Review: The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 22nd 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ella and Micha series comes a gripping story of passion, pain, and the courage to love . . .

THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN

On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She’ll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there’s only one person who’s there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn’t do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila’s pretty princess image, Ethan can’t deny they have a deeper connection than he’s used to. If he’s not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he’s learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I didn’t like it as much as Ella and Micha’s story, even though I really, really wanted to. Lila and Ethan’s book was still enjoyable, just not as much as I expected it to be.

Lila and Ethan have very tragic, messed up pasts. For Lila, she’s had to live her whole life feeling unloved and unwanted by her parents, who are always disappointed in her no matter what she does. They want her to uphold their family’s image and reputation, regardless of how that makes Lila feel. And so she turns to boys, and then men, for sex, to feel the love and affection that she never had growing up.

For Ethan, he used to be a druggie with an even more messed up girlfriend named London. And after a tragic incident involving London, Ethan vowed to clean himself up and never get involved with drugs again. And thankfully, he’s the more clear-headed one between him and Lila. Ethan and Lila are the best friends of Micha and Ella, and now that Micha and Ella are finally together and living in San Diego, this leaves Ethan and Lila living near each other in Las Vegas.

Lila and Ethan try to be strictly friends, but… that never stays that way. 😉 There’s always this underlying tension between the two, and it’s like, Just get together, you two!! But they’re too afraid of losing each other’s friendships, and it’s not until Lila spirals down into abusing prescription drugs that Ethan finally decides to take matters into his own hands and help Lila.

Ethan is a badass, but he’s such a big sweetheart too! I really enjoyed his character, at least a lot more than Lila’s. Although Lila did start winning me over later on in the book. Lila and Ethan’s story is a very heartbreaking book to read, because their whole lives have been filled with nothing but pain.

“Everyone’s messed up.” I reach forward and slowly wipe away some of the tears running down her cheek with my fingertips. “In their very own fucked-up way, a lot of people just won’t admit it aloud and then try to change it.” I reduce the space between us and place a hand on her arm. “But you’ve done both of those, which makes you so fucking strong, Lila. I wish you could see that. You’re strong and amazing and beautiful and you deserve so much more than sitting on a bathroom floor in a skanky bar. You deserve to have an amazing life.”

But along the way, the two fall for each other, and they make each other whole. They finally find someone to care about, even love, who returns those feelings. I love the banter between the two, and I enjoyed their deep, meaningful conversations just as much. These two have a different kind of love than Ella and Micha, but it’s just as real and heartfelt.

3 hearts.

Reading Order: The Secret series

#0.5 ~ The Prelude of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
#1 ~ The Secret of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Forever of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Ever After of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 18, 2014)

7Dec2013

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: Out of Time by Jen McLaughlin

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Out of Time by Jen McLaughlin
Series: Out of Line #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: December 1st 2013

Desperate to keep him…

I’ve finally gotten everything I ever wanted: love, freedom, happiness, and, most importantly, Finn. Our love is everything I expected it to be and more. We’ve finally found each other, but the world seems determined to tear us apart. We thought my father was the only obstacle between us, but now it’s the military. With Finn’s departure looming, we’re squeezing in every moment together before we run out of time.

Trying to make every moment count…

Being Carrie’s bodyguard was one thing. Being her boyfriend is another. Every day she’s mine is a day the sun shines in my life. Yet our time together is running out. Her father will never think a tattooed Marine will be good enough, so I’ll do whatever it takes to be worthy of her love. But the road will take me away from the girl who makes me feel alive–the girl I can’t live without.

Time only gets us so far…

Buy Links:
Amazon • B&N

Out of Line ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, with Finn receiving an ominous text, but Finn and Carrie are finally together for good. Out of Line was only an okay read for me, but I ended up really liking and enjoying Out of Time. Carrie was a much more likable heroine, and Finn really steps up his sweetness. They are finally not afraid to show their feelings and love for each other, and they make such a strong, adorable couple.

Still, Finn and Carrie have to keep their relationship a secret from Carrie’s father because he’s completely overbearing and protective of his daughter. He has a high position in politics, and because of an incident that occurred when Carrie was young, she’s smothered by her parents and by bodyguards. Her father needs to have protection for her 24/7, and since Finn is part of her security, they can’t let her father know about their relationship otherwise Finn will end up fired. In Out of Time, Carrie’s parents play a much bigger role in their lives, and they cause complications that Carrie and Finn have to deal with.

