Review Post: Bright Side by Kim Holden

Posted in Books I love, Review Post by mkcooke

Let me start this review by saying I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this, and that’s what made all the difference.

Sometimes you start reading a book and at some point you realize this book is going to change you. It’s going to move you. It’s going to make you think, and feel, and breathe it all in. It’s going to envelop you in fully with all its glory, and by the time you’re done there’s no way you could possibly be the same. Books like that change you, and that is probably the biggest reason I read: to find books like that.

Bright Side by Kim Holden is a book that changes you.

I can’t say enough good things about this book and the utterly emotional story encapsulated within its pages. This book made me feel the gamut of emotions. It made me think and feel and experience with everything it had. This was a full bodied reading experience that was nothing short of phenomenal.

I felt it all. I experienced it all. I loved it all.

Bright Side tells the story of Kate. She’s Bright Side. That’s her nickname and let me tell you, it fits her to a T. She’s living her life to the fullest, no regrets, no guilt, and no time for sadness. She is a bonafied gem of a female character. She is sunshine, she is light, she is happiness, and there’s no way you won’t love her immensely.

Reading her character was like experiencing real magic. She was exhilarating and never failed to make me smile. It warmed my heart to read her character. It kind of broke my heart too, but it was so real and so magnificent that I was nothing short of blown away by her and her story.

Bright Side is also about how Kate touches so many lives. First, there’s Gus. He’s kind of the best. So much spunk, so much charisma and charm, and so much else that just made me love his rocker self. He’s Bright Side’s best friend, and by the end of this book you’ll want him for your best friend too. He’s a surfer, a rocker, a friend, a bandmate, and he feels. He feels so damn much.

Then there’s Keller Banks. He had me head over heels in love with his character about 5 words into the first time I met him. True story. Keller is just something more. He feels more. He loves more. He is more. There are so many intricate layers to Keller, so much to understand about him. There’s also a bit of mystery to Keller, but when Kate and him meet things start happening. Big things. Those things lead to big things and small things and more monumental things, but ultimately they lead you to Kate and Keller.

This book is also about Duncan, and Shelly, and Clayton and Morris too. Then there’s Maggie and Gracie and Audrey and Stella, and those fabulous men from Rook. You can’t forget about Pete or Romero or even Star, or practically anyone else you’ll meet in this book because honestly, they’re all pretty unforgettable. You’ll meet them. Most you’ll love instantly, some you’ll want to slap silly, but mostly you’ll just love what you get to experience and feel with all of them.

You’ll also just love what Bright Side brings out in them. Or what she doesn’t.

You see, Bright Side is a story about Kate and all that encompasses her breathtaking self. It’s about the people in her life, and just the amazingness that is Kate.

If you think I’m being super vague about this book, you’re correct. I can’t really explain to you what this book is about because that would ruin the reading experience it’ll give you. Experiencing this book is something that I’ll never forget, and you deserve to feel the same way. So I’m not telling you what all goes down, or really any of the many events that will just leave you in awe of this book and this magnificent author’s writing.

What I will tell you is this is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read. It made me feel every single thing it had. It had me in love with Kate and all her friends in about 2 seconds flat. It had me thinking about the story, and where it would go and how it would all end. It had me crying like a mother effing baby, and I loved every outstanding second of it.

Bright Side is beautiful. It’s emotional. It’s visceral at times with how much you feel and hurt, and how vulnerable it makes the characters and in turn you as the reader. It is nothing short of amazing. It will heal you, break you, and put you back together again. It will make you see the best of things, and want to scream at the top of your lungs at the same time. It’ll make you want to jump into the book and experience Bright Side in all her and its glory.

This book will do it all and then some, because it has it all and then some.

It is bounding with epicness. It’s amazing to say the least. It left me with a book hangover I’ll never recover from.

Bright Side is a book about a lot of things. It’s about a girl named Kate who lives in the Bright Side. It’s about her best friend Gus who takes you on a wild ride. It’s about the man she doesn’t want to fall in love with, but soon realizes that saying no to Keller Banks is like saying no to the sun.

This book is about living. This book is about loving. This book is about seeing the best in things no matter how dark and dismal it may seem. This book is about feeling and experiencing those emotions. All of the emotions.

It’s about learning to let loose and live, and dance, and laugh. It’s about fight and surrender, and the power of it all. This book is about so many wonderful things. It’s about so many heartbreaking things. This book is about life and love and all that happens in between, but most of all…

This book is about living.

Kim Holden gave me an exceptional reading experience with Bright Side. She is golden in my eyes after this book. Even after making me cry my eyes out, I couldn’t be in more gratitude to her for what she wrote. Her book changed me. I don’t even know how yet, but like I said, you don’t read a phenomenal book like Bright Side without it changing you a little.

Maybe you’ll laugh a little more. Maybe you’ll live a lot more. Maybe you’ll dance around like a fool every once and awhile now. Maybe you’ll do it all.

You might even be a bit more epic after reading Bright Side.

But just don’t be epic, do epic.

If there’s one thing I’ll take from this book, it’s that. I’m going to take a hell of a lot more than that with me, but that’s the one thing that’s going to stay with me forever.

So this review has told you very little of the plot of Bright Side, but I hope it gave you a small glimpse into what it’s like to feel like you’re reading literal magic. I don’t have the right words to describe what that feels like, but if you read Bright Side by Kim Holden, you’ll get to experience that for yourself.

And experiencing that literal magic is nothing short of every positive adjective you can think of.

Experiencing that is the best part of living, so get to doing it.

Get to living.

Get to doing epic.

Get to reading Bright Side.

Check out more on Kim Holden and her books at the following links:

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18Dec2014

Review Post: In The Mix by Jacquelyn Ayres

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by mkcooke

Book: In The Mix

Author: Jacquelyn Ayres

Genre: Erotic/Romance/Humor

Goodreads Book Link

*** This book contains the GEGs! For those of you who don’t understand that warning: GEGs= strong language. gut-busting LOL moments caused by best friends who check their maturity at the door when they’re together, and impromptu Kegel exercises. This book does not come with batteries. Though it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series in order since all books will have a continuation of EVERYONE’S story. Enjoy! ***

CiCi O’Brien has a weapon of mass destruction—her mouth. It’s always loaded and ready to strike, whether the situation calls for laughter or a professional smartass. It’s been her strongest defense against unwanted feelings over the past fifteen years. If she acts like she doesn’t care, then she won’t, right?

Yeah . . . keep telling yourself that, Ceese!

Luckily for CiCi, she’s surrounded by friends and family who can easily see through her façade. They (and the furballs she takes care of at work) are who enrich her life, have been the ones she’s needed. That is, until the day her life changed—when she grabbed it by the balls.

No, seriously . . . she grabbed him by the balls. Not kidding.

Kyle Cooper has it all. He’s smart, handsome, and a ninja (not really, but that’s what Mitch likes to call him). As vice president of Colton Technologies, he travels around the world with Mitch, bringing companies the latest innovations in automobile technology. At home, he’s a force to be reckoned with, always hanging out with his parents and sister or . . . working.

Oh.

Kyle Cooper does not have it all, and he’s ready for a change. He just isn’t sure where to begin. That is, until CiCi O’Brien walks into his office and grabs this bull by the . . . horns (wink), which causes a spark to ignite in both of them. Kyle embraces it. CiCi does everything, short of calling the fire department, to put it out. Who will prevail? And what will that win truly mean?

* 5 HUGE Laugh Out Loud Stars *

Jacquelyn Ayres knows how to win my heart over times ten when she writes a book.

How’s that you ask? Well with gut busting, heart melting, and laugh out loud humor that could make even the toughest person crack a smile. My cheeks hurt from how much I smiled and cracked up reading In The Mix, and the first book in her GEG Series, Under Contract.

But it wasn’t just the humor that won me over repeatedly in this book, it was so much more.

It was the characters she created that never failed to bring one hell of a smile to my face with their truly dynamic and layered selves. It was the story itself that hooked me in from beginning to end with all the very real ups and downs and pushes and pulls it gave me. It was all the varied and well written feeling and emotion that this story and characters made me feel for them while reading this phenomenal book.

It was all that and more that made In The Mix a magnificent 5 star read for me. This book brought a serious smile to my face, but through all those smiles, Kyle and CiCi’s charming and fierce selves adhered themselves to my heart. Permanently.

What was utterly fantastic about In The Mix:

