May Wrap-Up ~ Mini Reviews

Release date: March 11th 2021
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

This wasn't what "keep your friends close" was supposed to mean. But now that the line has been crossed, can they ever make their way back to the twenty-year friendship they've been building?

Or, better question - Is that what either of them really wants?

~MINI REVIEW~

Another entertaining short story from Ms. Jones.

While there were times I forgot who was who in regards to the side characters, it didn't affect my interest in the story.

I liked the main characters and the fact that they had years of friendship prior. It's understandable why Des would be nervous and them moving forward as more than friends, but I liked that she gave it a chance and allowed herself the romance.

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Release date: March 18th 2021

Publisher: Romig Works
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

Stepping into the city limits, the vibes of New Orleans infiltrate the thoughts and feelings of each unsuspecting individual.

Twinkling lights.

Copious amounts of alcohol.

And

Ghost stories of lore.

As Emma waits for a business meeting, those ingredients are there, in the heavy air and circulating through her bloodstream. Until everything changes.

Everett Ramses is tall, dark, and mysterious.

He’s more than that.

According to him...he is Emma’s fate.

And he has a demand.

Will she run, or will she find out what fate’s demand has in store?

“FATE’S DEMAND” is an intriguing meeting to whet readers’ appetite for more of an all-new dark-romance world, Devil’s Deal, by New York Times bestselling author Aleatha Romig. Get ready to love and hate, to swoon and swear...Rett Ramses will bring out all the emotions.

~MINI REVIEW~

Impeccable!
Great writing and absolutely intriguing.
This short is a fantastic setup for the duet, and I cannot wait to read those books. I'm already invested in Rett and Emma.

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Release date: March 22nd 2021

Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

We’re from different sides of the tracks, but Allie James has always owned me. Heart and soul. After years of pining for her in the halls of our high school, I finally touch her one night in an open field beneath a storm, receiving a miracle I never expected—she needs me in return. Or so I think. As soon as she finds out I’m a handyman, she cuts me off. But I’m not letting the richest girl in school break my heart without consequences. She will pay…

But I’ll pay a far worse price when I find out why she really left me hanging without a word. And after unfairly bullying my sweet girl, I’ll sell my soul to win her back.

~MINI REVIEW~

So raw, emotional, and gritty!
I truly liked this short story. Every moment struck me and stayed.
Both characters endured a lot, and I was happy that they had something deep and passionate between them.
Wonderful story, Jessa!

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Release date: July 11th 2019

Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

Someone has been terrorizing my small town—a huge, horrifying beast, to be exact. He won’t stop rampaging until the villagers sacrifice an innocent. Lucky me! I’m the chosen one. I’ve been tied to a tree in a wedding dress and left as an offering to the cruel ruler of the hills. But once the beast approaches, I glimpse the lonely human beneath the wild hair and mountainous body. Yes, he’s very much a man…a man who will stop at nothing to claim me as his mate.

~MINI REVIEW~

Jessa Kane knows how to write an entertaining short story. This held my attention from beginning to end, and I enjoyed it. It's funny, wild, and steamy, and I highly recommend this if you're in a slump and in need of something quick and hot.

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February Wrap-Up~Mini Reviews

These are all the books I read in February!

Release date: November 3rd 2020
Publisher: Warm Hues Creative
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

In my defense, I wasn't the one who messed up.

And if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have run into him the first time, in the first place.

But then there was the second time, in the second place.

And then the third time, in the third place.

Then the fourth... you get it, right?

I really wasn't trying to get involved with him like that, but the happenings kept happening, and well... what had happened was...

~MINI REVIEW~

It's The Chase For Me: A Heights Story was quite enjoyable. January frustrated me at times, but overall, it's an entertaining short story. I'm loving these books by Ms. Jones!

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Release date: February 14th 2021
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

Boring. Invisible. Pretty for a plus size girl. Those were all the things I felt about myself, thanks to my chosen career as an accountant and society’s depiction of the perfect female. For once, I wanted to be something, no someone, different. So, I booked a trip to Vegas for my birthday. Then, walks in Soul Matthias, treating me and my body as anything but ordinary. He lit a fire inside of me. However, it wasn’t real.

Player. Bad boy. High risk. That’s what the blogs depicted me as. That’s what baseball owners banked on to lowball my contract extension. I didn’t care about social media, but I definitely cared about my money. I had to get my act together. Then, struts in Alexa Livingston. A breath of fresh air, someone completely different than what I had ever been used to. But what we had wasn’t real. It was just a marriage contract. Or was it?

~MINI REVIEW~

Short and fun read!

I liked both main characters, and the plot was intriguing. It's a great short story if you're in a funk and looking for a romance that's unconventional and quick.

