Thursday, May 28, 2015

Tell Me You Love Me (Fire Me Up #1) by Julie Prestsater




Stay. Stay with me. Stay here. Stay close. Stay like this forever. Stay as happy as I am right here in your arms, always. 

* * *

All I’ve ever wanted was to be loved, but if this is what true love is…I’m not so sure I want it anymore. It also makes me wonder if any of my memories of our once happy marriage are even real. Maybe I just conjured up the fairy tale in my head because I wanted…no…needed it so much. Who the hell knows?

“Molly just called to remind you about your book club meeting this afternoon.” He turns away. “I told her you’ve never missed a meeting and I doubt today would be any different.”

The door shuts behind him before I let a smile creep across my lips. Instantly, the hurt from this morning flees my mind and I feel nothing but giddiness. I have a book club meeting today, and let’s just say it’s not your everyday book club. 

Sure, my husband may never truly love me again…but who needs love when you’re about to get an eyeful of hot firemen? 

* * *

Tell Me You Love Me is the first in a four-book series called Fire Me Up—a sweet romantic comedy series about a group of sassy neighborhood women who have a serious love for steamy romance novels and sexy firemen. Lucky for them the local firehouse is just a few steps away and is in no shortage of hot firefighters to fill their wild imaginations.






I don't like the new trend of authors making the heroine 'into books' or the hero having a huge library at his house... that just bugs me. I think it's stupid and overused. 

This story is NOT like that! 

Lizzy works at a library, she goes to book club, she fantasizes over book boyfriends, 
she's one of us!!
I really enjoyed the dynamic of her group of friends and their interactions with the hot firemen. 
Yes, I repeat.. HOT FIREMEN!



This book is sweet and easygoing, yet hits its objective spot on. 
Love yourself and if others don't love you for who you are and how you look... 
then they aren't worth your time!

Ryan is a sweetheart. He was raised right and this book will have you swooning for him!

Super cute, funny, quick and sweet read.



Fall For Me (The Rock Gods #1) by Ann Lister


  


Entertainment journalist, Ryan Pierce, meets the infamous bad-boy rocker, Dagger Drummond, and walks away with a great interview and a scandalous news bit that has the potential to turn the music world on its ear. Exposing the story would boost Ryan's career, but it would also come with the risk of ruining Dagger's privacy – and possibly his Rock God status.

The unlikely friendship that develops between Dagger and Ryan brings Ryan to question more than just his journalistic oath to report the news. It also forces him to take a look at himself and newly discovered feelings – feelings that make Ryan blind to the risk of becoming front page news himself.

Will Ryan find the courage to make a life decision to give himself true happiness with Dagger or take the path that would likely lead to heartbreak and destroy his career forever?







Mmm whisker burn from Dagger.... I'll take it!!


Fall For Me wasn't your typical hardcore bad boy rock star romance. 
You don't get drugs, alcohol, naked groupie sex parties, etc. 

Yes, Dagger Drummond is a mega rock star with adoring groupies and infamous one night stands.. but you don't really get all of that. That's not what this story is about.

Fall For Me is a sweet love story about finding yourself, being who you were meant to be and who you were meant to be with!

That doesn't mean there wasn't some hot and steamy sexy goodness going on, because there was!! Phone sex, limo sex, kitchen sex...whisker burn!! Haha It was all hot!!

I really enjoyed the way Dagger pursued Ryan in a not so aggressive way. He was flirting with him but at the same time respected Ryan's needs and concerns.
I also appreciate how Ryan wanted to explore his feelings, yet at the same time didn't jump right into bed like I find happens in some other GFY books. 

Both men were caring and sensitive.. but sometimes too sensitive? I only have a couple of negatives and that one I’m on the fence about. Even fellow rocker Zander seemed quite nice and sweet. 
Maybe I’m just used to rockers being jerks!? 

Recap- hot and steamy, sweet and loving. This was my first Ann Lister book and I look forward to reading more from her!


AMAZON




On Solid Ground by Melissa Collins



When Jacob “Dax” Daxton returns home from war, he has to fight a new battle – the one to find his place in the world. The man who normally has a clear path to victory surrounded by brothers in combat is suddenly lost and alone. After meeting Beckett Ridge, a bearded tattoo artist, Dax’s journey begins winding down an unexpected path. 

Still reeling from events that shook his foundation, Beck has never been part of anything meaningful. Now faced with responsibilities foreign and daunting, Dax’s broken spirit mends Beck in ways he never even knew he was destroyed. 

As both struggle to find balance, they are healed by the comfort they find in one other. On the other side of chaos, they hope to find themselves On Solid Ground.



                                       

Dax is a young Army vet who is suffering from PTSD. While trying to adjust to life post military and frankly trying to find himself, he meets Beck a tattoo artist with his own set of demons and struggles. 

