Right Kind of Wrong (Finding Fate #3) by Chelsea Fine

Right Kind of Wrong

 

MrsLeif's Review

 

Jenna Oliver is going back home after her grandmother is saying she is dying one more time which she has used before as an excuse to get her home. Jenna will not spend money on air ticket, she will drive home instead. What she didn't expect was to get the tattoo hunk Jack Oliver as her passenger. She has tried to forget their one night together a year ago but she still can't. Spending hours in the same place is going to be really hard on her mind and body.

Jack Oliver is forced to go back home when his little brother disappears. A place he said he was not going back to but for his family he'll do it. He jumps at the chance to join Jenna since he doesn't want her driving alone and maybe this trip will force her to deal with her feelings for him.

Jenna and Jack both left home for a reason and now they both must face what was left behind and hopefully come out unharmed.

I really love Jack and Jenna.

Jenna is independent and she feels like love can change her future. She doesn't want any men interfering with her plans. She doesn't want to end up like her mother. Poverty is not in her vocabulary anymore. She won't be a failure although she knows Jack is her Kryptonite.

Jack is a good guy that may have done bad things but he has a good heart. He loves his family and he shows it more than once. He also wants Jenna but he gave her the space she needed. A year later, he doesn't feel that magnanimous anymore. He's there to try to make her open up to him.

As per the secondary characters, I liked both of Jack's brothers and his mother Lily was hilarious.

Jenna's grandmother "dying every year" routine was funny too.

I keep saying Ellen needs her own HEA. She has helped all three couples and it's time for her to find her own happiness.

My only complaint with this story would be that Jack's family drama was solved too fast and too easy with a bow on top. Something going wrong may have been a better trigger for Jenna to open up her heart faster.

I do wonder who the next couple is.

“Because I hurt when you hurt. And I’m happy when you’re happy—and not because you have control over me, but because I love you. And I like loving you.”

Cliffhanger : No

4/5 Fangs

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

 

 

MrsNorthman's Review

 

There was more wrong than right with this book.  Best Kind of Broken, the first book in the series, is one of my favorite reads of the year. So it hurts my heart to say this one was disappointing, just like the second. The spark that made BKB so special was missing for me.

The story starts off with Jack and Jenna in an awkward place.  They've worked together in a bar, become friends and even spent one intense night together.  Jack is in love with Jenna and he's open about his feelings. Jenna, on the other hand, is in complete denial.  Jack doesn't fit into her life plan.  She wants to be in total control and doesn't need or want a man to dictate her happiness.  Even though Jack is amazing and totally gets her.

They end up on a road trip together. She lives in NOLA and he lives in a small town nearby.  They are both dealing with family drama. Jenna's grandmother fakes near death to get her to visit and Jack's brother gets caught up with drug dealers.

"You're not scared of losing me, Jenna. You're scared of having me."

I struggled with this story because it felt like it started off in the middle.  I missed out on Jenna and Jack falling in love, which is the best part of any story.  There was no building of their feelings, no intense connection or deep emotions. The story was basically family drama and Jenna finding the strength to admit her true feelings to Jack.  She was neurotic and constantly flip flopping. The pacing of the story also felt off.  The family drama, wrapped up too quickly and neatly and the remainder of the story was a little boring and predictable. I'm not sure at this point if I would read another book in this series.

3/5 Fangs

*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Frayed (Connections #4) by Kim Karr

Frayed

Mrs Alcide

Ben Covington loses everything when a story he is investigating gets too dangerous and he is forced to join the witness protection program.  In order to keep everyone he loves safe, he must fake his own death and sever contact with everyone from his life, including his fiancée Dahlia.   When the threat goes away, he is able to go back home but everything around him has changed, and his fiancé is with another man. Trying to navigate his new life, Ben has to go through many obstacles in order to find happiness, and S’belle just may be the one thing in order for him to be truly happy.  If only he can make her believe that…

Kim Karr writes another fantastic story!  Before reading Blurred and Frayed, Ben has always been the villain of the story, the cheater, and the one that ruined his own life for selfish reasons.   After reading Blurred you start understanding his intentions, how he was honestly trying to be selfless by faking his death.  

When he gets back and his life is completely different, he turns to alcohol to help him get through the days.  After pretty much hitting rock bottom he decides the life of drinking isn’t one he wants. 

S’belle and Ben have a past.  S’belle is the woman Ben cheated on Dahl with in college.  There was a spark then and there is a definite spark now.  Bell doesn’t want her family to know she is hanging out with Ben because she doesn’t want to open that kind of awkwardness for everyone.  

