Trust: A New Beginning by Cristiane Serruya

Trust: A New Beginning by Cristiane Serruya
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Trust is a complex story that is wonderfully developed with enough mystery and suspense to keep the reader guessing the whole way through. The character development in Trust was fabulous. The characters have their own issues, are not perfect, but are wonderful each in their own way. They were easy to relate to, especially Sophia, and by the end of the story I felt that I knew them personally. Their stories were interesting to say the least, and once they crossed paths their lives were woven together in an exciting, breathtaking way.

Sophia is a young, beautiful, rich widow. She is also very intelligent, which is a characteristic you do not often see in female leads. Ethan and Alistair are equally rich playboys. Either of them could have any woman they wanted – and they both want Sophia.

The author's writing is beautifully descriptive, sometimes overly so; it is nice while reading a story for some of the little things to be left up to the imagination. The brand name dropping was a bit much as well. However, the emotion the author was able to put into the story through her words was incredible, full of ups and downs. I really love book that makes me feel for the characters. And after that ending, I will definitely be looking for book two in the Trust series.

I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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So Many Reasons Why by Missy Johnson

So Many Reasons Why by Missy Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emma is stuck in the past, dealing with the aftermath of a devastating attack from her childhood. She has not left her house willingly in the ten years subsequent to the attack and has continuing nightmares. Taking classes online, Emma finds an unlikely friend in one of her professors.

Simon is significantly older than Emma, her college professor, assistant DA, and divorcee with a young child. Emma and Simon's relationship seems to be doomed from the start, but you just cannot ignore the sizzling chemistry between them. Though he knows technically his relationship with Emma is wrong, Simon just cannot stay away from her. Ultimately he plays a large role in Emma's moving forward with her life. Ultimately, though, some things follow you even when you try to leave them behind. After her attacker is released from prison, Emma must find the strength to face her nightmares and overcome her fears.

This story was not about pitying the victim or forgiving the one who hurt you, but rather celebrating life and the fact that it will go on when you're willing and able to let go of the past. I really liked Emma. You would think that having agoraphobia would be a weakness, but Emma was a strong character despite that. She was a lot of fun, and adding Simon and his amusing personality to the mix made the story was overall enjoyable. The author was able to throw in a mix of fun, drama, happiness, tears, fear, and surprise into this story.

Two things could have made this story even better – 1) There needed to be distinct transition points between one scene and the next. Often times I found myself having to back up a sentence or two because I had not realized that the scene/day/speaker had changed, and what I was reading was not making sense. Better transition between scenes would have made the overall flow of the story more continuous and ultimately smoother. 2) The book is set in America, but there is a lot of English speak in the story. It would have been much more realistic if Emma had been English and living in America or the story was set in the UK. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this story very much.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


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Bad Apple by Barbara Morgenroth

Bad Apple by Barbara Morgenroth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Neal Marchal lives a terrifying life. Orphaned and left in the care of a stepfamily who is at best completely crazy, she tries to get by day to day unnoticed and ignored. When the day finally comes when being ignored does not work for her anymore, she leaves home and finds sanctuary with the family of a new friend, Truly. However, her life is full of tragedy and even her wonderful new life with a wonderful new family could not protect her from her past.

Neal is a great character. She is simultaneously simple and complex. It does not make sense, right? On the surface, you see a teenage girl who has been taught she is not important and does not matter. She goes through life trying to hide. Within, however, she has a great love for life and for music. She has a sharp mind and eventually learns it is okay to speak it. Though it takes some convincing to make her believe her music is good and she is beautiful, eventually she dares to begin to believe.

I think my favorite thing was how the relationships were written. There is a true array of feeling within each one – and each one is different. This was a great story of a difficult subject. The writing is clear and riddled with emotion.

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Distraction by Tess Oliver

Distraction by Tess Oliver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a great story! The premise was definitely unique, time travel with a twist. Poppy is an 18-year-old who lives with her grandmother and her sister in 1692 Salem. When Poppy is accused of witchcraft, her grandmother – a witch – sends her 200 years into the future to keep her safe. But instead of ending up in a future Salem, Poppy ends up in 1892 Montana.

Poppy is such a great character. She is innocent due to the time and place she grew up in and curious about the new world around her. It was really fun to watch her explore each new thing she discovered. Everyone seems to fall in love with her, even when they are trying hard not to. Caden is also a great character. I loved him. He has a roughness to him that makes him irresistible, but can also be so sweet. I enjoyed both of their points of view throughout the story.

