Release Day Review: Tight by Alessandra Torre

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Tight by Alessandra Torre
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

I was happy in my small town. In my life as a single, thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.

I also hadn’t got laid in three years. Hadn’t been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and wearing makeup… a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He flipped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

The word ‘tight’ has twenty-two definitions, but my favorite is Webster’s fifth – “a bond which cannot be broken.”

Oh. My. God!!! What a book! I stayed up all night reading Tight. It was surprising how fast I devoured this book – I honestly couldn’t put it down!

This is the first book I’ve read from Alessandra Torre, which I am totally ashamed about – I wish I read some of her books earlier because her writing rocks! Apparently Tight is a bit different than her previous books, but from what I’ve read, it was freaking awesome already. The storyline was one giant mindfuck, and I loved it. Tight is a deeply romantic book about strength and survival – it takes you on one wild ride from start to finish. I nearly couldn’t keep up with this book!

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don’t even know she exists, and he thinks she’s dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can’t hold on to him tight enough.

So… who the hell is her??? I had my suspicions about who ‘her’ was, but this book still kept me on the edge of my toes, kept me wondering and guessing. I’m still thinking about this book days later – Tight is definitely the kind of book that stays with you!

Our heroine, Riley, is a small-town girl from Florida. She’s a happy girl, content with her life, but everything changes when she meets Brett while on a trip for her friend’s bachelorette party. Brett is handsome, sexy, rich, and enigmatic – she knows pretty much nothing about him except how much he wants her and she wants him. What begins as a one-night-stand turns into so much more as Riley and Brett can’t keep their thoughts away from each other and decide to pursue an actual relationship. It’s a warm, blooming romance between these two as they fall in love – Brett spoils Riley and takes her on exotic trips. He’s pretty much the perfect guy… except he has some secrets.

Though Tight is told mostly in Riley’s POV, we also have the occasional chapter in Brett’s POV as well as the mysterious ‘her’ from the blurb. I don’t want to tell you more because it’s best to go in blind. Just know that nothing in this book is expected – my mind was going all over the place, trying to think up answers to all my questions about the story and the characters.

I applaud Alessandra Torre for her masterful storytelling. It was brilliant and wonderfully executed, and I was also a HUGE fan of the writing. Ms. Torre nails the suspense in this one – I read Tight in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down! As I was nearing the climax of the book, my heart was pounding and I was nearly breathless. The ending was flawless and utterly satisfying. I highly recommend this book!

The only reason why I can’t give a full 5 hearts is because of how I didn’t connect with Riley or Brett. I liked them well enough, and I loved the story, but they just didn’t have that spark that would make me love a character. Still, I was too wrapped up in the story to mind too much.

If you’re a fan of books that perfectly balance romance and gripping, nail-biting suspense, Tight is for you!

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
Hollywood Dirt: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Love, Chloe: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Moonshot: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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3Feb2015

Release Day Review: The Raven by Sylvain Reynard

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Raven by Sylvain Reynard
Series: The Florentine #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 3rd 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Gabriel series comes a dark, sensual tale of romance in a city shrouded in mystery . . .

Raven Wood spends her days at Florence’s Uffizi gallery restoring Renaissance art. But an innocent walk home after an evening with friends changes her life forever. When she intervenes in the senseless beating of a homeless man, his attackers turn on her, dragging her into an alley. Raven is only semiconscious when their assault is interrupted by a cacophony of growls followed by her attackers’ screams. Mercifully, she blacks out, but not before catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure who whispers to her . . .

Cassita vulneratus.

When Raven awakes, she is inexplicably changed. Upon returning to the Uffizi, no one recognizes her. More disturbingly, she discovers that she’s been absent an entire week. With no recollection of her disappearance, Raven learns that her absence coincides with one of the largest robberies in Uffizi history–the theft of a set of priceless Botticelli illustrations. When the police identify her as their prime suspect, Raven is desperate to clear her name. She seeks out one of Florence’s wealthiest and most elusive men in an attempt to uncover the truth. Their encounter leads Raven to a dark underworld whose inhabitants kill to keep their secrets . . .

