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ARC Review: Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

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Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey

Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey
Series: Made in Jersey #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams…

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her…and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook’s resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he’ll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he’s worth their love in the process––even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River’s body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time…

I’ve said it a million times already, but Tessa Bailey truly never disappoints. She’s one of my favorite authors, so to say I was excited for Thrown Down is an understatement. A second chance romance, written by her? Pure heaven for me. This book is the second in the Made in Jersey series, but can be read completely as a standalone. I adored River and Vaughn and their heartwarming second chance at love. These two, plus their sweet daughter, were perfect together! If you love second chance romances with lots of sweetness and tons of dirty talk *grins*, Thrown Down is a must read!

“I don’t need a hero. I’m my own her now… and I’m trying to be one for Marcy.”

River Purcell has been working her butt off the past few years as a single mom to provide for her and her daughter. She’s tough and hard-working, a heroine I admired. The love of her life, her high school sweetheart, and Marcy’s father, left River without knowing that he got her pregnant. Vaughn dropped off the face of the earth after that, so River had no clue how to get in contact with him. Now, four years later, Vaughn is back – and ready to be the man and father River and Marcy deserve.

Maybe he’d never earn back that pure, perfect trust. But even a sliver of that former belief she’d had in him? Fuck, it would make life worth living. To have that trust from his child, too, would be the stuff of dreams. Dreams he’d never been aware of having. Until now. And after so much time devoid of feeling, that hope was addictive.

Vaughn tore his heart out when he broke things off with River for her own good. He never really believed he was good enough for her – he was the bad boy to her good girl back in high school – but now, he’s desperate to make things right. I was a bit worried about how I’d feel about Vaughn leaving River without looking back, but getting to know him in Thrown Down puts him in a much better perspective. Plus, the fact that he was faithful and loyal to the love of his life every day they were separated certainly helped make me fall in love with him. He’s a tortured, angsty character with a filthy mouth – another Tessa Bailey possessive alpha-male winner!

“So I’m telling you now, I’m not leaving. Give me a chance to meet her, then watch me show up every day afterward, even if you turn me away. I’ll show up and take my beating like a man, day in and day out. But you better get used to me, doll. I’m not budging.”

This book is the perfect balance between raw, angsty emotion and heartwarming goodness. I loved that River made Vaughn work hard to win back her love, and I adored the way he was with his daughter. I really wish there were more scenes with Vaughn and Marcy together – and that it was a longer book overall! I really wasn’t ready to let go of River, Vaughn, and Marcy.

If you love Tessa Bailey, you’ll no doubt enjoy Thrown Down. It has what you’d expect from this wonderful author – fantastic characters to root for, an emotional romance that tugs at your heart, and plenty of dirty talk from our filthy, obsessed hero. Right now, I’m dying for the next book in the Made in Jersey series – I don’t really care who it’s about (I hope it’s Duke) but since it’s Tessa, it’s up high on my wishlist!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Made in Jersey series

Crashed Out by Tessa Bailey Rough Rhythm by Tessa Bailey Thrown Down by Tessa Bailey 

#1 ~ Crashed Out: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Rough Rhythm: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Thrown Down: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Worked Up: Goodreads (Aug. 2016)

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ARC Review: Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

Posted in 2.5 hearts, Reviews by

Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg
Series: Lost & Found #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

After two years in a coma, August Kinkaid has forgotten the darkness in his past. But his past hasn’t forgotten him. His beautiful former fiancée, Everly, remembers every tumultuous moment of their stormy relationship. The sizzling passion. The web of lies. And the terrible secret Everly’s been hiding since her last fateful night with August.

Now the truth is out and August remembers everything. As his long-buried memories come flooding back, he begins to understand why Everly would want to move on with her life. Why she would give her heart to another man. And why August should try to forget her once and for all.

But he can’t give up on the only woman he’s ever loved. Even if he has to reopen old wounds–and face the darkest demons of his past–August will do whatever it takes for a second chance with Everly. He let her slip away once. He’s not about to spend the rest of his life remembering Everly when he could be holding her in his arms forever . . .

After finishing Forgetting August and getting to that awful hangover, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Remembering Everly. August and Everly’s story was so mysterious and intriguing, I had to know more! But I’m pretty disappointed that Remembering Everly didn’t meet up to my expectations. The pacing was way too slow and nothing really happens for the majority of the book. I grew too frustrated with August and even Everly at times… so overall, this book just wasn’t a good reading experience, and I’m pretty bummed out because it had such potential to be an amazing follow-up.

