Release Day Review: Sin & Suffer by Pepper Winters

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Sin & Suffer by Pepper Winters
Series: Pure Corruption MC #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 26th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“Some say the past is in the past. That vengeance will hurt both innocent and guilty. I never believed those lies. Once my lust for revenge is sated, I’ll say goodbye to hatred. I’ll find a new beginning.”

She came from a past Arthur “Kill” Killian never forgot. She made him sin and made him suffer. She tugged him from the shadows and showed him he wasn’t as dead as he thought. And with her resurrection came betrayal, deceit, and war.

But then they took her. Stole her. Imprisoned her.

Now Kill’s carefully laid plans for vengeance are complete. He craves action, retribution-the blood of his enemies. War has begun. War is all they’ll know until they’ve paid their penance. He will get her back-and rewrite their destiny . . .

I’d been dying to read Sin & Suffer ever since that cliffhanger in Ruin & Rule! I had pretty high expectations for this sequel, since I absolutely loved the first book and fell head over heels for Cleo and Arthur’s story. While Pepper Winters took me in a completely different direction than I expected with Sin & Suffer, I still really enjoyed it. There’s plenty of action, tons of steam, and the beautiful romance is as intense as ever. If you were a fan of Ruin & Rule, you definitely want to get your hands on Sin & Suffer to experience Cleo and Arthur’s raw and passionate ending.

“You are me. And I am you. We might have separate thoughts and minds, Buttercup, but we have the same heart and soul.”

Sin & Suffer picks up right where Ruin & Rule left off, with Cleo being taken and Arthur being attacked. As consumed as these two lovers are with each other, you know that there’s nothing Arthur won’t do to get Cleo back to safety. The highlight of this book is most definitely the gorgeous, all-consuming, dedicated love Arthur and Cleo have for each other. They’ve loved each other since they were children, lost their way for a few years, but now that they’re back together, there’s no force on earth that can keep them apart. I have to say, I loved the romance even more in Sin & Suffer than in Ruin & Rule – it’s in this book that you truly see the extent of their love for each other.

“There’s never been anyone like you. Never. You owned me since I was a boy. And you completely consume me now that I’m a man.”

Sin & Suffer surprised me by the depth of intelligence Pepper Winters has woven into the novel. It isn’t JUST a romance, and it isn’t JUST an MC book. Underneath all the layers of the story is a plan of vengeance that’s been years in the making. Arthur and his MC are fighting for something bigger than a personal revenge, something that will affect people on a much larger scale. It was quite fascinating to read, even if it did seem pretty overwhelming. Sometimes there were too many things going on at once, so I got frustrated with the story a bit. The action and suspense took away from the romance, which I really wanted more of.

“You’re my home, Cleo Price. And through life or death, I’m never letting you go.”

If you’re a fan of well-written MC romances, the Pure Corruption MC series is not to be missed. Everything about this series is addicting, intense, and unpredictable. The love story between Arthur and Cleo is truly unforgettable. Pepper Winters’ writing is also beautiful to read, almost lyrical – I honestly could read anything this woman writes. Overall, Sin & Suffer is an entertaining, worthwhile ending, and I’m so impressed with the way the author has created such a unique, intelligent read!

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

Reading Order: Pure Corruption MC series

#1 ~ Ruin & Rule: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sin & Suffer: 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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25Nov2015

Blog Tour + Review, Author Interview & Giveaway: Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt

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

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt!

Author Interview: Elizabeth Hoyt

Do you have a favorite quote/scene from the book?

“I’d rather your acid tongue than any number of sweet lies from pretty lips.”

Some authors draft meticulous outlines before starting a novel while others just sit down and start at the beginning. What’s your writing style?

Lately I’ve been writing outlines, though not so much with the meticulous.

What has been your favorite experience as a writer?

