Release Day Review: Forevermore by Kristen Callihan

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Forevermore by Kristen Callihan
Series: Darkest London #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Isolated and alone, Sin Evernight is one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in heaven and on earth. As an angel of vengeance, he hunts down the darkest evil, but when his long-lost friend, Layla Starling, needs him, he vows to become her protector. Even though she will be horrified by the man he has become.

Now a famous singer and the toast of London, Layla believes that Sin is only here to guard her from rabid fans and ardent suitors. However, the truth is far more sinister. Desperate to avoid losing Layla a second time, Sin will face a test of all his powers to defeat an unstoppable foe – and win an eternity with the woman he loves.

Forevermore is the seventh and final book of the Darkest London series! I’m sad to see the series end, because I’ve really enjoyed reading it. This mystical, fascinating, paranormal world Kristen Callihan has created is well-written and highly addicted to read. While I didn’t love Forevermore as much as I would’ve like to, I still loved being back in this world and seeing all the previous characters again. If you’re a fan of the series, you probably won’t want to miss this finale!

Sin Evernight is a character whose book I’ve been dying for ever since he was first introduced. He’s a complex hero, and I was ready to know everything about his story. And I absolutely loved that is romance is a friends-to-lovers one. His childhood friend Layla Starling was everything to him until she moved away, though he never forgot her. Now, as a powerful Judgment angel in charge of people’s souls, he’s tasked with protecting Layla as she comes into her newfound powers and paranormal abilities.

Layla thought she was just a normal girl raised by Augustus, her immortal guardian, until sinister things started to happen to her. Turns out she’s so much more than she thought, and as she navigates through this new paranormal world, she’s also reunited by her first friend and love Sin. We get to know her and Sin as childhood friends (which was adorable) and now we also get to know them as they fall in love all over again.

I didn’t particularly connect with Sin or Layla, but I adored their romance. It’s sweet and heartwarming, despite all the craziness that’s happening around them. The main thing that really prevented me from loving Forevermore (which I’m so bummed about, because I loved all the previous books) is that I felt a little lost as I was reading. I think it might’ve been a little too long since the last time I read a Darkest London book, because the plot kind of went over my head, and I couldn’t really catch up to the hows and whys of things going on.

There’s one thing I really did love about Forevermore, however, which was the love story between Augustus, Layla’s guardian and Sin’s mentor, and Lena, Layla’s mother. I found myself utterly hooked onto their star-crossed love – they’re soulmates who are on opposite sides of a war and haven’t been together for centuries. I thought it was a nice touch including their romance, and it definitely made this book more enjoyable.

It’s a bittersweet end for Forevermore, but for fans of the series, it’s an end you don’t want to miss. There are a ton of cameos from previous characters and a pretty epic battle near the end. All in all, it was a good ending to the series, despite my disappointment with not loving it more. And looking at other reviews, this is totally my fault, so if you’re wondering whether to read Forevermore, I say go for it!

Reading Order: Darkest London series

#0.5 ~ Ember: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ Firelight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Moonglow: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Winterblaze: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Entwined: Ebook • Goodreads
#4 ~ Shadowdance: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Evernight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Soulbound: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Forevermore: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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28Jun2016

Release Day Review: Addicted by Elle Kennedy

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Addicted by Elle Kennedy
Series: Outlaws #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 28th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

From the New York Times bestselling author of Claimed comes the second enticingly erotic novel set in a world on the brink of chaos.

Lennox used to live in a paradise on earth with his best friend Jamie, in a place where visitors came and went, allowing their desires to run free. But everything changes when a deadly attack forces them to take up with Connor Mackenzie’s band of Outlaws. Lennox knows Jamie is hung up on someone else, but he’s always believed he’s the man for her—and won’t let her go without a fight.

Even though Jamie is well aware that Lennox is one hot specimen of a man, she refuses to let sex ruin the most important relationship in her life. But when the object of her interest spurns her, she indulges in a little pleasure-filled revenge with her very magnetic, very willing best friend. One thrilling night with Lennox is enough to awaken Jamie’s unexpected desires for him. And now that she’s had a taste, she’s not sure she can ever give him up…

Friends-to-lovers is one of my FAVORITE tropes, though I don’t read it as often as I’d like. I’m picky because there just aren’t very many well-written ones, but Addicted is definitely on the better end of the spectrum. This is book two in the Outlaws series and features Lennox and Jamie, who we met in Claimed. These are two best friends who wholeheartedly believe their relationship is platonic, so I was eager to see how Elle Kennedy would turn that around, and she didn’t disappoint. It takes them a little while to get there, but these two are so meant to be together – their romance is emotional, intense, and surprisingly sweet! Addicted is a fantastic follow-up to this world of Outlaws – if you enjoyed Claimed, you’re more than likely to like Addicted as well.

