#Review: The Glass Castle: A Memoir 5 Stars

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love to read books that show strong characters who prevail in the face of adversity--it's even sweeter when the characters are real. THE GLASS CASTLE is a great memoir that is tragic, but at times-funny and jaw-dropping, about the lives of a family of 2 adults and 4 children. The children are herded all over the country by their kooky parents. With no life purpose other than personal enjoyment and pleasure, Rex and Rose Mary Walls lead their children into a very unconventional, nomadic life demonstrating no responsibility or ownership for... well, anything.

Rex and Rose Mary really had no business have one child, much less four. There were so many aspects to the lives of the Walls family that I cannot even fathom--really, I am not exaggerating when I say that the hits just kept on coming. I wanted to scream at the mother:  GET. A. GRIP. LADY! Rose Mary is described as eccentric, I would describe her as mentally unstable, selfish, ego-centrical, abusive ...need I continue?

I can't imagine living in such horrendous conditions. How did these children survive, much less prevail under a total lack of responsible adult supervision? How on earth does this woman, Jeannette still speak with such love and adoration about her parents? This book infuriates me, but also warms my heart to realize that such unconditional love really does exist--she is a much better person than I could ever hope to be!

To know that Jeannette Walls overcame the odds, flourished in her life and became a successful writer and journalist with a resume that includes:   MSNBC.com, Esquire, USA Today, New York magazine and appeared on The Today Show, CNN, Primetime, and The Colbert Report, makes this story ever-so-sweet!  If you are a fan of memoirs that read like fiction, then you gotta grab this one - it will make you laugh, it will make you cry, it will make you angry, but best of all, it will make you want to cheer for her to succeed, from beginning to end!

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#Review: Curve by @NicHudsonAuthor 5 Stars

Curve by Nicola Hudson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

❝Rob was with you for a bet. ❞

I can’t imagine anything more crushing to a seventeen-year-old girl than to hear those words.

Rob is the school’s super-stud and has girls fawning all over him left and right and I can only imagine Cass’ delight to discover that he actually wants to go on a date with her! SQUEEEEEEE!!!! Yeah, sounds awesome, until his “real” persona breaches the surface and she realizes that Rob is actually a super-sleaze bucket. Never fear! Because Cass has an awesome support system to help her pick up the pieces and thank goodness for Flynn – she has always seen him as an older brother type, but to my delight, a sweet romance begins to bud between the pair.

After the horror and humiliation of scoring a date with the handsome Rob only because of a bet, Cass returns to her normal routine, but Rob isn’t having it, he is determined to finish what he started. What began as a joke turns into an obsession and the target is Cass. Although Rob’s attention seems a little “off,” she thinks he is harmless, never thinking that the devil lurks beneath the surface of that handsome exterior… until the unthinkable happens. Cass’ life is forever changed and she retreats from everything and everyone that previously brought her joy. Once again, Flynn is her strength and works tirelessly to help her return to feeling confident and safe.

Although Cass’ vicious sexual assault is ever present in CURVE, it isn’t necessarily the focal point of the story. CURVE is about innocence lost, healing and finding love in the most unlikely of places. Author Nicola Hudson does a fantastic job at “showing” rather than “telling” and I think showing is so much more powerful, and lends a hand to creating multi-dimensional characters, than telling. The relationship that transpires between the very innocent and “never been kissed” Cass and the college-aged Flynn was sweet and refreshing and sometimes pretty hot!

❝Every millimetre of me craves his touch. As the fingertips on one hand follow the lace edging of my bra, causing goosebumps to follow in their wake, his other hand slowly strokes downwards. Past the indent of my belly button, past the curve of my tummy, under the elastic of my knickers. My left hand is enmeshed in his dark hair, my nails grazing his scalp, as he kisses the line of my neck, branding me with the heat of his mouth. My whole body is on fire and I can feel a release just out of reach when his mouth stops and leaves my neck naked.❞

CURVE is labeled on many shelves as a “young- adult” novel, but I would say 18+ due to sexual content and adult themes. Any way you slice it, CURVE is a winner in my book and I enjoyed every minute of it. Lovers of New-Adult romance and drama will likely love it too – you can bet I will be checking out more of what this author has to offer!



✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

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#Review: The S-Word

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me." I know I heard this nursery rhyme over and over again when I was growing up, but in this world that’s not always so easy. High school tests every teenager and most learn that the power of a single word really can turn someone’s life upside down.

