Early Review: Zack by Sawyer Bennett

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Zack by Sawyer Bennett
Series: Cold Fury Hockey #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 9th 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett goes for a hat trick with the latest romance in a sexy series about cool-as-ice hockey players and the women heating up their lives.

Warning: The following contains spoilers from a cliffhanger in Garrett.

Rising star Zack Grantham has been stuck in a downward spiral of grief that has put his career on hold. Back on the road with the Carolina Cold Fury, still crippled by emotional baggage, and now a single dad, he’s in need of some serious help with his son. But while the nerdy new nanny wins his son’s heart, Zack isn’t sure he’s ready for a woman’s touch—even after getting a glimpse of the killer curves she’s hiding under those baggy clothes.

Kate Francis usually keeps men like Zack at a distance. Though his athlete’s body is honed to perfection, he refuses to move on with his life—and besides, he’s her boss. Still, the sparks between them are undeniable, tempting Kate to turn their professional relationship into a personal one. But before she makes a power play for Zack’s wounded heart, Kate will have to open him up again and show him that love is worth the fight.

OH MY GOD. YES. I. Loved. Zack! I’d been seriously SO excited for Zack’s book after reading what happened to him in Garrett. My heart was devastated for him… But I knew that his tragedy would make for an even better book. And yes, Zack absolutely did not disappoint! It’s currently my favorite of the Cold Fury Hockey series, which I highly recommend! It’s a fantastic series about hot, sexy hockey players who fall hard for their women… what’s not to love!?

Zack is a lot different than the two previous books in the series. It has a more serious tone to it, and at the same time, I laughed the hardest in this book. An odd combination, but Sawyer Bennett rocked it. I was a bit worried about how Zack would play out, but I should’ve trusted the author from the beginning. I absolutely adored Zack and Kate’s story – I loved the angst, the forbidden-ness, the sweet moments… it really was a fantastic book.

My insides feel dead, my capacity to care for much of anything seems lost, but there are two things that still keep me functioning. It’s the prospect of playing hockey again, and, most important, my son, Ben.

Zack Grantham is grief-stricken and devastated over the accident that led to the death of Gina, the mother of his son, Ben. Even though he never married Gina, he still loved her, and his heart is still in mourning over her. But life moves on, and when Zack is finally able to get back into hockey, he needs to hire a nanny to take care of Ben when he’s away.

Enter Kate Francis. A dorky, nerdy, hilarious twenty-three year old woman working her way through college. Kate is seriously the most endearing, adorkable heroine ever. I honestly love Kate more than Zack, because she’s just so funny, heartwarming, and incredible. I love Zack too, but he got frustrating sometimes… But Kate is pure heart and gold. I adored the way she took care of Ben and grew to actually love him. She’s so great with him, and she’s fantastic with dealing with a grieving Zack. She’s the only person to have been able to make him smile and laugh since Gina died.

Zack may not have thought much about Kate when she first starts working, but one glimpse of Kate in her short, revealing pajamas and Zack is hooked. The tension between Kate and Zack is out of this world… this book is hot, hot, hot!!! I was fanning myself like crazy once they start a sex-only relationship. Some scenes, like the one in Zack’s man cave… hot. damn. Of course, Zack doesn’t want feelings involved between them because he thinks he’s no longer capable of love after Gina. Which I get, but Zack is stubbornly oblivious to his own growing feelings for Kate.

There’s a part of me that wants to show her everything.
To show here all about exploration and intimacy and all of the different ways I could make her come. I want to learn her body and have her get to know mine. I want her wild with abandon, and every time I take her I want it to be in a way that completely possesses her.

Zack was frustrating in this book, with his refusal to accept his loving Kate, yes, but it was the kind of frustrating that I could understand. Sawyer Bennett did an excellent job in writing and explaining Zack’s character – we can appreciate how he loved Gina, but we can firmly see that Zack grows to be IN LOVE with Kate. His love for the mother of his son doesn’t at all diminish his love for Kate.

