondering is if the newfound relationship between Angel and Reno will last. She sees him as her savior, as the man that will take her away from her horrible, confined life. Will he be able to, after he figures out who he is? I’m on pins and needles and can’t wait for more.

5 SMOOCH-A-ROONIES

~Nicole

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4 Smooches!

Synopsis

Best friends since birth, Brooke Reid and Savannah Prescott, spend their days working together at top fashion magazine Hourglass, while enjoying all that the Denver nightlife has to offer – but sharing a man – no way.

One of Denver’s most eligible bachelors, Luke Wellington, can have any woman he wants and he knows it. Putting his player skills to the test, he destroys a friendship and makes two women fall in love with him as he sits back and enjoys the best of both worlds.

Brooke Reid is a woman looking for her happily ever after, and the day she literally ran in to him, she thought she’d found it. Charming, charismatic, a true gentleman – what more could she ask for? Things are going perfectly until her best friend struts in the elevator and claimed his lips right in front of her.

Savannah Prescott is interested in one thing, having a good time with every single man Denver has to offer. Being tied down is too much of a bore for her free spirited ways. Or so she thinks, but when her best friend starts dating her Friday night fling, she realizes she may be ready to turn in her game card and settle down into a real relationship.

When both girls come to the realization that they are after the same man, it means all-out war. Best friends until the end, or at least until him.

Review

“Hour Glass” is a fun and quick read that I really didn’t want to put down! This isn’t your traditional romance novel and I wasn’t sure how everything was going play out from one page to the next.

Brooke and Savannah are BFF’s and complete opposites. Brooke wants to settle down and find the right guy where Savannah is all about having a good time, no strings attached. When they both unwittingly fall for the same guy can their friendship survive?

Talk about a love triangle! This book was fast passed and entertaining the whole way through. I found myself laughing out loud at these girls and their antics and at other points I was seeing red and wanting to give Luke/Lucas and piece of my mind!!! If you’re looking for super steamy love scenes and romance this may not be the right choice but it is definitely a feel good, girl power read with a really surprising and satisfying ending.

Dana

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4 Smooches

Synopsis

A Chicago reporter in her mid-twenties unexpectedly finds love in Napa Valley when she’s assigned to spend a week with a famously reclusive genius.

Kate Corbin has lost her spark. From the outside, her life seems charmed. She has a handsome, long-term boyfriend and a budding journalism career at a popular Chicago newspaper. But in reality, her relationship is going nowhere, and she’s quickly losing motivation for what she once believed was her dream job. When her boyfriend dumps her unceremoniously, Kate loses all hope of finding love.

With no living family and few friends, Kate confides in her boss. Trusting that the hungry, ace reporter is buried somewhere deep inside, he gives Kate the opportunity to jumpstart her career. The assignment: to interview the famously reclusive R.J. Lawson, a wealthy tech genius who disappeared years ago but recently reemerged as a Napa Valley vintner. The week takes an unexpected turn, however, when Lawson refuses to divulge any information. Desperate for a lead, Kate turns to Jamie, a vineyard hand who shows her the romance of wine country—and stirs her aching heart. But his connection to Lawson is ambiguous, and when Jamie disappears before the end of the week, Kate is left to investigate another story: the truth behind the man who stole her heart.

USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino explored love and heartbreak in her beautifully written debut Sweet Thing, and her newest novel does not disappoint. For fans of Colleen Hoover, K.A. Tucker, and Katja Millay, Nowhere But Here is a stirring and satisfying romance that you won’t want to put down.

Review

“My nerves were in overdrive, but not because of my interview with Lawson. I was feeling something I’d never felt before. And I was feeling it for a guy I had just met.”

This was such a sweet love story about a girl who was convinced she was destined to be alone and a man she spent four days with who just knew she was meant to be his. I really enjoyed this stand-alone romance by Renee Carlino. This was my first book of hers and I will definitely be looking into reading more of her books in the future!

“The pretty ones are always a little cray-cray.”

Nowhere but here centers around Chicago journalist, Kate, and her quest to get her writing spark back. After losing the woman who raised her, who was the only family she had, Kate has been struggling. She cannot find inspiration anywhere and her writing went from phenomenal to just average. When her boss, Jerry, offers her the opportunity to go to Napa and interview reclusive billionaire and uber private winery owner RJ Lawson, Kate soon finds herself on an airplane. Once there she finds that she cannot rely on public transit as she did in Chicago.  She takes off to the winery in her new rental car only to hit the truck of winery worker Jamie. Jamie is sexy, charismatic and definitely can get under Kate’s skin (although I am pretty sure she likes that.)

“‘Please Kiss me.’ ‘You have a boyfriend.’ I didn’t hesitate for a second. ‘Not anymore.’ And then his lips crushed mine.”

After a terrible interview with RJ Lawson and deciding it was best to communicate via email, Kate relies heavily on Jamie to show her the working of the winery and all that there is to love about Napa. It doesn’t take long for the spark that formed when they met to blossom and after just a few days they find themselves virtually unable to do anything without the other. But when things take a turn for the worse and Kate returns to Chicago it truly seems like their fling is doomed and she was right that the only one she can rely on is herself.

“Hey Kate, you wanna go to the skate park with me tomorrow night?” “I can’t, I have a date with a lesbian.”

Ok so depressed Kate is a funny Kate. I know it seems weird but my favorite part of the book was when Kate was going thought her hardest times. Honestly, I fell in love with her during this part and it really propelled the book for me. I found myself laughing out loud with the things that came out of her mouth once she just stopped caring what others thought. The whole second half of the book really picked up for me and made me love the story.

