Wednesday, September 30, 2020

REVIEW: When You Come Back To Me by Emma Scott

 

OUR REVIEW:

Emma FREAKING Scott, how dare you make me feel so much in this novel. I've cried tears of sorrow and joy and my heart is just so full. This series, Lost Boys, is pure unadulterated YA/NA angst and really captures the emotional roller coaster of these years.


 In the case of When You Come Back to Me, Holden and River are two of the most infuriating and wonderful characters I've read in a while. Their story is one of constant push and pull and even when you want to throw the novel across the room because you cannot take one more second of what's going to happen next, you cannot stay away from it. When I wasn't reading this novel, I was thinking about it and dying to get back to it. Without going into spoiler territory, I'll just say that both of them have such heart wrenching tragedies to grapple with and to see how they manage it and their attraction and love for each other was gripping. 


We have one more novel to go--Ronan's novel--and from the little hints dropped I can tell it's going to be a doozy and I can't wait for it. In the meantime, if you're looking for two fantastic, emotional novels, the first two books in this series are fantastic reads. 



From USA Today bestselling author comes the second book in the Lost Boys series of interconnected standalones. Holden and River's emotional and heart-wrenching journey to love, redemption, and their happy ever after. 

When You Come Back To Me by Emma Scott is now live! 

At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys...

Holden Parish survived his parents' horrific attempts to make him "the perfect son." After a year's stint in a Swiss sanitarium to recover, he has vowed to never let anything--or anyone--trap him again. Brilliant but broken, he seeks refuge behind alcohol, meaningless sex, and uses his wicked sense of humor to keep people away. He only has to ride out one year in the coastal town of Santa Cruz with his aunt and uncle before he inherits his billions and can make his escape. Disappear.

Falling in love is not in the plans.

River Whitmore. Star quarterback of the Central High football team, Prom King, Mr. Popular, ladies' man. He leads the perfect life...except it's all a lie. His father has River's future in the NFL all planned out, while River's dream is to run the family business in the town that he loves. But his mother's illness is tearing the family apart and River is becoming the glue that holds them together. How can he break his father's heart when it's already shattering?

River's carefully-crafted façade explodes when he meets Holden Parish. A guy who dresses in coats and scarves year-round, drinks expensive vodka, and spends his free time breaking into houses for the fun of it. They're complete opposites. River seeks a quiet life, away from the spotlight. Holden would rather have dental surgery than settle down.

Holden's demons and River's responsibilities threaten to keep them apart, while their undeniable attraction crashes them together again and again, growing into something deep and real no matter how they resist.

Until one terrible night changes everything.

Lost Boys is a new series of interconnected, coming-of-age standalones from USA Today bestselling author Emma Scott, coming in 2020

  Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FVjR22

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/WYCBTM

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/WYCBTMg

Excerpt

On the stage, Miller spoke into the mic in a low, almost shy voice. “Hey, my name is

Miller Stratton. I’m going to play a song by Coldplay. It’s called ‘Fix You.’”

I let my gaze slide to Holden, studying the contours of his profile—his chiseled jaw and

cheekbones, strong nose, full lips. He swallowed, and I watched the movement of his Adam’s

apple. Thoroughly masculine. Nothing feminine about it.

“Can I help you?” he whispered, eyes forward.

“It sucks not talking to you,” I said, as Miller strummed the first chords of the song. “I

don’t know why. You’re arrogant as fuck.”

“Fair. You’re a grilled cheese sandwich.”

I snorted. “A what?”

“Shh,” Holden said. “Listen. This is our song.”

Our song. Nothing was ours. There was no us. But Miller sang that if you never try you’ll

never know, and the words pierced me like arrows.

I took my hand out of my pocket and let it hang by my side again. Again, my skin

brushed Holden’s, sending shards of heat dancing up my arm while Miller sang about lights that

ignite your bones.

I looked at Holden and he looked at me.

Without letting myself think, I slipped my fingers around the side of his hand and slid my

palm against his. He gasped slightly—a small intake of breath only I heard in the darkened

auditorium. Then he let his hand settle into mine. Another heartbeat, and our fingers laced

together.

“And I will try,” Miller sang, his rich voice hovering in the air in that silent auditorium.

“To fix you.”

A short silence fell before the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, unlike anything I’ve

ever heard. Miller’s version of the song was unlike anything I’d ever heard either, as if he were

singing directly to me. To us.

Because it’s our song.

Under the cover of applause, I let go of Holden’s hand and tugged the cuff of his coat.

“Let’s go.”

