Release Day Review: The Veil by Chloe Neill

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Veil by Chloe Neill
Series: Devil’s Isle #1
Publication Date: August 4th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Seven years ago, the Veil that separates humanity from what lies beyond was torn apart, and New Orleans was engulfed in a supernatural war. Now, those with paranormal powers have been confined in a walled community that humans call the District. Those who live there call it Devil’s Isle.

Claire Connolly is a good girl with a dangerous secret: she’s a Sensitive, a human endowed with magic that seeped through the Veil. Claire knows that revealing her skills would mean being confined to Devil’s Isle. Unfortunately, hiding her power has left her untrained and unfocused.

Liam Quinn knows from experience that magic makes monsters of the weak, and he has no time for a Sensitive with no control of her own strength. But when he sees Claire using her powers to save a human under attack—in full view of the French Quarter—Liam decides to bring her to Devil’s Isle and the teacher she needs, even though getting her out of his way isn’t the same as keeping her out of his head.

But when the Veil threatens to shatter completely, Claire and Liam must work together to stop it, or else New Orleans will burn…

I’ve been a fan of Chloe Neill for a while, ever since I read and loved her Chicagoland Vampires series. So of course I was excited when I heard she’d be writing a new series called Devil’s Isle. The Veil is the first book in the series, and it was good for a first book. There’s a lot of world building and descriptions, unsurprisingly, but sadly, the book just didn’t wring that many emotions out of me. The premise is interesting and holds a lot of potential for future books, but The Veil just wasn’t the exciting read I’d been hoping for.

The Veil takes place in dystopian New Orleans, where the paranormal world and the human world collided and went to war seven years ago. Now, when The Veil that separated the two worlds was repaired, the paranormals that remained in New Orleans were sent to prison at Devil’s Isle. Magic and all paranormal activity is outlawed, though our heroine, Claire, is a Sensitive human with magic powers and does her best to avoid getting caught using magic.

Claire Connolly tries to keep a quiet life, surviving in this dystopian world and running her family’s shop, but she gets into trouble when she uses her magic out in the open to help out a woman in need. Liam Quinn, a bounty hunter, helps Claire out and also aids her in training her magic. He’s a man with secrets, but he and Claire become somewhat friends, despite the slight chemistry they have between them.

The romance is SUPER light in this book. It’s more a potential for a romance, and I’m hoping there will be more in the following books. The Veil centers around Claire honing her Sensitive powers so that she won’t turn into a wraith, a deadly, inhuman creature. There’s also an overarching, bigger plot that I’m sure we’ll see unravel more as we get the other books in the series.

I enjoyed The Veil for the most part. It’s a fairly good read, with well-developed characters and a highly detailed dystopian world. I liked how the author wrote the city of New Orleans in such a way that it felt like its own character. However, I struggled to connect with the story in some way – the main characters felt boring to me, and none of the action had my heart pumping. Plus, this is the type of book that leaves you with lots of questions and few answers. Still, I will most likely be reading the sequel because I love the idea of the story, and I feel this series has a lot of potential to become better as it progresses.

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4Aug2015

Release Day Review: Strong Enough by M. Leighton

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Strong Enough by M. Leighton
Series: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 4th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Is she strong enough to trust the most dangerous man she’s ever met? And is he strong enough to let her?

How would I describe myself? Well, I’m Muse Harper. I’m a twenty-something painter who loves red wine, quirky movies, and men with a fatal flaw. But that was before I met Jasper King. He became my fatal flaw. Eight months ago, I had a choice to make—abandon everything I’ve ever known to protect my family, or stay and risk someone getting hurt. I chose the former. My plan was working just fine until I found out my father had gone missing.

That’s when I met Jasper. A bounty hunter with the eyes of a tiger and the nose of a bloodhound, he was supposed to help me find my father. What I didn’t know was that meeting him was no accident. Hunting people isn’t all that Jasper does. And helping me was only part of his plan. I just wish I’d found out sooner, before my heart got involved. But even then, I don’t know if I’d have done things differently.

Now, I have another choice to make—trust the man that I’m falling in love with and hope that he’ll do the right thing, or run as far away from him as I can get.

This book was somethin’ else! Strong Enough is the first book in the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series featuring some bad boy heroes, and it’s a great start to the series. There were things I liked, some I didn’t, but overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable, hot and sexy read that I couldn’t really put down. M. Leighton did an excellent job with the suspense in Strong Enough, and I really liked that it felt pretty unique and different from what I normally read.