Jamie and Lennox have been best friends since they were children – there’s no Jamie without Lennox, and vice versa. They’re now shackled up with their friend Connor at his camp, and this change of scenery leads to a change in their relationship. The repressed feelings they’ve had on both sides for years are slowly, finally coming out, especially since Lennox isn’t liking the fact that Rylan, Jamie’s crush, is in close proximity in the camp. Will Lennox finally make his move on the one person he loves in this dangerous, desolate world? Or will he stay cautious to protect their friendship, and miss out on something more?

“You’re my home, Jamie. It doesn’t matter where we go or what happens. As long as you’re with me, I’m home.”

I loved the fact that I got to read a friends-to-lovers romance in a different setting than the usual contemporary world. Not only do Jamie and Lennox have to navigate their way through their newfound and fragile relationship, they also have to keep looking over their shoulders to make sure that Enforcers aren’t out to get them and the people they’re with. The ups and downs of their romance mixed in with the suspense had me on the edge of my seat – the author did a wonderful job balancing those two aspects of the story!

And of course, I can’t write this review without mentioning how damn HOT it is! Tensions have been brewing between Lennox and Jamie for YEARS, so one can only imagine how explosive the chemistry is once they finally get together. And guys, it’s seriously smokin’ in this book. Elle Kennedy know how to write erotica!

One thing that bothered me about Addicted though (even though it’s so dumb), is how all the heroines have masculine names – I honestly couldn’t keep track of who was who. I got Lennox and Jamie mixed up ALL THE TIME, thinking Lennox was the heroine and Jamie the hero. It wouldn’t take me long to realize I’d be reading it wrong, but it was slightly annoying that I had to make the effort to realize who was who.

Overall, Addicted was an addictive read. The dystopian world sucked me in much more than it did in the previous book, and I can only hope it’ll get better throughout the rest of the series. Right now, I’m dying for the next book, Ruled – we’re finally getting Rylan’s story, and it just so happens to be a menage… and I can’t WAIT!

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

Reading Order: Outlaws series

#1 ~ Claimed: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Ruled: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 1, 2016)

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23Jun2016

ARC Review: Stealing His Thunder by Sparrow Beckett

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Stealing His Thunder by Sparrow Beckett
Series: Masters of Adrenaline #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 21st 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From the author of the Masters Unleashed series, Sparrow Beckett revs things up with two lovers on a collision course in the first Masters of Adrenaline novel.

Nothing gives Addison Kennedy a rush like stealing cars. The Lexus was the perfect target, but before she can get its engine purring, she’s cold-cocked unconscious. When she comes to, she finds herself on a bed with a blonde, tattooed god standing over her.

Fox Larson is shocked to discover the thief he knocked out is actually a hot girl. Bringing her home may not have been the smartest move, but he wasn’t about to leave an unconscious and defenseless woman in a parking garage. Besides, if she’s part of an auto theft crew infringing on his territory, he needs to pump her for information.

However, Addison has personal drive that won’t be denied and she’s desperate to prove Fox’s group needs her skills. Submitting to his kinks in the bedroom is a hot yet complicated bonus. When a big job goes bad, and Addison finally gets her chance, will she succeed in stealing his thunder?

I recently binged on the Original Sinners series, so I’d been in a BDSM mood when I picked up Stealing His Thunder. This is the first book I’ve read by Sparrow Beckett, and I don’t usually pick up new-to-me authors these days unless they’re highly recommended to me, but I’d been excited to read Stealing His Thunder nonetheless. It ended up being a good read, though not anything particularly special or unique. It’s a surprisingly light-hearted read, given the BDSM and car-stealing theme – so if you’re in the mood for something quick and hot, I’d recommend giving this book a try.

Addison is just a normal girl going to college… except for her extracurricular activity of stealing cars. She’s new at it but incredibly skilled, until one night she’s knocked unconscious and wakes up in an unfamiliar man’s bed. That man is Fox, and it turns out she was stealing a car HE was meant to steal. Fox is the leader of a ring of car thieves – stealing cars is his livelihood, and now Addison wants in so she can support her parents and grandparents. If there’s a hot chemistry between them, well, that’s an added bonus. So begins a dance of taunts and flirts and dares as Addison and Fox play with the attraction between them and enter an erotic relationship.

