CUFFED (Everyday Heroes #1) by K. Bromberg

Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, comes a new series about three brothers, the job that calls them, and the women who challenge them.

“I hate you. I never want to see you again.”

Grant Malone is not the reason I moved back to Sunnyville—at least that’s what I tell myself. Yet, those parting words I said to him back in third grade, ring in my ears every time a townsperson brings up one of the Malone boys. I thought time had healed my wounds. I was wrong. Nothing could have prepared me for how I felt when I finally saw him again.

Twenty years does a lot to turn a boy into a man. One who hits all my buttons—sexy, funny, attractive, and a police officer. But Grant is off limits because he knows too much about my past.

But I’m drawn to him. That damn uniform of his doesn’t hurt either. It’ll be my downfall. I know it.

What’s one night of sex going to hurt . . . right?

***

I’ve always loved Emmy Reeves.

That’s why I’m shocked to see her all these years later. The shy girl I once knew is all grown up.

Adventurous and full of life, she owns my heart now, just as much as she did back then. Convincing her of that is a whole different story.

I’ll give her the one night she asks for—like that’s a hardship—but when it comes to letting her walk away after, she has another thing coming. There’s no way in hell I’m letting her go this time without a fight.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2gEAFKF
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2zR5vID

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/CuffediBook
B&N: http://smarturl.it/CuffedBN
Kobo: http://smarturl.it/CuffedKobo1

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: October 2017

I am adrift in a sea of emotion, I feel as though I'm struggling to find words to do this story justice despite how many rereads of passages and quiet moments of contemplation I've had since picking up Cuffed for the first time. In true Bromberg style, this story tested me, there were moments where I teetered over the edge of a snicker right into a loud boisterous guffaw, and in the next moment I sat stunned with tears streaming down my cheeks, heart breaking. I went into Cuffed absolutely blind, with that hot cover I expected light and sexy, but the thing about Bromberg's books is that while they may be laugh out loud funny at times, and absolutely bursting at the seems with sizzingly sexy escapades there is *always* so much damn heart and soul that her words change you, they implode and set your world on fire, in a dazzling technicolour display that simultaneously shatters your heart and gently pieces it back together. 

"She’s sunshine with a little bit of hurricane thrown in, and I’m willingly walking straight into her storm with nothing more than the clothes on my back."

Grant Malone was once upon a time a little boy who would take on the world to protect his best friend, the years have passed and little Grant is now a man but who he is hasn't changed, Grant now spends his days trying to keep his community safe, as a police officer with a predetermined hero complex and father who once protected and served there was never going to be another choice for Grant.

Emerson Reeves was once the little girl with the big eyes who loved her best friend Grant, but Emmy had secrets, secrets that break and shatter and when her world exploded she turned her back on everything she had known. Emerson is back for the first time in twenty years and she's fiery and independent and she's definitely not a little girl in need of saving anymore.

"You’re used to calling the shots and being in control. News flash, I don’t budge when I’m pushed and no one controls what I do."

As Grant and Emmy collide and memories of a past one wants to remember and the other wants to forget rise to the surface, only the strongest will survive the fall out that remains. With rich characterisation and a story that had the ability to absolutely decimate me one moment and leave me joyous the next I found myself putting Cuffed down several times to revel in the sheer unrelenting beauty of Bromberg's words and shroud myself in her raw and jagged imagery. Bromberg has never shied away from tackling heavy or sensitive topics, in fact it was her ability to do so with sensitivity and grace that cemented me a long time fan of her work, but even with that I was unprepared for the effect this story would have on me, how much this book would make me feel.

"We forget the memories and just chase the moments."

Years ago I would of read Cuffed and handled the heavy subject matter in the abstract, because while I knew of it happening, my world was untouched. Now, well now however I know differently, and my heart shattered over and over again reading this story, because it hit too close to home, and like Grant I know with certainty that I can't save everyone, I can't take away someone's hurts, nor can I erase their memories. Therein lie the beauty of Cuffed, in the subtle message of Bromberg's words, words that shake even the strongest resolves and leave you knowing with absolute certainty that the greatest gift we can give someone is support, that they are already the hero of their story and don't need saving, that sometimes love is found in the darkest of places. It only thrives once it hits the light.