The laugh out loud hysterical moments. This is what I’ve loved about this series, and especially In The Mix. These moments made me laugh, crack up, smile and smirk like all get out. I never knew what these crazy fun characters would say and do next, and their hysterical vibrancy just shined through in spades. I couldn’t go a page or two without laughing, and having that level of humor along with the rest of the outstanding story just made my heart so happy. It just added a whole new level of fun and light to reading this book, making this one of the most fun books I’ve EVER read. (Right behind Under Contract of course.)
Kyle’s determined self. The one thing guaranteed to win me over from a male character is if they never give up fighting for what they want, and Kyle fits that bill. He never waivers in his determination to get CiCi, and his fight for what they could have with one another. He saw through all the bs and just kept pushing through because he knew what they could have together was worth it. That level of fight, determination, and trust just won me over repeatedly, and it showed me how much of a gem he really was. It also illuminated so much about him, and just how much of a good freaking guy he was. Plus all that determination combined with the rest of his charm made me practically want to swoon over him.
CiCi and all her fantastic layers. I don’t know if I have the right amount of words to describe how much I LOVED CiCi. There is so much more to her than meets the eye. She is fun, feisty, and spunky as all get out, and I don’t think I ever could’ve imagine what comes out of that girl’s mouth. I loved her, felt for her, cared like crazy for her, and I just believed in every layer of her. Cici is so dynamic with so many well-crafted layers that I highly enjoyed diving into. There’s the layers of CiCi that are fun, light, and carefree, and then there are the layers that show her vulnerability, her true feelings, and the depth of her emotion. The extraordinary combination of those layers just had my heart pulling for her, and I have utterly no doubt that I absolutely effing adore me some CiCi.
The fireworks. There is nothing short of fireworks between Kyle and CiCi. Those two have such a strong chemistry and pull towards one another that you’re going to feel those fireworks in your bones. Their connection and relationship is just waiting to explode and is combusting at the seams, but that’s what makes it what it is, and I guarantee it’ll bring a certain heat to your cheeks. All those fireworks will just ignite your love for these characters, and it’ll make you want to fight for those fireworks right along with them because you know how truly powerful they are when they’re together. And yeah they may be explosive as all get out, but boy are they something beautiful.
The GEG’s. These gaggle of green eyed ladies are some beyond fabulous females. They are each lovable and fun in their very own way. Each one of the GEG’s has their own story to tell, and I LOVED getting more pieces to each their vivacious puzzles, though I am still dying for more on all of them! CiCi, Charlotte, Julie, Maddie, and Ava just won me over once again, and their friendship and love for one another soared off the page in such an exceptional way from Jacquelyn Ayres writing. I felt their friendship in such a real way, and reading that just made me downright happy. There also wasn’t an instant that these ladies were together that they didn’t have me laughing and fighting the urge to pee my pants (Seriously!), but through all of that I was just enveloped in the love the characters had for one another. The female friendship dynamic in this book and series is just out of this world phenomenal.
The authenticity. I can’t stress enough how real everything in this book felt to me. I wasn’t just reading this book, I was experiencing it. I was feeling it with my heart, and my laughter, and my love. The characters, the story itself, and the events just came across in such a real way, and that truly invested me into every part of this book. That authenticity and realness also just bursts out from the characters. The events and moments that transpire with the characters also just make so much sense because of that authenticity. Nothing was forced, and it all felt so easy to understand. That realness and authenticity just made this book come alive for me as I read it, and it took my reading experience to a new level that just left me in awe.
The past and how it comes to be. CiCi is fighting what is happening and developing between her and Kyle because of the events that happened in her past. These events come to light in such magnificent ways, and not only helped me understand CiCi, but also helped me understand why certain choices and actions were made. It was very easy to see how things got from point A to point B to point C, and all that past just had my heart hurting for CiCi and what she went through. Reading her attempt to move on and accept that past just blew me away with how emotional and heart tugging it was, and it had me dying to reach in and heal CiCi because of it all. I also couldn’t help but love how much Kyle wanted CiCi’s past because he knew if he could get that past, he could also get her future. Total heart melting moment.
The push. There is a ton of pushing in this book. CiCi pushes her firecracker self out there for the world to see. The GEG’s push each other to be honest and open and to be their true crazy selves. But most of all, Kyle continues to push CiCi to admit what she’s feeling for him and to embrace what they could have together if she only tears down those walls around her heart. The way that he pushes her with their relationship is fantastic, and the pushback she gives him makes him truly think and consider what it is that he wants. That pushing brings them both to places they’re fighting like hell to get to. Even in those moments where they’re pushing so hard and it hurts like a mother, that push is exactly what Kyle and CiCi need, and what you need for that matter.
All the connections. This is the second book in this series, and I loved how it connected with the first book, Under Contract. It gave new events to characters I’ve already come to love, and getting to know more about them along with CiCi and Kyle was wonderful and so very telling. The connections between these books exemplified all that was fantastic about them both, and just made me more and more eager for the rest of the series. Jacquelyn Ayres has connected me to all of the characters and their stories in such a way that I am practically dying to see where this all goes next.
The title. This is a very specific detail to pick out, but it’s an aspect that really was so meaningful. It was one of the aspects I loved most because the way this title connects into the story had me fighting tears. (Good tears, I promise!) I’m not going to tell you what it means, or where you find that out, or how it even comes to be, but when you read the words of how this title comes into play you’ll be nothing short of blown away. It’s a phenomenally powerful moment that made my heart melt, tears come to my eyes, and just took my breath away with its beauty and meaning. (It was by far one of my favorite moments in the book!)

In The Mix was another beyond amazing addition the GEG Series by Jacquelyn Ayres. This book had me in fits of laughter, loving these characters with my entire heart, and feeling this story with everything I had. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this book, this series, and this author’s amazing writing.

In the Mix is a fun read, with plenty of moments that will bring a smile to your face or flush to your cheeks, but underneath all of that awesomeness lies a beautifully emotional story and two fierce characters fighting for their chance at having something spectacular.

Kyle and CiCi are going to win you over in an instant, and even in those moments when they make you want to bang your head against the wall because they’re being so stubborn, you will simply adore them. They’re going to make you work with everything that you have to get to that ending and place you seek to find them in, but through it all they will just warm your heart and bring one helluva huge smile to your face.

This is a 5 star read at its core, and it deserves to be devoured by you this very instant. The GEG’s and Kyle and CiCi won’t let you down one little bit, I can promise you that.

I am a domestic engineer (born and raised in NJ) whose sole responsibility is to guide three young, impressionable kids into becoming phenomenal adults. This challenging yet rewarding work requires a lot of love (coffee), patience (wine), and determination (periodic exorcisms). I work this magic from the beautiful state of New Hampshire.

Before becoming a domestic goddess (not really), I spent over a decade in the medical field, where I wore more hats than the Queen.

I have loved the written word and the great escape it provides since I was a little girl. When I wasn’t reading about people and the places they lived, I was creating my own characters and adventures.

Finding myself again through my writing in The Lost & Found Series, The One, and The GEG Series has been nothing short of a dream come true. Also, it makes people feel better when I laugh randomly or talk to myself, knowing it’s my characters and not “the voices” . . . that would be creepy.

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1Dec2014

Releasing Now: Affliction by River Savage

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Title: Affliction (Knights Rebels MC #2)

Author: River Savage

Release Date: November 30, 2014

Add to your TBR: Goodreads

Cover Designer: LM Creations

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1rI4hcx
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/12hXudq
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1vDEWPp
Amazon AU: http://bit.ly/1yqyDjj

B&N: http://bit.ly/11Ke1a5

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1pDNUwg

Three little words are all it takes to rip his world apart. Lost in his own affliction, Sy has been living in a darkness that he doesn’t ever want to let go of.

Until she arrives and shines her light so bright that nothing else mattered.

She was only in it for the chase, for the thrill of capturing the unattainable.

But what happens when her world shatters around her, spiraling her into the darkness beside him?

Can his affliction be her resurrection?

Or will two lost souls living in the depths of deception let it destroy them?

Just a little tease…

5 Amazing Stars

After practically devouring Incandescent by River Savage a few months back, I was more than eager to dive head first into Affliction, the next book in The Rebel Knights MC Series. I cannot tell you how much I loved finding myself back with all the members of the Rebel Knights MC. That is one intriguing, highly engaging, and effing memorable group of guys, and I couldn’t get enough of them. Or their special lady friends.

This series was my first real taste of what an MC book is, and I for one was sold by everything River Savage captured in her incredible debut, Incandescent.

But I’ll let you on in a little secret: Affliction blew me away even more.

Nix Knight took me on a pretty darn fantastic dirty talking ride with Incandescent, but I was not prepared for the unforgettable ride Sy and Holly would take me on in Affliction. I wasn’t prepared for all Sy’s book would encompass. I wasn’t prepared for how much I would feel reading this book. I wasn’t prepared for the highly emotional journey this book, and Holly and Sy would give me. I wasn’t prepared for how much this book would hurt my heart, yet within those same pages how much it would try with all its might to fix that same hurt heart it helped create.

I wasn’t prepared for any of it, but I relished in all of it. Every single brilliant piece.

Holly and Sy captured my interest when I first met them both in Incandescent, but they captured my full heart and soul in Affliction.

What was brilliant about Affliction:

Sy’s past and how it’s all revealed. Sy’s past is slowly and thoughtfully revealed over the course of his story. I won’t tell you much about that past, but what I will say is that it just made sense. It explained so much about him, why he said the things he said, and did the things he did. It just helped explain Sy, and with each new piece to his past I got him more. With each new piece I loved and felt for him immensely. Even when those pieces broke my heart and made me want reach in and stop the pain, I couldn’t get enough of Sy’s past that was being unveiled.
Holly’s spunky attitude. Oh Holly. That girl is something else, and her spunky attitude was one of her best qualities. She is a firecracker who never failed to bring a smirk to my face. She’s also one hell of a fighter. After all she goes through in this book, Holly has to fight to get that attitude back. Reading her give it all she had to find her fire again was extraordinary to read, and it made it simply easy to love and accept that vibrant and remarkable fire that was Holly.
Sy’s no nonsense disposition. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a man quite like Sy. He is rough around the edges and he does not take any crap from anyone. Not even Holly. Especially not Holly. That man is raw and gritty, but he feels with every ounce that he has. Stepping into is head was nothing short of outstanding, and the more I read and learned about him, the more I loved his no nonsense self. He’s definitely a character you don’t want to mess with, but I promise you that the more you read him the more you’ll crack into that hard exterior and just love him.
The fight for the light against the darkness. Both Holly and Sy are fighting their own darkness and demons that plague their pasts and presents. Though those demons and that darkness are huge, they fight like hell for that light that they’ve both experienced. They give it their all to defeat what scares them, what pains them, and what torments them. That fight defines them in the best possible way. Their demons characterize their pasts and their presents, but both Holly and Sy try their damndest to not let it define their futures, and reading that attempt at defeating the darkness is spectacular.
The immense amount of feeling. This book is brimming with feeling and emotion. And let me tell you, that feeling and emotion is so varied and well developed that you’ll be blown away by all that this book makes you feel. You’ll feel the lows and the pain that’ll make your heart hurt for these two. You’ll also feel the serious heat and connection they share that fires off the page. You’ll feel those moments of vulnerability that show everything that’s on the line. You’ll also seriously feel how much Sy and Holly feel for each other. You’ll feel it all. The love, the pain, the fire, the hate, the connection, the light, the dark. Everything.
The gang’s all back, and it’s the best. One of the aspects I loved most about this book and series were the supporting characters that make it all whole. They are each highly unique and they each add something different to the story. Each one of them has their own story to tell, and the way that River Savage couples their stories into the main story of the book was outstanding. I couldn’t get enough of the interactions between these supporting characters and Sy and Holly. Their interactions make you laugh, smile, they make your heart feel whole, and altogether they just hit home the fact that it’s really true when they say the more the merrier.
The build and connection. This book has some serious build to it. It’s got build for days. Literally. Sy and Holly are building and building together throughout the entire book to see if they have what it takes to make it work together. There’s also the build between them as their immense connection continues to build and smolder. Their build together also couples with that build to fight that looming darkness creeping around the corner. The amount of build in this book will have you feeling these characters in your bones, and will just have your heart racing for the moment when all that build explodes on the page.
The pain you feel and understand. Holly and Sy’s stories are both filled with pain from all they experience and go through. But with what River Savage conveys in her fantastic writing in Affliction, you understand every ounce of their pain that they’re feeling. You get it. You feel it. You even kind of embrace it in a way because it sheds so much light on these two dynamic characters, and because that pain just makes you feel so much for them and their stories. That understandable pain also leads to some pretty unforgettable moments that literally take your breath away
The messy, the raw, and all the flaws. I think one of my favorite aspects of this story was the messy, the flaws, and the rawness that encompassed Holly and Sy. It made them beyond real to me because of all they went through. It also made them authentic as hell, and it made them who they are. That messiness, that rawness, those flaws are Holly and Sy. All their cracks and rough edges all serve a purpose in their story, and I guarantee that all those cracks and flaws will just sell you repeatedly on the power and magic that is them.

Affliction is a story I wasn’t prepared for. I knew I was going to love Holly and Sy’s story from how much I loved them when I first met them in Incandescent. What I wasn’t prepared for was how much these two dynamic characters would make me feel for them as I learned all about them. They dove head first into my heart, and I think they’re going to stick.

Their story isn’t one filled with rainbows and butterflies. It’s messy and visceral and downright emotional and pain filled at times, but that’s what makes it their story. You hit the ground running and you’re not going to stop until it’s all said and done. That’s what sets it apart, and that’s what made me fall head first in love with these two characters and their story that just didn’t quit.

