Tag Archives: St. Martin’s Press

Release Day Review: Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

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Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven
Series: Starcrossed #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 23rd 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

While performing the greatest love story of all time, they discovered one of their own…

Cassie Taylor was just another acting student with big dreams at her prestigious performing arts college, then she met Ethan Holt. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy on campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing on stage, Cassie and Ethan’s epic romance seemed destined. Until it ended in tragedy when he shattered her heart.

Now they’ve made it to Broadway where they’re reunited as romantic leads once again, and their passionate scenes force them to confront the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their intense college affair. For Ethan, losing Cassie was his biggest regret, and he’s determined to redeem himself. But for Cassie, even though Ethan was her first and only great love, he hurt her too much to ever be trusted again. The trouble is, working with him reminds her that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks. And when it comes to love, sometimes it’s the things that aren’t good for us that are the most irresistible.

Don’t miss the intoxicating romance beloved by over two million fans online–a story that will captivate you and hold you breathless until the final page.

I’m sad to say I’m… disappointed with Bad Romeo. I had such HIGH expectations for it – I mean just look at that blurb! And that cover! I was dying to read Bad Romeo ever since I heard about it, and plus, so many people were loving it. But when I read it, everything just felt flat – I enjoyed it, but I didn’t LOVE it as much as I was expecting too. I just couldn’t connect with the characters, and they annoyed me more often than not. And I’m such a HUGE fan of the second chance romance trope that Bad Romeo should have been easy to love, but it wasn’t. It was entertaining enough some of the time that I wanted to finish it, but once I did, I just felt sad that I didn’t end up loving it as much as I wanted to.

I don’t often read books that are set in the theater, so it’s always nice to read about something different. Leisa Rayven did an incredible job drawing me into the world of acting and theater. Honestly, the writing was the best part about this book. The characters, on the other hand…. Not so great.

At first, I was really looking forward to getting to know Cassie and Ethan, to knowing how their love grew and fell apart. The book is written in a way that past and present are intertwined. In present day, Cassie holds a fierce hate for the boy who broke her heart three years ago. When Ethan comes back into her life wanting to win her back, she wants nothing to do with him, of course. I admired how Cassie held her own against him, but then the more I started reading, the less I ended up liking her. She was just way too bitter and wishy-washy about her feelings for Ethan. I mean, I get that they still have chemistry together even though he broke her heart and she hates him for it, but the whole back-and-forth thing between hating him and wanting him got tiring real fast. I liked present-day Ethan a whole lot better than present-day Cassie, but his past self tainted him in my eyes because I absolutely HATED past-Ethan. I honestly couldn’t see anything good or redeeming about him. He was a total dick to Cassie and not at all hero-worthy. And his reasons for being a dick? They were so eye-roll worthy and clichéd. Past-Cassie was even worse than past-Ethan. Ethan was an asshole, yes, but she let him walk all over her, all so she could have his dick. I’m oversimplifying, of course, but thinking about past-Cassie just angers me. I didn’t feel a spark between Cassie and Ethan when they first met and I just couldn’t see how they fell in love.

Another thing that annoyed the hell out of me was that plot-wise, NOTHING happened until the very end. I felt like there was no progression in the plot or character development (at least until the very, very end). When I reached the end, I just felt like there was no point to this book. Overall, I was unimpressed with Bad Romeo. It didn’t meet my expectations, but the writing was good enough that I enjoyed some parts of the book. I didn’t HATE this book, but I definitely didn’t love it either. Will I read the sequel? …I think I will. Despite not liking Cassie or Ethan, I still do want to know how their story will end. And hopefully, book two will be more engaging than this first book was.

2 hearts
lacey

Reading Order: Starcrossed series

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven 

#1 ~ Bad Romeo: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Broken Juliet: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Wicked Heart: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Early Review: Last Light by M. Pierce

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Last Light by M. Pierce

Last Light by M. Pierce
Series: The Night Owl Trilogy #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 28th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (St. Martin’s Griffin) in exchange for an honest review

Tensions rise, secrets grow bigger, and passions run deeper—and hotter—in Last Light, the second novel of the Night Owl Trilogy from bestselling author M. Pierce.

Matt Sky is missing. After a solo ascent of Longs Peak that left only a large blood stain, tatters of climbing clothing, and the tracks of an animal in the snow, he is presumed dead.

