Audiobook Review: Into the Fire by Meredith Wild

Into the Fire by Meredith Wild
Series: Bridge #2 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: June 21st 2016
Length: 8 hours and 26 minutes
Narrated by: Angelo Di Loreto & Stephanie Wyles
Links: Audible • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Darren Bridge is living a bachelor’s dream. When he’s not running into burning buildings with his crew, he’s training the flavor of the week at his brother’s gym. Few women have ever been off limits…until Vanessa. Smart, beautiful, and legs for days, she’s unlike anyone he’s ever met. Too bad he’s sworn to leave her alone.

Overworked with no end in sight, Vanessa Hawkins hasn’t had a vacation in nearly two years. When Cameron and Maya’s destination wedding takes her out of the office for a much-needed break, she finds herself struggling to resist her attraction to the best man. Darren is dangerously good-looking with enough charm to make any hot-blooded woman want to drop her panties and enjoy the ride, no matter how long it lasts.

When they return to the city, Darren realizes the single life has lost its glimmer. But with everything else on her plate, Vanessa doesn’t have room in her life for a man, let alone a player. Can Darren find his way into her heart and convince her that he’s worth the risk?

I’ve only read one other Meredith Wild book (the first Hacker novel) and I enjoyed her writing, so I was excited at the chance to listen to her latest release, Into the Fire, in audio. Both narrators are new to me, but they were fantastic, and I’d definitely listen to them again. The romance, while a little cliché, was still enjoyable and I adored the main characters. Here, we have a story about a bachelor who forsakes his playboy ways for the one woman he loves – how can you not love that!?

Darren Bridge is a firefighter, and along with women, it’s his biggest passion in life. He’s happy with his job, and he never wants to settle down or get saddled with a relationship. He goes through women like water, since every woman he meets seems to want him, all except one – his brother’s bride’s best friend. Still, he’s determined to have her, wanting to experience their insanely hot chemistry in bed – but the more he’s around her, the more he wants her. So what happens when feelings start to get involved for him for the first time? Will he be able to give up his playboy ways for Vanessa?

Vanessa is tough and smart, and I loved how she’s cautious with her feelings and heart around Darren. He’s always been a player, so how can she trust that his feelings are real? She makes him prove his love and loyalty, and she doesn’t make it easy for him. It’s a slow-going romance, but one that feels genuine and real. Meredith Wilder did a wonderful job balancing out the heartwarming and sweet side of Vanessa and Darren’s blooming romance with the steam that comes with their instant attraction.

The narrators Angelo Di Loreto and Stephanie Wyles made the story even more enjoyable, voicing Darren and Vanessa perfectly. I’m not sure if they’ll be narrating the next Bridge book, but if they are, I will definitely listen to it! If you love well-narrated audiobooks with steamy romances and a player who makes a 180 for his woman, I highly recommend Into the Fire!

INTO THE FIRE is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/1XI4is5

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Bridge series

  

#1 ~ On My Knees: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Into the Fire: EbookPaperbackAudibleGoodreads
#3 ~ Over the Edge: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (Nov. 22, 2016)


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

ARC Review: The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones

The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones

The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones
Series: Charley Davidson #10 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

If one door closes and another one opens,
your house is probably haunted.
—Bumper Sticker

As a Part-time PI and fulltime grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life: Why can I see dead people? Who is the hot supernatural entity following me? How do I get gum out of my sister’s hair before she wakes up? But, “How do I trap not one malevolent god, but three?” was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension.

There’s just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago. Can the Razer, a god of absolute death and destruction, change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiances lie with his brothers?

Those are just a few of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl running for her life, an innocent man who’s been charged with murdering the daughter of a degenerate gambler, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, and Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we’re saved. If not, well…

Those are just some of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl on the run for her life, a man who’s been framed for murdering a woman who is still very much alive, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we’re saved. If not, well…

I love love love the Charley Davidson series!! I don’t know how Darynda Jones does it, but the humor in this series is flat-out phenomenal – without doubt, she writes the FUNNIEST books I’ve ever read. So if you love humorous paranormal/urban fantasy books, you should definitely read this series, if you haven’t already.

