Early Review: Infini by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Infini by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Aerial Ethereal #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 31st 2017
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Some love is infinite

“Don’t have a best friend that’s a girl” — this was the advice from my older cousin. I didn’t take it. Because he followed with, “friends don’t f*ck friends. And you’ll want to f*ck her.”

It was terrible advice.

My cousin should’ve told me that being best friends with Baylee Wright — since she was twelve — would be the best and worst decision of my life.

He should have told me to protect her from what was coming.

He should have told me that when a darkness crawled towards us, there’d be no safety net.

Now I’ve signed back on to the same Vegas acrobatic show as Baylee, working together for the first time in years. And she tells me that she’s having trouble in a certain “area” of her life — because of our past.

“You can help me fix it,” she says.

And then she hands me a list.

“Circus is family.”
The love we carry for each other is the strongest and most vulnerable place in us all.

Oh my gosh, y’all!!!! Infini. Was. Incredible. Krista & Becca Ritchie never cease to amaze me with their talent at writing. Their characters come to life in every single book they’ve written, and even more so in Infini. If you thought you loved the Kotovas in Amour Amour, think again. They will burrow their way into your heart once you read this book, and you’ll honestly want an infinite number of books about them because you’ll never want to stop reading them! The Addicted series is my all-time fav, but Aerial Ethereal has my heart too. It’s New Adult done right. It’s the circus and all the wonder and magic that goes along with it. This circus is truly a family that you feel welcome to and a part of.

Do you still think about me?
Are you the same as you once were?
How much have we both changed?

Luka and Baylee were best friends over four years ago – but it’s been four and a half years since they’ve seen or spoken to each other. Their relationship was abruptly cut off years ago, and now they’ve been thrust together in the Infini show. They’re left floundering and don’t know what to do – but one thing they do know is that the love they had for each other never went away. Their love story is a little painful, a lot heartbreaking, and not without its struggles, but the happiness they bring each other is completely worth it. Luka and Baylee are just RIGHT for each other – you can’t imagine one without the other. And despite the struggles these two face (especially Luka, who broke my heart multiple times), every time they were together on the pages, I couldn’t stop smiling.

Love is strange and weird and unpredictable—and that’s probably why I’m drawn to it.
To her.

The best part about Infini, besides Luka and Baylee, is the fact that you get to know the Kotovas on a much deeper level. You get a different perspective on their family thanks to Luka. You see Nikolai differently, you get to see more of Timo, Katya, and even Dimitri. And just saying, I am head over heels in LOVE with Timo and his boyfriend, John. They might be my favorite AE couple and we don’t even have a book about them (yet)! Oh, and Dimitri totally stole my heart in Infini with his rude, crass, ridiculous, hilarious ways. I’m eyeing him with a certain someone that I hope will happen, but honestly, I just want more Kotovas! I love them ALL.

“I feel the safest in your arms, but in reality it’s the most dangerous place to be.”

Infini was everything I hoped it would be and more. It was MAGICAL. Intense. Exciting. By the end of reading the book, my heart was crying with happiness because it was just a beautiful story. The romance took my breath away and the family dynamics had my heart overflowing. I loved this book so, so much, and I’m praying this won’t be the end of Aerial Ethereal! (Although quite honestly, I’ll read anything and everything K&B write.)

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

Reading Order: Aerial Ethereal series

#1 ~ Amour Amour: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Infini: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Jan. 31, 2017)

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16Jan2017

Release Day Review: Menace by J.M. Darhower

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Menace by J.M. Darhower
Series: Scarlet Scars #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 16th 2017
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Once upon a time, there was a guy who got so fed up with life that he resorted to murder and mayhem just to feel alive.

Lorenzo Gambini is bored. So f*cking bored. Most people either annoy him or avoid him, afraid to face him. Figuratively. Literally. With his face partially disfigured, scarred, he looks every bit the monster the stories make him out to be: the notorious menace they call Scar. They say he’s a sociopath. Maybe he’s a psychopath. Whatever path he’s on, people tend to stay far away from it.

Until one day, a young woman bumps right into him–a woman just as fed up with life, but for much different reasons. With a Scarlet Letter inked on her wrist and secrets buried deep in her soul, Morgan Myers is running from something… or maybe somebody. Lorenzo isn’t quite sure.

