Too Fast by Alexia Haynes

Twenty-year-old Savannah enjoys a one-time one-night stand because a real relationship would never fit into her busy schedule. Working two jobs and pursuing her degree takes all of her time. Besides, the guys she has dated haven't been much better than the random barfly.

It's a good thing Luke's body is honed by the long hours of carpentry and construction because he carries the weight of his family on his shoulders. School hasn't been an option for him since he dropped out to make the house payments his mother had failed to make. 

Luke finds what he's been longing for in a night with Savannah. She's determined to stop with a one-night stand, but he wants more. Neither can deny the perfection of their passionate interludes, but with such imperfect lives, do they have any chance for a future together? Suddenly she's losing her heart and it's all happening much too fast.


Not recommended for readers under age 18 due to language and sexual content.

Holly's Review

3.5 to 4 Stars!!

Honestly, this book was better than I expected. I hate going into books with any kind of expectations but I figured it was your basic 'one night stand turned into true love' - well it's kinda like that but really so much more!!

The beginning finds Savannah and Luke the morning after what was supposed to simply a one night stand for Savannah, since she totally has no time for a relationship and refuses to depend on a man like her mother has made a career out of!! She is a strong, independent woman who thinks that love or a relationship will take all that away!

Well she definitely wasn't expecting a man like Luke! Let me just start right of by saying I am even a totally in love with Luke!

He is this amazing man, at 20 years old he is basically working long days, raising a 15 year old sister and trying to keep his family together with a mentally ill mother in the mix! He is simply incredible and there is so much more story here that wasn't told. The secondary characters alone. Natalie, Luke's sister and Savannah's two roommates...There is more story there and I hope we eventually get to hear them.

Anyway, as you can imagine, this one night stand quickly turns to love but of course there are obstacles to be overcome. But, fear not, they are overcome and there is a HEA!!

I really enjoyed this book, this is a first for me by this author and I am sure I will read more, especially if it involves any of these characters. 

***This book was provided to me by Netgalley

Shooting Scars by Karina Halle, Review & Giveaway!

Sometimes the right choice can be the deadliest.


When Ellie Watt made the ultimate sacrifice for Camden McQueen, she never thought it would be easy. But walking away with her ex-lover, Javier Bernal, in order to ensure Camden’s safety has brought a whole new set of dangers. With Javier’s plans for Ellie growing more secretive by the moment, Ellie must find a way to stay ahead of the game before her past swallows her whole.

Meanwhile, Camden’s new life is short-lived. Fueled by revenge and pursued by authorities, he teams up with an unlikely partner in order to save Ellie. But as Camden toes the line between love and retribution, he realizes that in order to get back the woman he loves, he may have to lose himself in the process. He might just turn into the very man he’s hunting.

 Rhonda & Holly Review 

Rhonda

Love

Lust

Lies

Loyalty

Betrayal

Deception

Heartbreak

Action

Adventure

This is what you will find in the pages of  Karina Halle’s  Shooting Scars!  For those of you that have been on pins & needles waiting for this installment, the wait is now over!  And let me say, the wait was so worth it!!  Karina Halle brought everything I expected to this installment.  There are still so many questions to be answered,  and conflicts to be resolved. This book is told in Ellie and Camden's alternate POV, which I loved!   

Once again, this was a crazy ride and the characters are so much fun to read.  Javier Bernal is bad!  He’s so very bad, but I constantly find it impossible to hate him even thought I probably should.  I’m going to take the opportunity now to say that if you haven’t read On Every Street which is not necessary to read before reading this, It is my  recommendation that you do.  It will give you all the deets on Ellie and Javier’s past, and I think it does add to the reading experience of this book.  Now, Back to Javier…  He is hot, sexy, a criminal and your not so average bad influence.  He is the dark and painful part of Ellie’s past come to reclaim her.  Only if it were that simple.  Javier always has his own agenda which is always the priority, but then he does something that makes me think that maybe he does have something good in that black heart of his.  

Ellie Watt….  Well I was mad at her, then found myself just as conflicted as she was.  But she is such a likable character, that I find it difficult to stay mad at her.  Ellie is ever the pawn, someone always waiting to use her for their own gain, their own agenda. Now there’s a new game and the stakes are higher than ever, and Ellie must make some very hard decisions, decisions that will put her life at risk.  Ellie has a good heart, even though she does bad things.  She will put those she loves above all else, even herself.  Ellie finally comes face to face with the man who scarred her life, and is responsible for who she has become.   Except maybe that person was lost in the light of Camden McQueen.  