“I am the darkness made visible.”

The Raven is the first full-length novel in Sylvain Reynard’s The Florence series, and it’s a book full of mystery and intrigue. I was a fan of SR’s Gabriel series and was highly anticipating this paranormal spinoff series. Although I didn’t connect with the main characters as much as I wanted, the writing had me hooked and the supernatural aspect of the story had me fully intrigued. Fans of the Gabriel series should definitely give The Florence series a try – SR gives a unique take on vampires that was highly enjoyable!

The Raven takes place two years after The Prince (which I highly recommend reading before going into The Raven). The Prince of Florence, who also goes by the name William York, has taken back his stolen art from the Uffizi, though he’s still planning on killing the Emersons. But one night, he encounters a woman on the brink of death, and instead of ignoring her, which would be the norm for him, he saves her life.

Raven Wood wakes up with no recollection of the past week, and when she returns to work at the Uffizi, she finds out that artwork has been stolen during the week she blacked out and she’s a prime suspect. While trying to clear her name, she comes across the name William York, but when she tries to find out who he is, Raven unknowingly puts herself deeper into the underworld of Florence and into danger.

William can’t get the woman he saved out of his mind, and even though he tries to stay away, he can’t. He continues to be Raven’s protector but keeps to the shadows until Raven falls into too much trouble and William has to come forward and save her life once again. As they spend more time together, Raven and William can’t help but feel drawn to one another.

I really enjoyed Raven’s character, even though I didn’t connect with her much. She’s the type of woman who doesn’t fit in with society’s views of beauty and she is typically ignored by men. Even though this could have made her a bitter woman, she’s strong and compassionate with a heart of gold. She’s unknowingly thrust into the supernatural world, but she faces it head on. William, on the other hand, took me a while to warm up to. He’s one of the most powerful vampires and he’s lived for a long time, so he’s done and seen things that have made him jaded. But bit by bit, as he grows to care for Raven, we uncover a passionate man who has more than a little humanity left in him. I was a much bigger fan of William towards the end of the novel.

I highly enjoyed the romance in The Raven. It was a slow burn kind of romance with tensions running high between William and Raven. And I loved that by being with each other, they open their eyes to the person they are underneath – William discovers that maybe he’s not the monster he makes himself out to be, and Raven realizes that beauty is so much more than just the surface of a person.

“You are the only ray of hope I’ve seen since 1274. You’re the only one who has caused my heart to beat again.”

SR flawlessly entwines Raven and William’s sensual but sweet romance with the gorgeous setting of Florence and the fascinating supernatural underworld. The Raven was an entirely satisfying read even though I wasn’t too keen on the characters, and that was mainly due to the writing. I found myself drawn into the dark underworld of Florence and couldn’t stop reading this book! If you’re a fan of SR’s writing, then I highly recommend reading this fascinating, romantic new series.

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

Reading Order: The Florentine series

#0.5 ~ The Prince: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads
#1 ~ The Raven: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Shadow: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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2Feb2015

Release Day Review: Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful Bastard #3.6 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 2nd 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The seventh work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with the Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player novels. Featuring all the Beautiful characters…plus one tiny new addition to the group.

In Beautiful Stranger, finance whiz Sara Dillon met the irresistibly sexy Brit, Max Stella, at a New York City club. Through the series we’ve watched them learn to balance commitment with their less than private brand of playfulness. In Beautiful Beloved, Max and Sara take it to the next step. But the question is: Will they be able to find a balance between the wild sexcapades they aren’t ready to retire, and the demands of parenthood that come along with their new Beautiful bundle of joy? Parenthood: it’s not for the weak of heart.

I freaking adore Max and Sara. I fell so hard for them in Beautiful Stranger, so I was highly anticipating Beautiful Beloved. And what do you know, I fell even more in love with with these two beloved (hehe) characters! I loved reconnecting with Max and Sara and seeing them in a new part of their lives.

