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Release Day Review: Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

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Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Prince #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 27th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I won a copy from the author

Play with fire, pay the price.

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both…

Vlad and Leila are back and better than ever!

I freaking love this couple… Maybe even a little more than Cat and Bones. *Gasp* Yeah, I know, but while Cat and Bones fell a little flat by the end of their series, Leila and Vlad honestly get better and better with each book. I don’t know how many times I’ve reread the previous two books in the Night Prince series, and every time, I fall more in love with them. And hello there’s Vlad, who is my absolute favorite character in the entire Night Huntress world — he’s powerful, sensual, and his love for Leila is the deepest, most beautiful thing. So of course I’d been eagerly anticipating this third book, and it highly exceeded my expectations! I absolutely loved it!

Vlad and Leila are getting into the role of husband and wife, but it’s not that easy. Vlad is overprotective and domineering, and Leila is stubborn as hell and somehow always getting into danger. But even though their marital roles need time getting used to, there’s no doubt that they both love each other fiercely. Vlad is as sexy and passionate as ever, and as Leila’s husband, he’s even more alpha-male, which I was totally a fan of. And I love that as hot and fierce as their love is for each other, they still joke around with each other. I just adore Vlad and Leila together!

Vlad and Leila have been searching for their enemy, Szilagyi, but he’s powerful and always seems a step ahead. Vlad will do anything to protect Leila, and that’s tested when Leila is put into serious danger. Bound by Flames takes a turn for a much darker direction than I ever anticipated, but Jeaniene Frost flawlessly executes the thrill and suspense in this book. From beginning to end, it was riveting and unputdownable — I wholeheartedly loved Bound by Flames. It’s now probably my favorite of the series so far!

And I have to say, I’m so, SO glad that Vlad and Leila’s story doesn’t end with Bound by Flames! We have one more book before we have to say goodbye to them (which I really don’t want to do). I’m eagerly awaiting their next and final book, even though I know it’ll be bittersweet.

5 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Night Prince series

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

#1 ~ Once Burned: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twice Tempted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Bound by Flames: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Untitled: Goodreads (release date TBA)

Release Day Review: Kyland by Mia Sheridan

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Kyland by Mia Sheridan

Kyland by Mia Sheridan
Series: A Sign of Love #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They’re both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

“I do go to hell. Every day. For you.”

I absolutely adore Mia Sheridan’s writing! With each book in the A Sign of Love series, she’s proven again and again how phenomenal she is at storytelling. Her writing is lyrical, bringing her characters and settings to life. With her latest book, Kyland, Mia Sheridan conveys a powerful story of true, enduring love that can overcome anything. As much desperation and pain there is in this story, what you take away from it is a brilliant, warm-hearted book full love and never-ending hope. I absolutely loved it!

In the middle of rolling green hills, breathtaking mountain views, waterfalls, and quaint covered bridges, lies Dennville, Kentucky, a part of the Appalachian Mountains that would put any urban slum to shame, where hopelessness is as commonplace as the white oak trees, and unemployment is the rule more than the exception.

That writing – simply stunning!

Each of Mia Sheridan’s settings is unique and written in a spell-binding way, and Dennville, Kentucky is no different. It’s a poor town with even poorer inhabitants who work day and night to barely make ends meet. You might feel sorry for the people of Dennville, but there’s a beauty in the way they tirelessly endure and take care of one another and survive. This is the way Tenleigh and Kyland live – they are two teenagers who don’t let their poverty-stricken situations bring them down. Both of them are working towards the same goal – to win a scholarship that will pay for college so that they’ll have a chance at building a better life, and most importantly, winning that scholarship will take them out of Dennville.

There’s only one person who can win the scholarship, but when Kyland and Tenleigh should have been adversaries, they became friends instead. There’s a loneliness in both of them – Kyland’s father and brother died in a mining accident a few years back, Tenleigh’s father abandoned her family and Tenleigh spends all her time working to afford medicine for her mother’s mental illness – but when Kyland and Tenleigh meet, a deep bond forms between them. They help each other in their times of loneliness, and ultimately, they save each other.

My heart felt so full as I read they way Tenleigh and Kyland fell in love with each other. It’s slow and beautiful and heart-wrenching the way they want, need, and finally, love each other. And my heart was aching so badly, because only one of them will end up winning the scholarship. It’s a bad idea to start anything between the two of them, because it’ll only end in heartbreak, but Kyland and Tenleigh can’t resist each other.

