Review: Addicted to You by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Addicted to You by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 1st 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom.

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex.

Their real vice may be each other.

New Adult Romance recommended for readers 18+ for mature content

Oh. My. God! What did I just read? This book was absolute insanity and I LOVED it! Wowowow. My emotions were – actually they still are – all over the place. I’ve just finished Addicted to You, and I can’t get it out of my head. I had to write my review before starting Ricochet (book 1.5), even though I really really want to read that right now. AH!

I was sooo hooked into the book by the blurb. A girl who is addicted to sex is best friends with a boy who’s addicted to booze? And they might just be falling in love with each other? Yeah, I HAD to read it. And can I just say that I adore Loren’s name? I have a thing for names, and Loren’s is pretty perfect.

Lily and Loren’s addictions are bad. Like, really, really bad. They can’t go a day without sex or booze, and they have to have it multiple times a day at that. Lily does random hookups with guys anywhere and everywhere, but at least she always uses protection. Loren’s is a lot more dangerous, because the amount he drinks is lethal. I honestly don’t know how Loren is still alive from what I’ve read, because he drink so freaking much. Is that attractive? Hell no. But somehow, along the way, I totally fell for the Loren that only Lily knows, and only Lily sees.

“Once you stepped through that threshold,” Lo says, “you entered my place.” His hot, bourbon-scented breath hits my neck. “Everything in here belongs to me.”

For the past three years, Lily and Loren have pretended to be in a relationship to hide their addictions and to get their families off their backs. They come from über-rich parents, like billionaire business moguls, and they’ve known each other since they were kids. Loren and Lily always have each others backs, but it’s not like they have much of a choice either. If Lily wanted Loren to stop drinking, she couldn’t say anything because she wouldn’t be able to give up sex, and vice versa.

Lately, things have been spiraling further and further downwards. They’re failing classes in college, their families are hounding them more, and their addictions are becoming stronger and stronger. Lily and Loren love each other, but they’re not helping each other get better. The scary part to their relationship is that they enable each other’s addictions.

Lily and Loren slept together once when they were very young, and Lily vowed never to do it again with Lo because she couldn’t risk their friendship. But… it turns out that Loren wants to be the – only – man Lily turns to to feed her addiction.

“Have you ever though about it?”
I watch his feet near, my pulse racing.
“Have you ever thought about me inside you?”
I almost stumble back, but he hooks an arm around my waist.
“Have you ever thought about us together?”
I can hardly breathe. “Together?”
“Where I don’t share you with any other man.”
All the time. “Yes.” I keep expecting to wake up.
“If I could be enough to fill you, would you let me?”
I look at him. “Yes.”
“Then let me try,” he says, his hand cupping my face. “Let me try to be enough for you.”

This is where things start heating up! Like, wowza! I was fanning myself so much when Lily and Loren get together for real. But I especially love that they keep their friendship intact. They’re pretty hilarious together, and even more so when they find friends, or rather, friends find them.

Connor Cobalt is a smart snob, and Lily’s tutor for econ. I love this man! Connor adds so much humor to the story, which I love. And then Ryke comes in, and then Rose, Lily’s sister, starts worming her way into their lives, and their group of two has now become a group of five. Connor, Ryke, and Rose are especially important in finding help for Lily and Loren with their addictions. They bring to light that their addictions are serious and borderline dangerous, but they also give Lily and Lo the love and support they’ve never had from other people.

“You think too lowly of yourself,” Rose says, standing. “If you don’t love yourself, Lily, how can anyone love you back?” She wraps an arm around my shoulder. “And you don’t need a guy to fulfill you. I wish you would remember that.”
And I wish that were true.

But even though Connor, Ryke, and Rose try to help, ultimately, it’s up to Lily and Loren themselves to fix their addictions.

“I love you, but I want to love you enough that I never choose alcohol over you. Not even for a moment. I want to be someone you deserve. Who helps you rather than enables you, and I can’t begin to do that until I get help for myself.”

