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Release Day Review: The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh Walker

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh Walker
Series: The McKays #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Desire won’t take no for an answer in The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh Walker

In the small Southern town of McKay’s Treasure, everybody knows that the handsome local police chief, Gideon Marshall, has been carrying a torch for Moira McKay. It’s also no secret that Moira has been rejecting Gideon since…forever. But after an attack from a mysterious stranger bent on taking down the McKay family, Moira becomes filled with distrust toward most men. Now she wonders whether she’s been wrong about Gideon all along—and if it’s not too late to admit him back into her life…and into her bed…

Gideon has finally convinced his wasted heart to give up on Moira, who he’s loved since he was sixteen years old. Moira’s attack changes everything, however—and he vows to protect her. But how much is he willing to risk for a woman who’s always kept him at bay…until now? And is it too late for Moira to tell him that her love for him has always been locked deep in her heart—and he holds the key?

I LOVED the second book in the McKays series, so when I had the chance to read the next book, I couldn’t wait to start it! I also adore second chance romances too, so Gideon and Moira’s story should’ve been perfect for me. But sadly, I just never grew invested in their romance and the suspense/mystery was a little tedious to read. It wasn’t a bad read, but I didn’t love it the way I hoped I would. If you’ve kept up with the series, then you probably want to give this a try, otherwise it’s a little hard to read The Right Kind of Trouble as a standalone.

Moira McKay was Gideon Marshall’s childhood sweetheart, before she ripped his heart out and threw him away. Now in their 30s, they’re still in love with each other, but the years have drifted them too far apart for Moira to ever try to make up for what she did. Gideon is trying to move on with another woman, but when Moira’s life becomes at risk, he’s back in her life once again, unable to resist the only woman he’s ever loved. Will Moira be able to earn his forgiveness – and will Gideon take her back?

Small town romances are usually so sweet, so it was a nice change to read one with a mystery. Unfortunately, the suspense didn’t really have me hooked, so I was mainly focused on Moira and Gideon’s romance, which was a little heartbreaking and angsty. I really liked the hero and was impressed with the way he never stopped loving the heroine, though I was glad he tried to move on after what she put him through. I wish Moira had taken action sooner than she did regarding Gideon – SO many years have gone by, and just now is she trying to win him back. If you haven’t read the previous books in the series, this story might be a little confusing, so I’d definitely recommend reading the books in order. If you have read the series, The Right Kind of Trouble is a fairly good conclusion to the McKay family. I didn’t love it, but I did enjoy seeing how everything ended up!

3 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The McKays series

 

#1 ~ Headed for Trouble: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Trouble with Temptation: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Right Kind of Trouble: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: Out of Bounds by R.S. Grey

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

Out of Bounds by R.S. Grey
Series: The Summer Games #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 1st 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

I despise Erik Winter.

He’s arrogant and cruel—a man I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy—and by some twisted turn of fate, he’s my new Olympic gymnastics coach.

I’ve had to contend with gruff coaches in the past, but Erik is far worse. His stern demeanor complements a body built for intimidation, and his reprimands come from a mouth so cunning, I know it could strip me of my defenses—if I let it.

Though each of us would love to be rid of the other forever, we are bound to each other by need and necessity. I’m his rising star, his best shot at proving himself to his critics. And without a coach, I have zero chance of winning gold in Rio.

The easiest way forward would be to wave a white flag and make peace with the man I’ll be sharing close quarters with for the foreseeable future, but he is intent on war.

Fine. By. Me.

If he pushes me, I’ll push back harder. If he wants to test me, to play with my head, I’ll show him just how many boundaries I’m willing to cross. Because I know it’s not a choice between winning or warring—not if you can have them both. At the end of it all, I plan on leaving Rio with gold around my neck and his icy heart in the palm of my hand.

It’s almost time for the 2016 Olympics, and what better way to usher it in than by reading a sports romance about an Olympian? Out of Bounds is R.S. Grey’s HOTTEST book yet – it’s an incredible enemies-to-lovers/forbidden romance between an upcoming gymnastics Olympian and her coach. It’s my second favorite of her books, right after the first Summer Games book. It’s steamy – so, sooo steamy. The lust and hate come so clearly off the pages, it’s mind-blowing. If you don’t like heroes who act like complete asses and heroines who give as good as they get, this probably won’t be the book for you. But if you do love that intense chemistry that comes with hate, you NEED to get your hands on Out of Bounds!