The first 40% was amazing, sweet and funny. I felt Dax and Beck's chemistry and friendship building and was totally immersed in their story. 
Unfortunately, for me, that's when things got a little too far fetched, sometimes silly and frankly it felt like every tragedy/obstacle known to man was thrown in. 

I am so torn about how to rate this book, so I'll just leave you with... emotional subjects, steamy sex and two hot men!










The Other C-Word (In Other Words #1) by M.K. Schiller




Can she overcome her consuming desire for him? Can he make her comfortable with the other C-word... commitment? 

Marley Mason is dreading the arrival of the new business consultant. After all, this man will most likely outsource her job to China. The last thing she would expect is a case of mistaken identity, leading to false accusations of kidnapping when she attempts to pick up the wrong man at the airport, or worse... that she would have such a visceral reaction to the right man.

Rick Randy is super sexy, scandalously flirty and perfect masturbation material, but a relationship is out of the question. Rick is contracted on a temporary basis to fix Marley’s ailing company, then pull out, although as he expresses to Marley, pulling out is difficult for him, in more ways than one! Marley’s feelings range from utter confusion to intense contemplation as Rick charms his way into her life. All of those C-words Marley can control, but it’s the other C-word she fears—commitment.




The Other C-Word captivated me from the beginning! It was cute, clever and comical! Ok.. no more c words for me!


Marley is closed off. She doesn't do relationships and with good reason. Rick is sexy, flirtatious and determined! There's obvious chemistry between the two but Marley tries desperately to keep her distance. Even after the two of them become involved, there are certain secrets she just can't share with Rick.



The beginning was hysterical! I could not stop laughing out loud! R U Randy???




As the story progressed things between Marley and Rick got pretty steamy. Not only was he a possessive alpha, but he was also an old fashion gentleman. I loved his character! And the fact he resembles Chris Pine didn't hurt either! 




I very much enjoyed Marley's family dynamics. Her sisters and mother brought lots of tenderness and laughter to the story. I also felt for Dillon, her best friend. I'd like a book on him! That would be an interesting story!!!



It was very sweet, cute, funny, sad at times and very enjoyable. I felt the ending was a tad rushed though. I was happy with how things ended, but would have liked a more drawn out happy ending.

AMAZON





Wednesday, May 27, 2015

ShutterGirl (The Hollywood Project #1) by C.D. Reiss



ONE movie star on the cusp of greatness
ONE broken girl who touched him
TEN years to forget her
A MILLION stories in Hollywood
-----------
I am not hurt.

I don’t need a second chance with him, or a life I thought I had.

While he was out forgetting me to become a movie star, I was building a career out of nothing. A career as a paparazzi, but a career. For a foster kid who bounced around every home in Los Angeles, that wasn’t easy.

This camera is all I have.

He’s nothing to me. Every time I take his picture and sell it, I remind myself that I did it all without him or his approval, his cinnamon smell or his clear green eyes. He lights up the screen like a celestial body, but he’s nothing but a paycheck to me.

He can throw my camera off a balcony, and nothing has to change. We can stay king and queen of the same city, and different worlds.

Except this is Hollywood, and here, anything can happen.





Laine portrays a tough, no nonsense girl on the outside, especially in a job dominated by men.
But, inside she's most often anything but. 
There's a sad vulnerable side to her that will tug at your heart.

Laine and Michael come from complete opposite sides of the tracks. 
They did then, and they most certainly still do now.

"You don't let the wolves into the hen house."

Yes, they went to the same high school, but Laine didn't grow up a celebrity, with a silver spoon in her mouth like he did. She was a lonely little girl who bounced from home to home trying to hang on to any shred of normalcy and love she could get her hands on.
She thought she'd found it, finally, in the eyes of a beautiful boy at school who held her hand. Until one day he was gone.

Michael is beautiful,  kind and generous. He's also a  mega star born and bred. Everyone expects him to behave a certain way and he's tried to fit that mold, his needs and wants be damned!
Until Laine.

"I spend a lot of energy worrying what people think. It's in the job description. But what I felt with you was real."

A second chance love story that will give you an inside glimpse into the crazy lives of both the paps and celebs. 

This story was different. To me it seemed as though it was but a snippet of something much bigger. I'm not sure how to explain it and there's nothing wrong at all with that, because  I loved it. 
It just has a different flow to it. 
It was sweet and intriguing as well as sexy while subtle.









Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Afraid to Fly by S.L. Jennings








I’d like to tell you that I’m ok.


That the meaningless sex with countless women has somehow numbed the pain. That it’s deciphered the constant confusion in my head. Eased the self-hatred that sinks into my gut every time I look in the mirror.

I’d like to tell you that time heals all wounds. 

