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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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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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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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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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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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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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:

Goodreads ● Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Pinterest ● YouTube ● Google

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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:  
Website ● Blog ● Facebook ● Twitter ● Goodreads

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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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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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4 STAR #Review: Reviving Izabel by @JRedmerski

Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sarai, aka Izabel, returns with a thirst for vengeance in REVIVING IZABEL.

Victor may have left Sarai so she could live a normal life, but Sarai has her own plans and they don’t involve anything resembling ordinary. She sets off under the pretense of a vacation with her best friend and boyfriend only to sneak back into Hamburg’s restaurant. Before long, she’s in over her head and in need of a hero. Victor is forced to face the fact that Sarai won’t be able to lead a simple life whether he’s a part of it or not. He agrees to help train her so that she’s equipped with the proper tools to become an assassin by her own right.

REVIVING IZABEL is an adventurous story of rogue assassins leaving a trail of bodies in their wake as they complete missions and determine who they can trust. The story is exciting, fast-paced, and never had a dull moment. For such a good tale, I had to give the story 4 stars. But the missing star was because Victor and Sarai’s love story took a backseat to their missions. In KILLING SARAI, I’d been sucked in by Sarai and Victor’s chemistry. Victor was such an unlikely hero but that was precisely why I couldn’t get enough of him. In REVIVING IZABEL, I felt like Victor and Sarai were a lot harder to get a read on. They didn’t seem as fleshed out or fully dimensional and I missed the couple I’d fallen in love with.

The concept behind the IN THE COMPANY OF KILLERS series is a great one and I’m excited for Fredrik’s story, THE SWAN & THE JACKAL. I have no idea how Ms. Redmerski will spin Fredrik but I can’t wait to find out.

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

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5 STAR #Review: Bold Tricks by @MetalBlonde

Bold Tricks by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The ultimate love triangle is forced to work together in the final installment in The Artists Trilogy. Ellie, Cameron, and Javier join forces in an attempt to bring down Travis and rescue Gus despite mistrust all-around.

After getting to know Javier intimately in SHOOTING SCARS, I no longer had any misguided feelings of love for him. Karina Halle did the unthinkable in converting this reader from Team Javier to Team Cameron once I saw how far Cameron would go to rescue Ellie. And okay, Cameron’s well-hidden abilities to shoot down snipers and beat up drug leaders didn’t hurt either. In BOLD TRICKS, I have to admit I still kept thinking Javier was going to reveal his inner soul and have some hidden good intentions somewhere in his bag of tricks, but I never had any false hopes that he’d win back Ellie’s heart. He didn’t deserve it after all he’d done. And I would have lost a lot of respect for Ellie if she’d chosen Javier over Cameron. Still, I have to respect Ms. Halle’s efforts to write her characters honestly rather than just tie everything up in a pretty bow.

BOLD TRICKS combines action, suspense, romance, and angst in a fast-moving story of drug cartels, con artists, and the people who get caught in their crosshairs.

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

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

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5 STAR #Review: Uncovering You 7: Resurrection by @Scarl_Edwards

Uncovering You 7: Resurrection by Scarlett Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jeremy has given Lilly her freedom but he’s not above playing mind games that make her question her sanity. With each freedom he grants Lilly, he does something else behind the scenes to hinder her progress or to keep her isolated. Jeremy’s love is far from unconditional and he revels in his power.

With each volume of UNCOVERING YOU, I become more entrenched in Lilly’s journey and Jeremy’s depravity and narcissism.

The ending of RESURRECTION is fantastic. It leaves you at the perfect moment to have you begging for more. I can’t wait to see what Scarlett Edwards does next!

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

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

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5 STAR #Review: Uncovering You 6: Deliverance by @Scarl_Edwards

Uncovering You 6: Deliverance by Scarlett Edwards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

UNCOVERING YOU 6: DELIVERANCE brings all the things readers have been begging for—major changes and big revelations. What those changes will mean for Lilly and Jeremy, only time will tell.

In DELIVERANCE, Rose reveals a very different side of herself and opens up even more questions as to her involvement in Lilly’s abduction. How she first came to work for Jeremy and how much she knows about his revenge plot are the two most pressing. Charles is forthcoming with Lilly but it only leads to more questions about how much he and Rose share with each other.

