Grin & Beard It (Winston Brothers #2) by Penny Reid

Blurb:

Sienna Diaz is everyone’s favorite “fat” funny lady. The movie studio executives can’t explain it, but her films are out-grossing all the fit and trim headliners and Hollywood’s most beautiful elite. The simple truth is, everyone loves plus-sized Sienna.

But she has a problem, she can’t read maps and her sense of direction is almost as bad as her comedic timing is stellar. Therefore, when Sienna’s latest starring role takes her to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park she finds herself continually lost while trying to navigate the backroads of Green Valley, Tennessee. Much to her consternation, Sienna’s most frequent savior is a ridiculously handsome, charming, and cheeky Park Ranger by the name of Jethro Winston.

Sienna is accustomed to high levels of man-handsome, so it’s not Jethro’s chiseled features or his perfect physique that make Sienna stutter. It’s his southern charm. And gentlemanly manners. And habit of looking at her too long and too often.

Sienna has successfully navigated the labyrinth of Hollywood heart-throbs. But can she traverse the tenuous trails of Tennessee without losing her head? Or worse, her heart?

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1TS9IBk
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1U2wm8M
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1Vclw2e
iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/…/grin-and-beard…/id1086774926…
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1sDwGSY
B&N: http://bit.ly/20cHhhL
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1Xn93ZS

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.

Have you ever had that moment where you're so in awe of an authors work that you feel a sense of trepidation every time you pick up one of their books? When Grin & Beard It landed on my kindle it was with a sense of both heady excitement and nervous trepidation, I was desperate for this book, but what if it didn't live up to my expectations? I was clearly foolish to be concerned, within the first page Sienna's voice gripped me, she was quirky and forthright, captivating almost immediately, there was something about her that was both enticing and yet so incredibly real, it's a hard task, making a Hollywood starlet still seem like the girl next door, well not the boring girl next door, but the one you desperately want to be friends with.

"I honesty don't know. It's everything about you, I guess. Everything together that makes you impossible to leave, impossible to forget."

If Sienna Diaz is all sexy, confident, friendly and outgoing, Jethro Winston is somewhat of an enigma, he's the black sheep of the Winston clan, he's definitely had the most colourful past, and yet has truly changed his ways becoming an upstanding member of the local community. When Sienna and Jethro meet there's a connection for sure, but Reid writes it so eloquently that it's slow burn at it's finest, their increased interaction purely stroking the flames of attraction, slowly building so that the more they spoke with one another, the more they interacted, the more that spark deepened into something real, something beautiful, the more I fell in love with both the characters and with Reid's words.

"Our past would always be part of us, but it would never wholly define us, either together or as individuals. Each moment was a decision. We could either live up or down to people's expectations, or blow them completely away. We had no control over what other people decided to think, but we did have control over our own actions, who we wanted to be, and how we lived our life."

Therein lies the beauty of Reid's books, it's experiencing everything from those first twinges of attraction, to the sly smiles and longing looks, it's the sweet words and the tender moments, it's the burning desire and lust, so explosive that it jumps off the page. It's all of those moments, and all of the others in between, it's the feeling of completely losing yourself in the story, in the small town that the Winston brothers call home, the sheer brilliance of Sienna, a woman that has been content playing the role everyone expects her to for so long that she's started to forget why she started this journey in the first place, a woman who is unquestionably a Hollywood megastar and yet uncharacteristically down to earth, she's found something in Jethro that she's never experienced before, from the undeniable attraction, to the butterflies to the constant need to just be near them, she's sure of herself, confident, has that thing, that x factor that makes someone impossible to forget, in so many ways she's Jethro's polar opposite, and yet in others they mesh more perfectly than either dreamt possible. There's a moment for every reader when you connect with a book, when you lose yourself in the author's words, when you forget time, forget what you need to do, forget everything that exists outside of the characters and their connection, that moment was instantaneous with Grin & Beard It, it was effortless in everyway, just like Jethro when he speaks to his feelings for Sienna, everything about this story was impossible to leave, impossible to forget, I was invested, captivated, utterly enchanted by the full of life lady and the mountain man who found each other unexpectedly, and in the midst of their normal lives found something extraordinary. Penny Reid once again reminded me why she is an automatic purchase author for me, her stories fanciful and yet full of universal truths, adults meeting and embarking on their something more, no angst for the sake of building drama, no silly miscommunication that leaves me tugging my hair out, her sheer brilliance reliant purely on her ability to captivate her reader, something she has done EVERY SINGLE TIME I pick up her books.

