Early Review: Kiss the Sky by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 6 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Kiss the Sky by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Calloway Sisters #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 22th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

This New Adult Standalone Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature ~~readers~~ audiences only.

People hope to touch the sky.
I dream of kissing it.

I fucking loved this book. I want to climb up some tall building and scream from the rooftops that I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK!! And yes, this is my very first, well-deserved, 6-heart rating of the year!

I literally finished Kiss the Sky the day after I got the ARC (which I may or may not have squealed over). It was non-stop reading for me after that–the book is quite long, but every page zips by so fast and I never wanted it to end. I’m so not the type to slow down a savor a book–I pretty much devoured Kiss the Sky! And holy hell, what a wild ride this book is. I already loved Connor and Rose from Lily and Lo’s books, but Krista and Becca Ritchie managed to make me fall even more in love with them, if that’s even possible! Seriously, I can’t even think of Connor without swooning and squealing over him. He’s perfection. And Rose? I have a total girl crush on her. These two characters could not be more perfect for each other, and I loved loved loved reading their story.

Rose and Connor are supporting characters in the Addicted series, but they finally get to take the spotlight in Kiss the Sky. I’ve never read a series where the secondary characters are so engrossing to read about, but Connor and Rose are just so… intense. They take up so much space in the Addicted series, if that makes sense. Even though they’re supporting characters, they have so much presence in the books, and now that they’re the main characters, everything about them intensifies. Rose and Connor are extraordinary people. It’s not just their brains, but to be honest, they’re really the smartest people I’ve ever read about. They’re intelligence is off the charts, and I have to admit, intelligence is such a turn-on for me. So, Connor? Yeah, I was swooning and sighing madly.

It’s really their hearts that endeared them the most to me. With Rose, we easily see how much she cares for and loves her little sisters. She is the backbone for her sisters, the one who holds up everyone and everything together. Yes, she’s bitchy, but she’s strong and confident and smart and assertive and ambitious. She’s the top-dog, a total alpha-female, and I loved her!

“I’d choose to die if it meant my sisters could live. You think it’s stupid, but sometimes love is worth every foolish choice you make.”

And I loved seeing the more vulnerable sides to Rose, the sides that she only shows to Connor, or at least that only Connor notices. The new reality show and her clothing line are taking a toll on Rose. At the beginning of the book, Rose hires some TV production people to film a reality TV show of her and her family and friends to boost her clothing line, which took a hit after Lily’s sex addiction was exposed to the public. And the man in charge of the reality show, Scott, is a slime-ball who wants to be the one to take Rose’s virginity. Ugh, I hated Scott. HATED him. Rose and Connor do too, since from day one, Scott makes life hell for the both of them. Scott is a horrible person, and the authors have created an incredible antagonist in him.

Connor knows that Scott wants Rose, and… Connor won’t let Scott take Rose away from him. Rose is his, completely and undeniably, just as he is hers. I loved reading more in depth about the relationship between Connor and Rose. From Lily and Lo’s POVs, we got that Rose and Connor are perfect matches and are meant for each other, but we don’t see the love between them, not really. But Kiss the Sky illuminates that love, a love that is full of fire and passion and need. Connor and Rose go head to head with each other all the time. I loved reading the hilarious banter between them, and most of all, I loved how they support and just get each other. They bring out not only the best, but the most out of each other.

He makes me believe that anything is possible. I don’t think I’ll ever find someone quite like Connor Cobalt.

Rose has been holding on to her V-card, and in Kiss the Sky, we see the growth and development of her newfound sexuality. And let me just say, Rose and Connor (AHHH CONNOR!! <3) are HOT HOT HOT HOOOOOT!!! God, I seriously needed to fan myself while reading. We know these two are already intense people, so it’s no surprise that they’re intense in bed as well. I’m literally grinning to myself right now as I remember how freaking hot the sex between Rose and Connor is. Heehee.

