Release Day Review + Giveaway: Appealed by Emma Chase

Posted in 4 hearts, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Appealed by Emma Chase
Series: The Legal Briefs #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 19th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The New York Times bestselling author of the Tangled books returns with the third romance in the Legal Briefs series, a collection of sexy novels about first crushes, second chances, and the final verdict of the heart.

When Brent Mason looks at Kennedy Randolph, he doesn’t see the awkward, sweet girl who grew up next door. He sees a self-assured, stunning woman…who wants to crush the most intimate—and prized—parts of his anatomy beneath the heels of her Louboutins.

When Kennedy looks at Brent, all she sees is the selfish, Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue–worthy teenager who humiliated her in high school in order to join the popular crowd. A crowd that made those years a living hell for her.

But she’s not a lovesick social outcast anymore—she’s a Washington, DC, prosecutor with a long winning streak. Brent is the opposing attorney in her next case, and Kennedy thinks it’s time to put him through a little hell of his own.

But things aren’t exactly working out the way she planned. Brent has his sights set on Kennedy, and every fiery exchange only makes him want her more—and makes her wonder if he’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is in the courtroom. In the end, they may just find themselves in love…or in contempt of court.

I’d been looking forward to Brent’s book ever since meeting him in Overruled, and I’m glad to say his story didn’t disappoint! Emma Chase once again delivers a fantastic, hilarious, fun-filled romance with lovable characters that I simply adored. Appealed is a wonderful finale to the Legal Briefs series, and I’m sad to see the series end.

Of the three friends, Brent Mason is the charming, laid-back, funny one everyone seems to love. Everyone except Kennedy Randolph that is. They were childhood friends, but a miscommunication back in high school tore their friendship apart, and Kennedy has avoided the man she hates ever since. But now that they’re working on opposite sides of a case, their close proximity brings back the feelings they had for each other years ago. But can Kennedy let go of her hate and let Brent back into her heart?

Because now that she’s back, here where I can see her and touch her, where I can talk to her and tease her, maybe even one day make her smile—there’s no fucking way I’m letting her go ever again.

I love stories where the main characters grew up as childhood friends, so this book was an absolute joy to read. Add in Emma Chase’s brilliantly funny writing and her wonderful male POV, you get a heart-warming, feel-good story you don’t want to miss. If you’re a fan of the series, you’re going to love Brent and Kennedy! Every single scene between them had me smiling so hard.

This beautiful, sweet, strong girl in my arms. She got to me forever ago—under my skin, into my heart—and she’s been there, waiting, ever since.

Brent is the absolute SWEETEST, and I loved how determined he is to win Kennedy’s heart. It was good to see him softer, romantic, and more vulnerable, especially since all we’d known of him was his cocky, confident side. Kennedy is the perfect match for him – she doesn’t back down from Brent and she certainly doesn’t give in to him easily. She makes him work for her trust and heart, and you can tell how much Brent treasures those two things.

We’re soul mates. Destined to be together, written in the stars, Bogie-and-Bacall perfect.
Kennedy doesn’t see it yet—but that’s all right. Because I’m patient. And relentless. When I set my mind on something, there’s nothing I can’t do.
And my mind’s on her.

Appealed is another winner from Emma Chase. She is probably my favorite author at writing the male POV, and I can only hope she never stops. Sustained is still my favorite of the Legal Briefs series, but Appealed is still a must read!

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

Reading Order: The Legal Briefs series

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

Paperback of Appealed (US Only)

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18Jan2016

Early Review: Loud is How I Love You by Mercy Brown

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Loud is How I Love You by Mercy Brown
Series: Hub City #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 19th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

One girl’s heart gets rocked to the core in the first novel in this sexy New Adult series.

Twenty-one-year-old front girl Emmylou knows that getting her band noticed in the ‘90s indie rock scene will be no easy task. She definitely knows better than to break the number one rule of the band: Don’t sleep with your bandmates! But after she ends up having the best sex of her life with her guitarist, Travis, she finds following that rule is a lot harder than it sounds.

