Reviewing: Coming Home

Coming Home

By: Paloma Beck

What It's About!

Rachel Porter, a romance writer, has told her three sons tales of finding their true soul mate since they were just boys. She lives with the belief that there is but one match for every person. Now as men, they have yet to discover their soul mates. That is, until they come home…

Ryan Porter, Rachel’s oldest son, needs a change from his busy city lifestyle. After five years of living in New York and establishing his own real estate firm, something is still missing. When a family tragedy brings Ryan back to his family’s rural home, he meets Tyra. She just might be the catalyst for the change he needs, redirecting the course of his life. But first he must accept his relationship with his parents and embrace Tyra’s secrets.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review...

This book wasn't bad. Light read. It had a good story line to follow along with. I just couldn't connect to it on an emotional level. Ryan was coming home after being away a long time after his father was in an accident. It's not really a time to have a fling, but maybe people cope in different ways? Tyra was very quick to jump into bed with him too. She has a little girl. It made me question her a little. What really bothers me about this book is it didn't go into detail about what was really going on between the mother and father living apart. Or maybe I missed it? For a mother to tell her son's all of these tales of true love and finding their one. You would think she would be living with hers. I get this book was an exotic read, but I think it needed more back story. It needed more depth. This is just my opinion. It wasn't a bad read, yet it wasn't one I'd read again. 

Reviewing: Her Best Shot (book)

Her Best Shot

By: Shannyn Schroeder

What It's About!

With college graduation looming, three childhood friends vow to make spring break their last blast of pure fun. But at least one of them didn’t count on such incredible heat… 

Layla Sharpe is definitely more math ninja than bikini babe, and her future has been calculated with razor precision. Convinced to let loose over spring break, Layla is finally ready to party—until her car breaks down halfway to her destination, leaving her stranded in Georgia with a mouthwateringly hot pool shark. She knows more than enough about angles to learn the game, but this week she wants him to appreciate her curves… 

Phin Marks has never met a girl like Layla. She’s more Star Wars geek than seductress, and when he offers her a place to stay while her car is in the shop, he’s counting on the attraction between them to set the nights ablaze, no strings attached. But every moment he spends with Layla makes it harder to let her go. Can he persuade her to gamble in the most dangerous way possible…on forever?

My Thoughts!

I received this book through NetGalley in turn for an honest review...

There isn't much to say about this book. It was ok. I read it in one day and then details of the story drifted. I have to have memorable things happen. Like quotes or songs or something to pull my heart strings and have me remember. I didn't live through the read with the characters. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't brilliant.

For more of my reviews..check out my blog!
thelatenightlamp.blogspot.com

Reviewing: Upside Down

Upside Down

By: Lia Riley

What It's About!

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime . . . or if they were meant to live a world apart.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through NetGalley in turn for an honest review.

This book was a good summer read. No I probably won't read it again, but it kept me interested and had a good flow. I liked the author's style. I liked Bran's character. He was rough around the edges and saw deep into Natalia. Called her out on her bull crap. We all need that from a guy from time to time. =)

Reviewing: Head-Heart

Head-Heart

By: Olivia Besse

What It's About!

Formerly entitled Etoile.


From afar, Elodie Marais is just a typical 19-year old girl roughing it in Manhattan. She hates her job, her love life sucks and she's totally getting ripped off by her landlord. Like most of her starry-eyed peers, she'll do anything for the Triple P's—Prada, a Promotion and the elusive Perfect Boyfriend. But Elodie and her friends aren't your average new adults who are bored to tears by their uninspiring lives—they're fashion models. 

Just as she's starting to make waves in the modelling world, two very different men vie for her doe-eyed attention. She may get Prada, she may even get that promotion, but maybe finding the perfect boyfriend was going to be more complicated than she thought.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through NetGalley in turn for an honest review.

