Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Holy Frigging Matrimony by Emma Chase

Posted in 5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Holy Frigging Matrimony by Emma Chase
Series: Tangled #1.5 (full reading order below)
Release Date: December 5th 2013

What does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this forty page short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice and hilarious one-liners.

Marriage: the final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the fifties, all the while knowing they’d never make it back.

And now another poor rocket is ready to launch.

But this isn’t just any posh New York wedding. You’ve seen my friends, you’ve met our families, you know you’re in for a treat. Everyone wants their wedding to be memorable. This one’s going to be un-frigging-forgettable.

Holy Frigging Matrimony takes place about a year after Tangled’s end and is from Drew’s POV.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK

You can’t not love Drew Evans. He makes you laugh, smile, roll your eyes, and ultimately, he makes you love him. For fans of Tangled, you have to read this short story. It’s just as hilarious as Tangled, and so much fun to read. It has Drew’s hilarious narrative, and… there might even be a fist fight at a wedding? So yeah, if anything, you should reading Holy Frigging Matrimony for that.

“I don’t even know what to say to you.”
I squirm – just a little. “He started it.”
Her eyes narrow. “Are you serious?”
I think about it for a minute. “Kind of.”

Holy Frigging Matrimony is only 40 pages, but you won’t be able to stop smiling or laughing the whole time you’re reading. It takes place after Tangled, and everyone from Tangled is there for a wedding. Whose? You’ll have to read and find out 😉

Billy, Kate’s ex, is at the wedding, and jealousy ensues. The bantering between Drew and Billy will have you laughing until your sides hurt, and it gets even better when their fighting makes others, like Kate, pissed. Drew is such an ass, but he’s a charming, lovable one, and everything you can expect from him is in Holy Frigging Matrimony. Hot sex, Drew’s crude, sarcastic humor, and one pissed off bride–you don’t want to miss HFM. I had the best time reading this book. Loved it!

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

Reading Order: Tangled series

#1 ~ Tangled: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Holy Frigging Matrimony: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twisted: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tamed: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Tied: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

By day, Emma Chase is a devoted wife and mother of two who resides in a small, rural town in New Jersey. By night she is a keyboard crusader, toiling away the hours to bring her colorful characters and their endless antics to life. She has a long standing love/hate relationship with caffeine. Emma is an avid reader. Before her children were born she was known to consume whole books in a single day. Writing has also always been a passion and with the 2013 release of her debut romantic comedy, Tangled, the ability to now call herself an author is nothing less than a dream come true.

Website • Twitter • Facebook

ebooks of Tangled and Holy Frigging Matrimony
a SIGNED paperback of Tangled

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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8Dec2013

Review: Elite by Rachel Van Dyken

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Eagle Elite #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 14th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

When I won the annual Eagle Elite College Scholarship lottery, I was thrilled. After all, my grandma had just died and I wanted to take care of my aging grandpa — he couldn’t be a farmer in Wyoming forever. And graduating from Eagle Elite meant opportunity.

But I wasn’t counting on meeting Nixon.

Nor was I counting on the rules of the Elect.

1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

And worst of all? Don’t discover the secret they hide, because in the end, you may just realize… it’s about you.

*This is a New Adult Book, blood, violence, cursing, sexual references, and drug use. Not recommended for those under 17.*

This book… was nothing I ever expected. The beginning was less than stellar, so I wasn’t sure I’d even enjoy the rest of the book, but then… things started to get intense. Exciting. Thrilling. And very different from your average new adult/college romance. I can’t say that I loved it, but I ended up really enjoying myself by the end of the book.

The first third of the book was bad. I didn’t like it. It had too much of a clichéd boarding school young adult feel, which I’m not a fan of. The characters didn’t sound their age at all. They were in their twenties, but when they opened their mouths, they were 14 year old middle schoolers. Not good at all. The main character, Tracey, or Trace, is a freshman in college, and she wins a scholarship to Eagle Elite College, one of the top, prestigious colleges that houses the rich and wealthy. At the very top of the student body, the elite of the elite, is the group known as The Elect. The boys in The Elect–Nixon, Chase, Phoenix, and Tex–rule the school, and they have a very strict set of rules.