When the band gets the gig of their dreams, making it big seems just within reach. But Emmy’s inability to keep her hands off Travis threatens everything they’ve worked for. Can Emmy find a way to break the rules and not blow the chance of a lifetime?

Loud is how I love you,
Loud is how I know you’re there.
Loud so I don’t lose you,
Because I’d know the sound of you anywhere.

This book was on my radar because of some heavy praise from one of my all-time favorite authors, so of course I had to give it a try! Add in the ‘90’s indie rock scene and I was totally sold. Loud is How I Love You is a fantastic new adult romance – it wasn’t anything like I expected, but I enjoyed every bit of its quirkiness. It’s heartwarming, fun, hilarious, and a really sweet read. If you’re looking for something memorable and different from your typical NA read, you need to read this book!

Emmy’s dream is to get her band, Stars on the Floor (aka Soft), noticed, and she and her bandmates have worked their butts off to get to where they are. But it’s all threatened when Emmy ends up having the best sex of her life… with her guitarist Travis. Because the number one rule of being in a band? Don’t sleep with your bandmate. If you do, you’ll only create drama that will screw things up and eventually break up the band.

But ever since that one crazy hot night with Travis, Emmy can’t stop thinking about or wanting him. Not only is Travis a bandmate, he’s also her best friend. They have an amazing connection that they’ve built over the years and a chemistry that’s off the charts, but is their relationship worth the risk of losing their dreams of making it in the music industry? Or will them being together be the downfall of Soft?

“What is this thing we’re doing?” I whisper. I’m not sure I mean to say it out loud, because I am pretty nervous to put an actual label to it. “I don’t even know what to call it.”
He touches his lips to mine again, all soft and sweet.
“Just call it awesome,” he says. “We’ll figure the rest out as we go.”

There is a TON of back and forth from Emmy. She wants Travis bad, but she also wants her band to succeed, and to her, she can’t have both. As much as she frustrated and annoyed me, I can’t say that I ever hated Emmy. It was admirable how much her music career meant to her and how she wasn’t willing to give it up for anything or anyone. It’s just that Travis is so lovable that I wanted to shake her for not trying to work things out with him sooner. Travis is some serious swoon-worthy material – he’s sweet, funny, sexy as hell, and incredibly patient with Emmy. I loved him for how he never gives up on her, even when she drove him (and me) crazy.

Stay loud so I don’t lose you.
I will follow the sound of you anywhere. -T

My favorite part of Loud is definitely Mercy Brown’s writing. She has a brilliant, fresh voice that is so unique and enjoyable to read – I loved it! And you can tell the author knows a lot about the music industry. I will absolutely be reading more of her upcoming books. I’m very impressed that Loud is her first published book, actually.

Loud is How I Love You is a satisfying, well-written NA book you don’t want to miss. The characters felt real and were so much fun to read about. I can’t wait to read the next Hub City book!

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

Reading Order: Hub City series

#1 ~ Loud is How I Love You: Ebook • Goodreads (Jan. 19, 2016)
#2 ~ Stay Until We Break: Ebook • Goodreads (June 21, 2016)

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14Jan2016

Early Review: Outside the Lines by Lisa Desrochers

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Outside the Lines by Lisa Desrochers
Series: On the Run #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 19th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

As the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord, Robert Delgado always knew how dangerous life could be. With his mother dead and his father in prison, he’s taking charge of his family’s safety—putting himself and his siblings in witness protection to hide out in a backwater Florida town.

Fourth grade teacher Adri Wilson is worried about the new boy in her class. Sherm is quiet and evasive, especially when he’s around his even cagier older brother. Adri can’t help her attraction to Rob, or the urge to help them both in whatever way she can.

But the Delgados have enemies on two sides of the mob—their father’s former crew and the rival family he helped take down. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds them. And if Rob isn’t careful, Adri could end up in the crossfire…

I was a huge fan of Lisa Desrochers’ A Little Too Far series, so when I heard she was writing a new series, I couldn’t wait to read it! Outside the Lines is the first book in the On the Run series, and even though I didn’t fully love it, it’s an entertaining read with lots of potential for the series to get better. After the slow beginning, I found myself liking the book much better once the story picked up and I became invested in Rob and Adri’s romance. If you like your romances sweet but slow, with a little mafia thrown in, then Outside the Lines is for you.

