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

Logan (Preston Punks #2) by Jay McLean

Blurb:

As a kid, Logan Preston was a brat.
Through his teens, he became the bad boy.
Now, at nineteen, no one knows what the hell to expect.

High school dropout, Logan Preston is a
good-for-nothing stoner.
A black sheep.
A disappointment.
The worst Preston Punk of the lot.
At least that’s how everyone in his small town
makes him feel.
But Logan Preston has secrets.
Secrets so dark and so deep below the surface that the only way he can fight them is to stay high, high, high.
He wears cockiness as a mask.
Arrogance as his armor.
Until one girl, one night, asks one life-changing question:
What's beneath the bravado, Logan Preston?

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2xOHgf2...
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/2ygJfu2
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2xKDZvz
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2x6ljJA
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2ke16LR

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: September 2017.

Over a week has passed and I’m no closer to adequately describing the raw and unrelenting beauty this book possesses. From an auspicious beginning to an absolutely breathtaking ending, Logan captured every emotion leaving me desperate for more while delivering the story I craved. Everything about this story had me utterly invested, from the first moments Logan was an enigma, a boy that went off the rails somewhere along the lines and seemed content to remain there. His weekends of  debauchery seem to be early adulthood rebellion at it's finest, until it isn't anymore. The more McLean hinted to demons darkening his door the more his methods of letting go had a sinister twist. 

Keeping secrets isn't exclusive to Logan, Audrey has a past of her own, and much like Logan uses quick wit and sarcasm with a healthy dose of bravado to cover the things she best keep hidden. Two people trying to just be without divulging their past hurts to the world, two people using everything at their disposal to guard their hearts from further devastation. Two people who absolutely and utterly stole my heart.

I wanted this review to scream from the rooftops my absolute adoration for this author, I wanted to tell you how this story shattered me in all the ways a great book can, I wanted to shout my love for these beautifully broken characters and the way they made me feel and the journey they took me on. I wanted to revel in the emotion they wretched from me and tell you at great length how bereft I felt as I turned the last page. More than any of this, I need you to read this story, I need you to allow yourself to be swept away by two young people who asked each other the only important question there is... what if we try?

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

Shameless by Lex Martin - Review

Blurb:

Brady…
What the hell do I know about raising a baby? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing.

Yet here I am, the sole guardian of my niece. I’d be lost if it weren’t for Katherine, the beautiful girl who seems to have all the answers. Katherine, who’s slowly finding her way into my cynical heart.

I keep reminding myself that I can’t fall for someone when we don’t have a future. But telling myself this lie and believing it are two different things.


Katherine…

When Brady shows up on a Harley, looking like an avenging angel—six feet, three inches of chiseled muscle, eyes the color of wild sage, and sun-kissed skin emblazoned with tattoos—I’m not sure if I should fall at his feet or run like hell. Because if I tell him what happened the night his family died, he might hate me.

What I don’t count on are the nights we spend together trying to forget the heartache that brought us here. I promise him it won’t mean anything, that I won’t fall in love.

I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep.

Shameless is an adult contemporary romance/spinoff featuring a character from The Dearest Series, but it can be read as a complete standalone.

 

 

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29282745-shameless

 Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1UaR0Fq

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/23SE2CC

Universal Amazon link: http://myBook.to/Shameless

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

Kobo: http://bit.ly/248KdiD

iBooks: http://apple.co/1S3GPBl

 

Also Available: 

The Dearest Series Boxed Set is FREE on KU for a limited time. Get all three Dearest Series books, including Dearest Clementine, Finding Dandelion and Kissing Madeline, as well as Dearest Series bonus scenes and the first chapter of Shameless.

US: http://amzn.to/1U0pB97

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

Universal Amazon link: http://myBook.to/DearestSeries

http://amzn.to/1VM8ZUo

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: April 2016.

Brady isn't the kind of man who chases women, he's never really needed to, there was a time when he lusted after his close friend Dani, despite knowing she would never feel the same way, when she found happiness with someone that wasn't him, he nursed his bruised male pride and moved on, he had bigger things to worry about than women, like his dad's ailing health and crumbling family business, his brother had  left town to study in order to be an asset to their fathers business,  but instead had met a woman and eloped and was now a young father himself, with no intention of returning home Brady faced a future of sacrificing his passion in order to support his father and mother by taking over the family business. Brady is tired, he's worn out, he's frustrated and angry, once again he's stepping up to support everyone else's choices with little regard given to what he truly wants.

