BACK TO TOP

Tuesday 29 September 2015

The Art of Stealing Hearts (Love and Art #1) by Stella London - ARC Review

Released: 30th September 2015.

Blurb:

“The bid is at five million dollars. Going once…”

This morning, I was waiting tables and dreaming of an internship at San Francisco’s most famous auction house . Now I have my paddle in the air, bidding more money than I can imagine for a priceless painting – and all because of him.

“Going twice…”

Charles St. Clair is a famous British billionaire, and the most seductive man I’ve ever met. I can’t get him out of my head, and he’s not letting me get away. He’s offered the chance of a lifetime, all I need to do is say ‘yes’.

“Sold, to the lady in the front row!”

Things like this don’t happen to girls like me – or do they? All I know is, I’m going to enjoy the ride.



Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1YLNFh8
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1jtAKjM
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1LZ9ccP
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1LM4NOA

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: September 2015.

The Art of Stealing Hearts starts off on what could be Grace Bennett's biggest day in her short life, she's got an interview for an internship at the prestigious Carringer's - after a lifetime of living and breathing art, Grace finally has an opportunity to turn her dream into reality. Growing up in a meagre home, Grace has always known financial struggle, but what she lacked in financial stability she had ten fold in love, her mother created a world filled with wonder, with art.

When Grace runs into a mysterious stranger her day is already starting to go south, but his sexy smile and kind eyes momentarily distracts her, when her interview doesn't go as planned, she still manages to find a silver lining taking an opportunity for what it is, and from there her life takes an unexpected turn.

Charles St. Clair is something of an enigma, he's wealthy, not only does he come from old money but he's built quite an empire, he's a celebrity of sorts in the art world, devilishly sexy, debonair and charming, there's something about him though that I can't put my finger on.

The Art of Stealing Hearts is whirlwind romance at it's best, a short period of time is covered but in it we learn so much more about Grace, we learn about her life, about her past, about her dreams and hopes for her future, she's a realist, she see's the world for what it is, and yet still finds beauty in it, and Charles gives her hope for something more, for something bigger, and yet he still remains a mystery.

In between Grace meeting a man that seems almost too good to be true, there's dream jobs, priceless art, auction house heists, and appraisals, I don't want to give anything away, I wouldn't necessarily call TAoSH a cliff hanger but you are definitely going to want to dive into book two soon after finishing this. This was short, sweet, intriguing with just enough swoony sexiness thrown in to hit it's mark, I'm excited to see where Stella London takes this series next.




Coming Soon:



The Art of Stealing Kisses (Love & Art #2) - 14th October 2015.

A priceless painting. A devastatingly handsome new boss.
A mystery I can’t resist.

Ever since billionaire art collector Charles St Clair crashed into my life, my whole world’s turned upside down. Now I’m trading my old waitress uniform for designer gowns, and bad blind dates for steamy hookups with the most eligible bachelor in town. But a string of daring art heists is turning heads - and all the clues point to St Clair.

Who is the man behind the myth? And what secrets is he hiding behind that million-dollar smile?
All I know is, I’m going to enjoy unwrapping the truth.
Goodreads

The Art of Stealing Forever (Love & Art #3) - 28th October 2015.

Charles St Clair’s secret is out. My billionaire art collector boss has been hiding a double life - and now he wants me in on the deal.

I’ve never been one to break the rules, but there’s something about him I can’t resist.
It’s thrilling. Intoxicating.
Sexy as hell.

But how far can we go before someone gets caught?
I’m going to find out.
Goodreads


Follow Stella London on Facebook



Monday 28 September 2015

Reprieve by AE Woodward - Release Blitz

 
 
 
Blurb:
 
I thought he was my antidote, but it turns out that he’s just my new drug of choice.
Before him, it was heroin.
And then they put me here against my will.
At the time it seemed like my only viable choice.
I preferred stumbling through life numb to it all. But now I’m here, and every sound and every emotion is heightened to a level I never knew existed.
Then somehow, in a moment of weakness it became all about him.
My counsellor.
He makes me feel things I never thought possible. But I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to recover...



Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1LJ1I1X
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1KOabg0
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1MTlWaK
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1Lg7oBD
Amazon paperback: http://amzn.to/1RaMz9Q

About AE Woodward:

 





Co-author of CAUGHT
Author of Working Girl
Kismet
+
A Series of Imperfections
Imperfectly Perfect (#1)
Imperfectly Real (#2)
Imperfectly Bad (#3)

Facebook


Splinters (Running on Empty #2) by MR Field - Release Blitz

 



Blurb:


Hazel

 I’ve spent my younger years acting, safe in a world of make-believe. I learnt to transform into roles to hold onto a sense of harmony in my life.

 Years later, still in that moment, I am another face. Another mask. I am not me—the forgotten daughter, the quiet friend, the unrequited love.

 Until the pretending becomes meaningless.

 And my life hardens again.