In THE S-WORD, Lizzie Hart was Angie’s best friend since kindergarten until prom night screwed everything up. Angie caught Lizzie cheating with her boyfriend, Drake. Lizzie became branded a slut and Angie couldn’t bring herself to ever ask Lizzie why. Lizzie couldn’t take what was happening any longer and committed suicide. After Lizzie’s death and seeing “slut" transformed into “suicide slut”, Angie becomes determined to find out why Lizzie did it, especially as copies of Lizzie’s diary pages start being stuffed in lockers. She starts interrogating people and finding out who originally branded Lizzie as a slut, who made Lizzie drop out of the play, who tagged Lizzie’s car, who sent out a mass email with a nude painting of Lizzie and what really happened on prom night. Can Angie handle the truth? Can she discover the truth without turning her back on everyone around her? Or is Lizzie’s life just going to be summed up with the words “suicide slut”?

I wanted to love THE S-WORD but most of the story I was left with wanting more. Suicide seems to be a popular topic among young adult novels, yet finding a unique twist on it is rare. For over half of THE S-WORD I was left wondering how this was any different than the other young adult books of this type out there. Finally in the last quarter of THE S-WORD I saw the difference between THE S-WORD and all the others, but I was left wondering why it took so long. So in the end, while the message being conveyed in THE S-WORD was great and I definitely enjoyed it, I still wanted more out of it.

✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Reviewer, Leah

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#Review: Three Weeks with a Bull Rider

Three Weeks with a Bull Rider by Cat Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I thought that Cat Johnson’s THREE WEEKS WITH A BULL RIDER was a good addition to her Oklahoma Nights series, but I also have to admit that didn’t connect with these two characters quite like I had with the previous two books. Tara and Jace consider themselves to be more enemies than friends, so they don’t feel any attraction to one another at first. Instead the story is more focused on how these two try to overcome their pasts, and how they discover that with help moving on might not be so hard after all.

Jace Mills is a landscaper by trade and a part-time bull rider on the weekends. He has been struggling with moving on from his long-term relationship, because he hasn’t exactly cut all ties with his ex like he should have. To get away, he jumps at the opportunity to ride full-time on the circuit even if it means he has to have his best friend’s little sister tag along for the ride.

Tara Jenkins is desperate to get away from her family, but more importantly to get away from the hurt she feels because of Logan and his new bride. In order to finish up her degree, she signs up to do an internship with the sports medicine team on the pro bull riding circuit. Unfortunately after only one event, the car she just used all her money to purchase breaks down. She doesn’t want to ask for help from her parents and her brother Tucker refuses to help, but Jace gives her an opportunity she can’t refuse. Although the situation isn’t an ideal one, beggars can’t be choosers so she is reluctantly stuck with Jace for the next three weeks. She just hopes they both survive it.

Sparks definitely fly between these two at the onset of the book, but eventually they find common ground and are able to come to a tentative peace agreement of sorts. Neither of them expects what will develop after a rash decision on Jace’s behalf to rein Tara in, but Jace struggles almost too much to keep himself at a distance. I enjoyed the buildup and tension between these two, but I honestly have to say that I also thought that Tara and Jace had too much going on emotionally for them to make it work as a couple. I would have liked to see the ending be better developed, because to me it just seemed too rushed and incomplete. That being said though, I was actually glad that we didn’t get any big professions of love in this one, but instead a happy for now ending. I’ve enjoyed this series overall so far and I’m looking forward to the next book. I hear Tyler’s story is next, so hopefully we can get a glimpse of where Tara and Jace are in their relationship too!

✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Tabatha

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Blog Tour #Review and #Giveaway: Hybrid ★★★★ by @BNTOLER

Hybrid by B.N. Toler

Description:

My Aunt Lucy used to say, “If you cannot find peace within yourself, you will never find it anywhere else.” She said many wise things I never heeded when she was alive. I want to be the woman that’s okay with hiding from what she fears and letting her big, strong man protect her. But that’s not me. I hate to be scared. I hate the feeling that there is an evil out there that could hurt me if it finds me. But mostly, I hate that so many before me lived in fear and died at the hands of evil. That is why I cannot find peace within. There is no peace for me while Healers suffer the atrocities of others.