A phone call in the middle of the night changes everything for Brady, suddenly he's second guessing himself, he's rethinking every cross word, every heated thought, his baby brother Cal is gone and his last thoughts of him were filled with anger and frustration, there's a heady sense of loss, one the reader feels acutely. With the mounting pressure of a sick father, a family business haemorrhaging money, a dead brother and an estate to deal with Brady heads to Cal and Melissa's farm to try and say goodbye the only way he can.

"Death does that. Sticks everything under a magnifying glass and makes each scratch or cut feel like a gaping wound."

Brady isn't the only person who lost someone that dark night when Cal and Melissa died, Melissa was more than just Katherine's best friend, she was her confidante, her support system, Cal, Melissa and their daughter Isabella were her family, her sense of peace, her safe haven when her world was rocked once before. Katherine found a home with them, she loves Isabella like her own, standing in to care for her after her parents sudden death was never an issue, her bond with the little girl unquestionable, grieving for the loss they both feel so acutely, they are tethered to one another.

"Her chubby little cheek drops to my shoulder, and it's all I can do to keep from breaking down myself."

There's a familiarity between Kat and Brady, one borne out of experiencing the same grief, living through the same nightmare, wishing they would wake up and Cal and Melissa were still alive, that Brady was only visiting, that Isabella still had two parents. Grief and loss weigh heavily on both of them, struggling to keep the farm running, caring for a baby girl, processing and dealing with their own sense of grief, Brady and Kat circle each other, doing what's needs to get, focusing on just making it through, the connection between them growing deeper each day, their chemistry is undeniable, in another time and another place, they would be perfect for one another. Regrettably they are not the care free young adults they should be, Brady is facing the brunt of familial financial expectation, as well as guardianship of his baby niece Izzy,  and Kat has secrets that weight heavily on her mind. Finding solace and support in each other is inevitable, an intimate connection borne out of need that would end when Brady and Katherine returned to their own homes.

"Because in another lifetime, in a parallel world - one where he doesn't live on the other side of the country - I think he's the kind of man I could love."

From the title, I expected Shameless to be quick, sexy ride...boyyyy was I wrong, the author demonstrates her range here, making the reader every second of that bleak, shrouded sense of pain and loss, from the very first moments we feel something building, and when that phone rings, it's the feeling of dread, of anguish, of powerlessness, the loss so acute, the pain so real, that you can feel it wash over you, leaving you feel like you're treading water, just trying to stay afloat right along with Brady and Kat. Ms Martin weaves moments of hilarity through the tapestry she created, the connection they share going beyond purely physical attraction, it's a recognition of each other on a soul deep level, the ability to provide comfort and understanding to one another when they both feel so utterly alone. There's a rawness there that makes it impossible to look away, and utterly mesmerising to watch. Set against the backdrop of farm life, complete with animals to care for, Shameless tells the story of love and loss, of hope and most importantly reminds the reader that even after the darkest storms, there's a rainbow.

About Lex Martin:

Lex writes adult novels, the sexy kind with lotsa angst, a whole lotta kissing, and the hot happily ever afters. When she's not writing, she lives a parallel life as an English teacher. She loves printing black and white photos, listening to music on vinyl, and getting lost in a great book. Bitten by wanderlust, she's lived all over the country but currently resides in the City of Angels with her husband and twin daughters.


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US (HIM #2) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy - Review

Blurb:


 Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes's nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes, and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.
Goodreads

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1PXJoTb
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1QCgZFE
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1T5CnUqy
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1Lath5H
Amazon AU: bit.ly/1Q2mdXR

Read HIM:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1SQdtIa
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1SQdz2E
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2163hfG
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1SQdEn3
Amazon AU: bit.ly/1M1OH2w

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: February 2016.

Most stories end when the main characters find their happily ever after, so it's always fun when authors allow us to revisit our beloved characters again, unfortunately as much as I love to take a step back into the lives of the characters that touched me so deeply the first time around, it can often feel stilted, that certainly wasn't the case here, Kennedy and Bowen captured my attention instantly, falling back into Wes and Jamie's lives was effortless, the more I read, the deeper in love I fell with these two crazy, courageous, sexy men, the more desperate I was for more.

With Bowen and Kennedy's trade mark wit, and snark Wes and Jamie felt like old friends, their love and attraction is clear, their chemistry undeniable but hiding this big love from the world comes at a price, being able to walk down the street holding your partners hand is one of those sweet moments that I think most of us take for granted, being able to update your social media status to in a relationship one of those relationship milestones that has become all to important in today's society, for two people who fought long an hard to cement their relationship, to be able to admit to themselves what they had was special, was worth taking that leap of faith that any new relationship is, is slowly stripping away at the layers of the happy they built around themselves.

