Book Review: Enthralled by Giana Darling

Enthralled (The Enslaved Duet #1)

by Giana Darling

Release Date: March 29, 2019

Source: Amazon

Goodreads

It was the biggest day of my life.
I know most people say that about something joyous; a graduation, a wedding ceremony, the birth of their first child. My situation was a little different.
Sure, it was my eighteenth birthday, but it was also the day that I was sold.
Sold to a man with hair like a crown of gold and eyes blacker than the darkest pits of Hell.
He bought me to own me, to control me, and to use me as a means to an end.
I was his tool and his weapon.
And through it all, somehow, I also became his salvation. 

Giana Darling is queen and I absolutely love her Forbidden Men series. I was so excited to see she had a new duet coming out. It was definitely A LOT darker than I expected, but I love a good dark romance when I'm in the mood, so I waited a bit and then dove right in! 

When she turns 18, Cosima is sold by her father to a British Lord to serve as a sex slave for the next five years. Cosima is determined not to break, but she's never had to serve Alexander Davenport before...

Going into this one, I quickly realized I was not in the mood for a dark romance, so I put it down for a few weeks and finally picked it back up. This is super dark and definitely not for the faint of heart. Alexander breaks Cosima and she reaches her lowest point. Eventually, though, real feelings do get thrown into the mix and I became super invested in this romance about halfway through this book. I did have a few issues with the pacing in the beginning and in the end, but that whole middle chunk had me glued to my kindle and I couldn't put the book down. Since Cosima is a sex slave, Giana Darling does not shy away from some intense scenes between Cosima and Alexander, but they quickly turn angsty and Cosima finds herself craving the touch of her master...

In the beginning, there were a lot of characters to meet in Cosima's family and the Italian mafia life she's living, so it did take me a bit to catch on. After that, the secrets that came to surface throughout the book kept me on the edge of my seat and I had no idea how Cosima and Alexander were going to deal with what was thrown their way. This book was definitely captured the atmosphere of the extreme elite who think they can do anything with anyone. 

Overall, if you want a dark romance about a dark, brooding British Lord and a broken girl who just wants to protect her family, you would love Enthralled. I definitely cannot wait to get my hands on book two! I have to know what happens next!

Release Day Blitz: Pretty Reckless by LJ Shen

Pretty Reckless, an all-new standalone high school, bully romance from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen, is available now!

We were supposed to be best friends

But turned out to be worst enemies…

Penn

They say revenge is a dish best served cold.

I’d had four years to stew on what Daria Followhill did to me, and now my heart is completely iced.

I took her first kiss.

She took the only thing I loved.

I was poor.

She was rich.

The good thing about circumstances? They can change. Fast.

Now, I’m her parents’ latest shiny project.

Her housemate. Her tormentor. The captain of the rival football team she hates so much.

Yeah, baby girl, say it—I’m your foster brother.

There’s a price to pay for ruining the only good thing in my life, and she’s about to shell out some serious tears.

Daria Followhill thinks she is THE queen. I’m about to prove to her that she’s nothing but a spoiled princess.

Daria

Everyone loves a good-old, unapologetic punk.

But being a bitch? Oh, you get slammed for every snarky comment, cynical eye roll, and foot you put in your adversaries’ way.

The thing about stiletto heels is that they make a hell of a dent when you walk all over the people who try to hurt you.

In Penn Scully’s case, I pierced his heart until he bled out, then left it in a trash can on a bright summer day.

Four years ago, he asked me to save all of my firsts for him.

Now he lives across the hall, and there’s nothing I want more than to be his last everything.

His parting words when he gave me his heart were that nothing in this world is free.

Now? Now he is making me pay.

Download your copy today for the special release week price of ONLY $2.99 or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/PrettyRecklessLJ

Audio: https://amzn.to/2DCyEui

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About LJ Shen

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people's’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

Connect with L.J. Shen:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen

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

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

Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list:

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Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

Book Review: Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Meet Cute

by Helena Hunting

Release Date: April 9, 2019

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

Talk about an embarrassing introduction. On her first day of law school, Kailyn ran - quite literally - into the actor she crushed on as a teenager, ending with him sprawled on top of her. Mortified to discover the Daxton Hughes was also a student in her class, her embarrassment over their meet-cute quickly turned into a friendship she never expected. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming either...