Hannah Catalano is guarding a secret: she knows Matt is alive. After Matt’s memorial service, she lingers on the East Coast with his family, but it soon becomes clear that his brothers’ motives are less than gracious. Nate Sky is bent on tracking down the author of Night Owl, a book that charts the last days of Matt’s life with uncanny and scandalous accuracy, and which appeared only after his death. Seth Sky is bent on getting Hannah into his bed.

Hidden away in the woods, Matt and Hannah strive desperately to maintain their ruse and their relationship—but their web of lies only tightens as Matt struggles with the consequences of his decision, and Hannah tries to escape Nate’s libel suit and fend off Seth’s advances…until Hannah is put in danger, and Matt must make a life or death choice.

Eeep!!! I am just SO happy with Last Light. I honestly had no idea what direction the author would take Matt and Hannah (I mean just look at that blurb!), but I’m really glad overall with the way things went. Last Light is an exceptionally well-written second book in the Night Owl trilogy. Usually, second books seem to be mostly filler, but this one really fleshed out Matt and Hannah’s relationship. For the fans of Night Owl – Last Light is a heart-pounding, hot and dirty sequel that you don’t want to miss!

At the end of Night Owl, Matt has lost all sense of anonymity – his privacy, the thing he values most above all others, is obliterated. And then that WTF epilogue: Matt Sky is dead… except he’s not? The world seems to the think Matt, otherwise known as the famous author, M. Pierce, has died, but Hannah knows differently. She knows differently because she and Matt have concocted a plan to make the world believe Matt died – and it works. But now that they’re living a life of lies and deceit, can their relationship survive?

“I want to be with you. I want to be inside you. For hours. Here, by the fire. I need you like that . . .”

There are only two things Matt needs in life: to be able to write in peace and Hannah. There is no doubt about Matt and Hannah’s chemistry – they’ve got it in spades. If anything, it seemed like they were even hotter in Last Light, because they don’t get to be around each other all the time, with Matt in hiding and Hannah having to pretend Matt is dead. Hannah and Matt are living separately and they can’t be together or have sex whenever they want, which just amps up the sexual tension between them. But when the weekends come and they can finally get together, holy hell….

Matt’s desire seemed to suck the sound out of the room, and the breath out of my body. And he was only staring. I peeked at him through my lashes.
The look I found on his face is with me forever. It was need mingled with satisfaction. A hunger in his eyes, a thin smile on his lips.
Matt wanted me, and Matt already had me. I was his.

I’m not sure if it’s because it’s been a while since I’ve read Night Owl and I’ve forgotten how Matt is, but Matt… is even DIRTIER in Last Light!? Like holy shit, the things he says in this book. It’s hot, dirty, raunchy, sexy, scandalous – it’s like all this buildup from not being able to fuck and make love to Hannah explodes. And I definitely loved it. 😉

There is considerably less sex in Last Light than in Night Owl, but I liked it more that way. Not because I don’t like the sex (trust me, I really, really do) but because it was good to see the dynamics of Hannah and Matt’s relationship without so much sex. I needed to see a change, a development in their relationship, and I got that in Last Light.

Besides Matt being dead to the world, there is also the fact that Night Owl got published. Night Owl, the book that Matt secretly wrote about his and Hannah’s love story and had no intention of publishing. And we also get to see more of Matt’s brothers, Nate and Seth. Nate is the good doctor that Hannah can lean on, while Seth is the complete opposite. Seth is wild and tempting, and I loved his character, even though he’s an obstacle in Matt and Hannah’s relationship.

Matt isn’t exactly a good guy in this book either. He’s keeping secrets from Hannah, telling her lies, all because he wants her to be with him. But how can a relationship based on lies ever work? I love Matt, but I wanted to throttle him so much – he’s pretty childish at times. I wanted him to grow up and see that his actions have consequences not only to him but to the people around him. Last Light is definitely a book that had my emotions running all over the place.

Last Light was just so. good. It was nothing I expected and everything I grew to enjoy. And there’s SO MUCH going on! My heart was racing between Matt’s fake death, Night Owl getting published, and Nate and Seth. There’s not a dull moment in Last Light, and now I can’t freaking WAIT for After Dark!

“Always,” he whispered. “You feel it, to, don’t you? You always want me, I always want you. We belong together, Hannah.”

