Tag Archives: adult

Review: One with You by Sylvia Day

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

One with You by Sylvia Day

One with You by Sylvia Day
Series: Crossfire #5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws … and all the beauty I couldn’t see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free … or break us apart.

Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.

It’s been a long time coming, but One with You is finally here – and what a wonderful conclusion to the Crossfire series it is!! Eva and Gideon have grown so much, have put so much effort into their relationship, and you can clearly see the culmination of it all in this final novel. I really can’t believe this series is over! It’s one of my top favorite series of all time, and Gideon is one of my top book boyfriends – I’m going to miss everything about the series so much!

I’d built my empire with the past in mind. Now, thanks to her, I would continue to build it for our future.

Eva and Gideon are slowly coming public with their marriage, and the fact that these two are so much more stable and mature than they were when they first met makes everything so much easier. They have a lot of pressure on them from the paparazzi, from their parents, from their jobs, but as long as they have each other, they can handle anything and everything. I absolutely adored how much character growth and development these two have shown throughout the series, how they worked so hard to overcome their struggles together to make their marriage work. Theirs is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, a soul-deep connection that people only dream of, and the romance in One with You is just as powerful and intense as it was in Bared to You, if not more.

Happiness came in so many forms. Mine was Gideon.
“Miss me,” he ordered.
I blew him a kiss. “Always.”

Gideon is as perfect and sexy as ever. Eva is as awesome and fiery as ever. I love these two so, so much! There’s a lot going on in terms of the plot of this book, but any time it was just Eva and Gideon, I had hearts in my eyes. They can be so flirty and fun yet raw and passionate – Sylvia Day writes these two characters in such a way that they feel so real and genuine. They never once lose that spark that makes their characters shine.

Marriage suddenly didn’t seem like enough to safeguard what she meant to me. Why wasn’t there something more binding than a mere piece of paper that gave me the right to call her my wife? Vows were a promise, but what I needed was a guarantee that every day of my life would have her in it. I wanted my heart to beat in rhythm with hers and stop when hers did. Inextricably entwined, so I would never live even a moment without her.

I loved the way things ended for Gideon and Eva. Do we get the answers to every single question we have about the rest of the characters? No… but I honestly felt pretty okay with that. Yes, I would’ve loved getting Cary’s full story, or even Eva’s father’s story – but I feel like if everything wrapped up picture perfect, it wouldn’t have felt genuine. The Crossfire series is very much about Gideon and Eva, and I can’t complain about how their story ends. It took skill to write such a satisfying conclusion for such a sweeping, all-encompassing romance as Gideva’s, and of course Sylvia Day didn’t disappoint!

4.5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Crossfire series

Bared to You by Sylvia Day Reflected in You by Sylvia Day
Entwined with You by Sylvia Day Captivated by You by Sylvia Day One with You by Sylvia Day

#1 ~ Bared to You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Reflected in You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Entwined with You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Captivated by You: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ One with You: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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ARC Review: Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

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Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams…

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her…and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River’s body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time…

I’ve said it a million times already, but Tessa Bailey truly never disappoints. She’s one of my favorite authors, so to say I was excited for Thrown Down is an understatement. A second chance romance, written by her? Pure heaven for me. This book is the second in the Made in Jersey series, but can be read completely as a standalone. I adored River and Vaughn and their heartwarming second chance at love. These two, plus their sweet daughter, were perfect together! If you love second chance romances with lots of sweetness and tons of dirty talk *grins*, Thrown Down is a must read!

“I don’t need a hero. I’m my own her now… and I’m trying to be one for Marcy.”

River Purcell has been working her butt off the past few years as a single mom to provide for her and her daughter. She’s tough and hard-working, a heroine I admired. The love of her life, her high school sweetheart, and Marcy’s father, left River without knowing that he got her pregnant. Vaughn dropped off the face of the earth after that, so River had no clue how to get in contact with him. Now, four years later, Vaughn is back – and ready to be the man and father River and Marcy deserve.

Maybe he’d never earn back that pure, perfect trust. But even a sliver of that former belief she’d had in him? Fuck, it would make life worth living. To have that trust from his child, too, would be the stuff of dreams. Dreams he’d never been aware of having. Until now. And after so much time devoid of feeling, that hope was addictive.

