Book News, Sales, Recent/Upcoming Releases & Weekly Recap! {20}

Cover Reveals!!

Take a Chance by Abbi Glines

Take a Chance (Chances #1; Rosemary Beach #6) by Abbi Glines
Release Date: February 25th 2014
Preorder: Amazon

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines comes the story of Grant, the sexy playboy who first captured readers’ hearts in Fallen Too Far.

When Harlow Manning’s rocker father goes on tour, he sends her to Rosemary Beach, Florida, to live with her half-sister, Nan. The problem: Nan despises her. Harlow has to keep her head down if she wants to get through the next nine months, which seems easy enough. Until gorgeous Grant Carter walks out of Nan’s room in nothing but his boxer briefs.

Grant made a huge mistake getting involved with a girl with venom in her veins. He’d known about Nan’s reputation, but still he couldn’t resist her. Nothing makes him regret the fling more than meeting Harlow, who sends his pulse racing. Yet Harlow wants nothing to do with a guy who could fall for her wicked half-sister, even if there are no strings between Grant and Nan. Grant is desperate to redeem himself in Harlow’s eyes, but did he ruin his chances before he even met her?

Saving Quinton by Jessica Sorensen

Saving Quinton (Nova #2) by Jessica Sorensen
Release Date: February 4th 2014
Preorder: Amazon

From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Breaking Nova comes a gripping story about what it takes to save the one you love . . .

Nova Reed can’t forget him-Quinton Carter, the boy with the honey-brown eyes who made her realize she deserved more than an empty life. His pain was so similar to her own. But Nova has been coming to terms with her past and healing, while Quinton is out there somewhere, sinking deeper. She’s determined to find him and help him . . . before it’s too late.

Nova has haunted his dreams for nearly a year-but Quinton never thought a sweet, kind person like her would care enough about a person like him. To Quinton, a dark, dangerous life is exactly what he deserves. And Nova has no place in it. But Nova has followed him to Las Vegas, and now he must do whatever it takes to keep her away, to maintain his self-imposed punishment for the unforgivable things he’s done. But there’s one flaw in his plan: Nova isn’t going anywhere . . .

Love, in English by Karina Halle

Love, in English by Karina Halle
Release Date: April 22nd 2014

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo Casales is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Archer’s Voice (Sign of Love #4) by Mia Sheridan
Release Date: January 28th 2014

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer’s Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
Release Date: July 15th 2014
Preorder: Amazon

The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York Timesbestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchant­ing series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they re­unite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its miss­ing pages takes on even more urgency. In the tril­ogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowl­edge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions and translations, A Discovery of Witchesand Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

Whisper of Sin

Whisper of Sin (Psy-Changeling #0.6) by Nalini Singh
Release Date: February 25th 2014
Preorder: Amazon

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her phenomenal Psy-Changeling world as a woman in peril finds herself in the arms of a dangerously beautiful shapeshifter…

San Francisco is under threat from a violent gang…a gang that has no idea who they’re challenging. The DarkRiver pack of leopard changelings has already claimed the city as their territory, and they will fight with wild fury to protect its residents. Emmett, a lethally trained leopard soldier, isn’t about to let outsiders muscle in on his home ground—especially when they target a human named Ria.

Emmett has one word for the smart stranger with her curvy body and tough spirit: mine.

Possessive, dominant, unyielding in his demands and desires, Emmett is unlike anyone Ria has ever before met. But while the sexy leopard changeling makes her body ignite, his kisses molten and his touch addicting, she’s no pushover and she has a few demands of her own. This leopard has met his match…

Revealed on the blog (covers go to Amazon page if available):

Dazed by Kim Karr Enjoy Your Stay by Carmen Jenner Keep Me by Faith Andrews
Fully Automatic by Jade C. Jamison Perfect Kind of Trouble by Chelsea Fine
The Wild One by Magan Vernon Worth the Chance by Vi Keeland

Snippets!!

★ OMG!!! Colleen Hoover has a teaser from Maybe Someday!!

I’m mindlessly tapping my feet and singing along to his music with my made-up lyrics when he stops playing mid-song. He never stops mid-song, so naturally, I glance in his direction. He’s leaning forward, staring right at me. He holds up his index finger, as if to say, Hold on, and he sets his guitar beside him and runs into his apartment.
What the hell is he doing?
And oh, my God, why does the fact that he’s acknowledging me make me so nervous?
He comes back outside with paper and a marker in his hands.
He’s writing. What the hell is he writing?
He holds up two sheets of paper, and I squint to get a good look at what he’s written.
A phone number. Shit. His phone number? When I don’t move for several seconds, he shakes the papers and points at them, then points back to me. He’s insane. I’m not calling him. I can’t call him. I can’t do that to Hunter. The guy shakes his head, then grabs a fresh sheet of paper and writes something else on it, then holds it up.

Text me.

When I still don’t move, he flips the paper over and writes again.

I have a ?

A question. A text. Seems harmless enough. When he holds up the papers with his phone number again, I pull out my phone and enter his phone number. I stare at the screen for a few seconds, not really knowing what to say in the text, so I go with:

Me: What’s your question?

He looks down at his phone, and I can see him smile when he receives my text. He drops the paper and leans back in his chair, typing. When my phone vibrates, I hesitate a second be- fore looking down at it.

Him: Do you sing in the shower?

I shake my head, confirming my initial suspicion. He’s a flirt. Of course he is, he’s a musician.

Me: I don’t know what kind of question that is, but if this is your attempt at flirting, I’ve got a boyfriend. Don’t waste your time.

I hit send and watch him read the text. He laughs, and this irritates me. Mostly because his smile is so . . . smiley. Is that even a word? I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s as if his whole face smiles right along with his mouth. I wonder what that smile looks like up close.

Him: Believe me, I know you have a boyfriend, and this is definitely not how I flirt. I just want to know if you sing in the shower. I happen to think highly of people who sing in the shower and need to know the answer to that question in order to decide if I want to ask you my next question.

I read the lengthy text, admiring his fast typing. Guys aren’t normally as skilled as girls when it comes to speed-texting, but his replies are almost instantaneous.

