Early Review: Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Remembrance by Meg Cabot
Series: The Mediator #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot returns with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favorite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soulmate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze’s wedded bliss before it begins.

You can take the boy out of the darkness.

But you can’t take the darkness out of the boy.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she’s hired as a guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child, to ghosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone to her wedding night.

Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including one she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?

What happens when old ghosts come back to haunt you?

If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.

I honestly want to cry right now!!! I was up until 3 AM finishing this… I can’t believe it’s over! Reading Remembrance was literally a dream come true for middle-school me – Suze and Jesse as adults, about to get married, was absolute perfection. It was amazing catching up with them and the rest of the gang (yes, even Paul). Meg Cabot is that one author who got me into reading, and I will be forever grateful to her for it. I remember reading the Mediator series as a young teen, so getting to experience this new chapter in the lives some of my favorite beloved characters was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. To say I had high expectations for Remembrance is an understatement, but Meg Cabot has blown me away. I couldn’t imagine a better and more perfect ending for the series!

So what has the Mediator gang been up to? Well, it’s been six years since Suze has graduated high school, but the only job she’s been able to find is one that doesn’t pay… and is a position at that same high school. Jesse is a doctor now, doing his residency. Oh, and the two of them are engaged – YAY!! Paul is, surprisingly, a successful businessman, but still as manipulative as ever. Suze’s stepbrothers lives have also changed considerably – Jake sells medical marijuana, Brad is a father, and David is in Harvard. Everything is so DIFFERENT and yet exactly the same. When I picked up Remembrance, it felt as if I never left this world, it was so easy to jump back into.

Suze is, of course, always involved in some ghost case or another, and this time is no different. There’s a ghost following around one of the students at her school, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it. Suze is seriously one of my favorite heroines of all time – she’s so funny, sarcastic, stubborn, resilient… she’s just a fantastic character to read about. And her narrative had me in stitches, I was laughing so hard. And, of course, Jesse is as wonderful as ever. Ever patient with Suze and her antics, and always there for her, Jesse is the perfect fiancé and soon-to-be husband. Except for the fact that he’s ingrained in his Catholic ways and wants to wait until marriage for sex. Suze gets frustrated, but then again, how can she complain when she’s about to marry the love of her life?

“I believe in facts. And the fact is, I want to be with Jesse because he makes me feel like a better person than I suspect I actually am.”

Paul gets a lot of screen time in Remembrance. I hate Paul as much as I love him. I don’t know… he’s just a GREAT character. He’s always stirring up drama that Suze falls for, and this time, Paul is threatening her with the one thing she cares for most: Jesse. There is a ton of suspense and action in this book that totally had me on the edge of my seat. I seriously couldn’t put Remembrance down, it was so good.

I loved this book so hard. There’s never a dull moment for Suze, from ghosts, to Paul, to keeping Jesse safe. Remembrance might be my new favorite of the series, that’s how much I loved this book. There really isn’t anything I can complain about in this book – so if you’re a fan of the series, you absolutely don’t want to miss this brilliant new installment!

“Susannah, Susannah, Susannah,” he whispered after a little while. “Te amo.”
“Me, too,” I whispered back, slipping my arms around his neck. … “Back at you.”

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

Reading Order: The Mediator series

#1 ~ Shadowland: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Ninth Key: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Reunion: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Darkest Hour: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Haunted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Twilight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6.5 ~ Proposal: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Remembrance: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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29Jan2016

Early Review: I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne
Series: Oxford #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Perfect for fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase, Lauren Layne’s Oxford series heats up in this story of forbidden desire as a brooding jock hoping for a comeback falls for a woman who’s strictly off-limits.

A year ago, Jackson Burke was married to the love of his life and playing quarterback for the Texas Redhawks. Now he’s retired, courtesy of the car accident that ruined his career—and single, after a nasty scandal torpedoed his marriage. Just as he’s starting to get used to his new life as a health and fitness columnist for Oxford magazine, his unpredictable ex shows up on his doorstep in Manhattan. Jackson should be thrilled. But he can’t stop thinking about the one person who’s always been there for him, the one girl he could never have: her younger sister.

Mollie Carrington can’t say no to Madison. After all, her older sister practically raised her. So when Madison begs for help in winning her ex-husband back, Mollie’s just glad she got over her own crush on Jackson ages ago—or so she thought. Because as Mollie reconnects with Jackson, she quickly forgets all her reasons to stay loyal to her sister. Tempted by Jackson’s mellow drawl and cowboy good looks, Mollie is sick and tired of coming in second place. But she can’t win if she doesn’t play the game.

