ARC Review: Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Paper Princess by Erin Watt
Series: The Royals #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

“You may have lost your family, but you’re not alone anymore, Ella. You’re a Royal now.”

OH. MY. GOD!!! I’ve found my newest obsession and it is the Royal family!

WOW. This book kind of stunned me, in the best way possible. I’d been dying to read Paper Princess when I found out who the two authors were behind the Erin Watt pseudonym (Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick) and since I LOVE EK and JF’s books are also great, I had pretty high expectations. I admit was a little wary about this being labeled YA, but after reading it, I definitely consider it more NA than YA, even though the characters are still in high school. It’s not crazy sexy, though there is a ton of sexual tension, which is just as good – so if you’re worried about this being a tame read, rest assured, it isn’t!

After the death of her mother, Ella Harper finds herself in not the most ideal circumstances, but she’s a survivor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep on going to the next day. But when the best friend of her father, who she’s never met, comes and plucks her off the streets and into his home, her life is forever changed. Because Callum Royal and his Royal sons are practically from another planet – they’re rich, entitled, spoiled, and nothing like her. The Royal boys are hell-bent on making life miserable for Ella, but she’s no meek, shy girl. She stands on her own two feet, never backing down, and always surviving, knowing that every day that passes gets her closer to turning eighteen and getting away from this new life.

This will never be my home. I don’t belong in splendor, I belong in squalor. That’s what I know. It’s what I’m comfortable with, because squalor doesn’t lie to you. It’s not wrapped in a pretty package. It is what it is.
This house is an illusion. It’s polished and pretty, but the dream Callum is trying to sell is as flimsy as paper. Nothing stays shiny forever in this world.

Reed, the second oldest Royal son, is leader of their group now that Gideon, the eldest, has left the nest for college. Reed doesn’t make it easy for Ella to get accepted in their house, their school, their lives… despite the insane amount of chemistry going on between them. Theirs is the perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, and I was glued to the pages thanks to the fantastically written tension and banter. I LOVED Ella – she’s a tough heroine with a big heart and a spine of steel, and I admired her so hard. Reed is sexy as hell… though at this point I’m not quite sure I love him just yet. He has so much potential to become even better, and I can’t wait to fall head over heels in love with him in the next Royals books.

I loved the Royals boys as a whole, though. Reed, Gideon, Easton, Sebastian, and Sawyer. I’m intrigued by every single one of these boys – each of them is so different and unique from the other. Their characters came to life in this book, and I’m dying to find out more about them.

Paper Princess was the addictive kind of book that I couldn’t. put. down. I finished this at 2AM – I loved it!! It messed with my head in the best of ways, and it’s a perfect enemies-to-lovers read. Fair warning though, the ending will make you want to SCREAM. Thankfully the sequels are only a few months apart, so it won’t be too awful of a wait for Broken Prince and Twisted Palace!

“You belong with us. You’re the best thing that ever happened to this family.”

4.5 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: The Royals series

 

#1 ~ Paper Princess: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Broken Prince: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Twisted Palace: PaperbackGoodreads (Oct. 17, 2016)


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Release Day Review: Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

They call me a slut. Maybe I am.
Sometimes I do things I despise.
Sometimes men take without asking.

But I have a musical gift, only a year left of high school, and a plan.
With one obstacle.

Emeric Marceaux doesn’t just take.
He seizes my will power and bangs it like a dark note.
When he commands me to play, I want to give him everything.
I kneel for his punishments, tremble for his touch, and risk it all for our stolen moments.

He’s my obsession, my master, my music.
And my teacher.

Dark Notes is hot, hot, HOT!!!! I haven’t read a GOOD erotic romance in ages, but Dark Notes totally satisfied the craving for me. Pam Godwin knows how to write steam, and she does it SO well in this book. Plus, it’s a forbidden romance, which only makes everything hotter. I was absolutely taken away with Ivory and Emeric’s forbidden love – I couldn’t put this book down! It’s an addicting, dark, captivating read that I highly recommend. If you love teacher/student romances, Dark Notes is a must read.

It’s universally known that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes. I feel this truth like a fist around my balls as I enter my classroom after lunch and find the forbidden object of my desire waiting for me.

