ARC Review: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 6th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold…

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast….

I’ve missed hockey romances so much! I haven’t read one in quite a while, so Rookie Move came at the perfect time. Plus, this one is a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes, so how could I NOT enjoy it? If you’re a fan of the author or second chance romances, you need to get your hands on this book. It’s full of fun, flirty banter, a wicked sexy hero with a dirty mouth, and a sweet romance that will make your heart flutter. I seriously ADORED this book, and I can’t wait for more of the series!

Damn, how he’d missed her. This was too much and yet not enough, either. He deepened the kiss, stroking her cheek with his thumb, his groin tightening at the feel of her skin under his hand. She tasted like the happiest years of his life.
She tasted like his.

Six years ago, Georgia Worthington broke both her and her high school sweetheart’s hearts when she left him. They haven’t spoken or heard from each other since, but right when Georgia is trying to prove her position as the Brooklyn Bruisers’ publicist, none other than Leo Trevi, the one love of her life, gets traded to the team. Georgia won’t let anything get in the way of her job, but Leo is hard to resist, so she has to avoid him as much as necessary. But Leo has other plans, one of which includes winning the love of his life back…

“It’s exactly this easy. You and me, alone together. There’s not one thing about it that’s complicated. You’re mine, Georgia Worthington. I don’t care what your fucking dad thinks. I spent six years trying to get over you, and it didn’t take. Our time is now.”

I had so much fun reading Rookie Move. It’s the perfect summery read – a heartwarming romance that will make you smile, some delicious chemistry that heats up the pages, and wonderful characters you can’t get enough of. I loved Leo so, so much. His dedication and love for Georgia, even after all those years, has never waned. He is the SWEETEST hero you will ever meet – and his being a hockey player is just a plus. 😉 And Georgia herself is such a strong, independent woman, despite what happened to her in the past that caused her to break up with Leo. I felt for her, I hurt for her, I was happy for her. She made me feel so many emotions! These two are brilliant characters by themselves, but together, they are like magic.

This isn’t quite the 5 star read for me, because the third person POV isn’t my favorite, and I couldn’t really connect with the characters as much as I wish I did. But this is totally a me thing, and I have no doubt that tons of other readers will love this first Brooklyn Bruisers novel. I’m so excited to see what Sarina Bowen has in store for us next in the series! (And can Nate and Becca PLEASE have a book!?)

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

Reading Order: Brooklyn Bruisers series

#1 ~ Rookie Move: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Hard Hitter: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Jan. 3, 2017)
#3 ~ Pipe Dreams: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (May 2, 2017)

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7Sep2016

ARC Review: Too Wild to Tame by Tessa Bailey

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Too Wild to Tame by Tessa Bailey
Series: Romancing the Clarksons #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 6th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sometimes you just can’t resist playing with fire . . .

By day, Aaron Clarkson suits up, shakes hands, and acts the perfect gentleman. But at night, behind bedroom doors, the tie comes off and the real Aaron comes out to play. Mixing business with pleasure got him fired, so Aaron knows that if he wants to work for the country’s most powerful senator, he’ll have to keep his eye on the prize. That’s easier said than done when he meets the senator’s daughter, who’s wild, gorgeous, and 100 percent trouble.

Grace Pendleton is the black sheep of her conservative family. Yet while Aaron’s presence reminds her of a past she’d rather forget, something in his eyes keeps drawing her in. Maybe it’s the way his voice turns her molten. Or maybe it’s because deep down inside, the ultra-smooth, polished Aaron Clarkson might be more than even Grace can handle . . .

Has there been a Tessa Bailey book I haven’t enjoyed!? I think not. I’ve been loving the two Romancing the Clarksons books (but I have a feeling the next two will be the ones to SLAY ME) and already I want more! Rita Clarkson got her HEA in the previous book, and now it’s Aaron’s turn. But this man doesn’t fall for a well-mannered girl who would fit his politician persona – instead, Aaron falls head over heels for a hippie… and the daughter of a senator.

