Early Review: Hero by Samantha Young

Hero by Samantha Young

Hero by Samantha Young
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 3rd 2015
Purchase: EbookPaperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The emotional and unforgettable new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…

I. Loved. Hero!!! Loved, loved, loved it! I simply adored this new (upcoming) release from Samantha Young. I was already a fan after the On Dublin Street series, but now I’m even more in love with her writing and storytelling. Hero had me hooked from start to finish, and I never wanted Caine and Alexa’s story to end! So if you’re a fan of Samantha Young, be excited for Hero because it’ll make you fall in love and sweep you away!

This book was pretty much the perfect read for me – it had a sassy heroine I genuinely liked and admired, and a hot-as-hell, alpha, rude, domineering hero in a suit. And the two of them together clash. Alexa Holland is an assistant to a photographer, and it’s at a photo shoot where she meets Caine Carraway. It’s lust at first sight, but when Alexa’s past comes to light and Caine finds out that it was Alexa’s father who ruined Caine’s family, he wants nothing to do with her, despite their attraction to one another. When Alexa loses her job, Caine offers one as his assistant, but only so that he can make life hell-on-earth for her.

“Oh, and, Alexa?”
I froze but my pulse sped up. He’d never said my name before.
It sounded nice on his lips. Very, very nice.
“Yeah?” I whispered.
“From now on you will refer to me as Mr. Carraway and only Mr. Carraway.”
Ouch.

Caine is definitely an ass to Alexa, but Alexa’s not the type of woman to let him run all over her. She gives as good as she gets, and she’s determined to prove to Caine that she doesn’t bear the sins of her father. My heart actually ached for her and life she’s had. She’s always been put second in the lives of those she loves, but she’s all the more stronger for it. She doesn’t let people, least of all Caine, bring her down.

Hero had me grinning so, so much. The flames between Caine and Alexa only get hotter as they spend more time together. I loved that Caine tries to make Alexa hate him and her job, all while lusting after her. He wants to hate her, but as he gets to know more of her, he can’t. All he wants is her.

“I fantasize about fucking you in this office a hundred times a day.”

And Alexa is just the most genuine, funny heroine ever! She knew exactly what Caine was trying to do, but she sees through his tough exterior to the warm heart he has. And he really does have a heart of gold underneath his harsh exterior, even though Caine himself believes otherwise.

“I’m not your white knight. I’m just the guy who wanted to fuck you.”

When Caine and Alexa give in to their need for each other, it’s explosive. The two of them have an intense, raw passion for each other, but while Alexa knows there’s more between them, Caine keeps her at a distance. He doesn’t believe he’s capable of love, and Alexa sets on to prove him otherwise.

It should have been frustrating that Caine was so hot and cold about his feelings – he’s protective and possessive of Alexa one moment, then cold and detached the next – but it just… wasn’t. There was an honest, genuine feel to Alexa and Caine’s growing romance. I was rooting for Caine to realize how perfect he and Alexa are together. They have some of the sweetest moments together that warmed my heart.

“For the longest time my company is what got me up in the morning. It was what motivated me every second of every day. Since the moment you started working for me, you are what has gotten me up in the morning. You are what motivates me every second of every day. And still I want more from you.”

*Dreamy sigh* Oh, Caine, how I love you ❤

The romance in Hero was simply brilliant. It’s an office romance but with a unique, fresh take. I adored everything about this book – the story, the characters, the writing. I fell in love with Alexa and Caine and I felt for them. If you haven’t preordered Hero, go do it now! I highly recommend this heartfelt, sexy, romantic read!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Excerpt Reveal: Second Debt by Pepper Winters

Second Debt excerpt reveal

Second Debt by Pepper Winters

Second Debt by Pepper Winters
Series: Indebted #3 (full reading order below)
Release date: January 26th 2015
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“I tried to play a game. I tried to wield deceit as perfectly as the Hawks. But when I thought I was winning, I wasn’t. Jethro isn’t what he seems—he’s the master of duplicity. However, I refuse to let him annihilate me further.”

Nila Weaver has grown from naïve seamstress to full-blown fighter. Every humdrum object is her arsenal, and sex…sex is her greatest weapon of all.

She’s paid the First Debt. She’ll probably pay more.