I know Rhett would protect me at all costs. He loves me. And that is why I must leave him behind. It’s impossible to justify hurting someone you love—or many you love—to do what you truly believe is right. Lucy also used to say, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” I get what she was trying to tell me now. Hindsight is twenty/twenty. Sometimes we choose a path we think will lead us toward a noble cause, full of ambition and altruism, only to look back and see we’ve run over and crushed the ones we love most along the way. I can only pray that one day those I love will forgive me.

I woke up and I left. I left Rhett, the man who saved me from myself. The man I love. I left my brothers—my best friends.

I left.
But leaving led me to more. I found answers. I found others like me—who want what I want.

But most importantly, I found myself.

My name is Aldo Lawson.

I’m awake.

And I’m a Hybrid.

Review:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you haven’t read HEALER yet, you may not want to read my review of HYBRID until you do. Instead, you can read my review of HEALER here.

B.N. Toler knew not every reader would love Aldo’s impulsive and immature tendencies, but she wasn’t willing to alter Aldo to appease the masses because it wouldn’t be true to who Aldo is and the journey she is on. Ms. Toler said as much in her note to the reader after HYBRID. Man, was she right. I wanted to shake Aldo until her head bounced back and forth, then maybe a little more to make sure it sunk in! Come on, Aldo! We can’t all have three amazing guys following our every move as we make mistake and after mistake in the name of revenge. Get it together, girl!

At the end of HEALER, Aldo realizes she’s been stuck in her head in a world of her own making after she lost her aunt in a fire and discovered her crush may have been involved. Rhett, the most amazing man in the world, followed Aldo into her subconscious and patiently helped Aldo find her way home. I want to put Rhett in a bottle and take him home with me. He is perfection. The only problem? He loves Aldo so much he isn’t willing to risk her life in order to help her avenge her family. And Aldo is sick and tired of being lied to in the name of safety. Healers have been in hiding for too long and Aldo is determined to bring down the vampires who breed and kill healers once and for all.

She manages to lock Rhett out of her dreams and leaves on a journey her aunt started long ago. She follows her aunt’s clues to a man named Daniel. Leader of the hybrids, Daniel can teach Aldo her full potential as a hybrid, someone who was born of a healer that had been bitten by a vampire during pregnancy. As long as hybrids maintain a regular consumption of blood, they are stronger than blood healers AND vampires. So all that time Rhett’s sister, Sarah, seemed unnecessarily hard on Aldo? It was because she knew Aldo had the potential to be stronger than either her or her brother, yet she reveled in being coddled. I would have been a tad annoyed too. But that doesn’t mean I wanted Aldo to run off and leave Rhett in the dust just to find her true strength!

B.N. Toler has created a wonderful paranormal world and I love the liberties she takes with the talents and abilities of her characters. It is truly original and exciting and I get caught up in the adventure and suspense of it all. What drove me absolutely batty, however, was Aldo. Her immaturity was so severe that I had a hard time placing it within the new adult genre this series is obviously a part of. There are sexy scenes and flushingly hot moments and Aldo seemed like a fish out of water in the midst of a world of my hot fantasies. On top of Aldo’s immaturity, I truly battled the fact that Ms. Toler created at least two swoon-worthy men (arguably three) and then expected me to understand how Aldo could choose one over the other. I really needed there to be a more glaring reason why Aldo would give up one for the other. I heard her reasoning, but at the end of the day, it still felt like Aldo was the most selfish person on the planet. She would babble on about her love for each man in a different way, and why she loved one so much but the other was her whole world. I was screaming at Aldo to stop leading them on with her damsel in distress moments. Why were they so smitten with her? She drove me bonkers half the time, yet they were over the moon for her.

B.N. Toler’s note to the reader at the end of HYBRID supported my faith that Aldo will mature and find her strength in SAVAGE, the third book in the series. SAVAGE sounds like the perfect continuation of an amazing world and thrilling obstacles. My only concern at this point is if Thomas, Rhett, and Daniel continue to be a part of Aldo’s journey, I hope Aldo has the maturity to commit 100% to her convictions about who she wants beside her. I gave HYBRID 3.5 stars and rounded up to 4 stars for reviewing purposes because though I’m frustrated with a lot of Aldo’s actions in HYBRID, I’m still obsessed with the world she lives in and the men who dwell in it.

