Wednesday 28 December 2016

Review: Everything for Her (For Her #1) by Alexa Riley

*****5 Stars*****


Alexa Riley is without question my favorite guilty pleasure. This writing duo writes the best over the top obsessive heroes you'll ever read. Giddiness does not even begin to describe how I felt when I first found out they would be releasing their first full length novel right after the holidays. I had high hopes for Everything for Her and I was not disappointed in the least.
Everything changes for Miles/Oz the minute he first lays eyes on Mallory. He knows instantly that she is meant to be his. She's too young at the time, so he has to let her go, but he sets out to possess her when the moment is right. He orchestrates their lives so that one day, Mallory will cross his path again when he is able to lay claim to her.
Mallory can hardly believe her luck when she lands the type of internship dreams are made of. Even luckier is the sexy man she gets to work for. He seems to be the thing fairytales are made of and she can't believe how perfectly fate has seemingly worked out, of course, she doesn't realize fate was helped along by a sexy obsessive billionaire.
This book was the stuff of instalove day dreams. Everything for Her has all of the magically over the top awesomeness I love about Alexa Riley with added depth because of the extended page count. If you didn't find what you wanted under your Christmas Tree, don't fret! You can buy yourself this fabulous book of smutty alpha goodness on release day to make up for it!

Reviewed by Rosemary Feil


USA TODAY bestselling author Alexa Riley's first full-length novel shows just what happens when a strong, possessive man finds the woman of his dreams.  
I'll never forget the way she looked, so confident and sure of herself. I watched her from a distance. She wasn't ready for me yet. I didn't approach her and I didn't disturb her, but I never once took my eyes off her.  
Mallory Sullivan is ready to start her new life. After graduating at the top of her class, she's landed one of the most coveted internships in the United States. Hard work and determination have gotten her to this moment of living the life she only dreamed of while growing up in foster care. 
From the start, I knew that she would be my greatest achievement, so the day I let her go, I set down a path for her. A path to me.  
She never expected Oz to be the greatest culmination of those dreams. But sometimes fate determines who you fall in love with. Who makes you lose control. Who owns your soul. 
And then you realize it wasn't fate at all… 
I've wanted to care for and protect her since the first moment I saw her. I've constructed everything in our lives so that at the perfect moment, I could have her, could give her the life she deserves.  
The time has come.


Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2ho5QLs 


Review: Torment by Aleya Michelle

****4 Stars****


I really enjoyed reading gritty Torment by Aleya Michelle,
Torment is all about Willow and Hunter and their destructive addiction to hard drugs. Both willow and Hunter have been through events that lead them down the path to drugs, Willow witnessed the brutal murder of her mother at the age of 8 and also the trauma of being placed in several foster homes. Hunter's brother Alex died, both Alex and Hunter were inseparable together so Hunter is devastated.
Hunter and Willow both battle with their addictions in rehab, neither are even remotely looking for love or a deep connection but that's exactly what they find in each other.
Torment was a no hold back, hard hitting look at what addiction does and how it destructive it can be but also how love can turn you around. As usual the writing is brilliant and keeps you wanting more and more from this author. I can't wait to see what Aleya Michelle writes next.


Reviewed by Gemma Curran


Can two afflicted strangers from the dark side, help each other back to the light?

Willow Steele is a survivor - barely.
Her mother was murdered in front of her.
Eight years old. Nowhere and nobody to call home. Willow did what she had to in order to survive life.
Alcohol.
Drugs.
Rehab.
Faced with a straightjacket, a bare cell at Ferndale and the prospect of going cold turkey from the vices that have been keeping her alive, Willow is furious. She wants her drugs. She wants her freedom. She wants out of this place.

Hunter Edwards is an addict.
Just one taste, to impress a girl, and heroin ended up taking every bit of self-control he'd ever owned.
Six months later he is hooked and spiralling out of control. Break and enters, car accidents, trouble with the law. His mother and the cops sign him into Ferndale as a last resort before shipping him off to the army. 

That's where he sees her. Willow. The girl in the cell.

The dark haired, blue eyed angel that steals his heart.

Can Willow & Hunter help each other through the hardest fight of their lives?

Or will they both fall harder than ever before?

This is a dark romance. It is not for the faint hearted. You've been warned...



Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2hlMWl3 


Tuesday 27 December 2016

Review: Until Ashlyn (Until Her #3) by Aurora Rose Reynolds

*****5 Stars*****


Another fantastic book in the Until series from Aurora Rose Reynolds. I don't know how this woman does it but she keeps bringing out book after book with these characters and each one is just as brilliant as the last. To be able to keep writing story after story and still be able to keep this series fresh and engaging at this point is a feat in and of itself but it's a feat this woman is mastering! 

This is particular story in the Mayson dynasty is Ashlyn's, you'll remember her as Cash and Lily's little girl from the original Until series. In the second generation Until series she's all grown up. We've been given little tid bits of what's going on in her life in previous books. We know she's been having, shall we say 'issues' with her boss Dillon. He frustrates her beyond belief but it's highly entertaining for us readers.
In this book Ashlyn attends a dental conference with Dillon where he finally makes his move, in a big way! I'm not giving anything of the story away but I will say it's sweet, funny, sexy, intense, gripping and downright scary at times. 
Fans of this series will love this latest installment and getting to know Dillon and Ashlyn. For those of you that haven't gotten started on this series yet then you seriously need to! For me, it's one of the best series in this genre, I can't recommend it enough!


Reviewed by Steph Lewis


Dillon Keck knew Ashlyn Mayson was drunk when she suggested they get married. He knew he should have taken her back to their hotel room and put her to bed. Instead, he did what he had been craving to do since the moment they met. 


Claim her as his. 

Waking up married in Vegas isn't something Ashlyn Mayson ever thought would happen to her. Having Dillon, her boss, a man she thinks is a dick, insist they stay married is absurd, but every time he touches her, she gets lost in him and wonders if maybe they are meant to be together. 

But someone isn't happy for Dillon and Ashlyn and their new found romance, and they're willing to do anything to keep them apart. Even commit murder.




Amazon USA - http://amzn.to/2hMAkVK




Monday 26 December 2016

Review: Hate Story by Nicole Williams

*****5 Stars*****


This book was a breath of fresh air. I just love when an author comes up with an original story line and executes it well. 

A sham marriage and a million dollars for 3 years of their life, it's going to be that easy right? Wronggggggg nothing ever pans out the way you want it to. Fairy tales don't exist and neither does love, it's all about hating each other and getting through it whilst keeping up false pretences. Nina and Max don't realise whats about to hit them when they sign the contract with each other. Their spats and harsh words won't fool anyone that's for sure so can it all pan out and can they make it through? Well I urge you to read and find out because I loved their story.

Nicole Williams is fast becoming one of my top ten authors, wait no that isn't right, she is one of my top ten. I think Nicole only has one book that wasn't really for me but then your not going to like everything an author writes. This book though I loved through and through and read it from beginning to end without being the slightest bit bored. Yes it's one of those books that you don't want to put down. Max is a sexy German Millionaire and protects whats his fiercely. Nina is broke and holding down 2 jobs to pay the bills but she is kick ass with sass and can hold her own whilst giving as good as she gets. I did want to shake her a couple of times towards the end but she redeemed herself. The only little gripe I had overall was that I would like to have saw more drama with Max's family and ex Fiance as I felt they were to easy to get rid of. All in all though I still loved it enough for full marks and I can't wait to see what Nicole Williams writes next.

Reviewed by Claire Lamb


Nina can’t let herself fall in love with the man she’s going to marry. Both of them have experienced the sting and sham of love and have no intentions of falling victim to it twice. Love is expensive—hate is free.


Three years. A million dollars. A solution to both of their problems. They planned it all, from the story of their first meeting to the date of their divorce. Nothing could go wrong.

But what they didn’t consider was chemistry, and Nina and Max have no shortage of it. After too many near-kisses, Nina convinces herself that hating Max is better than loving him, and the more she gets to know this soon-to-be-husband of hers, the more she discovers just how very much she truly, madly, and deeply . . . hates him.

This isn’t a love story. This is the other kind.