I left without looking back but heard Holden’s footfalls following. Warning bells clanged

in my head but were drowned in the thrashing beat of my heart that felt as it were trying to break

free of its prison like it had at the pool. Only this time I was stone cold sober. No excuses.

I pushed open the door next to the auditorium—the back area of the band room that was

for instrument storage. Huge basses loomed in dimness, and drums of all sizes and styles lined

the walls.

Holden followed me in and shut the door behind him. “Hello, friend.”

“I put in my college applications,” I said as he approached me in the darkness. “I’m going

away to Texas or maybe Alabama this summer.”

“Establishing the rules, are you?” he drawled, though his voice was thick and tinged with

nerves.

I swallowed hard. “Nothing’s changed. Nothing can change.”

“I told you,” Holden said, in front of me now. “I’ll never ask you for anything. I don’t

have anything to give. Except this.”

I wanted to tell him that wasn’t true, that I was the one who had nothing to offer. I

shouldn’t have led us here. I should walk out, but his goddamn voice, the scent of him, his

presence was overwhelming. My hands itched to touch him, to grab him and…

Kiss him?

My first kiss with a guy. It seemed as if I’d been waiting a lifetime for it and yet the

moment was rushing at me like a speeding train.

“Stop thinking, River,” Holden whispered. “We’re here. Right now.” He leaned in.

“What are you going to do?”

Meet Emma

Emma Scott is a USA Today and Wall St. Journal bestselling author whose books have been translated in five languages and featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today's Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels. Visit www.emmascottwrites.com

RECENT RELEASES

Someday, Someday (M/M standalone)

A Five-Minute Life (standalone)

Bring Down the Stars (Beautiful Hearts #1)

Long Live the Beautiful Hearts (Beautiful Hearts #2)

COMING SOON:

A new YA/NA series of interconnected standalones, coming in 2020

"At Santa Cruz Central High, we called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys."

The Girl in the Love Song (Lost Boys #1) : http://bit.ly/2MLnYhU

When You Come Back To Me (Lost Boys #2) : http://bit.ly/37BsCHh

The Last Piece of his Heart (Lost Boys #3) : http://bit.ly/2QeVlfa

You can follow me at all the places...

Connect with Emma

Super-cute NON SPAMMY newsletter: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6

Author page: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaScottwrites/

Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/906742879369651/

Website: https://www.emmascottwrites.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10405165.Emma_Scott

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2yUnFKJ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmascottwrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmmaS_writes

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/emma-scott

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Tuesday, September 29, 2020

REVIEW: Crowne Rules by C.D. Reiss


“Dante is a Dominant male hero who steals your breath in all the right ways.” —Joey W. Hill

Crowne Rules, an all-new DELICIOUSLY Decadent froced proximity standalone from New York Times bestselling author C.D. Reiss is available now!


OUR REVIEW:

 I’ve really enjoyed the Crowne series and the way each brother, so far, has met his match in a woman who is quirky and interesting and seemingly polar opposite of them. In the case of Crowne Rules Mandy and Dante are the best blend of hot mess and managed chaos.


As with all CD Reiss novels, the prose is spare and it’s something I’ve always appreciated. I don’t have to wade through a bunch of flowery text to get to the heart of who her characters are or what their issues are. In this particular novel the I'll admit that there were times that the novel sometimes felt too spare. Like I felt like I was missing a little chunk of who each of them were or what was at the center of what was driving them. And maybe if I didn’t enjoy reading them so much or want to know them more, I wouldn’t have noticed. But I did and therefore I wanted a little more of the blanks filled in. That being said, I still wholeheartedly enjoyed this novel.

Crowne Rules is a mix of naughty and sweet. It’s like if one of the Corruption series books and one of the Hollywood books hooked up and had a book baby—part wonderfully smutty and part tender and sweet. 

What happens when fire and ice are forced into close proximity?

With the paparazzi hot on her heels, Mandy Bettencourt is desperate for somewhere to hide, and her best friend has just the place.

It’s perfect. No Internet. No phone. A deep bathtub she’s soaking in when HE shows up.
Her best friend’s brother, Dante Crowne. Rich as a cardinal sin and handsome enough to piss off the devil. A man with a reputation for unforgettable bedroom games.

Mandy got an early taste of them in high school--for seven minutes in a closet. She can tell you, the rumors are all true.

Dante knows he’s got a reputation for a lot of things, including a love of solitude.
But there’s a beautiful socialite in his bathtub, and the memory of those seven minutes isn’t inspiring him to kick her out.
So he offers her a deal.
If she wants to stay, she has to work.
If she makes a mistake, she’s corrected with pink hand marks on her backside.

