The Bachelor Auction by Rachel Van Dyken

BLURB

Cinderella never had to deal with this crap.

Jane isn't entirely sure that Cinderella got such a raw deal. Sure, she had a rough start, but didn't she eventually land a prince and a happily-ever-after? Meanwhile, Jane is busy waiting on her demanding, entitled sisters, running her cleaning business, and . . . yep, not a prince in sight. Until a party and a broken shoe incident leave Jane wondering if princes---or at least, a certain deliciously hunky billionaire---maybe do exist.

Except Brock Wellington isn't anyone's dream guy. Hell, a prince would never agree to be auctioned off in marriage to the highest bidder. Or act like an arrogant jerk---even if it was just a façade. Now, as Brock is waiting for the auction chopping block, he figures it's karmic retribution that he's tempted by a sexy, sassy woman he can't have. But while they can't have a fairy-tale ending, maybe they can indulge in a little bit of fantasy . . 

MY REVIEW

Evil sisters, missing shoe, fairy godmother, mice... oh my!!

I really liked Brock in the beginning, when they first met, how he behaved, how he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders... I wanted to know his story.

The twins are like non-other. Silly, crazy... a complete handful.

Jane was a bit of a pushover, I must say, and I'm not sure if finding her backbone so late in the book was enough to redeem herself for me.

There was silly/funny banter, boy-meets-girl, family/brotherly love and a couple sad moments, but overall this Cinderella remake was just an okay read for me.

Amazon

Silent Waters (Elements, #3) by Brittainy Cherry

Blurb

Moments.

Our lives are a collection of moments. Some utterly painful and full of yesterday's hurts. Some beautifully hopeful and full of tomorrow's promises.

I’ve had many moments in my lifetime, moments that changed me, challenged me. Moments that scared me and engulfed me. However, the biggest ones—the most heartbreaking and breathtaking ones—all included him.

I was ten years old when I lost my voice. A piece of me was stolen away, and the only person who could truly hear my silence was Brooks Griffin. He was the light during my dark days, the promise of tomorrow, until tragedy found him. Tragedy that eventually drowned him in a sea of memories.

This is the story of a boy and girl who loved each other, but didn’t love themselves. A story of life and death. Of love and broken promises.

Of moments.

My Review

Silent waters... turbulent waters.
It's true, life is made up of moments, some more significant than others.
All it takes is one. One moment can change everything.

"Not all broken things need to be fixed. Sometimes they just need to be loved."

That's what this story is about... in so many ways and to pretty much all of the characters.

Brooks and Maggie's journey is an intense one. They relationship is like no other, as is this story.

"Being in love with someone didn't mean you only loved them during the sunbeams. It meant you stood by their side during the cloudy nights, too."

There's sadness, love, happy and sad tears.
To me this book was very unique, as was the way it was told. 
There's a different feel to this book, even in the way it was told. 
Brittainy Cherry is one hell of a storyteller. 

"The world keeps spinning because your heartbeats exist."

Amazon

Levi's Blue by M. Leighton

Four beautiful days. Three steamy nights. One breathtaking love.

Levi Michaelson. 

He wanted four dates. Four opportunities to prove I could trust him. Four chances to change my mind about him.

I agreed.

Probably not my smartest decision. He was everything I knew to avoid—gorgeous, charming, sexy as hell—but I couldn’t help myself. When he touched me the whole world disappeared. I should’ve known I could lose myself to him, that he could be the one man to destroy me.

I guess it’s true what they say—some things are too good to be true. And Levi Michaelson might just be one of them.

This is one of those stories you just have to dive into. I didn't even read the blurb. 
I knew nothing, and was overwhelmingly surprised and pleased. 

This story is so much more than boy meets girl.

This is a feel-good story, writing wrongs, healing, finding peace and love.

There's so much beauty, and laughter!


"You showed me everything. Color, beauty, life. Love."

She is beautiful, humble, loving, but she is skeptical.

He is beauty personified. Manly, charming, funny. Oh so delicious.

"It's a dark, manly aroma, equal parts high speed car chase and hot wax dripping onto bare skin. Inanely. I think to myself that this must be what heaven smells like."

I love their banter, the sarcasm and witty jokes! 
They feed off each other and work so well together.

The chemistry... Chemistry oozing all over the place.

"What if the way I want to go is your way?"


Michelle's writing is beautiful. She makes you see it...feel it...live it, right along with her characters.


Amazon

Roman Crazy (Broads Abroad, #1) by Alice Clayton and Nina Bocci

Avery Bardot steps off the plane in Rome, looking for a fresh start. She’s left behind a soon-to-be ex-husband in Boston and plans to spend the summer with her best friend Daisy, licking her wounds—and perhaps a gelato or two. But when her American-expat friend throws her a welcome party on her first night, Avery’s thrown for a loop when she sees a man she never thought she’d see again: Italian architect Marcello Bianchi.

Marcello was the man—the one who got away. And now her past is colliding with her present, a present where she should be mourning the loss of her marriage and—hey, that fettuccine is delicious! And so is Marcello…

Slipping easily into the good life of summertime in Rome, Avery spends her days exploring a city that makes art historians swoon, and her nights swooning over her unexpected what was old is new again romance. It’s heady, it’s fevered, it’s wanton, and it’s crazy. But could this really be her new life? Or is it just a temporary reprieve before returning to the land of twin-set cardigans and crustless sandwiches?

