Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: One Night: Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

One Night: Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Series: One Night #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: February 10th 2015

A life without secrets and a passion without end . . .The story of Livy and M’s passionate love affair comes to a stunning conclusion in the final book in the One Night trilogy!

Livy has never known pure desire like this. The gorgeous Miller Hart captivates her, seduces her, and worships her in deliciously sinful ways. He knows her innermost thoughts, drawing her ever deeper into his dangerous world.

Miller will do anything to keep Livy safe, even if it means risking his own life. But his dark history isn’t the only thing that threatens their future together. As the truth of Livy’s family legacy unravels, an unsettling parallel between past and present comes to light. Her world spinning out of control, Livy finds herself caught between the rapture of an all-consuming love-and a deadly obsession that could destroy them both . . .

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Paperback • B&N
BAM • IndieBound • Kobo • Google Play • iTunes

One Night: Unveiled is the third and final book of the One Night series, and this is definitely a book that ends the series with a bang! I enjoyed Unveiled a LOT more than the previous books – mostly because we finally get some fucking answers!

“Do you realise how hard I find it to accept you’re here?
… In my life, Olivia. Transforming my darkness into blinding light.” His face comes close, his lips ghosting mine. “Replacing my nightmares with beautiful dreams.”

Oh Miller… I wasn’t too big of a fan of him in the previous books, but he stole my heart with his words in this one. I could finally FEEL the incredible love he has for Olivia. Yes, he’s extremely peculiar about things, and he’s a bit too obsessive and alpha sometimes (okay, a lot of the time), but his love for Olivia holds no bounds. He will literally do anything to keep her and keep her safe.

You are my soul, Olivia Taylor. My light. You are my reason to breathe. Don’t ever doubt that.

One Night: Unveiled begins with Olivia and Miller in New York, trying to escape life for a while and enjoy some time together. But Olivia can’t stop thinking about the certain someone she saw at the end of the previous book, and reality comes crashing down on the two of them when they hear of bad news that happened back home. So Olivia and Miller are forced to go back to London, and they’re back to their old ways of Miller trying to keep Olivia out of the darkness of his life, and Olivia trying to barge right in.

A large chunk of the book felt a bit… unnecessary. There wasn’t much drama and there was a lot of repeated actions and declarations. Lots of words were too overdone and the book was dragging on, until FINALLY some action started happening again, and I started loving it! Jodi Ellen Malpas definitely doesn’t hold anything back – there are intense, dramatic, shocking discoveries for everyone, most especially Olivia. And finally, we get answers about everyone and everything – Miller, William, their most dangerous enemy, and even Olivia’s mother. Everything is wrapped up neatly and tidily (Miller would be proud) and the epilogue was fantastic! I adored the epilogue and the fact that it was in Miller’s POV. It was such a satisfying, heartwarming ending to Olivia and Miller’s story, and I was smiling all the way through it.

“I’ll love you until there’s no breath left in my lungs, Olivia Taylor. For eternity.”
“It’s not long enough.”
“Then beyond that, too.”

Those who’ve read the previous books in the One Night trilogy won’t be disappointed with this final book!

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

Reading Order: One Night series

#1 ~ Promised: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Denied: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Unveiled: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Jodi Ellen Malpas was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys. Working for her father’s construction business full time, she tried to ignore the lingering idea of writing until it became impossible. She wrote in secret for a long time before finally finding the courage to unleash her creative streak, and in October 2012 she released This Man. She took a chance on a story with some intense characters and sparked incredible reactions from women all over the world. She’s now a proud #1 New York Times and Sunday Times Best selling author.

Writing powerful love stories and creating addictive characters has become her passion – a passion she now shares with her devoted readers.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

10 copies of One Night: Unveiled by Jodi Ellen Malpas

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13Feb2015

Blog Tour + Guest Post, ARC Review & Giveaway: Be Mine Forever by Kennedy Ryan

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Be Mine Forever! We have a guest post today from the author, Kennedy Ryan!

What is the best part of falling in love with your childhood friend?

I love this question. It is something I definitely considered while writing BE MINE FOREVER. Cam and Jo met when they were 12 years old, and for the next decade and a half, are thick as thieves. Because of all the hell Cam experienced before he met Jo and her cousin Walsh, the hero from WHEN YOU ARE MINE and LOVING YOU ALWAYS, Cam is very guarded. Even when you think you have all of him, you only have the small slices of himself he has decided to share. Jo knows she has more of Cam than anyone else, but doesn’t realize just how little that is until they explore their feelings for one another. She keeps bumping up against walls he has erected to protect himself and, he thinks, to protect her from him.

This brings me to the good part of falling in love with your best friend. There is this juxtaposition of the familiar and the undiscovered. Jo imagined her first kiss, her first date, her first time with Cam, and now she gets all those things, and the reality exceeds her daydreams.

