Release Day Review: Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower
Series: Monster in His Eyes #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 28th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I’m thinking before I even do.

It’s alarming and alluring. It’s dark and deadly. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn’t take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it’s too late. He has secrets, secrets I can’t fathom, secrets that make it so I can’t walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that’s both terrifying and thrilling. He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn’t stop me from loving him, too.

This book blew. MY. MIND!!!!! I still can’t wrap my head around Monster in His Eyes–it was nothing like I ever expected, and I LOVED it! It’s intense, raw, suspenseful, gorgeously written, and so freaking goooood!!!

We have our heroine, Karissa, an 18-year-old freshman at NYU who’s just a normal girl trying to distance herself from her overbearing mom. She’s getting through her first year of college–she’s normal, relatable, and I easily connected with her as the heroine. J.M. Darhower portrays her perfectly as a college girl, but the story really only picks up when Karissa meets Ignazio “Naz” Vitale. Ignazio Vitale, who is 36, intense, and holds so much raw confidence and power in himself that Karissa never stood a chance against him.

Karissa is wary of Naz, and rightly so. Here’s a guy who’s gorgeous, rich, and twice her age, and he’s pursuing her? But there’s something so tempting, so invigorating, so thrilling about Naz that Karissa can’t stay away. Naz even warns Karissa to stay away from him but…

“I thought I could play with you a bit, and let you go, but once I had you, Karissa, I had to keep you. I couldn’t walk away.”

As Karissa starts falling for this man, a man she really knows nothing about, it’s all very romantic, but I could never get that feeling–the chills-up-your-spine kind of feeling–out of my mind. There was always something more to Naz, something dark and dangerous, and I never forgot it, and neither does Karissa. I honestly didn’t know what to think about Naz. Did I think he was too old for Karissa? Yes, but I could deal with that. Did I fall for him? Maybe a liiitle bit–he’s insanely sensual and passionate, but I just couldn’t ignore the warning bells ringing in my head. Because there’s no doubt that Naz is very dark and very, very dangerous.

And when his eyes cut my way, and I see the darkness on the surface, I’m reminded that this man hangs out with monsters.
And one might even exist inside of him.

Ignazio Vitale is one very intriguing man, and J.M. Darhower has written him so very, very perfectly. I swooned and I gasped, and I felt an incredibly wide range of emotions because of him. He’s such a thrilling character to read about, especially from Karissa’s POV. The author’s writing is brilliant, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more fascinated in and intrigued with a character than I am about Naz.

He lives in his own little world, where he’s the king, and I’m more than happy to be his minion… although, when he looks at me, flashing that dimple, I feel like nothing less than his queen.

Naz is addictive and powerful, sweeping Karissa off her feet and carrying her into his world, but it’s not exactly a HEA for them. There are dark twists and turns in this book, things that were jaw-dropping and had me reeling. Fans of suspense will not be disappointed.

I honestly couldn’t get enough of Karissa and Naz’s story. I never wanted it to end, and now I’m pretty much dying for book 2, Torture in Her Soul!! Monster in His Eyes is a fascinating, fantastic book that had me hooked from the start. So go READ IT!!

4.5 hearts
lacey

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


Reading Order: Monster in His Eyes series

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower Torture to Her Soul by J.M. Darhower Target on Our Backs by J.M. Darhower

#1 ~ Monster in His Eyes: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torture to Her Soul: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Target on Our Backs: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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Release Day Review: Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine

Phenomenal X is LIVE!! I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of this book, and I had a fabulous time reading it!

Phenomenal X by Michelle A.Valentine

Phenomenal X by Michelle A. Valentine
Release Date: April 22, 2014
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Book #1 in the Hard Knocks Series
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Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love.

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and woman lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist. One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Kobo

review

This is my first time reading a book by Michelle A. Valentine, and I have to say, I enjoyed Phenomenal X immensely! It had the perfect amount of intrigue, angst, sexiness, and intensity to make for a fast, fun read.

