Release Day Review: Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson #9 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 8th 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer…

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

*Library Journal

It’s been a while since I’ve really delved back into urban fantasy, but reading Fire Touched reminded me of all the reasons why I love reading that genre. The Mercy Thompson series is one of my all-time favorites, so being back with Mercy and the gang was pure bliss. What I love most about Patricia Briggs books is that even though we’re this far into the series, all of the characters still grow, still go through their ups and downs, and experiencing all that along with them is one of the best feelings ever.

“You and I,” he said, “will always be okay. I can’t promise anything more.”

Mercy and Adam are back on track after the mess that was his ex-wife in the previous book, but of course, things are never easy for this couple. Tensions are rising between the fae, humans, and werewolves, and Mercy has become somewhat of a leader in keeping the peace. Adam is dealing with dangers that threaten his pack, his territory, and his mate. Beloved old characters return while new ones are introduced – one fire touched boy from “Underhill” needs protection from the Gray Lords who want to use him, and of course Mercy and the pack will do everything they can to help him. Fire Touched is definitely a game changer in the Mercy Thompson series and it’s an installment fans should not miss.

I really loved the way everyone was working together to try to keep a war from breaking out, be they shifters, fae, or humans. Mercy is at the center of it all, the one everyone knows they can turn to because she’s someone they can trust to have their backs and keep her promises. I’ve seriously missed Mercy, who’s one of my favorite heroines ever. It was great to see her so strong and badass, funny and humble. And her relationship with Adam is as strong and steady as ever. Sometimes I get tired of a couple when their relationship lasts through many books, but I don’t think I’ll ever feel this way about Mercy and Adam.

Despite the long time in between books I had to wait, I was easily able to immerse myself into Mercy’s world from the very first page of this book. Patricia Briggs’ writing is as fantastic, action-packed, and thrilling as ever. There was honestly never a dull moment in Fire Touched. If you’re a fan of the series, you already know how amazing these characters are so why wouldn’t you read this book!? If you’ve yet to experience the Mercy Thompson series, I highly recommend it if you love action, incredible and lovable characters, and a brilliantly-written paranormal world to get yourself sucked into. I can’t wait to see what Patricia Briggs has in store for us next!

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

Reading Order: Mercy Thompson series

#1 ~ Moon Called: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Blood Bound: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Iron Kissed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Bone Crossed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Silver Borne: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ River Marked: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Frost Burned: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Night Broken: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Fire Touched: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads

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8Mar2016

Audiobook Review: Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: February 16th 2016
Length: 14 hours and 41 minutes
Narrated by: Savannah Richards
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

No connections. Play it safe. These were the rules Ivey lived her life by.

Until she hit Mustang, Colorado, a perfectly imperfect town where the citizens were welcoming and one of them included the tall, beautiful, macho man rancher cowboy, Grayson Cody.

On the run for a decade, Ivey knew she was supposed to play it safe. But she was tired of being on the run. She wanted a normal. She wanted real. She wanted a home.

And she wanted Grayson Cody.

And Grayson Cody wanted Ivey.

No one who looked at them couldn’t see they belonged together. There was one man in this world for Ivey and one woman in this world for Grayson Cody.

So they fell in love.

But just as quickly as they fell together, they were betrayed and torn apart. Separated for years, Ivey was certain her life would not include her rancher cowboy. Until the town of Mustang reached out to her when Gray was in trouble. Even though she thought he broke her heart, she charged in to help. Then Gray and Ivey discovered they were betrayed and, not only that, Gray had an enemy who would stop at nothing to defeat him.

I’m a huuuge fan of Kristen Ashley’s audiobooks – I feel like that’s the only way I’ll ever want to experience her books now. Play It Safe is another winner from KA – it’s an emotional and addictive second chance romance, which is probably my favorite trope to read. KA did a wonderful job with Ivey and Grayson’s story, and the narrator Savannah Richards portrayed Ivey’s voice perfectly. If you love KA and audiobooks, Play It Safe is a must-listen!

Pool hustler Ivey and her brother Casey are always on the go, never staying anywhere for long or making connections. But when they stumble upon the quaint, homey town of Mustang, Colorado, her feelings about being a nomad start to change. As she gets immersed in the small-town life and its residents, she can see herself making a home in Mustang – especially when she meets cowboy rancher Grayson Cody (who has the most cowboy of all cowboy names). Gray is handsome, steadfast, sweet, and alpha, so of course Ivey can’t help but instantly be attracted to him from the first start. But their growing relationship proves to be something special as they create a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love that would last forever… or so they think. Outside forces wrench these two lovers apart, and it’ll take seven years before their story picks up again. Will their love survive, or are Gray and Ivey just not meant to be?