The Curse of Tenth Grave is another fantastic installment to the series, and it’s a must read for those who’ve been keeping up with Charley and the gang. So much goes on here and so many things about the characters are revealed – THIS was the book I’d been waiting for ever since we found out the truth of what Charley was. I wanted answers, and I got them in Tenth Grave.

Charley has gained her memories back, which means PI Charley is back, too! The fun- and trouble-filled mystery that we love that Charley and the gang get into is back in the game, and this time, Charley has to balance her PI side (helping a homeless girl with a curse and solving a murder) with her paranormal side (trapping a dangerous god), all while trying to fix some marital issues with Reyes. No big deal, right?

Given that the last book was so romantic, I was surprised that Charley and Reyes had some problems. But since they’re both keeping secrets from one another, it’s inevitable that they’d bump into a few problems in their marriage. Plus with everything going on with Beep, it’s a very trying and emotional time, though I had faith that these two would work it out together. And trust me, this couple comes out stronger in the end because of it.

“What other secrets are you hiding behind those sparking eyes?”
He grinned. “You have my heart. That’s where I had all my secrets.”
“Then I guess I don’t have the key.”
“Are you kidding? You forged the key.”

The Curse of Tenth Grave isn’t another filler installment – it’s packed with plot and revelations, I nearly couldn’t keep up. It’s another fantastic, fast-paced, hilarious book in a series I adore. Darynda Jones seems to never disappoint, and I only fall more in love with these characters with every new installment. I can’t wait to see where the author will take us next – I’m already dying for Eleventh Grave in Moonlight!

5 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: Charley Davidson series

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones
Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones Seventh Grave and No Body by Darynda Jones Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones
 The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones 

#1 ~ First Grave on the Right: EbookHardcover • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ Second Grave on the Left: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Third Grave Dead Ahead: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Fifth Grave Past the Light: EbookHardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Sixth Grave on the Edge: EbookHardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Seventh Grave and No Body: Ebook • Hardcover • PaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Eighth Grave After Dark: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8.5 ~ Brighter Than the Sun: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads (Reyes’ POV novella)
#9 ~ The Dirt on Ninth Grave: My Review • EbookHardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ The Curse of Tenth Grave: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#11 ~ Eleventh Grave in Moonlight: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads (Jan. 24, 2017)


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAMGOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

ARC Review: The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz

The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Links: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From the internationally celebrated author of the Original Sinners series comes a brand-new tale of betrayal, revenge and a family scandal that bore a 150-year-old mystery

When Cooper McQueen wakes up from a night with a beautiful stranger, it’s to discover he’s been robbed. The only item stolen—a million-dollar bottle of bourbon. The thief, a mysterious woman named Paris, claims the bottle is rightfully hers. After all, the label itself says it’s property of the Maddox family who owned and operated Red Thread Bourbon distillery since the last days of the Civil War until the company went out of business for reasons no one knows… No one except Paris.

In the small hours of a Louisville morning, Paris unspools the lurid tale of Tamara Maddox, heiress to the distillery that became an empire. But the family tree is rooted in tainted soil and has borne rotten fruit. Theirs is a legacy of wealth and power, but also of lies, secrets and sins of omission. The Maddoxes have bourbon in their blood—and blood in their bourbon. Why Paris wants the bottle of Red Thread remains a secret until the truth of her identity is at last revealed, and the century-old vengeance Tamara vowed against her family can finally be completed.

Love what they destroyed.
Destroy what they loved.

Oh. My. God!!! Tiffany Reisz never ceases to amaze me with her way with words – The Bourbon Thief is a wild ride of a story from start to finish. It took me a little while to get into it, but once Reisz sucked me in, there was no going back for me. I practically devoured this book from 10% on. The suspense surrounding the mysterious Paris and her tale had me riveted and on the edge of my seat. Reisz has written an intricately woven story of love, lies, secrets, wealth, power, and bourbon – and it. was. amazing. It’s been a few days since I’ve finished The Bourbon Thief and I’m still stunned by this book. If you’re a fan of the author, this is a read you don’t want to miss.

“Of all the bars in all the world… you walked into mine to steal my bourbon. You know, stealing something worth a million dollars is a felony.”

Cooper McQueen finds himself robbed by the gorgeous woman he took home for the night – his million-dollar bottle of Red Thread bourbon, the last of its name, was stolen right from under his nose. Before he has her arrested though, the mysterious and seductive woman, Paris, tells him the origins of Red Thread, why it belongs to her – and why it needs to be destroyed. So begins the fascinating history of the Maddoxes, the creators of Red Thread, and one girl’s quest for revenge against her family.

