ARC Review: Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams…

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her…and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River’s body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time…

I’ve said it a million times already, but Tessa Bailey truly never disappoints. She’s one of my favorite authors, so to say I was excited for Thrown Down is an understatement. A second chance romance, written by her? Pure heaven for me. This book is the second in the Made in Jersey series, but can be read completely as a standalone. I adored River and Vaughn and their heartwarming second chance at love. These two, plus their sweet daughter, were perfect together! If you love second chance romances with lots of sweetness and tons of dirty talk *grins*, Thrown Down is a must read!

“I don’t need a hero. I’m my own her now… and I’m trying to be one for Marcy.”

River Purcell has been working her butt off the past few years as a single mom to provide for her and her daughter. She’s tough and hard-working, a heroine I admired. The love of her life, her high school sweetheart, and Marcy’s father, left River without knowing that he got her pregnant. Vaughn dropped off the face of the earth after that, so River had no clue how to get in contact with him. Now, four years later, Vaughn is back – and ready to be the man and father River and Marcy deserve.

Maybe he’d never earn back that pure, perfect trust. But even a sliver of that former belief she’d had in him? Fuck, it would make life worth living. To have that trust from his child, too, would be the stuff of dreams. Dreams he’d never been aware of having. Until now. And after so much time devoid of feeling, that hope was addictive.

Vaughn tore his heart out when he broke things off with River for her own good. He never really believed he was good enough for her – he was the bad boy to her good girl back in high school – but now, he’s desperate to make things right. I was a bit worried about how I’d feel about Vaughn leaving River without looking back, but getting to know him in Thrown Down puts him in a much better perspective. Plus, the fact that he was faithful and loyal to the love of his life every day they were separated certainly helped make me fall in love with him. He’s a tortured, angsty character with a filthy mouth – another Tessa Bailey possessive alpha-male winner!

“So I’m telling you now, I’m not leaving. Give me a chance to meet her, then watch me show up every day afterward, even if you turn me away. I’ll show up and take my beating like a man, day in and day out. But you better get used to me, doll. I’m not budging.”

This book is the perfect balance between raw, angsty emotion and heartwarming goodness. I loved that River made Vaughn work hard to win back her love, and I adored the way he was with his daughter. I really wish there were more scenes with Vaughn and Marcy together – and that it was a longer book overall! I really wasn’t ready to let go of River, Vaughn, and Marcy.

If you love Tessa Bailey, you’ll no doubt enjoy Thrown Down. It has what you’d expect from this wonderful author – fantastic characters to root for, an emotional romance that tugs at your heart, and plenty of dirty talk from our filthy, obsessed hero. Right now, I’m dying for the next book in the Made in Jersey series – I don’t really care who it’s about (I hope it’s Duke) but since it’s Tessa, it’s up high on my wishlist!

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

Reading Order: Made in Jersey series

#1 ~ Crashed Out: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Rough Rhythm: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Thrown Down: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Worked Up: Goodreads (Aug. 2016)

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12Feb2016

Early Review: Taking the Score by Kate Meader

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Taking the Score by Kate Meader
Series: Tall, Dark, and Texan #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 15th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

His office temptation is now his full-blown fantasy…

Paying down her sister’s debts has left personal assistant Emma Strickland with little more than the thrift store suit on her back. And as if the suckfest couldn’t get worse, she’s forced to get a second job as a waitress to support herself and her cat. At a strip club. Her uptight, sexy-as-hell boss Brody Kane can never find out.

Texas property tycoon Brody Kane hired Emma for her spreadsheet skills, but her prim and proper demeanor sealed the deal. There’s no room in his life for a sexy distraction…and yet, he can’t stop lusting after the delicious Ms. Strickland.

But then he takes an important client to a Chicago strip club and gets the worst lap dance in adult entertainment history. From Emma.

Now that he knows his office good girl has a naughty streak, Brody makes it his mission to uncover her secrets, one illicit, over-the-desk encounter at a time. But Emma is hiding more than her side job, and her final secret could end up destroying them both.

I’ve only read one other book by Kate Meader, but I freaking LOVED it (and the alpha male) so I was excited to read another book by her! Plus, this is an office romance between a boss and his assistant, a trope I adore, so Taking the Score is pretty much just pure fun and sexiness. If you love your books hot and filled with chemistry, with a dash of humor, you need to get your hands on this book! Brody and Emma rocked my socks off in Taking the Score.

He had always enjoyed puzzles, working things out, moving pieces around until it made sense. Ms. Strickland did not make sense.
He would learn her.

