ARC Review: Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige

Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige

Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige
Series: First and Last #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 14th 2016
Links: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE FILLED WITH DARK DESIRES AND DANGEROUS SECRETS…

Emily Wayborn has made a decision.

She might not fully trust handsome and deadly Reeve Sallis, but he is the one person that gives her what she needs. With Reeve she can finally be herself. Submitting to him is the only thing keeping her grounded as the rest of her life falls apart. But the hotelier is a master at keeping secrets and as she continues her quest for answers someone is making sure she doesn’t find them.

Time is running out and she is questioning everything she thought she knew about friendship and love. She must now make an impossible choice that will determine if she will survive with her heart…or her life.

WOW!!! What a fantastic ending to the First and Last series. I’d been DYING to read Last Kiss after that awful cliffhanger in First Touch (it seriously made me scream), and Laurelin Paige certainly didn’t disappoint with this follow-up. This book was such an intense conclusion to Emily and Reeve’s story – and I never thought I’d say this, but I actually LOVE Reeve now! He terrified me in First Touch, but his romantic, redeeming qualities finally shine here in this sequel, and I’m now firmly a fan of his. If you loved First Touch, get ready to be taken on a wild, suspenseful ride once again in Last Kiss.

“You feel me,” he said while my cunt clenched around him like a vice-grip. “Right now you feel me, Emily. That’s where I am—inside you. All the time, I’m there. No matter whose bed you sleep in.”

Last Kiss continues right where First Touch left off. I don’t want to say anything about the cliffhanger, in case you read this review without having read the first book and accidentally spoil yourself. And if you haven’t read First Touch yet, I highly recommend it if you want to read something unique and gritty. That book messed me up – so to say I had high expectations for its sequel would be an understatement. Sometimes, the sequels unfortunately don’t live up to the first book, but this isn’t the case for this duology. Laurelin Paige swept me off my feet once again, making my heart pound and leaving me breathless with suspense. I honestly couldn’t stop reading – I needed to know what would happen next, what the characters would do, what new twist the author would reveal. It’s an unpredictable book, and for that, I applaud the author for her talent at writing.

“I can’t control myself when I’m inside you.” His voice was ragged and threadbare. “I want to tear you apart. I want to rip you to shreds.” He moved both of his hands to grasp my thighs, tilting my pelvis so that his thrusts hit even deeper. “I want to destroy you. Want to fuck you to pieces. Want to shatter you. Want to break you.”

Reeve and Emily are just as intense, raw, and tumultuous as ever. The passion between them is so fierce and volatile – it’s just so addicting to read!! Their chemistry is flawless and so damn hot. The frustration of Emily trying to stay away and Reeve trying to pull her back to him made for an emotional read. And AH! Reeve… he stole my heart in this book. He’s an alpha unlike any other – he’s the first hero to ever make me a little scared of him, but the softer, more tender side he reveals in Last Kiss balanced out that intense dominance of his and made him perfect. Laurelin Paige has written two brilliant, multi-faceted characters that are unforgettable!

“I love you,” he said again, like a creed. “I love you so thoroughly it feels like you’re in my DNA. Like you must be part of my genetic code because there’s no part of me that isn’t linked to you. My love for you is so consuming on the inside that there’s barely room.”

If you love suspenseful reads, the First and Last series needs to be on your radar. You won’t be able to predict ANYTHING, and each new revelation will throw you off but make you even more invested in the story. And the steaminess is off the charts, too! Laurelin Paige knows how to write her erotica, and I’m definitely going to need to read more of her books if they’re as intense and sexy as this duology. It was a wild, amazing ride reading Emily and Reeve’s story – I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon!

4 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: First and Last series

First Touch by Laurelin Paige Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige

#1 ~ First Touch: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Last Kiss: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads


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Audiobook Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch by Laurelin Paige
Series: First and Last #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: May 10th 2016
Length: 12 hours and 40 minutes
Narrated by: Ava Erickson
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

DESPERATE FOR THE TRUTH. OBSESSED BY DESIRE…

Emily Wayborn is finally her own woman.