Ivory Westbrook is a highly gifted pianist and prodigy, and though she lives in poverty, she attends one of the most elite performing arts schools in order to hone her skill and one day escape from the cruelty and abuse she experiences at home. My heart felt for Ivory and the things she’s had to do to survive not just at home, but also at such a cutthroat school. But I also admired her strength, the way she fights for what she wants, and her tenacity. She’s almost on her way out and up to the top when the music teacher who would’ve recommended her to her dream university gets replaced… by a dark, dominating, compelling man she can’t stop thinking about.

Emeric Marceaux is an intimidating character. He’s an intense alpha used to getting what he wants – but what if what he wants is forbidden to him? Ivory fascinates him, and her heart-wrenching life only brings out the protective, possessive instincts in him. He wants her, but he also wants to give her the care and affection she’s never had in her life. Emeric is dark and dangerous, and as Ivory’s teacher and ten years her senior, I worried that he would have all the power. But it’s clear that he’s just as captivated and enthralled by her as she is by him.

She’s exactly the kind of woman I’m drawn to. A woman who flees when hunted and comes alive when she’s caught. A woman who bends beneath the punishments and seeks acceptance in her humiliation. A woman who bites at the heavy hand, only to melt around the unforgiving grip when it cuts her air.

Told in dual POV, Dark Notes weaves a fascinating, erotic tale of forbidden love between two characters who are utterly meant for each other but aren’t supposed to be together. Outside forces threaten to tear them apart, but Ivory and Emeric won’t let anything get in the way of a love that’s meant to be. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time reading, biting my nails while waiting to see how their relationship would work out. The flawless writing only made the entire reading experience better. If you love deliciously hot forbidden romances, I can’t recommend Dark Notes enough.

The tempo of our breaths. The drum of our heartbeats. The crackle in the air.
The exquisite cadence pulses through me, awakening sensations I’ve never felt, composing a melody I’ve never heard of.
Our hypnotic, dark notes.
This is so much more than punishment or forbidden pleasure.
She could never be a mistake.

4 hearts
lacey

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


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Release Day Review: Brave Enough by M. Leighton

Brave Enough by M. Leighton

Brave Enough by M. Leighton
Series: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Is she brave enough to give her heart to a man she only thought she knew?

He was the most charismatic man I’d ever met. Strong, tough, brave. Bold as hell. Something told me Tag Barton could have anything—anyone—he wanted…and he wanted me. It didn’t matter that he was wrong for me in practically every way possible. It didn’t matter that my father would hate it.

I couldn’t resist him. Even if I’d known who he really was and what he was really capable of.

When he suggested we pretend to be engaged, I thought he was the answer to all my problems. He wasn’t. And, in his wake, he left nothing but scorched earth and me, just another casualty of my father’s war.

Can I believe him now when he tells me he loves me?  Or is he nothing more than a beautiful, breathtaking lie?

Brave Enough is the third book in the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series, and it features Tag, who we’ve met in the previous two books. We don’t really know much about him other than his military connections with the previous heroes, but now we get to see the heart of him – and see him fall in love. I liked Brave Enough, but it’s definitely my least favorite of the series. If you love quick, hot reads, I would recommend this book, but otherwise, I’m sad to say there isn’t anything too special about it.

It’s been too long since I’ve been able to want somebody just because I want them and not because of how they may or may not fit into my life. Maybe it’s high time to go with my instincts. To go with someone who might be all wrong for me. To go with the passion. To throw caution to the wind.

Weatherly O’Neal has lived under her father’s thumb her whole life, but when she’s ordered to do the outrageous and marry a man nearly twice her age in order to save her father’s company, she refuses and escapes to the vineyard where she’s always found comfort in. But to her surprise, she finds one gorgeous Tag Barton working there, a man who sets her on fire like no other. And with him, she begins to think that maybe she doesn’t have to marry to further her family’s goals, but rather for the love and passion she’s wished to find in her life.

Tag Barton has been working in the vineyard to care for his ill mother and he lives a completely different life than the one he had when he was in the Special Forces. He’s gorgeous, charming, and a total player, but meeting Weatherly changes everything for him. She’s the one woman who’s managed to gain his attention and keep it, and he wants everything from her, including her heart. But when he’s hiding a secret that could tear them apart, can a relationship between them really work out?