"This hurt doesn't take away my pain, only being strong will. I am in control of me. I will survive despite it. I am loved regardless of it." 

About K. Bromberg:

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines, and damaged heroes who we love to hate and hate to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow.

Since publishing her first book in 2013, Kristy has sold over one million copies of her books across sixteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by Passionflix with the first movie slated to release in the summer of 2018.

She recently released a two book, sports romance series, The Player and The Catch. Cuffed is the first book in her new Everyday Heroes trilogy. This three-book series will be about three brothers who are emergency responders, the jobs that call to them, and the women who challenge them. The remaining standalones in the series are Combust (January 29th) and Cockpit (Spring 2018).

Connect with Kristy on Facebook

Plight by KM Golland

Blurb:

Plight [plahyt]
Noun: a difficult, or otherwise unfortunate situation.
Verb: pledge or solemnly promise. Be engaged to be married.

I promised myself to a man. Well, technically, I promised myself to a boy. We were eight years old. Neighbours. He gave me a Cheezel, pushed it onto my finger, and asked me to marry him.
I ate the Cheezel.
I also said, “Yes” but that we’d have to wait until we were thirty.
It was my thirtieth birthday last week and now he’s calling in that promise.
Seriously, Elliot Parker is insane if he thinks that an out of the blue private Facebook message stipulating the binding law of an oral contractual agreement is going to seal our twenty-two-year bullshit engagement.
Insane.
I wonder if he really does look like his profile picture, though.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2qArK09

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2qFof89

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2rU0MED

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2qzMeKB

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2slH7dk

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: May 2017.

Plight was such a fun premise, two childhood best friends who agreed to get married when they grew up, a deal sealed with a cheezel, I mean lets be honest, most of us wore our cheezel rings with pride when we were kids, the only caveat was that Danielle refused to don a white dress unless she was single at thirty. As is inevitable, Danielle and Elliot have drifted apart, well over a decade has passed since they last spoke, and for better or worse Danielle has moved on with her life, just after turning thirty, she receives a private message from none other that her betrothed, when Elliot reaches out to honour his proposal from all those years before, we know in true KM Golland style the fun is just beginning.

"Elliot Parker is insane if he thinks that a private Facebook message stipulation the binding law of an oral contractual agreement is going to seal our twenty-two year bullshit deal. In.Sane."

Danielle is every part the sassy and strong heroine I've come to expect from KM Golland, despite a few set backs in her life, Danielle is doing just fine, thank you very much, not one to be reliant on others, or ask for anyone's help or approval, she is tackling each day with vigour and determination. When the boy she once loved more than herself or her traitorous teenage heart could handle waltzes back into her life and demands her time and attention she's finding old feelings rushing back to the surface, childhood crushes and teenage heartbreaks, and all these emotions she didn't ever want to have to deal with.

"Except Danielle had never been the girl of my dreams, she’d been the girl of my reality, my best friend and that was even better."

Elliot was always a resourceful kid, but Elliot as an adult, who has set his sights on the ultimate prize isn't going to let Danielle's annoyance get in his way, the girl of his dreams has always been Danielle, despite all the twists and turns his life has taken he has always been sure of one thing, and now that Danielle is back within reach he will stop at nothing to convince her what they have is real, what they have is not something you walk away from, that what they have is forever.

Everything about Plight is engaging, Danielle and Elliot entice you with their witty banter, but beneath the hilarity is a tender love story that begs you to read a little deeper, and surrender to the magic that Golland weaves. Equal parts heat and heart and Golland's trademark humour Plight is the perfect Sunday afternoon read that feels familiar and intriguing all at the same time.

About KM Golland:

“I'm an author. I am married. I am a mother of two adorable little people. I'm a bookworm, craftworm, movieworm, and sportsworm. I'm also a self-confessed shop-aholic, tea-aholic, car-aholic, and choc-aholic.” Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, K.M. Golland studied law and worked as a conveyancer before putting her career on hold to raise her children. She then traded her legal work for her love of writing and found her dream career.

Connect with KM on Facebook

LUCAS (A Preston Brothers Novel) by Jay McLean

Blurb:

In a sprint, every millisecond counts.
When you’re waiting for love, those milliseconds can feel like eons.

