Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Confess by Colleen Hoover
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 10th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

Colleen Hoover is, without a doubt, my top favorite author of all time. I’ve loved every book she’s ever published. She just has this way of writing these unique, heartfelt, romantic, utterly captivating novels that rip your heart out and stomp on it and then mend it back together. So yeah, her books aren’t exactly easy on the heart to read, but that’s why I love them. She creates characters that are so achingly flawed but real, who you can’t help but love and adore. Her writing is impeccable as always. And I’m happy to say Confess is another win from Colleen Hoover! I honestly don’t think there’s a book she can write that I won’t love. Confess is a beautiful, heartwarming, magical book I wholeheartedly enjoyed.

“They’re all confessions,” I say in awe. “Are these from actual people? People you know?”
He shakes his head and motions toward the front door. “They’re all anonymous. People leave their confessions in the slot over there, and I use some of them as inspiration for my art.”

Okay, first off, I am just so in awe of how Colleen Hoover is able to think up such unique, mind-blowing, twist-y storylines. Every time I pick up a CoHo book, I finish thinking, “This is why she’s the author and I’m the reader.” With Confess, we have a hero who creates art based on confessions. The confessions themselves take a life of their own in this book. Some are gut-wrenching, others are heartwarming, but each and every one of them is painstakingly real, because they ARE real. Right before the prologue, the author notes that the confessions are “true confessions, submitted anonymously by readers.” Basically, before the book even starts, Colleen Hoover already has me intrigued, and she manages to keep me hooked throughout the rest of the book.

I could tell her how I know her. Make her realize why I have this overwhelming urge to protect her. But some secrets I’ll take to my grave, and this is definitely one of them.

Auburn Reed has just moved to Texas and is in desperate need of a job. Coincidently, she sees a “Help Wanted” sign at a place called Confess. It’s there she meets Confess’s owner Owen Mason Gentry (OMG – is that not the cutest thing ever?) for the first time, though we know from Owen’s POV that it’s not the first time Owen has met Auburn. I loved how multi-faceted Auburn and Owen are. On the surface, Auburn is the kind of girl who is introverted and doesn’t open up to people. Owen is funny, sweet, and a little boyish and charming. But as we read more, we also delve deeper into their characters, and they become all the more interesting. Both are holding secrets, Owen more so than Auburn, and I was absolutely riveted to this book as they open up and their secrets are slowly revealed.

Some secrets should never turn into confessions. I know that better than anyone.

There’s a fierce, undeniable connection Auburn and Owen both feel and can’t deny, but as much as they want a relationship, it’s too complicated as they get caught up in between the truth and lies. Hearts get broken and it gets even more difficult for them to be together, no matter how PERFECT they are for each other. And they really are meant to be together. This book was a roller coaster of emotions – I was giggly and so happy for Owen and Auburn when they’re together, because they make the sweetest and most adorable couple ever; and then I was so heartbroken over the unfavorable circumstances they were in. God, Colleen Hoover really made my heart hurt for the both of them.

“Sometimes we don’t get second chances, Owen. Sometime things just end.”

I confess (hehe) that this isn’t my new favorite of Colleen Hoover’s – the plot does drag on for a bit in the middle of the book, which was frustrating – but nonetheless, it was an absolute delight to read. It is gorgeously written, and the characters are portrayed so honestly and endearingly. And as many heartbreaking moments there are in this book, there are also so many beautiful, tender moments between Owen and Auburn that make you sigh and go Aawwww. I freaking adored this book! Reading Confess has only cemented my love for Colleen Hoover – she really can write anything and I won’t hesitate to read it. Everyone needs to read Confess!

My mother says there are people you meet and get to know, and then there are people you meet and already know. I feel like Owen is the latter.

4.5 (OMG I love this book) hearts!

Also by Colleen Hoover

Slammed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Maybe Someday: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Ugly Love: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
November 9: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
It Ends with Us: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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23Feb2015

Release Day Review: By Any Other Name by J.M. Darhower

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

By Any Other Name by J.M. Darhower
Series: Forbidden #1
Publication Date: February 23rd 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.

