Release Day Review: Elastic Hearts by Claire Contreras

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

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

Victor Reuben.
Most sought out divorce attorney in LA.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reading Order: Hearts series

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

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14Mar2016

Release Day Review: Love, Chloe by Alessandra Torre

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Love, Chloe by Alessandra Torre
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 14th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Chloe Madison. That’s me. A former NYU princess who fell from grace, right off my pampered Manhattan throne and onto the unforgiving steps of Nicole Brantley, socialite and queen bitch. Now, I walked her dog and mixed her smoothies. Tried to navigate my own problems while fixing all of hers.

I wanted what every New York girl wanted. A career, an apartment, and true love, preferably in a smoking hot package.

It turned out … I’d have to fight for all of it.

I originally read Chloe’s story as part of the Bedroom Blog over on Cosmo, so when I heard that Alessandra Torre would be making it a full-length novel, I was excited! I adored Chloe in the serial, and I adored her even more in Love, Chloe. If you’ve read the serial, most of this full-length novel is the same, just put together in a more cohesive way. If you haven’t read the serial, Love, Chloe is a fun and flirty read that is endlessly entertaining. It reads more like a chick-lit novel than a contemporary romance and focuses on Chloe’s journey more than anything. If you’re looking for a book that’s funny, light-hearted, yet meaningful, I highly recommend Love, Chloe!

I’d spent my whole life trying to impress people. Maybe that was the start of my fall, the last two decades one plush float into the depths of shallow, insecure, hell.
All I know is that when I hit the bottom, I hit hard.

Chloe Madison used to be at the top of the world, a spoiled socialite with more money than she needed. But when she finds out all that money her family has is dirty money stolen by her parents from other people, she becomes homeless and bankrupt. Desperate for money to pay for her NYU tuition to get her diploma, she finds a job as an assistant to Nicole, a condom heiress. But it turns out assistant is basically another word for dog sitter – and Chloe’s pride and ego could not get any lower at this point.

The Chloe of the working class struggles, and struggles hard. In between working for the slave driver Nicole, saving money to afford rent to her new apartment, and staying away from an ex who broke her heart and won’t leave her alone, Chloe experiences a new sort of life where she has to work for what she’s got, and work even harder to keep it. I loved this growth and development to her character – Chloe isn’t without flaws, but she’s a relatable sort of heroine, and you can’t help but connect with her and cheer her on in her journey of self-discovery.

There’s also a bit of romance going on for Chloe – and thankfully it’s not with the ex who cheated on her. Vic was a part of Chloe’s world pre-bankruptcy, and as tempting as it is for her to fall back into that rich, spoiled life with him, Chloe finds the strength in herself not to. On the way of finding herself, she also discovers the kind of man she deserves, and the super of her new apartment just might fit that bill…

I needed to embrace my relationship with Carter and stop being a wimp. Whether I’d told him so or not, I loved him. He made me realize how empty my old life had been. And in his eyes, I saw a future that I wanted more of, a future where I was a better person.
Wow. I might have just become a grown-up.

I really wish we could’ve gotten more of Carter and Chloe, because I adored them together! The story focused a bit too much on Vic and Chloe’s past, so I didn’t feel like we got to know Carter all that well, but I did enjoy the way their relationship developed. And I loved that even though there is romance, Love, Chloe is still very much Chloe’s story, a journey of self-discovery, friendships, financial struggles, and so much more. Alessandra Torre did a fantastic job balancing the hardships of life along with the fairy tale of love, and I couldn’t be more proud of how Chloe is by the end of the novel.

I seriously enjoyed this book. It’s fast-paced, endearing, and so much fun to read. Chloe’s heart-warming story of self-discovery is definitely a must-read!

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

Also by Alessandra Torre

Black Lies: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Sex Love Repeat: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Tight: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Hollywood Dirt: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Moonshot: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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14Mar2016

Early Review: Out of Frame by Megan Erickson

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Out of Frame by Megan Erickson
Series: In Focus #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 15th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Romance trades the open road for the high seas in the latest from the author of Focus on Me and Trust the Focus…

Perpetually shy, Quinn Mathers is content to remain in the shadow of his brash best friend Jess Hartman. But before their college graduation, he and Jess have planned one last hurrah: a spring break Caribbean cruise.