As far as historical fiction goes, this did not disappoint. The author's writing and language seemed realistic for the time periods within the story and really helped to bring the story to life.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


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A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After waking up in captivity, not knowing where she is or who is holding her, Sofia's life becomes a daily fight for survival. Taken under the vampire prince's protection, Sofia will do what it takes to survive.

Sofia is a great character. She is strong and is not afraid to stand up for herself – even to bloodthirsty vampires. There are a few mentions of her past life (before being kidnapped) but we do not ever get her full story. I am very curious about her and hope we get that in the next book. Derek is a great character as well. He is worried about his people and especially about Sofia. I would love to see him stand up to his brother and finally take control of things on the island! I am also curious about the Hunters and how they will fit into the next book.

The story is relatively short but is well developed and fast paced. It definitely keeps you guessing. I fell in love with the world Bella Forrest created for her characters, and I cannot wait for more Sofia and Derek!


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The Kiss Instructor by V. Anton

The Kiss Instructor by V. Anton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a super sweet story about growing up and finding your way. Alana is struggling at home with an abusive father and an abused mother. Not knowing what she can do to help, she tries to stay out of the way, having no one to turn to but her best friends, Adin and Chris. The three of them have been friends for years. The only problem…Alana is in love with Adin. Afraid to tell him her feelings and potentially ruin their friendship, Alana concocts a plan to get him to realize that maybe…just maybe…he is in love with her, too. When life gets in the way of Alana's plans, she has to learn to choose her own path and find her own happiness.

I love that this story was told from Alana and Chris's POV and left out Adin's. We get enough of the story through those two characters that having Adin added in would have been repetitious while leaving him out left a bit of mystery to the story. Plus, I really like Chris. He is the kind of friend everyone needs at least one of.

All of the characters in this story were great. From Alana, Adin, and Chris, whose friendship was completely believable, to the Alana's relations in Puerto Rico, including Med, they made the story come to life. The other thing I really loved was the descriptiveness the author used. Though you get this throughout the story, this was most notable after Alana arrived in Puerto Rico, almost like that is when her life really started. The descriptions were vivid and bright on the pages.

I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.


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Love Me For Me by Kate Laurens

Love Me For Me by Kate Laurens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Serena has gone off to college to try to start a new life for herself and try to forget her hurtful past. She is doing a good job of keeping her head down and keeping to herself until she meets Alex. Tattooed, mysterious Alex is hiding his own skeletons.

I really liked this book. Serena and Alex have amazing chemistry but both are afraid of being hurt. Their interactions were intense and incredibly sexually charged. Both characters were crafted out well with their actions being true to their pasts, and when they get together, sparks fly right off the pages.

The story was well written and held my attention through to the very last page. I am looking forward to more from Kate Laurens.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


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Love is Darkness by Caroline Hanson

Love is Darkness by Caroline Hanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All Valerie wanted was a normal life. Raised by her father to be a vampire hunter, she had always known that as soon as she was old enough she would leaving that life of death and danger behind. Starting over on her own is not as easy as she thought it would be, and running from her past is next to impossible.

I really like Valerie as a protagonist. She does not come from a perfect little world where everything is rose colored and happy. Her whole life has revolved around death and fear, and her survival instinct tells her to run from the vampires, not to them. As a survival instinct she has learned to keep people at arm's length and to use her attitude to hide her true feelings.

The story starts 15 years in the past and slowly brings us up to present day. I enjoyed the way the author brought out the details of the story and the interactions between the characters. With each scene you could feel the tension between Valerie and Jack, and once Lucas enters the picture everything gets kicked up a notch. I am looking forward to the next book in this series to see where the story goes.

I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Ruby by Jeffe Kennedy

Ruby by Jeffe Kennedy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This book was intense. Dani prides herself on her strict personal rules and self denial in order to gain what she wants out of life – from her looks to her career. She is a woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid to go after it. Her attitude and rigid personality have worked well for her in the past, landing her a dream job, and she is not about to back down now for anything.

Enter Bobby Prejean. Seductive, sexy, and oh so enticing. If a guy like him offers you a single night of no holds barred, anything goes, pleasure beyond your wildest imagination…take it. Beyond the intense stare and seductive demeanor, Prejean is a complex man. He challenges Dani to let go of herself and trust him completely.

This story was incredibly steamy. Kennedy definitely knows how to build up sexual tension and is able to elicit strong emotion from and for her characters. The BDSM scenes were extremely erotic and tastefully written. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the other two books in the Facets of Passion series.

