Tag Archives: indie

Release Day Review: Hardball by C.D. Reiss

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

Hardball by C.D. Reiss
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 29th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Perfect ass.
Perfect arms.
Perfect swagger.
They call Dash Wallace the Diamond King.
He’s the hottest commodity in baseball and in the bedroom.
When he runs the bases, every woman’s eyes are glued to his stunning body and a smile that puts the night lights to shame.
I’m no queen. I’m a regular girl with a regular job. I just watch him on TV and from the bleachers, season after season.
Girls like me grab a guy like that one in a million times.
My number just came up, and he is as spectacular in bed as he is on the field.
But there’s not a woman in the world who can distract Dash Wallace from the game. Not for a moment. Not even me.
Until the night I do. And everything changes.

—–

Hardball is a SMOKING HOT, SEXY romance with a touch of angst and a ton of heart from CD Reiss. It’s a fun, witty, full-length standalone meant for the over-eighteen crowd.

I adore sports romances, but I have to admit, Hardball was a little different than what I expected. Going in, I thought it’d be something light-hearted and fun, like a ton of other sports romances I’ve read, but I should’ve known C.D. Reiss would turn up the heat in Hardball and give it an intensity I wasn’t used to in typical sports romances. It’s fast-paced, sexy as hell, and a very enjoyable read. I didn’t LOVE it – there was something missing in the book that prevented me from fully loving the characters, but I would still recommend Hardball for those who love sports and sexytimes.

Vivian is a school librarian and a huge baseball fan. During a school trip, she meets Dash Wallace, a famous player both on and off the baseball field. Vivian feels that Dash is completely out of her league, but circumstances bring them together and the chemistry and tension between them explodes before they know it. Hardball is seriously HAWT. Dash gets down and dirty with the woman he can’t stop thinking about, and these two are seriously smokin’ in bed. What starts off as a sex-only relationship leads to so much more as they get to know each other, but how can a relationship work out when Dash is the kind of person who doesn’t like change?

“You,” he said. “You threw it all in the fire. Things started collapsing right before you, and when you came, everything went to hell. It’s you. I denied it, because if I let you in, I had to start over. I tried to bend it around to not want you. But I can’t deny it anymore. There’s no center without you.”

Vivian is a sweetheart of a heroine, very down-to-earth and relatable. Being with one of the most famous baseball players ever is like a dream come true for her, but falling for one is so much more daunting. Thankfully, she’s the kind of woman who follows her heart. Dash, on the other hand, is a bit frustrating with his push-and-pull attitude with Vivian. You can see how much he wants her and grows to care for her, but it takes a while for him to fully commit to the idea of a long-lasting relationship. He has vulnerabilities that I didn’t expect, and even though I wasn’t too into him during the first half, I was sold on his character by the end of the book.

“I’m telling myself it’s okay to doubt the purpose of my life. … I thought I’d built something stable, but I didn’t. It was shit, because what we have is forever. It can’t be shut down. I can doubt everything, but I don’t doubt that I love you.”

Fast-paced and sexy would be the perfect words to describe Hardball. There’s seriously never a dull moment in the story, and almost every scene is filled with tension. C.D. Reiss wrote the perfect balance of reality and fairytale in Hardball, and I really did enjoy it. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s an entertaining read, and if you love dirty books, I’d recommend this one!

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

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Release Day Review: Felony Ever After (a Domino novel)

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

Felony Ever After by Helena Hunting, Debra Anastasia, Nina Bocci, Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward, Leisa Rayven, Liv Morris, Tijan, J.M. Darhower, Belle Aurora, K.A. Robinson, S.M. Lumetta, Katherine Stevens
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 22nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review

***13 Authors put their brains together to write ONE story***

Verity Michaels is new to New York City, but even she knows riding in a stolen a cab is not a normal way to meet someone. Damn it if that tattoo-covered would-be felon isn’t everywhere now, and lighting everything on fire under her skirt.

His name is Hudson Fenn, and he’s frustratingly impossible to pin down. He works as a bike messenger, but has the manners of a prince—along with a strange tendency toward breaking and entering. As much as Verity knows he’s not her type, and likely to land her in jail, she can’t help but find her truest self when they’re together.

Can she be brave enough to give Hudson a real chance? Will he be bold enough to reveal the man beneath the ink, or will his secrecy doom their connection? Also, WTF is the deal with Verity’s boss? No less than thirteen of your favorite romance writers have teamed up to tell this sexy, wacky, snort-inducing tale. With them you’ll visit the world’s most irritating office, a VIP room of questionable cleanliness, and the fanciest apartment a bike messenger has ever inhabited, but you’ll still never see this ending coming.

