Category Archives: Reviews

Early Review: Stripped by Zoey Castile

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Stripped by Zoey Castile
Series: Happy Endings #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 28th 2018
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Skilled, sculpted, and sexy, the men of adult entertainment are the kind of guys a woman reserves for her fantasies, not her reality. But is there more to these professional hotties than meets the eye? . . .

The day Robyn Flores meets Zac Fallon is one of those days. You know, when you’re already late for work. Mostly because you haven’t really slept since your best friend abandoned you for her fiancé and her exponentially better life. The kind of day you drag yourself to the cleaners to pick up your laundry, only to discover you’ve got the wrong bag—Star Spangled sequined thong, anyone? So Robyn is definitely not ready for the ridiculously gorgeous guy at her front door, except that they have each other’s clothes. But then, is any woman ever ready to meet the love of her life?

There’s just one problem: Zac Fallon is not the love of Robyn’s life. Zac knows, despite the all-too-intimate dinner they share, he doesn’t have a shot at her. Because the next time Zac sees Robyn, he’s front and center of the male revue headlining her best friend’s bachelorette party. So much for wooing the pretty schoolteacher, much less impressing her old-fashioned family, with his upstanding lifestyle. Now he’s only got one way to win his dream girl. It’s gonna be the steamiest, most irresistible seduction she’s ever seen. And this time it will be no act . . .

I had such high hopes for Stripped – I mean, a stripper and a fifth-grade teacher? To say I was intrigued would be an understatement, and I ended up adoring Fallon and Robyn. Their romance was surprisingly so much sweeter than I expected, but just as dirty and sexy as I was hoping a stripper romance would be. It was so easy to fall into the story, the writing, the characters. Zoey Castile is a new author you don’t want to miss. And if you’re a fan of Magic Mike, you absolutely need to read Stripped!

Robyn Flores’ life is a bit of a mess. She’s an elementary school teacher who is perpetually late getting to work. She used to have plans growing up on how exactly her life would turn out, and it’s all spiraled out from under her. But things start to change when she finds a sequined thong in her laundry… a thong that belongs to her next door neighbor, who is also one of the strippers who shows up at her best friend’s bachelorette party.

Fallon is not ashamed of being a stripper, and why should he be? He embraces his job that has led him to become successful and comfortable in life, a change from his childhood. He sees no shame in what he does, though he hates that people disrespect him and look down on him when they find out what he does for a living. He and Robyn feel an instant connection the moment they meet and the chemistry between them is on fire. I loved every moment they were together, as they banter with each other and form a closer bond. Fallon is absolutely perfect for Robyn, with the way he treats her so preciously. The way he embraces his job helps Robyn discover and embrace her own true passion in life. Robyn frustrated me a bit with her back and forth – in both life and with Fallon – but that was balanced out by how kindhearted Fallon was. Stripped was surprisingly low on drama, but it worked for their story.

As far as first books in a series go, Stripped was fantastic. It was entertaining, funny, but also had its meaningful moments. Also, Zoey Castile is way too talented at writing stripper scenes, because they just come to life right out of the pages. And they are HOT. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for her readers with the rest of the series, and I’m so excited to see more strippers fall in love!


lacey

Reading Order: Happy Endings series

  

#1 ~ Stripped: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Aug. 28, 2018)
#2 ~ Hired: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Feb. 26, 2019)
#3 ~ Flashed: Goodreads (2019)

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Release Day Review: All the Way by Kristen Proby

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

All the Way by Kristen Proby
Series: Romancing Manhattan #1
Publication Date: August 21st 2018
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby’s brand new Romancing Manhattan series, three brothers get more than they bargain for as they practice law, balance life, and navigate love in and around New York City.

Finn Cavanaugh is known for being a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. He owns a successful law firm with his brother and brother-in-law in Manhattan. On the rare occasion that he has down time, he spends it at his home in Martha’s Vineyard. But when Finn’s troubled niece goes to stay with him for the summer in Martha’s Vineyard, he’s reluctant to take time off from work. That is, until he meets his beautiful new neighbor, London.

London Watson is a Tony Award winning actress on Broadway. When tragedy strikes her family, leaving her alone and injured, she flees Manhattan for Martha’s Vineyard. Hoping she can figure out how to pick up the pieces of her life, London is convinced that she’ll never be able to return to the stage. But when she meets the charming young girl next door and her sexy uncle, they soon lure London out of her shell as she finally begins to heal from the wounds of her past.