So you all know I fell even more in love with Connor in KTS, right? Besides the fact that he’s super-crazy-holy-hell-I-wish-this-man-was-real HOT, there’s so much depth to him that I was so happy to learn more about. He’s with Rose, but he’s incapable of love. He knows it, but Rose believes and hopes otherwise. Connor is a very critical, analytical man, and believing in love goes against every fiber of his being, and yet… he’s learned to care about Rose. About Lily and Lo and even Daisy. As for Ryke, well, Connor and Ryke don’t exactly get along (there’s tons of laugh-out-loud hilarious conversations/arguments between these two all the time), but Connor does grow fond of him eventually (hurray for the bromance between Connor/Lo/Ryke!).

I mouth, Don’t fuck with me. These five people mean more to me than words can express. I’ve never once felt like I had a real family.
But with them, I know I do.

The BEST part about reading Kiss the Sky (besides the sexy, sweet love between Connor and Rose) is learning about how Connor has a heart. He has a real, live, beating, caring heart. He’s not the same unfeeling, manipulative man we met from Addicted to You. Through Rose and her love for him, Connor recognizes in himself his own capacity for love. And oh gosh, oh gosh, I just can’t even handle the sweet words this man says!

“You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.”

SAH-WOON!!

Kiss the Sky is just the. best. I applaud Krista and Becca on the impeccable writing, and for creating Connor. (Connor is To. Die. For.) Be prepared for some serious laughs, some hot-as-hell sex, a LAP DANCE *grins* and a beautiful, heartwarming romance that will make you smile and laugh and cry. KTS has become one of my all-time favorite books ever, and I recommend everyone read it.

6 beautiful, incredible hearts for Kiss the Sky!

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

Even though Kiss the Sky is a standalone, I recommend reading the Addicted series beforehand, since Connor and Rose are introduced there first. Here is the complete order to read the Addicted series, including spinoffs!

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review •˜ Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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21Jan2014

Release Day Review: Believe by Erin McCarthy

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Believe by Erin McCarthy
Series: True Believers #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 21st 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (InterMix) in exchange for an honest review

Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s faced with being THAT girl, and couldn’t be more disgusted with herself. She can’t even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that’s good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin’s house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he’s drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn’t care that he’s done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it’s a naïve dream to believe that his record won’t catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

I’m so happy to say that I adored this book! Believe was a great addition to the fabulous True Believers series–it’s got a sweet, sexy romance and relatable, likable characters I couldn’t help but cheer for and care for. I was so stoked to read Believe after reading a little snippet at the end of Sweet, and it didn’t disappoint! Believe was everything I expected it to be and more. I might even like it better than Sweet, but just by a hair.

If you’re looking to read a New Adult contemporary romance, I’d have to tell you to read Believe. It’s nothing exactly new, but the characters bring something refreshing to the story, and I’m a huge fan of Erin McCarthy’s writing. The story and romance in Believe is just so sweet and heartwarming, and the main characters have great depths to them. I had such a warm, fuzzy feeling the whole time reading. Robin and Phoenix are just the most adorable couple ever!

Robin is just a normal girl who parties hard, until one day she takes it too far, gets drunk and sleeps with her best friend’s boyfriend. I’ll admit, after reading this, I wasn’t sure I’d like Robin very much, but she grew on me. She holds such immense guilt over her betrayal towards her best friend, that I mainly felt sorry for her. Robin quits partying, drinking, everything, because of her guilt. She even wants to move out of the place she lives in with her best friends because she can’t look one of them in the eyes, until she meets Phoenix. The thing I liked most about Robin is how relatable she is (besides the whole sleeping with her best friend thing). She’s a lost college girl who doesn’t know what she wants to do in life, but throughout the story, she gets a better grip on who she is, and she’s able to shine through her love for art, and especially for Phoenix.

But what I knew was that he made me feel like I could look people in the eye again. He made me feel like I wasn’t going to break into a thousand pieces at any given moment. He made my hands stop shaking and helped my breathing slow down.
He made me feel like a crumbling wall that has suddenly gotten new mortar between each brick and feels stable again.
And if he could make me feel that way, maybe I could make myself feel that way.