 I’m tired of acting for my friends when my parents ignore me. I’m tired of acting for myself when I want the world to stop being so hard. I’m tired of holding back from the only man I’ve ever loved.

 Even though being drawn to him petrifies me above all else.

 When I act to him, he sees right through me.

 Each and every time.


Robbie


She has haunted my dreams for years. The girl I teased to watch her blush. The girl I watched in quiet agony. The girl I had a chance with, one I ruined when I pushed her away.

 Now, after all these years, she’s returning to work for me. A ruse to make her mine.

 I will show her that she deserves to be cherished, and loved. I’ll bring back that goddess who took my breath away when I was twenty.

 You only live once. Side by side, I only want this final lifetime spent with her.


GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25001049-splinters





PURCHASE LINKS – 99c for a limited time



US:  http://amzn.to/1RaLhf2

UK: http://amzn.to/1R5VB85

AU: http://bit.ly/1WnjLOg

B&N: http://bit.ly/1QD98my

KOBO: http://bit.ly/1Wnj2N6

iBOOKS: http://apple.co/1KUECo9





ALSO AVAILABLE



#1 Fragments – on sale for 99c


US:  http://amzn.to/1PIGUGQ

UK: http://amzn.to/1KWdoMp

AU: http://bit.ly/1eZZwVH

B&N: http://bit.ly/1MTEozp

KOBO: http://bit.ly/1DCrNgJ

iBOOKS: http://apple.co/1HxgAcx



Excerpt:

Without turning, I know it’s Robbie standing there. I hear a muttered “fuck” as he clears his throat. That familiar wave that I’ve felt all this time returns. No matter where he is, I sense him. My body feels in tune with his, like a well-loved instrument. I want to be strummed, my pulse to rise while everything else fades away.
“It’s okay,” I assure him, my voice deep with desire, “you can come in.”
I don’t risk turning around just yet. I know those eyes will loosen the grip I have at my side, and the fingers will release my costume until it flutters to the ground.
“Ten minutes to show time, Hazel.” His voice breaks. A breath flutters out of my throat.
In the corner of my eye, I see him move closer until he is standing behind me. My grip tightens on the fabric as I feel his warm breath against my neck. Goosebumps tease along my skin and I can’t help it. I have to look at him. My eyes turn and stare into the molten depths of the eyes of the most beautiful man I have ever known. Without a word, his fingers reach out to my hips and begin to slowly zip up the corset. As the zip drags up my side, his warm fingers tease my skin until soft pants escape my lips. I swallow hard. I run the tip of my tongue along the inside of my lip, not caring that I’ve probably coated it in lipstick.
He finishes zipping me up and runs his fingertips along the feathered tulle that peaks out at the top from under the seam of the corset. He hisses as the heat from my body rushes to the surface, giving my skin a pink glow.
He gently turns me to face him and I watch nervously as his eyes trail up and down my body.
“You are magnificent.” He breathes, his voice only marginally returning.
“Th … thank you for the flowers,” I stammer, too turned on to function. A slow smile warms his face as he leans forward to leave a gentle kiss behind my left ear.
“Anytime,” he whispers in my ear.

About MR Field:





M R Field is an author from Rural Victoria and has completed a Bachelor's degree with Honours from Latrobe University, Melbourne. After growing up with the river at her front door, she returned back to her hometown after many years of living in the city. She now lives a tranquil lifestyle with her husband and two young children.

M R Field has always held a love for writing, filling journals as a child which progressed to more eloquent pieces as an adult. After ten years of creative instruction, she decided to turn these ideas into manuscripts. She adores creating new story lines and is a big fan of a happily ever after, but believes strongly in making her characters work for it.


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMRField
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mezmfield
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mrfield80/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8301441.M_R_Field

Giveaway:

There is a giveaway for a $30 Amazon gift card, a signed paperback of Splinters + swag
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Sunday 27 September 2015

Nuts (Hudson Valley #1) by Alice Clayton - ARC Review


Released: 20th October 2015.

Blurb:

From New York Times bestselling author Alice Clayton, the first in a brand-new romance series telling the humorously sexy tale of Roxie, a private chef who gets a taste of love—but is it to stay, or to go?

After losing almost all of her clients in one fell swoop following an accident involving whipped cream, private chef to Hollywood’s elite Roxie Callahan gets a call from her flighty mother, saying she’s needed home in upstate New York to run the family diner. Once she's back in the Hudson Valley, local organic farmer Leo delivers Roxie a lovely bunch of walnuts, and soon sparks—and clothing—begin to fly. Leo believes that everything worth doing is worth doing slowly…and how! But will Roxie stay upstate, or will the lure of West Coast redemption tempt her back to Tinseltown?


Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WmzkWz
Amazon paperback: http://amzn.to/1KGliaF
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PAUyf8
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1LazIp9
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1MtREbA



 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2015.