Muse Harper is a quirky artist who has dreams of falling in love with the perfect man, but all the men she’s been with have a ‘fatal flaw’. Then she meets Jasper King, a bounty hunter who she hires to help find her missing father. From the very second they meet, there’s an undeniable, intense chemistry between them. But the two couldn’t be more different – while Muse is an artist with her heart on her sleeve, Jasper is a quiet, broody, tightly-controlled man with a dangerous profession.

Jasper has lived a lonely life with a painful past since he was young, and he never expects to fall for the gorgeous artist who has no place in his life. He’s such a closed-off man, and the things he’s done as a bounty hunter has him believing that he doesn’t deserve Muse’s affection or love. But try as he might to resist her, the passion between them grows hotter than ever as they set out to find Muse’s father.

“I’m probably the worst thing in the world for you. The worst thing that would feel like the best.”

Muse and Jasper made a fantastic couple. I didn’t entirely connect with their characters, but I still liked them for the most part. My heart broke for Jasper’s past and his lonely life, and I was cheering for Muse to break down his walls and work her way into his heart. I could FELL the intense, electrifying chemistry between them that M. Leighton wrote so well. Honestly, the best part about Strong Enough is the writing. I LOVE the author’s writing style, which is so well-written and packed with so much feeling.

I did get pretty frustrated at Jasper for his hot-and-cold feelings for Muse, loving her one moment, then pushing her away the next. But other than that, I really liked the way the romance played out alongside the suspense. This book is definitely a page turner, and I found myself so eager to learn more about Jasper and the secrets he keeps. So many things happened in this book that I nearly couldn’t keep up! Strong Enough is a must read for those who like bad boys and a whole lot of suspense in their books. I really enjoyed this series debut and I’m so excited for the next book!

“You’re the only thing I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember. And the one thing I can’t have.”

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

Reading Order: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series

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

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3Aug2015

Release Day Review: Love and Always by Sophie Jackson

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Love and Always by Sophie Jackson
Series: A Pound of Flesh #1.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 3rd 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Orange Is the New Black meets Jennifer Probst’s New York Times bestselling Marriage to a Billionaire trilogy, in this e-novella of love and redemption in the sensational A Pound of Flesh series.

When prison tutor Kat Lane met arrogant inmate Wesley Carter in A Pound of Flesh, it was hate at first sight. Carter’s quick wit and reputation for being as dangerous as he was handsome kept her at a distance. But as they grew to know each other as teacher and student in the New York prison, Kat found there was much more to Carter than she thought.

In Love and Always, Kat and Carter’s story continues as they share the news of their engagement—which doesn’t go over well with Kat’s mother. On top of it all, Carter has a new role as CEO of WCS Communications, which adds more pressure to his new life outside prison. Trying to juggle family, a billion dollar business, and Carter’s best friend Max’s rehab stint doesn’t leave much time for the happy couple to enjoy each other. How will Kat and Carter handle the pressures of marriage, family, and work—and keep the passion alive through it all?

This is a quick, short, and super sweet novella following up on Kat and Carter from A Pound of Flesh. I adored these characters in their book (my review here), and I adored them once again in their novella.

“You’re everything to me.”
Kat nodded. “I know. That’s why I’m marrying you.”

Kat and Carter have just gotten engaged, but they’re not quite at their HEA yet. They need to break the news to Kat’s mother, who isn’t exactly supportive of their relationship. Plus, Carter’s dealing with his best friend Max, who’s been admitted into rehab. Still, despite these complications, Kat and Carter’s love is still unwavering and going strong. As long as they have each other, they can weather through anything.

I really enjoyed this novella. It’s a bit too short, and I really wish there was more, but I liked what I got. Carter is funny, sweet, and sexy as ever, and I loved seeing him and Kat together again. I really liked that this novella sort of leads us up to Max’s own book, An Ounce of Hope, which comes out early next year. I was incredibly excited for his book, and this novella only made me more excited.

Fans of A Pound of Flesh should definitely check out Love and Always. It’s not completely necessary to read it, but Kat and Carter are just too sweet for words in this novella. This was like getting a bonus glimpse at life after A Pound of Flesh for the two of them. I had a smile on my face the whole time I read it!

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

Reading Order: A Pound of Flesh series

#1 ~ A Pound of Flesh: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Love and Always: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ An Ounce of Hope: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Fate and Forever: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ A Measure of Love: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (June 21, 2016)

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3Aug2015

Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Truth or Beard by Penny Reid!

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
Series: Winston Brothers #1 (full reading order below)
Release Date: July 21st 2015

Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!

Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life.

His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.

Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?

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

I’ve kind of adored Penny Reid ever since reading her Elements of Chemistry series (one of my favorites of the year!). Her stories are just so compelling yet so down-to-earth – I love them! Truth or Beard was a highly anticipated read for me (because, hello, BEARDS!!!!) and Penny Reid didn’t let me down. Truth or Beard is a fun, sexy, hilarious read with an amazing cast of characters (those Winston brothers will be the death of me) and I can’t wait for more!

Jessica James has always had a crush on the friendlier, more charming of the Winston twins. When she was a girl, she had hearts in her eyes for Beau, all while saving her glares for the broodier, more annoying twin, Duane. But of course, Duane, in that classic way of pulling on the pigtails of your crush, has always loved Jessica James. But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica questions her true feelings for Duane and whether or not she’s had a crush on the wrong Winston twin all along.

I was always running after her, but this time I wasn’t going to let her get away.

I adored Jessica and Duane. They were characters that felt so real to me. I felt for Jessica and her dreams of traveling the world. She has wanderlust, and she’s saving up for a few years until she can leave her small town and explore the world. Duane, even knowing the limited time he has with Jessica before she leaves, still decides to pursue the girl he’s loved his whole life. He keeps his heart guarded though, so that when the time comes for Jessica to leave, he won’t be left with a broken heart. But the two fall fast and hard for one another as they date and spend time together (kissing and doing other stuff…), so how can the two of them possibly continue their relationship when one is meant to travel the world and the other has an auto shop he has obligations to take care of?

Jessica wasn’t going to break my heart.
I was going to break hers.

Duane and Jessica have a time limit to their relationship, but that doesn’t stop them from steaming it up in the time they have together. They have some seriously sexy times that had me grinning and fanning myself. Duane is a hottie with a beard! BUT, he also says some awesomely sweet, amazing things to Jessica that had my heart swooning – Duane is honestly the perfect package!

“You’re a siren who doesn’t need to sing.”

Oh! Did I mention that this book is also so freaking hilarious? I was laughing so much while reading, most especially because of the Winston brothers. CLETUS! Oh my, Cletus is one special Winston brother. He’s the quirky, dorky nerd and so lovable – I’m keeping an eye out for his book. In addition to Duane, Beau, and Cletus, there’s also Jethro, Billy, and Roscoe. Six hot bearded brothers = book boyfriend heaven!

I’d once overheard my daddy tell my momma that the six Winston boys had inherited their father’s ability to charm snakes, the IRS, and women.

What brought this book down, though, and why I can’t give Truth or Beard five awesome hearts was because the whole other subplot about the local motorcycle club. The brothers have drama with some bikers that puts them and their loved ones in danger. This part of the book felt weak though, and I just wasn’t that into it. I felt kind of just ‘eh’ about it – it wasn’t badly written or anything, but it just didn’t get my heart my heart racing as much as I wanted it to.

In spite of weak biker subplot, Truth or Beard is still a fantastic read. You get to swoon over six sexy, bearded brothers, so what’s not to love? Of course, I can’t gloss over Penny’s fantastic writing, with her intelligent prose and witty dialogue. Her books are always described as ‘smart’ and I can’t argue with that. Overall, Truth or Beard was a book that was SO much fun to read. It made me laugh, swoon, ache – it’s the type of book that wrings emotions out of you, and I highly recommend it.

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

Reading Order: Winston Brothers series

#1 ~ Truth or Beard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Grin and Beard It: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beard Science: Goodreads (Oct. 2016)
#4 ~ Beard in Mind: Goodreads (2017)
#5 ~ Dr. Strange Beard: Goodreads (2017)
#6 ~ Beard Necessities: Goodreads (2017)

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).

By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

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Signed Book Prize Pack from Penny Reid

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30Jul2015

ARC Review: Wicked Fall by Sawyer Bennett

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Wicked Fall by Sawyer Bennett
Series: The Wicked Horse #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 28th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Never in your wildest dreams could you begin to imagine all the filthy and depraved things that go on inside The Wicked Horse. Step inside and Woolf Jennings will make every one of your dirty fantasies come true.

He’s covered in a facade of deception. An enticing blend of multi-millionaire and hot-as-hell Wyoming rancher, those that think they know Woolf Jennings admire his abilities to preside as CEO of his family’s cattle and oil empire. But only a privileged few truly understand what fuels the glitter of depravity in those gorgeous blue eyes. Only a few know he’s opened up a sinfully erotic and private sex club named The Wicked Horse right at the base of the beautiful Teton Mountain range.