Me: Yes, I sing in the shower. Do you sing in the shower?

Him: No, I don’t.

Me: How can you think highly of people who sing in the shower if you don’t sing in the shower?

Him: Maybe the fact that I don’t sing in the shower is why I think highly of people who do sing in the shower.

This conversation isn’t going anywhere.

Me: Why did you need this vital piece of information from me?

He stretches his legs out and props his feet up on the edge of the patio, then stares at me for a few seconds before returning his attention to his phone.

Him: I want to know how you’re singing lyrics to my songs when I haven’t even added lyrics to them yet.

My cheeks instantly heat from embarrassment. Busted.
I stare at his text, then glance up at him. He’s watching me, expressionless.
Why the hell didn’t I think that he could see me sitting out here? I never thought he would notice me singing along to his music. Hell, until last night, I never thought he even noticed me. I inhale, wishing I’d never made eye contact with him to begin with. I don’t know why I find this embarrassing, but I do. It seems as if I’ve invaded his privacy in some way, and I hate that.

Me: I tend to favor songs with lyrics, and I was tired of wondering what the lyrics to your songs were, so I guess I made up a few of my own.

He reads the text, then glances up at me without a hint of his infectious smile. I don’t like his serious glances. I don’t like what they do to my stomach. I also don’t like what his smiley smile does to my stomach. I wish he would stick to a simple, unattractive, emotionless expression, but I’m not sure he’s ca- pable of that.

Him: Will you send them to me?

Oh, God. Hell, no.

Me: Hell, no.

Him: Please?

Me: No.

Him: Pretty please?

Me: No, thank you.

Him: What’s your name?

Me: Sydney. Yours?

Him: Ridge.

★ Preorder Maybe Someday (releases March 18th 2014): Amazon
★ Preorder Ugly Love (Colleen’s other upcoming release, out Aug. 5th 2014): Amazon

★ Teasers from Kiss the Sky by Krista & Becca Ritchie!

KISS THE SKY — EXCERPT — Rose’s POV

“I struggle to keep my eyes on his. I am so aware of the people in the room, of the cameras, of the fact that he’s on top of me, my legs hanging with uncertainty around him.

As his crotch digs into me, my nerves prickle, and my toes constrict in my high heels. Oh my God…

Is this really happening? In front of everyone? And soon-to-be nationally televised.

What did I get myself into?”

Kiss the Sky teaser quoteKiss the Sky teaser

Series order:
★ (#1) Addicted to You | My review
★ (#1.5) Ricochet | My review
★ (#2) Addicted for Now | My review
Spinoffs:
Kiss the Sky (Rose & Connor)
Hothouse Flower (Daisy & Ryke)

★ Monica Murphy has an excerpt from Drew + Fable Forever (Drew + Fable #4) here!

Drew + Fable Forever teaser

Series order:
★ (#1) One Week Girlfriend | My review
★ (#2) Second Chance Boyfriend | My review
★ (#3) Three Broken Promises | My review
★Preorder (#3.5) Drew + Fable Forever (out Jan. 14th 2014)
★ Preorder (#4) Four Years Later (out Feb. 25th 2014)

★ Jeaniene Frost has quotes and a snippet from Up from the Grave (Night Huntress #8)! Read it here.

★ Preorder Up from the Grave: Kindle | Paperback

★ Another teaser from Be with Me (Wait for You #2) by J. Lynn!

Be with me teaser

Pre-order Be with Me: Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback | B&N

Series order:
★ (#1) Wait for You ($0.99!)
★ (#1.5) Trust in Me ($1.99!) | My review
★ Preorder (#3) Stay with Me (out Sept. 2nd 2014)

★ An excerpt from Rare and Precious Things (The Blackstone Affair #4) by Raine Miller!

We both stood there panting,  our faces so close, but yet, not touching; him in his tux with the purple brocade vest, me in my vintage inspired lace wedding dress, the sexual tension crackling in the air between us like a raging electrical storm about to go nuclear.

I told Ethan what I wanted.

“I n-need to get ready for you,” I managed on a shaky breath, hoping he understood this was something important to me.

He swallowed hard, making his Adam’s apple flex at his throat.  “All right,” he said slowly.  “I’ll do the same.”

I looked back to where the glow from the en suite bathroom showed me the way.  “Where will you go?” I asked him, feeling slightly guilty about kicking him out, even if for just a short while.

“The adjoining bedroom is also very nice.”  He gestured toward a door in the wall to the left of the bed.  “These old manor houses always had lord and lady connecting bedrooms so they could meet up for the real important, private stuff that happened in the night.”  He drew a finger across the low neckline of my bodice, moving especially slow over the swell of my breasts sitting against the lace of my gown.

“Oh?  The important private stuff you say.”

“Undoubtedly, baby.  The shagging…is…very…very…very…important.”  He gave me soft, seductive kisses between each of the words.

“Which room are we in right now?  Lord’s or lady’s?” I asked breathlessly.

He shrugged.  “No idea.  Don’t care either.  I shag and sleep wherever my lady is, and I always will.  Pick a room, Mrs. Blackstone.”

I sighed with need and forced myself to take a step backward, creating some distance between our bodies.  “Okay…how does this room in fifteen minutes sound?” I stepped backward again, moving closer toward the bathroom door, my eyes never leaving his blues as they tracked my movements.

Those same beautiful blue eyes also glittered at me with all the shuttered heat of a man who would be ravishing me very soon.  Please, and thank you.

He gave me the serious Ethan-stare, the one I’d seen many times and was well familiar with—the one raw with male prowess…and the overpowering sexual dominance.

“Like fifteen minutes too fucking long, my beauty.”

Series order:
★ (#1) Naked
★ (#2) All In
★ (#3) Eyes Wide Open
★ (#3.5) Cherry Girl
★ Preorder (#4) Rare and Precious Things (out Feb. 28th 2014)

★ Read a deleted scene from Tangled by Emma Chase here!

★ An Unbeloved (Undeniable #4) teaser from Madeline Sheehan!