Brody Kane has been having fantasies about his prim and proper assistant, despite the fact that she never wears form-fitting clothes or even offers a hint of desire back to him. So to say Brody is shocked to see Emma working at a strip club where he’s entertaining a client… well, it’s an understatement, to say the least. Never has he seen her so sexy and revealing, and all he wants to do is unveil every part of her, starting with her clothes.

Emma Strickland has taken on her sister’s debt and is paying it off at a strip club, where it just so happens she gets found out by her boss. As embarrassing at is it, this is also the one time where she can show who she really is to Brody and act on the craving she’s had for him for months. But the last thing she expects is for their sexual relationship to continue, and for her heart to start falling for her gorgeous, rich boss.

“You won’t way it, then I’ll say it for you.” He slammed into her. “Me inside you. This is the truth, your truth. Not what you were before.” He withdrew and stroked again. Long, thick, consuming. His mouth, set to torture, claimed hers and destroyed every last barrier. “It’s this honesty you show me when I’m inside you. Nothing else matters. Just this.”

I loved Brody and Emma. These two are fantastic, unique characters, even if the boss/assistant trope is clichéd. They have some wicked sexy banter and Brody has the dirtiest mouth on him. Kate Meader knows how to write alpha-males, but what I loved most about Brody was his nerdiness. He’s a bonafide glasses-wearing, Star Wars-loving, Doctor Who geek, and I LOVED IT!! I just don’t read enough sexy nerdy heroes, so Brody is such a refreshing change. And Emma herself is a head-strong, intelligent, independent woman. She doesn’t let Brody and his slightly overbearing ways run all over her, and instead gives as good as she gets. The two of them make a wonderful couple that I enjoyed reading about so much.

Taking the Score is the perfect read if you’re in the mood for something light-hearted yet crazy steamy. I had so much fun reading this quick, sexy book, and I’m definitely looking forward to more in the series.

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

Reading Order: Tall, Dark, and Texan series

#1 ~ Even the Score: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Taking the Score: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ One Week to Score: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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25Jan2016

Release Day Review: Hallowed Ground by Rebecca Yarros

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Hallowed Ground by Rebecca Yarros
Series: Flight & Glory #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

There are some debts you can’t repay…

Josh Walker is loyal, reckless, and every girl’s dream. But he only has eyes for December Howard, the girl he has yearned for since his high school hockey days. Together they have survived grief, the military, distance, and time as they’ve fought for stolen weekends between his post at Ft. Rucker and her schooling at Vanderbilt. Now that Josh is a medevac pilot and Ember is headed toward graduation, they’re moving on—and in—together.

Ember never wanted the Army life, but loving Josh means accepting whatever the army dictates—even when that means saying goodbye as Josh heads to Afghanistan, a country that nearly killed him once before and that took her father. But filling their last days together with love, passion, and plans for their future doesn’t temper Ember’s fear, and if there’s one thing she’s learned from her father’s death, it’s that there are some obstacles even love can’t conquer.

Flight school is over.

This is war.

I had no idea it was possible to fall even more in love with Josh and Ember from Full Measures, but Rebecca Yarros proved me wrong. Full Measures was one of my favorite reads of last year – I fell so hard for Josh and Ember’s story! So when I heard they would be getting another book, I jumped at the chance to read it. I mean, how could I turn down more Josh Walker? And now, after reading Hallowed Ground, I love them even more than I did in Full Measures. Through the trials, the heartache, the deployments, a war, they’ve come out on top and stronger than ever. This book was incredibly emotional – I nearly cried about 3 times, and I rarely ever cry for books. There were so many ups and downs, but overall it was a beautiful, fantastic follow-up and conclusion to Josh and Ember’s story.

Here was my salvation.
December was my saving grace.

Hallowed Ground is book 4 in the Flight & Glory series, but you only need to read the first book, Full Measures, to first be introduced to Josh and Ember. Still, I highly recommend reading the series in order so you get the full effect of each of the characters’ appearances in Hallowed Ground. If you’re a fan of Ember and Josh, Paisley and Jagger, and Sam and Grayson, then you absolutely need to read this final book.

“You are my dream now, December Howard. You are everything to me. My heart beats for you, my soul is only whole when you’re near. You’re my home, my shelter, my wildest fantasy, and I cannot imagine a future where you’re not mine, because I’m yours in every sense of the word.”

