Review: Lick by Kylie Scott

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Lick by Kylie Scott
Series: Stage Dive #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 1st 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man in her room, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is certain, being married to one of the hottest rock stars on the planet is sure to be a wild ride.

OMG!! I seriously LOVE rockstar romances, and I am so freaking happy that the Stage Dive series exists. *Sigh* It was pretty much rockstar perfection for me. And these rockstars from Stage Dive are the. best. They’re famous, sexy, tattooed, drool-worthy, and obviously, they make music!! What’s not to love?

I really can’t believe it took me so long to get to reading Lick. I’m so ashamed of myself! I was seriously missing out – but no matter. I’m just glad I did read it! I mean, have you read that blurb? I had high expectations because of it, and Kylie Scott meets every one of those expectations and more. This book is wild and intense, but also sweet and sexy. It has the perfect balance of the hard, fast rocker world, and the slow, sweet beauty of Evelyn and David’s romance.

So a little about the book. Our dear heroine, Evelyn, wakes up hungover, remembering nothing of her celebrating her 21st birthday party – but she’s not alone in bed. Because next to her is a very sexy, tattooed man she doesn’t recognize, who apparently knows who she is. Ev is understandably confused ~~(though I would totally be up for waking up next to a hot man)~~, but the real kicker is the giant wedding ring on her finger.

He physically recoiled from me. “Let me get this straight, you don’t remember anything?”
“No,” I said, swallowing hard. “What did we do last night?”
“We got fucking married,” he growled.
This time, I didn’t make it to the toilet.

And so ensues the wild ride that is Lick. And I adored every single moment of it!

David Ferris is the first of the Stage Dive boys to get his story told. Oh, David stole my heart in Lick. He’s all of those amazing things that make up a rockstar, and more. He’s sweet, intense, and so beautifully passionate. He’s very much an alpha-male (although it was a bit too much at times), but he’s also not afraid to show his sweet side to Evelyn. He makes my heart flutter so much! He especially makes me swoon when he tries to win Ev’s heart.

“Love isn’t always smooth or straightforward. It can be messy and painful,” he said. “Doesn’t mean it isn’t still the most incredible thing that can ever happy to you. Doesn’t mean I’m not crazy about you.”
“You are?” I asked, my voice still tight with emotion.
“Of course I am.”

But it’s not exactly easy for David to win over his wife’s heart. Evelyn is thrust into the rocker world, but she wants nothing to do with it. The rocker world is so completely out of her comfort zone, but David, the sweetheart that he is, does his best to show that Ev belongs there, with him. I adored David and Evelyn as a couple. I loved seeing them try to make it work between them, trying to prove that getting married wasn’t a mistake. They do hurt each other along the way, but honestly, I thought the two of them were just perfect together.

“But I married you, Evelyn, because you made sense to me. We make sense. We’re a whole lot better together than apart. You notice that?”
“Yeah, I really did.”
“Good.”

I would have given Lick 5 perfect hearts, but Evelyn and David annoyed me a few times. Evelyn could get incredibly stubborn, and it took me a while to warm up to her as the heroine, and David was sometimes overly jealous and alpha-maley. It wasn’t too much of a problem for me, because I ended up loving them and the book anyway. What I also loved was the perfect amount of drama and angst. Kylie Scott was able to make me feel so much for the characters – I was rooting for them and hurting for them, and I was totally giggling and smiling whenever David was being sweet.

Lick took me on a wild ride – I couldn’t put the book down from start to finish. I got hooked on the characters – all of them, even the other Stage Dive boys. I loved seeing how the Stage Dive boys interacted together – they were such goofballs, and I absolutely cannot wait to read all of their stories. Lick was a fabulous intro to the Stage Dive series – I highly recommend it!

4 hearts!

Series Order: Stage Dive series

#1 ~ Lick: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Play: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Lead: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Deep: My Review Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

25Jul2014

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Break the Sky by Nina Lane

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

I’m so excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for BREAK THE SKY by Nina Lane!! This was such fabulous book to read–and it comes out on July 29, only 4 more days!