"I roll onto my back and start counting the weeks until the end of the season. I don't think I can take this anymore. Not if it makes Jamie unhappy."

 The bittersweet part of US comes from the fact that Jamie and Wes knew their budding relationship would face setbacks, they would have to jump hurdles in order to be together, maintaining a secret relationship, pretending to be roommates, purely friends was always going to be tough, denying their attraction to each other in public, keeping Wes in the spotlight purely for his skills on the ice  and not his sexual orientation during his rookie year was always the plan,  but in the face of starting a new life together even that seemed like a hurdle they could take in their stride, but the more they are both pulled in different directions, as communication breaks down, and it becomes easier to slip into their own minds and focus less and less on actually talking things through open and honestly the more the once solid foundation they thought they had begins to crumble.

"Do I yell at him now? Is that the right thing to do? I don't know what Jamie needs. If I knew, I'd give it to him."

Fear and helplessness are stifling, it can choke you so slowly that you don't even notice it at first, when you suddenly go from happy and in love to feeling confused and alone, no amount of love filled platitudes can bring you back from the brink, peppered throughout those moments that tug at your heart, that make you want to climb into the book just to hold both Jamie and Wes, while brushing their hair away from their faces and murmuring that everything is going to be okay, are moments of giddy anticipation, swoon worthy romance and laugh out loud hilarity, Blake, the loud and lovable larrikin of a team mate that he is, is simultaneously uproariously funny, with his sheep proclamations and bad Mafioso jokes, as he is heart-warmingly sweet. His obnoxiousness is strangely endearing, and balances Wes's uptight and controlling ways, and left me wanting more from not only the hero's of this story but from Blake as well.

For me a lot of the MM I have read steers towards the physical connection only, focusing on the sexual chemistry only to sell the story, Bowen and Kennedy balance the down right blazing inferno that is Wes and Jamie, while centring around a fluid and organic tale about two people who found each other again, found something bigger than either of them had ever experienced, something bigger than labels like straight, gay or bi. Everything about US captivated me instantly, I couldn't put it down, couldn't look away, I forgot about my phone, lost track of time, and found myself so fully immersed in them that I was both desperate for more and didn't want it to end, my only hope is that this isn't the end for these characters. Honest, raw, thought provoking, US is the kind of book you will savour long after your turn the last page.

About the Authors:

Sarina Bowen:

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of Vermont.

She is the author of The Ivy Years, an award-winning series set amid the hockey team at an elite Connecticut college. Also, the The Gravity series.

Stay tuned for a new Vermont contemporary romance series and hockey novels including Rookie Move.

Sarina enjoys skiing, espresso drinks and the occasional margarita. She lives with her family, eight chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.
Connect with Sarina on Facebook


Elle Kennedy:

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Connect with Elle on Facebook

Last Call (Bad Habits #3) by Staci Hart - Review

Released: 15th February 2016.

Blurb:

Once Rose Fisher makes a decision, that’s it. End of story.

Like when her ex, Patrick, dumped her out of the blue, then showed up with a super hot, tatted up sex kitten on his arm. Then it was over for good. The end. Poof. Dead to her. Except he was everywhere — down the hall, at the bar with their friends, worming his way into her dreams.

But with their friends paired off, they’re left alone more and more. Rose is determined to keep him friendzoned — doesn’t matter that he stares at her with a smolder that drops all panties in a ten foot radius. She’s over him, and she’ll prove it by getting back into the dating game, Patrick be damned.

Patrick Evans is no stranger to consequences. When your mother walks out, your dad drifts away. When you leave home, you’re on your own. And when you run away from the girl you love, you lose her. He finally has an opportunity to rebuild the bridge he burned, and it’s not one he’ll take for granted. But he’ll have to fight for her, even if it hurts. Even if it means he’ll walk away brokenhearted. Because deep down, he knows that she’s it for him.

The trick will be to get her to admit she feels it too.

Find Last Call on Goodreads 

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/20SD9op
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1W9ArYz
Amazon UK: amzn.to/1Sd6okp

Currently on sale for 99c *at time of posting*

Purchase: With A Twist (Bad Habits #1)
Purchase: Chaser (Bad Habits #2)

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: February 2016.