At the same time there is all this new terrain, there is also a delicious familiarity. The way they can complete each other’s sentences because they know each other so well. Seeing each other over the years through highs and lows, hard and good times, being there for one another and celebrating together. There is all this history, spiked with all these new sensations and experiences like first dates and sexual intimacy. The romance adds dimension; deepens and enriches a connection they have been building for so many years.

I think this excerpt perfectly embodies both sides of this coin!

At thirteen years old, Jo had fantasized about her first kiss. In her mind, it would be with Cam. She had practiced on her pillow and French-kissed her hand. She had positioned herself just so during Spin the Bottle, but Cam’s bottle had never landed on her. He’d never even hinted that he’d wanted to kiss her, that he fantasized about her, too. So all she’d had were daydreams. And in those daydreams, Cam nibbled at her lips. Slipped his tongue into her mouth, shy as she was. He was gentle and careful.

This was not that kiss.

This kiss was made of sweet smoke and embers. It sizzled on her lips and seared her senses until she could only feel and taste and touch and see him. The whole universe whittled down to this man completely possessing her with a kiss. Sucking her tongue into his mouth. Pulling her lips between his teeth for tantalizing bites.

Cam walked them backward with slow, measured steps until he eased onto the bench, never leaving space between their mouths. He pulled her bare legs to either side of his hips, pressing against her back until her breasts were crushed against his chest. He lowered his head, nudging the straps of her camisole aside with his lips and sucking on her naked shoulder. Jo moaned, tipping her head back until her hair rained between her shoulder blades. Cam pushed the camisole down around her waist and pulled her breast into his greedy mouth. With every pull of his lips and tongue, she rolled her hips against him, a steady, sensual syncopation that shoved Jo over the edge. She took shelter against his chest, gripping his neck, huffing hot air into the collar of his shirt. Her thighs tightened around his hips, and her body released in shivers and whimpers and shudders.

She stilled little by little, falling against him, limp and pliant. Cam pushed her hair behind her shoulders, raining kisses over her collarbones and nipples until they peaked and begged for his mouth again. He suckled at her, sliding his hands inside her shorts, squeezing her butt and urging her against him.

“Cam, I just—”

“I know.” He looked up, anointing her nipples with his words. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I want it again and again and again.”

Be Mine Forever by Kennedy Ryan
Series: The Bennetts #3 (full reading order below)
Release Date: February 3rd 2015

Can a secret crush . . .

Jo Walsh has loved Cameron Mitchell for as long as she can remember. Whether front and center in her life or on the periphery, the tall, brooding artist has made his presence seductively and irresistibly known. But whenever they start to get close, Cam pulls away. Jo’s tired of keeping her feelings in a box Cam is afraid to open. If he wants her, he’ll have to prove it. And if he doesn’t, Jo will need to know the real reason why . . .

. . . become the love of a lifetime?

How do you walk away from your soul mate? Cam wishes he knew. No matter how far he runs from Jo, he can’t resist looking back at the silver eyes that seem to see right through him. But as well as Jo thinks she understands Cam, the dark truth about his past is something she shouldn’t have to handle. Cam’s sure that setting Jo free is the right thing to do. Too bad his heart has other ideas . . .

Buy Links:
Amazon • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Cam by the end of Loving You Always, but I’d hoped that Kennedy Ryan would be able to change my mind about him, and she succeeded! I really enjoyed reading Cam and Jo’s story – I was a big fan of the writing and of how Kennedy Ryan was able to portray Cam in such a different light. And Cam and Jo are just scorching together!

“Finally, it’s you and me.”

I adore childhood friends to lovers books, and Be Mine Forever is a fantastic example of one. Jo and Cam have been best friends since they were children. They know each other inside and out… or do they? Jo has always been in love with Cam, but Cam has never reciprocated her feelings. What Jo doesn’t know is that Cam is a man with a tortured past, full of demons he hasn’t exorcised yet.

When Cam returns home from Paris, he finds a very hurt and angry Jo. They’re best friends, but he cut ties with her while he was in Paris. He’s tried to ignore his feelings for her for so long, but seeing her again brings them back full force. But he believes that being with Jo will only hurt her in the long-run, because of dirty, painful past. So he keeps pushing and pushing her away, until Jo finally pushes back.

I admired Jo. She’s a tough, independent woman, but also very feminine and sweet. She’s loved Cam for half her life, and I admired that she never gave up on Cam. She’s the only one who sees the goodness in him, who sees past his scars, but Cam thinks he’s not worthy of her. So when Jo gets fed up with Cam putting up his walls, she tears them down and makes him see how good they are together. And they are seriously HOT together! There’s no shortage of chemistry between them, and I was so happy when Cam and Jo finally got together!