Title: Break the Sky
Author: Nina Lane
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance 18 +
Publish Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Snow Queen Publishing
ISBN: 0990532461 (ISBN13: 9780990532460)

“Do you ever let go, storm girl?” he asked. “Ever lose control? Ever surrender?”
“Never,” I whispered. “I never surrender.”
A smile of both promise and warning curved his beautiful mouth.
“You will.”

Atmospheric scientist Kelsey March is under siege. Her tornado research project is on the skids and she’s fighting conflict in her university department. So when irresistible bad boy Archer West suggests a hot, wild fling while he’s in town, Kelsey is unable to resist his sexy offer.

Kelsey and Archer embark on a intense, exhilarating affair. But soon their differences and private battles encroach on their desire, and Kelsey discovers she is caught in a storm she can’t control…

BREAK THE SKY is a standalone Spiral of Bliss spin-off novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane.

Preorder:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Paperback • B&N • iTunes

I’m a bit in love with Nina Lane’s writing, so when I found out she was writing another book, of course I had to read it! And it sold me even more that Break the Sky is a spinoff of the Spiral of Bliss series, which I adore. The heroine is Kelsey March, professor at King’s University, and friend of Dean West (from the Spiral of Bliss series). The hero is Dean’s younger brother, Archer, the quintessential bad boy. The two of them meet and it’s, in a word, explosive. I absolutely loved how their story played out, and I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect journey for Kelsey and Archer.

The book is told through Archer and Kelsey’s POVs, which made the experience so much better. I loved being inside both of their heads–they are two complete opposites, but somehow, together they’re perfect.

Kelsey and Archer have an explosive chemistry that heats up the pages so easily. Archer wants to pursue this chemistry, see how their physical attraction plays out, but Kelsey is reserved.

Kelsey is a headstrong, intelligent, sexy woman who’s stubborn and definitely not shy. It took me a while to warm up to her, actually, which surprised me because normally she’s the kind of heroine I’d adore from the start. But it was her stubbornness that made it hard for me to love her at first, though I definitely loved her in the end. She’s very hostile to Archer–she flat-out refuses to have anything to do with him at first, but Archer isn’t deterred, which only made him even more sexy to me. But… since Kelsey can’t get Archer out of her mind, she finally agrees to give in to Archer.

And holy hell, Archer!!! He is utter perfection!!

Archer is pretty much sex incarnate. Seriously, he makes my brain stop for a bit because of how ridiculously hot he is. It’s not just that he’s the ‘bad boy’ who’s fiercely independent and can never settle down for long. It’s the fact that he’s trying make amends with his brother, and make himself a better person–for himself, for Kelsey. It’s the sweet side that he shows Kelsey, the one that shows how much he grows to care for her. Archer warmed and broke my heart so many times throughout the book, because all he wants is a place to belong and there are so many dimensions to him, so much depth, that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him.

I wondered how he could seem both whole and broken at the same time. He was like a painting whose varnish had cracked over time and yet was all the more beautiful because of the damage.

The first half of the story was good. I enjoyed it. But it was the second half of the book that sealed the deal for me. I fell head over heels in love with the second half. This is where I finally felt that emotional connection between Archer and Kelsey. Archer brings out the vulnerable side of Kelsey–she’s always tough and stubborn, but it was so sweet to see how Archer breaks down her walls. They share so many tender moments together that it’s so obvious that the two of them are falling in love.

“Don’t be scared, storm girl,” he said. “I’ll protect you.”

And oh. my. gosh. Did I mention how insanely HOT Archer is? Two words. Dirty. Talk. Archer is that sex-on-a-stick, panty-melting kind of man, and when he’s in bed? I have no words. I was honestly fanning myself anytime Archer opened his mouth. Good dirty talkers do me in so easily, and Archer is an excellent one. And I just love how alpha-maley he gets over Kelsey! *Sigh*

Mine.
The word flared in my mind. I’d never had anything that was really mine. Even my family hadn’t been mine. But Kelsey… I would never think of her any other way.

