Review: Aflame (Fall Away, #4) by Penelope Douglas

4 stars! ****

Author: Penelope Douglas

Title: Aflame (Fall Away, #4)

The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg…

Everyone wants to be me.

Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name.

I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do.

They all still talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate?

But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here.

Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.

ARC review: Marrying Christopher (A Hearthfire Romance, #3) by Michele Paige Holmes

 3.5 stars! ***

Author: Michele Paige Holmes
 
Title: Marrying Christopher (A Hearthfire Romance, #3)

Having seen both his sisters Grace and Helen happily married, Christopher Thatcher is free to pursue his dream of life in America. With adventure in his heart and mind, he boards one of the first steamships set to cross the Atlantic in the record breaking time of only twenty-five days. Within the first two of those, his resolve—to avoid women and the complications they often bring to a man’s life—falters when he meets Marsali Abbott, a young woman with a past even more troubling than his own. Whether from years of habit protecting his sisters, or simply because he feels drawn to Marsali, Christopher chooses to help her and becomes her friend. As the truth about what awaits Marsali in America becomes evident, he is faced with a more difficult choice, one that will impact their lives far beyond four weeks together at sea.

Review: Falling Away (Fall Away, #3) by Penelope Douglas

4 stars! ****

Author: Penelope Douglas

Title: Falling Away (Fall Away, #3)

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.

K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away....

K.C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn’t give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

Review: Rival (Fall Away, #2) by Penelope Douglas

3 stars! ***

Author: Penelope Douglas

Title: Rival (Fall Away, #2)

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…

She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.

I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…

I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.

But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….

Review: Until You (Fall Away, #1.5) by Penelope Douglas

5 stars! *****

Author: Penelope Douglas

Title: Until You (Fall Away, #1.5)

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between.

Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don't care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn't trust her or anyone else.

So I hurt her. I pushed her away.

But I still need her. The sight of her centers me, and I can pool all of my anger into her. Engaging her, challenging her, bullying her...they are my food, my air, and the last part of me that feels anything human.

But she left. She went to France for a year, and came back a different girl.

Now, when I push, she pushes back.

Review: Bully (Fall Away, #1) by Penelope Douglas

5 stars! *****

Author: Penelope Douglas

Title: Bully (Fall Away, 1#)

My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me.

But he still won't leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I'm done hiding from him now, and there's no way in hell I'll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It's time to fight back. 

I'm not going to let him bully me anymore.

It's Austen time

A long time ago I bought a paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice for almost nothing and recently I bought Emma in the same edition.

And when I say almost nothing I mean that. They were cheap. Like e-book cheap. I just couldn't leave it there. Now I regret that I didn't buy all of them but hopefully they will be available later.

I also love the covers - it seems pretty authentic and there's no picture from movie. I don't get it why they do that. The original covers are usually much nicer. Publicity probably (well, I'm quite sure of that), so I get it actually.

I started Emma and I'm looking forward to reading the rest. I'm not sure I will like it as much as I did Pride and Prejudice

*I discovered little magic (read: no magic for anyone who uses instagram or uploads tons of pictures on facebook or anywhere else basically aka I'm probably the only one who never used it before). There are tons of apps that do collages. And you can do almost whatever you want! And it's easy to use for a technival antitalent like me.

Any Austen fans out here? What's your opinion on Emma?

Review: On the Ropes (Hearts and Minds, #4) by Holley Trent

2 stars! **

Author: Holley Trent

Title: On the Ropes (Hearts and Minds, #4)

Her life on hold for too long, Janette Hinson has returned to the United States in search of a mother she hasn’t seen in twenty-five years.  But to find her Jan will have to accept help from the one man she desperately wants to avoid: Stephen Scott. Sexy, rich, powerful, and dominating, Stephen has been pursuing Jan for the last year, and she’s the first to admit he more than has what it takes to hold a woman’s interest. But her traumatic past has kept from true intimacy all these years. Yet she senses a darkness in Stephen, one that goes beyond the rumors of his kinkier side…

Stephen Scott is not a man to take no for an answer. Ever since he met Jan he hasn’t been able to get her off of his mind. And no matter how many hours he spends at work, he can’t get the hot little vixen out of his system. It’s time to prove he wants more than just a fling, despite his dark sexual history. What he wants from Jan is to Master her. In every way.

This is what you call a book about absolutely nothing. There was basically no plot, no twists, no romance, anything..