I don’t want to give anything away in the book, because when you read it, you need to experience everything first-hand. Rebecca Yarros has a brilliant talent at writing and bringing emotion to life through her words, and after every book I read from her, I only become a bigger fan. Her words pack a punch, and hands down, Hallowed Ground was the most difficult to read. This book hurt – it very much ripped my heart with all the emotional, gut-wrenching scenes between Josh and Ember. You get frustrated, you laugh, you want to cry… you seriously feel a whole spectrum of emotions. But I promise, everything – all the heartache, the ups and downs – will be worth it in the end. The epilogue seriously left me with a smile on my face and I couldn’t be happier with the way things ended for Josh and Ember.

“You are a flesh-and-bone wet dream, and you owned me the first fucking moment my mouth touched yours.”

I am so, so happy I decided to read Full Measures last year. If I didn’t, I would’ve been missing out on one fantastic, beautifully-written series. Josh is still one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends, and I can only hope for many more from Rebecca Yarros. As sad as I am to see the Flight & Glory series end, I’m so excited to see what’s next from the author!

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

Reading Order: Flight & Glory series

#1 ~ Full Measures: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Eyes Turned Skyward: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beyond What is Given: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hallowed Ground: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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25Jan2016

Release Day Review: Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Boiling Point by Tessa Bailey
Series: Crossing the Line #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Falling for a con man is the most dangerous game of all…

Con artist Austin Shaw’s been in disguise so long he’s not sure where his fake identities end and he begins. Now that he’s been strong-armed into working for a specialized undercover unit working with the Chicago police—criminals with unique “skills”—the last thing he needs is to risk his iron control. Especially when it comes to a certain stunningly sexy hacker who tempts him with every look of disdain.

Polly Banks will never, ever trust a con man. On the trail of a ruthless crook who destroyed the only family she’s ever known, Polly is unnerved by the shadow who follows her every move. The one who makes her pulse pound and breath short with lust. Austin. He’s infuriating, enigmatic, and pure sex appeal, and she’s determined to resist him.

But an untrustworthy man of disguise can become anyone he wants…including a man that Polly must trust if she’s to escape their dangerous game alive.

If you know me, then you know I love Tessa Bailey’s books, dirty-talking heroes and all. I love how each one of her men is completely besotted with his woman, how his alpha and protective instincts come alive around her. So of course I had high expectations for Boiling Point, especially since I loved the previous two books in the series, and Tessa didn’t disappoint! This read is another winner, full of steam, dirty talk, and suspense. I absolutely loved the way Austin and Polly were together – if you love books with fiery-hot chemistry between the main characters, you’ll want to pick this book up.

Goddammit, he’d never felt an ounce of possessiveness over another human being in his thirty-one years. But just then, he wanted more than anything to walk up behind Polly, wrap an arm around her hips, and drag her back against his lap. Look those tossers right in the eye as he licked up the side of her smooth neck. Mine, you pathetic drunks. You wouldn’t last a minute up against the brilliance of how she thinks. How she reasons and makes decisions. Piss. Right. Off.

While Boiling Point can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series in order. Each book leads up to the next, and you get a fuller understanding of the backgrounds of the characters. We first meet Polly, a hacker, and Austin, a con man, at the end of Risking It All, get to know them a little better in Up in Smoke and now we finally get their story in Boiling Point. To avoid going to jail, Polly and Austin have been recruited by the Chicago police along with several other interesting individuals to use the skills they’ve illegally honed to catch criminals. They get off to a very antagonist start, in spite of the insanely hot chemistry between them, but when they become partners for a case Polly personally wants to lead, they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.

I loved how… different Polly and Austin were. Though Polly is a computer hacker, she uses her skills in a very Robin Hood-esque way. She’s pretty aloof and cold towards Austin, angry that he evokes such passion from her, and she is very stubborn when it comes to not falling for his advances. Austin is the con man of the group but beneath the cocky exterior and various disguises and personalities hides a man desperate to be seen – by Polly. He is utterly taken with her from the start, and when she needs his help for a case, he jumps at the chance to help her… and win her heart.

“All yours. You’ve been its cruel keeper for months.” He tilted his hips, presenting himself to her in a way that should have been crude, but on Austin, it was all animal grace. “At any time at all, you could have demanded me. Sent me to my knees to lick you off with one word. Grabbed my cock through my pants in front of everyone and told them who it belonged to.” His eyelids drooped as if the scenario was an aphrodisiac. “Please yourself with me, Polly. My boy. My cock. Own it all.”