Boy am I going to be honest...
I didn't like the book at all. It is very hard for me to rate a book a 1. This one...I had no problem with. I didn't respect nor like the character. You would think having such a difficult upbringing being raised in an orphanage in a foreign country would make someone more appreciative for the better things in life. All I heard throughout the book from Elodie was complaining. She did drugs. She didn't live a healthy lifestyle. Instead of eating she smoked cigarettes and drank coffee. I don't think that is a good example as to what a heroine is supposed to be. Maybe my expectations are too high. The boys were also nothing exceptional. Tyler was needy and full of himself. While James, was controlling and obsessed with his job. I don't think Elodie deserved to be with either one of the guys. I didn't like her personality at all. I will not be reading any more of this series nor would I refer it to anyone. A total waste of my time. I have never came so close as to putting down a book and quitting mid read. So aggravating. 

Reviewing: Dare To Kiss

Dare To Kiss

By: S.B. Alexander

What It's About!

Besides her family, Lacey Robinson’s only other love is baseball. She’s on top of the world when Arizona State University approaches her to discuss a scholarship. To be the first girl ever to grace a college boys’ team is beyond what she has ever dreamed.

Her fastball is impeccable, her curveball equally as good, and her slider annihilates anyone who dares to step in the batter’s box. But fate has its own way of throwing curveballs. When she looses her mother and sister to a home invasion, baseball and her dreams die with them. Tragedy has a way of seeping deep into her psyche, causing nightmares, panic attacks and blackouts. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, her psychiatrist recommends a change of scenery and picking up the things that she loved to do, and for Lacey that is baseball.

After a move clear across the country, only two things matter to Lacey—overcome her PTSD and make Kensington High’s baseball team. But trying out for the team comes with obstacles—the captain, Aaron Seever, doesn’t want a girl on the team.

Her life is further complicated when she meets Kade Maxwell, a tall, sexy and drool-worthy bad boy who has a magical touch that awakens her feminine side and a kiss that slowly erases her nightmares. But getting involved with him may be dangerous when Kade’s archenemy returns to town to settle a vendetta.

To complicate matters, her PTSD has taken a turn for the worse. She has to find a way to heal otherwise she may not have a chance at anything in life, especially love.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

It's important to know that the reason this book got a three star rating was because of Kade and his brothers. I liked reading about them. Lacey not so much...like at all. I get that she went through a tragedy that will haunt her for the rest of her life, but come on. She was not a very pleasant person. Drama didn't follow her everywhere she went. Her actions and personality strung that along. She was very self centered and acted like everyone owed her something. Especially when it came to baseball. (The whole five minutes that any baseball was written in.) So much for judging a book by it's cover. I wouldn't have chosen her for the team, for her lack of respect, punctuality, and lack of dedication and skill. I did not like her. I didn't bond with her through reading. I wasn't rooting for her to succeed in baseball or her relationship with Kade. To be quite frank he deserved better.

Speaking of Kade. I found her to have more chemistry with Kelton than with him. Weird. They just didn't fit to me. Maybe it was the whole polar bear thing. Or the fact that he let her treat him like crap and kissed her butt throughout the book that got me. On numerous occasions I told him to grow a pair.

The murder of her mother and sister was a huge part of the book, but we never found out what happened to them. That bugged me. Also I found her father to be really absent and secretive. I'm thinking something illegal is going on with that one.

I don't think I'll continue to read the rest of the series. Especially after I found that book 2 was just a continued story of Kade and Lacey. Just not my cup of tea.

Reviewing: Broken

Broken

By: M.L. Young

What It's About!

Bailey Wrenn is a small town girl with a big back story. Her mother left when she was young, leaving her in the care of an out of touch alcoholic father that barely noticed her existence. After trudging through life with no clear direction, she begins to wonder if she needs to leave this scarred memory of a town behind and finally move on. When Bailey hears from her friend Julie that life in Chicago is great and she should come out sometime, she takes that open invitation, and comes to visit her old friend with no idea of when she’s going to leave.

One night, after Julie drags her from the apartment to see a local fight, she sees Kyle, a mysterious MMA fighter with a winning streak and an elusive personality. He doesn’t talk to anybody after his fights, and disappears faster than Bailey can blink. One day during a chance encounter filling out job applications, Bailey runs into Kyle at his work, and the electricity between them is bright enough to light up the city.

It’s only when they begin to get close, though, that things are turned upside down. An old boyfriend and a brutal and devastating past makes Bailey believe she can’t be close to another man ever again, even if he seems perfect. She feels alone. She’s broken. 

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review..

I was very generous to give this book a three star rating. The only reason it got a three was because it kept me interested to read it quickly.