High school senior Lucas Preston has it all: star of the track team, a scholarship waiting for him, an apartment to himself and a revolving door of girlfriends. He also has an older sister, five younger brothers and a father who relies on him to make sure those brothers don’t kill each other.
His saving grace? Lois “Laney” Sanders, a girl he started to fall in like with when he was just eleven.
A girl who became his best friend, his confidant, his courage.

It took only sixteen clicks and eight seconds for Lucas to realize that his like for Laney had turned into love.
Eight life-changing seconds.
It’s also the exact length of time it took to lose her.

Find Lucas on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2f06Ntc

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2e4wRyI

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eTpjk5

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dUEKvj

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: October 2016.

I'll be honest, when Jay McLean first spoke of writing and releasing Lucas I was a tad worried, I adored the More series, all of it, each book made me fall a little more in love with the author's words, with the worlds she created, so much so More Than Enough found itself on my Platinum Lipstick - favourite of all time list and it's dedication would end up being inked on my skin, that kind of love is difficult to emulate, in fact I was scared that I wouldn't love Lucas the same way I had loved it's predecessors. The truth however is that I needn't worried, this story was a perfect combination of sweet romance and thrilling suspense and raw heartbreak.

"You're my best friend, Luke, and you're standing here right now on the side of a highway telling me I should hate you while driving to a store an hour away. For me!"

Lucas Preston and Lois (Laney) Sanders met as children and became firm friends, their young friendship saw more than most high school crushes , the setting of college dreams, the bond these two developed was raw and real in the best possible way, equal parts childhood naivety and adult reality, their relationship blossomed into something bigger and bolder along the way leaving them trying to navigate what it meant for them now. Granted from my words, you would be expecting a teenage friends to lovers romance much like I did, but Lucas was so much more than that, much like the relationship that developed between Lucas and Laney, this story was bigger and bolder than that, it left me gripping my kindle to my chest, swallowing down panic, desperately hoping something (yes I'm being deliberately vague here) to happen.

"And so without meaning to, without wanting to, I started to fall in like with a girl who would later become my best friend. My confidant. My courage... A girl who would later crush my heart and destroy me."

This is the point when I'd usually tell you about the story and the impact it had on me, I'd tell you all about how certain scenes left me reeling or made me feel exuberant and joyous but inside I'm going to beg to experience this book the way I did...blind. Know that Lucas is part YA/NA, part coming of age, part friends to lovers, all heart wrenching gloriousness that had me addicted, everything about McLean's latest work was impossible to put down. For fans of the More series, Lucas will delight and intrigue, it will easily fill the void left by a beloved series ending, for those new to the world of Jay McLean Lucas will easily enrapture leaving you wanting More. (See what I did there )  Allow McLean to steal your heart the way she did mine, with two characters who feel more like family as they take on adolescence and high school crushes, adult issues and everything in between, allow McLean to take you on a journey that you won't soon forget.

About Jay McLean:

Jay McLean is an international best-selling author and full-time reader, writer of New Adult Romance, and most of all, procrastinator. When she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her two little boys, playing house and binge watching Netflix.
She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make her hurt and make her feel.

Jay lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in a forever half-done home where music is loud and laughter is louder.

Connect with Jay on Facebook

Harley and Rose by Carmen Jenner

Blurb:

Ever since she was a little girl, thirty-year-old Rose dreamed of the day Harley would carry her across the threshold on their honeymoon. So what if this isn’t her actual wedding day, and that she’s only here because Harley was left at the altar just a few hours earlier?

Trading San Francisco for paradise and swapping her bridesmaid’s bouquet for a Blue Hawaii, Rose hopes she can finally escape the friend zone.

Once upon a time they had been more than friends, but life got in the way. She’s spent every day since wishing Harley would get a clue.

She’s always been his best friend.

He’s always been hers.

She’s in love with him.

He’s … not in love with her.

He’s … marrying someone else.

He’s … hiding something.

He’s … well—it’s complicated.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2dXSSkZ

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2eM3tlL

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2dKNsZ6

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: October 2016.