This book is just the perfect mix of sexy and sweet. Both Kelsey and Archer have so much depth, and I applaud Nina Lane for creating these characters that I grew to love so much. So much emotion is packed into this book–it was an exhilarating, intense, beautiful book to read. Nina Lane fans, I promise you won’t be disappointed. It was an absolute joy to read Break the Sky.

Archer was a storm, no doubt, one who electrified and consumed me, but he was also every part of the storm. He was the calm right in the center of it. He was the blue sky behind the clouds. He was the sheltering place where I could crawl into safety.

3 hearts for the first half of the book and 5 hearts for the second so… 4 hearts!

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

Break the Sky is spinoff of the Spiral of Bliss series, featuring Archer West’s brother Dean and Dean’s wife Liv. As Break the Sky is a standalone, you don’t have to read the Spiral of Bliss series, but I’d still highly recommend it! It’s one of the most beautiful romances I’ve ever read.

You can get Arouse, the first book of the series for FREE for a limited time! See below for the links.

Reading Order: Spiral of Bliss series

#1 ~ Arouse: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Allure: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Awaken: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she loves traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Nina also spent many years in graduate school studying art history and library sciences.

Although she would go back for another degree if she could because she’s that much of a bookworm, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. Nina’s novel The Erotic Dark hit #1 on Amazon’s Erotica Bestseller list. Spice Box box set which included Arouse was #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list and #13 in USA Today.

Remember to sign up for Nina’s Newsletter so you never miss a exclusive news.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Pinterest

Signed books and Break the Sky inspired item

Enter the giveaway here!

19Jul2014

Review: Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Thrive by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Series: Addicted #2.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 18th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Two years will change them forever.

When rumors spread like wildfire—like having three-ways with her boyfriend’s rock climbing brother—Lily Calloway spirals into a dark place. Her bedroom. Loren Hale is more confident and determined to keep their sex life private, even from their friends, and he helps Lily in the only way he knows how. But how much love is too much?

Their lives are filmed, watched, and criticized. And through it all, Lily and Loren have to face enemies they never thought they’d see, demons they don’t know if they should bury, and setbacks they didn’t think they’d meet. Not this soon.

And one rumor could be too much for them to handle. It will test their greatest limitations, and if they don’t hold onto each other, someone is going to drown.

A full-length New Adult Romance that bridges the gap between the second and third books. Thrive must be read before Addicted After All if you have not read the Calloway Sisters spin-off series.

Lily and Lo are BAAAACK!!!

Thrive is yet another fabulous, intense, and thrilling installment in the Addicted series, a series that I’m so utterly and ridiculously in love with. Each book in the series (and the spinoffs) is so exceptionally well written, and I really just can’t get enough of the characters. And Thrive is just as brilliant as the previous books, if not more so. I loved every single part of this book–I could totally gush all day about Thrive! It’s made me fall even more in love with all of the characters (who knew that was even possible?) and left me with such a warm, gooey feeling in my heart. So for all you Addicted series fans, Thrive should not be missed!!

“We’re going to have our happy ending. It just may take us awhile to get there.”

First off, Thrive takes place a little before Kiss the Sky all the way through a little after Hothouse Flower, so for those who haven’t read the spinoffs but plan to, you shouldn’t read Thrive just yet, because it WILL spoil the plots for KTS and HF. And if you’re worried that Thrive will be just a retelling of KTS and HF, let me assure you that it’s NOT! There’s so much new material and nothing felt repetitive.

