Thursday, March 31, 2016

Dragon Soul by Katie MacAlister





NOTHING BURNS HOTTER . . .

Sophea Long knows that escorting her octogenarian client to Europe will be an adventure. Mrs. P has a habit of stealing anything shiny, and the former "hoochikoo dancer" is a lot faster than she looks. But Sophea hadn't counted on Mrs. P leading her right into the arms of a smoldering, dark-haired stranger who kisses like a dream. If only he'd give up all this nonsense about Sophea being some kind of dragon...

THAN THE FIRE INSIDE

There's a reason Rowan Dakar is known as the Dragon Breaker. The last thing he needs is to fall for a woman who literally sets him aflame every time they kiss. After all, he has a mission-one that will finally free him of dragonkin for good. He can't afford to be distracted by the funniest, most desirable woman he's ever set eyes on. But no prophecy in the world can ever stop true love . . .
 








“I wanted to know what it feels like to be a dragon.”
“I told you—it feels powerful.”
“Yes, but there has to be more to it than that. When you were around the other dragons, you were all caveman protective and acting like an adorable but enraging man. With the monster, you were pure heroic, and not that you weren’t heroic before, when you helped kick demon butt and all, but that was nothing to what you did with a sword. I didn’t even know you could use one!”
“I don’t. Or rather, I didn’t, but managed to learn fast.”
“Right now, for instance,” I said, nibbling on his ear lobe. “What do you feel?”
He was silent for a moment, his hands tightening on my hips. “Aroused. Powerful. Dominant but protective. Do that last thing again.”
I nipped the underside of his chin. He growled again.
“That just makes me…it’s difficult to put into words. It’s like what I felt before I was changed, only magnified by a power of ten.” He closed his eyes for a moment, his chest moving against my fingers as he drew in deep breaths. “I can smell the scent of you, wildflowers in a sunny meadow teasing me and raising my temperature. There’s a fire deep inside me and when you are near, when you touch me, it courses through my blood, setting me alight with the need to claim you.”
“Wow,” I said, marveling at all of that. When he opened his eyes, the gold flecks were glittering brightly.  “That’s really amazing. I had no idea about any of that. It explains a lot about your behavior with the other dragons, too.”
He made a face. “I have a feeling I should apologize for my bad manners, but every time I think about them, I feel exactly the same sense of antagonism.”
















For as long as she can remember Katie MacAlister has loved reading, and grew up with her nose buried in a book. It wasn't until many years later that she thought about writing her own books, but once she had a taste of the fun to be had building worlds, tormenting characters, and falling madly in love with all her heroes, she was hooked.

With more than fifty books under her belt, Katie's novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and are regulars on the New York TimesUSA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. A self-proclaimed gamer girl, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her dogs, and frequently can be found hanging around online.








Nobody But You Jill Shalvis




Title: Nobody But You 
Series: Cedar Ridge #3
Author: Jill Shalvis 
Release Date: March 29, 2016 
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing



SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN…

When Jacob was injured in the war, it changed him for life. Now all he wants to do is come home to Cedar Ridge, settle in at his lakeside cabin and get some much-needed peace and quiet. But there's no peace to be had when he finds a spitfire of a woman camping out on his property. Half the time he's not sure whether he wants to spank her or kiss--or maybe both. He's in a dark place and a dark mood, and here's this wildly hot woman who is also funny and light and may be the balm be needs to soothe his aching soul.

Sophie Marren is pretty much penniless after leaving her abusive husband. She doesn't have the money to pay rent or the slip fees for docking the boat where she's been sleeping. She was getting along just perfectly until the good-looking, brooding, I'm-too-sexy-for-myself guy moves into the lake cabin that the slip belongs to. Sure he's hot as the noon sun with those dark lens and even darker 'tude, but god forbid she tie herself to another man who's always telling her what to do. But the more she gets to know Jacob, the more she sees how willing he is to battle for her wounded heart...a battle she might just let him win.