UnBeloved Teaser
By Madeline Sheehan
© Madeline Sheehan Books 2014

Grinning, Cox raised his glass in the air. “To Prez,” he said, “for giving all us idiots a home, and to Eva…” Shifting his gaze to Eva, he flashed her a wide, genuine smile, far different than his typical shit-eating grin.

“To Eva,” he repeated, “for makin’ us a family.”

“You’re a goddamn woman,” Ripper muttered, punching him the arm. “You know that, yeah?”

Ignoring Ripper’s jab, Cox whirled around to face the bar. “And to Blue!” he shouted, “for always takin’ the best seat at the bar, for always hidin’ the Patrón where I couldn’t find it, for never shuttin’ the fuck up and mindin’ his own damn business, for—”

“Dibs on Blue’s seat!” Ripper shouted. Shoving Cox out of his way, he took off running for the bar.

© Madeline Sheehan Books 2014

Series order:
★ (#1) Undeniable
★ (#2) Unbeautifully
★ (#3) Unattainable
★ (#4) Unbeloved

★ Phenomenal X teaser from Michelle A. Valentine!

He grabs the drink from my hand and slams the plastic cup down on the floor, splattering its pink liquid all over a group of guys standing a little too close while watching the action unfold. X tugs me behind him, effectively putting a wall of muscle between Jared and I, shielding me with his body. He stares down at Jared, his fingers flexing into fists at his sides like he’s ready to rip into my would-be dance partner. “You think I didn’t see what you put in her drink back there, motherf**ker? There’s no way in hell I’m going to allow a little pecker-stain like you to attempt to drug this girl and get away with it.” All the blood drains from Jared’s face, leaving his skin pale while his mouth hangs open in shock. At first I think there’s no way a nice guy like Jared would do that, but when he doesn’t deny the accusations instantly, I know he’s guilty.

X shakes his head in disgust. “You just gave me the green light to end your f**king world.”

★ Pepper Winters has an excerpt from Destroyed (releases February 2014)!

His hands wrapped around my throat and slammed me against the wall.

I dropped the sheets and fought. My nails raked along his forearm, drawing blood instantly. The scar on his cheek only amplified the empty tomb of a soul inside him. His eyes showed nothing. No remorse. No excitement. Nothing.

My heart galloped as his fingers squeezed tighter. It was as if he wasn’t there. A robot. A well-oiled machine.

So, I did the only thing available to me.

I pushed off the wall and fought his devoidness with humanity. I kissed him. I bit him. I fought him.

And his fingers instantly loosened the noose and I slithered to the floor in shock. Lucky number third. This scarred stranger was the third man who ever dared hurt me against my will and he would pay.

Not by police or a judge, but by me. I took care of me. No one else.

Standing on shaky feet I launched into his body, tackling him to the bed. I expected a fight, but he did nothing. Nothing until I punched him square in the legs.

Then life exploded into his vacant eyes. The pain woke him from whatever slumber he’d been in and instead of the monster who just attacked me, a bomb of confusion and horror erupted in his eyes.

“Oh, my fucking God. I didn’t. Not again. Not again.”

Shoving me off him, he sat upright and clutched his skull in his hands. Rocking on the side of the bed he said. “It happened again.”

This man hurt my heart. Not because he’d shown me just how unstable he was, but because he looked on the edge of breaking. Holding onto his sanity with the slipperiest of grips, destined to fall down and down until he it lost completely.

I couldn’t let that happen. “Let me help you.”

And that’s when he lost it. Completely.

★ Loving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky #1) by Kristen Proby snippets!

loving cara teaser
Loving Cara teaserLoving Cara teaser 2

★ Preorder Loving Cara: KindlePaperback

★ Snippet from Cora Carmack’s upcoming book All Lined Up (Rusk University #1)!

I look over at Carson as I sit back, and catch him staring at the strip of skin on my back where my shirt had ridden up.

I raise an eyebrow. “You’re a little slow on the uptake when it comes to this friendship thing, huh?”

He grins. “Practice makes perfect.”

★ Preorder All Lined Up

★ Teaser from Perfectly Damaged by E.L. Montes!

perfectly damaged teaser

★ Amy A. Bartol has a teaser from Iniquity (The Premonition #5) here!

Series order:
★ (#1) Inescapable
★ (#2) Intuition
★ (#3) Indebted
★ (#4) Incendiary

★ Read a teaser from Abandon (Shattered Hearts #3.5) by Cassia Leo here!

Series order:
★ (#0.5) Forever Ours (out April 2014)
★ (#1) Relentless
★ (#2) Pieces of You
★ (#3) Bring Me Home
★ Preorder (#3.5) Abandon (out Jan. 27th 2014)
★ (#4) Chasing Abby (out July 2014)

★ Teaser from More Than Him (More #3) by Jay MacLean!

More Than Him teaser

Series order:
★ (#1) More Than This
★ (#2) More Than Her

Other News!!

★ Katie Ashley’s The Pairing (The Proposition #3) now has a blurb!

After her former boyfriend left her pregnant and alone, Megan McKenzie swore off men. She spent the last eighteen months focused solely on her son, Mason, along with finishing nursing school at the top of her class. Although she’s not ready to complicate her life with a long-term relationship, a nice no-strings attached hook-up is just what she needs. At her godson, Noah’s, baptism, she finds the perfect candidate in the soft-spoken godfather, Pesh Nadeen. After all, the widower could use a good time too. But after drinking too much, the night doesn’t end the way she thought it would. Forced to leave Pesh’s house through a walk of shame, Megan hopes to never, ever see him again.

For Pesh Nadeen, the very sight of Megan sends him into an emotional tailspin. Since she reminds him too much of what he has lost, he wants to be out of her sight…at first. But the more he gets to know her, there’s something about the diminutive blonde that causes his protective side to go into overdrive, and he finds himself wanting more. When Megan is assigned to him to complete her nursing clinicals, he sees it as fate, but she’s having no part of it. She only wants a physical relationship while he wants far more.

What happens next is a sexy game of cat and mouse to see who will break first or if both of them will eventually get more than they ever bargained for.

