Release Day Review: Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Beautiful Beloved by Christina Lauren
Series: Beautiful Bastard #3.6 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 2nd 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The seventh work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with the Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player novels. Featuring all the Beautiful characters…plus one tiny new addition to the group.

In Beautiful Stranger, finance whiz Sara Dillon met the irresistibly sexy Brit, Max Stella, at a New York City club. Through the series we’ve watched them learn to balance commitment with their less than private brand of playfulness. In Beautiful Beloved, Max and Sara take it to the next step. But the question is: Will they be able to find a balance between the wild sexcapades they aren’t ready to retire, and the demands of parenthood that come along with their new Beautiful bundle of joy? Parenthood: it’s not for the weak of heart.

I freaking adore Max and Sara. I fell so hard for them in Beautiful Stranger, so I was highly anticipating Beautiful Beloved. And what do you know, I fell even more in love with with these two beloved (hehe) characters! I loved reconnecting with Max and Sara and seeing them in a new part of their lives.

Sara and Max now have a beautiful baby girl named Annabel. Parenthood is exhausting but could not be more perfectly suited for them. Honestly, Sara and Max as parents is just adorable! I love how much they dote on their daughter – and Max as a father? Priceless. My heart melts at how much he loves and cherishes his two girls.

Sara is getting back on her feet and ready to balance work and motherhood. And she’s also looking forward to going back to the club she and Max loved to frequent. But Max is a bit hesitant about going back. He sees her as the mother of his child, as someone to take care of, but Sara is determined to make him see her again as his wife and lover. And oh my… I’d nearly forgotten how hot Max and Sara are! If you were a fan of their sexcapades in Beautiful Stranger, you are going to LOVE them in Beautiful Beloved! Being parents definitely doesn’t diminish the intensity and sensuality of their sex lives.

Of course, we get to see the rest of the gang from the Beautiful Bastard series! Chloe and Bennett, Hanna and Will are all there (Will taking care of Annabel is the most hilarious thing ever). But really… one of the best parts about Beautiful Beloved is meeting Niall Stella, Max’s brother!! Niall is going to be starring in his own book soon and I loved that we get a preview of his character. He’s an accomplished engineer from England, but he visits Max and Sara to see Annabel. He’s a funny, intriguing, and sexy man, and the excerpt from his book at the end of Beautiful Beloved makes me so desperate to get to know his story!

For fans of the Beautiful Bastard series, this latest installment should not be missed! It’s a sweet, sexy continuation of Max and Sara’s story that I wished would never end. I honestly could read about these two characters forever, and this glimpse into their lives as parents was perfect.

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

Reading Order: Beautiful Bastard series

#1 ~ Beautiful Bastard: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Beautiful Bitch: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Beautiful Stranger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Beautiful Bombshell: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Beautiful Player: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Beautiful Beginning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.6 ~ Beautiful Beloved: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Beautiful Secret: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Beautiful Boss: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Beautiful: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads (Oct. 4, 2016)

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30Jan2015

ARC Review: Craved by an Alpha by Felicity Heaton

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Craved by an Alpha by Felicity Heaton
Series: Eternal Mates #5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 27th 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Having turned his back on his snow leopard pride, Cavanaugh has been counting the days until he’s free of a role he never wanted—one that separated him from his fated female and stands between him and the future he craves with her.

Just days from the night he will finally be free to be with the low-ranking beauty who stole his heart, she walks back into his life and threatens to destroy everything he’s worked towards in the five long years they’ve been apart.

Eloise has travelled across continents searching for the male who was once her best friend and so much more to her, but was now her pride’s true alpha. Desperate to fulfil a promise to her kin to save them from the tyrant he left in charge, she convinces Cavanaugh to return to his pride, but as they journey to Bhutan, doubts bloom and old feelings resurface, tearing her between duty and her deepest desires and impossible dreams.

Will Eloise be able to resist the burning need that Cavanaugh reignites in her and remember her place in the pride? And can Cavanaugh find a way to save his kin and claim the future he craves with the woman he loves?

