Tag Archives: Chanel Cleeton

Release Day Review: Into the Blue by Chanel Cleeton

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by

Into the Blue by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Wild Aces #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.

Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.

Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?

I loved loved LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Into the Blue was the PERFECT second chance romance/military romance for me. I’m usually a bit picky about these two tropes, and put them together? I was terrified about how it would play out, but holy hell, did I adore Eric and Becca’s second chance at love. I couldn’t have imagined a better story for these two characters. And omg Eric – can you say SWOON!? He was utter perfection as a hero. Seriously, I loved this book so much! Into the Blue is the second book in the Wild Aces series, though it can be read as a standalone (you can check out my review for book one here). If you loved Fly with Me, get ready to get your hands on Into the Blue – it’s an absolute must read.

I’d been an idiot before and thrown away the best thing that had ever happened to me, but there was no way I was making the same mistake again.

Ten years ago, Becca and Eric had been in love, engaged, and ready to begin a new chapter in their lives. Becca thought they were happy, but apparently not, because Eric just up and left her behind to join the US Air Force. The past ten years have been filled with bitterness, anger, and hurt, so understandably, when Eric comes back home for the first time in a decade, Becca wants nothing to do with him. I felt for this girl so hard. I was angry on her behalf, even though I knew her heart has only ever been his. My heart broke for the way hers broke, and I wanted nothing more than for her to kick Eric’s ass and show him what he’s been missing, and thankfully, she delivers. I loved Becca wholeheartedly, because I could connect with her so well. She’s got a huge heart capable of so much love, but the hurt Eric caused only made her grow stronger. And this time, she’s not about to let him in that easily. I was so happy with the way she kept making Eric prove his love to her – Becca ROCKED as a heroine.

You couldn’t fake what we had. Couldn’t duplicate it. We were so fucking lucky to have found each other once, and even as I’d always suspected it, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that letting her go was the biggest mistake of my life.
Now I needed to fix it.

The one thing that describes Eric? Regretful. He has so many regrets in life, but none does he regret more than leaving Becca, the love of his life. THIS is the kind of hero I adore reading about in second chance romances. The hero who never forgot about his lost love, the one who knows he effed up and can admit his mistakes. The kind of hero who’s not afraid to put his heart on the line again, and once he’s back in his woman’s life, he’s going to do everything he can to stay there permanently. Ten years ago, Eric gave up Becca for F-16’s – but this time around, he knows he’s not going to make the same mistake again. Will he be able to prove his love and devotion to her and win her heart again?

I’d never felt this way about anyone before. Wasn’t sure I’d even felt this way about her before. Maybe it took losing her to realize just how much I needed her, the contrast between my life with Becca and my life without never clearer than in this moment.

Eric and Becca were beautiful together. They might have loved each other back then, but they are so meant for each other even more now. Into the Blue made my heart ache in all the right places – the angst is so well done, but the love is what totally swept me away. Chanel Cleeton did such an amazing job with this story – it’s already become one of my favorite books of the year. Fly with Me was a fantastic read, but Into the Blue went above and beyond my expectations.

If you haven’t read the Wild Aces series yet, you are missing out. It’s an amazing military romance series – and if you love second chance romances too, Into the Blue will be perfect for you. This series only seems to be getting better and better, so I can’t even imagine how the third book will turn out, but I know I’m dying to read Easy’s story. I can already feel the heartache from On Broken Wings – January 2017 can’t get here fast enough!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Wild Aces series

  

#1 ~ Fly With Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Into the Blue: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ On Broken Wings: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Jan. 3, 2017)

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Release Day Review: Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Wild Aces #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 3rd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Noah Miller—call sign Burn—loves nothing more than flying hard and fast. When he meets a gorgeous and sassy woman while partying in Las Vegas, he immediately locks on to her.

Jordan Callahan owns a thriving clothing boutique, but her love life is far less successful. Her luck changes when six feet, two inches of sexy swagger asks her to dance and turns her world upside down.

One scorching weekend becomes an undeniable chemistry that they can’t leave in Vegas. But the long distance relationship and their different lives threaten to ground their romance. And when the dangers of Noah’s job become all too real, Jordan learns being with a fighter pilot means risking it all for a shot at love…

Y’all, I loved this book SO. MUCH. I’m actually surprised by how much I adored this. Military romances are usually a hit or miss for me, but Fly With Me is without a doubt a winner. I loved how honest Chanel Cleeton portrayed this military relationship – my heart was completely invested in Jordan and Noah’s romance. Gah, there were so many feels too! If you love military romances or romances that wring out all your emotions, I can’t recommend Fly With Me enough!