Sweet Callie Hayes has returned home to Wyoming and is looking forward to starting her life over again. After a night of impetuosity, she’s managed to put herself right in Woolf’s line of sight… the man who she foolishly offered up her virginity to years ago and was flatly turned down.

Now Woolf is seeing that Callie is all grown up and has a kinky side to her that leaves him as confused as it does turned on. Worse yet, both Callie’s dirty desires and sweet heart are getting under his skin, and making Woolf question everything he’s ever believed about himself.

I’ve been a fan of Sawyer Bennett’s since reading Uncivilized and the Cold Fury Hockey series, so I had high hopes for Wicked Fall. Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to par with what I previously read and loved from Sawyer. It wasn’t a bad book, just more of an okay one – I didn’t care for the hero very much, and the whole BDSM thing was just ‘meh’. While the writing and everything else were enjoyable enough, I just could love this book as much as I wanted to because of the problems I had with Woolf.

Woolf Jennings, multimillionaire CEO and rancher, has always had a dream of owning a owning a sex club, and now that dream is finally becoming a reality with the help of his best friend Bridger. They are co-owners of The Wicked Horse, a place they can play out the kinkiest, most depraved things they can think of.

It’s the ultimate high.
Add in some kink.
Let people explore their fantasies.
Indulge in your nastiest desire.
Yeah, that’s the shit that turns the ultimate high into infinite euphoria.
And I’m going to give people the ability to achieve that.

Callie Hayes has known Woolf nearly all her life, and has always had a crush on him. But when he rejects her offer of her virginity, she vows to never think of him again. Fast forward years later, and Callie has returned home to Wyoming… and to Woolf. Woolf has never been able to forget the sweet girl who thought the world of him, and now that she’s back, he not letting her get away without having a taste of her body.

…I could no more stop with Callie Hayes than I could give up oxygen.

I really liked the way Sawyer Bennett wrote the chemistry in Wicked Fall. I love a story where the main characters have history with one another, and Woolf and Callie certainly do, which makes it all the hotter to read about a man who wanted what he couldn’t have. But now that he CAN have her, the passion is fierce and crazy hot and everything was just seriously sexy, even without any kink or BDSM. Which is why when the kink and BDSM were introduced, it kind of fell flat. Woolf honestly didn’t even seem that kinky – the only kinky thing about him is his wanting to own a sex club. So I really didn’t see a problem with why Woolf feels that he can’t be with with Callie. He thinks she’s still that too pure and innocent girl he used to know and won’t be able to handle his ‘kink’ and keeps rejecting her without seeing the woman she’s grown to be.

Callie is warm and sweet. Innocent. Endearing. She’s kind and beautiful and sheltered. She is every fucking reason in the book why someone like me could never be good enough for someone like her.

Woolf tried to be an alpha-male, but he failed in that regard. I didn’t like the way he treated the heroine, seeing her as the girl she used to be without even trying to get to know the woman, outside of learning her body. I really enjoyed Callie’s character, but I wish she stood up to him earlier than she did to show Woolf that she could handle anything from him. Plus, I didn’t like the way Woolf always saw Callie as second to his club, his supposed dream. It takes a LONG time for him to see differently, that Callie deserves to be first in a man’s life, and I was just thoroughly disappointed in his character.

ALSO!! This is a MINOR SPOILER, but I just wanted to mention something about a sex scene: There’s a menage scene that I kind of wasn’t that comfortable with. I normally love menages – granted, when I’m expecting them – but this one was completely unexpected, so for those of you, like me, who want to know ahead of time, Callie and Woolf participate in a menage. But the thing that bothered me was that I didn’t see a point to including the menage in the book – the story would’ve been perfectly fine with or without it. And for a supposed alpha-male, Woolf just wasn’t as possessive as I expected him to be during the threesome.

With the problems I had with this book, Wicked Fall only ended up an okay read for me. The romance was sexy as hell, sometimes sweet, but Woolf was just too annoying for me to enjoy the romance as much as I wanted to. It was a little disappointing, but not so bad that I didn’t enjoy it at all. It still had good, solid writing, but overall it wasn’t what I expected.

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

Reading Order: The Wicked Horse series

#1 ~ Wicked Fall: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Wicked Lust: Goodreads (Jan. 4, 2016)

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Tag Archives: review

Release Day Review: The Veil by Chloe Neill

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Release Day Review: Strong Enough by M. Leighton

Reading Order: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series

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