It's a truly unexplainable feeling beta reading for an author you admire, it's a process like anything that grows and develops and inevitably changes over time. As the reader you continue to grow, you become more and more widely read, your tastes change and that thing you look for when wanting to lose yourself within the pages of a book continues to develop, mature, it's the nature of being a book lover, what you read and loved years ago might not hold that same wow factor were you to pick it up for the first time now, with this you hope that the Authors you read change with you, holding onto some modicum of what makes their stories uniquely theirs, and yet develop and change and hopefully still grab you by the collar and demand you sit up and take notice. When Ms Jenner first mentioned Harley and Rose over a year ago now, the words sweet and light and funny were thrown around, when she dropped hints like friends to lovers and second chance romance I may have inwardly cheered, for anyone who knows me, they know the affinity I share with friends to lovers and their elk, my imagination almost immediately ran wild with images of funny, sweet interludes, of childhood bestfriends who grew into the strongest of lovers, yet for almost a year after that moment Harley and Rose was shelved in favor of other stories needing to be told. When Harley and Rose once again became a living breathing entity and found itself on my kindle I felt a heady sense of trepidation, the images I created in my mind were vivid and full of beautiful colour, I found myself questioning how I could read and critique something I had already built up such lofty expectations for? What if the story the Author told weren't what I expected?  What I couldn't have anticipated was how much this story would claim my heart or how sorely mistaken I would be thinking that the images that originally flooded my mind would have ever done these characters justice.

"Do you love her?"

"Rose - "

"Do you?"

"I don't know. Yeah I think so. When I'm with her I'm a different man, but when I'm here with you, I'm...I'm me."

"God, That's so much worse."

"I know." 

Harley and Rose have never done anything the easy way, from the moment they met as children, their lives have consisted of epic adventures, of great loves and harrowing heartbreaks, as teenagers we tend to romanticize every moment, our first loves should inspire sonnets, our heartbreaks enough to wage wars, every moment and every part of adolescence is filled with a sense of manic desperation that feels too big to be contained. For Rose, her entire life is filled with Harley, her past, her present and her future is consumed by a boy who would always be the Peter Pan to her Wendy, the boy who inspired girlhood crushes and adult lifelong loves regardless of which twists and turns their lives have taken, despite lovers who may come and go, part of her heart would always belong to the boy who never grew up.

"Over it? I laugh but there's no humor in the sound. I wish I could put you aside as easily as you seem to be able to dismiss me, but I can't, because I've been loving you so long I don't know how to stop."

 I have so much I want to say here, so much I want to tell you about why Harley and Rose was nothing like how I expected nor wanted, and yet everything I needed, I want to tell you how indelibly Rose left her mark on my heart, how much her pain and heartbreak seeped into my very being, causing wave upon wave of raw emotion to wash over me, I want to tell you how much I pride myself on not crying in books and yet how Harley and Rose broke my tightly held control and left me blinking through tears begging for relief from the pain that I *knew* would only grow. I want to tell you how much I wanted to crawl into the pages and hold Rose, comfort her, hold her through all those moments that saw her struggle for breath, to give her strength. I want to tell you one of the things that cemented Carmen Jenner as a much read author for me was her ability to craft strong willed heroines that are also beautifully broken, her ability to showcase the dichotomy of the human condition in her characters, especially in her leading ladies is a feat few authors truly accomplish for me. Rose with her tenacity and quite strength intermingled with her vulnerability and inability to walk away even when self preservation calls for it cemented her as a character that will remain in my mind long after her story ended. But mostly, I want to implore you to read this book, avoid spoilers, go in as blind as possible and allow Ms Jenner to steal your heart with her heady blend of raw emotion, humor and sizzling chemistry of two people who were always destined to be in each others lives.

About Carmen Jenner:

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series.
Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015.
A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore MAC addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.
A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

Contact Carmen on Facebook

Swear On This Life by Renee Carlino

Blurb:

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2axvMBe

Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2avnQ33

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2aBj5mR

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2azDVCJ

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2avoY6T

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: August 2016.

Emiline had a rather rough start to life, when people talk about having a lousy childhood, she can definitely throw down with the best of them, in the years since leaving childhood and adolescence, Emiline has made the most of the life she was given, she's moved on from her past and is carving out a new normal for herself, her dreams of a literary career are somewhat stalled, her once good relationship has seen better days, now working as an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego she seems to be the only one not singing the praises of new writing sensation J. Colby. When she finally gives in to the deluge of recommendations to read his hit book, she's immediately enraptured, but not because the book is amazing like everyone claims, or because the writing draws her in effortlessly, but because shockingly J. Colby's masterpiece is her story, her childhood, every desperate, heartbreaking detail is Emiline's young life, and the only person who could know every detail is Jase her once best friend, the boy who owned her heart before walking out of her life over a decade before.