What began as a hideaway became my burial ground. And the man who felt like my biggest blessing had now become my biggest curse.

The moment Tag and Weatherly meet, the connection between them is powerful and visceral. It’s a strong dose of insta-lust for these two – and the two of them are seriously HOT together. Brave Enough is filled with fiery chemistry and sexual tension that M. Leighton excels at writing. And she definitely writes a good alpha in Tag.

I’m a bit disappointed that I couldn’t love this book, because I know if the story and characters were fleshed out more, I would’ve enjoyed it so much. The book was just too short and fast for my taste, so I never really had the time to feel invested in Tag and Weatherly and their romance. And the passion and sex between them overshadowed any developing romance, so their love didn’t really feel all that believable. There was a good amount of angst, which was my favorite part about Brave Enough, but it wasn’t enough to make me like the book more. It’s sweet, sexy, but fairly predictable – overall it’s a good read, but it’s not M. Leighton’s best.

3 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series

Strong Enough by M. Leighton Tough Enough by M. Leighton Brave Enough by M. Leighton

#1 ~ Strong Enough: My Review • EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Tough Enough: My ReviewEbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Brave Enough: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads


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Blog Tour + Early Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken

The Matchmaker's Playbook tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken!

The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Wingmen Inc. #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
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Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule…

Buy Links:
Amazon USAmazon UK • Amazon CA • Amazon AU

review button

The Matchmaker’s Playbook is the perfect romantic comedy!!! It’s written entirely in the hero’s POV, and Ian’s narrative is absolutely HILARIOUS. Seriously, this book was so. much. fun!! If you’re up for something light-hearted that will have you giggling and cracking up, I highly recommend this book.

But when one can’t play . . . one teaches.
And I was more than just a football player.
I was the player.
Of sports.
And . . . of women.
The best of them all.
So who better to teach women how not to get played than an actual player?

Ian Hunter is a former football star turned matchmaker, co-owner of Wingmen, Inc., a service dedicated to helping out women, their love lives, and their dating skills. Ian is a total player – and what better way to win a player than with the help of one? The only rule Ian has as for his company is to never fall for one of his clients – but what happens when Blake Olsen bursts into his life and makes him unable to stop thinking about her?

For the first time in my life, I wanted a girl that wasn’t mine to have.
And it sucked.

When Blake requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., she seems like a nearly hopeless cause – she’s very tomboy-ish, always frumpy-looking, and definitely not at her full potential to win the heart of a childhood crush. But Ian has never failed a client before, and he’s not about to start now, not even when he gets to know her and wants to be in her company more and more. Soon enough, feelings start to be involved, but is Ian truly the right match for Blake, or is she meant for another?

I totally adored this book. Ian is totally sweet, sometimes an idiot, but overall so adorable and hilarious you can’t help but love him. Blake was perfect for him, never really falling for his typical lines for women, and making him work for her love and trust. And I loved the secondary characters of this book: Lex, the other co-owner and brainiac behind Wingmen, Inc., and Gabi, Ian’s childhood friend. After reading The Matchmaker’s Playbook, Lex and Gabi’s book has become a highly anticipated read – these two are enemies to the extreme, and I can’t wait to see them fall in love.

If you love to laugh, read this book. If you love romcoms, read this book. It’s such a fun, entertaining book – you won’t want to put it down!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from The Matchmaker’s Playbook! ❤

excerpt button

Blake let out another pitiful groan. “I don’t think it fits.”

“They measured you. It fits. Just, tell me if it looks okay so we can go.” I checked my watch. “Gabi said dinner was at six, and it’s already a quarter till.”

“This is too much pressure.” Her voice was frantic. “I can’t do this. I mean, how do I know if it looks good? They’re boobs.”

I groaned. “Boobs always look good. Believe me.”

“Boobs are gross!”

Said no man ever. Even the gay ones.

One of the salesladies eyed me up and down. “Are you two okay?”