"Happy to hear it. Because when I'm with you, I feel like I'm both flying and falling."

About Penny Reid:

Penny Reid is a USA Today Best Selling Author of romantic fiction. When she’s not immersed in penning smart romances she works in the biotech industry as a researcher. She's also a full time mom to three diminutive adults (boy-8, girl-6, and girl-4 months), wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.

Connect with Penny on Facebook

Coast (The Road #3) by Jay McLean

Blurb:

One life-changing summer.
One boy.
The boy.
The boy who offered me safe touches and heart-stopping smiles - smiles he shared with his son.
We filled our days with porch-step kisses,
filled our ears with laughter,
filled our hearts with love.
Deep, soul-aching, desperate love.
But love is misleading.
It's an invisible, fleeting moment.
Somewhere between false adoration and pure hatred comes an emotion, a vulnerable need, a single desire.
It lives within the ones who miss it, who crave it,
who know better than to expect it.
Love is relentless.
Even when that love turns to hate, turns to loathing,
turns to pain.
Love should heal you.
But it can also break you.
Believe me, I know...
Because I'm Becca Owens - a broken girl...
...And he's Josh Warden - the boy who broke me.

Find on Goodreads

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1WJXjkV
iBooks: http://apple.co/1TgZeKi
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1TgZlW8
B&N: http://bit.ly/1XyMt0O

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: June 2016.

It's no secret that I've long been a fan of Jay McLean's work, in fact Kick Push and More Than Enough both earned the coveted PLATINUM lipstick in 2015, to say that she set the bar high for whatever would follow would be an understatement. Kick Push has been ever present in my thoughts since turning the last page last year, Josh and Becca never far from my mind, two characters that absolutely owned me, decimated my heart, ravaged my soul, two fictional characters that became something so much bigger, their presence in my life, the impact their journey had on me was real, tangible, and in turning the last page, the overwhelming sense of loss that plagued me, the sense of grief of having to say good bye, if only for a little while until I could COAST with them once more.

"Because it teaches me that if I stand tall, brave and unwilling to back down, then the chaos, the destruction - it can't attack me. It can't touch me. It makes me feel alive and invincible."

 Where Kick Push was essentially Josh's story, Coast is most definitely Becca's, a young woman who was abused and denigrated by the very person who should of been her protector, after leaving Josh in order to find herself, to find a way to heal, to rebuild the parts of her that had been broken over and over again, she finds herself confronting her fears, and facing him once again, the man she loved, the man who loved her, the man who reminded her of her worth when she felt worthless, and yet had the ability to leave her broken when she didn't think it was possible to be anymore more broken that she had previously felt, an albeit brief history they shared that shaped both of their lives so dramatically. In those quiet moments, as recognition washed over Josh's face, as Becca bravely forged forward, as my heart surged, threatening to break out of my chest, I knew with certainty that the author was about to claim my heart and soul again.

"Because it's not fair that you should have to love me broken, especially when I can never make you whole."

There's something about modern day fairy tales that we like to tell, where a damsel down on her luck is rescued by the tatted up badboy/heart of gold alpha and they ride off into the sunset, what I adore so much about this series is that not only is Josh Warden inherently a good guy, a great guy even, but that the author dares to challenge the norm, when Becca could of folded, could have crumbled under the weight of so much pain, of haunting memories, of nightmares she instead realised that heroes need to save themselves, Becca walks away despite the pain, knowing that the only way she truly has any chance of healing is to allow time to do just that, to take the steps to start the process, the work through everything that haunts her and rediscover who she is, outside of the labels that have been given to her. Coast isn't about quick fixes and happily ever afters, it's a journey from that very moment that Becca starts truly living again, it's a story of redemption, of second chances, of third chances, of I love you's, I need you's, I forgive you's, it's a story that's real and heartbreaking and honest, it's a story about the love between a father and son, between a man and woman, between father and daughter, it's a story about the family you make and the family you are given, it's a story of falling down seven times and getting up eight. Coast is so much more than contemporary romance or new adult, it's more than sexy scenes, angsty moments, and tender caresses. It's a story that left me boneless and breathless, a story that eviscerated me time and time again and yet left me absolutely mind numbingly, desperate for more, a tale about two people and the life they created together, as well as the lives they created apart was in so many ways an ode to living to the fullest, to jumping the hurdles that are inevitably put in  front of us, of staring our fears in the face - telling them you won't beat me today, it's remembering what comes after you kick and you push.

"We fall. We get back up. We kick. We push. Again and again. Because the joy of success is greater than the depression of failure." 