Tenleigh.
Half agony, half hope.
Half pain, half ecstacy.
Half grief, half joy.
Half my downfall, half my savior.

It was so achingly heart-wrenching how Tenleigh and Kyland had found their soulmates in one another, but couldn’t keep each other. One of them would end up leaving Dennville, and the two of them would their separate ways. They experience loss and suffering, but there’s no doubt that Kyland and Tenleigh are two souls who are meant to be together, and that they will always find a way to be together.

“I’m going to make all your dreams come true. All my life.”

Once again, Mia Sheridan delivers another stunning, deeply emotional read that I devoured. Kyland is a book that took my breath away. I fell in love with Tenleigh and Kyland and the strength in their hearts. They are two beautiful characters, inside and out, and they captured my heart. I couldn’t stop reading their story, and I honestly wished it never ended. And of course the ending would have to be perfect too! I adored the ending – it left me feeling so warm and happy (all of Mia’s books leave me feeling like this, actually). I truly loved everything about this book!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: A Sign of Love series

Note: Each of the books in the A Sign of Love series can be read as complete standalones that have no connection with each other, with the exception of Leo’s Chance, which is the hero’s POV of Leo, and Becoming Calder and Finding Eden, a two-book story featuring the same cast of characters. None of the characters in the different Sign of Love books are connected.

Leo by Mia Sheridan Leo's Chance by Mia Sheridan Stinger by Mia Sheridan
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan Becoming Calder by Mia Sheridan Finding Eden by Mia Sheridan
Kyland by Mia Sheridan Grayson's Vow by Mia Sheridan Midnight Lily by Mia Sheridan

#1 ~ Leo: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Leo’s Chance: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Stinger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Archer’s Voice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Becoming Calder: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Finding Eden: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Kyland: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Grayson’s Vow: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Midnight Lily: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s a clip from the Kyland audiobook!

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Early Review: Hero by Samantha Young

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Hero by Samantha Young

Hero by Samantha Young
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 3rd 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The emotional and unforgettable new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series.

Alexa Holland’s father was her hero—until her shocking discovery that she and her mother weren’t his only family. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets,. But when she meets a man who’s as damaged by her father’s mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa’s efforts at redemption, but it’s not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and explosive affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for. And when they’re on the precipice of danger, he finds he’ll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again…

I. Loved. Hero!!! Loved, loved, loved it! I simply adored this new (upcoming) release from Samantha Young. I was already a fan after the On Dublin Street series, but now I’m even more in love with her writing and storytelling. Hero had me hooked from start to finish, and I never wanted Caine and Alexa’s story to end! So if you’re a fan of Samantha Young, be excited for Hero because it’ll make you fall in love and sweep you away!

This book was pretty much the perfect read for me – it had a sassy heroine I genuinely liked and admired, and a hot-as-hell, alpha, rude, domineering hero in a suit. And the two of them together clash. Alexa Holland is an assistant to a photographer, and it’s at a photo shoot where she meets Caine Carraway. It’s lust at first sight, but when Alexa’s past comes to light and Caine finds out that it was Alexa’s father who ruined Caine’s family, he wants nothing to do with her, despite their attraction to one another. When Alexa loses her job, Caine offers one as his assistant, but only so that he can make life hell-on-earth for her.

“Oh, and, Alexa?”
I froze but my pulse sped up. He’d never said my name before.
It sounded nice on his lips. Very, very nice.
“Yeah?” I whispered.
“From now on you will refer to me as Mr. Carraway and only Mr. Carraway.”
Ouch.

Caine is definitely an ass to Alexa, but Alexa’s not the type of woman to let him run all over her. She gives as good as she gets, and she’s determined to prove to Caine that she doesn’t bear the sins of her father. My heart actually ached for her and life she’s had. She’s always been put second in the lives of those she loves, but she’s all the more stronger for it. She doesn’t let people, least of all Caine, bring her down.

Hero had me grinning so, so much. The flames between Caine and Alexa only get hotter as they spend more time together. I loved that Caine tries to make Alexa hate him and her job, all while lusting after her. He wants to hate her, but as he gets to know more of her, he can’t. All he wants is her.

“I fantasize about fucking you in this office a hundred times a day.”

And Alexa is just the most genuine, funny heroine ever! She knew exactly what Caine was trying to do, but she sees through his tough exterior to the warm heart he has. And he really does have a heart of gold underneath his harsh exterior, even though Caine himself believes otherwise.