I’m a huge Lauren Layne fan – she is definitely a go-to author for feel-good, funny, entertaining contemporary romances. I’d been looking forward to reading I Wish You Were Mine ever since reading Irresistibly Yours, even though the blurb had me feeling a bit nervous. But I never should’ve doubted Lauren – while this book isn’t my favorite of hers, it’s still a sweet, heart-warming story. If you have worries about Jackson’s ex-wife, you absolutely shouldn’t – her character didn’t impede on Jackson and Mollie’s romance like I thought she would!

After an accident that causes him to lose his ability to play football, Jackson has a job he hates and an ex-wife who left him for another man. He has nothing going for him anymore… except Mollie, his ex-wife’s little sister. The one who has always been his friend, who has always been there for him when he was going through the rough times in his marriage, the one who he’s always been able to lean on. But seeing her now, all grown up as a beautiful, successful woman, Jackson wonders if he married the wrong Carrington sister after all.

But somewhere along the line, Mollie Carrington had ceased to be that awkward kid who talked about bugs at inopportune times. Somewhere along the line, she’d become his rock. The one person in the world, save for perhaps his parents, who always knew the exact right thing to say to make him feel like a human whenever he’d started to feel like a caricature of himself.

Mollie has been in love with Jackson since forever, but since he was always classified as her sister’s man, he was off-limits. But now that he’s single, and has offered her to room with him in his apartment, all the feelings she once felt come rushing back, as if they never left. Still, she worries about betraying her sister, who raised her when their parents died. Can Mollie find it in herself to pursue the one man she’s always wanted, or will her loyalty to her sister hold her back from having the love of her life?

I adored Jackson and Mollie together. I love friends-to-lovers romances, so of course I enjoyed this book. I loved the history these two characters had between them, how the chemistry simmered until they finally couldn’t help but fall in bed with each other (and they are HOT together!). They are so sweet and wonderful, definitely meant to be, but they have to first get over obstacles that prevent them from together.

“You are your own woman, and you are a woman, Mollie. You’re not a kid. You’re not a girl. And if I’ve been a complete asshole lately, it’s because I’m having a hell of a time coming to grips with the fact that I want you. And fuck, Mollie, I want you. I want you so bad, I’m dying.”

I don’t really like reading romances that involve hero’s exes, because sometimes I get worried about the hero’s loyalty to the heroine. But I absolutely shouldn’t have worried at all about Jackson and his ex-wife. Madison is a total bitch, and Jackson knowns that the woman he thought he loved never really existed. He is 100% done with his ex-wife, which I definitely appreciated.

The main reason why I didn’t fully LOVE this book was because I do wish there had been more romance. We get plenty of Jackson and Mollie as friends and as something more than friends, but we never really see them TOGETHER. As in, in a relationship. If that had been expanded upon more rather than in just the epilogue, I’m sure I wouldn’t hesitate to love the book. I also hated Madison whenever she popped up in the book, but I was expecting that, so it wasn’t too bad.

I may not have loved I Wish You Were Mine, but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable read. The humor, the writing, Mollie and Jackson’s characters, I loved them all. It’s not as light-hearted as the previous Lauren Layne books I’ve read are, as there is some angst and tension, but if you’re a fan of the author, you won’t want to miss this book! You get to see a lot of the Oxford/Stiletto gang as well – right now I’m dying to read Lincoln’s story!

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

Reading Order: Oxford series

#1 ~ Irresistibly Yours: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ I Wish You Were Mine: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Someone Like You: Ebook • Goodreads (Dec. 13, 2016)

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27Jan2016

ARC Review: The Art of Taming a Rake by Nicole Jordan

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Art of Taming a Rake by Nicole Jordan
Series: Legendary Lovers #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sparks abound in this sizzling new Legendary Lovers tale from New York Times bestselling author Nicole Jordan, in which a seductive rakehell must woo his spirited but love-shy bride while unmasking a mysterious assailant.

Despite his notorious reputation, Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne, has mostly honorable intentions. So when beautiful Venetia Stratham boldly enters a gentlemen’s club, demanding that Quinn stop courting her sister, he does what any bachelor would do: He kisses her. With her sharp wit, intoxicating passion, and surprising vulnerability, Venetia is irresistible—except for all this nonsense about threatening to shoot Quinn. But when clandestine enemies make an actual attempt on the earl’s life, Venetia is implicated. To save her good name, Quinn does what any true gentleman must do: He proposes.

