My TBR List Review ~ May ~ Us ~ Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. 



Us by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Him #2
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Goodreads
Challenges: #ShelfLove

Synopsis
Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves--Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they?

When Wes's nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

Y'all, I can't get enough of Wes and Jamie! Why can't I have more?!?

Here are a few reasons why I love these guys!

• Wes and Jamie as a couple. These two guys are so in love and good together. They each bring their own positives and negatives to the relationship and that only further enhances them as characters. Their relationship "feels" real. And I just love them!
• The issues - the hurdles Wes and Jamie have to jump, the issues they fave - were also realistic and gave them even more depth. From family strife and personal pride to dealing with illness as well as the media and a bigoted public, they faced so much. And they both grew emotionally - both individually and as a couple.
• Family and friends - y'all know I'm fond of a dynamic supporting cast. That the Canning family was so loving and accepting - it warmed my heart. And that Wes' teammates, for the most part, proved accepting (Jamie's boss too)...well, it restored a little of my faith in humanity.
  I'm also chomping at the bit to dive into the spinoff series featuring some of these characters.

So I not only enjoyed a most excellent sequel - and final book in the duology - but I also get to cross off a series on my "catch up" list! Of course, I'll be adding another series once I start Good Boy (the spinoff series)! LOL

My TBR List ~ May ~ And the Winner is...

My To-Be Read List is a meme hosted by Michelle @Because Reading. I think it's a fabulous idea because it gets y'all in the game and it helps me knock off some of the many, many books on my TBR list. You're more than welcome to join in the fun! I've included the basic rules below but you can click on the graphic above to hop over to Michelle's site where you can find all the details. 

Here's how it works:
On the first Saturday of each month, I will make a post with three books from my TBR List (these books can be already on your ereader or bookshelf OR books you might want to purchase) and add your link on the linky that will be provided on Michelle's post. Y'ALL will help me choose which book I will read next. The following Saturday, I will announce which book won. Then the last Saturday of the month, I'll post my review.

Fun, right?!?

***

Thanks to everyone who voted! I prepared and scheduled these posts during March's Blog Ahead so I've completely forgotten the choices for every month. When I started seeing the votes for this month, I got really excited.... ;)  I'm not gonna lie, I had a favorite going into this vote.



And the Winner Is:


Us
Him #2

Synopsis
Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves--Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they?

When Wes's nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.



Check back on May 27th for my review! (and by the way, this was the one I was pulling for)

Review ~ Him ~ Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Him #1
Release Date: July 28, 2015
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
They don't play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley's biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he'll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions - can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

Wowza! Him was a delicious read. The story was well crafted, flowed perfectly, alternated between POVs seamlessly (and I'm assuming authors as well), and gave me all the feels. Fabulous!

Ryan Wesley, "Wes", is finishing his last semester of college with a Frozen Four championship before heading off to the NHL. He's also about to be faced with seeing his best friend, whom he hasn't spoken to in four years. 

Jamie Canning is also finishing his college career with a Frozen Four Championship. He's also headed to the NHL but first will spend the summer coaching kids at Elites - the hockey camp where he and Wes met...where he'd been fired as a best friend four years ago and never found out why.

I loved these two guys! Wes is such a player - he's intense, cocky and seemingly self-assured but also very vulnerable. That makes sense considering his family barely has anything to do with him because of his sexuality. Jamie's so opposite of Wes. He's laid back, carefree, and has a big loving family. They balanced one another well - as friends and eventually more.

I appreciated how Bowen and Kennedy had the story unfold - how the guys put aside the past and began making a future for themselves. I liked how they conveyed the prejudices Wes and Jamie were exposed to as well. These two were heading for professional hockey careers and not everyone is accepting of differences. What I really admired was how Wes and Ryan took the foundation of their friendship, accepted the past and moved on, and built this genuine relationship despite a few hiccups due to insecurities. It was beautiful.

I'd had Him for awhile but moved it up in the queue after reading Grace's review (Rebel Mommy Book Blog). Thanks, Grace, for ensuring I read this amazing book sooner than later. I'll be picking up the sequel, His, soon!

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Getting Lucky Number Seven ~ Cindi Madsen

We're excited for the release of 

Getting Lucky Number Seven by Cindi Madsen! 

My post includes all the details on the book, a couple of teasers, my review, and a giveaway! Enjoy and good luck!

You can join the Facebook Release Day Party on April 30th, too.

***

Getting Lucky Number Seven

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 27, 2015

Source: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 Bookworms

Goodreads

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

Synopsis

What's your lucky number?

Lyla Wilder is done being the shy, chemistry nerd extraordinaire. While every other college student it out having fun, Lyla is studying. With her cat. Well, she's played it "safe" quite enough, thank you. So she creates a "College Bucket List"―with item #7 being a night of uninhibited, mind-blowing sex...

But she needs some help from her man-whore best friend.

Hockey player Beck Davenport thought Lyla's transformation would be subtle. Man, was he wrong. With every item she ticks off, Beck finds himself growing seriously hot for his sweet, brainiac best friend. And if he's not careful, he'll end up risking their friendship in order to convince Lyla that he might just be her lucky #7...

**TRAILER**

I'd never read Ms. Madsen before but had always wanted to since my blogging friend, Andrea (formerly The Bookish Babe) always gushed about her. So when this came up for review, I jumped on it. And I can absolutely see what all the gushing was about. What a delightful combination of sweet and serious this was! 

I love the friends-to-lovers trope, and it is well done in Getting Lucky Number Seven. Sure, Lyla was the typical 'babe in nerd's clothing', but her social awkwardness, love of cat memes and chemistry jokes were adorable and endearing. And Beck was absolutely the hot hockey player (in both senses of the word) who saw Lyla for who she is, and I couldn't help falling for him.

They started out as chemistry lab partners but quickly struck up a strong friendship. Lyla, after a 'blind date' gone wrong, decides to reinvent herself and being a nerd, she creates a to-do list in order to accomplish it. Beck, being the good friend he is, sets about helping her accomplish those goals.

Beck seems like the stereotypical jock/player. He actually is a young man with quite a bit on his plate, so to speak. He makes some mistakes where Lyla is concerned, of course, and he has some skewed ideas about love. But he really has a heart of gold.

This story is the perfect blend of humor and sweetness, and seriousness. I was giggling and sniffling in turns. Lyla and Beck are so much fun together and I enjoyed how they supported one another, as friends do, and also how that comfort they felt together led to something more.

Getting Lucky Number Seven was my first Madsen read, but it certainly won't be my last!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

USA Today Bestselling author Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting, revising, and falling in love with her characters.
Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she'd be even crazier. She has way too many shoes but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair,especially if they're sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children.

Visit her at www.cindimadsen.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter and learn about upcoming releases.

Cindi is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, Rift, Resolution, and Demons of the Sun, and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, Resisting the Hero, 
Cinderella Screwed Me Over and Ready to Wed.