Early Review: Childstar 1 by J.J. McAvoy

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Childstar 1 by J.J. McAvoy
Series: Childstar #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 27th 2015
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Amelia London is America’s sweetheart. Noah Sloan is America’s bad boy. Both are former child stars and once were lovers. When they are cast as the leads in the upcoming erotic suspense blockbuster—Sinners Like Us—they are forced to come to terms with the issues that tore them apart to begin with.

As the whole world watches, can they keep their secrets hidden? After all, everybody is a sinner…

Even after all of these years, Amelia London was still my kryptonite, and she still didn’t know it.

Oooh!!!! This celebrity second chance romance was fantastic!! Childstar 1 is the first in a three-part serial, and I NEED the next part now! Not because of the cliffie (though there is one), but because I am just so intrigued by the characters and so addicted to the story. I love second chance romances, so this seemed right up my alley, and I wasn’t disappointed. Childstar 1 is a flat-out entertaining, addicting read about former child star lovers that I highly recommend.

Former child stars Noah Sloan and Amelia London were once in love as teenagers, until Noah broke and tore apart their hearts. Now, ten years later, both of them are trying to salvage their careers. Getting out of rehab, bad boy Noah doesn’t have many prospective roles, and Amelia is still known as a child star and as America’s ‘good girl’. The only way to jumpstart their careers is to star in Sinners Like Us, an upcoming erotic suspense blockbuster that’s based on a book with a huge fanbase.

Ever since their painful breakup, Amelia has hated Noah, and Noah has cultivated his bad boy, manwhore persona to perfection. The two of them do NOT get along, but they have to for the sake of the movie and careers. But of course, the wicked-hot chemistry between them that they had as teenagers has never gone away… and neither has their feelings for each other.

What were we now? I had no idea.
Would he hurt me? Most likely.
Would I still love him anyway? Yes.
Should I? No.

Sometimes when I read serials, I’m unsatisfied with the individual parts, because I just wanted more, you know? But Childstar 1 is a completely satisfying read – it has a beginning, middle, and end, the pacing is spot-on, there’s character development… it’s a solid first installment in a serial I know I’ll come to wholeheartedly love. Honestly, the second I picked Childstar 1 up, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve become completely invested in Noah and Amelia’s story – their characters have such great potential, and the author got me addicted to their HOT tension and Hollywood life! I really loved the Hollywood aspect of the story – the author’s writing had me fully immersed in the production of Sinners Like Us. Also, there IS a cliffhanger, but the twist at the end kind of came out of nowhere, so I didn’t really know what to make of it. It was probably the only thing I didn’t like about the book, but otherwise I have no complaints. This first part of Childstar is one you definitely need to pick up.

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

Reading Order: Childstar series

#1 ~ Childstar 1: Ebook • Goodreads (Oct. 27, 2015)
#2 ~ Childstar 2: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 10, 2015)
#3 ~ Childstar 3: Ebook • Goodreads (Nov. 17, 2015)

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23Oct2015

Early Review: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker
Series: Burying Water #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 27th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page-turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense.

Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again.

When they need the best, they call him. That’s why Sebastian Riker is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner with a penchant for blackmail got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty-something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for.

Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s no wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control.

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing.

I’m such a big fan of K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water series, because each book I’ve read I have enjoyed so much. Surviving Ice is another solid, entertaining addition to the series – I think it might be my new favorite! I highly enjoyed Ivy and Sebastian characters, who are much different than the series’ previous characters. They are unique and refreshing, and I was addicted to their story from the start. Fans of the series won’t want to miss this intense, romantic tale between an edgy tattoo artist and a former Navy SEAL with a secret.

Ivy is a nomad at heart, never able to settle in one place for long. But for now, she’s in San Francisco, where her beloved uncle lives with his tattoo shop. She’s actually thinking about staying in SF for longer than the norm, until her uncle gets murdered – and she’s the only witness. In between having to deal with her grief and the tattoo shop that now belongs to her, she unknowingly becomes a target to a dangerous organization who wants to take her out.

I would become a reaper of sorts, delivering an end to those who needed it.
Without medals, without fanfare, but with quiet honor.

I kind of dig books whose main character is hiding his/her identity, and in the case of Surviving Ice, Sebastian – also known as Ice – is hiding one hell of an identity. A former SEAL and a mercenary, Sebastian has incredible skills he uses on targets when his employer sends him off on a mission. And his next mission is to find a missing tape that could incriminate his employer, and the only connection to that tape goes by the name of Ivy Lee.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down. K.A. Tucker has a way with words that kept me hooked onto each page. She’s created incredible characters in Ivy and Sebastian, who couldn’t be more perfect together. Ivy is a sassy, strong, badass chick I admired. Sebastian is the calm and quiet kind of hero, though his character is tinged with mystery and danger. I loved how the two of them form a connection through a seven-hour long tattoo session, despite the fact that Sebastian enters Ivy’s life with a false identity. Ivy is supposed to be Sebastian’s target, but what happens when he starts falling for her, and vice versa?