I absolutely LOVED the idea of Felony Ever After! Thirteen authors collaborating on ONE story – I was really excited to see how it would all work out. While I found the story fun but way over the top, the actual execution of it by all the authors more than impressed me. Despite the slightly different writing styles, I nearly couldn’t tell that each chapter was written by someone else, the story moved so smoothly. I would definitely read another book like this!

Verity Michaels gave up her failed dream job as a photographer and moved to NYC to work an office job with a perverted boss. On her way home one day, a gorgeous tattooed man jumps into a cab with her, offering to split the ride, but soon enough ends up hijacking the taxi and bringing Verity home. Is he a felon or a white knight?

“You’re a total criminal, aren’t you?” she asked, but to her surprise, she was grinning ear to ear.
He shook his head. “Have I stolen your heart yet?”
That stopped her cold. She blinked several times. “What?”
“Don’t answer,” he whispered. “I won’t take it until you give it freely.”

Hudson Fenn is more than just his tattoos and his job as a bike messenger, and he’s determined to show Verity that he’s perfect for her. Hudson is sweet, sexy, and hilarious – but he’s still keeping secrets that Verity is dying to know. He’s a bike messenger by day, but what does he get up to at night?

Felony Ever After is over-the-top hilarity. I laughed so much during this book – it truly is a fun read, even if I didn’t completely love it. The story kind of glosses over things, never really delving into the plot, but it’s a quick, entertaining read. Each author writes one or two chapters at a time, and you really can’t tell that much whenever it switches authors. If you’re a fan of any of the authors of this unique anthology, I recommend you give this book a try, if only to experience this kind of collaboration!

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

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Release Day Review: Elastic Hearts by Claire Contreras

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

Elastic Hearts by Claire Contreras
Series: Hearts #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 20th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Victor Reuben.
Most sought out divorce attorney in LA.

Nicole Alessi.
Soon to be ex-wife of Hollywood’s biggest star, Victor’s latest client and his boss’s daughter.

In such a high profile divorce, they can’t afford any extra drama. Luckily, neither one of them has anything to hide.
Unless you count the mind blowing sex they had…
Once…
Twice…
Three times all those years ago.

As long as they leave the past where it belongs, they’ll be fine. But with her wearing those tight dresses and him giving her those heated glances, keeping their hands to themselves is proving to be more difficult than either one of them realized.

It won’t be long before the paparazzi start to smell smoke, and where there’s smoke…

I’m a big fan of Claire Contreras’ Hearts series, so I was so excited when I heard Victor would be a getting his own book! If you’ve enjoyed the previous Hearts books, you should know that Elastic Hearts is a bit different than Kaleidoscope Hearts and Paper Hearts. It’s not quite a second chance romance, so there isn’t as much angst in this book, but it is more of a forbidden love story. While I liked Victor and Nicole’s book, I didn’t really love it as much as KH or PH. I just didn’t feel engaged as much as I wish I did, so that ended up affecting how I enjoyed the story. Still, it’s a well-written contemporary romance, and if you love the Hearts series, you just might love Elastic Hearts too.

“I’ve worked so fucking hard and this case is going to blow it all to shit,” he said, inching his face closer to mine. I stopped breathing. “All because I need this more than I’ve needed anything else in my fucking life.”

We first met Victor Reuben in Kaleidoscope Hearts as Estelle’s older brother. It didn’t seem like he was that much into relationships then, so I was excited to see him falling in love. Victor is one of the most popular and successful divorce attorneys in L.A. and he’s got one more case to handle before he can make partner at the firm he works at. But it turns out that the divorce case he’s handed just so happens to be the daughter of his boss… and the woman he used to hook up with all those years ago.

Nicole Alessi, a costume designer for celebrities, is ready to finish through with her divorce and move on with her life and away from her soon-to-be ex-husband, a famous actor in Hollywood. She doesn’t expect Victor to be handling her divorce, or for the sizzling chemistry and attraction that combusted years ago to still exist today. Nicole always thought of Victor as the one who got away, but he was too anti-relationship back then to truly make something out of a relationship with him. Now, Nicole tries to tempt him into their crazy-hot hookups again, but Victor is very hands-off with clients. But there’s only so much temptation Victor can handle before he once again falls for Nicole’s allure.