Anna is a girl who only wants to be free. She wants to be free from her oppressive family, and free to be whoever she wants to be. She is very much the good girl, and while she wants to break out from shell, it’s hard. She’s innocent, but not naive. It’s not until she meets Xavier Cold, otherwise known as Phenomenal X, that she starts to discover exactly who she’s meant to be.

We’re playing with fire, and one of us is bound to get burned.

Anna and Xavier have a very intense connection right from the very start. The bad boy and the good girl definitely have some fantastic chemistry together, but Anna refuses to be another conquest of Xavier’s. And so they settle for becoming friends, even though it’s hard to ignore the spark between them.

Xavier is so, so sweet to Anna. He may be known as a bad boy, because of the wresting and his mysterious past, but I felt he was just a man with a good heart but harsh exterior. Because of his past, Xavier believes he doesn’t deserve anything good in life, least of all Anna, but he does whatever he can to keep her in his life. It’s so sweet to see this bad boy falling in love, to see him be protective and possessive of Anna. And we can’t forget how sexy this man can be too! Even as Anna and Xavier are friends, Xavier can’t hold back his sensual self.

But eventually, they can’t remain friends. Xavier slowly breaks down those walls around Anna’s heart, and the two are explosive together.

“If we smash these fucking friendship rules there’s no going back. Once I have you–that’s it, you’re mine. I won’t allow another man to take what’s mine. Do you understand?”

Of course, Anna and Xavier don’t have an easy road ahead of them. Xavier must reconcile with his painful past, and Anna needs to be there for him as the deal with his past and his present–which involves trouble with his wrestling. Xavier is alpha-male all the way, and yet I found the story to be refreshing–the main characters don’t instantly fall into bed with each other and instead, they grow to learn about each other. The wrestling aspect is one I’ve never read before, so it was new and intriguing. Overall, Phenomenal X had me hooked and Michelle A. Valentine did a wonderful job bringing to life this story and these characters. Now I’m soooo excited for the sequel!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Phenomenal X Teaser

about the author

Michelle A.ValentineMichelle A. Valentine is a Central Ohio nurse turned New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of erotic and New Adult romance. Her love of hard-rock music, tattoos, and sexy musicians inspired her erotic BLACK FALCON series.

Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

Review: Love, in English by Karina Halle

Love, in English by Karina Halle

Love, in English by Karina Halle
Series: LIE #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 20th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

“Love is like a thief, it robs you of all thought and logic, and all you have left is a heart that you can only pray is strong enough to survive the rest.”

I read Love, in English the moment it appeared on my kindle and I couldn’t. stop. reading. I literally had to force myself to stop when it was 2 AM and by then I was around halfway done. God, this book did a number on me. I can’t stop thinking about it–my mind and heart are still in a jumble of a mess right now. All I really want to say is the I love this book so freaking hard. Love, in English has become one of the best books, the best romances, I have read this year yet, and it’ll most likely stay that way because, simply put, this book is phenomenal.

“You can fall in love in a second,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “The heart has no regard for time.”

First, let’s talk a little bit about forbidden love! Yes, as you can see from the blurb, our heroine, Vera Miles, falls in love with a married man. A married man, you say??? Yes, yes, a married man. This is a touchy subject, but it’s one I felt Karina Halle handled flawlessly. I normally stay far, far away from books that involve cheating, and only very, very few books have made me fall in love with the story and characters. Love, in English is one of them. So if you’re wary of the cheating aspect of the book, I would say to not turn your back on it just yet.

The thing about Love, in English is that it is so much more than just a forbidden romance. The very essence of this book is not the forbidden part, but the love part. Vera goes to Spain to teach English to a group of Spanish native speakers, and there she discovers more about herself and about love than she could ever have dreamed of. She thought she was fairly okay with her life up until her trip to Spain, where she meets new people who “get” her. She doesn’t have to pretend with these group of Spaniards and Anglos, who welcome her with open arms, something she never had at home.