“Moments, Aaron. This is one of them. Come live in it with me.” She brushed some snow out of his hair, soft fingertips grazing his ear. “Please?”

Aaron is the classic politician – perfectly coifed, put together, and well, a little fake. His entire career, he’s been putting on a persona that he doesn’t even recognize anymore. And now that his career is in jeopardy, he’s got to do everything he can to salvage it, because if he’s not a politician anymore, who is he? But the one thing standing in his way of succeeding is the one girl who’s capable of turning him inside out, who happens to be the daughter of the man he’s working for.

Grace Pendleton is the black sheep of the family. She’s not the typical politician’s daughter – instead, she acts out for what she believes in, almost always making trouble for her senator father to cover up. Grace is free-spirited and full of life, but she’s also got scars from her past that she doesn’t let bring her down. I adored Grace. She was a heroine I totally felt for, and wished was real so I could know her in real life. Her free nature and wild spirit is a little inspiring, and it’s those exact things that drew Aaron to her. Their chemistry is just as wild as Grace is, and despite how much Aaron tries to resist, he can’t. But he’s still got walls around his heart that won’t let him be all in with the one he wants – so can Grace break them down or will he lose the best thing that’s ever happened to him?

“… I’m yours. Wherever I am, I’ll be yours, baby, hippie, Grace. My Grace. Your Aaron.”

Aaron and Grace brought out all the heartache and swoons in me. I was hooked onto their romance, and for once I wasn’t too frustrated with the back and forth and ups and downs between them. Their struggles felt honest and real to me, but what made it better was all the support they had from the rest of the Clarksons (and Sage, who I’d say is an honorary Clarkson anyway). I loved getting to know more about Peggy, Belmont, and Sage, and to say I need their stories ASAP would be an understatement. Tessa Bailey knows how to hype up her readers, because I’m DYING to get my hands on Peggy’s book now! April can’t get here soon enough.

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

Reading Order: Romancing the Clarksons series

#1 ~ Too Hot to Handle: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Too Wild to Tame: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Too Hard to Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (April 25, 2017)
#4 ~ Too Bonded to Break: Goodreads (Sept. 5, 2017)

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30Aug2016

ARC Review: A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

A Scot in the Dark by Sarah MacLean
Series: Scandal & Scoundrel #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 30th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Lonesome Lily turned Scandalous Siren

Miss Lillian Hargrove has lived much of her life alone in a gilded cage, longing for love and companionship. When an artist offers her pretty promises and begs her to pose for a scandalous portrait, Lily doesn’t hesitate . . . until the lying libertine leaves her in disgrace. With the painting now public, Lily has no choice but to turn to the one man who might save her from ruin.

Highland Devil turned Halfhearted Duke

The Duke of Warnick loathes all things English, none more so than the aristocracy. It does not matter that the imposing Scotsman has inherited one of the most venerable dukedoms in Britain—he wants nothing to do with it, especially when he discovers that the unwanted title comes with a troublesome ward, one who is far too old and far too beautiful to be his problem.

Tartan Comes to Town

Warnick arrives in London with a single goal: get the chit married and see her become someone else’s problem, then return to a normal, quiet life in Scotland. It’s the perfect plan, until Lily declares she’ll only marry for love . . . and the Scot finds that there is one thing in England he likes far too much . . .

Sarah MacLean is probably my favorite historical romance author. I fell in love with her Rules of Scoundrels series and have been enjoying her spinoff, the Scandal & Scoundrel series. A Scot in the Dark is the second in the spinoff series, featuring an England-hating Scottish Duke and his new, scandalized ward. Their story is an emotional, angst-filled romance with a hero who believes he doesn’t deserve to be with the woman he loves. If you loved The Rogue Not Taken, then you will definitely love A Scot in the Dark!