Kyle and Bailey were boring! There was no chemistry. No passion. They never argued..no problems. Too storybook unbelievable perfect. I didn't believe it. I didn't buy their love.

There was quite a lengthy memory sequence where Bailey remembers her mother leaving and we never really got any answers as far as where her mom went and why. That bugged me. It also irked my nerves that her dad was a pretty serious alcoholic, then all of the sudden got his life together when she left. Bull (cough cough) crap. If you're going to paint us the dark picture of her father failing as a parent due alcoholism and scaring her enough to run...maybe she should be human in it taking a little more than a phone call to mend a broken relationship. She was too quick to forgive in my personal opinion.

I didn't really care for Bailey. I found her to be whiny and poor pitiful me throughout the read. It was always about her. It just wasn't my kind of read all around. I won't read it again and I wouldn't refer it to others. Just my opinion...

Reviewing: The Siren

The Siren

By: Kiera Cass

What It's About!

"You must never do anything that might expose our secret. This means that, in general, you cannot form close bonds with humans. You can speak to us, and you can always commune with the Ocean, but you are deadly to humans. You are, essentially, a weapon. A very beautiful weapon. I won't lie to you, it can be a lonely existence, but once you are done, you get to live. All you have to give, for now, is obedience and time..." 

The same speech has been given hundreds of times to hundreds of beautiful girls who enter the sisterhood of sirens. Kahlen has lived by these rules for years now, patiently waiting for the life she can call her own. But when Akinli, a human, enters her world, she can't bring herself to live by the rules anymore. Suddenly the life she's been waiting for doesn't seem nearly as important as the one she's living now.

My Thoughts!

I usually get caught up with reading and reviewing...not so much selecting a book through my own choosing. Any who! I really enjoyed Kiera Cass's previous book series. (The Selection) So when I saw that she wrote a book about Sirens I got all giggly.My daughter Loralei's name description means siren. I love mermaids. Sirens. All that stuff. A little too much compared to others. Okay, I'd trade these legs for a fin in a heart beat...I won't lie. So aside from my weird fascination with the creatures this book was a great read. I'd pay for it again. I'd read it again. I'd suggest it to others. It does have a different feel to it compared to the Selection series. It's more serious. A bit more dark. If a reader knows what a siren is, it shouldn't come surprising that it would be dark. This isn't a little mermaid book where the heroine is combing her hair with a fork daydreaming. She has a second chance at life, because of the ocean. She has a debt of years of service to pay and the sisterly bonds of the siren sisterhood is the only relationship allowed. This book was so much deeper and bigger than what I imagined. Just when you think you have it figured out another story unfolds. Put it on your To-read list. Read it before the summer is over. You won't regret it!

Reviewing: Cracks In The Armor

Cracks In The Armor

By: Helena Hunting

What It's About!

Chris, a sexy tattoo artist, tries to win the heart of Sarah, a grad student with little interest in him, in this second e-short and follow-up to Helena Hunting’s gripping love story, Clipped Wings—“twisted, dark, incredibly erotic…a love story like no other” (USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton).

Part owner of the Chicago tattoo shop Inked Armor, Chris Zelter is a talented artist who decorates skin with gorgeous designs. He might look the part of the typical jacked-up, inked-up bad-boy, but underneath is a fiercely loyal, complicated man. Kicked out at sixteen, Chris has had to fend for himself for the last twelve years, making his Inked Armor crew as much family as they are business partners. For him, it’s enough—until he meets Sarah Adamson.

A grad student waitressing at the local strip club, Sarah is used to propositions and crude comments. The job is a means to an end—finish her MBA, pay off the tuition loans, and get a good job. Then she won’t have to rely on anyone to take care of her. So when brawny, tatted up Chris begins hanging out at the club, she rebuffs his advances. At first. But Chris isn’t like her usual clientele: despite his hard exterior, he’s almost…sweet.

Sometimes, the people with the roughest edges have the biggest hearts.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through NetGalley in turn for an honest review.

