ARC Review: Hell Breaks Loose by Sophie Jordan

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

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.

Reading Order: Devil’s Rock series

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

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Subscribe to Blog via Email

17Jun2016

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Smolder by Karen Erickson

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Smolder by Karen Erickson!

Smolder by Karen Erickson
Series: Wildwood #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 21st 2016

Lane Gallagher wants Delilah Moore—bad.

He’s imagined the sexy brunette in his bed more times than he can count.

She’s everything he’s ever wanted, but the only problem is . . .

She’s his brother’s ex.

For years, the stoic sheriff’s deputy has fantasized about the sweet, bubbly dance teacher who stirs his deepest desires. But Lane’s too loyal to ever move in on forbidden territory and he knows that while he can look, he definitely can’t touch. Fighting his attraction to Delilah is nearly impossible, but the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—woman seems determined to drive him crazy.

And she’s bringing him to his knees. One smoldering kiss at a time.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Avon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Google Play

After reading Ignite, I’d been so excited for Lane and Delilah’s story. It was set up perfectly in the first book – Lane is Delilah’s best friend’s older brother, and the two of them have a huge crush on each other, but they can’t act on it. I had high hopes for Smolder… but it didn’t quite meet my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a quick, enjoyable read, but I didn’t love it like I wanted. It just had so much more potential to be better. But if you’re a fan of the first book, you’ll definitely want to know how Lane and Delilah end up together!

What was wrong with a little kiss? He just wanted a taste. One taste of sweet, sexy Delilah, something he’d never experienced before. The girl who haunted his dreams. The girl who was too good for him. The girl who’d bee with one Gallagher man and didn’t need another one to come into her life and fuck it up, as Gallagher men were known to do.

I love my men in uniform, but add in a sexy broodiness and I’m hooked. Lane is the perfect example of this, and again, he had so much potential… but when he’s so determined NOT to be with Delilah, my love for him fizzled out. I want my alpha heroes to be possessive, to be head over heels for his woman and not let anything get in the way of that, but Lane was sadly the total opposite. I grew frustrated with him – despite how much he wanted Delilah, he kept pushing her away because he didn’t think he was good enough for her.

Delilah, thankfully, is a much more likable character. I loved her spunk and fire, especially her determination to win over the man she’s in love with. I admired how she never gave up on Lane, even when it seemed like she totally should’ve. The chemistry was also a plus in this book – Delilah and Lane are absolutely smokin’ together! All that build-up of the long-term tension and longing exploded in the hottest way. Karen Erickson knows how to write steam, which is fitting given the title of the book 😉

Overall, I liked this book, but I did have my frustrations with it. Smolder was engaging and entertaining, and I do love the small town the author has created in Wildwood. Other than Lane, I really enjoyed reading about everything else, and I’m even more excited to read the next book! The author certainly knows how to hook a reader in by setting up the next couple’s book. I can’t wait to read about Wren and Tate!

“I’m a grumpy asshole no one wants to be around if I don’t have you. I’ve denied my feelings for far too long and I’m done. I need you, Dee. I need you in my life. I don’t want to lose you.”

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

Reading Order: Wildwood series

#1 ~ Ignite: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Smolder: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (June 21, 2016)
#3 ~ Torch: Ebook • Goodreads (Aug. 16, 2016)

USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson writes what she loves to read – sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children.

She also writes new adult romance as NYT & USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Newsletter

$25 ebook retailer of winner’s choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Subscribe to Blog via Email

2May2016

Review: Ride Hard by Laura Kaye

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Ride Hard by Laura Kaye
Series: Raven Riders #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Brotherhood. Club. Family.
They live and ride by their own rules.
These are the Raven Riders…

Raven Riders Motorcycle Club President Dare Kenyon rides hard and values loyalty above all else. He’ll do anything to protect the brotherhood of bikers–the only family he’s got–as well as those who can’t defend themselves. So when mistrustful Haven Randall lands on the club’s doorstep scared that she’s being hunted, Dare takes her in, swears to keep her safe, and pushes to learn the secrets overshadowing her pretty smile.

Haven fled from years of abuse at the hands of her criminal father and is suspicious of any man’s promises, including those of the darkly sexy and overwhelmingly intense Ravens’ leader. But as the powerful attraction between them flares to life, Dare pushes her boundaries and tempts her to want things she never thought she could.

