Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Dante’s Fire by Jennifer Probst

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for DANTE’S FIRE!

Dante’s Fire by Jennifer Probst
Release Date: August 26th 2014

It’s Time To Meet A New Kind Of Hero…

Dante Stark has a dark secret–a legacy left to him by his father which is both a blessing and a curse. A traumatic experience as a small boy gave him special powers of healing, but it comes with a price. Destined to wander the world alone to heal others, he’s accepted his fate. Until Selina Rogers forces him to confront his deepest fears, erotic desires, and question his capacity to love.

Selina Rogers has made a name for herself at Inferno Enterprises. She’s tough, confident and prepared to succeed. She’s also built a world she believes is safe, until she’s attacked and then saved by a masked stranger. As he helps her heal physically and emotionally, she becomes fascinated by his overwhelming power and gentle touch. Determined to show Dante the love he’s been denying himself, Selina surrenders her heart, and dreams of a future with the mysterious man who completes her.

But will his dark legacy destroy them…or save them both…

Purchase:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes

Calling all superhero fans! Dante’s Fire is the perfect book for you! I loved that Jennifer Probst went in a completely different direction than her previous contemporary novels. Dante’s Fire is very much a superhero love story–and while I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to, it was still an incredibly fun and sweet read.

Dante Stark is the superhero of this story, though he doesn’t think of himself as one. He views his power to heal as a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he has the power to stop men from assaulting women, but on the other hand, he can never have a personal life. He has two identities–his real self as Dante Stark, owner of Inferno Enterprises, and his fake persona Daniel Stark, who works as the mail clerk at Inferno Enterprises.

As Daniel, Dante gets to meet Selina, who works at his company. Over the years that she’s worked there, he slowly falls in love with her, but he knows he has no chance of being with her–she can never know about his alter ego, and he believes she would never fall for a man who works as a mail clerk.

Selina is tough and ambitious. She’s been climbing up the corporate ladder, all the while becoming very good friends with Daniel Stark. There’s a chemistry between them, an attraction Selina can’t help but feel towards Daniel, but she’s not sure she can be with a man who doesn’t have as much ambition as she does. I admired Selina’s strength, her determination to be the best possible person she could be, despite being a product of the foster-care system.

During a traumatic incident, Selina meets and is saved by Dante, which changes everything in her life. Dante, the man with superhero powers, was never supposed to meet Selina, but Dante can’t stay away from her. She only knows him as Daniel, but he’s helplessly in love with her. Now Dante has to figure out a way to get Selina to accept both of his identities, because he can’t give her up.

Dante’s Fire wasn’t perfect–the plot had a few holes in it, but overall, it was a short and sweet read. Dante and Selina’s romance was romantic and full of chemistry. I’m glad Jennifer Probst decided to do a superhero story–I don’t come across one often, but this one was enjoyable and fun.

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.

She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon’s Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

GRAND PRIZE: Win a customized necklace. 2 RUNNERS UP: Receive a “winner’s choice” signed book by Jennifer Probst. US Only.

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28Aug2014

Review: Rival by Penelope Douglas

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Rival by Penelope Douglas
Series: Fall Away #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 26th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

Oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! Rival was utter perfection! I laughed, I swooned, I gasped, and I fell deeply and madly in love with this book. Rival is a stunning, beautiful, heart-wrenching book that will make fans of Penelope Douglas fall in love all over again with this series after reading it.

Rival was definitely one of my TOP anticipated reads of the year, and it didn’t disappoint. It totally met every one of my high expectations and then some. So for those of you who, like me, fell in love with Jared and Tate’s story and were wondering if Rival will be just as good? I’m here to tell you that it abso-freaking-lutely is. It’s been a while since a book has had me so consumed in its story, but once I started Rival, I literally could not stop reading. I was utterly addicted to each and every page.

There were people I liked and people I didn’t like. People I loved and people I hated.
But there was only one person I loved to hate.

Madoc and Fallon: step-siblings–who hate each other. Basically, the perfect ingredients for one hell of a book.

Two years ago, Fallon was sent away to boarding school. Madoc was left behind, and during those two years, hatred festered over misunderstandings and hurt. But the Madoc we know now? He’s not exactly an angry boy. He’s obnoxious, rude, funny as hell, but not very emotional. But now that Fallon is back, all these emotions are rising up in him–his lust and hate for her–and the chemistry between them is passionate and can’t be denied.

That beautiful girl that hated me, and I hated her, but–goddamn it–I loved how we hated, because it was raw and real. It didn’t make any sense, but yeah–it was real.