Elastic Hearts moved very, very slow. That was my main problem with the book – I really wanted the pace of the romance to move faster. Plus, Victor was too frustrating and hot-and-cold with his feelings for Nicole. I kind of felt bad for her every time he would pull her in, only to push her away. It also took a bit too long for my taste for Victor to realize that he’s not so anti-relationship or anti-love as he thought.

“I don’t stretch. I don’t mold. I don’t conform, and despite what people say about my career, I’m not a liar. So when I tell you I’m in love with you, Nicole, it’s because I’m in fucking love with you.”

I liked this book for the most part, but I wouldn’t say it was anything special or unique. I had to skip forward a bit at some slow parts, but overall, I did have fun reading this book. It’s hot, sweet, and totally sexy – I just wish I could’ve connected better with Nicole and Victor and really FELT for their characters. Nonetheless, even though I didn’t fully love this book, I would still recommend it for Claire Contreras fans and the Hearts series fans. Especially since you’ll get to see a lot of Estelle, Oliver, Mia, and Jensen!

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Hearts series

Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras Paper Hearts by Claire Contreras 

#1 ~ Kaleidoscope Hearts: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Paper Hearts: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Elastic Hearts: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Early Review: Collared by Nicole Williams

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by

Collared by Nicole Williams

Collared by Nicole Williams
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 22nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

When a seventeen-year-old girl vanishes,
A community is shaken.
Parents turn desperate.
Friends hold vigils.
And the boy who loves her searches.

When a year goes by,
The community is recovering.
Parents feel hopeless.
Friends feel helpless.
And the boy who loves her continues his search.

When ten years go by,
The community has forgotten.
Parents cling to the past.
Friends move toward the future.
And the boy who loves her . . .
Brings her home.

Jade Childs spent ten years in captivity, but now that she’s back, the real battle for survival begins. The media shadows her. Flashbacks haunt her. Her old life evades her. Her so-called new life rejects her. She spent too many years in the dark to recognize the light. She spent too long repressing her feelings to remember how to express them. She spent a decade abandoning hope and cannot dare letting it back into her life. Jade’s not just defined by what happened to her—she’s collared to it.

When the twenty-seven-year-old woman is found,
A community wants to know the story,
Parents want to forget the story,
Friends want to be a part of the story,
And the man who still loves her faces the greatest challenge yet: letting her go.

OH MY GOD!!!!! I love love loveedddd this book so much. SO MUCH!!! I had no idea I would end up loving Collared as much as I do, but it was seriously perfection. I’ve loved Nicole Williams since I first read her Crash series a few years ago, but this, THIS BOOK, is for sure my all-time favorite read of hers now. I’m so in awe of the brilliant story Nicole Williams has woven in Collared. I loved this book so much I literally just bought myself the paperback so I could have it on my favorites shelf. AHHH!! I’m dying for this to release so everyone can read and experience the utter beauty of it!

“Find an emotional tether. Someone you trusted before and someone you can trust now. A person who can connect you to your past but can pilot you into the future. Someone who can pull you back from the ledge when you find it and from the dark when it finds you. Find that person, hold on tight, and don’t let go.”

I began this book intrigued by the blurb and cover. I don’t particularly LOVE kidnapping stories, but Collared’s blurb hooked me in and I prayed it would meet my expectations. I’m so happy to say this book went above and beyond anything I ever expected. I ended up reading this in one sitting, staying up until almost 3AM finishing it – I had to get up 4.5 hours later, but it was totally worth the lost sleep. I honestly couldn’t put this book down! It’s a captivating, haunting, utterly romantic story – a story of a girl kidnapped for ten years and brought home by the boy she loved before she was taken.

He’s not supposed to be the one I tether myself to, but it doesn’t change that he’s the one I already have. He’s not supposed to be the one . . . but he always has been The One.

Jade Childs was only seventeen when she was kidnapped, stolen away from her family and the love of her life, Torrin. For the next ten years, the boy she loved who loved her never stopped searching for her or giving up hope. Now, at twenty-seven, she’s finally come home – but can she ever live a normal life again? Or will her past continue to keep her shackled down, collared, unable to move on with her life?

As Jade struggles with being back home and interacting with other people, Torrin is right by her side the whole time. But she’s not the same girl she was when they were in love, and neither is he. There’s a twist in this book I did NOT see coming, that had me seriously OMG-ing, but I loved the way the author took the direction of the story with it. This twist creates complications for Jade and Torrin… and I love the angst and heartbreak that came with it. Collared made me FEEL so much, but the one thing that captivated me the most, that had me obsessing over this book, was the powerful, beautiful love story.