“Isn’t it weird that we had nothing at the time … but somehow it felt like we had everything.”  

The idea of a book within a book is a clever one, Carlino's works always seem to push the boundaries in the most subtle of ways, everything about Swear On This Life had me utterly captivated, the nuances of her writing, the sheer beauty of her story, Carlino's exquisite ability to draw me in so entirely that I want to devour the pages and yet savor every moment. The way in which Carlino takes the reader on a journey back to Emiline's troubled childhood, while maintaining the pace that ensures the reader is both desperate to know what once took place and where the future may lead for Emiline and Jase. Renee Carlino never fails to remind me why I so adore her books, there's a freshness to her work, and uniqueness that can't be matched, an eloquence that speaks directly to my romantic heart.

“We can’t go backward. There are too many regrets. Please just move forward with me?”  

	Wistful and romantic at times, Swear on this Life examines the what was and what could have been, interspersed with the hurt caused by walking away, Carlino captures every moment with such brilliant clarity, reminding me once again why I'm so drawn to her writing. As past, present and future collide, this reader gave over her heart ready to experience every moment that this story had to give.

About Renee Carlino:

Renée Carlino is a screenwriter and bestselling author of romantic women's novels and new adult fiction. She lives in Southern California with her husband and two sons. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on her next project, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

Connect with Renee Carlino on Facebook

Leap by M.R. Joseph - Review

Blurb:

What if you had no idea your “future” lived beside you your whole life? What if that person was also your best friend? What would you do when you finally realized it?

MacIntyre “Mack” Cooper and Corrine “Rinny” Blanchard have known each other since birth. Living next door to one another on the South Shore of Long Island, and their parents being best friends, meant growing up together was unavoidable. Their bond made them inseparable.

What Corrine didn’t expect was the attraction she began to feel towards her best friend as the two grew older.

As Corrine’s feelings evolve over time and tragedies transpire, she must put her feelings for Mack aside and continue to be just his best friend- unconditionally- when he needs her the most.

However, what happens when the person you love most in the world is taken away without warning just when you need them the most? Would you give up hope or would your love keep hope- and him alive?

No one knew Rinny like Mack did. No one ever would. Mack’s advice to her was when life takes a turn, and your faith is tested and your dreams seem out of reach, sometimes you just have to take the leap.

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1VWCmnd
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1VZXrMW
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1Y0pFoD
iBooks: https://itun.es/us/I89bcb.l
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1SyhOP0
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01ETKD3YQ

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: April 2016.

I've been a fan of M.R. Joseph's work for quite a while now, her Sandy Cove series a favourite of mine, for Leap I went in blind, I had read the blurb quickly months ago when the cover had been revealed but that was as much as I knew,  I just wanted to experience the story without any preconceived notions of what it would be about, I wanted to get lost and drown in Joseph's words, despite knowing very little I expected a love story, instead what I experienced was a life story.

Rinny and Mack became best friends in utero, when their parents moved in next door to each other. Over the years that followed they were each others best friend, confidante, from childhood, to adolescence, to high school and college, they were always right there in front of each other sharing every funny, scary, embarrassing, honest truth with each other, there was nothing they couldn't say to one another, no instance in their young lives where they wouldn't support each other, for years they were each others person until one day they weren't anymore, and therein lies the beauty of this story, the transcendence of childhood memories to adulthood, and everything in between, this story is one that had me utterly mesmerised, entirely enraptured with discovering every nuance of these characters, riding the highs and the lows, living the journey the author sought to create.

"I took a leap."

"What does leaping have to do with it?" 

"It means taking a chance. When you aren't sure of something and you actually do it. You have to find out for yourself what it's like. You take the leap. That's what I did. I leaped." 