It's the moment that the story eviscerates your heart, when all you can do is smile and say thank you because feeling something that deep, that real, that inherently, that it leaves you gasping for air, it leaves you staring at the wall wondering what you just read, simultaneously causing searing pain and joyous relief, that moment is opening a book by Ms McLean, it's silently offering up your heart, saying take this but please be careful with it, it's saying I trust you to take me on the journe Finding a book that absolutely speaks to your soul is life changing, it's the moment that the story eviscerates your heart, when all you can do is smile and say thank you because feeling something that deep, that real, that inherently, that it leaves you gasping for air, it leaves you staring at the wall wondering what you just read, simultaneously causing searing pain and joyous relief, that moment is opening a book by Ms McLean, it's silently offering up your heart, saying take this but please be careful with it, it's saying I trust you to take me on the journey these characters need to go on, it's saying I will follow you wherever you need to go.

If you haven't had a chance to read Kick Push, now's the time!

GPI's Platinum Lipstick Review of Kick Push

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/22llVAH
iBooks: http://apple.co/1TgZau6
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1QY8dLR
Nook: http://bit.ly/1T5bMY5
Add to GR: http://bit.ly/1FSYTTZ


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.

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Seeking Faith by Lauren McKellar & Losing Faith by Jennifer Ryder - Review

Blurb:

The inseparable are well and truly split.

Mack, Faith and Lacey, joined at the hip since they were kids, are about to graduate high school. You might think this sounds like a book about coming-of-age and taking that leap into adulthood.

It is—except one of them doesn’t make it …

Mackenzie Carter has one solid thing on the agenda for her future—get out of town and focus on her post-school studies. After all, she’s wanted to be a vet since she was a little girl, and nothing, not the thought of being apart from her two best mates or the idea that maybe she’s got more-than-friendly feelings for a sexy local surfer can alter that … can it?

Graduation changes everything.

Almost three years later, and Mack’s high school dreams are just that—figments of her imagination, thanks to the guilt that haunts her on a daily basis. Will a faux relationship with Byron Leckie be the thing she needs to get her life back on track? Or will it make everything worse?

One thing is for certain. When these two collide, the damage will be fierce. After all, graduation was never meant to end like this.

Purchase Links:

iBooks: https://itun.es/au/oDHebb.l
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1RaCuXK
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/20a10in
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1RaBaV4
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1TITPsV

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.

Mackenzie Carter had a comfortable life, she was loved by her family, surrounded by her two bestfriends Lacey and Faith, the end of year twelve and graduation is in her sights and her university study options after school are already narrowed down to moving to Sydney to follow her dream, only she's not sure if it's her dream anymore or everyone else's. Embarking on her final push towards end of year Mack is both ready and unsure, on the cusp of adulthood, that dichotomous age where you know everything and nothing at all. Certain truths are always true though, bestfriends tell each other everything, and its never okay to fall for your bestfriends boyfriend. When graduation night ends in unexpected tragedy, Mack's world tilts on it's axis, three bestfriends are torn apart, the lives of those around them broken, staying was never part of the plan, leaving is truly the only option, when Mack leaves everything behind determined to start again, she thinks her days in their small town are over, only the past has a way of coming back whether your ready to deal the memories it brings or not.

Byron Leckie had the seemingly perfect life, loved by all, hottest girlfriend in town, good friends, plans for the future, the last thing he expected was to develop feelings for his girlfriends best friend, despite doing the right thing and abiding by the cardinal rule of never coming between friends, that year changes the trajectory of his life forever, when tragedy strikes on graduation night Byron is broken, being the good guy didn't save anyone and his close knit group of friends was torn apart. Chasing memories of guilt and years of heartache when he runs into Mack again years later he finally has the chance to write the wrongs of the past, to fix some of whats broken, and bring one of the towns favourite daughters home.

Losing someone too soon, too young is tragic, the mystery surrounding Faith's death only intensifying the feelings of guilt, one night three years ago changed everyone's lives, in Seeking Faith McKellar takes the reader on a journey of guilt and shame, of pain and heartbreak, of ultimately forgiveness and love, the inherent sense of suspense woven through each moment held me captive, intrigued almost immediately and desperate for more I devoured Seeking Faith, McKellar begs the question of what happens after the storm, after the sadness and after the hurt, she's examines survivors guilt in the subtlest of ways, as both Mack and Byron wade through a sea of emotions, some beating them down, others buoying them to continue. Set across a picturesque backdrop of coastal life, interspersed with the vibrant canvas of bustling Sydney McKellar held me captive from the first page until the very last page.