Oh my goodness, PHOENIX!! I’m completely head over heels in love with this boy. He’s just so different from other heroes that I read. Yeah, he’s moody, he’s got tats, and he’s got some intense anger issues that he has (mostly) under control, but he’s just so honest and blunt. He’s got no time for bullshit. And he’s not afraid to show his love for his girl. I swooned madly over him. I was intrigued with him from the very beginning, because he was just released from jail. Why was he in jail? You’ll have to read to find out! But I can honestly say that Phoenix doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. This boy is good through and through, and when he shows his sweet side to Robin, I was smiling so much!

“Robin.”
“Yes?”
“I’m no good for you. And you’re probably no good for me. But we’re going to do this anyway, aren’t we?”
I nodded, because looking into his dark eyes there wasn’t any other answer. I couldn’t walk away from him, and I couldn’t let him walk away from me. “Yes. We are.”

Robin and Phoenix both agree to give a relationship a try, even though both of them believe they’re not good enough for the other. Their romance builds up slowly–Phoenix and Robin get to know each other as friends, and eventually it’s just so easy for them to fall in love with each other. I loved reading their story, their romance. They change each other for the better, they love and support each other unconditionally, and it was just heartwarming and romantic to read.

We all wonder when we will fall in love, wonder how we’ll know that our feelings are real, if someone is the right one for us.
Then it happens, and those questions seem laughable.
Because when it’s real, you feel it in every inch of you, every cell, every vein, every nook and cranny. It moves, it rises with each breath, it’s alive, and the world around you becomes sharper, crisper, in focus.
There is no question, only the answer.

I was delighted to see the characters from the previous books in the series appear and have strong roles. Phoenix is, after all, the Mann brothers’ cousin. There are some intense scenes in the book that had me at the edge of my seat, but overall, this was a slow, beautiful romance between two people who grow and learn more about themselves through each other.

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

Reading Order: True Believers series

#1 ~ True: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sweet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Believe: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Shatter: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

20Jan2014

Review Tour + Giveaway: A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers
Series: A Little Too Far #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 21st 2014
Purchase: Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iBooks
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (William Morrow Impulse) in exchange for an honest review

From USA Today bestselling author Lisa Desrochers comes the third book in her sizzling new adult series.

If you play with fire …

Tossed out of college and cut off by her parents, Samantha West is in pretty dire straits. So when her rocker best friend hooks her up with a job dancing at a gentlemen’s club, who is she to turn it down? Plus, there are rules to dancing at Benny’s: No touching, keep your clothes on at all times, and never get closer than three feet. Unfortunately for Sam, her first private client makes her want to break every single one of them.

Harrison Yates is scorching hot, but he’s got a past that involves being left at the altar not too long ago. Sam is determined to make him forget about his ex, but when she makes her move, it flings her life into a spiral of chaos she never saw coming. Because Harrison Yates isn’t who he seems to be. And his secret will probably get her killed.

“Every page is deliciously breathtaking, wickedly sexy and sensational. A LITTLE TOO HOT is wonderfully unique and a LOT HOT! I am a HUGE Lisa Desrochers fan.”

— KATY EVANS, New York Times bestselling author of REAL

“Lisa is brilliant at creating sizzling sexual tension and impossible circumstances that make the reader hold their breath all the way to happy ever after. Sam and Harrison are more than A Little Too Hot, they are scorching!”

— JAY CROWNOVER, New York Times bestselling author of RULE

“Lisa Desrochers’ best yet! A LITTLE TOO HOT is hotter than hot with all the emotional punch to back it up!”

— SOPHIE JORDAN, New York Times bestselling author

A Little Too Hot is my favorite so far of the series! Lisa Desrochers gives us another exciting, sexy book in this fantastic series. It went in such a different direction than I expected, and I loved that! To be honest, I wasn’t really feeling it in the first 25% of the book. There was nothing really new or special about ALTH, but then PLOT TWIST! The book took such a drastic turn, and it really perked me up, and I started enjoying the book more and more. So for those who feel like giving up in the beginning of the book, don’t! You have to finish because you’re in for a wild ride–there’s tons of action, sexual tension, and thrills!

Samantha was introduced in the first book of the series as Lexie’s best friend who was in love with Trent, Lexie’s step-brother and now fiancé (yeah–long story). After Trent broke up with Sam to be with Lexie, Sam just kept spiraling down–she loses her best friend, she parties harder and harder, she gets kicked out of school, she gets kicked out by her mother and she has nowhere to live. But her friend Jonathan ends up hooking her up a job as a dancer. She’s not a stripper, but she does dance provocatively for men.