“You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.”
I nodded. “I do. I prefer it. But… it doesn’t mean I don’t want someone to love me.” My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t have a lot of love in me to give someone.”

And along the way of this self-discovery, Vera actually falls in love… but it just so happens that he’s married. And what I love most about Vera, besides her kickass attitude and her awesome tattoos, is that she knows what she feels for Mateo is wrong. She knows there would be consequences and was very adamantly against having any feelings for him. And it certainly is wrong to act on those feelings, but what she feels for Mateo is something completely different. As she spends more time with Mateo, talking with him, getting to know him, her feelings blossom into something… beautiful. And it is very obviously reciprocated by Mateo.

“What is love? In English.”
I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love?”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

Cue the blubbers!!! My heart was seriously bursting here. *sigh*

But but but… heartbreak is like a dark cloud hanging over Vera and Mateo. If they had only met under different circumstances, then a love this theirs would have been the most wondrous, glorious thing. But they didn’t, so what can actually come out of a love between the two of them?

“You and I, we were always a memory in the making.”

Cue the goddamn tears!! Karina Halle is so powerful with her words. I could feel the heartbreak, the anguish, but most of all, the love between Vera and Mateo. And another thing Karina Halle so eloquently expresses in this book? Spain. It was like I was taken into another world, a special place designated to Mateo and Vera for falling in love. And I was rooting for them every single second. They were two people falling in love at the wrong time, but there was no doubt that the two of them were meant for each other, meant to be with each other. I had no idea what direction Karina Halle would have the two of them take, but everything was honest, heartbreaking, breathtaking, and real.

“But love makes you an optimist,” she said. “That is what love is. It is hope for the future. Love doesn’t want you to lose faith, to view the world darkly, to have no hope. Love makes you believe in the impossible. That is the meaning of the word.”

All in all, Love, in English was one beautiful book. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me hurt, and made me feel nearly every emotion out there known to man. I was gasping one moment, and tearing up in the next, but every single second I was falling more and more in love with the book. This is without a doubt one of the best romances I have ever read, and I wish every single person out there gave Love, in English a chance.

5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: LIE series

Love, in English by Karina Halle Love, in Spanish by Karina Halle Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

#1 ~ Love, in English: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Love, in Spanish: EbookGoodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
Spinoff ~ Where Sea Meets Sky: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (March 1, 2015)

Joint Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
Series: Maybe #1 (can be read as a standalone)
Publication Date: March 18th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback • Soundtrack

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

Alrighty, well the first thing I should say is that I finally have time to post more reviews, and what better way to start than with MAYBE freaking SOMEDAY? *fangirling commences*

So. Colleen Hoover. Is it ever possible for you to write a book that I won’t fall in love with? That my entire heart and soul won’t be invested in? That won’t take me, like, 3-4 days to recover from? No? Okay. Well, that’s fine. I’m totally okay with that. You know why? BECAUSE I FREAKING LOVE YOU, COLLEEN.

In case you couldn’t tell, I loooooooved Maybe Someday. It was probably the worst book Colleen Hoover has written so far, in terms of the amount of heartbreak and anguish. This book nearly killed me. And I loved every second of it. I honestly had no idea how much pain and heartbreak Maybe Someday would put me through. I mean, my first impression of this book was that it was freaking hilarious. Laugh-out-loud funny, and in my opinion, Colleen’s funniest book yet. But… as we get more into the story, more involved in the lives of Sydney, Ridge, Warren, and everyone else, all these layers come peeling away. We get such an in-depth look at all the characters that it felt like I knew them, like I connected with their souls. It was perfect.