Who are you, really, Sebastian?
Besides the stranger who strolled in and seized my heart?

The romance between Ivy and Sebastian developed so naturally, I applaud the author for being able to make me root for them despite the lies. And I loved how K.A. Tucker was able to weave the suspense perfectly well within the romance. The suspense is heart-pounding and nail-biting, with enough action throughout the book to keep me satisfied and never bored.

A seamless mix of romance and suspense, Surviving Ice is a brilliant NA novel not to be missed.

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

Reading Order: Burying Water series

#1 ~ Burying Water: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Becoming Rain: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Chasing River: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Surviving Ice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads (Oct. 27, 2015)

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12Oct2015

Review Tour: Slow Play by Monica Murphy

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Slow Play by Monica Murphy!

Slow Play by Monica Murphy
Series: The Rules #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 13th 2015

Newly broke girl Alexandria Asher just wants to live a normal life. After her parents are sent to prison on embezzlement charges, she enrolls in college under her mother’s maiden name and tries her best to pretend she’s someone else.

Tristan Prescott is everything Alex is trying to avoid. A seemingly egotistical, lazy, rich jerk, she dumps her beer on his head when he comes on to her one night at a party. This only spurs Tristan into action. He loves nothing more than a challenge. And the beautiful Alex is exactly the type of challenge that intrigues him.

Despite her reluctance, Alex finds herself quickly involved with Tristan. Underneath that playboy exterior is a good guy, a sweet and sexy guy who she is undoubtedly falling for. What they both don’t realize is the actions of Alex’s parents are the reason for so much tragedy in Tristan’s family. And when Tristan discovers who Alex and her family really is, can he forgive and forget?

Buy Links:
Amazon • Amazon UK • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Kobo

Slow Play is the third and final book in Monica Murphy’s The Rules series (which I have really enjoyed), and it is Tristan’s story! I had high hopes for Tristan’s book because I love a good manwhore redemption story. And while I liked this book well enough, it’s not my favorite of the series. Slow Play is mostly okay – I adored the heroine, but Tristan was pretty hard to like. It’s a slow, sexy read that fans of the series might want to try, but I have mixed feelings about it.

Ever since his two best friends have fallen for their girls, Tristan Prescott is making up for Shep and Gabe’s losses by hooking up with one girl after another. Tristan firmly believes that he will NEVER fall in love – it’s just not for him. But when he meets Alexandria Asher, she’s the first girl to ever hold his intrigue for more than a night. And yes, he’s pretty much an asshole the first time he meets her… and for a majority of the book. But he’s relentless in his determination to have Alex – first just in his bed, but eventually, as he gets to know her more, he wants her in his life.

From the moment I’ve met Alexandria, nothing’s been normal. It’s like I’m in a different realm, especially tonight.

Alex has enrolled at college under a different last name to distance herself from the mess that was her past life. All she wants is to be normal, but the second she meets Tristan Prescott, her life is anything but normal. Despite the crazy intense chemistry between them, she manages to dodge nearly all of his moves. But it’s when Tristan shows his vulnerable, sincere side that Alex can’t help but gravitate toward him. I LOVED Alex. I loved how headstrong she was, how she was able to deflect and stand up against Tristan so well. The two of them are definitely well-matched, and I really enjoyed getting to know both the steamy parts of their relationship, and the more heartfelt parts of it.

“You feel it,” he whispers. “I touch you and it’s like electricity sparks between us. I look into your eyes and I feel like I’m fucking drowning. And when I kiss you, I never want to stop.”

Slow Play is… well, slow. Incredibly slow. Alex wants to truly know if Tristan’s intentions are, maybe not honorable, but real. She wants more than just one night with him, and Tristan sets out to prove that he wants both Alex and her heart. And it takes a long while for their relationship to progress. Alex lets Tristan in, but not by much. She still keeps parts of her life a secret from him. And sadly, the plot with Alex’s family being involved with Tristan’s wasn’t as fleshed-out as I expected. It’s not until nearly the end that secrets are finally revealed.

I wish I could say I loved it, but Tristan just didn’t click for me, and that brought the book down a bit. I didn’t feel like he was truly redeemed from his asshole reputation, but I did appreciate that he was completely faithful to Alex since the moment he meets her. Still, I wholeheartedly loved Alex, and Monica Murphy’s writing is so easy and fun to read, so maybe fans of the series will love this book more than I did. It’s a good book, but again, just not my favorite of the series.