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This is the story of Jacob Kincaid.

If you have read the rest of the series, you know the Kincaid are a family of siblings who have different mothers but same "sperm donor" father. Only Jacob and Hudson who are twins have the same parents.  Hudson had his love story in My Kind of Wonderful.

Jacob has been absent from Cedar Ridge for years. As soon as he turned eighteen he was on the run, joined the military and has been deployed for a while. His parting was after he and Hudson had a fight.  Jacob knows he made a mistake and he's back while on leave to make amends to his family and his sick mother. The last thing he was expecting was to find a boat mooring at the cabin's dock he's renting.

Sophie Marren lost everything in the divorce except she took the one thing her ex-husband loved more than anything else, his boat. Sophie's husband is a lawyer, he's also unfaithful and a liar. If Sophie ever falls in love again, it would be with a man who won't lie to her. In the meantime, she is living in the boat and working with a temp agency to find out what she wants to do in life. Meeting a handsome brooding quiet guy was not in her plans.

~~

I believe Jacob and Sophie met at the right time. He knew he had to atone for his mistakes and that the exchange he and Hud had years ago, was nothing that words said in anger. He also recognized he liked the way Sophie was with him. He was ready to move forward. 
Another point to Jacob was how sweet he was with his mother and sister. 

Sophie was funny, smart but also damaged. She spent her married life trying to make someone happy and failing. She was scared of getting hurt which I totally understood. She wanted to be independent and make something of herself after losing her self-esteem while married. Jacob was good for her in more ways than one. 

I love how these damaged souls found each other bringing light into their darkness.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



This is the third book in the Cedar Ridge series. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but reading Nobody But You I didn't feel like I was missing anything. Jacob is part of the Kincaid family and is back in town trying to mend his broken family relationships. He's been serving in the military for the past nine years and is on leave. I loved him from the very beginning! I always have a soft spot for military men! They are men of few words, but when they do speak their words pack a punch and that was definitely Jacob Kincaid.

Jacob and Sophie meet and have an instant attraction although she fights it initially because she's quitting men. Why is she quitting men? Because her scumbag ex of course! Sophie cracks me up! She's always having some sort of internal conversation with herself. She has a wildfire inside her that Jacob seems to set loose whenever he's around. I cannot gush about him enough! If I were a cartoon character you would have seen hearts floating around my head while I was reading this! 

'...You're going to get more than you bargained for. Remember, every good thing that's ever come into your life has cost you in blood, sweat, or tears...

"Shut Up," she said.

Jacob pulled back, a brow raised.

"Not you!" she said quickly. "My inner voice." She shook her head. "Ignore her. She's a bitch."

They are just so cute together! Both are dealing with some very tough issues. Sophie is trying to find herself after being in a loveless marriage, and Jacob is trying to find himself in a way too. Even though neither one of them is looking for love they both seem to be there for each other. 

This was truly a great story about dealing with loss, mending broken relationships, finding love, breaking old patterns, and moving on. So many life lessons are wrapped into one funny and emotional story. I am now a huge fan on Jill Shalvis and am stoked for Aidan Kincaid's story in Second Chance Summer. 

4/5 Fangs


A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. 



She eyed the bench a long beat but did eventually sit, perching primly as far from him as she could get and yet still be close enough to grab the bottle.

Smart woman.

She took the Scotch and drank. Her eyes watered and she coughed as she handed it to him. With a sigh, she leaned back to study the night sky. Her bared throat was slim and creamy smooth. An unexpected temptation. Remembering the flash of pain and vulnerability she’d unwittingly revealed, and that for whatever reason he’d somehow added to it, he spoke. “I’m sorry.”

She glanced at him as if she’d never heard a man apologize before in her life. “For…breathing?” she asked. “Having a penis? What?”

“You were upset because you didn’t know I was a Kincaid.”