Alice Clayton has fast become an automatic #1click author for me, her Cocktail series ensured that, Wallbanger left me in a fit of giggles the first time I read it, and every time since I'm left smiling and giggling my way through the book, Clayton cemented herself as an author who absolutely pulled off perfectly timed comedic romance, but what I adore so much about her, is that she proved her emotional depth in Last Call and the Red Head series. Clayton proved without a doubt she isn't a one show pony, in saying that I was excited to dive into NUTS, but I'll admit I was just a smidge concerned that I wouldn't love these new characters as much as I loved Nighty Girl, Wallbanger, George and Gracie...I shouldn't have doubted it, I clearly had no reason for concern.

From the very first page when we meet Roxie Callahan, she's spritely, incredibly passionate about her work, but not so much about her clients, she's run far far away from small time life to create a brand new and improved Roxie, one that isn't defined by her flakey mother or  rural life where the town gossips know every detail about your existence. The new Roxie is single and successfully building the life she's always dreamt of, but when things snowball in her professional life and her mother asks her to return home to the family business, Roxie is left with few options, plus there's a time frame to protect the new Roxie from slipping back into the old Roxie.

When Roxie returns to Bailey Falls, she's something of an enigma, she's gone off and conquered her dream, cooking for the rich and famous, for the first time Roxie might just be standing outside of the shadow of her past, all of a sudden she's not hiding in the corner, trying desperately to fade in the background. When she unceremoniously falls on local farmer Leo, her luck couldn't be worse....or could it...Bailey Falls seems to have some lovely new additions since she left, Leo rocking the hipster scruff, all man, not afraid to get his hands dirty...small town life might just have some advantages that she hadn't thought of.

Leo is sexy as sin, he's smart and just as feisty as Roxie, giving back as good as he gets, passionate about organic growing and the farming of local and sustainable produce, he is essentially Bailey Falls most eligible bachelor and he seems to be showing interest in Roxie, she has three months back home and Leo might be just what she needs to make it a fun trip.

There's so much I love here, Nuts in true Clayton style is funny as hell, witty banter, sexual chemistry and enough heat to sizzle in even the hottest of kitchens, Nuts is part romance, part coming of age in an odd kind of way, part comedy, like every one of her books, I was instantly invested, I wanted to know more about Roxie, I wanted her to be challenged by her old town, I wanted her boundaries to be pushed and I wanted her to live an authentic life without the constraints she seemed to place on herself. Leo intrigued me, because he's definitely got alpha male qualities but he also seemed to have more depth than just standard issue hot guy, his passion for his work, his commitment to sustainable farming, his swoony worthy looks, and his snappy come back...he gave Mr Wallbanger a run for his money...and that's really saying something.

There's all the wit I'd come to expect from an Alice Clayton book, snappy one liners, sneaky comebacks, sexy glances and fun filled adventures, Roxie and Leo are hard not to love, and the entire rag tag bunch of locals make for a rollicking journey, one that I loved every second of, whenever I'm in doubt about what to read when I'm in a book funk, when I'm down and need to laugh or when I want to go back and spend sometime with my favourite book friends Clayton's Nuts (hehe see what I did there) will definitely jump to the top of the list.





About the author:



ALICE CLAYTON worked in the cosmetics industry for over a decade before picking up a pen (read laptop).

She enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up, and finally convinced her long-time boyfriend to marry her.

Now, about that Bernese Mountain dog.

Website


Saturday 26 September 2015

The Allure of Dean Harper (Allure #2) by RS Grey - ARC Review

 
Released: 28th September 2015. 

Blurb:


From: LilyNBlack@Gmail.com
To: JosephineKeller@VogueMagazine.com
Subject: You’re a flippin’ idiot


Good morning my dear, naive friend,

I hope you’re enjoying a breakfast of regret and sorrow.

Why?

Because you sent me to work for Dean Harper, aka a control freak in a tailor-made suit. Sure he owns the trendiest restaurants in NYC, but c'mon Jo, his ego makes Kanye West look like the Dalai Lama.

He's the type of guy that only hears the word “no” when it's followed by “don’t stop.”

Working for Dean Harper would be like selling my soul to the devil…and before you say anything, I don’t care if the devil has punch-you-in-the-gut brown eyes and an ass to match. My soul isn’t for sale.

Love,
Regretfully yours,
Lily


The Allure of Dean Harper is a full-length standalone romance with overlapping characters from The Allure of Julian Lefray. Both books can be read separately. Chronologically, The Allure of Julian Lefray happens first.
**This book is rated 18+ for explicit sexual situations and language. Reader discretion is advised.**



 
 

Purchase Links:


Amazon paperback: http://amzn.to/1NYlOH1
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1YFdH5K
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Oyae5x
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1KGDxg4

 
 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2015.
 