SAVAGE promises to be every bit as exciting as the first two books in the series and I can’t wait to experience it for myself. I would recommend this series to everyone who enjoys paranormal new adult and would like a breath of fresh air when it comes to the types of paranormal they encounter.

**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 loves music and listens to pretty much anything. She's a big fan of blue grass, country, and anything old school. Some of her favorite singers and bands are Johnny Cash, Elvis, Eric Church, The Bootleggers, and old school hip-hop like Salt n Pepa. N Toler is a happily married, mother of three, and HEALER is her first self-published book. She has worked in several fields, including real estate and orthodontics, but writing has always been one of her passions. Though she has written many stories, HEALER is the first one she ever really fell in love with.

Some of her other passions include reading and music. She enjoys most genres including fantasy, erotica, romance and supernatural. She loves to find a book she can't put down. Some of her favorite authors include Charlaine Harris (The Sookie Stackhouse Series), Karen Marie Moning (The Fever Series), Sylvia Day (The Bared to You series), and recently she's become a big fan of Samantha Young (On Dublin Street).

B N Toler loves music and listens to pretty much anything. She's a big fan of blue grass, country, and anything old school. Some of her favorite singers and bands are Johnny Cash, Elvis, Eric Church, The Bootleggers, and old school hip-hop like Salt n Pepa.

Social Links:  
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Buy Links:
Amazon ● B&N ● Amazon UK 

Read the first book in the series now for only $.99!:
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#Review: Make Me: Twelve Tales of Dark Desire 5 Stars @AleathaRomig

Make Me: Twelve Tales of Dark Desire by Aleatha Romig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

12 dark full length novels in one fantastic book - what an amazing deal! If you do not currently own this, you had better jump on it because it will not be available forever - this is a limited time deal!

CONSEQUENCES - Original Review - ✭✭✭✭✭ I have reviewed this book, like 5 times since my first review in August of 2011 when I first read it. I think it is no secret that Aleatha Romig is one of my faves ☺ I get giddy just thinking about the level of excitement and frustration I felt when I first read CONSEQUENCES. I was a little crazed by the "not knowing" what was going to happen next, but that’s half the fun, right? I struggled with wanting to strangle and hug Aleatha Romig for creating a story that elicited such powerful emotions in me. If you are looking for a psychological thriller, then look no further, because you have found it! CONSEQUENCES is definitely a book you have to read. I hope it evokes the same crazy emotions in you that it did in me and I hope you love it as much as I did!

COMFORT OBJECT - ✭✭✭✭✭ This was my very first Annabel Joseph novel and I loved every minute of it! I thought the way their relationship began was most unique--great ramp up to a wonderful story.

TEARS OF TESS - ✭✭✭✭✭ Now this is what I’m talkin’ about! I have found a new favorite Dark Diva in the dark erotic romance genre and her name is Pepper Winters. The dark elements are romanticized to appeal to a broader range of readers (strictly my opinion), but I read everything from the really tame to the totally taboo and I still thought it was well done. This one earns a big thumbs up from me!

CAPTIVE IN THE DARK - ✭✭✭✭✩ This dark tale should satisfy those who are fans of the captor/captive theme as well as the more extreme emotional side of the Dominant/submissive roles.


I am excited about reading the other books in this bundle. MAKE ME is like a smorgasbord of delectable darkness – what a genius idea, ladies!

Take a trip to the dark side with 12 full-length books by the hottest names in edgy romance, including USA Today Bestselling authors CJ Roberts, Eliza Gayle, and Aleatha Romig! These heroes know what they want and they're not afraid to take it.


Pepper Winters - Tears of Tess 

CJ Roberts - Captive in the Dark

Skye Warren - Wanderlust

Aleatha Romig - Consequences

Eliza Gayle - Play With Me

Cari Silverwood - Take Me Break Me

Annabel Joseph - Comfort Object

Claire Thompson - Enslaved

Shoshanna Evers - The Man Who Holds the Whip

Annika Martin - The Hostage Bargain

Jasmine Haynes - Take Your Pleasure

Pam Godwin - Beneath the Burn
The e-books cost over $40 when purchased separately. This set will only be available for a limited time, so order your copy before it's gone!

I have heard that it will only be available for a VERY LIMITED TIME, so if you want it, you had better jump on it!

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#Review: Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps

Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps by Jo Piazza
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I know I messed up pretty bad as a young adult and acted like a lovesick idiot more than once, but Sophie and her gang of lovelorn ladies could win awards with their brand of crazy.