I want to tell you how I felt when ....... happened, I want to tell you how positively giddy I was when ..... said ......., I want to tell you how my heart ached, how my soul cried when .........., but I can't because I can't take discovering those moments away from you, because as much as I want to sit here and tell you every glorious moment, every second of heartache, every inch of pure, unbridled joy I can't, because I want you to experience Leap the same way I did, a little blind and eager just to lose yourself in the words. For fans of the authors work, they will find a new depth here, a story far less traditional contemporary romance, while Leap does deal with first loves, real loves, true loves, part coming of age, part women's fiction, Joseph didn't rely on sex to drive this story forward, instead focusing on the incredible life Rinny leads to utterly captivate and enchant this reader. Days later and Leap is still on my mind, I feel listless and adrift, and I find myself picking it back up to spend just a few more minutes with these characters that held my heart, characters who reminded me about having faith, about hope, about taking a leap.

About M.R. Joseph:

 

I'm a book nerd turned writer who loves the 'Happily Ever After' mixed with a bit of suspense, drama, and the occasional cliffhanger! My love of books has brought me on my writing journey. I began writing my first book in July 2012 and since that time I have created 2 series. The first series 'The Reunion Series' debuted in November 2012 and two books followed. My new series 'The Shore Series" debuted in March 2014 and claimed Amazon Best Selling status shortly after the release of the first book.

 

 

Connect with M.R. Joseph on Facebook

 

 

Finding North by Carmen Jenner - Review

Released: 25th February 2016.

Blurb:

Red Maine’s blue-collared bad boy, North Underwood, has a dirty little secret—Will Tanner.

Friends since kindergarten, North had been the one to jump first, and his fall into Will’s bed ten years ago had been no exception. Will and North had been inseparable, but things change, people grow apart, and even a blazing flame can dwindle to a dying ember over time.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

After a run in with a bottle of Bundy rum, Will and North find themselves in a compromising and all too familiar position.

Blurred lines, bad decisions, and one wrong foot after another lead these two down a spiral of sarcasm, secrets, and sex, but when North’s hetero status is called into question he can’t figure up from down. And despite Will telling himself he wouldn’t fall again, he’s head over heels and wandering without a compass.

Love is love.

Love is truth.

Love … shouldn’t be this damn hard to figure out.

Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KMDLYO
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1RytLUy
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/242eXme
Amazon AU: bit.ly/1VbnvkE
iBooks: apple.co/1R161pY
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1NDhCvy

B&N: http://bit.ly/20Jv3Q5

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: January 2016.

"North was my childhood. My first love. But he's nothing to me now. We're nothing. We stopped freefalling, and now we're standing still."

I've read quite a lot of MM over the past few years, and while most undoubtedly have got me hot under the collar, feeding off a raw sexual magnetism that the characters possess, few have truly found a place in my heart for examining what it means to find a bond with someone that so much of the world tells them they shouldn't be attracted to, for me so much of the MM I've read has focused solely on the sexual connection, without focusing on the soul deep connection. We live in a world full of stereotypes, of ideals like falling in love is joyous, and yet accompanied by addendums like, only if the person you fall for doesn't deviate from the preconceived norm, it's a unfortunate fact that even in 2016 people still fear what they don't understand, and the reality is there is so much fear and repression surrounding homosexuality, it goes against so many religious and cultural teachings, as far as the story goes boy and girl meet, fall in love, get married, have babies, that's it, the end... but what happens when despite all you've been taught growing up flies in the face of what you feel, what you have no choice but in feeling, in knowing to be true?

"Hell, I didn't fall. I'm still f*cking falling, and there isn't a safety net in the world big enough to catch me."

For Red Maine's resident manwhore North Underwood, life is well...it's pretty average actually, he spends his days at the mill doing physically demanding work, he drinks at his local after knock off, he's had his fair share of willing women to warm his bed, what he doesn't have is a connection to his once best mate Will Tanner, the once inseparable pair now have little to talk about, they certainly aren't friends, their conversation is limited to ordering a drink across a bar, years of friendship during their formative years is a distance memory, until North is given a chance to reconnect with Will, and he'll be damned not to take advantage of it, despite the lewd comments that get thrown around touting Will's sexuality as anything other than normal, despite the hate speech and vitriol that his homophobic father and co workers are sure to send his way, there's a sense of longing for what was, and of hope for what never may be.

"When his eyes meet mine they're both furious and full of fear. That's all he is: fear. From head to toe, a frightened little boy, so afraid to feel. So afraid to be found out as a faggot."