I loved Addicted to You. My heart ached so much for Lily and Loren when it seemed like it would never get better for these two. This book isn’t just about two friends who fall for each other, it’s also about two people with severe addictions who have to realize that they have problems and that they need help. Addicted to You doesn’t really end on a cliffhanger, but it’s not a conclusive ending either. It was so tiring to read this book, but in the best way possible. Does that make sense? It was all the feels. So go read this book! It’s so freaking gooood.

Reading Order: Addicted series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review •˜ Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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22Dec2013

Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton
Series: Redhead #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 17th 2013
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

The third sexy novel in USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton’s playful and erotic Redhead series continues the sizzling romance between actress Grace Sheridan and Hollywood’s hottest leading man Jack Hamilton.

Grace has landed the lead in a new TV series—but when the director asks her to lose fifteen pounds, she goes public with her weight struggles and suddenly develops a huge fan club who support her right to have curves. But between that and the public’s continuing fascination with her “are they or aren’t they” relationship with Jack, Grace begins to wonder if anyone’s really interested in her because of her upcoming TV series, or if it’s all speculation about the size of her ass and her bedroom partner.

Meanwhile, Jack is voted the Sexiest Man Alive and becomes a little too enamored with the party-hard lifestyle. Grace vows to give him the space he needs to find himself, but then he begins to spiral down from lovable Brit to Hollywood brat. People are talking, but are Jack and Grace? Her career is on the rise, and his continues into the stratosphere, but will she be able to catch him if he falls? Will they ever be able to just be a couple who can hold hands when they walk down the street?

Purchase:
Ebook • Paperback

As frustrating as The Redhead Plays Her Hand was to read, I honestly enjoyed Grace and Jack’s final book. Grace and Jack have been through so much in the previous two books, but they’re not quite done yet. In this third and final book in the Redhead series, Alice Clayton amps up the drama, angst, and heartbreak, but everything else you can expect from a Redhead book–laugh-out-loud humor, hot, steamy sex, and the sweetest love between Gracie and Jack–is still there.

“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Not bloody likely.”

Grace has finally hit it big in show-business, but in order to have the job, she’s got to drop some pounds. She feels comfortable in her body already–Jack is a big help in this. He worships her body, loves her body, and is everything you can expect from a perfect (younger) boyfriend. She has no problem with having to lose weight, as it’s part of the job, but the public is harsh against her. With Jack becoming more and more famous, Grace is being critically scrutinized by fans, paparazzi, and gossip magazines.

Pick your path. You don’t get to decide how the public reacts. You only get to decide how you react.
True, very true.
Victim? Warrior? Pick. Your. Path.

The best part that I love about Grace is how she deals with tough situations. In TRPHH, Grace has to deal with harsh criticism about her weight. It’s Hollywood, so everyone who isn’t stick-thin is considered overweight, even if they are perfectly healthy, and this includes Grace. She lets the criticism bring her down a bit before she stands up for herself, and starts to make a change in Hollywood. I had so much admiration for this girl while I was reading, because she uses her growing fame to reach out to all women to show them that no matter what size they are, they’re beautiful.

And in that moment, I realized how out of control everything had become. Big, small, curvy, or bony, beauty was beauty. I was healthy. I was exactly the size I was supposed to be, and that was it.

Meanwhile, Grace also has to deal with Jack being… not so lovable anymore. Jack was perfect in the first two books of the series, and now, Jack’s not so perfect anymore. He’s the main reason why I couldn’t enjoy the book as much as I wanted to. The fame has finally gotten to Jack’s head, and it doesn’t help that he’s making friends with Adam, a fellow actor and known as Hollywood’s party boy. Adam influences Jack to party and drink more, but Adam can’t take all the blame. Jack deals with the fame, as well as the unsavory parts that come with it–the constant paparazzi, no privacy, the criticisms on his girlfriend–in the worst way possible. He pulls away from everyone, including Grace, and spirals down until he’s a mess.