When I picked up With A Twist last year I was smitten with Staci Hart's words, by Chaser I was utterly hooked, the way every emotion bleeds into her stories, the way West and Lilly connected - a connection that comes from years spent together while hiding behind the guise of friendship, to the raw and unyielding chemistry between Maggie and Cooper - the kind you can try to run from but never escape, but what truly intrigued me was tenuous relationship between Rose and Tricky, this relationship that had once been so sweet that had soured and left a poisonous void between them, when friends become lovers and everything falls apart, what you're left with is a connection that won't let you breathe, try as you might to move on, it holds you captive, the friendships you've built around it leaves you held hostage inside your own grief, inside the torment of what was and what it could have been, while you wear a mask, one that shows the outside world you're okay, while you're still crumbling inside.

"So I stared in his direction, wondering how I'd gotten to where I was, lying across from the boy who I couldn't escape but couldn't have."

The second I opened Last Call I was mesmerised, Rose had always seemed like such a strong, infallible woman, and she was, but reading her thoughts, slipping into the story, as her words and thoughts invaded my mind like ink sinking into my skin, I saw all of her, her joy, her sadness, her grief, her strength, her tenacity and her strong will, it was impossible not to love her from the very first page, Rose had loved and lost, and it had hurt her, it tore her heart from her chest, but she refused to wallow in that soul crushing pain, she stood strong even when she felt weak, Rose embodied everything I look for in a heroine, she made me think, made me feel and had me in her corner, cheering her on, not just for Tricky but for Rose, from that very first page, I wanted Rose to find her happy regardless of what that might be, so often I find leading ladies happily ever afters tied up in the hero, but what I found here was that what I wanted most of all was for Rose to be okay, and not a shadow of her former self.

"I didn't know which was worse. The truth, or the lie we'd been telling ourselves."

Tricky the inked up man of few words, everything about Tricky intrigued me from the very first mention of him in With A Twist, to say that I was desperate for more of him would be a gross understatement, from the smouldering glances he levelled at Rose, to the easy camaraderie he had with West and Cooper, everything about his outward appearance may have screamed back off, but those secret smiles...gosh those secret smiles made me want to crawl inside his mind and know everything about him, Tricky seemed like that kind of man that was forever trying to do the right thing, even when it was to the detriment of himself, and I wanted to know why, what made him tick, what made him guard his heart so closely especially when it was clear that the Bad Habits crew loved him, that even Rose despite the pain of their past still cared for him deeply, but most of all I was desperate to know what happened that a man whose eyes tracked Rose's every movement, eyes that told the story of hurt and regret, of pain without a chance of absolution would willingly walk away from her.

"Rose doesn't love you for any reason other than she does. You didn't have to do anything. Don't you get it?"

Last Call was a strange concept for romance novels, so often we start at the beginning hoping that the hero and heroine will find each other, will find their happily every after, instead Hart invites the reader to what could possibly be the end, Rose and Tricky have already had the passionate love affair, they tried and failed, where any romance reader salivates for the elusive HEA, the author begs you to leave your preconceived notions at the door and take a journey that is just as much moving forward as it is looking back, as two broken characters try to navigate what they were and who they are, as well as what they could be, whether together or alone. When Rose and Tricky battled to just keep moving through the pain of their past, the fear of the unknown threatening to drown them, the waves of trepidation crashing angrily against them, the unfettered joy of second chances, of making up for lost time, I felt that, I felt it wash over me, I felt it chip away at my heart, knowing with certainly that like Rose and Tricky, whatever happened I would never be the same.

There are books that make you laugh when you desperately need it, books that leave you reading through blurry teary eyes, books that make you want to slam down your kindle, cursing the characters and the world, and there are books that make you forget time and space, that draw you in, make you feel something bigger than yourself, they hold you captive and demand your attention, they remind you why you love to read, they remind you what it feels like to truly become invested in someone else's words, they take your heart, and hold it, knowing it's precious while being unafraid to take you on the journey they need you to go on. Staci Hart reminded me that sometimes we need to get through the pain and hurt to find what we truly need on the other side, that sometimes time and perspective is what we need despite how much we just want to forget and move on, but most of she reminded me that sometimes endings are really just the beginning of something new.

"Cheers to the end, because every story that ends begins another. Cheers to beginnings that they may be full of hope and love..."

About Staci Hart:

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life: a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.

From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics.

Visit Staci's Website: http://stacihartnovels.com/

November 9 by Colleen Hoover - ARC Review

 

 

Blurb:

 

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day of her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

 

 

 

Purchase Links: 

 

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1kFuK7J

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Oz1PiX

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Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: November 2015.

Where do I even start with November 9? I am a huge Colleen Hoover fan...HUGE... FSOG may have been the book that got me reading again but Slammed was the one that kept me reading, I've read thousands of books since then but one I always come back to is Slammed so to say with each new release my expectations are high would be an understatement. My paperback is a mess of coloured tabs and highlighted quotes, ones that immediately stood out as something I needed to remember and revisit.