She sighed. “That was just me looking for a reason to be mad at you so I wouldn’t…” 

She bit her lower lip, clearly not wanting to go on.

But now he had to know. “So you wouldn’t what?”

“Nothing,” she said. “It’s just that I’m trying to make better choices.”

“Of which I wouldn’t be one.”

“It’s not necessarily your fault,” she said. “It’s that you’re a man.”

“Guilty as charged.”

“And I’m off men right now.”

“And on…women?” he asked with admittedly more than a little fascination.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m on no one, but thank you for proving my point on men.”

“I get that,” he said. “But being off men doesn’t seem to be making you very happy, or sound like a whole lot of fun.”

“Maybe I don’t need fun.” 

He understood that. He’d felt the same way since Brett died. “What do you need?” he asked, honestly wanting to know more about her.

Instead of answering, she reached for the bottle. He waited until she met his gaze before letting go.
“Nothing,” she said a little too quickly. “Everything’s…perfect.”

“And your glass is half full,” he said. “So you’ve said.”

But he didn’t believe her. “How about a game?”

“I don’t play games.”

Now, that wasn’t exactly true. Whether she knew it or not, she’d been playing with  his head since he’d first laid eyes on her. “Three truths and a lie,” he said.

She stared at him. “As in you tell me three truths and a lie, and I pick out the lie?”

 “Yes.”

She considered this. “What do I get if I win?”

“What do you want?”

For the briefest of beats, her gaze dropped to his mouth.

Oh, hell yeah, he thought. Want me…

“My first boyfriend taught me that game,” she said.

“What did the winner get?”

“A kiss.”

Definitely still playing with his head… “Is that what you want, Sophie? A kiss?”

Again she stared at his mouth before dropping eye contact and wrapping that eye-stopping pink robe tighter around her body. “Do you?” she asked.

“Hell yes.”

Her gaze flew to his.

“Problem is,” he said conversationally, “if I kissed you, I don’t think I’d be able to stop.”

Her mouth literally fell open. The pulse at the base of her throat jumped. And she seemed to lose her words.

He went on. “But you should know, I don’t lose. That means you’ll have to tell me three truths and a lie.” And he’d hopefully get to know more about her.
She closed her mouth to bite her lower lip in what could’ve been indecision or excitement. Obviously he was hoping for the latter. “But hey, if you’re not sure you can handle losing, we can just forget about it,” he said. 

The challenge lifted her chin and put sparks in her eyes. That’s it, babe. Show me what you’ve got.


“Bring it,” she said.





New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.



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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Cuff Me by Lauren Layne




Title: Cuff Me 
Series: New York's Finest #3
Author:  Lauren Layne
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: March 29, 2016 




Meet New York's Finest-three hot brothers sworn to protect and serve the city they love . . . and the women who've stolen their hearts.

ARRESTED BY LOVE

Vincent Moretti is one of the NYPD's top homicide detectives-and one of the most eligible bachelors in town. His family, however, thinks he should date his longtime partner, Jill-a sassy, sexy, smart-mouthed blonde who drives him absolutely crazy.


Behind the quiet authority, tough-guy demeanor, and dark aviator glasses lies a man with a big soul-and a hard body that can soften any girl's heart. After years as his coworker, Jill Henley has given up hope that anything could happen between her and Vin. Besides, loving him would break all the rules. But seeing Jill with someone else triggers feelings in Vincent he never knew he had. Now he'll have to stop playing good cop/bad cop-and find a way to convince her to be his partner for life. . .



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This book was perfect! I love this series and I was dying to get another Moretti love story.

This time, it was Vince's turn. Vincent Moretti is the taciturn brother. He is also the permanent bad cop and Jill, his partner is the good cop. Vince is too serious, even grumpy at times. Getting a smile from him is almost a miracle. He is very competent and there is no doubt he's great at his job as a detective for the NYPD.  Relationships wise....not so much.

"He believed in love. He did.
He just didn't believe in it for him."