“Great,” I chirped. “Just having a very heated discussion about the beauty of breasts.” I dipped my chin to Blake’s chest. “What are you? A double D?”

Scowling, she marched off.

Thank God.

“Blake,” I hissed.

No answer.

I’d never had such a difficult client. If anything, they jumped when I told them to, asked how high, and then kept jumping until I was satisfied. Blake fought me at every turn.

“Open the door before I crawl underneath it. I’ll pick the bras, you can close your eyes if you want so you don’t have to watch me look at you, alright? My stomach literally just ate my liver. I need protein. Open. The. Door.”

The door slowly creaked open. Taking advantage of the small crack of air, I pushed it farther, then clicked it shut behind me and turned around.

Blake was facing me, hands on hips, face beet-red, body . . . freaking perfect. My tongue almost lolled out, like a dog.

Most girls starve themselves to have abs like that, which was disgusting. But her abs? They had muscle, actual muscle, but still appeared feminine.

She also had a nice tan, just enough to show that she spent time outside or maybe just had naturally darker skin.

My throat went completely dry as I continued to stare.

“Well?” Her voice was weak. “How awful do I look? On a scale of one to ten?”

I’d convinced her to buy some new workout clothes to replace her old ones. I knew I’d never get her to actually completely change her style. She liked workout clothes? Fine, at least buy the kind that fit and actually point to the correct gender. I tried to steer her away from the boyfriend sweats and sweatshirts, but she eventually wore me down, so I told her if she bought at least five new Pink outfits that had spandex in them, I’d let her get one pair of ugly slouchy sweats. You’d think I’d just given her a million dollars, from her reaction.

Currently, she was sporting a short pair of bright-blue yoga shorts.

And a black push-up sports bra that did wonders for her boobs.

And the world just in general.

Holy shit.

I gulped as I became more and more irritated with the fact that my body was reacting as if it had never seen a girl without her shirt on before. “Blake, it’s great.”

“You sound bored!”

I had to, damn it! What did she want me to do? Sound interested? Turned-on? Intrigued? Curious? I was all those things. I just tried to ignorethe insanity bouncing around in my head and blurted, “Your boobs look really good. Perky, happy, just . . . awesome.”

Did I just call her boobs “happy”?

“You think?” She stared down at her breasts, then grabbed them.

Holy shit, was she seriously feeling herself up? I braced my hand against the door and sucked in a breath.

“They still feel comfortable,” she said.

“Do they?” I managed to choke out while she continued bouncing them a bit in her hands. Dear Lord, did she know what she was doing? Waving a flag in front of a bull. My jeans suddenly tight in all the wrong areas, I tried to envision Lex naked, anything to get my dick to clue in to the word “client,” meaning I was in a no-play zone.

Another first.

It was because I was hungry.

And Marissa? Melissa? Hadn’t satisfied me. I’d gotten off, and made sure she did too, but the entire experience left me feeling empty, bored, and—if I was being completely honest? A bit depressed. Besides, her tits paled in comparison. I had to wonder what the hell I’d been doing all my life if this was the first time I was having such a strong reaction to boobs.

Something about Blake had me wondering if I’d been satisfied at all up until this point. And I had no idea what the hell was so confusing about her, and about the situation. I was unable to put my finger on it, and the more I thought about it the more my head hurt.

Hunger does weird things to guys.

“Yeah.” More bouncing, then turning and staring in the mirror. I wasn’t sure what was worse. Her staring at her own boobs or touching them. “I’m just no good at this stuff. I didn’t grow up with a mom, and I hit puberty really early. The girls made fun of me, and the boys pointed.” Her shoulders slumped inward again.

Could we please go back to the bouncing? I was a fan of that Blake. The one that rolled up like an awkward armadillo? Not so much.

Reading Order: Wingmen Inc. series

#1 ~ The Matchmaker’s Playbook: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Matchmaker’s Replacement: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (July 26, 2016)

about the author button

Rachel Van DykenRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!

You can connect with her on Facebook or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers.

Website • Newsletter • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon Page

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Book boyfriend in a box
Everything you need to have the perfect book boyfriend without leaving home!
Compliments of Wingman Inc.
You’re welcome

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5 hearts
lacey

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


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