After a string of shameful relationships and reckless partying with her best friend Amber, she’s now a successful voiceover actress, her wild past and everyone in it firmly behind her. Until she receives a cryptic voicemail from her former friend that sends her spiraling into the darkness she thought she had outrun. One thing is clear from the message, Amber is in trouble.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that leads her to Reeve Sallis, a gorgeous and equally dangerous hotelier known for his power games and shady dealings. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must return to her playgirl ways to uncover his secrets and track down her friend. But as she becomes more entangled with him, she finds she’s drawn to Reeve and his depravity despite her growing conviction that he may be the one responsible for Amber’ s disappearance.

For some reason, I always love listening to audiobooks that I’ve already read as a book, especially when I loved reading the book. First Touch was phenomenal, so when I had the chance to listen to it in audio, I couldn’t wait to! And wow, it was just as good, if not better, listening to Emily’s story this time around. It was just as hot and suspenseful – the narrator did a fantastic job voicing Emily!

Emily and Amber were best friends who lived quite the unconventional and disturbing life. But they split ways years ago, and Emily hasn’t heard from Amber since – until now. When Emily receives a voicemail and hears Amber saying their safe code, Emily knows her former best friend is in danger. Amber could be alive or dead, but either way, Emily does whatever she can to find out what happened to her. And the main suspect in Emily’s investigation is the enigmatic, playboy billionaire Reeve Sallis. Reeve is sexy and dangerous, and even though Emily goes to him with a hidden agenda, she can’t resist falling for him. The visceral connection between the two of them is erotic and the chemistry powerful, but when their whole relationship is built on lies and secrets, can they actually have a life together? Or will those secrets and lies – Amber – tear them apart?

Listening to First Touch was thrilling, addicting, and suspenseful, but Ava Erickson’s narration made it all the better. Her voice is amazing to listen to, very smooth and articulate. Seriously, listen to the excerpt below and tell me you don’t enjoy her voice! I do wish she went a little deeper when voicing the male dialogue, but otherwise, she was perfect as Emily. I’m definitely going to go looking for other audiobooks she narrates.

I wasn’t let down by First Touch in audio. It had a gripping story with a spot-on narrator. I’m definitely looking forward to when the sequel will be out in audio, hopefully with the same narrator. If you’re a fan of Laurelin Paige or romances with mystery and suspense, I highly recommend spending your credit on this audiobook! Just fair warning, there’s a cliffhanger at the end! 😉

FIRST TOUCH is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/1SG5GKF

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: First and Last series

First Touch by Laurelin Paige Last Kiss by Laurelin Paige

#1 ~ First Touch: Book Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Last Kiss: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from First Touch!


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ARC Review: Hold You Against Me by Skye Warren

Hold You Against Me by Skye Warren
Series: Stripped #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 31st 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.

This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.

My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.

Except there’s a chance that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.

Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me–the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.

All the mafia books I’ve been reading recently are so. freaking. good!! Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but these recent mafia romances are so engrossing and enticing, and Hold You Against Me is no exception. I read this one as a standalone and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a little dark and intense, but also surprisingly sweet, which I loved. Skye Warren delivers an addicting romance I couldn’t put down. The blurb intrigued me, but the story was what got me hooked. A long-lost love come back to life… except he’s no longer Prince Charming, but rather, the villain.

Hold You Against Me opens up with the novella Tough Love, which introduces us to Clara, a mob princess, and Giovanni, a mob soldier. Here, they’re teenagers who are just falling for each other… until Clara has to run away and Gio has to give his life up for her to escape. Eight years later, Clara is using the freedom her love gave her to be an art student happy with her life. She’s never once forgotten Gio and his sacrifice… but it turns out nothing was as she believed when her lost love comes back, only turned dark, deadly, and dangerous.

The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? I think he might be a little of both, but the two can’t exist side by side. They’re fighting each other, battling within him. It remains to be seen which side will win.

I love Skye Warren’s writing. She’s able to write in a way that sucks the reader right into the story, feeling everything right alongside the main character. I could feel Clara’s awe, wonder, and relief at finding Gio still alive, juxtaposed with her feelings of despair, hurt, and helplessness at the heartless man he’s had to become. As the new leader of the mafia, Gio embodies everything Clara wanted to escape from as a young girl, but he’s returned only to drag her back into that world.

