ARC Review: Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven

Posted in 2 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven
Series: Starcrossed #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 28th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

How do you fix a love that’s been broken beyond repair?

For years, Cassie Taylor tried to forget about Ethan Holt. He was the one great love of her life, and when he failed to return her love, a part of her died forever. Or so she thought. Now she and Ethan are sharing a Broadway stage, and he’s determined to win her back. Claiming to be a changed man, he’s finally able to say all the things she needed to hear years ago, but can she believe him? What makes this time different from all his other broken promises?

Ethan knows he can’t change their tumultuous past, but if he’s going to have any chance of being with the woman he loves, he’ll need to convince Cassie that her future belongs with him.

Don’t miss this stunning conclusion to the unforgettable love story that captivated over two million fans online.

“Let me prove I can love you the way you deserve.”

Less than impressed by Bad Romeo, I went into Broken Juliet with low expectations. I really hoped I would like the characters more since I really disliked them in Bad Romeo. So while I can say that I didn’t hate Broken Juliet, I still didn’t like the book, or the characters, very much either.

“What do you want?”
I want him. Can’t want him. Need him. Hate needing him.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“I do,” he says, leaning forward. “Invite me in. I promise, I’m here to stay this time.”

Broken Juliet picks up right after the end of Bad Romeo, with Cassie deciding whether or not to finally give Ethan another chance. In Bad Romeo, we know that Ethan broke Cassie’s heart twice, and here we finally get to know the details. Through the flashbacks, we discover the repetitive hurt and anger that make up Cassie and Ethan’s tumultuous relationship and the reasons why Ethan could never commit. He loved her, but his reasons for leaving her were so shallow and eye-roll worthy, I couldn’t like or understand him.

Past-Ethan was such a moody asshole. (FYI: Being an asshole doesn’t make you a bad boy – being an asshole makes you an asshole.) I found myself skimming a lot of the flashback chapters. They were incredibly repetitive and full of angry and/or angsty sex. Past-Cassie was a doormat, and even worse, a horny one at that. She kept giving in to the lust she felt for Ethan that I wanted to shake some sense into her. They had such an unhealthy relationship that I couldn’t get behind it or support them at all.

Thankfully, present Cassie and Ethan have grown up. Well, Cassie still rightfully harbors anger, hate, and hurt, but Ethan, thank god, has finally changed. Still, it took SIX YEARS for them to finally arrive where they are in Broken Juliet. I wouldn’t say I loved the new Ethan, but I was definitely looking forward to the ways he would prove his love for Cassie once and for all. Still, I would have enjoyed the present timeline much more if it weren’t for the many awful flashbacks full of bad decisions being made over and over and over again.

This series had so much potential, but the flashbacks just ruined it for me. I hated the Ethan and Cassie of six years ago so it was hard to like them in present day even though they weren’t as awful. Leisa Rayven’s writing, though, was a definite perk to reading this series, but it just wasn’t enough to let me fully enjoy reading. I really wish the flashbacks had taken a step back so that present day Cassie and Ethan could shine more.

I don’t think I ever fully understood before what a profound ability humans have to change, especially with the right motivation. We’re capable of remarkable evolution. Not just physically, but mentally.
Emotionally.

All in all, I had a difficult time with Broken Juliet. I can see fans of Bad Romeo enjoying Broken Juliet since they are pretty similar angst- and character-wise. I really wanted to love this series since so many people seem to enjoy it, but I can’t see how or why. I’m a big fan of the author’s writing, so I’m hoping her other upcoming books will have characters with much healthier relationships.

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

Reading Order: Starcrossed series

#1 ~ Bad Romeo: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Broken Juliet: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Wicked Heart: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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2May2015

ARC Review: Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Sincerely, Carter by Whitney G.
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 30th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Just friends.
We’re just friends.
No, really. She’s just my best friend…

Arizona Turner has been my best friend since fourth grade, even when we “hated” each other. We’ve been there for one another through first kisses, first “times,” and we’ve been each other’s constant when good relationships turned bad. (We even went to colleges that were minutes away from each other…)

Throughout the years, and despite what anyone says, we’ve never crossed the line.

Never thought about it.
Never wanted to.

Until one night changed everything.
At least, it should’ve …

Just friends.
We’re just friends.
I’m only saying this until I figure out if she’s still “just” my best friend…

First thoughts upon finished this book: Awwww!!!!! *goofy smile*

Let me tell you, I had been eagerly looking forward to Sincerely, Carter. First, it’s a friends-to-lovers romance, which I’m a total SUCKER for. And second, it’s Whitney Gracia Williams! I really enjoyed her Reasonable Doubt series so I had high expectations about Sincerely, Carter… and I adored it! I literally couldn’t stop smiling for most of the book. It’s a heartwarming, sweet, humorous friends-to-lovers romance that fans of the trope are sure to enjoy. I was addicted to Ari and Carter’s story!