 Where do I even start with The Allure of Dean Harper... I was hoping for this sweet, funny, light hearted romp but what I got was so much for, because it was sweet and funny and light hearted in parts, but it was also sexy and sassy and was bursting at the seams with everything I love in a romantic comedy.
 
Lily is a spitfire, she's fierce and feisty and so full of dreams for the future she's prepared to do just about anything to get there, moving from small town life to the big apple to live with her best friend Josephine was supposed to be the best time of her life, jam packed with adventure and new experiences but Josephine is loved up with Julian and work and Lily is left to her own devices to scout out New York and her dream career, bursting with exotic flavours and good food.
 
Dean Harper has spent the last few year creating an empire in the restaurant world, taking over New York one business at a time, Dean isn't just independently wealthy, he's kicking butt and taking names, his restaurant/bars are constantly busy, offering an innovative place to be and be seen, catering to a wide clientele Provisions is the place to go. With the wealth and reputation he's amassed, Dean has built a tough outer shell, and from the very first moment he lays eyes on Lily there's an magnetism he cant fight, he comes out swinging with his snarky comments, levelling attitude directly at her, a lesser woman would shrink under his gaze and acidic tongue but Lily isn't a lesser woman, she doesn't know the meaning of standing down, and she's not one to be put in her place by any man.
 
 
"Lily had her first night at Provisions last night and she turned my bar into a Coyote Ugly knockoff."
My eyes bulged out of my face. Literally. They had to have fallen out of my skull in response to the amount of bullshit he'd just spewed. I glanced at the ground, confirmed my eyeballs were not in fact lying there, and then stepped close to Dean with my finger pointed right at his chest.

The raw connection between Dean and Lily jumps off the page, everything about them makes it difficult to look away, Grey writes snappy banter with the best in the business, but with these two, she takes it to another level, their incessant duelling for the upper hand should of seemed adolescent at times, but I never felt that. I spent every exchange between Dean and Lily giggling or snorting with laughter.
 
I had a smile on my face from the very first page until the very last line, reading the dual POV gave me insight into their minds, and the more I read the more I devoured Greys words, with enough heat and sexiness that left me fanning my face, while I alternated between that and grinning like a goon, I picked up The Allure of Dean Harper when I finished work, and two hours later I turned the last page, I didn't move, I couldn't put it down, this was the perfect afternoon read, it was exactly the romantic comedy I was after.
 
 
 
 

About RS Grey:

 
I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, metaphors and similes, black labs, and cold weather.
 
 
 
 

 

Thursday 17 September 2015

Dark Wild Night (Wild Seasons #3) by Christina Lauren - Review

 
 

Blurb:

 

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
But what didn't happen in Vegas seems to follow them everywhere.

Lola and Oliver like to congratulate themselves on having the good sense to not consummate their drunken Las Vegas wedding. If they’d doubled-down on that mistake, their Just Friends situation might not be half as great as it is now.

... Or so goes the official line.

In reality, Lola’s wanted Oliver since day one—and over time has only fallen harder for his sexy Aussie accent and easygoing ability to take her as she comes. More at home in her studio than in baring herself to people, Lola’s instinctive comfort around Oliver nearly seems too good to be true. So why ruin a good thing?

Even as geek girls fawn over him, Oliver can’t get his mind off what he didn’t do with Lola when he had the chance. He knows what he wants with her now ... and it’s far outside the friend zone. When Lola’s graphic novel starts getting national acclaim—and is then fast-tracked for a major motion picture—Oliver steps up to be there for her whenever she needs him. After all, she’s not the kind of girl who likes all that attention, but maybe she’s the kind who’ll eventually like him.

Sometimes seeing what’s right in front of us takes a great leap of faith. And sometimes a dark wild night in Vegas isn’t just the end of a day, but the beginning of a bright new life... 

 
 

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/TizkR0
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1QejwRC
Amazon CA: http://goo.gl/Udof9M
iBooks: https://itun.es/au/C8EB5.l
Nook: http://goo.gl/NVtrZB

 
 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2015.
 
 
I have a few authors I will drop anything for to pick up and read, and Christina Lauren are always right up there on that list, I was eagerly checking my kindle waiting for Dark Wild Night to drop, when it did, I dove in immediately. The dynamic between Lola and Oliver intrigued me in Sweet Filthy Boy, I was damn near obsessed by Dirty Rowdy Thing, by the time I swiped my finger to the first page I was fighting a smile so blinding I couldn't contain it, there's something innately sexy about physical attraction like that between Harlow and Finn, but the kind of connection that never fails to leave me breathless is friends to lovers, you see I'm happily married to a man who was once my friend, but more than that I'm happily married to a man that when we first met I would have told you was my polar opposite, I was certain he was definitely not my type, but that over time gave way to friendship, and oddly enough despite how much I didn't believe it to be true, attraction, and over time that grew to be exponentially more, so from the outset there was something special about Loliver's story that I connected with on a soul deep level.
 
