3 STAR #REVIEW and #GIVEAWAY: Love, Always by @emosewAYessi

Love, Always by Yessi Smith

Description:

**This book is intended for a mature reading audience and isn't suitable for readers under the age of 17.** 

In love with a man on the brink of greatness, Dee has her life figured out. The love they share is comparable only to the love they feel when they find out Dee is pregnant. Josh and Dee welcome their future together with eagerness as they plan a wedding, baby, and the upcoming tour for Josh’s band Wasted Circle. Big things are finally happening. 

During Wasted Circle’s first big show, tragedy strikes leaving Dee alone. The life her and Josh planned for ends up being nothing but desolate promises. Unable to watch his best friend’s girlfriend drown under her own despair any longer, Adam steps in to help Dee cope with her loss and the upcoming birth of her baby. Adam is patient, kind and unrelenting. He stands by her side, never faltering despite his growing desire to be more than Dee’s supportive shoulder and the idea that he is betraying Josh. He refuses to give up on Dee and remains loyally by her side even when she admits herself into a psychiatric ward and he is left to father Josh and Dee’s baby. 

But even sweet and sturdy Adam has his limits.

Review:

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

LOVE, ALWAYS is an original storyline that evokes emotions and flows well. Overall, it was a 3 star read for me.

Dee has never had an easy life, but falling in love with Josh was the easiest and most natural thing she’d ever done. Even when she realizes she’s going to be a teen mom, she knows she’ll have the love and support of her rock star boyfriend and they’ll make it through. So when she loses him soon after discovering she’s pregnant, she’s beyond devastated. She’s full out depressed. The only reason she makes it through her pregnancy is the love and support of Josh’s best friend, Adam. He is her rock and allows her to lean on him when her own parents neglect her completely. Immediately after giving birth, Dee knows she can’t continue to pretend she’s coping and she checks herself into a psychiatric ward— leaving all parenting decisions of her new baby girl, Josie, to Adam alone.

Adam’s entire life has been a series of losing people he loves and the only consistent variable is him. He knows he can never be a person’s everything, so he’s willing to settle for whatever scraps he’s given. He’s even willing to raise another man’s baby as his own, even without the love of the baby’s mother. But Adam feels immense guilt for the feelings he has for his best friend’s girl and knows he’s not just doing it out of a sense of obligation. Once Dee is ready to re-enter the real world, Adam has to figure out if he’s willing to settle for always being Josh’s second-hand replacement or if he deserves to be someone else’s one and only.

LOVE, ALWAYS had a solid concept and I appreciated the dual perspectives alternating between Dee and Adam (especially the flashbacks from Adam’s past), but it seemed to get lost somewhere in the execution. I just didn’t believe the characters or feel their emotions. The story could have felt very dark in parts and very uplifting in others, but for the most part I just kind of felt apathetic. The characters felt rather flat, even the main characters. I know Adam was supposed to be a solid rock, but as a result I missed any hint of rock star. It was like I was being told he should be a rock star but I never really believed it for myself. It was such a minor part of the story it almost didn’t exist. It was the same with Dee as an author. I believed her as a blogger, but when she started talking about self-publishing—it was just words. It didn’t feel real.

My favorite part of the story by far was the flashbacks of Adam’s past. I could feel his emotions as a child and I felt for him as a person. I wish I’d felt that much emotion with the entire story because it would have skyrocketed LOVE, ALWAYS for me.

**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:

I'm a Hispanic living in South Florida with my redneck husband from Texas and our "half breed" son, who is actually the reason I started writing again after years of celibacy. My son loves stories, but not the kind you can read in an existing book. No, he'd rather make up a story, complete with our own illustrations. So, thank you, Son, for igniting a flame I had let go out. I also live with two dogs: a neurotic Border Collie we call Nitro and a midget Rottweiler named Nisa. I have always found my sanctuary at the beach and in music and writing. I wish I could write rhymes so I could become a famous rapper, but rhyming is completely lost on me. My son surpassed me in the rhyming game by the time he was four. This is something I am very proud of. I have a Bachelor's degree in Business Management and a Master's in Human Resource Management. I have held several jobs, from picking up dog poop to upper management positions. And now I am hoping to leave the business world behind so I can live full time in a world that does not exist until I place my fingers on a keyboard and bring them to fruition. I published my first book Life's A Cappella last year.