That we evolve and grow into well-adjusted, stable adults, set on a path to right the world’s wrongs. That we are not our past…we are not our pain. 

I want to tell you all those things. Hell, I want to believe all those things. But I’d be lying. I’m good at that. Living a lie is the only way I truly know how to survive. 
But the day I saw her, I stopped surviving. I stopped existing. And for the first time in 24 years, I started living. 

She brought me back to life. Set me free and sent my soul soaring. Made this useless shell of a man feel like…something. Something whole and real and good. 

She saved me.
Although she believes I wasn’t even worth saving.


This story chronicles the journey of Dominic Trevino, a character from Fear of Falling. However, it can be read as a standalone.




Dirty Dom

Wow, I thought he was a dirty, heartless player, like his name states.... but boy was I wrong.

Sex was like a soothing balm to the remembrance of pain. 
Pain, shame, disgust, humiliation. It helped to quiet them all.
Let me rephrase, he is a player.. but he is so much more than that. So much more than I thought he was going to be.
Wow! Get your tissues ready people!


I read the first book, Fear of Falling, which is where Dom was first introduced, but it had been such a long time that I really didn't remember much of it. oops
But that was fine. The first 20 percent was a bit of a recap, with all the previous characters present. 
Soon I was just fine and on my way. 

This story is ultimately about Dom and Raven.. 
but it's also very much about the bond between Dom, Kam and Angel. 
These three, together, are unbreakable.. which is ironic for such broken souls. 
They are the glue that holds the other together and although it seems strange to some, their relationship is beautiful.

Everyone perceives Dominic to be a confident, outgoing, womanizer, especially Raven.. 
but he is so far from that. 
He's kind and generous. 
He is the ultimate friend.
He loves his job working with children. 
He is everything on the outside he only wishes he could be on the inside.
We get hints here and there on what makes him the way he is, but when his secrets are revealed! Brace yourself!
 Dom's childhood was gut wrenching and had me in tears. 
So much emotion and utter heartbreak. 
Bravo S.L. Jennings. Dominic is a very complex and beautiful character and you have made me fall for him wholeheartedly! 

Raven has her own set of problems and heartbreak.
Dom is instantly attracted to her and doesn't understand why she insists on looking at him as if he were a piece of gum under her shoe!



Yes there is pain, and tears and overwhelming sadness... but thankfully there is a lot of humor and laugh out loud moments as well! Thank goodness for jokes between these friends, because if not for that, I would have been reduced to a puddle on the floor for sure!

 Does Angel get a book of her own?? I'd love for her to get her HEA as well.













21 Stolen Kisses by Lauren Blakely





When I first met him I resisted. 
Like any forbidden love, I told myself he was a crush, and it would pass.
That was a lie. It never faded.

And I never expected he would fall for me just as hard. 

There were so many reasons that should have kept us apart, least of all, the decade that separated us. Growing up in New York City, I learned early on that love is a double-edged sword. Love broke up my parents, love took away my friends, and love — the big, intense, never-been-like-this-before love — landed me in therapy. Now I’m heading to college, and it’s time to give love a clean slate again. But, can I really start over when he’s still in my life Because the one man I’ve always wanted, is also the only guy I absolutely can’t have…And he wants me just as fiercely.

Can I settle for anything less than the love of my life?





This was my first read by Lauren Blakely. 

Crazy, right? I thought so too! 
I have a handful of her books, but just haven't had the pleasure of reading them yet! 
Where have I been?


Forbidden love. 

She is in high school. 
He is eight years her senior.
Did I find it shocking?
No.
Did the age difference really matter?
No.



Kennedy grew up surrounded by adults. 
People coming and going.. celebrities, artists, parties. 
She was immersed into the adult world at a pretty young age. 
I never really saw the age difference between her and Noah.
They were alike in many ways. Their love of music and theater. Their upbringing.
Was she an old soul or was he a young soul?
Maybe a little of both.

"She was some kind of magic to me. She was everything I never knew I wanted, and she'd quickly become the one and only person I felt like myself with."

Kennedy has a skewed look on love and she's figured out a way to remedy it. 
Through famous quotes and paintings, we're taken on a journey of discovery, of forgiveness, of letting go and ultimately... love.

"It's like I'm putting the love back into the world that was taken."

This story is about so much more than simply Kennedy and Noah's relationship told through stolen kisses. It's about Love.
Love letters. The love of a parent and child. The love of a close friend.
The love between companions.

 The forbidden factor is there with the age difference, but in all honesty I never felt there was anything taboo going on. Regardless of her age, Kennedy was mature and had an amazing look on life and love. 
This was a sweet and thought provoking read. 
You can't help who you fall in love with, nor can you help when that love will happen.
"It was a tragic love, and a wrong love, and yet their letters were beautiful and spoke to the kind of deep, abiding, lifelong love you could feel for someone."











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