Release Day Review: Brave Enough by M. Leighton

Brave Enough by M. Leighton

Brave Enough by M. Leighton
Series: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • AudibleGoodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Is she brave enough to give her heart to a man she only thought she knew?

He was the most charismatic man I’d ever met. Strong, tough, brave. Bold as hell. Something told me Tag Barton could have anything—anyone—he wanted…and he wanted me. It didn’t matter that he was wrong for me in practically every way possible. It didn’t matter that my father would hate it.

I couldn’t resist him. Even if I’d known who he really was and what he was really capable of.

When he suggested we pretend to be engaged, I thought he was the answer to all my problems. He wasn’t. And, in his wake, he left nothing but scorched earth and me, just another casualty of my father’s war.

Can I believe him now when he tells me he loves me?  Or is he nothing more than a beautiful, breathtaking lie?

Brave Enough is the third book in the Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series, and it features Tag, who we’ve met in the previous two books. We don’t really know much about him other than his military connections with the previous heroes, but now we get to see the heart of him – and see him fall in love. I liked Brave Enough, but it’s definitely my least favorite of the series. If you love quick, hot reads, I would recommend this book, but otherwise, I’m sad to say there isn’t anything too special about it.

It’s been too long since I’ve been able to want somebody just because I want them and not because of how they may or may not fit into my life. Maybe it’s high time to go with my instincts. To go with someone who might be all wrong for me. To go with the passion. To throw caution to the wind.

Weatherly O’Neal has lived under her father’s thumb her whole life, but when she’s ordered to do the outrageous and marry a man nearly twice her age in order to save her father’s company, she refuses and escapes to the vineyard where she’s always found comfort in. But to her surprise, she finds one gorgeous Tag Barton working there, a man who sets her on fire like no other. And with him, she begins to think that maybe she doesn’t have to marry to further her family’s goals, but rather for the love and passion she’s wished to find in her life.

Tag Barton has been working in the vineyard to care for his ill mother and he lives a completely different life than the one he had when he was in the Special Forces. He’s gorgeous, charming, and a total player, but meeting Weatherly changes everything for him. She’s the one woman who’s managed to gain his attention and keep it, and he wants everything from her, including her heart. But when he’s hiding a secret that could tear them apart, can a relationship between them really work out?

What began as a hideaway became my burial ground. And the man who felt like my biggest blessing had now become my biggest curse.

The moment Tag and Weatherly meet, the connection between them is powerful and visceral. It’s a strong dose of insta-lust for these two – and the two of them are seriously HOT together. Brave Enough is filled with fiery chemistry and sexual tension that M. Leighton excels at writing. And she definitely writes a good alpha in Tag.

I’m a bit disappointed that I couldn’t love this book, because I know if the story and characters were fleshed out more, I would’ve enjoyed it so much. The book was just too short and fast for my taste, so I never really had the time to feel invested in Tag and Weatherly and their romance. And the passion and sex between them overshadowed any developing romance, so their love didn’t really feel all that believable. There was a good amount of angst, which was my favorite part about Brave Enough, but it wasn’t enough to make me like the book more. It’s sweet, sexy, but fairly predictable – overall it’s a good read, but it’s not M. Leighton’s best.

3 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: Tall, Dark, and Dangerous series

Strong Enough by M. Leighton Tough Enough by M. Leighton Brave Enough by M. Leighton

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


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Blog Tour + Early Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken

The Matchmaker's Playbook tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken!

The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken
Series: Wingmen Inc. #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Add to Goodreads

Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule…

Buy Links:
Amazon USAmazon UK • Amazon CA • Amazon AU

review button

The Matchmaker’s Playbook is the perfect romantic comedy!!! It’s written entirely in the hero’s POV, and Ian’s narrative is absolutely HILARIOUS. Seriously, this book was so. much. fun!! If you’re up for something light-hearted that will have you giggling and cracking up, I highly recommend this book.

But when one can’t play . . . one teaches.
And I was more than just a football player.
I was the player.
Of sports.
And . . . of women.
The best of them all.
So who better to teach women how not to get played than an actual player?