Wednesday 21 December 2016

Review: The Trouble with Dukes (Windham Brides #1) by Grace Burrowes

****4 Stars****


Hamish, The Duke of Murdoch has survived many a battle and he has a reputation of a murderer and a feared man to thank for it. He is about to face his hardest challenge yet - a London Season. He'd do anything to make his sisters happy, so when they want a season, he can't refuse. The Ballroom proves a much riskier and more dangerous place than any battle he has been in previously.
Megan Windham cares little for gossip and refuses to believe the things she hears about her friends' brother Hamish. He may seem dark and brooding on the outside, but she sees something in him that she is instantly drawn to him. Sadly, she has a dangerous battle of her own she is secretly fighting and before she knows it, Hamish has been drawn into the fight. Good thing he is a master at fighting difficult battles.
I enjoyed this story tremendously. Megan and Hamish were both flawed and intriguing characters. Hamish suffered from PTSD (like many of Burrows' male leads) and Megan had poor eyesight, something you see so rarely in books and even more rarely in historicals. There was just enough drama in the plot to keep things interesting without taking away from the charming love story. This is the start of a new series for Burrows which actually is a spin off from her Windham series. It can definitely be read as a standalone, though you will see lots of familiar characters if you've read previous books.

Reviewed by Rosemary Feil


THEY CALL HIM THE DUKE OF MURDER...


The gossips whisper that the new Duke of Murdoch is a brute, a murderer, and even worse—a Scot. They say he should never be trusted alone with a woman. But Megan Windham sees in Hamish something different, someone different.

No one was fiercer at war than Hamish MacHugh, though now the soldier faces a whole new battlefield: a London Season. To make his sisters happy, he'll take on any challenge—even letting their friend Miss Windham teach him to waltz. Megan isn't the least bit intimidated by his dark reputation, but Hamish senses that she's fighting battles of her own. For her, he'll become the warrior once more, and for her, he might just lose his heart.






Review: Empire (Cartel #3) by Lili St. Germain

*****5 Stars*****


5 Nail biting stars
This is the third and what I assume is the final book of the Cartel Trilogy. It was also the one I was so scared to read (I even had a nightmare about Dornan), but oh boy was it worth it.
Mariana's story was briefly explained in the Gypsy Brothers series and anyone who has read that will know how things work out for Mariana and other characters, so the fact that I knew these things only made this an incredibly tense read for me.
This series has literally sucked me in and made me not only sympathise with Dornan, but actually have positive feelings towards him and that's where it has messed with my mind somewhat.
This book, I have to say was my favourite of the entire series and even though I thought I knew the story of not only Mariana, but John, Dornan, Juliette and Jason, this book gave me so much more than I ever thought possible.
As we are approaching the end of 2016, I am confident this will be one of my great reads of this year and definitely one I won't be forgetting in a hurry.

Reviewed by Louise Dale


The breathtaking finale to the USA Today bestselling Cartel trilogy.


I should have known it would always come down to this, from the very moment I laid eyes on him in that motel.

I should have known his salvation was too good to be true.

Because it's all gone now, the impossible, secret love I had for him bleeding away in the darkness that came afterwards.

Now there's only hate.

Now I just want to escape.

Even if it means I have to kill him to be free.

Before the Gypsy Brothers series there was the Cartel - from USA Today bestselling author Lili St Germain.






Sunday 18 December 2016

Review: Three Sweet Nothings (Blindfold Club #5) by Nikki Sloane

*****5 Stars*****


Nikki Sloane's Blinfold Club is hands down one of my all time favorite series currently being published. I look forward to each new story like a child waits for Christmas Morning. In Three Sweet Nothings, Sloane gives us a wonderfully written second chance romance with a smutty Blindfold Club twist as we have come to expect with this sexy and hot series.
This is Ruby and Kyle's story, Kyle is Payton's older brother. Ruby and Kyle dated in college. They were very much in love and pretty hot and heavy, but a misunderstanding led to them parting ways. Fast forward five years and both are now lawyers. Despite what they may have thought, when they reconnect they both realize the past is not as forgotten as they thought it was and the passion they shared is still there - in fact, given a little time, it soon smolders hotter than it ever did in the past!
Sloane does a wonderful job developing both Ruby and Kyle's characters and they had a believable relationship that was off the charts steamy and passionate (if you have read any other books in this series that will certainly not come as a surprise). Second chance romances tend to have ready made angst, but what I really liked was that that did not drag on and we get to the heart of the issue from their college days pretty quickly.
I have yet to read a Nikki Sloane book I have not loved and Three Sweet Nothings is no exception. I will say this is not my favorite book in the series, but it was certainly an enjoyable read. The other series characters didn't have a ton of page time here, but we did get to revisit them a little which always puts a smile on my face. Since I love this series so much, I strongly suggest new readers check out the previous stories. This one can definitely be read as a standalone though, so if you have not read a Nikki Sloane book, pick this one up! It can be your gateway drug into the wonderful highly passionate and incredibly fun Blindfold Club.