November 9 is set on the premise that Fallon a once upon a time child actor, and Ben an aspiring writer, meet as eighteen year olds on the day of Fallon's cross country move, they meet and the world seems to tilt on it's axis, they connect on a level neither has seemed to have ever experience before but Fallon is about to embark on a new adventure, one that will hopefully see her life change, they set each other tasks for the coming year with a plan to meet back up in one year's time. They block each other on social media, they don't swap numbers, they are only armed with a plan to see each other again on November 9 the following year, where they can compare notes on the year that has passed and hopefully everything they have accomplished in the time that has passed.

It's an exciting premise, one born out of a greater need to find out who they truly are, to find their place in the world, and figure out who they want to be. Fallon citing her mother's advice as her reason for leaving this connection behind, the theory that you change exponentially from eighteen to twenty three, Fallon wants to find herself again before falling in love, before being lost in someone else, leaving her with five years to find who she is and what she wants to be.

"You'll never be able find yourself if you're lost in someone else."

November 9 isn't just a date that these two will continue to reconnect over the course of the coming five years, nor is it just the title of this book, November 9 holds special relevance as the day Fallon's life changed dramatically as and as result it's a date that holds a darker meaning for her, but with this new and exciting connection with Ben pushing her to test her boundaries, he's succeeding in replacing her sad memories with something to look forward to.

There's so much beauty here in this story, in true Hoover fashion I was instantly swept up in her words, making me forget everything going on in the world around me and truly lose myself in the world she created.

"I missed you, Fallon...A lot. And screw it if I'm not supposed to admit that, but I tried the whole alpha male thing for two seconds, and I just can't do it. So you don't get alpha Ben today. I'm sorry."

With lines like these it's hard not to be swept up in their albeit unconventional romance,  a friendship born out of the unlikeliest of meetings, one that transcends time, one day a year to spend together, a handful of hours to say everything they've both been thinking and feeling never quite feels like enough and yet every moment they share seems better than the last, and as I sped through the pages I didn't once question their connection, because I could feel every emotion seep though the pages, I could feel it hammering through my blood, telling me that what they'd found in that restaurant on the first day was real.

But as with time, life moves forward and as much as every year they meet up and their bond strengthens, them having to say good bye again becomes more and more difficult. I felt myself dreading their goodbyes as much as they did, and I kept repeating over and over in my mind that they should just void their plan, they should stay together, they should be with one another, and they could write whatever story they wanted together.

"I thought I was tougher than a word. But I just discovered that having to say good bye to you is one of the hardest things to do."

Nothing about November 9 ever felt forced, there was never a time that I felt like the author threw in angst for the sake of it to fill the story, there were moments that I was wearing my biggest swooniest grin, other's when my heart seemed so full I almost expected it to burst out of my chest, and there were moments of pure and unadulterated heartbreak, because as Fallon so eloquently described not all romances mean that the hero and heroine have to end up together, as long as they are happy whether it be together or separate that's all that matters.

"Your hands touch someone who isn't me. Your lips make promises against skin that isn't mine."

Lines like that is why I read, it's why I get so lost in a Colleen Hoover book, it's lines like that that have goose bumps prickling my skin, setting fire to my heart, causing me to stop and just breathe in her words, it's those moments that I crave when I read, to be totally lost in a book and it's characters.

I was head over heels with Fallon and Ben, with their journey, with their torment of being apart despite it being of their own doing, of them both battling their own pasts to find a way to be whole on their own and then together, and there were so many moments that truly stole my breath, and left me wanting more, but the last thirty per cent felt rushed, I wanted more, I wanted more from Ben, I wanted to recreate that swoon worthy feeling he gave me in the beginning, I wanted to feel his desperation more keenly. I didn't want to put this book down at any point, sitting at a family party on Sunday afternoon, when my husband noticed my forlorn appearance, he urged me to pick up my book so I could keep reading, I dove back in immediately needing to know more, I know this book will hit all the right notes for so many readers, I loved the pacing, I loved the way we didn't get bogged down in everyday life for Fallon and Ben instead focusing on their time together each year, but in the end the final quarter didn't finish as strongly as I had hoped. Without a doubt Colleen Hoover continues to excel as so much of this showed her growth as an author, as always I'm excited to see what's next for her.

 

About Colleen Hoover:

#1 New York Times bestselling author of books that make you feel good. And bad. But mostly good.

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