1. Do not touch The Elect.
2. Do not look at The Elect.
3. Do not speak to The Elect.

Um, yeah. Assholes, much? Basically, The Elect a bunch of good-looking, nasty bullies who rule the school and who all the girls fall over themselves for. Can you tell how much I didn’t like that? This was the entire first third of the book. Nixon would devise some scheme to humiliate Tracey, the new girl, and Trace would try not to cry. But it turns out that Nixon does all this to protect Trace from the other students. If he bullies Trace, no one else will. And once he withdraws his “protection” all hell breaks loose and Trace is completely humiliated and degraded. By this time, I’m not even sure where the book is going, but thank god, the plot starts to change. It moves away from the petty bullying, to the more mysterious side of the story. The Elect takes in Trace, and she gets to know them better, especially Nixon, but there’s always something she’s missing from their conversations. It’s like they have an inside joke, and Trace isn’t a part of it.

Eventually, things start to take a darker tone, but all the while, Trace and Nixon are getting closer together. There are secrets between them though, secrets that Nixon doesn’t want Trace to know. I don’t want to spoil it, even though it’s fairly obvious in the book what Nixon is involved in, but this was the reason why I started liking Elite a lot better. Plus, Nixon becomes a total sweetheart. I haven’t really forgiven him for being a complete jerk, but he was getting there. Because, oh my, the things he says to Trace? Swoon!

“Don’t you get it?”
My breathing became erratic as he leaned close enough to kiss me again. “I’d give my life for yours.”

By a darker tone, I meant that lives are at stake. It’s not some cutesy romance anymore. There’s death and violence, and everything is so much more than you can comprehend. You think that the story will be going one way, but the plot twists and turns, and Rachel Van Dyken does this flawlessly.

The rest of the story, after that awful first third of the book, was awesome! Rachel Van Dyken had me make a complete 180 about all the characters. I started caring for Nixon and Trace and the rest of the gang, and I was hooked onto their story. I couldn’t stop reading, because everything builds up, revelations are made, and all the characters are in constant danger. It’s so much fun to read! And I really started liking Nixon more by the end of the book. AH! He’s so sweet, even if he is a dangerous man.

“I won’t let anything happen to you – I swear on my life, I’ll protect you until the day I die,” Nixon whispered hoarsely.
“That’s a pretty big promise.”
“Well, you’re a pretty important person. Important people deserve big promises, and you, Trace. You deserve the world.”

Okay, so I give 2 hearts for the first third, and 4 for the rest of the book. 3.5 hearts! If you can get over the meh of the first third of the book, then I think you’ll enjoy Elite just fine.

Reading Order: Eagle Elite series

#1 ~ Elite: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Enforce: Goodreads (Dec. 2014)
#2 ~ Elect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Entice: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Elicit: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Ember: Goodreads (Feb. 2015)

8Dec2013

Review: Until You by Penelope Douglas

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Until You by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #1.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 4th 2013
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

***This novel contains graphic sexual content and harsh language. It is only appropriate for adult readers age 18+.

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between.

Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her or anyone else.

So I hurt her. I pushed her away.

But I still need her. The sight of her centers me, and I can pool all of my anger into her. Engaging her, challenging her, bullying her…they are my food, my air, and the last part of me that feels anything human.

But she left. She went to France for a year, and came back a different girl.

Now, when I push, she pushes back.

Oh lord. This book. THIS. BOOK. I don’t know how to describe my love for this beautiful book and series. I am completely head over heels in LOVE, and it’s all because of a boy named JARED. Jared will be the death of me, I swear. I CAN’T HANDLE HIS HOTNESS. *Takes a deep breath* Okay, so yeah. I loved this book.

If you’re expecting Until You to just be a retelling of Bully in Jared’s POV, well, you’re in for a lovely surprise. Until You has so much more than what happens in Bully, and the timeline is longer. We get more of the year that Tate left for Europe (when Jared is totally moping about how Tate won’t be there ~~with him~~ for him to bully), more flashbacks of Jared and Tate’s childhood (they are the cutest!), and more of what happens after the end of Bully (which is YAY!!) And Penelope Douglas writes this all with Jared’s no nonsense, totally badass POV. (Please write more male POV Penelope!)

What is it with boys who are totally hot but complete jerks? And WHY do I still keep on loving them? Maybe it’s the sweet side that they show only to the women they love, or maybe it’s the whole redemption thing, but whatever reason it is, I can’t stop reading about them! And Jared is probably my all-time favorite jerk. He’s the jerk of my dreams. The lovable jerk. Sometimes he takes it too far, but whenever that happens, we know that he feels guilty (even though he tries to be badass and not show it). *Sigh* Jared just makes me swoon so hard.

“Girlfriend isn’t enough to describe you, Tate. That term is disposable. You’re not my girlfriend, my girl, or my woman. You’re. Just. Mine,” I bit out every syllable, so she would fucking understand. “And I’m yours,” I added, a little calmer.”