Ian Hunter is a former football star turned matchmaker, co-owner of Wingmen, Inc., a service dedicated to helping out women, their love lives, and their dating skills. Ian is a total player – and what better way to win a player than with the help of one? The only rule Ian has as for his company is to never fall for one of his clients – but what happens when Blake Olsen bursts into his life and makes him unable to stop thinking about her?

For the first time in my life, I wanted a girl that wasn’t mine to have.
And it sucked.

When Blake requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., she seems like a nearly hopeless cause – she’s very tomboy-ish, always frumpy-looking, and definitely not at her full potential to win the heart of a childhood crush. But Ian has never failed a client before, and he’s not about to start now, not even when he gets to know her and wants to be in her company more and more. Soon enough, feelings start to be involved, but is Ian truly the right match for Blake, or is she meant for another?

I totally adored this book. Ian is totally sweet, sometimes an idiot, but overall so adorable and hilarious you can’t help but love him. Blake was perfect for him, never really falling for his typical lines for women, and making him work for her love and trust. And I loved the secondary characters of this book: Lex, the other co-owner and brainiac behind Wingmen, Inc., and Gabi, Ian’s childhood friend. After reading The Matchmaker’s Playbook, Lex and Gabi’s book has become a highly anticipated read – these two are enemies to the extreme, and I can’t wait to see them fall in love.

If you love to laugh, read this book. If you love romcoms, read this book. It’s such a fun, entertaining book – you won’t want to put it down!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Now here’s an excerpt from The Matchmaker’s Playbook! ❤

excerpt button

Blake let out another pitiful groan. “I don’t think it fits.”

“They measured you. It fits. Just, tell me if it looks okay so we can go.” I checked my watch. “Gabi said dinner was at six, and it’s already a quarter till.”

“This is too much pressure.” Her voice was frantic. “I can’t do this. I mean, how do I know if it looks good? They’re boobs.”

I groaned. “Boobs always look good. Believe me.”

“Boobs are gross!”

Said no man ever. Even the gay ones.

One of the salesladies eyed me up and down. “Are you two okay?”

“Great,” I chirped. “Just having a very heated discussion about the beauty of breasts.” I dipped my chin to Blake’s chest. “What are you? A double D?”

Scowling, she marched off.

Thank God.

“Blake,” I hissed.

No answer.

I’d never had such a difficult client. If anything, they jumped when I told them to, asked how high, and then kept jumping until I was satisfied. Blake fought me at every turn.

“Open the door before I crawl underneath it. I’ll pick the bras, you can close your eyes if you want so you don’t have to watch me look at you, alright? My stomach literally just ate my liver. I need protein. Open. The. Door.”

The door slowly creaked open. Taking advantage of the small crack of air, I pushed it farther, then clicked it shut behind me and turned around.

Blake was facing me, hands on hips, face beet-red, body . . . freaking perfect. My tongue almost lolled out, like a dog.

Most girls starve themselves to have abs like that, which was disgusting. But her abs? They had muscle, actual muscle, but still appeared feminine.

She also had a nice tan, just enough to show that she spent time outside or maybe just had naturally darker skin.

My throat went completely dry as I continued to stare.

“Well?” Her voice was weak. “How awful do I look? On a scale of one to ten?”

I’d convinced her to buy some new workout clothes to replace her old ones. I knew I’d never get her to actually completely change her style. She liked workout clothes? Fine, at least buy the kind that fit and actually point to the correct gender. I tried to steer her away from the boyfriend sweats and sweatshirts, but she eventually wore me down, so I told her if she bought at least five new Pink outfits that had spandex in them, I’d let her get one pair of ugly slouchy sweats. You’d think I’d just given her a million dollars, from her reaction.

Currently, she was sporting a short pair of bright-blue yoga shorts.

And a black push-up sports bra that did wonders for her boobs.

And the world just in general.

Holy shit.

I gulped as I became more and more irritated with the fact that my body was reacting as if it had never seen a girl without her shirt on before. “Blake, it’s great.”