Vaughn tore his heart out when he broke things off with River for her own good. He never really believed he was good enough for her – he was the bad boy to her good girl back in high school – but now, he’s desperate to make things right. I was a bit worried about how I’d feel about Vaughn leaving River without looking back, but getting to know him in Thrown Down puts him in a much better perspective. Plus, the fact that he was faithful and loyal to the love of his life every day they were separated certainly helped make me fall in love with him. He’s a tortured, angsty character with a filthy mouth – another Tessa Bailey possessive alpha-male winner!

“So I’m telling you now, I’m not leaving. Give me a chance to meet her, then watch me show up every day afterward, even if you turn me away. I’ll show up and take my beating like a man, day in and day out. But you better get used to me, doll. I’m not budging.”

This book is the perfect balance between raw, angsty emotion and heartwarming goodness. I loved that River made Vaughn work hard to win back her love, and I adored the way he was with his daughter. I really wish there were more scenes with Vaughn and Marcy together – and that it was a longer book overall! I really wasn’t ready to let go of River, Vaughn, and Marcy.

If you love Tessa Bailey, you’ll no doubt enjoy Thrown Down. It has what you’d expect from this wonderful author – fantastic characters to root for, an emotional romance that tugs at your heart, and plenty of dirty talk from our filthy, obsessed hero. Right now, I’m dying for the next book in the Made in Jersey series – I don’t really care who it’s about (I hope it’s Duke) but since it’s Tessa, it’s up high on my wishlist!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Made in Jersey series

Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey 

#1 ~ Crashed Out: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Rough Rhythm: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Thrown Down: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Worked Up: Goodreads (Aug. 2016)

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ARC Review: Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

Posted in 2.5 hearts, Reviews by

Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg
Series: Lost & Found #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

After two years in a coma, August Kinkaid has forgotten the darkness in his past. But his past hasn’t forgotten him. His beautiful former fiancée, Everly, remembers every tumultuous moment of their stormy relationship. The sizzling passion. The web of lies. And the terrible secret Everly’s been hiding since her last fateful night with August.

Now the truth is out and August remembers everything. As his long-buried memories come flooding back, he begins to understand why Everly would want to move on with her life. Why she would give her heart to another man. And why August should try to forget her once and for all.

But he can’t give up on the only woman he’s ever loved. Even if he has to reopen old wounds–and face the darkest demons of his past–August will do whatever it takes for a second chance with Everly. He let her slip away once. He’s not about to spend the rest of his life remembering Everly when he could be holding her in his arms forever . . .

After finishing Forgetting August and getting to that awful hangover, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Remembering Everly. August and Everly’s story was so mysterious and intriguing, I had to know more! But I’m pretty disappointed that Remembering Everly didn’t meet up to my expectations. The pacing was way too slow and nothing really happens for the majority of the book. I grew too frustrated with August and even Everly at times… so overall, this book just wasn’t a good reading experience, and I’m pretty bummed out because it had such potential to be an amazing follow-up.

Secrets.
They had the ability to destroy lives, obliterate relationships and sabotage even the strongest partnerships. Big or small… it didn’t matter. Even the tiniest white lie had the power to corrode—to shatter and dismantle everything you loved.

This sequel picks up right where the first left off, with August having remembered the night he fell into a coma and telling Everly he knew her secret. Everly is still engaged to Ryan, and August is still trying to recover his memories. Unfortunately, this goes on for at least half of the book, with no progress being made between Everly and August, and nothing being done in terms of Trent and his money-stealing scheme. I grew tired of this around 30%, so it was incredibly annoying that this stalemate kept going on for such a long time in the book.

August comes off as pretty pathetic. He literally doesn’t DO anything for 70% of the book, and that was just too long for me. August keeps pushing Everly away for her own good, to protect her from Trent, but what I hated about this was that he never actually tells her WHY until he’s got no other choice but to tell her. It was just so pointless and frustrating – I really didn’t see a reason why August had to keep everything a secret.

If you hate the OW/OM sort of conflict, this book and series definitely won’t be for you. Everly is with Ryan, but thankfully realizes that he’s never going to be the one for her when her heart belongs to another. August begins somewhat of a relationship with another woman he meets, which annoyed me to no end. The main characters being with other people put a damper on the love between them, and made me not really believe in it much anymore, sadly.