 
For those who are not new to this series, we know that Ansel and Mia, and Harlow and Finn found their own version of happily ever after, after a drunk night in Vegas six people coupled off only to get married, while two marriage ended that night, one of which we revisited in Dirty Rowdy Thing, Lola and Oliver have been quietly congratulating themselves on doing the Vegas marriage the right way, with nothing but a hangover and a quicky annulment between them, out of the rubble of that night a friendship was born, one that even surprised themselves, Oliver and Lola have developed a short hand with each other, they've connected on a soul deep level, learning each other in a way so few ever do, they've catalogued looks and glances, smiles and expressions, but aside from this deep connection they've also been secretly pining away for the other. There in lines of the beauty of this dual POV story, as we delve deeper into Dark Wild Night we watch as Lola and Oliver's separate and combined stories weave this glorious tapestry. Separately these are two unbelievably talented and successful people, but together they are just two people who's worlds click when they're together.
 
 
Dark Wild Night in it's simplest form is a story about two people trying to navigate the pot holes that emerge when embarking on a new relationship, there's no crazy dramatic tear your hair out angst, no huge OMG I can't believe they wrote that moment, because the authors don't need it, Christina Lauren proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they don't need to rely on huge plot twists or shock value to sell their story, their writing, the characters they've created do it all on its own. I spent the two hours reading this book alternating between smiling like a goon and fanning my face, but beyond the sexiness and they witty banter, there's a beautiful message here about not fearing failure, about being willing to make mistakes in order to grow from then, there's a simplicity to one of the noblest of messages to not being afraid to make yourself vulnerable, to let people in, and most of that it's okay to get overwhelmed, it's okay to take a step back to calm your mind, even to freak out, it's just not okay to unpack and live there in that chaotic, mind numbing state.
 
 
Lola is every bit Queen of the geeks, she's an enigma, her quirks only serve to endear her more the reader, Oliver will his Aussie accent and laid back charm, mixed with his determined drive to succeed makes him a contradiction, there's something special about them individually but it's magnificent to watch when together, I adored every second of this book, every sexy growl, every smile, every wink, every caress and every sigh, I want to dive back in and read their story again and just get lost in the pages. Dark Wild Night is the kind of the book that makes me want to re read the entire series just so I can meet the characters all over again.
 
 
 

 
 

About Christina Lauren:

 
 

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/besties/soulmates/brain-twins Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced nine New York Times bestselling novels. Their books have been translated into 23+ languages. (Some of these books have kissing. Some of these books have A LOT of kissing.)


Twitter @seeCwrite for Christina and @LolaShoes for Lauren
   

 

Saturday 12 September 2015

Tank (Savage Saints #2) by Carmen Jenner - ARC Review

 Released: 24th September 2015.
 

Blurb:

Killer. Criminal. Sociopath.

All of these words have been used to describe me, and for the longest time I believed that that’s all I was.

I’m the man you call in to clean up your mess, assuming your mess is a guy who needs a bullet to the head. I’m the man the MC calls when they want their dirty work done.

I’m the man who doesn’t feel.

Until now.

Until her.

Now my mess is a woman who won’t save herself. I’ll fight like hell to save her, but at what price to the club? And at what cost to me?

Warning: TANK contains graphic violence, profanity, drug use, and explicit sexual situations that may be a trigger and cause some readers emotional discomfort. Intended for an 18+ audience only. Not intended for pussies.






Goodreads

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: August 2015.

Wow...I'm kind of lost for words right now, I feel like I should take a step back and tell you why writing this review right now is so strange for me, it's not because I'm reviewing an MC book, which I rarely do, but because I've just finished my first beta read through of Tank, I usually beta read, then send back feedback, then changes may be made and I read it again, I'll usually talk through scenes with the author until everything makes sense...but that's why this is so different, because this review is my feedback, and I need to talk it out.

Ivy is, well we know she's messed up, when we meet her in Kick we know that she's lived through some pretty bad stuff, we know she's a club whore for Savage Saints MC, we know that she lives her life coked off her face, high as a kite, being passed around the club brothers, we know she likes rough sex, rougher than slightly kinky stuff we all like to read about in our books, and we know that her father sexually abused her as a child. The sheer pain and agony that lanced through me reading that in Kick...I have no words for it, father's are supposed to protect their children, they are the first man a little girl will love, and they are the man that should teach a girl how she deserves to be treated, and I guess in some ways he did do that, he taught her the way a girl should be treated by men, but worse than that he succeeded in instilling in her the belief that she was worthless.