But she has no intention of letting the Hawks win.

Jethro Hawk has found more than a worthy adversary in Nila—he’s found the woman who could destroy him. There’s a fine line between hatred and love, and an even finer path between fear and respect.

The fate of his house rests on his shoulders, but no matter how much ice lives inside his heart, Nila flames too bright to be extinguished.

Preorder Links:
Amazon • iBooks • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from Second Debt! ❤

excerpt

Just thinking of Jethro sent a spasm of desire through my core.

Dammit, what’s happening to me?

A daydream of Jethro slamming to his knees before me and wrenching my legs wide stole my mind. It was so vivid, so real—a trickle of need ran down my inner thigh. I gasped as I imagined his tongue lapping at my clit, his long fingers disappearing inside me—the same finger that I’d tattooed with my name.

Would I come harder knowing he touched me with a finger branded by me? Or would I hold on as tight as I could and make him work for it?

Oh, God.

I needed to get rid of this satanic desire. I needed to be free.

My eyes opened, latching onto the detachable showerhead.

I could do it myself…

My heartbeat whizzed with need. I couldn’t fight the churning demand any longer.

Reaching upward, I unhooked the showerhead and turned the water temperature down so as not to burn myself.

Feeling awkward and ridiculous and a hundred times guilty for what I was about to do, I braced my back on the tiled wall and spread my legs a little.

My teeth clamped on my bottom lip as the water pressure tickled my clit.

Oh. My. God.

My eyes rolled back as I grew bolder and pressed the stream of heavenly water harder against my pussy.

Water cascaded down my legs while my torso shivered from sudden cold. My nipples stiffened as I wickedly angled the jet down and down until water shot inside me. Every jet and bubble aroused sensitive flesh, sending my muscles clenching in joy.

I moaned.

Loudly.

My legs trembled as my neck flopped forward and I gave myself over to the exquisite pleasure conjured by an innocuous showerhead.

Starbursts flashed behind my eyelids; Jethro loomed into my mind. I pictured him shrugging out of his black shirt, prowling toward me while unbuckling his belt and unzipping his trousers. I moaned again as my daydream shed his clothing and stood proud and naked before me. He grabbed his cock, pumping himself hard and firm, while his eyes feasted on what I was doing. He didn’t say a word, only watched, then crooked his finger and beckoned me closer.

My heartbeat exceeded recommended limits as I forced myself higher and higher, locking my knees against buckling as an orgasm brewed into being. I rocked the showerhead, biting my lip as the pressure spurted over my clit and then inside me. The rhythm I set was exactly like fucking and I daren’t overthink how I looked or how depraved I felt getting off this way.

My daydream forced its way past my misgivings. My forehead furrowed as I trembled, both welcoming and fighting an orgasm.

Daydream Jethro crept closer, working his cock, a dangerous glint in his eyes. The moment I was within grabbing distance, he captured my waist. “I need to be inside you, Nila.” I put words into Jethro’s mouth, but it was his voice I heard in my heart.

I moaned again, angling the showerhead harder against my clit.

“How do you want it?” my fantasy whispered in my ear as he spun me around and pressed me hard against the wall.

I swallowed hard, answering in my mind. “Fast and…”

“Filthy?” Daydream Jethro’s nose nuzzled the back of my ear, sending shockwaves down my spine. “I can fuck you filthy.”

I couldn’t speak. But I didn’t have to. My fantasy knew exactly how I needed it. Jethro bit the back of my shoulder, spreading my legs wider with his.

“Fuck me, Jethro Hawk,” I whispered.

“Oh, I will. Believe me, I will.” Without further warning, he dug his fingers into my hips and slammed inside me.

My fingers went numb as I slid the showerhead from clit to entrance. I cried out as water shot inside at the same time as Jethro thrust into me from behind, sliding deep and fast, stretching me deliciously painfully.

My heart exploded with bliss. An orgasm squeezed every atom, getting ready to hurl me into the stratosphere.

Jethro thrust again and I rode my new friend the showerhead.

“Oh, God. Yes,” I hissed, rocking harder. “Yes, yes…”

A masculine cough sounded. “You continue to surprise me, Ms. Weaver; at least this time, I rather enjoy it.”