Cam… Cam… Camden McQueen *sigh*  The tattoo artist.  

I can’t say enough about him.  I love him because he is real, he is crazy, he is intense,  he is dark and he is genuine in his love, he's a stand up guy,  and wears his heart on his sleeve.  He is the sexy, hot, muscley nerd, and he makes my heart flutter.  Cam is on the adventure of a life time to save the woman he loves from the evil villain Javier Bernal.  There is no limits to what he’ll do to get to her.  He also must face some difficult situations and heartbreaking choices.  Camden is definitely a swoon worthy hero who wields a wicked needle.  

This is such an exciting series, with so many twists and turns.  One helluva ride! 

To be continued…………..

Holly

You know, I can’t stress enough how much you should embrace the geek (or Goth queen in Camden’s case) – I mean seriously, that dorky kid that gets teased in school is likely to run the world. Or again, in Camden’s case grow up to be a gorgeous, tattooed bad boy just looking for the girl he fell in love with and never forgot!! Holy Shit did Camden grow up good!!

I said all that to say this, I LOVE CAMDEN!! I mean REALLY, REALLY love him. When I read the first book in this series, Sins & Needles, I loved the story but even in the end I wasn’t sure about the characters. I almost felt like I didn’t get to know them enough. That was probably just me but in this installment I was so emotionally invested my heart ached and I was in tears in a couple spots!!

This installment picks up right where we left off in Sins & Needles. Ellie sacrificed herself and left with Javier to save Camden and reunite him with his ex wife and son. That doesn’t go exactly as planned, to say the least, and Camden barely escapes with his life and is now wanted by the police for murder! He is having a REALLY bad day!!

Camden seeks out Ellie’s friend Gus and they set out to get Ellie back from Javier. 

This is where it gets into grey territory. Ellie absolutely does not want to be with Javier and Javier tells her she is free to go at any time, however, if she goes he can’t guarantee that Camden will stay safe…hello veiled threat! Javier has come a long way from the man I kinda fell in love with in On Every Street, he has lost whatever soul he had and is a big, bad scary drug lord now. He tells Ellie that he is giving her the opportunity to kill Travis Raines, the man who permanently scarred her and changed her life. Only now things have changed and she is scared and not sure that she wants that. 

Things between Ellie and Javier get complicated, as in they start having the sex again!! I know, this was kind of a WTF moment for me as well!!! She doesn’t love him anymore but she also has no idea Camden is trying to get her back and thinks he is back with his family and happy!

Camden goes a bit dark too, we start to see a dark and scary side of him too and when him and Gus finally get to Ellie and he has to see something that he will NEVER be able to unsee I was sobbing because I could literally feel his pain!! The ache you knew that was crippling him was too much, even for me!! 

Wow, just recapping is running me through the ringer again! I was all over the map in this book! I loved it, I think I said that already but really I did!! There was a bit of a cliffhanger, kinda like the first one where you know book three is going to pick up right where we left off! I for one can’t wait!! 

***Both copies were provided by Netgalley***

To celebrate release day, we are sponsoring a giveaway of 2 complete eBook sets of

Sins & Needles

On Every Street

&

Shooting Scars

This is a blog sponsored giveaway! 

These eBooks  will be gifted in Kindle only.
non-transferable  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dare you to by Katie McGarry

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Elena's Review!!

"Screw Perfect" -Ryan 

In Ryan and Beths' world, there's no such thing as perfect.  It takes striving to want to be better, and do their damnest  to have hope, to be  strong, and get through the rough patches in their lives, to actually move forward. Their story gives a whole new meaning to an  "eye opener".  They  complete one another, when one is in doubt about their life, the other is always there as a "pick me upper".

Beth is a striking character with a spunky attitude that I normally love in a heroine. But this time she just goes far and beyond. I have my patience to tolerate a character to a certain extent. Her "cry me a river" about her mom just drove me insane. I guess I could understand her side, but talk about apeshit annoying. Other than dealing with her chaotic life, meeting Ryan changes her world for he better. But will she be willing to trust and let someone else love and protect her for a change? That's a question I thought would never get answered.....

Now *ahem* let me jot a few thoughts down about Ryan.......