The most drastic change of all is by Jeremy, however. His sudden desire to show Lilly he trusts her shocked me. What girl, besides Lilly, wouldn’t throw Jeremy under the bus the first chance she got? Yet he’s just narcissistic enough to offer her the freedom to do just that, trusting that she won’t. Jeremy’s desire to change the relationship and Lilly’s decision to play the long-game really make me wonder where Scarlett Edwards will take this serial. Will Lilly ever get her revenge? Will Jeremy get everything he deserves for what he did to Lilly?

Ms. Edwards has outdone herself with the twists and turns of the UNCOVERING YOU serial. She forces her readers to follow her down the rabbit hole. I, for one, won’t be able to stop until I’ve uncovered every last secret and seen Lilly get her vengeance once and for all.

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

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

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5 STAR #Review: Beyond by @ChantalFernando

Beyond by Chantal Fernando

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t read post-apocalyptic books. I don’t do zombies. But Chantal Fernando? Oh yes, I like her. That girl knows how to dream up some sexy storylines and she writes the kind of alpha male you can swoon over. So even though this is not my typical genre, it only took reading the summary to know I had to read BEYOND. Turns out it doesn’t matter the genre when Ms. Fernando writes it because it’s still going to be smoking hot, addicting, and delicious.

Olivia is a princess in a world that has lost all the creature comforts we take for granted. In a future distinguished by low population, mutated animals, and zombies that threaten mankind, Olivia’s birthright is nothing to be envious over. Her father believes in a prophecy that states she must marry in her 21st year. He also believes that the future of the people depends on their ability to procreate and expand the population. If Olivia is going to be forced to marry and produce offspring, she figures she may as well pick the gorgeous soldier she’s had her eye on for some time. Her father isn’t thrilled that Olivia picked his best soldier as her future mate, but even he has to agree Dane will make a great leader when its time to replace Evan as leader.

Dane only plans to get married once and while an arranged marriage was never his first choice, he doesn’t shy away from his responsibility. Instead, he embraces getting to know his future wife better and before they know it, they’re both falling hard and fast.

I loved Dane’s instant possessiveness, his jealousy, his alpha male tendencies. I loved the lack of control Olivia had because of the post-apocalyptic setting. The extreme circumstances only added to Dane’s ability to dominate Olivia from the very beginning and I found it so incredibly sexy. I also liked that despite Olivia’s powerlessness over so much, she still showed strength, courage, and resilience. She wasn’t stubborn just for the sake of an opinion and she could protect herself and her people when push came to shove.

All these variables built BEYOND into a fun and steamy read that I flew through and didn’t want to put down. BEYOND had the intangible quality I seek in my ideal romantic read. From the first chapter to the last, Ms. Fernando had me invested and wrapped up in her characters and their world.

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

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

View all my reviews

About the Author:

New York Times, Amazon & USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is twenty seven years old and lives in Western Australia.
Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the best selling books Dragon's Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.

When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.

Chantal loves to hear from readers and can be found here:

Social Links:  
Facebook ● Goodreads 

Buy Links:
Amazon ● B&N  ● Apple  ● Kobo  

#REVIEW: Savage by @BNToler

Savage by B.N. Toler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SAVAGE is the final installment of Aldo’s journey in the Healer series. The series started with a young, naïve, impulsive Aldo and ends with a warrior queen. SAVAGE is the culmination of everything Aldo has learned and experienced and is the time for her to finally be the woman she was always destined to be.

While it would be a disservice to not read each book in the Healer series in order, even readers of the entire series have a lot to remember about the world B.N. Toler has created. In that regard, Ms. Toler did an amazing job recapping all the important details about the paranormal world Aldo lives in at the beginning of SAVAGE without it feeling like a summary.

After being abducted by Bridge in HYBRID, Aldo endures unimaginable horrors as a doctor tests out every way to almost kill a Hybrid. She is tortured within an inch of her life each time; only to have her body heal itself and the doctor begin again.

Daniel is willing to turn the entire world upside down and utilize every resource he has to find Aldo, but he has no idea how damaged she might be when he finally recovers her. Nor does he know just what the tests on Aldo have turned up and how valuable she may have become in the process.

