Tag Archives: new adult

Early Review: Infini by Krista & Becca Ritchie

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Infini by Krista & Becca Ritchie

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.)

5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Aerial Ethereal series

Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie Infini by Krista & Becca Ritchie

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

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Release Day Review: Next to Never by Penelope Douglas

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Next to Never by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #4.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 17th 2017
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas introduces Quinn, younger sister to Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon, in the latest novella in the series that began with Jared and Tate in Bully….

Quinn Caruthers has several problems.

Her father, Jason, and her three older brothers, Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon.

Under the close watch of the men in her family, Quinn has found it nearly impossible to spread her wings—or even date—without them jumping in to hover. And when a family friend—several years older—from her childhood captures her heart, she knows they’re going to be a problem. Lucas Morrow is a man—experienced, sophisticated, and important. And knowing her brothers, he may as well be forbidden.

But Lucas left town years ago and shows no signs of returning. Quinn knows she shouldn’t wait for him anymore.

But then a package turns up on her doorstep with no return address and its contents reveal family secrets that threaten to turn Quinn’s world upside down. She’s never asked about the tumultuous path of her parents’ romantic history, but she soon learns their happy marriage had a very rocky and passionate start.

As she begins to see things around her with new eyes, Quinn will have to make tough choices about whether she’ll keep waiting…or finally go after what she really wants.

“A strong person realizes that the only love you truly need in this life is the love you have for yourself. If you have that, it’s like armor. No one can stop you. No one else matters.”

Ugh, I’ve missed the Fall Away characters SO MUCH!!! This novella was the perfect way to introduce the second generation of characters while still rewarding fans of the series with cameos of the original characters. Plus, we finally get Katherine and Jason’s full story! Next to Never was the perfect tease from Penelope Douglas – it left me desperate for more, but I loved it all the same.

Quinn – Jared, Jax, and Madoc’s little sister – is now a teenager, but her life is being overshadowed by everyone in her family. There’s Jared’s Dylan, Jax’s Hawke, and Madoc’s twins Hunter and Kade, who all have their own personalities and problems that seem to be bigger than they are. They have a presence that Quinn doesn’t believe she has, and she’s afraid to go after what she wants and to mess up the status quo. She’s stuck in her life, with no direction out – but when a book lands on her doorstep, its contents changes everything for her.

It turns out the book is actually a diary… the story of her parents’ relationship. I don’t want to say much about Jason and Katherine’s story because I feel like it’s best to go in blind, but the road to their now-HEA has not been an easy one. They had an addicting, intense, and ultimately toxic relationship that broke them both… but you’ll have to read this novella to find out how they healed themselves and each other.

Honestly, there’s so much to love about this novella. Seeing the original cast of characters was such a delight – you have no idea how giddy I got every time they appeared on the page. Reading about them here made me fall in love with the series all over again, honestly. But now that I’ve finished Next to Never, I’m dying for more, especially Quinn and Lucas’s actual book! The wait for them is killer, but I know Penelope Douglas won’t disappoint. If you love the Fall Away series, I don’t know why you wouldn’t read this novella (that didn’t feel as short as a novella at all, thankfully), because it’s everything you expect and more from PD and the series!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Fall Away series

Bully by Penelope Douglas Until You by Penelope Douglas Rival by Penelope Douglas
Falling Away by Penelope Douglas Aflame by Penelope Douglas  

#1 ~ Bully: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Until You: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Rival: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling Away: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Aflame: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Next to Never: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads (Jan. 17, 2017)
#5 ~ The Next Flame: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (May 2, 2017)

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Audiobook Review: The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard

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The Architect of Song by A.G. Howard
Series: Haunted Hearts Legacy #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: October 11th 2016
Length: 12 hours and 45 minutes
Narrated by: Gemma Dawson
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

A lady imprisoned by deafness, an architect imprisoned by his past, and a ghost imprisoned within the petals of a flower – intertwine in this love story that transcends life and death.

For most of her life, Juliet Emerline has subsisted – isolated by deafness – making hats in the solitude of her home. Now, she’s at risk to lose her sanctuary to Lord Nicolas Thornton, a mysterious and eccentric architect with designs on her humble estate. When she secretly witnesses him raging beside a grave, Juliet investigates, finding the name “Hawk” on the headstone and an unusual flower at the base. The moment Juliet touches the petals, a young English nobleman appears in ghostly form, singing a song only her deaf ears can hear. The ghost remembers nothing of his identity or death, other than the one name that haunts his afterlife: Thornton.

To avenge her ghostly companion and save her estate, Juliet pushes aside her fear of society and travels to Lord Thornton’s secluded holiday resort, posing as a hat maker in one of his boutiques. There, she finds herself questioning who to trust: the architect of flesh and bones who can relate to her through romantic gestures, heartfelt notes, and sensual touches … or the specter who serenades her with beautiful songs and ardent words, touching her mind and soul like no other man ever can. As sinister truths behind Lord Thornton’s interest in her estate and his tie to Hawk come to light, Juliet is lured into a web of secrets. But it’s too late for escape, and the tragic love taking seed in her heart will alter her silent world forever.

