Tag Archives: standalone

Blog Tour + ARC Review: A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole

Posted in 3 hearts, Blog Tours, Reviews by

Welcome to today’s stop on the tour for A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole!

A Veil of Vines by Tillie Cole
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: November 28th 2016
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To most people, princes, princesses, counts and dukes are found only in the pages of the most famous of fairytales. Crowns, priceless jewels and gilded thrones belong only in childhood dreams.

But for some, these frivolous fancies are truth.

For some, they are real life.

On Manhattan’s Upper East Side, people have always treated me as someone special. All because of my ancestral name and legacy. All because of a connection I share to our home country’s most important family of all.

I am Caresa Acardi, the Duchessa di Parma. A blue blood of Italy. I was born to marry well. And now the marriage date is set.

I am to marry into House Savona. The family that would have been the royals had Italy not abolished the monarchy in 1946. But to the aristocrats of my home, the abolition means nothing at all.

The Savonas still hold power where it counts most.

In our tight-knit world of money, status and masked balls, they are everything and more.

And I am soon to become one of them.

I am soon to become Prince Zeno Savona’s wife…

… or at least I was, until I met Achille.

And everything changed.

Buy Links:
Amazon US • Amazon UK • Amazon AU • Amazon CA • Kobo

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A Veil of Vines is pretty different from what Tillie Cole has released before – it’s a fairly sweet and simple romance that isn’t too dramatic or angsty. I was intrigued enough by the blurb, but wasn’t sure what to expect in the book. While there wasn’t anything that particularly wowed me, I did appreciate the simplicity of the love story. It’s predictable and a little cheesy, but if you’re a fan of the author, then you might want to pick this book up.

Since she was a child, Caresa Acardi was a promised bride of the heir of the former royal Savonas. Her family was considered royalty in Italy, which meant arranged marriages, so she must continue the tradition with Zeno Savona, despite the fact that she doesn’t know him. But when she arrives in Italy, it’s not the prince she ends up falling for, but the shy winemaker on the Savona’s land.

Achille Marchesi is a sweet, shy, humble hero, something that I’m sadly not used to in the romances I read. He was a breath of fresh air to read about, and definitely my favorite part of this book. It’s a touch of a forbidden love story between them, but it’s pretty low on drama like I said before. I could see how things would work out between Achille and Caresa but it was still enjoyable reading about how the two of them fell for each other despite the factors going against them.

Simple and romantic, A Veil of Vines isn’t quite the epic love story, but I think for those who like Tillie Cole’s way of writing and storytelling, this will be a hit. It’s not a favorite of mine from her books, but I don’t regret reading it, and I’m excited for more from her!

3 hearts
lacey

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Tillie ColeTillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Instagram • Goodreads

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One (1) Signed Copy of A Veil of Vines + Limited-Edition The Future Mrs. Marchesi T-Shirt

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ARC Review: Looking Inside by Beth Kery

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Looking Inside by Beth Kery
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: November 1st 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The New York Times bestselling author who brought you Glow, Glimmer, and The Affair is back with a new novel that will have you leaving the curtains open.
 
Are you just going to stand there and watch?
 
Eleanor Briggs just can’t help herself. The sight of the man in the high-rise across the street is driving her wild. She longs to feel his touch up close and personal. To win him over, she’ll need to shake off her wallflower sensibilities and become the seductress she never imagined she could be. The only trouble will be finding the perfect way to meet him…
 
Or are you going to join in?

Sex is easy for millionaire entrepreneur Trey Riordan. Finding something of substance, however, seems impossible. That is until a simple night of reading at a local coffee shop becomes something far steamier when a beautiful brunette comes by and leaves a note telling him to look out his bedroom window at eleven o’clock. But when the time comes, neither of them will be truly ready for what follows…

Looking Inside took me by surprise in the best way possible. Going in, I was expecting just a steamy erotica with an exhibitionism/voyeurism theme, but it turned out to be so more more than that! I don’t believe I’ve read any of Beth Kery’s books before, but if they’re as incredible as this one was, I’ll definitely have to get on that. I love her writing and I loved the main characters of Looking Inside. Trey and Eleanor were so much fun to read about – I would highly recommend this book to erotica lovers!

For months, Eleanor Briggs has been looking out her window to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous man in the high-rise across the street. She’s seen him a total of seven times, but six of them were of him having sex, and every time Eleanor imagined that it was herself underneath him and experiencing all the kinky things he’s inclined to. One day, she gets the chance to meet the one and only Trey Riordan and transforms herself from her quiet, boring librarian self to a confident, sexy, sultry woman she wishes she truly was. The moment they meet in person, the insta-lust goes haywire – I loved the chemistry between these two!

