‘Life wasn’t always perfect. Neither was timing. It was what you made out of life and timing that was important. And I wanted to make the most [image]
‘Life wasn’t always perfect. Neither was timing. It was what you made out of life and timing that was important. And I wanted to make the most out of what we had.�
Chloe Maxx is a new Author to us and we really enjoyed her story and writing. As far as student/teacher stories go; Lessons of the Past had just the right amount of story, nookie and likeable characters whilst staying true to the fundamentals of the taboo. We love this theme, call us naughty if you will! Whilst we did struggle a bit in the beginning to feel the connection and depth of character it didn’t take too long before we became completely engrossed in the story and despite a couple of clichéd drama, we ended up loving it. The latter part was just fabulous!
‘I had an affair with a married man…who also happened to be my professor. I couldn’t stop it, couldn’t control it. The only problem was that, I, of course, wanted more, and he couldn’t give it to me.�
With a few twists and turns switching from past to present we learn of how it all began and why it ended as it did � all the while falling in love with luscious Javier on the way and having moments of that freezer time we know and love as a consequence of a filthy mouth and steamy passion. An illicit affair with consequences.
‘Being with him had always felt right. Always comforted me. Always. Until the night he crushed all the security to shit.�
Alex our heroine is at college when her new professor completely turns her head, however she’s not alone in this and soon an affair ensues and lives are changed and a journey strewn with obstacles journey ensues.
‘The tears trailed down my cheeks, wetting the pillow below me-a mixture of sadness, regret, and happiness. Happiness that we were allowed this one last chance with each other.�
Lessons of the Past is primarily about that initial intense lust which grows into a strong and complicated love. About sacrifice, heartbreak and loyalty. It’s about finding your inner strength, listening to your heart and fighting for what you want. Both Alex and Javier had us wanting it all to work out amidst the sadness, the romance and the sweet. We definitely recommend this story to lovers of student/teacher romances.
‘He wasn’t annoying. He was far from being annoying. He was the helpful fucking one. Everyone fucking loved him, he told himself as he glared a[image]
‘He wasn’t annoying. He was far from being annoying. He was the helpful fucking one. Everyone fucking loved him, he told himself as he glared as the small woman continued to ignore him.�
When you pick up an RL Mathewson story you pretty much know what you’re going to get which sometimes isn’t a bad thing, in fact you’re guaranteed it’ll bring laughter, lots of food, stubborn and cocky Bradfords, a clumsy heroine and yeah�.lots of food�.which bears repeating.
‘She was always the one and on some level he’d always known, but he’d fucked up so many times with her that he was afraid that one more time would send her running and he couldn’t risk that.�
I thought Christmas From Hell felt like coming home insofar as to why I initially fell in love with this Author. I was in stitches of laughter at the Bradfords! For me, this family just never fail to shock me at their arrogance and food addiction � their pouting and hurt feelings when it comes to food withdrawal. Again, I’ve said it before � how the hell do I get into this family? I want IN!!!!
‘To him, she would always be the pain in the ass neighbour who couldn’t do anything right.�
This story followed the Mathewson formula with lovable characters, dislike turning to love and the Bradford family’s effortless banter all set in a magical snowy Christmas setting. For readers of this series it’s a great addition to a series we love!
Kitty French promised a very smutty Christmas read and on that account she delivered! You won’t need[image]
‘She adored every filthy bone in his body.�
Kitty French promised a very smutty Christmas read and on that account she delivered! You won’t need any central heating whilst reading this one! Wowsers!!! You’ll need to sit by a fan!
Sophie and Lucien are a very sexual couple and in this book, which can be read as a standalone but ideally should be read between books two and three, was indeed a treat for us who have missed the luscious Lucien and his love, Sophie.
We love our Christmas and spending time with Sophie and Lucien in Lucien’s cabin in Norway, Kitty really sets the Christmas feel for us and made us want to pack our bags and spend the holidays there! Well…as long as we can spend them in front of the fire with Lucien that is *wink, wink.*
There are plenty of heated times between this extremely passionate and erotic couple, lots of reminiscing and fun between in between. What we wouldn’t give to find that hot Viking god under our Christmas tree in a couple of weeks!
