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.

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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

The Way Back Home by Carmen Jenner

Blurb:

August Cotton shouldn’t be here. When a tragic accident calls him home to Magnolia Springs, this returned Veteran adds his parents to the list of things he’s lost in recent years, right along with his IED detection dog and his left leg. As the sole guardian of his four-year-old sister, August must rely on his Marine training in raising a tiny hellion who’s as stubborn as he is. But the Corps could never prepare him for this. Nor could they prepare him for Olivia Anders, a woman who’ll stop at nothing to get her way.

As owner of Paws for Cause, Olivia is no stranger to the broken men and women who return home from war. She’s no stranger to broken dogs either. In fact, she’s made it her mission to pair the two and enrich both of their lives, but pairing ornery and aloof August Cotton will take some work. The last thing August wants is some pushy southern woman occupying his parents’ bed and breakfast and forcing him to open up about the hell he narrowly escaped, but that’s exactly what Olivia intends.

They complete one another, and yet they can’t stand to be in the same room.

Can Olivia make this hardened Marine feel again and finally show his heart the way back home?

*** Intended for a mature 18+ audience only. This book may contain triggers for some readers.***

Find on Goodreads

Purchase Links:

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

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

Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2qA7qQU

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

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: May 2017.

When I read my first Carmen Jenner book I remember thinking, wow she writes tattooed bad boys so well, then when she turned her hand to rock stars I again had the same thought, would you believe it, with each of the new tropes she tackled, from motorcycle gangs, to small town factory workers, to returned veterans, she has captured the very essence of characterisation that allows the hero and heroine to exist in a real state, off the page, and in our hearts.

"There's nothing like feeling lonely when you're surrounded by a crowd."

When I first met Olivia Anders, it was her take no sh*t attitude and resilience I adored, she was strong and feisty, determined to do her part to keep making the world a better place. There was a sense of someone who had seen and experienced far more than she had let on, and it was both endearing and inspired.

"Every day I tell myself I'm brave, I'm strong, that the past does not dictate who I am or the woman I've become. I keep hoping that one day it'll stick."

August Cotton has had a pretty crap run, he enlisted and went off to war, never really expecting to return to the life he left behind, returning home under the worst of circumstances has left the brittle and battered man even more determined to steer of everyone and everything in his small town. August has lost too much, left to rear his baby sister, the last thing he needs or wants is a pushy Olivia telling him what he needs and wants.

"Because wounds on the inside can be so much harder to heal than those of the flesh."

In true Jenner style, The Way Back Home is full of angst and emotion, everything about Olivia drawing you in, while August resolutely pushes you away, the building tension and blinding chemistry make this story impossible to put down, but its true beauty comes from those unparalleled moments of raw and real anguish, the moments that we watch as the walls these two people painstakingly built come crashing down, it's in those moments that Carmen Jenner truly shines, as she tugs and pulls at your heart, bruising it, battering it, before piecing it back together slowly and surely and sending you on your way.

About Carmen Jenner:

Carmen Jenner is a thirty-something, USA Today and international bestselling author.

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 makeup 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?

Connect with Carmen on Facebook

Steadfast (True North #2) by Sarina Bowen

Blurb:

She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there's no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never turn up volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie's police chief father. But it's a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/29yKvb8
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/29vAL1K
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/29B48Qy
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/29TZnq6
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/29uQCyb

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: July 2016.

Have you ever picked up a book with zero expectations about how you think the story will play out and yet finish it thinking WOW! That is so not what I expected?? Now I know I probably sound crazy, but the thing is I didn't really have any idea how Ms Bowen would craft a story about a recovering addict, from the first book in the True North series I expected laugh out loud funny, I expected steamy sex, I expected those swoony moments that Bowen writes to perfection, what I didn't however expect was to read a story about a recovering addict and all the pain and regret he experienced, all the hurt he left behind, but most of all I didn't expect a story to capture so eloquently the destruction addiction causes. From Jude's introduction in Bittersweet I *knew* that he would be something special, addiction isn't only hard on the addict, but on those that love and care for them.

