Review ~ This Girl ~ Colleen Hoover #authorluv #ShelfLove #TravelingtotheTerminus

This Girl by Colleen Hoover
Slammed #3
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased paperback
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #authorluv, #ShelfLove, #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
Layken and Will's love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can't resist his wife's pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

Oh my! I adore CoHo and Will and Lake so much! I hate that I waited so long to read this but...

This Girl gives us Will's POV on some pivotal moments between he and Lake - now that they're married. I appreciated how CoHo presented these - memories shared while enjoying their honeymoon. And I appreciated getting Will's POV - particularly for some of those moments I'd previously read where I'd been asking him what the hell he was thinking.

This Girl not only made me privy to Will's thoughts. It also renewed my adoration of Will and Lake, broke my heart reliving some of those powerful and moving scenes, and made me wonder at CoHo's storytelling abilities yet again. She's a master. And I'm kinda happy I still have more goodness from her yet to read. :)

P.S. There's a poem at the end of the book. I know, go fig. But I found it so profound. I read it to my husband and when I finished it he said, "No wonder you love Colleen Hoover so much." Just thought I'd share. =)

If y'all wanna check out my review of Slammed, you can find it here. It was kinda fun to go back and see what my reviews looked like back in 2012!

#COYER Winter Switch Challenge Sign Up Post

Y'all, Berls, Michelle, and Stormi are at it again! You know #COYER is one of my favorite challenges because I just can't seem to clean off my ereaders. This winter challenge can be done the easy way or the hard way. *wink* You can click the graphic above (or here) to check out all the details. Here are the basics:

• The challenge begins December 16th at 12 a.m. EDT and ends March 9th at 11:59 p.m. EDT
• You muts create a sign-up post anytime between now and January 20th on blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Google+, etc. Be sure to indicate if you're doing regular COYER or The Switch. Link you sign-up post to the linky here.
• You can choose to do regular COYER - which is the same as The Strict - or COYER Switch.
• Link your reviews to the linky that will be provided on the Kick-off Post.
• There will be three grand prize winners - $10 gift card - one for the linky review list, and two for Switch participants.

Sounds fun, yeah? Here's where it gets tricky...if you choose to really challenge yourself.

COYER Switch

COYER Switch has three components: The Strict, The List, and The One with the Twist. If you choose to accept this "mission", you'll do each component at different times. You can do them in any order you choose but you'll do each component only once during these time frames:

• December 16 to January 12
• January 13 to February 9
• February 10 to March 9

The Strict is pretty self-explanatory. 

• Every book you read must be either an ebook or an audiobook.
• The books must range in price from free to $5. 
• No library books, borrowed books, or Kindle Unlimited!

The List is gonna constrain you a bit. 

• You're gonna make a list of 30 books. 
• Every book on the list MUST be in your possession before you put them on the list. 
• You're a mood reader and lists chafe? No worries. For every 5 books you read, you can change 5 of the books on your list.
• Books can be any format, any price - obtained in any legal way.

The Twist is big fun!

• You can read any book, in any format regardless of price (as long as it's obtained legally). The Twist? You have to stick to that format. SO if you choose audiobooks, you can only listen to audiobooks during the timeframe. Ebooks...only ebooks can be read. 

I know y'all want in on this, right? So go sign up! I'll cheer you on. *grins* Twitter parties and other social media fun are included.

Stay tuned for my Kick Off Post where I'll be...sharing my list! Yep, I'm going for The Switch! 

New Release Review ~ The White Lily ~ Juliette Cross (@entangledpub @Juliette__Cross) #2017NewRelease

The White Lily by Juliette Cross
Vampire Blood #3
Release Date: October 23, 2017
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, Fairy Tale
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Entangled Publishing via Netgalley. This did not affect my rating and my review is provided voluntarily.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
To the north of the Varis empire, a mysterious faction spreads propaganda against the vampire monarchy. Friedrich Volya, the Duke of Winter Hill, seeks to discover who they are before his uncle finds them first. King Dominik will punish the traitors with brutal force.

Local schoolteacher, the raven-haired Brennalyn, is on her own mission - to spy on the duke and discover what she can for the Black Lily.  She longs to help the commonwealth and bring justice to the many orphans left behind from the ravages of the blood madness, like the children she lovingly keeps in her care. What she doesn't plan for is the heart-pounding attraction she feels for the duke, enemy to the Black Lily.