“I’m not your white knight. I’m just the guy who wanted to fuck you.”

When Caine and Alexa give in to their need for each other, it’s explosive. The two of them have an intense, raw passion for each other, but while Alexa knows there’s more between them, Caine keeps her at a distance. He doesn’t believe he’s capable of love, and Alexa sets on to prove him otherwise.

It should have been frustrating that Caine was so hot and cold about his feelings – he’s protective and possessive of Alexa one moment, then cold and detached the next – but it just… wasn’t. There was an honest, genuine feel to Alexa and Caine’s growing romance. I was rooting for Caine to realize how perfect he and Alexa are together. They have some of the sweetest moments together that warmed my heart.

“For the longest time my company is what got me up in the morning. It was what motivated me every second of every day. Since the moment you started working for me, you are what has gotten me up in the morning. You are what motivates me every second of every day. And still I want more from you.”

*Dreamy sigh* Oh, Caine, how I love you ❤

The romance in Hero was simply brilliant. It’s an office romance but with a unique, fresh take. I adored everything about this book – the story, the characters, the writing. I fell in love with Alexa and Caine and I felt for them. If you haven’t preordered Hero, go do it now! I highly recommend this heartfelt, sexy, romantic read!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Review: Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin

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Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin

Dirty Ties by Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: January 12th 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Revenge.
I race to finance it.
I evade to protect it.
I kill to attain it.
I planned everything.

Except her.
The alluring, curvaceous blonde at the finish line.
With sapphire eyes that cheat and lie.
Whose powerful family murdered mine.

I hate her.
I want her.

I know she’s hiding something.
But so am I.

SQUEEEE!!! My first 5-heart rating of the year!! And oh my gosh, how I loved this one. Dirty Ties is the first book I’ve read from Pam Godwin but it won’t be my last! I simply adored this thrilling, hot, wild ride of a novel. It was nothing I expected, since the blurb doesn’t give much away, but I loved that this book surprised me. Dirty Ties is a fast-paced page turner that had me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. I loved the characters and the writing – I can’t recommend this book enough!

I don’t want to explain too much about the plot, because I feel it’s best to go into Dirty Ties blind. The driving force of this book is revenge – except what happens to that revenge when love gets in the way? Ohh, the dilemma!! Pam Godwin did an excellent job hooking me into the story. It’s dark, twisted, and deliciously angsty. And it’s got a smokin’ hot biker. It really was the perfect read for me!

“A man like that fucks like he rides. With intimidation, recklessness, and unharnessed energy. He’s powered by adrenaline and takes what he wants without care.”

God, that description… Isn’t it the HOTTEST thing ever!? It was ridiculous how much Pam Godwin made me lust love Logan – I nearly wanted Logan to ride me instead of his motorcycle, that’s how hot he was. Logan is a dominant, sexy, powerful man who is fueled by revenge. He’s spent years planning, going underground and doing illegal things, and nothing will stand in the way of getting his revenge.

The heroine, Kaci, is a strong, intelligent, independent woman and I just connected with her from the start. I loved her. I loved her badass attitude, but I also loved her vulnerabilities. She’s a powerful woman with money and prestige, but her heart is lonely. Kaci wants a man to share her life with, a man who’ll challenge her and love her.

For years, I’d stood alone, toe-to-toe against powerful men. How I wished to have an invincible man on my side.

When Kaci and Logan meet, they’re masked, complete strangers to each other. But even though they’re strangers, they feel an insatiable need towards each other. Kaci and Logan’s connection is fierce, passionate, raw, and intense – they truly are the perfect match for each other. But when the masks fall away, leaving only revenge, people get hurt. It’s a dangerous, dark, corrupted game Logan is playing in his revenge, but when he finds himself falling deeper for Kaci, he has to decide whether his revenge is worth losing the woman he loves.

Her longing was beautiful and poignant, one I felt in every painful beat of my heart, filling me with a possessive need to be the man who gave her that kind of happiness.

I highly, highly recommend Dirty Ties. I honestly couldn’t put this book down! It’s a dark, romantic read that will have your heart pounding and leave you breathless.

5 hearts
lacey

Blog Tour + ARC Review: Three Brothers by Nicole Williams

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Three Brothers by Nicole Williams

Three Brothers by Nicole Williams
Release Date: January 20th 2015
New Adult/Adult Romance
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I grew up with three brothers. They weren’t tied to me by blood, but our connection went beyond genetics or bearing the same last name. Our connection was forged the summer I turned thirteen, the summer my mom ended her life and left me in the custody of John Armstrong, a man I’d never met. Packing all I owned in a couple of boxes, I left the familiarity of the big city and headed west to Red Mountain Ranch, set in a lonely valley outside of Jackson Hole.