Secrets.
They had the ability to destroy lives, obliterate relationships and sabotage even the strongest partnerships. Big or small… it didn’t matter. Even the tiniest white lie had the power to corrode—to shatter and dismantle everything you loved.

This sequel picks up right where the first left off, with August having remembered the night he fell into a coma and telling Everly he knew her secret. Everly is still engaged to Ryan, and August is still trying to recover his memories. Unfortunately, this goes on for at least half of the book, with no progress being made between Everly and August, and nothing being done in terms of Trent and his money-stealing scheme. I grew tired of this around 30%, so it was incredibly annoying that this stalemate kept going on for such a long time in the book.

August comes off as pretty pathetic. He literally doesn’t DO anything for 70% of the book, and that was just too long for me. August keeps pushing Everly away for her own good, to protect her from Trent, but what I hated about this was that he never actually tells her WHY until he’s got no other choice but to tell her. It was just so pointless and frustrating – I really didn’t see a reason why August had to keep everything a secret.

If you hate the OW/OM sort of conflict, this book and series definitely won’t be for you. Everly is with Ryan, but thankfully realizes that he’s never going to be the one for her when her heart belongs to another. August begins somewhat of a relationship with another woman he meets, which annoyed me to no end. The main characters being with other people put a damper on the love between them, and made me not really believe in it much anymore, sadly.

The only thing that redeemed the book and made me not fully hate it was the writing. I really enjoyed J.L. Berg’s writing for this series – it matched the tone of the story and made everything a little suspenseful and nail-biting. Sadly, there isn’t actually much action in Remembering Everly, so it was sort of anticlimactic for the story to be written this way. I really wished I could have liked this book more, but there were just too many problems with it for me to enjoy it the way I wanted to.

2.5 hearts – 2 hearts for the story and characters and an extra .5 for the wonderful writing.

Love was precious. We knew this more than most, having lost each other more than once over the years. But it remembered.
Love always remembered.

2.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Lost & Found series

Forgetting August by J.L. Berg Remembering Everly by J.L. Berg

#1 ~ Forgetting August: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Remembering Everly: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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Audiobook Review: Ruin – The Complete Series by Deborah Bladon

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

Ruin – The Complete Series by Deborah Bladon
Series: Ruin Parts 1-3
Audiobook Publication Date: March 22nd 2016
Length: 7 hours and 19 minutes
Narrated by: Angela Starling
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

RUIN – Part One

Sitting next to a stranger on a flight from Boston to New York City alters the entire course of Kayla Monroe’s life. In her quest to escape the pain of rejection, she jumps into the bed of an irresistible man who offers her a night that she’ll never forget. Their connection is fierce and undeniable. When their paths cross again, a twist of fate brings her to the realization that the man she’s using to mend her broken heart is Dr. Ben Foster, a compassionate and respected physician. Warnings about his past threaten Kayla’s future. She knows she should believe the rumors, but the moments she spends in his arms – and in his bed – wash away any doubt in her mind. She sees a future with Ben, but those closest to her won’t let her forget that the man she’s falling for has left a path of ruin in his wake that may impact her in a way she never saw coming.

RUIN – Part Two

Kayla Monroe had fallen hard and fast for Dr. Ben Foster. He was everything she needed and wanted after being dumped by the man she thought she loved. What started as a one-night stand quickly turned into a blossoming relationship. Then the complications of his youth halted everything in its tracks. The voices around her are telling Kayla that Ben isn’t the man she thinks he is, but her heart is telling her something completely different. She’s drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and as she listens as he explains his past, she sees the promise of a future with him that she desperately wants. She’s the thread that will weave a path for Ben back into the family he has lost. She senses it, and as she takes on the task of releasing him from his burdens, she discovers that the man she has been sharing her bed with is more complicated than she ever imagined. Just as Kayla is about to step into her future with Ben, she ends up in a place where she’s forced to accept a truth that she never knew existed.

RUIN – Part Three

Kayla Monroe felt safe in the arms of Dr. Ben Foster. He was helping her move past a broken heart, and she was guiding him toward a reclaimed relationship with the brother he’d lost years ago. Their bond was unique, strong, and bordering on a love that would change them both forever. Then Kayla found herself thrust into the middle of a triangle she wanted no part of. She heard things that altered her reality completely. There’s no one for her to rely on but herself, and she has to decide whether a familiar voice from the past holds more weight than the promise of a future she can’t quite grasp yet. Trusting her heart has never been easy for Kayla. Trusting others has never been easy for Ben. Together they have to determine whether the sins of the past are too much to bear or whether a connection that is undeniable is worth the risk.