But even with Jack’s hard partying, we can always feel the love Jack and Grace have for each other. These two are it for each other, and this is just another bump in the road for them before they can reach their happily ever after. They’ll work through anything and everything for each other.

In this moment, in this car, on this stretch of highway, we were a couple in love. We were not an older woman and a younger man, Jack wasn’t the Sexiest Man Alive, but he was the sexiest man in my world. I wasn’t an up-and-coming actress who’d been asked about the size of her boyfriend’s dick the night before by a total stranger, I was a girl in a convertible in my pajamas, holding hands with the man I was in love with.

It was difficult to read this book and not get frustrated with Jack, but I still loved the sweet ending to this series. I loved how Alice Clayton blended in the humor and sweetness with the more serious parts of the book. Can’t say I LOVED this book, but Grace and Jack’s story wraps up perfectly.

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

#1 ~ The Unidentified Redhead: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Redhead Revealed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Redhead Plays Her Hand: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Alice Clayton is a novelist with an unholy love for her KitchenAid mixer. Making her home in St Louis, she enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up afterwards, and is trying desperately to get her long time boyfriend to make her an honest woman. Hi sweetie!!

After working for years in the cosmetics industry as a makeup artist, esthetician, and national educator for a major cosmetics company, Alice picked up a pen (read laptop) for the first time at 33 to begin a new career, writer. Combining her love of storytelling with a sense of silly, she was shocked and awed to be nominated for a Goodreads Author award in 2010 for her debut novels, The Redhead Series.

Alice has penned three novels, The Unidentified Redhead,The Redhead Revealed, and coming soon in November 2012, Wallbanger. She thinks you should purchase them immediately. She’s not kidding, not even a little bit. Everyone needs some comedic erotica in their lives. She is hard at work on the third book in The Redhead Series, set to release in Spring of 2013, continuing the saucy and sexual escapades of everyone’s favorite couple, Jack and Grace.

Additionally, Alice loves spending time with her besties on Not Your Mother’s Podcast, make sure you check them out at notyourmotherspodcast.com or over on iTunes. 3 women rushing towards their forties still acting like teenagers. A saucy little mix of sex, love, relationships, pop cultural, celebrity gossip and All Things Jake Ryan.

Alice enjoys pickles, Bloody Mary’s, 8 hours of sleep, and a good pounding.

Finally Alice would also like all her readers and listeners to help her convince Mt. Alice that the only other thing that would make her truly happy is finally bringing home a Bernese Mountain Dog. She is totally serious. And done talking about herself in the third person…

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

5 signed sets of the Redhead series
Tiffany “Schmaltz” necklace

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20Dec2013

Review: Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful Bastard #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 29th 2013
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.

When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?

Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.

AH!! Do you know how much I love this book? Yeah, well, I love it A LOT. BUNCHES. I literally can’t describe how much I loved reading Beautiful Player. And Will. Ohmygoodness, sah-woon! I fell so freaking hard for Will in Beautiful Player. I mean, I was totally in love with Will already after reading Beautiful Stranger (MAX!! He’s still my favorite, although Will is a close second) and I just knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. I was finally going to be able to read Will’s book, and oh lord, I absolutely, whole-heartedly LOVED it! I loved Hanna and Will and their story.

The Christina Lauren duo are goddesses at writing in dual POV. I honestly loved reading from both Will and Hanna’s POVs. Usually I enjoy reading one person’s POV more over the other, but in this case, both POVs are flawless. And another thing I loved about Beautiful Player (out of the hundreds of other things I also loved)? This is the best older brother’s best friend/best friend’s younger sister book I’ve ever read. I always love reading books with that trope, because of how the characters usually have history between them, and there’s a little forbidden-ness in that kind of relationship. And Hanna and Will totally worked it. The sexual tension between them is amped up off the charts, but the best thing about them is that they never lose their strong sense of friendship and camaraderie. They can have fun and enjoy each other’s company doing anything or nothing at all.