Trey is an absolute sweetheart. For all the money he has, he’s very down-to-earth, though he does have alpha tendencies. He’s been burned enough times by women who only want him for his money, so he’s put his romantic life on the back-burner, but the second he meets Eleanor, he wants her bad. Along the way, though, he starts falling for her, too – but he’s the kind of man who values honesty and trust, and he’s been falling for a version of Eleanor that’s only a persona… or is it?

I’m not the biggest fan of BDSM, but Looking Inside was just the right amount of kinky that I really enjoyed. It wasn’t too much or too little – Beth Kery knows how to balance out the steam and the story, which I definitely appreciated. The main characters were a delight to read about, and I’m not just talking about their chemistry. Their romance was sweet and genuine, even as they explored their exhibitionist/voyeuristic sides. I seriously adored this book and am definitely looking forward to more from this author!

4 hearts
lacey

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Release Day Review: Tonic by Staci Hart

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

Tonic by Staci Hart
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: October 13th 2016
Links: Ebook • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Joel Anderson doesn’t take anything seriously.

Not his relationships, which have been few and far between since his brutal divorce. Not the drama of working in a tattoo parlor, which seems to be around every corner. When things get him down, he smiles and cracks a joke. But he’s not the kind of man you cross, or you’ll find yourself at the wrong end of his fists.

Annika Belousov takes everything seriously.

Like her job as a reality television producer, given that she typically has something to prove. Or her love life, which is defined by a series of requirements — affluent, ambitious, accomplished, to name a few. Definitely her family, who worked their whole lives to afford her every opportunity, a sacrifice she doesn’t take lightly. When she’s tapped to produce a reality show at Joel’s shop, she doesn’t think twice, just goes in for the kill, as if there were any other way.

The second Annika walks into Joel’s shop, he makes it his mission to crack her open, but she’s not having it. He’s all wrong — too crass, too hairy, too un-serious. But it doesn’t take her long to find out there’s more to him than smirks and tattoos. And what she finds could put her career and his heart on the line.

Not that Joel cares. Because for the first time in a long time, he’s found his tonic.

I was excited for Tonic mainly because of Joel – he was so intriguing in Wasted Words, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his story. It wasn’t quite what I expected though – I didn’t love Tonic or hate it. It was very meh for me, to be honest, and I just wasn’t feeling the romance or story at all. The romance was too superficial and not fleshed out enough for me, and the story dragged too much. That being said, it’s not a bad book. I’d say if you’ve been a long-time fan of the author and her writing, then you’ll probably enjoy Tonic.

Joel and his brother are tattoo shop c0-owners, and they’ve just signed on with a TV producer to film a reality show based off their tattoo shop, Tonic. Joel is reluctant to have anything to do with being part of a reality show, so he’s not going to make it easy for the producers to film. But when he meets Annika Belousov, he might not like her job, but he’s definitely intrigued by her as a woman. He can’t stop thinking about her, taunting her… trying to get her into his bed.

Annika is the total opposite of Joel – while he’s laid-back and relaxed, she’s uptight and serious about everything she does. She has an incredible work ethic, though they don’t call her an ice queen for nothing. But what happens when Joel starts to melt the walls around her heart? Can she choose between the man she’s falling for or the career she’s worked so hard to achieve?

While I enjoyed Tonic on a surface level, there were things that prevented me from connecting with the book on a deeper level. Some parts felt too forced and a little awkward – the author tried to fit in too many references to pop culture that it got old fast. I really only cared about Joel and Annika, but these two took too long to sort their problems out and used sex as an avoidance tactic too often. Joel annoyed me in the second half of the novel – he doesn’t seem to know when to take responsibility and likes to blame other people for mistakes that he’s a part of. His character also didn’t feel like a 38-year-old man – he seemed a lot younger and immature, which was not a good thing.

Tonic wasn’t a bad book, but’s it’s definitely one of my least favorites from Staci Hart. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to connect with her future novels more – I still have hope that she’ll write another book as good, or even better than, Chaser!

3 hearts
lacey

Tonic is a standalone spinoff of Wasted Words. Joel first appears here in this book!

Wasted Words: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

Tonic and Wasted Words are a standalone spinoffs of the Bad Habits series, a series of standalones with characters featured in the spinoffs!

Reading Order: Bad Habits series

With a Twist by Staci Hart Chaser by Staci Hart Last Call by Staci Hart

#1 ~ With a Twist: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Chaser: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Last Call: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads

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Audiobook Review: Marrow by Tarryn Fisher

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Marrow by Tarryn Fisher
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: September 6th 2016
Length: 10 hours and 7 minutes
Narrated by: Audra Pagano
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

In the Bone there is a house. In the house there is a girl. In the girl there is a darkness.

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change.

When a neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Neveah Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her. What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life she’s determined to find evil and punish it – targeting rapists and child molesters one by one. But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul.