“Some people come into your life for a reason, some a season, and some a lifetime.“

Whitney completely NAILED the friendship between Carter and Ari. They’ve been best friends since they were in fourth grade and they’ve been attached at the hip ever since. They’ve been through everything together and they know each other so well. I could just feel the strength of that bond of friendship between them. Everyone they know always questions whether or not they’re actually “just friends”, but Ari and Carter have honestly never thought about each other in a non-platonic way. But when Ari and Carter begin a new chapter of their lives after graduating college – Carter is off to law school and Ari is going to a culinary arts school – things start to change between them…

I turned to my left to look at Ari again, hoping that the past few minutes were a mistake–that I was in the middle of a strange daydream. That there was no way I could be this attracted to her right now–no way I could want to tell her to pull over so I could taste her lips. Both sets of them.
Holy fucking shit….

I love that it completely baffles both Ari and Carter that they feel an intense attraction towards one another. One minute they think of each other as platonic best friends, and the next… they can’t stop thinking about the other person. What they’re like naked. In bed. God, I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling at how much they realized they wanted each other. Lines are crossed and hearts are on the line and they soon come to realize that the best thing that ever happened to them has been standing next to them all along.

“I’ve loved you since fourth grade. Since fourth fucking grade. … I just didn’t know it. You’ve been there for every moment of my life and I’ve been there for yours, too. I do love you, I am in love with you, and I also know you better than you know yourself.”

I absolutely loved the banter between Carter and Ari. They send each other texts and emails that are so freaking adorable. And the flashbacks of their younger years together adds such great depth and humor to the story. The author did a fantastic job balancing the sweetness of their friendship and the sexiness of their newfound desire for each other. My only complaint is that I felt it was too abrupt when Carter and Ari started getting together. It felt a bit rushed – their friendship I connected with from the start, but the love between them took a little more time to feel. Still, this was a fantastic friends-to-lovers romance that put me in such a great mood while reading. I definitely recommend it!

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

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1May2015

ARC Review: Overruled by Emma Chase

Posted in 2 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Overruled by Emma Chase
Series: The Legal Briefs #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 28th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A Washington, DC, defense attorney, Stanton Shaw keeps his head cool, his questions sharp, and his arguments irrefutable. They don’t call him the Jury Charmer for nothing—with his southern drawl, disarming smile, and captivating green eyes, he’s a hard man to say no to. Men want to be him, and women want to be thoroughly cross examined by him.

Stanton’s a man with a plan. And for a while, life was going according to that plan.

Until the day he receives an invitation to the wedding of his high school sweetheart, the mother of his beloved ten-year-old daughter. Jenny is getting married—to someone who isn’t him.

That’s definitely not part of the plan.

***

Sofia Santos is a city-raised, no-nonsense litigator who plans to become the most revered criminal defense attorney in the country. She doesn’t have time for relationships or distractions.

But when Stanton, her “friend with mind-blowing benefits,” begs her for help, she finds herself out of her element, out of her depth, and obviously out of her mind. Because she agrees to go with him to The-Middle-Of-Nowhere, Mississippi, to do all she can to help Stanton win back the woman he loves. Her head tells her she’s crazy…and her heart says something else entirely.

What happens when you mix a one-stop-light town, two professional arguers, a homecoming queen, four big brothers, some Jimmy Dean sausage, and a gun-toting Nana?

The Bourbon flows, passions rise, and even the best-laid plans get overruled by the desires of the heart.

I’ve been a HUGE fan of Emma Chase’s ever since I read and loved Tangled – there’s no character quite as unique as Drew Evans. So when I heard Emma was coming out with a new series, I HAD to read it! Unfortunately, the romance wasn’t as up to par as I expected. While Overruled has the author’s fantastic writing and laugh-out-loud humor… what ruined the story for me was the hero of this book, Stanton. Drew may have been a jerk, but at least he was a lovable one – Stanton has no redeeming qualities in my eyes (well, except maybe his love for his daughter, but that’s it). I just could not get over how much I disliked Stanton, and that affected my enjoyment for everything else about this book.

Young love is strong. First love is powerful. But what you don’t know when you’re young–what you can’t know–is how long life actually is. And the only dependable thing about it, besides death and taxes, is change.

Stanton Shaw has been in love with the mother of his daughter since, well, forever. When Jenny got pregnant when they were teenagers, Stanton was ready to give up his full ride to law school for her, but she pushed him to leave their small town and follow his dreams. And so he did, with the promise that he would come back for his family one day. Ten years later, Stanton is now a successful defense attorney… but he rarely visits home. Stanton still claims to love Jenny, though those ten years apart were filled with women for him. Granted, both Jenny and Stanton agreed to an open relationship, but if he really loved Jenny, would he have slept with all those women?