Beautiful Player is easily the funniest of the main three novels. I don’t know how many times I laughed and giggled and grinned, but it was a lot. Will and Hanna are PERFECTION. Not only do they have incredible chemistry together, they are so damn hilarious together. They have the best conversations together, and they’re just so witty and funny!

“See, the problem with boobs is if you have big ones, you can never look thin. You get these burns on your shoulders from bra straps, and your back hurts. And unless you’re using them for their intended purpose, they’re always in the way.”
“In the way of what? My hands? My face? Don’t you blaspheme in here.” He looked up to the sky. “She didn’t mean it, Lord. Promise.”
Ignoring him, I said, “That’s why I had a reduction when I was twenty-one,” which is when his expression morphed into one of horror.

I was laughing my ass off throughout the entire book. Gah, it was just too good!

Will is a player. Maybe not as much as he was in his younger years, but even now at 31, he doesn’t do relationships. He has a set schedule of when to hook up with women, but everything changes once Hanna comes back into his life. Hanna makes him reevaluate his life, and who and what he wants in his life.

“Hanna. I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted something more than I want you. I really don’t think I have,” I said. “I think about just kissing you, for fucking hours. Do you know that kind of kissing? Where it’s enough for so long you don’t even think of doing anything else?”

Hanna’s always had a crush on Will (who wouldn’t?), and her brother makes her call Will up to broaden her nonexistent social life. It’s been a while since Hanna has seen Will, but once she does again, all her old feelings for him rush back in. But she knows who Will is, what kind of man he is, and she won’t allow herself to fall in love with a player because she knows if she does, he’ll break her heart.

One of the best parts of Beautiful Player is how Will recognizes he’s falling in love. It’s rare when I read a book and the guy will openly and freely admit to himself that he’s in love. And oh god, this just made me fall for Will all over again. He’s sweet, sexy, charming, funny, and just plain amazing. There’s nothing I don’t love about Will. N o t h i n g.

“She ran her hands up my chest and cupped my neck, whispering, “Hey.”
That look, that tenderness in her eyes, made me realize for the first time what was happening to me: I was falling in love.
“Hey,” I rasped, bending to kiss her.

When Hanna finally asks Will to teach her the ways of sex, everything becomes complicated. Hanna keeps thinking Will won’t change his player ways, so she acts all nonchalant about their sexual relationship. And Will is so in love with Hanna that he’ll take whatever he can get from her. The angst! Loved it. Their story hooked me in and I just couldn’t put the book down for a second. I was desperate for Hanna and Will to get their HEA, and Christina Lauren does such an incredible job of bringing their story to life.

It wasn’t only just about knowing her for so many years. It was wanting to know her, like this, for so many more.

You absolutely must read this book. You’ll fall in love with Will, you’ll laugh so hard your sides hurt, and your heart will hurt so much for Hanna and Will. The journey towards their HEA isn’t easy, but I had the best time reading it.

Reading Order: Beautiful Bastard series

#1 ~ Beautiful Bastard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Beautiful Bitch: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beautiful Stranger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Beautiful Bombshell: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beautiful Player: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Beautiful Beginning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.6 ~ Beautiful Beloved: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beautiful Secret: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Beautiful Boss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Beautiful: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 4, 2016)

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20Dec2013

Blog Tour + Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Title: Under Different Stars (Kricket #1)
Author: Amy A. Bartol
Genre: YA Dystopian

All she wants is a home, but can she find one…UNDER DIFFERENT STARS

Kricket Hollowell is normally not one to wish upon stars; she believes they’re rarely in her favor. Well versed at dodging caseworkers from Chicago’s foster care system, the past few years on her own have made Kricket an expert at the art of survival and blending in. With her 18th birthday fast approaching, she dreams of the day when she can stop running and find what her heart needs most: a home.

Trey Allairis hates Earth and doubts that anyone from his world can thrive here. What he’s learning of Kricket and her existence away from her true home only confirms his theory. But, when he and Kricket lie together under the stars of Ethar, counting them all may be easier than letting her go.

