Release Day Review: Target on Our Backs by J.M. Darhower

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Target on Our Backs by J.M. Darhower
Series: Monster in His Eyes #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 23rd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

The best way to keep your word is never to give it.

Not long ago, in a chapel in Vegas, I swore to love Karissa for the rest of my days. But nobody’s promised an infinite number of tomorrows. Nobody’s promised forever. Sometimes, all we have left is today.

Carpe Diem.
Seize the day.

It should’ve been over, we should’ve been happy, but people are making it hard for me to live in peace. I’ve got so much blood on my hands they’ll never be clean, and somebody out there seems to want me to pay for it. Happily Ever After always comes at a cost, one any real man would be willing to pay. But that doesn’t mean I’m just going to roll over and accept these consequences.

Because when it comes to the woman I love? The life I’ve fought for?

Nobody is safe.

“Not sure how many times I have to tell you… I’m not a good man, Karissa, and try as I might, I probably never will be.”

J.M. Darhower writes romance and mafia stories like no other. The Monster in His Eyes series is my favorite series of hers – Naz and Karissa’s story is just so addicting, thrilling, sexy, and heart-pounding! Theirs is a story that I just can’t get enough of, so when I heard that they’d be getting a third and final book, I jumped for joy! Honestly, I thought the second book, Torture to Her Soul, ended perfectly, but J.M. Darhower proved me wrong. THIS ending in Target on Our Backs is the perfect one for Naz and Karissa. I’m so sad to have to say goodbye to them, but I couldn’t have hoped for a better heart-stopping conclusion that the one we get in this book. If you loved the first two books, you NEED to get your hands on Target on Our Backs!

He wants to be a better man to ease my guilt for loving someone like him.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots.
… You can dress a wolf up in sheep’s clothing, but the son of a bitch will still eat you alive if you let it.

After killing one of the mafia leaders of New York to protect the love of his life and now wife, Naz has a target on his back (heh). Someone’s gunning to take him out, and Karissa just might be a casualty in this new war. But just because Naz has left the mafia life doesn’t mean he’s forgotten how to protect those he loves – and he’ll do anything and everything to ensure Karissa is protected.

I’ve missed Naz and his dark, twisted mind. I don’t know how the author does it, but the way she writes Naz’s POV only makes me love him and his darkness more and more. He’s not a good man… but he’s not exactly an entirely bad one either. Karissa is the light in his life, and the love he has for her makes my heart swoon. And now that they’re husband and wife? My heart couldn’t be happier.

This man owns me. He consumes me. Every part of me was made for every part of him. It’s the kind of love I can’t imagine ever living without. It’s raw, and real, and it’s ours.
It’s ours.
It goes on forever.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a good mafia book, so this continuation of Naz and Karissa’s story came at just the right time. Target on Our Backs is told in alternating POV, and both Naz and Karissa’s POVs were absolutely amazing. The author’s writing is brilliant, as always, and reading this book reminded me of just how much I love her stories. I’m desperately hoping we don’t have to wait too long for her next book, because I’m already in need of another J.M. Darhower fix!

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

Reading Order: Monster in His Eyes series

#1 ~ Monster in His Eyes: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torture to Her Soul: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Target on Our Backs: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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9Feb2016

Release Day Review: Legend by Katy Evans

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Legend by Katy Evans
Series: Real #6 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 9th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Can love really conquer all?—Book Six in Katy Evans’s breakout New York Times bestselling series that began with REAL.

Maverick “The Avenger” Cage wants to rise to the top and become a legend in the ring. Though he keeps his identity well guarded, he’s known on the fighting circuit as the new kid with a chip on his shoulder and a tattoo on his back that marks him as trouble. He’s got a personal score to settle with the Underground’s one and only Remington “Riptide” Tate.

As Mav trains, he meets a young girl—the only other new person in the town—and sparks fly. When things get heated between them, he finds out she’s none other than Reese Dumas, the cousin of Remington Tate’s wife. A girl who’s supposed to root against him and a girl he’s supposed to stay away from.

But Mav fights for the woman in his heart and the monsters in his blood. The world’s eyes are on them, and the victor will go down in history as the ultimate fighting champion—the ultimate LEGEND.

“I want to be a legend.”

AHHHH!!!!! I’ve already found my favorite book of 2016 so far – Katy Evans’ Legend is BRILLIANT!! Just the PERFECT ending to a series I utterly adore. Katy wows me every time I read one of her books, but Legend just might be my favorite of hers yet. Seriously, I loved everything about Legend so. much. From the adorable heroine, to the alpha hero, to the epic ending… This book was everything I expected and more. If you’re a fan of the Real series, you absolutely need to get your hands on this final book!