Everything crashed into awareness. My daydream shattered, fracturing by my feet like broken glass. I squealed and dropped the showerhead. It turned into a water snake, spewing water left and right, wriggling like some terrible demon.

Jethro snickered. “You’re using up the entire Hall’s supply of hot water. Are you planning on saving some for the rest of the inhabitants of my home?”

Reading Order: Indebted series

 Debt Inheritance by Pepper Winters First Debt by Pepper Winters Second Debt by Pepper Winters

#1 ~ Debt Inheritance: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2 ~ First Debt: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Second Debt: Ebook • Goodreads (Jan. 26, 2015)
#4 ~ Third Debt: Goodreads (May 31, 2015)
#5 ~ Fourth Debt: Goodreads (Sept. 9, 2015)
#6 ~ Final Debt: Goodreads (Dec. 2, 2015)

about the author

Pepper Winters

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:
Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)
Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:
Destroyed

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Review: Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin

Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin

Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: January 12th 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Revenge.
I race to finance it.
I evade to protect it.
I kill to attain it.
I planned everything.

Except her.
The alluring, curvaceous blonde at the finish line.
With sapphire eyes that cheat and lie.
Whose powerful family murdered mine.

I hate her.
I want her.

I know she’s hiding something.
But so am I.

SQUEEEE!!! My first 5-heart rating of the year!! And oh my gosh, how I loved this one. Dirty Ties is the first book I’ve read from Pam Godwin but it won’t be my last! I simply adored this thrilling, hot, wild ride of a novel. It was nothing I expected, since the blurb doesn’t give much away, but I loved that this book surprised me. Dirty Ties is a fast-paced page turner that had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. I loved the characters and the writing – I can’t recommend this book enough!

I don’t want to explain too much about the plot, because I feel it’s best to go into Dirty Ties blind. The driving force of this book is revenge – except what happens to that revenge when love gets in the way? Ohh, the dilemma!! Pam Godwin did an excellent job hooking me into the story. It’s dark, twisted, and deliciously angsty. And it’s got a smokin’ hot biker. It really was the perfect read for me!

“A man like that fucks like he rides. With intimidation, recklessness, and unharnessed energy. He’s powered by adrenaline and takes what he wants without care.”

God, that description… Isn’t it the HOTTEST thing ever!? It was ridiculous how much Pam Godwin made me lust love Logan – I nearly wanted Logan to ride me instead of his motorcycle, that’s how hot he was. Logan is a dominant, sexy, powerful man who is fueled by revenge. He’s spent years planning, going underground and doing illegal things, and nothing will stand in the way of getting his revenge.

The heroine, Kaci, is a strong, intelligent, independent woman and I just connected with her from the start. I loved her. I loved her badass attitude, but I also loved her vulnerabilities. She’s a powerful woman with money and prestige, but her heart is lonely. Kaci wants a man to share her life with, a man who’ll challenge her and love her.

For years, I’d stood alone, toe-to-toe against powerful men. How I wished to have an invincible man on my side.

When Kaci and Logan meet, they’re masked, complete strangers to each other. But even though they’re strangers, they feel an insatiable need towards each other. Kaci and Logan’s connection is fierce, passionate, raw, and intense – they truly are the perfect match for each other. But when the masks fall away, leaving only revenge, people get hurt. It’s a dangerous, dark, corrupted game Logan is playing in his revenge, but when he finds himself falling deeper for Kaci, he has to decide whether his revenge is worth losing the woman he loves.

Her longing was beautiful and poignant, one I felt in every painful beat of my heart, filling me with a possessive need to be the man who gave her that kind of happiness.

I highly, highly recommend Dirty Ties. I honestly couldn’t put this book down! It’s a dark, romantic read that will have your heart pounding and leave you breathless.

5 hearts
lacey

Release Day Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

Kaleidoscope release banner

Happy Release Day to Claire Contreras! Kaleidoscope Hearts is live!

Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras
Release Date: January 22nd 2015
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He was my older brother’s best friend.

He was never supposed to be mine.

I thought we would get it out of our system and move on.

One of us did.

One of us left.

Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me.

He broke my heart last time.