We get to see how devastated Jared felt when he came home from his father’s, and how he kept spiraling downward, and pushing Tate away. But then, when Tate comes back, everything changes for him. It’s not so easy to bully her or to bottle up his feelings for her. Because no matter how many times Jared tries to push Tate away, she is always in his heart. And when he’s finally done with the bullying… SAH-WOOOON!! Oh god, why is Jared so amazing? He turns on the charm because he knows Tate can’t resist him, just like he can’t resist her, and the two of them together are explosive.

But I wanted Tate back. My heart only beat for her, and I’d rather spend my life hating, loving, fucking, and breathing her than losing her.

Jared’s lantern tattoo!! AH! The sweetest thing I’ve ever read. Until You is perfect. Reading from Jared’s POV about how much he loves Tate, and how he tries to redeem himself is just the best thing ever. Penelope Douglas is a goddess for creating one of my favorite book boyfriends!

“I can’t change the past, Tate. I wish I could, because I’d go back and relive every day that I existed without you, and I’d make sure that you smiled.” My eyes burned with regret, and I saw the pools in her beautiful blues, too. “Every minute of my future belongs to you.”

If you haven’t read Bully yet, you should. And then you should immediately read Until You (you lucky butt, you didn’t have to wait for it to release). I am SO excited for Madoc’s book. He has a much bigger part in Until You since he’s Jared’s best friend, and he actually seems like a genuine guy. Yeah, he’s a smartass and an idiot sometimes, but he’s hilarious and a really great friend for Jared. And oh! Jax! Can’t believe I almost forgot about him. Jared’s brother is getting his own book, and I’m PSYCHED. Jax sounds awesome, but broken. Can’t wait to see how Penelope Douglas will play out their stories!

Reading Order: Fall Away series

#1 ~ Bully: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Until You: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Rival: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Falling Away: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Aflame: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

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7Dec2013

Blog Tour + Review & Giveaway: Out of Time by Jen McLaughlin

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Out of Time by Jen McLaughlin
Series: Out of Line #2 (full reading order below)
Release Date: December 1st 2013

Desperate to keep him…

I’ve finally gotten everything I ever wanted: love, freedom, happiness, and, most importantly, Finn. Our love is everything I expected it to be and more. We’ve finally found each other, but the world seems determined to tear us apart. We thought my father was the only obstacle between us, but now it’s the military. With Finn’s departure looming, we’re squeezing in every moment together before we run out of time.

Trying to make every moment count…

Being Carrie’s bodyguard was one thing. Being her boyfriend is another. Every day she’s mine is a day the sun shines in my life. Yet our time together is running out. Her father will never think a tattooed Marine will be good enough, so I’ll do whatever it takes to be worthy of her love. But the road will take me away from the girl who makes me feel alive–the girl I can’t live without.

Time only gets us so far…

Buy Links:
Amazon • B&N

Out of Line ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, with Finn receiving an ominous text, but Finn and Carrie are finally together for good. Out of Line was only an okay read for me, but I ended up really liking and enjoying Out of Time. Carrie was a much more likable heroine, and Finn really steps up his sweetness. They are finally not afraid to show their feelings and love for each other, and they make such a strong, adorable couple.

Still, Finn and Carrie have to keep their relationship a secret from Carrie’s father because he’s completely overbearing and protective of his daughter. He has a high position in politics, and because of an incident that occurred when Carrie was young, she’s smothered by her parents and by bodyguards. Her father needs to have protection for her 24/7, and since Finn is part of her security, they can’t let her father know about their relationship otherwise Finn will end up fired. In Out of Time, Carrie’s parents play a much bigger role in their lives, and they cause complications that Carrie and Finn have to deal with.

Carrie and Finn have grown throughout these two novels, and in Out of Time, we get to see a much more intimate side of their relationship. We feel how much they need each other, and how much they love each other. Carrie and Finn will do anything for each other, and I loved how their relationship changes and matures. They are good for one another, and bring out the best in each other. With Finn, Carrie is finally free to be herself, without her parents hovering and being overprotective. With Carrie, Finn finds the best things in life because of her. He’s protective of her, and time and again shows how much he’ll do for her. But Finn is still a bit insecure about himself. He feels he doesn’t deserve Carrie, that she deserves someone better than some tattooed surfer. They argue sometimes, but Carrie always lets him know that she loves him for who he is. I loved that about their relationship. They want and love each other for who they are, and nothing else–bad or otherwise–matters as long as they have each other.

