Audiobook Review: Some Kind of Perfect by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Some Kind of Perfect by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #3.5, Calloway Sisters #4.5 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Length: 23 hours and 36 minutes
Narrated by: Mark Boyett, Therese Plummer, Stephen Dexter, Maxine Mitchell, Gregory Salinas & Jessica Almasy
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Falling in love was just the beginning

The conclusion to the epic ten-book series about the unbreakable strength of family, friendship, and love.

Lily & Lo are back one final time. Childhood best friends and soul mates.

Ryke & Daisy are back one final time. Wild risk-takers and flirty adventurers.

Connor & Rose are back one final time. Genius rivals and intellectual teammates.

Ten years of laughter. Of heartache. And love.

This series… I honestly can’t believe it’s over! I’ve been putting off reading/listening Some Kind of Perfect because I really, really didn’t want to let go of these beloved characters, but now I’m so happy I finally got to experience this final Addicted/Calloway sisters book. SKoP is a full-length epilogue novel to the series, so it must be read after you’ve read the entire series. And yes, the series is pretty long which can seem daunting, but I promise, once you get into it, you won’t want to let go of these characters either. And if you have been keeping up with the series, you HAVE to experience Lily, Loren, Rose, Connor, Daisy, and Ryke one last time!

I don’t really want to spoil anything about this book or what goes on in it, but honestly, if you love the Addicted characters, you will only fall head over heels in love with them all over again in SKoP. We get all six characters’ POVs, and they are just as true to themselves as they have been throughout the series. I think that might be my favorite part of Krista and Becca Ritchie’s incredible development of their characters – that no matter what life throws at them, no matter what they go through, whether it’s scandal or even parenting, they are still the same characters we know and love… only better.

Listening to SKoP was an incredible experience, and I know I’ll definitely go back and listen to it again (probably after I listen to the entire series… again). I loved all six narrators, especially since Rose, Connor, Daisy, and Ryke’s were all the same ones from past audiobooks. Maxine Mitchell and Gregory Salinas were great as Lily and Lo, but I have to admit I do miss Erin Mallon and Charles Carr’s narrations. I’m not sure why LiLo’s narrators changed, but I’m still happy with their new voices!

This is one of the few series where I have read all the books AND listened to them in audio. The Addicted series is seriously one of my all-time favorite series in the whole world, and it’s for sure my number one New Adult series to date. I’m not sure anything could live up to the fantastic writing, the brilliant character development, and the unforgettable characters this series has. But I’m seriously looking forward to more from K&B, especially the spinoff series, Like Us!

SOME KIND OF PERFECT is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2btff2S

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from Some Kind of Perfect!

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9Aug2016

Release Day Review: Swear on this Life by Renée Carlino

Posted in 2 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Swear on this Life by Renée Carlino
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 9th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From USA TODAY bestselling author Renée Carlino (Before We Were Strangers), a warm and witty novel about a struggling writer who must come to grips with her past, present, and future after she discovers that she’s the inspiration for a pseudonymously published bestselling novel.

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J. Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

Once again, I’m probably in the minority for Renée Carlino’s latest release. As much as I wish I could’ve loved this book, I didn’t enjoy it at all. Back when I read Before We Were Strangers, my first book by this author, I didn’t see the appeal and I wasn’t a fan of the writing, so I was hesitant to read Swear on this Life. But the blurb hooked me in (as always), and I ended up disappointed nonetheless. The writing was mediocre, I didn’t care for the characters, and the second chance romance (which is one of my favorite tropes ever) failed to make me feel anything but annoyance. Looking at the ratings, I’m sure most readers will enjoy this book, but honestly, I’d only recommend SotL to those who loved BWWS.

“I love you, Emiline. I loved you before I even knew what it meant.”