Janette was raised by her father after she and her mother were involved in an accident. He already has his own little family by that time and he didn't care for her. She had lonely and quiet childhood. Afer twenty five years she decided to hire an investigator to look for her mother. To her surprise her mother is still alive. Jan decided to leave her tiny island and fly to the USA. Here she meets her friend Stephen.

Stephen is a lawyer and spends way to much time at work. His partners didn't even want to let him leave on a four-day vacation. He's completely spend, tired and doesn't even like his job anymore. When Janette calls him and asks him for help he agrees. He wanted her for a long time and hes going to finally get her. And not just as a temporary hook-up.

It was long, tiring book. I didn't even enjoy it. I saw no development - either in the relationship (it went from zero to hundred in two pages) or in Janette herself. She was afraid of her own shadow. And everything else.

If this book was a novella and the author cut it about hundred pages shorter it would have been a lot better and I might have even enjoyed it. But it wasn't and I didn't. 

*ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*  

Review: The Tour (Phoenix Rising, #2) by Shelby Rebecca

4 stars! ****

Author: Shelby Rebecca

Title: The Tour (Phoenix Rising, #2)


The conclusion to the Phoenix Rising series started right where The Stage ended. So luckily the cliffhanger from the end of it is resolved (partly) in the first twenty pages.

Review: The Stage (Phoenix Rising, #1) by Shelby Rebecca

4 stars! ****

Author: Shelby Rebecca

Title: The Stage (Phoenix Rising, #1)

Mia, the saint. Kolton, the sinner.

Kolton Royce is a tatted, bad boy rock star at the top of his game.

Mia Phoenix is an overly responsible nineteen-year-old striving for stardom since losing her parents in a house fire. 

When Mia ends up on Kolton’s team for the debut of the new nationwide singing competition, The Stage, she’s not sure if it’s her or her voice that he’s hellbent to control.

After he takes special interest in her welfare, they’ve been warned, any contact between them outside of filming is strictly forbidden. 

He has other ideas. 

She’s a phoenix rising from the ashes, the only one who understands the pain that lies beneath the persona. Though he’s not sure if he’s too bad for her, he can’t stay away. 

All sinners have a past. All saints have a future. But, does being born in fire make the fissures weak in all the wrong places, or stronger than they’ve ever known? 

Review: Seductive Secrecy (Shadows, #2) by Marni Mann

2 stars! **

Author: Marni Mann

Title: Seductive Secrecy (Shadows, #2)




The conclusion to the Shadows series was weak. I thought that when there won't be any of Charlie's whoring it will be a lot better. It wasn't.

Charlie is now officialy in relationship with Cameron, but they are still barriers between them. The case concerning the mansion is still open, her father in hiding and Victoria - the woman who recruited her was missing. Her paintings are selling more than ever. Her future is looking bright.

Everything should be close to perfect. But it is still as far away as before. Her past hunts her and eventually she can't ran away from it anymore.

Cameron's brother Ryder comes back from his backpacking tour in Asia and who would have guessed.. He used to be one of Charlie's "customers". And Cameron doesn't handle it well. At all. He ignores her for couple of weeks and after catching him painting a nude painting of his ex Charlie moves out.

The ending was bittersweet and there were still things that I expected to be FINALLY resolved. For example Charlie's relationship with Emma's family. If Charlie wasn't thinking about sex, masturbating, having sex, wasn't feeling guilty about having sex for money she thought about them. A lot. So one would think that when something appears in the book ALL the fucki*g time it will have some ending. But nooo. Nothing.

I'm so relieved this isn't trilogy I don't think I would have survived that.




*ARC courtesy of publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Review: Seductive Shadows (Shadows, #1) by Marni Mann

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Review: Reunited in Love by Nadia Lee

2 stars! **

Author: Nadia Lee

Title: Reunited in Love (Hearts on the Line, #2)


Hmm. Not what I expected. I knew a bit of the background story beacause I spoilered myself by reading The Billionaire's Secret Wife and I thought Reunited in Love will be about forgiveness, inner strenghth, love and steaaamy scenes. There were none of that.

Ethan is Alex's best friend and we met both of them in Vengeful in Love. He'd grown up in a warm, loving italian family, he's open-minded, muscular, good looking and a bit of a workaholic.