That’s the deal.
Beg for it or leave it.

He’s surprised when she gets on her knees, and he’s even more surprised when she likes the punishment.
The most shocking thing, though, is how much he’s starting to like her.

They can’t stay in paradise forever.
Los Angeles awaits.
But an old nemesis sets his sights on tearing them apart, and Dante may be the one left begging.

**Crowne Rules is a complete STANDALONE. You don’t have to read any of the Crowne Brothers books to pick this up, but you might want to once you’re done with Dante.**

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gpQTVf
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/CrowneRules

Add Crowne Rules to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2EJW9Fj

About CD Reiss
CD Reiss is a New York Times bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up she's at the well hauling buckets.
Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere but it did give her a big enough ego to write novels.
She's frequently referred to as the Shakespeare of Smut which is flattering but hasn't ever gotten her out of chopping that cord of wood.
If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.

Connect with Christine
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2iwpkPQ
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Monday, September 28, 2020

REVIEW: Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker


OUR REVIEW:

Emma in the Night looked interesting so I thought I'd give it a shot, especially because we tend to stay in Romancelandia for most of our reviews. This novel was what I call a palette cleanser-- it's job is to take me out of the romance genre for a few days so that when I go back in I've missed it and I'm ready for more. I think Emma in the Night did that for me. It was an interesting read--full of psychology and psychology jargon, the dynamics of a really fucked up family, and some really astute observations about how people manipulate and use and or succumb to the machinations of others. As much as this was fiction, it felt equally real. It was that realism that drew me in and repelled me. I liked how observant this writer is and yet I found myself so overwhelmed by the truths she offered through her characters that it almost felt like it was too much. The redemptive qualities of the characters and plot were few and far between. The idea of hope? Just a glimmer on the page.

While I wasn't blindside by the ending, I did find myself curious as to how our characters would get to the conclusion I'd figured out --and it was that journey that kept me interested and reading.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/2tuYle8

Synopsis:
One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.
Bestselling author Wendy Walker returns with another winning thriller, Emma in the Night.

Friday, September 25, 2020

REVIEW: Wild Fire by Kristen Ashley

She didn’t like bikers, until she met him.

Wild Fire, the all-new consuming and must read 1,001 Dark Nights and CHAOS, Black Brothers novella from New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley and is available now!


OUR REVIEW:

 Can we all just acknowledge how much we love that Kristen Ashley's "novellas" are every other writers' regular length novel? I LOVE THAT SO MUCH ABOUT HER!!! I love that I know I'm going to get this fully developed plot and set of characters and that it will feel completely fleshed out by the time I get to "The End". 

In this particular novella, we get the story of Dutch--you may remember him from Hound's novel--and his lady love Georgie. These two are so much fun to read--Dutch and his quiet, bad ass biker ways and Georgie with her sass and heart and trademark KA style. They not only entertained me with their banter, I loved how each of them were searching for that *something* that just seemed right and they helped each other start finding their paths. 

Naturally I also enjoyed seeing all of our favorite characters from Chaos and the Rock Chicks and Dream Man series--seeing them show up on the page is always one part hilarious and one part just pure comfort at knowing they're still around. What can I say, I'm a huge fan and I think Kristen Ashley fans will adore this book and LOVE that Jagger will also have a book out next spring.

Until then, happy reading!


“You know you can’t keep a good brother down.”

The Chaos Motorcycle Club has won its war. But not every brother rode into the sunset with his woman on the back of his bike.

Chaos returns with the story of Dutch Black, a man whose father was the moral compass of the Club, until he was murdered. And the man who raised Dutch protected the Club at all costs. That combination is the man Dutch is intent on becoming.

It’s also the man that Dutch is going to go all out to give to his woman.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Download your copy today!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WSfHOp
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/wildfireka
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2LQMmxt