Addison and Fox felt pretty one dimensional to me. The attraction was hot, sure, but I never really connected with their characters, nor did I feel anything as their romance played out. The kink was fun, but nothing I’d never read before. I really enjoyed the first part of the book, with Addison meeting Fox and getting to know him and his car-stealing ways, but things flatlined a bit when sex was involved, because then it became ALL about the sex. I had to skim over quite a bit of the sex scenes because the story just wasn’t moving forward fast enough for me. I really wish that we could’ve focused more on the story and romance rather than the kink and lust.

All in all, Stealing His Thunder wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t something I fell in love with either. I probably wouldn’t continue with the series, but that’s not to say no one would enjoy the series either. Again, if you’re looking for something chock-full of steam and not too serious, then Stealing His Thunder just might be for you!

Reading Order: Masters of Adrenaline series

#1 ~ Stealing His Thunder: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Fueling His Hunger: Ebook • Goodreads (Oct. 18, 2016)

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21Jun2016

Release Day Review: The Billionaire’s Favorite Mistake by Jessica Clare

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Billionaire’s Favorite Mistake by Jessica Clare
Series: Billionaires and Bridesmaids #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 21st 2016
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A hot one night stand between friends might spark true love in the latest Billionaires and Bridesmaids novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Billionaire Takes a Bride.

Greer has always been there for Asher, but she wishes she could break through her shyness and show how much she truly loves him. But after a steamy, mindless fling at Hunter and Gretchen’s engagement party, Greer finds herself tossed aside and forced to admit that you can’t love someone who doesn’t acknowledge you exist.

It’s a shame he got her pregnant.

After his fiancée betrayed him and tanked his business in one fell swoop, Asher has spent his time trying to rebuild his wealth and forget the past. But he doesn’t understand why Greer blew him off after their night together—until he catches a glimpse of her belly.

Now Asher is willing to do whatever it takes to convince Greer she belongs with him. And he’s very skilled at the art of persuasion.

I love groveling books, guys. Love love looove them. Give me a redeemable guy who effs up and dedicates everything to fixing what he did wrong, and I’m so there. Jessica Clare writes some fantastic grovel, and The Billionaire’s Favorite Mistake gave me exactly what I was looking for and hoping for. It’s the perfect kind of angsty yet humorous read that make my heart race and flutter. This billionaire hero messes up big time, but his devotion to his woman is beyond words, and he’s ready to make up for what he did. If you’re a fan of the series, or love devoted heroes, this book is for you!

Asher and Greer’s book is the fourth standalone in the Billionaires and Bridesmaids series, though I do recommend reading the series in order. The timelines overlap, and there’s a great build-up of tension for future couples. I’d been dying to read this couple’s story ever since the first Billionaires and Bridesmaids book, and I wasn’t disappointed. Honestly, I never am with Jessica Clare! Her billionaire reads are the perfect indulgence for me, and I’m so happy that she’s got so many stories to tell.

Greer has been in love with her old friend Asher for years, but she’s never told him her feelings – until now. Except when Greer does confess, Asher is drunk off his ass, and when they have sex… well, it’s not the most fun experience Greer’s ever had. In fact, it’s one of the worst experiences she’s ever had, and she couldn’t be more disappointed with Asher’s performance, really. Unfortunately, the hits don’t stop there. Asher’s one-pump-chump ended up in a pregnancy – and now Greer is so over him, she never knew what she ever saw in him.

She was just a naive idiot. Show Asher her love? She should show him a boot to the ass.
He was a selfish asshole. Why had she wasted so many years pining after him?

Asher is such a jerk, but it’s hilariously played, so I didn’t get too annoyed at him. It also helped that the moment he realized he messed up and that the best thing that ever happened to him was right under his nose all along, he was determined to win back Greer’s love. Oh, Asher totally stole my heart with his fierce dedication and relentless pursuit for Greer’s love. It’s the only thing that matter to him, her and their baby, and he’s going to do whatever it takes to make amends and win her heart.

There was no turning back for him now. Any thought of giving up on Greer and moving on with his life? Utterly vanished. She was his. This sweet, giving mouth? His. This timid, eager tongue? His. The passionate woman in his arms? All his. With every coaxing flick of his tongue, he was letting her know that she belonged to him.

Of course, it’s not a Jessica Clare book without some humor! I was dying of giggles at how many times Greer just shoots Asher down, but my heart also ached at how he never gives up. I adored these two! They’re absolutely meant to be, and I couldn’t be happier with how things worked out between them. The author did a wonderful job at balancing the romance, angst, and humor in this novel. It’s one of my new favorite reads from Jessica Clare – I still love Hunter and Gretchen the most, but Greer and Asher are a close second in my heart!