Now, eight years later, Dax is in her office asking for legal advice. Despite her anger, Kailyn can't help feeling sorry for the devastated man who just became sole guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister. But when her boss gets wind of Kailyn's new celebrity client, there's even more at stake than Dax's custody issues: if she gets Dax to work at their firm, she'll be promoted to partner.

The more time Kailyn spends with Dax and his sister, the more she starts to feel like a family, and the more she realizes the chemistry they had all those years ago is as fresh as ever. But will they be able to forgive the mistakes of the past, or will one betrayal lead to another?

When I go into a Helena Hunting book, I typically expect a fun romance that will put a smile on my face. Based on this cover, that's what I thought I was going to get with Meet Cute. Unfortunately, the story inside was much more serious and not as lovable as I thought. 

When Kaitlyn literally ran into Daxton on the first day of law school, they sparked a friendly rivalry their entire time in school. Until Dax betrays Kaitlyn and they never speak again. Eight years later, Dax falls back into Kaitlyn's life and needs legal help. Kaitlyn wants to say no, but she finds herself becoming entwined in Dax's life with no sign of leaving soon. 

When this book started and showed us how Dax and Kaitlyn met, I thought it was so cute. Then, when they met again 8 years later and Kaitlyn hated his guts, I thought I was in for a super fun enemies to lovers romance. Then, the serious plot point was thrown in and the rest of this book was about Kaitlyn helping Dax through a really tough time in his life. I had a really hard time connecting with the characters and really caring about their romance. I didn't buy their emotions and it felt cliche how Dax didn't want to have a serious relationship because of a certain thing that was currently happening in his life. 

When it came to the plot, I was annoyed by how predictable the story was. I could tell a certain twist that was going to happen about 50 pages into the book, and that twist didn't come until over 300 pages in. I was waiting and waiting for the reveal that was supposed to be a "huge shock" at the end. I was more bored than not by the end and was not a fan of how serious this book turned out to be. 

Overall, this book just didn't have the sparkle Helena Hunting's books normally have. The romance fell flat and I wasn't that interested in the lawyer plot line with the predictable twist.

Hot to the Touch by Jaci Burton

Hot to the Touch (Brotherhood by Fire #1)

by Jaci Burton

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

Firefighter Jackson Donovan doesn't look back—as a rule. So when his past comes roaring back to life in the form of not-so-damsel-in-distress Becks Benning, the last thing he wants to do is relive old times. No matter how tempting she makes it seem...

Now thanks to his two interfering brothers, Becks is living with them while she looks for a new place and tries to pick up the pieces of her tattoo business that went up in flames. Which means a grown up, smokin' hot Becks is in his house, sharing meals, and digging up old wounds. And despite his better judgement, the more time he spends with this smart, artistic, incredible woman the more he wants her in his bed—and his future.

Becks always had it bad for Jackson. Unfortunately for her, not much has changed—he's still honorable, hard-working, sexy as sin—and closed off. But there's more than one way to get to a man's heart and if Jackson doesn't want to recall old memories, she'll just have to help him make new ones. Because now that she's found Jackson again, she's not letting him go.

I really love shows that have to do with police officers and firefighters, so when I saw Jaci Burton was writing a new series about firefighters, I knew I had to get my hands on it!

Jackson Donovan became a firefighter with his two brothers after they were rescued from a fire when they were little. Jackson hates thinking about the past and where he came from, but when he rescues a woman from his past from a fire, Jackson isn't sure he can ignore his past anymore. Becks is forced to relocate when her tattoo shop and apartment are ruined from smoke damage from a fire. When she has nowhere to go, Jackson and his brothers offer their home to her. Becks finds herself falling for Jackson all over again, but he's closed off and isn't opening his walls up anytime soon.

I really love a book where the couple is forced to live together, so it was super cute when Becks decides to move in with Jackson and his three brothers. There's definitely no avoiding each other now! I enjoyed learning about their history as Becks made them revisit where they all came from. That being said, the rest of the book was a bit slow and we rehashed Jackson's inability to think about the past over and over again. 