It takes a lot to make me rate a book 1 star. I just couldn't bring myself to give this book two stars. Where or where to begin. I understand that it is a novella, but it was super short. I've read longer. This book needed to be longer. I get that it's a part of a series and there was one or so book ahead of it and I was jumping in, but the amount of confusion I had reading this book was maddening. You have to catch the reader up more. Write every book with the intention of speaking and teaching the reader about the story as if they jump in mid series every time. I was so frustrated I wanted to put the book down, but I make it a rule not to do that. Once I start a book, no matter how horrible, I finish it. It's odd to me that the story is about Chris and Sarah's love, but you start the book having them already together. No Romantic detail. In fact when I started the book. I wasn't rooting for Sarah at all. I was waiting for Chris to break up with her. She was so whiny. Not the strong heroine I look for in a female character. Chris wasn't sure where there relationship was going and how Sarah felt, and I have to say I wasn't either! I will say the clip of Tenley and Hayden's story caught my interest, but I'm so scared to even go there..

Reviewing: Carnelian

Carnelian

By: B. Kristin McMichael

What It's About!

Everyone has a past, but for most it isn’t as long ago as Seth Sangre. His past is literally thousands of years ago. Seth’s life led him to the present seeking something that might help him save his country from destruction. He has been in the present for over three years now and just found exactly what he has been looking for.

Mari had dreams that college will be a fresh start, one where she would start over and not fall for the good looking player like high school. Unfortunately for her, that’s exactly what ends up falling into her lap on the first day she moves into the dorms. Now she has to hold to her promise to herself and not fall for the handsome Seth. But he doesn’t plan to make it easy for her. Seth has already marked her as his next conquest. As the semester progresses, Mari learns that Seth might just have a life of his own that’s actually from the past. Suddenly Mari finds her future along with her past put into question. She’s connected to Seth far more than she ever wanted to be and maybe the player isn’t who she thought he was. If Mari can trust her heart enough to follow him, Seth will lead Mari on an adventure of a lifetime and reveal family secrets she never knew existed.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but I ended up liking it. It kept me interested. No I wouldn't read it over again. I didn't find any quotes that stuck with me to keep, but it was a good light read. Mari did put up a fight falling for Seth but gave in like we knew she would. The whole time travel Egyptian thing was interesting. A lot of questions went unanswered, but that is the catch in the first book of a series. The want for more! I think there is more to the story of Mari and Dee. The Goddess was pretty clear that Seth & Mari may not necessarily end up together. I also had a sickening feeling that somehow Seth's father and Mari's mother had something going on in the past life. I just hope Seth and Mari don't end up as brother and sister, because that would be sickeningly awkward...

Reviewing: Awaken

Awaken

By: Lori Adams

What It's About!

Sophia St. James has every reason to be happy: she survived the kiss of death from the seductive Demon Knight Dante and is free to be with Michael, her sexy Guardian Angel. She eagerly begins her Awakening to become a Spirit Walker and help lost souls cross over. But her training is fraught with setbacks, and Michael begs her to stop. The life of a Spirit Walker is far too dangerous, and he won’t be able to protect her.

Then Dante returns, threatening to drag Sophia to Hell so they can finally be together. Terrified of losing everything she has worked for, Sophia turns the tables on Dante, luring him into a deception that may get them both killed. The stakes climb even higher when Dante’s ally, Wolfgang, emerges from Hell with one order: kill Sophia. Will Michael once again be Sophia’s saving grace or will the Awakening give her the power she needs to save herself?

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review. It's hard for me to write this review, because I was such a fan of the first book of the soulkeeper series. It just didn't captivate me like the other one did. I felt there was just too much going on. So many ideas and not enough follow through. I really didn't get the whole making a double of herself so she could do school and training. It was very preteen to me. Sophia and Michael were also too hot and cold in this book. Her relationship and willingness to trust Dante made me question their love and seriousness too. I wouldn't count me out for the next book in the series, because I loved the first book so much...but I'm hoping for better in book 3. These are just opinions I've gathered in my experience.

I'm Alive!

So so so sorry it's been so long since  I've posted. With being a mother to a three year old and going on vacation..I'm lucky to be reading at all. Anywhoo... I'm catching up on reviews to all the awesome books I've been reading so stay posted for updates soon!

Reviewing: Doll-baby

Doll-baby

By: Laura Lane McNeal

What It's About!