I really loved Ben and Bell together.  They balance each other out and they are connected more than they realize with their pasts. 

I really recommend this book, even if you didn’t care for Ben and Bell in the previous books pick it up anyways, they will definitely grow on you!

4/5 Fangs

MrsLeif

We have love to hate Ben, at least I did. I've always been a River fan so when Ben came back I had a serious aversion to him. Since I know River's relationship is safe reading about Ben and Bell made it easy.

Ben Covington has matured. He changed his ways and after hitting rock bottom in Blurred, he is finally healthier. He knows what he wants and despite knowing that pursuing Bell may cause a lot or drama, he follows his instincts. No one has ever had the effect Bell does on him and this time it feels right. 

For her part S'belle Wilde is in a job she isn't sure she likes but she doesn't want to fail. Seeing Ben again at one of the events she's handling makes her want to be with him again. She won't deny her attraction to him but given him her heart is a completely different story.

Ben will have his hands full convincing her to have a relationship.

I liked the way these two characters have evolved. They tried to stay away to avoid hurting others but they are also determined enough to know that there is more to them than passion. 

I like being in Ben's head. He's a hard worker, gracious employer, good friend, great brother and uncle. He tries his best to make Bell comfortable with him and doesn't push the family issue.

Bell was easy to like and I was rooting for her happiness.

There are glimpses of the prior couples and is nice to know they are all moving on. 

I wonder what's next for this series.

“Sometimes you have to chase what you really want because everything in life worth having won’t fall into your lap.”

4/5 Fangs

MrsNorthman

I have to be honest, I wasn't as excited for Ben and Bell's story as I was for the other couples in the series. Ben has never been a guy that I was interested in reading a book about.  There is no way that he could ever compare to River, Jagger or even Xander in my mind.  But, suprisingly, he grew on me during this story.  Kim Karr was  able to turn this selfish cheater into I guy that I actually liked at the end.

If you've read the other books in the series, you know that Ben and Bell betrayed Dahlia years prior.  Ben cheated on her one night back in college with Bell.  They spent a really intense night together.  Don't get confused though, Bell wasn't innocent either. She knew that he had a girlfriend and pursued him relentlessly anyway.

Years later, when Ben and Bell run into each other, the spark between them is still there.  There is no denying that they are hot together.  But, trying to form any type of relationship other than sex, would be impossible and her family would never accept him.  Especially since they know the big secret that she's  been keeping from Ben.  In an attempt to push him away she suggests they should just be friends, without the sex.  But somehow that only brings them closer and she can no longer keep the secret that is tearing her up inside.  It shatters Ben, especially since even Dahlia knows.  But being the selfish guy he is, he only thinks of himself.  Until he wakes up and realizes what he really wants and needs, S'Belle.

"I want to be the one who makes you smile for no reason.  I want to be the one you can't stop thinking about. I want to be the one who rocks your world."

In my mind what makes it okay for Ben and Bell's past not to doom them, is Dahlia and River.  They are amazing together. So it's easy to see that Ben and Dahlia were never meant to be together in the end.  I'm happy that Ben and S'Belle found their own happily-ever-after regardless of what anyone else thought.  As always, it was great getting a chance to see the other couples.  Kim Karr has such a knack for creating intense connections, it's what really makes her books so great.

4/5 Fangs 

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

Happy Release Day! In Her Wake (Ten Tiny Breaths 0.5) by K.A. Tucker

In Her Wake

Synopsis-

Before you knew him as Trent in Ten Tiny Breaths, he was Cole Reynolds—and he had it all. Until one night when he makes a fatal, wrong decision…and loses everything.

When a drunken night out at a Michigan State college party results in the death of six people, Cole must come to terms with his part in the tragedy. Normally, he’d be able to lean on his best friends—the ones who have been in his life since he could barely walk. Only, they’re gone. Worse, there’s the shattered body of a sixteen-year-old girl lying somewhere in a hospital bed, her entire life ripped from her because of a case of beer and a set of keys.

Everyone assures him that they know it wasn’t intentional, and yet he can’t ignore the weight of their gazes, the whispers behind his back. Nor can he shake the all-consuming guilt he feels every time he thinks of that girl who won’t so much as allow him near her hospital room to apologize. As the months go by and the shame and loneliness festers, Cole begins to lose his grip on what once was important—college, his girlfriend, his future. His life. It’s not until Cole hits rock-bottom that he can begin to see another way out of his personal hell: forgiveness.

And there’s only one person who can give that to him…

MrsNorthman's Review-

"I destroyed her life and then got caught in her wake.  And I realize now that it's exactly where I'm meant to be."