As the book progressed, I loved that we slowly got know the very hearts of the characters. Sydney isn’t just a girl whose boyfriend has been hooking up with someone else–she’s a kickass girl who writes awesome lyrics to songs. She incredibly relatable–she’s funny, compassionate, and all around a good person. And Ridge is so much more than Sydney’s neighbor who’s talented at playing the guitar. He’s got to be one of the sweetest characters I’ve ever read. Ridge truly has a heart of gold and I fell in love with him over and over in Maybe Someday.

One thing I should highlight is that you absolutely MUST listen to the Maybe Someday soundtrack while reading this book! It makes an already fantastic experience so much better when you actually listen to the songs as they appear in the book. And can I just say–Griffin Peterson is incredible! I am so, so impressed with the songs he and Colleen created.

Maybe Someday is like nothing I’ve ever read. I don’t want to spoil anything about the book, because it’s just so much better to get the full experience without knowing anything, but the direction Colleen Hoover took the story is so unexpected, but so real, raw, honest, and pretty much… perfect. I couldn’t imagine a better story for Sydney and Ridge.

And don’t even get me started on what Maybe Someday did to my emotions. Jesus H. Christ, it was like a freaking roller coaster. But you know what? I love roller coasters. My heart was going crazy for Sydney and Ridge and everyone, because one second it would be full to bursting from love for everything about this book, but then my emotions would shoot straight down to where tears were in my eyes and my heart was aching so badly. Maybe Someday is far from a simple, easy read. It has so much heart–from the characters to the writing, everything comes off the pages so clearly and with so much emotion.

I’m listening to the songs on the soundtrack right now (Hold On to You is my favorite one, though Maybe Someday is a close second) and I still can’t over the beauty of this book and these characters and these words and these songs and these lyrics. And I probably never will. 5+ hearts!

5-hearts

lacey

Hey guys!

I know I haven’t been on this blog for a while now (but look at how successful it’s gotten! so proud of Lacey (‘:  ) but I decided to write a post for this book.

I will always come back for Colleen Hoover.

Ahh yes, once again, Hoover has lived up to our expectations, if not exceeded them, with Maybe Someday. My feelings throughout the book? Heartbreak, awe, loneliness, happiness, and of course, sadness because of the 1/billion chance of meeting a guy like Ridge. I read this entire book in one sitting, and honestly it was probably the best 3 hours of my life.

When Colleen said that this book would be accompanied with a playlist, I was so excited to see how it would turn out! Since the main characters are both musicians and end up writing songs together, it feels so much more realistic when we actually get to hear the music. Griffin Peterson sounds amazing as well! The lyrics and his voice go together so well, and he sings with so much emotion that completely fits the songs. Not going to lie though, when I heard the first song, i was a bit skeptical because…well, Peterson didn’t sound like what I thought Ridge would. I grew used to it though, and I’ve actually had the entire soundtrack on repeat for the last week. Yep.

Ridge and Sydney’s situation was a mess. It made me cringe, smile, cry, laugh, and shake my head “no” repeatedly. ALSO- can I just say that Warren (Ridge’s best friend) was absolutely HILARIOUS? One of my favorite moments was when Sydney found out that Ridge was part of a band that was pretty well-known, and she started fangirling wow i COULD TOTALLY RELATE (that actually gave me hope that one day I will meet my favorite band member and we will begin our wonderful relationship and have a happily ever after). Their relationship was so cute and so funny, and I JUST LOVE IT. There was so much meaning in everything that they did, and every lyric that they wrote. This was a book that went from lust to heartbreak to even more heartbreak to love to heartbreak and then to full-on love.

It’s actually really amazing how Colleen Hoover is one of the very few authors that has never written a book that I was disappointed in.
Translation: Go read her books.

Until next time! (6 hearts because why would Colleen Hoover deserve anything less)

shirley

Update: Colleen Hoover released a novella about Warren!!

Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover
Review • Ebook • Goodreads

Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Dazed by Kim Karr

Dazed blog tour banner

Dazed by Kim Karr

Title: Dazed
Series: Connections #2.5 (full reading order below)
Release date: April 1st, 2014
Add to Goodreads

Jagger Kennedy never went looking for fame, he just fell into it. After scoring a major modeling contract, his clean-cut good looks and charm catapulted his career. But when his actress girlfriend breaks his heart, he moves to L.A. to try his hand at acting. He’s not looking for love—he just needs to make a change.

Aerie Daniels is a woman in control … until she meets Jagger. Her surprising connection with him leaves her dazed and it’s unlike anything she’s ever felt. But just when she lets her walls fall, she makes a startling discovery about Jagger that breaks her fragile heart into a million pieces.

To keep from losing the woman who’s changing his world, Jagger is willing to give up anything—including his career. But even that might not be enough to regain Aerie’s shattered trust…

DAZED IN GENERAL:

Dazed is a Connections Series Novella but it not necessary to read Connected and Torn prior to reading this. Also it has a beginning, a middle, and an end 🙂

Preorder Links:
Amazon • B&N • iTunes

review

Dazed was such a sweet and heartfelt novella that fans of the series definitely don’t want to miss. It only took a short while for me to finish Dazed, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I adored Aerie and Jagger’s story! I fell for them from the very first page.

We were first introduced to Jagger, River’s cousin, in the lovely epilogue from Torn. He’s a successful model who moves to LA, and here he meets Aerie, Dahlia’s best friend. I loved their first meeting–they have such great chemistry, and they have a fierce attraction towards one another. Jagger is wonderful–I loved reading about him! He’s gorgeous, charming, down-to-earth, and so adorable with all the little facts he randomly says.

As Dahlia’s best friend, Aerie was someone we always saw as strong and fierce who was always there to support her friend. But in Dazed, we get to see a different side of Aerie. She’s actually a vulnerable girl, due to the scars from her past, but I loved her all the more after learning about her past. She’s hesitant to start anything with Jagger, despite their attraction for each other, but Jagger, with all his charms, is hard to resist. I loved seeing the walls around her heart slowly break down as she spends more time with Jagger. The two of them are so perfect for each other!

I really enjoyed the writing in Dazed. Kim Karr managed to make me feel so much for Aerie and Jagger, and my heart was so invested in their story. The characters emotions come off so clearly from the pages–the passion, the troubled pasts, even some angst.

And guess what? If you’ve been missing some River and Dahlia–look no further! River and Dahlia are featured a lot in Dazed. I was so happy to see more of them in this novella, and I loved Jagger and River’s relationship! The two of them are hilarious and witty together.

Dazed is a compelling novella that fans of Kim Karr need to read! And even if you haven’t read the Connections series, I’d recommend this novella. It’s short and sweet and passionate, and overall a beautiful love story. 4 hearts!

4 hearts
lacey

Dreamcast

Reading Order: Connections series

Connected by Kim Karr Torn by Kim Karr Dazed by Kim Karr
Mended by Kim Karr Blurred by Kim Karr Frayed by Kim Karr

#1 ~ Connected: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torn: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Dazed: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Mended: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Blurred: Ebook • Goodreads
#4 ~ Frayed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#5 ~ Flawed: Goodreads (2015)
#6 ~ Perfected: Goodreads (2015)

about the author

Kim KarrI live in Florida with my husband and four kids. I’ve always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, I wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. I went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise my family. I currently work part-time with my husband and full-time embracing one of my biggest passions—writing.I wear a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of the family. However, I always find time to read. One of my favorite family outings use to be taking my kids to the bookstore or the library. Today, my oldest child is in college and my twins are juniors so they no longer go with me on these outings. And although I don’t need to go to the actual store anymore because I have the greatest device ever invented—a Kindle, I still do. There’s nothing like a paperback. So now my four year old and I make dates out of going to the bookstore–it’s time I love and cherish.

I like to believe in soulmates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. I love to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

giveaway

DAZED TOUR GIVEAWAY

5 signed sets of Connected and Torn paperbacks (open internationally)

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