This time he’ll obliterate it.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Amazon UK • iTunes

Kaleidoscopte teaser

Now here’s an excerpt from Kaleidoscope Hearts! ❤

excerpt

What’s wrong?” I asked as she wiped her tears and shook her head. Her face was no longer wet, save for the dip over the top of her lips. I’d never noticed how full they were before then. I’d never noticed how rosy and defined her cheekbones were, or the way her eyebrows turned into a slight frown when she looked at me. I’d never paid attention to how ridiculously alluring her eyes were. The different shades made them look like the marbles I used to collect when I was a kid. My gaze drifted down to her neck, where I noticed her swallow, and then over her tits, which were now full, not like the last time I’d seen her in a bathing suit when she was still flat chested. Jesus Christ, this girl was hot.

The clearing of her throat made my eyes snap back to hers, putting an end to their voyeuristic journey down her now grown up body.

“You’re so grown up,” I said before I could stop myself and cringed at the voice I said it in, all needy and husky and fuck my life, desperate. I expected her to roll her eyes, the way she normally did when I said anything to her, but this girl, this freaking girl looked at me and smiled the sexiest smile I’d ever seen. And I had just been at a party full of hot girls smiling, but Elle’s was slow and sensual when she wasn’t trying to make it be. It was just her smile, the one I’d been seeing for as long as I could remember. Putting that smile on this grown up version of her should be down right illegal.

“Are you hitting on me?” she asked, with a sultriness in her voice that surprised the hell out of me.

“That depends,” I said, inching to sit closer to her, somehow completely forgetting that I was in my best friend’s house and this was his little sister. The thought of Vic finding us crossed my mind, but I pushed it down. In that moment, under a sky full of stars with a sad Estelle, all I could think about was making her smile.

“What does it depend on?” she whispered.

“Whether or not it’s working,” I whispered back, lifting my hand and running it down her back, a motion I shouldn’t have done because now I knew Elle wasn’t wearing a bra under the oversized sweater she had on and that knowledge woke up everything in my lower region.

about the author

Claire Contreras

Claire Contreras graduated with her BA in Psychology from Florida International University. She lives in Miami, Florida with her husband, two little boys, and three dogs.

Her favorite past times are: daydreaming, writing, and reading.

She has been described as a random, sarcastic, crazy girl with no filter.

Life is short, and it’s more bitter than sweet, so she tries to smile as often as her face allows. She enjoys stories with happy endings, because life is full of way too many unhappy ones.

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Release Day Blitz + Giveaway: The Untouchables by J.J. McAvoy

Happy Release Day to J.J. McAvoy! The Untouchables is live!

The Untouchables by J.J. McAvoy

The Untouchables by J.J. McAvoy
Series: Ruthless People #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: January 22nd 2015
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“One Secret. Multiple Casualties.”

Everything Melody Callahan has ever been told about her past is a lie. Her father lied. Her husband lied. But like all secrets…they come out. Not only is her mother, Aviela, alive but she won’t stop until she tears down everything Liam and Melody have spent the past year building.

With a new target on their back and the media now focused on their family as the Presidential election approaches, Liam and Melody must fight on two battlefronts. Melody is torn between being in love with Liam and wanting to kill him for lying to her. Being in love and showing love are two different things in her world. Liam wants to do anything to protect his family even if that means hurting the people he loves.

Family is everything… but what happens when they’re out for your blood? Everything they have been through is nothing compared to what is coming…

***Warning: This book contains adult language and subject matter including graphic violence and explict sex that may be disturbing for some readers. This book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.***

Buy Links:
Amazon • Amazon UK  • Amazon AU • Kobo • Google Play • iBooks

The Untouchables Teaser

Reading Order: Ruthless People series

  

#1 ~ Ruthless People: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Untouchables: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ American Savages: Ebook • Goodreads (March 19, 2015)

about the author

J.J. McAvoyJ. J. McAvoy first started working on Ruthless People during a Morality and Ethics lecture her freshman year of college. X number of years later, she is an insomniac who has changed her major three times, and is a master in the art of procrastination. If you ask her why she began writing, she will simply tell you “They wanted to get their story out.”

She is currently working on her next novel . . . so please bug her on Twitter @JJMcAvoy

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$50 Amazon Gift Card
Signed Print of Ruthless People

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