Book Review: This is Love by Kennedy Fox

This is Love (The Checkmate Duet #2)

By Kennedy Fox

Release Date: December 13, 2016

Source: Author

Goodreads

Viola Fisher is the epitome of perfection.
She despises my one-night stands and mocks my less-than-classy habits.
She’s smart, beautiful, and too good to be true.
And I want her.

If she were anyone else, I’d have made my move years ago, but considering she’s my best friend’s little sister, she’s always been off-limits. Not to mention how much she loathes my very existence. 

Hating me is her religion, but needing her is mine. Her sexy curves and filthy smart mouth make me want her even more, and I’m more determined than ever to change her mind. 

I’ll prove I’m done playing games.
But until then, we’ll continue to play by her rules.
Viola Fisher may have won the battle, but the war isn’t over yet.

Checkmate, princess.

After that cliffhanger at the end of the first book, I was dying to get my hands on this one. I loved watching Travis and Viola go from bickering enemies to FINALLY giving into the intense chemistry between them. After the ending of the first book, I had to figure out what was going to happen to this couple! 

Viola Fischer and Travis King are complete opposites. Viola is working towards graduating with perfect grades and figuring out what she wants to do with her life after school. Travis is used to girls coming and going out of his room and rubbing it in Viola's face just to get a rise out of her. Travis has had a taste of what it's like to have Viola, though, and wants more, even if she is his best friend's little sister. Travis will do anything to show Viola he is serious about her and how he can't face a life without her. 

Since this is the second book to this duet, I can't talk about too much without giving anything away, but I can still swoon over Viola and Travis! Travis is such a fun character and I loved their banter in book one. In this book, they still like to push each other's buttons and Travis is his own crass, entertaining self. These two show so much growth in this book, both together and individually, and I loved watching them discover what they really wanted out of their lives. 

While I did love the chemistry and fun relationship Viola and Travis had, I did have some issues with the pacing. Moments of time were skipped over to move the plot along and I felt like some things dragged while others needed more time to flesh out. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed the conclusion to Viola and Travis's story! If anything, it made me even more excited for the next book in this series! I adored Courtney's character and I am DYING for her and Drew to get together. You can bet I'm picking up Checkmate: This is Reckless ASAP! 

Overall, Kennedy Fox has delivered another fun, sexy, and addicting romance. There were laugh out loud moments and you can't help but root for Travis and Viola to find a way to be together. This is definitely a steamier read and you'll find yourself begging for more when you're done!

Release Blitz + Review: The Animal Under the Fur by EJ Mellow

The Animal Under the Fur
By E.J. Mellow
Publication date: March 30th 2017
Genres: Action, Adult, Romance

From award-winning author E. J. Mellow comes an action romance dripping with vengeful delight. 

Orphaned on the streets as a baby, Nashville Brown, a.k.a Kill Operative 3, knows better than to rely on anyone. With heightened senses and superhuman strength to survive, she’s been raised as the perfect assassin.
The trick to her success? Keeping everyone, even her best friend, at arm’s length. 

Losing his entire family in the span of a year, Carter Smith left his ability to love buried deep in their graves. His only concerns now are completing his missions and effortlessly charming the next temptress to warm his bed. 

The key to his accomplishments? Working alone mixed with a Casanova smile. 

But when a deadly weapon needs to be stopped from falling into the wrong hands, the lone wolves find themselves thrown into an explosive partnership. Can Carter and 3 lower their guns aimed at one another long enough to succeed, or will their unwillingness to compromise end up destroying more than their perfect records? Whatever their differences, both agree on one thing—in the game of lies and deceit, the line between friend and foe is often blurred by blood splatter. 

The Animal Under The Fur is a hate-to-loath-to-love standalone novel filled with savagery, secrets, and enough angst to wrinkle the pages you’ll find gripped in your hands.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

If you've been following me for awhile, you know that I am a sucker for a good cover. The moment I saw this one, I knew that I had to read it. I honestly had no idea what it was about when I started reading, but I was ready to get lost in an assassin romance with xmen-like characters. 