Carrie and Finn have grown throughout these two novels, and in Out of Time, we get to see a much more intimate side of their relationship. We feel how much they need each other, and how much they love each other. Carrie and Finn will do anything for each other, and I loved how their relationship changes and matures. They are good for one another, and bring out the best in each other. With Finn, Carrie is finally free to be herself, without her parents hovering and being overprotective. With Carrie, Finn finds the best things in life because of her. He’s protective of her, and time and again shows how much he’ll do for her. But Finn is still a bit insecure about himself. He feels he doesn’t deserve Carrie, that she deserves someone better than some tattooed surfer. They argue sometimes, but Carrie always lets him know that she loves him for who he is. I loved that about their relationship. They want and love each other for who they are, and nothing else–bad or otherwise–matters as long as they have each other.

Told from both Carrie’s and Finn’s POV, Out of Time is a great, moving sequel. The romance is wonderful, and the story will keep you hooked from start to finish. So many emotions play out for Finn and Carrie, but their journey is one you shouldn’t miss. I’d definitely recommend this series if you’re a fan of new adult contemporary romances.

You can see the rest of the tour stops on the blog tour here.

Reading Order: Out of Line series

#1 ~ Out of Line: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Out of Time: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Out of Mind: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Jen McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, came out September 2013. She also writes bestselling Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts.Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Jen is giving away 4 $10 Amazon Gift Cards and an amazing grand prize! The grand prize winner will get to help name a character in book 3 of the series, and will get their name in the acknowledgement section of the book! Contest is international.

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3Dec2013

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Covert Assignment by Missy Marciassa
Publication date: December 2nd 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Covert Assignment is a New Adult, Coming of Age Novel with a strong romantic element. Elle is ready for graduation and full-fledged adulthood: no more living like the leftover of her parent’s divorce. She’s about to graduate with her degree in Information Science (the 21st century term for Library Science) and has a ten-year plan as well-designed as any model for analyzing metadata: earn her JD/MBA, enjoy a couple of years as a single professional, then marry her college sweetheart, Adam, and start her own family.

Yet Elle feels like she returned to an alternate universe her final semester. There are pictures of Adam with a classmate who must be surgically enhanced, but he insists he wants Elle. CIA recruiters show up on campus, and they aren’t just interested in recruiting Elle for future employment: turns out she’s already working for them since they’re funding her thesis. Hot operative Preston Raddick is tasked to work with her. Preston isn’t just hot: he’s hot for Elle, but is he offering happy ever after or happy for right now? A fling with Preston could be the beginning of a new life plan, which is exciting and scary, especially with espionage thrown in. Elle needs a predictive model to tell her which decisions have the greater likelihood for happiness…

Covert Assignment is about the unexpected turns life can take when making “adult” decisions.

Purchase:
Amazon

Covert Assignment was a surprisingly short and fun read!

Elle is in her last year of college, and she finds out that Adam, her boyfriend of two years, has cheated on her. But she’s more angry than heartbroken. And then she goes to class and meets CIA recruiters, one of whom is a sexy CIA operative, Preston Raddick. Elle is a complete nerd (but an adorable one) and it turns out that she’s been unknowingly working for the CIA through her thesis. And now they’ve come to ask her for help and she agrees.

Throughout the book, Adam keeps coming back to Elle and groveling, begging her to take him back. She’s angry, but she’s still not quite ready to let him go. If she breaks up with Adam, then she feels like she’ll be alone. But then she starts being with Preston more, and thoughts of Adam are completely out of her head. Preston is a nice guy with great qualities–he’s a badass CIA operative, he can be sweet and supportive, and he can be sexy when he wants to. So of course Elle would develop feelings for him.

I really enjoyed the feel of the college atmosphere of the book, and Elle’s braininess. I hadn’t expected to have an in depth look at the CIA and its operations, but it was a lovely surprise. Covert Assignment was a unique and refreshing read. And towards the end, there’s a lot of action taking place. Everything builds up, everything’s intense, and the book ends with a bang. All loose ends are tied up, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Missy Marciassa loved getting lost in novels from the time she could read, so it’s no surprise she wanted to write. Her very first “novels” were re-writing the books she read to get the endings she wanted in second grade. Missy continued to read and write through grade school and high school.