It's no big secret that I often listen to music when reading and reviewing, there's a line in Hanging By A Moment where Jason Wade croons that's he desperate for change, starving for truth, there's a feeling that in that moment it's both Will and North he's singing about, Will having spent so many years waiting for North to admit what he was feeling and North desperate for the courage, the strength to go after what he's wanted, when Wade sings "I'm closer to where I started, I'm chasing after you." there's that sense of being on a merry go round, the sense that the past twelve years apart have faded into dust, that North has got one foot out the door, and Will is still standing in the same spot he was all those years ago, still chasing after the idea of something that could be great but only if they both are willing to take a chance.

"I'd go through all of that for just one day of not having to hide, but it doesn't matter, because North will never change. Twelve years on and I'm still his dirty little secret. And the thing that tears me apart is the knowledge that this is all I've ever be."

There's a strangling sense of repression in Finding North, much like the title suggest, Jenner's latest work examines more than just coming out and sexuality, more than predetermined gender roles, bravely looking at sexuality as fluid, as more than black and white, as more than I like men or I like women, it takes a look at small town life, where sometimes the most convenient way to live is buried deep in the closet, where discrimination is more than just shouted words, or rude gestures, it's hatred, and violence, and destruction, it's FEAR.

"The fear, a blackness that roils constantly in my belly, threatens to overcome me and all I want to do is sink to my knees and sob. Instead, I fall into Will, and I find it's a pretty soft place to land."

There's so much more here than two men fighting and falling for each other, there's more than childhood bestfriends realising that there was more there for them, there's more here than a man who isn't quite sure what he identifies as or who he is. Finding North captivated me from the very first page, Will's voice full of innocence and wonder cemented that I couldn't put it down. Jenner's writing continues to go from strength to strength, her multi dimensional approach to contemporary romance means that Finding North is about more than steamy MM sex scenes, while are present - there's a element of it feeling natural, raw, unscripted, and more than that, her ability to create places like Red Maine that feel so inherently real that you can feel the dust swirling around your skin, sense the sun beating down hot on your face, but the thing that cements her place as author who leaves me giddy with anticipation for what's coming next, is her ability to create characters that are flawed, passionate, selfish, nervous, angry, sarcastic, loving, desperate... relatable...REAL...characters like Will and North, who wear their pasts, their indiscretions, their faults and their flaws like a badge of honour, saying this is who I am, I'm not perfect and that's okay, because who I am is enough.

 

This story gives a voice to anyone who has ever felt alone, unaccepted, unloved, it begs them to believe a little more, to accept those parts of themselves that cut like shards of glass tearing away at their strength, at their hope, Finding North tells the reader that we're all a little bent, a little broken and that's okay.

 

 

About The Author:

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the Sugartown, Savage Saints, and Taint series.
Her dark romance, KICK (Savage Saints MC #1), won Best Dark Romance Read in the Reader’s Choice Awards at RWDU 2015.
A tattoo enthusiast, hardcore MAC addict and zombie fangirl, Carmen lives on the sunny north coast of New South Wales, Australia, where she spends her time indoors wrangling her two wildling children, a dog named Pikelet, and her very own man-child.
A romantic at heart, Carmen strives to give her characters the HEA they deserve, but not before ruining their lives completely first … because what’s a happily ever after without a little torture?

Website / Facebook

The Mother Road by Meghan Quinn - ARC Review

THE MOTHER ROAD by Meghan Quinn

NA Romantic Comedy

Release date: January 12, 2016

Cover Designed by: Meghan Quinn

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1IS4PFc

 

 

 

 

Blurb:



Never in a million years would I have pictured myself as an axe-wielding, dragon lady, chopping up multi-colored flannel shirts into my very own plaid mulch. But here I am, chopping away my frustrations.

It all started when my brother, Paul, convinced me to go on one last family road trip across the Mother Road with him and my dad.. Just like old times, right? Wrong. What Paul fails to mention is his best man, Porter, will be joining us, who just so happens to be my childhood crush and the man who broke my heart four years ago.

What is supposed to be a fun, family bonding experience across Route 66 turns into a war of pranks, awkward moments and bathrooms full of dirty flannel shirts and day old beard clippings. Paul’s know-it-all attitude and Porter’s devilish charm brings me to the brink of my sanity on my seven day trek across the United States with three bearded men in a small 1980’s RV.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1MZYl2j
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1OYO33E
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1TMDYuW
iBooks: http://apple.co/1OiGeq7
Kobo: http://bit.ly/22SrUOJ

 

 

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: January 2016.  