The readers, of course. Readers who come up to me at conferences and tell me about scenes in books I wrote ten years ago (and which I can’t remember very well!) Readers who post on Facebook that they read all my books and no matter how the hero is described paste Chris Helmsworth’s face over him. Readers on Goodreads who post the funniest reviews with dozens of embedded gifs. And readers on Twitter who are so excited when I post that I’ve finished a first draft. Readers are the best.

If you weren’t a novelist what career would you like to try?

President of the United States. Although I have no political background, I have never cheated on my spouse or taken money from any special interest groups. Also, I am sane. At the moment I feel this makes me more qualified than 95% of the contenders.

For readers who have never read a Maiden Lane book, what would you tell them they can expect from your stories?

Emotion. Some humor. A bit of action. Some lovely sweaty sex.

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt
Series: Maiden Lane #9 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 24th 2015

SHE’S TAKING CHARGE

 Prim, proper, and thrifty, Eve Dinwoody is all business when it comes to protecting her brother’s investment. But when she agrees to control the purse strings of London’s premier pleasure garden, Harte’s Folly, she finds herself butting heads with an infuriating scoundrel who can’t be controlled.

HE’S RUNNING THE SHOW

Bawdy and bold, Asa Makepeace doesn’t have time for a penny-pinching prude like Eve. As the garden’s larger-than-life owner, he’s already dealing with self-centered sopranos and temperamental tenors. He’s not about to let an aristocratic woman boss him around . . . no matter how enticing she is.

BUT LOVE CONQUERS ALL

In spite of her lack of theatrical experience-and her fiery clashes with Asa-Eve is determined to turn Harte’s Folly into a smashing success. But the harder she tries to manage the stubborn rake, the harder it is to ignore his seductive charm and raw magnetism. There’s no denying the smoldering fire between them-and trying to put it out would be the greatest folly of all . . .

Buy Links:
Amazon • B&N • iBooks • Google Play • Kobo • BAM

Sweetest Scoundrel is actually the first book I’ve read by Elizabeth Hoyt, but I jumped at the chance to read it because I LOVE historical romances even though I don’t read them very often, and I was looking forward to the fact that the hero isn’t an aristocrat. Thankfully, I wasn’t confused at all jumping into book 9 of the Maiden Lane series, so if you’re like me and haven’t read the series yet, this book can be read completely as a standalone.

Asa Makepeace’s whole life is his pleasure garden, which is a sort of theatre with performances, opera, and the like. He’s currently rebuilding it after it was burned down in a fire, but unfortunately it’s costing a lot of money to do so. One of his investors is the Duke of Montgomery, and the duke’s sister, Eve Dinwoody, is in charge of the money, so when she realizes that Asa’s pleasure garden is using up way more money than expected, she goes down to cut the funding for the garden. Sadly, Asa makes a less-than-grand entrance in Eve’s life – he’s naked, with a woman in his bed, and very rude to Eve. Basically, he’s a total jerk to her because he thinks she cold and stuck-up, but he tries to butter her up later when he realizes his funding is going to be cut. Eventually they agree on a deal, and as the two of them spend more time together, they realize that their first impressions of each other were wrong.

He realized suddenly, that he might have had it all wrong. Perhaps her core wasn’t bloodless after all. Perhaps under that cold exterior, that polite, aristocratic facade, there boiled a passionate woman, hiding her emotion from all the world.
And he wondered what would happen if he stripped away her exterior, tore through her frozen, refined walls and dug his finders into the molten heat at her center.

I actually really enjoyed Sweetest Scoundrel, after I warmed up to Asa, since he’s not very likable in the beginning. He’s a prick, but thankfully he quickly realizes that there’s a lot more to Eve than meets the eye. The both of them have their own traumatic pasts, which are slowly revealed as the two gain each other’s trust. As for Eve, I really adored her character – she’s scarred, innocent, lovable. She’s the kind of character that makes me want to wrap her up in a hug.

