Review: Epic Lies by Trudy Stiles

http://amzn.to/28QjSOw

DAX ANDERSON has always been the one to keep it all together.

~ His family~
~ His friends~
~ His band~

His heart is huge, but guarded. He’s the best friend. The protector. The shoulder to cry on. But he’s never been able to protect his own heart or himself. Lies from his not-so-distant past have destroyed his outlook on love - until he meets her.

GISELLE ANDREWS is confident and happy, but cautious. She’s learned to overcome many obstacles despite her past. She’s fiercely loyal and loves beyond measure. When she’s reminded of her past and the pain that she lived through, will her perfect world begin to crumble?

What connects Dax and Giselle?
And will EPIC LIES destroy their future?

Review:  4.5 of 5 stars

Epic Lies is one of those books that yo u immediately love.  It sucked me in from the beginning, just like all of Trudy's books.  If you haven't read Epic Fail or the Forever Family series, please go and one click them now, because you are missing out!  This can be read as a standalone, but the other books are so good, don't miss out!

Dax Anderson is the drummer for the band Epic Fail.  You see him in some other books, but really get to know him in this book.  He is not your typical rock star. I love that you see Dax in the past and the present.  He has had some tough breaks in life and there are times I was heartbroken for his circumstances. 

Giselle Andrews is a spunky, fun, character that seems to be able to overcome any obstacle or situation that life throws at her.  I was drawn to her immediately and loved reading from her point of view.  Both Dax and Giselle have had bad relationships and been mistreated and used so trust does not come easy for either one of them.  

I loved the way that these characters were introduced to each other.  I also loved the flash backs.  It was interesting for the reader to figure out exactly what was occurring before the characters had put the pieces together.  Was it predictable?  Yes, but it was extremely well written and I think that it does not take away from the story in the least.  As always, in our reviews, "all truth, no lies":  Get this book today!  You won't be disappointed!

Review: Broken Love, by Jillian Dodd

Amazon

Synopsis

From USA Today Bestselling Author Jillian Dodd . . . A broken love story.

After years of crushing and many failed seduction attempts, Palmer Montlake had finally scored the sexy Cade Crawford. Both a little drunk when they got back to her place, they were frantic with need, their desire intense. 
But as the night progressed, the hot-mess hookup morphed to sweet lovemaking.
The kind neither had ever experienced.

But they were destined for heartbreak.
She was his best friend’s little sister. 
He was her talent agent.
And they were dating in secret. 
When they got into a wicked fight and broke up, all hell broke loose. 
The kind neither have recovered from. 

Six years later, they still hate each other. 
But the universe seems to keep throwing them together. 
When they catch the bouquet and garter at a mutual friend’s wedding, sparks fly between them — their chemistry undeniable.

Will they get a second chance? Or will they be left with a broken love?

Review

4 out of 5 stars

Broken Love is a great second chance romance, it can be read as a stand-alone and I found it super easy for me to escape into the fantasy world of the Crawford brothers! Cade and Palmer's first chance at romance crashed as quickly as it started.  An unnecessary fight, a misunderstanding, a bad choice to keep their love secret and the brink of stardom all combined to create the perfect storm, one so powerful even the strength of first true love couldn't withstand 

Years later Cade and Palmer continue to find themselves in the same social circles, neither one is over the other, but pride and doubt keep them from opening the lines of communication.  Eventually though these two are forced together and thus begins the story of two soul mates, two individuals who are more seasoned in life expectations and know what they want. But as we all know HEA's are never served on silver platters and these two still have some major hurdles to overcome before they can have theirs.

Cade is such a great book boyfriend.  From the very beginning he has always put Palmer first, even when it wasn't easy, even when it cost him not only the love of his life but also his best friend.  Talk about swoon-worthy!  Now that the door to Palmer's heart has been re-opened again he will stop at nothing to win her back, vowing to never let it go again.

Palmer is hesitant to trust Cade to let him back into her life and then there's the issue of her big brother.  I wanted so badly for Palmer to not be scared to tell Pike the truth (which by the way ended up being a character who took me by surprise - Jillian if you're reading this give this boy a book!  I think he's got a story itching to be told).  At times I found Palmer frustrating, but in the same breath I loved how down to earth this girl is and how loyal she is to family.  