Kerri is Natalie's best friend and again we've met them in Vengeful in Love. Her family practically shunned her and when her grandpa finally reachs out to her, she runs away. Too little, too late.

  

Ethan is the one who picks her up on the airport where they realized they'd already a one night stand before (I expected that it will held some significance later in the story, but no). And they pick up right where they left it. BUT it's only temporary. Because Kerii is so scared of commitinh herself that she'd have run away if she thought Ethan wanted something premanent.

I really really really didn't like Kerri. She was so damn annoying, selfish, self-centered bit*h. What I don't understand is how she and Natalie can be BFFs when Nat know basicaly nothing about Kerri, because she never shared a single thing. She didn't even go to Nat's wedding because someone from her family might have gone there.

What intrigued me was Catherine Fairchild. To be honest I'll probably skip the other novels and just read only hers and than move on to another author.

Review: Vengeful in Love by Nadia Lee

3 stars! ***

Author: Nadia Lee

Title: Vengeful in Love (Hearts on the Line, #1)




Oh god! So many names! There were like thirty different names in the first ten pages. And so many relationships and connections between those names! Ugh. But I finally started to orient hundred pages later. Yup, my memory is that good.

Alex Damos wants revenge. And he'd do anything to achieve it. All he needs to do now is to take over the company lead by a son of the woman who destroyed his father. But there's problem. Someone from his own company is leaking critical information.

Natalie Hall is an asian who was adopted by a senator Brian Hall. That's the official story. He found her abandoned as a baby in a trash. Her step-mother and step-sister are hostile towards her if Nat is having a lucky day and mean when she's not. But her godmother is good to her and supports her no matter what. Her godmother is also the woman Alex wants to destroy.

Although Alex only wants to use Natalie at first, their chemistry is off the charts and he starts to find out that she's nothing like he expected. In reality she's smart, beautiful, kind and lonely. And he starts to wish that she wasn't the one leaking the information. He doesn't only wish he believes it. But then proves that she did it are discovered and chases her away.

Natalie doesn't know what happened. Man she thought she was in love with doesn't trust her, her grandmother tried to blackmail her, her father lied to her. She's got nothing left and is ready to move somewhere else and start over new.

These "I-want-revenge-no-matter-what" themed books are getting kind of annoying. They are all the same. You could wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me how exactly some random book with this theme will go and I'd tell you. And 99% of what I'd say would be spot-on.

I'm not saying it was bad (because it wasn't) but if you expect something you've never read before, this isn't it.

Review: The Billionaire's Secret Wife by Nadia Lee

3.5 stars! ***

Author: Nadia Lee

Title: The Billionaire's Secret Wife (The Pryce Family, #3)



This is a third book in the spin off series The Pryce Family. I haven't read any of the books in this or the Billionaires in Love series and luckily I wasn't missing way too many details, there was no big hole of what I don't know or understand. So it can be read as a standalone without any problems and misunderstandings.

The billionaire books are my dirty little secret. I can't even imagine having that much money (not that I would've minded. if someone got a few billions to spare you can give them to me), but I like seeing a filthy rich man fall in love with a girl who's not a golddigger.

In The Billionaire's Secret Wife both Vanessa and Justin are insanely rich, altough Justin's considerably wealthier. They've been dating on and off for the last ten years and Justin has finally had enough of only being her booty call.

Vanessa has a lot of issues. Her parents cheated on each other the whole time they were married, her grandmother was a nasty bich. Vanessa wants to prove the world that she can become a partner in a law firm without her family connections.

One booty call led to another and suddenly she finds herself pregnant. And married to Justin. But it's not because they realized they love each other. No, it's a convenience marriage.

The ending without epilog was cheesy and predictable, but that's how it usually is. At least it wasn't too hurried. The epilog was more of a prolog to the next book that will be concentrated on another member of the Pryce family - Shane.

I wasn't disappointed but I also wasn't blown away. There are still lots of guestions unanswered - such as Vanessa's stepsister, the whole marriage of Vanessa's parents. But I think some of those will be answered in the next two books in the series. Hopefully.

Review: The Rock Star's Wife by Raven McAllan

2 stars! **

Author: Raven McAllan

Title: The Rock Star's Wife (Their Wives Book 1)




This was a very short novella. We've got Nico the rockstar and Kenna the rockstar's invisible wife. After three years of being ignored most of the times she decides to leave.