When I first met Ivy I didn't want to like her, the idea of MC clubs and old ladies, and club whores is why I don't read this genre, I don't want read about women who willingly sleep with married men, or men who can't keep it in their pants, I don't want to read about coked up junkies, or women who willingly allow themselves to be shared between a clubhouse full of men, I honestly didn't see how I could possibly understand why Ivy was okay with the way she lived, the way she seemed to relish and revel in club life, but from the very first page in Tank my heart broke for her, as her past is revealed piece by horrifying piece I wanted to climb into the pages and wrap my arms around her, I wanted to dry her eyes, and tell her everything would be alright, I wanted to tell her that she was a warrior, that she had lived through more than she should ever have had to endure, I wanted to slay her dragons and fight her demons, but more than anything I wanted someone else to stand up for her, I wanted someone to prove to her that she wasn't useless, she wasn't worthless.

Tank is...Tank is strong, and tough, he's scary as hell, he's a cold blooded killer, and yet he would lay down his life for those close to him, he see's something in Ivy almost immediately, he knows enough about her past to want to protect her and help her heal, he wants her to want to live out of the shadows of drug abuse and sexual servitude, he wants to break down her walls, tear away the grief of a shattered childhood that's held her hostage for so many years, to give her a chance to believe in something more than pain and destruction.

"Talk to me. Use me as your fuckin' punchin' bag. Let me be your drug. Let me help you forget."

I feel like I'm rambling, but there's so much emotion floating around in my head, my stomach is still churning and my hands are still jittery, Ivy and Tank are so fully embedded in my heart that I can't shake them free, words and lines are floating through my mind, this is not a story for the faint hearted, its graphic at times, we see the real side of drug use, not the fun party side of it that so many of us have dabbled in at some point in our lives, there are moments that are so torturous, so painful, so raw that I wanted to walk away, I wanted to shut my mind to the pain Ivy has endured, I wanted to pretend it wasn't real, that people don't really go through this in real life, but the problem is, it does happen, I've seen the kind of destruction a man who "loves" his children to much can do. Despite the sheer agony that Carmen Jenner portrays in Tank, it never felt forced, it never felt overly done, there were moments where the author pulled back from being graphic for the sake of shock value, there's still explicit sex, and there's a level of filthiness to their frank conversations that once upon a time would of shocked me but instead felt natural here.

For me there were so many moments that Jenner could of pushed the envelope more trying to cash in on the bad boy biker MC train but nothing about Tank felt forced, nothing felt stilted, it was raw and explicit and at times graphic, it was absolutely gut wrenching to read and take in, it pushed me past my limits and made me feel every kind of emotion from sickened to overjoyed to hot under the collar, Jenner has a knack for writing tough as nails alpha males, but what I adore is that her heroines are survivors, warriors, women who have lived through the worst life can throw at them, through heartbreak, mental illness, sexual abuse, infidelity, drug use, self harm, Ivy has seen the very worst side of society and has found her way to live in that world, she's found a way to quell the rising water that threatens to drown her, she's found a way to escape the pain of her past, drugs and sex have become her floatation device, pleasure to bury the pain, drugs to make her forget, she's damaged and broken and she's taped herself back together the only way she can live with and despite her belief that she's weak she's so much stronger than she realises, this book may be called Tank, but for me Ivy is very much the hero, he can't heal her, but he gives her the strength to fight her way out of the darkness and into the light.

Tank reminded me why I read, to step outside of my comfort zone, to be challenged, to live someone else's life if only for a moment in time, even if it breaks my spirit and my heart in the process, Carmen Jenner writes these kinds of stories, she takes me on a journey I don't always want to go on, her words wrap themselves around my heart and hold it tight, every nuance acts as a salve to my broken and battered soul, Tank is dark and heartbreaking and yet simultaneously uplifting, it's a reminder that even during the darkest moments, the moments that threaten to annihilate you, to drag you under that there's light, there's beauty, there's hope.



 Purchase Links:

iBooks: http://apple.co/1LmkPQM
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ifltSI
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Ke2teM

Excerpt:

“So, the usual?” Louis asks.
“Yeah.” Tank intervenes by knocking Louis’ arm away when he tries to hand me a menu.
I glare at the obnoxious arse. “I don’t get to decide what I want?”
“Nope.” He smirks, and it’s quite possibly the millionth one I’ve seen today. “I know exactly what you want. You just need to trust me.”
“Okay then,” Louis says. “Coffee?”
“Yes,” I practically shout. “The strongest you have.”
Tank shakes his head. “Get her a lattĂ©.”
I swear if looks could kill, Tank would be burnt to a char right about now. No one takes my coffee from me and lives to tell about it.
“Your system doesn’t need any more stimulation.”
“It’s caffeine, Tank, not cocaine,” I argue. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay.”
He shrugs, and Louis glances nervously between us again. He looks as though he wants to flee. Tank has that effect on a lot of people. Then again, it could be the fact that I just admitted to being a junkie and at any second he’s expecting me to break out my stash and start snorting lines off of his fancy table. Louis says, “Okay, so lattĂ© it is then.”
“No, I want—”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but your man is too scary to say no to.” He backs away from the table, shouting, “But don’t you worry, it’ll be the best lattĂ© you’ve ever tasted. You just sit tight.”
“He’s not my fucking man,” I shout back, drawing the attention of every patron in the room, which is really only two other people, not including Louis and Kerri. I look around sheepishly and then wrap my arms around myself, turning my attention back to Tank. “Stop fucking smirking, you arsehole, or I’m walking.”
“Try it and see how far you get, Warrior Princess.”           
“I’m betting I’d at least get halfway down the street before you caught up to me.”
“You wanna test that theory?” He challenges with a grin, though his gaze warms me head to toe with its intensity. “My money says you’ll make it to the door before I drag you back to the table, put you over my fuckin’ knee and spank your arse ’til it’s red raw.”
I let out a deep, shaking breath and lick my lips. Jesus Christ do I want that. I want it so fucking bad. My nipples turn rock hard and Tank’s gaze drops to my black singlet. I’m suddenly hot, wet, and hyper aware of his lingering gaze. This man is going to be the death of me.