I enjoyed this story so much. Even when I hurt for Ivey and Gray because of and during their separation, I never stopped rooting for them. These two are honestly so sweet and lovely together. I loved the fact that even after all those years apart, they never stopped loving each other. Love was never a question for the two of them, and the real challenge was whether they could continue on after all the hurt and heartbreak. It gets a little slow during the middle, when I wished they would reunite and figure out the reason for their separation quicker, and there are a ton of things going on outside the romance, but otherwise, Play It Safe is an enjoyable listen. I loved Savannah Richards when she narrated KA’s Knight, and I loved her narration just as much in Play It Safe. I especially adored her gruff tone whenever she voiced Gray’s dialogue or any of the other men in the book.

The Play It Safe audiobook has the perfect blend of an entertaining story and a fantastic narration. It’s not too long like KA’s other audiobooks, but it’s still more than worth the credit. I highly recommend giving this a listen!

Here’s an audio excerpt from Play It Safe!

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7Mar2016

Early Review + Excerpt: Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Series: Him #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 8th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the authors in exchange for an honest review

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes, and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

Jamie and Wes are back and better than ever!!

Love is friendship set on fire.

Us was a highly anticipated sequel to a book I adored last year, and if you can believe it, I loved Us even more than Him! Going into this, I had no idea what direction Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy would take Wes and Jamie’s story, but I had faith in these two authors, and they didn’t disappoint. Us is another sexy, hilarious, heartfelt read, but what’s different about it from its prequel is that it felt a lot more meaningful to me. Parts of Us made me freaking tear up, and I almost never cry for books! If you loved Him, you will no doubt love Us, so make sure to get your hands on it as soon as you can!

I fucking long for the day when I can proudly introduce Jamie Canning as my boyfriend. When I can talk to my teammates about my personal life and tell them about Jamie’s amazing family, or invite them over for drinks without having to see Jamie duck into the guest room when he has to go to bed. Because he’s not a guest in our condo, dammit. It’s his home. And he’s my home.

Ryan Wesley is living his dream – playing professional hockey and living together with his best friend and love Jamie Canning in Canada. Except… he can’t live his dream out in the open because he’s keeping the fact that he’s gay and has a boyfriend a secret from the hockey league. Jamie goes along with it, because he doesn’t want to be the reason Wes’s rookie season doesn’t go well – until things start spiraling out of their control. Nosy people start invading their lives, their relationship becomes strained from the time apart when Wes is away at games, Wes and Jamie are put on the spotlight… and life just gets too hard.

But I chose happiness over other people’s skewed opinions and cruel judgments. I chose Wes.
But now I have to hide that choice. I have to pretend that Ryan Wesley isn’t my soulmate.

This book was everything. I seriously loved it, even when I hated the fact that these two wonderful, sweet, sexy, adorable men had to hide their love for one another. Their relationship gets rocky and strained in a way I didn’t expect, and everything feels raw and real, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. My heart hurt for Jamie and Wes, for the loneliness and depression they face, but these two are the type of characters who will put a smile on your face even when everything seems down. The bond and love they share is beautiful, and I have to say, I love these two even more now after the trials and challenges they had to overcome to make their relationship work.

I loved being back with Wes and Jamie. And I loved the new secondary characters who are introduced. Blake is a hilarious, crazy teammate of Wes’s, and I can’t help but hope he’ll have a book of his own (with a certain someone). I really loved Us even more than Him, because this sequel made me FEEL so much more. I’m so happy that Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy decided to write more Jamie and Wes, and I’m praying that they’ll collaborate on more books!

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

Now here’s an excerpt from Us! ❤

At long last, I’m twenty paces away, then ten. Then I’m opening our door. “Hey babe!” I call out like I always do. “I made it.” I drag my duffel over the threshold, then toss my suit coat on top, abandoning these things beside the door, because all I need now is a kiss.

Only then do I notice that our apartment smells amazing. Jamie has cooked dinner for me. Again. He is the perfect man, I swear to God.

“Hey!” he calls, emerging from the hallway leading to our bedroom. He’s wearing jeans and nothing else except—and this is unusual—a beard. “Do I know you?” He gives me a sexy smile.

“I was going to ask the same thing.” I’m staring at the sandy-blond beard. Jamie has always been clean-shaven. I mean—we’ve known each other since before facial hair. He looks different. Older, maybe.

