Thursday, August 6, 2015

5 STAR #Review: Searching for Someday by @jenniferprobst

Searching for Someday by Jennifer Probst
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SEARCHING FOR SOMEDAY is a refreshing contemporary romance with a charming magic twist.

Kate and her two best friends have built a solid matchmaking business by utilizing each of their individual talents and skill sets. One of Kate’s most unique talents is her ability to sense love matches simply by touching the individuals. But when she realizes her own soul mate is a divorce attorney who doesn’t believe in true love or marriage, she’s convinced her touch has gotten it wrong. Kate and Slade do everything in their power to deny the connection they share, but the closer they get, the harder it is to ignore.

Ordinarily I would say I’m too practical to enjoy magic unless its of the paranormal variety, but Jennifer Probst seemed to know just how to introduce something outside the realm of ordinary without making it corny or unbelievable. It still rang true to the story and to the characters and only added to the undeniability of their connection. Slade was the perfect combination of stubborn, opinionated, take charge, and alpha male. I loved how he could be so fierce and stern yet he’d be so reckless in his feelings for Kate. Every time he showed up at her door unannounced, I swooned. I was a little worried Ms. Probst would go too far in her efforts to introduce secondary characters in an attempt to build interest for future books in the series, but somehow she managed to straddle the line just enough to make the story more three dimensional without going overboard. I was unable to put SEARCHING FOR SOMEDAY down until I’d had my happily ever after and it made me want to read more in the series just to get another taste.

SEARCHING FOR SOMEDAY was such an endearing romantic story with a chick-lit feel and I would highly recommend diving into the Searching For series!

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Sunday, August 2, 2015

2 STAR #Review: My Favorite Mistake by @chel_c_cam

My Favorite Mistake by Chelsea M. Cameron
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Everyone expects to experience new things in college, but most don’t think one of those things will be a dorm-assigned roommate of the opposite sex. Taylor understood she lived in a co-ed dorm. She did not think that meant she’d open the door to find Hunter on the other side. Tattooed, guitar-carrying Hunter walks in and Taylor is immediately up in arms. When housing isn’t willing to re-assign Hunter, Taylor and Hunter agree on an unusual bet to determine if Hunter has to move out. Taylor must prove she loves or hates Hunter, to his satisfaction, and he’ll find another place to live. Until then, Taylor is stuck with him and his flirtation.

I am partial to new adult, contemporary romance stories with a little bit of darkness to them. But unfortunately, MY FAVORITE MISTAKE fell short. It had all the right ingredients, but it just didn’t work for me. For one, I found Taylor annoying. She punched Hunter within minutes of meeting him, and Hunter seemed to find that, as well as everything else, charming about her. Second, Taylor seemed to think the only way she could convince housing to remove Hunter from her room was to lie and say he’d sexually harassed her (which thankfully she wasn’t willing to do). However, she hints from the very beginning that she has experienced something dark of the sexual variety in her younger years and that information alone, if revealed to the head of housing, should have been clear grounds to find her another roommate. But it never seemed to occur to her to reveal this tidbit when she meets with the head of housing in a private meeting and is asked if this is a personality conflict or something more threatening. I understand completely that this was not something she was open to sharing, but I felt like between Taylor and her mother freaking out over the roommate, it would have at least been mentioned as an option. Not to mention both of her other two roommates offered to switch with her so that she wouldn’t have to be the one sharing a room with Hunter, but she never even entertained the idea.

Taylor made broad statements about who Hunter was as a person and how he viewed other people before she’d spent any time alone with him or talked to him long enough to be able to make that observation. It seemed like an indirect way for Ms. Cameron to build up Hunter but it didn’t seem realistic since I’d seen no indication Taylor could have actually observed this for herself. Also, Hunter was unrealistically perfect from his cooking for the entire floor to his patience with Taylor and as a result he never felt believable.

I did like the emotions shown once Taylor finally had her big reveal. The story felt like it added layers of depth once Taylor opened up and I appreciated that it felt true to Taylor’s story. I also liked that MY FAVORITE MISTAKE flowed well from start to finish.

I had a lot of hope for MY FAVORITE MISTAKE and gave it 2.5 stars (rounded down to 2 for reviewing purposes). While I felt like it didn’t reach it’s full potential, some people will love the concept and may not have the same issues with Taylor that I did.