The premise of this story is amazing – the heroine, Emiline, reads a bestselling book only to realize it’s a book about HER life… and the childhood she shared with her one and only love. She figures the author of the book must be Jase Colbertson, the lost love she hasn’t seen in over a decade, and she gets pissed. She can’t believe he would share to the world such private details about her not-so-savory childhood. Luckily, he’s about to show up in San Diego for a book signing, and she has to decide whether she wants to confront him or let the past stay in the past.

My main problem with this second chance romance is how much focus is on the past. We’re given passages from Jase’s book (which honestly didn’t read anything like a top bestselling novel) and we learn about Emiline’s past through them. Her past is sad, tragic, and pretty predictable, but what really killed it for me was how LONG and drawn out it was. Every time I read the passages from the book, I already wanted to get back to the present and the upcoming reunion (which fyi, doesn’t happen until over halfway through the book). I didn’t even end up liking the scenes where Em falls in love with Jase as a young girl, because the Jase from the past is NOTHING like the Jase from the present, so I had no real point to invest my time in his past self.

Unfortunately, the present couldn’t save the novel for me. Emiline, who is in her late twenties, acts like she’s a teenager, one even more immature than she was as a child. She also has a long-time boyfriend, Trevor, whose character I really saw no point in existing other than to take even more time for Emiline and Jase to get back together. And the reunion with Jase? Such a let-down, because guess who’s grown up to become a smug, smirking manwhore, like every other boring hero ever? Can you tell I don’t really like those kinds of heroes? I honestly didn’t see why Jase was acting so smug, when Emiline had every right to be angry with him and not fall directly into his arms and crotch when they saw each other again.

And this is slightly spoilery, but what kind of man tells the woman he’s supposedly loved his whole life that he’s currently fucking another woman, his agent who he sees practically every day no less? Obviously, he stops when he reunites with Emiline, so what exactly is the point of saying it anyway?

So this book was disappointing, but I can’t say it’s a surprise. I felt the same disappointment and annoyance with the author’s previous book – I really don’t think Renée Carlino is for me. I’m not a fan of her writing – it’s all telling, no showing, except for those rare paragraphs that are pretty deep and meaningful, which throws me off. I’m probably going to give up on her books now and let others enjoy it, no matter how enticing her future stories sound.

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

Also by Renée Carlino

Sweet Thing: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Nowhere But Here: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
After the Rain: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Beofre We Were Strangers: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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3Aug2016

ARC Review: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 2nd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

“Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live if, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn’t waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never.”

It Ends with Us is probably Colleen Hoover’s most important book to date. It’s got such a powerful message within its pages – one everyone needs to hear. I’m keeping this review short and sweet, but I do want to stress that the theme of this novel deals with a heavy subject that may be a trigger to some people. That being said, I would still definitely recommend this book to everyone because the meaning behind the story is such an important one. This isn’t your typical love story – it’s so much more than that. I wouldn’t even say this is a romance at all – it’s just about love. It’s about all kinds of relationships and love and the loss of both. I really don’t have the words to describe this book justice – just read it for yourself!

Imagine all the people you meet in your life. There are so many. They come in like waves, trickling in and out with the tide. Some waves are much bigger and make more of an impact than others. Sometimes the waves bring with them things from deep in the bottom of the sea and they leave those things tossed onto the shore. Imprints against the grains of sand that prove the waves had once been there, long after the tide recedes.

The first half of the book, I’ll admit, bored me to tears. I didn’t connect with the main characters (the only ones I liked were two of the secondary characters) and I wasn’t that into their blooming romance. But literally right at the halfway mark was when things EXPLODED, emotionally and psychologically. I could sort of see it coming, but the impact of it was something I couldn’t have predicted. The second half of the book left me raw and aching – I’d give this section of the book 5 stars alone. It was incredibly written and told, despite the delicate topic. Colleen Hoover’s writing seems to get better and better with each new release, and you can see that so clearly in It Ends with Us.