Sophie starts a twelve-step program for love addicts after she catches her boyfriend of two years sexting with his secretary. She leaves Manhattan for her hometown in New Jersey and proceeds to turn into a crazy, stalker person who calls her ex boyfriend until he threatens to get the police involved. She realizes that she can’t be the only woman to make these mistakes; wanting love more than wanting the right guy, so together they form a support group and learn to love themselves and correct their behavior towards men. Hint: Do not start planning the wedding immediately after he asks you out for drinks!

Sophie’s house becomes a place for all these women to stay while they work on their lives and it seems like a sorority house. This story follows these women as they conduct their own program and make up the twelve steps as they go. It reminded me of the movie HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS, which is pretty ironic because these women come to the conclusion that romantic comedies are the downfall for expectations in relationships.

I found LOVE REHAB: A NOVEL IN TWELVE STEPS to be cute, funny, and pretty cheesy at times, but overall a light and entertaining read. Most women will be able to relate to the mistakes that these single ladies have made. (Even if you do not want to admit it, you have.) I found myself having a good laugh at their antics and even wishing I had thought of their evil retaliations while I was dating. I am now also VERY glad there was no Facebook while I was dating! Jo Piazza did a wonderful job creating lovable, flawed characters and her writing style flowed seamlessly. I had just finished reading a very dark book and this was seriously needed to lift my mood, but there wasn’t much to the story besides the silly and funny and the romantic coupling fell a little flat.

I think single ladies would find LOVE REHAB: A NOVEL IN TWELVE STEPS funny and maybe even helpful and for all others, you could laugh at the misguided things you used to do. I recommend if you are ever in the mood for the book version of the romantic comedy.

✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Tickled Pink for Book Ink

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#Review: Knowing Jack

Knowing Jack by Rachel Curtis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

❝ Okay, I’m on a man-fast. That’s what I decided over the summer, and I’m still committed to it. No more men until further notice, since the ones I want give me nothing but trouble.❞

KNOWING JACK is a cute contemporary, new-adult romance. From the description, I was expecting this wild and crazy, brazen hussy – Why? Well, because, in the blurb, Chloe emphatically denies being a slut and a bitch and people generally do not like to claim such titles, so naturally, I assumed that she was both.

Chloe is a wealthy, college-aged history major who found herself on the wrong side of the sheets with her professor. The story is pretty simple: They get caught. He gets fired. She gets shamed. Boom! Story over! Ok, not really, that’s actually where the story begins. Apparently, this professor was so well liked, that poor Chloe becomes the target of some insane fan of “Mr. Hottie Professor” as a result of their affair and needs a little "protecting". Enter Jack!

Jack is pretty much delicious all the way around and he is her new bodyguard.

❝Having Jack slouched beside you on the couch in the middle of the night is not the easiest way to remember you’re on a man-fast. ❞

I hear ya sister! Not only is Jack great eye-candy, he is also quick witted and is full of fantastically inappropriate innuendos. He is supposed to be protecting her, not boinking her! Honestly, I got a little impatient with how long it took for them to take the flirting to the next level. I know, I know, the build up – well, sometimes the “build up” is waaaaaay overrated! Lol…

❝I don’t like taking my time.” This is sadly the case. Patience has never been one of my virtues…❞

Mine either! Chloe and I are totally on the same page with this one!

❝You’ll like it once I show you how good it can be. ❞

Um… Yeah, okay… I’m listening…

❝I stare up at him, dazed with lust and gasping like I’ve been working out all day. But, just in general, I prefer not to act so spineless that I just cave to anything some guy wants to happen.❞

This is what I love about Chloe, she is strong and feisty and not keen on bending to the will of others just because they want her to, but for Jack… She (and I) might have to make an exception… Just this once!

KNOWING JACK is sure to be a hit amongst the lovers of the New Adult genre and if you enjoy the big, burly bodyguard-type heros, then it’s definitely a must read!



✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

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#Review: Unteachable

Unteachable by Leah Raeder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

UNTEACHABLE left me a bit conflicted. While I typically flock to and revel in stories of taboo topics such as the forbidden relationships between students and teachers, I am not quite sure this was the story for me. The story revolves around a high-school student, but make no mistake about it, it is intended for a mature audience.