“You sound bored!”

I had to, damn it! What did she want me to do? Sound interested? Turned-on? Intrigued? Curious? I was all those things. I just tried to ignorethe insanity bouncing around in my head and blurted, “Your boobs look really good. Perky, happy, just . . . awesome.”

Did I just call her boobs “happy”?

“You think?” She stared down at her breasts, then grabbed them.

Holy shit, was she seriously feeling herself up? I braced my hand against the door and sucked in a breath.

“They still feel comfortable,” she said.

“Do they?” I managed to choke out while she continued bouncing them a bit in her hands. Dear Lord, did she know what she was doing? Waving a flag in front of a bull. My jeans suddenly tight in all the wrong areas, I tried to envision Lex naked, anything to get my dick to clue in to the word “client,” meaning I was in a no-play zone.

Another first.

It was because I was hungry.

And Marissa? Melissa? Hadn’t satisfied me. I’d gotten off, and made sure she did too, but the entire experience left me feeling empty, bored, and—if I was being completely honest? A bit depressed. Besides, her tits paled in comparison. I had to wonder what the hell I’d been doing all my life if this was the first time I was having such a strong reaction to boobs.

Something about Blake had me wondering if I’d been satisfied at all up until this point. And I had no idea what the hell was so confusing about her, and about the situation. I was unable to put my finger on it, and the more I thought about it the more my head hurt.

Hunger does weird things to guys.

“Yeah.” More bouncing, then turning and staring in the mirror. I wasn’t sure what was worse. Her staring at her own boobs or touching them. “I’m just no good at this stuff. I didn’t grow up with a mom, and I hit puberty really early. The girls made fun of me, and the boys pointed.” Her shoulders slumped inward again.

Could we please go back to the bouncing? I was a fan of that Blake. The one that rolled up like an awkward armadillo? Not so much.

Reading Order: Wingmen Inc. series

#1 ~ The Matchmaker’s Playbook: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Matchmaker’s Replacement: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (July 26, 2016)

about the author button

Rachel Van DykenRachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!

Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866!

You can connect with her on Facebook or join her fan group Rachel’s New Rockin Readers.

Website • Newsletter • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon Page

giveaway button

Book boyfriend in a box
Everything you need to have the perfect book boyfriend without leaving home!
Compliments of Wingman Inc.
You’re welcome

a Rafflecopter giveaway


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

ARC Review: Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters

f

Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 30th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

“There is a message for everything. From handwritten to verbal, seen and unseen. Messages exist all around us.”

But what if you don’t see?
What if you don’t understand?
What if, by ignoring the message, your life is never the same again?

Estelle Evermore morphed from nobody to somebody overnight.
Galloway Oak put his past behind him and endeavoured to make his fortune using his trade.

Two strangers.
One plane.
Multiple unseen messages.

From sky to island, they find neither fame nor skills can save them. Stripped from society and left alone to survive the elements, the very task of staying alive outweighs all other needs.

Until survival turns to desire.
And desire turns to danger.

From New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes a timeless love story answering the question of what happens when everything is stripped away.

Life offers everyone messages.
Either unnoticeable or obvious, it’s up to us to pay attention.
I didn’t pay attention.
Instinct tried to take notice; the world tried to prevent my downfall.
I didn’t listen.

Wow!!! Unseen Messages is nothing like I’ve ever read. It was truly an experience to read Estelle and Galloway’s epic and gorgeously romantic story. I’ve always loved Pepper Winters’ writing, but she pretty much blew me away with her storytelling in Unseen Messages. It’s a grand tale about survival and love, about family and home, and discovering who you really are when everything superficial is stripped away. If you’re looking for a truly unique, stunningly-written romance, I highly recommend Unseen Messages!

Our past was over. Our lives before the crash… deleted.
This was our reality now, and we had no one else to blame but each other.