A big-hearted coming-of-age debut set in civil rights-era New Orleans—a novel of Southern eccentricity and secrets

When Ibby Bell’s father dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1964, her mother unceremoniously deposits Ibby with her eccentric grandmother Fannie and throws in her father’s urn for good measure. Fannie’s New Orleans house is like no place Ibby has ever been—and Fannie, who has a tendency to end up in the local asylum—is like no one she has ever met. Fortunately, Fannie’s black cook, Queenie, and her smart-mouthed daughter, Dollbaby, take it upon themselves to initiate Ibby into the ways of the South, both its grand traditions and its darkest secrets.

For Fannie’s own family history is fraught with tragedy, hidden behind the closed rooms in her ornate Uptown mansion. It will take Ibby’s arrival to begin to unlock the mysteries there. And it will take Queenie and Dollbaby’s hard-won wisdom to show Ibby that family can sometimes be found in the least expected places.

For fans of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and The Help, Dollbaby brings to life the charm and unrest of 1960s New Orleans through the eyes of a young girl learning to understand race for the first time.

By turns uplifting and funny, poignant and full of verve, Dollbaby is a novel readers will take to their hearts.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

It was rather odd finding this book in the New Adult category, but I'm glad that I did. This book was already winning when I started reading and I found that the story was based in New Orleans. (My Favorite Place In The World) I noticed that in some of the reviews some compared Doll-baby to The Help. This book was far better than The Help. The only reason it didn't get five stars in my personal rating was because I didn't find a memorable quote to take with me. The story was great. I liked the ending. I would suggest it to others. Great Read!

For more of my reviews..please check out my blog!

thelatenightlamp.blogspot.com

Reviewing: Stupid Girl

Stupid Girl

By: Cindy Miles

What It's About!

Only fools fall in love...

After her senior year of high school leaves behind nothing but heartache, Olivia Beaumont is sure of this: She’s no stupid girl. She sets out for Winston College, promising herself that she will remain focused on her first and only love – astronomy. But all it takes is cocky sophomore Brax Jenkins and an accidental collision with a football, to throw her entire year off course. 

A quick-tempered Southie who escaped the inner city streets of Boston to pitch for Winston, Brax is known to play way more fields than just the baseball diamond. So, when his name is drawn to take part in his fraternity’s hazing dare, Brax eagerly accepts the mission to take Olivia’s virginity. But he doesn’t plan on falling hard for the sweet and sassy Texas girl who sees right through his bad-boy persona. 

As Olivia and Brax battle their feelings for each other, echoes of the past year begin to surface. A boy who once turned Olivia’s whole world upside down reappears, and “harmless” pranks wreak havoc. Pretty soon the aspiring astronomer is on the verge of revealing her most difficult, heartbreaking secret. All the while, Brax must wrestle with the irrevocable dare, and Olivia struggles against all logic as she does the one thing only a stupid girl would do: fall in love.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

I stayed hooked on this book pretty from the beginning. I enjoyed how easy it was to stay focused and connected with the characters. I liked Olivia, because she was different. She was sure of who she was as a person. She didn't judge people by their outward appearance and didn't make quick judgments at face value. Brax had some issues with being possessive and a bit overbearing, but I think Olivia needed a little protecting after her past boyfriend. She worked for everything she had and always put her family first. I respect that in a heroine. Now this book would have had a higher rating if I had some memorable quotes to take with me. Also the whole Boston accent explanation at the end of Brax's speaking was very annoying. We get it. He's from Boston. He has a major accent. I'm pretty sure everyone can hear it as we read and imagine. We don't need it spelled out every.single.time. So good book. Light read. I'm open to reading more from Cindy Miles in the future. 

For more of my reviews... Check out my blog!
thelatenightlamp.blogspot.com

Reviewing: A Shade of Blood

A Shade of Blood

By: Bella Forrest

What It's About!

In A Shade Of Blood, Bella Forrest transports you deeper into a unique, enthralling and beautifully sensitive story. Prepare to be lost in its pages…

When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she’d forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak.

Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek’s heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape. 

High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her. 

But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? … and the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?

My Thoughts!