But when London feels confident enough to return to the spotlight, she’s dealt another devastating blow. Will the newfound love between London and Finn be enough to conquer all? Or will it be over before it has a chance to grow…?

All the Way is the first standalone in Kristen Proby’s Romancing Manhattan series featuring a Broadway actress and her new, sexy neighbor. After a tragic fire kills her parents and leaves her with a broken leg, London can’t go on stage anymore and flees to Martha’s Vineyard to heal, both inside and out. There, she encounters Finn and his adorable but acting out niece, and finds that as she heals, maybe she does have room in her heart and life for love.

I struggled to connect with Finn and London, though I did enjoy their story. I think what mainly threw me off was the prologue, when Finn asks London out to dinner right after he’s read her parents’ will. Yeah… not appropriate at all. I had to double check the blurb to make sure he was actually the hero when I read that. After that, it seemed like that whole scene was ignored and the story continued on as usual but it put a damper on the hero in my eyes. Thankfully, I enjoyed Kristen Proby’s writing and would definitely give the rest of the Romancing Manhattan series a try!

If you’re a fan of this author, you will probably enjoy All the Way more. Though I would skip the prologue 😂 London is a self-assured, independent woman while Finn is older and protective of her. The book is full of sexy and sweet, with a little drama at the end. If that sounds right up your alley, I say go for it!


lacey

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Review: The Chase by Elle Kennedy

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by

The Chase by Elle Kennedy
Series: Briar U #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 6th 2018
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

OHHH MY GOD. I loooved The Chase!! Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series is one of my favorite college/new adult/sports romance series ever, so the anticipation for its spinoff series was REAL. I’m so happy to say that Elle Kennedy did not disappoint with The Chase (though does she ever!?). I adored Summer and Fitzy’s story. I literally had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading them. And these new hockey boys Elle introduced had me cracking up like crazy – though I did love seeing some old, beloved characters too 😉 If you loved the Off-Campus series, you definitely need this spin-off series in your life!

I want a man with clear intentions. A man who makes an effort and is excited to spend time with me. A man who actually wants to want me.
If he has to fight himself to be with me, then chances are he’d never fight for me if it came down to it.
What woman would ever choose somebody like that?

I adore a good opposites-attract romance, and you can’t get more opposite than with Summer and Fitzy. Summer is your privileged, dramatic, outgoing, fashion-loving girl, while Fitzy is a drama-hating, introverted, game-playing/-making nerd and hockey player. One’s all light and the other is pretty gloomy. But despite their differences, these two have wanted each other from the very start – but they get off to a rough start when Summer overhears Fitzy judging Summer as an airhead. And… they also become roommates (awkward). Can he make her believe that he sees her for who she really is: his sunshine?

… I never felt truly alive until Summer.
I don’t want to be with a woman who hides in the shadows with me, because that enables me to keep hiding. And that’s what I’ve done for years—hidden pieces of myself from my parents, my friends, chicks, the world. I want someone who encourages me to step out of my comfort zone, and Summer is that someone.

I had the BEST time reading The Chase. It’s funny, smart, relatable, sexy – everything I wanted in a college sports romance and more. Do I believe that the Briar U series has the potential to live up to its predecessor? Absolutely. I fell in love with Fitzy and Summer, their sweet, hilarious, slightly angsty romance, and can’t wait to read more of the new characters. I am dying to get my hands on the next book. I can’t get enough of Elle Kennedy’s fantastic storytelling!


lacey

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

Reading Order: Briar U series

#1 ~ The Chase: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Risk: Ebook • Goodreads (Feb. 18, 2019)

Reading Order: Off-Campus series

The Deal by Elle Kennedy The Mistake by Elle Kennedy The Score by Elle Kennedy 

#1 ~ The Deal: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Mistake: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Score: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Goal: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Early Review: Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill

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Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill
Series: Heirs of Chicagoland #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 14th 2018
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In the first thrilling installment of Chloe Neill’s spinoff to the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series, a new vampire will find out just how deep blood ties run.

As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she’s a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he’s prince of the Pack and its future king.

When the assassination of a diplomat brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.