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

3 STAR #Review: Inappropriate by @ElizabethFinn77

Inappropriate by Elizabeth Finn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well-loved, small town doctor falls for an erotic romance writer with a past in this romance about following your heart despite all the roadblocks that warn it might be easier to walk away.

Dylan moved to Bristol Island to hide, but she quickly realizes it’s harder to hide in a small town than a large one where she would have had a better chance of blending in. She meets the town doctor and the two experience an instant attraction. But being the only doctor in town quickly becomes a conflict of interest for the two of them and when combined with Dylan’s secret past, it could be career threatening for Cohen.

I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth Finn’s and her writing but I didn’t find it easy to relate to the two main characters in this story. For one, when Cohen would read some of Dylan’s erotic novels, I found it uncomfortable. Not that he was reading them, but that I was being thrust into erotic scenes without the buildup necessary to get me in the mood. I’d suddenly be reading sex scenes without having any relationship to the characters and as much as I like erotic romance, I need to get in the mood, not be thrust in mid-scene. Second, and this is entirely a personal preference, but I wasn’t completely thrilled with Cohen’s profession as a doctor. I can’t say if it’s because when a protagonist is a doctor it reminds me of a few cheesy harlequin romances I’ve read or if it’s just not my cup of tea, but I didn’t find myself falling for Cohen. Or Dylan. In general, I felt removed from the characters and their plight and as a result I could only muster a modicum of lust and concern for INAPPROPRIATE.

My favorite part of INAPPROPRIATE was Cohen’s brother, Caleb. I found his honesty adorable and fun and every chapter that included him was a breath of fresh air. He brought a believability and youth to Cohen and made him more lovable because of the fun banter between the two brothers. While INAPPROPRIATE was not my favorite, I think it’s important to note that my last review of a book by Elizabeth Finn (KANE’S HELL) was a glowing 5 stars for it’s raw emotion and sexy romance. I would highly recommend Ms. Finn as an author and can name many books by her that I’d read again in a heartbeat.

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

5 STAR #Review: Addicted to You by @KBRitchie

Addicted to You by Krista Ritchie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow. I’m so mad I waited until now to read ADDICTED TO YOU. I’m amazed at how different Lily’s perspective was from Rose’s in KISS THE SKY. I shouldn’t be; Rose and Lily are as different as two sisters can be. I guess I assumed that because it was written by the same authors, it would sound somewhat similar. But where KISS THE SKY came across witty and intelligent just like Rose, ADDICTED TO YOU is so much darker and full of self-doubt (just like Lily). Krista and Becca Ritchie truly captured the voice of their characters and told the story exactly as the character would have told it.

Lily and Lo have created the perfect system to hide their addictions from the world. They use each other as their alibi to hide the parts of themselves that no one else wants to see. Lo is able to continue drinking without letting on just how dangerous his drinking has become and Lily can have as many one night stands as she needs without anyone calling her a slut or knowing how addicted she is to sex. Lily and Lo have carried on their pretend relationship for so long that the lines between pretending and real have started to blur and Lily isn’t sure she still wants the relationship to be pretend.

When Lily and Lo begin to add people to their inner circle, complications arise and the chance for discovery becomes much more likely. They must question if the crutch they provide for each other truly benefits the other person or if they are enabling themselves right into a shallow grave.

Just as I loved Rose and Connor’s perspective in KISS THE SKY and Daisy AND Ryke’s in HOTHOUSE FLOWER, I truly adored getting to know Lily and Lo in ADDICTED TO YOU. I quickly came to understand the depth of love and devotion they have for each other. Lily and Lo are in such a low, dark place in ADDICTED TO YOU and yet I can’t help but see just how beautiful they could be if only they could find a way to conquer their addictions. I’m so impressed with the three books I’ve read by Krista and Becca Ritchie and I can’t wait to read more. I’m really grateful that not onl as well to indulge in my new Ritchie addiction!

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Friday, July 24, 2015

4 STAR #Review: Arrow's Hell by @ChantalFernando

Arrow's Hell by Chantal Fernando
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The only thing better than one overbearing alpha male is two overbearing alpha males… Though Anna would beg to differ seeing as how one of the overbearing males in her life happens to be her big brother.