This was a short, sexy, and sweet book about Cavanaugh and his mate. I was very much looking forward to Cavanaugh’s story after having read the previous book in the Eternal Mates series. He’s a bartender with a mysterious past, and we finally get to see what demons Cavanaugh hides in Craved by an Alpha. Fans of the series won’t be disappointed with this latest installment from Felicity Heaton!

Cavanaugh was formerly in the running to be the next alpha of his snow leopard pride, but becoming the alpha would have ruined his chances of being with the woman he loved, his fate mate Eloise. So Cavanaugh left his pride, left Eloise, to stay away until he was no longer in the running to be alpha and he had the chance to win back and claim his mate.

Eight days were all that stood between him and claiming the mate he craved with all of his heart.
Those eight days suddenly felt like forever.

But Cavanaugh’s plans change when Eloise suddenly appears where he works. Seeing her again awakens his need to claim her, but Eloise comes bearing bad news. The current alpha of their pride is bad news, and she wants Cavanaugh to come back and reclaim his rightful place as alpha. And because he can’t resist her, Cavanaugh agrees to return, all the while fighting his impulses to claim his mate.

He had no interest in being the alpha. The one thing he had craved in his life wasn’t power or standing. It was her. She was the only thing that mattered to him.

Eloise has always loved Cavanaugh, but when he left the pride, he hurt her badly and left her and the pride in the hands of a tyrant. Seeing him again brings back the chemistry that was always between them, though she tries to fight it. Eloise doesn’t know that Cavanaugh left the pride to be with her, so they have a few bumps along the way on their journey before they can start on their happy ever after.

I adored Eloise and Cavanaugh’s romance! So heartbreaking yet romantic, my heart was swept away by the love between them. I do wish this book was longer – the plot went by really quickly, and the book ended before I even realized I had finished! Still, I highly enjoyed this book!

If you’re a fan of paranormal romances, you MUST read this series! It’s wonderfully written, the characters are memorable and endearing, and it’s hot and sexy. Felicity Heaton is definitely an author I’d recommend for PNR lovers.

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

Reading Order: Eternal Mates series

#1 ~ Kissed by a Dark Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Claimed by a Demon King: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tempted by a Rogue Prince: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hunted by a Jaguar: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Craved by an Alpha: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#6 ~ Bitten by a Hellcat: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Taken by a Dragon: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

28Jan2015

ARC Review: Hunted by a Jaguar by Felicity Heaton

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Hunted by a Jaguar by Felicity Heaton
Series: Eternal Mates #4 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 6th 2015
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

A jaguar shifter with a dark secret, Kyter has spent his entire life running from his demons. When a tragedy takes him back to his pride’s village, he is set on a path of vengeance that will see him collide with the terrible ghosts of his past and a beautiful vision of his future.

Iolanthe deals in finding artefacts for discerning clients, but this time her client is one of the deadliest men in Hell and her mission has the highest stakes imaginable. Failure is not an option when your life is on the line, but things take a dangerous turn when she crosses paths with a handsome and mysterious male on the hunt for the same artefact—a male who declares she is his eternal mate.

Can Iolanthe resist Kyter’s wicked allure and find the artefact before he does? Can Kyter face his demons and win the heart of his fated female? Or will this deadly game of cat and mouse claim both of their lives?

If there’s a go-to author for paranormal romances, for me, Felicity Heaton would be one of them! I am such a big fan of the world of her Eternal Mates series – if you’re a fan of PNRs, then you should definitely give this series a try. It’s got a fleshed-out, well-written world with fantastic characters and a whole bunch of sexiness.

Hunted by a Jaguar is the fourth installment in the Eternal Mates series, and although it’s not my favorite of the series, it was still a highly enjoyable read. We first met Kyter, as the bar owner in Kissed by a Dark Prince. He’s also a jaguar shifter who has been running from the demons of his past. His tribe shunned him because of his dark heritage – his demon father. But when his mother dies, he has to go back to the tribe he has no love for to exact revenge for his mother’s death. And in order to have his revenge, he must locate a key that will summon his mother’s murderer.