Holy plot twists!!! Going into Ruin, I really had no idea what to expect. I’ve never read Deborah Bladon’s books or listened to Angela Starling’s narrations, but what I got in this audiobook, I really enjoyed. I couldn’t stop listening to this! It’s sexy, fast-paced, and full of twists and turns you never see coming. There’s pretty much never a dull moment in Ruin. I’m so glad the series was bundled up in this audiobook because I know I wouldn’t be able to stand the cliffhangers and waiting for the next part. If you’re looking for a steamy romance audiobook that will have you biting your nails and on the edge of your seat, I’d recommend this one!

On her way back to New York after being dumped out of nowhere by her love and long-time boyfriend, Kayla Monroe rebounds with a one night stand with the gorgeous, sexy man she met on the plane. She never expects to see Ben again, except it turns out that he is Dr. Ben Foster, estranged twin brother of Kayla’s best friend’s fiancé. Their paths inevitably collide again, and the passion and chemistry they had when they first met comes roaring back as if they never went their separate ways. And then feelings get involved, but how could they not when Ben is kind, compassionate, sensual, and all-around an amazing man? But there are secrets surrounding his past and the mysterious reasons why his brother Noah hates him. When Kayla finds out what those dark secrets are, will she have the strength to stand by the man she’s beginning to fall for?

In the midst of building a relationship with Ben, Kayla is caught in the middle between one twin trying to gain forgiveness and acceptance, and the other twin trying to get answers. She’s endlessly surprised by all the twists and turns of Ben and Noah’s past, and the poor girl never catches a break. Thankfully, anytime she and Ben are together, everything is sweet and wonderful between them. Their romance would definitely be my favorite thing about Ruin. One big thing that got on my nerves though, were Noah and Alexa’s characters. I really couldn’t stand them and their judging ways. And since they take up such a big part of the story, that affected the way I enjoyed listening to the audiobook.

Luckily, Angela Starling did a wonderful job of narrating Kayla’s POV, so I have no complaints about that aspect of the audiobook. I would definitely listen to another of her narrations! Overall, I’d say Ruin is great audiobook – it’s not perfect and I didn’t fully love it, but it had me seriously hooked onto the story.

3.5 hearts
lacey

Here’s an audio excerpt from Ruin – The Complete Series!

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ARC Review: Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

Paper Princess by Erin Watt
Series: The Royals #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

“You may have lost your family, but you’re not alone anymore, Ella. You’re a Royal now.”

OH. MY. GOD!!! I’ve found my newest obsession and it is the Royal family!

WOW. This book kind of stunned me, in the best way possible. I’d been dying to read Paper Princess when I found out who the two authors were behind the Erin Watt pseudonym (Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick) and since I LOVE EK and JF’s books are also great, I had pretty high expectations. I admit was a little wary about this being labeled YA, but after reading it, I definitely consider it more NA than YA, even though the characters are still in high school. It’s not crazy sexy, though there is a ton of sexual tension, which is just as good – so if you’re worried about this being a tame read, rest assured, it isn’t!

After the death of her mother, Ella Harper finds herself in not the most ideal circumstances, but she’s a survivor, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep on going to the next day. But when the best friend of her father, who she’s never met, comes and plucks her off the streets and into his home, her life is forever changed. Because Callum Royal and his Royal sons are practically from another planet – they’re rich, entitled, spoiled, and nothing like her. The Royal boys are hell-bent on making life miserable for Ella, but she’s no meek, shy girl. She stands on her own two feet, never backing down, and always surviving, knowing that every day that passes gets her closer to turning eighteen and getting away from this new life.

This will never be my home. I don’t belong in splendor, I belong in squalor. That’s what I know. It’s what I’m comfortable with, because squalor doesn’t lie to you. It’s not wrapped in a pretty package. It is what it is.
This house is an illusion. It’s polished and pretty, but the dream Callum is trying to sell is as flimsy as paper. Nothing stays shiny forever in this world.