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5 STAR #REVIEW and #GIVEAWAY: Hostage by N.S. Moore

Hostage by N.S. Moore

Description:

My life is split into two realities. Before Code. And after him.
The first time I saw him, he walked into my father’s bank with the strut of a man who knows exactly what he wants. I saw in him a fearlessness that I desperately wanted, needed, craved as much as my next breath.

Because I was watching him, I knew immediately when he pulled out a gun, aimed it at the ceiling, and fired three shots.

And that is the way I mark my life—before that moment and after it. Before, when I tried to be agreeable, tried to be admired, tried to be pretty, tried to make sure everyone liked me. Tried to shake myself of shame. And after, when all of that fell away. When I just didn’t care anymore.

Before Code. And after him.

I didn’t know then what he would be to me. I didn’t know how he would transform the fabric of my existence. I didn’t know he would move me, reshape me, mold me into someone else, someone I wanted to be.

Afterwards, he would become my lover, my savior, my hope, and my strength.

But, before that, he was my hostage-taker.

Review:

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is there anything more star-crossed than falling for your captor who takes you hostage and demands you stay with him until he crosses the Mexican border? Possibly—but this is still pretty high up there. And what if to make matters worse it was your dad’s bank he robbed in the first place? Probably not the healthiest start to a successful relationship...

Wren doesn’t know a lot about healthy relationships though. She was violated by her stepfather at the age of 10 and has spent the remainder of her adolescence saying yes because it was simpler than saying no. All she’s ever really wanted is to be normal, to be liked, to feel like she’s living in the light instead of the shadows. But instead of life getting easier, it only gets more complicated when she’s taken as a hostage by Code and her life changes forever.

Code doesn’t really want the money or the diamonds he robbed the bank to get; he just wants freedom. So when the robbery goes tragically wrong, he’s suddenly not only dangerously close to losing all sense of freedom, he’s also got the sudden extra baggage of a feisty hostage to contend with.

The longer Wren and Code spend on the run together, the more they are drawn to each other despite their reservations and the more clearly they’re able to gain perspective on who they have become as individuals. I absolutely adored this love story. Code and Wren were ill-fated from the very beginning but it didn’t stop me from wanting them to somehow find a happily ever after together. The story was told from Code and Wren’s perspective, alternating by chapters, which was perfect in propelling the story forward and in allowing the reader to get to know both characters as the story progressed. Code and Wren’s time together was beyond sexy as Wren, who’d never enjoyed sex because of her earliest experiences, guiltily found out what turned her on. I couldn’t get enough of the magic that happened when the two of them came together. I loved the suspense of wondering if they’d get caught and the vulnerability both characters showed as their feelings for each other grew. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter romance or a better storyline. I was supremely impressed that the author didn’t drag out the story with a cliffhanger and in how she ended it.

I couldn’t get enough of HOSTAGE and wouldn’t mind another five just like it. It was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys New Adult, bad boys, or light captivity stories. It’s not dark like most abduction stories I read; instead it’s perfectly refreshing and lighthearted.

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

**The version I read was an Advanced Reader Copy and had errors and some minor detail discrepancies. I anticipate this would be cleaned up prior to release date but felt it worth mentioning just in case. While I did notice these things, it did not in any way take away from the magic of the story for me. If the story sounds appealing to you, I would not let it deter you from snatching it up.

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

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About the Author:

N.S. Moore has been writing for years, and she loves romance of all varieties—from sweet to very dark. Her first book, Hostage, is a sexy New Adult contemporary romance about two people who find each other in very unlikely circumstances but discover they’re exactly what the other needs.
When she’s not writing, N.S. Moore likes to read, shop, play tennis, and spend time with her family and her dog. She’s currently working on her next book.

She would love to hear from readers. If you’d like to get in touch with her, you can follow her on Facebook or email her at nsmooreauthor@gmail.com.

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Excerpt:

I really am a fucking moron.

She’s quiet. Almost too quiet. Now that I’ve completely screwed myself, I need to come up with a way of keeping her here. Keeping her safe. I know that she’s probably thinking the rent-a-cop is going to be her savior, but she’s wrong. If she leaves here before Deke and the crew are caught, she could be in danger.

And I probably will be dead.