Nashville Brown has been on her own for as long as she can remember. Abandoned as a child, Nashville was found and recruited as an assassin due to her naturally heightened strength, speed, and senses. Nashville has never failed a mission, but when she is paired up with Carter Smith, a cocky agent for a sister company, she doesn't know if she'll be able to make it through the mission without killing Carter first… 

Going into this one, I was so excited for the premise. I loved how both Nashville and Carter came from troubled pasts and preferred to work alone. The moment these two met, there was explosive chemistry and seething hate coming from each other. If you love a romance where the couple cannot stand each other but has insane chemistry, you HAVE to read this one. As assassins, they go between wanting to kill each other to wanting to tear each other's clothes off. Also, since they're thrown together for this assignment, they have to learn to truly trust someone for the first time, which is hard for both of the characters. 

While I really liked the beginning of this one and the whole premise of assassins falling in love on a mission, the actual execution of the relationship fell short for me. As the book went on, I didn't really connect with the relationship between Nashville and Carter and I lost interest in their romance. Also, as an action novel, I didn't enjoy the action scenes as much as I wanted to. I feel like this book would make an awesome movie, but as a book I just couldn't get into it. I don't know what it was, but I felt like something was missing from the action scenes and the romance was not as fleshed out as I wanted it to be. 

Overall, this one started out strong but soon loss my interest. It was still a very entertaining, unique read that I had fun reading, but I was left wanting more. Carter's character was a bit cliche, which led to banter that was predictable and not as endearing as it was meant to be. Many people have shown love for this book, but it wasn't everything I was expecting it to be.

E.J. Mellow is the award-winning author of the contemporary fantasy trilogy The Dreamland Series and The Animal Under The Fur. With a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, E.J. Mellow splits her time between her two loves – visual design and writing. Residing in NYC, E.J. is a member of Romance Writers of America and their Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter. She has no animals but loves those who do.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Cover Reveal: Checkmate Duet Boxed Set

Title: Checkmate Boxed Set 
Series: Checkmate Duet (Travis & Viola)
Titles Included: Checkmate This is War & Checkmate: This is Love 
Author: Kennedy Fox 
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Trope: Enemies to Lovers 
Photographer & Designer: Sara Eirew 
Release Date: April 5, 2017

Synopsis

Travis King is the worst kind of asshole with good looks and enough confidence to last two lifetimes. Viola Fisher is a goodie two shoes know-it-all who prefers fictional love stories over her own. The only thing they have in common is their mutual hatred for each other.

She’s had a secret crush on him since she was ten but Travis has always made it very clear the feelings aren’t mutual. He’s cruel, crass and takes every opportunity to get under Viola’s skin. She’s smart, beautiful, and too good to be true. Hating him is her religion but needing her is his.

Although Viola loathes his very existence, against her better judgment she let him into her bed. Her sexy curves and filthy smart mouth make Travis want her even more and although she’s succumbed to his manwhore ways, she’s determined to not let that change a thing. 

Too bad he has other plans. 

Viola’s always been off-limits, but Travis is determined to keep crossing that line. She can try to push him away, but he always gets what he wants and he’ll do anything to prove he’s done playing games.

Until then, they’ll play by their own rules to see who will win the biggest battle yet—love or hate? Checkmate.

*Recommend for ages 18+ due to sexual content and adult language.* 

 

Buy Links

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Giveaway

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Giveaway link: http://bit.ly/2nP3g5t

 

About the Author

A secret duo of romance authors team up under the USA Today Bestselling pseudonym, Kennedy Fox who share a love of You’ve Got Mail and The Holiday. When they aren’t bonding over romantic comedies, they like to brainstorm new book ideas. One day, they decided to collaborate and have some fun creating new characters that’ll make your lady bits tingle and your heart melt. If you enjoy romance stories with sexy, tattooed alpha males and smart, independent women, then a Kennedy Fox book is for you!

Instagram: instagram.com/kennedyfoxbooks 
Twitter: twitter.com/kennedyfoxbooks @kennedyfoxbooks 
Facebook: facebook.com/kennedyfoxbooks/ 
Website: www.kennedyfoxbooks.com 
Email: kennedyfoxbooks@gmail.com 
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cngqYT

HUGE Announcement and Cover Reveal from Cora Carmack!

From New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack, comes the highly anticipated fourth standalone title in her Rusk University Series, ALL CLOSED OFF! A passionate story and journey, get ready to be mesmerized with Stella’s story! ALL CLOSED OFF is coming your way May 1, 2017!

