Early Review: From This Day Forward by Lauren Layne

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

From This Day Forward by Lauren Layne
Series: The Wedding Belles #0.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 6th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in this prequel to USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.

Up-and-coming wedding photographer Leah McHale’s career is on the rise–thanks in no small part to the Wedding Belles, the elite New York wedding planning agency that always throws top-tier business Leah’s way. So when one of the Belles asks Leah to fill in at the former First Daughter’s wedding, Leah is overjoyed to say yes–until she finds out who she’ll be working with.

Jason Rhodes is the one man who was able to capture Leah’s heart and, once he had it, promptly stepped all over it and left her broken. Now he’s working side-by-side with her at the biggest wedding of the season and Leah is determined to give him the cold shoulder. Despite his persistence, she is not going to fall for his charming, impish ways again. Not even if he still has that killer, irresistible smile…

Wheeee!!! A brand new Lauren Layne series! And it’s about weddings, too, which honestly sounds like heaven to me. The Wedding Belles kicks off with a sweet novella, a second chance romance between wedding photographers Leah and Jason. These two are still bitter and hurt over the end of their relationship – can they overcome their differences in order to work together… and win that happily ever after they capture on camera all the time?

It was both everything she remembered, and more. Somehow it was more. More intense than it had ever been, and somehow more important, too.

Lauren Layne always writes the best contemporary romances, and even with this quick novella, I was charmed and hooked onto the story. I’m not a big fan of miscommunication being used in romances, but somehow LL made it work for Leah and Jason. I could feel their heartbreak… and the feelings that they still have for each other. The chemistry between them has never died, and when they reunite, it seems to have grown even hotter. Their romance is as sweet and it is sexy, which made for a thoroughly enjoyable, satisfying read.

“Fuck. I love you. I didn’t know it back then. I didn’t know what I was feeling, and I treated you—us—carelessly. But I know it now, Red, and I swear to God, I am not letting you go ever again. … I won’t stop chasing you, and I sure as hell won’t stop loving you.”

From This Day Forward is a charming and irresistible novella. It’s a great introduction to The Wedding Belles series, which will be about the wedding planners Leah and Jason work with. I honestly can’t wait to read more – I’m sure the series be another hit from LL!

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

Reading Order: The Wedding Belles series

#0.5 ~ From This Day Forward: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ To Have and to Hold: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ For Better or Worse: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ To Love and to Cherish: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 18, 2016)

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13May2016

Early Review: Good Girl by Lauren Layne

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Good Girl by Lauren Layne
Series: Love Unexpectedly #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 17th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Lauren Layne brings all the unpredictable heat of her USA Today bestseller Blurred Lines to an all-new cast of characters! Country music’s favorite good girl is hiding away from the world—only to find herself bunking with a guy who makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches up to them.

Lauren Layne does it again! She delivers another fun-filled, hilarious, and sweet contemporary romance with Good Girl, a new adult standalone in the Love Unexpectedly series. I seem to never be disappointed with LL’s works, which makes her an auto-buy author for me whenever I’m in the mood for something light-hearted that will make me smile. So basically, I really, really enjoyed Good Girl – it’s the perfect opposites-attract/enemies-to-lovers romance! If you love broody heroes and sassy heroines, this book is definitely for you.

Jenny Dawson is a famous country singer who’s known for her ‘America’s sweetheart’ persona, but when false accusations appear in the media claiming that Jenny is involved in a cheating scandal, her life becomes a mess. She needs to get out of town ASAP, and the perfect place happens to be in the middle of nowhere, Louisiana. Her trip to the quiet, serene countryside would be perfect… if it weren’t the annoying, broody, sexy caretaker, Noah.

You know that feeling you get sometimes? Well, okay, rarely. That feeling when you meet a stranger’s eyes and something inexplicable and intense sizzles between you?
That.
That’s what happened between me and Noah Maxwell, at least on my end.
And then . . .
And then he had to go and open his mouth. It would figure that the first guy I’m attracted to in a good long time turns out to be a total jerk. It would also figure that I’m stuck sort of living with him for the next few months.

Noah… isn’t the caretaker of the place Jenny’s staying at, but she doesn’t need to know that he’s actually the owner. Noah himself wanted a quiet place to turn to while escaping from his preppy life as Preston Noah Maxwell Walcott, but everything’s disrupted when a gorgeous country singer and her annoying Pomeranian arrive at the estate. To say that Noah and Jenny don’t get along is an understatement – they get off on the wrong foot from the first second they meet, and it all goes downhill from there. But the delicious tension between builds as they trade insults and banter, and who can resist when the two are stuck together on an estate with no one around for miles?

This girl is like crack to me. Sweet, addicting, and fucking dangerous.

