Tag Archives: standalone

Early Review: Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by

Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre

Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: September 7th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

A Hollywood Superstar. A Small Town Girl. Opposites shouldn’t always attract.

Cole Masten. Abandoned by his superstar wife, Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Watch out Los Angeles, there’s a new bad boy in town.

Summer Jenkins. That’s me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year.

We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But then Cole Masten read a book about my small town. And six months later, his jet landed on our dusty airstrip, and he brought Hollywood with him.

From the start, I knew he was trouble. For our town. And for me.

Sometimes, opposites just aren’t meant to attract.

THIS is how contemporary romance is done. Hollywood Dirt is just… SO. GOOD. It’s a bit slow in the beginning, but once it picked up the pace, I couldn’t stop reading. I finished this book with a smile on my face – actually, I had a smile on my face practically the whole time I was reading. Hollywood Dirt is an exceptionally well-told enemies-to-lovers, Hollywood romance. I just couldn’t get enough of Cole and Summer – I became so fully invested in their story. It’s a Hollywood romance – famous boy meets not-so-famous girl – but the way Alessandra Torre delivered the romance made it so much more than the cliché it could’ve been.

Hollywood Dirt is pure contemporary romance, which means it’s very different from Alessandra Torre’s previous books. It’s not dark, it’s not twisty, it’s not a WTF book… it’s very much a feel-good, enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance with some Hollywood thrown in. So if you’re a fan of the author’s other books, this won’t be what you’re used to, but I highly, HIGHLY recommend you give it a try.

Cole Masten used to be one half of Hollywood’s “It” couple, but after catching his wife cheating on him and being handed divorce papers, life’s not going so good for him. He tries to lose himself in women, but it doesn’t work. The only thing that can keep his mind off the mess his life has become is his newest project, The Fortune Bottle, which is just so happens to be set in a small Southern town named Quincy.

I hated that man; he was an asshole unlike I’d ever known. Why God deemed to gift men like him with looks like that was beyond me. Or maybe looks like that shaped men into assholes like him.

Summer Jenkins lives in Quincy, and she’s just waiting for the day she can save enough money to get out and away from all the townspeople that have ostracized her after a prank she pulled. The last thing she expects is the ticket to her way out to be in the form of Hollywood hot-shot Cole Masten. Summer used to fantasize about the movie star, but reality of him? It turns out Cole is just an arrogant, rude, and conceited prick. A good-looking prick, but a prick nonetheless. Summer is less than impressed with Cole (understatement) but she puts on a nice face because she’s Southern and also because she wants a job with the movie that can pay her some money. But somehow, she ends up with the leading female role of The Fortune Bottle.

What ensues is an amazing enemies-to-lovers romance that I couldn’t get enough of. Summer HATES Cole, Cole does everything he can to spark Summer’s ire, they get on each other’s last nerves – the banter between them was just incredible to experience. I felt like I was THERE watching the two of them go at it. These two characters were what sucked me into this book. And, of course, underneath all the glares and the snarky comments, is the underlying chemistry that the two of them can’t seem to shake off. They want each other so bad, but how can a relationship be when they’re from such different worlds?

“Summer. Look at me.”
I did. It was hard not to, when he was that close. And God, he was gorgeous. So much so that it hurt, like staring at the sun, the pull of attraction so sharp and dangerous that it physically hurt my heart. It was staring at something you could never have but desperately wanted, despite any danger that accompanied the attraction.

I adored Summer, I really did. She’s no demure Southern woman – she gives as good as she gets with Cole, and I loved her for that. I also loved how determined she was to do what she had to do in order to get out of a town that doesn’t deserve her incredible heart. Cole took a little more time for me to warm up to. He’s just so… arrogant and rude to Summer in the beginning. I mean, yes, he just found out he wife was cheating on him, and he’s COLE MASTEN, but he’s definitely not a likable guy. But this was just in the beginning – pretty soon, I fell so hard for this man. The way he feels about Summer, the way he can’t stop thinking about her, the way he banters with her because he wants to see the incredible woman he knows she is… how could I not fall for him?