Sara and Max now have a beautiful baby girl named Annabel. Parenthood is exhausting but could not be more perfectly suited for them. Honestly, Sara and Max as parents is just adorable! I love how much they dote on their daughter – and Max as a father? Priceless. My heart melts at how much he loves and cherishes his two girls.

Sara is getting back on her feet and ready to balance work and motherhood. And she’s also looking forward to going back to the club she and Max loved to frequent. But Max is a bit hesitant about going back. He sees her as the mother of his child, as someone to take care of, but Sara is determined to make him see her again as his wife and lover. And oh my… I’d nearly forgotten how hot Max and Sara are! If you were a fan of their sexcapades in Beautiful Stranger, you are going to LOVE them in Beautiful Beloved! Being parents definitely doesn’t diminish the intensity and sensuality of their sex lives.

Of course, we get to see the rest of the gang from the Beautiful Bastard series! Chloe and Bennett, Hanna and Will are all there (Will taking care of Annabel is the most hilarious thing ever). But really… one of the best parts about Beautiful Beloved is meeting Niall Stella, Max’s brother!! Niall is going to be starring in his own book soon and I loved that we get a preview of his character. He’s an accomplished engineer from England, but he visits Max and Sara to see Annabel. He’s a funny, intriguing, and sexy man, and the excerpt from his book at the end of Beautiful Beloved makes me so desperate to get to know his story!

For fans of the Beautiful Bastard series, this latest installment should not be missed! It’s a sweet, sexy continuation of Max and Sara’s story that I wished would never end. I honestly could read about these two characters forever, and this glimpse into their lives as parents was perfect.

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

Reading Order: Beautiful Bastard series

#1 ~ Beautiful Bastard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Beautiful Bitch: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beautiful Stranger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Beautiful Bombshell: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beautiful Player: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Beautiful Beginning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.6 ~ Beautiful Beloved: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beautiful Secret: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Beautiful Boss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Beautiful: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 4, 2016)

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27Jan2015

Release Day Review: Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Prince #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 27th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I won a copy from the author

Play with fire, pay the price.

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both…

Vlad and Leila are back and better than ever!

I freaking love this couple… Maybe even a little more than Cat and Bones. *Gasp* Yeah, I know, but while Cat and Bones fell a little flat by the end of their series, Leila and Vlad honestly get better and better with each book. I don’t know how many times I’ve reread the previous two books in the Night Prince series, and every time, I fall more in love with them. And hello there’s Vlad, who is my absolute favorite character in the entire Night Huntress world — he’s powerful, sensual, and his love for Leila is the deepest, most beautiful thing. So of course I’d been eagerly anticipating this third book, and it highly exceeded my expectations! I absolutely loved it!

Vlad and Leila are getting into the role of husband and wife, but it’s not that easy. Vlad is overprotective and domineering, and Leila is stubborn as hell and somehow always getting into danger. But even though their marital roles need time getting used to, there’s no doubt that they both love each other fiercely. Vlad is as sexy and passionate as ever, and as Leila’s husband, he’s even more alpha-male, which I was totally a fan of. And I love that as hot and fierce as their love is for each other, they still joke around with each other. I just adore Vlad and Leila together!

Vlad and Leila have been searching for their enemy, Szilagyi, but he’s powerful and always seems a step ahead. Vlad will do anything to protect Leila, and that’s tested when Leila is put into serious danger. Bound by Flames takes a turn for a much darker direction than I ever anticipated, but Jeaniene Frost flawlessly executes the thrill and suspense in this book. From beginning to end, it was riveting and unputdownable — I wholeheartedly loved Bound by Flames. It’s now probably my favorite of the series so far!

And I have to say, I’m so, SO glad that Vlad and Leila’s story doesn’t end with Bound by Flames! We have one more book before we have to say goodbye to them (which I really don’t want to do). I’m eagerly awaiting their next and final book, even though I know it’ll be bittersweet.

