Tag Archives: adult

ARC Review: Echoes of Time by Calia Read

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Echoes of Time by Calia Read
Series: Surviving Time #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 26th 2019
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

For Etienne and me, our love has always left a trace.
It reigns over kingdoms, and rules over time.
With Etienne now in the present day, the echoes of time grow louder.
We must face the answers we seek to set things right.
However, we must be incredibly careful. One false move and everything we love will be destroyed.
And this time, could be the end of our surviving trace.

Echoes of Time is the epic finale in The Surviving Time Series.

“Our love holds time together.”

Serene and Etienne have been on a wild, epic, time-defying journey for their love, in finding it and keeping it alive. I can’t think of another series like this one – it’s about time travel, yes, but it’s a romance like no other. This series has kept my heart pounding and aching for these two characters who we KNOW are meant to be, despite time dictating otherwise. We finally come to the conclusion to Serene and Etienne’s heart-wrenching romance in Echoes of Time, and I couldn’t be happier about how their story ended.

“I lost my heart but found my soul in you. This was all worth it. My surviving trace.”

Echoes of Time picks up right where The Reigning and the Rule left off, with the cliffhanger that was both epic and god-awful. Serene and Etienne are reunited, but how do they stay together, in whatever era they’re in? Will their love be enough to defy time? Calia Read once again delivers an emotional, tumultuous, breathtaking novel, one that fans of the series will not want to miss. This is the book we’ve been waiting for, the one with all the answers that have built up throughout the series. We get POVs from Etienne, Serene, and even Nathalie. Things are left a little open-ended for side characters, especially Nathalie, Asa, and Livingston, so I hope we get their books.

You know that one book or series that makes you a lifelong fan of an author? The Surviving Time series is it for me for Calia Read. When I started The Surviving Trace, I had no idea what I was in for. Two books later, I can firmly say that Serene and Etienne’s love story is an unforgettable one and they’ve made a place in my heart. THANK YOU to Calia Read for giving us such an epic romance. What a wonderful ending to this whirlwind of a story!


lacey

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

Reading Order: Surviving Time series

 

#1 ~ The Surviving Trace: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Reigning and the Rule: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Echoes of Time: Ebook • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

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

Review: That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn
Series: Getting Lucky #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 7th 2019
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn delivers a smart and cheeky romance about love’s power to lift hearts . . . and curses.

It was supposed to be an innocent night, celebrating my brother’s birthday. Nothing was supposed to go wrong. We’d vowed to be on our best behavior after all . . .

But it only took one rowdy night with my brothers to flip my world upside down. One unlucky encounter saddled us with a family curse and the promise of doomed relationships. I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “A love curse. Ha!”

Boy, was I wrong.

Word spreads quickly in a town like mine; rumors about that night soon made us the most eligible yet untouchable bachelors in Port Snow, Maine. As a subject of endless gossip and speculation, I could kiss my dating life goodbye.

It would have stayed that way if Ren Winters, the new girl in town, hadn’t crashed into my life. Brave, beautiful, and smart—her vivacious thirst for a fresh start has given me hope that maybe, just maybe, I can have one too.

Everyone wishes for that second chance . . . but could this really be mine?

I haven’t been THIS delighted in a book in a while! That Second Chance is one of the most charming romances I’ve ever read. It’s set in the small town of Port Snow, Maine, and legit, Meghan Quinn wrote this small town with so much heart that I wanted to move there. This was my first novel from Meghan Quinn as well, but you can be sure that it won’t be my last. I’ve become a huge fan of her writing and storytelling after reading this book. I’m absolutely dying for more of this series already!

I love discovering a series that centers around a group of family members. With the Getting Lucky series, we follow four brothers who’ve had a love curse placed upon them after a rowdy night in New Orleans. Griffin is the eldest, and a widower. He believes in the love curse because only a few days after he and his brothers were ‘cursed,’ his wife passes away. He’s been going through the motions for the past few years now, working at the family fudge shop and volunteering as a firefighter. Everything changes when a new resident moves into their quaint small town, and he’s the first to greet her – by rescuing her after a moose-related car accident.