The best part about Be Mine Forever was how Kennedy Ryan was able to characterize Cam in a more sympathetic way. I REALLY didn’t like him in the previous book, but in this book, his past comes to light, and my heart went out to him. He was always closed off in the previous books, but with Jo, he starts opening up. He’s truly changed for the better by the end of Be Mine Forever, and he truly does deserve to have his own HEA.

Be Mine Forever was a deep, heartfelt romance I enjoyed. The depth of the characters that made this book shine. I loved the character growth in both Cam and Jo, and I was wholehearted rooting for their HEA.

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

Reading Order: The Bennetts series

#1 ~ When You Are Mine: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Loving You Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Be Mine Forever: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Kennedy Ryan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She always give her characters their happily ever after, but loves to make them work for it! It’s a long road to love, so sit back and enjoy the ride. In an alternative universe and under her government issue name, Tina Dula, she is a wife to the love of her life, mom to a special, beautiful son, and a friend to those living with autism through her foundation Myles-A-Part, serving Georgia families.

Her writings on Autism have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, and she has been featured on the Montel Williams Show, NPR, Headline News and others. She is donating a portion of her proceeds to her own foundation and to her charitable partner, Talk About Curing Autism (TACA).

Her interview series MOMMIES DO THE MOST AMAZING THINGS is featured each month in Modern Mom.

Facebook • Twitter • YouTube Channel • Pinterest • Google + • Goodreads

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ebook copy of BE MINE FOREVER

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10Feb2015

Release Day Review: The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 10th 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand comes a gorgeous and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and letting go.

Since her brother, Tyler, committed suicide, Lex has been trying to keep her grief locked away, and to forget about what happened that night. But as she starts putting her life, her family, and her friendships back together, Lex is haunted by a secret she hasn’t told anyone—a text Tyler sent, that could have changed everything.

In the tradition of Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why, Gayle Forman’s If I Stay, and Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall, The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a thoughtful and deeply affecting novel that will change the way you look at life and death.

There’s death all around us. Everywhere we look. 1.8 people kill themselves every second.
We just don’t pay attention. Until we do.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a heartfelt, thought-provoking, emotional read from Cynthia Hand. I knew once I finished this book that I wouldn’t be forgetting it any time soon. It’s the type of book that stays with you – I may not have necessarily LOVED it, but it’s a gut-wrenching read with a powerful story that should not be missed!

This is going to sound trite, I suppose, but you never know when it’s going to be the last time. That you hug someone. That you kiss. That you say goodbye.

Alexis Riggs is numb. Ever since her brother, Tyler, committed suicide, Lex has bottled up her emotions – especially her grief – and is going through the motions of her senior year of high school. She’s haunted by the night Ty committed suicide, questioning herself and feeling guilty about whether there was something she could have done to prevent it. Cynthia Hand portrayed her character fantastically – I could feel Lex’s heartache, how much she loved her brother, how much she misses him every day. I could also feel how angry Lex was at Ty for leaving her and her mother alone, leaving them to become shells of themselves.

Lex tries to keep her emotions bottled up, but she’s asked by her therapist to write in a journal. She’s reluctant and not at all impressed by this method of coping, but she does manage to write. She vents her feelings, some flashbacks of her and her brother, and anything else on her mind. Lex dreams of Ty almost every night, and each dream ends with Ty’s death. It’s through these dreams and the occasional flashback that we get to know the kind of person Ty was. He was the kind of person no one ever expected to kill himself – no one ever knew the pain he hid within himself. I loved how Cynthia Hand was able to create such presence in Ty’s character. Even though he’s no longer alive, he’s still very much a part of the story.

Lex struggles day to day, not knowing if the hole in her heart from Ty’s death will ever heal. Her friends are there for her, but she isolates herself. But when she becomes reacquainted with an old childhood friend, Sadie, and Lex finds a letter from her brother to his ex-girlfriend Ashley, things slowly start to change. Lex has a goal now, to find Ashley and give her the letter. And through this goal, Lex pieces together Ty’s life – the struggles he had – right before he passed. And Lex starts to forgive – herself and Ty – and accept that her brother is gone.

The Last Time We Say Goodbye is a story about loss, grief, and acceptance. At its heart, it’s a story of family and friends, about accepting help when it’s offered, and not having to go through grief alone. Lex is surrounded by people who care and comes to realize that even though the hole in her heart from Ty’s death will always be there, she doesn’t have to let it consume her life. I adored this novel, how heartbreaking yet eye-opening it was. It’s not an easy read, but a deeply emotional, stunning one that I highly recommend.

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

9Feb2015

Early Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Series: Red Queen #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 10th 2015
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard’s sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king’s palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?

Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

WOW!!! I loved this book!