If you haven't read KICK (Savage Saints MC) yet grab it here: 

iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/m4mjlqk
B&N:http://tinyurl.com/kfmqf6u
 

About Carmen Jenner:

 
Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something USA Today and Amazon International Best-Selling author, doctor, pilot and CIA agent.
She...'s also a compulsive, flagrant prevaricator who gets to make things up for a living.

While Sugartown may not technically exist, Carmen grew up in a small Australian town just like it, and just like her characters, she always longed for something more. They didn't have an Elijah Cade, though. If they did, you can be sure she would have never left.

Her debut novel, Welcome to Sugartown, was released November 3, 2013.

 Website

Rafflecopter $50 Giftcard Direct Link:

 
 
 

Sunday 6 September 2015

Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1) by Abbi Glines

 
 

Blurb:

To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.

As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.

West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…

 

 

Purchase Links:

 
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1LRAnc0
 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2015.
 
I'm going to start by being entirely honest, I was a little nervous going into the Until Friday Night, you see I'm an Abbi Glines fan, While It Lasts and Sometimes It Lasts are two of my favourite books, and I can't not mention that I suffered from "Rush Crush"...and here comes the but, and it's a big one, recently I've been finding the books in the Rosemary Beach series to be formulaic and repetitive, rich badboy man whore...check...young and innocent virgin...check...virgin shoes man whore there's more to life than easy women and expensive toys...check... in saying that I made my way through Rush, Woods and Grant's stories, but I have been struggling to feel invested since.
 
Until Friday Night had the pre release hype that I've come to accept from an Abbi release, I hoped for something fresh and new, something that felt different from her previous works, West is a God in his high school, part of the successful football team, guys want to be him, girls want to be with him, he's popular, well liked, life is good...only it isn't...his father is dying of cancer and West is slowly drowning under the crushing waves of grief not only for the man he is going to lose, but for the future he had planned with his family cheering him on. West has always maintained a level of privacy surrounding his feelings, living a life in the public eye of high school jock, surrounded by many but close with few is lonelier than most people would expect. West's entire life is crumbling around his shoulders and he has no where he can turn until he meets Maggie.
 
Maggie has an innocence to her, and yet is more world weary than anyone deserves to be, within moments of seeing West for the first time she recognises something in him, she senses a soul deep connection that only someone who understands her pain could fee. Maggie and West developing a bond is something that could save them both from the torment of the pain and grief they're living but  even the strongest connections forged during times of struggle may not last, Maggie has lived and seen things that would haunt even the strongest of men, she's found a way to cope, to survive, and she gives West hope that beyond the anger, the sadness and grief is life.
 
I'm not going to pretend there aren't similarities to other Glines' books here, but where I worried that Until Friday Night would feel stayed and predictable there was enough to spark my interest from the first chapter, there was a fresh vibe to this new series, West and Maggie could have been clichéd but instead I found them endearing, West may be the alpha of this story, but for me Maggie was very much the hero, Until Friday Night was equal parts sweet and angsty, Glines tackled some heavy subjects with finesse, I was invested in not only the characters but in the world the author created, I'm excited to see what's next for the Field Party series.
 
 
 


About Abbi Glines: 

 


Abbi Glines is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rosemary Beach, Sea Breeze, Vincent Boys, and Existence series. She has a new YA series coming out in the fall of 2015 titled The Field Party Series . She never cooks unless baking during the Christmas holiday counts. She believes in ghosts and has a habit of asking people if their house is haunted before she goes in it. She drinks afternoon tea because she wants to be British but alas she was born in Alabama. When asked how many books she has written she has to stop and count on her fingers. When she’s not locked away writing, she is reading, shopping (major shoe and purse addiction), sneaking off to the movies alone, and listening to the drama in her teenagers lives while making mental notes on the good stuff to use later. Don’t judge.