His partner Jill is the complete opposite. She is a happy person, can talk to anyone, gets along with him and his moods and she's almost part of his family. 

Jill Henly is coming back from leave. She was in Florida for three months taking care of her mother after a fall. She has great news to impart to her best friend Elena who is also Vince's sister. She is engaged!! While she was away she met a perfectly nice guy. Tom is everything Jill wanted. He is capable of giving Jill the happy ever after she wants so much. Someone to love, and grow old together. There is only one problem, she has unresolved feelings for Vince, her partner.

"A companion. A partner. Love.
And that's what it came down to. Jill wanted to be loved. She wanted to love."

For years, the Moretti family has known about the attraction between Jill and Vince. They love Jill as a daughter/sister and they won't miss an opportunity to make it clear to Vince and Jill what they could have before it's too late.

"You're not damaged. You're not broken. You're just male."

I LOVED how the story went. I think Lauren dealt perfectly with the engagement issue without cheating. The characters were both great and lovable.

Jill was the happy, open and sassy girl. Vince was the lonely, silent type. Their attraction was very clear to anyone except themselves, or they just didn't want to acknwoledge it. It was clear from prior books were this was heading.

I think all the Moretti characters are crucial. I was happy to get a glimpse at Marco, the missing brother living in California. I wonder when he's moving back to NYC.

Please, don't miss out on picking this gem up. It has great banter, funny scenes, and sexy times!

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.






A long-time romance reader, Lauren Layne thinks the only thing better than reading about happy endings is writing them. She now pursues a full-time career in Happily Ever After, a job she's naturally suited for after marrying her high school sweetheart. A bit of a nomad, Lauren's lived everywhere from Orange County to Manhattan. Her hobbies include coffee by day, wine by night, and lots of writing in between. She's also a total website nerd and insists you check out LaurenLayne.com!




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Stars (Penmore Series #1) by Malorie Verdant



Title: Stars (Penmore Series #1)
Author: Malorie Verdant
Event: COVER REVEAL
Date:  MARCH 30th, 2016


He changed my life.
With a smile, a flick of his wrist and a death-defying stunt.
He was six and I was five.
And now, thirteen years later, I am hopelessly in love.
There is only a slight problem.
He doesn’t know I exist.
He’s the star quarterback.
I’m a science nerd who hides in the shadows.
I don’t need anyone to tell me that college won't change anything.
I know he’s the star of this story.
And I belong in the audience.

Parker Elliot is going to Penmore State University miles away from home. She's leaving her small town because Penmore has a fantastic science department, because she needs to begin exploring the life she wants to lead and because Grayson Waters is the starting quarterback for the Penmore Herons.

Grayson Waters at first glance lives life to the fullest, but he is dealing with more than meets the eye. A con artist father in trouble with local mobsters, an illegitimate brother living close by, the pressure of leading his team to the championship game and a desire to pursue a career outside the football field. Decisions need to be made. For Gray, slipping into the shadows with a pretty and observant brunette might be just what he needs to finally make the right ones.









Fire and the Flood - Vance Joy
Here - Alessia Cara
Star - Bryan Adams
Beyond the Blue - Beth Nielsen Chapman
You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift
How Deep Is Your Love- Calvin Harris & Disciples
Like a Star - Corinne Bailey Rae
The Fire - The Roots & John Legend
My Body is a Cage - Arcade Fire
Water Under the Bridge - Adele
Answer - Sarah McLachlan


I first started reading romance when I was twelve. 

My mother handed me her copy of Nora Robert’s Midnight Bayou and with resignation said, “Here you’ll love it, just skip the sex scenes or at least tell me you did.”

She knew I was young and she hoped I didn’t understand the diverse innuendos, but she also saw early on that I was a hopeless romantic and had a joy and thirst for romance novels that not even she and her protective motherly instincts could stop.