Thus Venetia finds herself wed to arrogant, wickedly sensual Quinn, whose devilish ways are as legendary as his rumored skills as a lover. Yet vexingly, her body rebels against her vow to remain immune to his many charms. If only she could reform the infuriating nobleman—without diminishing his undeniable allure. As Venetia discovers that a true rake is hard to tame, Quinn faces an even greater challenge: winning his wife’s fragile trust . . . while defending both their lives.

I love a good historical romance every once in a while, so I read The Art of Taming a Rake, even though I hadn’t read the previous books in the series. Luckily, it can be read completely as a standalone. I enjoyed the book, though I can’t say I loved it. It was a little too clichéd and nothing I hadn’t read before, but it’s still entertaining. It’s a sexy read between a rakish hero with a reputation and a virgin heroine, but thankfully they have a lot more depth than that.

Venetia Stratham has returned to London after running away to France when she ruined her reputation by calling off her own wedding to a man with status. She’s back now because she’s heard that her sister is being courted by the Earl of Traherne, one of her cheating fiancé’s friends who also has a scandalous reputation. She’s not going to let her sister go through the same scandal and hurt she did, so she sets off to a gentleman’s club the earl attends – but the last thing she expects him to do when she confronts him is kiss her.

Quinn Wilde, Earl of Traherne, has always found himself captivated by Venetia ever since he first met her all those years ago. So when his life becomes in danger and Venetia is in danger by association, he saves her life and reputation by offering marriage. There’s a great chemistry between Quinn and Venetia, but soon enough, Quinn falls for his wife – he just needs to win her trust and heart in order to gain her love.

I liked The Art of Taming a Rake – it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t amazing either. The characters had depth, but I never really connected with them. It’s overall a good book with witty banter and hot chemistry. If you’re a fan of the ‘marriage of convenience’ trope, you should check it out.

Reading Order: Legendary Lovers series

#1 ~ Princess Charming: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Lover Be Mine: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Secrets of Seduction: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Art of Taming a Rake: Ebook • Paperback• Goodreads

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26Jan2016

Release Day Review: Sin & Suffer by Pepper Winters

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Sin & Suffer by Pepper Winters
Series: Pure Corruption MC #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“Some say the past is in the past. That vengeance will hurt both innocent and guilty. I never believed those lies. Once my lust for revenge is sated, I’ll say goodbye to hatred. I’ll find a new beginning.”

She came from a past Arthur “Kill” Killian never forgot. She made him sin and made him suffer. She tugged him from the shadows and showed him he wasn’t as dead as he thought. And with her resurrection came betrayal, deceit, and war.

But then they took her. Stole her. Imprisoned her.

Now Kill’s carefully laid plans for vengeance are complete. He craves action, retribution-the blood of his enemies. War has begun. War is all they’ll know until they’ve paid their penance. He will get her back-and rewrite their destiny . . .

I’d been dying to read Sin & Suffer ever since that cliffhanger in Ruin & Rule! I had pretty high expectations for this sequel, since I absolutely loved the first book and fell head over heels for Cleo and Arthur’s story. While Pepper Winters took me in a completely different direction than I expected with Sin & Suffer, I still really enjoyed it. There’s plenty of action, tons of steam, and the beautiful romance is as intense as ever. If you were a fan of Ruin & Rule, you definitely want to get your hands on Sin & Suffer to experience Cleo and Arthur’s raw and passionate ending.

“You are me. And I am you. We might have separate thoughts and minds, Buttercup, but we have the same heart and soul.”

Sin & Suffer picks up right where Ruin & Rule left off, with Cleo being taken and Arthur being attacked. As consumed as these two lovers are with each other, you know that there’s nothing Arthur won’t do to get Cleo back to safety. The highlight of this book is most definitely the gorgeous, all-consuming, dedicated love Arthur and Cleo have for each other. They’ve loved each other since they were children, lost their way for a few years, but now that they’re back together, there’s no force on earth that can keep them apart. I have to say, I loved the romance even more in Sin & Suffer than in Ruin & Rule – it’s in this book that you truly see the extent of their love for each other.

“There’s never been anyone like you. Never. You owned me since I was a boy. And you completely consume me now that I’m a man.”