Thrive is a huge game changer in the series. It’s dense–it’s a fairly big book packed with almost two and a half years worth of stuff that happens in the Addicted series world. But luckily, Krista & Becca Ritchie are ~~superhuman~~ ridiculously talented and managed to make the book perfectly paced and perfectly, well, perfect. We’re back to Lily and Lo’s POVs, which I’ve missed so much. Lily is honestly the most adorable narrator ever–it’s so cute that nearly everything is a sexual innuendo to her. And I love, absolutely loooove, how much stronger Lily grows in Thrive. The two and a half years will test Lily’s strength, but she’ll come out on top. Lo though, is the one who breaks my heart. His voice is blunt and harsh and raw, and my heart was literally aching for him throughout the book. He has so much hatred and self-loathing, I just wanted to tuck him close to me and hug him (which he would definitely not approve of). But Lo does have his strengths, and he too grows into them. Lily and Lo definitely do not have an easy road ahead of them–they have so many challenges ahead of them, but with each other, they can handle anything on their road to recovery.

“How do you know that I’m strong enough?”
“Because you’re better now,” he said, almost convincing me. “And you have me–sober me. I’ll make sure you don’t spiral out of control.” His voice lowered, and his forehead touched mine. “I don’t want to live if you’re not living with me.”

The thing about Lily and Lo, the thing that sets them apart from the others and makes them my favorite couple ever, is the fact that they are committed to each other 100%. Before, they were each others’ enablers, but now, they are each others’ greatest motivators. Lily is recovering from her sex addiction for Lo and Lo is recovering from his alcoholism for Lily, and I honestly think that that’s one of the most beautiful things about their unconventional relationship. They love each other unconditionally and without hesitation and this comes across so clearly in Thrive. I am in love and in awe of their romance that is just so perfectly imperfect.

Very softly, he says, “I wouldn’t be here without you.” It is bigger than an I love you. It is a declaration that solidifies what I’ve known for so long.
We aren’t connected by our addictions.
But by our childhood. Souls fused together from the very, very start.

Thrive is split into three parts, and in each part there are different events (some we have seen, but most we haven’t seen before) that shape Lily and Lo’s progression. There are the high days where we get to laugh with the characters and get warm, fuzzy feelings from how much Lily and Lo, Rose and Connor, and Daisy and Ryke have become so important to each other. You just know how much everyone loves each other, despite how much they make fun of each other. The Addicted series has one of the best cast of characters I’ve ever read–each relationship is distinct and unique, each character is an integral part of the group, and each character is unforgettable. (And I just have to say, I love Lo, but omg CONNOR!!! Connor is fantastic in Thrive!)

But even with all the laughs and giggles, there are still the low, low days where every minute of every day is a struggle for Lo and Lily. This couple has been through so much that it seems like a never-ending battle for them. They have to battle their addictions, battle the media that won’t give them any privacy after Lily’s sex addiction was revealed, and they even have to battle their family and friends. And no, they don’t end up winning all of their battles, but at the end of the day, no matter how much they’ve been tested, no matter how much they’ve been poked and prodded, Lily and Lo still have each other. They will always have each other.

“The world is never going to understand us,” he tells me, his eyes so impassioned that I can’t look away. “But it doesn’t matter, Lil. We have each other, and I get your pain, I understand how badly it hurst, so I need you to block out the other people today, okay? They don’t exist in our world.”

Thrive is one beautifully told story that is both gut-wrenching and heartwarming. You will laugh with the characters, you’ll cry with the characters, and most of all, you’ll fall in love with them all over again. It’s a phenomenal book that had me hooked from start to finish. I’m seriously addicted to this series ;).

Our love is rare. It’s one I can’t abandon, even if I tried. When she screams, an identical one rips through me. When she cries, my world rains with grief. When she loves, I truly, truly fly.
I have never wanted anyone else but Lily.

5 hearts for Lily and Lo! I love them to death!

It’s not necessary to read the spinoffs, but I highly, highly recommend reading them! So here is the complete Addicted series reading order, including the Calloway Sisters spinoff series!