When Anna moves back to her hometown, her brother is eager to regain the closeness they once had. But since Adam, or Rake as he’s now known, is a member of a motorcycle club, part of being close to him means being looked after by the members of the Wind Dragons. Anna has been independent for too long to suddenly be escorted everywhere and told where to live and where to hang out. The only silver lining in all her brother’s protectiveness is that one of her escorts happens to be the sexy, albeit sullen, Arrow.

Arrow wasn’t a good boyfriend to the only girl he’s ever loved and he’s lived with the guilt of her death ever since. He certainly doesn’t plan to subject any other woman to being in a relationship with him. But Anna finds a way to get under his skin and into his head and he can’t seem to ignore her, even though he knows Rake would kill him if he hooked up with her.

Arrow wasn’t kidding when he said he wasn’t good boyfriend material. This became crystal clear when he and Anna first got together and one of the first things he said to her was:

“I don’t like being questioned,” he says after a few moments. “At least not by pussy.”


Wow, prince charming, don’t hold back on my account. But in all honesty, I loved that he was like that. It seemed so authentic for a guy with Arrow’s reputation. He’d served time, murdered, cheated on his ex—so to expect roses and sonnets would have been absurd. He more than made up for his rough edges when he really fell for Anna, and I loved him all the more for it.

The beginning of ARROW’S HELL for me was a bit underwhelming. The way Anna described the guys and especially Arrow just all felt a little contrived. But once the story really got going, it was steamy and thrilling and fast-paced. I loved getting to know Anna and Arrow and I could probably read a romance about every single member of the Wind Dragons. I can’t wait until TRACKER’S END comes out and I can see what happens between Tracker and Lana!

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Friday, June 26, 2015

5 STAR #Review: Kane's Hell by @ElizabethFinn77


Kane's Hell by Elizabeth Finn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

KANE’S HELL is an emotionally charged story of love and heartbreak, pain and redemption.

KANE’S HELL toggles back and forth between the past and the present, providing an understanding of what trauma Kane and Hellene endured while also showing where they are today as a result. Kane and Hellene’s past was told in heartbreaking detail, showing just how horrific things had gotten. Both past and present were beautifully told—the anguish-ridden past and the steamy hot current day.

As a reader, I was enraptured by both. I was amazed Elizabeth Finn could create such a visual past that brought me to tears and made me cringe, while in the next chapter could have me salivating at the passion and sexual tension between Kane and “Hell” in the present. I couldn’t get enough and begged for a happily ever after even as the past hinted at more suffering to come in the future.

Elizabeth Finn really outdid herself in KANE’S HELL. The characters, the setting, and the story were all so dimensional, evolved, and deep and had me alternating between tears and lust at an unprecedented rate.

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on  I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

5 STAR #Review: The Girl I Was Before by @TheGingerScott

The Girl I Was Before by Ginger Scott

Description:


I’m the selfish one. I suppose that’s the nicest thing people say about me. I’ve heard the other things, too. “Paige Owens is a pretty girl with nothing else to offer. She’s just a good time at a party. She’s stupid, heartless, cold and useless. All she cares about is getting a guy to look at her. Why would anyone want to be her friend?”


Some of those things are true. Others were true. They’re all hurtful. 

None of it matters.

I’m ready to make the hard choices. I’m ready to face the consequences. I’m ready to be the girl I was before, and I’m done being the one who lost her way. 

I’m ready to become the girl Houston Orr sees when he looks at me. 

Houston isn’t a star athlete. He doesn’t play in a band. He’s never going to be president, and his life is so far away from simple and easy it isn’t even funny. He wasn’t part of my plan. But I’m starting to think plans are overrated, and maybe our stories are what we make them. And mine depends entirely on me, and the choices I make…starting now.

Houston is my fairytale. He’s perfectly imperfect. He’s poetry and life. He’s truth and heartbreak, all rolled up in a tall body with dark hair, broad shoulders and green eyes that lull me into submission. He’s nothing I ever thought I wanted, but the very thing I need. He’s the only guy I’ve ever really loved, and he thinks I’m a princess. I fell into him, and now I’m holding on.

But sometimes life takes away our ability to choose. Sometimes…things aren’t in your control. Sometimes, it hurts to be selfless. My only hope is that when it comes time to choose, I get it right.