 

About Lauren McKellar:

Lauren K. McKellar is the writer of contemporary romance reads that make you feel. With a passion for all things fiction, she is a hybrid-published best-selling Australian author of young and new adult books.
In addition to her fiction work, Lauren edits manuscripts for both publishing houses and a host of successful independent authors, working on both structural and line elements. She loves working collaboratively to achieve a common end goal.
Lauren lives by the beach in Australia with her husband and their two dogs. Most of the time, all three of them are well behaved.

Connect with Lauren on Facebook

Blurb:

The inseparable are well and truly split.

Mack, Faith and Lacey, joined at the hip since primary school, are about to graduate high school. You might think this sounds like a book about coming-of-age and taking that leap into adulthood.

It is— except one of them doesn’t make it …

Lacey Marone had two solid things on her agenda for her future — working in the Pepperoni Palace until she figured out what the hell to do with her life, and getting together with her bestie’s older brother, Quade, who she’s crushed on since she was a kid.

Then graduation night changed everything. Almost three years later, Lacey won’t rest until she discovers the truth surrounding Faith’s death. She’s outcast by those who want to move on from the tragedy, as if the town’s sweetheart never existed.

Years after losing Faith, Quade Kelly returns home to Runaway Beach, determined to mend ties with his parents and cement a future in his hometown teaching at the local primary school. Quade soon learns that his sister’s ghost lives on, thanks to Lacey, the girl who still owns a piece of his heart.

Lacey is hung up on her quest for answers. Quade wants to bury his failures of the past. The pull between them can’t be denied but can the past be forgotten?

Truths will be uncovered and hearts will be cracked open wide. After all, graduation was never meant to end like this.

Purchase Links:

iBooks: https://itun.es/au/71jebb.l
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WE0ZWc
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/209YTep
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1U1sUZg
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1NzYCjU


Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.

Lacey Marone had a pretty sweet deal, final year of high school, one third of the best bitches, loving and supportive family and the beginnings of a new relationship with the only boy that's ever caught her attention, Quade Kelly. The boy who she's loved from afar for as long as she can remember is just as smitten with her, no longer destined to admire the object of her affection from afar, her best friend Faith's older brother, with plans to tell everyone about their new relationship after graduation Lacey is excited for what's to come, when tragedy rocks their tight knit community the last thing on her mind is announcing her big news. At a time when Lacey should be surrounded by those she loves, she's left alone, heartbroken, desolate, when Quade leaves without an explanation and Mack disappears into the night, the girl who once had everything now has a gaping black hole in her life, grieving for her dead best friend, grieving the lost of the relationship that was just beginning, grieving her other best friend, she turns her efforts to educating teens about the dangers of drinking and alcohol and the roads at night, while searching for some clue as to what happened to Faith that fateful night that everything fell apart.

Quade Kelly had a good life, older brother to Faith, whom he adored, loving family, good friends, and a new relationship with Lacey, the girl who had always been there and yet was suddenly everywhere he looked. Brother to the prodigal daughter, when she dies Quade is adrift, blame for her tragic death falling squarely on his shoulders, shrouded in guilt and pain he leaves everything he knows behind. Returning home three years later, ready to rewrite the past that crushed him, try to rebuild the relationship that crumbled with his parents, try to reconnect with the girl he never forgot.

The sense of suspense and intrigue ran through Losing Faith, Lacey's need to discover what happened to her best friend, using her pain to fuel her quest to uncover the truth, Lacey is strong, sassy, confident, she refuses to be bullied by those in town who just want to forget Faith every existed, strongly supportive of her parents, and their family business, there is so much about her that I truly adored, independently I adored by Lacey and Quade, but together I wanted more, I wanted more from Quade, I wanted more strength from Lacey, I wanted to feel their connection, the strength of his apology, I wanted to know with certainty that she exorcised some of that anger and grief, I wanted to feel Quade's ability to admit that the way he left effected more than just him, that taking off unexpectedly broke something inside of Lacey, that running away was something he regretted, and more than anything was desperate to fix, to make right. I wanted passion, and need, I wanted to feel that inherently through their actions and their words, rather than being told how deeply they felt for one another.