Quietly, I move around. I know this place like the back of my hand, and I know exactly what it is that I’m looking for and where to find it. Moving to the far corner, I find that doorway that we were heading toward earlier. There’s a shelving unit there. I feel around for a minute and find the three things I’m going to need.

She’s going to hate me, and I really can’t blame her. But considering I’ve kidnapped her and fucked her, what’s one more crime to add to the list.

I walk back over and put my hand on her shoulder, and she lets out a little scream. My hand immediately goes over her mouth. “I told you to be fucking quiet,” I hiss in her ear.

“Well you scared me. I never heard you move!” The words are out of her mouth as soon as I remove my hand.

“Listen, Princess, we have a problem.”

“What?” I don’t know if it’s fear or defiance or what, but her snappish tone is a far cry from the way she sounded a few minutes ago.

“When I go to get our food, I have to go alone.”

“Okay.”

I laugh bitterly. “There is no fucking way that I’m leaving you down here unattended. Don’t think that I’m not aware that you’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to make a run for it as soon as I go upstairs.”

“I…I wasn’t. I mean, I wouldn’t know where to go.”

“Liar.” And before she can utter another word, I have the duct tape ripping and over her mouth. She goes to stand up but I shove her back down on the box. “We can do this one of two ways, Princess. I can keep you tied up and that tape over your mouth so that you can’t get away…”

Her head shakes furiously from side to side, and I’m close enough that she’s shoving against me in an attempt to get the tape off her mouth.

“Or we have option number two.” I put my hand by the tape. “I can pull this off right now, but then you’re going to have to strip.”

She instantly grows still.

“Those are your options. Bound and gagged or naked. Either one, it makes no difference to me. But I’m hungry and believe it or not, keeping you down here is keeping you safe. You may think that running is going to save you, but it won’t. Deke won’t rest until he finds us both. Think about it.”

She sags in front of me, her head hitting my shoulders. Personally, if I could have had her bound and gagged and naked, I’d be pretty fucking happy. But now is not the time for that.

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4.5 STAR #REVIEW: Unspeakable Truths by @AMTribue

Unspeakable Truths by Alice Montalvo-Tribue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

UNSPEAKABLE TRUTHS delivers a little of everything—pain, romance, passion, despair—the whole gamut of emotions and the believability behind it to pack a solid punch.

Everly loses her husband way before his time and blames her husband’s best friend for his death. Luca takes the blame to protect his best friend and leaves town and everyone he loves. But four years later, he’s back and he’s not willing to let Everly continue to waste away in a sea of sadness and suffering. He knows he’s the last person she wants to see, but if no one else can get through to her, he’s determined he will. Everly is horrified to realize that once she stops hating Luca, she might actually like him.

I loved every second of Luca and Everly together. When Everly was with Tyler at the beginning of UNSPEAKABLE TRUTHS, even the way Everly described him and their love story felt somewhat superficial and face value; but with Luca it was raw and unbridled. The two saw each other at their worst and still couldn’t deny their growing feelings for each other. Luca was caring and romantic and sweet, but he was also no-nonsense and opinionated. He wouldn’t just let Everly walk all over him no matter how long he’d loved her. The story alternates perspectives between Everly and Luca, though Everly narrates the majority of the story. I could feel the darkness that weighed Everly down and though it was emotional to read, it didn’t bring me down or make me want to stop reading. The love scenes between Everly and Luca were daring, bold, and steamy. The only thing that kept me from giving UNSPEAKABLE TRUTHS the full 5 stars was that for me it dragged on just a touch in the middle, but then the end picked up the pace again.

UNSPEAKABLE TRUTHS was a 4.5 star read for me and yet another great story by Alice Montalvo-Tribue. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve read by her and love that her stories are all so different yet share an ability to combine sadness and romance for an altogether amazing story.

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

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

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4 STAR #Review and #Giveaway: The Suit by @BNTOLER

The Suit by BN Toler

Description:

What happens when two dreams collide? 

Fed up with the farm life and his one-time love of training horses, John Wilson has traded his tattered boots and jeans for power suits and cufflinks. Through hard work and determination, John has just graduated from law school and is focused on a fresh start. Refusing to let his bitter past hinder his future, John is intent on moving forward with his new life.

Except there’s one last thing he has to do—settle old debts before he can truly move on. Unfortunately, settling debts involves him returning to a life he’s worked hard to forget. A mind-numbing summer working on a horse farm awaits him, and he’s dreading every damn minute of it. 