You can bet your ass he’s going to figure it out, though.

J.M. Darhower is one of my top favorite mafia romance authors, and every time she has a new release (which recently usually comes as a surprise), I get SO excited and ready for it. Menace is the first in the Scarlet Scars duet, which is a spinoff of the Monster in His Eyes series. Admittedly, I’d completely forgotten who Lorenzo was so I had to do a little reread of the Monster in His Eyes series, which I couldn’t complain about – it’s only my favorite mafia romance series ever. But thankfully the reread got me prepared for Lorenzo’s story, which was an absolute fantastic experience to read. I loved it so much, even though it’s not a typical love story. You just need to read it to experience it!

Lorenzo Gambini is anti-hero personified. He’s not a good man – in fact, many are terrified of him and you could say that he’s a sociopath. He’s got issues from his past and a scar on his face, but that doesn’t stop him from being top dog in his underworld. Nobody crosses him without getting punished, so it’s a surprise to him when he bumps into a gorgeous woman… who ends up robbing him of his wallet. Rather than exacting his revenge though, Lorenzo ends up intrigued and captivated by this woman, who’s internal scars match the ones he holds inside him.

“I’d wreck you for any man that came along after me, put them all to shame, because I’d give you exactly what you wanted.”
“How could you possibly know what I want?”
“Because,” he says, grabbing a fistful of my hair and twisting my head, forcing me to turn away from him. “Looking at you is like looking in a mirror, Scarlet.”

Morgan Myers, aka Scarlet, is mystery personified. Who is she running from? How is she involved with the Russian mafia? What is she looking for? Morgan is very different from heroines that I’m used to, and her tenacity and frankness felt like a breath of fresh air to read about. She knows what it’s like to struggle, but she keeps getting up every time she’s pushed down, and I loved her for it. I especially enjoyed the way she never backed down from Lorenzo. They were the perfect match for each other. I do want to warn you, though, the romance between them is very slow to develop. I liked the pace that it went at, but I will say that I’m excited for it to move more forward in the next book.

I know he’s just a man. A man with flaws. A man with his own problems. And I know he can’t solve my problem. Not really. He can’t fix what’s wrong with me. Nobody can. They can’t even understand. But being around him, it makes me feel things, things I’ve missed just as much as the music and the laughter, things that make me feel alive again.
He’s excitement. He’s adrenaline.
He makes my heart do stupid shit.

Everything about this book, from the characters to the story, took me by surprise in the best way. To say it was unpredictable would be an understatement. I was so impressed with the way I never really saw things coming. And the twist at the end was KILLER!! The ending isn’t too bad, but you’ll definitely want to get the next book asap. Sadly it won’t be here until next month, but I’m waiting with baited breath! J.M. Darhower honestly never disappoints, so if you love her books, you’ll probably love this new series. It’s a little funnier than her other books too – Lorenzo’s POV is hilarious. It’s crude and blunt, sarcastic and a little sassy. Not what I was expecting from this crazy man, but I loved it anyway!

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

Reading Order: Scarlet Scars series

#1 ~ Menace: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Grievous: Goodreads (out Feb. 2017)

The Scarlet Scars series is a spinoff of the Monster in His Eyes series, though you don’t have to read the previous series to understand the new one.

Reading Order: Monster in His Eyes series

#1 ~ Monster in His Eyes: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torture to Her Soul: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Target on Our Backs: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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9Jan2017

Blog Tour + Review: Commander in Chief by Katy Evans

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Commander in Chief by Katy Evans!

Commander in Chief by Katy Evans
Series: White House #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 5th 2017

The sizzling second installment of the White House series, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Evans.

We fell in love during the campaign.
The stakes were high.
Reputations could have been ruined.
Scandal hovered over us like a cloud.
Now the man I love is the President of the United States of America.
And its not my vote he is after.
He wants it all.
My heart. My body. My soul.
He wants me by his side.
In the White House.
Normalcy will be gone from my life, privacy forgotten.
I am only twenty three. I just wanted to play a part in history. But it seems like history wasn’t done with me. The part where I lost my heart to Matthew Hamilton? It was only the beginning…

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

Commander in Chief was one of my most anticipated reads of the month, because it’s KATY EVANS and the cliffhanger in Mr. President killed me. I was dying for more Matt and Charlotte! Thankfully, the conclusion to their story didn’t disappoint – it was seriously so sweet and lovely. Maybe a bit too sappy and mushy at times, but it was easily forgivable because Matt just might be Katy’s swooniest hero yet – the way he adores his woman is everything! If you loved Mr. President, you’re going to want to read Commander in Chief stat!