International and NYT bestselling author, A.G. Howard, brings her darkly magical and visual/visceral storytelling to Victorian England. The Architect of Song is the first installment in her lush and romantic Haunted Hearts Legacy series, a four book New Adult gothic saga following the generations of one family as – haunted by both literal and figurative ghosts – they search for self-acceptance, love, and happiness.

I’ve only read one other book of A.G. Howard’s and that was her YA novel, but the premise of The Architect of Song sounded promising, and I’ve been super in NA fantasy lately so I decided to give it a try. This is more paranormal than fantasy though, but anything in the NA genre that wasn’t contemporary was still right in my boat. Here we have a story about nineteen-year-old Juliet whose deafness has caused her to live a life of isolation. But when her home is at risk of being seized, she is unknowingly thrust into a web of secrets and lies… and even ghosts.

Listening to this audiobook was a strange experience, to say the least. Usually I don’t have a hard time following a story when I listen, but this wasn’t the case with The Architect of Song. I felt like too many things were happening at the same time, and the story was too tame to really hook me in. I wanted more romance, especially between Juliet and her ghost, because I wanted to see how that would work out. The mystery surrounding the ghost Hawk and Lord Thornton, who was the one trying to take away her estate, was a bit too convoluted for me. I’m sure if I read this instead of listened, I would’ve understood more, but the audiobook just wasn’t working too well for me.

This is the first time that I’ve listened to a narrator with an English accent though, which was wonderful and lovely. I really enjoyed Gemma Dawson’s accent and voice and would definitely listen to her again. Her narration was what made listening to The Architect of Song a little more enjoyable, so it wasn’t a complete bust. I’d say if you’re a fan of mysteries and love stories, you should give this a try! Hopefully it’ll keep you hooked more than it did for me.

THE ARCHITECT OF SONG is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2jxKfCC

3 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Haunted Hearts Legacy series

#1 ~ The Architect of Song: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Hummingbird Heart: Goodreads (out Aug. 2017)
#3 ~ The Glass Butterfly: Goodreads (out Aug. 2018)
#4 ~ The Artisan of Light: Goodreads (out Aug. 2019)

Here’s an audio excerpt from The Architect of Song!

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Audiobook Review: Sweet Soul by Tillie Cole

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Sweet Soul by Tillie Cole

Sweet Soul by Tillie Cole
Series: Sweet Home #4 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: October 4th 2016
Length: 11 hours and 48 minutes
Narrated by: Cassandra Morris & Thomas Fawley
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

From the USA Today best-selling Sweet Home Series comes Sweet Soul, a heart-wrenching story of love in its purest form.

One shy lost soul. One silent lonely heart. One love to save them both.

Life has never been easy for 20-year-old Levi Carillo. The youngest of the Carillo boys, Levi is nothing like his older brothers. He isn’t dark in looks or intimidating to everyone he meets. In fact he’s quite the opposite. Haunted by a crippling shyness and the tragic events of his past, Levi spends his days with his head buried in his books or training hard for his college football team. Too timid to talk to girls, Levi stays as far away as possible and completely on his own…until he saves the life of a troubled pretty blonde – a troubled pretty blonde who might just be the exception to his rule.

Elsie Hall is homeless. Or at least that’s all anyone ever sees. Every day is a fight for survival on the cold streets of Seattle, every day a struggle to find food and keep warm. Alone in life – a life that’s dangerous and cruel – her will to keep going is an ever-losing battle. In her world of silence, Elsie has given up hope that her life will contain anything but constant heartache and pain…until the beautiful boy she has severely wronged comes to her rescue at precisely the right time.

As much as I love Tillie Cole’s Hades Hangmen series and her Scarred Souls series, the Sweet Home series has not been my thing – until now. I adored Levi and Elsie’s story! It is definitely my favorite of the series. It’s sweet, charming, heartbreaking – I really enjoyed listening to Sweet Soul. This is the first audiobook in the series to have dual narration, which is my favorite type of narration. Thomas Fawley’s sweet Southern accent for Levi totally stole my heart, and while Cassandra Morris’ voice is a little too girly, I got used to it in no time. I would highly recommend giving the audiobook of Sweet Soul if you love listening to heart-wrenching, sweet, emotional romances!

Levi is the youngest, the baby of the Carillo brothers, and he’s… different from his brothers Axel and Austin. They’re tatted, badass men while Levi is the shy boy with the kind soul. He’s the one with the pure heart, but the death of his mother and having to deal with a gang when he was young have left him lost and very introverted. Even though he’s twenty and a successful football player in college, he’s never gone out with a girl, let alone touched or kissed one. He’s never wanted to get to know a girl anyway, until he meets a homeless girl who tugs at his heartstrings like no other.

Elsie’s life has not been kind to her. Her mother died when Elsie was young, so she was sent to a foster home where she was severely bullied for the way her voice sounds because she’s partially deaf. Because of the bullying, she never speaks, and she’s been living on the streets since she left the foster home. This is where she meets Levi, a boy with a kindness in his heart she never knew existed in the world. These two complicated, heartbroken souls find each other, form a connection through their tragic pasts, and end up saving each other. I loved the way the romance grew so genuinely – I could feel the intensity of their connection while listening to this. Tillie Cole is an author who expresses love in her books so well, and the love between Elsie and Levi was simply wonderful to hear.