At this point, learning about Stanton’s supposed ‘love’ for Jenny juxtaposing his history of women while they were apart, I was already not liking him very much. And the fact that upon receiving Jenny’s wedding invitation in the mail, he had the audacity to be angry at her? For marrying another man when he never visited home and slept with countless women? I couldn’t tolerate him. He expected Jenny to wait for him while he did whatever-the-fuck he wanted to in D.C. and I had zero respect for him.

Currently, at the time of the wedding invitation, Stanton is in a friends-with-benefits relationship with co-worker Sophia Santos. The fact that they were exclusive didn’t make me feel better though. I honestly couldn’t feel a connection between Sophia and Stanton – they did extremely well chemistry-wise, but the actual romance between them was lacking. It certainly doesn’t help that Stanton still believes he’s in love with Jenny for a large portion of the book – which was too long for my taste. I really didn’t expect to read a book where the ~~dumb, clueless~~ hero is hung up on another woman for a majority of the book. I had hoped that Stanton would open his eyes early on in the book and see that the woman who was meant for him was right in front of him this whole time. Sadly, Overruled failed in that regard.

Now, Sophia I like more than Stanton, but only just slightly. I liked her in the beginning – she showed promise of being a tough yet likable heroine. But in the end, she became more of a doormat than anything once she agreed to ‘help’ Stanton win back the love of his life. Sure, Sophia never expected to fall in love with Stanton, but I was expecting this strong woman, once she realized her true feelings, to step up and fight for the man she loves. I also wanted Sophia to get fed up with Stanton sooner than she did when he continued to try to win back Jenny.

I might have hated this book based on Stanton and Sofia’s characters alone, buuuut, I have to admit I enjoyed reading Overruled when I wasn’t thinking about the romance. Emma Chase writes humor so well that I ended up laughing a lot, despite my dislike for the characters. Still, the romance was a bitter disappointment. I can see that the author tried to do something different, contrasting first loves versus last loves, but this just wasn’t a satisfying read.

I still love Emma Chase and her writing, and I actually am very much looking forward to the other two books in the series about Stanton’s friends, Jake and Brent. They show a LOT more promise that Stanton and I’m praying they won’t disappoint!

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

Reading Order: The Legal Briefs series

#1 ~ Overruled: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sustained: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Appealed: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Sidebarred: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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28Apr2015

Release Day Review: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Mistake by Elle Kennedy
Series: Off-Campus #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 28th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

He’s a player in more ways than one…

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

The Mistake is another complete WIN from Elle Kennedy!! I had such high expectations for this book after reading and adoring The Deal. I wasn’t sure if I would love Logan as much as I loved Garrett, but I do! I absolutely LOVED Logan in The Mistake – he’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, so adorable, and even though he makes mistakes with Grace, he owns up to them. I was hooked onto Logan and Grace’s story from the very start and I never wanted this book to end! If you’re a fan of The Deal, you DON’T want to miss The Mistake!

If you’ve read The Deal, then you know that Logan has a crush on his best friend’s girlfriend, Hannah. Logan is ashamed of feeling this way, but he can’t help feeling jealous of the love his best friend has found. And since he would never do anything to betray Garrett’s trust, Logan drinks and sleeps with girls to numb his misery. Not even the prospect of graduation makes him happy because he knows that when college is over, he won’t be able to do what he loves most anymore: play hockey. But meeting beautiful, sweet, innocent Grace and spending time with her seems to make him forget about Hannah and post-graduation. With each sexy encounter, the chemistry between them grows until Grace is all Logan can think about.

“What are you doing?” I whisper.
“Well, you were looking at me like you wanted me to kiss you.” His blue eyes become heavy-lidded. “So I was thinking I might do that.”

Freshman Grace Ivers never expected star hockey player John Logan to ever give her the time of day, but when she spends more time with him, she sees that there’s so much more to Logan than just a playboy hockey star. She has an insane attraction for him, but underneath that, she grows to care for him. So she’s humiliated and hurt by Logan when he messes things up between them. Freshman year doesn’t exactly end well for Grace, but sophomore Grace has changed and she has no time for stupid, sexy Logan, even when he tries to fix the mistake he made with her.

I absolutely LOVED Grace!! She’s awkward and hilarious with her nervous ramblings, a little sassy, definitely smart, but so down-to-earth and relatable. She’s the type of heroine I would love to be friends with. I loved how no-nonsense she was after Logan ended up hurting her, and how SHE wouldn’t give HIM the time of day. She’s really the perfect match for Logan. But Logan, my lovable, hot, clueless Logan, is truly genuine about getting back into Grace’s life and into her heart. And hot damn, Logan is seriously sexy as hell, with enough sweetness in him to make him the most swoon-worthy hero. He has a lot to make up for with Grace – and he completely stole my heart with the way he went about it. Here is one sweet and sexy alpha hockey star determined to win the heart of the girl he’s falling in love with… how can you not love him!?