He stretches slower. His eyes refuse to blink. “You were my first. And you were my last.” His words echo in the small space. “A man could have a thousand different partners and settle down with an amazing woman, and I’d still hold the bragging rights.”

I am head over heels in love with Torrin and his unwavering, heart-stopping love for Jade. He is not a perfect man, but he’s utterly perfect for Jade. There really is no end to what he would do for her – he would literally give his life for the girl that he has never stopped loving. He’s a words and actions man, so the things he says and does because of his love made my heart MELT. I love Torrin!!!

His strong hand grips the side of my neck, and he aligns his eyes with mine. “I’ve been sure about you since I was fifteen years old. And I’ll be sure about you for the rest of my life.”

Jade herself is so strong but vulnerable. I don’t usually connect that well with heroines in kidnapping stories, but with Jade, I connected with her right from the start. The raw emotion coming from her struggles, her fear and helplessness, her desire to be whole again, made me feel as if I were fighting right alongside with her. I liked that Nicole Williams didn’t focus too much on her kidnapping – there were enough flashbacks to give us an understanding of what happened to Jade, but her story very much focuses on her healing and moving on.

Nicole Williams has written an unputdownable, gripping, heart-pounding read. Collared is emotionally devastating yet uplifting. It’s meaningful, heartfelt, and so, so romantic. It’s a fantastically-written, powerful story I loved with all my heart. If you love unique books with unforgettable love stories, I can’t recommend this enough.

5 hearts
lacey

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

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ARC Review: I, Porn Star by Zara Cox

Posted in 2.5 hearts, Reviews by

I, Porn Star by Zara Cox
Series: I #1
Publication Date: March 14th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

My name is Quinn Blackwood:

By day, I’m a billionaire CEO. Rich. Entitled. By night, I’m the exclusive porn star only known as Q. Why? Because I love women. If I believed in an almighty being, I’d thank him for creating them. They’re by far his most perfect creation… especially when I’m fucking one of them.

Oh, did I mention I’m an asshole? Fuck yeah. According to my shrink, I’m one twisted motherfucker. And that’s just the way I like it. Until she walks into my life…

My name is Elyse Gilbert, nicknamed ‘Lucky’ because according to my dad, I’m the unluckiest person alive, and I’ll die the same way I came into the world: naked, screaming, and dirt poor.

Yeah, my life is a twisted, seething mess. But that life changed the day I met HIM.He made me forget the cameras.He made me forget I was doing this for the money.He made me forget my shame.He made me forget everything. I was consumed by him. Only him.

But now my past has caught up with me.

If you’ve read the blurb for I, Porn Star, then you probably can understand why I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. There’s just something about a porn star who gives it all up for the woman he loves that gets to me. While I enjoyed some parts of I, Porn Star, the story was completely not what I expected, so I’m still not quite sure what to make of it. It’s a lot darker than I thought it would be – there’s quite a bit of action and suspense going on in this novel. I didn’t love this book, but it’s a different and intriguing read with plenty of plot twists that kept my attention.

Elyse Gilbert, also known as Lucky, is on the run from someone and she’s in need of cash, fast. So when there’s a chance to earn a million dollars for doing porn, she signs up for it. The man she’s supposed to perform with, Q, is shrouded in mystery. Lucky is intrigued by him more and more with each encounter they have, but the thing about Q is that she has no idea who he is because he never reveals his face to her. Soon enough though, with each erotic encounter, she begins to fall for the enigmatic, powerful man.

Quinn is… messed-up, to say the least. He’s got daddy issues, mommy issues, and a plethora of other kinds of issues that have made him the man that he is today, so while he’s an interesting hero, he’s not one that I loved. There are just too many cringeworthy things he does in the novel that prevented me from loving him as a hero. I can tell the author was trying to write him as some dark, mysterious man with a painful past, but the way she portrayed him did not endear him to me at all. I want something redeemable in the hero when I read a romance, but it was took too long for Quinn to be redeemed in my eyes.

The main thing that prevented me from loving this was the fact that there were just TOO many things going in the book. I nearly couldn’t keep track of all the secrets Quinn and Lucky were hiding, there was so much going on. All the side stories took away from the romance, which was all I really cared about. This book is fast-paced, but I really wish the characters had more time to develop that didn’t include any action or suspense. I liked Zara Cox’s writing, but it was also a little all over the place as well. I’m not sure I could handle another book of hers if they’re all like I, Porn Star, but I’m intrigued to see what else she’ll be writing for this series.

2.5 hearts
lacey

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