After becoming rather disillusioned with fiction after writing literary criticism as an English major in college, however, Missy focused on her enjoyment of learning about people and studied psychology. Reading fiction fell to the wayside with all the reading and writing required for college and graduate school, but once Missy became a doctoral candidate, she rediscovered her love of fiction. Then she started getting the urge to write, an urge that wouldn’t go away (she refuses to diagnose it as a compulsion). Covert Assignment is the end result of that urge.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

Prize (open internationally):
$25 Visa gift card

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29Nov2013

Review: If You Stay by Courtney Cole

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

If You Stay by Courtney Cole
Series: Beautifully Broken #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 5th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

For fans of Jessica Sorensen, J.A. Redmerski, and Abbi Glines…

Twenty-four-year-old Pax Tate is an asshole. Seriously. He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad boy with a tough attitude to match. His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with an intense guilt that he doesn’t understand. What he does know is that he and his dad were left alone, and they have never been close. Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the black void in his soul. He pretends that the emptiness isn’t there and this has always worked . . . until he meets Mila.

Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air that Pax has never known in his life. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her-but he quickly realizes that he’d better figure it out because he needs her to breathe. When the memories of his mother’s death resurface to haunt Pax, Mila is there to save him from his overwhelming guilt. Mila restores his broken heart, even as she evokes his powerful, sexual desires. Now for Pax to keep Mila, he needs to work on his issues-and stop being an asshole. But is that enough to make her stay?

I’m feeling pretty ambivalent about this book. I should have loved it, but I didn’t. I still really liked reading it, but I didn’t connect very much with it. If You Stay was the perfect setup for me–a bad boy with a tragic past who changes for the girl he loves, but it just didn’t click, and I’m not very sure why.

Pax is a bad boy. He’s a jerk and he knows it. He doesn’t care much for life, and he drinks and whores his way through it. And then one day he takes it too far, and overdoses on drugs. Mila finds him like this, dying, and calls the ambulance, saving his life. And even though the two of them should never come across each other again–the rich, spoiled bad boy, and the sweet, innocent artist–Pax and Mila do. They connect with one another in a way they’ve never felt before, and while their romance is sweet and a little heart-wrenching, I felt very apart from the story. I wasn’t as immersed in it as much as I wanted to be, and although it got better later on as I kept reading, it still wasn’t enough to make me love this book.

Pax is the quintessential redeeming bad boy who does a 180 once he falls in love. I wasn’t too much of a fan of his in the beginning of the book (like, wow, if you’ve read If You Stay–what a way to start a book), but he grew on me. He shows his sweet, warm, loving side once Mila gets under his skin and into his heart. He truly has a good heart, but life dealt him a shitty hand. If You Stay is mostly his story, though the book is told in both his and Mila’s POVs. We learn about Pax’s tragic, heart-wrenching past, and how he deals with it with Mila by his side.

Mila is the perfect girl for Pax. She’s got a touch of innocence in her, but she’s strong for Pax when he needs her to be. She tries to keep Pax at a distance because of his reputation as a bad boy, but slowly, she gets to know the real Pax and falls in love with him. And although their journey towards their happily ever after isn’t without its bumps, they try their hardest to make is work.

I love that besides the romance, there’s deeper meaning to the story. That no matter how broken you are, you can always find it in yourself to be happy. You can get help and fix yourself, but only if you allow yourself to be fixed. I really loved the way Courtney Cole integrated this into If You Stay, and her writing is phenomenal. I’d definitely recommend this book for the writing, and Courtney Cole’s perfect bad boy hero.

3 hearts! Although there were some parts that were 3.5-4, but I’m going to go with a 3 because I was expecting to love it more.

Reading Order: Beautifully Broken series

#1 ~ If You Stay: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ If You Leave: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Until We Burn: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Before We Fall: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Until We Fly: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

28Nov2013

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: Undertow by K.R. Conway

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Click the banner to see the rest of the tour stops!

Undertow (Undertow #1) by K.R. Conway
Release Date: 10/18/13

Luckless Eila is unknowingly the last of her kind: Rare. Gifted. Breakable. Stunning Raef is her kind’s historic enemy: Soulless. Lethal. Lost. A legendary death 160 years before would set their lives to collide, forcing a beautiful killer to become a savior, a simple wallflower to become a warrior, and ruthless destiny to become a death sentence.

SUMMARY:
High school senior Eila Walker knows that good luck skips over her like an Easter Bunny on Speed. So when she inherits her grandmother’s million-dollar Cape Cod home, she is downright shocked. And yeah, her new town isn’t perfect: the cheerleaders are heinous clones, the local undertow can kill ya, and her Great Grams was supposedly fried by lightning in the harbor square. Still, Eila is hopeful her luckless days are in the past . . . until history decides to repeat itself.