“All I want is you.”
Greer looked up in surprise, her face soft.
“It’s true,” he told her. “You may not believe me yet, but that’s fine. I’m good with waiting.” You’re it for me and I don’t care how long it takes.

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

Reading Order: Billionaires and Bridesmaids series

#1 ~ The Billionaire and the Virgin: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Taming of the Billionaire: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Billionaire Takes a Bride: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Billionaire’s Favorite Mistake: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Billionaire on the Loose: Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 20, 2016)

The Billionaires and Bridesmaids series is a spinoff series of the Billionaire Boys Club. Though it’s not necessary to read it prior to Billionaires and Bridesmaids, some recurring characters from the older series appear in the new series.

Reading Order: Billionaire Boys Club series

#1 ~ Stranded with a Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beauty and the Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Wrong Billionaire’s Bed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Once Upon a Billionaire: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Romancing the Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ One Night with a Billionaire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6.5 ~ Beauty and the Billionaire: The Wedding • Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 15, 2016)

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21Jun2016

ARC Review: Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #15 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 14th 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The “unparalleled romantic adventure”* of Nalini Singh’s New York Times bestselling series continues as a new dawn begins for the Psy-Changeling world…

A staggering transformation has put the Psy, humans, and changelings at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies, new allies, wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten, and it threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost and protect the vulnerable – and to save Trinity – no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

The Psy-Changeling series is one of my all-time favorite PNR series ever. I’ve loved the series from the very first book, but now at book fifteen, we’ve come a looong way. I was excited for Allegiance of Honor because, well, it’s a Psy-Changeling book, and also because I was curious how Nalini Singh would pull off an ensemble book, with no main couple whose romance we’d focus on. While I can’t say I loved this book, I did love seeing the different couples from past books and how they’re living now in the new Psy-Changeling world. I do wish that we got a new main couple to read about, because I missed that romance aspect in this novel. Still, if you’re a fan of the series, which I’m sure you are if you’re still reading at book fifteen, then you don’t want to miss AoH. Many, many things happen (including the pupcubs!) that lead to some changes in the Psy-Changeling world.

Heroes, I’ve learned, don’t always wear white.
Sometimes they come from the darkness, shadows among shadows.

The Trinity Accord, lead by the most powerful and influential individuals – like Lucas, the DarkRiver alpha, and Aden, leader of the Arrows – strives for peace between the three races. Humans, Psy, and Changelings must all work together if they want to keep surviving. But with those who are against any intermixing of races, those who think a newborn who is half Psy and half Changeling is an abomination, this fragile peace is threatened. What is to come of the Psy-Changeling world?

“So many bonds,” he murmured as the two of them stood under a night sky that reminded him of Kaleb’s cardinal eyes. “So many connections. Our world is becoming the interlinked entity it was always meant to be.”

There are so many plotlines going on in AoH, a little too many for me to fully enjoy each one. Yes, I adored seeing Lucas and Sascha (with Naya!), Kaleb and Sahara, Hawke and Sienna, and every one of the past couples, but there were so many changing POVs that it was hard for me to focus on anything. It took me a long, long time to finish this book because of how drawn out everything is. Every single character seems to play a major part in creating this new peaceful world, so each and every one needs screen time, which made for a slow-moving book.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy AoH, because I did. Just not as much as previous books that had a lot more romance. The small doses we do get from the different couples are sweet and heartwarming, but I really did wish we had a main couple to focus on. I did love that we finally(!) find out how many pupcubs Mercy and Riley are having, and what changelings they are!

Nalini Singh has created an incredible world that I get sucked into every time I pick up a Psy-Changeling book. Just because I didn’t love AoH doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate the wonderful writing and storytelling that the author is so talented at. It takes skill to continue building onto a world even fifteen books into a series. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next – though I’m hoping we’ll get back to having a main couple’s romance to read!

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

Reading Order: Psy-Changeling series

#1 ~ Slave to Sensation: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Visions of Heat: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Caressed by Ice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Mine to Possess: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Hostage to Pleasure: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Branded by Fire: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Blaze of Memory: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Bonds of Justice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Play of Passion: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ Kiss of Snow: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Collection #1 ~ Wild Invitation: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#11 ~ Tangle of Need: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#12 ~ Heart of Obsidian: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#13 ~ Shield of Winter: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#14 ~ Shards of Hope: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#15 ~ Allegiance of Honor: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Collection #2 ~ Wild Embrace: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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