Genevieve “Genna” Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it’s engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following.

Matteo “Matty” Barsanti never wanted anything to do with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things are expected of him. It’s his duty, according to his father, to help take down the enemy… even if that enemy means something to him.

A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives, causing the biggest trouble of Genna’s young life. The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti. She’s heard it said time and time again. So what happens when she falls in love with one of them?

The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can survive their parents’ feud.

It seems that every time I finish a book by J.M. Darhower, all I can feel or say is OH MY GOOOODDD!!! J.M. Darhower is one of the few authors I trust to give me a well-written, fleshed-out, and addictive mafia story, and she has yet to let me down. Her newest one, By Any Other Name, definitely lived up to my expectations. I freaking loved this book! If you haven’t read a mafia story based on Romeo and Juliet, you haven’t lived yet.

A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.

Seriously, I was nearly salivating at the thought of reading a mafia story with a forbidden love like Romeo and Juliet’s. Two rival mafia families whose children fall in love with each other? YES PLEASE!!

“The Prodigal Son and the Ice Princess, huh? Sounds like a terrible fairy tale. You know, the kind where the big bad wolf eats everybody at the end.”

The Barsantis and the Galantes are enemies. What used to be a friendship turned into a bloodthirsty rival, with too many deaths and murders between them for the two families to ever reconcile. Genna Galante’s older brother was killed by the Barsantis, so she grew up fearing and hating the Barsantis. I was very impressed by how the author was able to portray the hatred as a real, powerful thing between the families. It’s a frustrating kind of hatred that the families brought upon themselves, but, like the star-crossed main characters, I held onto the hope that the rivalry could end. But what exactly would it take to end their feud?

When Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti meet, they don’t know who they are to each other, so instead of hating each other on sight, they’re instantly attracted to one another. I didn’t connect with them very well in the beginning – they fell for each other too quickly for my taste, but I was able to forgive that as I kept reading. Their romance felt more genuine later on in the book, and my heart was aching for them once their identities were revealed. They were too deeply into each other at that point, so the only thing they could do was keep their relationship a secret.

He was a Barsanti…
…but maybe the Barsantis weren’t the enemy.

Oh, how I adored Genna and Matty. Once I got over the rough start with them, I was rooting for these star-crossed lovers to get their happy ever after. But every time it seemed like their relationship could work, their families got involved and tried to force them apart. I adored the tender way Matty and Genna were together – they make the sweetest couple ever, and it’s so obvious that these two are meant for each other. But how will they ever make their families see the same?

By Any Other Name was an unputdownable, heart-pounding read that had my on the edge of my seat! The suspense builds and builds, and this was one of the few books where I was terrified for the main characters. Genna and Matty’s love is caught in the middle of a dangerous feud, but theirs is a love that won’t go down without a fight. I grew attached to the main characters, as well as the secondary characters. The writing is impeccable and the story is seriously addicting. This is another thrilling, dangerous, romantic novel from J.M. Darhower! I cannot WAIT for the sequel!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

19Feb2015

Review: Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: December 12th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Love is a circus

“Every day,” he says lowly, “I hold a person’s life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me.”

The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future–acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world.

Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.

This sexy and exhilarating New Adult Romance can best be described as Cirque du Soleil meets the steamy, athletic romance of Center Stage.

I am so. in. loooove with Krista & Becca Ritchie’s books!!! They are one of the few authors I can trust – they can literally write anything and I will not hesitate to read it. Their Addicted series is one of my TOP favorite series in the whole wide world, so of course I had to read their standalone!

Amour Amour was SO MUCH FUN to read!!!! It was an exhilarating, unique, inspiring, sexy book that I couldn’t put down! I fell in love with the characters and their stories. I honestly wished it would never end, and I’m a bit sad that it’s a standalone. It ends fantastically but… I wanted more!!!