Website




 




Friday 4 September 2015

Switch (Spark #5) by Jennifer Ryder - ARC Review


Released: 20th September 2015 

Blurb:

With an ex fiancĂ© leaving her in debt, breaking up with her girlfriend and struggling to find a place she can afford, Sophie McKenna has hit an all-time low. Everyone thinks she’s a lesbian, and she likes it that way, but her estranged parents know better.

The foul-mouthed motocross mechanic, Rocco De Luca, only has his incarcerated brother left. Every day is a battle of the mind and of the bottle. Tequila and easy women soothe the pain, but they never fill the void.

Rocco doesn’t mind offering his spare room to the hot lesbian he refers to as ‘Suds’. She won’t be clingy, far from it, and he’s keen on the idea of getting to see a bit of girl on girl action.

With such volatile personalities under the same roof, and being in April and Spencer’s wedding party, they both have to learn to get along, even though they can’t stand each other.

He never thought he might actually grow to like her.

She never thought she might actually hate him less.

*Contains content for over 18 years of age. CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE*

Goodreads



Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1L9cNEO
Amazon AUS: http://bit.ly/1L9d22A
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1IObNEj
iBooks: http://apple.co/1NR66wY


Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2015.


Having the absolute pleasure of beta reading the Spark series from its inception I've seen Jennifer Ryder go from strength to strength. I knew there was something special about Sophie from the moment she graced the pages in Strike, I loved her snarky wit and her strength, I adored that Ms Ryder didn't make her some two dimensional bimbo, Sophie has had a tough run, that much was eluded to in Strike, her sexual orientation was just one part of her larger than life personality and she drew me in almost instantly. Rocco had an almost sleaziness about him that should of been a turn off, but his honesty about his main loves in life, patron, pussy and being a mechanic was somewhat refreshing. I wanted to be disgusted by his manwhoring ways but I couldn't, his character intrigued me, not because I expected the stereotype, that the bad boy player just needed the love of a pure, innocent woman to turn him good, but because he intrigued me, I wanted to know not why he bounced from woman to woman, but what made him tick, what was it that lurked in the background of his mind that he was so eager to forget, to drown out with a steady stream of booze and women.

The moment Ms Ryder mentioned Switch would be about Rocco and Sophie I was giddy, because well... Sophie has a girlfriend in Strike, she for all intents and purposes Sophie appears to be a lesbian, so I wondered how this would translate to a story where the hero and heroine were male and female, I shouldn't have questioned Jennifer's ability to tell this story, it was barely even a blip on the radar once I dove in, I devoured this book, I couldn't put it down, there was so much more here than I expected, so much more than a man with a penchant for living loud and woman who dealt with heart break and anger by turning to women. I should mention that the author doesn't gloss over anything here, she doesn't play it down, nor does she make light of sexual ambiguity or orientation, nor does she focus the entire book there, Switch is very much about two people struggling to keep their heads above water, two people who have had very different tough lessons thrown their way, who are just trying to survive.

Ms Ryder tackles some extremely confronting topics here, from deception and heartbreak, to alcoholism, to prison, there is nothing flippantly thrown in for the sake of angst, and every moment, every soul crushing, thought provoking moment propels the story, the author uses her characters as a  vehicle to pose important questions to the reader, it challenges you to ask yourself when the world seems to be stacked against you do you submit and be crushed by the rising waves or do you find a way to break the surface and keep on swimming? As someone who has seen the effects of alcoholism first hand this was a refreshing take on someone's journey of hope and healing, often times irreverent, extremely sexy and funny as hell, Switch had me not only invested but desperate for more, there were moments I cursed myself for my speed reading ways, wanting instead to slow down and savour the words, I wanted to soak up the characters and live in their world for just a little longer.

There was a beautiful contrast within Rocco and Sophie, on the outside they both seemed like a match made in heaven...and hell...funny, brash, direct, neither spared a second thought for the other's feelings, and yet as we peel away the layers, we realise they are both more alike and yet different in some ways than we expected. Despite the horrendous run Sophie has had, there's a hopefulness to her, her fighting spirit shining through despite the numerous times she wants to throw in the towel and give up, and Rocco may be arrogant and crass, but beneath the cocky exterior is a man who genuinely cares for those around him, the tender and touching moments may not be frequent at first but their appearance in the story soothed my erratic heart. I was hoping for something sexy and fun, and with Switch I also got an at times poignant and heartfelt story about over coming past hurts, living through pain, and finding a way to live not just survive.




About Jennifer Ryder:




New Adult and erotic romance writer, and author of the Spark series.

A sexy imagination, a life-long love of books and a sucker for romance, Jennifer Ryder couldn't stifle her creativity any longer.

Writing steamy adult romance has become her new focus. Living on a rural property in New South Wales, Australia, she enjoys the best of city and country.

Her loving husband is ever willing to provide inspiration, and her two young cherubs, and sheep that don't see fences as barriers, keep life more than interesting.

Jennifer placed third in the International Stringybark Erotic Short Fiction Award 2013.

Website