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Release date: December 21st 2020
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

My picker is off. I always fall for the bad boys, the players, the men with "red flag" written all over their gorgeous faces. I should've learned my lesson after having my heart eviscerated into tiny, unrecognizable pieces. But no, not me. That would be way too simple, and my life is nothing but.

Luca Fiore is Manhattan's Prince. He's sex in a suit personified, and he's also my stepbrother. I've moved back to New York, and he's offered me a place to crash until I find a place of my own. What could possibly go wrong?

My subconscious screams, "EVERYTHING!"

With his piercing gray eyes, sharp jaw, and dark hair, Luca makes me weak in the knees. And I would gladly get on my knees for him.

Five years ago, I left home with a broken heart and a lifetime worth of sins. Now, I'm back with a naïve hope that I can make things right. How I expect to do that when I have no intention of confessing my sins remains to be seen. One thing is for sure. I have to stay away from the one person who was why I left home in the first place — the man who once called me his Achilles. His flower. His secret. His stepdaughter.

I'm not the good girl in a love story. I don't deserve a happily ever after. I have secrets on top of secrets on top of secrets. I've sowed, and I've reaped, and something tells me karma isn't done with me yet.

~MINI REVIEW~

What an emotional rollercoaster!

These characters are flawed with a capital F, and I liked that. This story is well-written, intriguing, and full of crazy moments. This is my first experience with Tia's work and it certainly won't be the last.

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Release date: August 14th 2020

Series: Rose & Thorns #2

Publisher: Warm Hues Creative
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

As a rose abandoned in the desert, she's made a vow - she'll never go back to the way things were... a promise that was easier to keep before a thorn showed up. (This is not a book centered around a love story.)

~MINI REVIEW~

Christina C. Jones has easily become a favorite author!

I really liked the first book and so I wanted to continue the series. Once again, very interesting. I'm so curious about the Garden though. Would love a book about that point in time and what went down with all the roses and the thorns.

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Release date: January 2nd 2021

Publisher: Foster & Black
Purchase: Amazon
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My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blurb:

I was barefoot, sobbing, running for my life. But the men hunting me made one mistake: they chased me into *his* woods.

Cal Whittaker. Big, gruff and gorgeous, he’s made his home in the heart of the forest and has barely spoken to another person in six years. He deals with the men chasing me with a brutal efficiency that hints at a dark past. I should be scared...but when I look into his eyes, I feel a soul-deep longing I can’t explain. And the way he looks at me, like he just wants to push me up against a tree and tear my clothes off...

He offers me shelter on his smallholding. I’m used to the big city but I’ll have to learn a whole new way of life: a cow for milk, a wood stove for warmth and no one but the two of us for miles in any direction. I learn that Cal’s carrying a guilt that won’t let him get close to anyone...but neither of us can fight the attraction and in his tiny cabin, it’s impossible to keep our distance.

Even in the forest, though, we may not be safe. My escape has threatened a conspiracy so vast, so evil, that the men behind it won’t stop until they’ve silenced us. They know where we are. And they’re coming.

~MINI REVIEW~

Thrilling!

I thoroughly enjoyed this woodsy and adventurous romance. Add the intensity of suspense and it makes the story even more exciting. I'm definitely reading the books that follow this one because I want more of Cal and the other men.

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Review: When the Saint Falls (Westbrook #1) by A.D. McCammon

Series: Westbrook Three #1

Release date: January 16th 2020

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Thatcher Michaelson is a bully.

Arrogant. Cruel. Ruthless.

And the most attractive guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.

He’s the rebel of Westbrook high, and I’m merely the annoying goody two-shoes he dubbed the saint.

There must be something wrong with me. After nearly two years of dirty looks and constant humiliation, I’m still crushing on the guy who hated me on sight.

Then he kissed me and instead of the ice-cold gaze I was accustomed to, I saw passion burning behind his dark molten eyes.

Violet St. James doesn’t belong in my world.

Good. Kind. Pure.

She’s everything I’m not.

She doesn’t just look like an angel, she is one. And I’ve fought every impulse to make her mine.

But all my efforts went up in flames the second I tasted her sweet lips. My inability to stay away has changed everything.

She’s determined to break down all my walls, but my little saint doesn’t understand the consequences of her actions.

She tells me she’s not afraid of the fall.

But she should be.

*Read the ebook via Kindle Unlimited.

This is going to be fairly short because I'm not sure how to write my review without giving too much away. So, here goes:

I liked the story. It's high school, at times silly, but overall an enjoyable read. 

I was pulled into the story instantly and wanted to see how it would play out. It certainly felt like a game between the two, one of burning lust and longing. And the main characters have their moments where I either love them or want to snap at them.