I absolutely loved how Penelope Douglas portrayed Madoc and Fallon’s attraction. No matter how much they hate each other, that attraction is always there, and it’s hard and fast and felt very, very real. I could feel the tension between them, how on edge the two of them were. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat, with my heart pounding, just waiting for the tension to explode between them. And besides, love and hate? There’s a very thin line between the two, and Madoc and Fallon cross that line again and again.

Fallon is one hell of a chick. I loved her, admired her, felt for her, hurt for her. She goes through such emotional turmoil from past and present hurts, all the while never giving up that badass persona. She’s tough through and through, but the one person who can get through those walls, the one person who sees her for her, is Madoc. Madoc, the first boy she’s ever been with, the boy who broke her heart, and now the man who fires her up like no other.

“You act like you have no heart, like you just swallow your conscience with all of the pain you cause. But I see through it, Fallon. The truth is, you want me like nobody’s business.” She closed her mouth and swallowed. “You’ve always wanted me. You know why? Because I don’t try to kill your demons. I run with them.”

Madoc and Fallon definitely don’t have an easy path ahead of them. They have so much history that we piece together as it’s slowly revealed throughout the book. Rival almost felt suspenseful, in the way that it was so thrilling and intense to read. There is just so much for Fallon and Madoc to overcome, but there is no doubt that these two can do anything together.

Rival is told in both Madoc and Fallon’s POVs, so we come to understand how both of them feel. We understand where their anger comes from, how their anger is justified. I never even wanted to smack either of them, that’s how much I came to love and understand them. This couple has one of the most gripping and addicting stories, and I applaud Penelope Douglas for creating them, for creating characters that I’ll never forget.

And Jared and Tate fans, don’t despair! These two play a heavy part in Rival, which totally me happy. And holy crapola, JAX! We get to see a little more of Jax, Jared’s brother, and I have to say, I have a feeling I’m going to love Jax even more than Jared or Madoc, which is saying something because I love Jared and Madoc to infinity and beyond. I grew a little obsessed with Jax while reading Rival–I swear, Falling Away cannot get here fast enough!

So, Rival? It’s one of the best books I’ve read all year. I loved every single thing about it. I was up until three in the morning finishing this darn book, but it was so worth it. I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!

Reading Order: Fall Away series

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

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26Aug2014

Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Debt Inheritance by Pepper Winters

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

Welcome to today’s stop on the DEBT INHERITANCE tour! DEBT INHERITANCE is the first book in the INDEBTED series, and for Pepper Winters fans, it shouldn’t be missed!

Debt Inheritance by Pepper Winters
Series: Indebted #1
Release date: August 18th 2014

“I own you. I have the piece of paper to prove it. It’s undeniable and unbreakable. You belong to me until you’ve paid off your debts.”

Nila Weaver’s family is indebted. Being the first born daughter, her life is forfeit to the first born son of the Hawks to pay for sins of ancestors past. The dark ages might have come and gone, but debts never leave. She has no choice in the matter.

She is no longer free.

Jethro Hawk receives Nila as an inheritance present on his twenty-ninth birthday. Her life is his until she’s paid off a debt that’s centuries old. He can do what he likes with her—nothing is out of bounds—she has to obey.

There are no rules. Only payments.

A modern day Dark Erotic Romance

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Kobo • iTunes

Holy shit!! I honestly have no idea what I just read, but it was dark, delicious, and I was utterly addicted to it. Debt Inheritance completely lives up to Pepper Winters standards, so fans definitely should not miss this.

My twenty-ninth birthday gave me a pet. A toy.
A responsibility I didn’t want.
Debts I had to extract from unwilling flesh.
A job to uphold our family honour.
Nila Weaver.

So that right there says it all. The Weaver family owes a debt to the Hawk family, and every generation, the first-born Weaver daughter is given to the first-born Hawk son to fulfill that debt. For the past few centuries, this debt has been paid, and Nila Weaver is the next payment.

Nila is a fashion designer living her dream. She’s showcasing her designs in Milan, her beloved family is there with her to celebrate, when her world turns upside-down.

Turned out, I was never an individual; I was a possession to trade.
I was never unique; someone had lived my life many times before, never free, never whole.
My life was never mine.
My destiny was already written.
My story began the night he came for me.