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

Reading Order: The Rules series

#1 ~ Fair Game: My Review • Ebook • Paperback• Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ In the Dark: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Slow Play: Ebook • Goodreads (Oct. 13, 2015)

New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She’s a workaholic who loves her job. When she’s not busy writing, she also loves to read and travel with her family. She writes new adult and contemporary romance and is published with Bantam and Avon. She also writes romance as USA Today bestselling author Karen Erickson.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon Page

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5Oct2015

Early Review: Chaser by Staci Hart

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Chaser by Staci Hart
Series: Bad Habits #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 15th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Everyone knows you should never say never.

Cooper Moore never saw Maggie Williams coming. She was just his best friend’s little sister, the curly-haired, freckle-faced girl from Mississippi who was absolutely off limits. And he never thought about her any other way — not until he saw her that night, broken and brave. From that moment on, he knew he’d do whatever it took to protect her, even if it meant he had to stay away.

Maggie never expected to find her fiancé banging her maid of honor an hour before she was set to walk down the aisle, but life’s funny that way. The only option to save her sanity is to get the hell out of Jackson and move to New York where her brother lives. The only downside: Cooper is there too. And she just doesn’t know if she can stay away from him — the filthy rich, dead sexy playboy who’s allergic to commitment.

The second Maggie sees him again, she realizes he’ll be impossible to resist. Luckily, commitment is the last thing on her mind, and Cooper is the perfect escape. As long as she can keep her heart in check, everything will be just fine. Because she can never have feelings for him. Or at least that’s what she’ll keep telling herself.

I’d been eagerly awaiting Staci Hart’s Chaser after absolutely adoring With a Twist (a fantastic friends-to-lovers book – my review here), and I’m glad to say that it didn’t disappoint! It’s possible that I might love Chaser even MORE than With a Twist, all because of one gorgeous man named Cooper. Cooper Moore, and all his yummy, nerdy goodness, has stolen my heart, and I don’t ever want it back. I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to love him more than West from With a Twist but, well, I do. I so freaking do. Cooper and Maggie’s book is another stunning read from Staci Hart, full of warmth, humor, and heart. Those who love their romances well-written with an incredible cast of characters, this book – and series – is for you.

“I’ve been around the world, and I thought I’d seen everything it had to offer until that night, until I saw you. In all my life, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful, not standing in the Blue Mosque or the Taj Mahal. Not in the streets of rome or canals of Venice. Making you smile gives me life. Making you laugh gives me hope. Making you happy is all I want, other than to keep you.”

Maggie just recently moved to New York after finding her fiancé cheating on her the day of their wedding. NY is where her brother, West, is… and also his best friend, Cooper Moore. Cooper is the ultimate playboy – he’s hot, rich, famous, fun, so why shouldn’t Maggie have a no-strings attached sexual relationship with him to get her to forget her troubles? So for a few weeks, the two are involved in a secret relationship, with rules to keep feelings off the table. But in between the shared laughs, furtive glances, and fiery chemistry, Maggie and Cooper start to fall for each other. But with a relationship built on secrets, is it possible to make it work?

She had changed me on the molecular level, and she had no idea.

So I kind of hardcore adored this book. Okay, not kind of – I totally adored this gorgeous romance. It’s a little slow-paced in the first half of the book, but it picks up quickly after that. The writing is on-point, the characters feel so real, the romance is as sweet as it is passionate. Chaser almost read like a fairytale, it’s so dreamy and romantic. What surprised me though, was the amount of depth of Cooper and Maggie’s characters. Maggie is still lost after being betrayed by a man she loved for years, and Cooper is in this sort of stagnant state in his life. Staci Hart delves deep into their characters, making them face their wants and desires, not just for each other, but out of life. I LOVED that Maggie and Cooper are so multidimensional, because they become all the more real and relatable.

Purpose. A reason. A spark to light up my gray life, make me want more.
Was it her?
… And when I thought back over the past few weeks, I realized that she wasn’t a spark. She was a wildfire.

God, Cooper. When this man falls, he falls so. hard. I’m such a sucker for heroes who do a complete 180 from their playboy ways once they realize how in love with the heroine they are, and Cooper could not be more perfect. All his actions and words are so filled with love for Maggie… AH!!! My heart nearly couldn’t take the level of devotion Cooper has for Maggie.

“Maggie is a singular event in my life. I want her. Forever.”

Staci Hart is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. Her Bad Habits series is so well-developed, with great writing and a brilliant cast of characters. Reading about Maggie and Cooper, Lily and West, and Rose and Tricky truly feels like catching up with old friends. And ohmygod, Tricky!!!! Goddamn, I want this man’s book bad. I have a feeling Patrick and Rose’s book is going to be the best of the series.