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot, but this book is basically a survival contemporary romance. Estelle and Galloway are two strangers who crash land on an unknown island in Fiji with no hope of ever being found. To say they don’t get along is an understatement – but they’ll need to work together if they want a chance at surviving. They’re reduced to the basest form of themselves, only caring to find food, shelter, and safety. Slowly but surely, and not without their struggles, they manage to keep themselves alive all while the chemistry between them burns brighter and brighter.

The tension in Unseen Messages is one of my favorite things about the novel. Pepper Winters did a fantastic job with building up the chemistry and passion between Estelle and Galloway into something you could FEEL. And when the romance finally developed, my heart couldn’t stop swooning! These two characters are utterly perfect together, and you know that the connection they have with each other would exist no matter where they met, be it stranded island or metropolitan city. The balance between the romance and the struggle to survive for these characters was written perfectly, and there was never a moment where my heart wasn’t pounding, either for Estelle and Galloway to get together or to get off the island.

“Where have you been all my life?” He kissed me softly.
“Waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“Waiting for this.” Stretching, I gave him everything I was. “Waiting for you to find me.”
“And now that I’ve found you?”
“You’re mine.”
“Forever?”
“Forever.”

I felt this survival romance was very authentic – you can tell Pepper Winters did her research, and absolutely nothing was sugar-coated. These characters experience what it means to struggle for things they used to take for granted, and my heart ached at the things they go through, not just hunger and fear of never being found, but also depression and despair. A lot of things that happen will surprise you, and things never go as you expect. I didn’t particularly feel a connection with Estelle or Galloway, but I was invested in their story nonetheless, hoping they’d survive and be found. This book is a pretty long read, and there were some slow-moving parts, but otherwise, this was unputdownable. Unseen Messages is definitely a book not to be missed, and if you like stories that will sweep you away and take you on a journey you’ve never experienced before, it’s a must-read!

4 hearts
lacey

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


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Release Day Review: Hardball by C.D. Reiss

Hardball by C.D. Reiss
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: March 29th 2016
Links: EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Perfect ass.
Perfect arms.
Perfect swagger.
They call Dash Wallace the Diamond King.
He’s the hottest commodity in baseball and in the bedroom.
When he runs the bases, every woman’s eyes are glued to his stunning body and a smile that puts the night lights to shame.
I’m no queen. I’m a regular girl with a regular job. I just watch him on TV and from the bleachers, season after season.
Girls like me grab a guy like that one in a million times.
My number just came up, and he is as spectacular in bed as he is on the field.
But there’s not a woman in the world who can distract Dash Wallace from the game. Not for a moment. Not even me.
Until the night I do. And everything changes.

—–

Hardball is a SMOKING HOT, SEXY romance with a touch of angst and a ton of heart from CD Reiss. It’s a fun, witty, full-length standalone meant for the over-eighteen crowd.

I adore sports romances, but I have to admit, Hardball was a little different than what I expected. Going in, I thought it’d be something light-hearted and fun, like a ton of other sports romances I’ve read, but I should’ve known C.D. Reiss would turn up the heat in Hardball and give it an intensity I wasn’t used to in typical sports romances. It’s fast-paced, sexy as hell, and a very enjoyable read. I didn’t LOVE it – there was something missing in the book that prevented me from fully loving the characters, but I would still recommend Hardball for those who love sports and sexytimes.

Vivian is a school librarian and a huge baseball fan. During a school trip, she meets Dash Wallace, a famous player both on and off the baseball field. Vivian feels that Dash is completely out of her league, but circumstances bring them together and the chemistry and tension between them explodes before they know it. Hardball is seriously HAWT. Dash gets down and dirty with the woman he can’t stop thinking about, and these two are seriously smokin’ in bed. What starts off as a sex-only relationship leads to so much more as they get to know each other, but how can a relationship work out when Dash is the kind of person who doesn’t like change?

“You,” he said. “You threw it all in the fire. Things started collapsing right before you, and when you came, everything went to hell. It’s you. I denied it, because if I let you in, I had to start over. I tried to bend it around to not want you. But I can’t deny it anymore. There’s no center without you.”

