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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4Jan2016

Early Review: What You Need by Lorelei James

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

What You Need by Lorelei James
Series: Need You #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Lund name is synonymous with wealth and power in Minneapolis–St. Paul. But the four Lund siblings will each discover true love takes a course of its own. . . .

As the CFO of Lund Industries, Brady Lund is the poster child for responsibility. But eighty-hour work weeks leave him little time for a life. His brothers stage an intervention and drag him to a seedy nightclub . . . where he sees her: the buttoned-up blonde from the office who’s starred in his fantasies for months.

Lennox Greene is a woman with a rebellious past, which she conceals beneath her conservative clothes. She knows flirting with her boss during working hours is a bad idea. So when Brady shows up at her favorite dive bar and catches her cutting loose, she throws caution aside and dares him to do the same.

After sparks fly, Brady finds that keeping his hands off Lennox during office hours is harder than expected. Though she makes him feel alive for the first time in years, a part of him wonders if she’s just using him to get ahead. And Lennox must figure out whether Brady wants her for the accomplished woman she is—or the bad girl she was.

This is actually the first book I’ve read by Lorelei James, and it was so much fun to read. It’s a sweet contemporary romance with unique characters and little drama. I really enjoyed Brady and Lennox’s characters – Brady isn’t the typical millionaire hero, as he’s a little shy and awkward and has no social life, and Lennox is a woman with a wild past she’s trying to hide at her respectable job. Their romance is light and sweet, with just the right amount of intensity and sensuality to make for an incredibly satisfying read.

As CFO of Lund Industries, Brady Lund lives and breathes his job. He has zero social life, which his family has noticed and taken upon themselves to fix. They drag him out to a club, where it just so happens that the gorgeous blonde from the office that he’s had crush on for months is there too. So Brady finally decides to live a life other than his job, and he wants to start with Lennox.

Lennox Greene is shedding her wild-child past, and her job at Lund Industries is the beginning of her new life. But even though she can hide her tattoos under her clothes and take out her piercings, she can’t hide who she really is from Brady. With Brady, she can be her true self and deal with the baggage of her past. Falling for the millionaire CFO isn’t difficult, especially when the only time she comes alive is around him.

Brady curled his hand around the side of my face, his gaze firmly on the left side of my mouth. Then his thumb slid over to stroke my bottom lip. “This lip ring . . . Christ, do you have any idea how much I want to suck on it?”
The sexy way he growled that sent slow, delicious heat unfurling in my belly.
“Before the end of the day, Lennox, I’ll know what that metal feels like on my tongue.”

The steam in What You Need wasn’t crazy hot like I expected, but there was still a good amount to leave me satisfied. I adored how Brady is sexy-as-hell, and yet still a little awkward around Lennox. He’s definitely not a smooth playboy, which was something I appreciated. I’m a big fan of romances with rich heroes, but it’s a nice change to read about one who doesn’t have a revolving door of women.

If you love office romances, you’ll want to check this book out. Lennox and Brady are utterly sweet together, and I enjoyed the way their romance played out. This book is also so funny – mainly because of Brady’s family, and I’m hoping all of them will get books of their own! What You Need is a great start to a new series with the potential to become even better. I’m excited to read more from Lorelei James!

“I want more of you.”
“You have all of me.” I’d never said that to another man in my life and the fact I’d said it without conscious thought scared me a little.

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

Reading Order: Need You series

#1 ~ What You Need: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Just What I Needed: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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27Dec2015

Early Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

First Touch by Laurelin Paige
Series: First and Last #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 29th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven’t spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what’s more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she’s drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she’s forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

First Touch messed. with. my. mind. You know how sometimes you read a book and you have no idea HOW the author comes up with the things they write? That was the way I felt as I was reading this book. Laurelin Paige has written a thrilling, addicting, suspenseful novel that I couldn’t put down. It’s unpredictable. Disturbing. Unique. Absolutely fascinating. It’s the kind of book that made my heart AND mind race. I still can’t wrap my head around Emily’s story, but I loved it!

“The problem with men who are actually a threat, though, Emily, is that you don’t ever find out how unsafe they are until it’s too late.”

Emily and Amber were best friends who lived quite the unconventional and disturbing life. But they split ways years ago, and Emily hasn’t heard from Amber since – until now. When Emily receives a voicemail and hears Amber saying their safe code, Emily knows her former best friend is in danger. Amber could be alive or dead, but either way, Emily does whatever she can to find out what happened to her. And the main suspect in Emily’s investigation is the enigmatic, playboy billionaire Reeve Sallis.