Overall, Chaser was a joy to read. I was swept away by Maggie and Cooper’s stunning romance, and I honestly can’t wait for more from the series. I’m seriously addicted to these characters that Staci Hart has created, and I nearly wish that their stories would never end.

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

Reading Order: Bad Habits series

#1 ~ With a Twist: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Chaser: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Last Call: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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28Sep2015

Release Day Review: Beyond What is Given by Rebecca Yarros

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Beyond What is Given by Rebecca Yarros
Series: Flight & Glory #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 28th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Lt. Grayson Masters is focused on graduating the Apache helicopter course, and the last thing he needs is his gorgeous new roommate Samantha Fitzgerald distracting him. While her smart mouth and free spirit are irresistibly irritating, he can’t deny their off-the-charts chemistry, no matter how hard he tries.

Having just been expelled from college, Sam has no business digging for Grayson’s secrets while she’s hiding her own, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to tear down his walls. Each barrier she busts through drops one of her own, though, and she’s not prepared for the truth: another woman laid claim to Grayson’s heart long ago.

Falling in love is something neither Grayson nor Sam can afford, and when that line is crossed and secrets are exposed, they’ll learn that sometimes it’s the answered prayers that will put you through hell.

I fell so in love with Rebecca Yarros after reading and ADORING the first book in the Flight & Glory series, Full Measures (JOSH!! *heart eyes*). Beyond What is Given is the third standalone in the series and is Grayson and Samantha’s story, who we’ve met in the previous books. I was super excited for them because I was so curious about their characters – and while I ended up liking this book, it just didn’t grip me the way the other two books in the series did.

“There are broken people in the world, Samantha. But you’re not one of them. Dinged-up maybe, but not broken, and definitely not beyond repair.”

After getting expelled from college, Samantha wants a fresh start. She finds herself moving across the country and in with three guys, two of whom are good friends. The third roommate, Grayson, is absolutely gorgeous, but he and Sam get off to a rough start. Nevertheless, she sees beneath his gruff, stoic exterior a man who puts loyalty and duty above all else. I loved Sam, I completely, wholeheartedly did. She’s sassy, awesome, funny, and overall just a fantastic, flawed heroine I loved reading about. She’s in a rough situation with college, but despite the hot mess that she herself is, she takes it upon herself to discover Grayson’s past and get him to open up. What she doesn’t expect is for the chemistry between them to turn into something sweet, something treasured, something more.

“This is not a temporary thing between us. There is no deadline. I. Am. Always. Yours.”
He kissed me softly, his tongue tracing my lower lip. “So go ahead and fall. I’ve gotten really good at catching you.”

Grayson’s past is tragic and guilt-laden, and no matter what he does, he can’t escape it. He’s always got one foot in his present life as an Apache pilot, and the other foot back home in North Carolina, the source of all his demons. The one thing that makes him forget is Sam, her lightness wearing away his darkness. But when his secrets come out from the past to haunt his present, will he be able to keep Sam in his life without letting her drown beside him?

Beyond What is Given is no less emotional than the other two books, but there was a spark that was missing that prevented me from fully loving the book. While I completely adored Sam, connected with her straight from the start, Grayson I took a long while to warm up to. His past consumes him, so much so that at times I wasn’t sure he’d be able to get out of it. There were also parts about this book that annoyed the hell out of me. Grayson’s family is… god-awful. It was mostly his sister Parker who got on my last nerves. I HATED Parker. I honestly hated her so much. She’s a petty, mean, bully of a girl who does nothing but force more guilt onto Grayson, keep him drowning in the past, and create rifts between him and Sam. I would’ve enjoyed the book so much more if Parker didn’t exist… but she did, and her character sometimes made me want to throw my kindle at the wall in frustration.

I still love Rebecca Yarros though – she knows how to write, how to pack a punch with her words… but this book was not what I was expecting it to be. While the romance isn’t particularly slow, it was the whole overlying plot that dragged too much for my taste. The twist in the middle I was able to predict too, sadly. STILL – Sam and Grayson’s romance is sweet and heart-wrenching, the highlight of the book. Rebecca Yarros can write swoony characters SO well, and even when I wasn’t 100% sold on Grayson, my heart fluttered at some of the things he said.

“I’m in love with you, Samantha. You own me, body, heart, mind, soul, what there is to give, it’s yours.”

If you’re a fan of the series, I would suggest reading Beyond What is Given. I feel like it’s an it’s-me-not-you kind of book. I really did like it, but compared to the previous two books, I can’t really say it was as captivating or compelling. I will still be eagerly awaiting any else Rebecca Yarros has in the works – her writing is absolutely amazing and definitely worth the read!

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

Reading Order: Flight & Glory series

#1 ~ Full Measures: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Eyes Turned Skyward: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beyond What is Given: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hallowed Ground: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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