I was so glad to see Aldo shed her immaturity from HYBRID and really start to consider the repercussions her decisions might have on the people around her. In her youth she had been so impulsive that she would leave mass chaos in her wake. She was so determined to accomplish her goals that she never considered whether she was adequately equipped to fight her opponents. I always felt like I was screaming through my kindle at her to wake up and realize she wasn’t all-knowing or all-powerful and to find someone she could trust and actually lean on them. But in SAVAGE, when Aldo has not only the power to back up her threats but the right to seek retribution for those who have wronged her, she also has the willpower and maturity to hold back and consider the whole picture.

The action scenes were detailed and at times almost gory but it added to the strength of the paranormal aspect of the story. The sex scenes are smoking hot and firmly place SAVAGE in the romance genre as well. When it comes to the romance though, I just don’t know that I’m the best one to judge since I’m still trying to figure out how Aldo could leave Rhett. I think part of my reservation is a combination of Aldo not seeming desirable enough to have three powerful, amazing men so smitten over her and my wishing Ms. Toler had made Rhett a little less perfect or Daniel a little more, whatever it took to help me move into clear-cut team Daniel. Instead, I’m always waiting to see if Aldo changes her mind so I’m not able to fully immerse myself in the love scenes.

While for me the series was most perfect in the initial book, HEALER, I still think Ms. Toler accomplished a lot of what she promised in the conclusion of the series. I rated SAVAGE 3.5 stars because for me, it never quite reached the wow factor I had with HEALER and at times I found myself losing interest; but for reviewing purposes I rounded up to 4 stars because I think B.N. Toler still managed to set a high learning curve for Aldo and, through the series and especially in SAVAGE, helped her evolve into the woman she needed to be.

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

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

View all my reviews

About the Author:

B N Toler lives in Virginia with her three rowdy children and gearhead husband. She enjoys warm weather, beaches, reading, and music.

Social Links:  
Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads ● Email 

Buy Links:
Amazon ● B&N  ● Smashwords  

A big thank you to BN Toler for providing us an e-copy set of the Healer series to run as a giveaway in December and congratulations to our winner, Sophia!

#ReleaseDay #Blitz Beyond by @ChantalFernando

Beyond by Chantal Fernando

Description:

Olivia Reynolds lives a sheltered life. Daughter of the leader of their small community, she is treated like a princess, never allowed beyond the safety of the walls. When her father decides she must marry, she chooses the man she has secretly lusted after ever since she first laid eyes on him.Dane Mitchell. 

One of her father’s best men, Dane is as lethal is he is attractive, and Olivia is thrilled at the thought of being at his side. 

Dane Mitchell doesn’t want to be forced into marriage. He is a soldier, a fighter, and has a bigger purpose in life. He doesn’t have the time to deal with a spoilt pampered princess such as Olivia, but owes his life to Evan, Olivia’s father. He accepts the marriage. 

But that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

About the Author:

New York Times, Amazon & USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is twenty seven years old and lives in Western Australia.
Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the best selling books Dragon's Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.

When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.

Chantal loves to hear from readers and can be found here:

Social Links:  
Facebook ● Goodreads 

Buy Links:
Amazon ● B&N  ● Apple  ● Kobo  

#BlogTour #Giveaway: Savage by @BNToler

SAVAGE by BN TOLER

Book 3 in the Healer Series

Description:

A savage is barbaric.
It attacks without restraint or pity.
It is fierce, merciless, and brutal.
Aldo has let that part of herself take over, drive her actions. I thought saving her from Bridge was my biggest problem.
I was wrong.
Something happened while she was missing. And it has altered her in a way that she is almost unrecognizable.
But she won’t tell me anything.
Instead, I’m forced to watch the young and naïve woman I’ve fallen in love with transition into everything I knew she could be; strong, fearless, and unstoppable. The problem is, she’s cut off her humanity, and coupled with those things, she’s a loose cannon.
She’s a savage.
My name is Daniel O’Sullivan and I’m in love with a broken woman. But I will bring her back and remind her of who she really is no matter what it takes.
Even if it kills me.

Excerpt: 

I sit as I am for hours, motionless and staring at nothing. Meditating maybe. Giving myself the mental pep-talk everyone needs sometimes—the one where my inner voice tells me to get my shit together and stop acting like such a dumbass. When I finally stand, I wipe at my face, hoping to clear the uncertainty I feel then take a deep breath. I spin around, ready to head back to the house only to stop abruptly. Daniel stands ten feet away from me, his arms crossed over his massive chest; his gray eyes fixed on mine.