Elizabeth Hoyt knows how to write some hot chemistry! The tension between Eve and Asa is raw and palpable, and so much fun to read about. They’re drawn to one another, despite how different they are, but they can’t help that they want each other. It’s so sweet how Asa turns all protective and alpha-y when it comes to Eve – he grows to care for her so much! He’s determined to help her overcome her fears, and break out of the shell she hides in. And Eve just can’t resist Asa’s oozing sensuality.

“Lily of the valley,” he murmured. “I’ll remember that scent forever now, and whenever I smell it again I’ll think of you, Eve Dinwoody. You’ll be haunting my tomorrows evermore.”

Elizabeth Hoyt is now an author I definitely need to keep an eye out on. I loved her writing – I can’t believe I hadn’t read this series sooner! I need to start the series from the beginning now, since I enjoyed Sweetest Scoundrel so much. The main characters are endearing and lovable, and I loved how sweet their romance turned. I’d definitely recommend this book – it’s entertaining, satisfying, and seriously HOT.

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

Reading Order: Maiden Lane series

#1 ~ Wicked Intentions: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Notorious Pleasures: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Scandalous Desires: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Thief of Shadows: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Lord of Darkness: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Duke of Midnight: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Darling Beast: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Dearest Rogue: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Sweetest Scoundrel: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10 ~ Duke of Sin: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#10.5 ~ Once Upon a Moonlit Night: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#11 ~ Duke of Pleasure: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 29, 2016)
#11.5 ~ Once Upon a Christmas Eve: Ebook • Goodreads (Dec. 6, 2016)
#12 ~ Duke of Desire: Goodreads (out 2017)

Elizabeth Hoyt is the New York Times bestselling author of over seventeen lush historical romances including the Maiden Lane series. Publishers Weekly has called her writing “mesmerizing.” She also pens deliciously fun contemporary romances under the name Julia Harper. Elizabeth lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with three untrained dogs, a garden in constant need of weeding, and the long-suffering Mr. Hoyt.

The winters in Minnesota have been known to be long and cold and Elizabeth is always thrilled to receive reader mail. You can write to her at: P.O. Box 19495, Minneapolis, MN 55419 or email her at: Elizabeth@ElizabethHoyt.com.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Blog Giveaway (US only):
Paperback copy of SWEETEST SCOUNDREL by Elizabeth Hoyt

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Tour Giveaway:
10 SIGNED copies of SWEETEST SCOUNDREL by Elizabeth Hoyt

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23Nov2015

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Steal Me by Lauren Layne

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

Click the banner to follow the tour.

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Steal Me by Lauren Layne!
Check out my review for this fantastic book below, as well as a giveaway!

Steal Me by Lauren Layne
Series: New York’s Finest #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 24th 2015
Publisher: Forever

IN HOT PURSUIT

Being a cop might be in Anthony Moretti’s blood, but protecting and serving the city of New York has always been more than just the family business. If that means his love life stays locked up, well then that’s just another sacrifice made in the line of duty. That is, until he sets eyes on the gorgeous new waitress at The Darby Diner and suddenly Anthony’s morning coffee is leaving him a whole lot more hot and bothered than usual.

Though waitressing at The Darby isn’t exactly Maggie Walker’s dream job, it pays the bills and gives her time to work on her novel. Now if only she could stop fantasizing about gorgeous Anthony Moretti every time he sits down at her table, she’d really be in great shape. But when he needs her help identifying a criminal threatening The Darby—and Maggie recognizes her ex-husband—she fears her fresh start might be a pipe dream. Faster than a New York minute, Maggie and Anthony find themselves in one perilous pursuit that only gets hotter with each and every rule-breaking kiss.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo • Google Play

Is there any book Lauren Layne writes that I can’t love!? I honestly don’t think it’s possible. Every time I pick up a Lauren Layne book, I know I’m going to be entertained and satisfied. Her books are always so sweet and hilarious – and her New York’s Finest series is her funniest yet. I had high expectations after adoring the first book, Frisk Me, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Steal Me. And of course I ended up loving Steal Me just as much as, if not more than, Frisk Me. Steal Me had me laughing and swooning – if you love men in uniform (who doesn’t), this series is a must read.