Noah and Jordan meet by chance at Vegas, and let me tell you, the chemistry between them SIZZLES. This book is off-the-charts HOT! But what starts as a fling turns into so much more as they get to know each other better and their connection deepens. But with the two of them leaving Vegas to separate parts of the country, and add in Noah’s job in the military, how can a relationship work between them?

“I don’t know what we’re doing here. Every time I have to say good-bye to you, it feels like I’m being sliced in half.” His expression darkened. “Loving you fucking hurts.”

I adored Jordan and Noah. I’ll admit, it took me a little while to warm up to them in the beginning of the book, but once they started getting serious about a relationship, I absolutely loved them. Jordan is a kickass heroine – she’s real, relatable, fun, honest. She’s the kind of girl I’d love to hang out with. As for the hero – I love me some men in uniform, and you can’t get any better than a sexy fighter pilot for the Air Force. Noah lives and breathes flying, but being with Jordan makes him realize that there might just be something he could love more than planes. He’s an alpha hero with an amazing heart – AND he’s not afraid to love! You don’t know how much I appreciated reading about a hero who wants to go all in in a relationship. Just… SWOON!

When it was love, capital letters, can’t-live-without-you love, there wasn’t much of a choice. We were forever, for however long forever lasted.

Jordan and Noah’s relationship is not easy, far from it. It’s the hardest thing they’ll ever do, but every separation and every deployment is worth it in the end when they can be together. They’ll learn to make sacrifices for each other, to compromise for their relationship, because the payoff – love – is something they can’t live without. Chanel Cleeton has written a beautiful love story in Fly With Me. It’s honest, raw, real… and I couldn’t have imagined a better ending for the main characters.

I loved this book! And I loved the secondary characters, Noah’s friends Thor and Easy. I’ve already read Thor’s book, and just saying, the series only gets better because I loved it even more than Fly With Me! I’m dying for Easy’s book now, but it won’t be out until 2017 *wipes tear*. The Wild Aces series is seriously a must-read – everyone needs to add it to their shelves!

4.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Wild Aces series

  

#1 ~ Fly With Me: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Into the Blue: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ On Broken Wings: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Jan. 3, 2017)

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ARC Review: Between Shadows by Chanel Cleeton

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Between Shadows by Chanel Cleeton

Between Shadows by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Assassins #1
Publication Date: January 19th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

A sexy new thriller about love and revenge from the author of the Capital Confessions and International School series…

X lives by three rules: Show no weakness. Trust no one. Don’t get caught. She lives by the rules they gave her.

The Academy—set in London, shrouded in secrecy—it trains spies, computer experts, and assassins. Their mission? Dispensing justice and altering the course of world politics. Or so they think. In a world where secrets are weapons and some kills are impossible to forget, everything X thought she knew about her life is about to change.

They taught her to fight. To blend into the shadows like a ghost, to operate on the fringes of society, to change her identity with ease. They taught her to kill.

She’ll need every skill they taught her, to stay alive.

What a thrilling, heart-pounding read! I love books that take me to the edge of my seat, and Between Shadows did exactly that. It’s suspenseful, fast-paced, and filled with action. There’s also a swoon-worthy romance with a dreamy hero, so what’s not to love about this book?

X is an assassin for the Academy – she’s been trained since a young age to be a deadly weapon. The most important thing in her life is her sister Grace, but even her love for Grace can’t bring X out of her cold heart ever since she killed the one friend she had. But everything in her life is turned upside down when Luke is still very much alive and comes back into her life to handle a mission together to bring to light the truths that the Academy has been lying to them about.

We were always together, and then one day I looked at him and I couldn’t look away anymore.

As X and Luke travel around the world to find out the Academy’s secrets, they’re constantly looking behind their backs. Chanel Cleeton did a fantastic job writing the suspense – every moment of the book is a nail-biter, and I kept wondering about what would happen and whether X and Luke would survive. Between Shadows is definitely a page turner, so if you’re a fan of thrillers, you should definitely pick this book up.