Edie James is mourning the loss of her grandfather when John Wilson shows up in his perfectly tailored suit, reeking sexiness and city elegance—everything she’s not. Their meeting is less than pleasant as they both distastefully size up one another. 

She thinks he’s arrogant and a white-collar yuppie. 

He thinks she’s a simple, goody two-shoes farm girl. 

Edie’s grandfather made a new will before he passed leaving stipulations in order for Edie to inherit the family farm. And as if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, the suit has to work on the farm with her for three months to settle a debt he owed to her grandfather. 

And he’s moving in with her. 

With a rocky start, the two seemingly polar opposites call a truce and attempt to be friends. As their unexpected friendship blooms, an attraction develops and both realize their first impression of each other is far from the truth. Now this once dreaded summer is set to be the hottest and most unforgettable they've ever had. 

Review:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Who said book boyfriends have to exist solely in the book? Edie figures she can have her cake and eat it too! All she needs is a cute friend-with-benefits and a little role-playing and she’s got the recipe for a hot summer fling!

Edie may have passed up on college fun to help her grandfather run his horse farm, but she can’t regret doing something she loves this much. Unfortunately, one of the negatives of living in a small town is that it’s very easy to be pegged as a certain kind of person and Edie is the good girl—the girl you marry, not the girl you hook up with. Which sounds fine unless you just want to have some fun.

John has done everything he can to escape his famlly’s horse training legacy after his father shattered his fond memories when he tanked the family farm. John only has one obligation left before he can put the past behind him and pursue his career as a lawyer in New York City.

When Edie and John realize they’ll be forced to spend the summer together whether they like it or not, they decide to make the most of it and indulge in their physical attraction for each other. They both understand that it’s for one summer only and there are no strings attached. With John, Edie can keep her good girl reputation and explore her naughty side all at once.

THE SUIT is a fun romantic story about letting down your walls and admitting what turns you on. It’s a perfect story for all the readers out there who leave the fun stuff in their imagination instead of merging all the ideas into their real life. THE SUIT has a familiar feel to it while exploring something completely original. The only thing keeping THE SUIT from a 5 star rating for me is that intangible something that makes me obsess about the characters—the grit and appeal that make the book unforgettable. THE SUIT is fun and romantic and easy to read but it didn’t give me that extra oomph that made me gaga over it.

THE SUIT is an enjoyable new adult romance that will make you feel good and fly through it. It’s original, warm, and satisfying.

**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:

B N Toler lives in Virginia with her epic husband, Toler, and their three rowdy children. When she's not reading and writing, she's thinking about reading and writing. Before she became a self-proclaimed writer, she worked as a real estate agent and as an orthodontic technician. **She will notice your teeth before your eyes or hair or anything.** 

She enjoys shopping (way too much) and is on a first name basis with several employees at the local Target in her town. 

She loves music,(bluegrass, country, 80's, actually she loves most music ~her favorite song is American Pie by Don McLean and she worships anything that is Elvis and Johnny Cash and Eric Church) dancing, (even though she sucks at it)reading, writing, eating (too much) sleeping late, (which she rarely gets to do) and laughing. If you can make her laugh, she will love you forever. 

Random and insignificant facts: 
She is addicted to Coca Cola 
She hates onions 
She loves thunderstorms 
She wants to have Karen Marie Moning's babies 
She curses....a lot...like way too much 
She's immensely afraid of snakes 
She fangirls over M.Pierce 
She HATES reality television 
She could eat her weight in Snickers candy bars 
She loves books and movies that make her cry 
She cries over anything remotely sad 
She loves the Lord 
She LOVES Jack Daniels and Ginger Ale. (too much) 
She hopes she hasn't bored you to death. 

Social Links:  
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Interested in other B N Toler books?

Paranormal Romance:

The Healer Series

Healer
Hybrid
Savage (Coming December 2014)

New Adult/Contemporary Romance:
Wrecking Ball

5 STAR #Review and #Giveaway: New Point by @AuthorLuck

New Point by Olivia Luck

Description:

Imagine the worst day of your life. Immerse yourself in the details. How did you feel? Who were you with? What were the consequences? 

Recalling my darkest day is as simple as typing a few search terms into a web browser. It only took thirty minutes for me to become the center of a media frenzy that caught the attention of an entire country. 