Losing Faith running concurrently to Seeking Faith explores the side of what happens after tragedy strikes to the people left behind, the town left in its wake. Lacey shows herself to be the rare combination of adolescence and adult, clinging to rewriting the past, dogged by the uncertainty of not knowing the hows and whys of that fateful night, desperate to ensure that it never happens again, that drive and dedication is what I cheered on relentlessly while reading.
Exhilarating at times, Lacey and Quade's story had me intrigued, and while there were moments that's utterly captivated me, I struggled to truly feel connected to Lacey and Quade as their relationship reconnected and gained strength. Dive into Losing Faith and discover all the secrets and lies that hide behind the smiling faces left behind.

About Jennifer Ryder:

Jennifer Ryder is a bestselling author with five novels in the Spark Series published to date. She loves to write about boys on dirt bikes, detectives and strong females who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want.

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.

Connect with Jennifer on Facebook

A Way To Get By by T Torrest - Review

Blurb:

What happens after The Ballad of Brenda and Eddie?

This is not a romantic comedy.
This is not a fairytale.
This is not what you’re expecting.

Lies, secrets, betrayal.
Marriage, divorce, sex.
Love, heartbreak, money.

Best friends.
Old enemies.

Soul mates.


Happily Ever After comes in many forms.
A WAY TO GET BY is the story of how Brenda and Eddie found theirs.

***For ages 18+ ***READ WHEN YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR: Angsty, surprising, heart-breaking, infuriating true love.***

WARNING: This book is told in dual POV with a non-linear timeline.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1RasYnv
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1R9QQrq
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1U1336l
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1RaufuS
 NOOK: http://bit.ly/1WDgU6Y
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Tg8AJl

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.

My initial reaction upon finishing A WAY TO GET BY was "OMG...what did I just read...phroawwwww..." and now weeks later, I still have no idea how to explain how I feel about this book, my brain is a mess of conflicted emotions. I went into the AWTGB blind, I had read the blurb when it was first revealed but had only a vague recollection of it by the time I began, brief memories of lies and divorce and love and heartbreak, that in itself was intriguing, in an age where as a reader of predominantly contemporary romance I expect my books to be heavy on the love, I may have become entitled, I may have come to expect a certain chain of events, a predictable formula, and yet within moments of turning the first page I sat spell bound, utterly unprepared for what was unfolding before me. Am I being deliberately vague? Definitely, there's no way for me to write this review, doing this story justice that won't take away some of what makes it so special, so captivating, so riveting.

T Torrest ensured I was a fan way back with Remember When, she absolutely cemented that with the subsequent releases in the trilogy, when Down The Shore and Breaking The Ice were released I dove in reckless abandon, desperate for more of her words, I'll be honest, I absolutely thought I had her writing style pegged, I *knew* the kind of the story she was bound to release, it would no doubt meet the high expectation she had previously set, and it did, but it absolutely exceeded it as well, A Way To Get By is unlike anything I have read recently, the depth of emotion, the raw unquestioning angst, the pain and devastation of marriage breakdown, the grief of no longer having the future you planned, of what comes when I Do isn't forever, and you have to begin anew. For fans of Torrest, this will be an automatic #1click, for those new to the author, I implore you, set your expectations by the door, sit down with Eddie and Brenda and let them remind you that sometimes life isn't what you envisioned, sometimes you just need to find a way to get by.

About T Torrest:

T Torrest is a fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance.

Ms. Torrest was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She's a pop-culture junkie, a movie aficionado, and an enthusiast of talking about herself in the third person. A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two sons.

She also really digs it when she hears from readers, and is known to use words like "dig" in a non-sarcastic way.

Connect with Tina on Facebook

The Spiral Down by Aly Martinez - Review

Blurb:

Standalone M/M romance.

I was afraid to fly.
He made me soar.

After years of climbing the ladder of success in the music industry, I finally had everything I could want.
Yet I still found myself wandering through life alone.

Captain Evan Roth was the one man I never saw coming.
Tall, dark, mysterious… Straight.

We were both damaged beyond repair and searching for something so elusive we weren’t sure it even existed.

But, when two broken souls collide in midair, falling is a given.