Rob Delgado and his four younger siblings are on the run. With their father, a Chicago crime lord, locked up in prison, and enemies out to get them, Rob had to get his family away from Chicago. Under the Witness Protection program, they’ve moved to Port St. Mary, Florida and are now known as the Davidsons. It’s a small town for them to lie low in, at least until Rob can get back to Chicago and destroy his enemies. What he doesn’t expect is to fall for his youngest brother’s fourth grade teacher, Adri, who is sweet, pure, innocent… and has no idea who he really is.

“You are so fucking beautiful in every way, and all I can do is ruin you,” he finally says, his voice a raw wound. “I will ruin you, Adri, and then I’ll leave. You deserve so much better than that.”

Adri Wilson is concerned about her new student and grows to care for him… and his older brother. She finds herself captivated by the enigma that is Rob Davidson. But when things don’t add up about their family, Adri is determined to find out what the Davidsons are hiding. Along the way, she finds herself falling for Rob, even when he pushes her away. There’s a bit of back and forth between them, but the chemistry between them is hot, so even though it took a while for their relationship to move forward, I was invested in their romance.

“I don’t deserve your love, but I’m going to do everything in my power to earn it every single day for the rest of my life.”

I liked this book. It’s well-written, the characters were interesting and likable… but the beginning dragged. It took a while to become fully immersed in the story, so that took a little away from my enjoyment. But by the halfway mark I was more than invested in the story and the heart-warming romance. This book is a promising start to the On the Run series, and I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the Delgado siblings’ stories.

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

Reading Order: On the Run series

#1 ~ Outside the Lines: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Over the Line: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

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13Jan2016

ARC Review: Waiting for Wyatt by S.D. Hendrickson

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Waiting for Wyatt by S.D. Hendrickson
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: January 12th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

“The dogs that deserved a chance, the guy who needed a second, and the girl determined to save him.”

My name is Emma Sawyer.

I met Charlie and Wyatt on the same sultry, summer day. It was unexpected, leaving a feeling in the pit of my stomach like the time I drove too fast over Beckett Hill. The moment happened out of nowhere, all fast and quick and a little strange. Or maybe that was just Wyatt’s personality.

It was Charlie that brought us together. Little Charlie with those ridiculous ears. I found the dog, waiting in a pool of his own blood. Waiting for someone. Waiting for me.

Now Wyatt, he wasn’t waiting for anyone. At least that’s what he said, except I saw something different in the broken guy all alone out in the woods. I knew he needed me before he knew it himself.

Wyatt with his hidden dimples. Wyatt with his warnings to stay away. He was a hard lump of coal, ready to burn everything around him. The more he burned, the more it pulled me into the pain I saw etched on his troubled face.

I wanted to help Wyatt. I wanted to save him like he had saved all the Charlies in the world. He told me not to fall for him, but I did anyway. I fell hard and fast and deeply in love with Wyatt Caulfield.

But that was before I knew his secret.

Last year, I loved S.D. Hendrickson’s fantastic debut, The Mason List, so I couldn’t wait to read more from this author. The way Ms. Hendrickson writes is so brilliantly filled with emotion and heartbreak, so I had high expectations for Waiting for Wyatt, and she didn’t disappoint. This is a powerfully written romance about love and redemption. It’s a slow-paced but moving novel that I highly recommend to readers who love emotional books.

Wyatt Caulfield just might be the strangest and most haunting person I’d ever met.

When Emma Sawyer needs help with a dog she’s stolen from its abusive owner, she comes across the mysterious and broody Wyatt Caulfield. Wyatt is a gorgeous-looking boy her age, but he lives out in the middle of nowhere in a small trailer with a kennel full of abused and abandoned dogs. Emma is fascinated by Wyatt and his secretive, lonely life, and sets about to discover the pain and guilt he’s holding within himself.