“Tomorrow is not a guarantee�..neither is yesterday.�
Melissa Collins MM stories have never failed to move us. The way she captures [image]
✯✯�1/2 Stars
“Tomorrow is not a guarantee�..neither is yesterday.�
Melissa Collins MM stories have never failed to move us. The way she captures the intensity between her characters always leaves us emotionally wrought. And so it was with eager anticipation we dove into our first MF by this author. We jumped for joy, stocked up on tissues, chocolate and wine, got ourselves in reading mode and prepared to be turned into SOBBING wrecks, needing phone support from one another, hoping to have our hearts shredded and repaired.
‘Without a doubt, grace not only owns my heart, my here and now, all of my todays. She resides in all of my tomorrows.�
The subject matter and the poignancy of how this story came about is indeed moving and this story is very personal to the author, of that there is no doubt as you see little bits of ‘real life� woven into the pages, from David being a firefighter, to Grace being a teacher and many other moments throughout. This was a very personal journey and the Author’s note at the end is one not to be missed!
‘His words fall directly into my heart. Growing roots in my soul, they take up residence there. They become part of who I am, the air in my lungs, the blood in my veins.� From the Wreckage worked for us on a some levels however what we had sought from this book…deep seated, soul crushing emotion, just didn’t travel from the pages to our hearts and you have NO IDEA how much it guts us to say that. That’s not to say we weren’t moved in parts, just not enough to have us grasping our chests and sobbing into our Kindles as we had expected. Sadly, we didn’t feel the power from the story we had hoped for.
The relationship between David and Grace was one of destiny, love and courage and whilst their relationship seemed effortless in so many ways, for us it lacked that deep emotional pull we had expected between two characters who are very much soul mates, whose lives were destined to cross paths and especially given the poignancy of the story.
The prologue was gripping and described in such a vivid way we could smell the acrid smoke, feel the flames licking our heels and sense the desperation of the occupants� moments as Melissa put us through our paces in the introduction to this story.
David Andrews was a beautiful hero. He was sweet, sexy and confident but also showed a very vulnerable side especially where Grace was concerned. For David, Firefighting wasn’t a job, it was a dedication, a love, a calling and he gave it his all.
“…these people, this city, it’s more than just a job.�
For Grace, it had always been David. These two had been bound together by an inexplicable bond since childhood ensuring their lives would always intertwine. Grace respected David’s dedication to his job but also knew she had to live with the reality of the dangerous life threatening situations he placed himself in daily.
“Sometimes, our biggest heroes are the ones who, on the surface were no one at all.�
This is a love story and there is a beautiful message delivered, but we wanted to feel an unbreakable connection, a deep passion, a deep gut wrenching emotional experience which didn’t eventuate. This is a story that shows that love really can conquer all and we know readers will devour this one!
“I am your Gracie.�
**Reviewed from an ARC copy provided by the author, with thanks**
You Really Got Me was without doubt, one of our favourite rock star books this year. The romance between Slat[image]
“Love doesn’t just evaporate.�
You Really Got Me was without doubt, one of our favourite rock star books this year. The romance between Slater Vaughan, Derek’s best mate, and Emmie Valencia, Derek’s sister completely and utterly stole our hearts! The relationship between the three was so sweet, we devoured that book and so you can imagine how eager we were to get our grabby hands on this one! We couldn’t wait to me meet the woman who would steal Derek’s heart and give him the type of love he witnessed and admired between Slater and Emmie.
“I love being with you. I could stay awake all night just to be with the Violet I get under the covers.�
Derek is pretty hard on himself as an artist. He’s spent most of his life feeling overshadowed by his father, the great virtuoso Eddie Valencia, a well-respected musician in his day who seems to take great delight in putting down his son at every opportunity he can muster and dismissing his son’s obvious talent vocally through the media. Derek can’t seem to win a trick with this guy!