I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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More Than Friends by Jessica Jayne

More Than Friends by Jessica Jayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun, sexy short story. Jeni and Brian have been friends forever, and while their relationship has been more than that of friends, they have always kept a bit of distance between them, afraid to take the next step for fear of losing what they have.

I love Jeni and Brian together! Their interaction with each other and responses to each other was perfect, and the chemistry between them was sizzling. It was just enough to make you want more!

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

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Plus One by Brighton Walsh

Plus One by Brighton Walsh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun, sweet story! After a string of horrible dates, Olivia resorts to dragging her long-time friend, Ian, along with her to a series of upcoming weddings. Ian goes willingly, happy to be tagging along as Olivia's 'plus one' just for the chance to be spending some time with her. The more time they spend together, though, the harder it is to hide growing the attraction between them.

The characters in this story were fun and quite developed for the short length of the novella. Oliva and Ian were great together, and the banter between them was quite entertaining. The chemistry between Olivia and Ian was evident from the beginning, and the buildup of tension between them was amazing, making the sex scenes super steamy. If you are looking for something light and fun, this is a must!

I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Kissing Fire by A.M. Hargrove

Kissing Fire by A.M. Hargrove
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We first met Preston in Shattered Edge. He was this super secretive, mysterious guy – the sister of protagonist Terri Mitchell. Finding out he was an undercover DEA agent and that their lives were in danger, his family had to be relocated and put under witness protection. In Kissing Fire, we are allowed to get inside Preston's head and see his life for how it really is. Super sexy undercover DEA agent, superhero who gets the bad guys and saves the day…this might be his life, but he had to pay an incredibly high price for it. When his job once again gets in the way of his life, he has some serious choices to make.

I absolutely love Preston. He is this remarkably sexy, amazingly sweet guy. On the outside he seems to have everything under control, but he has some incredible skeletons in his closet. Reading through his story I just wanted to fold him in my arms and never let him go. We also met Ava a couple books back, but we were never really given the chance to get to know her. When she meets Preston, sparks fly…and bullets. Caught up in his deadly life, she has to decide what it is she truly wants and what she cannot live without.

In this book we are re-introduced to some old friends from the first two books in the Edge series as well as some new friends. Enter Melissa. She is awesome. There are no other words for her. She brings not just a touch of humor to the story, but the rolling on the floor laughing type of humor. She is awesome. Yes, I said it twice because she deserves it. Ms. Hargrove, please write a book about Melissa.

Though Kissing Fire is the third book in the Edge series by A.M. Hargrove, it is also a stand alone. The author does an excellent job of going over past details so that if you have not read the first two, you will still get the full impact of this story. However, I would suggest you read the first two simply for the background knowledge you would gain and the fact that they are just as good as this one.


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Hidden Depths by Aubrianna Hunter

Hidden Depths by Aubrianna Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

They say opposites attract. That is definitely the case with Josh and Gia. Both main characters were great. Josh had it all – great job, beautiful home, and a wonderful fiance – he was living the dream. The only problem is that it was someone else's dream. He fantasized about letting loose and being free until he could not hide it anymore. Gia…well I loved Gia. She is not afraid to speak her mind and does not care what others think of her. She has a bit of a wild side and knows how to have fun. I love that the female is the wild one in this story; usually we are reading about pierced and tattooed guys, so Gia was a fun change.

The chemistry between Josh and Gia is sweltering. From the very first page the scenes between the two of them, even if they are just talking and flirting, are steamy hot. I also loved the emotion brought out through the story. I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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To Tame a Montana Heart by Dawn Luedecke

To Tame a Montana Heart by Dawn Luedecke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Travis is everything you want in a hero. He is a sexy, funny, smart, well-mannered gentleman. After coming to the aid of Dusty and her sister, DeEtte, he quickly realizes that these were no damsels in distress. Caught up in the wild lives of the Larson sisters, Travis' life takes a turn he never could have imagined.

Dusty is so much fun. She is my kind of girl. Strong and independent, she helps her sister run the Triple D Ranch. She does not let an opportunity go by to show the guys that she can do anything they can – and she can do it better. Put Dusty and Travis in the same room together and watch the temperature rise!

I enjoyed the humor in the book, and the language used put me right into the time era and setting. As I was reading the characters even had country drawls in my head! All of the characters were great fun – even the bad guys were delectably bad. Filled with handsome cowboys, spunky cowgirls, barn raisings, cattle rustling, outlaws on the run, saloons with bullet holes in the doors, rodeos, and even a camel named Clyde, this book has it all. This was such a fun story!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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