Holly and Sy make you work for it. They make each other work for it. They make themselves work for it. But all that fight, and all that work is beyond worth it. It’s also beyond beautiful and breathtaking every step of the way.

They won’t disappoint you one bit, and in the end you’ll realize, all the darkness was worth that chance of experiencing all brightness of the light.

“What the fuck are you doing in my club?” he asks again, moving his body closer.

“Your club?” I ask, raising my brow. “Last time I checked, I came here with my best friend, not to see you, so if you’ll excuse me,” I say, trying to push off the wall, but he steps right in, his knee coming between my legs.

“You gonna fuck him?” he growls, his eyes growing angrier by the second.

“Maybe,” I tell him, knowing he’s talking about Jesse. “I wonder if he will leave me standing naked after a quick fuck up against the wall,” I continue. His hold on me gets tighter. I know I shouldn’t tease him with my words, but he’s seriously delusional if he thinks he has any claim over me.

“I knew you were a tease, but I didn’t know you wanted to be a club whore,” he replies, and I try not to let his words sting.

“Are you done?”

“Are you?” he counters.

“You left me standing there. I didn’t fucking do anything. What are you so angry about?”

“You coming into my club, throwing yourself at one of my brothers.”

“Jeez, get over yourself, Sy. Jesse was just showing me around the place. And if I decide I want to have sex with him, or anyone else for that matter, I’ll do what I want. You don’t fucking own me. You had me, fine, but it was mediocre at best, so keep your hands off me,” I snap, trying to get out of his hold.

“Mediocre?” he repeats back to me. I’m so pissed at his attitude I don’t falter in repeating it.

“At best.”

“Didn’t feel like that when your cunt was gripping my cock like a vice,” he throws back, his words causing my pussy to throb.

“That’s called pelvic floor muscle exercises,” I say, ignoring my body’s response to having him so close.

“Right,” he whispers, leaning further into me, “and what about when I dragged my tongue through that sweet pussy of yours, and lapped up your juices dripping from you?” he questions. It takes everything in me not to respond. “Now that I think about it, when you walked into my shop, all pissed off, you were walking like you had been fucked so hard. Did you feel me for days, sweetheart?” he continues, pushing into me further. “I bet your pussy is aching for me now, isn’t it, Holly?” he asks, his lips so dangerously close to my neck.

Fuck me. Two seconds ago I hated the man, and now I’m trying to squeeze my thighs together to stop the ache coming from my lady parts.

“Too bad you won’t find out,” I counter, staying strong. I might want him more than anything, but he is still an ass.

“I don’t even need to touch you to find out. It’s written all over your face, Holly.”

“Whatever, Sy. Let me go.”

“You know I’m right. You’re so fucking turned on right now and so frustrated you’re not going to get any relief,” he teases, telling me what I already know.

“There’s always Jesse,” I threaten, trying to get a reaction from him.

“Like fuck,” he spits out, pushing his hard cock against me. “You’re not gonna let that fucker touch you. Do you understand me? None of my brothers will taste your pussy. Do you hear me?” His hand runs up my leg, running along my short denim skirt and finding the outside of my panties. A small gasp leaves my lips at his feather-light touch. “This sweet pussy belongs to me. I fucking had it first. Now, it’s mine.”

“No, it’s not,” I fight back, but my mind is too busy memorizing each lazy stroke of his finger over my lace panties.

“It will be again,” he warns before taking my mouth hard, suppressing me with his tongue. His fingers pull my panties aside, slipping in and dancing over my aching heat.

“Shit,” I breathe against his lips, forgetting where I am for a moment. Forgetting we can’t stand each other.

“You want relief, Holly?” he asks as my hips start to ride the rhythm of his talented fingers.

“Yes, give it to me, Sy,” I plead, feeling myself build with each flick of his finger.

“Say please,” he demands, slipping his thick finger inside of me.

“Please, Sy,” I cry out as he pumps me harder.

“That’s it, girl. Fuck my finger,” he growls. The heat of his voice causes goose bumps to break out on my skin. A wave of impending bliss washes over me, and then my orgasm hits, hard and fast.

“Sy,” I hiss, but don’t get anything else out as his tongue is dancing with mine again, muffling my shouts of ecstasy. His taste reminds me of beer, mint, and all things Sy. He latches onto my tongue, sucking it hard into his mouth, sending pleasure and pain rolling through my body.

Fuck, this man is dangerous with his bad-boy attitude, his sexy as hell dirty mouth and his ability to take me on the highest of highs in less than a minute. He slows the kiss, lingering for a moment before resting his forehead on mine. This right here is why this man is dangerous: bringing me apart in the middle of the club, and making me forget I hate him. Removing his fingers, he brings them to his mouth and sucks them clean.

Just a bit more tease….

Previous Books in the Knights Rebels Series

Title: Incandescent (Knights Rebels MC #1)

Author: River Savage

Release Date: August 11, 2014

Add to your TBR: Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon US / Amazon CA

Amazon AU / Amazon UK

B&N / Kobo / iBooks

Synopsis

Phoenix ‘Nix’ Knight thought pulling his club out of the illegal shit his Pops got them into was difficult.

Until he meets Kadence.

Kadence Turner has no business lusting over a student’s father, especially the president of the Knights Rebels MC. Nix is crass, obnoxious and dangerously sexy and for some reason, Kadence can’t seem to hate him for it. The bossy biker breaks down her defenses, but unlike the old Kadence, the woman she is today won’t give in without a fight.

The tension is undeniable, the attraction fierce. A man that wants what he wants and a woman that will fight him every step of the way.

**Read my 5* review here: Incandescent Review**

USA Today Best Selling Author River Savage is the author of the Knights Rebels MC Series.

An avid reader of romance and erotic novels, her love for books and reading fueled her passion for writing. Reading no longer sated her addiction, so she started writing in secret. She never imagined that her dream of publishing a novel would ever be achievable.

With a soft spot for an alpha male and a snarky sassy woman, Kadence and Nix were born.

River would love to hear from you. You can contact and/or follow her via…

Email / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Goodreads

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18Nov2014

A Crash Course Into The Wrecked & Ruined Series by Aly Martinez

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

I will be the first to admit that I am late to the game on a lot of things. Be it a movie, a new band, or every event I’m supposed to attend. I am either the first one there, or the last one to show up.

And unfortunately my same MO of being late to the game applies to books. My kindle is like a bad episode of Hoarders, and my actual never ending book basket weighs as much as I do now. So basically, I own a lot of fantastic and out of this world books that I’ve yet to read.

The Wrecked and Ruined series by Aly Martinez is a prime example of this. And I basically want to punch myself in the face for waiting so long to read these books.

I’m ashamed to admit I let these books sit on my kindle for way too long. Changing Course, has been on there since the last time it snowed. (And I’ll point out the last time it snowed was like 7 months ago.) Stolen Course founds its way on there too soon after, and now Broken Course has been burning a hole on that thing for like 2 weeks.

I finally decided enough was enough and I HAD to read these books.

I knew I was going to love them, but I in no way expected how much I would love and devour them, how much they would make me feel and think, how much they would pull me into these book’s world and refuse to let me go, or how big a book hangover all three of these exceptional books would give me.

I have one mother effing book hangover right now, but boy do I love that. I wouldn’t trade this feeling for the world, and that folks, is the reason I read books. Getting to feel so emotionally invested with a series and its dynamic characters, and fighting with them through it all is what makes a book exceptional for me.

These books were exceptional. These books were extraordinary. These books blew me away repeatedly with their amazingness.

And phenomenal. And painful as all get out. And sweet. And fun. And HOT. And more emotional than my Thursday nights when Shonda Rhimes emotionally ruins my life with her emotionally driven TV shows. (For the record, the books in this series give Shonda a real run for her money, and I FREAKING LOVED THAT.)

Aly Martinez wrote and so breathtakingly crafted some seriously emotionally driven books, and they are nothing short of magnificent. These books made me feel EVERYTHING, and I cannot rave enough about that.

As you all know I am all about spreading the book love, and the book love for these books needs to be spread immediately. So I decided to write a crash course for y’all on the Wrecked and Ruined Series.

It should be noted now that my crash course will not come close to giving these books the justice they deserve, but take my word for it: you NEED these books in your life. I ain’t kidding either.

So let’s start our crash course into this PHENOMENAL series…

Years ago one fateful night changed it all. It sliced through life as these characters knew it, and it put them all on paths they never expected to find themselves on. Those paths are ones laced with so much emotion they will take your breath away. This series follows all of these unique and thoughtfully crafted characters as they try to make sense of it all, all while trying to figure out where they go from the painful night that changed everything.

Changing Course

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

“When I’m with you, Jess, everything else is silent. It’s magical. I can’t change anything that’s happened. I can however, try to move forward with my life.”

This is where this unforgettable story begins. It lays the foundation for it all it gives you the even that starts it all. In this book you’ll meet many key players to this series including Brett, Jesse, Sarah, and Caleb. While you meet so many of these phenomenal characters, this book is really about the swoon worthy Brett & Jesse and how they come to be, despite the crazy and pain of the past that’s lurking around the corner.

Synopsis:

I met Sarah Kate Erickson when I was twenty-one years old. I was lucky enough to keep her for seven years before a tragic accident stole her from me. She didn’t die, but sometimes I think it would have been easier if she had.

I lived in a haze for those four years after the accident. Catering to her every need, even though she hated the very sight of my face. I tried to hold on to her and the future that we were supposed to build together. But you can’t hold on to someone that doesn’t exist anymore.

It wasn’t until I met Jesse Addison, a barista at the local coffee shop, that I realized I didn’t just lose Sarah that tragic night, I lost myself as well. Jesse taught me how to let go of the past and learn to love again. But what happens when your past haunts your present and the woman you used to love refuses to accept the woman you can’t live without?

Read My 5 Star Review of Changing Course

Stolen Course

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

“Our relationship is not simple or straightforward. It’s not perfect the way young couples dream about. It’s rough and flawed, but it’s ours. And sometimes, if you get really lucky, something truly beautiful can come from the imperfections.”

This is where you find out so many more pieces to this magnificent puzzle. You may think you know what happened that night everything changed, but let me tell you now: What you think you know isn’t as it seems, and this book gives you the whole picture. The whole damn extraordinary picture. It also allows you the chance to know and love Caleb & Emma, and let me tell you, those two are pretty darn fantastic.

Synopsis:

I fell in love with Manda Baker eight years ago, and I loved her to the core of her soul. We were supposed to have that elusive happily ever after and spend a lifetime together. But that was all before she was STOLEN from me.

Her best friend, Sarah Erickson, killed her. It wasn’t intentional. It was far worse. Everyone claims it was just an accident, but I can see through the lies. Even if it’s with my dying breath, I will make her pay for what she did.