On her first dance, Sam totally kills it–because there’s a man who catches her eye who’s watching her. She wants impress him, and she does. His name is Harrison, and he is hot hot hot! Sam has never felt the way she feels about Harrison before, not even when she was in love with Trent. Harrison makes her feel alive and sexy. They talk and get to know each other more and more, but there’s always an underlying tension between them. It’s obvious the two want more, but Sam’s job has a hands-off policy with clients, and Harrison is one.

Here I was smoothly going along reading this book, not really loving it, but not hating it either, when out of the blue, Lisa Desrochers completely pulls the rug out from under me and shocks the hell out of me! There is a MAJOR plot twist that I absolutely didn’t see coming! Props to the author for the fantastic, surprising twist! This was when the book really captured my attention and had me hooked. I don’t want to spoil anything, because the shock from the twist is just so jaw-dropping and you never see it coming! Loved this part of the book!

Everything started picking up after this–we learn who Harrison really is and the action in the book intensifies immensely. Sam is thrust unknowingly into an even more crappy circumstance, and I totally admired her for her continuous strength and snark. She’s a stubborn, feisty, energetic girl, and she develops into someone even stronger. She’s quirky, likable, and relatable, and a wonderful heroine.

Harrison is delish! I loved the sexual tension between him and Sam, and I loved how they couldn’t really act on their feelings quite yet. Lisa Desrochers does an incredible job building up the tension and intensity between these two characters. Harrison is a perfect match for Sam–he doesn’t back down from her stubbornness, he’s tough when he needs to be, but he’s also got a softer, sweeter side to him as well. Sam and Harrison have to spend a lot of time together, and I loved how the romance between them built up slowly. They don’t immediately jump into bed together even though they want to. They can feel a connection between them, and they grow to care for each other so much, even though they shouldn’t. They’re my favorite couple of the series!

A Little Too Hot is hot, funny, and full of thrills. You won’t be able to put it down after that crazy plot twist, and you won’t want to! The book is fast-paced, the action and twists are so well done, the romance is sweet and sexy, and it easily became my favorite of the series.

Pre-order A LITTLE TOO HOT for an exclusive alternative chapter written in the hero’s POV!
Link: http://avonromance.hc.com/althpreorder

You can read the first 3 chapters of A Little Too Hot here!

Reading Order: A Little Too Far series

#1 ~ A Little Too Far: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ A Little Too Much: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ A Little Too Hot: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

LISA DESROCHERS is the USA Today bestselling author of the A Little Too Far series, courtesy of HarperCollins, and the young adult Personal Demons trilogy from Macmillan. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two very busy daughters, and Shini the tarantula. Find her online at www.lisadwrites.com, on Twitter at @LisaDez, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LisaDesrochersAuthor.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Win an A LITTLE TOO HOT blurb pack: REAL, MINE, and REMY signed by Katy Evans; RULE, JET, and ROME signed by Jay Crownover; and FOREPLAY signed by Sophie Jordan plus signed swag.

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Tour hosted by:

17Jan2014

Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Awaken by Nina Lane

Posted in 5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Click the banner to follow the tour!

Title: Awaken
Series: Spiral of Bliss #3 (full reading order below)
Author: Nina Lane
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Cover Design: Victoria Colotta of VMC Art & Design
Event Organized By: Literati Author Services, Inc.

“I love that you love me, professor.”

“I love loving you, beauty.”

Since their intense, passionate beginning, Professor Dean West and his wife Olivia have fought dark secrets and betrayal in order to save their marriage. Now reeling in the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Liv and Dean are driven further apart by a vindictive threat to Dean’s career.

Struggling to stand on her own for the first time in years, Liv is determined to defend her husband and prove herself. Then an unexpected letter dredges up old insecurities and endangers Liv’s newfound independence. As Dean fights for his professional life, he is forced to confront his worst fear when he discovers that he can’t protect his beloved wife from her own painful past.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Barnes & Noble • Kobo • iTunes

“You and me, professor.”
“You and me, beauty.”