I just never expected to crave the spiral down.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WBq1oi
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/22ck2pW
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1TcpnwN
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1OuY9dz
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1TQX3Kx

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016

When I say I loved The Fall Up it would be an understatement, see I didn't just love it, I adored it, I fell in love with Aly Martinez in that moment, The Fall Up earned itself a PLATINUM LIPSTICK and cemented it's place on my Favourite Books of All Time List, to say I was excited for The Spiral Down again would again be an understatement, to say I had high expectations...well again massive understatement, I may have squealed when I opened my kindle to find it waiting for me, it was with excitement and trepidation that I turned to the first page... I'll be honest in those first pages I didn't particularly like Henry Alexander, sure he was funny as hell, but in those first moments when he was cocky and the consummate playboy I didn't particularly like him, I told myself I wouldn't fall under his charms, I was resolute, I was determined, Evan Roth was going to be my main man and I was going to quietly...okay nothing I do is quietly...dislike Henry... I'm quite stubborn when I want to be, it's my Taurean pride at stake after all...but as much as I fought it, as much as I tired...I JUST COULDN'T HATE HENRY! He was so darn suave, and confident, and funny, so damn funny that I found myself laughing out loud and his quips and quick witted come backs, his relationship with Carter, with Levee, with Sam, but what truly dragged me over to the dark side was the pulling back of layer after layer of this complex man, I may not have been a huge fan of Henry Alexander every moment, but Henry Gilchrist...well he stole my heart.

"But there was one thing I knew; I wasn't wrong for being who I was."

Now, I might be going against the grain here, I know The Spiral Down was supposed to be Henry's book, but Evan Roth was the hero for me, everything about him absolutely dragged me in, I was invested immediately, I was desperate to learn more about him, it was like a shot to the nervous system, I was hooked, I craved his point of view, his words, his thoughts, and the more I read, the more I discovered, the more I fell in love with him, his inner most thoughts struck a chord deep inside and I got it, I got him, I relished that feeling, revelled in the way his words resonated.

"Or, more likely, he'd be the earthquake that was going to break me down before swallowing me whole. Either way, I wasn't going to be left standing. I just had to decide how long I wanted to fight."

There is so much here I want to tell you about, so many scenes that I have highlighted and earmarked, words of prose, of exquisite dialogue, under the cocky bravado, under the high flying life of affluence, under the perfect comedic timing, and under the scorching hot interludes was a story that touched my heart. Abandonment issues, lost love, hurt feelings, desperation for something bigger than anything they've even known. There's a ethereal quality watching Henry and Evan's story unfold, watching their connection go from one of raw lust to something deeper, something more intrinsic, something so all consuming that it left them feeling simultaneously strong as a lion and weak as a mouse. No longer able to deny their connection, no longer able to tell themselves it was animalistic lust, or explosive chemistry meant with certainty that failing to discuss the changing dynamics of their relationship was no longer possible.

"I miss him. His laugh. His randomness. The way he can captivate me from across a room. The rush I felt when we were together. It was the closest thing to flying I've ever experienced with my feet on the ground."

I wanted to hate Henry, truly I did, I wanted to be unaffected by his charms, but the heady combination of Evan and Henry, of Levee and Sam, of Carter, the raw explosive chemistry that leapt off the page and incinerated everything in sight, the heartbreaking honesty of facing everyone of your fears, everyone of your past hurts, the terrifying fear of opening yourself up to someone else, of giving them your heart and asking them not to break it left me reeling as I turned the last page, The Spiral Down isn't just MM, nor is it rock star romance, nor is it anyone thing, it's requires no labels because none of them can do it justice, put simply this is a book about soaring without wings.

Start back where it all began The Fall Up

About Aly Martinez:

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five- including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

Connect with Aly on Facebook

Game Maker (Game #2) by BJ Harvey - Review

Blurb:

From the USA Today bestselling author of the Bliss series comes a new spin off series featuring your favourite Bliss series characters who are yet to meet their match. This time it is Zach and Danika's turn.


I’m a gamer by nature and by profession. I’m all about strategy, performance, and coming out on top.

Five months ago I threw caution to the wind, and in the first miscalculated step of my twenty-one-year life, I made a move on my brother’s best friend.

The first mistake we made was keeping our relationship secret. The next was going off half-cocked when a train wreck of epic proportions hit us.

Now our secret is secret no more. As I struggle to deal with all of the swirling emotions, conflicted feelings, and the multitude of burned bridges that I need to mend, the one person who can help me through it all is the same man I need space from.

To fix it I’ll have to pull on my big-girl panties, focus on what I truly want in life, and put everything I have into winning the most important game I’ll ever play.

Life is a game, and it is what you make it.

Coming out unscathed is a whole other matter.

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1WBrWZW

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1sriImU
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1R3QVwN
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1qnjyiI
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/book/id1096092153

B&N: http://bit.ly/GameMakerNook

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/ebook/game-maker

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.