Fate hates me. It robbed me of my first love and left me to navigate through this world emotionless and numb. Then, one day, spiteful fate gave me a woman to fill my shattered soul and make me feel again. It gave me Emma Jane Erickson. Now I spend my days searching for the answers that will ruin Sarah and my nights falling in love with her sister—the one person who is bound and determined to save her.

But what happens when everything you know to be true explodes around you? Who will be left to pick up the pieces, and who will need to be saved from the wreckage?

Read My 5 Star Review of Stolen Course

Among The Echoes

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

“Fuck your fairytale. I just want you. I’ll make my own God damn happily ever after. But you’re the one who is mistaken. You’ll be at the end of that story, beautiful. You either come willingly or you force me into the dark after you. It doesn’t matter to me, because either way, I’ll find you.”

This book was just officially added to The Wrecked and Ruined Series. (This was also the first book I ever read by Aly Martinez, and I loved it!) This book is mainly about Slate & Erica’s love story, which isn’t to be missed, but it’s also where you get to meet the one and only Leo James. Slate & Erica’s love story is just as emotional as all the other books to this series, and I for one couldn’t get enough of either of them!

My name was Dr. Erica Hill. I was a victim, then a witness, and then I ceased to exist altogether.

I may still be breathing, but stripped of my identity, I have long since stopped living. I am invisible, and my life depends on my ability to stay in the shadows.

But he sees me.

Slate Andrews is the embodiment of everything I have been taught to avoid. He’s rich and famous, and one image of him with a woman would earn millions for any paparazzi lucky enough to snap it. He has vowed to protect me with his life, yet he exposes me with his every breath. I should be stronger and walk away. I should disappear. But I’m terrified he would come after me.

I’m on the run, determined not to take him down with me but absolutely unable to let him go.

My name is Riley Peterson…at least for today.

Read My 5 Star Review of Among the Echoes

Broken Course

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

“I love you. I love you despite it all, and now, I’m standing here, begging you to love me despite it all too.”

This is Sarah & Leo’s story, and it is one crazy ass ride that you will never forget. This is the culmination of this entire series. This is where it all comes together. Broken Course gives you two majorly flawed characters with some serious pasts between them, but it also gives you one hell of a love story that will leave you in awe while simultaneously taking your breath away.

Seven years ago, my life changed forever. One accident and the person I saw in the mirror no longer resembled the woman I used to be. I was lost and confused inside my own body. I felt alone and disconnected from the world, carrying the incredible weight of guilt and loss that wasn’t even mine to harbor.

Then fate led me to Leo James. He taught me that crazy could be perfectly normal and it shouldn’t hurt to breathe. Don’t get me wrong. Leo isn’t perfect. He has his own cross to bear, and the truth is, that might be why I fell for him in the first place. But despite everything he does for me, learning to forgive myself is infinitely harder than overlooking the flaws of another.

Now, the secrets and lies of our past have begun to dictate our future—threatening to ruin us before we get the chance to try. Perhaps we were cursed from the start. Or maybe, just maybe, the remnants of our fractured lives will fit together to form one whole, where love isn’t questioned and being happy is…well, easy.

Can a second broken soul be enough to fill the voids of my own? Or will such scarred pasts prove too much for our love alone to overcome?

Read My 5 Star Review of Broken Course

(Oh and I dare you to not get chills or tear up when reading the epilogue to this book. I did both simultaneously. That epilogue is the epitome of this series, and let me tell you that I felt so much in that moment, but I can’t tell y’all any of it because you’ve got to read them all to get that extraordinary feeling!)

So I hope you all enjoyed our little crash course to this series. Remember this crash course does not do this series as much justice as it deserves, but I truly do hope you enjoyed it, because I sure as hell did!

Like I said before, I cannot rave enough about this phenomenal series. Each book took gave me an extraordinary reading experience that I will not soon forget. I promise you that you won’t just read and devour these books.

You will feel these books. You will love these books. You will be in awe of these books.

Each one, its characters, and its powerfully emotional stories will envelope you in whole heartedly without a doubt, and you will relish in that.

After finishing these books you will feel a lot of things. You will be sad to see the books end, you’ll feel grateful for the beyond fantastic reading experience, and most of all you’ll just be so effing happy you had the chance to experience the sheer magic within the pages of this book.

You’ll also have a new and immense appreciation for the vegetable report. And let me tell you, that is one damn fine report. (Read these books and you’ll get that.)

So what are you waiting for, drive yourself into this series today, and be sure to check out the incredible Aly Martinez today!!

Be sure to check out more about these books and the fabulous Aly Martinez at the following links!!

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

17Nov2014

Review Post: Starless Nights by Kathryn Andrews

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Starless Nights

By: Kathryn Andrews

Release Date: November 10, 2014

Beau Hale

She said that she was my best friend and then one day she wasn’t. Every day I live with the visible scars, but it’s the invisible ones that hurt the most. They are a constant reminder of everything I’ve lost as well as all the things that I’ll never have. I should be over this by now, it’s been years, but I can’t escape the memories that haunt me. Everyone around me is moving on with their life, so now I need to do the same. Tennis brought me to Columbia University, and I am quickly proving that I will not let anyone defeat me, past or present. I am in control now. Life has taught me the hard way to remember that. But after all this time, I’m still searching for an answer to the one question that is constantly burning in the back of my mind…why?

Leila Starling

He said that he was my best friend, and then one day he wasn’t. It took one moment to change my entire life. What I thought I knew became a lie and nothing was ever the same. Slowly, I picked up the pieces and focused on what I could control…me. I live in New York City and attend one of the world’s most prestigious fashion and design schools. Day after day, I am getting closer and closer to making my dreams come true. I did this all on my own and no one can ever take it from me. I know my future is bright, even if my heart is destined to stay in the dark. The dull ache that still lingers is my daily reminder to rely on no one but myself. Although, after all this time, I still can’t help but wonder…why?

* 5 Beyond Amazing Stars *

Kathryn Andrews continues to blow me away more and more with her phenomenally crafted writing that is beyond emotionally driven in such a way that is guaranteed to take your breath away from its sheer beauty.

You just don’t read her books. You feel her books.

When reading her first book, Drops of Rain, I was immediately taken in by the unforgettable characters, the highly emotional and feeling events, and their story that I literally could not get enough of. So I have to say I wasn’t surprised in the least to find that Starless Nights blew me away just as much, if not more than Drops of Rain did.

Beau and Leila made my heart hurt, they made it race, and they made it fall head over heels in love with them from the very first pages I met them. Their story is one that I felt and connected with on such a deeply magnificent level, and I cannot even begin to describe to you how much I felt for these exceptional two.

I don’t know if I have the right words to describe how beautiful and emotional and heart tugging this book was, but I am sure as hell going to try, because Kathryn Andrews phenomenal writing, story, and characters deserve that.

What was phenomenal about Starless Nights:

The fire and spark of Leila. Leila is such a vibrant, colorful, and fierce female character. She literally lights up the page she’s on, and the spark and determination that she has within herself leaps off the page. She is the color to all the black and white, and you will love her for that unique vibrancy. That girl also feels with all she has, and you will love her for it greatly. All that spirit and tenacity she has will have you understanding her, feeling for her, and loving her instantly. That fire and spark sets her apart in the best and most memorable ways.
Charming as all get out Beau. I fell in love with the charming Beau Hale when I met him in Drops of Rain. He won my heart over, again and again, and he never failed to bring a smile to my face. Stepping into his head was beyond thrilling, and it allowed me to just get him and love him more. Beau is so heartwarming, and he’s one of the most engaging character’s you’ll find. His character has so many varying and well developed thoughts and feelings that you’ll want to reach in and care for him and protect him from all the darkness of his world, all while falling under his magical spell that’ll have you loving him immensely. He is a serious gem of a male character.
Questions of the past. This book is all about the why, the past, and how things came to be. Kathryn Andrews beautifully and thoughtfully weaves that past into the present tense of Beau and Leila’s story. The more and more you read, the more you find out what led them to their present. With each new chapter you get another piece to the puzzle, and I can’t rave enough about how intricately placed those answers to all those why questions are. Those pieces explain it all, and in the end when you have the whole picture and all the answers, you will just be blown away.
The depth of love. Beau and Leila’s feelings for one another are magnificently deep. This is very much a second or third chance romance for them. With each chance they’re given you feel the depth of love and care they have for one another. You feel it in their thoughts, in the way they look at each other, in the inner feelings they have. Even when they make it hard as hell and even when they continue to get it wrong, that depth will have you believing in them with all you’ve got. It’ll have you deeply connecting with them and what they have, and it’ll just exemplify all they share together.
The fight for it all. This book is very much about the fight for the happy that both these characters rightfully deserve. This author creates such exceptional ways for these characters to fight for what they want and need. These two go through so much, and the events of this book challenge both Beau and Leila to realize what it is they’re willing to fight for. Reading and experiencing that allows you the chance to understand them and their fight on a whole new level, and it will undoubtedly make you want to fight right along with them for that happy.
The passions that make them who they are. Beau has tennis and Leila has designing. They both have such well-developed passions that really illuminate a lot about their characters. These passions brought them both to life, and showed a truly authentic and passionate side to them both. These passions were such an integral part to Beau and Leila, and Kathryn Andrews creates a world and a book where you get to experience those passions right along with them.
A seriously emotionally driven book. Kathryn Andrews knows how to write emotions. She knows how to create a world and characters that have you feeling everything they’re feeling. You have the same emotions they’re experiencing, and you just feel it all with them. You will emotionally connect to these characters on a remarkable level, and you’ll fully understand all of their varied emotions. This is an emotionally driven read at its core, and that is what hit this book out of the damn park.
The power of evolution. This book allows you the unique chance to see how these characters and their relationship changes over the course of years. You get to see them at multiple distinct times in their lives, and it’s an exceptional opportunity to see exactly how far they’ve come from where they started. This book gives you the chance to fully feel that powerful evolution with Beau and Leila, and their relationships with others. That evolution makes this book what it is, and I am in awe of the evolution Kathryn Andrews takes these characters on. It is simply superb.
The supporting characters that envelop you in. This book is bursting with supporting characters that you’ll instantly be taken away with. Drew, Ali, Charlie, Nate, Camille, and everyone else will win over your heart with their unique and very distinct little selves. They bring everything together in such a wonderful way, and they are part of the sheer magic and beauty that is this book. And I promise you’ll love every single second you get to spend with every single one of them.
The little things that really are big things. The little things added in so wonderfully to Starless Nights make the whole big picture that much brighter. These little things are incorporated in such subtle and beautiful ways, and they add up to something breathtaking. The star theme that permeates this book in a literally amazing way is beyond beautiful. The fantastic nuances of the characters that you see over and over again truly define their uniqueness. The vivid images and feelings that burst from the page. All of these little things and more combine in such an outstanding way that helps make this book truly unforgettable.
The balance of it all. Starless Nights does an outstanding job of balancing every aspect, but especially the different times of moments that so fantastically come to the page. There are moments that will literally pull at your heart while bringing tears to your eyes, moments that will speed up your heart rate, and moments that’ll make your breath catch in an instant because of the level of emotion and vulnerability they contain. Other’s will bring a smile to your face, or a blush to your cheeks in the next instant. While some will have you feeling all the happiness and joy that’ll have you beyond thrilled at the warmth you feel. This book balances all of that exceptionally, and it allows you the chance to wholly experience it all.