I purchased this book through Amazon almost instantly after reading the first one. I was honestly a bit disappointed. I thought that maybe this book would help me have a better relationship with the characters as they developed. I didn't. Ben was a bit pushy and selfish. Derek didn't really have me cheering in his corner either. I wasn't rooting for any of them. Although the vampires shared some glimpses into their past to try to have us understand them and their actions a bit better, I still couldn't connect. The twist with her dad...I totally saw coming. So the element of surprise wasn't there. I didn't find any memorable quotes to outshine other books. Unfortunately, the cliff hanger ending didn't keep me hooked. This is the last book I will have read in the series. 

For more of my revews...check out my blog:
thelatenightlamp.blogspot.com

Reviewing: A Shade of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire

By: Bella Forrest

What It's About!

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

My Thoughts!

This book had high reviews and actually popped up on my newfeed through facebook. Readers compared it to Twilight so I decided to give it a try. I think I paid 99 cents for it. No it's not my favorite book out there, but it wasn't horrible. It kept my attention and the different idea of "The Shade" was interesting. The characters weren't that memorable,but with the way the book ended I have to find out what happens next. 

For more of my reviews...check out my blog:
thelatenightlamp.blogspot.com

Reviewing: The Mean Girl Apologies

The Mean Girl Apologies

By: Stephanie Monahan

What It's About!

You know that catchy song you keep hearing on the radio? It’s about you.

Natalie Jamison has spent five years trying to forget the girl she was in high school: popular, pretty…and, okay, mean. Now in her twenties and living once again in her small town, she’s right back where she was: following Queen Bee Amber and keeping secrets from her best friend, Sarah.

Secrets like Jack Moreland.

Everyone knows Jack Moreland—his new album, Good Enough, is everywhere. He’s famous. Impossibly handsome. Completely untouchable. But what none of Natalie’s old clique knows is that in high school, Natalie and Jack fell in love. And their secret relationship was incredible, painful—and earth-shattering enough to inspire an entire album.

Facing friends and enemies isn’t easy, but Natalie will go to great lengths to prove she is good enough—to her friends, to herself, and most of all, to the small-town boy turned worldwide heartthrob she never forgot.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

I just finished this book and I had mixed feelings on the rating. I enjoyed the read, but there were a lot of grammar errors. Like tons. Yet...I appreciated the easy flow of the book. I am definitely open to reading more of what Stephanie Monahan puts out there.

Who really knows themselves in high school? Not many people do. Your constantly caught up in material things and self image. Instead of the future, it's all about the here and now. I hated girls like Natalie in high school, but I couldn't be mad at her. So many girls are forced into that please the pretty popular ones, just so they aren't the ones being made fun of. I didn't really have a lasting meaningful relationship in high school. Even when I did have one right out of school, I made mistakes. Tons of them. You hurt people in the process. Natalie got a second shot to make things right. Sometimes our first loves mean more than we think they do. Some of us get it right the first time. I'm glad Natalie got the chance to be happy. To be with the person she truly loved. And that Jack got closure and an old wound healed. I enjoyed their story. I didn't find any quotes that stuck with me and I doubt I will read it again, but I didn't regret my time reading it. 

Reviewing: Wounded Courage

Wounded Courage

By: S.M. Butler

What It's About!

He chose a military career...
Navy SEAL Eamon Murphy regrets never kissing his best friend's sister at graduation. Addison kept him twisted in knots growing up, with her vivacious smile and her gorgeous curves. He thought he was over her. But finding her at the wrong end of his gun three years later is only the beginning, and Murphy just might have to break all his rules to keep her safe.

She chose adventure...
Addison Hardy enrolled in her university's exchange program to prove she wasn't just the family black sheep. How was she to know her exotic French boyfriend would be the son of an international arms dealer? Or that his murder would land her in the custody of one brooding SEAL with a chip on his shoulder?

Now it might be too late for them to choose love.
Their chemistry is flammable--and potentially explosive--but there are complications, silly little things like Addison being arrested, Murphy's unwavering devotion to duty, and all her dead boyfriend's enemies out to kill her. But the final conflagration might not be at all what they're expecting.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review.