“You were what has been missing all my life.”

What was so unexpected about this book was how funny it was. I was expecting the angst, what with the guilt and forbidden aspect to Kate and Zack’s relationship, but I had no idea I would be cracking up so much throughout this book! Kate is so, SO funny. She says the most hilarious, crazy, adorkable things… she’s a complete dork! And Ben was absolutely adorable too – Ben and Zack together totally melted my heart.

If you’re a fan of the series, Zack is a must read! It wrung so many feelings out of me, but by the end I was smiling like a goofball. It was the perfect combination of sexy, angsty, and emotional. Aside from Zack’s frustrations, this book was nearly perfect!

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

Reading Order: Cold Fury Hockey series

#1 ~ Alex: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Garrett: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Zack: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Ryker: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Hawke: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Max: Ebook • Goodreads (Dec. 13, 2016)

Check out a special guest post with Sawyer Bennett, in which she interviews the Cold Fury players!

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1Jun2015

Early Review: The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert
Series: The O’Malleys #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 2nd 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert begins a smoking hot new series about the O’Malley family-wealthy, powerful, dangerous and seething with scandal.

Teague O’Malley hates pretty much everything associated with his family’s name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a “business” alliance, Teague’s ready to tell his dad exactly where he can stuff his millions. But then Teague actually meets his new fiancée, sees the bruises on her neck and the fight still left in her big blue eyes, and vows he will do everything in his power to protect her.

Everyone knows the O’Malleys have a dangerous reputation. But Callie wasn’t aware just what that meant until she saw Teague, the embodiment of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch sizzles through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they’re in. Because Callie’s keeping a dark secret-and what Teague doesn’t know could get him killed.

I’d previously only read one other book by Katee Robert (Falling for His Best Friend) and utterly adored it, so I was looking forward to reading the author’s other books. I was especially looking forward to this one, since I’m a big fan of mafia books. The Marriage Contract sounded right up my alley, and that blurb had me hooked! I didn’t end up entirely loving this book, but I really enjoyed it – it’s a promising start to The O’Malley’s series, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this series.

Callista “Callie” Sheridan is heir to the Sheridan mafia family, and as the heir her duty is to do anything and everything that benefits the family – including an arranged marriage with one of the O’Malley’s, a rival mafia family. As much as she opposes an arranged marriage, she takes her job as the heir seriously, but once she gets a glimpse of her fiancé, she’s not as reluctant to enter into the marriage.

“If you could see the way you’re looking at me right now.”
She immediately dropped her eyes, but only for a heartbeat. “How am I looking at you?”
… “Like there are a thousand thoughts rushing behind those beautiful blue eyes and every single on of them involves up, naked and sweaty.”

Teague O’Malley wants nothing better than to take his siblings away and escape from the mafia life. Unfortunately, his father has other plans for him. He’s ordered to marry the Sheridan heir to form an alliance between the families. But upon their first meeting, Teague is intrigued by Callie and his protective instincts rise when he sees bruises on her neck. Both are incredibly attracted to one another, and the author did a great job amping up the chemistry between the main characters.

I didn’t connect very well with Callie or Teague, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy their characters or story, because I did. I liked how both Callie and Teague grew so protective of each other. The Hallorans, the other prominent mafia family in their city, want to start a war with the Sheridans and O’Malleys, and Callie and Teague are in danger. They go to great lengths to protect each other and their families, all the while taking time out to spend as much time together. They easily fall for one another, although Callie hides a secret that could tear them apart. Both are loyal, passionate, stubborn people, and I really enjoyed the way they just clicked together.

“I might not have been the one to choose you, but you’re mine, Teague O’Malley, for better or worse.”

Overall, I liked this book, though it wasn’t what I expected. There’s a ton of stuff going on between the three mafia families, and it was nearly difficult to keep up with everything. The plot, intriguing as it is, sometimes overshadowed the romance, which I wasn’t a fan of. Still, it’s a good first book to this series that I expect I’ll come to love. I’m actually really excited for the next book, Carrigan and James’s story! Carrigan is Teague’s sister and James is a Halloran, so I’m VERY intrigued to see how the story will play out with such an antagonistic couple.