Lily Hargrove has been alone all her life and dreams of finding love and a place to belong. She thinks she’s found that with a rising artist, but he ends up using her and betraying her in the end. Her reputation on the bridge of ruin, she’s reminded of just why she wants to leave London and never look back, but she needs the help of the Duke responsible for her to do so. Except when said Duke finds out about his scandalized ward, he makes plans to marry her off and be done with her.

“You forget yourself,” he said. “As my ward, your things are my things.”
Her gaze flew to his. “You beast.”
His lips pressed into a long straight line. “And you, the most beautiful woman in London,” he said, as though being beautiful was the most ugly thing she could be. “We make a fine match, Lovely Lily.”

The Scottish Duke of Warnick, Alec Stuart hates everything about London and its aristocracy, the same aristocracy that looked down on his when he was younger and caters to him now that he’s a Duke. He’s especially annoyed to find out he has a ward and has to go into the dreaded city to fix her reputation. But Lily turns out to be so much different than he expected and he finds himself unable to resist being around her and growing feelings for her. But he knows that she’s in a different league in him, not just in looks, but that she also deserves someone who will love and cherish her like she deserves, because that man can’t be him.

More. He’d thought he’d known what wanting felt like. What longing meant. And then he’d met Lillian Hargrove, and he’d realized the truth—that everything for which he’d ever hungered was nothing compared to her. There was nothing he would not pay. Nothing he would not do for another taste of her.
And that he was unworthy of her.

I really enjoyed the banter between Lily and Alec! I have to say it might be my favorite part of this book. To say these two don’t get along would be an understatement, which makes for some entertaining conversations between them. Plus, the underlying chemistry they have made the banter all the more fun. What did annoy me, though, was the back-and-forth between Alec’s feelings for Lily. He kept saying he didn’t deserve her but would take her for his own anyway, would go hot and cold so often it was a little frustrating. This ended up making the romance a little slower than I would’ve liked, but I could definitely feel the angst and emotional upheaval the characters were feeling themselves.

“I am yours, my love, body and soul. When I am old, I do not wish to think of you. I wish to be with you. I wish to love you.”

Despite the annoyances, Lily and Alec’s story was touching, romantic, and their love was definitely hard-earned. It had similar vibes to The Rogue Not Taken, so if you enjoyed that story, you will most likely enjoy this one too! Right now, I’m dying for the next Scandal & Scoundrel book – I love a good second chance romance, and The Day of the Duchess seems like there will be plenty of groveling too. I’m really hoping Sarah MacLean doesn’t disappoint (not that she ever does)!

lacey

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

Reading Order: Scandal & Scoundrel series

#1 ~ The Rogue Not Taken: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ A Scot in the Dark: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Day of the Duchess: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (June 27, 2017)

The Scandal & Scoundrel series is a spinoff of The Rules of Scoundrels series. You don’t have to read The Rules of Scoundrels prior to Scandal & Scoundrel, but I highly recommend the series! Here is the reading order if you’d like to start it:

Reading Order: The Rules of Scoundrels series

#1 ~ A Rogue by Any Other Name: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ One Good Earl Deserves a Lover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ No Good Duke Goes Unpunished: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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16Aug2016

Release Day Review: Sugar Rush by Sawyer Bennett

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Sugar Rush by Sawyer Bennett
Series: Sugar Bowl #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 16th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In the steamy and suspenseful sequel to Sugar Daddy (“A totally gripping take on romance and revenge!”—Lauren Blakely), a heartbreaking rift threatens to unravel a dangerous alliance . . . and a fragile new love.

After posing as an escort for the Sugar Bowl online dating service, Sela Halstead is looking for one thing: payback. She’s closing in on the site’s heartless founder, Jonathon Townsend, and she needs Beckett North, Townsend’s business partner and her lover, by her side. She’d thought that their intimate nights together had forged an unbreakable bond, but after a shocking betrayal, Sela begins to doubt the brilliant bad boy. When push comes to shove, can she trust Beck to do the right thing?