Starless Nights was a beyond beautiful and breathtaking book that I absolutely loved reading with everything I had. Kathryn Andrews blew me away yet again with her emotionally driven and thoughtfully crafted words.

I really don’t have enough positive words for this book. This book was so, so very good. And magnificent. And breathtaking. And beautiful. And emotional. And fantastic. And just beyond exceptional.

It was everything. It had everything. It made me feel everything right along with Beau and Leila.

Beau and Leila’s story was everything I wanted it to be, and I couldn’t love those two more. Their story is full of ups and downs, twists and turns, but I guarantee that it’ll take your breath away with all of its magnificence. It’ll also have you knowing and believing in the sheer power and spirit of feeling and love.

This book gets my highest recommendation because it truly has it all. It is an exceptional book, with extraordinary characters, and I for one am completely sold on it all.

And you will be too.

Just a little tease…

I push through the saloon doors into café and spot the customer sitting in one of the leather chairs up front by the window. My body reacts before my mind does and I freeze mid step. My heart crashes into my chest, my hands start sweating, and I am certain that my eyes are playing a trick on me. There is no way that of all the cafes in the city, he would walk into mine. It’s just not possible. But there he is looking almost like I remember him.

Ali, my best friend, must have told him that I work here. I’m going to kill her.

Instead of walking over to greet him, I stare at him. It’s been over a year since I’ve seen him and all of a sudden, all that time diminishes and it feels like it was just yesterday. I didn’t even know that he was here in the city. Ali never told me. I had just assumed that he would be coming up sometime later in July. I feel as if my world has just been thrown on a tilt. I wasn’t prepared to see him.

The morning sun hasn’t started to rise yet, so the windows behind him only serve as a dark backdrop, and the light shining down from above him has placed him in a spotlight like glow. If I was a photographer, I feel that this could be a beautiful photo. As it is, I have just taken a mental picture and will now forever see him sitting in that chair.

Drops of Rain (Hale Brothers Book 1)

Amazon

Starless Nights (Hale Brothers Book 2)

Amazon

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I seriously cannot recommend this book to y’all more so be sure to grab it today!! You will not be sorry!! I promise!

4Nov2014

Review Post: Conflagration

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Day: October 29

Conflagration is the second in an Explosive spin-off series called The Wellingtons.

Can be read as a standalone

Branson Wellington? The name, my name, is usually followed by arrogant prick or self-serving bastard, and I can’t say I haven’t earned those titles. It’s true. I’m not the good guy. I’m not the boy next door. I’m definitely not your Prince fucking Charming. Not even close.

And I never wanted to be. Until her. The day I pulled her from the wreckage was the day that my life changed.

Who would have thought that one little lie had the power to throw two lives off course?
Love has never been in the cards for me, but now that she’s here, I have no idea how I’m ever going to let her go. Even if I don’t deserve her.

Because like I said, I’m a self-serving bastard and some things never change.

Check out the Conflagration Pinterest Board

Just a little tease….

5 Fantastic Stars

The first time I met Branson Wellington in Incinerate, I wanted to punch him in the face. Hard.

When I met him again in Inflame, I still kind of wanted to punch him in the face, but I knew then that he was growing on me little by little. After reading Combust, I knew that I had to know more about him as soon as humanly possible, because more and more he was winning me and my heart over.

And those weren’t even the books about him.

By the end of Conflagration I still kind of wanted to punch him in the face, but then I wanted to hug his stubborn butt so hard. He won me over. He sold me on him.

Bottom line: I love me some Branson Wellington something fierce, and Conflagration just reiterated that fact immensely.

Conflagration is Branson’s story. It’s his chance at redemption. It’s his chance at having it all. His story is not an easy one. He has gone to hell and back, and he’s got a not so stellar past hovering closely behind him, but I guarantee that everything you think you know about him is wrong.

Branson Wellington will prove you wrong in this book. And Ari, the main girl of the hour? Be prepared to love her so hard you won’t be jealous one bit about the fact that she’s the one Branson Wellington chooses to finally risk it all for.

What was out of this world about Conflagration:

Determined as all get out Ari. I could not get enough of Ari. She is fierce. She is headstrong. She is determined through it all. There is not better lady for Branson than her. (And that is so true, no matter how much I want him for myself!) All the determination and fierceness Ari has defines her, and is simply the best. What she brings out in Branson, and herself in this book is magnificent. She is a fighter, and she is bound and determined to fight for Branson Wellington and all that she so truly deserves, and boy does she deliver one helluva fight.
The ever changing Branson Wellington. Branson goes through many changes in this book. Conflagration encapsulates all that is Branson Wellington, and it exemplifies all that is good about him. It also exemplifies how much of a major asshole he was before, and how given the right circumstances that assholeness might reappear. Branson is so many things, but his flaws make him who he is. He is stubborn, and major a butthead from time to time, but through it all he feels with everything he’s got. And rest assured that even through all those changes, he is still him through and through, and that is just the mother effing best.
The fire between Ari & Branson. These two really know how to start a major freaking fire. The passion, banter, chemistry between them is off the freaking charts. It sears off the page, and it continues to reinforce the deep felt connection between them. That fire that passion, and that connection makes their relationship spark off the page. It’s also so flipping fantastic, and Branson will have you swooning in no time. (That man knows how to seriously woo a woman.)
The lies. Ari and Branson come together because of a lie. (And a couple of other things that I won’t tell you, because you’ve got to read the book to find out.) Many more lies follow them as their story continues. These lies set these characters on a pretty interesting and event filled path, and while those lies are rooted in some not so great things, they have the power of change behind them.
There comes a time for change. Both Ari and Branson change and grow in Conflagration in a lot of ways. Some I expected, and some blew me away with how unexpected they were. Change is necessary for both of them, and it’s vital to their story together. How those changes so thoughtfully come to the page will make you really get how far these two have come from where they started to get the exact place they need and so totally deserve to be.
The Wellington’s. I would pay good money to spend just one day with the Wellington’s. They are a family that just warms my heart, and they are guaranteed to bring a smile or smirk to my face. They’ve got their issues, and the past contains some pretty messed up things for their family, but a family they are. They bring such a joy to the story, and when they’re all together, you will relish in them. They are going to envelop you in with welcoming arms, and you won’t ever want them to let you go.
The ever explosive build. This book will build for you. Ari and Branson will build for you. You will read it, and you will feel that build in your bones. Your anticipation will be on high because you know explosive things are coming. I can’t even fully begin to describe how electric and exciting it is to have that feeling. And let’s just say when that build of explosiveness finally comes to fruition, you’ll know that conflagration was the PERFECT title for this book.
Redemption. This book tells a wonderful love story, but Tessa Teevan does an extremely phenomenal job of weaving the theme of redemption ever so thoughtfully into that love story. If you’ve read any of her other books, you’ve met Branson, and you come in thinking certain things about him. Most of things are probably not so great, and honestly even though I love him something fierce, he deserves most of those negative thoughts. But this book will redeem him for you in more ways than one. I won’t tell you how, or why, or even how long it takes to get there in this book because his redemption has really been building since Incinerate, but let’s just say that theme of redemption is breathtakingly beautiful.
The page turning madness. I devoured this book in one sitting, and I guarantee you’ll want to do the same. The pacing of this book is magnificent, and it sparks right from the very first page. You’ll start reading, and you won’t stop until it’s finished. This book is pedal to the metal from the very beginning, but I expected nothing less from these two.
All the love. All the damn love. This book is bounding with love. It has it in spades. And lucky you, you get all kinds of love in Conflagration. You get the love between a man and a woman. The love between parents and children. The love that defines family. The love between brother to brother, and sister to sister. This book has all the love, and you will feel all that love deep in your heart. That love is irresistible, and it has all the feels, and it is simply the best.

Tessa Teevan’s continues to blow me away more and more with each new release. Conflagration exemplifies all you can expect from her books: they are brimming with love, bursting with heat, and filled to the brim with uniquely phenomenal characters and stories that will instantly win you over immensely.

Conflagration was the book I was waiting. This book is Branson Wellington’s time to shine, and boy does he shine brightly. His story along with Ari’s is one I instantly connected with, and instantly fought like hell for. I cannot rave enough about this book, these two dynamic characters, and their page turning and emotion and heat filled story.

I don’t have the right amount of words for what Ari and Branson have and how beautiful and powerful that is, but I will say that what they have together is built on many things, but at its core it’s built on the idea that love has the power to change you if you let it.

As Ari so brilliantly put it “If you don’t want anyone else to give up on you, you can’t give up on yourself.”

Conflagration is about one Branson Wellington not giving up. It’s also about one Ariana Covington believing those same words, and practicing what she preaches.

Give this wonderfully flawed man and his fierce lady a chance, and you’ll be oh so happy you did. Their love will revive your faith in the power of love. Their story together is the one you’ve been waiting for, so do yourself a favor and don’t wait to read it.

As the blackness starts to fade away, I see that white light, but it doesn’t really look like that tunnel. No, it’s just a scene change, and if I could muster up enough strength, I’d groan because there are things in my life I’d rather not relive. It’s bad enough that I have the memories and have been dealing with the fallout for far too long. Reliving it all over again is more agonizing than the first time around, because now, I know the truth. I betrayed my brother in the worst possible way when he’d done nothing wrong, but by the time I found out, it was far too late.

So why am I having these flashbacks playing in slow motion? I thought when you were on death’s door, your life was supposed to flash before your eyes. So why am I replaying every single mistake I’ve ever made as if it were the first time—in slow motion instead of quick bursts? Maybe my life did flash before my eyes and it happened so fast that I missed it. Maybe I’m dead after all and this? This is my hell.

The Wellingtons

Combust (The Wellingtons #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

Conflagration (The Wellingtons, #2) Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N

Additional Books by Tessa Teevan

Explosive series

Ignite (Explosive #1) – Amazon

Incinerate (Explosive #2) – Amazon | B&N

Inflame (Explosive #3) – Amazon | B&N

Sweet Southern series

Sweet Southern Sorrow (Sweet Southern #1) – Amazon

I’m a twenty something book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats.

If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.

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10Oct2014

Review Post: Locke by Harper Sloan

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts by mkcooke

Locke (Book Five) The Corps Security Series

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18131119-locke

RELEASE DATE: September 29th, 2014

Darkness is the only thing I see. Ever since the day my life changed. The day that everything and everyone I held close to me ceased to exist. The day I lost it all and the demons of my past consumed my every waking moment.

I tried to keep others at arm’s length. Tried not to let my darkness taint them. Ruin them. Harm them. And whether I want to admit it or not, as much as I wish I could keep them locked out, they refuse to leave. Refuse to let me suffer alone.

If I hadn’t been so focused on keeping those demons from flying free, I wouldn’t have missed how one perfect angel was able to sneak her way under my skin—refusing to let go. Making me want things I don’t deserve.