   

Cover Design and Photography by Kelsey Kukal-Keeton at K. Keeton Designs

ABOUT ALL CLOSED OFF 

(Releasing May 1, 2017)

Stella Santos is fine.

Maybe something terrible happened to her that she can’t even remember. And maybe it drives her crazy when her friends treat her like she’s on the verge of breaking because of it. Maybe it feels even worse when they do what she asks and pretend that it never happened at all. And maybe she’s been getting harassing emails and messages for months from people who don’t even know her, but hate her all the same.

But none of that matters because she’s just fine.

For Ryan Blake, Stella was always that girl. Vibrant and hilarious and beautiful. He wanted her as his best friend. His more than friends. His everything and anything that she would give him. Which these days is a whole lot of nothing. She gets angry when he’s there. Angry when he’s not there. Angry when he tries to talk and when he doesn’t.

When Stella devises an unconventional art project for one of her classes all about exploring intimacy—between both friends and strangers—Ryan finds himself stepping in as guinea pig after one of her subjects bails. What was supposed to be an objective and artistic look at emotion and secrets and sex suddenly becomes much more personal. When he hits it off with another girl from the project, Stella will have to decide if she’s willing to do more than make art about intimacy. To keep him, she’ll have to open up and let herself be the one thing she swore she’d never be again.

Vulnerable.

✦Add it to your Goodreads ✦

Don’t Miss All of Cora’s Standalone Rusk University Series Titles!

 

ALL LINED UP

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

ALL BROKE DOWN

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

ALL PLAYED OUT 

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iTunes

About the Author

Cora Carmack is a twentysomething New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about twentysomething characters. Raised in a small Texas town, she now lives in New York City and spends her time writing, traveling, and marathoning various TV shows on Netflix. She lives by one rule: embrace whatever the world throws at you and run with it (just not with scissors).  

        

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Cora Carmack Goodreads

   

Cover Reveal: Paper Fools by Staci Hart

In the game of love, she never loses.

Paper Fools by Staci Hart is coming April 17th!!

Title: Paper Fools

Author: Staci Hart

Cover Designer: Quirkybird Designs

Photographer: Lauren Watson Perry

Publication Date: April 17th

Aphrodite knows love — just don’t ask her to figure out her own mess.

Rather than deal with her sticky love life, she toys with the hearts of unwitting humans. It’s a little game she plays, and the stakes are high. Lucky for her, she’s just found the perfect match.

Lex is everything Dean needs, but he can’t have her.

It doesn’t matter that her eyes speak to a long forgotten part of him, or that her art and poetry touch his shredded heart. She’s off limits — crossing that line would implode his band and everything he’s ever cared about. There’s only one option: stay away from her, no matter the cost. Even if the price is his heart.

Dean is everything Lex wants, but she can’t take the risk.

The second she meets him, she knows her heart is in danger. She’s convinced it’s only attraction that has her hung up on the dark, quiet lead singer, but with every day that passes, she knows it’s more. It’s just that she can’t put her heart on the line. She won’t — love has never been worth the sacrifice.

If only they knew they were just pawns in a much bigger game. And in the game of love, Aphrodite never loses.

*Formerly titled Deer in Headlights, Paper Fools has been rewritten and reedited just for you.*

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/SggznE

About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics. 

Connect with Staci:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hv5OA5

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacihartnovels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/imaquirkybird/

Website: http://stacihartnovels.com

Newsletter: http://stacihartnovels.com/get-the-newsletter/

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Am Dying to Meet

 

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Authors I'm Dying to Meet

1. Elle Kennedy 

2. Penelope Douglas 

3. Samantha Young

4. Kandi Steiner

5. Katie McGarry

6. SC Stephens 

7. Jennifer L Armentrout 

8. KA Tucker

9. Diana Gabaldon 

10. RS Grey 

Release Day Blitz: Say I'm Yours by Corinne Michaels

     

From New York Times Bestseller, Corinne Michaels, comes a new second chance standalone romance. 

I spent twenty years waiting for Trent Hennington to open his eyes and see me. But it was all for nothing. He chose to keep himself guarded and let me walk away, proving that my time and efforts were wasted.  

I'm done being invisible. 
It's time to move on. 