And hot as blazes. Seriously, I can’t wait to feel that beard against my face, and maybe my balls… Jesus. The blood is already rushing south, and I’ve been home fifteen seconds.

And yet I’m just stuck there in the middle of the room for a moment, because even though it’s been eight months since Jamie and I started up together, I’m still a little stunned at my own good fortune. “Hi,” I say again, stupidly.

He walks forward, his easy gait so familiar that my heart breaks a little bit. He puts his hands on my traps and squeezes the muscle there. “Don’t go away for so long. If you do that again, I’m going to have to sneak into your hotel room on the road.”

“Promise?” I ask, and it comes out like gravel. He’s close enough now that I can smell the ocean scent of his shampoo and the beer he drank while he waited for me.

“If I ever get a winning lottery ticket and a day off, I’ll do it,” he says. “Hotel sex after a game? Sounds hot.”

Now I’m measuring the distance to our sofa and counting the layers of clothes I’ll need to remove in the next ninety seconds.

Reading Order: Him series

#1 ~ Him: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Us: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

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4Mar2016

Early Review: Hawke by Sawyer Bennett

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Hawke by Sawyer Bennett
Series: Cold Fury Hockey #5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 15th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team proves that love is a power play. As Sawyer Bennett’s New York Times bestselling series continues, the league’s most notorious party animal gets blindsided by the one that got away.

Off the ice, elite defenseman Hawke Therrien enjoys his fair share of booze and good times. And why shouldn’t he? He’s worked his way up from the minor leagues and made himself a star. The only thing Hawke misses from that life is the pierced, tattooed free spirit who broke his heart without so much as an explanation. She’s almost unrecognizable when she walks back into his life seven years later—except for the look in her eyes that feels like a punch to the gut.

Vale Campbell isn’t the same girl she was at twenty. As crazy as she was about Hawke, her reckless behavior and out-of-control drinking were starting to scare her. She had to clean up her act, and that would never happen with Hawke around. Cutting him loose was the hardest thing Vale ever had to do—until now. Because she’s still crazy about Hawke. And if he could ever learn to forgive her, they just might have a future together.

Second chance romances are favorite kinds of romances to read, so when I heard Sawyer Bennett was going to have one in her Cold Fury Hockey series, I couldn’t wait! I adore this series – sexy hockey players get me every time. Hawke is the fifth book in the series, though it can be read as a standalone. Though this isn’t my favorite of the series, it’s still got that sweetness and sexiness that Sawyer Bennett excels at writing. If you enjoyed the previous books in the series, you’re sure to enjoy Hawke too.

I’m not prepared to see her at all because I’m not sure I can behave myself around her. I want her and yet I don’t want to want her.
And I mean I want her viciously.

Seven years ago, Hawke and Vale were twenty, volatile, and head over heels in love with each other. But when Vale breaks up with Hawke out of the blue right before he’s set to leave to play professional hockey, he’s understandably devastated and confused. The both of them move on and never once look back, until their lives collide again, now that Hawke is part of the Cold Fury team and Vale is working for the team as the assistant athletic trainer.

I wonder, had this one horrific event not occurred, would we have grown together over the years, or apart?
I’d like to think together, because despite the fact we were young and probably clueless as to what real commitment was like, there was something we had that I’ve never found again, and I’m pretty sure Vale hasn’t either.
And that was a tethering of our souls.

Hawke is… predictable. A fun predictable, but still, there just wasn’t anything about this story that popped out to me. I didn’t connect all that well with Vale or Hawke so I didn’t love this like I hoped to. I hate when miscommunication is the reason for a breakup, so I was a little disappointed that that was the reason for this couple’s fallout. Plus, I didn’t like that Hawke kept blaming everything that went wrong with their relationship on Vale. Yes, she has most of the blame, but he has some part in it too for not fighting for her. He got on my nerves more than a few times, honestly. But while I wasn’t a fan of Hawke’s character, I absolutely adored Vale. She’s so much more mature now than she was at twenty and she’s been working to the bone to help with her father’s sickness. It sucks when you like one main character over another, but sadly this was the case for me, so it was hard to fully love the story because of this.

This is definitely my least favorite of the series, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it at all, because there were still some fun, entertaining parts to this. Hawke is frustrating at times, but also sweet at others. And since it’s Sawyer Bennett, it’s also sexy as hell. I’m definitely looking forward to Max’s story now, and I hope it won’t be the last of the series!