“You have one year left at college,” he says, “and you’re going to throw it all away?”
I shake my head. “It’s the opposite,” I tell him. “My life is just beginning.”

Our heroine, Thora James, gives up everything to move to Las Vegas for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She wants to audition for a role as an acrobat in the show Amour, but it is NOT easy. First, she has to deal with the fallout of leaving college, her family, and her best friend to take a chance at something she could absolutely fail at. I, for one, was so impressed with Thora. If I were in her shoes, I sure as hell wouldn’t have the guts to go through what she did.

Lucky for her, on the first day of Thora’s move to Vegas, she meets the leading performer of Amour, Nikolai Kotova, at his after-show. He offers to train Thora, and Thora now has to endure grueling, exhausting practices with the sexiest man she’s ever met. Nikolai six feet five inches of raw, masculine power. In Thora’s own words:

He is power. Man. And strength. He is charm and desire and indestructible things.

I adooored Nikolai!! He’s a bit standoffish in the beginning, but when he and Thora keep up with training and spend more time in and out of practices, they warm up to each other. Their romance is fairly slow paced, but it’s genuine and there is a wicked hot chemistry between them. I loved the dynamics between Thora and Nikolai when they were together. They’re funny, tender, sexy, and they felt so real to me that I wished they existed in real life! I loved how Nikolai is so supportive of Thora and her dreams. He definitely stole my heart.

“The things greater than us, Thora, they’re not impossible. It’s just fear talking, telling you that you can’t when you can. I know you can.”

The most fascinating part of Amour Amour is definitely the world of the circus. I was utterly immersed in the circus life, and I applaud the authors for doing such an incredible job of introducing something that I knew nothing about and not letting it be too overwhelming. The circus came to life in this book, and I was riveted the entire time.

The Kotovas, Nikolai’s family, also make up a large part of the story. Timo, Katya, and Luka are Nikolai’s younger siblings who are also part of the circus life. They’re so full of life and character, and it’s so easy to be charmed by them, as Thora was. Thora came to Vegas completely alone, but now, with the Kotovas, she’s created a new family.

It’s tough going for Thora as she continues on with auditions, and my heart was aching with her mounting frustrations. If she fails, she’ll have given up everything with nothing to show for it. But if she succeeds and lands a role, she’ll have to leave Nikolai. But can she leave Nikolai if she’s fallen in love with him?

“Don’t love me more than your dreams, myshka. Because I love you too much to let you give them up for me.”

I loved this book. It’s a fantastic read about chasing your dreams and never giving up on them. The writing is impeccable and the story had me hooked. It did take me a while to warm up to all the characters, but once I did, I fell in love with each one of them. Krista & Becca Ritchie’s characters all take a life of their own and manage to steal my heart. I highly recommend Amour Amour – the story and characters will sweep you away!

4.5 hearts – nearly perfect!

Check out the interview I had with Krista & Becca for the Amour Amour blog tour!

9Feb2015

Early Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 10th 2015
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard’s sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king’s palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

WOW!!! I loved this book!

So Red Queen has been getting a lot of hype, and it is very well deserved! I practically devoured this book – it did take me a while to get into it, but once I hit that groove, I couldn’t put it down.

I haven’t read fantasy books in a long while, but reading Red Queen reminded me of all the reasons I love the genre (and that I should get back to reading it some more). Victoria Aveyard has created a fresh, unique world that meshes magic and politics and has created an epic tale I highly enjoyed. This is definitely a book you don’t want to miss!

In a world where the rich and powerful are magic users are called Silvers and the poor and non-magic users are called Reds, Mare Barrow is part of the latter group. She and her family are of the lower class, constantly taken advantage of by the Silvers. Mare wants to be able to support her family, but all she’s good at is picking pockets. With the day of her conscription to the army looming before her, she tries to find a way out of it, and somehow winds up saved as a servant to the royal house. And just when there couldn’t be more surprises, Mare discovers that she herself has magic powers, even though as a Red, she should have been fully incapable of having any powers.