This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read, even Reisz’s Original Sinners series. It’s got a historical feel to it, since much of the book is set in the past; it’s got mystery and suspense; it’s got a plot for revenge; it’s got a sweet romance, one that I absolutely adored; and of course, it’s not Tiffany Reisz without some erotic taboo. There is just so much going on in this book, from Paris’s mysterious relation to Red Thread, to Tamara and Levi’s story set in the past. But the thing about Reisz’s writing and storytelling is that nothing feels gratuitous – every word matters to the story, and I totally got that feeling in The Bourbon Thief.

I really have no words to describe how I feel about this book, other than it blew my mind. The way Reisz connected all the puzzle pieces of the story was incredible. If you love the author, you’ll want to read this. It was truly an experience reading The Bourbon Thief, and I won’t be forgetting this story anytime soon, that’s for sure.

4.5 hearts
lacey

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


Also by Tiffany Reisz

The Original Sinners series

The Saint by Tiffany Reisz The Angel by Tiffany Reisz The Prince by Tiffany Reisz The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz
The Saint by Tiffany Reisz The King by Tiffany Reisz The Virgin by Tiffany Reisz The Queen by Tiffany Reisz
The Mistress Files by Tiffany Reisz 

#1 ~ The Siren: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ The Angel: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#3 ~ The Prince: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#4 ~ The Mistress: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#5 ~ The Saint: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#6 ~ The King: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#7 ~ The Virgin: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#8 ~ The Queen: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
Novella ~ The Mistress Files: Ebook • Goodreads
Collection ~ The Confessions: EbookPaperback • Goodreads


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAMGOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

ARC Review: The Billionaire Bachelor by Jessica Lemmon

The Billionaire Bachelor by Jessica Lemmon
Series: Billionaire Bad Boys #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Indecent Proposal

Manwhore. That’s what the board of directors-and the tabloids-thinks of billionaire bachelor Reese Crane. Ordinarily he couldn’t care less, but his playboy past is preventing the board from naming him CEO of Crane Hotels. Nothing-and no one-will keep him from his life’s legacy. They want a settled man to lead the company? Then that’s exactly what he’ll give them.

Merina Van Heusen will do anything to get her parents’ funky boutique hotel back-even marry cold-as-ice-but-sexy-as-hell Reese Crane. It’s a simple business contract-six months of marriage, absolute secrecy, and the Van Heusen is all hers again. But when sparks fly between them, their passion quickly moves from the boardroom to the bedroom. And soon Merina is living her worst nightmare: falling in love with her husband . . .

I really, reaaally wanted to love The Billionaire Bachelor – billionaire heroes are a guilty pleasure of mine, so this book seemed perfect to me. Plus, there’s the whole marriage-of-convenience trope. It’s not a trope I actively go looking for, but I do enjoy it, so I’m disappointed that didn’t really enjoy this book. I was bored most of the time, nearly hated the hero, and couldn’t connect with the writing or characters. This is my first Jessica Lemmon read, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to read any more of her books.

Merina Van Heusen’s family legacy is their boutique hotel – until Merina finds out that her parents are in debt and they decided to sell the hotel without her knowledge. The worst part of it is that they sold it to Reese Crane, upcoming CEO of Crane Hotels, a hotel chain that would get rid of all the uniqueness of Merina’s hotel and turn it into every other sleek, boring hotel. So what does Merina do to protect what she loves? She marches right into Reese’s office and demands that he give her back her hotel.

In this first meeting scene, I was a bit taken aback by Merina. She literally marches into a stranger’s office and starts yelling at him for doing something she can’t really blame him for. It was way over the top and didn’t paint Merina in a good light, and for the rest of the book, I didn’t really warm up to her at all, unfortunately.

Reese Crane didn’t become the rich and powerful man he is by capitulating to others, and he’s not about to start now with a gorgeous woman like Merina. Unfortunately, his bachelor lifestyle paints him in a bad light, making the company board hesitant to name him CEO – so Reese needs to find a wife quick, and who better than a woman who wants something from him? So Reese and Merina strike a deal – they become husband and wife for a short while, and Merina will be given the hotel at the end of their marriage. But what happens when feelings start to grow, and husband and wife start to fall for one another?