In this instalment we meet Derek and the band at a time when they are finally getting the recognition and accolades they deserve. They’re exceptionally talented and have vowed not to become victims of the dreaded sex, drugs and rock and roll cliché that has destroyed so many before them.
When some members of the band begin to party a little too hard, its suspected drugs are involved and Emmie suggests her friend Violet tour with the band as a minder to shadow them, get to the bottom of the problem, cease the bad behaviour and nip the drug taking in the bud.
Violet appeared tough on the outside, but was vulnerable on the inside. After had lived her life in and out of the foster care system, Violet is convinced she lacks the ability to feel and love like most people, due to being deprived of affection as a child.
“You make me feel special. You make me feel. And I didn’t even know I could.�
The chemistry between Violet and Derek is immediate and there is no doubting the passion between them is sizzling. Sadly though, the emotion of their connection didn’t quite travel from the pages to our hearts with this one and we’re so utterly sad about that because we really wanted to love their story as much as we did Emmie and Slater. Instead we found ourselves becoming frustrated with the constant drama that eschewed between them.
It really does break our hearts to say that and for that reason we didn’t enjoy this book as much as its predecessor. The relationship between Violet and Derek felt forced at times and the back and forth so repetitive it became tedious instead of emotionally gripping. There were some shining moments throughout but there were a few misses too.
You told me you don’t know how to love, but you’re wrong. You think there’s some chapter in the book of life that you missed out on, but that’s bullshit. Loving is just what we do. Just because you didn’t have it growing up, doesn’t mean you’re destined to a life without.�
The amount of ‘real life� introduced to the story was a turn off for us both. In You Really Got Me, Erika Kelly crafted and created a beautiful and believable fantasy rock world. She had our pulses racing and every moment felt as though we were there, in the audience, awe struck watching the band. Sadly here the fantasy world was replaced with reality which took us completely out of the moment. There was band name dropping left, right and centre and the character of Jason Becker so obviously Justin Bieber felt as though we were reading snippets from a magazine rather than a fictional novel. However this is a personal thing and some readers will love this aspect of the story.
All was not lost though because we were once again completely swept away with the banter and camaraderie between the band members, a theme this author really does do well. These guys really are a family and the love and affection they share is mesmerising.
The highlight of this story was the considerable time we got to spend with Slater and Emmie again. They made this book for us. Their passion, their intense and consuming love for one another, despite this story not being primarily about them, stole our hearts at every turn and Slater’s heart to hearts with Derek made us MELT!
“Violet doesn’t give a rat’s ass about a Ferrari or a fancy law firm. She doesn’t want to summer in some gated mansion in East Hampton. Stability doesn’t mean the guy who can buy her shit…�. Stability means the one guy who loves the shit out of her. It means knowing you’ve got the one person in the world who knows your crap, calls you on it, and still wakes up with you the next morning, every fuckin� morning, until the day you die.�
So whilst this didn’t pack the emotional punch we had anticipated there was still much we enjoyed and we’re definitely looking forward to seeing where this series takes us next!
**ARC Copy provided, with thanks, by Berkley/Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.**
‘Why can’t I just love what I have? So what if things aren’t perfect?�
“I think it’s just life. It got the better of us.�
Lindsay Detwiler is a n[image]
‘Why can’t I just love what I have? So what if things aren’t perfect?�
“I think it’s just life. It got the better of us.�
Lindsay Detwiler is a new Author to us and we were so intrigued by the synopsis to Without You that we jumped in eagerly, it sounded so different and emotionally charged. From what we understood this was a story about two couples whose paths cross when both relationships are in the danger territory.