Go here to read a teaser.

Series order:
★ (#0.5) The Party (FREE!)
★ (#1) The Proposition
★ (#2) The Proposal

★ Deleted excerpt from Addicted for Now (Addicted #2) by Krista & Becca Ritchie:

“You know those days where you wake up from bed and you just can’t move? It feels as if your muscles are weighed by cinder blocks, chained to the mattress. And yet, it’s not slumber that keeps you motionless like a drug. It’s this sense that nothing is going to turn out okay. That everything in your life looks a little different, like a Picasso painting on crack. It’s crying without the tears, and screaming without the sound.I am rooted to everything and nothing at all.”

Plus, read an amazing interview with the authors here!

★ Karina Halle is currently writing a story called Dark Paradise, and you can read it for FREE as she writes it! Read more about it here.

Thoughtless fans! S.C. Stephens is currently writing Kellan’s POV of Thoughtless!

I haven’t done a “What are you working on?” update in a while. Why? Because I wasn’t sure if the story I was working on would ever see the light of day. Now that I am over halfway through writing it though, I am 99.9% sure I’m going to publish it.

So, what have I been working on? Kellan’s point of view of Thoughtless. Yes, I’m going to give you the story through his eyes, and let me tell you, it’s not always easy experiencing it through Kellan’s POV. I’ve cried more than once. It has been a lot of fun though, and I hope that you enjoy the companion piece to Thoughtless, which I have tentatively titled Thoughtful.

I’m currently writing the last third of the book, and I don’t have a street date for you yet. I also can’t predict when it might be available, since several different people will be involved with the process of choosing a release date: editors, publishers, cover designers, formatters, and more! Know that it’s coming though, and soon you’ll have more Kellan!

Read more on her blog post here.

Series order:
★ (#1) Thoughtless
★ (#2) Effortless
★ (#3) Reckless

★ Nashoda Rose has a Logan POV scene from her Tear Asunder series! There will be SPOILERS for those who haven’t read Torn from You yet. Read the scene here.

Series order:
★ (#0.5) With You | My review
★ (#1) Torn from You | My review

★ New book from Jamie McGuire (author of Beautiful Disaster)! It’s called Apolonia! From her Facebook:

Pulled the third all-nighter in a row, and APOLONIA is finished. Oh, my. Oh, oh my. Lotsa romance. Lotsa angst! Lotsa action! Lotsa WHAT THE HELL IS MCGUIRE GOING TO THROW AT US NEXT?! This is the first time I’ve had to stop myself from going back and reading it because it’s so fun and get back to work so I could finish since Beautiful Disaster! I am really loving this one. Can’t wait to share it with you! Agh! I hate waiting!

★ Gail McHugh has something great in store for Collide’s first birthday! Go here to read about it (it miiight include… Gavin).

Series order:
★ (#1) Collide
★ (#2) Pulse

★ You can see what Jessica Sorensen will be releasing in 2014 here!

★ Carmen Jenner is writing a Sugartown novella, book 2.5 of the series, called Greetings from Sugartown, coming mid-2014!

Series order:
★ (#1) Welcome to Sugartown
★ (#2) Enjoy Your Stay (out March 3rd 2014)

Sales!!

  • $0.99 – Bully (Fall Away #1) by Penelope Douglas | Purchase (LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!)
  • $0.99 – Sempre (Forever #1) by J.M. Darhower | Purchase | My review (A mafia romance!)
  • $0.99 – Mystery Man (Dream Man #1) by Kristen Ashley | Purchase (Has a total alpha-male hero!)
  • $0.99 – Play it Safe by Kristen Ashley | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1) by Kristen Ashley | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Arouse (Spiral of Bliss #1) by Nina Lane | Purchase
  • $0.99 – A Little Too Far (Too Far #1) by Lisa Desrochers | Purchase | My review (Love this series!)
  • $1.99 – A Little Too Much (Too Far #2) by Lisa Desrochers | Purchase | My review
  • $0.99 – Relentless (Shattered Hearts #1) by Cassia Leo | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Night Owl (Night Owl Trilogy #1) by M. Pierce | Purchase
  • $0.99 – A Different Blue by Amy Harmon | Purchase (Student-teacher romance!)
  • $0.99 – Ride (Bayonet Scars #1) by J.C. Emery | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Poughkeepsie (Poughkeepsie #1) by Debra Anastasia | Purchase | My review (Beautifully written love story)
  • $0.99 – Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1) by Pepper Winters | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Playing for Keeps (Neighbor from Hell #1) by R.L. Mathewson | Purchase (So funny and sweet!)
  • $0.99 – Perfection (Neighbor from Hell #2) by R.L. Mathewson | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Kaleb (Alluring Indulgence #1) by Nicole Edwards | Purchase
  • $0.99 – A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire #1) by Tara Sivec | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Beauty from Pain (Beauty #1) by Georgia Cates | Purchase (A very hot and sexy romance!)
  • $0.99 – Exquisite Betrayal by A.M. Hargrove | Purchase
  • $0.99 – The Seaside series by Rachel Van Dyken | Purchase
  • $0.99 – Wait for You (Wait for You #1) by J. Lynn | Purchase (Such a good NA contemporary romance!)
  • $1.99 – Trust in Me (Wait for You #1.5) by J. Lynn | Purchase | My review
  • $1.99 – Love Unscripted (Love #1) by Tina Reber | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Reason to Breathe (Breathing #1) by Rebecca Donovan | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Barely Breathing (Breathing #2) by Rebecca Donovan | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Out of Breath (Breathing #3) by Rebecca Donovan | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Crash (Crash #1) by Nicole Williams | Purchase | My review (One of my all-time fave series!)
  • $1.99 – Hard As It Gets (Hard Ink #1) by Laura Kaye | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Torn (Torn #1) by K.A. Robinson | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Twisted (Torn #2) by K.A. Robinson | Purchase
  • $1.99 – One Pink Line by Dina Silver | Purchase
  • $1.99 – Outlander: with Bonus Content by Diana Gabaldon | Purchase (A nearly 900 page book for only 1.99!)
  • $2.99 – Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) by Jamie McGuire | Purchase (Travis! <3)
  • $3.99 – Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire | Purchase
  • $5.50 – Slammed (Slammed #1) by Colleen Hoover | Purchase (FAVE BOOK EVER!! Slammed has a $2 price drop!)