Kyon Ensin’s secrets number the stars; he knows more about Kricket’s gifts than anyone and plans to possess her because of them. He also knows she’s more valuable than any fire in the night sky. He’ll move the heavens and align them all in order to make her his own.

When everything in their world can be broken, will Kricket rely upon love to save her under different stars?

Purchase:
Barnes And Noble • Apple iBookstore • Kobo • Amazon US • Amazon UK • Smashwords
Amazon Germany • Amazon Italy • Amazon France • Amazon Canada • Amazon Japan • Amazon Spain • Amazon Brazil

This is my first time reading a book by Amy A. Bartol, and I’m impressed! I highly enjoyed delving into this fantastic dystopian world filled with intrigue, romance, and action.

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything other than contemporary, but Under Different Stars reminded me of just how much I love the dystopian genre. And there’s also some fantasy and sci-fi too, which I love. I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d be reading about–the blurb didn’t really tell me much. And while it took a bit to get me hooked onto the story, once I did get hooked, I couldn’t stop reading. There’s never a dull moment in Under Different Stars, and the characters are all well written and very likable.

Kricket is just a girl who doesn’t have any parents and is waiting for the day until she turns 18 so she can finally not have to worry about being placed in a foster home. She’s a fairly normal girl… until the day she gets chased by two different sets of men–Trey and his soldiers, and Kyon and his soldiers. Both of them want to take her away from Earth, because it turns out that they’re not human–and neither is Kricket. Kricket manages to avoid them, but eventually she is taken by Trey, and they, along with Trey’s men Wayra and Jax, have to travel to the world of Ethar to get to the country of Rafe, where Kricket half belongs.

Kricket was originally born in Ethar, and she is half Alameeda and half Rafe. This new world Kricket is thrust into is confusing and overwhelming, with its different lingo and mannerisms, but Kricket never gives up in the face of adversary. She’s tough and smart and witty, and eventually, she wins over her kidnappers. Kricket and Trey become more comfortable with each other, and there is an underlying sense of tension between them.

It was so fascinating to read this book. I never knew what to expect. Kricket’s life is constantly in danger, and Kyon is one of the reasons why. Trey becomes her guardian and protector, and though he’s not allowed to fall in love with her, he can’t help it.

“He was telling us that your voice will give comfort when the night becomes its blackest,” he replies. “And I’ll protect that voice with my body, my mind, and my spirit… because without it, I’m alone in the dark.”

Trey is the sweetest! He’s fiercely protective of Kricket, and he’ll do anything to save her life. And in between people who want to use Kricket as a pawn and a war brewing between Rafe and Alameeda, Kricket needs all the protection she can get.

I had such a great time reading Under Different Stars. It was nothing like anything I’ve ever read, and I loved that. It’s intense and thrilling, and I’m incredibly excited for more of Kricket’s journey.

Water swirls around me as I open my eyes. I shiver, realizing I’m in Trey’s arms. He’s standing chest deep in crystal blue water with Wayra pacing on the bank only steps away. Clutching Trey closer to me, my cheek remains on his shoulder. Watching a bead of water slip down his powerful neck, I hear Jax say, “She’s waking up.”

Trey, cupping his hand in the water, pours some of it over my hair. It drips down the sides of my face, cooling me. “Let’s get her out. I’ll get the visor and we can check her vitals.”

As Trey wades out of the pond with me in his arms, I try to lift my head from his shoulder. It makes me dizzy so I lay it back. It’s then I notice that I’m only in my bra and underwear. A blush creeps into my cheeks as I hug Trey tighter to me. Wayra meets us on the bank, draping a blanket over us. Trey sits down with me on his lap. He leans against a tree trunk holding me securely to his chest. Peeking at his face, he seems angry as he smoothes my hair back from my face.

Hurrying over with the visor that looks like grandma goggles, Trey sets them on my eyes. Everything is green as I gaze around at the water in front of us. Flashing green lights and readouts occupy the peripherals of the glasses, but the information is running faster than I can possibly read it.