And it won’t be just any cruise. On board are members of the reality show Trip League, which follows young twenty-somethings on adventures around the world. Since the show’s beginning, Quinn has been fascinated by J. R. Butler, with his amazing body, warm eyes, and killer grin. Unfortunately, he’s straight—or so the world thinks.

At nineteen, J. R. signed a contract to play straight for the show, and there’s no way to get out of it now. Yet with each passing day, Quinn and J. R. find it harder to keep their hands off each other and to keep out of the camera’s frame. But when the lens finally focuses on them, J. R. must decide if he’s willing to risk his career by admitting his bisexuality, and Quinn must determine if he’s bold enough to stand in the spotlight with the man of his dreams…

I adore Megan Erickson, but Out of Frame is actually the first book in the In Focus series I’ve read. From how much I enjoyed this one, I’ll definitely need to go back and read the previous books in the series! Quinn and J.R.’s story is a quick read, but it’s full of all the FEELS, and even though it was a bit too short for me taste, I absolutely adored it. Megan Erickson characterizes what it means to be a new adult SO well in her books. I love the way she’s able to balance the humor and heart with the painful and raw emotions – if you’re looking for a well-rounded, well-written new adult novel, Out of Frame is for you!

Quinn Mathers and his best friend Jess are spending the spring break of their last year of college on a Caribbean cruise. Sounds like the perfect college spring break right? It’s the chance for Quinn to finally let loose and have some fun in his life when all he’s known is order and staying within the lines. Maybe he’ll even meet a guy and have a little fling with him… except the moment Quinn meets reality show star J.R. Butler, his spring break gets a whole lot more complicated.

He treated me like . . . a normal guy. In the last couple years, people did one of two things when they met me—picked a fight to get on TV, or kissed my ass to get on TV. It was never about me. As a person. With Quinn, I felt almost human.

All J.R. Butler wants is to be an actor and be able to support his sick brother, so when he was first cast in the reality show Trip League, he thought it was the right decision. Now? Not so much. He’s had to hide his bisexuality and become the clichéd angry black man for the show – he’s never truly able to share who he is to anyone. But with Quinn, he’s different, because he can share who he is and he can just be. Of course, there’s a hot hot HOT chemistry going on between them that had me fanning myself. J.R. and Quinn want each other bad, and the fact that they could get caught by the cameras is scary and a little titillating.

“I want you. Like I haven’t wanted anyone in a long time.”

Quinn and J.R. only have a week together on the cruise before they go their separate ways, but with emotions running high, is it possible to have… more? I loved the way Megan Erickson played out their romance, the way these two were so freaking sweet and adorable at the same time they were sexy as hell together. And even better, the individual journeys of these two men were just as meaningful. Quinn and J.R. both help each other discover and grow into the men they’re meant to be, and I found this the most beautiful aspect of Out of Frame.

“It’s not even just about wanting to be with Quinn, or another guy. This is about me. It’s about being black and queer and compromising because that’s all I’ve ever done in my fucking life, you know?”

Megan Erickson captures the beginnings of a newfound relationship so perfectly – everything about J.R. and Quinn and their romance felt genuine and real. Thankfully, Out of Frame can be read completely as a standalone, since I haven’t read the previous books, but the other couples from the series do make their appearances. I would’ve loved if this book were longer, if we had more time with Quinn and J.R., but otherwise, this book was pretty freaking wonderful. I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!

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

Reading Order: In Focus series

#1 ~ Trust the Focus: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Focus on Me: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Out of Frame: Ebook • Goodreads (March 15, 2016)
#4 ~ Overexposed: Ebook • Goodreads (Sept. 20, 2016)

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7Mar2016

Early Review + Excerpt: Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Series: Him #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 8th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes, and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

Jamie and Wes are back and better than ever!!

Love is friendship set on fire.