So I hid. 

Nine months later and I'm getting better. Moved two hours from home, landed my dream job, and met a delicious new guy. 

Healing is that simple, right?

Wrong.

Review:

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A soulful story, a beautiful romance, and a riveting plot combine for a fantastic 5 star read in NEW POINT.

It only took one terrifying day to transform Zoe from a driven, confident woman into a shell of the woman she once was. She leaves Chicago for a small town called New Point in the hopes of a fresh start. Within days, she literally falls into the arms of a man worth overcoming her fears for, but she’s not sure any guy would be willing to stick around for her degree of baggage. She decides to hide her past from Miles in the hopes that she can overcome her fears and forget what happened that fateful day. But changing cities doesn’t change Zoe and before she knows it she’s overcome with terror and losing Miles because she refuses to open up to him. Did she miss her chance at a new love and a new start? Will she even get the chance to find out?

I found NEW POINT to be captivating all around—from the original story to the fantastic dialogue to the absolutely breathtaking romance. I cried for Zoe, for the emotions I could feel through Blake and Miles, for the pain, fear and love I found completely believable. I loved how passionate and expressive Miles was and how Zoe said what she was thinking, sometimes to her own detriment.

“New Point isn’t known for much breaking and entering, but I have to admit, this looks mighty suspicious,” an unmistakably Midwestern accent drawls from behind me, effectively scaring the sweat off my bare shoulders.

“I didn’t realize this needed to be said explicitly after I practically threw down with your brother.”…“But for the record, I’m not seeing anyone else, and neither are you.”

I stroll down the staircase like the king of the fucking castle. Hell if I’m not prouder than a guy who just won the Super Bowl. It’s impossible to wipe the grin off my face.

I loved that even though Miles was clearly head over heels for Zoe, he didn’t just let her get away with everything. He expected her to give him every part of herself, and he wouldn’t settle for less. What’s more, Miles and Zoe’s love story has a beginning, middle and end in NEW POINT so there’s no frustrating cliffhangers to worry over.

NEW POINT is a refreshing love story that you don’t want to miss. This is the first book I’ve read by Olivia Luck but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. I can’t wait to read Blake’s story in PRESSURE POINT.

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

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

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Excerpt:

“New Point isn’t known for much breaking and entering, but I have to admit, this looks mighty suspicious,” an unmistakably Midwestern accent drawls from behind me, effectively scaring the sweat off my bare shoulders. 

A shriek escapes from my lips as I teeter preciously on the wood chair and my hands lose their grip on the white doorframe. The rubber of my flip flop doesn’t provide much traction and my body pitches sideways. In just a second I’ll crash against the deck floor and I’ll spend the summer recovering physically instead of gaining back my old– 

Sturdy muscular arms slide around my waist and yank me against an equally firm chest. “Woah, there. I didn’t mean to scare you.” The masculine voice has a smile behind it. 

“Probably shouldn’t go sneaking up on someone then,” I mutter once I catch my breath and untangle myself from his grasp. He chuckles at my retort, a rich baritone that makes me feel like shivering. 

When I’m a step or two back I’m nearly breathless again, but this time for completely different reasons. 

Sturdy was one way to describe his muscular grasp, but now that I have a full frontal view of him, I see my mistake. He’s perfect. Thick arms with nicely defined muscles that don’t bulge too aggressively beneath his white T-shirt, a broad chest, trim waist with low riding blue exercise shorts. And that’s just his body. Bright white teeth gleam at me from behind a broad smile. Thick, dark curly hair begs to have fingers run through it and he has coffee colored eyes framed by long lashes most girls want desperately. 

He’s a combination of sultry sex appeal and mischievous intentions as displayed by the twist of his lips. Less than one minute in his presence and I’m practically swooning. 

“Who are you?” I blurt out. 

With a smirk, he crosses his arms across the planes of chest. “Shouldn’t I be asking the questions, Ms. Breaking and Entering?”

About the Author:

Olivia Luck lives in the middle of America with her loving husband and her obsession with writing. She wrote her first romance novel at age eight. When she’s not reading, editing, or writing, you can find her in the kitchen learning to cook. Olivia loves to travel and spend time with her family. 

Get in touch with Olivia, she adores emails: olivialuckauthor@gmail.com

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