Reviewed by Rosemary Feil


Five years ago, we’d been together and on fire, but the flames burned us both. Now she’s back in my life and is all my wildest fantasies in the flesh. 

I want her. The desire is too powerful to argue against, but I’m not interested in what we had. This is an arrangement about pleasure and finding out who we are behind closed doors. There won’t be talk of love or any sweet nothings whispered by either of us. 

This time, I’ll control the heat and make sure neither of our hearts get too close to the flames.





Review: Swing (Landry Family #2) by Adriana Locke

*****5 Stars*****


This is the second book in the Landry Series but is a standalone and as such can be read without having to read Sway first though you’re missing out if you don’t read it. The series is based on the Landry family of four sons, of which Lincoln is the youngest. We got to meet Lincoln in the first book and he was an intriguing character to say the least so I was happy to read his story. 
Lincoln is a highly successful baseball player and as such has a cocky persona but I felt we got to see a sincerer side to him in Swing which I was pleasantly surprised at. He is experiencing an injury that has him questioning his future yet it also leads him to a chance meeting with Danielle so maybe not a bad thing. I loved his tenacity in pursuing Danielle that also showed a deeper side to Lincoln. 
I liked Danielle from the offset, she wears confidence like a suit of armour in her professional life but beneath it she is scarred by her relationship, or lack of, with her parents and by a previous relationship with an athletic type. So, it’s no surprise that she initially puts up a fight against Lincolns advances. My heart hurt for her knowing that Lincoln was part of this wonderful family and that was exactly what Danielle needed and wanted so I was glad to see the Landry family help win her over some. 
This is a pleasant easy read, a great push and pull story with not much angst and I loved the banter between Danielle and Lincoln which had me chuckling out loud. And of course, the pure hotness that Lincoln brings to the story. A great sport and family based romance and it was lovely to catch up with the rest of the Landry family. 
I am already looking forward to the rest of this series.


Reviewed by Vikki Ryan


Screw him and his perfect stats.
Sinful smirk.
Delicious body.
Lincoln Landry probably even has game-winning stamina.

I’d like to screw her and her perfect ass.
Dangerous curves. 
Sweet smile.
Danielle Ashley probably even has a game-changing personality.

There’s no denying the chemistry between them. It’s so fiery, it’s undeniable. They partake in it. Enjoy it. 
They really enjoy it. 
Attraction is not a problem. Nor is their banter, relationship status, or habits. That’s all fine. Perfect, actually. 
The problem is as tangled up as their sheets. 

A STANDALONE romantic comedy from USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Locke.



Amazon USA - http://amzn.to/2i2JYTm



Review: For All the Evers by Debra Anastasia

***3 Stars***


I loved Debra Anastasia's Poughkeepsie. I thought it was unique and well written. So I had high hopes that this book would be no different.
Whilst I found the storyline to be incredibly unique, to the point that I had to know how things concluded, that I'm afraid is where it ended for me.
It was the main character, Fallen Billow, where I started to have my doubts about this book. Her personality appeared too naive, obsessive to the point of annoyance and generally just weak, especially when it came to the character, Lad Orbit.
Lad was an awfully brilliant creation, but the way Fallen handled him was just not believable enough for my liking. For me, she had so much at stake, but to let him get away with the things he was doing, and that there were so many other options open to her which should have been obvious to her, just irritated me and didn't make me fall in love with her character at all. She also handled her alcoholic mother with the same lack of courage. There just seemed to be very little fight in her and for someone who has had a pretty tough life, when all is said and done, I expected someone with a tonne of fight in her.
The story itself read very much like a list for a large portion of the book. This paragraph, I think, explains what I mean:- ***Fallen excused herself and left soon after. Fenn’s ride was just pulling up as she stuck her key in the door at home. He looked exhausted. They had cereal for dinner and watched their favourite competition show before going to bed*** I found that this particular style of writing showed very little feeling in not only the story's execution, but also with the characters, who gave me very little emotion and for a book that was based around Thomas McHugh, a soldier fighting for his country. This book should have had me weeping buckets, or at least having me feel something towards it, but sadly I was too detached from most of the characters and certain events that happened throughout. It also didn't hold my interest for any lengthy periods of time and took me far too long to read by my usual timing standards.
I felt that towards the end things felt rushed and at times a little erratic in its delivery, however the ultimate ending itself finally caught my interest and it turns out that it was Thomas McHugh who turned out to be my favourite character of the entire book and now knowing how much this character meant to the author, it is clear to see why he stood out so much for me.