Dreaming of Antigone by Robin Bridges





Every star has its own path… 

“I can’t ever be the blazing star that Iris was. I’m still just a cold, dark satellite orbiting a star that went super nova.”

Andria’s twin sister, Iris, had adoring friends, a cool boyfriend, a wicked car, and a shelf full of soccer trophies. She had everything, in fact—including a drug problem. Six months after Iris’s death, Andria is trying to keep her grades, her friends, and her family from falling apart. But stargazing and books aren’t enough to ward off her guilt that she—the freak with the scary illness and all-black wardrobe—is still here when Iris isn’t. And then there’s Alex Hammond. The boy Andria blames for Iris’s death. The boy she’s unwittingly started swapping lines of poetry and secrets with, even as she tries to keep hating him.

Heartwrenching, smart, and bold, Dreaming of Antigone is a story about the jagged pieces that lie beneath the surface of the most seemingly perfect life…and how they can fit together to make something wholly unexpected.
 








I am the type of reader who doesn't typically reach for contemporary books with hard hitting issues. When I read a contemporary, I usually want it to be cute with sunshine and rainbows. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and read this book. I am glad I decided to do that, because I think it is important to try new things. However, I do have some mixed feelings towards this book.

I will say this book had some really sad moments. Some of my friends have gone through issues that were addressed in this book, and that caused to cry a lot while reading about those issues. I think a lot of people would be uncomfortable reading about some of the issues brought up in this book. There was sexual abuse, child abuse, suicide, and drug abuse. It was a lot for me to handle.  However, I do think they are important issues that need to be talked about.




I felt like some of these hard issues weren't addressed properly in this book. They were kind of just thrown in there, and I think they should have fleshed out and discussed more. Andria's reaction to some of this issues seemed a little odd, because sometimes it felt like she had no emotions towards the issue? It was a little strange. 

I think the author did a great job of weaving poetry and mythology into the plot of this story. It was so interesting to learn about the mythology behind Antigone and how it related to the novel. The author picked some beautiful lines of poetry that tied in really well with the issues that the characters were facing. 

I need to discuss Andria's "friends", Natalie and Trista. They were the worst friends ever. They constantly tried to turn Andria into her sister, and that drove me insane! Natalie and Trista would try to peer pressure Andria into doing things that she didn't want to do. THEY WERE SO INSENSITIVE TO THE SITUATION AND ANDRIA'S FEELINGS. Trista would make cruel jokes that made me angry and even uncomfortable. 




I just was expecting more from Natalie and Trista. I wanted dimensional characters who were there to support Andria, and they were the exact opposite. 

I was really looking forward to the romance in this story. I wanted to see Andria and Alex hate each other at first, then become friends, and finally fall in love. I also wanted them to grief together. This book had some of those things, but not as much as I was hoping. Andria and Alex had some sweet and tender moments together, but their relationship was underwhelming as a whole. I felt like their relationship needed more development. I couldn't really buy the romantic connection because I thought their relationship was too sudden. To be honest, the romance ended up feeling unnecessary.

I think part of my issue with the romance between Alex and Andria was that Alex was the last person to date Iris before she died. That made me feel uncomfortable. It felt strange to have Andria fall in love with her twin sister's ex. 




However, as I did mention, Alex and Andria did have some cute moments together. It was really sweet to see them bond over poetry! 

Even though I have listed things that bothered me, I still enjoyed this book. This book held my attention the entire time. There were plot twists that kept me glued to the pages. There was such an addictive quality to this book. Even though there were times when I was upset or annoyed, I could not put the book down. I also liked the main character, Andria. I thought she was a great narrator. She was flawed, but I felt like that made her more relatable. I also really liked Alex as an individual. He would be a character I would like to learn more about, because I think there is a lot more to him to be revealed. 

There were a lot of storylines that weren't tied up at the end of this book. I hope the author will write a sequel so these storylines can be addressed. I would like to know what happens next!

3 / 5 Fangs

*This ebook was given to me in exchange for a honest review. *