An interesting change to Tessa’s typical dirty-talking heroes is that, even while still completely alpha, Austin hands over the reins to Polly when it comes to sex between them. I loved this exchange in control that allows Polly to trust in Austin and deepen the connection between them. And holy hell, the dirty talk. I’ve read almost every single one of Tessa Bailey’s books, but even Austin’s filthy mouth stunned me (and totally turned me on).

I loved Boiling Point – maybe not as much as Risking It All (because Bowen will forever be my all-time favorite hero), but this is still a fantastic, sexy, entertaining read that fans of the author don’t want to miss. I loved getting to see the previous couples in the series, but there’s also an introduction of a new character who will be the hero of the next Crossing the Line book. We get a little background on him, and to say I’m excited for Henrik’s story is an understatement. I can’t wait to see what Tessa has in store for Raw Redemption!

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

Reading Order: Crossing the Line series

#0.5 ~ Riskier Business: Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ Risking it All: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Up in Smoke: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Boiling Point: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Raw Redemption: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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7Dec2015

Release Day Review: Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

His inspiration. His torment. And his temptation…

Jasmine Taveras is the reason Sarge Purcell grabbed his six-string and bailed the hell out of New Jersey four years ago. She’s the fuel for every song he’s ever written-each one laced with bitter, hard-edged, hungry lust. Now, with his hugely successful band on temporary hiatus, Sarge is determined to prove to Jasmine that this “kid” turned into every inch the man she’s always needed…

Men are slim pickings for a single factory girl in Hook, New Jersey…until tall, broad-shouldered hotness walks-or rather storms-into Jasmine’s life. Sarge’s return shouldn’t affect her this way. He’s her best friend’s much younger kid brother, and the kind of rough, gritty, sexiness Jasmine has no right to taste for herself. Even if he lets her.

But lust is a blinding, insatiable force. And when it crashes, it will take both Sarge and Jasmine down with it…

Hooooly god. I think… this is the hottest book of Tessa Bailey’s yet (and if you’ve read her books, you know this is saying something). Gah, I loved Crashed Out so much! Tessa never ceases to amaze me, but this book blew me away. Hands down, this is my new favorite Brazen book from her (I’m sorry, Derek!). I’ve been a huge fan of Tessa’s since the beginning of the year when I marathon’ed all her dirty, dirty books, and she’s become an auto-buy author for me – but she went above and beyond with Crashed Out. I loved everything about it, from the characters, to the writing, to the HOT HOT HOT sexy times. Seriously, I think this is the HOTTEST book Tessa Bailey’s ever written. So if you’re a fan of hers, you DON’T want to miss this new series.

The younger man/older woman trope isn’t a common one, so when I heard that’s what this book would be about, I jumped at the chance to read it, because I KNEW Tessa Bailey would make me love the hell out of it. Sarge has had a crush on his older sister’s best friend since the moment he met her, but he was 7 years younger and only a teenager. But now, Sarge is ALL grown up – he’s a famous rock star, and he’s come home to claim the one woman he never forgot about.

“Ride me, use me, come on me. God know I’ve used the thought of you to come for a fucking decade.”

Jasmine used to have dreams of getting out of Hook, New Jersey and pursuing a singing career, but years have passed and she’s still stuck in the small town, working in a factory with her best friend, who’s kid brother she used to babysit. But when Sarge returns, imagine her shock at how gorgeous and yummy this ‘kid brother’ has grown up to be. He’s a temptation she can’t resist, even though he’s younger and her best friend’s brother.

Tessa Bailey writes Jasmine and Sarge’s chemistry to utter perfection. Crashed Out has Tessa’s classic dirty talk (which somehow never gets old and repetitive) and crazy hot tension. The sexy times are just – WOW. I had to fan myself constantly during this read. Sarge’s mouth is downright filthy, and I freaking loved it. I loved how determined he is to show Jasmine that he’s not a kid anymore, and the fact that he’s younger only made everything hotter and slightly forbidden.

“I might be younger, but I’m not young. I’m a man and I’m fucking you blind. I’m your man. Say it.”

Crashed Out is a fantastic series starter from Tessa Bailey – I honestly couldn’t stop smiling and blushing while I was reading! I’ve become completely obsessed with Sarge and Jasmine’s story, and though I wish it never ended, I seriously can’t WAIT for more from the other characters. I have a feeling I’ll love the Made in Jersey series as much as, if not more than, the Line of Duty series. If you love your books dirty, then you absolutely NEED to get your hands on Crashed Out (or basically any Tessa Bailey book)!

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