The past never dies without a fight, but Dare Kenyon’s never backed down before…

I don’t read MC romances that often, which is a shame because I enjoy them so much! There’s always something so gritty and addicting about MC reads, and that description can definitely apply to Laura Kaye’s Hard Ride. It’s the first book in a brand new series, featuring the Raven Riders MC, a club dedicated to helping those who can’t protect themselves. It’s a suspenseful, sexy read that gripped me – it’s a little slow at times, but otherwise, this is a solid first installment to the Raven Riders series.

After escaping from her father’s abusive control, Haven and her best friend Cora have taken shelter with the Raven Riders. Unfortunately, her father is still out to get her, posting a large bounty for finding Haven and bringing her back to him. Haven has lived a very sheltered life, so all these tough bikers, regardless of how they would never harm her, are a little intimidating. But one man makes her feel different and fires her up like no other. Dare makes her feel safe, protected, and wanted. She’s had very little experiences in life, but with Dare, she finds that she wants to experience all of life… with him.

Dare is the president of the Raven Riders, a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly. He’s vowed to make his club legitimate, but that doesn’t mean that he and his men aren’t deadly. He’s alpha, honorable, loyal, and intense, and he’ll do anything for those under his protection. Sweet and innocent Haven brings out his protective instincts even more, and even though he shouldn’t get involved with her, he can’t help but want her. And soon enough, as his feelings for her deepen, he’ll have to do whatever it takes to make sure her father never harms her again.

“Oh, Haven,” he said, “you have no idea what I’d be willing to do for you if you wanted me to.”

Ride Hard was surprisingly sweet, with all the tender moments between Dare and Haven. But even with all the sweet moments, this book is hot too, so if you love steamy romances, you should definitely check it out. I really enjoyed this one – I didn’t completely love it, since I didn’t connect that well with the main characters, and the story moved too slowly at times, but I still had so much fun reading this story. If you love slow burn, suspenseful MC romances, I recommend Ride Hard!

Reading Order: Raven Riders series

#1 ~ Ride Hard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Ride Rough: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (April 25, 2017)

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Subscribe to Blog via Email

29Mar2016

Release Day Review: All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan
Series: Devil’s Rock #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 29th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

There are bad boys and then there are the men of Devil’s Rock . . .

Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him, and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis’s most secret fantasies. But there’s one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison, and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way.

Knox feels it too—a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar’s. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She’s too innocent, too sweet, and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss—and a taste . . . until the only crime is denying what feels so right . . .

“When the prison doors are open, the real dragon will fly out.”—Ho Chi Minh

It’s been a while since I’ve read a good bad boy hero, but Sophie Jordan certainly delivers with Knox Callaghan in All Chained Up. She packs a punch with all the intensity and sexiness in this first book in the Devil’s Rock series. I don’t usually read prison romances, but this one was unputdownable and highly entertaining. I really enjoyed the main characters, and the romance was off-the-charts sexy – I’d definitely recommend All Chained Up for those who want something different than your typical contemporary romance.

She and he were worlds apart, and that’s how it would always be.

Knox Callaghan and his brother have been in prison for eight years now, after being convicted of manslaughter for killing their cousin’s rapist. Knox has become a hardened, ice-cold man in order to survive prison, and his main goal is to ensure he and his brother don’t get into trouble so they can get parole. But a new, gorgeous nurse threatens everything when he can’t stop thinking about her and he finds himself wanting to protect her more than he wants to protect himself.

When Briar Davis volunteers at Devil’s Rock Penitentiary, she has no idea what she’s in for, and she certainly doesn’t expect to notice a sexy, dangerous inmate. She’s cautious and honestly a little of Knox, but the chemistry starts to build as they see each other again and again. After a heroic act leads Knox to be granted parole, Briar sees him in a whole new light. And when these two meet each other again, this time out of prison, the sexual tension between them ignites – you will seriously need a fan when you read this book!

He wanted to be the only man to touch her. It was total caveman of him, but that’s what he was. A fucking caveman that reveled in rocking her staid little world and making her fly apart. She made him want to pound his chest. Christ. Thinking about her that way was making him rock hard.

Sophie Jordan delivers a heart-pounding, sizzling read, full of tension and sexy-times. I honestly couldn’t put this book down! All Chained Up is a fantastic debut to a new series, and what’s great about it besides the fantastic romance is the set-up for the next book. I’m eagerly waiting to get my hands on Hell Breaks Loose – and I’m hoping there will be even more books in the series!

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