Did I love this book? Yes and no. I really don’t know how I feel about this – but I will say that I’d still highly recommend everyone read it. It Ends with Us is not a book to be missed – it’s like nothing CoHo has has written before, but it’s still got her kind of heart and humor that’s present in all her books. And if you’re worried about the slow pacing of the first half, just keep reading like I did! I promise, the end of the book will be so worth it (though a tear or two might be shed!).

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

Also by Colleen Hoover

Slammed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Maybe Someday: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Ugly Love: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Confess: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
November 9: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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1Aug2016

Release Day Review: Out of Bounds by R.S. Grey

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Out of Bounds by R.S. Grey
Series: The Summer Games #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 1st 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

I despise Erik Winter.

He’s arrogant and cruel—a man I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy—and by some twisted turn of fate, he’s my new Olympic gymnastics coach.

I’ve had to contend with gruff coaches in the past, but Erik is far worse. His stern demeanor complements a body built for intimidation, and his reprimands come from a mouth so cunning, I know it could strip me of my defenses—if I let it.

Though each of us would love to be rid of the other forever, we are bound to each other by need and necessity. I’m his rising star, his best shot at proving himself to his critics. And without a coach, I have zero chance of winning gold in Rio.

The easiest way forward would be to wave a white flag and make peace with the man I’ll be sharing close quarters with for the foreseeable future, but he is intent on war.

Fine. By. Me.

If he pushes me, I’ll push back harder. If he wants to test me, to play with my head, I’ll show him just how many boundaries I’m willing to cross. Because I know it’s not a choice between winning or warring—not if you can have them both. At the end of it all, I plan on leaving Rio with gold around my neck and his icy heart in the palm of my hand.

It’s almost time for the 2016 Olympics, and what better way to usher it in than by reading a sports romance about an Olympian? Out of Bounds is R.S. Grey’s HOTTEST book yet – it’s an incredible enemies-to-lovers/forbidden romance between an upcoming gymnastics Olympian and her coach. It’s my second favorite of her books, right after the first Summer Games book. It’s steamy – so, sooo steamy. The lust and hate come so clearly off the pages, it’s mind-blowing. If you don’t like heroes who act like complete asses and heroines who give as good as they get, this probably won’t be the book for you. But if you do love that intense chemistry that comes with hate, you NEED to get your hands on Out of Bounds!

She was fierce; she wanted to be seen, and not just for her gymnastics skills. No, she wanted to be desired. Coveted. Craved. Had anyone ever touched her the way she wanted to be touched? Had anyone ever ripped that bun out and tugged her long hair, tilting her head back to expose the creamy skin of her neck?

Brie Watson needs to win the gold so she can repay her mother for everything she sacrificed for her daughter to become the Olympian she is today. The prize money, the future endorsements, all of it will go into giving her and her mother a better life. So even though her original coach steps down due to health issues and his son takes his place, there’s nothing stopping Brie from giving her all during gymnastics training – not even a beautiful 29-year-old coach she loves to hate.

Erik Winter may not have asked for the position of gymnastics coach to Team USA, but he’s going to do what his father didn’t and lead the team to gold. But from the very first moment Brie steps into his life, it’s antagonism and lust and everything in between. To say Erik and Brie don’t get along would be an understatement – these two LIVE for getting under the other’s skin. They fight, argue, cock-block – if it’ll make the other annoyed, they’ll do it. There’s so much hate between them, but underneath it all is a burning lust, a fiery chemistry that can’t be denied. They want each other bad, no matter how much they hate each other.

But in between grueling practices and training, Brie and Erik get to understand each other on a deeper, more visceral level. They might not like each other, but they KNOW each other. Their connection is powerful and unlike anything they’ve ever experienced – so it’s only inevitable that feelings eventually get involved.

He and I weren’t supposed to fall in love. We’d been at war, fighting and pushing each other because it was a fun distraction, because I liked to get a reaction out of him, and because I just couldn’t help myself. It was the most shocking kind of love I’d ever experienced, the sort that hid itself behind the other edge of the blade—hate. I’d focused so much of my energy on hating Erik that when love appeared out of nowhere, it stole my breath.
I loved Erik.