This was not a rebound, this was not infatuation, this was the end of his life as he knew it, and the realization hit that even if she didn’t want him, he would never ever find another woman like her, he would never get over her.

I remember the precise moment I fell in love with Cole – it was when Summer gave him a pet rooster. A PET ROOSTER. Oh my god, I couldn’t stop laughing at Cole and the way he was with Cocky (yes, he names his rooster Cocky). My favorite part of Hollywood Dirt (besides the awesome hate/love between the main characters) is definitely COCKY. This awesome rooster that Cole ends up loving so much. THAT was when I fell for this ridiculous man. And my love for him only kept growing when he started falling for the woman he was meant to be with.

They say that love is finding your soul’s match in another. I found my match. I found him, let him wrestle me to the ground, and then turned around and made him mine.

I applaud the author for her exquisite writing and fantastic storytelling. This enemies-to-lovers romance is nearly flawless – it’s fun, sexy, and so heartwarming that you’ll want to clutch at your heart by the time you’re done. Seriously, this is a wonderful book you don’t want to miss out on. If you’re a fan of contemporary romances, Hollywood Dirt is a MUST READ!

4.5 hearts
lacey

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

Also by Alessandra Torre

Black Lies by Alessandra Torre
Tight by Alessandra Torre  

Black Lies: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Sex Love Repeat: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Tight: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Love, Chloe: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Moonshot: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Audiobook Review: A Love Called Simon by Sandi Lynn

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

A Love Called Simon by Sandi Lynn

A Love Called Simon by Sandi Lynn
Series: Standalone
Audiobook Publication Date: August 25th 2015
Length: 5 hours and 50 minutes
Narrated by: Erin Mallon & Mark Boyett
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

No more men.
No more rich men.

That was what I vowed when I left New York and moved to Seattle until I met Simon Young, CEO of Young International, one of the largest luxury hotel chains in the world. He desired me and I let him. I was fully aware of his love for women and his hatred for relationships but I decided to play his game. I had a void that needed to be fulfilled and Simon Young was the man who could do it. Entering into a physical relationship only was the plan. No strings and no emotions allowed. But plans are made to be changed and rules are meant to be broken. We grew closer and I was falling in love, but Simon had a secret. A secret that would destroy everything. He was about to lose me and I was willing to walk away.

A Love Called Simon is the first book I’ve read by Sandi Lynn, and it’s a fairly short and sweet audiobook that I enjoyed for the most part. I find myself enjoying audiobooks so much easier than I would if I read the same book, and I generally bump up the rating if I love the narrators, which I did for A Love Called Simon. So while I loved the narration for this book, the story was a bit over-the-top and unbelievable, though I really enjoyed the heroine’s character.

Gabby has been with her boyfriend, Brendon, for six years, even though he mentally and verbally abuses her. My heart went out to Gabby from the beginning, since she has such low self-esteem. She can’t seem to leave Brendon, though, because he’s the only man to have shown her love, in his twisted way. When they’re on a flight home from Vegas, Gabby makes eye contact with a handsome stranger who witnesses Brendon being horrible to Gabby, and ends up showing her kindness and helping her out on the flight. When she’s back home, she can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous gentleman, even though she knows she’ll probably never see him again.

Gabby’s life starts to unravel when she gets laid off from work, only to come home and find Brendon cheating on her in their bed. She rightfully dumps him and runs to Seattle, where her best friend Gianna lives. Gianna was an interesting character, since she had a more prominent role than just that of a secondary character. As we follow Gabby’s story, we also get to see Gianna’s, who is in a relationship with a married man who supposedly will leave his wife for her.

It’s in Seattle that Gabby once again sees the handsome stranger from her flight, but she’s not about to trust him – or any man – since she was burned by Brendon. Gabby finds herself a job at Young International and is completely shocked to find out the CEO, Simon Young, is actually the man she never stopped thinking about. Gabby tries to keep a safe distance from him, but Simon is determined to have Gabby, and what Simon wants, Simon gets.

Simon is very much that rich, dominating, alpha sort of hero, and while Gabby fell for him, I… didn’t. He was just too alpha and controlling. He’s a millionaire and CEO, sure, but he was too entitled to things and very unreasonable with Gabby. Thankfully, he learns to compromise at the risk of losing the woman he’s fallen for. Their romance is very quick but passionate – I liked it, but I wish there could’ve been more to their story that was fleshed out.