Now that he understands the truth, Beck will stop at nothing to secure the reckoning Sela deserves. But between his desire for her and his disgust for JT, Beck doesn’t exactly have a lot of control over his emotional state. Left with no other choice, he must summon all his discipline to maintain JT’s trust and pretend that they’re still friends. But how far will Beck go to prove his loyalty to Sela? He nearly lost her once. To keep her, Beck might have to kill for her.

Note: Sugar Rush ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story concludes in Sugar Free!

Sugar Rush is a fantastic follow-up to Sugar Daddy! To say I had high expectations would be an understatement – the cliffhanger ending in Sugar Daddy nearly killed me, so Sugar Rush became one of my top anticipated reads, and thankfully Sawyer Bennett didn’t disappoint. I’m so happy with the way things were handled in this book. If you enjoyed the first Sugar Bowl book, make sure to get your hands on this sequel – you need to continue on with Sela and Beck’s story!

I’m not going to spoil anything from the first book in case you haven’t read it yet, but at the end of Sugar Daddy, Beck knows he’s effed up. He’s got a ton to make up for – and while I would’ve loved a little more groveling than we got, I liked the way the author resolved this conflict. It’s not gratuitously dramatic and it’s handled with maturity and of course, love.

“I intend to spoil you, Sela,” he murmurs. “I want to give you the world.”

Sela continues to want revenge against the man who raped her, but her love for Beck is making her reconsider her plans by leaving her past in the past and moving on with the man of her dreams. JT is as vile and disgusting as ever though – Sawyer Bennett has really written a great antagonist in him.

The pacing is pretty slow, but I was still hooked on the pages and dying to see what would happen at the end. And of course, there’s another cliffhanger that has you salivating for the third and final book (which I’ve actually already read… 😉 ) I have to admit, I liked this sequel even more than I did the first – Sugar Rush is an intense, emotional, and suspenseful follow-up to Sela and Beck’s addicting story. If you love Sawyer Bennett, this is definitely a series you need to try out!

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

Reading Order: Sugar Bowl series

#1 ~ Sugar Daddy: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sugar Rush: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Sugar Free: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 11, 2016)

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3Aug2016

ARC Review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live if, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”

It Ends with Us is probably Colleen Hoover’s most important book to date. It’s got such a powerful message within its pages – one everyone needs to hear. I’m keeping this review short and sweet, but I do want to stress that the theme of this novel deals with a heavy subject that may be a trigger to some people. That being said, I would still definitely recommend this book to everyone because the meaning behind the story is such an important one. This isn’t your typical love story – it’s so much more than that. I wouldn’t even say this is a romance at all – it’s just about love. It’s about all kinds of relationships and love and the loss of both. I really don’t have the words to describe this book justice – just read it for yourself!

Imagine all the people you meet in your life. There are so many. They come in like waves, trickling in and out with the tide. Some waves are much bigger and make more of an impact than others. Sometimes the waves bring with them things from deep in the bottom of the sea and they leave those things tossed onto the shore. Imprints against the grains of sand that prove the waves had once been there, long after the tide recedes.

The first half of the book, I’ll admit, bored me to tears. I didn’t connect with the main characters (the only ones I liked were two of the secondary characters) and I wasn’t that into their blooming romance. But literally right at the halfway mark was when things EXPLODED, emotionally and psychologically. I could sort of see it coming, but the impact of it was something I couldn’t have predicted. The second half of the book left me raw and aching – I’d give this section of the book 5 stars alone. It was incredibly written and told, despite the delicate topic. Colleen Hoover’s writing seems to get better and better with each new release, and you can see that so clearly in It Ends with Us.

Did I love this book? Yes and no. I really don’t know how I feel about this – but I will say that I’d still highly recommend everyone read it. It Ends with Us is not a book to be missed – it’s like nothing CoHo has has written before, but it’s still got her kind of heart and humor that’s present in all her books. And if you’re worried about the slow pacing of the first half, just keep reading like I did! I promise, the end of the book will be so worth it (though a tear or two might be shed!).

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

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
Confess: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
November 9: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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