But when Brennalyn's secret puts her life and the life of her children in danger, Friedrich steps in as her protector, she finds out there's more to the duke than she thought.

Although The White Lily can be read as a standalone (it's #3 in the series but I never felt lost) I think I'd have benefited from reading the previous installments first so that I had the full vision of the over-arching plot. However, I quite enjoyed my introduction to this series (and this author) and plan to go back and read the earlier books. 

Highlights

• Snow White and vampires
  Yep. I liked that JCross used Snow White for inspiration and wove in her own brand of vamps.
• Characters
  Friedrich and Brennalyn were well drawn. I could see they were good people who fought for their convictions. The dialog between them was fun and emotionally as well as sexually charged. And I delighted in watching them grow. Friedrich's relationships with Grant and Mikhail were entertaining and conveyed the respect and loyalty they held for one another. And Brennalyn's adopted brood was also fleshed out well enough that I was invested in  each of them. They also added depth to Brennalyn and the story.
• Parallels in class structure
  There were many parallels between the class structure in the story and the current societal structures in the world today - how it benefited the higher classes and hurt the lower ones. I liked how JCross made vampires the aristocracy, "sucking" the lifeblood - literally and figuratively - out of the lower classes. At least, vampires in general. There were exceptions, of course. *wink*
• Rebellion
  Oh boy did I admire that the rebellion was apparently started by a women and gained a staunch ally in Brennalyn Snow - yet another intelligent, strong-willed, and strong-minded woman.
• Romance
  The romance was dreamy and steamy. I admired that Friedrich yielded to loving Brennalyn in equal measure to desiring her capitulation to him. They each had reasons they were avoiding commitment but they fell hard and it was endearing to watch them fall.
• Nice Balance
  This was a romance but JCross balanced it well with the political intrigue and action. It kept the pace just right.

I'm grateful to Entangled Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read The White Lily but JCross enamored me. Her writing is engaging and her characters well developed. I've already purchased The Black Lily because I need to meet all the characters on the game board and get the full story. The final book in the series releases in January! *wink*

My TBR List Review ~ November ~ Fair Game ~ Patricia Briggs #MyTBRList

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



Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
Alpha and Omega #3
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Source: Library
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #TravelingtotheTerminus
Goodreads

Synopsis
It is said that opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant Alpha, while Anna, an Omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

When the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial-killer case, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston to join the investigation. It soon becomes clear that someone is targeting the preternatural. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

Oh good golly did I enjoy this! PBriggs always amazes me with how quickly she can draw me right back into a story and keep me riveted for the duration. Fair Game was exciting and gut-wrenching and left me chomping at the bit for more!

Highlights

• Charles and Anna
  I've adored these two from the beginning and I'm fascinated and delighted to witness them continue to evolve as individuals and as a couple. Fair Game sees Charles struggling with something significant but keeping it from Anna for fear of hurting her or worse, losing her. Anna is struggling with being unable to figure out a way to help him. Then they are sent to aid the FBI with a serial killer hunt which may bring them together across the divide or may drive the wedge between them deeper.
• Secondary Cast
  PBriggs excels at creating a cast of characters that is so well developed you feel as though they've always been around. They're also characters you can love or hate or somewhere in between but they always evoke emotion.
• Plot
  Fair Game's two main plot threads wove together seamlessly, one helping resolve the other. PBriggs adeptly paralleled tensions in today's society using her preternaturals. The ending was explosive and I'm eager to see where she takes this series - what the consequences will be.
• Action/Mystery
  The majority of the story takes place over like 3 days and much happened during that time. The action and mystery - Charles and Anna working with law enforcement as well as werewolves, witches, and fae to find and stop the serial killer - kept the pace quick and me on the edge of my seat. PBriggs doesn't shy away from gritty and gruesome either which only added to the atmosphere.
• Romance
  The romance took a back seat to the action but the bond between Charles and Anna was important nonetheless.

Fair Game was an excellent installment in the Alpha and Omega series. I seriously adore Charles and Anna!

Happy Thanksgiving ~ Gratitude Raffle

Happy Thanksgiving!! 