Bully by Penelope Douglas Sempre by J.M. Darhower Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley Heaven and Hell by Kristen Ashley Arouse by Nina Lane A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers Relentless by Cassia Leo Night Owl by M. Pierce A Different Blue by Amy Harmon Ride by J.C. Emery Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia Tears of Tess by Pepper Winters Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson Perfection by R.L. Mathewson Kaleb by Nicole Edwards A Beautiful Lie by Tara Sivec Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost Beauty from Pain by Georgia Cates Exquisite Betrayal by A.M. Hargrove The Seaside Series- Boxed Set by Rachel Van Dyken Wait For You by Jennifer L. Armentrout Trust in Me by J. Lynn Love Unscripted by Tina Reber Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan Barely Breathing by Rebecca Donovan Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan Crash 2 by Nicole Williams Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye Torn by K.A. Robinson Twisted by K.A. Robinson One Pink Line by Dina Silver Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Recent Releases!!

Brutally Beautiful by Christine Zolendz Masquerade by Nyrae Dawn Rome by jay Crownover Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen Awaken by Nina Lane Come to Me Quietly by A.L. Jackson Unhinged by A.G. Howard Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill Howling for You by Chloe Neill Ethan by Nicole Edwards Lucky Number Four by Amanda Jason After the Storm by Maya Banks Hope Flames by Jaci Burton Erased by Jennifer Rush Love Reborn by Yvonne Woon Too Consumed by Skyla Madi Nude Caucasian Woman Thrash by J.C. Emery Undone by R.E. Hunter

Upcoming New Releases!!

Drew + Fable Forever by Monica Murphy Forever with You by Laurelin Paige Behind His Eyes by Aleatha Romig Fighting For Irish by Gina L. Maxwell In Bed with Mr. Wrong by Katee Robert Falling For Her Soldier by Ophelia London Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Weekly Recap!!

Reviewed on the blog:

Blog Tours:

Holding Out Blog Tour Banner Tour Banner Vendetta Surrendering to Us Tour Banner Branded tour banner fallen crest public tour banner

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

ARC Review: Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen

Lila and Ethan Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen

Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #4.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 24th 2013
Purchase: Ebook
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Forever Yours) in exchange for an honest review

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ella and Micha series comes a story of love, risks, and rewards . . .

Lila Summers just wants to know one thing for certain: that Ethan Gregory will be with her always. Once her friend, he’s become so much more, melting the pain of her past away with each kiss. Now Lila is on a road trip with Ethan, in the wilderness under the stars, and she can’t imagine her life without him. But when she talks about the future, something in Ethan changes . . .

Ethan has no doubts about his feelings for Lila. His life with her gets better every day-and that’s the scary part. How can he walk into a future where he has everything to lose? With Lila, his whole heart is on the line for the very first time. But if Ethan can’t give her the promise she needs, his greatest fear might come true: he’ll lose Lila for good.

This short novella (it’s around 80 pages) was a sweet, heartfelt ending to Lila and Ethan’s story. I really enjoyed reading about them this time around, and I connected with them much more in this book than in The Temptation of Lila and Ethan. Was it a perfect ending for them? No, but it’s real and honest. Not everyone in the world gets to have a happily ever after, but for people like Lila and Ethan, they’re sure going to try their hardest to have one.

Lila and Ethan are finally on the road trip they wanted to have, and even though the book starts off near the end of the road trip, we get the sense that the time they spent together was perfect.

When I was younger, and pictured my road trip, I’d always pictured doing it myself. But then Lila entered my life and things sort of shifted when I fell in love with her–because being alone didn’t seem as appealing as being with her.

But… now that their trip is nearly over, Lila is worried. About the future. About their future together. Because what if in the long run, Ethan won’t want her anymore? While Ethan is more of an in-the-present kind of guy, Lila likes to think about the future. But all she really wants is Ethan. She doesn’t want a proposal or a marriage right this second, but she wants the security of knowing that Ethan might someday want that, or at least want a future together.

Lila unintentionally plants seeds inside Ethan’s head, and now he’s thinking about his future, and their future, more and more. He’s against marriage, but when he looks at the future, all he sees is Lila. These two are it for each other, but I liked seeing this aspect of their relationship. They don’t know what will happen 5, 10 years down the road, but they’re hoping that they’ll still be together.

Every conversation with her, good and bad. Every moment, light and dark. I want to relive it over and over again. I want so many more moments and conversations.
I want this to be permanent. I want Lila and I to be permanent.
Forever and Always.

I liked how there’s not a definite ending to this book. Their future may be unclear, but Lila and Ethan know that can get through anything as long as they have each other. Their story is realistic, but filled with the promise of a happily ever after. It’s a bittersweet ending to this series, to Lila and Ethan’s story, and even Ella and Micha’s, but Jessica Sorensen leaves us knowing that Lila and Ethan will someday get their forever and always.

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Secret series

The Prelude of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen The Forever of Ella and Micha Jessica Sorensen
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen Lila and Ethan Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen Ella and Micha- Infinitely and Always by Jessica Sorensen

#0.5 ~ The Prelude of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
#1 ~ The Secret of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Forever of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Ever After of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 18, 2014)

Review: The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 3rd 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Temptation of Lila and Ethan comes a story of change, hope, and unbreakable vows.

The day Ella has waited for is just around the corner. It’s the day she’ll marry Micha, the love of her life, the light that guided her out of the darkness. It looks like it will be the perfect Christmas-until an unexpected package arrives with a harsh reminder of Ella’s past. Suddenly Ella doesn’t feel as confident about her future. Can she really have a “happily-ever-after” if she’s never even seen one?