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: The Night Owl Trilogy

Night Owl by M. Pierce Last Light by M. Pierce After Dark by M. Pierce
Night Owl by M. Pierce Last Light by M. Pierce After Dark by M. Pierce

#1 ~ Night Owl: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Last Light: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ After Dark: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Release Day Review: Lead by Kylie Scott

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by

Lead by Kylie Scott

Lead by Kylie Scott
Series: Stage Dive #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 29th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (St. Martin’s Griffin) in exchange for an honest review

Stay up all night with the sexy rockers in Stage Dive, the epic New Adult series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, author of Lick and Play.

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it’s booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble.

Lena’s not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

Lord. Have. Mercy.

Jimmy, you kill me.

I can say without a doubt Lead is my absolute favorite of the series. I love Jimmy even more than Mal, which I didn’t know was possible. *Sigh* Jimmy is hotness incarnate and completely owns my heart! I loooooved reading his story so very much. I wish it never ended–I finished this book in a day. I never thought I’d be loving Jimmy this much (he’s not exactly an easy character to like in the previous books) but it took me less than a day to fall in love with him. God I love this man so freaking hard!

If you’ve read the previous book, Play, then you already know who the heroine of Lead is. Lena is Jimmy’s live-in assistant, the one who’s paid to keep an eye on him at all times to make sure he doesn’t relapse since coming out of rehab. I adore Lena. She’s absolutely perfect–she’s fiesty, sassy, a total smartass, and the perfect match for Jimmy. She’s the one who can stand up to him, but also support him in every possible way. She’s absolutely hilarious too!

Dark hair fell over his face and collar, framing the cheekbones of an angel but the jaw of a stubborn child. Every other discernible inch of him appeared to be fully grown male. The way he held his jaw, however … well.
And the man might be pretty, but he sure as hell wasn’t nice. I’d met enough not-nice men to know. Trust me to find him attractive.
So I frowned straight back at him.
His glare went up a notch.
I matched it.

Lena is tough-as-nails, and I loved every single interaction she had with Jimmy. They first and foremost become friends, which is honestly the best way for these two to start their relationship, because Jimmy definitely isn’t ready for something more–yet.

The two of them are together constantly, so it’s only inevitable that they’ll get on each other’s nerves. I love the banter between them, and how it only makes their friendship stronger. They make the best couple ever, even when they aren’t boyfriend/girlfriend. But the absolute best part about their relationship, what made me fall so hard for Jimmy and Lena’s story, is the slow burn romance between them. If you’re looking for something fast and hard, Lead isn’t the book for you. But I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect way for Lena and Jimmy’s romance to develop. The romance took a while to develop, but I felt it was the perfect pace for this couple–and just because it’s slow doesn’t mean it lacks in heat or intensity. Because HOLY HELL Jimmy and Lena set the pages on fire! There is so much chemistry between them that I was totally fanning myself while reading.

“Lie back,” he said. The look in his eyes, the tension, it was hunger for me. Amazing. Tightly leashed by there just the same. I’d never seen such a beautiful sight in all my life.

Oh, Jimmy. Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy. I love this man so much. I think the fact that I didn’t expect to love him made me love him even more. Jimmy is kind of an unlikeable character–mainly, he’s an ass. But he’s an ass you can’t help but love. He’s a tortured soul who thinks he’s unworthy of anything good. He had to protect himself and his younger brother from their deadbeat mother, and he had to recover from his alcoholism and substance abuse. Lena is his only friend–she’s the only one who can get him to open up, to see that does deserve good things in his life.

“It’s like you’re his new drug of choice. Only you’re actually good for him.”

Being in such close proximity with Jimmy, of course Lena starts to develop romantic feelings for him.

I wanted to know him, every last little thing about him. And I wanted him to know me. I wanted to be a real part of his life, not just his employee. To be the person he confided even his darkest thoughts in, the person he trusted.

Lena knows that Jimmy won’t reciprocate her feeling so she tries to ignore them, but they only grow stronger as each day passes. So she tries to quit her job, but Jimmy doesn’t want her to go. Jimmy tries to do whatever it takes to keep Lena in his life, even knowing that she deserves a something better.

The lead-up to a real relationship between these two was so incredible to read because I love the fact that Lena and Jimmy have a solid friendship to back it up with. Their friendship is the solid foundation that makes a relationship between them work. This is what I love most about friends-to-lovers romances, and Kylie Scott wrote the perfect friends-to-lovers romance with Lead–I just couldn’t get enough of Jimmy and Lena!