Sin & Suffer surprised me by the depth of intelligence Pepper Winters has woven into the novel. It isn’t JUST a romance, and it isn’t JUST an MC book. Underneath all the layers of the story is a plan of vengeance that’s been years in the making. Arthur and his MC are fighting for something bigger than a personal revenge, something that will affect people on a much larger scale. It was quite fascinating to read, even if it did seem pretty overwhelming. Sometimes there were too many things going on at once, so I got frustrated with the story a bit. The action and suspense took away from the romance, which I really wanted more of.

“You’re my home, Cleo Price. And through life or death, I’m never letting you go.”

If you’re a fan of well-written MC romances, the Pure Corruption MC series is not to be missed. Everything about this series is addicting, intense, and unpredictable. The love story between Arthur and Cleo is truly unforgettable. Pepper Winters’ writing is also beautiful to read, almost lyrical – I honestly could read anything this woman writes. Overall, Sin & Suffer is an entertaining, worthwhile ending, and I’m so impressed with the way the author has created such a unique, intelligent read!

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

Reading Order: Pure Corruption MC series

#1 ~ Ruin & Rule: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sin & Suffer: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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25Jan2016

Release Day Review: Hallowed Ground by Rebecca Yarros

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Hallowed Ground by Rebecca Yarros
Series: Flight & Glory #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

There are some debts you can’t repay…

Josh Walker is loyal, reckless, and every girl’s dream. But he only has eyes for December Howard, the girl he has yearned for since his high school hockey days. Together they have survived grief, the military, distance, and time as they’ve fought for stolen weekends between his post at Ft. Rucker and her schooling at Vanderbilt. Now that Josh is a medevac pilot and Ember is headed toward graduation, they’re moving on—and in—together.

Ember never wanted the Army life, but loving Josh means accepting whatever the army dictates—even when that means saying goodbye as Josh heads to Afghanistan, a country that nearly killed him once before and that took her father. But filling their last days together with love, passion, and plans for their future doesn’t temper Ember’s fear, and if there’s one thing she’s learned from her father’s death, it’s that there are some obstacles even love can’t conquer.

Flight school is over.

This is war.

I had no idea it was possible to fall even more in love with Josh and Ember from Full Measures, but Rebecca Yarros proved me wrong. Full Measures was one of my favorite reads of last year – I fell so hard for Josh and Ember’s story! So when I heard they would be getting another book, I jumped at the chance to read it. I mean, how could I turn down more Josh Walker? And now, after reading Hallowed Ground, I love them even more than I did in Full Measures. Through the trials, the heartache, the deployments, a war, they’ve come out on top and stronger than ever. This book was incredibly emotional – I nearly cried about 3 times, and I rarely ever cry for books. There were so many ups and downs, but overall it was a beautiful, fantastic follow-up and conclusion to Josh and Ember’s story.

Here was my salvation.
December was my saving grace.

Hallowed Ground is book 4 in the Flight & Glory series, but you only need to read the first book, Full Measures, to first be introduced to Josh and Ember. Still, I highly recommend reading the series in order so you get the full effect of each of the characters’ appearances in Hallowed Ground. If you’re a fan of Ember and Josh, Paisley and Jagger, and Sam and Grayson, then you absolutely need to read this final book.

“You are my dream now, December Howard. You are everything to me. My heart beats for you, my soul is only whole when you’re near. You’re my home, my shelter, my wildest fantasy, and I cannot imagine a future where you’re not mine, because I’m yours in every sense of the word.”

I don’t want to give anything away in the book, because when you read it, you need to experience everything first-hand. Rebecca Yarros has a brilliant talent at writing and bringing emotion to life through her words, and after every book I read from her, I only become a bigger fan. Her words pack a punch, and hands down, Hallowed Ground was the most difficult to read. This book hurt – it very much ripped my heart with all the emotional, gut-wrenching scenes between Josh and Ember. You get frustrated, you laugh, you want to cry… you seriously feel a whole spectrum of emotions. But I promise, everything – all the heartache, the ups and downs – will be worth it in the end. The epilogue seriously left me with a smile on my face and I couldn’t be happier with the way things ended for Josh and Ember.

“You are a flesh-and-bone wet dream, and you owned me the first fucking moment my mouth touched yours.”

I am so, so happy I decided to read Full Measures last year. If I didn’t, I would’ve been missing out on one fantastic, beautifully-written series. Josh is still one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, and I can only hope for many more from Rebecca Yarros. As sad as I am to see the Flight & Glory series end, I’m so excited to see what’s next from the author!

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

Reading Order: Flight & Glory series

#1 ~ Full Measures: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Eyes Turned Skyward: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beyond What is Given: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hallowed Ground: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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