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

Reading Order: Cold Fury Hockey series

#1 ~ Alex: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Garrett: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Zack: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Ryker: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Hawke: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Max: Ebook • Goodreads (Dec. 13, 2016)

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4Mar2016

Review: The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: February 29th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.

But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked.

For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.

What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?

God, god, god!!!! Mariana Zapata has blown me away AGAIN – I absolutely LOVED The Wall of Winnipeg and Me!! Vanessa and Aiden have stolen my heart and I honestly never want it back. This is another book full of perfection from my new favorite author!

If you know me, then you’ll know that Kulti was my #1 favorite book of 2015 (check out my review here). I’ve become a fan of Mariana’s for life because of that book, and now that I’ve read Winnie, I know for sure that she’ll forever be an auto-buy author for me. Winnie had huge expectations to fill, obviously, and this brilliant author didn’t disappoint. If you loved Kulti, or if you love friends-to-lovers or slow burn, then you will adore Winnie. It’s a sports romance like Kulti, but it’s unique and special in its own way. From the second I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. And I never wanted it to end!

Vanessa Mazur has been working to the bone for a top football player, Canadian Aiden Graves, for the past two years as his assistant/cook/housekeeper/everything, and she’s about done. She’s ready to move on with her life and start her own career. Plus, she shouldn’t feel bad about quitting when Aiden doesn’t even care about her… right? He never says hello to her, never thanks her, never says anything – so why should she put up with him any longer?

While I’d always known and accepted that we weren’t friends, I guess a small part of me had been foolish enough to think I meant just a little, tiny, microscopic something to him. I’d done a lot for Aiden over the course of the time we’d worked together. I knew I would more than likely miss the familiarity of working for him at least a little bit. Wouldn’t he feel the same way?
That answer to that had been a big, fat nope.

It’s the shock of a lifetime when Aiden drops by Vanessa’s house a few weeks after she quits and asks her to come back to work for him. And even more, he proposes a deal she can’t pass up if she wants to move forward with her career: he’ll pay off her massive student loans in return for her hand in marriage, so that when his work visa expires, he won’t have to go back to Canada. But if they have to spend 5 years together, how will they possibly get along and pretend to be married when they never even really had a relationship to begin with?

“I wished you had respected me enough to appreciate me back when it would have meant something. I liked you. I admired you, and in the course of a few days, you killed that.”

I adored Vanessa. She’s a headstrong, hilarious, independent woman. She’s pretty much the only person who doesn’t take Aiden’s shit, and I completely admired her for it. She’s the wonderful kind of heroine I can relate to, and has quirks that made her feel REAL to me. She’s just… genuine! And so, so funny. The way she thinks and talks had me cracking up so much, and she has some wonderful banter with her best friend Zac, who I also adore, and surprisingly, her new husband Aiden.

He couldn’t be considered my sugar daddy if we were legally married, right?

Aiden isn’t your typical sports romance hero. He’s not a manwhore. He’s not popular or social with people. He keeps to himself and dedicates 100% of his life to football. He doesn’t form relationships with anyone and he’s a bit of an ass. But after Vanessa quits, he’s got a case of ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.’ So he tries for her, tries to be a friend. This is a slow burn romance, so don’t expect anything to happen quickly. It’s the build-up of friendship, tension, small touches and glances that Mariana Zapata is so skilled at writing that makes the romance all the more unforgettable.

Winnie is slow burn at its finest. I loved every part of this book, even the parts where Aiden is a total butthead. He more than makes it up though, with the development of his and Vanessa’s relationship, and I fell head over heels in love with him. Football has always been his greatest love, but you can see that slowly changing through the book, and how can you not love that!?

Like football and art, like anything that anyone in the world has ever wanted, love was a dream. And just like a dream, there were no assurances behind it. It didn’t grow on its own. It didn’t blossom without food to feed it.
It was the greatest in its subtleties.
It was the strongest in its selflessness.
And it could be forever with someone who wasn’t afraid to never give up on the possibilities it presents.

This book for sure is going on my favorites shelf – I loved it like CRAZY. Winnie is slow, sweet, funny, perfect… it’s a heart-felt romance with unique characters I couldn’t get enough of. If you love romances that feel real, you need to read this book! It’s slow, but I promise the end is more than worth the wait. (While you’re at it, read Kulti if you haven’t already!!!)

Also by Mariana Zapata

Kulti: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Under Locke: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Rhythm, Chord, and Malykhin: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Lingus: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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