I don’t want to forget that for a little while, Matt Hamilton—forty-sixth president of the United States—was mine.

Matt has won the presidency, but at the same time he’s lost the one woman who meant everything to him. It would be too scandalous for him to be with someone who worked for his campaign… wouldn’t it? But months without Charlotte have left Matt bereft, and as soon as she comes back home, he’s made the decision to win her back and give her everything.

I crossed an ocean to forget him, but I’d swim across thousands for this man.
My heart will always beat for him.

Matt and Charlotte are so lovely. Seriously. Literally everything between them made my heart swoon like crazy. The way they worship each other, adore each other, love each other. This book honestly felt like it was an extended HEA for these two, as in we get how life is after the main characters get together. Well, if you included the White House and presidency in that HEA. It was so fascinating to read about Charlotte and Matt in the new roles they’ve taken. They were definitely meant to be who they ended up being.

She makes me want to be the best man I can be. There aren’t that many people who do that for you. She also makes me want to drop to my knees and worship the living daylights out of her.

Sometimes the romance felt hurried, and there might have been one too many sex scenes, but the story was the absolute sweetest. The love between Charlotte and Matt is raw yet pure, and I adored seeing them together again. This duet is definitely not one I’m going to be forgetting soon. Katy Evans has such a magical talent at writing gripping, emotional, romantic love stories.

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

Reading Order: White House series

#1 ~ Mr. President: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Commander in Chief: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Katy Evans is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Her debut REAL shot to the top of the bestselling lists in 2013 and since then 9 of her titles have been New York Times bestsellers. Her books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages across the world.

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5Dec2016

Blog Tour + ARC Review: Womanizer by Katy Evans

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Womanizer by Katy Evans!

Womanizer by Katy Evans
Series: Manwhore #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 5th 2016

You’ve seen the headlines: Womanizing billionaire player! Watch out! Stay away!

We were just two strangers. Facing a forbidden attraction, a chemical connection. Neither of us expected or wanted it to amount to more.
But I had never been drawn to a guy the way I was drawn to this one: my brother’s best friend, and CEO of the company where I interned.
Even knowing I should stay away, I proved to be too human, after all.
The chemistry was amazing.
The laughs were incredible.
I opened up to him in more ways than I’d opened up to anyone before.
But sex was as far as I’d go.
Just sex because he was too irresistible.
Just sex because I wouldn’t be falling for him.
Just sex because I’d leave in three months, and I’d like for my brother not to kill me, and for nobody to find out he was my wicked little secret.
He wasn’t the One.
He was just a womanizer.
But for a time, he would be mine.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo • Audible

Womanizer might by Katy Evans’ sweetest, most adorable book yet!! I had heart eyes the whole time I was reading this book, to be quite honest. I adored the adorable, lovable heroine and the dreamy, dominating hero. They were a match made in heaven, and I had the absolute best time reading their love story. Katy Evans writes love stories in the best way, full of heart and romance. I can always count on her to deliver on a fabulous romance, and I wasn’t disappointed with Womanizer. If you’re a fan of the brother’s best friend trope, then you MUST read this book. The author writes this trope in the best way – with lots of steam, a touch of forbidden love, and crackling chemistry that will fire you up.

Olivia Roth has always had a set career path she’s laid out for herself, and a summer internship at her brother Tahoe’s best friend’s company is just the first step to accomplishing her dreams. She wants to work her way up on her own merit, without being given special treatment by the CEO. And she finds herself enjoying the internship so much – but one big reason for that might be her occasional visits on the terrace with Hot Smoker Guy. But what happens when the guy she starts crushing on turns out to be none other than the CEO and her brother’s best friend, Callan Carmichael?

I never want this moment to end.
I’m on a high I never want to come down from.
I’m flying.
So high, this is dangerous and definitely not good for me—and I still want it. I want more of it, of Callan Bad Boy Carmichael.