I honestly don’t know what to make of Marrow. This was my first Tarryn Fisher book and, well, to say it’s a little weird would be an understatement. It’s dark, twisty, disturbing – Marrow is not for the faint of heart. But if you’re ready to dive into a psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, this audiobook is for you. And if you’re a fan of Tarryn Fisher’s, I’m sure you’re used to her disturbing stories, so Marrow probably won’t be a disappointment!

Margo has lived her whole life in the Bone. The Bone is where the poor, the addicts, the hopeless reside. Margo herself is one of the hopeless, waiting for her mother to acknowledge her and knowing she never will. But one day Margo strikes a conversation with her handicapped neighbor, Judah, and when they start to form a relationship, things start to look up for her… until a seven-year-old girl goes missing, and Margo is determined to find out the culprit. And when she does, let’s just say Margo has her own form of justice. She becomes a vigilante, dealing out justice against those who deserve it… or do they?

The fascinating thing about Marrow is that sometime during the second half of the story, you don’t really know what is reality and what is not. Things are kind of all over the place and you’re left feeling pretty confused. I’m still not sure what to make of the story, though I do applaud the author for this wild trip of a thriller. I didn’t LOVE the story, but it was intriguing enough to keep me listening and wanting to know more. The narrator has an awkward, young adult feel to her, which fit Margo’s voice perfectly. At first I wasn’t a fan of the narration, but as I listened on and got to know the heroine better, I realized it was a perfect match. So audiobook-wise, it was a great listen, but the story just wasn’t exactly for me.

MARROW is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2d1EUML

3 hearts
lacey

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Release Day Review: Breaking Him by Sherilee Gray

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

Breaking Him by Sherilee Gray
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: September 5th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Folks in town call him a monster—say he’s dangerous. But I know him simply as Elijah Hays, the quiet, gentle giant who works with the horses on my ranch. I can feel him watching me, that steady intense gaze making me crave things I don’t quite understand, burn in a way that frightens me. He’s always kept his distance…until that night.

I remember him coming to my rescue, me following him into the barn, giving him his first taste of a woman, and his inexperienced yet barely reined touch turning me to ash.

Now all I can think about is exposing the dark desire I see deep inside him—having him turn those dark desires on me. That low, gritty voice rasping orders in my ear. Those huge, rough hands holding me down when a storm blows in.

I want his surrender. His control. I want to break him…and have him break me…

Y’all, I haven’t read some good smut in ages, but Breaking Him pushed allll the right buttons for me. Lovely heroine I adored? Check. Alpha hero who’s the strong and silent type, a cowboy, a gentleman, and a VIRGIN? Check, check, check. Hot, dirty, sweaty, sexy smut where the hero basically worships the heroine and deals out some good dirty talk? CHECK! So basically, I loved this book – I had so much fun reading it, and if the author’s other books are anything like Breaking Him, I’m going to need to start them stat. You can never have too much smut in your life!

I wanted to break through, break him—so I could put him back together piece by piece and make him whole again.

After inheriting her father’s ranch, Abigail has barely been able to keep the ranch afloat. It doesn’t help that every day she’s insanely attracted to and distracted by her ranch hand, the big, brooding Elijah Hays. Thanks to the way he grew up, everyone in their small town thinks he’s a monster, but Abigail’s the only one who knows otherwise. She sees him for the good, kind, honest man he is – that she just happens to imagine him in her sexual fantasies doesn’t influence the way she sees him either. But when Eli accidentally walks in on her masturbation session, the chemistry that’s been brewing between them suddenly explodes, and these two can’t keep their hands off each other.

“You feel so good. So soft and warm and goddamn perfect.” He licked his lips. “Darlin’, you’re all over my hand.” I was gripping his biceps, and the muscles twitched. “I can smell you. Christ, I think I’m losing my mind, Abigail. Making you feel good, it’s all I want to do. I never want to stop.”

I love me some virgin heroes, and a cowboy one at that. Eli is my favorite kind of hero, too, one who’s protective, caring, and willing to do anything for his woman. Abigail is the only one for him, and he makes this so obvious I couldn’t help but swoon. I loved the way these two were together, how well they worked both on the ranch and in bed. And though Eli is a virgin, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing – the smut in Breaking Him nearly reminds me of Tessa Bailey’s, and that’s high praise if you know me 😉 But of course, Abigail and Eli can’t stay on the ranch forever. The town’s judgment, the fate of the ranch, and all the outside forces seem to be against these two being together. But the love and dedication they have for one another isn’t so easy to break.

“You’re my salvation, Abigail,” he said, voice low and guttural, each word punctuated with an almost violent thrust of his hips. “Right here, inside you, I’m redeemed. I’m the man you need. I’m yours and you’re mine.”

This is erotic romance at its finest. If you enjoy that genre, you MUST give Breaking Him a try! I loved the characters and the smut. If anyone can tell me where I can find more virgin cowboy heroes, please tell me, because I am ALL about that now. Now I’m off to read more books by Sherilee Gray, because I need more of her smut in my life!

4.5 hearts
lacey

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

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