He could be a cop…
…or a boyfriend.
Or was the operative word.
He couldn’t be both.

Captain Anthony Moretti’s job as a cop is his life. His family and the NYPD are his top priorities. He has no time for women, least of all Maggie Walker, a waitress who can’t do her job and annoys Anthony to no end. Anthony is usually an in-control kind of man – he’s quiet, authoritative, and a little moody… but around Maggie, he can’t stop himself from being a total jerk. He’s flustered and completely out of control around her, and he doesn’t like the way she makes him feel. The gorgeous waitress throws him off like no other.

Maggie Walker is an aspiring writer, and she’s made a fresh start in NY. She’s never truly known love in her abusive past, so she’s charmed by the Moretti family, who comes by every week to the diner she works at. Well, she’s charmed by all but Anthony, whose good looks fire her up and make her clumsy around him. But when she identifies a criminal as her ex-husband on a case Anthony is working on, the two of them are thrown together and the sparks between them fire up until eventually their chemistry can’t be ignored.

I had so much fun reading Maggie and Anthony’s story. It’s a little slow in the beginning, with Anthony reluctant to start anything with Maggie, but he can’t resist her. The two of them are so sweet together – she cracks his stubborn, uptight shell, and he supports her and her career like no one has before. Maggie shows Anthony that he’s capable of love and that he can have love in his life, but he just has to be willing to fight for it.

“You’re…”
She looked at him through hazy eyes. “Hmm.”
“Everything,” he said quietly.

Another thing I loved about Steal Me is the Moretti family. Everyone in this family is so freaking hilarious! The grandmother is probably my favorite of them all. She’s so inappropriate and blunt, I loved her. And it was great to see Ava and Luc again! The secondary characters add so much light-heartedness and giggles to the story.

Lauren Layne writes such wonderful contemporary romances. They are truly a joy to read – whenever I finish a book of hers, I’m left with a smile on my face. Each of the books in the New York’s Finest series is well-developed and you love the characters right from the start, no matter how much of a jerk they are (*cough* Anthony). If you liked the first book, you definitely need to read the second! I, for one, can’t WAIT to get my hands on Vincent and Jill’s story.

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

Reading Order: New York’s Finest series

#1 ~ Frisk Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Steal Me: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Cuff Me: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.

Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Print Set of FRISK ME & STEAL ME
$5.00 Starbucks Gift Card and a Writers Gift Set

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2Nov2015

Early Review: Untamed by S.C. Stephens

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Untamed by S.C. Stephens
Series: Thoughtless #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: November 3rd 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

#1 New York Times bestselling author S.C. Stephens brings us the next book in her Thoughtless series!

The spotlight doesn’t only shine. Sometimes it burns.

Being the bad-boy bassist for the world’s hottest band has earned Griffin Hancock some perks: a big house, a fast car, and most importantly his incredible wife, Anna. The one thing it hasn’t brought him is the spotlight. Anna tells him to be patient, that his talent will win out. But Griffin is through waiting for permission to shine.

Without warning, Griffin makes a shocking decision and takes the gamble of a lifetime. Suddenly he’s caught up in a new level of lights, cameras, and chaos. One that pushes his relationship with Anna to its limits. Anna has always found his unpredictable behavior sexy, but lately he’s seen an ache in her eyes–and it has his soul in knots. Just as the recognition Griffin seeks is finally within reach, the thing he loves most in life could be slipping through his fingers…

HOLY SHIT!!!!! I am SHOCKED, utterly shocked, at how much I loved Untamed. I can firmly say I was NOT a fan of Thoughtless (I loathed Kiera and Kellan), but I liked Griffin for the most part, so I thought I’d give his book a chance even though I hadn’t finished up the series… and I’m so glad I did. This book was so much more than I expected, so much more emotional and meaningful, and I loved it. Untamed is jam-packed with hilarity and heart-wrenching moments (I even freaking teared up at some parts, and I am NOT a crier for books), and I am just so impressed with the way Griffin is portrayed. I applaud S.C. Stephens for her wonderful storytelling and brilliant character development – especially since I almost DNF’ed this book. So if you’re like me, and feel like giving up on this – on Griffin – I promise that if you keep reading, he will surprise you in the best of ways and it will totally be worth it in the end.