Reed, the second oldest Royal son, is leader of their group now that Gideon, the eldest, has left the nest for college. Reed doesn’t make it easy for Ella to get accepted in their house, their school, their lives… despite the insane amount of chemistry going on between them. Theirs is the perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, and I was glued to the pages thanks to the fantastically written tension and banter. I LOVED Ella – she’s a tough heroine with a big heart and a spine of steel, and I admired her so hard. Reed is sexy as hell… though at this point I’m not quite sure I love him just yet. He has so much potential to become even better, and I can’t wait to fall head over heels in love with him in the next Royals books.

I loved the Royals boys as a whole, though. Reed, Gideon, Easton, Sebastian, and Sawyer. I’m intrigued by every single one of these boys – each of them is so different and unique from the other. Their characters came to life in this book, and I’m dying to find out more about them.

Paper Princess was the addictive kind of book that I couldn’t. put. down. I finished this at 2AM – I loved it!! It messed with my head in the best of ways, and it’s a perfect enemies-to-lovers read. Fair warning though, the ending will make you want to SCREAM. Thankfully the sequels are only a few months apart, so it won’t be too awful of a wait for Broken Prince and Twisted Palace!

“You belong with us. You’re the best thing that ever happened to this family.”

4.5 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Royals series

 

#1 ~ Paper Princess: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Broken Prince: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Twisted Palace: Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 17, 2016)

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Release Day Review: Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

They call me a slut. Maybe I am.
Sometimes I do things I despise.
Sometimes men take without asking.

But I have a musical gift, only a year left of high school, and a plan.
With one obstacle.

Emeric Marceaux doesn’t just take.
He seizes my will power and bangs it like a dark note.
When he commands me to play, I want to give him everything.
I kneel for his punishments, tremble for his touch, and risk it all for our stolen moments.

He’s my obsession, my master, my music.
And my teacher.

Dark Notes is hot, hot, HOT!!!! I haven’t read a GOOD erotic romance in ages, but Dark Notes totally satisfied the craving for me. Pam Godwin knows how to write steam, and she does it SO well in this book. Plus, it’s a forbidden romance, which only makes everything hotter. I was absolutely taken away with Ivory and Emeric’s forbidden love – I couldn’t put this book down! It’s an addicting, dark, captivating read that I highly recommend. If you love teacher/student romances, Dark Notes is a must read.

It’s universally known that the more forbidden something is, the more desirable it becomes. I feel this truth like a fist around my balls as I enter my classroom after lunch and find the forbidden object of my desire waiting for me.

Ivory Westbrook is a highly gifted pianist and prodigy, and though she lives in poverty, she attends one of the most elite performing arts schools in order to hone her skill and one day escape from the cruelty and abuse she experiences at home. My heart felt for Ivory and the things she’s had to do to survive not just at home, but also at such a cutthroat school. But I also admired her strength, the way she fights for what she wants, and her tenacity. She’s almost on her way out and up to the top when the music teacher who would’ve recommended her to her dream university gets replaced… by a dark, dominating, compelling man she can’t stop thinking about.

Emeric Marceaux is an intimidating character. He’s an intense alpha used to getting what he wants – but what if what he wants is forbidden to him? Ivory fascinates him, and her heart-wrenching life only brings out the protective, possessive instincts in him. He wants her, but he also wants to give her the care and affection she’s never had in her life. Emeric is dark and dangerous, and as Ivory’s teacher and ten years her senior, I worried that he would have all the power. But it’s clear that he’s just as captivated and enthralled by her as she is by him.

She’s exactly the kind of woman I’m drawn to. A woman who flees when hunted and comes alive when she’s caught. A woman who bends beneath the punishments and seeks acceptance in her humiliation. A woman who bites at the heavy hand, only to melt around the unforgiving grip when it cuts her air.

Told in dual POV, Dark Notes weaves a fascinating, erotic tale of forbidden love between two characters who are utterly meant for each other but aren’t supposed to be together. Outside forces threaten to tear them apart, but Ivory and Emeric won’t let anything get in the way of a love that’s meant to be. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time reading, biting my nails while waiting to see how their relationship would work out. The flawless writing only made the entire reading experience better. If you love deliciously hot forbidden romances, I can’t recommend Dark Notes enough.

The tempo of our breaths. The drum of our heartbeats. The crackle in the air.
The exquisite cadence pulses through me, awakening sensations I’ve never felt, composing a melody I’ve never heard of.
Our hypnotic, dark notes.
This is so much more than punishment or forbidden pleasure.
She could never be a mistake.

4 hearts
lacey

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

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