‘…people fall into ruts, couples drift apart, and temptations threaten to overthrow the power of marriage.�
‘It sounds so simple, but it isn’t anything of the sort. How do you reconnect with yourself when it feels like all of the pieces are misplaced, scattered by experience, sorrow, and time?�
We identified with many aspects covered in Without You, but we have to be honest and say that we were quite surprised at times too. Whilst beautifully written we found it quite slow for the majority of the story only to feel rushed toward the end. We felt that after such a large proportion of time being spent on setting the scene and warring with emotions and justifications for what was to come it was over without us experiencing the afters. Yes, it had us riveted and we were desperate to see how it would all end up � we just would have loved more.
‘We, victims of our own senseless carelessness and bad luck, are forced to trudge through life without the missing item, big or small. We are, as the old saying goes, sometimes unaware of the value of the particular thing until it’s gone.�
Now, whilst in some respects this is primarily Jenna’s story, we have to say she was our least favourite character in this book, in fact, we disliked her immensely. Now, don’t get us wrong we understand where she was coming from in many respects. However, overall we just found her a petulant spoilt princess who thought the grass was greener and wanted her cake and eat it too. There was not emotional connection there sadly.
‘Maybe distance will help us rekindle the passion, the love we had not long ago. If nothing else, maybe a change of scenery, a break from my humdrum routine is what I need.�
Her behaviour, reasoning’s and ‘not my fault� attitude was immature and disproportionate to the years married and her age. It felt all wrong, especially after a very emotionally distressing event which Jenna appears to treat as an inconvenience � she never convinced us of her heartfelt love and compassion. We think, if these characters had been older with actual ‘real� problems it would have been a whole different story, maybe. Thus, sadly � Jenna’s the reason we just didn’t love this book.
‘…no matter how hard I try to focus on other things, he’s always invading my thoughts. He’s always invading my thoughts. He’s always the whisper in my heart, the voice incessantly resonating in my head, He’s the roadblock in my future, whether I want to admit it or not. He’s the constant what if, the constant why not, the constant regret.� � Vi
Now, Violet � we fell in love with her and actually she was the complete opposite of Jenna. She came across mature and took responsibility for her actions. In many ways the two couples were a mirror image and showed two different perspectives. We didn’t really get to know Liam really as he didn’t feature throughout the story but we understood their journey. Ray -Violet’s best mate was a confusing part of their story which was never really resolved. We did love the ‘relationship� he had with Vi, though.
�..as much as I love you, I can’t ask you to give up your dreams to let me follow mine. Don’t you see? It’s not fair to either of us.�
We can’t forget to mention Camden, the hero in this story. The man who loved with his whole heart and never faltered. Talk about throwing someone who can’t swim in at the deep end, poor bloke. We understand parts of why Jenna struggled in her marriage to Cam � however � give the man a chance to understand your issues and try and work through them. We couldn’t blame him for his confusion, despair and sudden isolation in what is a partnership.
So, whilst we didn’t love this story, we did enjoyed it and liked how different it felt with a new and varying perspective. We will definitely look out for more from this Author.
“What are you doing?� I gasped. His forehead pressed against mine, and his hands moved urgently, holding my face. “Dark spaces, quiet places,�[image]
“What are you doing?� I gasped. His forehead pressed against mine, and his hands moved urgently, holding my face. “Dark spaces, quiet places,� he whispered over my mouth. “That’s all we need, Easton.�
Misconduct captured our attention from the very first page, with expectant butterflies taking flight in our stomachs, hearts pounding, breathing suspended as the need to hand ourselves over to the passion, eroticism, romance and intrigue of this powerfully addictive story took hold. Easton and Tyler grabbed us from the get go as we devoured their steamy, intriguing and riveting tale!
Misconduct was our introduction to this authors work leaving us desperate to read more! We love finding an author who not only possesses the talent to bring their story to life in words, but to present it in such a way that has us experiencing every sight, sound, taste and touch of the surroundings. It’s the difference between us reading a story and participating in one and we’d much prefer the latter. Penelope Douglas so vividly and beautifully made us feel as though we had just spent a few hours in New Orleans, revelling in its beauty as well as its ugly, hearing the raindrops on the roof, smelling the scent of Magnolia’s in the air as much as living every moment of Easton and Tyler’s forbidden and passionate romance.