Welcome to my once upon a time and wish for happily ever after.


Review:
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Everyone has their favorite book or series by a particular author, and the Falling series, this out of all the books I’ve read by Ginger Scott, is mine. I literally want to crawl up onto McConnell’s college campus and just watch the Preeter brothers, the Owens sisters, Rowe and Houston interact. I’m a big fan of not going overboard pursuing every character in a series just so the series can continue, but I can’t deny that I started watching each of Houston’s friends, wondering if any of them had the potential to be my next love interest so I didn’t have to say goodbye.

Paige is cold and harsh and she always has her eyes on the prize; no matter who she has to take down to get there. But Houston sees beyond her abrasive exterior and sees the brave girl who was born to lead and be her own hero. Just as Paige starts to let down her walls and let herself believe she might be worthy of Houston’s love, her past catches up with her and she has to choose between her own future and the futures of those she loves.

THE GIRL I WAS BEFORE made me laugh, made me cry, made me fall hard for Paige, Houston, and their love story. I couldn’t get enough of this amazing book that felt so comfortable, so familiar, and yet so special all at once. I loved the characters, loved the setting, loved how dimensional and real it all felt. The only moment I questioned for a minute was when Chandra got her dues—it seemed a little unbelievable how the story panned out in that moment but other than that, it was bliss. I give THE GIRL I WAS BEFORE a resounding 5 stars and hope every future book by Ginger Scott develops an equally phenomenal group of characters (no pressure or anything ;)).

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.
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About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of eight young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.



A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.



When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils). 

Social Links:
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Sunday, April 26, 2015

5 STAR #REVIEW & #GIVEAWAY: LoveLines by @swaldenauthor

LoveLines by S. Walden

Description:


"That’s how I constantly felt, that I lacked the abilities others had to function normally."

Thirty-one-year-old proofreader Bailey Mitchell is a slave to her tics. She inherited Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder from her father, and it’s done nothing but inhibit her love life. She’s run the gamut of boyfriends—none of them willing or able to cope with her condition.
When she meets 32-year-old Reece Powell, her new coworker at Beach Elite Marketing Firm, everything changes. He falls in love with Bailey just as she is—quirks and all—and she, in turn, opens her life to him. His love seems to change her—to help her better manage her OCD. But when tragedy strikes, she is consumed by the destructive nature of her condition. Reece sees the ugly side, and he’s left with a choice: stay or run.


Review:
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the cover to the content to the characters, LOVELINES was the perfect combination of a sweet and sometimes heartbreaking romance. I laughed, cried, and fell in love with Reece, Bailey, and their journey.

Bailey has been dealing with her OCD since childhood. Not the cutesy eccentric habits kind of OCD, but real and true diagnosed OCD. Her life is ruled by schedules, counting, and routines. When she meets Reece, he helps her fight some of those tics, but she knows one day it will all blow up in her face. She’s had too many failed relationships when the guy couldn’t deal with her neuroses to believe there’s any alternative.

Reece is the perfect hero. He is just imperfect enough to be believable and yet perfect enough to be swoon-worthy. He makes mistakes, but at the end of the day he truly loves Bailey, tics and all. In fact, he thinks all the things that drive everyone else crazy about Bailey are cute. He wouldn’t even attempt to help her improve if he didn’t know it was the right thing to do. He’s lived a life full of broken promises but he’s determined that his relationship with Bailey will be his first to break the mold.

When the inevitable happens and tragedy strikes, Bailey finds herself drowning in her disorder. She is determined not to bring Reece down with her, even if it breaks her heart in the process.

There truly wasn’t one thing I would change about LOVELINES. Bailey was flawed and insecure and yet she had a heart of gold and a desire to live and to love. Reece was this broken, amazing man who I just wanted to wrap up and cuddle. He was so patient with Bailey and yet he loved her so passionately that he could lash out in a fit of emotions and pain. He didn’t always handle her OCD the way he should, but who would? Nobody is perfect and that’s what I loved about LOVELINES. It embraces the imperfections in humans and makes us fall in love with them anyway. It was told in a very unique perspective, alternating between a first-person narrative whenever Bailey was narrating but switching to third-person when told from Reece’s point-of-view. While I’m usually very picky about perspectives and it can be a deal breaker for me, I thought the way S. Walden wrote it worked. It made me pause a few times, but it didn’t remove me from the story or break up the flow.