Us was a highly anticipated sequel to a book I adored last year, and if you can believe it, I loved Us even more than Him! Going into this, I had no idea what direction Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy would take Wes and Jamie’s story, but I had faith in these two authors, and they didn’t disappoint. Us is another sexy, hilarious, heartfelt read, but what’s different about it from its prequel is that it felt a lot more meaningful to me. Parts of Us made me freaking tear up, and I almost never cry for books! If you loved Him, you will no doubt love Us, so make sure to get your hands on it as soon as you can!

I fucking long for the day when I can proudly introduce Jamie Canning as my boyfriend. When I can talk to my teammates about my personal life and tell them about Jamie’s amazing family, or invite them over for drinks without having to see Jamie duck into the guest room when he has to go to bed. Because he’s not a guest in our condo, dammit. It’s his home. And he’s my home.

Ryan Wesley is living his dream – playing professional hockey and living together with his best friend and love Jamie Canning in Canada. Except… he can’t live his dream out in the open because he’s keeping the fact that he’s gay and has a boyfriend a secret from the hockey league. Jamie goes along with it, because he doesn’t want to be the reason Wes’s rookie season doesn’t go well – until things start spiraling out of their control. Nosy people start invading their lives, their relationship becomes strained from the time apart when Wes is away at games, Wes and Jamie are put on the spotlight… and life just gets too hard.

But I chose happiness over other people’s skewed opinions and cruel judgments. I chose Wes.
But now I have to hide that choice. I have to pretend that Ryan Wesley isn’t my soulmate.

This book was everything. I seriously loved it, even when I hated the fact that these two wonderful, sweet, sexy, adorable men had to hide their love for one another. Their relationship gets rocky and strained in a way I didn’t expect, and everything feels raw and real, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. My heart hurt for Jamie and Wes, for the loneliness and depression they face, but these two are the type of characters who will put a smile on your face even when everything seems down. The bond and love they share is beautiful, and I have to say, I love these two even more now after the trials and challenges they had to overcome to make their relationship work.

I loved being back with Wes and Jamie. And I loved the new secondary characters who are introduced. Blake is a hilarious, crazy teammate of Wes’s, and I can’t help but hope he’ll have a book of his own (with a certain someone). I really loved Us even more than Him, because this sequel made me FEEL so much more. I’m so happy that Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy decided to write more Jamie and Wes, and I’m praying that they’ll collaborate on more books!

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Us! ❤

At long last, I’m twenty paces away, then ten. Then I’m opening our door. “Hey babe!” I call out like I always do. “I made it.” I drag my duffel over the threshold, then toss my suit coat on top, abandoning these things beside the door, because all I need now is a kiss.

Only then do I notice that our apartment smells amazing. Jamie has cooked dinner for me. Again. He is the perfect man, I swear to God.

“Hey!” he calls, emerging from the hallway leading to our bedroom. He’s wearing jeans and nothing else except—and this is unusual—a beard. “Do I know you?” He gives me a sexy smile.

“I was going to ask the same thing.” I’m staring at the sandy-blond beard. Jamie has always been clean-shaven. I mean—we’ve known each other since before facial hair. He looks different. Older, maybe.

And hot as blazes. Seriously, I can’t wait to feel that beard against my face, and maybe my balls… Jesus. The blood is already rushing south, and I’ve been home fifteen seconds.

And yet I’m just stuck there in the middle of the room for a moment, because even though it’s been eight months since Jamie and I started up together, I’m still a little stunned at my own good fortune. “Hi,” I say again, stupidly.

He walks forward, his easy gait so familiar that my heart breaks a little bit. He puts his hands on my traps and squeezes the muscle there. “Don’t go away for so long. If you do that again, I’m going to have to sneak into your hotel room on the road.”

“Promise?” I ask, and it comes out like gravel. He’s close enough now that I can smell the ocean scent of his shampoo and the beer he drank while he waited for me.

“If I ever get a winning lottery ticket and a day off, I’ll do it,” he says. “Hotel sex after a game? Sounds hot.”

Now I’m measuring the distance to our sofa and counting the layers of clothes I’ll need to remove in the next ninety seconds.

Reading Order: Him series

#1 ~ Him: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Us: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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23Feb2016

Release Day Review: The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Titan #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 23rd 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

With any great change, there is always strife, and the Covenant University has become the frontline between pure-bloods who want the Breed Order reinstated and the half-bloods who want the right to control their own destinies.