Vivian is a sweetheart of a heroine, very down-to-earth and relatable. Being with one of the most famous baseball players ever is like a dream come true for her, but falling for one is so much more daunting. Thankfully, she’s the kind of woman who follows her heart. Dash, on the other hand, is a bit frustrating with his push-and-pull attitude with Vivian. You can see how much he wants her and grows to care for her, but it takes a while for him to fully commit to the idea of a long-lasting relationship. He has vulnerabilities that I didn’t expect, and even though I wasn’t too into him during the first half, I was sold on his character by the end of the book.

“I’m telling myself it’s okay to doubt the purpose of my life. … I thought I’d built something stable, but I didn’t. It was shit, because what we have is forever. It can’t be shut down. I can doubt everything, but I don’t doubt that I love you.”

Fast-paced and sexy would be the perfect words to describe Hardball. There’s seriously never a dull moment in the story, and almost every scene is filled with tension. C.D. Reiss wrote the perfect balance of reality and fairytale in Hardball, and I really did enjoy it. It wasn’t perfect, but it’s an entertaining read, and if you love dirty books, I’d recommend this one!

3.5 hearts
lacey

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


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Release Day Review: All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan

All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan
Series: Devil’s Rock #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 29th 2016
Links: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

There are bad boys and then there are the men of Devil’s Rock . . .

Some men come with a built-in warning label. Knox Callaghan is one of them. Danger radiates from every lean, muscled inch of him, and his deep blue eyes seem to see right through to Briar Davis’s most secret fantasies. But there’s one major problem: Briar is a nurse volunteering at the local prison, and Knox is an inmate who should be off-limits in every way.

Knox feels it too—a shocking animal magnetism that drives him to risk his own life to protect Briar’s. Paroled at last, he tries to resist her. She’s too innocent, too sweet, and she has no idea what Knox is capable of. But a single touch can lead to a kiss—and a taste . . . until the only crime is denying what feels so right . . .

“When the prison doors are open, the real dragon will fly out.”—Ho Chi Minh

It’s been a while since I’ve read a good bad boy hero, but Sophie Jordan certainly delivers with Knox Callaghan in All Chained Up. She packs a punch with all the intensity and sexiness in this first book in the Devil’s Rock series. I don’t usually read prison romances, but this one was unputdownable and highly entertaining. I really enjoyed the main characters, and the romance was off-the-charts sexy – I’d definitely recommend All Chained Up for those who want something different than your typical contemporary romance.

She and he were worlds apart, and that’s how it would always be.

Knox Callaghan and his brother have been in prison for eight years now, after being convicted of manslaughter for killing their cousin’s rapist. Knox has become a hardened, ice-cold man in order to survive prison, and his main goal is to ensure he and his brother don’t get into trouble so they can get parole. But a new, gorgeous nurse threatens everything when he can’t stop thinking about her and he finds himself wanting to protect her more than he wants to protect himself.

When Briar Davis volunteers at Devil’s Rock Penitentiary, she has no idea what she’s in for, and she certainly doesn’t expect to notice a sexy, dangerous inmate. She’s cautious and honestly a little of Knox, but the chemistry starts to build as they see each other again and again. After a heroic act leads Knox to be granted parole, Briar sees him in a whole new light. And when these two meet each other again, this time out of prison, the sexual tension between them ignites – you will seriously need a fan when you read this book!

He wanted to be the only man to touch her. It was total caveman of him, but that’s what he was. A fucking caveman that reveled in rocking her staid little world and making her fly apart. She made him want to pound his chest. Christ. Thinking about her that way was making him rock hard.

Sophie Jordan delivers a heart-pounding, sizzling read, full of tension and sexy-times. I honestly couldn’t put this book down! All Chained Up is a fantastic debut to a new series, and what’s great about it besides the fantastic romance is the set-up for the next book. I’m eagerly waiting to get my hands on Hell Breaks Loose – and I’m hoping there will be even more books in the series!

4 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: Devil’s Rock series

 

#1 ~ All Chained Up: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Hell Breaks Loose: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads


FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
FACEBOOKTWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADSPINTERESTBLOGLOVIN’

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.