“You don’t belong anywhere I’m not.�
We’re gluttons for the whole forbidden romance theme but find some books lack that ‘forbidden feel� we relish. For us it’s all about experiencing our hearts in our mouths, the knot in our stomachs whilst preparing for the build-up and anticipation of their forbidden moments being discovered. Well the heart stopping and erotic moments between the teacher, Easton and the student’s father, Tyler delivered these feelings with beauty and excitement.
‘Life was scarier � and harder � when you had things you were afraid to lose.�
We sensed the pull and desire from Easton and Tyler’s very first heated meeting and experienced the explosive chemistry Easton and Tyler were unable to deny. We savoured the second they gave themselves over to their passion, gasped as they lost themselves to the moment, anguished as they tossed caution to the wind and lost ourselves as we experienced that delicious anticipation we so desire and practically combusting in the process!
“I’m not a jealous man, but for you I might make an exception.�
We fell in love with the alluring, intense, arrogant, dirty talking millionaire who could be a right cock and so singular in his actions; this virile and magnetic man could make us swoon one minute and gasp the next. He could wet knickers at ten paces and don’t get us started on Tyler in a three piece suit!!!
We admired the intelligent, outspoken and strong willed Easton -who, despite suffering painful and traumatic events in her past was no shrinking violet. On the contrary, Easton was prideful, stubborn and independent, qualities Tyler admired and saw mirrored in himself.
Easton and Tyler exuded a raw sensual and almost animalistic passion with an energy that had our hearts beating like crazy! The lust, the teasing and the seductiveness between them was a sensual foreplay to some very erotic moments. The sex wasn’t just for sex sake but instead spoke of the closeness, the need, the healing and the want Easton and Tyler desired in one another, theirs was a romance, a deep seated and intense love that leapt from the pages into our hearts.
‘If there was no gamble, there was no reward..�
So why not a 5 star? Well, because were a couple of things that bothered us and it’s hard to be specific without giving away spoilers. Personally we didn’t enjoy the twist as we felt it negatively impacted on an aspect we were very much in favour of and something we especially loved about the story. We felt the focus on the twist stole precious moments we would have preferred to spend being present in the developing relationship between Christian and Tyler and Easton and Tyler. However in saying that, we couldn’t put this book down for a minute!
As I spoke, I held her cheek with my hand, turning her lips to meet mine. “Say you miss me,� I whispered against her mouth. “And that you won’t forget me. Ask me if I think about you and miss you every day.� “Oh, Tyler. I don’t ask question I don’t want the answers to.�
“You sure took your time� “You’ve been waiting on me to kiss you?� “Ever since I was a little girl.�
Hollywood romance, romantic comedy, unreq[image]
“You sure took your time� “You’ve been waiting on me to kiss you?� “Ever since I was a little girl.�
Hollywood romance, romantic comedy, unrequited childhood love, friends to lovers themes; they’re some of our favourites and in To Love Jason Thorn we had all these bundled into one sweet, steamy and witty story about the girl who seeks her real life fairy-tale and we happily went along for the ride, becoming swept up in this romance just as much as Olive did in the books she wrote.
‘She was seeing me, and maybe for the first time, I was seeing her too.� “Do you see me, Olive?�
Olive Taylor was quite literally the girl next door. Jason Thorn was her brother’s best friend and the boy she crushed on and lost her heart to from the very first moment she met him and it never let up. After being devastated when Jason had to move away following a family tragedy, Olive kept tabs on him through his movie career. She’s never forgotten him or the feelings he elicited in her.
‘I think I’m scared. To be that close to him, to fall in deeper. He already broke my heart once when I was just a kid.�
Jason is now 26 and a famous movie star known more for his wild escapades than his acting ability, though he’s a fan favourite and a gossip columnist dream, studios are beginning to get a bit spooked by his off screen behaviour and his ability to carry a movie if his behaviour continues.