Reading Order: Addicted/Calloway Sisters series

#1 ~ Addicted to You: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Ricochet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Addicted for Now: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.1 (Calloway Sisters #1) ~ Kiss the Sky: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.2 (Calloway Sisters #2) ~ Hothouse Flower: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Thrive: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Addicted After All: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.1 (Calloway Sisters #3) ~ Fuel the Fire: My Review •˜ Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.2 (Calloway Sisters #4) ~ Long Way Down: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3.5 (Calloway Sisters #4.5) ~ Some Kind of Perfect: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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15Jul2014

Release Day Review + Giveaway: Tamed by Emma Chase

Posted in 5 hearts, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Tamed by Emma Chase
Series: Tangled #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 15th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review

What does Drew Evans have to say next? Find out in this forty page short story, filled with his sexy charm, unique advice and hilarious one-liners.

Marriage: the final frontier. Steven went first. He was kind of our test subject. Like those monkeys that NASA sent off into space in the fifties, all the while knowing they’d never make it back.

And now another poor rocket is ready to launch.

But this isn’t just any posh New York wedding. You’ve seen my friends, you’ve met our families, you know you’re in for a treat. Everyone wants their wedding to be memorable. This one’s going to be un-frigging-forgettable.

OMG!! I. Love. Matthew Fisher!! I never expected it, but I love him JUST as much as I love Drew! While Drew had that ‘womanizer’ thing going on (until Kate, of course), Matthew is the kind of guy that you can’t help but LOVE. He’s sweet, charming, sexy, and just a plain ol’ good guy. He’s friendly with the ladies, has a fabulous time with them, but he’s not as bad as Drew was. So Matthew is pretty much perfect hero material–and when you partner him up with Delores Warren? You get one fun, wild ride.

This is a story about a player, who meets a slightly crazy girl. They fall in love and the player changes his ways forever. It’s a story you’ve probably heard before, maybe even from my buddy, Drew Evans. But the thing is, while he and Kate were figuring their shit out? There was this whole alternate universe going on with Delores and me that you don’t know about. So stick around, even if you think you already know the ending. Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.

This quote is the absolute PERFECT way to describe Matthew and Dee’s story. No matter what you think you might already know of their story, Tamed still ends up being unique, refreshing, and such a fun read. Matthew’s voice is distinctly different from Drew’s, all while keeping up the hilarity that is the Tangled series. I absolutely loved reading from Matthew’s POV–his and Drew’s relationship as well as his and Alexandra, Drew’s sister’s, relationship, had me laughing so much!

We already know who Delores is. Dee is that fierce kind of girl who’ll protect her best friend with her claws out. She’s tough, stubborn, insanely smart, hilarious, and so much fun. Everyone who knows Dee is slightly afraid of her. And that’s just how Dee likes it. She doesn’t need anyone getting close to her. She doesn’t let anyone get under her skin–until she meets Matthew. They were supposed to just have a one-night-stand, but that one-night-stand becomes so much more.

Matthew has never met anyone like Dee–he sees the tough persona she puts on as well as the vulnerable side she hides. Dee’s been burned more than once, and doesn’t trust easily. Matthew grows to care for Dee more and more, and before he knows it, he’s in love with her. I love Matthew’s humor, but the best part I love about Matthew is the soft side he shows to Dee. I loved seeing Matthew in love, seeing him fight to bring down all of Dee’s walls.

I’ll work at convincing her, that I’m one of the chosen few she can give her trust to.
Because Delores is worth waiting and working for.

*Sigh* I swoon madly for Matthew.

Emma Chase once again writes a story I fell so easily in love with. Her stories and characters are just so addicting. And Emma’s male POV is once again top-notch. Once I picked Tamed up, I couldn’t put it down–this book is sweet, heartfelt, hilarious, romantic, and I never wanted it to end. Matthew and Dee definitely don’t have an easy road ahead of them–there’s some hurt and there’s some angst, but they’ll fight for each other because they’re perfect together. Tamed made me smile, laugh, and cheer for Dee and Matthew the whole way through, and I loved it.