Oh. My. Goodness. I don’t even know how to describe my love for this series! It’s beautiful, phenomenal–Nina Lane perfectly portrays Liv and Dean’s emotions, the strong, unwavering love they have for one another, as well as the heartbreak that the two of them go through. These two characters… oh my. Dean and Liv sucked me into their story from the very first page of the very first book, and they continue to have me hooked up until the very last page of this last book.

Awaken picks up where Allure left off, and Dean and Liv are separated physically, but never emotionally. The two of them have gone through such heartbreak and tragedy, and I never doubted for a second that they wouldn’t patch up their marriage, their heart-stopping romance. There’s just something so beautiful and special about Dean and Liv’s romance. You can feel the intensity of the love they have for one another, the support that they have for each other. This series is not the usual romance, because the main characters are already married, but that doesn’t make their romance any less beautiful to read. If anything, I’d say that their marriage heightens the love, passion, intensity between them. God, I just really, really love this series.

Liv makes me smile so much. She’s sweet (and so adorable sometimes), and yet she’s strong, stubborn, and fierce in regards to her husband. I loved how she has so much room still to grow, and she does. I felt so proud of her, and Dean too. In Awaken, Liv and Dean learn to stand on their own. They learn to overcome their struggles, never once losing their steadfast love for one another. And oh my god, have I mentioned how much I love Dean? I truly, whole-heartedly love this sexy professor. He makes me swoon so freaking hard.

My husband doesn’t just love me. He knows how to love me. He knows what I need and when I need it, sometimes even better than I do. He knows how to unfold all the tight, rough parts of me and smooth them out with one glide of his hand. He knows how to prove that he — and only he — understands every crevice of my soul. He knows how to remind me that I am forever safe within his heart.

I love love love the romance. The passion, the beauty of it, I can’t even begin to describe. I just love it so damn much. Liv and Dean have a perfectly imperfect romance, which is just all the more remarkable after all the pain, hurt, and heartbreak they experience. It’s not an easy road towards a happily ever after for these two, but the journey getting there is stunning to read.

And I am just in awe with Nina Lane’s writing! It’s beautiful, it’s lush, and it’s exquisite to read. Her writing really makes me fall in love with the story over and over again, because I’d read these sentences, or even these paragraphs, that are just filled with emotion. It’s breathtaking, really. So if anything, I recommend reading this series for the writing. BUT it’s not just the writing that makes this series incredible! Dean and Liv West have a captivating and beautiful romance that warmed my heart, that made me smile and giggle and sigh, that made me fall in love, and I just can’t recommend this series enough. But now that the series is finished… I’m going to miss Dean and Liv so, so much.

Love the one who proves to you that happily ever after is only the beginning.

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

Reading Order: Spiral of Bliss series

#1 ~ Arouse: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Allure: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Awaken: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she loves traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Nina also spent many years in graduate school studying art history and library sciences.

Although she would go back for another degree if she could because she’s that much of a bookworm, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. Nina’s novel The Erotic Dark hit #1 on Amazon’s Erotica Bestseller list.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Pinterest

Grand Prize: Personalized paperback set of The Spiral of Bliss Trilogy, keychain and Alice in Wonderland Teapot w/matching cups
2nd Prize: Personalized paperback set of The Spiral of Bliss Trilogy, keychain and Hand-stampled necklace
3rd Prize: Personalized paperback copy of Awaken

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12Jan2014

ARC Review: Masquerade by Nyrae Dawn

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Masquerade by Nyrae Dawn
Series: Games #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 7th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Forever) in exchange for an honest review

A biker. A tattoo artist. A love to last a lifetime.

Maddox Cross has always had to be tough. When his father went to jail for murder, the teenager took care of his sister and mother. Now on his own and working security at a night club, Maddox wants to become a tattoo artist-a dream that comes closer to reality when he falls for the hottest, most tatted woman he’s ever seen. She’s wild and beautiful, and Maddox will do anything to be with her.

Bee Malone came to town to open up her new tattoo parlor, Masquerade. Since being kidnapped as a young girl, Bee has had trouble getting close to anyone. But when she meets Maddox, she sees that under his hard biker’s body is the sensitive soul of an artist. What starts out as a sizzling one-night stand soon becomes so much more.