The best part of this audiobook was definitely the narrators. I’m a huge fan of Erin Mallon, since she narrates the Addicted series by Krista & Becca Ritchie. Here, she does a great job of conveying all of Gabby’s up-and-down emotions in this book. Mark Boyett only had one chapter in Simon’s POV to narrate, which is a bit disappointing, since I would’ve loved hearing more of his narration.

If you’re a fan of rich, alpha heroes, you might enjoy A Love Called Simon. It’s a quick, sexy, sometimes sweet read with a heroine who grows to stand up for and believe in herself, all the while falling for her irresistible boss.

3 hearts
lacey

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Release Day Review: Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by

Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne

Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne
Series: Love Unexpectedly #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 25th 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In a novel that’s perfect for fans of Abbi Glines and Jessica Sorensen, USA Today bestselling author Lauren Layne delivers a sexy take on the timeless question: Can a guy and a girl really be “just friends”?

When Parker Blanton meets Ben Olsen during her freshman year of college, the connection is immediate—and platonic. Six years later, they’re still best friends, sharing an apartment in Portland’s trendy Northwest District as they happily settle into adult life. But when Parker’s boyfriend dumps her out of the blue, she starts to wonder about Ben’s no-strings-attached approach to dating. The trouble is, even with Ben as her wingman, Parker can’t seem to get the hang of casual sex—until she tries it with him.

The arrangement works perfectly . . . at first. The sex is mind-blowing, and their friendship remains as solid as ever, without any of the usual messy romantic entanglements. But when Parker’s ex decides he wants her back, Ben is shocked by a fierce stab of possessiveness. And when Ben starts seeing a girl from work, Parker finds herself plagued by unfamiliar jealousy. With their friendship on the rocks for the first time, Parker and Ben face an alarming truth: Maybe they can’t go back. And maybe, deep down, they never want to.

Guys and girls can’t be just friends. Or not best friends, anyway.
Shit gets too complicated.

I absolutely love reading the friends-to-lovers trope, and add in the fact that Lauren Layne wrote this, Blurred Lines was a total win for me! (I always manage to enjoy this author’s books.) Fun, sexy, hilarious, and so, so sweet, Blurred Lines is a wonderfully heartwarming read about best friends who end up being so much more to each other.

Parker Blanton and Ben Olsen have been best friends since college, and six years later they now live together in an apartment. I loved their friendship – the banter between them is hilarious, but I also enjoyed the more serious, supportive aspect to their friendship. They’ve been through thick and thin side-by-side, and that’s never going to change.

Ben is an eternal bachelor and manwhore, and he’s very firmly anti-relationship. He’s also got some deep-set issues with feeling inferior to others, mainly because of the way his parents have treated him. I found this fascinating about Ben’s character, because it’s not often that I read about a hero who has an inferiority complex. Lauren Layne surprised me with the depth of Ben’s character, which she executed very well. I adored Ben, and my heart went out to him whenever he felt so inadequate at doing anything, especially long-term relationships.

Parker has just gotten dumped by her long-time boyfriend, and she’s looking for someone she can hook up with. She wants to be the girl version of player Ben, but when she tries out some guys, they just don’t work because she doesn’t feel comfortable enough with them. Then she realizes that maybe the perfect person is the player himself, the guy she feels most comfortable with in the world.

What if the right guy to scratch my sexual itch is the one who makes me laugh? The one I can talk to.
What if the right guy . . .
Has been right in front of me?

Parker and Ben begin a no-strings-attached sexual relationship that they can choose to end at any time, all while trying to maintain their friendship. And it does work… for a little while. The chemistry between them is hot, the sex between them is on fire, so everything is going smoothly between them… until Parker’s ex wants her back. Then both Parker and Ben have to confront their newfound feelings for each other or risk losing the most important person in their lives.

There are so many things I want to do to her. Things that I want her to do to me. But when her arms come around me, pulling me closer, all I can think about is being inside her. Being home.