Good grief Jason Thorn. We bloody loved this man!! WOW!!! The sexy, swaggering bad boy with the dirty mouth could charm the pants off us one minute with his naughty mouth, and have us weak at the knees the next with his sweet and witty banter with Olive and the way he possessively looked after her�.swooooooon!
‘Soon enough, I’ll win you over. You already loved me once; I’ll make it happen again.�
Olive and Jason’s path cross seven years later when Jason is called in to star in a movie, based on a book written by Olive. For Olive, seeing Jason again after seven years brings all her childhood feelings and insecurities to the surface. How awkward for her, especially as she based a lot of the book on Jason himself. Will she be able to hide her feelings for him and not reveal how much in love with him she was, and is? Does he feel the same? Does he harbor thoughts for Olive too or is he that good an actor?
‘My dream boy. My childhood crush. My first love. My only love.�
Olive was such a sweet and witty character, her inner monologue was giggle worthy and her friendship with Lucy was hysterical. We’d love to go to a Karaoke night with those two! They’ve be a hoot! Lucy especially had us in fits and added so much light-heartedness and fun to the story.
Jason and Olive have a chemistry that’s not lost on the paparazzi that follow and chronicle and deconstruct Jason’s every tawdry move but in Olive they see something different. Could she be ‘the one� for Jason, could she tame him? Could it be the real thing? Well, we certainly enjoyed finding out.
‘Every time she looked into my eyes with her heart wide open, she was pulling me in deeper.�
We loved how Jason and Olive’s relationship developed. The Hollywood ‘insight� was done especially well, making us feel a part of Jason’s world. The chemistry between Jason and Olive was off the charts and the intimate and private moments that passed between them melted our hearts. Pure entertainment, no overthinking or analysing required. Simply a fabulous way to spend the afternoon!
“It’s a painful thing not living up to other people’s standards of you. It’s an even more painful thing when you’re not even surpr[image]
✯✯✯✯1/2 Stars
“It’s a painful thing not living up to other people’s standards of you. It’s an even more painful thing when you’re not even surprised.�
We just knew this one was going to hurt and make us cry. And it did. Amy Daws� writing in Not The One was absolutely beautiful and haunting as she effortlessly took us from past to present on a healing journey for both family, friends and lovers. It was gritty, raw and not very easy to read at times, as souls were bared and deep grown issues were dealt with after much tragedy. This was a journey for many characters all with a part to play in an interwoven story of grief, torment and love.
“The darkness is my home. It’s where I belong. Maybe forever.�
Reyna has always embraced pain and suffering; she knows not of any other feeling. It’s as if she needs it to breathe and live � often wallowing in it � basking in it even. It felt quite twisted and ugly but everything can have beauty once you scratch the surface. Layers of self-loathing, grief and guilt are not easy to shed. They become your protection and second coat. It takes the right person to help you unravel and discover the soft, loving and beautiful underneath years of struggling with a guilt complex and striving to lose the label of being a miracle.
“I thought I could make you happy, but Christ, I can’t be the reason for all this. This isn’t happiness.�
Reyna is the centre of this story with characters from previous books orbiting and playing significant roles. In a story of healing this was as much Hayden and Liam’s book as it was Reyna’s. Between Hayden and Liam we lost many tears. What is it about a truly broken man we just can’t bear? Perhaps as women we identify more with the heroine as a fellow woman who may have been through similar pain and sorrow we easily slip into that role by connecting. Yet to feel and experience a man’s honest and devastating pain and misery is just so overwhelmingly heart-breaking. Who knows � but we felt it every step of the way.
“Even though I’m still fucking madly in love with you, I won’t…I refuse to wait forever.�
In a story that examined the true nature of relationships, demands and expectations as well as honesty, friendships and love, the power of Amy Daws writing truly shone. This has to be our favourite book by this Author as we felt her heart beat in every single page.
‘The worst part about healing is finding all the massive battle scars left behind.�
Gitte TotallyBookedBlog
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Books:
2015
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