Reading Order: Night Prince series

#1 ~ Once Burned: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twice Tempted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Bound by Flames: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Untitled: Goodreads (release date TBA)

25Jan2015

Release Day Review: Kyland by Mia Sheridan

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Kyland by Mia Sheridan
Series: A Sign of Love #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They’re both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

“I do go to hell. Every day. For you.”

I absolutely adore Mia Sheridan’s writing! With each book in the A Sign of Love series, she’s proven again and again how phenomenal she is at storytelling. Her writing is lyrical, bringing her characters and settings to life. With her latest book, Kyland, Mia Sheridan conveys a powerful story of true, enduring love that can overcome anything. As much desperation and pain there is in this story, what you take away from it is a brilliant, warm-hearted book full love and never-ending hope. I absolutely loved it!

In the middle of rolling green hills, breathtaking mountain views, waterfalls, and quaint covered bridges, lies Dennville, Kentucky, a part of the Appalachian Mountains that would put any urban slum to shame, where hopelessness is as commonplace as the white oak trees, and unemployment is the rule more than the exception.

That writing – simply stunning!

Each of Mia Sheridan’s settings is unique and written in a spell-binding way, and Dennville, Kentucky is no different. It’s a poor town with even poorer inhabitants who work day and night to barely make ends meet. You might feel sorry for the people of Dennville, but there’s a beauty in the way they tirelessly endure and take care of one another and survive. This is the way Tenleigh and Kyland live – they are two teenagers who don’t let their poverty-stricken situations bring them down. Both of them are working towards the same goal – to win a scholarship that will pay for college so that they’ll have a chance at building a better life, and most importantly, winning that scholarship will take them out of Dennville.

There’s only one person who can win the scholarship, but when Kyland and Tenleigh should have been adversaries, they became friends instead. There’s a loneliness in both of them – Kyland’s father and brother died in a mining accident a few years back, Tenleigh’s father abandoned her family and Tenleigh spends all her time working to afford medicine for her mother’s mental illness – but when Kyland and Tenleigh meet, a deep bond forms between them. They help each other in their times of loneliness, and ultimately, they save each other.

My heart felt so full as I read they way Tenleigh and Kyland fell in love with each other. It’s slow and beautiful and heart-wrenching the way they want, need, and finally, love each other. And my heart was aching so badly, because only one of them will end up winning the scholarship. It’s a bad idea to start anything between the two of them, because it’ll only end in heartbreak, but Kyland and Tenleigh can’t resist each other.

Tenleigh.
Half agony, half hope.
Half pain, half ecstacy.
Half grief, half joy.
Half my downfall, half my savior.

It was so achingly heart-wrenching how Tenleigh and Kyland had found their soulmates in one another, but couldn’t keep each other. One of them would end up leaving Dennville, and the two of them would their separate ways. They experience loss and suffering, but there’s no doubt that Kyland and Tenleigh are two souls who are meant to be together, and that they will always find a way to be together.

“I’m going to make all your dreams come true. All my life.”

Once again, Mia Sheridan delivers another stunning, deeply emotional read that I devoured. Kyland is a book that took my breath away. I fell in love with Tenleigh and Kyland and the strength in their hearts. They are two beautiful characters, inside and out, and they captured my heart. I couldn’t stop reading their story, and I honestly wished it never ended. And of course the ending would have to be perfect too! I adored the ending – it left me feeling so warm and happy (all of Mia’s books leave me feeling like this, actually). I truly loved everything about this book!

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

Reading Order: A Sign of Love series

Note: Each of the books in the A Sign of Love series can be read as complete standalones that have no connection with each other, with the exception of Leo’s Chance, which is the hero’s POV of Leo, and Becoming Calder and Finding Eden, a two-book story featuring the same cast of characters. None of the characters in the different Sign of Love books are connected.

#1 ~ Leo: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Leo’s Chance: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Stinger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Archer’s Voice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Becoming Calder: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Finding Eden: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Kyland: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Grayson’s Vow: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Midnight Lily: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s a clip from the Kyland audiobook!

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