Iolanthe, an elf, has been tasked to also find the key, but if she fails, her life is forfeit. Inevitably, she and Kyter cross paths. At first sight, Kyter knows that Iolanthe is his eternal mate. But now he has to make a choice – find and take the key that will avenge his mother’s death, or give it all up for love.

It took me a while to get into this book for some reason. The beginning was fairly slow paced, but I was excited for Kyter to discover and win over his mate. Iolanthe is very resistant towards a mating between them – she doesn’t believe she and Kyter are mates, despite how much her body reacts to him. She’s an independent woman and never wanted a mate who would shackle her down. But Kyter is determined to make Iolanthe see that what they have is real. I adored how fiercely passionate and loyal Kyter is and how all of that was focused on making Iolanthe his.

For fans of PNR, the Eternal Mates series is a must read! Each book can be read as a standalone as each is about a different couple, but you get the full, better experience if you read them all in order. I’m definitely looking forward to the other books in this series!

Reading Order: Eternal Mates series

#1 ~ Kissed by a Dark Prince: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Claimed by a Demon King: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tempted by a Rogue Prince: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Hunted by a Jaguar: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Craved by an Alpha: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#6 ~ Bitten by a Hellcat: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Taken by a Dragon: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

27Jan2015

Release Day Review: Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Prince #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 27th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I won a copy from the author

Play with fire, pay the price.

Leila’s years on the carnie circuit were certainly an education. What she didn’t learn: how to be a vampire, or how to be married to the most famous vampire of them all. Adjusting to both has Leila teetering on a knife edge between passion and peril, and now the real danger is about to begin…

Vlad must battle with a centuries-old enemy whose reach stretches across continents and whose strength equals his own. It isn’t like Vlad to feel fear, but he does…for Leila, because his enemy knows she is Vlad’s greatest weakness. As friend and foe alike align against him—and his overprotectiveness drives Leila away—Vlad’s love for his new bride could be the very thing that dooms them both…

Vlad and Leila are back and better than ever!

I freaking love this couple… Maybe even a little more than Cat and Bones. *Gasp* Yeah, I know, but while Cat and Bones fell a little flat by the end of their series, Leila and Vlad honestly get better and better with each book. I don’t know how many times I’ve reread the previous two books in the Night Prince series, and every time, I fall more in love with them. And hello there’s Vlad, who is my absolute favorite character in the entire Night Huntress world — he’s powerful, sensual, and his love for Leila is the deepest, most beautiful thing. So of course I’d been eagerly anticipating this third book, and it highly exceeded my expectations! I absolutely loved it!

Vlad and Leila are getting into the role of husband and wife, but it’s not that easy. Vlad is overprotective and domineering, and Leila is stubborn as hell and somehow always getting into danger. But even though their marital roles need time getting used to, there’s no doubt that they both love each other fiercely. Vlad is as sexy and passionate as ever, and as Leila’s husband, he’s even more alpha-male, which I was totally a fan of. And I love that as hot and fierce as their love is for each other, they still joke around with each other. I just adore Vlad and Leila together!

Vlad and Leila have been searching for their enemy, Szilagyi, but he’s powerful and always seems a step ahead. Vlad will do anything to protect Leila, and that’s tested when Leila is put into serious danger. Bound by Flames takes a turn for a much darker direction than I ever anticipated, but Jeaniene Frost flawlessly executes the thrill and suspense in this book. From beginning to end, it was riveting and unputdownable — I wholeheartedly loved Bound by Flames. It’s now probably my favorite of the series so far!

And I have to say, I’m so, SO glad that Vlad and Leila’s story doesn’t end with Bound by Flames! We have one more book before we have to say goodbye to them (which I really don’t want to do). I’m eagerly awaiting their next and final book, even though I know it’ll be bittersweet.