She was fierce; she wanted to be seen, and not just for her gymnastics skills. No, she wanted to be desired. Coveted. Craved. Had anyone ever touched her the way she wanted to be touched? Had anyone ever ripped that bun out and tugged her long hair, tilting her head back to expose the creamy skin of her neck?

Brie Watson needs to win the gold so she can repay her mother for everything she sacrificed for her daughter to become the Olympian she is today. The prize money, the future endorsements, all of it will go into giving her and her mother a better life. So even though her original coach steps down due to health issues and his son takes his place, there’s nothing stopping Brie from giving her all during gymnastics training – not even a beautiful 29-year-old coach she loves to hate.

Erik Winter may not have asked for the position of gymnastics coach to Team USA, but he’s going to do what his father didn’t and lead the team to gold. But from the very first moment Brie steps into his life, it’s antagonism and lust and everything in between. To say Erik and Brie don’t get along would be an understatement – these two LIVE for getting under the other’s skin. They fight, argue, cock-block – if it’ll make the other annoyed, they’ll do it. There’s so much hate between them, but underneath it all is a burning lust, a fiery chemistry that can’t be denied. They want each other bad, no matter how much they hate each other.

But in between grueling practices and training, Brie and Erik get to understand each other on a deeper, more visceral level. They might not like each other, but they KNOW each other. Their connection is powerful and unlike anything they’ve ever experienced – so it’s only inevitable that feelings eventually get involved.

He and I weren’t supposed to fall in love. We’d been at war, fighting and pushing each other because it was a fun distraction, because I liked to get a reaction out of him, and because I just couldn’t help myself. It was the most shocking kind of love I’d ever experienced, the sort that hid itself behind the other edge of the blade—hate. I’d focused so much of my energy on hating Erik that when love appeared out of nowhere, it stole my breath.
I loved Erik.

This book… I couldn’t put it down from the moment I picked it up. Brie and Erik’s tumultuous, crazy hot romance gripped me and wouldn’t let me go. I mentioned this book was the author’s hottest one yet, right? Because the steam in this – holy GOD. The things that happen between Brie and Erik will make your panties melt and make you blush like crazy!

I do wish there was more of the forbidden love aspect of the story. Despite Erik being Brie’s coach, I never really felt like there were any possible consequences with them getting together. Most of everyone surrounding them approved of their relationship, so if they had that more developed dynamic of forbidden romance, this book would’ve been perfect.

“At the end of this, you’re mine.”

I love that R.S. Grey set the Summer Games series during the 2016 Olympics in Rio – this series has seriously gotten me so hyped up about the upcoming competitions! Also, with every book the author writes, her writing improves, and I have to say, I’m so impressed with her ability to create such lust/hate between her main characters. This series is one of the best sports romance series I’ve ever read, and if you love reading that genre, the Summer Games is a must read. Out of Bounds is such an amazing enemies-to-lovers romance. Just a fair warning before you start it though – you are going to be in such lust/hate with Erik right alongside Brie, you’ll need a fan as you read!

4.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Summer Games series

 

#1 ~ Settling the Score: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Out of Bounds: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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ARC Review: Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan
Series: Devil’s Rock #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Hell hath no hunger like a man let out of a cage . . .

Shy and awkward, First Daughter Grace Reeves has always done what she’s told. Tired of taking orders, she escapes her security detail for a rare moment of peace. Except her worst nightmare comes to life when a ruthless gang of criminals abducts her. Her only choice is to place her trust in Reid Allister, an escaped convict whose piercing gaze awakens something deep inside her. Reid is nothing like her other captors.

He’s tougher, smarter…and one blistering look from him makes her hotter than any man ever has.

Reid spent years plotting escape and revenge . . .years without a woman in his bed. For this hardened felon, Grace Reeves isn’t just out of his league—she’s from another planet, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her. Escaping Devil’s Rock was tough, but resisting this woman could be the end of him. For a man with nothing to lose, protecting her . . . claiming her as his own, becomes more necessary than his next breath.