“I need you. I can’t stand the thought of being without you.” He releases a shaky breath. “You’re the last person I think about before I go to sleep, and the first person I think about when I open my eyes in the morning. You’re it for me, baby.”

God, I LOVED this book!! Well-written, hilarious, heartwarming, so freaking sweet… Logan and Grace’s story was an absolute delight to read. The Mistake has so many light-hearted moments, especially when all the hockey boys are together, and at the same time there’s also a depth and seriousness with Grace and Logan that makes this book all the more meaningful. Elle Kennedy truly has a gift with the way she’s able to bring all these characters to life. Even as Grace and Logan fall in love, it’s also a journey of self-discovery for both of them. I never wanted their story to end.

The Off-Campus series is quickly becoming a top favorite series of mine. This is new adult at its finest! I really hope Elle Kennedy writes more books in this series, and that Dean is next!

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

Reading Order: Off-Campus series

#1 ~ The Deal: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Mistake: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Score: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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23Apr2015

ARC Review: Remind Me by Ann Marie Walker & Amy K. Rogers

Posted in 2 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Remind Me by Ann Marie Walker & Amy K. Rogers
Series: Chasing Fire #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 21st 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

First in a tantalizing new trilogy about reigniting a forbidden desire from long ago…

As heiress to a media empire Alessandra Sinclair was raised to put family obligations first. But everything changes the night her first love walks back into her life and turns her whole world upside down. Haunted by the memories of a secret romance with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, she can’t seem to get Hudson Chase out of her mind. Once again torn between two worlds, Allie must decide how much she’s willing to risk to have the love she’s always longed for.

Ten years is a long time to wait, but billionaire Hudson Chase didn’t become CEO of one of the country’s fastest growing companies by giving up on what he wants. Now that he’s got Allie in his sights again, he’s determined to make her regret breaking his heart. And this time, he’s going to make damn sure he’s not so easy to forget.

I’d been so incredibly excited to read Remind Me ever since I read the blurb. I’m a sucker for second chance romances, and throw in an alpha-male billionaire and I’m a goner. Unfortunately, Remind Me didn’t live up to my expectations. I was expecting a powerful love story that would sweep me off my feet, but Remind Me felt too formulaic for my tastes. At first, I was intrigued, but as I read on I came to realize that everything felt flat. There was no spark for me in this book. The premise had so much potential, but I’m sad to say this book didn’t work out for me.

“From the moment I saw you, I knew you were nothing but trouble.”

Alessandra “Allie” Sinclair and Hudson Chase live completely different lives – she’s the rich, upper class girl and he’s the poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks. And yet they met one summer and fell in love when they were teenagers. I wish we could have gotten more about Allie and Hudson when they were teenagers because they seemed so sweet and adorable together… and much more likable than when they’re older. Things end badly between them by the end of the summer, and Allie and Hudson go their separate ways and don’t see each other until ten years later.

Hudson is a reborn man. During those ten years, he’s become a billionaire and is CEO of his own company. He achieved everything he ever wanted – wealth, power, social status – that he wished he had when he met Allie so that he could be worthy of her. Now, though, with ten years to stew over a broken heart, Hudson is set on making Allie regret leaving him. As much as I wished I could like Hudson, he just came across as too insecure about his wealth. He name-drops a lot and uses money at every whim as if he could erase those years he lived in poverty. His character felt too flat, as if the authors were trying too hard to combine other previously written alpha billionaires.

Allie I liked slightly more, though that’s not saying much. She’s a girl born into wealth, with a family too obsessed with image to actually love each other. She has a fiancé named Julian when she and Hudson reunite, but Allie is too weak to resist Hudson’s seduction. Normally, I wouldn’t feel bad about cheating – if it’s written right. Julian felt like a seedy character so I didn’t feel bad for him, but I didn’t like that Allie is so overcome with lust for Hudson that she turns into a weak character with no backbone. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there was too much sex in this book. I had to skim over all the gratuitous sex to get to some actual plot, which was pretty predictable. And FYI, the book ends in a cliffhanger.

So overall, I just didn’t enjoy Remind Me as much as I wished I had. It had such great potential, but fell flat in the end. The characters and story felt too similar to those in other books for me to enjoy. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t like it very much either.

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

Reading Order: Chasing Fire series

#1 ~ Remind Me: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Release Me: Ebook • Goodreads (July 21, 2015)
#3 ~ Reclaim Me: Ebook • Goodreads (Oct. 20, 2015)

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