Reading Order: Night Prince series

#1 ~ Once Burned: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twice Tempted: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Bound by Flames: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Untitled: Goodreads (release date TBA)

25Jan2015

Release Day Review: Kyland by Mia Sheridan

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Kyland by Mia Sheridan
Series: A Sign of Love #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: January 25th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They’re both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.

“I do go to hell. Every day. For you.”

I absolutely adore Mia Sheridan’s writing! With each book in the A Sign of Love series, she’s proven again and again how phenomenal she is at storytelling. Her writing is lyrical, bringing her characters and settings to life. With her latest book, Kyland, Mia Sheridan conveys a powerful story of true, enduring love that can overcome anything. As much desperation and pain there is in this story, what you take away from it is a brilliant, warm-hearted book full love and never-ending hope. I absolutely loved it!

In the middle of rolling green hills, breathtaking mountain views, waterfalls, and quaint covered bridges, lies Dennville, Kentucky, a part of the Appalachian Mountains that would put any urban slum to shame, where hopelessness is as commonplace as the white oak trees, and unemployment is the rule more than the exception.

That writing – simply stunning!

Each of Mia Sheridan’s settings is unique and written in a spell-binding way, and Dennville, Kentucky is no different. It’s a poor town with even poorer inhabitants who work day and night to barely make ends meet. You might feel sorry for the people of Dennville, but there’s a beauty in the way they tirelessly endure and take care of one another and survive. This is the way Tenleigh and Kyland live – they are two teenagers who don’t let their poverty-stricken situations bring them down. Both of them are working towards the same goal – to win a scholarship that will pay for college so that they’ll have a chance at building a better life, and most importantly, winning that scholarship will take them out of Dennville.

There’s only one person who can win the scholarship, but when Kyland and Tenleigh should have been adversaries, they became friends instead. There’s a loneliness in both of them – Kyland’s father and brother died in a mining accident a few years back, Tenleigh’s father abandoned her family and Tenleigh spends all her time working to afford medicine for her mother’s mental illness – but when Kyland and Tenleigh meet, a deep bond forms between them. They help each other in their times of loneliness, and ultimately, they save each other.

My heart felt so full as I read they way Tenleigh and Kyland fell in love with each other. It’s slow and beautiful and heart-wrenching the way they want, need, and finally, love each other. And my heart was aching so badly, because only one of them will end up winning the scholarship. It’s a bad idea to start anything between the two of them, because it’ll only end in heartbreak, but Kyland and Tenleigh can’t resist each other.

Tenleigh.
Half agony, half hope.
Half pain, half ecstacy.
Half grief, half joy.
Half my downfall, half my savior.

It was so achingly heart-wrenching how Tenleigh and Kyland had found their soulmates in one another, but couldn’t keep each other. One of them would end up leaving Dennville, and the two of them would their separate ways. They experience loss and suffering, but there’s no doubt that Kyland and Tenleigh are two souls who are meant to be together, and that they will always find a way to be together.

“I’m going to make all your dreams come true. All my life.”

Once again, Mia Sheridan delivers another stunning, deeply emotional read that I devoured. Kyland is a book that took my breath away. I fell in love with Tenleigh and Kyland and the strength in their hearts. They are two beautiful characters, inside and out, and they captured my heart. I couldn’t stop reading their story, and I honestly wished it never ended. And of course the ending would have to be perfect too! I adored the ending – it left me feeling so warm and happy (all of Mia’s books leave me feeling like this, actually). I truly loved everything about this book!

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

Reading Order: A Sign of Love series

Note: Each of the books in the A Sign of Love series can be read as complete standalones that have no connection with each other, with the exception of Leo’s Chance, which is the hero’s POV of Leo, and Becoming Calder and Finding Eden, a two-book story featuring the same cast of characters. None of the characters in the different Sign of Love books are connected.

#1 ~ Leo: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Leo’s Chance: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Stinger: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Archer’s Voice: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Becoming Calder: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Finding Eden: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#7 ~ Kyland: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#8 ~ Grayson’s Vow: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#9 ~ Midnight Lily: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Here’s a clip from the Kyland audiobook!

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