I’d been excited for Hell Breaks Loose since I really enjoyed the first Devil’s Rock book, All Chained Up! While I didn’t like this second book quite as much as the first, it’s still a fairly good suspenseful, action-filled steamy romance. I love the idea of the heroes being ex-convicts – although technically, Reid is still a convict… just an escaped one. 😉

Grace Reeves is the daughter of the President, and her life with her political father has been anything but fun. She has no freedom and no social life – so one day, she decides to escape it all. But she must have terrible luck, because instead of freedom, she finds herself kidnapped and held hostage by a gang.

When Reid Allister escapes prison and is on the run to find his younger brother, the last thing he expects is for his brother and the bad gang he got involved with to have kidnapped the President’s daughter. Prison may have tainted his soul, but Reid would never hurt a woman, and somehow finds himself to be Grace’s protecter, unbeknownst to the gang. They think Reid will be delivering her to their boss, but Reid will make sure that no harm comes to her.

The chemistry between Reid and Grace is definitely my favorite part of the story. From the moment they meet, they feel a connection with each other, despite their reluctance. Grace doesn’t want to fall for her dark and dangerous kidnapper, and Reid doesn’t want to fall for anyone, much less the President’s daughter. But while I liked the passion they have for each other, I did feel that the romance was a bit too Stockholm Syndrome-y for my taste.

One other problem I had with this book was that it was really, really slow. I grew a little bored at times and had to skim to parts with more action or romance. If you have a lot of patience with your romances or you love slow-burn, you’ll probably enjoy this more, but I think I just wasn’t in the mood for something slow when I read Hell Breaks Loose. Nonetheless, I did enjoy some parts of it, and if you were a fan of the first book in the Devil’s Rock series, you’ll probably enjoy this too.

3 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Devil’s Rock series

 

#1 ~ All Chained Up: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Hell Breaks Loose: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Release Day Review: To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne

To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne
Series: The Wedding Belles #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne is the “queen of witty dialogue and sexy scenes” (Rachel Van Dyken)! Now, Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in The Wedding Belles, her sizzling brand new contemporary romance series about three ambitious wedding planners who can make any bride’s dream come true…but their own.

Discovering her fiancé is an international conman just moments before they exchange vows devastates celebrity wedding planner Brooke Burke’s business—and breaks her heart. Now a pariah in Los Angeles, she seeks a fresh start in New York City and thinks she’s found it with her first bridal client, a sweet, if slightly spoiled, hotel heiress. Then she meets the uptight businessman who’s holding the purse springs.

Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank check and be done with his sister’s fancy-pants wedding. Unfortunately, micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving Maya’s fiancé is a liar. Standing directly in his way is the stunning blonde wedding planner whose practiced smiles and sassy comebacks both irritate and arouse him. He needs Brooke’s help. But can he persuade a wedding planner on a comeback mission to unplan a wedding? And more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning…is theirs?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Lauren Layne is my go-to author for fun and flirty contemporary romances. She pretty much never disappoints, and she delivers another winner with To Have and to Hold! This book is the first in the Wedding Belles series, featuring wedding planners who witness not only others’ HEAs, but their own as well. I freaking adored this book, and I have no doubts the series will keep on getting better. If you’re a contemporary romance lover, you have to check this one out! I had so much fun reading it – Seth and Brooke’s way to their HEA is utterly sweet and romantic, with the perfect amount of steam to round it off.

After the wedding fiasco where her con-man groom gets arrested at the altar, Brooke’s wedding planner days in Los Angeles are over. Luckily she gets the chance to start again in NYC with the Wedding Belles, one of the most popular and top-notch wedding planning businesses there is. Her first client is a hotel heiress named Maya – but it’s Maya’s older brother who will prove to be a pain in Brooke’s side. Seth and Brooke get off to a rough start, mainly because Seth is nowhere near agreeable with his sister’s fiancé, so with every meeting there are lusty glares and a simmering tension between the two. Their chemistry is my absolute favorite part of the story – I was seriously hooked onto it and just waiting for when these two characters would finally act on their desires.