“How long have you been there?” I ask, my voice husky.

“The entire time.”

My heart flutters and crashes into my stomach at the same time. I love that he loves me so much. He would follow me to the ends of the earth just to watch me unravel, but I hate he has to. I need to be strong for him. I can’t let whatever it is I’m going through worry him. He has enough on his plate.

“I know . . .” he begins, letting his arms fall to his sides and stepping toward me. “You’ve been though a lot. I want to know everything that happened. You need to talk to someone about it.”

Taking a deep breath, I walk to him, and he hugs me tightly. If the roles were reversed, I’d want to know, too. If someone hurt him, I’d need to know every detail of what happened. I also know it would eat me alive and set my soul on fire. I couldn’t bear the images of someone doing to him what was done to me. So I won’t tell him.

“I just need a little time to get my bearings. I’m fine.”

He pulls me back and looks into my eyes. He doesn’t believe me. My hand finds his face covered with a few days worth of beard and slips into his thick dark hair.

“Please don’t lie to me,” he grumbles.

“Okay.” I nod. “I will be fine.” Which is the truth. At some point, I will be. When? I have no idea. Standing on my toes, I kiss him softly, and his arms tighten around me, squeezing me to his chest. I decide to share one thing—more like a thought or nightmare—from my time in the nest.

“I never thought I’d see you again. I mean . . . I hoped, but there were times I thought I wouldn’t make it out, that I’d die there.” His breath hitches as he squeezes me tighter. “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything,” he promises.

“Make love to me. Right here. Right now,” I beg. “Just . . . touch me everywhere.”

When he pulls away, the worry that’s been laced in his gaze has been replaced with heat—beautiful, scorching desire that makes me ache in all the right places. Pulling his shirt over his head, he lays it on the ground then takes a step toward me. I have no idea why I’m trembling. We’ve made love before, not even a day ago, but as he prowls toward me, the hunger and want humming from him, it feels like the first time. Grabbing the hem of my shirt, he pulls it up, lifting my arms above my head as he removes it. My hair falls freely over my shoulders and he steps back, his eyes perusing me agonizingly slowly. He doesn’t speak, just has his visual feast then comes back to remove more clothing. Each article of clothing he removes builds the fire inside me. I need him. When I’m standing before him in only my panties, he circles me, an energy thrumming from him that is almost enough to get me off alone.

When his warm skin meets my back, his cock pressed against my ass, I nearly collapse. He got naked fast.

A second is nothing to the average human, but to hybrids, it can be an infinite amount of time. It’s almost useless to count it anymore; there is no way to measure it. Not in moments like this. I can’t tell how long Daniel worships my body with only his mouth and hands; how long his tongue dances across my flesh, his fingers caressing all the right spots. I cannot measure the seconds, minutes, or hours that pass as he speaks to me in a language only we are privy to. All I know is it’s too long, yet not nearly long enough. It is euphoria. It is all that matters. By the time he lays me on the ground, my legs are shaking, my body trembling.

Words. I need them. He has to hear I belong to him. That I love him, and could never be without him. Why can’t I speak? I’m so overcome with how I feel for him; there are no words to sum it up.

“Shh,” he whispers as his body towers over mine. “Show me,” he murmurs, and my heart nearly explodes. My hands touch him everywhere, squeezing flesh, pulling him to me, begging for every bit of his weight to crush me; surely there is no more beautiful way to go than death by Daniel. When he pushes inside me, I moan, my head thrown back as I continue to claw at him.

Enter to Win! 

• e-copy set of the Healer series

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author:

B N Toler lives in Virginia with her three rowdy children and gearhead husband. She enjoys warm weather, beaches, reading, and music.

Social Links:  
Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads ● Email 

Buy Links:
Amazon ● B&N  ● Smashwords  

The first two books in the Healer Series are on sale right now, through December, for only 99 pennies.
 

Buy Links:

HEALER

Amazon ● B&N  ● Smashwords   

HYBRID
Amazon ● B&N  ● Smashwords  

Check back in the next few days for my review of SAVAGE!