The only thing that redeemed the book and made me not fully hate it was the writing. I really enjoyed J.L. Berg’s writing for this series – it matched the tone of the story and made everything a little suspenseful and nail-biting. Sadly, there isn’t actually much action in Remembering Everly, so it was sort of anticlimactic for the story to be written this way. I really wished I could have liked this book more, but there were just too many problems with it for me to enjoy it the way I wanted to.

2.5 hearts – 2 hearts for the story and characters and an extra .5 for the wonderful writing.

Love was precious. We knew this more than most, having lost each other more than once over the years. But it remembered.
Love always remembered.

2.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Lost & Found series

Forgetting August by J.L. Berg Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

#1 ~ Forgetting August: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Remembering Everly: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Audiobook Review: Ruin – The Complete Series by Deborah Bladon

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

Ruin – The Complete Series by Deborah Bladon
Series: Ruin Parts 1-3
Audiobook Publication Date: March 22nd 2016
Length: 7 hours and 19 minutes
Narrated by: Angela Starling
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

RUIN – Part One

Sitting next to a stranger on a flight from Boston to New York City alters the entire course of Kayla Monroe’s life. In her quest to escape the pain of rejection, she jumps into the bed of an irresistible man who offers her a night that she’ll never forget. Their connection is fierce and undeniable. When their paths cross again, a twist of fate brings her to the realization that the man she’s using to mend her broken heart is Dr. Ben Foster, a compassionate and respected physician. Warnings about his past threaten Kayla’s future. She knows she should believe the rumors, but the moments she spends in his arms – and in his bed – wash away any doubt in her mind. She sees a future with Ben, but those closest to her won’t let her forget that the man she’s falling for has left a path of ruin in his wake that may impact her in a way she never saw coming.

RUIN – Part Two

Kayla Monroe had fallen hard and fast for Dr. Ben Foster. He was everything she needed and wanted after being dumped by the man she thought she loved. What started as a one-night stand quickly turned into a blossoming relationship. Then the complications of his youth halted everything in its tracks. The voices around her are telling Kayla that Ben isn’t the man she thinks he is, but her heart is telling her something completely different. She’s drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and as she listens as he explains his past, she sees the promise of a future with him that she desperately wants. She’s the thread that will weave a path for Ben back into the family he has lost. She senses it, and as she takes on the task of releasing him from his burdens, she discovers that the man she has been sharing her bed with is more complicated than she ever imagined. Just as Kayla is about to step into her future with Ben, she ends up in a place where she’s forced to accept a truth that she never knew existed.

RUIN – Part Three

Kayla Monroe felt safe in the arms of Dr. Ben Foster. He was helping her move past a broken heart, and she was guiding him toward a reclaimed relationship with the brother he’d lost years ago. Their bond was unique, strong, and bordering on a love that would change them both forever. Then Kayla found herself thrust into the middle of a triangle she wanted no part of. She heard things that altered her reality completely. There’s no one for her to rely on but herself, and she has to decide whether a familiar voice from the past holds more weight than the promise of a future she can’t quite grasp yet. Trusting her heart has never been easy for Kayla. Trusting others has never been easy for Ben. Together they have to determine whether the sins of the past are too much to bear or whether a connection that is undeniable is worth the risk.

Holy plot twists!!! Going into Ruin, I really had no idea what to expect. I’ve never read Deborah Bladon’s books or listened to Angela Starling’s narrations, but what I got in this audiobook, I really enjoyed. I couldn’t stop listening to this! It’s sexy, fast-paced, and full of twists and turns you never see coming. There’s pretty much never a dull moment in Ruin. I’m so glad the series was bundled up in this audiobook because I know I wouldn’t be able to stand the cliffhangers and waiting for the next part. If you’re looking for a steamy romance audiobook that will have you biting your nails and on the edge of your seat, I’d recommend this one!

On her way back to New York after being dumped out of nowhere by her love and long-time boyfriend, Kayla Monroe rebounds with a one night stand with the gorgeous, sexy man she met on the plane. She never expects to see Ben again, except it turns out that he is Dr. Ben Foster, estranged twin brother of Kayla’s best friend’s fiancé. Their paths inevitably collide again, and the passion and chemistry they had when they first met comes roaring back as if they never went their separate ways. And then feelings get involved, but how could they not when Ben is kind, compassionate, sensual, and all-around an amazing man? But there are secrets surrounding his past and the mysterious reasons why his brother Noah hates him. When Kayla finds out what those dark secrets are, will she have the strength to stand by the man she’s beginning to fall for?