Fate has other plans.

The violence is escalating and war between the races seems inevitable, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Hyperion may be out of commission, but Josie and Seth know they have only earned a reprieve. Seth must get Josie fully prepared, which means controlling her newfound abilities, and they need to find the other demigods before the Titans do.

But the gods are sensing a greater threat.

Only one thing is more dangerous than a bunch of starved Titans, and that’s an out-of-control Apollyon. The aether in Josie is drawing Seth in deeper, and when lust mixes with love and gives way to power, he knows being close to her is not only dangerous to her, but to everyone around them, but letting her go requires a level of selflessness that just isn’t Seth’s style.

The paths taken in the past are becoming the roads of the future.

Just as chaos breaks out, familiar faces from the past return, complicating the already strained bond between Josie and Seth, and when the danger from the Titans erupts with devastating consequences, the dark allure of power calls to Seth again, but this time Josie might not be able to pull him back.

And when the struggle between power and love becomes the deadliest battleground, there may be no salvation.

I’m seriously loving the Titan series so hard! Seth and Josie are quickly becoming some of my favorite main characters, and I just love being in the Covenant world. The Power is the second book in the Titan series, picking up where the first left off. It’s another heart-pounding, action-packed book with lots of sexy-times and swoons. If you loved The Return, you’ll want to get your hands on The Power asap!

Josie has been training hard with her new powers and building up her strength so she can find the other demigods and defeat the Titans, and Seth is with her every step of the way. But he’s battling his own demons all the while, trying to restrain himself from giving into his addiction and taking her aether. JLA does a fantastic job with the character development with Josie and Seth in The Power. Josie has grown in both physical and inner strength, and I’ve come to admire her character so much. Seth, while still that charming, cocky guy we all love, has matured and taken responsibility for his past actions and is trying to do right. And his growing feelings of love for Josie (because it’s so obvious he’s falling for her and vice versa) matures him in new ways and has him prioritizing her safety and protection above all else.

“You . . . you are truly a goddess,” he said, his hands sliding off my hips to my lower back. “Sometimes I’m not entirely convinced you’re real.”

GAH, I love Josie and Seth together!!! Their relationship has grown so much since they first met each other, and it still continues to grow throughout The Power. They’ve got a great dynamic between them – one moment they’re sassy as hell and making jokes with one another that crack me up, and the next, they’re being all intense and sensual. And holy hell, Seth is freaking HOT in this book. Wooh, JLA seriously turns up the heat when Seth and Josie move their relationship to the next level. I honestly couldn’t stop grinning at all the sexy-times – thank gods this series is New Adult!

“Every day I want you, Josie. I want everything about you. I see you and I want to get between those thighs and spend a lifetime there. I want to get so deep in you that you can’t tell where you end and I begin. I want to taste you and fuck you until I don’t know anything else. Constantly. I want more than that. Not going to lie. I want to hold you.”

If you were a fan of the Covenant series, just saying, you’ll want to read this book because two special someones are BACK! I was totally giddy when Alex and Aiden appeared, because I totally love their characters! They’re still exactly the same as they were in the Covenant series, and now they’re back to help out Josie and Seth with finding the demigods. But I have to say, as much as I love the former couple, Seth and Josie are what truly made me enjoy in this book, and I think I might even love the newer couple as much as the older one.

I couldn’t put this book down – there’s never a dull moment for Josie, Seth, and the gang. The banter, the action, the surprises, the romance, the steam, all of it combined made for such an entertaining read. The Power is another fantastic addition to a series I’m quickly coming to adore. But now… I’m dying to get my hands on the next book!

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

Reading Order: Titan series

#1 ~ The Return: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Power: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Struggle: Goodreads (2017)

The Titan series is a spinoff of the Covenant series, and though it’s not necessary to read the Covenant series beforehand, I highly recommend it to become familiar with the world and get to know Seth prior to how he is in the Titan series.

Reading Order: Covenant series

#0.5 ~ Daimon: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1 ~ Half-Blood: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Pure: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Deity: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Elixir: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Apollyon: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Sentinel: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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