Nila has been sheltered by her father all her life; she has little experience with men, so when a mysterious, handsome man named Jethro Hawk approaches her at her fashion show, she jumps at the chance to go out with him. But though Jethro may come off as a gentleman, elegant and charming, underneath it all is a lethal, dangerous force. And he unleashes that force onto Nila and takes her away from everything she’s ever known.

Told in alternating POVs, this first installment of the Indebted series is fast-paced, dark, and gritty. We have Nila’s POV, an innocent girl thrust into her very own nightmare. She’s become someone’s possession, but there’s still a fire within her, a fire that intrigues her ‘owner.’ And we have Jethro’s POV, in which we discover what kind of man he is, how he came to be this powerful, sensual, harsh man, and whether he is worth redeeming.

This series holds so much potential–I can’t wait to see where Pepper Winters will take this story and these characters.

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

Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex… her books have sex.

She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

Her Dark Erotica books include:
Tears of Tess (Monsters in the Dark #1)
Quintessentially Q (Monsters in the Dark #2)

Her Grey Romance books include:
Destroyed

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ebook of Debt Inheritance (5 Winners)

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25Aug2014

Early Review: The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost
Series: Broken Destiny #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 26th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin) in exchange for an honest review

In a world of shadows, anything is possible. Except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse—her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who’s bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn’t mean he can change his fate…no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn’t: that every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny, and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other. And nothing but ashes in between…

I’m a HUGE fan of Jeaniene Frost–she does paranormal like no other. And when I found out she was writing a new paranormal series that was also NEW ADULT? I totally jumped for joy! I loved her Night Huntress series, so of course I had to read this new series. Plus, there aren’t that many new adult books that dab in the paranormal genre, but what better way to be introduced to this genre than with Jeaniene Frost?

I really, really liked The Beautiful Ashes. It wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed myself the whole time reading this. We have our heroine, Ivy, who sees visions of different realms. She doesn’t know if what she sees is real, or why she sees them, or even how, but she mainly ignores it to keep her insanity intact. But when her sister gets kidnapped, her whole world is turned upside down, because those visions? They’re real.

“Well, Ivy. I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, you’re not crazy. The bad news is, everything you’ve seen is real, and now, it’ll be coming for you.”

In the midst of finding out about all this craziness–demons, angels, and parallel realms are totally real and they totally exist–the one thing Ivy can focus on is saving her sister. And the one person who can help Ivy is Adrian, a man that sparks something in her she’s never felt before, a man who is destined to become her enemy.

I have to say, even though I didn’t fall for Adrian as much as I wanted to, I can see myself wholeheartedly loving him in the upcoming books in the series. I’m not even sure why I didn’t LOVE Adrian from the start–he’s a total badass, he’s mysterious, he protects Ivy with everything he’s got, and there’s a delicious tension between him and Ivy I lapped up. Adrian and Ivy are destined to be enemies, which makes their attraction to each other all the better.

“You’re the light I can never have… and I’m the darkness you’ll never succumb to.”

Ivy herself is a good heroine–I could connect with her, but up to a point. Still, I liked her well enough, but Ivy and Adrian together is what made the story for me. As Ivy and Adrian search for a relic to save her sister, they grow closer together. I really enjoyed watching their relationship slowly develop–the scenes I loved reading were always the ones with the two of them together.

There’s excitement, action, and intrigue, as well as a little humor here and there that is typical from Jeaniene Frost. The Beautiful Ashes met my expectations, but… it didn’t surpass it. I wanted to love it, but my only problem was that the world building fell a bit flat for me. It felt like I, along with Ivy, was thrust into this world too quickly without knowing anything. It gave me a ton of information without letting me have the time to process it. I like being given bits and pieces of a world so I can map it out myself, but it was difficult to do with this book.

The main thing about The Beautiful Ashes is that it holds potential. I honestly can’t wait to see what Jeaniene Frost has in store for us with the rest of the series. Now that we’ve got the world-building over and done with, I’m so excited to see this potential grow into so much more.

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

Reading Order: Broken Destiny series

#1 ~ The Beautiful Ashes: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Sweetest Burn: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads

19Aug2014

Blog Tour + ARC Review: Hard Knox by Nicole Williams

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the Hard Knox blog tour!
You can follow the tour here.

HARD KNOX
A New Series by NYT Bestselling Author Nicole Williams

The Outsider Chronicles #1 (full reading order below)
New Adult/Adult Contemporary
Released August 12, 2014

Knox Jagger. The name inspires resent in every male at Sinclair University, want in every female, and contempt in Charlie Chase.