Fuck being lead guitarist. I could be lead everything.

Griffin, bassist for the D-Bags, is rude, obnoxious, and from the other members’ POVs, he doesn’t really contribute to the band. He’s kind of there to always make a mess of things. And his way of thinking is just… awful. It’s practically pornographic and very, very arrogant. I almost couldn’t keep reading Untamed, Griffin was so idiotic and ridiculous. But somewhere along the way… I felt sorry for him, which I’m guessing is the author’s intention. Griffin is tired of living in the shadows of lead singer Kellan Kyle, who gets all the fame and glory. All he wants is just a little spotlight on him, but time and again, everyone refuses to give him even five minutes of it. They all have zero faith in him, and I felt so sad for how he never even gets a chance to really prove himself. My feelings about Griffin – amazingly – slowly changed from annoyance to sympathy, and he went from being a moronic character to someone with depth and issues.

I’d had it all, and now… I had nothing.

Oh, Griffin made my heart hurt. He makes a life-changing decision that not only affects him and the band, but also his pregnant wife and daughter. He’s a literal train wreck waiting to happen – actually, not even. He’s a train wreck that is HAPPENING. I wanted to reach into the pages and strangle him for the dumb, desperate decisions he makes, but when things start spiraling out of control and he starts to lose everything, I wanted to cry for him. His fall from the top hurts, and I almost couldn’t keep reading because of how my heart broke at how hard he crashes to the bottom.

“…more people care about you than you think. But… it’s like your ego is a force field… it pushes people back, instead of letting them in. You’d see the world differently if you opened yourself up to the possibility that…”
… “That what?” …
“That you’re an imperfect person… just like the rest of us.”

The best part about Griffin is definitely the way he is with his family, no matter the horrible decisions he makes. He adores his wife, daughter, and the upcoming baby, all of whom I adored as well. I don’t really remember how I felt about Anna when I read Thoughtless, but I absolutely loved her in Untamed. She’s a kickass woman, mom, and wife, and she’s the only person who endlessly supports Griffin, even when it seems like she shouldn’t. I truly enjoyed reading about her character, and I loved that she and Griffin were just perfect for each other. She’s pretty much the only woman who could handle Griffin, and for that I admire her.

I’d been handed fame on a platter and hadn’t appreciated it until it was too late.

This book is definitely eye-opening, both for Griffin and the reader. Griffin’s heart-wrenching fall from the top and his climb back up is a tumultuous journey that is truly incredible to witness. S.C. Stephen’s writing had me feeling like I was there right alongside Griffin through his ups and downs. And as emotional as this book is, it’s also pretty freaking hilarious. I laughed so much at all the insanely ridiculous, inappropriate things Griffin says and does. Also, I’ll admit, Kellan and Kiera grew on me later on in Untamed – they were pretty much the only supporters of Griffin, besides Anna. Plus, I was highly amused by how Griffin thought they were annoying.

Untamed is so worth the read. Griffin makes HUGE changes in his character as he learns to be the person his family and band deserve. I’m honestly so proud of Griffin right now after finishing this book – and I’m so impressed with the way S.C. Stephens was able to make me change my feelings towards him! The way he learns to appreciate the life he has is just beyond incredible and I’m so glad to have read his story.

“Mrs. Anna Hancock… you are my best friend, my partner in crime, my reason for living, and the only thing that really matters to me. Forever only scratches the surface of how long I’ll love you.”

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

Reading Order: Thoughtless series

#1 ~ Thoughtless: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Thoughtful: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Effortless: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Reckless: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Untamed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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