This book… I couldn’t put it down from the moment I picked it up. Brie and Erik’s tumultuous, crazy hot romance gripped me and wouldn’t let me go. I mentioned this book was the author’s hottest one yet, right? Because the steam in this – holy GOD. The things that happen between Brie and Erik will make your panties melt and make you blush like crazy!

I do wish there was more of the forbidden love aspect of the story. Despite Erik being Brie’s coach, I never really felt like there were any possible consequences with them getting together. Most of everyone surrounding them approved of their relationship, so if they had that more developed dynamic of forbidden romance, this book would’ve been perfect.

“At the end of this, you’re mine.”

I love that R.S. Grey set the Summer Games series during the 2016 Olympics in Rio – this series has seriously gotten me so hyped up about the upcoming competitions! Also, with every book the author writes, her writing improves, and I have to say, I’m so impressed with her ability to create such lust/hate between her main characters. This series is one of the best sports romance series I’ve ever read, and if you love reading that genre, the Summer Games is a must read. Out of Bounds is such an amazing enemies-to-lovers romance. Just a fair warning before you start it though – you are going to be in such lust/hate with Erik right alongside Brie, you’ll need a fan as you read!

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

Reading Order: The Summer Games series

#1 ~ Settling the Score: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Out of Bounds: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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1Aug2016

Audiobook Review: Where We Belong by J. Daniels

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Where We Belong by J. Daniels
Series: Alabama Summer #3.5 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: July 27th 2016
Length: 4 hours and 12 minutes
Narrated by: Stella Bloom & Eric Michael Summerer
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Ben and Mia Kelly can’t seem to catch a break.

Grueling night shift and opposing schedules have left the passionate couple geared up and ready for some much needed alone time. There’s only one thing standing in their way.

Parenthood.

With two curious boys who have mastered the art of cock-blocking roaming the house, Ben and Mia, sexually frustrated beyond reason, quickly resort to surprise sexcapades and naughty little trysts whenever and however they can get them.

Who said anything about keeping things legal?

Assume the position. Things are about to heat up in the south.

So I may have knowingly gone into listening to the Where We Belong audiobook as a standalone, without having read the rest of the Alabama Summer series. It’s probably best to read the series before starting this, but honestly, I enjoyed it entirely as a standalone, and I didn’t feel lost or confused about the characters. For those of you who keep track of the series, Where We Belong is a continuation of Ben and Mia’s story from Where I Belong.

Post-HEA for Mia and Ben isn’t as perfect as they thought it would be – parenthood mainly consists of Mia taking care of their sons, Ben working long night shifts, and neither of them being able to satisfy their needs for one another. Two children make the most amazing cock-blockers, but Ben and Mia are determined to work out some alone time. We follow them along as they get interrupted time and again, but the love they have for each other is just as strong and passionate as it was when they first fell in love.

Where We Belong is such as short and sweet audiobook! It was pure fun to listen to, and it was pretty amusing to see Mia and Ben getting cock-blocked over and over again. Stella Bloom once again nails the part of the heroine’s narration and Eric Michael Summerer does an incredible job of voicing Ben. This is the first time I’ve listened to his narration, but it definitely won’t be my last. And I also may have to go back and check out the previous Alabama Summer series, because I’m so intrigued by the other characters! If you have or haven’t read the series, either way, Where We Belong is the perfect short and steamy listen in audio.

WHERE WE BELONG is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2aszIAC

Reading Order: Alabama Summer series

#1 ~ Where I Belong: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ All I Want: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ When I Fall: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Where We Belong: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ What I Need: Goodreads (release date TBA)
#5 ~ Say I’m Yours: Goodreads (release date TBA)

Here’s an audio excerpt from Where We Belong!

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Tag Archives: new adult

Audiobook Review: Some Kind of Perfect by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

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