Lauren Layne had me glued to the pages as she builds up the romance and tension. Brooke and Seth are two wonderful characters, both strong, independent, yet vulnerable, and I loved reading how they broke down each others’ walls. And there’s also so much going on with Maya’s wedding as well that there’s really never a dull moment in this book. To Have and to Hold is entertaining from start to finish, and with a sweet romance that’s both intense and heartwarming, what’s not to love about it?

If you’re a fan of the author, you won’t want to miss this new series. There are weddings and love and romance and everything that makes for the perfect, sweet summer read. I’m already so excited for the rest of the Wedding Belles series – I have crazy high expectations for the next two books, and I know LL won’t let me down!

4 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: The Wedding Belles series

 To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne For Better or Worse by Lauren Layne

#0.5 ~ From This Day Forward: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ To Have and to Hold: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ For Better or Worse: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ To Love and to Cherish: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 18, 2016)

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Release Day Review: Broken Prince by Erin Watt

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Broken Prince by Erin Watt
Series: The Royals #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 25th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

These Royals will ruin you…

From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.

Reed Royal has it all―looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely―keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

She might be right.

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.

After that god-awful cliffhanger from Paper Princess, I was literally dying to get my hands on Broken Prince. I had so many hopes and expectations for this book, things mainly concerning Reed, and Erin Watt did not disappoint. If you can believe it, in this sequel things get even wilder and intense for Ella and the Royals… so you’re in for a hell of a ride when you pick up Broken Prince. It’s seriously a fantastic follow-up to one of my favorite books of the year – and if you’ve read Paper Princess, you need to get your hands on the sequel!

From the moment she walked in the door, all big eyes and guarded hope, I couldn’t keep away.
My instincts had screamed at me that she was in trouble. My instincts were wrong. She wasn’t trouble. I was. Still am.
Reed, the destroyer.
It’d be a cool nickname if it wasn’t my life and hers that I’m taking down.

My favorite thing about Broken Prince? Reed’s POV!!! I was so thankful that we get Reed’s POV, because I was dying to get in his head and figure out where his heart lay in terms of Ella and even his family. I don’t want to spoil anything from Paper Princess, but if you’ve read the first book, then you know Reed has a lot to make up for in Broken Prince. He’s broken Ella’s trust, but he’s determined to do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness and win her back. I wasn’t 100% in love with Reed in book 1, but I can say without a doubt that I’ve completely fallen head over heels for him in book 2. His love for Ella shines so brightly in this book – my heart couldn’t stop swooning because of him!

“I’m done playing games, Ella. No other girls exist in this world for me. If you see me talking to one, know that I’m talking about you. If you see me walking next to someone, I’m wishing it was you.” He steps toward me. “You’re the only one for me.”

But of course, you can’t have the Royals without some messed up shit going on. There’s drama with Brooke. Callum, the Royal father. Easton and his self-destructive tendencies. Gideon and his mysterious secrets. Mean girls at prep school. Ella and Reed just can’t catch a break – they have to deal with all of that on top of fixing their rocky relationship. There is so much drama and not enough resolution that I nearly wanted to scream! Broken Prince left me with more questions than answers – and I can only hope that all will be revealed in the next and final book.

…that girl flew into our hose like a whirlwind and made everything come alive again. She brought steel and fire. She made us laugh again. She gave us a purpose—at first, it was us uniting against her. Then it turned into us standing beside her. Protecting her. Loving her.

The thing about this series that has me thinking about it again and again is how there is still so much we have to uncover about the Royals and all the people they’re involved with. There are secrets on top of secrets. Lies that you know will catch up with them sooner or later. These characters… they are truly unforgettable. I may not have loved Broken Prince quite as much as Paper Princess, but it’s still a fantastic read I couldn’t put down. I pretty much devoured it from the second it appeared on my kindle. Fair warning though, this also has an epic cliffhanger at the end. Twisted Palace can’t get here soon enough! I can’t wait to see where Erin Watt will take us next with the Royals – and is it too much to ask for stories about the rest of the Royal brothers?

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Royals series

 

#1 ~ Paper Princess: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Broken Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Twisted Palace: Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 7, 2016)

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