Release Day Review: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

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

He’s a player in more ways than one…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading Order: Off-Campus series

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

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23Apr2015

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

Posted in 2 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading Order: Chasing Fire series

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

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22Apr2015

Review: Aflame by Penelope Douglas

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Aflame by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 21st 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg…

Everyone wants to be me.

Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name.

I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do.

They all talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate?

But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here.

Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.

Oh. My. God. I absolutely LOVED Aflame – it’s a brilliant, fantastic ending to one of my most favorite series of all time. From the second I started this book until I got to the very last word, I couldn’t stop smiling. And THAT ENDING!! It was beautiful – this whole book is a treasure, really. Admittedly, I wasn’t too sure how I’d feel about this book existing at the cost of Jared and Tate breaking up. I adored them in Bully and Until You, and I never wanted them to break up! But Penelope Douglas has yet to steer me wrong, and I knew she’d blow me away with Aflame – and she did. Heart-pounding, sexy, and intense, Aflame will wow fans of the Fall Away series and have them falling in love with Tate and Jared all over again.

Like warmth and peace and no matter what changed in my life, the people I met, the things I lost, or where I lived, if I was in his orbit, then I was home.

It’s been two years since Jared left home and broke Tate’s heart. I hated that Jared had to break up with Tate, but I could understand his need to find himself, to be a better man for Tate. For so long, he’d been living under her shadow and if he continued to live that way, he’d never be the man Tate deserved. But in order to be that man who could support her, he’d have to be able to support himself first. So he left, broke their hearts (and definitely mine too), and paved his own way in life doing what he loved – racing. But when his mother gives him some unexpected good news, Jared has to return home and face everything he left.

While I love Jared, it was Tate who blew me away in this book. I’ve loved Tate since she performed her monologue in Bully, but the Tate in Aflame is absolutely stunning. She’s grown and matured so much – she’s no longer the girl who lets her emotions get the best of her. She’s a woman now, and while Jared may have broken her heart two years ago, she’s grown stronger and more resilient since. So when Jared comes back home unexpectedly, she faces him head on, not allowing him anywhere near her heart ever again. Tate fights against their still-existing, wicked-hot chemistry, but Jared, this boy who has turned into the most incredible man, sets out to show her that they were always meant to be.

“You want to play,” he charged, biting out every word so only I could hear.
“Challenge accepted, Tatum. This time I don’t want you hurt,” he continued, his breath falling over me as he got in my face, “and I don’t want you small. I just want you. Do you hear me?” He jerked me into his body. “It will be my ring on your finger and my kids in your belly someday.”

I never thought I could love Jared and Tate more than I did after reading Bully and Until You, but after Aflame, my love for them knows no bounds. I freaking LOVED them in Aflame! I couldn’t stop smiling and giggling at their banter. And holy mother of god, the sexual tension. Aflame is the HOTTEST book Penelope Douglas has written yet – I thought Jax’s book was sexy, but Aflame was off the charts. The love and hate between Jared and Tate are explosive – it was like how it was in Bully, except better, more mature and refined. Fans of Jared and Tate absolutely NEED to experience them in Aflame!

At its heart though, Aflame is about two people who are finding their way back to each other. There is no doubt that Jared and Tate still love each other, that they always have and always will. They belong together, and it was a heartwarming experience to read about Jared and Tate again. They are two of my favorite couples, and I couldn’t imagine a more honest, heart-wrenching, beautiful journey for them.

“For better or worse, you’ve been my other half since I was ten years old, and I can’t imagine a future I’d want without you in it. You’re the love of my life.”

Reading Order: Fall Away series

#1 ~ Bully: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Until You: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Rival: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling Away: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Aflame: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

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15Apr2015

ARC Review + Giveaway: Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

Posted in 4 hearts, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful Bastard #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 14th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.

New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!

When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.

Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

Christina Lauren is one of my FAVORITE authors ever – I will read anything and everything they write! They write such incredible books with compelling characters that it’s hard not to fall in love with every word. When I heard they were writing a new Beautiful Bastard book, I HAD to get my hands on it. I freaking adore this series, and I couldn’t wait to read about Max’s brother Niall. I LOVE Max, and now we get to know not one but TWO sexy British men in this series!

If you’re a fan of the series, you should know that Beautiful Secret has a much different feel than the other books, though I loved it in its own way. There’s a wicked hot chemistry between the hero and heroine, but the romance between them is fumbling and slow. Nonetheless, Beautiful Secret is another winner from this fantastic author duo – it’s a sexy, sweet, adorably awkward book that fans of the series shouldn’t miss.

Ruby Miller has had a crush on Niall Stella since she first saw him at her job in London. It was so adorable how much she liked Niall – she’s an outgoing girl, but would always act shy and awkward anytime she’s around him. It made her so down-to-earth and relatable. Niall is a lot more reserved than Ruby. He’s recently divorced, but his marriage has a more lasting effect on him, making him cautious of starting a new relationship. Having been in only one relationship in his life, he’s clueless about women, and he’s clueless about Ruby’s crush on him. He nearly doesn’t know she exists, until they’re placed together on a work assignment and Niall can’t help but notice this gorgeous, passionate girl who fires him up unlike any other.