Fans of the series won’t be disappointed with Lead. It certainly has a different feel than Lick or Play–it’s more serious, and there’s that slow romance–but it still has that angst, humor, and tension that makes a Stage Dive book so perfect. And if you haven’t started reading the Stage Dive series yet, what the heck are you waiting for? It’s one of the best rocker series out there!

5 hearts! Jimmy and Lena are P E R F E C T!!

5 hearts
lacey

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

Oh, and by the way, Jimmy is mine!!! Kylie even gave him to me 😉

Series Order: Stage Dive series

Lick by Kylie Scott Play by Kylie Scott Lead by Kylie Scott Deep by Kylie Scott

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

Review: Play by Kylie Scott

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Play by Kylie Scott

Play by Kylie Scott
Series: Stage Dive #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 25th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller Lick.

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

“Life’s a song, Anne. Let’s play.”

Oh. My. GOOOOSH!!! MAL!!!!!

Oh my good lord, I honestly cannot believe how much I freaking love Mal Ericson. This drummer from Stage Dive is absolute perfection–it’s always the funny ones that get to me. And Mal is in a whole league of his own. He is such a unique character–you would expect a rockstar to be all broody and angsty, like the other three boys in the band are, but Mal is definitely not! And I adored him for it! He says the most ridiculous things and they had me laughing my butt off, with tears coming out of my eyes. God I love this man.

“I like you,” he said simply.
“You barely know me.”
“You’re a friend of Ev’s and Lauren’s. We talked. I tackled you. We rolled around on the floor together. It was a real bonding experience.”
I blinked.

So Mal is the perfect hero, but did I mention how freaking awesome the heroine is too? Anne is the most perfect match for Mal–she can handle all of his shit and more. But how do they get together in the first place? Well, Anne is in need of a roommate to help pay the rent, and Mal is in need of a pretend girlfriend… so everything works out, right?

“You’re moving in with me?” …
“Yes, pumpkin,” said Mal, his face deadly serious. “I am moving in with you.”
I cringed at the horrid nickname but chose to focus on the real concern for now. “When did we talk about this exactly?”
“Actually, you might have left by then. But it doesn’t change the facts.”

So basically Mal takes Anne by surprise by storming into her life–and her life is honestly never the same after.

I love how resigned Anne is to Mal taking over her life–she pretty much reacts to everything he does with a “What the hell?” She’s had a crush on the famous drummer since forever, but it doesn’t change the fact that Mal is honestly the weirdest guy ever. He’s cracking jokes 24/7, but Anne is able to handle all of him and dish out some of her own. I couldn’t imagine a more suitable person to go up against Mal’s wild personality. But still, there are times when Mal leaves Anne speechless.

“You taste so fucking good.”
“Like what?” I asked breathlessly, thigh muscles tightening. The man was lucky I didn’t just attack him with my vagina. “What do I taste like?”
“Well, like honey and cream and… I  dunno, bread?”
I scrunched up my nose. “Bread?”
“Yes. Sexy bread that I could eat all the time because you are so delicious and full of wholegrain goodness.”

Or my absolute FAVORITE part that had me in stitches:

“Hello, Anne’s clitoris. It’s me, Malcolm, your lord and master.”
“Oh, god, no.” I covered my face with my hands. “Please don’t.”

Jesus, I sometimes don’t even know what to make of Mal myself. But I still love him.

And then there are tender moments between Anne and Mal that had me falling in love with their story even more.

“Don’t have sad eyes, Anne. I can’t fucking stand it when you’re sad.”
“You make it better.”

I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect story for Mal and Anne. It’s the ‘pretending to be boyfriend/girlfriend’ trope, but Kylie Scott gives it such a unique twist. I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading. It’s a crazy, wild ride from start to finish, all because of the force that is Mal Ericson.

But… I almost could give this book 5 hearts, except the last 20% or so of the book threw me off a bit. Everything seemed rushed here and not well fleshed out enough. I wish there was just more here. Nonetheless, everything else about the book was so much fun to read! Play is another fantastic installment in the Stage Dive series, which is quickly becoming one of my top favorite rocker series!

4 hearts!

4-hearts

lacey

Series Order: Stage Dive series

Lick by Kylie Scott Play by Kylie Scott Lead by Kylie Scott Deep by Kylie Scott

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

Review: Lick by Kylie Scott

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Lick by Kylie Scott

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!

4-hearts

lacey

Series Order: Stage Dive series

Lick by Kylie Scott Play by Kylie Scott Lead by Kylie Scott Deep by Kylie Scott

#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