Danika Roberts spent her a good deal of her adolescence standing on the sidelines idolising her brothers best friend Zach Cooper, from childhood hero to object of her affection, Zach caught her eye early on and she never out grew the swarm of butterflies in her belly when he was near. Danika isn't just Zander's little sister anymore, she's grown up in everyway possible, she's carved out a successful like for herself, with her dream job as a professional gamer and an apartment she loves and a friend and roommate she adores in Abi. Life is good, no scrap that, life is great, granted she spends more time at work than she should, and she doesn't really have a raging social life, and her love life is pretty much non existent... anyway Dani is happy with where she is and knows where her priorities lie, especially when the man she's always looked to as her ultimate doesn't look at her as anything more than her brothers little sister.

Zach Cooper is an inherently good guy, growing up a only child with a single mother he knows all about the bonds of family, when he met Zander Roberts they became firm friends, the brother he always wanted, with Zander came three sisters including the baby of the family, little Dani. When a kitchen fire brought him face to face with a career he never dreamed of he found his calling, for over five years he's been a fire fighter with the CFD, which pretty much guarantees that women swoon in his wake, unfortunately the girl who caught his eye he can't have.

"That's what makes it so hot. You have no f*cking idea how irresistible you are or what it's doing to me having you this close and not being able to touch you."

When Dani and Zach realise that they weren't alone in their mutual infatuation thing quickly heat up, starting something on such rocky ground could have dire consequences, sneaking around and basking in the joy and excitement of a new relationship is half the fun, but falling for the one person that's supposed to be off limits can be devastating.

"That's me, the cliché man falling for his best friend's baby sister. The thing is, I have no plans to stop doing it."

Game maker is the perfect blend of everything I adore about Rom Com's, Dani's voice is both young and vibrant, and yet at times she has a wisdom beyond her years, the characters in the Bliss and subsequently the Game series have wildly different voices, in what has become an ensemble cast creating clear and developed character's that don't bleed too heavily into one another is a feat not to be underestimated, getting inside the Roberts girls minds in this new series has been equal parts sweet and hilarious, the sassy no nonsense heroine's that Harvey seems to create somehow still feel fresh and new, never the author to write about the poor lost girl awaiting a big strong man to save them, she has instead created a slew of characters, both male and female that compliment each other instead of merely completing one another. Where Dani had a level of naivety that comes with age, it's Zach standing steadfastly beside her knowing what he has found, knowing how special a connection  like theirs truly is, despite the set backs, despite the fears and doubts.

Right now, I need to hear the words because I can't fight with only one hand while the other is desperately trying to hold onto the one thing I'm fighting for."

I expected a fun, sexy adventure, which Harvey never fails to deliver, but what surprised me was how earnestly I felt the fear and trepidation, the self doubt, the honeymoon stage of any relationship is always meant to be the most fun, but when obstacles stand in the way, whether imagined or created, the worry that hangs in the air shrouds that happiness and excitement over something new. There was a rawness here that I haven't often experienced, Game Maker felt real, dream jobs and fire fighters aside, watching the relationship bloom before my very eyes ensured I was invested, that I truly cared for Dani and Zach, it meant I felt what they felt, cheered them on, and rallied behind them when needed.
There's something exhilarating about diving into romantic comedy, it's akin to the flutters in the belly before something good happens, it's trepidation and excitement, it's familiarity and ease of contentment knowing that the authors KNOWS how to knock it out of the park, it's their wheelhouse, but most of all its turning the last page, smile wide, belly aching from giggling, sated and yet desperate for more that comes with BJ Harvey's words.

About BJ Harvey:

BJ Harvey is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Bliss Series. She also regards herself as a smut peddler, suspense conjurer and a funny romance thinker upper.

An avid music fan, you will always find her singing some hit song badly but loving every minute of it. She’s a wife, a mom to two beautiful girls, and hails from what she considers as the best country in the world—New Zealand.

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Wasted Words by Staci Hart - Review

Blurb:

Some universal truths refuse to be ignored.

Peanut butter and jelly are a match made in heaven. Spaghetti and meatballs are best friends forever. And guys like Tyler Knight don’t go for girls like Cam Emerson.

She knew from the second she met him that he didn’t belong on her bookshelf, the six-foot-six ex-tight end with a face so all-American, it could have sold apple pie. So she shelved him next to the supermodels and rock stars and took her place on her own shelf — the one with the flannel-clad, pasty-faced comic book nerds. Most of her boyfriends have existed between the pages of books, but rather than worrying over her own lacking love life, she puts all her energy into playing Cupid, using her job at the book bar, Wasted Words, as her stomping ground.