I’d do whatever it took to find the truth and get it away from this man. This man who was very much the flame to my moth. Already I feared that finding answers wouldn’t be enough to sever his pull on me.

Reeve, quite frankly, scares the shit out of me. This man is a psycho and a sex god – I loved him and hated him equally. He is dark, powerful, dangerous, alpha, and controlling. Emily sets out to seduce the answers out of him, but she has no idea that she’ll be seduced – consumed – instead. The visceral connection between the two of them is erotic and the chemistry powerful, but when their whole relationship is built on lies and secrets, can they actually have a life together? Or will those secrets and lies – Amber – tear them apart?

Distraction. Comfort. Reason. Preoccupation. He was the source of everything I needed now. The path to closure, an asylum for pain, a place to find truth, a place to hide.
For good or bad, all roads led back to him. Perhaps that what it meant to really be his.

What’s fascinating about these two characters is that they are both master manipulators. So even as I was rooting for Emily and Reeve, I was also biting my nails, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Laurelin Paige did a fantastic job with the suspense in First Touch, because I honestly couldn’t predict anything in this book. I was on the edge of my seat, scared and excited to see what was going to happen next. Everything is just so intense in this novel – the story, the characters, the writing. And that ending! God, I’m dying for the sequel now, because that ending has left me hanging and so ready for more.

This is my first Laurelin Paige book, but I know it will not be my last. If you love books with erotic mystery and suspense, I highly recommend First Touch. It’s going to twist your mind and you won’t be able to put it down!

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

Reading Order: First and Last series

#1 ~ First Touch: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Last Kiss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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30Nov2015

Early Review: Forgetting August by J.L. Berg

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Forgetting August by J.L. Berg
Series: Lost & Found #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 1st 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

She can forgive, but can she forget?

Some days, Everly still thinks she sees him. In the food court at the mall, or in a car speeding past as the light changes. It only lasts a second, but when it happens, she slips back to a time when she was ruled-and nearly ruined-by August Kincaid. And it doesn’t matter that she’s moved on, that she’s about to marry another man. In those moments the only thing she can do to regain control is take a deep breath and remind herself that August can’t hurt her-because he’s in a coma. Except that he’s not anymore.

August is awake. With no memories, he sets out to solve the mystery of his lost life. He unearths a photograph of a beautiful redhead named Everly and knows instinctively that she’s the key. But when he finds her, the August she describes is more monster than man.

Tortured by the thought of having hurt her, August wants only to become the man Everly deserves. As the new August emerges, Everly glimpses the person she first fell in love with. But can she trust that this August is real? When the final secret of their shared past is revealed, one of them will make a choice that changes their future forever . . .

Could the heart remember what the mind couldn’t?

The second I read the blurb for Forgetting August, I knew I HAD to read it. It’s such a compelling, intriguing blurb, right!? I had so many questions going into Forgetting August, and while some of them are answered by the end, I’m still desperate to know the rest. I really enjoyed this book – while I didn’t quite love it like I wanted to, it’s a unique, intriguing read that I couldn’t put down. I had some problems with it, but overall, Forgetting August is suspenseful and gorgeously written, with a fascinating love story that I’m still not quite sure what to make of.

August Kincaid has woken up from a two-year coma with no recollection of who he is. He has no memories of his past… a past that Everly Adams can’t seem to escape from. She’s haunted by her memories of August – he was her first love, but over the years they were together, that love turned into something bitter and toxic. August went from sweet and loving to controlling and manipulative – and his coma was the one thing that gave Everly the freedom to get away from his emotional abuse.

Now, Everly is in love with and engaged to a kind-hearted man who is the total opposite of everything August was at the end of his and Everly’s relationship. But when she finds out that August is awake, her life is once again thrown into emotional turmoil. Can she reconcile the post-coma August who wants to make amends for the person he doesn’t remember being, with the past-August who very nearly ruined her life? And can she forgive a man who doesn’t remember what he did to her?

How my former self had neglected such a precious treasure, I’d never understand. But now that I had a second chance, I’d give everything to right my wrongs.
Even if I didn’t remember them.

I really felt for August and Everly. August is confused and utterly lost after he wakes from his coma, but the one thing he knows is that Everly was – and is – important to him. With Everly’s reluctant help, he navigates through his past, trying to piece together his missing past, and as they spend more time together, the love between them that never disappeared grows once again.

Love should be simple.
Life may be difficult, but loving someone…whether it’s right or wrong, that should be the easy part.
And loving August had always been as easy as breathing.