We all make mistakes. Sometimes we don't stop to consider the consequences and easily brush things off thinking, it won't happen to me. That's exactly what happened to Cole Reynolds.

One night at a college party, he makes the mistake of believing his best friend is sober enough to drive. Cole was supposed to be the DD, but he was too drunk and handed the keys to Sasha. That mistake cost him his best friend and a very close friend. It also robbed a stranger of her parents, her best friend and her boyfriend. Cole is wracked with guilt and utterly broken. He can't get past the grief and it destroys his parents. Cole realizes he will never be the same person that he was before the accident, so he becomes Trent Emerson.

Trent doesn't feel connected to anyone. Anyone but the girl whose life was shattered in the crash. Like him, she will never be the same person. She's drinking, partying and sleeping with random guys. He wants to be the one to pick up the pieces and make her life better.  So he ends up following her and her little sister to Miami.

Cole's/Trent's story was heartbreaking and really emotional.  I loved getting to see what happened before they met. It just made Trent and Kacey's story so much more. This is the prequel to Ten Tiny Breaths, but I would recommend reading TTB first.  In TTB you get to discover how amazing Trent and Kacey are together. Before seeing Trent's stalkerish behavior in this novella.  K.A. Tucker's writing is great, so you can't go wrong with this series.

4/5 Fangs

MrsLeif's Review-

The novella deals with the circumstances which made Cole become Trent. It tells us what happened to him after the car crash where he lost his best friends and discovers that a teenager lost her parents, best friend and boyfriend.

It's so sad to read everything that goes through Cole's mind but it also sheds a light onto how much he had a hand is starting to save Kacey from her downward spiral. 

Cole feels survivor's guilt, he pushes his family away, pushes his career away, he pushes his girlfriend away, the only one he feels connected to is Kacey and he wants to help her in any way he can. But, before he can help others he must help himself.

I fell in love with Cole/Trent all over again. It broke my heart what he was feeling. He was so lost until he found Dr. Stayner who helped him figure out what he could do to make amends with all the guilt he feels. 

To me the novella adds more meaning to the series. 

4/5 Fangs

Reed's Reckoning by Ahren Sanders

Reed's Reckoning

Reed Matthews is a famous professional football player. He could have everything he wants but he feels like the one thing he wanted the most is lacking in his life. Reed fell in love with Ari during college, he made plans with her and when she broke his heart he was left with an empty space.

Now, four years later when he sees her again and the son she has, he's determined to win both back.

“Hot, alpha personalities with super jealousy issues.”

Arianna "Ari" Williams was destroyed when Reed left her behind but she had to move on. Her baby needed her and nothing could change that. Her friends have always been there for her and so has her grandmother. Seeing Reed again has made all her dormant feelings rise again. She agrees for him to be in her life but not in her heart.

Too bad she didn't count on "Operation Matthews".

The book started a little slow for me but after a few chapters I was hooked on the story. 

Reed was 100% sure of what he wanted and no one was going to stop him. Multiple times he made it clear to friends, family, acquaintances that Ari was the one and if they didn't approve of her then he was done with them. I love how sweet he was to her and Davis.

“I know guys; this is the craziest shit in my life. But you can’t imagine how it feels. I did my first fatherly function yesterday at the daycare with Davis. The kids were rambunctious, the cookies were stale, but it was the best time of my life. He made me a mug with his handprint, and to me, it’s a treasure of art. Now Ari, she’s another story. Having her back makes my life complete.”

It was easy to love Ari. She was sweet, a good friend and loved her son with all her heart. Reed made her lose all her insecurities. He showed her time and again how dedicated he was to them.

I really like the secondary characters Luke and Jack and I hope each gets a book too.

“I was put on this earth to love you and you finally gave yourself back to me.”

Cliffhanger : No

4/5 Fangs.

ML

Cash's Fight (The Last Riders #5) by Jamie Begley

Cash's Fight

I love this book. I love everything about it.

Cash's Fight is about Cash and Rachel's love story. We met Rachel a few books ago. What we know about her is that she has 3 very protective brothers who deal weed. We also know that she is a great shooter (King should know it) and that she volunteers at Church. What we didn't know is that she has always liked Cash. She had a crush on him.

Cash is part of the Last Riders, as previous riders he enjoys the attention of multiple women. He doesn't see eye to eye with Rachel's brothers. One night of passion with Rachel should be easy to forget or so he thought.

Once he hurts Rachel's feelings it will be really hard to get her back and her brothers will not make it easy on him.