Ren needs a new change of pace from her former life in Los Angeles. She chooses to move to the opposite side of the country to be a math teacher. It’s scary and overwhelming, but with the help of her first Port Snow friend Griffin Knightly, she easily finds a new home in this small town. I LOVE the fact that Ren and Griffin become friends first. Friends-to-lovers is my kryptonite, and the romantic development (which was paced perfectly slow and steady) felt so much more genuine between these two after they became friends. They are seriously adorable, taking trips around town, camping, setting up her new house together, all the while bantering playfully with each other. I loved every scene they had together and I couldn’t get enough of them. The main source of conflict for their romance is predictable, but I enjoyed the way it played out. The love curse is a little cheesy, but I really had no problem with it!

What makes That Second Chance such a solid small town romance is how real the town and its inhabitants feel. The Knightlys are such a charming family and all their friends are hilarious and sweet. Meghan Quinn has me so invested in this town and characters now – I can’t wait for each of the Knightly boys to get their own books. I only hope I’ll love them as much as I did Ren and Griffin!


lacey

Reading Order: Getting Lucky series

#1 ~ That Second Chance: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ That Forever Girl: Ebook • Paperback• Goodreads (Aug. 27, 2019)

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

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

Review: Well Suited by Staci Hart

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Well Suited by Staci Hart
Series: Red Lipstick Coalition #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 2nd 2019
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Chemistry is my love language.

I’ve always been able to separate feelings from chemosignals. A shot of dopamine, a dash of serotonin, and a sprinkle of oxytocin—and bam. You’re in love.

And when egg meets sperm, you’re pregnant.

I couldn’t even be surprised as I stared down at the little blue plus sign, because I knew exactly when and how, and with whom it happened.

When: approximately five weeks ago.
Who: one night stand.
How: prophylactic malfunction.

The upside? I don’t have to go looking for a suitable mate.

Genetically, he’s the cream of the crop. His musculature is a study in symmetry and strength, his height imposing and impressive. He is a man who thrives on control and command, a man who survives on intelligence and resourcefulness. A perfect male specimen.

And the whole package is wrapped up in a flawlessly tailored suit.

I’m having this baby, and he insists we’re well-suited to have it together. And what’s worse? He wants more, in the way of love and marriage.

But love isn’t real. It’s just a product of chemistry.

And if he changes my mind about that, we’re both in trouble.

“We do solemnly swear,” she recited, ”to use this shiny little tube of power to inspire braveness, boldness, and courage. We promise to jump when it’s scary, to stand tall when we want to hide, to scream our truth instead of whisper our fears. May we be mistresses of our destinies, and to hell with anyone who tries to tell us otherwise.”

The anticipation for Well Suited was REAL after I finished Work in Progress (which was amazing). Katherine is the fourth and final girl in this Red Lipstick Coalition girl group, and I just KNEW she’d end up with Theo, the previous hero’s brother. Even better, theirs is an accidental pregnancy romance. I normally am not a fan of romances where a surprise baby is thrown in the middle of a book to further the plot, but thankfully this is different. We know about the pregnancy from the beginning, and we’re along for the ride with Katherine and Theo as they navigate their way towards parenthood, with love and romance along the way.

Katherine is different. She’s very analytical and logical, and sees love as something to do with brain chemicals. Which is why when Theo enters her life, she doesn’t understand why he makes her think and feel differently than normal. He makes her want, so she gives in for one night… which unexpectedly leaves her knocked up.

I could be her everything. She was already becoming mine.

Theo has wanted Katherine from the moment he met her, and being around her makes him even more certain that she’s the one woman meant for him. Her getting pregnant couldn’t make him happier, since this is his chance to show Kate that they’re meant to be together. And boy, does Theo turn up the swoon dial! He is SO sweet, sexy, kind, understanding, and considerate of Kate. He really was the perfect man for her.