Reviewed by Louise Dale


Fallen Billow should be in college like most of her friends, but instead she’s raising her brother and working as a housekeeper at a vintage local hotel. It’s back-breaking work, but not nearly as challenging as fending off unwanted advances from the hotel’s owner. 

Thomas McHugh is fighting for our country, across the globe and decades before Fallen Billow was even born. So there’s no way they’re soul mates. There’s no way he can be desperate to see her, hold her, kiss her. Except there is. 

Is it a dream when he inks his name on her skin? Is it a delusion when she puts her hands on his face and says she loves him? Nothing has ever felt more real. 

Fate has etched paths for Thomas and Fallen that even time cannot touch. A Purple Heart proclaims Thomas’ valor and bravery. And his death. But Fallen dares to dream of the impossible. She wants Thomas to stay. Just stay. 

A tribute to all who have served our country, this novel honors the impossible beauty of love and the endless power of hope. Come open your heart and celebrate the many facets of bravery with Fallen and Thomas.

  

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2gLNj8r 
Amazon USA - http://amzn.to/2hbNw5W



Tuesday 13 December 2016

Review: Jaded Hearts (Loaded Replay #1) by Harper Sloan

*****5 Stars*****


This is a spin-off from the Hope Town series but can be read as a standalone. It features Chance who fans of the Hope Town series will know as being Cohen's friend who he used to be roommates with. Chance first gets a glimpse of our heroine, Wrenlee (beautiful name!) in one of the Hope Town books when he goes to a concert with Dani and the girls. I didn't make that connection at first until he mentions it during this book, I love how Harper's books are linked up this way, it gives me the warm and fuzzies to know that characters whose books we've previously read and loved are still going strong when we get any kind of small update on them in other books.

This book, even though it's connected to previous books, revolves around a whole new set of characters for us to get to know. Loaded Replay are a very successful band made up of Wrenlee and her brother Weston and their childhood friends Luke and Jamison. Chance enters their world when he interviews for the position of security for the band with the focus being Wrenlee due to some freaky obsessed fan stuff that had been brought to their attention.
Wrenlee is a sweet girl, she has a great sense of humour and despite being sweet offstage she's a complete rock goddess on stage. I loved the banter between her and the rest of the band. Out of the side characters Jamison is my favourite, and I'm super excited that his book is next, he's such a cheeky chap that it's charming.
Chance, the hero of this tale in every way, is just sinfully hot. He's one of the Corps Security boys so how can he not be? I think it's pretty much a prerequisite to being employed there!
This book is written is Harper's usual style, she has a way of putting a story together that makes it recognisable as being one of hers and guarantees that I don't even need to read the blurbs of her books to see if I'm interested in reading. I just know without a shadow of a doubt that if it has her name to it, I need it like yesterday. She's one of the top 10 in her genre for me and I can't recommend her books enough.


Reviewed by Steph Lewis


Signing with Brighthouse Records was supposed to be everything we ever wanted—our better life. Our chance at everything we never had but always wanted. All our dreams would finally come true and we were on top of the world. It was our chance at the happiness we never had in life.


Our every desire was at our fingertips and the power of that feeling was all consuming. But then it took every dream we thought would come true and it slapped us in the face with the cold hard reality.

Dreams were just that…something that floated on the cusp of untouchable, taunting you with every graze of your fingertips before slipping even further away. 

Happiness…that feeling is a joke.

In the end it became painfully obvious that each of us would always have each other, but we would forever be alone.