“Son, make sure you want her to quit calling because a woman has a breaking point. She’ll stand by you if you kill someone, but when she finally reaches her breaking point, she’s done with you. There’s no getting her heart twice.”

What I like the most of Jamie Begley's books is how the stories are all connected. The more characters she brings the more I want to read about them. Usually, it's the opposite, once an author has too many characters it causes confusion. This is not the case. In my opinion, these books are only getting better.

At the beginning of the book Cash behaved like an arrogant pig and he wasn't very nice to Rachel.

“I bet being an asshole is a prerequisite to being a Last Rider,”

The groveling he did was enough to make me love him by the end. 

(Buddy, I think you needed to buy an alarm clock, just saying....So does Train. I'm glad the compound had an alarm system).

“You broke all the records, Rachel.” His soft voice gave her hope that something more was there. “You’re the youngest girl I’ve ever looked at and wanted. I had to leave town to make sure I didn’t go to jail over you. You’re the woman I’ve wanted the longest. I’ve wanted you ever since I saw you standing on the porch when Lily was lost. You’re the first woman I fucked that I couldn’t walk away and forget with another.”

As secondary characters go:

Shade and Lily- awesome in this one! I love when Lily tells Cash he was being a moron and Shade supports her. 

Love Lucky telling Cheryl to bite the dust. (I still don't get it how she got that many guys votes, especially since the married men are faithful. Enlighten me Jamie.)

Willa- I'm so sad you had to deal with what happened to you, and now your life is more complicated and where was Lucky during your ordeal?

Brooke- you deserve what's coming for you.

Tate- you need your own book after Ice and Lucky. Gosh your rules should rule the world.

Rule number one: no fucking around on Rachel. That means no women in town or those women you got stashed at that clubhouse of yours,” Tate began their demands.

“Rule number two: you can’t lay a hand on her when you’re mad. She can get a man’s temper riled, but you’re not allowed to ever hurt my sister.

“Rule number three: she gets to keep working with her plants and clients. They’re a pain in the ass—you can’t go to the fucking bathroom without having something disgusting growing on the shelf—but they’re important to her.

“Rule number four: you have to start going to church with her. We watched our parents fight about that for years. Rachel wants a man who will sit next to her in church on Christmas Eve.” Tate’s voice was much too chirpy when he voiced this rule. Everyone in town knew Cash’s feelings on attending church.

“Rule five, and it’s the most important to us: if you have kids, you have to let us be involved in their lives. I don’t give a fuck how much you hate us, but you won’t show our nieces or nephews that you do. We keep this personal bullshit between us. Deal?”

Bliss - I hate you. I spent the last 3 days talking bad about you with my other book friends.

Holly- who's your HEA? Greer?

Jo-  I know I already love you. Perhaps Rider will be yours?

Winter- yes, women should support women. You go girl!! Although, house punishments can be a downer.

King- loved your advise to Cash. 

Train- who's your HEA?  Killyama? 

One thing irritates me about the Last Riders men, they protect the easy girls but treat Sex Piston and her friends poorly. They need to stop that and get rid of Bliss (I hate you Bliss!!!!)

“No fucking around on you. I can’t beat you when you piss me off. You get to keep growing weird shit in my bathroom, and have strangers come by. I have to drag my ass out of bed on Sunday mornings to go to church with you, and let them turn my kids against me.”

Cliffhanger: No

I'm suggesting the reading order:

Razer

Viper

Knox

Sex piston

Tease

Tainted

Shade's fall 

King

Cash's Fight

5 Tate's Rules Fangs!
ML

Cosmo Red-Hot Reads Breaking All Her Rules by Maisey Yates Getting Off by Abby Green Switch Me On by Jule McBride

Synopsis

Buttoned-up financial consultant Grace Song lives life by her own strict rules. Spontaneity leads to chaos. Always play it safe. So when she shares a Manhattan cab with a handsome stranger and they accidentally swap cell phones, her first instinct is to track him down and put things right. Stay on track. Stick with the plan.

But when beyond-gorgeous Zack Camden answers the door draped only in a towel, Grace is suddenly inspired to ditch her rules for a day…and a night. Indulging in one delicious encounter with a perfect stranger is just the break she needs. But one turns into two, then three mind-blowing nights—and soon Grace is in danger of breaking the biggest rule of them all—never fall in love….

 MrsNorthman's Review

4/5 Fangs

I thought this book was really cute.  I want more of Zach the Cowboy!

Grace is somewhat of a workaholic. She's obsessed with being successful at the cost of all other things in her life. Including her own happiness and a relationship. Zach and Grace meet in the back of a cab and right away they have such cute banter. After accidently switching cell phones, Grace shows up at Zach's hotel and they end up spending a really hot and unexpected night together. Something Grace would never do.