Even knowing very little about the man Jude Nickel was before he went to prison for vehicular manslaughter, it was easy to see how much his time incarcerated changed the man he is now. Three years in prison and six months in rehab is an awfully long time to spend reflecting the choices and mistakes you made, even the least repentant person would struggle under the weight of that kind of solitude. Beating addiction might have been the one of the hardest things Jude ever had to do, but returning to his hometown, of Colebury Vermont , confronting the ghosts of his former life, the ghost of the only woman, the only person who ever loved him was infinitely the hardest.

"Keeps me sane, knowing that if I stay strong all week I get to see you."

Sophie Haines was once the perfect stepford daughter, she did exactly what she was told, she played along with whatever her Sherriff father wanted, she lived her life in the shadows, a quiet  but lonely existence, Jude Nickel was the badboy she'd lust after from afar, a boy like him would never go for a good girl like her, meeting him, changed her, their teenage romance changed each other, in him she found wild and crazy, lust and romance, support and love. At seventeen she thought their love was invincible, but one night changed both of their lives and she was left heartbroken and alone, trapped with a mother who still hadn't mourned her son's passing and a father who blamed her for his death.

"He didn't keep me sane - he made me crazy. Until he'd shown up I hadn't realized how lonely I was."

Two people's lives changed irrevocably one night, one man died, and two families were left broken, addiction is insidious, it breaks trusts, damages lives, shatters families, I know this from personal experience, addiction leaves gaping holes in it's wake, rehabilitation is never an easy fix, it's a statistic universally proven that the rate of return use amongst users is extremely high, as a society we seem to believe that the hard part is admitting you have a problem, is rehabilitation, either forced or voluntary, but the simple fact is that that is the easy part, staying sober while in a regulated treatment program isn't hard, it's returning to your life once your out that shocks the body, that challenges that heart and soul, it's the cravings that tempt you, while all the things you once found so hard to deal with are back breaking down your resolve, it's the knowing how easy it would be to find your drug of choice, Reading books that deal with addiction is difficult because I've heard the I'm sorry's, the I won't do it agains, the I didn't mean its, the I'm tryings, I've heard them so many times that they lost their meaning, they became blank words, a void, and yet the more I read of Jude and Sophie's story the more I let go of some of the anger I didn't realise I was still holding onto.

"Those are just bullsh*t labels. And since when are you interested in other people's opinions."

Jude and Sophie's story isn't one of your typical addict, nor is it one of your typical badboy tempting the good girl, it's multi layered feel left me clutching my chest, it often left my heart feeling heavy, and my soul in need of support, it dealt with a topic that is a trigger for so many and dealt with it with sensitivity and respect, without demonising or sugar coating the reality of it. Steadfast isn't only about drug addiction and recovery, nor is it only about young love, it's paints a beautiful message about forgiveness and redemption, of others and yourself. Steadfast was raw, heart wrenching and utterly addictive in the best possible way.

About Sarina Bowen:

Sarina Bowen is the USA Today bestselling author of steamy, angsty Contemporary Romance and New Adult fiction. She lives in the wilds of Vermont. 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

Toward the Sound of Chaos by Carmen Jenner - Review

Blurb:

Jake Tucker is broken. At twenty-two, he went in to the Marine Corps a naïve, troubled youth. Nine years and four tours later, Jake finds himself back on US soil, though his mind remains firmly planted in the sands of Afghanistan with the men he left behind.

Wounded, chewed up and spat out by war, Jake has only his dog, Nuke, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt to keep him company. He’s lived every day for nine years wondering when it will be his last, but there’s little comfort in the fact that he’s still standing when his platoon isn’t.

Ellie Mason doesn’t have time for broken. She’s too busy trying to put food on the table. And keeping up with the demands of her autistic son, Spencer, is sometimes like fighting behind enemy lines. As if navigating the minefields of single parenthood isn’t enough, Ellie finds herself drawn to the quiet Marine who’s just as lonely as she is. But she’s loved damaged men before, and it left her wounded.