Like I said before, the romance between Niall and Ruby in this book is slow, but it doesn’t make it any less amazing. I loved the way Ruby and Niall got to slowly explore each other, in and out of bed. Ruby is sweet, loving, and patient as she coaxes Niall out of his closed-off demeanor. She’s got so much enthusiasm and fire in her that I loved this girl instantly. Niall, though, I took a while to warm up to, unlike the other Beautiful Bastard men. Niall is very unlike the other heroes of the Beautiful Bastard series – he’s different than a lot of heroes I’ve read before, actually, and it was a breath of fresh air to read about him. Because of his previous relationship, he’s withdrawn into himself – he’s not confident about himself or about women. He fumbles with Ruby, he’s a bit formal with her, but as they spend more time together, they grow more comfortable with each other. Ruby awakens in him a sexuality that he never thought he was capable of, and it’s highly sensual seeing Niall discover his desire for Ruby, and seeing him act on it. I fell in love with him gradually alongside Ruby, with this man who had so much heart but never had anyone to give it to.

What I love about Christina Lauren’s writing is that they write such real, believable characters that you don’t want to let go of. I found myself glued to the pages of Beautiful Secret, not that that’s surprising. I was surprised by the awkwardness between the characters, though the awkwardness was written in the most endearing way. This is a book about discovering yourself, to opening your heart up to another person, despite the risks, so of course there should be some fumbling during this journey. Everything about this book is painstakingly real and honest – it just took a while for me to warm up to it. I may not have loved Beautiful Secret as much as the previous two books in the series, but it’s definitely a book worth reading. I absolutely adored reading about Niall and Ruby!

Reading Order: Beautiful Bastard series

#1 ~ Beautiful Bastard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Beautiful Bitch: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beautiful Stranger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Beautiful Bombshell: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beautiful Player: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Beautiful Beginning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.6 ~ Beautiful Beloved: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beautiful Secret: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Beautiful Boss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Beautiful: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 4, 2016)

GIVEAWAY

One paperback of Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren

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15Apr2015

ARC Review: Crushed by Lauren Layne

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Crushed by Lauren Layne
Series: Redemption #2 (full reading order)
Release Date: April 14th 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Lauren Layne’s latest novel about the healing power of redemption tells the story of a crush gone wickedly wrong, proving that what you want isn’t always what you need.

Growing up in New York, Michael St. Claire never expected to spend his twenties wearing cowboy boots. But that was before he learned about his real father, a total stranger with a family in Cedar Grove, Texas. Once in the Lone Star State, Michael meets Kristin Bellamy, who is exquisitely refined and everything Michael always thought he wanted in a woman. The only problem is that Kristin is dating Michael’s new half-brother, Devon.

Kristin’s mouthy, curvy sister Chloe has always been in love with Devon Patterson. So when Michael offers to help Chloe break up Devon and Kristin, Chloe agrees to a deal that seems too good to be true. Before long, Chloe finally gets her man, only to make a startling discovery: She no longer wants the guy she had to fight for—she wants the one who stood by her side.

After all he and Chloe have been through, Michael swears he’s damaged goods. Can Chloe convince him that love is worth the risk?

This is my first read from Lauren Layne, but it won’t be my last! Thankfully, since I hadn’t read the previous book, each of the books in this series can be read as a standalone, though I got the gist of what happened in the previous one in this novel. I think I still might give the previous books in the Redemption series a try, since I adored Crushed! It was an easy book to read and enjoy – I highly recommend this sweet, funny, heartwarming novel about finding redemption and falling in love with the person you least expected.

Michael St. Claire left his dysfunctional, upper class family to move to Texas to find a way to meet his biological father, Tim Patterson. His relationships with his family and friends are a mess, and he’s hoping to find a place to belong during his stay in Texas. While working as a personal trainer, he meets Kristin Bellamy, who in addition to being gorgeous, has connections to the Pattersons. He’s attracted to Kristin, but she has a boyfriend, and all he really wants an in to meet the Pattersons.

“Cute,” the girl says, gesturing between Kristin and me. “If you two copulate, I’m calling Pampers to tell them I know where their next baby model is coming from.”

Chloe Bellamy is Kristin’s sister. Chloe has always lived in Kristin’s shadow and she’s not about to move out of that place anytime soon. She’s a sarcastic, feisty, straightforward girl – I loved her! She’s hilarious, relatable, and did I mention sarcastic? She’s the kind of heroine I wish I could be friends with. But underneath all the sarcasm, Chloe doesn’t have much confidence in herself, and it doesn’t help that the boy she’s in love with is her sister’s long-time boyfriend, Devon.

When Chloe and Michael meet, they’re… intrigued by each other. Chloe is unlike anyone Michael’s met, and vice versa. They banter hilariously and they discover that their companionship is easy and comfortable. When Michael become’s Chloe’s personal trainer, they spend more time together and they become somewhat friends, though Michael still keeps his secret about his father. He decides to get an in to the Pattersons through Chloe instead of Kristin now, and he offers to help Chloe get Devon to notice her. Neither of them expected that their friendship could turn into something more.

And somewhere from the vicinity of my chest, the truth sneaks up on me. I know what I really mean is I like you like this. I like you so much more than I should.

I loved the dual POV between Michael and Chloe. I got to understand them so much better that way, especially Michael. He thinks so lowly of himself – he’s a bit of a tortured hero. He’s been hurt and has hurt other people in the past, and he doesn’t believe he deserves a happy ending even though the girl who’s perfect for him is right in front of him. I loved the way their relationship grew in a gradual, realistic way. And the banter between them was the best! I was laughing so much throughout this book – it’s a light-hearted read with just the right amount of angst. I highly recommend it!

With Chloe, it’s easy to forget that I’m nobody.
Because she makes me feel like somebody.

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

Reading Order: Redemption series

#0.5 ~ Isn’t She Lovely: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ Broken: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Crushed: Ebook • Goodreads

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