Oh wait  *my fingers are glued together*  I couldn't have asked for a better Hero!!! He may be a jock. But he isn't an asshole. His honesty and gentlemanly ways have wooed me!  He is sweet, lovable,kind and everything in between. He's the kind of guy that obviously loves bad girls. He just needed to find the right one. And Beth is definitely the skater-type girl with the potty mouth and jacked up attitude, that is all he needed to see the world differently. Who knew the person who everyone thought had a perfect set life, could end up with a screwed up family. 

All in all,I enjoyed the story. It's nice to pickup a book every once and a while from an author whom I know what to expect and not be let down :)

4 STARS!

Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.

At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?

Holly's Review:

You know when you pick up a new book with a beautiful cover by an author you really enjoy and are excited about the story 'cuz it looks awesome and you forget to check out whether it has a DAMN CLIFFHANGER?? Yeah, that was me last night! :)

This book was really good though, despite the cliffhanger. This was kind of a different twist on the young, hot, billionaire story. A little, not a lot. One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that the mystery goes on and on. 

Amy is running from something or someone - we still don't really know but the beginning of the story finds her dropping her new life and running with a new identity that some mysterious, unknown handler provides her. She heads to the airport where she meets Liam Stone! Let me just stop here and say....Where the FUCK are these smokin' hot guys when I am traveling and at the airport...huh???

I mean, how can you not fall in love with a man who say's things like this...

"How high you stand isn't as important as how magnificent you are." 

This is probably my favorite line from this book, it's beautiful!!

Anyway, sorry, got a bit off track - Liam and Amy end up in first class side by side seats and the fun begins! Liam decides he wants Amy, BAD!! And HOLY CRAP this man does not take no for an answer!! 

So it goes and their affair begins, all the while Amy is trying to convince herself she should run to keep Liam safe but Liam hangs on tight. 

This book leaves you with a zillion questions but the good news is it's only a couple months until the next book and it looks like book 2 is the conclusion!! Yay - I guess I can forgive the cliffhanger then. :)
This was a great story and I highly recommend it!! 

***This book was provided to me as an ARC by Netgalley

Cover Reveal I Stand Before You by S.R. Grey

Title: I Stand Before You (Judge Me Not #1)

Author: S.R. Grey

Expected release date: September 12-19, 2013

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: New Adult /Adult

Cover designed by: Damonza ; http://damonza.com/sample-covers/

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours; http://atomrbookblogtours.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17900510-i-stand-before-you

Book Description:

When it comes to tattooed bad boys, Chase Gartner is the real deal. Partying, engaging in meaningless sex, getting into fights---Chase indulges in it all during his late teen years, thus firmly solidifying his status as a heartbreakingly gorgeous but way-too-dangerous-to-trust guy in his hometown of Harmony Creek, Ohio. Then, following one fateful night of reckless decisions, Chase's actions finally catch up to him and land him in prison. 

Now, four years have passed and Chase finds himself a free man. He returns to Harmony Creek, ready to pick up the pieces and start rebuilding his shattered life. 

Things are off to a promising start when he meets Kay Stanton, a young woman with a tragic past of her own. Despite a powerful attraction, Chase and Kay are naturally hesitant to become involved. That's why friendship feels like the safest option. But when passions ignite and love blossoms, a relationship that is destined and meant to be can only be resisted for so long. When Chase and Kay finally succumb to their feelings they realize being together feels more right and true than anything they have ever experienced. 

But their love is soon tested. Chase's wild past still haunts and tempts him, and Kay is keeping a secret that could tear them apart. 

I Stand Before You is a journey of hope and forgiveness, coming to terms with the past and moving forward. But mostly it's a story of two damaged people who take a chance, open their hearts, and find true love. 

New Adult/Contemporary Romance genres. First in a series. 
***Warning: contains graphic sexual situations, drug use, some violence, and profanity**

About the Author

S.R. Grey is the author of Harbour Falls and Willow Point, first and second novels in A Harbour Falls Mystery series. She is also the author of I Stand Before You, first novel in the Judge Me Not series (New Adult/Contemporary Romance), to be released September 2013.

Ms. Grey resides in western Pennsylvania. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Robert Morris College, as well as an MBA from Duquesne University. 

She is currently working on Wickingham Way, the third installment in A Harbour Falls Mystery series, to be released in January 2014. 

Other interests include reading, traveling, running, and cheering for her hometown sports teams. 

Author social media links:

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/SR-Grey/361159217278943

Twitter- https://twitter.com/AuthorSRGrey

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6433082.S_R_Grey

Website: http://srgrey.webs.com/

Cover Reveal: Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye

Avon is proud to announce the publication of  Laura Kaye’s second book in her hot Hard Ink series, HARD AS YOU CAN (On Sale: February 25, 2014). 

Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he’s shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister’s sake, Crystal can’t get too close. Until her job and Shane’s mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed.

Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can-and never let go.

We are excited to show our support for this fantastic author!!  To learn more about Laura Kaye and her books, please visit her website at:  http://www.laurakayeauthor.com/

The Darkest Craving (Lords of the Underworld #10) By Gena Showalter

New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter is back with a breathtaking Lords of the Underworld tale about a warrior trapped by darkness and the woman determined to save him 

Having endured weeks of torture in the bowels of hell, Kane wants nothing to do with his beautiful rescuer, Josephina Aisling. The half-Fae female threatens to awaken the demon of Disaster inside him—a beast he’s determined to kill, no matter the price. 

Josephina is hunted by a brutal enemy—her royal family—and Kane is her only source of protection. He’s also the only male to ever set her aflame, and even he succumbs to the heat. But as they navigate the treacherous world of the Fae, they are forced to make a choice: live apart…or die together.

Sam's Review!

The Darkest Craving ..........

It feels like an eternity has passed since I have been able to delve into the realms of the Lords of the Underworld. I feel like this book had a very different feel about it compared to the other LOTU books in the series. 

Josephina aka Tink was our heroine in this story. Tink is the cast off illegitimate daughter of the King of the Fae. In my opinion she was strong and hard headed and fought with the best of them. This poor woman has had a tough life and has been treated as a servant her entire life. For some reason the Fae race adore the LOTU and act as if the Lords are celebrities in their own right. So when Tink meets Kane in Hell and rescues him she is star struck.

Kane the keeper of Disaster, I have not met one of these Lords who despises his demon as much as Kane. He was dead set of ridding himself of the demon regardless of the fact that that meant killing himself. But in retrospect, the demon was a pain in the arse – more so than any of the other demons. He acted against Kane constantly and made his life miserable. Even when Kane meets Tink and feels a connection to her, Disaster retaliates at any time to hurt her. I felt so bad and almost like Kane got the short straw of stories.
The story takes place outside of the LOTU fortress and on a completely different realm. The story is set in Seduire, the land of the Fae. I'm not sure if I liked this as much because we missed out on so much of the banter from the other Lords that I so desperately love. 

We got snippets of things from the other Lords, but not even enough to wet my appetite. My biggest pet peeve? Not enough, not nearly enough of William and Gilly. That story has to be the most anticipated story and Showalter is going to milk that one to the core before giving it to us. 
TORIN! How is Showalter going to get around his Demon? You get what looks like a preview into a happy ending for him, but all I can think is that his demon has to go somehow.

My Favourites:
William – he saves this book. His commentary is just hilarious and quick witted. Love it, also loving the story lines that are happening with Torin and his potential love interest, Mari. Also does anyone remember Lazarus? No? – well you suck. Any way he is back and looking like a pair up for Cameo – how wicked is that going to be!!

What Sucked:

The lack of other Lords present.
The abrupt ending.
Feeling as though Kane was cheated out of a good book.

Over all, the book was a great read it just took some getting into. I'm not giving up on this series yet because I will die before I miss out on the William and Gilly story! Happy reading everyone!

Facade by Nyrae Dawn

No one knows who twenty-one year-old Adrian Westfall is behind his façade. After what he's done, he deserves to live alone with his pain, even if he'd do anything to forget. Anything for a moment of quiet without his past haunting him.

Eighteen year-old Delaney Cross wants nothing more than to absolve her family from her father's sins. To keep her suicidal mom off that ledge, and help her brother Maddox get the light back in his eyes. She thinks their road to freedom is through Adrian.

Adrian and Delaney are bound together by tragedy... Only Adrian doesn't know it. As their lives intertwine, they find a solace in each other they never knew existed. Laney knows she needs to tell him-to come out from behind her smoke screen, but to say the words could mean losing him.


Two people. Two disguises. True love. Will it be enough to save them when all secrets are bared?

Holly's Review:

I received this book from Netgalley and that spurred me to finally read book one Charade, which I have had on my Nook for a while now. I enjoyed book Charade, but I simply fell in love with Façade!

We got to meet Adrian in the first book and really I wouldn’t have given him much thought other than assuming he was just a pot smoking, partying secondary character but once you read his story, well you know what they say about assuming!! HOLY SHITBALLS! This book, Adrian himself, had me bawling like a baby!!