Anyone who reads LOVELINES will get sucked into the storyline and the romance. I couldn’t get enough and I’m excited to read the other books in the series. It promises to be an interesting series, each involving different characters, and S. Walden promises to be an author to watch out for. If the three books I’ve read by her are any indication, she is here to stay and to make a name for herself. I’m just excited to get to experience her magic as it happens.

**Haha – guess what?!? After writing my review, I realized there had been an update—to the cover and to the series. It’s no longer a series though there will be a separate, stand-alone book that S. Walden intends to write at a later date. Apparently the original cover (which I loved because it so perfectly embodied Beboppin’ Bailey and Reece and who they were as a couple) didn’t translate to the author’s image as a writer of tough, taboo topics. I started reading S. Walden for her taboo subject matter and so in hindsight, I can see why the new cover will better translate to her target audience. It’s more like a cover I would pick up if I weren’t familiar with the author. As I am familiar with S. Walden, however, I will pick up her books regardless of the cover.

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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About the Author:

S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. Her dreams include raising chickens and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast (chickens included). When she's not writing, she's thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information on her current projects.

Social Links:  
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Friday, April 24, 2015

5 STAR #Review: This is Falling by @TheGingerScott

This is Falling by Ginger Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THIS IS FALLING. And I just fell something awful for this heartrending and heartwarming story of tragedy, growth, and love.

Rowe has been in hiding for the last two years after a terrible incident left her scarred and hurting. Trauma from the incident leaves her in a constant battle to face her fears or remain in stasis indefinitely. Starting college is Rowe’s attempt to move on but she’s terrified of letting go of those she once valued the most. When Rowe meets Nate, he represents all she could gain by moving forward but also forces her to choose between her past and her future.

From the first page to the last, Ginger Scott had me captivated. Rowe’s internal battles were so real and raw and brought tears to my eyes more than once. Nate’s steadfastness and patience were such an amazing turn on—he couldn’t have been a better hero for this story. Rowe and Nate’s relationship was funny, sweet, and moved at just the right pace. From their first bouts of jealousy to the moment they had to decide if they could really be together, it was an amazing love story.

THIS IS FALLING was the kind of story I couldn’t get enough of and couldn’t put down. It reminded me of everything I liked about Ginger Scott’s writing in WAITING ON THE SIDELINES and GOING LONG and magnified my expectations for all future novels by her. I’m moving right into YOU AND EVERYTHING AFTER in the hopes of continuing on this book high.

**Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

4 STAR #Review: Burned by @KarenMMoning

Burned by Karen Marie Moning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blissful frustration is how I’d describe my state of mind after finishing BURNED. Blissful because every moment of Karen Marie Moning’s Fae world is epic and amazing and I can never get enough. Frustrated because I feel like I just went in a 360 degree turn. I’m basically at the exact same point as when I started BURNED. Did I learn a lot? Sure. Do I know more about Dani and the Nine? Absolutely. But basically it all just set the stage for what promises to be an amazing book #8. Dani is where she needs to be, which trust me, I needed, but I didn’t get any instant gratification and knowing it will be at least a year before I get to read FEVERBORN frustrates me to no end because I want it NOW!!!

BURNED starts off a little choppy because there are multiple perspectives, some from characters we don’t even know. Finally Mac takes over and finishes out the second half of the book while still exploring Dani, Ryodan, and even Barrons’ characters. It was interesting because even though the second half of the book was from Mac’s perspective, it really seemed to be from an objective point of view because it was clear the point was to further explore the other characters’ personalities, not Mac’s. In fact, I never felt as close to Mac in BURNED as I did in her five Fever books, almost as if I didn’t know her like I thought I did.

I’m eager to finally get to the meat of Dani and Ryodan in FEVERBORN. In fact, I’m so anxious I can hardly stand it. I will once again be on pins and needles waiting to see what Ms. Moning writes. Even though BURNED was equal parts wonderful and exasperating, I’m still amazed at the creativity and depth in this series. I can’t think of another series that is so involved and so well-developed. I’m blown away by Karen Marie Moning’s talent and in heady anticipation of her next book!

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

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