I'm so very grateful for each and every one of you and I wanted y'all to know it, so I decided to have a raffle to show my gratitude. I have two mystery boxes of books and swag up for grabs. Simply fill out the rafflecopter below. 

I'm sorry but due to shipping costs, this raffle is for U.S. residents only. International peeps don't despair. I'll be hosting a few more giveaways in the next few months and you'll be included in those!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review ~ Law Man ~ Kristen Ashley #ShelfLove

Law Man by Kristen Ashley
Dream Man #3
Release Date: December 11, 2012
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Nook
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER (summer), #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
Love is just around the corner...

Sweet, shy Mara Hanover is in love with her neighbor. For four years, she has secretly watched her dream man from afar. Handsome police detective Mitch Lawson is way out of her league. She's a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, and there's no way a guy like Mitch would want anything to do with her. But when Mara has a leaky faucet that she can't fix, it's Mitch who comes to her rescue.

Mitch has been eyeing his beautiful neighbor for a long time. He jumps at the chance to help her, and soon their formerly plantonic relationship gets very hot and heavy. But when Mara gets a disturbing phone call from her cousin's kids, she gets pulled back into the life she's tried so hard to leave behind. Can the hot law man convince Mara to let go of her past- and built a future with him?

I am officially in love with Mitch Lawson and since he has to have a leading lady other than me *wink* I couldn't ask for a better on e than Mara.

There really isn't anything that didn't work for me in this Dream Man installment but here are the main things that soooo did:

• Mara - I completely identified with and related to her. I understood her rating system (she considers herself a 2.5 to Mitch's 10.5) and where it came from. I understood why her self-esteem was essentially non-existent and why she lived her life the way she did. I also really loved watching her blossom, come into her own, and realize she actually was a 10.5!
• Mitch - God! Mitch. What's not to like about this man? I'd liken him to Hank (Rock Chick Redemption) on the alpha scale as well as being a family guy. And he said this one thing that I think is one of the greatest quotes about feelings when first laying eyes on a person... "I think I fell in love with the promise of you..."  *swoon*
• Billy and Billie - you'll have to read to understand and I dare you not to fall in love with these two kids. They are ADORABLE. And I like that KA can incorporate kids in a story where they have a crucial roles.
• The secondary cast - as always, a total draw! KA never underestimates or undervalues the importance of having good people around you...family and friends. Elvira is a character I can't get enough of and so I'm sad the Dream Man series is almost at its end.
• The suspense - what can I say? KA gives good suspense...right along with good alpha *wink*

Release Day Review ~ Scandalous Beat ~ Michelle Mankin (@MichelleMankin) #2017NewRelease

Scandalous Beat by Michelle Mankin
Tempest #6
Release Date: November 16, 2017
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle but I also had the pleasure of being a beta reader as well. This in no way affected my rating and my review is voluntarily provided.
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
Goodreads ~ Amazon

Synopsis
A rock star. A stripper. Can a hookup lead to a happily ever after?

Juaquin Acenado.
A drummer. A rapper. A rock king.
My brother's best friend.
Arrogant. Forbidden.. Do-not-go-there-trouble.
The sexy Latino was too old for me when we first met and I was in high school. But he was my first love. I've never gotten over him.

Miriam Jackson
Stripper. Exotic dancer. Her stage name is Queen.
My bandmate's little sister.
Spicy and sweet. The spark that fires my inspiration. The rhythm to my beat.
She's the one I imagine when I settle for the others. My ultimate fantasy. Only I can never have her.
Until I arrive in Vegas to record my solo rap album, visit a strip club, and there she is. Miriam was supposed to be in college, but she's not. She is so not.
Sin City, a place where anything can happen, and I'm the only one in the band who knows her secret.
So why resist anymore?
Who could possibly stop me?

Ah the Tempting Men of Tempest...I'm so sad to see this series come to an end but I'm been eager to finally get King's story, to see who stole his heart. Scandalous Beat was the perfect way to round out one of my favorite Rock Star series.