A single dance sets my new reality into motion, and I welcome it. After all, Cooper Townsend is perfect. He's kind, sexy, and attentive--everything a girl could want. 

I thought I got it right this time. 
That my heart could mend, and I would be happy. 
Apparently, some things really are just too hard to walk away from.  

❈ iBooks ❈ Barnes & Noble ❈ Google Play ❈ Kobo

       

   

About the Author

Corinne Michaels is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of The Salvation Series (Beloved, Beholden, Consolation, Conviction & Defenseless), Say You'll Stay, Say You Want Me, and Say I'm Yours. She's an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. 

Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians, which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short stories, she couldn't ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her alpha heroes are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart.     

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Corinne Michaels Facebook Group    

Book Review: Black Hearts by Karina Halle

Black Hearts (Sins Duet #1)

By Karina Halle

Release Date: February 19, 2017

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

For Vicente Bernal, truth is all he’s known. The son of an infamous drug lord, Vicente was born to help run the family business, which means he’s been raised on a throne of sordid pasts and dirty laundry, violence and pride. But when Vicente stumbles across someone he’s not supposed to know about – a woman from his father’s checkered past – he sets out to California to find her behind his father’s back.

What Vicente doesn’t expect to find in San Francisco is Violet McQueen, the woman’s twenty-year old daughter. Beautiful and edgy with a vulnerability he can’t resist, Violet tempts Vicente from afar and though he promised himself he’d stay away from her, curiosity and lust are powerful forces. Besides, Vicente has always gotten everything he wants – why shouldn’t he have Violet too?

Soon his wants turn into an obsession, one that sweeps Violet into his games as they fall madly, deeply in love with each other, the type of first love that can drive a person mad.

But it’s a love with tragic consequences.

Both the truth – and the lies – not only threaten to tear them apart, but threaten their very lives.

Someone has to pay for the sins of the fathers.

And they’ll be paying the price with their souls.

I'm a fan of Karina Halle's books, but sometimes they're a hit or miss for me. I really love her books that have to do with travel and discovering yourself and I was excited to read something new from her. Sadly, there wasn't enough character/relationship development in this one.

As the son of a Mexican drug lord, Vicente has lived around danger all his life and he knows he's destined to take over his father's job. When Vicente discovers something secret about his father's past that he has never heard of, he knows he has to go to California and see the truth for himself. What he finds, though, is Violet McQueen, daughter of the women he came to find. Vicente spends time with Violet to uncover some truths, but ends up enjoying the woman and the intense passion they share. Both start falling hard for each other, but is what they have real and will it last when the truth is finally unveiled?

Going into this one, I didn't really know what to expect. This is a spin-off of Karina's Sins and Needles series, but you definitely don't have to read those to read this one. Black Hearts takes place in the near future and it fell a little flat for me. I didn't really care for Vicente and felt like it was a bit insta-lovey. I didn't really feel the real chemistry between Vicente and Violet, especially on Violet's end. She just talked about how she was so attracted and pulled towards him, but I didn't really feel the actual development of their relationship.

Many reviews for this book raved about the action and suspense, but the exciting parts of this book didn't happen until well after halfway through. The beginning/middle of the book was very slow and dragged by. Later on in the story, it randomly switched viewpoints to one of the characters' parents and it took away from learning about and connecting more with Vicente and Violet. I definitely still have questions and want to know what is going on with these characters, but I just didn't care for their romance.

Overall, this one was a bit of a disappointment. While most people on Goodreads seemed to love this one, I couldn't get into the story and didn't buy the relationship. Hopefully book two gives me more answers and a deeper relationship with our main characters. 

Stacking the Shelves (236)

 

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

E-Copy for Review

How gorgeous is the cover of this book!?! I got an e-copy from the author to review and I can't wait to finally read it!

Free E-Books from Author's Mailing List

I was so surprised when I opened K Bromberg's newsletter to see she was giving away free ebooks to her subscribers! I read my first Vi Keeland book last week and now I'm dying to read more. I can't believe I got a free e-copy of Cocky Bastard! And I love K Bromberg but never read Driven, so I'm beyond excited that I have a copy of that too! 

From Publisher

I got a finished copy of All You Need from Berkley, which made me so happy! I finished my ARC of this two weeks ago and absolutely loved it! 

That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week?