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

Reading Order: The O’Malleys series

#1 ~ The Marriage Contract: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Wedding Pact: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ An Indecent Proposal: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Aug. 30, 2016)

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1Jun2015

Early Review: Asking for It by Lilah Pace

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Asking for It by Lilah Pace
Series: Asking for It #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 2nd 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“This is who I am. This is what I want. Now I need a man dangerous enough to give it to me.”

Graduate student Vivienne Charles is afraid of her own desires—ashamed to admit that she fantasizes about being taken by force, by a man who will claim her completely and without mercy. When the magnetic, mysterious Jonah Marks learns her secret, he makes an offer that stuns her: they will remain near-strangers to each other, and meet in secret so that he can fulfill her fantasy.

Their arrangement is twisted. The sex is incredible. And—despite their attempts to stay apart—soon their emotions are bound together as tightly as the rope around Vivienne’s wrists. But the secrets in their pasts threaten to turn their affair even darker…

Reader Advisory: Asking for It deals explicitly with fantasies of non-consensual sex. Readers sensitive to portrayals of non-consensual sex should be advised.

Holy WOW!!! WOW. What an incredible read. I’m still not quite sure what to make of it, but I know I wholehearted enjoyed this book.

When I first got an email about Asking for It, I was SO intrigued. It’s a book about two people who fantasize about non-consensual sex. Rape. A sensitive subject, definitely, but I thought the author handled it excellently.

If it’s all in my head, and it makes me come, what’s the harm?
(It makes me come hard.)
The harm is when the lines between reality and fantasy get blurred.
Like they did last night.

This book is just… it’s a lot to handle. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel reading a book with this theme, but the author wrote this book so flawlessly that I couldn’t put it down. Vivienne and Jonah’s exploration of their fantasies is nothing short of mind-blowing, mentally and physically. I was intrigued by the blurb, but the moment I started reading, I was hooked onto the story and the characters.

“You hate it, don’t you? The fantasy. I do too. But it doesn’t change anything.”

Asking for It is provocative. Sexy. Intense. When Vivienne and Jonah start a no-strings relationship in which they get fulfill their fantasies, it was so much hotter than I thought it would be. None of the sex felt gratuitous – it all served a purpose. I got so turned on by the raw, gritty, intense, hot fucking between them, yet the story goes so much deeper than just the enacting of their fantasies. As I got to know Vivienne and Jonah, I became invested in their characters. There are so many layers to them, and so many more to unravel by the end of the book. And just a heads up, Asking for It is not a standalone.

I loved how Vivienne and Jonah find a safe place with each other to enact their fantasies. There’s a huge amount of trust involved, which means it’s easy for their hearts to get involved. The romance isn’t quite a romance – feelings develop but they’re not concrete quite yet. There’s a lot of potential for love between Jonah and Vivienne, and I’m looking forward to reading more of them.

“You destroy me every time. Completely.”

If you’re intrigued by the blurb, then I say go for it. It’s a sensitive subject, but the author handles it with confidence and grace. The writing is absolutely stunning – I’d recommend this book based on that alone. As for the romance, even though there’s not much of it, I’d still recommend giving this a try. I’m a total romance sap, yet I wasn’t dissatisfied by the way the romance played out in this book. It’s slow going, for sure, but I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel to see where the author takes Jonah and Vivienne.

4 hearts for Asking for It – it’s a fascinating, promising start to Vivienne and Jonah’s story.