And Nico does nothing. He doesn't come begging for another chance. He doesn't even try to find her. He didn't even notice she was missing for couple of weeks! They eventually meet after some time and suddenly he wakes up and tries to win her back.

 I really didn't get him or her. Nico ignored her 99% of the time. From what we've seen he was also pretty cold and stand-offish, he knew next to nothing about Kenna. I honestly doubt he'd have tried to get her back if he didn't met her by accident.

And she took him back. Just like that.

Maybe it would have been better if it was a bit longer so we could at least have some background information.

Also the timetable was confusing and well. Kind of missing, we were left to guess how much of the time passed. Then we've gotten some information about it and it got even more confusing. It was better not to think about the time at all and just let it flow.

It was a fast read with quite simple plot.

Review: Fighting to Breathe by Aurora Rose Reynolds

4 stars! ****

Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds

Title: Fighting to Breathe (Shooting Stars, #1)




It's been a while since I read Until Lilly and barely remember the main storyline, let alone some Austin guy. Luckily for me I didn't have to remember.

Fighting to Breathe is a bit different from other Aurora Rose Reynolds books. This one was more about rediscovering your feeling, the truth hidden inside. It was about the fragility of life. About the weight of our choices. It was about second chances.

Lea's father was a fisherman who died at the sea. So the thought of being with someone who also wants to be a fisherman sends her running. She left the town, the memories and Austin behind. All their plans about getting married and having kids she buried deep inside of her.

Fifteen years later she returns to the place she run away from to take care of her dying mother. Running into the blue-eyed bearded Austin is inevitable.

Although their firt run-ins are less than pleasant, they become friends.. sort of. But even that doesn't last long. The buried feelings unburied themselves and attacked them in full force.

Fighting to Breathe is a beautifully sad story about mistakes and redemption. Like many other books by Aurora Rose Reynolds I enjoyed reading it. The emotions pictured in the book felt so real - one can simply not cry with Lea or laugh with Ben and Austin.

The ending was satisfactory, not rushed, not cheesy and it filled the void that was created in my chest while reading.

Review: Kick Push by Jay McLean

4 stars! ****

Author: Jay McLean

Title: Kick Push (Road #2)



Kick. Push. Coast.

Amazing, emotional ride. It was full of secrets that kept you wondering. It was full of jokes that kept you laughing (well, mostly Tommy kept you laughing). It was full of romance that kept you swooning. It was full of anger and resentment that kept you wanting to punch somthing. Or someone.

It was full of sadness that made you cry. I was really strong and started leaking only in the last fifty pages! I'm glad that I was sensitive enought to not read it in public. That would've been embarassing.

Most importantly it was full of love. Not only the love you fell for someone else. The love you feel toward hobbys, toward life itself. It was full of hope. That unfulfilled dreams will come true. That everything will be alright, that we'll pull through, that everything will be okay.

Josh became a single father in his teens and he was left alone with his son Tommy. His parents threw him out, his baby mama Natalie run away and disappeared, his best friend had other concerns. He had to give up his greatest joy - skateboarding. He's on his own and he's got nothing. No money, nowhere to sleep, no support. Then a stranger comes and saves him. She takes him in and gives him everything he needs. Place to live, a helping hand, hope.

Becca is broken. After the death of her mother she comes to live with her grandma. She's surprised when she finds out that a man with a child also lives there. She can barely speak, because the car accident that kiled her mom also damaged her vocal folds. That's not the only thing. She can't handle being touched.

She and Tommy become the "bestest" friends. And with time she and Josh get closer to each other. She lets him touch her, a bit here and there. Both of them fell hard and fast.

Suddenly there are three things that Josh loves more than anything - his son, skateboarding and Becca. But she never planned to stay forever and eventually she leaves to attend college. And Josh is alone again, feeling more lonely than ever before.

Kick Push was a heart-breaking story with lots of twists. Once you start reading it's almost impossible to put it away. But it also make you want to throw it away sometimes. Or give a little shake to the people in the story.

I both loved and hated the book. I both loved and hated Becca. She was both strong and extremely weak. She was both annoying and endearing. I loved both Josh and Tommy. I loved Josh even when he was having a mental breakdown, I felt so sorry for him qnd just wanted to hug him.

And the ending? I honestly hope it wasn't the end. Such a fucki*g cliffhanger? I never read books with cliffhangers before there a continuation but I stupidly thought this one won't have it and it is a stand-alone. It just can't end like that. I'm refusing it.