Set against the picturesque backdrop of Fairhope, Alabama, Ellie and Jake find themselves running toward the sound of chaos.

Love is war.

Only the strong survive, and surrender is inevitable.  

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ql9qqO
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1sdia3r
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1qlaNpn
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1TOLzHF

 

 

 

Kristine's Review:



Reviewed: May 2016.

I have been a long time fan of Carmen Jenner's work, her ability to seamlessly create worlds that I want to be part of, worlds that both excite and terrify me, characters that are robust and developed, characters that leap off the page demanding that you LOOK at them, that you SEE them, that you see beyond the pretty smiles or ripped abs, beyond the bad boy or nice guy façade, that you see beyond the carefully constructed image they want projected to the world, there's something inherently thrilling about discovering a characters secrets, knowing that you as a reader dug below the surface and uncovered deeper meaning, that feeling of knowing you might be one of hundreds or thousands reading the same book but in some way it was written just for you. That's the feeling that washes over me EVERY TIME I pick up one of Jenner's books, it's a feeling of exhilaration and anticipation, a feeling that floods your belly with butterflies, a feeling of something BIG is just out of reach, a feeling a warmth that settles around you like a soft blanket on a chilly day, it's knowing with absolute certainty that the author will test your resolve, will make you think, will make you question what you would do in that situation, but most importantly will make you FEEL. Turning the first page of Toward the Sound of Chaos was equal parts filled with anticipation and trepidation, I've made no secret of struggling to connect with darker or heavier tropes of late, from the glorious cover to the intriguing blurb I knew that Ms Jenner wouldn't be pulling any punches here, the authors tag line asks the reader what's a happily ever after without a little torture? In the moments when my heart was falling in shards, shattered and broken at my feet, when my soul wept, when my emotions were battered and bruised, when I sat there questioning everything, needing to believe in the good and the just, echoes of the tagline floated through my mind, reminding me, begging me to see the world through a different lens, to feel every moment of this story about a broken man returned from war, of a woman who's life is dedicated to loving and protecting a little boy that so much of the world doesn't understand.

Funny how those things never leave you. Even now, seven thousand  five hundred miles away. I still hear those words I whispered into the darkness."

Jake Tucker returned from War a broken man, memories of his service haunt him, his body covered in reminders of being chewed up and spat out by conflict and oppression, he's returned from War but he's very much still living the agony and torment Stateside, returning to normal day to day life is something returned Vet's often struggle with, the horrors and atrocities of War branded on their minds, ensuring that forgetting all that they've seen and done is not possible. The dichotomy of the warring sides of his character ever present, the Marine who served his country, who ran towards chaos instead of away from it, the serviceman whose courage and gallantry saw him become a respected and trusted leader juxtaposed with the battered and broken man who returned home, the man shackled by his memories, by the sights and smells of fighting a War that has no winners or losers, scarred physically and emotionally by things most of us will never understand, Jake Tucker returned home a hero and yet doesn't feel like one, therein lying the greatest problem, swamped by feelings of inadequacy, of loss, of ruin, a man changed by all he has seen and lived through struggling every day just to continue breathing.

"Every f*cking cry for help or scream of terror, of loss, of agony from nine years' worth of service, I hear it all on a loop in my head. Afghani, American, man, woman, child, it don't make no difference, because terror sounds the same in the dark, no matter whose lungs it's ripped from."

Ellie Mason knows a thing or two about having a past you want to forget, business operator and single mother to young son Spencer she knows all to well what it's like to put the needs of others before her own.  Rearing a child with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder can be challenging to say the least, raising a child is filled with pot holes and landmines on most days, equal parts joy and desperation, trial and error, Ellie has had to readjust her life and her parenting techniques to best suit Spencer's needs. Living in a small town, a blessing and a curse, fighting small town mindsets and challenging ideas about her sons treatment needs is a constant battles, modifying her own behaviour and actions to best create a stable and structured environment that allows Spencer to thrive her only priority. The love and fierce maternal protective instinct for her child has been Ellie's guiding light, with only a couple of friends, she's been steadfastly relying solely on herself.