I read some earlier reviews and knew going into Good Girl that Noah wouldn’t exactly be the greatest hero ever. He’s a jerk, in fact. He does asshole things, says cruel words – but never did I think that the things he did go too far or should never be forgiven. Jenny, thankfully, isn’t a doormat, but neither is she petty, which I admired. Somehow, LL wrote these two characters in a way that just worked for me. The gradual build-up of their feelings and the romance felt genuine and I really connected with it. And by the end, any lingering anger or frustration I had towards Noah were gone, and I was giddy and smiling at how things wrapped up. This book might not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed LL’s take on an enemies-to-lovers theme.

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

Reading Order: Love Unexpectedly series

#1 ~ Blurred Lines: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Good Girl: Ebook • Goodreads (May 17, 2016)

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9May2016

Review Tour + Giveaway: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the review tour for The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 17th 2016

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a riveting new story about friendship, survival, and finding your voice.

For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Hardcover • Audible • B&N • iTunes • Kobo • IndieBound

Register your preorder of THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by May 20^th to receive a FREE fan pack! Includes inspirational wall art, a colorful poster, and flag-as-you-read stickers. You will also get immediate access to an extended excerpt from the book.

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JLA is just one of those authors whose books you can’t help but enjoy. The Problem with Forever is the first of her contemporary YAs that I’ve read (I usually read her NA or fantasy books), but it was just as fantastic as I expected, if a little different from what I usually read from her. Besides the gorgeous cover, what really attracted me to this was the intriguing blurb – the fact that the main characters are long-lost friends who bonded over tragic circumstances. Mallory and Rider’s story turned out to be gripping and intense – from the very first page, I couldn’t put it down!

As a foster child, Mallory Dodge grew up in an abusive home, but the one person who was always there for her, who promised to protect her forever, was Rider Stark, a foster kid who grew up alongside her. While Mallory was able to get out and get adopted by good people, she never knew what happen to her dear friend – until now. The last person she expects to run into during her first day of her senior year of high school is her long-lost friend, who she’s never been able to forget. And it seems like he’s never been able to forget her either.

Mallory suffers from some pretty intense anxiety, including public speaking, due to PTSD from her childhood. As a defense mechanism, she’s quiet, awkward, and struggles to speak out. I could feel how much she hated this aspect of herself, but felt so helpless to change anything about it. Her growth and development is slow and gradual, though not without struggles, but it really felt so honest and real. JLA did a wonderful job with Mallory’s character, with making her relatable and genuine. She’s the kind of heroine I easily found myself cheering for.

Life was like doing this speech. It wasn’t necessarily about the end result, but more about trying.
I could… I could get behind that.

Rider is your typical cocky, bad boy senior… except he’s not. He’s actually so much more than that. He’s loyal, headstrong, and incredibly protective of Mallory – he always was since they were younger. He’s also so supportive of her, helping her try to overcome her public speaking issues. He once again becomes Mallory’s savior… but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need saving himself. Much as Rider would like to think their traumatic past only affected Mallory, he’s so messed up inside from it that he doesn’t even realize it. My heart broke even more so for Rider than Mallory, because as Mallory grows and heals, Rider only comes to believe that he has no self worth.

Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn’t exist.

This book… it’s painful and heartbreaking to read, but the changes Mallory and Rider make are nothing short of awe-inspiring. The inner strength within these two is a powerful thing to witness, made all the more sweeter after the tragedy and struggles they’ve overcome. I also loved all the secondary characters and how important and influential they are in Mallory and Rider’s lives, from Mallory’s adoptive parents to her best friend, from their speech teacher to Rider’s adoptive brothers. They all have an impact on the story and the main characters, which made this book feel all the more real to me.

The Problem with Forever is a raw and powerful read, and it’s one everyone should give a try. If you love JLA, get ready for an intense, highly emotional read – it’s a fantastic YA contemp you won’t regret reading!

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

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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2May2016

Early Review: Never Let Me Go by Monica Murphy

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Never Let Me Go by Monica Murphy
Series: Never Tear Us Apart #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 3rd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The second novel in this darkly sexy contemporary series from bestselling author Monica Murphy wraps up an emotionally powerful two-part tale of forbidden love.

The truth hurts, they say—and my pain cuts deep. While I was falling for Ethan, he was deceiving me the entire time. He held a huge secret, protected by his lies. When I discovered what he was hiding, the truth shook my world, threatening to ruin us forever. Ruin me. But I soon realized that what we share can’t be destroyed.

The connection between us is too strong. It always has been. I can’t deny him any longer. And I can’t deny my truth: I’m in love with Ethan.

I don’t want to let him go.

While we’re trying our best to make this relationship work, other forces are fighting against us. My family, who wants to keep me safe. The media obsessed with my tragic past. The public that feeds off of it. Even Ethan’s father—the man who nearly destroyed me all those years ago. He’s doing his best to finish the job.

Despite my love for Ethan, the doubts creep in, clouding my mind. Is he worth the pain? Will our love survive, or will we have no choice but to end it—end us—once and for all?