Micha will stand by Ella no matter what she’s going through-though he worries that she might leave him standing at the altar again. When he’s offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tour with his favorite bands for three months, Micha knows he can’t leave Ella behind. But can he ask her to uproot her life to join him on the road?

Now Ella and Micha must find a way to balance their fears, their dreams, and their love . . . if they ever want to hear wedding bells.

Ella and Micha just can’t catch a break! They’re still not quite at their happily ever after yet, but all in good time, right?

Ella finally moved that engagement ring to the right finger, but when the day came for Ella and Micha to marry… she couldn’t go through with it. It wasn’t that she didn’t love Micha, because she does, and you can feel just how much she loves him through her thoughts, but something just didn’t feel right. Ella is terrified that somewhere down the road, she’ll end up like her mother and bring Micha down with her. But Micha, the stubborn, beautiful boy that he is, won’t let Ella give up on their happily ever after.

“I fucking love you. Don’t you get that?” I unclench my hands and stretch my arm over to her, grabbing her arm as she shakes her head. “I love you.” My voice softens. “And no matter what happens, with you or me–with us–I’m always going to love you.”

AHH!!! This boy is the sweetest, most adorable boyfriend ever. He adores Ella, thinks the world of her, and has always been there for her when others weren’t. And now that he has Ella, he wants her forever. Because a love like theirs really deserves a forever. The Ever After of Ella and Micha is shorter than the previous books, but it packs just as heavy a punch with the emotions. Ella was a bit hard to like, but Micha totally stole my heart. This isn’t my favorite of the series, but I still really enjoyed reading Ella and Micha’s final story.

“Just you and me against the world,” I whisper as tears drip from my eyes and down my cheeks.
He fixes a finger underneath my chin, slants my head back, and leans in to kiss me. “Always and forever.”

This book is a quick read, but I really felt for Ella and Micha, especially Micha. Micha is kind of perfect. He says the most loving things to Ella and has no problem with expressing his love for her. And I was so glad that he finally gets the girl of his dreams.

“I couldn’t have done life without you and every single moment, good or bad, has been worth it because it got us right here to this very place and this very moment where I get to have you for the rest of my life. You make me happier then I can even begin to explain. I love you, Ella May, more than life itself, and I’ll continue to love you until I take my last breath–I’ll love you forever. You own my heart.”

This book is really too much sweetness, although that balances with Ella’s darker problems with her mother. For fans of the series, I think you’ll enjoy reading about Ella and Micha’s romance one last time. They finally get the happily ever after that they deserve.

3.5 hearts!

3.5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: The Secret series

The Prelude of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen The Forever of Ella and Micha Jessica Sorensen
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen Lila and Ethan Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen Ella and Micha- Infinitely and Always by Jessica Sorensen

#0.5 ~ The Prelude of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
#1 ~ The Secret of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Forever of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Ever After of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 18, 2014)

Book News, Weekly Recap & Upcoming Releases! {18}

Cover Reveals!!

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2) by Alice Clayton
Release Date: June 24th 2014

In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton

Screwdrivered (Cocktail #3) by Alice Clayton
Release Date: September 2nd 2014

In the third book in the bestselling Cocktail series, a romantic at heart decides that she will not ever, under any circumstances, fall for the engineer next door.

Viv Franklin is a retired Army captain who now designs software programs. She’s also a romance junkie who longs for a knight in shining armor or a cowboy on a wild stallion or a strapping firefighter to sweep her off her feet. Knowing she’s never going to meet her hero by spending all her time behind her keyboard, she uproots her life to move to California, where she meets an actual cowboy. And—sigh—an engineer. But which man is truly Clark Kent and which is her Superman?

A madcap romantic comedy with unforgettable characters and the promise of true love, Screwdrivered has just what you need.

Twisted by Emma Chase

Twisted (Tangled #2) by Emma Chase
Release Date: March 25th 2014

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who look first, and the ones who leap. I’ve always been more of a looker. Cautious. A planner. That changed after I met Drew Evans. He was so persistent. So sure of himself – and of me.

But not all love stories end happily ever after. Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset? Join the club. Now I have to make a choice, the most important of my life. Drew already made his –in fact, he tried to decide for the both of us. But you know that’s just not my style. So I came back to Greenville. Alone. Well, sort of alone….

What I’ve come to realize is that old habits die hard and sometimes you have to go back to where you began, before you can move ahead.

TWISTED picks up two years after Tangled’s end, and is told from Kate’s POV.

Tamed by Emma Chase

Tamed (Tangled #3) by Emma Chase
Release Date: May 27th 2014

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: girl meets player, they fall in love, player changes his ways.

It’s a good story. But it’s not our story. Ours is a lot more colorful.

When I met Dee I knew right away that she was special. When she met me, she thought I was anything but special–I was exactly like every other guy who’d screwed her over and let her down. It took some time to convince her otherwise, but turns out I can make a convincing argument when sex is at stake.

You might know where this story’s headed. But the best part isn’t where we ended up.

It’s how we got there.

TAMED goes back in time to the Tangled days. But this time around, it’s not Drew dishing out the advice and opinions – it’s his best friend Matthew, who of course is dealing with Dee Dee.

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5) by Miranda Kenneally
Release Date: July 1st 2014

Eighteen-year-old Annie Winters can barely run a mile without wheezing. Still, she’s training to run the Music City Marathon in seven short months. Running is so not her thing, but she has to finish what her boyfriend started… before he died.

Annie feels guilt that she’s still alive and blames herself for his death; she has to do this to honor him – running a marathon was his dream. Plus training gives her something to do, it’s a distraction. So is Jeremiah Brown.

He’s an adrenaline junkie who runs marathons backwards. He flirts with Annie on the trails and it makes her feel alive and happy and guilty all at the same time. She wants to both race into his arms and sprint in the opposite direction – because loving is a risk she’s not sure she’s ready to take again…

Stolen Wishes by Lexi Ryan

Stolen Wishes (New Hope #1.5) by Lexi Ryan
Release Date: January 7th 2014

Cally…

A sexy smile. Intense blue eyes. A goodness that makes him want to save me from these rumors when no one else would care. I didn’t ask for a hero. William Bailey was never supposed to be anything more than a wish, a dream, an unrequited crush. Not for a girl like me–a girl whose fractured family has stolen her chance at a decent life.

