Category Archives: Reviews

ARC Review: Daddy’s Best Friend by London Hale

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Daddy’s Best Friend by London Hale
Series: Temperance Falls #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

She’s temptation personified
Nathan’s always been more than just my dad’s friend. I never thought he’d see me as an adult, especially not after avoiding me for so long. But one hug, one moment feeling every inch of him against me, shatters that illusion. Consequences no longer matter—I’m eighteen, and I’m willing to risk everything for my shot with him.

He’s not going to resist anymore
I never should’ve seen Eve as more than my best friend’s daughter. As a cop, I know it’s wrong. It’s my job to protect her from guys like me. Chasing her could cost me my career—not to mention the only family I’ve ever known—but I can’t hold back another second. One taste, and I want her. To hell with the fallout.

I’m a sucker for forbidden love, and even more so when there’s an age gap between the characters. Do I like it in real life? not really, but I LOVE it in my books. When I heard that Brighton Walsh was pairing up with another author under a pen name to write a new series that would be the definition of a May/December, I couldn’t WAIT to get my hands on it. And let me tell you, I marathoned the whole series back to back, that’s how fun and dirty this series is. I had the best time reading the first three Temperance Falls books, and Daddy’s Best Friend is just the start to all the hot and steamy.

“If we do this, we can’t ever take it back. Things are going to change forever. Once I have you, Eve… Once I have you, I’m not going to let anyone else even look at you. You’ll be mine.”

Eve has been having dirty thoughts about her best friend’s father for a while, but she never expects him to return her feelings for him. What starts off as something forbidden and secretive turns into so much more as Eve and Nathan realize just how good they are together, in and out of bed. But Nathan struggles with the fact that he’s so much older than Eve – and he’s her father’s best friend. Will he be able to confront his best friend and prove that he’s all in with the one woman meant for him?

Nothing would matter if it meant I had to be without her. If it meant I couldn’t have her by my side. She was mine, and I’d fight for her if I had to.

If you love taboo, erotic reads, this series is a must-read for you. Each novella is just as filthy as the next, but they’re unique enough that you don’t feel like you’re reading the same story over and over. The sex is seriously hot – trust me, these older men know what they’re doing 😉 I highly recommend reading these if you’re a fan of age gap and/or forbidden romances!


lacey

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

Reading Order: Temperance Falls series

  

#1 ~ Daddy’s Best Friend: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The DILF: Ebook • Goodreads (May 16, 2017)
#3 ~ Nanny with Benefits: Goodreads (May 30, 2017)

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Release Day Review: Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen

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Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 2nd 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A goalie has to trust his instincts, even when taking a shot to the heart…

Mike Beacon is a champion at defending the net, but off the ice, he’s not so lucky. A widower and a single father, he’s never forgotten Lauren Williams, the ex who gave him the best year of his life. When Lauren reappears in the Bruisers office during the playoffs, Beacon sees his chance to make things right.

Lauren hates that she’s forced to travel with the team she used to work for and the man who broke her heart. There’s still undeniable sexual tension running between her and Mike, but she won’t go down that road again. She’s focused on her plans for the future—she doesn’t need a man to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Lauren plays her best defensive game, but she’s no match for the dark-eyed goalie. When the field of play moves to Florida, things heat up on the beach.

One of Mike’s biggest fans doesn’t approve—his teenage daughter. But a true competitor knows not to waste the perfect shot at love.

I LOVEDDD this!! Omg. Pipe Dreams might be my favorite of the Brooklyn Bruisers series. I freaking loved Lauren and Mike so hard! Their second chance romance is angsty, emotional, and SO sweet. Mike is definitely a man who knows how to grovel and win back the love of his life. 😉 If you love second chance romances or sports romances, you need to read Pipe Dreams in your life!

Widower, single father, and hockey goalie Mike Beacon lost the love of his life after an act of misplaced good intentions. Years later, Lauren is back in his life (albeit unwillingly) to take care of the team’s owner. Mike sees this as his chance to make things right with the only woman he’s ever loved… and possibly make her love him again. Will he be able to break down the walls around her heart – that he put up? Or will he have forever lost the best thing that ever happened to him?

A year from now he knew they’d wake up every morning in a bed together. He was sure of it, even if the details weren’t worked out yet, and even though he wasn’t allowed to speculate.

Lauren is known as the Ice Princess for her stone-cold facade. After a devastating heartbreak, she closed herself from all emotions to avoid ever having to feel that kind of self-destruction again. But when the cause of her heartbreak is back in her life and determined to win her love again, can she hold strong and stop the heartbreak from happening again? Or will this second time around end up being the real deal?

“I love you,” he said. He was just going to keep saying that forever, and he wanted her to know it.

I adored this book so, so much! It was everything I hoped for and more in Mike and Lauren’s second chance romance. And despite how angsty it was, it was also pretty low on drama, which I found myself appreciating. Despite the complicated mess their relationship turned out to be, Lauren and Mike’s love for each other was simple and never in doubt. I wholeheartedly loved these characters and their story!