Zach is a tortured artist, just in town for an art show. He's had to deal with loss in his life, so a relationship is just not an option for him. But that doesn't mean they can't spend their nights together. I love that there was so much emotion packed into this short story. It was hot but so heartfelt at the same time. It really makes me want to check out Maisey Yates' other books.

"I want...you.  All of you."    

*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Synopsis

Caitlin Ryan has never had an orgasm and she wants one! So does she
(1) Date lots of Mr. Nice-but-Wrongs and keep faking and hoping?

(2) Do a little DIY with a battery-operated friend and a lot of imagination?

(3) Go to NYC and have a wild night with a totally hot stranger?

When (1) and (2) don't work, Caitlin goes for (3). But even with motorbike-riding sex god Liam, old habits die hard, and yet again she has to fake it. Only he notices and is not happy! Could things get any worse? Well, yes, when Liam becomes her new boss. But when Caitlin reveals that she's never climaxed, Liam rises to the challenge, offering a weekend of hot sex with the only goal her pleasure. Will letting him take control work? Caitlin can't resist finding out….

MrsNorthman's Review

4/5 Fangs

This story was short, sweet and oh so hot!

Caitlin has just moved from Dublin to New York and she's looking for a job.  She meets Liam one night at a bar and they share a  memorable night together.  The only problem....she doesn't have an orgasm.  She's never had one before.  Most guys don't notice, but Liam isn't most guys.  He doesn't do relationships but there is something about Caitlin that he can't get over.  That's when he comes up with the weekend challenge.  A way to solve her problem and to get her out of his system. But sometimes things don't go as planned.  I loved the ending!

"I had to clutch onto his T-shirt to stay standing.  It was the kiss of my dreams."

*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Synopsis

Some girls are made for the city

Successful voice-over artist Ari Madden has been planning her escape from Blackwater Inlet for years. In three more weeks, she's making tracks—away from her cloying family, the gossip mill and her rep for rejecting local men who threaten her dreams. So it's defnitely the wrong time for a total stranger to start delivering sexy shocks to her lady-circuits.

Bruno Brandt meant to unwind in his new getaway cabin in Podunkville, not get recharged by a red-hot woman with small-town blues. Outrageous, sultry Ari sparks him like a live wire, though, convincing him their fling will never be enough. He's a world-class whiz when it comes to anything electric, but can he do what no man ever has before—jump-start Ari's desire to commit?

MrsNorthman's Review

3/5 Fangs

Cosmo Red-Hot Reads seems to be hit or miss. This one was a little bit of a miss for me. I just didn't connect with the Ari and Bruno.

Ari is a twin, the bad twin. She is the complete opposite of her perfect sister, meaning she doesn't live her life according to her parent's plans. They live in a small town where everyone's business is on display and Ari has dated way too many of the men. She's looking to make a big change in her life. She's hoping to land a huge account with her voiceover company and relocate to a City. When Bruno, "Mr. Electricity", shows up in town she's determined not to let their one-night stand turn into more. She doesn't want her plans to be derailed. There is a bunch of family drama that ensues, which dragged the story down a bit. Mom Mad drove me crazy!

"I've got PhDs in physics and engineering, but the energy between you and  me is a mystery I can't figure out."

*Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Cover Reveal and Giveaway! Absolute Love by Erin Everleigh

Book: Absolute Love

Author: Erin Everleigh

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Phoebe thought she had her Happily Ever After. She had a beautiful little girl and was married to the man of her dreams.

But the unexpected death of her mother causes Phoebe’s world to come crashing down.

She becomes haunted at night by her dreams, as issues from her past begin to resurface.

Confronted with the realization that the missing pieces of her past are likely lost to her forever, she watches herself morph into a person she no longer recognizes.  A person she quickly grows to hate.

With their marriage now dangling by a thread Phoebe and Justin find themselves living apart.

But Justin refuses to give up, and when he stumbles upon what could be the missing piece to Phoebe’s past, he is faced with a choice that could cost him everything.

Canadian born and raised, Erin Everleigh, is the mom of three girls, who always keep her on her toes - twins age 7 and an older sister that is almost 9.  She has a self-confessed addiction to reading that her family will certainly corroborate, and you will rarely find her without her kindle at arm’s length constantly feeding this obsession.  She is the author of the soon to be released novel, Absolute Love.  A story that composed itself in her head, which she could no longer ignore.  After months of writing out chapters on her iphone, she finally opened up her laptop and decided to take the plunge.

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