The thing that really brought this book down for me was Reese and his attitude towards Merina. I’m getting less and less tolerant of whiny heroes who treat heroines like shit, and that’s basically what Reese is. He’s a complete ass to his wife and his whole “I’ll never fall in love because I’ve been hurt before by caring about someone else” grew annoying after a while. I really wanted him to man up and realize what he and Merina grew to have much more quickly than he did.

I tried to like this one, but I just didn’t have a good experience with it. It’s pretty boring and not at all memorable compared to the many, many billionaire reads out there. I might give the other books in the series a try, since Reese’s brothers intrigued me, but I probably won’t go in with too many expectations.

2 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Billionaire Bad Boys series

  

#1 ~ The Billionaire Bachelor: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ The Billionaire Next Door: Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads (Oct. 25, 2016)
#3 ~ The Bastard Billionaire: EbookPaperbackGoodreads (Feb. 28, 2017)


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAMGOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Release Day Review: Forevermore by Kristen Callihan

Forevermore by Kristen Callihan
Series: Darkest London #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Links: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Isolated and alone, Sin Evernight is one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in heaven and on earth. As an angel of vengeance, he hunts down the darkest evil, but when his long-lost friend, Layla Starling, needs him, he vows to become her protector. Even though she will be horrified by the man he has become.

Now a famous singer and the toast of London, Layla believes that Sin is only here to guard her from rabid fans and ardent suitors. However, the truth is far more sinister. Desperate to avoid losing Layla a second time, Sin will face a test of all his powers to defeat an unstoppable foe – and win an eternity with the woman he loves.

Forevermore is the seventh and final book of the Darkest London series! I’m sad to see the series end, because I’ve really enjoyed reading it. This mystical, fascinating, paranormal world Kristen Callihan has created is well-written and highly addicted to read. While I didn’t love Forevermore as much as I would’ve like to, I still loved being back in this world and seeing all the previous characters again. If you’re a fan of the series, you probably won’t want to miss this finale!

Sin Evernight is a character whose book I’ve been dying for ever since he was first introduced. He’s a complex hero, and I was ready to know everything about his story. And I absolutely loved that is romance is a friends-to-lovers one. His childhood friend Layla Starling was everything to him until she moved away, though he never forgot her. Now, as a powerful Judgment angel in charge of people’s souls, he’s tasked with protecting Layla as she comes into her newfound powers and paranormal abilities.

Layla thought she was just a normal girl raised by Augustus, her immortal guardian, until sinister things started to happen to her. Turns out she’s so much more than she thought, and as she navigates through this new paranormal world, she’s also reunited by her first friend and love Sin. We get to know her and Sin as childhood friends (which was adorable) and now we also get to know them as they fall in love all over again.

I didn’t particularly connect with Sin or Layla, but I adored their romance. It’s sweet and heartwarming, despite all the craziness that’s happening around them. The main thing that really prevented me from loving Forevermore (which I’m so bummed about, because I loved all the previous books) is that I felt a little lost as I was reading. I think it might’ve been a little too long since the last time I read a Darkest London book, because the plot kind of went over my head, and I couldn’t really catch up to the hows and whys of things going on.

There’s one thing I really did love about Forevermore, however, which was the love story between Augustus, Layla’s guardian and Sin’s mentor, and Lena, Layla’s mother. I found myself utterly hooked onto their star-crossed love – they’re soulmates who are on opposite sides of a war and haven’t been together for centuries. I thought it was a nice touch including their romance, and it definitely made this book more enjoyable.

It’s a bittersweet end for Forevermore, but for fans of the series, it’s an end you don’t want to miss. There are a ton of cameos from previous characters and a pretty epic battle near the end. All in all, it was a good ending to the series, despite my disappointment with not loving it more. And looking at other reviews, this is totally my fault, so if you’re wondering whether to read Forevermore, I say go for it!

3 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Darkest London series

  
  
  

#0.5 ~ Ember: EbookGoodreads
#1 ~ Firelight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Moonglow: Ebook • PaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Winterblaze: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Entwined: EbookGoodreads
#4 ~ Shadowdance: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Evernight: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Soulbound: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Forevermore: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAMGOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.