X and Luke were both fantastic, well-written characters. X is fierce, brave, and badass, yet she still has vulnerabilities that make her likable and relatable. Luke was X’s first everything – but the years Luke was away have turned him harder, more dangerous, and infinitely more sexy. I loved the two of them together after they reconciled the past. Luke is so sweet and patient with X, and I seriously fell for the way he cares so much for her.

“There’s a lightness about you despite everything else going on. How do you keep that lightness with you?”
He’s silent for a long time.
“Because there’s something I love more than I hate myself.”
Every muscle in my body stills. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I feel like I’m having a strange out-of-body experience, one I have no idea how to handle. He can’t mean–
“I love you, X. Always.”

I thoroughly enjoyed Between Shadows. It’s well-written, unique, and action-packed. I would’ve loved a bit more romance, but I could appreciate the book being focused on X and Luke’s goal, rather than their relationship. This was a great first book to a new series, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us next!

4 hearts
lacey

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

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Early Review: Falling for Danger by Chanel Cleeton

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Falling for Danger by Chanel Cleeton

Falling for Danger by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Capital Confessions #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 15th 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The author of Flirting with Scandal presents her third book in a sexy contemporary romance series about three sisters in a powerful political family, the scandals that threaten to destroy them, and the passion that drives them…

Kate Reynolds has just graduated from college and is determined to make it on her own. Her job as a junior political analyst at the CIA is a dream come true and the perfect opportunity to find answers about the night that’s plagued her for four years—the night she lost her fiancé, Matt, on a Special Forces mission in Afghanistan. Kate’s consumed with uncovering the truth and avenging the man she loved and lost, even if it means risking her own life to prove that his death wasn’t an accident.

When she gets too close to discovering what happened that fateful night and danger arrives on her doorstep, Kate’s stunned by the man who comes to her rescue. Together, they begin to dig for the truth, fighting to stay alive as they’re dragged down into a world of secrets and lies. But when the threat hits close to home, Kate must choose between vengeance and a future with the man who’s ignited a fire inside her that she thought died long ago.

I was really looking forward to reading Falling for Danger after reading the snippet at the end of Playing with Trouble. The heroine’s supposedly dead fiancé turns out to be alive! And he’s back in her life! How could I NOT read it after finding that out? But the romance didn’t quite pan out the way I expected it to. While I enjoyed Falling for Danger, it wasn’t quite the epic conclusion to the series I was hoping for.

He’d promised me that he’d love me forever. Where did forever go?

Kate Reynolds is on a mission to take her father down. She’s determined to expose her father for the fraud that he is, and to uncover the link between him and the reason why her fiancé, Matt, was suspiciously killed while in Afghanistan. In the four years since Matt’s death, her life has become about avenging her lost love, and there’s nothing that will stand in her way. But one night, someone breaks into her home, and she comes face-to-face with last person on earth she expected: her dead fiancé.

I really liked how determined Kate was. I could feel for her and the pain she went through with losing Matt. She’s a girl hell-bent on revenge, and I couldn’t help but admire that. She’s also never stopped loving Matt, so when he appears, she’s struck by all the feelings that come rushing back in. But four years took their toll on Matt, and he’s not the same boy she knew and loved.

She was the one constant in this never-ending purgatory where I was stuck somewhere between life and death, a walking ghost.

Matt has changed a lot over the years, no longer the carefree boy in love with his best friend. His time in Afghanistan was rough and heartbreaking, but he survived, only to hide away from the people he loved the most. Matt is pretty gruff, dark, and intense… but I struggled to like him. He’s the main reason why I didn’t love this book like I wanted to. I guess I just never really understood why he had to stay away from Kate, if he loved her so much. We never really get an explanation – or rather, Matt never gives Kate an explanation for why he faked his death and what he did over the last four years. Kate was hurt and devastated over his ‘death’, and it would’ve been nice if Matt tried to make up for the hurt. And while it was obvious that Kate still loved Matt, I didn’t feel the love Matt still had for Kate. I needed more from Matt, I really did.

The suspense in Falling for Danger was pretty mellow. It was slow in the middle and then rushed at the end, so I didn’t really become invested in the mystery/suspense. The ending wasn’t as dramatic as I’d hoped, but it was still a good end for all the characters.

I wish I could’ve loved this book more. I had such high hopes based on the premise, but since I didn’t like the hero, I couldn’t fully enjoy the story. If you’re a fan of the series, I’d recommend you read this if you want to know how the series plot-line involving the Kate’s father turns out. Hopefully you’ll love more than I did! Not to say Falling for Danger is a bad book – it just wasn’t as good as I hoped.