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

Reading Order: Asking for It series

#1 ~ Asking for It: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Begging for It: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Asking for More: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

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26May2015

Release Day Review: Searching for Beautiful by Jennifer Probst

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Searching for Beautiful by Jennifer Probst
Series: Searching For #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

The highly anticipated third novel in the Searching For series from Jennifer Probst, “one of the most exciting breakout novelists” (USA Today), featuring a runaway bride and the man who wants to be more than just her best friend…

Genevieve MacKenzie has her life completely under control. About to wed the charming Chief doctor at the local hospital, she’s an up-and-coming surgeon with everything she could ever want. Until an escape through the church window on the day of her wedding sends her life into a tailspin…and flings her right into her best friend’s arms.

When Wolfe catches his best friend falling out a window on her wedding day, he doesn’t ask questions. He whisks her away, determined to watch over her and discover the truth behind her desperate escape. But when his feelings turn more than platonic, he realizes he may risk his most important relationship in order to protect his damaged heart, and the woman he loves.

Can Genevieve and Wolfe’s friendship turn into something deeper—or is it already too late for true love?

Oh, this book was something special. I adore this series, but this newest one, Searching for Beautiful, easily became my new favorite of the series. I’m a sucker for books with the friends-to-lovers trope and it had been a while since I read one that I wholeheartedly loved, but Searching for Beautiful was absolute perfection! I’m honestly surprised by how much I loved and adored this book. I went into this thinking I’d give this a solid four hearts like I did for the first two books, but the more I read, the more I grew to love Wolfe and Gen and their incredibly heartwarming romance. Searching for Beautiful surpassed my expectations and gave me something so much more, so much better than I ever expected. It’s a beautiful (hehe) friends-to-lovers romance and a touching story of two lost souls discovering the strength within themselves.

A shiver crept down her spine. She looked down at the flawless three-carat diamond ring that shimmered around her finger. A symbol of ownership. Once she committed herself, it would truly be forever. He’d never let her go.
Run.

Genevieve MacKenzie has the perfect life – or does she? She has a job she loves and a perfect man she’s about to marry… so why does she feel terrified on the day of her wedding? Trusting her gut instincts no to make the biggest mistake of her life, Gen escapes from her wedding day with the help of her best friend, Wolfe. Together, the sequester themselves in a cabin so that Gen can take a break and put back the broken pieces of her life. She slowly comes to terms with the fact that she was about to marry a man who was corroding her heart and soul, and she’s ever thankful that she had her best friend by her side to help her get through it.

Funny, from the moment they met, they’d been fated to be friends. Their heart-to-heart conversation set the stage for the future, with none of that crappy sexual tension or flirting. Just a good buddy of the opposite sex who meant the world to her. Kate was her best friend feminine equal, and Wolfe her male.

Wolfe and Gen have been best friends since they met when she was twenty (she’s twenty-six now) – they have such a heartwarming friendship that full of banter, love, and support. But recently, when David started demanding that Gen stop spending time with Wolfe, their friendship was put on hold for a little while. So when they’re at the cabin, Gen and Wolfe are reminded of how much they value and treasure their friendship. That is, until they kiss, and the sexual tension and chemistry skyrockets between them.

Something fierce and primal shook through her. Electricity pulsed between them, and suddenly Gen wanted his mouth over hers, all lips and tongue and teeth, until he possessed and claimed every part of her. She ached to open her thighs and take him deep. Dig her nails into his skin. Mark him. Surrender. Fuck. What was happening to her? Her heart hammered. “Wolfe.”

I’d been so, so looking forward to Gen and Wolfe’s story ever since reading Searching for Perfect because, hello, friends-to-lovers romance! And Jennifer Probst didn’t disappoint – I was able to feel the loving, tender friendship between Wolfe and Gen (they make me smile SO MUCH) as well as the growing romance (and HOT chemistry) between them. Gen was a great heroine with fantastic depth and surprising strength to her character. I loved and admired her, brokenness and all. And oh my word, Wolfe is one sexy, delicious man. Despite his scarred, painful past, he’s risen up to become a famous model and multi-millionaire. I seriously loved this man and his deep, fierce devotion to Gen. And did I mention how HOT Gen and Wolfe are together!? Seriously, you’ll need a fan for this book, because when Wolfe wants something (and he wants Gen BAD), he’ll get it with a single-minded determinedness.