I know when I pick up a book by Lauren Layne, I’m going to get a feel-good, funny, entertaining read, and Blurred Lines is exactly that. It was easy to read, in the best of ways. I didn’t want to put it down – I was invested in the romance and I laughed so much at the humor. My favorite thing about this book is how the friendship between Ben and Parker is so strong, yet their love grows to be even stronger. This book is definitely a must-read for fans of the friends-to-lovers trope!

4 hearts
lacey

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

Reading Order: Love Unexpectedly series

Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne 

#1 ~ Blurred Lines: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Good Girl: My Review • Ebook • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Release Day Review: Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by

Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino

Before We Were Strangers by Renée Carlino
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 18th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in New York City.

To the Green-eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.

We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.

Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…

I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. I tried to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

M

There are so, SO many amazing reviews for Before We Were Strangers, but I’m floundering on what to think about it. I loved some aspects of the book, but my overall feel for the book is that it was only… okay. I was expecting something sweepingly romantic (second chance romances are my favorite kind of books) and pretty epic, but what I got disappointed me. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad read – like I said, there were things about the book that I enjoyed very much, but there were also plenty that I couldn’t enjoy. I really, really wish I could have loved this book more, since so many people seem to love it, but this missed the mark for me.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?
M

I absolutely LOVED the idea of Before We Were Strangers – a chance encounter with a first love you lost touch with for fifteen years, only to meet up again because of a Craigslist ad? YES PLEASE! I thought the premise was so unique and sweet – I expected to fall so hard for this second chance romance, and I did enjoy it in the beginning. It starts off with Matt seeing Grace for the first time in fifteen years and meeting her eyes just as she’s pulling away on the subway. It takes him a while and some courage before he puts up a Craigslist ad for Grace asking her to reach out to him.

I felt it for Grace before I even had a name for it. I might have said the word a million times, but it sounded different now that I meant it. When I thought about what we had, it didn’t matter that it was just friendship. I loved her.

Unfortunately, what brought the book down for me was the big chunk of the book that is set in the past, fifteen years ago. Here, we meet college Matt and Grace – who I greatly disliked. I honestly couldn’t connect with them – their personalities in college were so not what I was expecting, and they clashed with what I thought about them in the present. I felt so disconnected from them and their story, and I just wasn’t invested in their budding romance. College Grace and Matt sometimes came across as irritating, much to my disappointment. The main reason for this was the writing – it was very, very flat. All tell and no show. It’s the kind of writing that’s too simple, with short sentences, and feels slightly choppy. This is the first book I’ve read by Renée Carline so I didn’t know what to expect, but I was disappointed with the writing in Before We Were Strangers. If the writing in this is similar to the writing in her other books, I’m not sure I’d be able to read them. An author’s writing greatly influences the way I perceive a novel, and flat writing means flat characters to me.

Also, the reason why Grace and Matt fell apart for fifteen years was such a disappointment. I wanted a solid reason that would break my heart, but it was only a miscommunication that could have easily been solved that broke them apart.

Time passes, life goes on, places change, people change. And still, I couldn’t get Grace off my mind after seeing her in the subway. Fifteen years is too long to be holding on to a few heart-pounding moments from college.

I do want to point out some things that I actually really liked about this book. After the large two-thirds of the story that is set in the past, we go back to the present, when Matt and Grace reunite. So many things have changed in those fifteen years for them, but the one constant is their love for one another. This last third of the book is definitely the more enjoyable part. I loved the touching way Grace and Matt reconnected, how their love endured so strong and for so long. My heart finally felt SOMETHING for these two characters. If the book had been set mostly in the present, I think I would have enjoyed Before We Were Strangers so much more.

As much as I hoped to fall in love with this, I couldn’t get past the surprisingly mediocre writing and I didn’t connect with the characters. I expected so much more, but I’m probably in the minority for not loving Before We Were Strangers. It was only an okay read for me – it didn’t wow me, most of the book didn’t make me FEEL, and I had too high expectations that weren’t met.