“Ho!” Jax exclaims next to me.

Immediately, Trey’s arms tighten on me as he barks out, “What? How bad is it?”

“Naw, it’s not bad…it’s just…Kricket…” Jax breathes, like he’s in awe. “Look at this brain activity…it’s massive.”

“What do you mean?” Trey asks with relief in his tone.

Jax grins. “She’s lighting everything up. Look at her frontal lobe…it’s off the charts.”

“What does that mean? Is she healthy?” Trey growls.

Jax nods enthusiastically. “She’s healthy! We didn’t fry her with heat stroke, that’s for sure. Or, if we did, she’s got more brain activity than anyone I’ve ever seen to compensate for it,” he replies, sounding seriously geeked about it.

“Those things aren’t broken, are they?” Trey asks speculatively.

“No…here.” Jax pulls them off my face. “Wayra, come here.”

Wayra walks over and Jax puts the glasses on his eyes. “See! He’s normal, well, normal for him. See how it doesn’t light up in these areas?” he points out to Trey.

“Yes.”

“Now watch this,” he says, taking the glasses off of Wayra, he places them back on my face. “See? It’s like Christmas in Chicago with all those lights,” Jax says proudly.

“So that means she’s smart?”

Jax beams. “Yeah, she’s smart! She’s brilliant! There’s no telling what she can do.”

“If she’s so smart, why did she run until she almost popped? Why didn’t she just tell us she needed to rest?” Wayra asks derisively.

“Personality flaw,” Trey replies. “She’s going to show us that she’s not weak.”

“She’s sitting right here,” I murmur, pulling the glasses off my face and handing them to Jax.

I live in Michigan with my husband and our two sons. My family is very supportive of my writing. When I’m writing, they often bring me the take-out menu so that I can call and order them dinner. They listen patiently when I talk about my characters like they’re real. They rarely roll their eyes when I tell them I’ll only be a second while I finish writing a chapter…and then they take off their coats. They ask me how the story is going when I surface after living for hours in a world of my own making. They have learned to accept my “writing uniform” consisting of a slightly unflattering pink fleece jacket, t-shirt, and black yoga pants. And they smile at my nerdy bookishness whenever I try to explain urban fantasy to them. In short, they get me, so they are perfect and I am blessed.

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1st place: KINDLE FIRE + ebook of Under Different Stars
2nd place: Kindle Cover + $50 Amazon Gift Card
3rd place: $50 Amazon Gift Card

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GIVEAWAY CONDITIONS:

Giveaway administered by Amy A. Bartol
Winners will be notified via email and if winner does not respond within 5 days another winner will be selected
Amazon ships most Kindle e-readers worldwide, however, it is up to the participant to ensure the country they reside in is listed as one of the countries Amazon ships to. If a winner is selected and Amazon does not ship to their country, another winner will be selected.
Before entering this giveaway please check: To ship Kindle Fire outside the U.S. view important information specific to your country.

16Dec2013

Review Tour + Giveaway: Only for You by Genna Rulon

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Title: Only for You
Series: For You #1 (full reading order below)
Author: Genna Rulon
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

“In its purest form love is self-sacrificing, eternal, selfless, enduring, truthful, forgiving and indulgent. It also feels an awful lot like a kick to the stomach when you try to fight it!“

All Everleigh Carsen wanted to do was complete her final semester at Hensley University and begin the life she carefully planned.

When a wave of violent crime seizes campus, Everleigh is persuaded to attend a school sponsored self-defense seminar by her best friend, where she meets volunteer instructor, Hunter Charles. After Everleigh’s biting sarcasm induces Hunter to eject her from class, a tempestuous relationship is born.

Everleigh is determined to forget the striking man, but fate–that fickle shrew–continuously intervenes. Unable to escape him, she declares Hunter an enemy combatant. The only complication… Hunter is resolutely pursuing vindication…by any means necessary. Verbal warfare ensues, and despite Everleigh’s ingenious efforts, in Hunter, she has finally found her equal.