Thatcher and his friends pretty much ran the school, and kept guys from bothering Violet. She'd get annoyed at his possessiveness, but on the other hand, couldn't deny her pull to him. There were times I'd yell at them to just admit their feelings, and when things were finally starting to smooth out, I would get frustrated with Thatcher's back and forth and Violet's insecurities. The latter was mainly fueled by Thatcher's behavior. Once I understood what he'd gone through and got a clearer picture of his home life, it all made sense.

Again, it's an interesting read and my emotions were all over the place. But I still liked how things worked out in the end, and I'm looking forward to Arwen and Cole's individual stories next.

About the Author

Amber McCammon decided to take her passion for writing to the self-publishing world in 2017. She's since published four contemporary adult romance novels and is currently working on a YA romance series.

When she isn't writing, you'll find her reading, spending money she doesn't have in Target, or hanging with her hubby and two kiddos.

Amber lives in Tennessee, where she was born and raised, which means she often gets caught with the south in her mouth. She loves to travel, though, and dreams of being a nomad one day.

For more information, please visit admccammon.com

Review: Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker

Release date: August 6th 2019
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multi-billion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counselors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is still alive and strong, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

I don't even know where to start this review. This is the seventh book I've read by K.A. Tucker, my first that is not romantic suspense, so I went in not knowing what to expect from her straight contemporary style. But from beginning to end, I was utterly enthralled. Say You Still Love Me is a fun and beautiful story filled with silly, youthful moments and emotions that will surely leave you wanting more.

At first, the business aspect was a bit hard for me to get into with how the story opened, but I understood the significance of seeing Piper in her element and how hard she worked at her father's company. She also wasn't doing any of it by force. She truly loved her job and everything it entailed. So that was interesting in itself, along with the fact that she matured into a strong woman who knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

Kyle was a fun and wild guy back at camp; full of mischief and enjoyed adventures. Understandably, he tamed those characteristics a tad to make something of himself as a man. With everything involving his family, he had a lot to prove, mainly to himself. And I got why he'd feel undeserving or out of place when it came to Piper's world and her status. But I liked how throughout the story, since meeting at camp, she focused on their moments together, instead of financial situation.

I think what I love the most about the story is the intensity between the two, and how life can send you on all these different paths only to eventually lead you back to someone you are meant to be with. I believe in second-chance love, especially if the timing wasn't right in the beginning, but you've reached a place where things are now not exactly perfect, but steady. And despite the horrible situation that happened back at camp, it actually caused both Piper and Kyle to grow from that and develop a better understanding of each other and the love they feel.

Again, a beautiful story that will make you swoon.

About the Author

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 17 books, including the Causal Enchantment, Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, and The Simple Wild. 

Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, First for Women, and Publisher's Weekly. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2013 for TEN TINY BREATHS and Best Romance 2018 for THE SIMPLE WILD. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages.

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her family.

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Review: Cruel Intentions (Rydeville High Elite #1) by Siobhan Davis

Series: Rydeville High Elite #1
Release date: June 10th 2019
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the power struggle between two elite groups, one feisty girl will bring them to their knees… 

Life is a cruel game where only the most ruthless survive. It’s a truth my mother rebelled against, and she paid for it with her life. Now, I play their game. Publicly accepting the destiny that lies in wait for me when I turn eighteen.

But, behind closed doors, I plot my escape. 

Trent, Charlie, and my twin, Drew, rule the hallways of Rydeville High with arrogance and an iron fist. I execute my role perfectly, hating every second, but they never let me forget my place in this world.

Everyone obeys the rules. They have for generations. Because our families have always been in control.

Until Cam, Sawyer, and Jackson show up. Throwing their new money around. Challenging the status quo. Setting hearts racing with their gorgeous faces, hot bodies, and bad boy attitudes.

Battle lines are drawn. Sides are taken. And I’m trapped in the middle, because I made a mistake one fateful night when I gave my V-card to a stranger in a blatant F you to my fiancé.

I thought it was the one thing I owned. A precious memory to carry me through each dark day.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Because the stranger was Camden Marshall, leader of the new elite and my perpetual tormentor. He hates me with a passion unrivaled, and he won’t be the only one. Fire will rain down if the truth is revealed, threatening alliances, and the power struggle will turn vicious.

My life will hang in the balance.

But I’ll be ready, and I’m not going down without a fight.

*Received an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is truly dark and twisted. The behavior of these characters and the crazy things that happen throughout the story will have you clutching your pearls and constantly saying, "Oh my." 

It's my first time reading a novel by Siobhan Davis and I was intrigued from start to finish. She's an excellent writer; my interest never wavered. And while I don't often read these types of books, I'm inclined to pick up more of hers.