William…

Since the death of my parents, I’ve always done what’s expected of me, what’s “best” for me. Until Cally. The moment her haunted eyes meet mine, the fractured pieces of my heart feel whole again. I don’t just want to save her. I need her to save me.

Stolen chances. Unbroken wishes. Two lonely souls grasping for hope in the darkness.

Twisted Together by Pepper Winters

Twisted Together (Monsters in the Dark #3) by Pepper Winters
Release Date: Early 2014

“After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”

 

Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.

 

Behind His Eyes by Aleatha Romig

Behind His Eyes (Consequences #4) by Aleatha Romig
Release Date: January 14th 2014

BEHIND HIS EYES – CONSEQUENCES is a reading companion, by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig, recommended to be read aftercompleting all of the CONSEQUENCES SERIES: Consequences, Truth, and Convicted. It is not a standalone book and should not be read as such.

This companion was written to explore the thoughts and motivations of Anthony Rawlings, the man behind the consequences. It was not intended as a total rewrite of Consequences, but meant to enhance the reader’s understanding. BHE-Consequences contains significant scenes from the novel Consequences, as experienced from Anthony’s point of view. It also contains never before read, behind the scenes information, as well as, a glossary of the characters and a timeline devoted to the events within Consequences.

BEHIND HIS EYES CONSEQUENCES is a dark journey into the mind of the man who believes that he controls everything and controls nothing. Because there is more to learn about a man who:

Once upon a time, signed a napkin that he knew was a contract. As an esteemed businessman, he forgot one very important rule—he forgot to read the fine print. It wasn’t an acquisition to own another person as he’d previously assumed. It was an agreement to acquire a soul.

—Aleatha Romig CONVICTED

It was a long and painful acquisition—especially from Behind His Eyes!

Seducing Lauren by Kristen Proby

Seducing Lauren (Love Under the Big Sky #2) by Kristen Proby
Release Date: August 19th 2014

In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love.

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

Perfectly Damaged by E.L. Montes

Perfectly Damaged by E.L. Montes
Release Date: January 20th 2014

Schizoaffective disorder: a mental illness in which a person experiences a combination of mood disorder and schizophrenia symptoms.

I know about this illness—very well—because I suffer from it. It’s been four years since my diagnosis, and ever since, I’ve been living in a dark hole. Voices constantly invading my thoughts. Hallucinations. All of which force me to question if what I’m experiencing is even reality.

But here I am, still hanging on, still breathing and living through it.

That is, until he stumbled into my life. Logan Reed. I don’t want any part of him. I’ve pushed him away, but he isn’t easily deterred. I’ve told him I’m different, but he doesn’t care. He’s trying to slowly break me down. I’m trying just as hard not to let him. He doesn’t know how truly damaged I am; what will happen when he does?

I know the truth—he’ll never be able to look at me the same way again. Just like everybody else.

Forever Ours by Cassia Leo

Forever Ours (Shattered Hearts #0.5) by Cassia Leo
Release Date: April 2014

Forever Ours is the highly anticipated prequel to the New York Times and USA Todaybestselling Shattered Hearts Series. This can be read as a stand alone or beforeRelentless.

Sometimes, it takes more than love to mend a shattered heart.

After eight years of being tossed around from one home to another, never forming any meaningful friendships or bonds with her foster families, Claire’s caseworker gives her an ultimatum: Behave or your next home will be a halfway house.

When fifteen-year-old Claire arrives at the home of Jackie Knight and meets Jackie’s fifteen-year-old son, tattooed guitarist Chris, she fears she’ll be seeing the inside of that halfway house soon. But Chris isn’t like any other guy Claire has ever encountered and he soon gains her trust through his music and unwavering patience.

Claire has finally found her forever home and she and Chris soon find themselves falling in love.

But Chris’s dreams of musical stardom and Claire’s need for a stable home soon put their love in jeopardy. Chris struggles deeply with his plans for the future, entirely reluctant to leave Claire behind; until Claire does something that may break their love — and the only home she’s comes to know — forever.

The Forgotten Girl by Jessica Sorensen

The Forgotten Girl by Jessica Sorensen
Release Date: February 27th 2014

Twenty-three year-old Maddie Asherford is haunted by a past she can’t remember. When she was fifteen years old, there was a tragic accident and she was left with amnesia.

In the aftermath, Maddie’s left struggling with who she is—the forgotten girl she was eight years ago or the Maddie she is now. Sometimes it even feels like she might be two different people completely—the good Maddie and the bad one.

Good Maddie goes to therapy, spends time with her family, and works on healing herself. Bad Maddie rebels and has dark thoughts of hurting people and sometimes even killing them.

Maddie manages to keep her twisted thoughts hidden for the most part. That is until she starts having blackouts. Each time she wakes up from one, she’s near a murder scene with no recollection of what happened the night before and this helpless feeling like she’s losing control of her life. Maddie doesn’t want to believe she’s a killer, but she begins to question who she really was in her past. If she was bad Maddie all along and that maybe she was a killer.

***Stand Alone. Dark Thriller**

Snippets!!

★ Cassandra Clare has a Christmasy snippet from City of Heavenly Fire! You can read it here.

★ OMG! Colleen Hoover put this up as a status update on Goodreads! It’s from Ugly Love!

“Yes, Miles. You’re right. I am. Because I like you and I know you like me and when we’re together, it’s phenomenal, so that’s what normal people do. When they find someone they’re compatible with, they open up to them. They let them in. They want to be with them. They don’t f*@k them against their kitchen table, then walk away and make them feel like complete shit.”

Preorder Ugly Love: Amazon

★ Teasers for Behind His Eyes by Aleatha Romig!

followed your rules

perfect wife

★ A snippet for The Destiny of Violet and Luke (The Coincidence #3) by Jessica Sorensen!

Violet and Luke teaser 4

Other News!!