Told from both Carrie’s and Finn’s POV, Out of Time is a great, moving sequel. The romance is wonderful, and the story will keep you hooked from start to finish. So many emotions play out for Finn and Carrie, but their journey is one you shouldn’t miss. I’d definitely recommend this series if you’re a fan of new adult contemporary romances.

You can see the rest of the tour stops on the blog tour here.

Reading Order: Out of Line series

#1 ~ Out of Line: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Out of Time: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Out of Mind: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Jen McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, came out September 2013. She also writes bestselling Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts.Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing. She is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is to write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Jen is giving away 4 $10 Amazon Gift Cards and an amazing grand prize! The grand prize winner will get to help name a character in book 3 of the series, and will get their name in the acknowledgement section of the book! Contest is international.

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6Dec2013

Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard

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

Gabriel’s Redemption by Sylvain Reynard
Series: Gabriel’s Inferno #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 3rd 2013
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Berkley Trade) in exchange for an honest review

From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Gabriel’s Rapture and Gabriel’s Inferno comes the epic conclusion to the captivating romantic trilogy.

Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his position at the University of Toronto to embark on a new life with his beloved Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they can face any challenge. And he’s eager to become a father.

But Julianne’s graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans, as the pressures of being a student become all consuming. When she is given the honor of presenting an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel is forced to confront Julianne about the subject of her presentation—research that conflicts with his own. And in Oxford, several individuals from their past appear, including an old nemesis intent on humiliating Julia and exposing one of Gabriel’s darkest secrets.

In an effort to confront his remaining demons, Gabriel begins a quest to discover more about his biological parents, beginning a chain of events that has startling repercussions for himself, Julianne, and his hope of having a family.

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle • Amazon Paperback • Barnes & Noble Nook • Barnes & Noble Paperback
iTunes iBook • Chapters Indigo Paperback • Chapters Indigo Kobo

Gabriel’s Redemption was an absolute delight to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion to Julia and Gabriel’s heartfelt, enchanting love story.

“For you, my love, I would endeavor to pluck the stars from the sky, only to shower them at your feet.”

This third and final book of the Gabriel series picks up a few months after Gabriel’s Rapture, and Gabriel and Julia are married. In the beginning, they’ve adjusted to married life pretty easily, dealing with Julia’s upcoming lecture and Gabriel’s new job. Julia’s graduate program brings her much stress, but her husband takes it upon himself to ease her, and he does so very well. Gabriel shows his love so thoroughly and completely, and yet sometimes he still can’t accept that he’s been given a chance at happiness.

In Gabriel’s Redemption, all of Gabriel’s anxieties and fears come to light. Gabriel still has demons from his past rearing their heads, and they strain his marriage. Julia and Gabriel are in love–there’s no doubt about this, but Gabriel’s past–his biological parents, his past drug use and drinking problem–all of his flaws are all he sees in his marriage. He wants to have a child with Julia, but he’s terrified he won’t make a good father.

But no matter how deep into the darkness Gabriel falls, his love for Julia holds him strong. They support one another, as a couple should, and their marriage solidifies and grounds their love. Gabriel goes through much emotional growth throughout the series, but especially once he’s married. He has to deal with his family history, finding out more about his biological father and his family, and he finally gets his answers.

There’s quite a bit of religious undertones in Gabriel’s Redemption, and I felt SR handled it with skill. Mostly, it’s of keeping faith and believing in redemption for Gabriel. He’s lost his way, and truly believes he can’t be redeemed, but Julia lights his way through the darkness. Gabriel’s journey toward happiness is so heartfelt and heart-wrenching, but I also loved how all of the secondary characters are dealt with too. We get a solid conclusion for Julia and Gabriel, as well as for Paul and Christa. Loose ends are tied up, and SR does it all with his gorgeous writing.

“I love you more now than I did before we were married.” Julia wore a contemplative expression. “Marriage is the strangest thing. Almost without realizing it, I feel as if our lives and our hearts became knitted together. I don’t know how it happened.”

The Gabriel’s Inferno series is an absolute must-read. It’s beautifully written, and Gabriel and Julia’s love story is one of the best I’ve ever read. Gabriel’s Redemption was a perfect conclusion to the series, and I was really happy with how the story played out.

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

Reading Order: Gabriel’s Inferno series

#1 ~ Gabriel’s Inferno: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Gabriel’s Rapture: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Gabriel’s Redemption: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.

I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.

I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House. For more information, see my Twitter account.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

a pair of Christian Louboutins
15 sets of the Gabriel’s trilogy

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