“I dreamed of this for so damn long, but the reality of you is so much better.”

Searching for Beautiful was one of those books that slowly creep up on you until all of a sudden, you’re completely and wholeheartedly in love with it. It’s a gorgeously written, moving romance with incredible characters you grow to adore. And I have to give props to the author – some parts of this book brought tears to my eyes, which almost never happens because I rarely cry for books! Seriously – read. this. book! It’s beautiful, sexy, heart-wrenching – you don’t want to miss it! If you’re a fan of the series, you’re going to love Gen and Wolfe (like I did)!

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

Reading Order: Searching For series

#1 ~ Searching for Someday: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Searching for Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Searching for You: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Searching for Beautiful: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Searching for Always: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Searching for Mine: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.6 ~ Searching for Disaster: Ebook • Goodreads (Oct. 10, 2016)

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26May2015

Release Day Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Series: Thunder Road #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns into an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

I absolutely LOVE Katie McGarry and her Pushing the Limits series – she writes YA contemporary romance like no other (plus, her bad boys are oh so wonderful), so of course I had to get my hands on Nowhere But Here, the first book in her new series! And can I just tell you how much I squealed when I heard the new series would be about MCs!? I’m a big fan of MCs and I was definitely looking forward to Katie McGarry’s take on them. While I may not have loved Nowhere But Here as much as her Pushing the Limits series, it’s definitely an absorbing, fast-paced, intriguing read. It’s darker and edgier than her previous books, which I liked. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to, but I was hooked onto the storyline.

Emily is a seventeen-year-old girl who likes her life as it is – simple and uncomplicated. She lives a good life with her mom and adopted father, but an email from her biological father turns her world upside down. She now has to confront her biological father’s motorcycle club and discover the secrets of her parents’ past, which may not be true to what she was told.

The club is a brotherhood, a family. It means belonging to something bigger than yourself.

Eli, Emily’s father, is one of the leaders of the Reign of Terror MC. Emily has always had a negative view of the Reign of Terror based on what her mother’s told her, but while spending time with the MC, she discovers that it’s not as thug-like and dangerous as she thought. At its heart, the Reign of Terror is a family, and Oz, one of the MC’s prospects, goes a long way in teaching her that. However, even though the club isn’t doing anything bad or illegal, other MCs do, and the Reign of Terror will do whatever it takes to protect their own, which includes Emily.

Oz is tasked by Eli to protect Emily, and they have less-than-stellar first impressions of one another. They don’t think highly of each other, but circumstances bring them together and they slowly chip away at each other’s defenses and get to know one another better. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t connect with either Oz or Emily – I liked them well enough, but I didn’t grow to love their characters. That being said, I really enjoyed the way their romance developed. It’s the slow and steady kind of love, and I liked that it grew genuinely.

“I like how you smile and how you laugh. I like how you love and defend your family and I like how you’re trying to love mine. I fucking love how you trust. But mostly, Emily, I like how I feel when I’m around you.”

I could tell how much effort and thought Katie McGarry put in writing this novel. It’s fast-paced, and yet there are so many intricate parts to the plot that it could have been confusing at times, but impressively wasn’t. My favorite part of the book was Emily and Oz’s character development and how they were able to open their hearts and minds to each other. And I really enjoyed how much the Reign of Terror grew to care for Emily and vice versa.

Who knew that I could fall in love with so many people in such a short period of time?

Nowhere But Here is a promising start to the Thunder Road series. It’s told in both Emily and Oz’s POVs, and I liked getting to know them and their story. I didn’t quite love it as much I wanted to, but that certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoyed it – it was still an addicting read that had me finishing in one sitting. I’m very much looking forward to the next book, Razor’s story!

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

Reading Order: Thunder Road series

#1 ~ Nowhere But Here: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Walk the Edge: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodr eads

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