Highlights

• Characters
  In Miriam, we have a young woman who had a difficult childhood suffering from dyslexia and verbal abuse. She found solace in acting. She's such a sweetheart. Selfless, loyal, and caring...she puts others' needs and feelings before her own.
  In Juaquin, we have a talented young man who also grew up in hardship. He lost his brother to gang violence and has dealt with anger management issues for most of his life. He's loyal and caring but finds it difficult to deal with his emotions.
  These two together were always magic. They met when Miriam was too young but they shared a special connection, were kindred souls. But even once Miriam was of age, Juaquin felt himself unworthy of her attention, plus being the little sister of his bandmate automatically put her on the "off-limits" list.
• Forbidden Romance
  This was a trope that really worked in this case. Not only was there the age difference and the bandmate connection, but Miriam served as Beauty to Juaquin's Beast. There were all the reasons in the world for them to be apart but fate seemed to bring them together.
• The Journey
  Yes, there were obstacles against them...age, etc., but the biggest obstacle was not knowing themselves. Juaquin, in his desire for Miriam to have better than him, unwittingly hurt her over and over again. Miriam, in her desire to have him, lost herself. When they are thrown into each other's paths once again, without the reminder of the original obstacles, they both journey towards finding themselves, realizing their true worth as well as their feelings for each other. As Miriam said, "[Love is] about becoming something better because you're together. Transforming each other's weaknesses into strengths. Making something beautiful together."
• Relevant Issues
  This is a specialty of Mankin's, bringing awareness to social issues. Scandalous Beat was no exception. There were a couple of topics touched on including abuse and dyslexia but the main point I felt Mankin was trying to make was having the courage to ask for help when you need it. The way in which she conveyed Miriam's courage in getting the help she needed was brilliant as well as how she parlayed it into a way to help others.
• Emotion
  Mankin is adept at evoking strong emotions. The push and pull between Miriam and Juaquin kept me on edge, alternately cheering, steaming, or crying. The depth of feeling between these two was something special.
• Secondary Cast
  The secondary cast was a strength - not only because I got to spend time with some of the other Tempest couples but I also got to know Miriam's best friend, Mike. Mike is well developed and added complexity and depth to Miriam as well as the story. Mankin also skillfully tied in people and plot lines from earlier stories.

Scandalous Beat delivered characters that are genuine, a compelling story, and the full range of emotions as well as some smoking smexy scenes. It was the perfect way to "crown" this series.

Audio Review ~ American Prince ~ Sierra Simone #2017NewRelease #AudioChallenge

American Prince by Sierra Simone
New Camelot Trilogy #2
Narrated by: Stephanie Rose and Guy Locke
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from Tantor Audio. This did not affect my rating and my review is voluntarily provided. 
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewReleasee, #AudioChallenge
Goodreads

Synopsis
I've been many things.

I've been a son and a stepbrother. An Army captain and a Vice President.

But only with Him and I a prince. His little prince.

Only with Maxen and Greer does my world make sense, only between them can I find peace from the demons that haunt me. But men like me aren't made to be happy. We don't deserve it. And I should have known a love as sharp as ours could cut both ways.

My name is Embry Moore and I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States...for now.

This is the story of an American Prince.

I started listening to American Prince immediately after finishing American Queen and found myself swallowed by Greer, Ash, and Embry once again.

American Prince is told mostly from Embry's POV and once again, Simone delivered the story via past and present timelines. This format was an excellent way to get Embry and Ash's backstory and their history was gut-wrenching, heartwarming, and riveting. The present timeline was also suspense-filled with Ash, Embry, and Greer dealing with the fallout over the consequences from the event that ended American Queen. The way Simone handled that was so well done and felt authentic. The feelings and emotions of Embry, Ash, and Greer as well as the public backlash over what was leaked - it all felt so real. The political intrigue and conniving and plotting against the trio kept me tied in knots as well. Especially considering who was behind most of it. Once again, I was shocked at how much emotion - HATRED - Simone made me feel towards a certain character.

And then...and then...AND THEN! I absolutely could not believe the choices Embry made and the repercussions from those choices. These choices and their repercussions impacted the rest of the book and even with all the revelations made at the end of the book, I'm still reeling. STILL. Seriously.

Needless to say, I pre-ordered American King in ebook format because I couldn't wait for audio...BECAUSE I HAVE TO KNOW HOW IT ALL ENDS!!! (I'm currently reading it)

The narrators, Stephanie Rose and Guy Locke, did well for the most part. Locke's range seemed limited and he did have some inconsistencies with pronunciations which bothered me but I enjoyed Rose's delivery once again.