Charlie can be summed up in three words: independent, independent, and independent. To Charlie, Knox epitomizes everything that’s wrong with college males: prolific one-night stands, drunken senseless fights, and a body that hints at prioritizing gym time over study time.

As an up-and-coming writer for Sinclair University’s newspaper, Charlie’s tasked with getting to the bottom of who’s been dropping little white pills into girls’ drinks at parties. In an ocean of All-American boys sporting polo shirts and innocent smiles, Knox is the obvious suspect. As evidence piles up against the bad boy of Sinclair, Charlie becomes more and more certain it isn’t Knox. But when her drink is dosed at a party and she wakes up on Knox’s couch the next morning, Charlie’s left with more questions than answers when it comes to Knox Jagger.

How can Charlie ever hope to uncover the truth behind a guy so closed off he’s become . . .

Hard Knox.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes and Noble

I’m a huuuge Nicole Williams fan. I totally fell in love with her Crash series, and then her Lost and Found series. So when I found out she had a new book releasing? I pounced on it. Nicole Williams is definitely one of my go-to authors because I know I’ll no doubt enjoy her books. And while I didn’t LOVE Hard Knox, it was a quick, fun read, and fans of Nicole shouldn’t miss it.

Charlie Chase is a writer for her university’s newspaper, and she’s, well, the glass-half-empty kind of girl. She wasn’t the most likable heroine for me, even with her quirky, deadpan sense of humor. I didn’t connect with her much–she’s a bit pretentious, buuut it worked for the story. She’s the type of person who has preconceived notions of people without getting to know them, and the second she meets Knox Jagger, he blasts all those preconceived notions away.

Knox Jagger is the ultimate bad boy at Sinclair University. He’s who every guy wants to be, and every girl wants to have. Except Charlie, of course. When Knox goes to parties, and endless stream of girls put their panties with their numbers on them, and apparently he calls every one of them.

Other than knowing he was a junior, probably majoring in Single-Handed Bra Removal, the notes scribbled onto just about every woman’s bathroom stall on campus told the rest of the story. Gems like For a good time, call Knox, 1-800-BIG-DICK or Add to Bucket List: Get Fucked by Knox Jagger.

Based on all that, Charlie doesn’t have the best opinion of Knox. Charlie wouldn’t want to get near Knox if it weren’t for the paper she needs to write. Her job is to find out who at the university has been dropping date-rape pills into drinks at parties. And Knox would be the number one suspect, if it weren’t for the fact that he saved her after she herself got drugged.

Charlie and Knox work together to get to the bottom of this, much to Charlie’s chagrin. The best part about the book was Charlie and Knox’s banter. The two of them are hilarious together–Charlie is full of wit and sarcasm, which would usually just shoot a guy down, but Knox definitely shows her up and offers his own quips. There’s also an undeniable tension between them that the two of them try so hard to ignore, but can’t.

“What’s changed is that I care about you.”

I loved that the two of them gradually moved from friendship to something more. The way they fell for each other was realistic and once they fell, they fell so hard. Their relationship blossomed into something so wonderful (and hot) once the tension exploded between them

“What I feel for you scares me, Knox. It terrifies me.”
“Why?” … “What terrifies you?”
“That the person I thought I’d have to search the world and a lifetime for might be standing in front of me right now.”

Knox and Charlie are so adorable together. I was definitely glad when the two of them got together! They open up more to each other, even though Knox does keep things hidden. But I loved that as Charlie learns slowly more about Knox, she also learns more about herself. She’s not quick to judge anymore–she’s not the same girl as she was from the beginning of the book.

Overall, I liked Hard Knox, but I just didn’t love it. It was missing that spark that usually makes me love a Nicole Williams book. Still, I enjoyed it–it has Nicole’s great writing, a couple with hot chemistry, and some witty banter that’s sure to make you smile.

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

Reading Order: The Outsider Chronicles

#1 ~ Hard Knox: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Damaged Goods: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

I’m the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the CRASH series (HarperTeen, S&S UK), LOST & FOUND series, UP IN FLAMES (S&S UK), The EDEN TRILOGY, and a handful of others. I write stories about everyday kinds of people who find themselves in extraordinary kinds of situations. I tell love stories with happy endings because I believe in making the world a better place, and that’s one tiny way I can make it so. I’m one of those people who still believe in true love and soul mates, and would rather keep my head in the clouds any day over having my feet firmly on the ground.

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Blog Tour + ARC Review & Giveaway: Dante’s Fire by Jennifer Probst