So Red Queen has been getting a lot of hype, and it is very well deserved! I practically devoured this book – it did take me a while to get into it, but once I hit that groove, I couldn’t put it down.

I haven’t read fantasy books in a long while, but reading Red Queen reminded me of all the reasons I love the genre (and that I should get back to reading it some more). Victoria Aveyard has created a fresh, unique world that meshes magic and politics and has created an epic tale I highly enjoyed. This is definitely a book you don’t want to miss!

In a world where the rich and powerful are magic users are called Silvers and the poor and non-magic users are called Reds, Mare Barrow is part of the latter group. She and her family are of the lower class, constantly taken advantage of by the Silvers. Mare wants to be able to support her family, but all she’s good at is picking pockets. With the day of her conscription to the army looming before her, she tries to find a way out of it, and somehow winds up saved as a servant to the royal house. And just when there couldn’t be more surprises, Mare discovers that she herself has magic powers, even though as a Red, she should have been fully incapable of having any powers.

From now until the end of your days, you must lie. Your life depends on it, little lightning girl.

What ensues is a game of life-or-death for Mare, as she struggles to keep herself alive among the powerful and corrupted Silvers. She uses her newfound position to help a rebel cause, the Scarlet Guard, to try and create a better world for the Reds. In between learning to enhance her power, a budding romance with a Silver prince, and enemies who want to kill her, Mare has to find a way to stay alive in a world where anyone can betray anyone.

I struggled in the beginning of this book. There was just too much information too fast, but once I got the hang of it, I was quickly swept away by the world, the writing, and the characters. I was hooked onto the story – it’s an unputdownable, heart-pounding read! Victoria Aveyard wrote a fantastic debut. I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

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

Reading Order: Red Queen series

#0.5 ~ Queen Song: Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 1, 2015)
#1 ~ Red Queen: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Steel Scars: Ebook • Goodreads (Jan. 5, 2016)
#2 ~ Glass Sword: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads (Feb. 9, 2016)

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7Feb2015

Release Day Review: Tight by Alessandra Torre

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Tight by Alessandra Torre
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

I was happy in my small town. In my life as a single, thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.

I also hadn’t got laid in three years. Hadn’t been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and wearing makeup… a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He flipped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

The word ‘tight’ has twenty-two definitions, but my favorite is Webster’s fifth – “a bond which cannot be broken.”

Oh. My. God!!! What a book! I stayed up all night reading Tight. It was surprising how fast I devoured this book – I honestly couldn’t put it down!

This is the first book I’ve read from Alessandra Torre, which I am totally ashamed about – I wish I read some of her books earlier because her writing rocks! Apparently Tight is a bit different than her previous books, but from what I’ve read, it was freaking awesome already. The storyline was one giant mindfuck, and I loved it. Tight is a deeply romantic book about strength and survival – it takes you on one wild ride from start to finish. I nearly couldn’t keep up with this book!

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

So… who the hell is her??? I had my suspicions about who ‘her’ was, but this book still kept me on the edge of my toes, kept me wondering and guessing. I’m still thinking about this book days later – Tight is definitely the kind of book that stays with you!

Our heroine, Riley, is a small-town girl from Florida. She’s a happy girl, content with her life, but everything changes when she meets Brett while on a trip for her friend’s bachelorette party. Brett is handsome, sexy, rich, and enigmatic – she knows pretty much nothing about him except how much he wants her and she wants him. What begins as a one-night-stand turns into so much more as Riley and Brett can’t keep their thoughts away from each other and decide to pursue an actual relationship. It’s a warm, blooming romance between these two as they fall in love – Brett spoils Riley and takes her on exotic trips. He’s pretty much the perfect guy… except he has some secrets.

Though Tight is told mostly in Riley’s POV, we also have the occasional chapter in Brett’s POV as well as the mysterious ‘her’ from the blurb. I don’t want to tell you more because it’s best to go in blind. Just know that nothing in this book is expected – my mind was going all over the place, trying to think up answers to all my questions about the story and the characters.

I applaud Alessandra Torre for her masterful storytelling. It was brilliant and wonderfully executed, and I was also a HUGE fan of the writing. Ms. Torre nails the suspense in this one – I read Tight in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down! As I was nearing the climax of the book, my heart was pounding and I was nearly breathless. The ending was flawless and utterly satisfying. I highly recommend this book!

The only reason why I can’t give a full 5 hearts is because of how I didn’t connect with Riley or Brett. I liked them well enough, and I loved the story, but they just didn’t have that spark that would make me love a character. Still, I was too wrapped up in the story to mind too much.

If you’re a fan of books that perfectly balance romance and gripping, nail-biting suspense, Tight is for you!

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

Also by Alessandra Torre

Black Lies: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Sex Love Repeat: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Hollywood Dirt: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Love, Chloe: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Moonshot: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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