I have been a big fan of Chloe Neill’s since I discovered her Chicagoland Vampires series years ago. The first few books are still some of my favorite paranormal/urban fantasy reads. I did however put the series on hold around book 10, but when I heard the author would be releasing a new spinoff series, I knew I had to catch up on the CV series. Fast forward to me racing through the last few books and figuring out just how Merit and Ethan ended up with a baby, and I finally get to Wild Hunger. I honestly wasn’t sure how this spinoff series about their child would turn out, but I have to say that I was not disappointed! I had so much fun returning to the world Chloe Neill created and fell in love with Elisa Sullivan.

Elisa is the only known born vampire to exist. Born to the powerhouse vampire couple of Chicago, she is the princess of Cadogan House, though that doesn’t mean she’s spoiled. She’s smart, headstrong, and responsible – she wants to be treated like any other vampire and goes training in Paris to get that equal treatment. But when she returns home to Chicago for peace treaty talks, tension is brewing between the vampires, werewolves, and fae. All hell breaks loose when one of her friends is framed for murder, with Elisa caught right in the middle.

I loved this exciting, new, fresh take on the vampire world Chloe Neill created. Elisa makes a fantastic heroine and investigator, a role previously held by her mother. I am so happy with her love interest as well: Connor Keene, the future king of the shifter Pack. They’ve known each other their whole lives, most of which they spent annoying each other, but Elisa’s years away from Chicago makes them see each other in a new light. I see so much potential for the two of them and they are definitely what I’m most excited about for the rest of the series! I loved seeing old faces, but Chloe Neill writes them in a way that doesn’t overshadow this new generation. Wild Hunger is a great start to this spinoff series, with plenty of action, political intrigue, chemistry between the main characters, and I already can’t wait for more.


lacey

Wild Hunger is the first book in the spinoff series of the Chicagoland Vampires series. Though it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the CV series as well.

Reading Order: Chicagoland Vampires series

   
 
   
   

#1 ~ Some Girls Bite: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Friday Night Bites: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Twice Bitten: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hard Bitten: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Drink Deep: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Biting Cold: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ House Rules: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Biting Bad: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.5 ~ Howling for You: Ebook • Goodreads
#9 ~ Wild Things: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ Blood Games: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10.5 ~ Lucky Break: Ebook • Goodreads
#11 ~ Dark Debt: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#12 ~ Midnight Marked: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#12.5 ~ Phantom Kiss: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#13 ~ Blade Bound: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#13.5 ~ Slaying It: Ebook • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

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The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 7th 2018
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.

It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

The Simple Wild is now one of my new favorite reads of 2018! I almost cried at the end of this book, while I was taking public transportation. That’s how intensely emotional this book is, since I rarely ever cry while reading. I fell in love with Calla, her family, Jonah, flying, and Alaska in this phenomenal read. This is definitely my favorite K.A. Tucker read to date and I highly recommend this beautifully written book – it’s the kind of read that you won’t be able to forget.

City girl Calla Fletcher never thought she would travel to a remote town in Alaska of all places, but when someone who works with her estranged father tells her that he has terminal cancer, she packs her bags to go see the man who abandoned her for over two decades, who always chose his job as a pilot over his daughter, before he’s truly gone from her life.

At its heart, The Simple Wild is about relationships and taking chances. Calla is woefully unprepared for the wilds of Alaska – but what city girl wouldn’t be? But she takes the chance to go see her father and reconnect with him after decades in the hopes she won’t have any regrets about their relationship by the time he’s gone. She takes a chance on Alaska, on its unforgiving nature and the close-knit community that the Alaskan small town has. And she takes a chance on a surly, gorgeous pilot named Jonah, who she can’t help but go head to head with. But even after letting all these new experiences and people into her heart, can a city girl at heart and the wilds of Alaska truly mesh?

The Simple Wild quite simply wrecked me. As soon as I picked it up, I couldn’t stop reading Calla’s heartfelt story. I felt for this girl, the way she tries to make a new relationship with her father, the way she stands up to Jonah and falls slowly in love with him. I never expected to fall in love with Alaska, but K.A. Tucker writes the place in a way that makes it come to life. I am beyond impressed with this breathtaking story and highly recommend it for those who want more in their contemporary romances!


lacey

Also by K.A. Tucker

Standalones

 

He Will Be My Ruin: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Keep Her Safe: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Reading Order: Burying Water series

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker Becoming Rain by K.A. Tucker Chasing River by K.A. Tucker Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

#1 ~ Burying Water: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Becoming Rain: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Chasing River: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Surviving Ice: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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