Broken Love is a perfect summer/beach escape and I think you should add it to your summer TBR list ASAP.  As always Jillian's provided us fans with another fun escape from our own realities!

Review: Up In Flames, by Abbi Glines

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Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines returns to Rosemary Beach one last time in this highly-anticipated finale.

Spoiled. Selfish. Rich girl. Villain. Slut.

As the Prada-clad bad girl of Rosemary Beach, Nan Dillon has been called every vile name under the hot summer sun. Some of her reputation is deserved—she’s never had to worry about anything but maintaining her perfect figure and splitting Daddy’s private jet with her brother, Rush. 

But Nan is far from happy. Rush has another kid on the way and doesn’t have time to catch up with his sister. Grant, the last guy she truly cared about, chose to be with her half-sister, Harlow, instead of her. And Harlow, who has never gotten over the way Nan treated her when she first moved to town, remains distant.

So when Major asks her out, she jumps at the chance to date the gorgeous charmer. Though she doesn’t know much about the sweet-talking Texan, and though it’s clear he doesn’t want to be exclusive, dating him beats hanging out with vapid socialites or watching Netflix alone at home.

For a while, Nan deals with Major’s playboy ways, but after he burns her one too many times, she takes off for an impromptu wild weekend in Vegas. There, she meets Gannon, a darkly seductive and oh-so-dangerous businessman who knows exactly how to handle her.

With Major asking for a second chance and Gannon haunting her dreams, Nan has to decide who to give her heart to. But what she doesn’t realize is that these players are involved in a much bigger game—and they’re already two moves ahead of her.

Review

4 out of 5 stars

When Nan's book finally appeared on my Kindle I immediately dove right in.  She has after all been the villain of  Rosemary Beach and I was dying to see how Abbi Glines would make us all fall in love with her.  But, if I'm being completely honest my feelings for Nan started changing the day she helped out Harlow.  I couldn't help it because at that moment in the series we finally got a chance to see a completely different side to her.  Yet, if Nan had been a like-able character from the start the Rosemary Beach series simply wouldn't have been the same.  Let's face it, Nan has been the perfect mistress of drama.

As the book starts out we see Nan and Major have a sort of friends with benefits thing going on, yet it's clear Nan wants more but is basically afraid of rejection and therefore doesn't push Major.  She puts up with a whole lot of crap from him, something you wouldn't expect to see from a person like Nan.  But maybe that's just it, maybe we don't really know anything about Nan.  Like for instance her complete and utter unhappiness.  She knows she's made mistakes, her pain and inability to control the actions that spring forth as a residual affect have alienated her from everyone.  But she wants to change, she wants to do better.  She knows Rush will always love her and now she has the unconditional love from her nephew Nate, but she wants more.  Nan has literally watched everyone in her life find their HEA and she wants it for herself.  Yes, Nan wants to be someone's Blair and honestly who can blame her.

A weekend in Vegas to but some distance between herself and Major's philandering ways puts Nan on the path to meet Gannon a real man, one who's dark, secretive and dangerous yet Nan cannot help but feel drawn to him and safe in his arms.  The affair doesn't last long but it changes Nan's life in ways she never sees coming.  Will she go back to Major or will she decide she deserves more?

Abbi Glines did a wonderful job crafting this story.  She has given us two male leads who both see the beauty and strength of Nan beyond her bitchy exterior.  One of these characters is ready to step up while the other one doesn't even realize he's in love with her until it's too late.  This story is packed with a little bit of suspense and mystery and I can guarantee before the end you will be rooting for Nan because no matter what anyone's done in the past everyone deserves happiness and the love of a man who genuinely appreciates every single composition of their personality, all of it, the good and the bad.  

I thought this story was paced perfectly, I grew to love Nan and was in awe of her strength and self-awareness.  If there was anything I found "annoying" it was her constant inner dialogue and obsession with how many calories something contained and how hard she would have to work out to burn those calories off.  I found the constant mention of those things aggravating and for me personally it took away from her journey.