My heart grew so invested in Levi and Elsie’s characters – the things these two went through and continue to go through completely broke my heart, and yet their beautiful romance mended it back together. Sweet Soul is very emotional; it almost made me tear up at some points, and yet by the end of it, it’ll leave with a happy heart and a smile on your face. It is definitely a must read/listen whether you love the series or not. Thomas Fawley and Cassandra Morris’ narrations were spot on, and I’d definitely listen to them again (hopefully as dual narrators, because I looove audiobooks that way). Even though this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend going through the series in order to get the full effect of Levi’s story.

SWEET SOUL is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2fPBP8N

4 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Sweet Home series

Sweet Home by Tillie Cole Sweet Rome by Tillie Cole
Sweet Fall by Tillie Cole Sweet Hope by Tillie Cole Sweet Soul by Tillie Cole

#1 ~ Sweet Home: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Sweet Rome: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sweet Fall: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Sweet Hope: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Sweet Soul: Book Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from Sweet Soul!

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Audiobook Review: Sweet Hope by Tillie Cole

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Sweet Hope by Tillie Cole

Sweet Hope by Tillie Cole
Series: Sweet Home #3 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: October 4th 2016
Length: 11 hours and 3 minutes
Narrated by: Tessa Ellory
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

My name is Ally Prince and I’ve always been unlucky in love. I don’t know why, I just always… have.

When all of my best friends were falling for their soul mates in College, I was left behind. I was Ally, the pretty cousin of superstar quarterback, Romeo Prince. I was Ally, the best friend to the most amazing group of girls I’ve ever known—a title I loved, but one I became tired of ‘just’ being. And I was Ally, the one on which they could all rely.

But to me, I was Ally, the girl with the heart no one had claimed… And I was, Ally, the girl, who underneath it all, was heart-breakingly lonely.

I LOVE love; the thought of it, the nervous excitement of falling for Mr. Right, the desire of someone becoming my entire world… of me becoming theirs. I’ve always wanted passion, heart-stopping, epic, life-changing romance… I’ve always wanted the fairytale… I’ve always wanted it all.

It just never seemed like I would get it.

For the past few years I’ve thrown myself into my career as a museum curator. I’m the best of the best, the person every museum wants to hire, so when an opportunity came up to move to Seattle, I jumped at the chance. My cousin and my best friend lived in Seattle and I needed a change. I needed a new beginning.

I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone in the Emerald City. I wasn’t expecting to work closely with the reclusive new sculptor my all-important gallery design was centered around. And I certainly wasn’t expecting to fall for him… heart-stopping, epic, life-changing love…

My real life fairytale come true.

But, like in every fairytale, there’s a villain, a dark and tortured soul… I just didn’t know that the villain and the hero in my story would end up being one and the same.

Back when I first read Sweet Hope, I didn’t quite love it like I’d hoped, but listening to it as an audiobook made the experience so much better!! This usually happens for me when I reread a book by listening to its audiobook, so I’m not surprised. I mainly have the fantastic narrator, Tessa Ellory, to thank for her wonderful portrayal of Ally. I thought I liked the previous narrator’s voice, but Tessa Ellory was perfect for Sweet Hope!

If you were a fan of the previous books in the Sweet Home series, you’ll definitely want to pick up Sweet Hope. It’s wrought with the intense emotions and romantic thrills that Tillie Cole is great at writing. Sometimes things get a little cheesy, but if you can handle the sweetness, then I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy Sweet Hope.

Art curator Ally Prince, Rome’s cousin, has just been given the position of a lifetime working with her favorite contemporary sculptor, the mysterious Elpidio. She is passionate about art, most of all his works, so to say she’s excited to take part in showcasing his art is an understatement. But when she meets Elpi, what she doesn’t expect is to fall for the gorgeous, tortured man who pulls at her heart. He has a dark, painful past that keeps his heart walled up, but Ally is determined to bring him the light that he’s been missing in his life.

The cheese is real in this audiobook, but it’s not too cringeworthy so I was able to look past it. Plus, I was totally hooked onto the story thanks to the wonderful narration. Tessa Ellory’s voice is so sweet and perfect for Ally. There’s a handful of angsty emotions between Ally and Elpi, which I enjoyed. Even though each book in the Sweet Home series can be a standalone, if you’re looking to go into Sweet Hope, I’d definitely recommend listening (or reading) Sweet Fall first.

SWEET HOPE is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2eJ1zAQ

4 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Sweet Home series

Sweet Home by Tillie Cole Sweet Rome by Tillie Cole
Sweet Fall by Tillie Cole Sweet Hope by Tillie Cole Sweet Soul by Tillie Cole

#1 ~ Sweet Home: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Sweet Rome: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Sweet Fall: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Sweet Hope: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Sweet Soul: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from Sweet Hope!

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