From now until the end of your days, you must lie. Your life depends on it, little lightning girl.

What ensues is a game of life-or-death for Mare, as she struggles to keep herself alive among the powerful and corrupted Silvers. She uses her newfound position to help a rebel cause, the Scarlet Guard, to try and create a better world for the Reds. In between learning to enhance her power, a budding romance with a Silver prince, and enemies who want to kill her, Mare has to find a way to stay alive in a world where anyone can betray anyone.

I struggled in the beginning of this book. There was just too much information too fast, but once I got the hang of it, I was quickly swept away by the world, the writing, and the characters. I was hooked onto the story – it’s an unputdownable, heart-pounding read! Victoria Aveyard wrote a fantastic debut. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Red Queen series

#0.5 ~ Queen Song: Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 1, 2015)
#1 ~ Red Queen: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Steel Scars: Ebook • Goodreads (Jan. 5, 2016)
#2 ~ Glass Sword: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads (Feb. 9, 2016)

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7Feb2015

Release Day Review: Tight by Alessandra Torre

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Tight by Alessandra Torre
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

I was happy in my small town. In my life as a single, thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.

I also hadn’t got laid in three years. Hadn’t been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and wearing makeup… a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He flipped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

The word ‘tight’ has twenty-two definitions, but my favorite is Webster’s fifth – “a bond which cannot be broken.”

Oh. My. God!!! What a book! I stayed up all night reading Tight. It was surprising how fast I devoured this book – I honestly couldn’t put it down!

This is the first book I’ve read from Alessandra Torre, which I am totally ashamed about – I wish I read some of her books earlier because her writing rocks! Apparently Tight is a bit different than her previous books, but from what I’ve read, it was freaking awesome already. The storyline was one giant mindfuck, and I loved it. Tight is a deeply romantic book about strength and survival – it takes you on one wild ride from start to finish. I nearly couldn’t keep up with this book!

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

So… who the hell is her??? I had my suspicions about who ‘her’ was, but this book still kept me on the edge of my toes, kept me wondering and guessing. I’m still thinking about this book days later – Tight is definitely the kind of book that stays with you!

Our heroine, Riley, is a small-town girl from Florida. She’s a happy girl, content with her life, but everything changes when she meets Brett while on a trip for her friend’s bachelorette party. Brett is handsome, sexy, rich, and enigmatic – she knows pretty much nothing about him except how much he wants her and she wants him. What begins as a one-night-stand turns into so much more as Riley and Brett can’t keep their thoughts away from each other and decide to pursue an actual relationship. It’s a warm, blooming romance between these two as they fall in love – Brett spoils Riley and takes her on exotic trips. He’s pretty much the perfect guy… except he has some secrets.

Though Tight is told mostly in Riley’s POV, we also have the occasional chapter in Brett’s POV as well as the mysterious ‘her’ from the blurb. I don’t want to tell you more because it’s best to go in blind. Just know that nothing in this book is expected – my mind was going all over the place, trying to think up answers to all my questions about the story and the characters.

I applaud Alessandra Torre for her masterful storytelling. It was brilliant and wonderfully executed, and I was also a HUGE fan of the writing. Ms. Torre nails the suspense in this one – I read Tight in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down! As I was nearing the climax of the book, my heart was pounding and I was nearly breathless. The ending was flawless and utterly satisfying. I highly recommend this book!

The only reason why I can’t give a full 5 hearts is because of how I didn’t connect with Riley or Brett. I liked them well enough, and I loved the story, but they just didn’t have that spark that would make me love a character. Still, I was too wrapped up in the story to mind too much.

If you’re a fan of books that perfectly balance romance and gripping, nail-biting suspense, Tight is for you!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Also by Alessandra Torre

Black Lies: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Sex Love Repeat: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Hollywood Dirt: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Love, Chloe: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Moonshot: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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