The main characters were a delight to read about – Olivia is a total sweetheart and I adored the way she was both confident and nervous around Callan. Callan, despite his womanizer reputation and reservations about love, won my heart with his dedication to Olivia. Before reading this, I was worried whether it would be similar to Ladies Man in terms of OW drama, but I had nothing to worry about in Womanizer, thank god! So trust me, if you’re worried about Callan’s manwhore ways, don’t be! He is alll about a certain lovely, infuriating girl 😉

I hear him inhale sharply, and the gaze I am met with when he finally meets my eyes steals my next breath.
I see pure, unrestrained lust, and a glimmer of something else. Something possessive. Something feral, something forbidden.
I feel like a switch went off in his head. I feel like his eyes hold a promise in them.

The steam in this book is just WOW. I loved it – I was utterly seduced by the chemistry and the romance. Katy Evans has such a talent at making me feel so much while reading her love stories – she always makes me believe in and root so much for the main characters. And Callan is another fantastic alpha-male hero of hers. He’s seriously perfect – not too domineering, but he has enough presence that he’ll always dominate the room (and pages). The way his devotion for Livvy grows had my heart swooning madly too – it always means so much more when the hero originally doesn’t believe in love get knocked on his heels with it.

“I once told you I didn’t know if I could love anyone deeply. I can and I do. More than I ever thought I could.”

If you’re a Katy Evans fan and you’re looking for another romance to sweep you away with its gorgeous alpha hero, then you definitely need to get your hands on Womanizer. It was seriously so much fun to read – I was probably grinning the whole way through. It’s a lovely, slightly forbidden love story that will tug at your heart strings and make you clutch at your heart, you’re so in love. I highly recommend it!!

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

Reading Order: Manwhore series

#1 ~ Manwhore: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Manwhore +1: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Ms. Manwhore: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Ladies Man: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Womanizer: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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1Dec2016

Blog Tour + ARC Review: A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the tour for A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole!

A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: November 28th 2016

To most people, princes, princesses, counts and dukes are found only in the pages of the most famous of fairytales. Crowns, priceless jewels and gilded thrones belong only in childhood dreams.

But for some, these frivolous fancies are truth.

For some, they are real life.

On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, people have always treated me as someone special. All because of my ancestral name and legacy. All because of a connection I share to our home country’s most important family of all.

I am Caresa Acardi, the Duchessa di Parma. A blue blood of Italy. I was born to marry well. And now the marriage date is set.

I am to marry into House Savona. The family that would have been the royals had Italy not abolished the monarchy in 1946. But to the aristocrats of my home, the abolition means nothing at all.

The Savonas still hold power where it counts most.

In our tight-knit world of money, status and masked balls, they are everything and more.

And I am soon to become one of them.

I am soon to become Prince Zeno Savona’s wife…

… or at least I was, until I met Achille.

And everything changed.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon AU • Amazon CA • Kobo

A Veil of Vines is pretty different from what Tillie Cole has released before – it’s a fairly sweet and simple romance that isn’t too dramatic or angsty. I was intrigued enough by the blurb, but wasn’t sure what to expect in the book. While there wasn’t anything that particularly wowed me, I did appreciate the simplicity of the love story. It’s predictable and a little cheesy, but if you’re a fan of the author, then you might want to pick this book up.

Since she was a child, Caresa Acardi was a promised bride of the heir of the former royal Savonas. Her family was considered royalty in Italy, which meant arranged marriages, so she must continue the tradition with Zeno Savona, despite the fact that she doesn’t know him. But when she arrives in Italy, it’s not the prince she ends up falling for, but the shy winemaker on the Savona’s land.

Achille Marchesi is a sweet, shy, humble hero, something that I’m sadly not used to in the romances I read. He was a breath of fresh air to read about, and definitely my favorite part of this book. It’s a touch of a forbidden love story between them, but it’s pretty low on drama like I said before. I could see how things would work out between Achille and Caresa but it was still enjoyable reading about how the two of them fell for each other despite the factors going against them.

Simple and romantic, A Veil of Vines isn’t quite the epic love story, but I think for those who like Tillie Cole’s way of writing and storytelling, this will be a hit. It’s not a favorite of mine from her books, but I don’t regret reading it, and I’m excited for more from her!

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads

One (1) Signed Copy of A Veil of Vines + Limited-Edition The Future Mrs. Marchesi T-Shirt

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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