Up in Flames is a great conclusion to the Rosemary Beach series.  While we don't get to hear from all of our favorite characters, Abbi Glines does give us a few opportunities to check in with just about everyone.  Nan finds not only love but maybe also and more importantly joy and peace.  I for one am sad to say goodbye to the Rosemary Beach series!  Absolutely don't miss out on this book, give it no other thoughts, just one-click it today. 

Review: Tapping the Billionaire by Max Monroe

http://amzn.to/1YbjIHR

Blind dates? Online dating profiles? Been there, done that.

Georgia Cummings has zero luck with dating, and the era of the internet is not her friend.
No matter how fast she runs, how many corners she turns, she can’t find her way out of this weird, alternate universe where men think dick pics are a replacement for small talk and getting to know a girl. One more crotch selfie and she might write men off for good…

But why can’t she stop fantasizing about him?

Kline Brooks is the quintessential billionaire bad boy—dark, styled, short hair, muscles for days, and a panty-dropping smile.
Except—he isn’t.

As his employee, he won’t touch her with a ten foot pole.
But she won’t touch him either.

Too bad their hormones missed the memo. 

Review:  4 of 5 Stars

When I first heard of Max Monroe, I immediately decided that I had to read this book!  I mean anyone that has a website that is snarky and fun gets me to start one-clicking!  Plus, I wanted to see if I could guess who the authors are by reading.  I think I have a pretty good guess, but tell me who you think in the comments below.  Hopefully, we will find out the identity soon.

Georgia Cummings is the hilariously crude heroine of the book.  I love that she is funny, confident and nervous all at the same time.  She can run a business deal and be girly too.  She is my kind of heroine for sure!

Kline Brooks is not your typical billionaire.  He is modest, doesn't flash his money around and genuinely wants a relationship and not to sleep around.  He is the kind of billionaire that dreams are made of because he is not selfish at all.  

So what should you know about this book?  If you like funny, lighthearted, slightly predictable reads, this book is for you.  If you are easily offended and don't find humor in things, you should probably steer clear of this one.  I personally thought it was a lot of fun and enjoyed it thoroughly!  I can't wait to read Thatch's book next!

Cover Reveal: No Pants Required by Kim Karr

No Pants Required by Kim Karr

Release Date: July 11^th Genre: Contemporary Romance Cover Design: Hang Le

Synopsis:

I, Makayla Alexander, am on a mission to reinvent myself. So when a super hot guy boards the plane and flashes his rock hard abs, I pay attention. When he sits next to me and offers me his nuts, I can’t resist. But when I choke on them and he tells me I need to work on my gag reflex, I realize I might be in over my head.

Before I know it we’re in the lavatory and attempting to join the Mile High Club. Let me just say this...anyone who tells you it’s easy to get it on at 37,000 feet isn’t telling you the truth. After the flight attendant busts us for getting frisky in the air, the only thing that can ease my total and complete mortification is the simple fact that I am never going to see him again.

Hours later, I can’t help but wonder if fate will ever allow me to become a new version of myself.

Because Fate, she’s a fickle bitch.

Case in point...my seatmate is my new next-door neighbor.

Even with the whole fate thing we have going on, we are so not meant to be together. He’s all cool and sexy in that make love not war kind of way. Guys like him are dangerous. With that bring-you-to-your-knees body, that handsome-as-hell face, and that dirty, dirty mouth, I guarantee one glance from him wets every girl's bikini bottoms.

And then there’s me…the quirky girl looking to find herself in California. All I want to do is learn to let loose. Say words like peace and groovy. Bury my toes in the sand. Who knows, maybe even have sex on the beach.

Unable to get him out of my head, I entertain the thought of being more than just friends. I know the idea is absurd. And yet, I go with it. You see Camden Waters gets me. Really gets me. Like no other guy has before.

On this 7-mile stretch of paradise, I decide to keep things simple and just have fun...that is until fate decides to screw with me, again.

Can two people hell-bent on finding themselves realize the search should have ended the day they met? Find out in No Pants Required—a sexy, funny, romantic stand-alone, that will have you hurrying to grab your bathing suit and rushing to the beach to check out every lifeguard on duty.

Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Kobo / B&N / iBooks

About the Author:

Reader * Writer * Coffeelover * Romantic

Kim is a daydreamer. So much so that if daydreaming could be a hobby it would be her favorite. It's how her stories are born and how they take root. An imagination that runs wild is something to be thankful for, and she is very thankful. :)

She grew up in New York and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She's always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and with the rest of her time embraces one of her biggest passions--writing.

Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read.

She likes to believe in soul mates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

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Review: Empire by Rachel Van Dyken

I have lost everything.
My purpose.
My love.
My soul.
Death knocks on my door, I want to answer, but every time I reach for the handle--the promise I made her, brings me back.
So I breathe.
I live.
I hate.
And I allow the anger to boil beneath the surface of a perfectly indifferent facade.
I am broken, I dont want to be fixed.
One last trip to New York, one last chance to redeem a lost part of the mafia family. The Empire is crumbling and it's my job to fix it, my job to mend the pieces that were scattered over thirty years ago.
The only issue is, the only way to fix, is to do something I swore I'd never do again.
An arranged marriage.
Only this time.
I won't fall.
Or so help me God, I'll kill her myself.
My name is Sergio Abandanoto, you think you know my pain, my suffering, my anger, my hate--you have no idea.
I am the mafia.
I am the darkness.
Blood in. No out. 

Review

5 of 5 Stars

First of all, if you have not read the other Eagle Elite books, stop reading this review.  It will contain spoilers from the previous books.  And second, get to one clicking!  Seriously, this series is one of the best!      

I was totally heartbroken at the end of Elude, how could Rachel do this to me??  She ALWAYS gives me the HEA.  I wanted to be mad at her and say that I didn't love the book.  But the reality was, Andi was supposed to die.  She was supposed to teach Sergio about love.  She served a wonderful purpose and without her, Sergio could not be the man he is today.  As devastating as Elude was, it was also beautiful and reminded us that life happens and is short.  We should live it to the fullest everyday.

Now, on to Empire.  I feel like we have been waiting for freaking ever for this book!  It is told from the POV of Frank, Sergio and Val.  I love that we get to hear from the elder of the Families and see what his emotions are as well.  I have always enjoyed his presence in the books and getting to hear his inner monologue was a true treat! 

Valentina is the daughter of the late Luca Nicolosi, mob boss.  But, she has no clue that the mafia even exists, much less that her life is getting ready to be thrown into a tailspin.  She is the polar opposite of Andi and while you want dislike her because she isn't Andi, you just can't.  She is too sweet, too good, and too wonderful of a character.  I really felt just as bad for her as I felt for Sergio.  She is thrown into a marriage with someone that is still mourning his late wife and is struggling with life in general.  

Sergio is quite possibly my new favorite mafia man.  His journey seems to be so much more deeper and I find myself more emotionally invested in him than I have been with anyone else.  It's as though I am struggling right along with him in his feelings for Val and the subsequent guilt and anger which accompanies them.  Yes he's made promises to Andi, but how do you keep moving forward when a huge hunk of your heart is still mourning.  When he first starts out he isn't ready to move beyond his love for her, and he doesn't understand how or even why he is drawn towards Val, so it's constantly a yo-yo effect from letting her in to completely shutting her out.  It's a truly heartbreaking struggle, yet is also so beautiful and written spectacularly.  

Even though Andi has passed away, there is no mistaking her presence in this book.  You can feel her in Sergio's actions, when he knows he is being a jerk.  You can feel her through the memories as Sergio is reliving them.  And her essence is and was without a doubt essential to the sequencing and timing  of events throughout this entire story.  In my mind it's clear, Andi's presence and influence are the breath and life of the words that make Empire such a beautiful story. 

As always, Rachel never fails as an author.  I can honestly say that I have NEVER read The End on any of her novels and thought, "I expected more."  It is always the exact opposite.  I always walk away craving the next installment and wondering how she can always execute an A+.  Now, how in the heck are we going to wait until 2017 for the next installment????  Gahhh!