She consumes me. Her beauty knows no end. The love she promises tempts me every time she’s near. But that pure heart that makes her MY Emmy is the one thing I’m convinced I’ll destroy if I ever let her close.

I’m a broken man. A broken man with too much darkness in his soul to ever let her light shine upon me. But even that doesn’t stop me from craving her with every single breath in my body.

**This is the final book in the Corps Security series. This book is not suitable for younger readers. There is strong language, adult situations, and some violence.*

5 BEYOND AMAZING STARS

I knew that Maddox Locke was going to be my favorite P.O.V. from The Corps Security Series by Harper Sloan, the first moment I met him in Axel. I am not lying one bit when I say that. I knew then that that complicated and dark man was going to blow my mother effing mind away, and let me tell you:

Maddox Locke doesn’t let you down one bit.

Maddox Locke’s story is one filled with so many things, but after finally stepping into his dynamic head, I’ve realized that Maddox Locke is what male characters should be made of. He’s fierce, he’s intense, and his story is one filled with so much varied emotion that I couldn’t love him more if I tried.

And don’t even get me started on how much I absolutely LOVE Emersyn, the lucky little sassy lady who enraptures Maddox Locke from the moment they first meet.

Locke is a story I couldn’t wait to read, and now that I’ve read it, I just want to jump back into it all over again. To say that this book is an utterly fantastic conclusion to this series is a MAJOR understatement. This book is this series at its best, and I guarantee you will love it to pieces. (Almost as much as I did. I would say more than I did, but I don’t know if it’s possible to love this book more than I did. But feel free to prove me wrong.)

What was out of this world about Locke:

Maddox Freaking Locke. Maddox Locke is my favorite male from this series. I love everything about him. Getting to really know him in this book, and reading the pain and darkness he went through was emotionally gutting at times, but I loved every freaking word of it because it just made me care for his character more. Maddox goes through so much in his past and present, and this is when you fully feel and understand all of that. His past and present are littered with demons, but reading how he tries to overcome them is indescribable. All I can say is he is an exceptional character that I will forever remember for so many unique reasons, most of which is the sheer extraordinariness of him.
Emersyn’s strength and sass. Until reading this book, I never knew how strong Emmy was. She has so much strength and determination pouring out of her, that I couldn’t not love her fighting ass. Seeing that fight in her and what all that does for Maddox made me love that girl so freaking much, and I just got her. She is also one very sassy lady, and I love me some sass, which Emmy has buckets of even in the darkest of moments when sass is the last thing on your mind. That sass sets her apart, and it shows the fierceness that is Emersyn Rose.
The past and pain. I can’t get over how much pain both Maddox and Emmy have within their pasts and presents. My heart hurt for both of them equally, and stepping into their heads to experience that pain is something that is unforgettable to read. Sometimes it was hard as hell to read because it hurt my heart to read them experience those dark and painful things, but all that made me just love them more. That past and pain shapes many of their choices made, and will have you understanding them both so much.
The heart melting moments I can’t even tell you about. This book had so many moments that melted my damn heart in ways I didn’t know were possible. And you’re just going to have to read the book to find out what they are. And that’s all I can say about that. 🙂
Sway. Sway is a voice of reason in this entire series, and he does it again in this book. I don’t think I have the right amount of words to describe what he brings to these books. He is a shining light through every moment of pain and darkness these characters have. He knows just how to bring that brightness to the page in such a unique way with just enough glitter to make it all so fabulous.
All the distinct and very unique puzzle pieces. Every character that you meet in this series helps make these books what they are. They’re why I fell so hard face first into these books. They’re why I literally own multiple t shirts professing my love to this series. It’s why these books are so phenomenal because each of these unique and highly engaging characters adds a piece to the whole picture. Each of their pieces is laced with their own distinct and fabulous flavor that makes The Corps Security Series what it is. This series wouldn’t be the same without every single one of their crazy, sexy, and seriously lovable butts.
The heat. The heat and spark between Emmy and Maddox is off the charts. I’ve felt their connection and chemistry in other books in the series, but I was not prepared for how scorching it would be in Locke. Reading it first hand from their P.O.V. was phenomenal. It was sexy, it was hot, it was steamy, and passionate, and rough, and sweet, and everything else in between. It was everything it needed to be and more, and I don’t think my heart rate has yet to slow down from the heat between those two.
The intense fight. Both Maddox and Emmy have separate battles they must overcome to get to the happy they both want and deserve. They both have demons they’ve got to conquer before they can be together, and reading the intensity with which they both fight was magnificent. Their fierce determination and tenacity even in the roughest and toughest of situations will exemplify the intensity and strength of the fight within these two individually and together. The fight they have defines them both in the best way, and you will love them immensely for it.
How it all comes together. Clearly I’m not going to tell you how it actually all comes together, but let me just say that when it does, you will just be blown away. I guarantee it. The way Harper Sloan has brought this series to a close will have you feeling so much. His book brings it all together in a way that is just so much of everything that makes a book and series exceptional. There was no better way to end this series than with one Maddox Locke.

Harper Sloan’s Corps Security Series is by far one of my all-time favorite series I’ve had the chance to read. I will be the first to admit I was pretty damn late to the game on the amazingness that is this series, so I’m encouraging you now not to wait on reading these books. (I discovered the books after book 4: Cooper was released, but 3 days of binge reading later, and I was caught up in no time!!)

The characters she’s created will permanently adhere themselves to you, and by the end of this book and series you’ll be so grateful you had the chance to spend a little time with them. And you’ll desperately be looking forward to the time in which you get to meet them again because you know it’s got to be coming.

I’ll leave you with the knowing words of Cohen Cage (by far the smartest child on the planet) because he just gets it, and reading him say Maddox Locke melts my heart a little bit more every time…

“You’re a big, brave superhero Maddox Locke. I know it because you helped me bring my mommy back. You told me I needed to be brave and strong and show her my love. That’s all you have to do.”…

Maddox Locke, Emmy, and every other outstandingly exceptional character in The Corps Security Series will have you smiling real big, looking for your cape and glitter, and realizing the ultimate power of love and light in no time.

I promise you that with all the glitter, fight, sass, and love in the world.

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed ‘Estrogen Ocean’, much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero–the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn’t take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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Prologue—Maddox

Six weeks. It’s been over a goddamn month since Emmy ran from me.

Just gone.

It took me three days to find her—thanks to the tracking device I had placed on her car—down in some small Podunk town in south Florida. Even if she had been trying to hide, she’d done a shit job of it. One search for her parents would have brought me right to her.

It took me longer to actually get eyes on her than it had to find her. She was holed up in some cheap-ass hotel for three weeks. She called in her meals and never left the room. And unfortunately, I had to leave and rush home when things out of my control needed attention and I again had to pull Asher’s head out of his ass. Now I’m back and I’m not leaving until I get my hands on her.

She doesn’t want to be found. I know that, but damn if I’m going to let her run off and get away for good. I’ve pushed and pushed her away. Every bone in my body has screamed at me to take what she’s been offering for years. I’ve seen her, I know what she wants, but I won’t let my demons hurt her. Not my Emmy.

Since day one, she’s been the greatest temptation, but I refused to take everything innocent that is Emmy and let my blackness take her. Because that’s what will happen. It will wrap around her soul and slowly choke the life out of her. Just like every other person I’ve allowed in.

I’ll taint her. I’ll ruin her. And in the end, it will destroy her.

One smile from her made me fall. So I pushed her away. I told her that she would never be what I need—that I would never want her. God, if she only knew. I crave her and everything she keeps trying to hand me. I crave her and everything she could give me. My very being calls out to her, and I work daily to refuse it.

So I pushed.

Until she ran.

But that ends right now.

Looking up at the gaudy neon lights thrown on the top of this hellhole, I know that was my first mistake.

SYN.

A motherfucking strip club.

This is not a place where my angel belongs. Just the thought of her inside this club makes my skin crawl. I can feel my anger becoming a force of its own as the blackness in my soul threatens to burst through. It’s burning inside my veins and demanding blood. My nostrils flare, making my breaths come in loud pants. My fist clenches—demanding something to pound into, something to destroy. My skin feels tight. Every vein in my body is pulsing with each wild beat of my heart.

I’m going to explode.

The bouncer doesn’t even give me a second thought. He gives me a brief glance as I pay the twenty bucks to gain my access into the hellish place. I immediately rip my sunglasses off, taking in every inch of the room. Black walls with dim lighting, stereotypical red carpeting and leather booths lining the room. They have the name right with the smell of this place—sex and sin with a mixture of smoke and sweat. There are three stages set up around the room, the center one being the largest and two smaller ones to the left and right, with a bar against the back wall and one on the top floor.

The whole top-floor bar area is set up on a glass floor, giving these douchebags around the room the perfect view between the barely dressed servers’ legs. Taking my eyes off the top floor, where the bartenders are clearly working the glass floor to their advantage, I scan the room again, squinting my eyes to see through the dim lighting and heavy smoke.

That’s when I spot her.

“What. The. Fuck,” I snarl under my breath.

The anger I felt earlier burning through my body starts to boil. It’s almost as if my body becomes a force of its own. The monsters inside me wanting free.

There she stands, not even five feet away, looking exhausted, wearing next to nothing. Her skirt—if that’s what you want to call it—is more like a napkin someone cut in half. From the way she stands—slightly to the side—I can just make out the perfect roundness of her ass peeking out the bottom of the hem. Her pert tits are pushed together and held in a tight bikini top, the fabric so thin that I can see the outline of her nipples clear as day.

My eyes take in every inch of her exposed skin and I want to roar with rage.

No one should see her like this. No one but me. And even though I don’t have the right to feel this way about her, there isn’t a damn thing that can stop me now.

She hasn’t seen me yet, so I stalk over to where she’s standing. She turns right when I’m about to reach out for her and her eyes go wide, shock and alarm clear in her beautiful, honey-brown eyes.

“Wha—”

“What the fuck are you doing, Em?” I bite out.

She shrinks back at my tone before she catches herself and goes stiff. I can tell instantly that I’m not going to like anything she has to say.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Emmy. What in the hell are you doing in this place?”

She tilts her head slightly, taking me in. Her eyes leave mine and roam the room before she gives a stiff nod. When she turns her focus back to me, I go stock-still at her words.

“I’m exactly where I should be, Maddox. I’m home.” Her tone is submissive, and that fury inside me goes from a boiling fire to ice cold.

With that, she turns and stalks off towards the bar. And I see that not only is her ass hanging out, but so are her hot-pink boy shorts.

“Dude. She’s a fine piece of ass, right?” The man she was just talking to speaks in awe.

“Shut your fucking mouth,” I growl, feeling that rage return like a switch has been flipped.

“Ah, you’re new here. Just sit back, my friend, and get ready for the show.” He laughs, takes a deep pull from his beer, and turns his attention back to the main stage, where the current entertainment is doing her best to swallow the fucking pole with her pussy. She’s working so hard for it that she might as well be fucking the damn thing.