This is another open plea to Sarina Bowen to please, please give us Nate and Becca’s book!!! Some developments happen in Pipe Dreams, but I NEED MORE!!! Please.


lacey

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

Reading Order: Brooklyn Bruisers series

  

#1 ~ Rookie Move: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Hard Hitter: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Pipe Dreams: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Review: What’s Become of Her by Deb Caletti

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What’s Become of Her by Deb Caletti
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 18th 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti comes an emotionally riveting story of a woman falling for a man who may be hiding a dangerous secret—perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah.

“Guilty people keep secrets.”

Isabelle Austen returns to her hometown on a small, isolated Pacific Northwest island to take over the family tourism business after the death of her mother, a disapproving parent and a hard woman to love. Feeling lost, Isabelle is also struggling with a recent divorce and wondering if she’ll ever come into her own. Then her life takes a surprising turn: The mysterious Henry North arrives on Parrish Island, steps off a seaplane, and changes Isabelle’s world forever. From the beginning, their relationship is heady and intense—then Isabelle learns of Henry’s disturbing past, involving the death of a fiancée and the disappearance of a wife. Suddenly Isabelle is caught between love and suspicion, paranoia and passion, as she searches for the truth she may not want to find—and is swept into a dangerous game she may not survive.

I used to read Deb Caletti’s YA contemporaries back in middle/high school, so when I heard she was releasing a suspense/thriller, I was intrigued enough to read it. It’s not my favorite genre, but I thought I’d give it a try to see how the author would play it out.

Isabelle Austen returns to her hometown on Parrish Island, only to take over the family tourism business because her mother recently passed away. Struggling to recover from her recent divorce, Isabelle is lost and vulnerable. It’s at this point that she meets a tourist, Henry, who begins to spend time with her and ask her out. She’s attracted to him and falls easily for him, but when a friend investigates Henry’s past and finds a dead fianceé and a dead wife, both who died of mysterious circumstances, Isabelle has to wonder if she should be afraid.

She finds out that Henry is not who she thinks he is… which causes her to make poor decisions while she’s wrapped in her paranoia and confusion. Thanks to her bad decisions, the suspense is both mysterious and frustrating, but it definitely kept me hooked and flipping the pages.

I was perplexed and intrigued by Isabelle’s character – I kept wondering why she stayed with Henry when everyone else tried to warn her off. Her decisions make her a flawed, frustrating, but addicting character. I found myself still rooting for her even when I didn’t agree with what she did.

This book is full of mystery and unanswered questions. I’m still not sure what to make of it, but it definitely succeeded in the mystery/suspense aspect. I’m excited to see if Deb Caletti will be writing more thrillers!


lacey

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Release Day Review: Checkmate: This is Effortless by Kennedy Fox

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Checkmate: This is Effortless by Kennedy Fox
Series: Checkmate Duet #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 25th 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Courtney Bishop is as sugary sweet as her famous blueberry muffins.
Southern belle at heart, Cali girl by choice.
She barged into my life and easily became my best friend.
All was great as roommates and just friends, but then I fell for the girl who could chop firewood, deliver baby calves, and bail hay without breaking a sweat.
She’s the perfect mixture of sugar and spice, and I love her.

Being more than friends and trying to build our future isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Moving forward and creating memories is all I want for us, but when the past continues to come back and haunt me, I’m not so sure she’ll stay for the ride.

Loving her is easy, but losing her will break me. Burning passion combined with an undeniable chemistry constantly pushes and pulls us together. In the end, I’ll prove we’re worth the fight, even when the game is far from over.

Checkmate, sweetheart.

Checkmate: This is Effortless was a highly anticipated read of mine ever since I read that god-awful cliffhanger from This is Reckless. I needed to see how Drew and Courtney would deal with the bitch drama that is Mia. While I didn’t quite enjoy this one as much as I did Drewtney’s first book because of all the hectic, filler drama, I was still glad to have read this and finally get to see how Drewtney ended up. If you were a fan of the Checkmate Duet series, you will most likely love Drew and Courtney’s conclusion!

Mia has gone off her rails and is determined to ruin what Courtney and Drew have. This woman is CRAZY, thinking she and Drew still belong together. But Drewtney is as strong as ever, despite Mia’s antics to scare Courtney off. Courtney does get scared, but Drew, mister Deputy, is working hard to make her feel as safe as possible. Drew is as sweet as ever – I really enjoyed how he was trying to handle Mia all the while making sure Courtney knew how much he loved her. Courtney is relatable with her fears and struggles with Mia, although I did get frustrated at how she relied on Drew a little too much.

The main reason why I didn’t love this book was because of how the drama with Mia seemed to drag on forever. I felt like Drew and Courtney could have dealt with Mia so much sooner than they did, which would have cut down the book length. And when Drewtney weren’t worried about Mia, they were having sex. I love a good steamy scene, but all the sex seemed to hinder the story progression.