3 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Capital Confessions series

Flirting with Scandal by Chanel Cleeton Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton Falling for Danger by Chanel Cleeton

#1 ~ Flirting with Scandal: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Playing with Trouble: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling for Danger: Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 15, 2015)

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Release Day Review: Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton

Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton
Series: Capital Confessions #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 21st 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The author of Flirting with Scandal presents her second book in a sexy contemporary romance series about three sisters in a powerful political family, the scandals that threaten to destroy them, and the passion that drives them…

The daughter of one of the Senate’s most powerful figures, Blair Reynolds was ready to become the ultimate political wife—until she caught her fiancé cheating on her wedding day. Law school is a fresh start, her shot at putting the pieces of her life back together. That’s the plan, at least. Until trouble comes in the form of her Torts professor, the man whose arrogance infuriates her in class but haunts her private fantasies.

Graydon Canter had a fortune and a place on all the hottest “Thirty under Thirty” lists, until a series of personal missteps nearly destroyed his career. A year teaching at a D.C. law school is just the break he needs to get his life back in order, as long as nothing—and no one—trips him up.

When Blair and Gray are forced to work together, their explosive attraction becomes impossible to resist. But Gray’s demons have drawn him dangerously close to the edge, and Blair has spent her life playing by the rules. Will she break them for a shot at love?

This is the first book I’ve read from Chanel Cleeton and it certainly won’t be the last! I enjoyed Playing with Trouble SO much – it’s a deliciously sexy, forbidden romance between a law professor and his student. There’s TONS of hot chemistry between Blair and Gray, which I thought the author handled so well. This is definitely a must-read for fans of forbidden romances!

It was the cruelest irony that the man I despised, the man who tortured me from the front of the classroom three days a week, was the hottest fucking thing I’d ever seen.

After the mess her life became after catching her fiancé cheating on her with the best man, Blair Reynolds enrolls in law school to get her life back on track and to please her Senator father. Unfortunately, law school is kicking her ass, and it doesn’t help that her Torts professor, Graydon Canter, is serious sex-on-a-stick.

Gray notices Blair on the first day of class, but obviously, he can’t act on his growing lust for his student, even if she is only seven years younger than him. Gray is a deeply flawed man who’s haunted by the mistakes he made that ended up ruining his law career, but he’s on his way to straightening out his life. He hates teaching, but the one good thing to come out of it is Blair. When they’re unexpectedly thrust together for a project, tensions run high and it isn’t long before they can’t resist each other’s pull.

I really liked the dual POV between Blair and Gray, although sometimes it switched around too many times for my taste. I could feel the chemistry that Gray and Blair were both feeling – there’s a serious case of insta-lust, but I actually loved it in this book because the characters can’t DO anything about it, at least not for a while. As Gray and Blair continue meeting up for the project, the chemistry between them only grows hotter. But they also start getting to know one another on a deeper, personal level, and I loved the way their feelings grew naturally and believably. Gray and Blair grew up in different worlds, but the two of them just clicked together. I’m just really impressed with the way the author handled their forbidden romance.

“You tempt me. So fucking much. I want to think I can be better for you. That I can change. But what if I can’t? It’s one thing to hurt myself, what if I hurt you, too? What if I let you down? I break things. I don’t want to break you.”

There’s a lot of depth to Blair and Gray’s characters and lots to overcome before they can even think of reaching a HEA, but these were two characters I couldn’t help but root for. There are some frustrations, with Gray’s back-and-forth feelings, but it was nothing too annoying. I loved the sexy times, but I also really enjoyed the deeper, meaningful parts to Blair and Gray’s relationship. The forbidden aspect was expertly handled, I really enjoyed the writing, and overall, Playing with Trouble was worthwhile read. I’m thinking I should definitely read the first book, which I skipped, since I enjoyed this second book so much!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Capital Confessions series

Flirting with Scandal by Chanel Cleeton Playing with Trouble by Chanel Cleeton Falling for Danger by Chanel Cleeton

#1 ~ Flirting with Scandal: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Playing with Trouble: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling for Danger: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

about the author button

Chanel CleetonOriginally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure.

Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her husband.

Chanel writes contemporary romances. She is published by Harlequin HQN, Penguin/InterMix, and Penguin/Berkley and is the author of the International School, Capital Confessions, and Wild Aces series.

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