I was really excited for this book. Especially because I read and connected with the first one. I have to say I was a bit let down. I just couldn't connect with Addison and Murphy. I didn't understand why she wouldn't cooperate with the seals. I mean it's not like they were strangers and she wasn't sure of their intentions. It was her brother and their lifelong good friend on the team that rescued her. The fact that she physically tried to fight them off and escape the navy seal compound was a bit laughable and unrealistic. Also the ending was farfetched too. No the book wasn't horribly written. Yes I read it. I wouldn't refer it to anyone or read it again. It didn't change me. I wasn't rooting for the couple. I liked the first book in the series much more. So I'm open to reading another book in the series. I just hope things get back on track. 

Reviewing: Crave

Crave

By: Violet Vaughn 

What It's About!

Casey Cassidy is a girl who gets what she wants.

Determined to get over Jason and find a man that wants a family, she moves to Breckenridge, Colorado.

Landing a job skiing every day, Casey finds Blaine Johnson - a wish come true. A hunky surfer turned ski instructor, he checks off every requirement on her list.

Except for the one she forgot to add.

Blaine has a secret. A secret so big it keeps intimacy smoldering, when Casey needs fire. No matter how hard she tries, the embers won’t ignite. Can she live without passion to get the family she craves?

When Jason comes to town, Casey questions everything she wished for. Their consuming love threatens to explode and ruin her dream. Will she have to choose between a family and the love of her life?

My Thoughts!

I received this through Net Galley in turn for an honest review...

It seems like Casey is always in relationship turmoil. She gets with a guy. Things go wrong. Then she runs back to her ex-boyfriend, Jason. Jason is seemingly the perfect guy. His only problem is he doesn't want to have children. Honestly I've found that very few young guys want kids. They usually grow to want them in the future. If they don't, that doesn't change them being the love of your life. Whether they want kids or not shouldn't change anything. I know it wouldn't matter to me, but maybe it's different with others. Anyway my problem is she kind-of picks up Jason then drops him when she doesn't need him anymore. She totally used him. He was like a sick puppy. She hooks up with him, then leaves him to go be a ski instructor somewhere.

The whole Blaine ordeal I figured out from the get-go. Not much mystery there. I mean affection shouldn't be an issue in an adult relationship. ESPECIALLY if you are talking of getting married. Hello?! Warning.Warning. Why didn't her internal alarm go off at that? So the book wasn't bad. It kept me interested. I just wasn't invested in the characters the way I should be. It didn't captivate me. It didn't change my way of thinking. I'm not better for reading it. I honestly don't think I would even remember it enough to refer it someone.

Reviewing: The Moment We Began

The Moment We Began

By: Sarra Cannon

What It's About!

The moment they both believe all hope is lost is the moment something real finally begins.


I have loved Mason Trent for years, but I've only been sleeping with him for one.

None of my friends know about our secret passion. He's in my bed one night and in the arms of someone else the next. And it's tearing me apart.

I've done everything I can think of to make him mine, but the more I cling to him, the harder he pushes me away. I'm spiraling out of control, not sure how much more of this I can take. A girl can only bend so far until she breaks. And when I do, I break completely. I'm talking about one night of bad decisions, all leading to a my-world-will-never-be-the-same kind of moment. A moment where I need Mason more than ever. True to form, though, he's running.

But I intend to go with him this time. I'm willing to leave my money, my family, my friends behind for this one last chance to see if he could ever really love me the way I deserve to be loved. I'm willing to sacrifice forever if it means one real moment with him.


Each book in the Fairhope series can stand-alone, but you'll see updates on your favorite characters throughout each book, so read them in order to get the most out of the series!

This is a full-length novel of 80,000 words.

My Thoughts!

I received this book through Net Galley in turn for an honest review. 

This book wasn't for me. I just couldn't attach myself to the characters honestly. I like a good strong heroine. Penny wasn't like that at all. She worshiped the ground Mason walked on, and all he did was treat her like her feelings meant nothing. (Bringing girls around after they hooked up) I mean he didn't want to openly be in a relationship with her so if she couldn't have all of him out in the open she was perfectly content with a secret relationship. That is not okay! Then there is the whole pregnancy issue and camping soul finding journey. I just didn't buy into their relationship. It wasn't solid. More than once in this review I'd forgotten their names. A book is supposed to change your life. The way you think. I just pushed through just to finish it. It just wasn't for me. I've read worse...but I've definitely read better.