"That woman is a walking time bomb and the more I talked to her, the more I didn't care that I'd be swallowed up by the blast once it went off. And it was sure to detonate. Anything that came from this, anything we built would be blown to smithereens because if she was a time bomb, I was a nuclear weapon."

From side glances, and sly looks, Ellie and Jake meeting was destined to shake both of their foundations, it's often said that our souls can recognise it's mate, it's in those quiet moments where they co-exist that we find sheer beauty, fleeting as they may be. The instant connection, the click of recognising something deeper than the smiles on ones face,  the immediate knowledge that this person knows of struggle and heartache, that they inherently understand what it's like to wake up every morning and donne your mask for the world, to wear your scars and fears as a shield to protect you. From shaky breaths and lost looks, to longing glances and heart breaking need, the quietest moments in Toward the Sound of Chaos were the most thrilling, the moments that rely purely on the author's ability to convey her message, that allow two battered and bruised people who are desperately wading the river of life, praying to come out unscathed. It's those moments of eloquent prose, where this reader wasn't tantalised by gratuitous sex or heart stopping violence that the story clearly shone through, where I lost my heart, it was in those quiet moments that I had to set down my kindle, suck in a deep breath and just reflect, the only way to quiet my trembling hands, to slow my beating heart was to concentrate on the sound of my own breath, it was in those moments that I found beauty and peace in the chaos and the silence.

"You've spent so long building that wall around yourself, that you don't even know that every day since we met I've been chipping away at the thing and I finally made a hole. I let the light back in."

Military Romance as a trope is not new to contemporary romance, it's not new to this blogger, the realities of war is something I will God willing never need to face, I have family, friends and acquaintances that have served, that continue to serve, but so far in my short life I have not experienced first hand what PTSD and the lasting effects of the horrors of wartime have on not only the serviceman or woman but their families and friends. While I have family members and friends that fall somewhere along the Autism spectrum I don't truly understand the struggles of raising an ASD child, I don't understand the pain and heartache of not being able to hug your child for fear of setting off an episode, I don't understand having to stick to regimented schedules as to avoid causing confusion and stress on a child who's biggest concerns should be shirking their vegetables and playing outside, and yet I felt Jake's fear and guilt, I felt his pain, I felt Ellie's anguish and heartbreak, her sorrow, throughout Toward the Sound of Chaos I felt it all in spades, I felt it in my bones, in my heart, in my soul, and in those quiet moments, where the melancholy and sorrow threatened to overwhelm me, I felt the light break through, I felt the hope for a better day tomorrow, I felt overwhelming love and joy.  As I sit here reflecting on a story that examines the horrors of war, the struggles of a single parents just trying to muddle through, the story of a little boy with big eyes and a bigger heart, the story of the rainbow that comes after the rain, I'm once again reminded that sometimes the most beautiful fairy tales are the ones that come along in the middle of an ordinary life.

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?

Connect with Carmen on Facebook

One With You (Crossfire #5) by Sylvia Day - Review

Blurb:

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I've ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws ... and all the beauty I couldn't see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free ... or break us apart.

Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire® saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.


Purchase Links: 

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1S2ynRw
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1qe1p7c
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1UPEzQA
Amazon PB: http://amzn.to/1UPDRCI
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01836U3VI

Kristine's Review:
Reviewed: April 2016.

I remember the first time I had heard of Bared to You and Sylvia Day, I was standing in Dymmocks Bookstore, I was picking up the final book in the FSOG trilogy and the helpful sales assistant placed a copy of BTY in my hands, she strongly urged me to read it, it was a new release and was garnering great feedback from staff and customers alike, I added a copy to my sale and happily walked out the door. I had just rediscovered reading, the world of e-books and kindles was a brave new world, I was hooked, suddenly I didn't have to carry around paperbacks in my already heavy handbag, I could read on my phone...regardless of where I was, it was May 2012 and I was hooked. When I began BTY I was immediately captivated by Eva, she was sassy and charming and forthright, she was sexy and owned it, even in those first moments she had a clear idea of who she wanted to be, even if she wasn't quite there yet, and Gideon, boy Gideon, with his ink black hair, three piece suits (yes you're right Mr Cross...is there any other kind) and beguiling charisma I was intrigued, because I wanted, no I needed to know more. Despite owning the paperback, I downloaded the e-book version so I continue reading even when I had pressing matters like work and a husband and a business to attend to, now as I sit here writing this review, I can honestly say not only had my love for this pair grown in leaps and bounds, but so has my collection of both Australian and International covers of this series, but also my e-library, spanning across different platforms.