 

Childhood friends.... CHECK.....

Second Chance Love story ..... CHECK...

Older brothers bestmate ....CHECK....

Friends to Lovers....CHECK...

Roadtrip story....CHECK....

 

Holy Moly, did Meghan Quinn read my crack hit list???? Anyone who knows me knows that these are the stories I LIVE for, give me one of these tropes and I'm on it, but this is the amalgamation of everything I love!

 

Marley McMann has got a pretty sweet life, she's created the career she always wanted, as a successful beauty blogger, that's built a strong following and is gaining the recognition of leaders in the beauty and cosmetic field who want to use her site to advertise their products and for her to test their range, she's got her professional life figured out, and it's a long way from the country girl she left behind four years ago.

 

Porter Smith is a born and bred farm boy, when his home life left a lot to be desired, Gloria and Bernie McMann took him in and loved him like their own, Paul and Porter became instant best friends, and Marley met the boy she would spend her entire childhood and adolescence swooning over, Porter was always respectful, honourable to a fault, and when he and Marley finally had a chance to explore what they felt for each other the night of Marley's Prom, Porter as always did the right thing, and walked away.

 

Fast Forward to now, weeks before Paul marries the love of his life Savannah, he and his father have a proposition for Marley, one last trip along the Mother Road, the ultimate is Winnebago holidays, an ode to their family, an ode to Gloria, one last great hurrah before sending Paul into matrimony, and in itself the trip is something Marley looks forward to, until she doesn't, until she has the see Porter again, the man who broke her heart by walking away, the man who taught her about childhood crushes, and teenage love, the man she's spent four year trying to forget.

 

"We're living in two different worlds, Marley, and they don't meet up."

In typical Meghan Quinn style I knew without a shadow of a doubt that The Mother Road would be hilarious, and it is, seamlessly blending witty retorts, with the kind of childish hilarity that anyone one with a sibling will recognise, but more than that The Mother Road was sweet, super sweet at times, because underneath Porter's bravado and Marley's feisty comebacks are two people who want each other with a desperation they have both tried to supress, but they love each other on a fundamental level, a love that started out as something so pure, and blossomed into something romantic, fuelled by lust and desire, but it's that purity, that faith in each other, that determination to see the other live the kind of life they only imagined, even if it means that you won't be part of it.

 

"My love for Marley is strong enough for me to let her go; too bad my heart is still battered and bruised from the first time I said goodbye."

 

Everything about The Mother Road drew me in, I was invested, enraptured, spellbound, this story is about so much more than a roadtrip, so much more than an ode to the ties that bind, so much more than more than two people who have spent most of their lives orbiting around one another. It's filthy and hilarious and sexy and sweet, Quinn pulled no punches here, she laid it all out there asking the reader to join Marley, Porter, Paul and Bernie to hold on tight and enjoy the ride, Porter is a little bit alpha, a lot swoonworthy and the kind of man any father would be proud to see with his little girl, and Marley is both strong and fragile, tough and sweet, she's the kind of heroine you can help but love, because underneath that confident exterior is a young woman who's known the man of her dreams her entire life and just wants him to truly see her.

 

"These hands, they were made to protect me heart, to guide me through life, and to take care of me like your mom used to."

There's a beautiful message here, one that's buried under the hilarity, under the side splitting comedy, under the constant pranks, it's one that reminds us as the reader that we should do the things that scare us, we shouldn't go through life guarding our hearts to the point that we miss out on the good, to scared of the bad, Quinn reminds the reader that everything you want is on the other side of fear, and sometimes we just have to do it anyway, The Mother Road is a story of love, family and no regrets, one that not only made me laugh, but made my heart smile, it left me feeling strong and sure, invincible, it cemented Quinn as a force to be reckoned with in not only romantic comedy but contemporary romance.

 

 

 

 

About Meghan Quinn:

 

 



Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if "It's Raining Men" starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.
Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing... enter her first novel, Caught Looking.
Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinnauthor

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360513.Meghan_Quinn

Website: http://authormeghanquinn.com/



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