For the summer, Reese Dumas is moving in with her cousin Brooke, Brooke’s husband Remy, and their son Racer. Reese is there to babysit Racer, but she’s also there to basically find herself. She has issues with self-esteem and confidence, so she wants to take the time with the Tates to work on herself, mentally and physically. And it’s at a gym where she meets Maverick, a fighter with whom she forms an indelible connection. He’s gorgeous, quiet, and a little mysterious, and all Reese wants to do is unravel every piece of him the way he does her.

He gives me this rebel vibe. Like he’d rather say I’m sorry than may I, and maybe not even the “sorry” at all. There’s a fierce passion in his features and a kindled fire in his eyes. I admire passionate people. People who burn out everyone around them, they’re so passionate, they want so much, they crave so much.

Maverick “The Avenger” Cage is on a mission of his own to fight in the Underground and work his way up to the top and become the champion. He wants to prove that he’s worth more than what he got from his neglectful father and that he’s an even better fighter than his father was. My heart fell for Maverick right from the start – he’s a little rough around the edges, but he’s got the biggest heart, and the determination and strength within him had me in awe.

Maverick and Reese. Reese and Maverick. I loved these two individually and I loved these two together. And heads up, they are utter PERFECTION together. Their powerful love story gripped my heart and didn’t let go even after I finished the book. Katy Evans knows how to write love in its most primal, raw, intense way – I was completely swept away by Reese and Maverick’s love for one another.

I’m memorizing her. It’ll take me forever, but I’m dedicated and I want to memorize every tiny inch and pore with my eyes and my fingers and my tongue.

I’m always such a sucker for Katy Evans’ alpha heroes, and Maverick is just breath-taking. I’m obsessed with him. Not only is he fiercely dedicated to becoming the champion, his love and devotion for Reese blow me away. When he falls, he falls so hard – Maverick is the sweetest alpha-male I’ve ever read!

“You’re priceless. Gold. Not gold, you’re the whole fucking mine to me. Do you know that?”

What surprised me in this book was the connection Maverick also forms with Remy. Remy is the current champion of the Underground, but Maverick is the only one to come close to Remy’s fighting level. As the two of them bond over their practice fights together, Remy becomes somewhat of a father-figure to Maverick. Every scene with the two of them together had me full-on smiling because there was just something wonderful and inspiring how they pushed each other to become the best fighter and man they could be.

We come full circle in the series with the epic ending in Legend. I honestly can’t imagine a more perfect ending for the series. This book is perfection – I swooned, I sighed, I gasped… I felt every word of Legend. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll be happy to know there is lots of Remy, Brooke, and Racer, both from Reese and Maverick’s perspectives. And if you haven’t read the series yet, you’re missing out on some powerful love stories and swoony, sexy alpha-males. It’s a bittersweet ending for sure that the series is over, but only Katy Evans could have me finishing Legend with a giddy smile on my face.

Reading Order: Real series

#1 ~ Real: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Mine: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Remy: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Rogue: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ripped: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Legend: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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4Feb2016

Review: Ninja at First Sight by Penny Reid

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Ninja at First Sight by Penny Reid
Series: Knitting in the City #4.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 21st 2015
Links: Ebook (FREE!) • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

What do a cynical former Marine and a sheltered former Olympic contender have in common?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
He has a girlfriend and she’s never been kissed.
He’s sullenly sarcastic and she’s earnestly empathetic.
He can’t stop thinking about her.
She knows she should keep her distance.
Nevertheless, when opposites attract, the results may be unexpected, but they’re also undeniably magnetic.

This might be my favorite novella EVER. I can’t even explain how much I adored Fiona and Greg (GREG!!!) in Ninja at First Sight. This is a prequel to their full-length novel, Happily Ever Ninja, and I have to say, it was absolutely PERFECT. It’s a short and sweet introduction to these two characters, set back in their college days. We get their first meeting, their first conversation, their first kiss, their first date… GOD, my heart almost couldn’t handle all the sweetness in this novella. If you’re planning on reading Happily Ever Ninja, you absolutely MUST read Ninja at First Sight beforehand! And the best part about it is that it’s FREE!

My brain liked this guy, my body liked this guy, and my heart was beyond infatuated with him.