A self-proclaimed loner and previous-social reject, Eila thinks she’s hit the jackpot when drool-worthy Raef O’Reilly becomes her friendly, yet weirdly protective shadow. But being hauled beneath the waves by an unnatural undertow slams the brakes on bliss – especially when Raef storms to her aid with coal-black eyes and iron-like strength.

Eila, entirely freaked, demands an explanation and Raef comes clean, revealing that neither of them are average humans but rather the genetic remnants of an angelic pissing-match gone wrong. Eila supposedly can channel the power of human souls, while Raef is quite adept at stealing them. Even worse, the legend about her ancestor isn’t such a myth, since Eila’s grandmother was one kick-ass warrior until her lightning-like power backfired. A power that is written all over Eila’s DNA.

Now sought by Raef’s own family for her destructive ability, Eila must trust him to watch her back. But when a quest for information goes terribly wrong, Eila is suddenly left with only two options: become a weapon for the enemy or follow in her Gram’s fearless footsteps to save those she loves. Unfortunately she needs a willing enemy to ignite her suicidal energy and the only one she trusts has been guarding her butt and scorching her lips.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Kobo

What readers are saying:

WOrkS of FiCTioN – “All in all Undertow is a great book that not only keeps you guessing, but doesn’t let you set it down. I loved the characters and their interactions and definitely hoping for a continuation of their story.”

Reading Diva – “This series takes paranormal somewhere I haven’t been as a reader and I can’t wait to spend more time at the Cape or wherever Eila’s journey takes her. Do I recommend this book? Yes, Yes, Yes, and YES!” (TOP PICK winner)

Book Talks by the Library Lady – “I could not put this one down! Even when I needed to put it down, I had to almost immediately pick it back up. It took mere hours for me to read this entire book and I am truly ticked that Eila’s next story won’t be published until July 2014. I don’t want to wait for this story to continue! This is an addictive read.”

Undertow surprised me, but in a very good way! There was a little of everything–an intriguing world with strange, fascinating beings, a sweet romance, and an edge-of-your-seat mystery. I enjoyed reading this book, and though I didn’t connect much with the characters, I found the story very interesting and the twists and turns kept me hooked and guessing.

Eila Walker has inherited an enormous, beautiful house in Cape Cod from a mysterious benefactor. She and her guardian move to the new house, and Eila has to attend a new school. She makes friends with a jokester named M.J., and his friend Ana. And on the first day of school, she meets a mysterious, gorgeous boy named Raef. She and Raef have a connection with one another, but Eila doesn’t know what to make of it, while Raef seems to know what’s going on between them, and he seems to be more than he is.

Undertow had a slightly vampire-themed feel to it, in that there this secretive mystery surrounding Raef, but luckily, Undertow is not a vampire book, and we don’t have to wait long to find out what Raef–and Eila–truly is. Raef is what’s known as a Mortis, a soul-sucking creature, and Eila is a descendent of the Lunaterra, beings that are meant to fight the Mortis. So Raef and Eila are meant to be enemies (star-crossed lovers!) and their relationship has a forbidden feel to it, but they make it, or at least try to make it work anyways. They grow to care and love each other, and Raef is very protective of Eila in the sweetest way.

The paranormal part of the story really intrigued me. It’s the usual good vs. evil, but I really liked how K.R. Conway played it out. I couldn’t guess what would happen next, and the tension and mystery built up very nicely. Overall, Undertow is a good paranormal read, and I’ll be looking forward to the sequel.

I have been a journalist for 15 years and serve on the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Writers Center. I also drive a 16-ton school bus because I am ENTIRELY NUTS.

In addition to working jobs that should come with a warning label , I hold a BA in Psychos (Forensic Psych), torment the tourists about Jaws, and occasionally jump from the Town Neck bridge in an attempt to reclaim my youth.

I live on Cape Cod with two smallish humans who apparently are my kids, my fishing- obsessed husband, two canines (adept at both flatulence and snoring), and a cage-defiant lovebird that sleeps in a miniature tent. Nope – that’s not a type-o. The bird is quite the indoor camper.

Website • Goodreads • Twitter • Facebook

2 – Signed print copies of Undertow (US only)
1 – ebook of Undertow (INT)

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