“Don’t give up, Kate. Don’t stop searching. Find him, take care of each other, hold on to each other, never let go.”

Overall, this was a sweet and romantic love story about finding the important things in life and moving past all the bullshit. Renee’s writing is beautiful and well thought out. I honestly look forward to reading more books by her in the future.

~miranda

5 Smooches

Synopsis

I should’ve known.
I should’ve listened to my gut.
But I didn’t.
I listened with the wrong head.
And where did it get me?

Secrets.
Lies.
Deceit.

She embodied them all.
Deceived her way into my company.
Lied about who she was.
Kept secrets from me after convincing me I could trust her.

Those walls she tore down are back up in full force.

Cold.
Angry.
Unforgiving.

She was no longer my intern.
She was no longer mine.

*The Intern is a three-part romantic suspense serial.*
Not suitable for readers under 18.

Review

The Intern Vol 3 is the third and final volume of The Intern Serial and I cannot say how much I love this dramatic and sexy story! From the first moment we met Bentley and Cece two books ago I loved them and their complex and forbidden relationship. Their story had so many twist and turns I was constantly on the edge of my seat just wondering what Brooke could have come up with. So often in these books it is the man who is hiding something and lying and the woman has to find a way to understand and love him, I loved how Brooke took all the typical things in a romance and just did something new and exciting. Cece is not perfect, she lies and is sneaky and but what she needs (even if her driving force is noble) above the needs of others and ultimately this is going to hurt her. She needs to know what happened to her father in order for her to be able to move on with her life and be happy. But what price is she willing to pay for this to happen.

“Everything in me is fighting against each other. What she did versus who she is. Knowing why she did it helped give me closure, but it doesn’t change the fact she lied and manipulated me. It also didn’t change the way I felt about her.”

Now that the truth is out there this story is all about the fallout. Everything that happened in the first two books is building to see if Bentley can and will move past the deceit and I will tell you (without giving much away) it is not easy. I actually found myself in the middle of reading this book messaging the author in utter shock at some of the events that happen. I did not see that coming AT ALL!  If you like to be taken on a journey this serial is for you. It has everything I look for in a book, hot sex (cause I mean really we all need to admit we like that), a strong willed heroine, a I want-to-lick-him-all-day-long sexy man, a mystery and an element of surprise.

As usual Brooke did an excellent job of writing a book that I couldn’t put down. The writing is great and the story flows perfectly. I did find that I really enjoyed the build in this volume and that you have to work a little to get to those too sexy scenes! While the first two books were amazingly sexy pretty early on this installment dealt more with the issues between Cece and Bentley before divining into the you -might-need-clean-panties scenes! Also in order to give them time to work through all the drama that comes with lies, deceit and a mystery that needs to be solved this is quite a bit longer than the first two and definitely worth every penny! I am more than happy to give this volume 5 AMAZING AND SEXY SMOOCHES!

~miranda

Synopsis

Sloane 

For over two years, Sloane Romera has pinned everything on finding Alexis. Life was going to get better. Easier. Happier. The nightmare of having a missing sister was supposed to end, and everything was supposed to go back to normal. 
However, now that she’s found her sister, Sloane is discovering that life has a way of ridiculing what we expect of it.
Nothing is easier.
And ‘normal’ is falling for a man who might never be able to feel the same way.

*** 

Zeth 

A lengthy history of breaking things with his fists has given Zeth Mayfair a fairly good idea of how to get his own way. But when his goal, the one, single woman on the face of the planet that he’s truly ever wanted, can only be obtained by fixing things instead of destroying them, how can he adjust a lifetime of violence in order to make her his once and for all? And how can he make sure that she is safe?
The first part is going to take time. But the second part…
The second part is easy.
He must kill Charlie Holsan.

Review

WOW. Another amazing part to this epic saga. There was so much happening in this story that it left my head spinning at the end. Finally, finally Zeth and Sloane give in to each other. Zeth asks her for something simple, and yet we tend to guard it close to our heart. That would be the truth. He only asks that she never lie to him. Seems simple, and yet it’s a major turning point in their relationship. He admits that if anything were to ever happen to her, he’d kill everyone in his path to seek justice. Admitting that to himself was probably one of the hardest things Zeth ever had to do. Violence comes easy to him. Love and compassion are foreign. And yet, they finally get there. This isn’t about sex; it isn’t about letting go for a night. It’s about finding that person that ignites you, that blinds you, that makes you cherish all that surrounds you. Zeth never gave a second thought to things such as this but with Sloane, she is everything.

One of the many things that I love about this series, is that it plays out like a movie. There is so much action and adventure that keeps your blood pumping. There are some new characters and major plot twists and turns in this one to keep you guessing and hooked. I only see good things in the future for this series. Zeth and Sloane hit me on a deep level. They are both so vivid and full of life, even as they are combating death. They are feisty and rigid and so set in their own ways, and yet, all they care about is each other. It’s really quite beautiful the depths they will go to survive.

“I’ve fallen for this reckless, dangerous, terrifying soul, and now that I’ve realized it, I’m not ready to give it up.” ~Sloane

“You don’t need to ask me if I want you to leave. You don’t ever need to ask me that. At this stage in the proceedings, I don’t think there’s any leaving for either of us.” ~Zeth

Let me end by saying, I need more. I love this series. It’s fun, and imaginative and so well written.

5 ENORMOUS SMOOCHES

~Nicole

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