"I hadn't even known Eva was out there, had been afraid to even dream of finding the one person in the world who would accept and love every facet of me."

There are authors I will automatically drop everything for, there are series I will do the same, as I eagerly awaited the final instalment hitting my kindle, and my bookshelf, I found myself rereading my favourite lines, my favourite passages, reconnecting with Eva and Gideon, watching their growth both independently and together, seeing their relationship blossom despite the almost constant wave of trials they faced, on the surface the Crossfire series is about a billionaire business man and a young woman who is certainly not new to wealth and power, but when you pull back the layers there's something inherently beautiful here, there's two people who have lived through horrific, traumatic experiences, they've found ways to continue on, to continue living a life that while may have seemed fanciful on the outside somewhat of a bland existence in reality. While Ms Day's writing may be deliciously sexy, gripping and at time tumultuous, ultimately this is a love story, a grand, sweeping tale, of two people who have fought in every sense of the word, for their mental health and stability, for their pasts that can't be unwritten, for themselves but ultimately for each other, for a reader that thrives on living the journey not just relishing the destination, Crossfire has become a favourite that I will no doubt revisit time and time again.

"You fascinate the f*ck out of me, you know that? You're never boring. A lifetime alone with you wouldn't be long enough to figure you out."

What I found most thrilling in One With You was the noticeable changes in both Eva and Gideon, for many years both used sex as a way to claim back something that was lost, the lack of control they had in their earlier lives, the intense, almost soul deep connection was never in any doubt, their bond not in question, but where sex had become a salve previously we saw two people who found intimacy in their connection, where natural instincts begged them to shut down and back away, it was that pull, the magnetism, the siren call they seemed to elicit only for each other that led them back, time after time, heartache after heartbreak, and for each seemingly insurmountable obstacle that they overcame together, the stronger they became both independently and together.

"She hugged me so tightly I could hardly breath. But I didn't need air. I had her."

There were so many moments that I had to take a breath, set my book down and just smile, so may times across a series spanning five books that I sighed as my heart fluttered, knowing what was coming next only had the ability to tear them both down, apart, if they let it, what I loved most though was that this series, these characters have become friends, for almost four years I have cheered with Gideon and Eva's triumphs, have commiserated with their heartaches,  have swooned with every one of their romantic entanglements, saying goodbye to them is bittersweet, after so much time I almost don't want to let them go, the Crossfire series truly epitomises the old adage that life isn't about the destination but rather the journey. Ms Day introduced to the world two characters that were captivating individually, they were warriors who had known darkness, been shrouded in it for far too long, letting it break them down, and tear them apart, in bringing them together she forced them to step into the light, finding acceptance and peace, but most importantly love, their journey may have come to an end, but their legacy will no doubt live on in readers hearts.

About Sylvia Day:

Sylvia Day (aka S. J. Day and Livia Dare) is the #1 New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of over 20 award-winning novels sold in more than 40 countries. She is a #1 bestselling author in 28 countries, with tens of millions of copies of her books in print. Her Crossfire series has been optioned for television by Lionsgate.
Website: www.sylviaday.com,
Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorSylviaDay
Twitter: @SylDay.

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

 Released: 24th September 2015.

 

Blurb:

Killer. Criminal. Sociopath.

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

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

I’m the man who doesn’t feel.

Until now.

Until her.

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

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

Goodreads

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: August 2015.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Purchase Links:

iBooks: http://apple.co/1LmkPQM

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1EL62JV 

B&N: http://bit.ly/1HBK5KM

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ifltSI

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Ke2teM

Excerpt:

“So, the usual?” Louis asks.