A celebration of great friendship, passionate romance, and wonderful food, Roman Crazy is a lighthearted story of second chances and living life to the fullest.

Mamma mia, I want to go to Rome now!

If you have never been, you'll feel like you have... and if you have... you'll want to go back!!

I must admit I got a little lost in what is Rome. 

The food described, the places, gelato, the art, the flowers, tossing a coin in the Trevi fountain, even the Italian words spoken and people in this book truly made me feel nostalgic and missing my homeland! 

I kind of got so wrapped up in that that Avery and Marcello's story was just icing on the cake! A delicious and sexually charged cake! 

Dio mio!

Roman Crazy is funny and sexy. Think Eat, Pray, Love meets Under the Tuscan Sun meets Alice Clayton! And now, Nina Bocci!

I enjoyed the laughter not only from Avery's internal thoughts, but from Avery and her bff, Daisy's, interactions.

Throw in a hot, passionate Italian, young love and self-discovery, and you've got yourself a steamy and funny, second chance romance.

US/ UK

Fighting to Be Free (Fighting to Be Free #1) by Kirsty Moseley

Synopsis

The original Wattpad sensation -6 MILLION READS - fully revised and with brand new content

Jamie Cole has just been released from juvenile detention. Determined to go straight, he tried to cut ties with crime boss Brett Reye--but Brett has no intention of letting him go. Jamie's life is already more complicated than it needs to be, yet when he meets a beautiful stranger at a bar, Jamie knows he's in over his head.

Ellie Pearce has just gotten out of a terrible relationship and isn't looking for anything serious...until she meets Jamie. Their attraction is overwhelming and intense-she can't seem to shake her growing feelings for him, even though she's trying to keep it casual.

But when fate goes horribly wrong and Jamie's family is faced with ruin, he's forced to strike a deal with Brett. Despite his struggles, he wants nothing more than a future with Ellie. That's until Ellie finds out that he's been hiding more from her than she could ever imagine...

Fighting To Be Free, previously released on Wattpad and read by over 6 million readers, has had a makeover inside and out. I am beyond excited to finally to be able to share this cover with you!

My Review

High school senior Ellie is Miss Popular, all around all-American girl next door. Typical cheerleader with typical quarterback boyfriend.

Jamie has been dealt a bad hand at life. Jailed at a young age for an incident that significantly changed his life.

You feel for him for sure. 

"Your past is the past."

"Everyone deserves a second chance."

I wasn't sure what to expect at first and not sure what I got in the end, besides it being a cliffy! 

Have no fear... book two is on its way.

I read some reviews where they said Ellie seemed immature and childish. I didn't see that, no, but I do think there were moments, including the use of their nicknames is what threw me off a little making moments seem silly and immature, and although they had "sexy-times" and all the "criminal activity" it had a very high school/Young Adult overall feel.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I also had a bit of a hard time understanding how badass everyone saw him. He was so young when he went to jail... was he really that much of a scary mofo at 14 that now everyone was so afraid of him?

He said so himself at one point that rumors must have been flying making him out to be more than he was... but it didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Regardless of those things, there's sweet and sad moments to this story, action and an open-ended ending.

As always, these are just my feelings... please take them with a grain of salt and read for yourselves!

Amazon US AmazonUK

Locked (PresLocke, #2) by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine

Synopsis

“ACE LOCKE JETS OFF TO SIN CITY WITH MYSTERY MAN”

Sorry, ladies—and fellas—Hollywood’s hottest action star, Ace Locke, is officially off the market!

The man on Locke’s arm has been identified as Dylan Prescott, the sexy new “it” model currently featured in the latest Calvin Klein ads. Sources tell TNZ the men met on the set of Locke’s upcoming action film Insurrection 2, and that “they only have eyes for each other.”

This is the first public gay relationship for Locke, who came out a year ago, and there has been much speculation on who would finally be the one to catch his eye.

According to multiple eyewitnesses, Locke whisked Prescott away on his private jet for a romantic weekend at Syn, the most exclusive hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. After pictures recently surfaced of the new couple, affectionately named PresLocke, it appears from the possessive way Locke keeps his new beau close that things are heating up.

The world is watching #PresLocke, and we’ll be sure to keep you up to date on this budding relationship!

Ace and Dylan’s story continues in Book Two of the Bestselling PresLocke Series.

© 2016 Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine

Review

I really enjoyed the continuation of Dylan and Ace's story. In book one we get their initial interaction, flirtiness, courtship (if you will) and eventually are left with our mouths hanging open wondering just what was going to happen??

Well, this book picks up exactly where book one left off.

I enjoyed Dylan and Ace's easy-going relationship.

The obstacles they had to go thru were not easy by any means and there were quite a few in this step in their relationship, but the ease at which they dealt with problems as they came was perfect.

There was drama, but not between them! I loved that. 

“Because with you, I’ve found me.”

Questions I had from book one were answered, we got to meet Dylan's family, and of course we got the ever present absofuckinglutely hot as hell steaminess that one anticipates with an Ella Frank/Brook Blaine book!

There was one scene in particular... O.M.G.

Going back a minute to Dylan's family, I had so much fun reading about them. 

They were exactly as I had imagined and I wasn't disappointed. 

I want to be part of their family!!!

This book was sweet, sexy, sad at times, funny and had lots of love, and heart to it.

Looking forward to book three!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2chwJN9

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2bXz3wj