Fiona has just started her first year of college, but she’s a bit of a hermit. So one day, she finally decides to break out of her shell with the help of a suite-mate, though she has no idea she’s about to meet her future husband. But Greg – who is gorgeous, sarcastic, witty, and older – has a girlfriend. Soon enough, as Fiona and Greg keep exchanging quips and banter and even thoughtful conversations, they become something like friends. But the underlying chemistry between them is still very much present, so what will happen when Fiona starts falling for someone who’s taken?

“I want to be your first everything.”

GREG!!!! Oh my god, I loved Greg. Seriously, I’m so in love. He stole my heart with his sassiness and hilarious comments and one-liners. He’s not exactly the most likable guy, but there’s something so charming about him that you can’t help but be taken with him. What I loved most in this novella was how clearly we see Greg falling in love with Fiona, and how much he grows to appreciate everything about her. The beginnings of their life-long romance could not have been sweeter, and I really wished there could have been more in this novella!

Fiona and Greg are perfect. This novella is perfect. If you’re in the mood for something short, sweet and incredibly well-written, this is it. But fair warning, this ends in a cliffhanger, and it’ll make you want to start Happily Ever Ninja ASAP. Luckily, that book is already out, so you really have no excuse to read Ninja at First Sight if you haven’t already!

Reading Order: Knitting in the City series

#1 ~ Neanderthal Seeks Human: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Neanderthal Marries Human: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Friends Without Benefits: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Love Hacked: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beauty and the Mustache: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Ninja at First Sight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Happily Ever Ninja: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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2Feb2016

Release Day Review + Giveaway: Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren

Posted in 5 hearts, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren
Series: Wild Seasons #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

For two people ambivalent about dating and love, they sure get naked around each other an awful lot . . .

London Hughes is very content to surf daily, tend bar, hang out with her group of friends, and slowly orient herself in the years after college. Everything’s going great and according to the non-plan.

But when a wave knocks her for a loop one morning, then Luke Sutter’s flirtatious smile knocks her for another that evening, she veers slightly off course…and into his path. Sure, he’s a total player, but the Why not—it’s only one night is a persistent voice in her ear.

For his part, Luke’s been on hookup autopilot for so long that he rarely ever pauses to consider what he’s doing. But after an amazing time with London, he realizes that he hasn’t been moving on from a devastating heartbreak so much as he’s been drifting to wherever—andwhomever—the current takes him. With London he wants more.

Every relationship involves two people…plus their pasts. And as much as she enjoys her fling with Luke, when London learns about his past—more specifically, who’s in it—everything becomes the brand of complicated she strives to avoid. It’s up to Luke then to change some things in order to try and ensure he’s not something she’ll outright avoid as well.

We finally get the fourth and final installment in the Wild Seasons series, which is Luke and London’s book! As bittersweet as I am to see this series end, Christina Lauren couldn’t have ended it with a more perfect book. I loved Wicked Sexy Liar. LOVED it!! I honestly couldn’t stop smiling the whole way through. Luke and London’s story was an absolute joy and pure fun to read. Once again, Christina Lauren has stunned me with another brilliant, intelligent, refreshing read – this time, about a girl and her friend’s… ex.

Following me with his eyes, he asks, “So is this no-dating-guys-you-meet-at-work thing, like, an actual rule?”
“Sort of.” I fold the bar towel and tuck it into the back of my apron, meeting his eyes.
“What if I promised I was absolutely worth it?”

We don’t know much about Luke or London in the previous books, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about them going into this book. But right from the get-go, I fell so hard for these two. They instantly captivated me with their honesty, depth, and realness. Christina Lauren has a magical talent at writing characters who feel so genuinely real to me – there are so many hidden layers to each and every one of their characters, and as you unravel each one, you can’t help but grow to love that character.

Luke was the one I expected to have trouble with, but there’s something so lovely and good about him that I couldn’t help but love him. He may be a manwhore, but Luke is also so much more. He’s genuinely a good guy, but he’s buried away his hurt from his ex-girlfriend to give off this easy-going vibe that no one sees through until he meets London. London’s also got a messy romantic past, so to say these two are wary of relationships is an understatement. But slowly, through a budding friendship and a deep sexual connection, the both of them chip away at the walls around their hearts until they find themselves completely immersed in one another.

Luke is managing to break down my walls one smile at a time. Being with him feels a little like letting go of the handlebars and racing down a hill. And it also feels like being wrapped up in the warmest blanket.
How can he feel both like an adventure and a comfort?