“Yeah.” Tank intervenes by knocking Louis’ arm away when he tries to hand me a menu.

I glare at the obnoxious arse. “I don’t get to decide what I want?”

“Nope.” He smirks, and it’s quite possibly the millionth one I’ve seen today. “I know exactly what you want. You just need to trust me.”

“Okay then,” Louis says. “Coffee?”

“Yes,” I practically shout. “The strongest you have.”

Tank shakes his head. “Get her a latté.”

I swear if looks could kill, Tank would be burnt to a char right about now. No one takes my coffee from me and lives to tell about it.

“Your system doesn’t need any more stimulation.”

“It’s caffeine, Tank, not cocaine,” I argue. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be okay.”

He shrugs, and Louis glances nervously between us again. He looks as though he wants to flee. Tank has that effect on a lot of people. Then again, it could be the fact that I just admitted to being a junkie and at any second he’s expecting me to break out my stash and start snorting lines off of his fancy table. Louis says, “Okay, so latté it is then.”

“No, I want—”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but your man is too scary to say no to.” He backs away from the table, shouting, “But don’t you worry, it’ll be the best latté you’ve ever tasted. You just sit tight.”

“He’s not my fucking man,” I shout back, drawing the attention of every patron in the room, which is really only two other people, not including Louis and Kerri. I look around sheepishly and then wrap my arms around myself, turning my attention back to Tank. “Stop fucking smirking, you arsehole, or I’m walking.”

“Try it and see how far you get, Warrior Princess.”           

“I’m betting I’d at least get halfway down the street before you caught up to me.”

“You wanna test that theory?” He challenges with a grin, though his gaze warms me head to toe with its intensity. “My money says you’ll make it to the door before I drag you back to the table, put you over my fuckin’ knee and spank your arse ’til it’s red raw.”

I let out a deep, shaking breath and lick my lips. Jesus Christ do I want that. I want it so fucking bad. My nipples turn rock hard and Tank’s gaze drops to my black singlet. I’m suddenly hot, wet, and hyper aware of his lingering gaze. This man is going to be the death of me.

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

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UNcfcH

iBooks: http://tinyurl.com/m4mjlqk

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

Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/l3soqkc

 

About Carmen Jenner:

 

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

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

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

 Website

Rafflecopter $50 Giftcard Direct Link:

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KICK (Savage Saints #1) by Carmen Jenner - Blog Tour & Review

RELEASE DATE: January 26th, 2015

Blurb:

When I was ten, my father indoctrinated me into the family. A brotherhood who would fight, protect, and give their lives for one another. A club whose ties ran thicker than blood, murkier than the dirt and grime that tainted my soul. Stronger than the bonds that connected me to my own family.
A band of brothers, where loyalty was kept and paid in a currency of blood.

When I was twenty seven, I betrayed that brotherhood. I’ve spent every day since running, avoiding paying back that debt.

My name is Daniel Johnson. I have betrayed everyone I ever loved.


And I’ll betray her too.


This is my story—if you’re screwed up enough to want to read it.


Warning: KICK contains graphic violence, profanity, drug use, and explicit sexual situations of a taboo nature. Intended for an 18+ audience only. Not intended for pussies.

Add Kick to your TBR list on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1uTnAjs

Kristine's Review:

Reviewed: January 2015.

 MC books have never been my preferred genre, I read to escape my reality, to live in someone else’s if only for a few hours, the idea of all that gritty, dark, blood lust has never appealed to me, until now.

KICK was my first foray into the world of MC novels, and it was everything I expected and so much more at the same time. Kick is not a romance, nor is it the tale of a pseudo bad boy waiting for the right girl to turn him good, KICK is dark, so very dark that at times I struggled for breath, so raw and real, that my heart ached, so desolate that I scrambled to find my way back from the edge.

Daniel (Kick) has grown up an MC brat, indoctrinated in the ways of the brotherhood, where loyalty reigns supreme, sacrifice is expected, and women are disposable, there to fulfil a need. The only woman he ever wanted was taken from him, and what remains is a man with nothing left to lose and a price on his head.