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

Reading Order: Tangled series

#1 ~ Tangled: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Holy Frigging Matrimony: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Twisted: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Tamed: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Tied: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Paperback copy of Tangled

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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14Jul2014

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Posted in 5 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Click the banner to see other stops on the tour!

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #5 (full reading order below)
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date: July 15th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

“Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet.” — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You.

Purchase:
Amazon Kindle • Amazon Hardcover • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

Oh, my heart is still fluttering after reading this book! Without a doubt, Breathe, Annie, Breathe is my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series so far. Miranda Kenneally does YA contemporary romance so well, I already knew I would end up enjoying this latest book of series, but I just never expected to love it THIS much!

I was in the perfect mood for reading a sweet, heartfelt story, and Breathe, Annie, Breathe gave me all that and more. It’s a quick read, but it packs powerful emotions within its pages. I felt every emotion Annie felt–I laughed when she laughed, I ached when she ached, and I loved when she loved. This book is about loss, but it’s also about hope. It’s about trying to find your way through life, and Miranda Kenneally does an excellent job of conveying this in Annie’s journey.

A quarter mile more.
One foot after the other.
Breathe, Annie, breathe.

After the loss of her boyfriend and love of her life, Annie signs up for the Music City Marathon. Her boyfriend, Kyle, was training for it until he died, so Annie decides to honor him by running the race for him. She hires a trainer, and every practice is brutal–Annie has to practice running for miles and miles before she’s ever ready for a 26.2 mile marathon. But what I loved best about Annie is that even when she wants to give up, she doesn’t. She keeps on going. And I loved that fact that she hated running–because I can completely relate to that. I am awful at running, but reading about Annie and her perseverance made me want to pick up a pair of jogging shoes and go out running.

Annie is easily relatable–she’s lost her sense of direction in life, and doesn’t know how to move on from Kyle’s death. She’s about to attend college in the fall, but doesn’t know what to do. It’s like she’s going through the motions in her life, but running is the one thing that makes her feel alive. She meets new people, new friends, while training. We see Matt, from Things I Can’t Forget, who is her trainer. And Annie becomes especially close to Matt’s younger brother Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is a total sweetheart. He’s cute, funny, and cheers Annie on throughout the entire book. Jeremiah wholeheartedly believes in Annie and believes that she has what it takes to finish the marathon. He’s also peculiar in that Jeremiah’s an adrenaline junkie–he’s always looking to find a new challenge to feel a rush. I loved how supportive he is of Annie, and I loved the tension between them. Sparks fly between Annie and Jere–they’re so perfect with each other, for each other. Their banter is hilarious and their friendship is rock-solid.

“Aren’t you gonna run up front and try to win?” I ask.
“I’d rather run with you.”
“You want to come in 5,094th place?”
His mouth quirks into a smile. “I don’t care.”
“Jeremiah? You make me happy.”
“You make me happy too,” he says quietly.

I just can’t get enough of these two! They had me smiling for the entire book. They’re absolutely adorable together!

But Annie, understandably, holds back. She loved Kyle, and finding new love is a scary thing. I loved seeing them grow close to each other, to learn to lean on each other. They fall in love slowly, and my heart was bursting for them.

We get cameos of other characters from the other books in the series, which totally made me squeal!

Overall, I had the most wonderful time reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe. I never expected to love a book about running, but I do! I was cheering for Annie the whole way through. I loved seeing her grow, both as a runner and as a person. The whole book is so emotional, and Annie’s journey warmed my heart.

If you don’t put yourself out there, if you don’t take risks, you can’t truly feel.
And I’m ready to feel again.

I was honestly so sad to get to the end of this book–I never wanted it to end!

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

Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Defending Taylor: Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

2x 50$ B&N Gift Card
3x Signed copy of Breathe, Annie, Breathe

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