I’m no stranger to strip clubs. Back when the guys were all single, we would hit some local ones around California. No better way to let off some steam from the shit that is constantly swirling around in my head than to sit in a room full of naked woman. Where the music pounds into your body, the drinks are always flowing, and the pussy is in abundance.

One thing’s for sure: This isn’t a place for Emmy. Hell no.

Without taking my eyes from Emmy, I drop my body into the nearest booth. She’s in a heated argument with the bartender and an older man who looks about as run-down as this fucking town. She throws her hands in the air, her head moving wildly, and if I had to guess, her stunning eyes are burning bright. She points over to me a few times, and all the older man does is shake his head, obviously not giving her what she wants. I just scowl at them from the booth, waiting for her to walk her ass back over here so I can explain to her that it’s time to go.

“Hey there, handsome,” a raspy voice says to my right. “Looking for some fun tonight? I bet a big man like you would be up for something wild.”

“No.” I don’t even look at her. My eyes never leave Emmy—who is now looking at me. A mix of ire and hurt is written all over her face. Even with the shit lighting in this place, I can see it…and I hate it.

Fucking hurt? Is she serious right now? Pissed I can understand. She didn’t want to be found and I found her.

“I won’t bite, baby. That is unless you want me to.” Her hands snake around my neck and down my chest.

Turning my attention away from Emmy, I look at the bleach-blonde hair, weathered skin, and fake tan of this bitch in front of me. I’ll give her credit—she tries to hide it with more than enough makeup for about ten women, but this piece of work in front of me has to be pushing fifty.

“I said no, woman. What part of that didn’t you understand? And for the last time, do not touch me.” I reach up and pull her hand off my stomach before she can go any further.

Moving my eyes back to where I last saw Emmy has me coming up empty. What the hell? I scan the room but she is still nowhere to be found.

“Ah, sweet cheeks. I know what you want. Good luck with that one. Rose doesn’t play around, and honey, why would you want her when you can have me? After all, I taught her everything she knows.” She leans down and, before I can guess her intent, licks my neck, clearly taking my distraction at her words to her advantage.

I turn swiftly and move into her space, making sure she doesn’t mix this shit up in her head to think that I would somehow ever want her ass.

“Do. Not. Touch. Me. You got that, sweet cheeks?”

She looks me in the eyes for a few beats before throwing her head back and laughing. The sound of it hits my ears like nails on a chalkboard.

“Your loss.”

When she walks off, I start my scan of the room again. No Emmy in sight. I run my hand over my buzzed scalp before settling in for the wait.

Thirty minutes later and I still haven’t found her. The crowd is getting restless. The chicks taking turns on the stage now haven’t been impressive and they undoubtedly want more. The pole humper has moved on to one of the smaller stages. The last act on the main stage was slightly better, but all she did was basically finger-fuck herself on the stage before fumbling to get to her feet on her ridiculous heels.

Jesus Christ.

I wait, determined not to leave until I have her with me. Another thirty minutes and two more rotations on the stages have my frustration levels going up even higher. How the hell did she just disappear? I know she didn’t leave. The tracking device on her car, which is sitting right next to my truck in the parking lot, hasn’t alerted me of any movement. I’ll be damned if she takes off on me again.

After signaling over another server, I order a beer and check my phone again to make sure the tracker isn’t malfunctioning. I’m just putting my phone in my pocket when a deep voice cuts over the music.

“Gentleman of Syn. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. The one your dicks have been begging for all fucking night. The Princess of Syn herself. The one and only, Rose!”

The Princess of Syn? What an idiot. I laugh to myself, placing my beer to my lips for a long pull. The music starts and the first few notes of Lollipop by Framing Hanley fill the air. Got to give this chick props—at least she picked a good song.

The house lights go down, plunging the room into darkness, before a spotlight hits the main stage. The smoke clinging to the air gives the stage an eerie glow. I take my eyes off the action and attempt scan the darkness of the room again for Emmy. Movement by the back corner catches my attention at the same time that the crowd goes electric. Idiots start throwing their money left and right, calling to this Princess of Syn to take them.

What morons.

I focus on the corner again and see the blonde from earlier smiling her wicked smile at me before pointing to the stage. Turning back to the stage, I watch as a woman, who I assume is this so-called princess, spins effortlessly on the pole, her movements all but blurring her body from the men wishing she were spinning on their dicks. It doesn’t take me long to see why the bitch from earlier is telling me to look.

With one quick spin, her hands are placed at the center and her legs are spread wide and parallel to the pole, showing off her barely there G-sting, I see my Emmy. It takes a second for the shock to wear off, and in that second, she gracefully drops from her spin with a guarded smile to the men crowding the stage. Lifting her small hands from her side, she drags them up her flat stomach to take her tits in hand and jiggles them.

Fucking jiggles them.

I can’t control my body at this point. I’m focused on one thing—the best way to get her off that stage and out of this place.

She reaches up and, in a move that is obviously practiced, removes her top, throwing it in to the crowd. There she dances with her body on display, caressing her naked tits until her nipples pebble. Turning her back to the room, she bends at the waist and starts to slowly pull her G-sting down her long, toned legs.

This is when the reality of this situation hits me. I’ll fucking kill all of these motherfuckers in the room.

Then she drops to her knees before getting on all fours and crawling towards the end of the stage.

Hell. No.

I’m on my feet in seconds, stalking through the crowd, pushing any man who stands in the way of my woman and me. I don’t even lift my arms from my side. I just barrel through the bodies with one goal in mind.

She doesn’t see me coming since she’s back on her feet and walking to the pole again. With a leap that would make my high school track coach proud, I’m on the stage, and a second later, I have a naked Emmy thrown over my shoulders before I jump off the stage. The sharp pain up my leg does nothing to extinguish my determination.

I can see the bouncers coming, and with one hand on her slick ass, I reach out and punch the first one in the face, taking great pleasure watching him instantly buckle to the floor. The other one comes at me from the side, but he doesn’t get far before I pick up the chair to my left one-handed and crack it against his fucking head.

Emmy is struggling with such vigor that I’m forced to put her down. She looks up, ready to spit fire at me, before snapping her mouth shut when she sees the expression on my face. I have no doubt that I look just as feral as I feel.

“Don’t you open that sweet fucking mouth, Emersyn. I swear to Christ, now is not the time to fucking piss me off any further.”

I rip my shirt off and roughly pull it over her head. She struggles and puts up a fight, momentarily distracting me from the third bouncer coming at full throttle. His fist takes me by surprise, but not for long. Grabbing her wrist so she doesn’t get away, I turn to the motherfucker stupid enough to get in my way.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” I seethe.

He goes to punch me again, but I duck and pop up before he realizes he failed. Bringing my head forward, I head-butt him right between the eyes and almost smile when he falls instantly.

I’m stopped at the door by the last bartender she was speaking with earlier. He goes to make a move but pulls up when he sees the look in my eyes. I’ll fucking kill and I’m sure it’s written clear as day on my face.

“Do it. I dare you.” My tone leaves no room for argument. I’m leaving with her and there isn’t a person on this Earth who can stop me.

Just a little more tease before you go….

28Sep2014

Man Of My Dreams by Faith Andrews

Posted in Books I love by mkcooke

Man of my Dreams

By: Faith Andrews

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Mia Murphy may be married to the man of her dreams. But the man in her dreams is the one that got away—her high school crush.

Mia’s stuck in a rut, just like every other stay-at-home mom, and the only thing saving her from her monotonous routine is her perfect husband, Declan. He’s gorgeous, he adores her, and the man stole her heart with his sexy singing voice. Mia feels like the luckiest girl in the world, until she discovers that Mr. Perfect is not Mr. Faithful. Mia is devastated. Everything she once believed about Declan and their marriage is now covered in a big cloud of doubt and regret. On impulse, she kicks the cheating bastard out, pushing them into a separation that could mean the end of the picture-perfect couple.

But when Mia receives an invitation to her high school reunion, she finds herself abandoning the present for the oh-so alluring pull of the past. Although her heart still belongs to her husband, inescapable thoughts of her crush, Noah, resurface. And ten years later, Noah isn’t afraid to make his move. When the build-up of fantasies and ‘what ifs’ comes to a head, sparks fly and it’s Mia’s turn to question if her marriage is everything she wants out of life. Searching for answers, Mia dives head first into dating Noah, falling further away from her husband and closer to her old flame.

But Declan’s not giving up so easily. Mia is his one and only and he’s not about to let another man win her heart.

5 Fantastic Stars

We are all plagued by those “What if?” questions. What if what I chose was wrong? What if I had chosen differently? What if I made a mistake? What if?

Well Man of my Dreams explores that very question and so much more in such a phenomenal way that will literally take your breath away. This book explores what it means to think you’ve got it all planned out and together, and then to have that all thrown up in the air like a handful of anguish and emotion filled confetti with pieces and pieces falling away. All the while you’re rushing to grab those emotionally laced pieces, put it all back together again into something that makes sense and feels right, and figure out how the confetti even got thrown up in the air in the first place.

I cannot rave enough about how much I loved this book, and getting to spend some time with Mia, Declan, and Noah while reading their truly unforgettable story. This fantastic book is about a lot of things, but at the end of the day it really focuses in on what happens when the man of your dreams and the man in your dreams find themselves on a collision course to your heart.

What I simply adored about this book:

The combination of the past and the present. I loved how this book flashed back between past and present with Mia, Declan, and Noah. It explained so much about these 3 dynamic characters, and gave a glimpse into so many crucial moments. It illuminated the magic of the past, while also explaining a lot with what was going on in the present tense of the book. This combination made it very easy to understand what was happening, and why things went the way they did.
Lovely Mia. To say that I adored Mia is an understatement. She was a wonderful female MC to read, with her vast realness and authenticity that made everything she was feeling and experiencing so very real to me. I loved her character from the moment I stepped into her head, and it was a joy to get to know her. She was sassy, she was smart, she was determined, she had flaws, she had pain, and she was so real. She was just all around fabulous, and through the entire book I just wanted to know her more. I wanted to laugh with her, comfort her, and protect her because she was so real to me. The level of connection I had to her character was just magnificent.
The female friendship. I absolutely loved reading Grace and Mia’s friendship, and they just brought a big old smile to my face every time they were together. Their friendship was so easy to believe and feel because of how thoughtfully written and authentic it was. I especially loved what the friendship did for both the characters, but especially Mia. These two define what it is to have a best friend, and the way they push each other but are there for one another in every beat just made me love them so much.
The realness. This story and its characters are exceptionally real and the issues they face are so relatable. The story feels so real that I felt like I knew the characters personally, and that I was experiencing the events of the book with them. The questions, the doubts, the vulnerabilities, the emotions, the happiness, the joy, and everything else felt so real that it was exceptionally hard to leave the reality so thoughtfully crafted in this book.
Declan, Declan, Declan. Declan was someone I didn’t know if I would love because of the choices he made and the affects that had on Mia. I was in her corner, but about 35 seconds into meeting Declan Murphy, I loved him just as much. The man has flaws and he makes some pretty craptastic choices, but getting to know him over this book cemented him as one of my favorite male characters. He’s charming as all get out, and the fight he has it outstanding. And yes sometimes I literally wanted to slap him in the face for the many things he did and didn’t do, and the things he did and didn’t say, but through it all, I loved him to pieces.
The different kinds of love. This book captures many different kinds of love so fantastically. I couldn’t help but feel all of that love in my bones. It’s got the love between friends that just exemplifies what it is to have true friends, the love between family members that will warm your heart, and the love between partners that is truly magical in a way. All that love was bursting out of this book, and I highly enjoyed every second I got to experience all those kinds of love.
The depth of feelings. There are some pretty deep feelings roaming their way around this book from many of the characters that grace the page. Those feelings are felt wholly in the things said and the action of the characters, along with all that is left unsaid and the actions not taken by some of these characters. The feelings you will experience in this book from these characters are powerful as all get out, and will leave you feeling it all.
Can we get a little love for Noah? Noah is the man Mia always had a thing for, and she couldn’t get him out of her mind. I tend to agree with that sentiment because I can’t get him out of my mind either! He was just an all-around good guy and if there was anyone that Mia needed, it was Noah. I honestly don’t think I could love his character more if I wanted to because of what he brings to the story, and all that he does for Mia. He is just an amazingly sweet man that had me practically swooning. He’s also the big what if too, and exploring that side of him was outstanding.
The what if questions. This book is bursting with these kinds of questions, and you will find these questions thoughtfully weaved into the story in so many ways. Those questions added a magnificent layer to the story, and made it simply easy to understand the questions, doubts, and thoughts Mia, Declan, and Noah had. Everybody has those what if questions, and this book turned those questions into an unforgettable story.
Second Chances. I love me a second chance romance, and this book has that in more ways than one. You’ve got Declan vying for a second chance to make right his wrong, and then you’ve got Noah who’s fighting for a second chance at something he missed out on long ago. Those second chances are outstanding, and the way they incorporate into the story made me really question who’s second chance I wanted to work out more.

Man of my Dreams was just a truly unforgettable story that felt so utterly real to me with every word I read. Declan, Noah, and Mia glued themselves to my heart in such a wonderful way, and I heart those 3 to death. I cannot rave enough about them, and their story in this book. Their story is one full of realness and authenticity, emotion and vulnerability, and so much freaking love.

This book is what real love stories are made of, and I loved every second I spent within the world Faith Andrews created. Her writing is so thoughtfully crafted, and it brings these characters and their story to life in such a beautiful way that will blow you away.

This book poses the question “What if?” but do yourself a major favor and don’t find yourself asking “What if I had read Man of my Dreams?” because that is one what if you don’t want or even need to ask.

This book is yours for the taking, and I promise you will be oh so glad you did.

ps. Back to You is the follow up novella to Man of my Dreams, and it’ll blow you away just as much as Man of my Dreams will!! You can find my review of this so freaking wonderful novella HERE , but be warned that the events in this novella happen AFTER the events of this book, so if you read my review of Back to You before reading Man of my Dreams it’ll spoil some things for you. (And when I say some things, I mean a lot of things!) And as we know I try valiantly not to spoil anything on here, so that’s why you’ve got a little more leg work to find the review. Happy Reading!!

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I seriously cannot recommend these books or any of Faith Andrews’ other books more to you! I guarantee you will love every word of them, and that they will just leave you with an exceptionally unforgettable reading experience you will just love.

5Aug2014

Releasing Now: Surrounded

Posted in Books I love, Releasing Now Book Addicts, Review Post by mkcooke

Surrounded

A Novel by SC Ellington

Unsettled Romance Series # 2

Releases August 5th 2014

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We are celebrating this fab new release with some partying!!!! Come join in the fun and make this release a fabulous one for Author SC Ellington!

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! The more the merrier.

Surrounded Release Party 6th August

Everything was falling into place. Even amongst all the chaos of Washington D.C., Brooklyn and Logan found each other.

Brooklyn never expected Logan…and as it always seems to happen with her…things fell apart. She has been through this before…was she strong enough to do it again?

On the outside, Logan was the epitome of wealth and confidence. Many knew his name but few knew his secrets. He never expected Brooklyn…but now she’s walked away. He knew what they shared mattered to her…and she…she mattered to him more.

🌟🌟4 1/2 FANTASTIC STARS🌟🌟

After reading Unsettled and falling in love with Brooklyn and Logan’s story, I was very eager to read Surrounded and find out how things would work out for them. I was not disappointed one bit by this story, and I loved getting to spend more time with these fabulous characters. Logan and Brooklyn’s story is one that I guarantee you will just love.

What I loved about Surrounded:

The Passion. This book is definitely a passionate one, and I could feel the passion between Logan and Brooklyn throughout the entire book. Even when things weren’t so peachy between them, I could feel that tangible passion between them. They have a true chemistry which was so easy to feel.
The Pushing. Both of these characters push the other one to move on from what they both have in their past, and to see the good in what they have together. That pushing makes them both better, and just shows how far they were both willing to go for one another. That pushing showed a lot about these characters.
Logan’s Got Some Tenacity. I loved Logan’s character, and especially since this book showed his perspective. The tenacity that Logan has to prove his feelings to Brooklyn just made me adore his character even more. He doesn’t give up, and that’s kind of important. He’s also sweet as hell, so that helps.
The Overall Journey of Brooklyn. Brooklyn goes through a lot of changes on her Journey through the events in Unsettled and Surrounded. She overcomes so much, and finds some true strength within her. She’s a strong female lead, and even when she was at her weakest, she had one hell of a backbone.
Dual Perspectives! We all know I heart me a book that gives me multiple perspectives, and this one was no different. Surrounded allows you to see both Logan and Brooklyn’s POV’s, and it illuminates so much about each of them. I also loved that the beginning of this book shows you more from Logan’s perspective on events from the past.
The Other Relationships. I adored the secondary characters in this book, and the other relationships that were highlighted in Surrounded. Brooklyn’s friendship with Alex was wonderful to read and it stood out in such a perfect way. Reading Logan’s complicate relationship with his family was also very intriguing, and added another great layer to this book.
It’s All in the Pace. The pacing of this book worked really well with the events that happen in Surrounded. This books picks up right where things left of in Unsettled, and I for one was dying to know what would happen. The pacing makes it easy to hook right into this book.
The Theme of Being Surrounded. The title of this book is Surrounded, and boy does that fit. The theme of being surrounded and being open to the feelings around you is beautifully weaved through this book. Logan and Brooklyn are surrounded by their feelings for one another, and that comes across in such a magnificent way.
Brooklyn Finds Herself. One of my favorite things about this book was reading how Brooklyn discovers who she truly wants to be. Her “finding herself” was so authentically written, and I adored getting to read how she was finally able to find what she wanted in all aspects of her life.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading both Unsettled and Surrounded. SC Ellington does a great job of creating characters that come to life off of the page, while creating a story that will engage you from beginning to end. Both of these books were fantastic, and I cannot wait to see what this author writes next because whatever it is, I know it’ll be wonderful!

S.C. Ellington is an up and coming author who enjoys expressing her creativity through frequently writing adult, contemporary romance novels that readers can relate to, but more importantly, enjoy.

Aside from writing, Ellington enjoys curling up with her e-reader and absorbing herself in novels loaded with emotion, desire, and passion. She also likes to spend sunny, wistful afternoons, in her hammock thinking up new ideas for great stories. Her debut novel, Unsettled was generated while consuming her favourite snacks – hot chocolate and popcorn

Ellington currently resides on the west coast with her beautiful Keurig, family and loving friends.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SC-Ellington

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Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7265096.S_C_Ellington

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Unsettled (Book #1) is on SALE!

After a horrific breakup with her long-time boyfriend, Brooklyn Caldwell is completely disenchanted with the notion of mingling with the opposite sex. Damon Williams had been everything she thought she wanted…until he wasn’t.

In an attempt to escape her heartbreaking past, Brooklyn seeks refuge in bustling Washington DC where she folds into the fast paced society unnoticed…until she meets a young entrepreneur, Logan Colton.

Brooklyn is surprised to find that while she has been successful in keeping the opposite sex at bay, somehow she is defenceless against Logan’s confidence and charm—and it doesn’t hurt that he is absurdly beautiful. While thrilled with Logan’s candour, Brooklyn hesitates, as she can’t seem to move past the heartache that she suffered at the hands of Damon.

As much as Logan didn’t plan on pursuing her, he is drawn to Brooklyn’s muted beauty and her witty persona. For all his success, Logan is ensnared in the coveted world of unequivocal wealth and power, but behind closed doors is taunted by demons and an undeniable need to atone for a monumental mistake.

As the two embark on a tumultuous obstacle course saturated with unknown twists and turns, Brooklyn is left to question whether she can endure the journey ahead.

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Book: In The Mix

Author: Jacquelyn Ayres

Genre: Erotic/Romance/Humor

***** 5 HUGE Laugh Out Loud Stars *****

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Title: Affliction (Knights Rebels MC #2)

Author: River Savage

Release Date: November 30, 2014

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Cover Designer: LM Creations

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*****5 Amazing Stars*****

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Read my 5* review here: Incandescent Review

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So let’s start our crash course into this PHENOMENAL series…

Changing Course

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Stolen Course

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Among The Echoes

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Broken Course

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Starless Nights

By: Kathryn Andrews

Release Date: November 10, 2014

***** 5 Beyond Amazing Stars *****

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Drops of Rain (Hale Brothers Book 1)

Starless Nights (Hale Brothers Book 2)

I seriously cannot recommend this book to y’all more so be sure to grab it today!! You will not be sorry!! I promise!

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Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Day: October 29

Conflagration is the second in an Explosive spin-off series called The Wellingtons.

Can be read as a standalone

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Just a little tease….

*****5 Fantastic Stars*****

The Wellingtons

Additional Books by Tessa Teevan

Explosive series

Sweet Southern series

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Locke (Book Five) The Corps Security Series

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18131119-locke

RELEASE DATE: September 29th, 2014

*****5 BEYOND AMAZING STARS*****

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Additional books in the Corps Security Series and Cooper will be on sale throughout the tour!

ONLY $0.99

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$50 Gift Card (1 Winner)

Signed Copy of Locke (5 Winners)

Corps Security Bookmarks (10 Winners)

Prologue—Maddox

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Man of my Dreams

By: Faith Andrews

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

*****5 Fantastic Stars*****

Be sure to check out more on the fabulousness that is Faith Andrews at the following links!!

I seriously cannot recommend these books or any of Faith Andrews’ other books more to you! I guarantee you will love every word of them, and that they will just leave you with an exceptionally unforgettable reading experience you will just love.

* 5 HUGE Laugh Out Loud Stars *

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5 Amazing Stars

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* 5 Beyond Amazing Stars *

5 Fantastic Stars

5 BEYOND AMAZING STARS

5 Fantastic Stars