Jenner has dared to take this story somewhere other than the stereotype of drugs, women and criminal activity. The sense of helplessness I felt, the sheer mind numbing agony of this fast paced roller coaster ride that is Daniel’s life.

There is so much more to this story then just of a biker, as Carmen weaves a story of loss, betrayal, pain and hurt, we learn of Lauren and Daniel’s past and Indie’s present I often found myself questioning how can you find even a slither of light when the darkness surrounds you, how do you keep going when the world is desperate to drag you down?

KICK is at times brutal, graphic and a dark, desolate ride into the seedy underbelly of motorcycle gangs. For a reader like me it was often confronting, leaving me feeling sick, simultaneously wanting to put it down and walk away, and desperately wanting to read more, know more, to feel everything even if at times it made me feel uncomfortable.

But this isn’t only a story of pain; it’s a story of survival, of hope, of redemption, of strength, of overcoming even the worst things imaginable. I have been a long time fan of Carmen Jenner, her ability to wrench every raw emotion from me in one moment and then have me laughing in the next, but Kick with it's dark depravity, it's raw unquestioning emotional pull, has cemented herself as an author to not only watch but to admire. This book, Jenner’s words have taken an immeasurable toll on my battered and bruised heart, but most importantly, it left me believing that even in the darkest moments there’s light.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1NnqrH1
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Jwnbb8
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1JwnFOliBooks: http://tinyurl.com/m4mjlqkKobo: http://tinyurl.com/l3soqkc

Excerpt:

I take a deep shuddering breath, close my eyes and stretch my hand towards him. His touch is
gentle this time, far more gentle than I’d ever thought someone with so much uncontained
violence to him could be.
“Spread your fingers,” he commands. I do, and he lifts the roll of tape, presses the edge to my
skin and begins winding it over my knuckles. I close my eyes. The strident sound of it stretching
out from the roll makes me want to flee. It makes me want to run as far from his touch—from
any man’s touch—as I can possibly get.
The feel of the tape against my flesh, binding, holding, is so much worse. I tug on my hand, but
he won’t let go. My heart rate skyrockets, and sweat beads erupt over my brow and upper lip. I’m
in that room again, struggling, screaming, trying to fight them off, and failing.
Biker knows it, too. His dark eyes challenge, they dare me to run, but they also implore me to
stay. It’s ironic that the only thing keeping me here, keeping me grounded, is the man who
abducted me.
He holds my gaze. I don’t know exactly what is hidden in his dark blue one, but it suffocates the
panic within me, douses it like water flooding flames. He bends his head to my hand. Taking the
paper tape in his mouth, he rips it with his teeth.
I still. I soften. His gaze doesn’t leave mine, not even once. Not even when he starts in on my
wrist, gently biting through each piece of tape before pressing it down with his rough hands. I’m
mesmerised by his mouth, the piercing, and the soft, full lips. The light catches a silver chain
around his neck, something I’ve never noticed before—but then I try not to make a habit of
staring too closely at him. Not now, though. Now I watch every twitch, every blink, every intake
of breath, and every inch that is swallowed up by his mouth moving closer to my flesh.

KICK Book Trailer: KICK

Join the KICK Release Day Party: Release Day Party

Enter the KICK Paperback Giveaway: Giveaway



Visit the Saint Savage MC official website: http://savagesaintsmc.blogspot.com.au/

Additional books by this author

Welcome to Sugartown

iBooks
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Enjoy Your Stay

iBooks
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Greetings from Sugartown
iBooks
Amazon
Barnes & Noble


Welcome to Sugartown Website: Sugartown

About the Author:

Carmen Jenner is a thirty something, USA TODAY Best Selling Author, doctor, pilot and CIA agent. She's also a compulsive, flagrant prevaricator who gets to make things up for a living. While Sugartown may not technically exist, Carmen grew up in a small Australian town just like it, and just like her characters, she always longed for something more. They didn't have an Elijah Cade, though.

If they did, you can be sure she would have never left.

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