❝ As the stream-of-consciousness goes on, it grows more crowded and chaotic. Images and words flash past too fast to parse, like the cliché dying moment in film, when life flashes before someone’s eyes.❞

UNTEACHABLE is written in an interesting arrangement of rambling prose delivered in a staccato type fashion. The author describes her writing as being “pretentiously lyrical” and I would have to agree.  Although well written, I felt that this unconventional manner of delivery was a teensy bit distracting for *me* as a reader. Author Leah Raeder is talented, there is no doubt about that and I thought it very clever of her to combine a story that revolves around film and photography, among other things, with an arrangement of words that reminded me of a fast moving series of film clips or photos – you know the ones that move so quickly that you can barely compute what you have just seen?

❝Cold water on my skin, his heat on my neck. A live wire ran up my spine straight to my brain stem. I turned and he lifted my face and kissed me, and I let him, my wet hands falling to my sides. My chest felt tight and heavy. He let go and I dried my hands and kissed him again, harder. Beer and almond cookies. Buzzing fluorescent light, linoleum smacking beneath our shoes. My shoulder blades knocking against the fridge. The kiss grew intense and we stopped simultaneously, pulling away.❞

I also wasn’t in love with the characters. Evan, or “Mr. Wilke” as his students call him was a bit boring in my opinion. If I am going to (mentally) encourage an 18 year old high school senior to go and get freaky with her thirty-something year old teacher, then he has got to light my panties on fire! He really didn’t do it for me. AND by the end of the book, I viewed him more as a predator than a hunky piece of man-candy.

I would rate UNTEACHABLE a 4 out of 5 stars for writing talent, but a 3 overall for the story as a whole. It’s a great choice if you enjoy discovering new authors with a unique writing style and like a romance that revolves around forbidden love.

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#Review: Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston 5 Stars

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am going to have a hard time not going all fan girl on this review, because quite simply I’m a HUGE fan of this series. Shelly Laurenston is one of my favorite go to paranormal authors, so I was very eager to get my hands on BITE ME. Now my fan girl feelings aside, I still think that this was a fantastic way to finish out a series. I really must caution that you need to read the previous books, because BITE ME is number nine in the Pride series. Not only do we revisit with quite a lot of the previous characters, but more importantly we are also provided with resolution for a lingering story line as well. What I love most about the series as a whole is Laurenston’s amazing writing talent with her fantastic characters, humorous dialogue, and very engaging plots. I literally cannot put down one of these books until I finish, and BITE ME was no exception.

Olivia Kowalski (aka Livy) is a tiny, yet mean as hell honey badger shifter who doesn’t like to depend on anyone but herself. She also tries to stay away from her crazy family of thieves and con artists as much as possible. Livy’s family and the few friends she has consider her to be an enigma. Due to her honey badger instincts, Livy is not only easily provoked, but she also has inclination towards aggravating others providing for some totally funny scenes that will have you laughing out loud. When we met Livy in WOLF WITH BENEFITS, she undeniably stole the show for me. Be it her sarcastic wit or her no holds barred way she jumps into a fight, she easily took on the role as my favorite character, and I was just tickled that Livy was going to be paired up with Vic.

Victor Barinov (aka Vic) is a tiger/grizzly hybrid who happens to be rather stoic, but has such a big soft-heart when it comes to Livy. Vic is ex-military/CIA and now spends his time doing free-lance work for the shifter agencies. Most of the time his bear side has control making him easy going and relaxed, but much to Livy’s delight his feline side takes complete control in the bedroom. *winks* These two start off as nothing more than friends, but I think that is why they made such a great couple. Their relationship was slow to build, and they understand each other on a level that no one else does. With the way these two click, it came as no shock just how adorable they were together in and out of the bedroom.

Now I really don’t want to give anything away because so much happens in BITE ME, but just know that Livy is out for blood after discovering the true reason behind her father’s death. For someone like Livy who is used to doing things on her own, she finds herself surrounded by shifters who want to help hunt down the person responsible, but also keep her safe as well (although that does prove to be quite the challenge given her temperament). This book was a wild ride to say the very least, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it to the point where I did not want it to end. BITE ME exceeded all my expectations, and encompassed everything I love about Laurenston’s writing. I’m going to highly recommend this series to anyone who loves shifter romances, and I can guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy it just as much as I have.

✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

✳✳ Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews by Tabatha

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