I loved Gio’s determination to getting Clara back, even though I hated that meant Clara losing her freedom again. There were so many ups and downs to this novel – I loved it! I couldn’t stop reading and trying to find out how everything would turn out between these two lost loves. And even though there are some dark parts (like the mafia and oh, kidnapping), the romance was sweeter than I could’ve imagined. Clara and Gio have both changed, for better or worse, but the love they have for each other has never diminished over the years. Their love swept me away – these two are IT for each other, and I was in awe of their devotion to one another.

When I was younger, I longed for freedom as if it were a place. I longed for love as if it were a person. In the end I found both back where I started, with the man who loved me all along.

If you love your dark reads on the sweeter side, I can’t recommend Hold You Against Me enough. It’s got a little suspense, an intriguing mafia world, and a heart-wrenchingly sweet romance to make this an entertaining read from start to finish. Now that I know how wonderful Hold You Against Me is, I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!

4 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: Stripped series

   
   

#0.5 ~ Tough Love: EbookPaperbackAudibleGoodreads
#1 ~ Love the Way You Lie: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#1.5 ~ Heartbreak: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2 ~ Better When It Hurts: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Even Better: EbookPaperbackAudibleGoodreads
#3 ~ Pretty When You Cry: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Caught for Christmas: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#4 ~ Hold You Against Me: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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Blog Tour + ARC Review & Excerpt: Dirty Love by Meghan March

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Dirty Love by Meghan March!
Check out my spoiler free review below, plus a fantastic excerpt from the book!

Dirty Love by Meghan March
Series: Dirty Girl Duet #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 31st 2016
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Greer Karas has been mine since the first day I saw her.

I walked away because she deserved better than I could offer, but I always planned to come back and stake my claim when the time was right.

But true to form, Greer wasn’t willing to wait. She threw down a challenge, and I’m meeting her head-on.

I’m not walking away this time because sometimes you have to fight dirty for love.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo

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Meghan March has seriously hooked me onto Greer and Cav’s addicting story! If you haven’t read Dirty Girl yet, you should definitely do so before picking up Dirty Love. Dirty Love is the continuation of the Dirty Girl Duet and picks up right after that killer cliffhanger. I won’t spoil anything from either book, but just saying, you should definitely add this series to your tbr if you love quick, dirty, raunchy books!!

After these last several days, I felt like we were building a new, more solid level of trust between us. But how solid can something be when you built it on a foundation of lies?

Ever since that god-awful cliffie from Dirty Girl, I’d been dying to read Dirty Love, and Meghan March certainly didn’t disappoint. Once again, she delivers a heart-pounding, sexy AF read, and it’s a wonderful conclusion to Greer and Cav’s story. This book was exactly what I’d hoped it would be – intense, a little angsty, and dirty as hell. So how could I not enjoy it!?

…when it comes to Greer, I’m willing to do whatever it takes. She’s the ultimate prize, and I’m not above fighting dirty to get what I want.

Three years ago, Cav walked away from the most important thing to him… but now that he’s back in Greer’s life, he’s going to do whatever it takes to make sure he stays right by her side. Nothing, not his secrets, his lies, or even Greer’s protective brother will stop Cav from being with the woman he loves more than anything. Meghan March totally nailed this over-the-top, possessive alpha-male, determined to win back his love.

“Most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and you’re mine. Every single fucking piece of you is mine. I won’t take anything less, Greer. All of you. That’s what I want.”

This series is the best I’ve read so far of the author’s. I was in the mood for hot, kinky, and fun, and Meghan March delivered wonderfully. If you ever feel like relaxing with a sexy read, this series would be it. 😉

4 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Dirty Love! ❤

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Right now, I just want Cav. I might still want to kill him later, but not right this moment.

I suck his finger into my mouth, laving it with my tongue and lips and dragging lightly down it with my teeth.

As we hurtle down the runway, I make promises to him with my eyes. Take the restraints off or don’t; I’m still going to want you.

Cav reaches out with his other hand and cups my breast, covered only by the soft material of my thin T-shirt. Chill bumps prickle along my skin when his fingers close around my nipple and twist.

A moan escapes my lips, and I press into his touch. We say nothing until the captain announces that we’ve reached our cruising altitude.

Cav removes his seat belt and mine before hauling me back onto his lap.

“Jesus Christ, woman. Feel what you did to me.”