★ Nalini Singh, one of my favorite authors ever, has deleted scenes from Heart of Obsidian (one of my favorite books of 2013)! You can read them here.

★ EEP!! Darynda Jones has written a Charley Davidson Christmas story called Shimmer! You can read it here, but there will be spoilers for those who haven’t read Fifth Grave Past the Light!

★ Ilona Andrews has a wonderful gift for their readers here!

★ Wendy Higgins has a bonus scene of parts of chapters 17-20 of Sweet Peril in Kai’s POV! Read it here.

★ In the print version of Be with Me (Wait for You #2) by J. Lynn there will be an exclusive never-before-seen scene between Teresa and Jase that won’t exist in the e-book version!

Preorder Be with Me: Amazon | B&N

★ The title of the sequel to Breaking Nova by Jessica Sorensen will be called Saving Quinton!

★ Ugly Love has a release date: August 5, 2014! Preorder on Amazon

★ Breakable by Tammara Webber is up for preorder on Amazon!

★ S.C. Stephens wrote a holiday short in Kellan’s POV (from the Thoughtless series)! Read it here.

★ It’s Søren’s birthday (from The Original Sinners series), so author Tiffany Reisz has a deleted scene from The Saint! Read it here.

★ You can read the prologue of Ofelia by Pepper Winters here!

★ Kristen Ashley news!

The Will, the start of a three-part series called the Magdalene Series, will be released in April 2014. I got to fulfill two bucket list items with this one. One, writing a hero who is a boxer and two, giving into the request of a number of readers and writing a couple that are just a wee bit older. You may think one and two don’t go together but wait until you meet Jake and Josephine. Jake is the…absolute…bomb and Josephine is so damned funny, I haven’t laughed that hard writing a book since Rock Chick Revolution. Can’t wait for you to meet them!

Here’s what else you can look forward to in 2014.

  • Untitled, the continuation of The ‘Burg Series (Frankie and Benny’s story).
  • Another Untitled, the finale of The Three Series will be written after I leave The ‘Burg.

I’m hoping to get at least one more book in by the end of 2014 and I’ll update you what that/those might be when I know what they might be!

Weekly Recap

Reviewed on the blog:

Books to review:

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout Return to Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia Seeking Her by Cora Carmack A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder Awaken by Nina Lane Fallen Crest Public by Tijan Thou Shalt Not by J.J. Rossum

Blog Tours:

Quintessentially Q Tour Banner

Addicted for Now banner

tour banner under different stars

The Redhead Plays Her Hand banner

Otherwise Unharmed tour banner

Exquisite Betrayal Tour Banner

Entangled Dec Tour

Don’t forget to check out the giveaways listed on the blog on the right!

Recent Releases

The Sweetest Game by J. Sterling Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley The Spider by Jennifer Estep Beck by Harper Sloan Needing Her by Molly McAdams With You by Nashoda Rose Torn from You by Nashoda Rose

Upcoming New Releases!! (Last releases of the year!)

Fallen Crest Public by Tijan Return to Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia Finding My Forever by Heidi McLaughlin Music of the Soul by Katie Ashley How To Run With A Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #3) by Molly HarperHow To Run With A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy Warrior by Ellen Oh

Review: The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 22nd 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ella and Micha series comes a gripping story of passion, pain, and the courage to love . . .

THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN

On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She’ll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there’s only one person who’s there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn’t do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila’s pretty princess image, Ethan can’t deny they have a deeper connection than he’s used to. If he’s not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he’s learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I didn’t like it as much as Ella and Micha’s story, even though I really, really wanted to. Lila and Ethan’s book was still enjoyable, just not as much as I expected it to be.

Lila and Ethan have very tragic, messed up pasts. For Lila, she’s had to live her whole life feeling unloved and unwanted by her parents, who are always disappointed in her no matter what she does. They want her to uphold their family’s image and reputation, regardless of how that makes Lila feel. And so she turns to boys, and then men, for sex, to feel the love and affection that she never had growing up.

For Ethan, he used to be a druggie with an even more messed up girlfriend named London. And after a tragic incident involving London, Ethan vowed to clean himself up and never get involved with drugs again. And thankfully, he’s the more clear-headed one between him and Lila. Ethan and Lila are the best friends of Micha and Ella, and now that Micha and Ella are finally together and living in San Diego, this leaves Ethan and Lila living near each other in Las Vegas.

Lila and Ethan try to be strictly friends, but… that never stays that way. 😉 There’s always this underlying tension between the two, and it’s like, Just get together, you two!! But they’re too afraid of losing each other’s friendships, and it’s not until Lila spirals down into abusing prescription drugs that Ethan finally decides to take matters into his own hands and help Lila.

Ethan is a badass, but he’s such a big sweetheart too! I really enjoyed his character, at least a lot more than Lila’s. Although Lila did start winning me over later on in the book. Lila and Ethan’s story is a very heartbreaking book to read, because their whole lives have been filled with nothing but pain.

“Everyone’s messed up.” I reach forward and slowly wipe away some of the tears running down her cheek with my fingertips. “In their very own fucked-up way, a lot of people just won’t admit it aloud and then try to change it.” I reduce the space between us and place a hand on her arm. “But you’ve done both of those, which makes you so fucking strong, Lila. I wish you could see that. You’re strong and amazing and beautiful and you deserve so much more than sitting on a bathroom floor in a skanky bar. You deserve to have an amazing life.”

But along the way, the two fall for each other, and they make each other whole. They finally find someone to care about, even love, who returns those feelings. I love the banter between the two, and I enjoyed their deep, meaningful conversations just as much. These two have a different kind of love than Ella and Micha, but it’s just as real and heartfelt.

3 hearts.

3-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: The Secret series

The Prelude of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen The Forever of Ella and Micha Jessica Sorensen
The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen Lila and Ethan Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen Ella and Micha- Infinitely and Always by Jessica Sorensen

#0.5 ~ The Prelude of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
#1 ~ The Secret of Ella and Micha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Forever of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Temptation of Lila and Ethan: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Ever After of Ella and Micha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ella and Micha: Infinitely and Always: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Nov. 18, 2014)