I was in as much emotional turmoil as Everly was as I read this book. Should Everly trust in August again, only for him to turn back into the controlling man she hated? Would she be able to survive it if he did? What would happen between her and her fiancé, Ryan? I completely understood Everly’s dilemma with August, but her back-and-forth with the two men got a little repetitive and I felt pretty bad for Ryan. I wouldn’t really consider this book one with a love triangle, since it’s pretty clear who Everly is meant to be with, so for those of you who don’t like love triangles, I’d still recommend this book.

I would’ve given Forgetting August 4 stars but… I guess it was a little less dramatic and angsty than I’d hoped. Other than the ‘OMG what’s going to happen next’ suspenseful feeling I had throughout the book, I didn’t really feel anything else. I liked Everly and August and sympathized with them, I didn’t really feel an emotional connection with them. Still, Forgetting August is an entertaining book with plenty of twists and turns that keep you hooked and wanting more. The writing is absolutely amazing – this is the first book I’ve read from J.L. Berg and I really need to read more! Right now, I’m so excited for the sequel, Remembering Everly, especially after that cliffhanger in Forgetting August. I desperately need all my questions answered and I NEED to know what happens with Everly, August, and Ryan!

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

Reading Order: Lost & Found series

#1 ~ Forgetting August: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Remembering Everly: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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26Nov2015

Early Review: Calling the Play by Samantha Kane

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Calling the Play by Samantha Kane
Series: Birmingham Rebels #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 1st 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Samantha Kane’s Birmingham Rebels series—perfect for fans of Shayla Black and Lexi Blake—proves that three’s never a crowd . . . at least not for the hard-bodied football all-stars who give teamwork a sexy twist.

Quarterback Tyler Oakes plays hard and parties even harder. That reckless lifestyle nearly derailed his career, and now the Birmingham Rebels are Ty’s last shot at football immortality. But staying out of trouble can take its toll—especially for a man with a taste for girls and guys. Because curvy, gorgeous Randi McInish is just the kind of trouble he’d like to get into.

A tough-as-nails undercover cop, Randi meets her match in Ty. After they get wrapped up together in a drug bust and a high-speed car chase, Randi’s eager to take the notorious bad boy for another wild ride. Turns out Ty already has something in mind. When he introduces her to the Rebels’ sexy new quarterback coach, things start heating up a little too fast for Randi.

Brian Mason coached Ty in college, and boy do they have history together. With Brian taking control on the field and in the bedroom, they were an unstoppable team. But Brian, blindsided by love, ran from his feelings for Ty. He won’t let Randi make the same mistake. Both men agree they need more than each other. They want a woman they can share. And when they make a pleasure play for Randi, all three are sure to score.

The Birmingham Rebels series is one hot, kinky series! Football and threesomes apparently makes for a great combo. I really enjoyed the first book, Broken Play (my review), so I was looking forward to Ty’s story ever since he was first introduced. I didn’t quite like Calling the Play as much as Broken Play, but it was still a seriously hot and fun read. If you were a fan of the first book, you should definitely give Calling the Play a try!

Tyler Oakes is the quarterback for the Birmingham Rebels and is openly bisexual. He’s quite the player, both on and off the field, but he’s been trying to change his ways since joining the Rebels. But one night, he’s caught at the wrong place and the wrong time and ends up in a car chase with an undercover cop named Randi… who he can’t get out of his mind. The two of them jump straight into bed, the chemistry on fire between them, but neither of them expect more, until night after night, they keep coming back for each other.

Randi is one awesome, badass cop. She’s fierce, brutally honest, and has zero filter. I loved her character! She’s definitely my favorite in this book. She’s hilarious and dirty, but she’s also got a good heart. So when Brian Mason (‘the one who got away’) comes back into Ty’s life to try to win him back, Randi bows out of the game, despite her growing feelings for Ty. But both Brian and Ty realize how much they both want Randi, and now they have to prove to her that they’re there to stay.

I liked Ty, but Brian I had a hard time connecting with. I believed in the love between them, but the love between Randi and Brian was too rushed and didn’t feel real. The whole book takes place over the course of a week or so, so the romance grew super fast and was pretty unbelievable. But as individual characters, I liked that each of them had flaws and vulnerabilities, despite how they appeared to everyone else on the outside.

If you’re a fan of menages and kinky books, you should definitely check out this series. It is HOT and dirty, and so much fun to read. The romance might be a little unbelievable, but you’ll still have a fantastic time with the smuttiness.

Reading Order: Birmingham Rebels series

#1 ~ Broken Play: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Calling the Play: Ebook • Goodreads (Dec. 1, 2015)

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