He presses his hips up and against me, and I wiggle my ass against his cock’s solid length.

“I want it.”

“Good, because I’m going to lower you onto your knees, unzip my pants, and help you take it down your throat. And then I’m going to lift you up on my lap and slide your pussy down my cock until you’re full of me.”

His dirty talk kills me every time.

“What are you waiting for?” I ask, my tone taking on a seductive depth.

“Need to taste you again first.”

His lips crush to mine, and his tongue dives inside without waiting for invitation. Cav kisses like he does everything else—throwing his whole self into it. His hand is buried in my hair, tilting my head the way he likes. I moan into his mouth, loving the urgency radiating from him.

Finally, he pulls my head back, his eyes greener than before. “On your knees, baby girl.”

I nod as he helps me to the floor, the plush carpeting cushioning my position. Cav unzips his jeans and fists his cock as he pulls it out. As I lean forward, my hair falls around my face, but with my bound hands, I’m helpless to pull it back.

Cav wraps one hand around the tangled strands and clenches it behind my head. I’m at his mercy, and yet I’ve never felt more powerful. The need in his eyes burns into me, and I want to give as much as I want to take.

Reading Order: Dirty Girl Duet series

 

#1 ~ Dirty Girl: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Love: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

The Dirty Girl Duet is a spinoff series of the Dirty Billionaire Trilogy!

Reading Order: Dirty Billionaire Trilogy

Dirty Billionaire by Meghan March Dirty Pleasures by Meghan March Dirty Together by Meghan March

#1 ~ Dirty Billionaire: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Pleasures: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dirty Together: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads

about the author button

Meghan MarchMeghan March has been known to wear camo face paint and tromp around in woods wearing mud-covered boots, all while sporting a perfect manicure. She’s also impulsive, easily entertained, and absolutely unapologetic about the fact that she loves to read and write smut. Her past lives include slinging auto parts, selling lingerie, making custom jewelry, and practicing corporate law. Writing books about dirty talking alpha males and the strong, sassy women who bring them to their knees is by far the most fabulous job she’s ever had. She loves hearing from her readers at meghanmarchbooks@gmail.com.

Facebook • Website • Instagram • Twitter • Pinterest • Amazon Page


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Early Review: From This Day Forward by Lauren Layne

From This Day Forward by Lauren Layne
Series: The Wedding Belles #0.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 6th 2016
Links: EbookGoodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in this prequel to USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.

Up-and-coming wedding photographer Leah McHale’s career is on the rise–thanks in no small part to the Wedding Belles, the elite New York wedding planning agency that always throws top-tier business Leah’s way. So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter’s wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes–until she finds out who she’ll be working with.

Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile…

Wheeee!!! A brand new Lauren Layne series! And it’s about weddings, too, which honestly sounds like heaven to me. The Wedding Belles kicks off with a sweet novella, a second chance romance between wedding photographers Leah and Jason. These two are still bitter and hurt over the end of their relationship – can they overcome their differences in order to work together… and win that happily ever after they capture on camera all the time?

It was both everything she remembered, and more. Somehow it was more. More intense than it had ever been, and somehow more important, too.

Lauren Layne always writes the best contemporary romances, and even with this quick novella, I was charmed and hooked onto the story. I’m not a big fan of miscommunication being used in romances, but somehow LL made it work for Leah and Jason. I could feel their heartbreak… and the feelings that they still have for each other. The chemistry between them has never died, and when they reunite, it seems to have grown even hotter. Their romance is as sweet and it is sexy, which made for a thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying read.

“Fuck. I love you. I didn’t know it back then. I didn’t know what I was feeling, and I treated you—us—carelessly. But I know it now, Red, and I swear to God, I am not letting you go ever again. … I won’t stop chasing you, and I sure as hell won’t stop loving you.”

From This Day Forward is a charming and irresistible novella. It’s a great introduction to The Wedding Belles series, which will be about the wedding planners Leah and Jason work with. I honestly can’t wait to read more – I’m sure the series be another hit from LL!

4 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: The Wedding Belles series

 To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne For Better or Worse by Lauren Layne

#0.5 ~ From This Day Forward: EbookGoodreads
#1 ~ To Have and to Hold: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ For Better or Worse: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ To Love and to Cherish: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (Oct. 18, 2016)


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