Add WILD FIRE to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2zYPdlm

Excerpt

“Invisible Man, this for you, or someone else?” Duke asked, taking Dutch’s attention, and Dutch realized he was so lost to his thoughts, he was working on autopilot and hadn’t noticed he’d approached the register and laid down his books.
“Someone else,” Dutch answered.
“You read it?” Duke asked.
“Yeah,” Dutch told him.
“Whole world should read it,” Duke muttered, jabbing a thick finger against the screen of the tablet that stood in for a till.
“Yeah,” Dutch agreed. “Listen, you wouldn’t have any copies of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas that haven’t been shelved yet, would you?”
Duke shook his head. “Not many givin’ up that book. We get one, you want me to call you?”
He could go to Barnes and Noble, easy.
With Tex as her barista, not to mention Indy and her crew all being the subject of those books that had been published, so folks came in all the time, Indy wasn’t hurting for customers, or cash.
Still, Dutch bought his books exclusively from Fortnum’s.
And he had a lot of books.
He had no idea why Fortnum’s was his go-to. It wasn’t about buying local or any of that other millennial shit.
Thinking on it, it was the fact he liked the vibe.
It was the fact that walking in there was like walking into someone’s house.
Like coming home.
To family.
Shaking off his thoughts, he agreed, “That’d be cool.”
“You wanna stay for a cup o’ joe and a talk?” Duke asked, and Dutch hid his surprise.
The man hadn’t approached. Not in word or deed.
There were the looks he gave Dutch, the ones he exchanged with Tex.
But he never said dick.
“No, got shit to do this afternoon,” he lied.
He had no shit to do that afternoon.
Or at all.
Ever.
“Boy—” Duke started.
“I’m not a boy,” Dutch bit.
His temper wasn’t usually short, but these days, it could be.
This was why Duke blinked.
He then said, “Son—”
“I’m not your son either,” Dutch returned.
“Right then.” Duke’s voice was no longer a friendly rumble. It was tight. “First, my age can’t have escaped you, considerin’ all this gray hair and wrinkles, so you are a boy to me, and you will be until you’re sixty and I’m dead. And second, any man’s a man at all, a man that’s younger than him and obviously struggling is his son. A son he looks after.”
Christ, was he not hiding it?
“I’m not struggling,” he lied again.
“Dutch—”
“Brother, just ring me up so I can get on with my day,” Dutch demanded.
Duke was silent a beat.
He then finished ringing him up, and Dutch paid.
“No bag,” he grunted.
Duke slid the books over the counter toward Dutch.
Dutch had turned, avoiding Tex’s eyes as he did, and started heading toward the door when Duke called, “You know that door is always open, but the one to my cabin in Evergreen is too, man.”

About Kristen

Kristen Ashley is the New York Times bestselling author of over sixty romance novels including the Rock Chick, Colorado Mountain, Dream Man, Chaos, Unfinished Hero, The ’Burg, Magdalene, Fantasyland, The Three, Ghost and Reincarnation, Moonlight and Motor Oil and Honey series along with several standalone novels. She’s a hybrid author, publishing titles both independently and traditionally, her books have been translated in fourteen languages and she’s sold over three million books.
Kristen’s novel, Law Man, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Romantic Suspense. Her independently published title Hold On was nominated for RT Book Reviews best Independent Contemporary Romance and her traditionally published title Breathe was nominated for best Contemporary Romance. Kristen’s titles Motorcycle Man, The Will, Ride Steady (which won the Reader’s Choice award from Romance Reviews) and The Hookup all made the final rounds for Goodreads Choice Awards in the Romance category.


Connect with Kristen

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Tuesday, September 22, 2020

REVIEW: Stories of Anthology

 

 
  STORIES OF SEPTEMBER ANTHOLOGY Release Date: September 22nd   
 

  Grab this ALL-NEW collection of sweet and sexy romance novellas from 10 best selling authors obsessed with falling in love today, for ONLY $2.99 DURING RELEASE WEEK!!! All new. All standalones. Guaranteed to make you swoon. This collection will feature brand new stories from: Fiona Cole Willow Winters Meghan Quinn Skye Warren Ella Fields Jade West K. Webster Amelia Wilde Trilina Pucci Meagan Brandy  

     
  
  GRAB FOR $2.99 ONLY! PRICE WILL GO UP TO $9.99 AFTER RELEASE WEEK!

REVIEW:

You guys, this anthology is an absolute STEAL for 2.99 (release week only price).  These short..and not so short stories...have so much to offer. And, lucky us, almost every single one of these authors are new to us! 

You're going to find that some of these stories are sweet, some steamy, some funny, and some that start off very mysteriously; it's a great mix of styles and approaches to the overarching theme of "September". 

I've been on an anthology kick lately and I'm so glad because I'm adding to my list of writers to explore. If you're looking for some quick reads, and perhaps some new to you authors, definitely check out this anthology.

AVAILABLE NOW!! 
Google Play: https://bit.ly/2ByGszn  


      

  Blurb: Before the school bell rang on September 1st, we were already falling in love. Stories of September is a collection of sweet and sexy romance novellas from 10 best selling authors obsessed with falling in love. Authors included are: Fiona Cole Willow Winters Meghan Quinn Skye Warren Ella Fields Jade West K. Webster Amelia Wilde Trilina Pucci Meagan Brandy  

    
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