3 hearts
lacey

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

Also by Renée Carlino

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino Nowhere but Here by Renée Carlino After the Rain by Renée Carlino 

Sweet Thing: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Nowhere But Here: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
After the Rain: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Swear on This Life: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • INSTAGRAM • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

ARC Review: The Moment of Letting Go by J.A. Redmerski

Posted in 3.5 hearts, Reviews by

The Moment of Letting Go by J.A. Redmerski

The Moment of Letting Go by J.A. Redmerski
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: August 11th 2015
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

You can follow the rules or you can follow your heart…

THE MOMENT OF LETTING GO

Sienna Murphy never does anything without a plan. And so far her plans have been working. Right after college, she got a prestigious job and gained the stability she’d always craved–until work takes her to the sun-drenched shores of Oahu and places her in the path of sexy surfer Luke Everett. For the first time, she lets her heart take control. Drawn to his carefree charm, she makes a spontaneous and very un-Sienna-like decision to drop everything and stay in Hawaii for two more weeks.

Luke lives fast and wild. When he meets Sienna, he’s convinced that some no-strings-attached fun is just what she needs. As their nights quickly turn from playful to passionate, Luke can’t deny the deep connection he feels. But there’s a reason Luke doesn’t do long-term. He can’t promise Sienna forever, when the enormity of his past has shown him just how fragile the future can be.

I really liked The Moment of Letting Go – I may not have loved it like I wanted to, but it’s still a sweet, meaningful book that I enjoyed. In this book, J.A. Redmerski writes a heartwarming tale about taking chances, facing your fears, and letting go.

“We’re all stronger than our weaknesses,” he says. “Sometimes we just need someone else to help us find that strength.”

Sienna Murphy lives life by the paycheck. She grew up poor, so she chose a job where she wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again. She’s well-off as a wedding planner, but lately it seems like work has become her life. Her latest assignment takes her to the gorgeous beaches of Oahu, Hawaii, where she hopes she’ll have downtime to relax and expand her photography skills. Sadly, the wedding doesn’t go off as planned and Sienna once again gets swept up in work. It isn’t until she meets Luke Everett, a cute local surfing instructor, that she begins to question what she really wants out of life.

…my life has, for the most part, stayed on one straight course, never risking unfamiliar roads, rarely contemplating change–but Luke makes me feel like I can, that it’s somehow safe to take a chance on something unknown. It’s frightening, yes, but it’s also exciting, and that’s just not something I think I can ignore.

Luke challenges Sienna to take more risks and to discover her true passion in life. Sienna is deathly afraid of heights, but with Luke’s help, she learns to step out of her comfort zone and face her fears. Luke himself is a daredevil and hiding some secrets of his own, so these two characters couldn’t be more different. But Luke and Sienna form a connection from the very moment they meet. There’s attraction, yes, but there’s so much more to their relationship that I really appreciated reading about. The Moment of Letting Go is not just a story of girl meets boy in Hawaii – it’s the kind of story that takes you on a discovery of self, passion, and life.

“Most people never let their feet leave the ground,” he goes on. ”Whether they’re afraid of heights, or afraid of hospitals, or they stay in the same place all their life because they’re afraid of change–so many people go through life on the ground and die without ever knowing that they can fly.”

I really enjoyed experiencing Sienna and Luke’s story – I loved being swept away by the gorgeous Hawaii setting and I adored how Luke took Sienna on an adventure, pushing her just enough to truly experience life. I didn’t really connect with their characters, but I appreciated their story nonetheless. I did get a little annoyed at the secrets Luke keeps from Sienna – we know what those secrets are, since the book is told in dual POV, but for the majority of the book, Luke keeps a huge secret from Sienna that I really didn’t understand why he hadn’t revealed sooner.

Still, The Moment of Letting Go is quite honestly a feel-good read. I enjoyed it for the most part, though it didn’t wring any intense emotions out of me. It was missing that spark for me that would normally make me love a book, but it’s not bad. I think fans of J.A. Redmerski would definitely enjoy this newest standalone of hers.

3.5 hearts
lacey

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

FOLLOW BOOKLOVERS FOR LIFE ON:
✦ FACEBOOK • TWITTER • GOODREADS • PINTEREST • BLOGLOVIN’ ✦

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.