The romance was cute, but aside from that, this fell a bit flat. I did enjoy Jackson and his brothers and the set up for the next book sounds very intriguing. As for Becks and Jackson, I was left wanting more of their current lives and less of them trying to confront the past when Jackson so obviously didn't want to. I also wanted much more firefighter action than we got. We got a few scenes of them on the job, but the rest of the time was slow paced and harder to get through. I definitely want to continue on in this series, but this first book didn't do it for me as much as I wanted it to.

Book Review: Fumbled by Alexa Martin

Fumbled (Playbook #2)

by Alexa Martin

Release Date: April 23, 2019

Source: Publisher

Goodreads

A second chance doesn't guarantee a touchdown in this new contemporary romance from the author of Intercepted.

Single-mother Poppy Patterson moved across the country when she was sixteen and pregnant to find a new normal. After years of hard work, she's built a life she loves. It may include a job at a nightclub, weekend soccer games, and more stretch marks than she anticipated, but it's all hers, and nobody can take that away. Well, except for one person.

TK Moore, the starting wide receiver for the Denver Mustangs, dreamt his entire life about being in the NFL. His world is football, parties, and women. Maybe at one point he thought his future would play out with his high school sweetheart by his side, but Poppy is long gone and he's moved on.  

When Poppy and TK cross paths in the most unlikely of places, emotions they've suppressed for years come rushing back. But with all the secrets they never told each other lying between them, they'll need more than a dating playbook to help them navigate their relationship.

Berkley Romance has been KILLING it with the romance these past few years. I absolutely loved Intercepted by Alexa Martin when it came out last year and I was so excited to pick up Fumbled. This was another romance in the Intercepted football world and I couldn't wait to dive in. 

Poppy Patterson left everything she knew when she was 16 and pregnant to give her unborn child the life he deserves. She's worked hard and now she has a life she's proud of and a little boy who is living the life he deserves. When her high school boyfriend shows up where she works, Poppy isn't too keen to let him back in when he hurt her so much right before she left all those years ago. TK Moore is a professional football player and is living the dream he worked so hard for in high school and college. When he sees Poppy for the first time in years, all of those old feelings come rushing back. Both Poppy and TK can't seem to stay away from each other, but can the secrets and betrayals from years ago hurt any chances of them finding happiness again? 

In the beginning, I have to say, I wasn't the biggest fan of TK. Once he learned the truth about why Poppy had left, though, I really started to love his character and how he was with Poppy and her son. The romance was so sweet and I loved how Poppy entered the world that we were introduced to in Intercepted when Marlee started to date Gavin. The women of the Denver Mustangs are definitely characters and I really enjoyed how Poppy found some women to really bond with and become friends with. 

The romance was one of my favorite parts of this book, but I also loved the important discussions surrounding football that Poppy and TK had. Football was such an important part in TK's life that it was hard for him to face Poppy's fears about the dangers football can have for its players. Football became a burden on their relationship and forced them both to make some important decisions. 

While I really enjoyed Intercepted, I LOVED Fumbled. I was obsessed with the romance, Poppy's dedication as a mother, and all of the side characters who entered Poppy's life throughout the story. Every sports romance fan needs to pick up Alexa Martin's books!

Cover Reveal: N9ne by TM Frazier

Nine: The Tale of Kevin Clearwater, the highly anticipated new standalone from USA Today bestselling author T.M. Frazier is coming June 18th and we have the sexy cover!

Nine lives.

Nine inches.

One chance to make her his.

Preppy's brother is about to live up to the family legacy in more ways than one.

This is the story of Nine, The Tale of Kevin Clearwater.

Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2CWvzF7

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2HZ2zka

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/N9NE

Nook: http://bit.ly/2uNFgS6

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2TWFXma

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2U1ObOV

About the Author

T.M. (Tracey Marie) Frazier never dreamed that a single person would ever read a word she wrote when she published her first book. Now, she is a five-time USA Today bestselling author and her books have been translated into numerous languages and published all around the world. T.M. enjoys writing what she calls sexy‘wrongside of the tracks romance’ with morally corrupt anti-heroes and ballsy heroines. Her books have been described as raw, dark and gritty. Basically, what that means, is while some authors are great at describing a flower as it blooms, T.M. is better at describing it in the final stages of decay. She loves meeting her readers, but if you see her at an event please don’t pinch her because she's not ready to wake up from this amazing dream.

Connect with T.M. Frazier

Facebook: http://bit.ly/TMFRAZIERBOOKS

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Stay up to date with T.M. by signing up for her mailing list: http://bit.ly/TMFrazier Website: http://www.tmfrazierbooks.com

For Text Alerts: TEXT “TMFRAZIER” TO 77948

*Standard text messaging rates apply*

Release Day Blitz: Praying for Rain by BB Easton

“BB Easton is a masterful storyteller at her very best with Praying for Rain. It's a story I'll remember always and reread often.” -- T.M. Frazier, USA Today bestselling author

Praying for Rain, an all-new powerful and emotional love story from BB Easton, is available now!

With only three days left until the predicted apocalypse, the small town of Franklin Springs, Georgia, has become a wasteland of abandoned cars, abandoned homes, abandoned businesses, and abandoned people. People like Rainbow Williams.

Rain isn’t afraid of dying. In fact, she’s looking forward to it. If she can just outrun her pain until April 23, she’ll never have to feel it at all.

Wes Parker has survived every horrible thing this life has thrown at him with nothing more than his resourcefulness and disarming good looks. Why should the end of the world be any different? All he needs are some basic supplies, shelter, and a sucker willing to help him out, which is exactly what he finds when he returns to his hometown of Franklin Springs.

As society crumbles, dangers mount, and secrets refuse to stay buried, two lost souls are thrust together in a twist of fate—one who will do anything to survive and one who can’t wait to die.

Perhaps, together, they can learn how to live.

Before their time runs out.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/prayingforrain

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2X3DM25

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2V1GVic

About BB Easton

BB Easton is a best-selling, award-winning author, artist, psychologist, wife, and mother who loves drinking, cursing, and staying up late mining for humor in the darkest of places. BB began painting as a pierced, punk ass teen, but decided to pursue a career in school psychology due to her compassion for those with mental illness and a desire to work with children with autism. Unable to turn off her creative side, BB decided to take a few years off to raise her two small children (Baby BB and Mini Ken) and indulge in all of her artistic whims, primarily having pink hair and writing embarrassingly candid novels about her delinquent past and deviant sexual history. Her husband is suuuper excited about it. 

Connect with BB Easton

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2U7mjc0

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2FOmhgA

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FM0MwF

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2OCobn9

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https://www.artbyeaston.com/

Book Review: Praying for Rain by BB Easton

Praying for Rain (Praying for Rain #1)

by BB Easton

Release Date: April 11, 2019

Source: Author

Goodreads

With only three days left until the predicted apocalypse, the small town of Franklin Springs, Georgia, has become a wasteland of abandoned cars, abandoned homes, abandoned businesses, and abandoned people. People like Rainbow Williams. 

Rain isn’t afraid of dying. In fact, she’s looking forward to it. If she can just outrun her pain until April 23, she’ll never have to feel it at all. 

Wes Parker has survived every horrible thing this life has thrown at him with nothing more than his resourcefulness and disarming good looks. Why should the end of the world be any different? All he needs are some basic supplies, shelter, and a sucker willing to help him out, which is exactly what he finds when he returns to his hometown of Franklin Springs.

As society crumbles, dangers mount, and secrets refuse to stay buried, two lost souls are thrust together in a twist of fate—one who will do anything to survive and one who can’t wait to die. 

Perhaps, together, they can learn how to live.

Before their time runs out.

Honestly, the only reason I read this book is because I read my first BB Easton book last month and loved it. When I saw this book, I didn't even look at this synopsis. I went in blind and was BLOWN AWAY. 

In three days, the world is going to end. Rain is biding her time at home, trying to get through each day until the end. Until Wes Parker falls into her life. Wes knows he's going to survive the end of the world. But when he runs into Rain, all of his survival plans find themselves changing...