Only For You is a compelling tale of friendship, desire, and redemption–brimming with intelligent characters, witty dialogue, unexpected twists, profound sorrow, unfettered hope, and love’s unassailable perseverance.

Note: Although this is series, each novel can be read as a stand alone.

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AH–it’s a friends to lovers romance! Off-the-charts sexual tension? Check! AH–it’s a new adult mystery! Intense, thrilling, and suspenseful? Check! AH–Hunter! A totally hot, sexy, protective alpha-male? Check! Okay, so if you’re into any or all of what I’ve just listed, then you have to read Only for You!

I had a great time reading this book. Not only was there a fantastic–if at times, frustrating, romance–there was an exciting mystery going on! I loved how Genna Rulon integrated both the romance and the mystery, and the story flowed so well. I was impressed with the writing, and I felt the characters were very mature (maybe a little TOO mature sometimes…) for their age. And it was good that they were mature, because at the university where they attend, an attacker is on the loose. Someone on Hensley University has been attacking and brutalizing women, and the violent crimes escalate even further. Because of this, the school has offered free self defense lessons, which is where our heroine comes in.

It was impossible to explain what it was like to be a woman under the best of circumstances, the awareness of out vulnerability, the inherent wariness. And in these extraordinary circumstances–he could never fathom the effects of living every day under the threat of assault, the constant vigilance required for self-preservation, doubting every man we encountered whether stranger or friend.

Everleigh is in her last year of college, and her best friend has just signed her up for self defense lessons. And the instructor of these lessons is the über-sexy, delicious Hunter Charles. And what I loved about Everleigh was that even though she drools a little over him, she’s still her snarky, witty self. She doesn’t fall head over heels for him on sight. In fact, things get worse right at the beginning of the lesson, and Everleigh and her smart mouth are kicked out but none other than Hunter.

But then Hunter shows up on the first day of school in one of Ever’s classes, and she’s less than thrilled. The two of them have such a snarky, hilarious rapport together, and even though there’s an intense attraction between the two, they eventually become great together as friends. And Everleigh cements this strong and steady friendship when she (hilariously) believes Hunter is… gay. Hunter doesn’t know Ever thinks he’s gay, and we certainly know Hunter is far from gay, but it’s the perfect setup for the both of them to remain just friends. And they become best friends, sharing so much of each other that it would seem that they are in a relationship.

In the meantime, the attacker at Hensley University is getting bolder and more daring. More girls are getting hurt and by more violent means. Ever and her best friend continue to learn how to defend themselves as the mystery gets bigger, and as Hunter and Ever move closer to passing the friend-zone.

The romance was a tiny bit slow for me, but I ended up enjoying it very much in the end. If you love alpha-males, Hunter is totally your man!

“I already knew, for me there is only you. No matter what happened between us in the future, it would only ever be you. I was made for you–only for you.”

Did you see that? It was the title of the book in that quote! Gah, I just love it when books do that (heehee). And yeah, swoon!

Only for You is the perfect blend of romance and mystery/suspense. I enjoyed reading it very much, and I’d definitely recommend this book for fans of either of those genres. And now I’m so excited to read the second book in the series, which is about Ever’s best friend, Sam!

4 hearts!

Reading Order: For You series

#1 ~ Only for You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Pieces for You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Temper for You: Goodreads (Sept. 24, 2014)

Genna Rulon is an up and coming contemporary romance author.

During her 15 years in the corporate world, Genna, inspired by her love of reading, fantasized about penning her own stories. Encouraged by her favorite authors, many of whom are indie writers and self-published, she committed to pursuing her aspirations of writing her own novels.

Genna was raised in Long Island, New York, where she still resides, surrounded by the most amazing family and friends. Married to a wonderful man, who patiently tolerates her ramblings about whichever book she is currently working on, even feigning interest relatively convincingly! Genna is blessed with two little boys who do their best to thwart mommy’s writing time with their hilarious antics and charming extrapolations.

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