I couldn’t get enough of Well Suited. It was a hot, fun read that left me with a smile on my face by the end. I adored Theo and Kate together, and of course I loved seeing the Red Lipstick Coalition gang again. If you want a series about a group of strong, independent women, you definitely need to read this series!


lacey

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

Reading Order: Red Lipstick Coalition series

#1 ~ Piece of Work: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Player: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Work in Progress: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Well Suited: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

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

Release Day Review: Fumbled by Alexa Martin

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Fumbled by Alexa Martin
Series: Playbook #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 23rd 2019
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A second chance doesn’t guarantee a touchdown in this new contemporary romance from the author of Intercepted.

Single-mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she’s built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it’s all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.

T.K. Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt his entire life about being in the NFL. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he’s moved on.

When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they’ve suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they’ll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.

I was a huge fan of Alexa Martin’s debut novel, Intercepted, so when I heard she’d be writing more stories for the Denver Mustangs football team, I was ecstatic. And even more so when I discovered Fumbled would be a second chance romance, which is my go-to romance trope. Alexa Martin did not disappoint with this second novel – I love the way she writes tough, independent heroines, and the heroes who will do anything for them!

Poppy Patterson is a single mother whose life revolves around her beloved son. She’s worked hard to provide for them both, and she couldn’t be prouder of Ace. She’s built a good life for the two of them, but when her high school sweetheart, and the man who got her pregnant, shows back up in her life, all of the feelings she thought she’d moved on from come crashing back. She wants her son to have his father in his life, but will she be able to protect her heart from TK Moore this second time around?

TK is living the football dream he’s always wanted for himself. There’s just one thing missing, and he realizes what it is when he discovers Poppy and Ace – his family. There are secrets that need to be aired out, but bottom line, TK wants to be a part of his family’s life. Where Poppy is rightfully wary and hesitant to restart their relationship, TK goes all in with helping and providing for his family. He’s determined to win Poppy’s heart, and being the big sweetheart that he is, Poppy has no chance of guarding her heart from him.

While I liked TK, Poppy was what made the story for me in Fumbled. I admired the hell out of this woman, who created an amazing life for her and her child on her own. She’s smart, funny, head-strong, and an incredible mother. I was also impressed with the way the author chose to portray football, which is not always about money and glory. Poppy knows the dangers and risks that come with this professional sport and has important discussions with TK and Ace about it.

Fumbled is another fantastic sports romance from a romance author who knows how to write, and write well. There’s a good setup within this book for the next couple in the Playbook series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!


lacey

Reading Order: Playbook series

#1 ~ Intercepted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Fumbled: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Blitzed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (Dec. 3, 2019)

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

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

Review: When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 9th 2019
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life–and heart–to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Beautiful. Daring. Deadly.

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez–her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro’s inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.

As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future–but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything–not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart…

What an unforgettable read! Beatriz’s story took my breath away – this novel was one I couldn’t put down. I’ve loved Chanel Cleeton’s writing for years now, but it truly shines when she writes historical fiction (though I still LOVE her romances). When We Left Cuba takes us on the wild, daring, touching story of a woman who seeks to reclaim her home and country from the revolution that’s stolen everything from her and her family.

It is 1960s Florida, Palm Beach, one year after the Perez’s were exiled from Cuba and forced to seek asylum in America. The family has settled, but Beatriz has not. Her heart is restless for her home country, and she’ll do anything to go back, including take down Fidel Castro with the help of the CIA. I absolutely loved Beatriz. She is a proud, brave, and passionate heroine. We witness the ups and downs of her trying to break away from the society girl mold she’s lived her whole life to her involvement with Cuban and American politics, the constant circle of hope, devastation, fear, and love she feels. She falls in love with a forbidden senator, but that doesn’t stop her from continuing on with her quest for revenge and justice.

I’m unbelievably impressed with the way Chanel Cleeton was able to weave Beatriz’s fictional story with real life historical events. It felt seamless and genuine, and Chanel’s writing easily transported me to this tumultuous time period. The political intrigue, the history, the passion, it all blended so well and kept me hooked onto the pages. When We Left Cuba is a beautifully-written, unputdownable historical novel that I can’t recommend enough.


lacey

Also by Chanel Cleeton

Next Year in Havana is a standalone companion to When We Left Cuba

Next Year in Havana: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Reading Order: Wild Aces series

  

#1 ~ Fly With Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Into the Blue: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ On Broken Wings: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

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