I love how so many authors are branching out from the typical contemporary novel. This book is a pre-apocolyptic survival romance and I WAS LIVING FOR IT. From the beginning, I really loved Rain's character. She was just trying to live day by day until it all changed when she ran into Wes. Their relationship was so fun from the start and I loved their chemistry that they were both trying to avoid. This was definitely a slow burn as the two were trying not to make romantic connections when the world was going to end so soon. And Wes was determined to survive. 

Since this is a survival story, there were so many instance where I didn't know what was going to happen next or how Wes and Rain were going to get out of a situation. I ended up flying through this book in one day because I literally couldn't put it down. I was obsessed with Wes and how much he found himself caring for Rain when he really didn't want to. AND THAT ENDING. There were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I just couldn't process the end. What's going to happen next!?!

If you want a fresh, unique romance that will keep you on your toes, you have to pick up Praying for Rain. The romance will make you swoon and you won't see what's coming next!

Cover Reveal: Pretty Reckless by LJ Shen

Pretty Reckless, the first standalone in the highly anticipated All Saints High series from USA Today bestselling author L.J. Shen, is coming April 29th and we have the gasp-worthy cover!

In most places, high school is a zoo.

But All Saints High? It's a lawless jungle.

All the cool kids wear the same brands.

Have the same hair.

Same shoes.

Same cars.

Same hookups.

Same fucking makeup artists, hair stylist and harem of preppy help.

Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy.

But Daria Followhill? She's the OG.

Girls want to be her.

Guys want to be INSIDE her.

It really doesn't get better than this for Queen Bae, does it?

Until HE shows up, turns her kingdom upside down, and breaks her crown...

HE is not what you think.

SHE is not what you expect.

You're probably thinking in an obvious direction, but let me assure you, this is not where this story is going.

Let the (power) games begin...

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2FZssQ7

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs

Model: Austin Victoria

About LJ Shen

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets people's’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

Connect with L.J. Shen:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lj_shen

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Stay up to date with L.J. Shen by signing up for her mailing list:

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Website: http://www.authorljshen.com/

Cover Reveal: Praying For Rain by BB Easton

“None of this matters, and we’re all going to die.”

Praying for Rain, an all-new beautiful and emotional romantic standalone from BB Easton, is coming April 11th!

With only three days left until the predicted apocalypse, the small town of Franklin Springs, Georgia, has become a wasteland of abandoned cars, abandoned homes, abandoned businesses, and abandoned people. People like Rainbow Williams.

Rain isn’t afraid of dying. In fact, she’s looking forward to it. If she can just outrun her pain until April 23, she’ll never have to feel it at all.

Wes Parker has survived every horrible thing this life has thrown at him with nothing more than his resourcefulness and disarming good looks. Why should the end of the world be any different? All he needs are some basic supplies, shelter, and a sucker willing to help him out, which is exactly what he finds when he returns to his hometown of Franklin Springs.

As society crumbles, dangers mount, and secrets refuse to stay buried, two lost souls are thrust together in a twist of fate—one who will do anything to survive and one who can’t wait to die.

Perhaps, together, they can learn how to live.

Before their time runs out.

Pre-order your copy today!

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

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/prayingforrain

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2V1GVic

About BB Easton

BB Easton is a best-selling, award-winning author, artist, psychologist, wife, and mother who loves drinking, cursing, and staying up late mining for humor in the darkest of places. BB began painting as a pierced, punk ass teen, but decided to pursue a career in school psychology due to her compassion for those with mental illness and a desire to work with children with autism. Unable to turn off her creative side, BB decided to take a few years off to raise her two small children (Baby BB and Mini Ken) and indulge in all of her artistic whims, primarily having pink hair and writing embarrassingly candid novels about her delinquent past and deviant sexual history. Her husband is suuuper excited about it. 

Connect with BB Easton

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2U7mjc0

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2FOmhgA

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2FM0MwF

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2OCobn9

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2TZZeE0

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2V6MFaA

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2I3Bc86

Stay up to date with BB by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2DUGa3m

https://www.artbyeaston.com/