Tyler Knight always looks on the bright side. His career-ending injury turned into a job as a sports agent. A horrible breakup led him to Cam, his quirky, smart roommate who is far more beautiful than she realizes. She’s made it perfectly clear she’s not interested in him — not like that at least — but if she ever changes her mind, he won’t hesitate. Because he doesn’t see the lines she’s drawn between them, as much as she insists that they’re there. Deep down he knows that despite their differences, they’re a match well made.

*A romantic comedy inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma*

 

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1OsdgtG
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1TUhgSA
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1sdHk1T
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1TUij4R

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2016.

There was nervous excitement picking up Wasted Words, I stumbled upon Staci Hart last year when the cover of With A Twist  stopped me scrolling my newsfeed, literally reaching through social media, grabbing my collar while screaming STOP STOP STOP LOOK AT ME!!! For anyone who follows me they know with certainty that the Friends to Lovers trope is my ultimate, from that moment on I was enamoured, my love of Ms Hart's covers wasn't relegated to only that title, as Chaser and Last Call hit the interwebs I was once again enchanted, the author's ability to catch every aspect of the characters and bring them to life not only on the cover but again in her words held me captive, she made me fall in love with this quirky group of friends, with their lives, with their sorrows and their triumphs, when whispers of Wasted Words began I was intrigued, for lovers of the Bad Habits series Cam was a newly introduced character, even in the brief mentions she was quirky and fun and I couldn't wait to discover more about her.

Cam has her world carefully organised like the books she loves, everything on its right shelf grouped with their suitable partners, she's friendly and outgoing, loved by those who know her, with a knack for match making Cam derives joy out of nudging people in the direction of their soul mates, finding ingenious ways to get people to connect organically leaving them none the wiser to her meddling ways, being able to zero in on possible love matches comes naturally, but when she turns her hand to pushing her bestie / roommate into the path of another woman things begin to change.

"It was in the mundane moments that I noticed her...

"I wondered, and not for the first time, if she would ever date me. If she'd let me kiss her. If she'd kiss me back." 

Tyler had the world at his feet until an on field injury ended his dreams of going pro in the NFL. Years later Tyler has recovered and moved on with his life, he has a dream job as a sports agent, after being unlucky in love Tyler somewhat removed himself from the dating market, no longer actively looking for love, content focusing primarily on work, his spare time spent with his roommate and closest friend, the pocket rocket that is Cam, frequenting her work Wasted Words, taking part in her singles nights, spending weekends camped in front of the television together, going to NFL games, their bond unbreakable, when Tyler is introduced to someone who would usually make perfect sense for him he's rattled that he isn't excited in the way he should be.

"All this time, I had my eyes peeled for a match for Tyler, and now I found one. I just couldn't figure out why I felt woozy about it."

Built on a solid foundation of friendship, everything about Tyler and Cam should be easy, it should be effortless, their connection is undeniable, their chemistry, explosive but when love doesn't come in the shape and form you expect it there can be dire consequences. All of the emotions that bubble up inside telling you how right this is, can't change your head telling you that it can end in disaster. Waging a war on heart and head is tricky when you don't know who you want to win. There's a beautiful message in Wasted Words that reminds us to look outside of what we've conditioned ourselves to believe, Hart urges the reader to question the imaginary shelves we put ourselves on, to question the fences we build to keep people out, to prevent the chance of future hurt.

"This is supposed to be easy. When you fall for someone, shouldn't it be easy? I don't feel like we're the same. We're not equals."

Ultimately the beauty of Wasted Words is in more than just the witty banter, which Hart writes with perfect comedic timing, more than the sizzling chemistry between Tyler and Cam, which abounds, more than the urge to climb into your kindle and butt their heads together urging them to open their eyes, to see what's right in front of each other, which happened more than once, the beauty of this story was in those moments where I connected with Cam, when I felt her fear and trepidation, when I felt her confidence slip and her anxiety increase, it was in those moments when she became a friend, someone I wanted to wrap my arms around, and not just read about her. It was the moments when she was lost inside her own head trying to navigate her way out of past hurts. It was in the moments when Tyler stood sure and proud, when he knew what he wanted and went after if, when he said the perfect words to have me swooning and wanting to climb within the pages for very different reasons to those previously. Friends to Lovers isn't a new trope, and it's certainly not new to me, Hart crafted Wasted Words in a way that left it feeling fun and fresh, she made loving not only the hero and heroine but all of the characters...wait well not ALL of the characters but you'll need to read the book to find out, effortless. Eloquent, refreshing and a pleasure to lose myself in, Wasted Words was everything I hoped for.

 

 

 

 

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.

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