In the midst of building a relationship with Ben, Kayla is caught in the middle between one twin trying to gain forgiveness and acceptance, and the other twin trying to get answers. She’s endlessly surprised by all the twists and turns of Ben and Noah’s past, and the poor girl never catches a break. Thankfully, anytime she and Ben are together, everything is sweet and wonderful between them. Their romance would definitely be my favorite thing about Ruin. One big thing that got on my nerves though, were Noah and Alexa’s characters. I really couldn’t stand them and their judging ways. And since they take up such a big part of the story, that affected the way I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

Luckily, Angela Starling did a wonderful job of narrating Kayla’s POV, so I have no complaints about that aspect of the audiobook. I would definitely listen to another of her narrations! Overall, I’d say Ruin is great audiobook – it’s not perfect and I didn’t fully love it, but it had me seriously hooked onto the story.

3.5 hearts
lacey

Here’s an audio excerpt from Ruin – The Complete Series!

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ARC Review: Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

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Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 30th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

“There is a message for everything. From handwritten to verbal, seen and unseen. Messages exist all around us.”

But what if you don’t see?
What if you don’t understand?
What if, by ignoring the message, your life is never the same again?

Estelle Evermore morphed from nobody to somebody overnight.
Galloway Oak put his past behind him and endeavoured to make his fortune using his trade.

Two strangers.
One plane.
Multiple unseen messages.

From sky to island, they find neither fame nor skills can save them. Stripped from society and left alone to survive the elements, the very task of staying alive outweighs all other needs.

Until survival turns to desire.
And desire turns to danger.

From New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes a timeless love story answering the question of what happens when everything is stripped away.

Life offers everyone messages.
Either unnoticeable or obvious, it’s up to us to pay attention.
I didn’t pay attention.
Instinct tried to take notice; the world tried to prevent my downfall.
I didn’t listen.

Wow!!! Unseen Messages is nothing like I’ve ever read. It was truly an experience to read Estelle and Galloway’s epic and gorgeously romantic story. I’ve always loved Pepper Winters’ writing, but she pretty much blew me away with her storytelling in Unseen Messages. It’s a grand tale about survival and love, about family and home, and discovering who you really are when everything superficial is stripped away. If you’re looking for a truly unique, stunningly-written romance, I highly recommend Unseen Messages!

Our past was over. Our lives before the crash… deleted.
This was our reality now, and we had no one else to blame but each other.

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, but this book is basically a survival contemporary romance. Estelle and Galloway are two strangers who crash land on an unknown island in Fiji with no hope of ever being found. To say they don’t get along is an understatement – but they’ll need to work together if they want a chance at surviving. They’re reduced to the basest form of themselves, only caring to find food, shelter, and safety. Slowly but surely, and not without their struggles, they manage to keep themselves alive all while the chemistry between them burns brighter and brighter.

The tension in Unseen Messages is one of my favorite things about the novel. Pepper Winters did a fantastic job with building up the chemistry and passion between Estelle and Galloway into something you could FEEL. And when the romance finally developed, my heart couldn’t stop swooning! These two characters are utterly perfect together, and you know that the connection they have with each other would exist no matter where they met, be it stranded island or metropolitan city. The balance between the romance and the struggle to survive for these characters was written perfectly, and there was never a moment where my heart wasn’t pounding, either for Estelle and Galloway to get together or to get off the island.

“Where have you been all my life?” He kissed me softly.
“Waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“Waiting for this.” Stretching, I gave him everything I was. “Waiting for you to find me.”
“And now that I’ve found you?”
“You’re mine.”
“Forever?”
“Forever.”

I felt this survival romance was very authentic – you can tell Pepper Winters did her research, and absolutely nothing was sugar-coated. These characters experience what it means to struggle for things they used to take for granted, and my heart ached at the things they go through, not just hunger and fear of never being found, but also depression and despair. A lot of things that happen will surprise you, and things never go as you expect. I didn’t particularly feel a connection with Estelle or Galloway, but I was invested in their story nonetheless, hoping they’d survive and be found. This book is a pretty long read, and there were some slow-moving parts, but otherwise, this was unputdownable. Unseen Messages is definitely a book not to be missed, and if you like stories that will sweep you away and take you on a journey you’ve never experienced before, it’s a must-read!

4 hearts
lacey

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

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