Nothing was as it seemed at Red Mountain—it didn’t take long for me to figure that out. John was kind to me but distant, as if he was afraid to let anyone get too close. His three teenage sons had their own devices for keeping love as far away as they could. The eldest distracted himself with cheap relationships that had a shelf-life of one night. The middle son threw himself into the rigor of running a ranch, and the third wielded cruelty and mind-games in his quest to keep people from getting close.

Time has gone by, and I’ve spent those years trying to forget the brother I’d fallen for—the biggest mistake of my life.

Finally, I’ve moved on. Finally, I’m back. But what I didn’t realize was that running away from the wrong brother meant I’d also run away from the right one. The one who’d been there for me all along, waiting in his brother’s shadow for the day I either would or could move on.

But a decade is a long time to wait. Has the brother I should have chosen all of those years ago moved on too? Am I about to discover that my biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with the wrong brother, but failing to return the love of the right one sooner?

Does unrequited love have an expiration date?

I’m about to find out.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes

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I’ve been such a huge fan of Nicole Williams since I read her Crash series and Lost and Found series. She’s the kind of author that when I pick up one of her books, I know I’ll always enjoy myself while reading it. While Three Brothers isn’t my favorite of Nicole Williams’ books, it’s still a deeply emotional book with heart and depth. It’s a book about letting go of your past, about healing and forgiveness. There were parts I loved and parts I didn’t, but overall, Three Brothers was an engaging, emotional read that I’d recommend for fans of the author.

Scout, the heroine, returns to Red Mountain after staying away for seven years. She was taken in by the Armstrongs and became a surrogate sister to three brothers, Chase, Chance, and Conn. Chance became her best friend, but she fell in love with Conn. She was devastated when he broke her heart and ran away to pick up the broken pieces. But a much more mature Scout returns when she finds out her foster father John Armstrong is dying and is forced to confront her past – and Conn.

Being back in her old home is like rediscovering the Armstrong brothers all over again for Scout. She remembers how much she was constantly hurt by Conn, even though she’s genuinely over him now, but she also remembers how much of a good brother Chase was and how important Chance was to her. And in rediscovering the brothers, she finds herself once again falling in love with an Armstrong brother, except with the right one this time.

How could I have been so blinded by one brother that I missed this one? The one. There was no other term to describe what Chance was to me.

Chance… he’s so swoony and sweet, and plus… he’s a cowboy! I adored Chance. He had always been in love with Scout, but no matter that she was in love with his brother, he was always by her side, and always will be.

“I’m with you, Scout. I always have been, and I always will be. Even when you might think I’m not, I am…. All you need to do is say the word, and I’m right there beside you. I won’t waver. I won’t turn and run…. I’ll be at your side, fighting the fight. Just say the word.”

The two of them were inseparable when they were younger, and now that Scout’s back, she finds it so easy being with him again. She never thought of Chance in any way except her friend, but now, she sees him in a new light. He’s caring, sweet, thoughtful, not to mention hardworking and loyal to the ranch. His love for Scout is the kind that is quiet but steady and unwavering – in every action you can tell how much Chance loves Scout and will do anything for her.

“There is no one better for me than you. There never has been, and there never will be.”

I loved the way Scout and Chance’s love slowly blossomed, but I didn’t like how much Chance fought it to protect Scout. At times, the book was even depressing, with John Armstrong dying, and hurtful secrets being revealed. The book was all over the place in the last chunk of the book, which threw me off. Three Brothers has a sweet romance, but I wouldn’t say it’s a sweet book. It’s thought-provoking and portrays life in an honest way. I didn’t love this book, but I’d recommend it for fans of the author or fans of swoony heroes and good writing.

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

about the author

I’m the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the CRASH series (HarperTeen, S&S UK), LOST & FOUND series, UP IN FLAMES (S&S UK), The EDEN TRILOGY, and a handful of others. I write stories about everyday kinds of people who find themselves in extraordinary kinds of situations. I tell love stories with happy endings because I believe in making the world a better place, and that’s one tiny way I can make it so. I’m one of those people who still believe in true love and soul mates, and would rather keep my head in the clouds any day over having my feet firmly on the ground.

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