I wanted to save him form the depths of whatever was making Wyatt this way. I wanted to pull him from the dark pit that made his eyes ache in pain. The guy needed me whether he wanted to admit it or not.

Emma is a strong, incredibly compassionate girl. The second she meets Wyatt, she’s determined not only to help him, but the dogs he cares for as well. She holds so much love in her that every time she discovers the tragic past of each dog, her heart breaks. She’s the type of person who can’t not help others, so of course she’s drawn to Wyatt and troubled past. But the more Emma spends time with him, the more she can’t help her heart becoming invested until she’s falling for him.

I was so curious about Wyatt. He’s a bit of a jerk to Emma in the beginning, but it’s so clear that something tragic has happened in his past that you can’t help but want to know more about him. Thankfully, the author doesn’t make you wait too long to discover what Wyatt’s past is, and when you do, your heart will more than likely break for him. And the worst part of it all is that Wyatt feels he deserves all the pain, regret, self-hatred, and guilt he feels because of what he did. But with Emma’s help and compassion, can he find forgiveness, redemption, and best of all, love?

“I love you. Whether I deserve you or not. I love you. Don’t ever forget that.”

I really enjoyed Waiting for Wyatt. It was a little too slow-paced for my taste, but it’s still a worthwhile read that will tug at your heartstrings. You’ll fall for Emma’s beautiful soul, Wyatt’s tragic yet hopeful heart, and all the wonderful dogs they care for. I loved how S.D. Hendrickson incorporated the animals into Waiting for Wyatt – it was perfect the way their healing paralleled Wyatt’s own healing heart.

I highly recommend this unique, wonderfully written, emotional book. You really get to feel everything while you read this! Even with all the heartache, the author leaves you with hope and joy. It’s a heart-warming read that fans of the author don’t want to miss.

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

Also by S.D. Hendrickson

The Mason List: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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13Jan2016

ARC Review: Dirty Together by Meghan March

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Dirty Together by Meghan March
Series: Dirty Billionaire Trilogy #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 12th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

My wife.

I love saying those words.

She’s mine, and if she thinks I’m going to let her run without tracking her down and bringing her back to where she belongs—with me—then she’s about to be introduced to a new reality.

Because I’ll fight dirty to give her the happily ever after she deserves.

The Dirty Billionaire Trilogy wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it for the most part. There has been plenty of scorching-hot scenes to love and one especially alpha hero I’ve come to really have a soft spot for. While the main characters themselves have been a lot of fun to read, the plot of the trilogy was weak in comparison. So there are good and bad parts to the series, and even though I didn’t love this conclusion to the series, I was entertained the whole way through.

“You don’t get it, Holly, and I’m not going anywhere until you do.”
“Get what?”
“That you’re the most important thing in my life now.”

This is the first time in the series where I loved BOTH Creighton and Holly. Creighton has learned from his mistakes and is no longer that unreasonable, arrogant, domineering man, but rather a husband who puts his wife first in all things now. I seriously swooned at all the wonderful things Creighton says and does for Holly to prove she’s his number one priority. And Holly herself has learned to stop running away when things get difficult. They have something worthwhile between them, and for the first time, the two of them are going to fight for their marriage and stick by each other.

“I thought I had everything,” he says in a low voice. “And then I met you. Now I do.”

This final installment went by too quick for me to really appreciate all the changes in Creighton and Holly though. I was also really hoping on more plot development, but the author mainly focused on character growth. I would’ve enjoyed this book the most out of the series, but the small twist at the end kind of came out of nowhere and threw me off. I loved the way the sweet romance ended, but plot-wise, I wasn’t a fan of the ending.

Still, even with the problems I had with Dirty Together, Creighton and Holly were truly an enjoyable couple to read about. They’ve come a long way since they first met each other and had their one-night-stand, and fans of the series will no doubt adore their happy ending.

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

Reading Order: Dirty Billionaire Trilogy

#1 ~ Dirty Billionaire: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Pleasures: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dirty Together: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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