Actual thoughts? I connected to and sympathized with Abby the moment the story opened. This young girl had to endure so much horror. Her existence in her elite family is only to fulfill the desire of powerful men, and I honestly find her resilience admirable. I don't think I could have persevered the way she had, living in that household and dealing with those monsters. But throughout all the suffering, Abby held on to her dreams of escaping to a better life. Like the blurb says, she's a fighter, and Abby fought her way through, until her heart gets the best of her and she finds herself unable to resist her feelings toward Camden.

Camden added even more complications to Abby's life, and he aggravated me so much. But I was able to forgive him a little because worst things happened and I did find delight and relief in a few more vulnerable moments between the two characters.

However, I'm not particularly a fan of the ending of book one. Sadly, of all the things Cam did, it's hard for him to redeem himself after the last act. Not sure if I can root for him and Abby after that. Either way, I'm looking forward to continuing the story and see what happens next. I know I may not get what I want, but at least it will be entertaining.

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the True Calling, Saven, and Kennedy Boys series. 

Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management. 

She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

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Review: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Release date: August 21st 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal--and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it's to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy's life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she's gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return--and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.

Emotionally powerful and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother--and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

*Received a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A truly incredible story! I was invested from start to finish, so intrigued with the characters and how this intensity would wrap up. It's still so fresh in my mind that I can't even find the words to write a sensible review. For starters, let's see if I can get my thoughts out clearly on Sarah deciding to take Emma. 

Okay, you could say Amy and her husband deserved it, they weren't the best parents and Amy was rather abusive, both physically and verbally towards Emma. The poor child was depressed and I could see her growing up to be a broken adult. And I believe during that first sighting of Emma with her family and observing the ill-treatment from Amy, something clicked in Sarah and she could instantly relate, having experienced a similar treatment from her own mother as a child. Perhaps it was fate or just mere coincidence, but spotting Emma again led Sarah into thinking she had to do something to help the little girl. Should she have gone as far as to kidnap Emma? I don't think so. That's wrong in itself, and Sarah based her judgment on the fact that the child protective system was messed up and she didn't believe they'd save Emma from her unfit mother. Whatever the reasoning, kidnapping is never the answer. Personally, I would have reported Amy after seeing the way she treated her daughter and let the authorities handle the situation. But I completely understood Sarah's intentions and saw how the abandonment from her own mother had affected her and possibly caused her to take Emma in hopes of giving her a better life. Also, the immediate bond between Sarah and Emma was quite adorable and so opposite of what both girls had with their mothers. You just couldn't stay mad at Sarah for doing what she did when the two were enjoying each other so much, and I would constantly question myself as to whether or not the kidnapping would change Amy into becoming a better and more loving mother should Emma return home.

Staying on Amy a bit, it was hard sympathizing with the woman. While I'm not a mother, I know how tough it is for mothers and how they are simply doing the best they can. But my gosh, Amy had some seriously deep rooted issues that she took out on her daughter. She seriously needed to see a psychologist. I don't want to give too much away as to how terrible her behavior and attitude toward life in general was, but she pretty much took a lot out on Emma and acted as if the five-year-old girl was out to destroy her when she was, in fact, reacting to the abuse of her mother. And don't let me get started on the father. He was oblivious of a lot and never really stepped up. His attention was mostly given to their younger child so his actions toward the end were totally predictable. Amy often thought to herself how she didn't really want children, but I'm not sure if her marriage would have still worked out had they not been parents, not with the unaddressed issues she had coming into their relationship.

Back to Sarah. It was interesting seeing how much she gave up to save Emma. She initially seemed so career driven so I was a tad surprised. However, in the flashbacks to her relationship with Ethan, she'd often mention becoming a wife and mother. But I wonder if that had to do with the neglect she carried from childhood and desire to do the opposite for her own family? Whatever the case, I was hoping for closure for her and was delightfully fascinated when the opportunity arose. I'm not sure how I would have handled that but I commend Sarah for her strength in facing it. I also would have liked to know how the second encounter went but then the story might have become too stretched. 

As for how things turned out in the end, I honestly wasn't expecting that. I'd thought it a bit at the beginning of the story but felt like Amy would've changed somewhat to a point where she deserved a second chance. Either way, I was sort of left in limbo as to how I feel about the ending and had questions as to what would happen next. But I'm also contented with that and draw my own conclusions, for instance, what would Emma think about Sarah and Amy when she got older? Would she hate Sarah for kidnapping her? Things like that will stay with you after reading this book. Kudos to Rea Frey on such an incredible and intense story. The writing is wonderful and consuming. You won't put this down once you've started, and you'll hate for it to ever end. I highly recommend!

About the Author

Rea Frey is the author of four nonfiction books. NOT HER DAUGHTER is her debut novel. When she’s not exercising, mothering, adulting, wifing, eating, or writing about herself in the third person, you can find her hard at work on her next book and ghostwriting for other people.

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