Never Let You Go was a highly anticipated release of mine – I was dying to read this book after the cliffhanger in Never Tear Us Apart!! Never Tear Us Apart (my review here) was a heart-pounding, intense, unique read, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Unfortunately, I didn’t love it as much as the first book. I liked seeing how Katie and Ethan ended up, but overall, Never Let You Go was just an okay read. Monica Murphy’s writing is wonderful as usual, but the story just didn’t grip me like the first book did.

Katie finally knows the truth of who Ethan is – and with this betrayal of trust, she wants nothing to do with him. Ethan, on the other hand, only wants Katie to be happy, and though he’d rather her be happy with him, he’s backed off to give her time to herself. There’s a lot of this back-and-forth for Katie – one moment, she needs him, the next she’s pushing him away. I was amazed at the patience in Ethan, but I did get a little frustrated at this because the story didn’t move forward fast enough. Still, whenever Ethan and Katie are together, they’re so sweet and wonderful. If this book had nothing but their romance, I would’ve loved it so much more!

Being with Katie makes me feel complete. Whole. Comfortable in my own skin, when I’ve moved through my life uncomfortable as hell with just about everything I’ve ever done.

Tragic events put these two characters together at a young age, but it seems like the present is trying to tear them apart. The media won’t stop hounding Katie and Ethan, and they’re even accusing Ethan of being a part of Katie’s kidnapping, rather than being her savior. This part of book was a little too dramatic for my taste. The media is overwhelming at times, and it seemed to overshadow the main characters and their relationship. I wanted a little less of it, but I understand how the author wanted to use the media in conjunction with Ethan and Katie overcoming their past.

Still, even with my annoyances with the book, I really did enjoy seeing how Katie and Ethan’s relationship turned out. I was rooting for them from the very first book, so I was happy with the events in this conclusion. If you liked Never Tear Us Apart, hopefully you’ll enjoy this sequel! The romance is slow and sweet, but everything else is just a little mediocre compared to the first book.

The boy of my past. The man of my future. The one I can never, ever let go.

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

Reading Order: Never Tear Us Apart series

#1 ~ Never Year Us Apart: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Never Let Me Go: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (May 3, 2016)

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25Apr2016

Early Review: The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Wedding Pact by Katee Robert
Series: The O’Malleys #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert continues her smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys-wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets.

Carrigan O’Malley has always known her arranged marriage would be more about power and prestige than passion. But after one taste of the hard-bodied, whiskey-voiced James Halloran, she’s ruined for anyone else. Too bad James and his family are enemy number 1.

Hallorans vs. O’Malleys-that’s how it’s always been. James should be thinking more about how to expand his family’s empire instead of how silky Carrigan’s skin is against his and how he can next get her into his bed. Those are dangerous thoughts. But not nearly as dangerous as he’ll be if he can’t get what he wants: Carrigan by his side for the rest of their lives.

If you love forbidden romances and a well-written mafia story, The Wedding Pact should definitely be on your radar. It’s the second book in the O’Malleys series, though it can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the first book, and the little teaser in The Marriage Contract for Carrigan and James’ book had me so excited for this sequel! While I liked The Wedding Pact, it was a bit too slow and long-winded for me to fully love it like I wanted to. Still! If you loved The Marriage Contract, I have no doubt you’ll love The Wedding Pact too.

The O’Malleys and the Hallorans are two of three prominent mafia families in Boston, so for Carrigan O’Malley and James Halloran to be anything but enemies is unthinkable. Carrigan is forced to choose a man to marry for the good of her family, while James is trying to step up as the leader of the Hallorans since his older brother’s death. These two star-crossed lovers couldn’t be on more different paths, but try as they might to stay on opposing sides of a brewing war, they always manage to somehow find their way back to each other.

Carrigan was the calm in the middle of the hurricane that was his life. It didn’t make a damn bit of sense because half the time she drove him up the wall, but the second her hand slipped into his, the tightness in his chest loosened, just a little, and he could breathe again.

The Wedding Pact is a great enemies-to-lovers romance. The connection and chemistry between James and Carrigan is fierce, and the forbidden aspect of their relationship makes things even hotter. They keep their relationship a secret from their families, but when it’s just the two of them, they can’t deny their growing feelings for each other. I really enjoyed James and Carrigan’s romance – so much so that I wish there had been less of the mafia plot, which I felt overshadowed the romance too much at times.

“You’re strong and you don’t need a man to lean on.” He cupped her face. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t lean on my. It has nothing to do with need and everything to do with me wanting to be the man who’s by your side every step of the way. Your man, Carrigan O’Malley.”

Katee Robert has written a suspenseful, sexy story in The Wedding Pact. She takes us deep into the mafia world of Boston, and even though I found it a little tedious sometimes, if you love highly detailed mafia stories, this shouldn’t be a problem for you. I loved the sweet ending, and I’m super excited about the setup for the next book. I’m eagerly awaiting Cillian O’Malley’s story next!

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

Reading Order: The O’Malleys series

#1 ~ The Marriage Contract: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Wedding Pact: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (April 26, 2016)
#3 ~ An Indecent Proposal: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Aug. 30, 2016)

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