Still, the ending of the book was definitely my favorite part. I was happy to see how Drewtney’s relationship concluded, and I’m excited for more in the series! I love the girl group that is Viola, Courtney, and Kayla and can’t wait for the dog-lover of the group to get a book with her uniformed man!


lacey

Reading Order: Checkmate Duet series

   

#1 ~ This is War: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ This is Love: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ This is Reckless: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ This is Effortless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey

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Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey
Series: Romancing the Clarksons #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 25th 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The third book in New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey’s Romancing the Clarksons series about four siblings on a cross-country road trip, perfect for fans of Gena Showalter and Julie James!

This time, she’s calling the shots.

Peggy Clarkson is returning to her alma mater with one goal in mind: confront Elliott Brooks, the man who ruined her for all others, and remind him of what he’s been missing. Even after three years, seeing him again is like a punch in the gut, but Peggy’s determined to stick to her plan. Maybe then, once she has the upper hand, she’ll finally be able to move on.

In the years since Peggy left Cincinnati, Elliott has kept his focus on football. No distractions and no complications. But when Peggy walks back onto his practice field and into his life, he knows she could unravel everything in his carefully controlled world. Because the girl who was hard to forget is now a woman impossible to resist.

I am the BIGGEST sucker for angst – and if Tessa Bailey writes it? It goes without saying that I’ll probably love it. I’d been DYING to read Peggy’s story ever since I heard it was going to be a second chance romance with an older hero who would have some major groveling to do. I love me some good grovel, and Tessa Bailey didn’t disappoint. I loved this book so, SO much. I adored Peggy and Elliot and their angst-filled, intense, steamy romance. If you’re a fan of second chance romances or groveling heroes, you need this book in your life!

One more mile to campus and she would be sharing oxygen with Elliott Brooks. Coach Elliott Brooks. The man she’d let ruin her for all others.
This weekend, Peggy would be returning the favor.

Back when Peggy was in college and in the cheerleading team, she couldn’t resist the allure of the football coach, Elliott Brooks. She had plans to seduce him, but fell in love with him instead… but he never reciprocated her feelings, and pushed her away. Now, years later, during a stop along the Clarkson family road trip to New York, Peggy is back at her old college and ready to make Elliott remember exactly what he threw away. And yeah, maybe she’s never been able to forget about him, despite her several ex-fiancés, but she’s determined to make Elliott suffer for all the hurt he caused her. But is all this effort worth it on a man who will never love her back?

Because whatever she’d felt for Elliott the man? She was declaring it dead. At one time there’d been more than sexual dependency and her need for approval between them, not that Elliott would admit it. But he’d slowly killed the good. She’d be damned before trying to revive it, when he didn’t want it back.
I’m over you, Elliott Brooks.

Elliott’s life revolves around football and it’s been his sole focus for years… except for that one period when he was obsessed with a certain cheerleader named Peggy Clarkson. But he pushed her away years ago and never expected to see her again… so when she shows up out of the blue, he’s knocked right on his ass and doesn’t know what to do with himself anymore. Then Peggy decides that she truly is O-V-E-R him, and what’s a man to do but fight for the only woman he’s ever loved and not let her go a second time?

“Miss you?” He grated the incredulous question, dropping his mouth to her temple. “You left me without a soul. I can barely remember the days since you left. They passed without me feeling a single thing. Because you are feeling for me. You’re the only thing that keeps me from being numb. Twice in my life you’ve turned me back into a living, breathing man, and missing you… missing you, Peggy, doesn’t even begin to cover it. You revive me.”

Too Hard to Forget is my new favorite read of Tessa’s. It’s my favorite so far in the series, and it’s up there at the top with Risking it All for me. This book had my heart in constant palpitations – the angst, the tension, the frustrations, the steam, all of it had me utterly hooked and infatuated with Peggy and Elliott’s story. From their torturous flashback scenes to their tension-filled, erotic present, their story was everything I could have hoped for and more. I adored Peggy and how she knew when to let go and stop fighting for a man who wouldn’t fight for her. Elliott had me frustrated and hot and bothered at the same time, but I truly fell in love with him when he realized how much he loved Peggy and was willing to move heaven and earth to prove his love to her. This man does some major groveling – you won’t be disappointed!

I had crazy high expectations for this second chance romance, but Tessa went above and beyond my expectations. I completely loved it! It’s got all sorts of tropes to love – a second chance romance, an age gap, opposites attract, a groveling hero… honestly, how could I NOT end up loving it? If you’re a fan of Tessa Bailey and her dirty, delicious reads, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on Too Hard to Forget!


lacey

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 • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Too Wild to Tame: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Too Hard to Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Too Close to Call: Ebook • Goodreads (June 13, 2017)
#4 ~ Too Beautiful to Break: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Sept. 5, 2017)

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