Bee wants Maddox to join her tattoo business, but letting him into her life means revealing all her most intimate secrets. And as the past begins to intertwine with her present, Bee fears their love may not be as permanent as their ink . . .

Masquerade was phenomenal! It was slow, but poignant. I loved how the characters grew on me throughout the book, and Maddox and Bee’s story went straight to my heart. The writing flows so well (I’m definitely going to read other books by Nyrae Dawn), and some quotes just popped out at me, making me think and feel so much. When I started reading, it was a bit hard to get sucked into the book, but by the end of it all, I truly, wholeheartedly enjoyed reading Masquerade. It was the culmination of everything–the slow, sweet romance, the complexity of main characters, the wonderful writing–that had me smiling by the end of the book.

Masquerade is the third book in the Games series, but can be read as a standalone. I don’t really like starting a book that’s not the first in the series, but I made an exception for Masquerade. And it didn’t disappoint! The main characters from the other books in the series do appear in Masquerade (Maddox is the brother of the heroine from Charade), but Nyrae Dawn worked the story well enough that I didn’t need to have read the previous books. So if you want to jump in the Games series and start Masquerade first, like I did, you can!

I loved, LOVED how the main characters developed throughout the book. Maddox and Bee start off as closed, private individuals, but with good reason. Maddox kept quiet about his father’s secrets, secrets that ruined his family. His guilt makes him lost, and he has no direction in life anymore. Bee was kidnapped when she was young, but her kidnappers were ‘good’ people. They loved her, even though they stole her, and when Bee was discovered, the kidnappers went to jail. She loved those parents, but she feels guilty about loving them, because they kidnapped her. And she can’t be the good daughter her real parents want, since Bee ended up being a girl with tattoos who didn’t want to go to college. Bee doesn’t know who to love anymore, she doesn’t know what love means anymore, so she becomes lost herself.

These two lost, tortured characters eventually find their way towards each other. Bee and Maddox hook up one night, believing they’ll never see each other again. But it turns out that Bee is the tattoo parlor owner that Maddox wants to apprentice at. Bee reluctantly decides to give him a chance, recognizing in him the guilt and anger that she once, and still, feels. And that one decision gives the two of them a chance at love, love that they never really believed they would ever find. But it’s definitely not an easy road getting there.

Want. We both want each other but we know it’s not smart to act on it. I hate it but love it at the same time.

Bee and Maddox agree not to sleep with each other again, but… there’s some seriously hot chemistry between the two. The two of them spend a lot of time together at the tattoo parlor, and eventually they start opening up to each other. They don’t really talk, but they learn about each other through the other’s actions. I thought this part was very beautiful, how the two of them learn about each other not through words, but by actions. The romance builds up slowly, but it’s so, so sweet.

Through each other, Maddox and Bee learn to move past their guilt and inner pain. It was truly heart-wrenching at some parts of the book, and my heart cried out for Bee and especially Maddox. Both of these characters have so much depth and growth, and I loved reading their journey towards happiness–with each other.

Christ, we have all lost so fucking much. Parents, kids, dreams–way more than our fair share. We’ve hurt people we’ve loved and we’ve hurt ourselves and we’ve been lost. Through it all, we’re still fucking standing.

And can I just talk about the writing again? I freaking fell in LOVE with Nyrae Dawn’s writing. I highlighted so many quotes that spoke to my heart. Everything is so raw and emotional, and Nyrae Dawn portrayed everything perfectly.

This quote is one of my favorites from the book:

Reality. It’s not living a lie like so many of the people we know have done. It’s not treating life like a game of charades or living behind any type of façade. Life is fucked up, it hurts, and it’s not always pretty, but damned if it can’t be beautiful too.

I highly, highly recommend reading Masquerade or anything by Nyrae Dawn, if her writing is just as good in her other books (which I will definitely be reading soon!). Masquerade is packed with emotions, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and the romance between Maddox and Bee is so real and honest and beautiful.

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

Reading Order: Games series

#1 ~ Charade: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Facade: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Masquerade: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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