The slow burn in Wicked Sexy Liar is absolutely wonderful and the perfect pace for Luke and London. I was expecting the romance to include some crazy drama and angst, since Luke is London’s friend’s ex, but honestly, everything about this book was FUN. It’s flirty, sexy (so freaking sexy), sweet, funny, original, and just all around a feel-good read. I read this book in one day, that’s how totally INTO this book I was. And what I loved most about the romance was how much effort it took for Luke to win London’s trust, and eventually, her heart. Ahh, Luke just makes me SWOON!

It’s sex, but it’s not.
It’s sex, but it’s more.
There are so many ways to love this girl; good God, let me find each and every one of them.

This newest book of Christina Lauren’s only reaffirms how brilliant these two writers are and how they’ll forever be my go-to authors for some incredible contemporary romances. Luke and London’s romance blew me away and is definitely one of my top favorites from this author duo. I can’t recommend this book – and author – enough. Everyone who loves romance just needs to read this book and experience how wonderful Luke and London are!

Reading Order: Wild Seasons series

#1 ~ Sweet Filthy Boy: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Rowdy Thing: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dark Wild Night: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Wicked Sexy Liar: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

A paperback of Wicked Sexy Liar (US Only)

ENTER HERE

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1Feb2016

Early Review: Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Remembrance by Meg Cabot
Series: The Mediator #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favorite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soulmate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze’s wedded bliss before it begins.

You can take the boy out of the darkness.

But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she’s hired as a guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child, to ghosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night.

Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including one she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?

What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you?

If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.

I honestly want to cry right now!!! I was up until 3 AM finishing this… I can’t believe it’s over! Reading Remembrance was literally a dream come true for middle-school me – Suze and Jesse as adults, about to get married, was absolute perfection. It was amazing catching up with them and the rest of the gang (yes, even Paul). Meg Cabot is that one author who got me into reading, and I will be forever grateful to her for it. I remember reading the Mediator series as a young teen, so getting to experience this new chapter in the lives some of my favorite beloved characters was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. To say I had high expectations for Remembrance is an understatement, but Meg Cabot has blown me away. I couldn’t imagine a better and more perfect ending for the series!

So what has the Mediator gang been up to? Well, it’s been six years since Suze has graduated high school, but the only job she’s been able to find is one that doesn’t pay… and is a position at that same high school. Jesse is a doctor now, doing his residency. Oh, and the two of them are engaged – YAY!! Paul is, surprisingly, a successful businessman, but still as manipulative as ever. Suze’s stepbrothers lives have also changed considerably – Jake sells medical marijuana, Brad is a father, and David is in Harvard. Everything is so DIFFERENT and yet exactly the same. When I picked up Remembrance, it felt as if I never left this world, it was so easy to jump back into.

Suze is, of course, always involved in some ghost case or another, and this time is no different. There’s a ghost following around one of the students at her school, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it. Suze is seriously one of my favorite heroines of all time – she’s so funny, sarcastic, stubborn, resilient… she’s just a fantastic character to read about. And her narrative had me in stitches, I was laughing so hard. And, of course, Jesse is as wonderful as ever. Ever patient with Suze and her antics, and always there for her, Jesse is the perfect fiancé and soon-to-be husband. Except for the fact that he’s ingrained in his Catholic ways and wants to wait until marriage for sex. Suze gets frustrated, but then again, how can she complain when she’s about to marry the love of her life?

“I believe in facts. And the fact is, I want to be with Jesse because he makes me feel like a better person than I suspect I actually am.”

Paul gets a lot of screen time in Remembrance. I hate Paul as much as I love him. I don’t know… he’s just a GREAT character. He’s always stirring up drama that Suze falls for, and this time, Paul is threatening her with the one thing she cares for most: Jesse. There is a ton of suspense and action in this book that totally had me on the edge of my seat. I seriously couldn’t put Remembrance down, it was so good.

I loved this book so hard. There’s never a dull moment for Suze, from ghosts, to Paul, to keeping Jesse safe. Remembrance might be my new favorite of the series, that’s how much I loved this book. There really isn’t anything I can complain about in this book – so if you’re a fan of the series, you absolutely don’t want to miss this brilliant new installment!

“Susannah, Susannah, Susannah,” he whispered after a little while. “Te amo.”
“Me, too,” I whispered back, slipping my arms around his neck. … “Back at you.”

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

Reading Order: The Mediator series

#1 ~ Shadowland: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Ninth Key: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Reunion: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Darkest Hour: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Haunted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Twilight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6.5 ~ Proposal: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Remembrance: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Tag Archives: 5 hearts

Release Day Review: Target on Our Backs by J.M. Darhower

Reading Order: Monster in His Eyes series

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