Let me just start by saying if this book had a theme song it would be Demons by Imagine Dragons! (Whom I love, btw) This song ran through my head the entire time I devoured this book!! All the characters in this book have so many demons your heart breaks constantly for them!

Nobody knows Adrian has demons at all, he is your basic fun loving, likes to get stoned and party type of guy. Always a good time, right? Not really. Adrian is haunted by the death of his nephew, which he firmly believes is his fault. The boy was killed by a car when it lost control and ran into the front yard where the boy was playing. Heartbreaking, right? Yeah, it gets worse.

Delany Cross is eighteen and has been living in her own kind of nightmare for the last few years. Her father was sent to jail for driving the car that killed Adrian’s nephew, and her mother hates her for some crazy reason and repeatedly attempts suicide while her older brother Maddox is just trying to keep it all together(I thing Maddox gets his own book next – YAY). Anyway, Delany moves to the town Adrian lives in to try to get some closure by finding him and apologizing for what her father has done. Only, of course that doesn’t work out because they fall hard for each other and she never really finds the right time to tell him.

You can see how this is all gonna blow up in their faces, right?? Yeah, you got it, it is not pretty and let me tell you I bawled my eyes out for a good portion of this book! Oh and there is a little twist at the end that will break your heart all over again! But, did I love it? Hell yeah I did and I can’t wait for the next installment!!

***This book was provided to me as an ARC by Netgalley

Waking Kiss by Annabel Joseph

A stranger in the wings, a traitorous pair of toe shoes, and a traumatic turn dancing with The Great Rubio… For ballerina Ashleigh Keaton, it’s been one hell of a night.

But it’s not over yet. When Rubio drags her to a private BDSM party at his friend’s house in the ritzy part of London, she meets Liam Wilder, a lifestyle dominant and frighteningly seductive man. Liam pursues Ashleigh, attracted by her strength and talent, but she has secrets—an abusive past and a crippling fear of intimacy that prevents her from connecting to anyone, especially a kinky playboy reputed to be legendary in bed.

Eventually he wins her trust and sets out to heal the troubled dancer, awakening her to a world of erotic obedience and sensual abandon in a series of “sessions” at his home. But how pure are his motives? Is he helping her or endangering her fragile soul? Liam hides his own destructive secrets, and so does Fernando Rubio, their temperamental friend. Over time the three become embroiled in a tangle of artifice, fears, and lies that threaten to undo everything they’ve worked for.

Will Ashleigh and Liam find the strength to defeat their demons? Or are they cursed to sleepwalk through life forever, afraid to experience the passion and intimacy of love?

Note: This 81K word romantic novel contains reflections on childhood abuse and violence which may disturb some readers.

Rhonda's Review:

This is the first novel by Annabel Joseph that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I really enjoyed it. The City Ballet of London provides a nice back drop to the story. Now I’m fairly picky when it comes to erotica. I prefer a story that actually has a story, and this book came through for me. 

Ashleigh Keaton likes being the invisible corps girl in the ballet, until an injury to “Sleeping Beauty” abruptly thrusts her into the spotlight, and into the life of Liam Wilder, and opening up a new world for her. Ashleigh has become complacent in her life, but when she finds herself at a party at Liam’s home after a show she witnesses a lifestyle that sparks her interest. But Ashleigh’s damaged past that keeps her from letting go in her sexuality. 

Liam Wilder is a busy man, running an international personal security service. He doesn’t have time for complications such as a relationship, so he entertains himself with “BDSM sluts” in his very own playroom where he commonly has parties. The night Ashleigh comes crashing into his life, she starts chipping away at his walls. Liam has secrets of his own, secrets that keep him from letting go with his heart. 

Ashleigh and Liam find themselves in an arrangement. One that has them both at some point revisiting their past. I really loved how Annabel Joseph intertwined these character’s stories and brought them together. There were some very emotional moments and I found myself tearing up, there are also some funny moments in this story. I thought Annabel Joseph did a beautiful job with the character development with the main characters, and also the secondary characters Fernando Rubio, and Mem. I have to say Rubio absolutely stole the show! My first impression was that he’s an ass, but it didn’t take long before his crudeness and lack of filter won me over. I absolutely adored him and look forward to his story in book 2. 

This story is a light introduction to BDSM, which is not the focal point of the story. This in my opinion is definitely a character driven story. There is no cliffhanger, the story wraps  everything up in the end.