first love – Z. Elizabeth

Late Call (#1) – Emma Hart

Posted on May 12, 2014May 1, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

She’s a high class call girl. He’s taking over his father’s business.

Seven years ago, they fell in love in Paris.

They walked away at the end of the summer, never imagining they’d meet again.

Now he’s her client.

We fell in love the way you jump from a cliff. Hard and fast with a reckless sense of abandon. The six weeks we spent together changed my life, but at seventeen, I was naive. I was a dreamer. A believer.

Now I’m twenty-four and cynical. I don’t believe in love. There’s no place for such emotions as a high class escort. The only things I’m allowed to feel are physical – and that’s why it’s so damn hard when the client of a last minute job turns out to be the man I left in France seven years ago. When he buys me for six weeks at triple my rate, my agent makes it clear I have no choice but to take the job despite our previous relationship. And my heart makes it very clear I have to stay firmly on top of the cliff this time.

Because for six weeks, I once again belong to Aaron Stone

5 out of 5 stars

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My Review

You know when you have been with an author from the start? Read their very first books, pimped the hell out of them and then forged an amazing friendship with them? You see how much time and effort they put into their books, how much their writing has gone from strength to strength and how much they appreciate everyone’s help in making that book/series popular?

Well I can honestly say that from all the books I’ve read by Emma Hart (Including two that aren’t released yet ;)) I have to say that Late Call is most definitely a favourite and one that needs to be on my bookshelf. Leaving behind the NA genre and delving into the Adult world, it was only a matter of time before Emma showed us her true calling. (Not saying NA isn’t her calling either, because I LOVE The Memories series and The Game series) but there is just something about Late Call that shows Emma’s style off. From the sexual prowess of Aaron to the sultry sexiness from Dayton.

You would be forgiven for thinking this book was just about sex. No. It’s not. There is so much depth, so much confliction in both characters, especially with Dayton, whom you will feel for, due to the torment she is going through with Aaron. Six years is a long time and to just feel all the emotions you had felt back then, all rush forward will knock you for six. But deep down you know you have to treat him like a client, not like the boy you fell deeply in love with all those years ago. To pretend is so much harder than it seems and Dayton, no matter how hard she tries to keep away, so cant help falling back in love with Aaron, especially when Aaron will use every chance he gets to remind her of their love affair six years ago and THAT is why he buys her time. Six whole weeks to make her remember Paris, the love they had for each other and that she is his and no man will ever love her like he does.

This is a second chance at love story, a love between a call girl and a business man looking to take over his father’s company. But its also about first loves and how they never go away no matter how long time has passed.

Dayton was content with her life. She became a call girl to get through college and after decided she was too good and the pay was amazing so it became her career. She earns a hell of a lot to just give it all up. One night she has to step in to escort and who should she face but her first love Aaron. After that night, Aaron buys her time at triple her rate and she is stuck with him for 6 weeks, getting over the world. Has time passed or is there a chance to rekindle their affair when they were teenagers? I really loved Dayton. She was spunky, sarcastic and independent. She knew her mind, knew what she wanted and how to get it. She was great at her career and its no wonder she was the highest paid call girl on the books.

But underneath all that she is still a woman, a woman with feelings and a woman who was left heartbroken when she left Paris. She had her heart torn out and worked so hard to get over Aaon that old feelings rush back and she has no choice but to push they to the back of her mind, to try and treat him like every other client and not get involved – Call girls don’t fall in love – but no matter how much she tries to push him away, he comes back and in the end her defences drop, leaving her vulnerable to Aaron and she accepts that fact she will always love him, but dude! Shit has gone down and I was in a state of shock much like Dayton. I wanted to cuddle her, take away the pain she was feelings and I watched her defences go back up. I hope everything works out in Final Call and she beats the shit into Aaron.

Now let’s go onto Aaron. I’m not the biggest fan of reading about how the girl falls for the CEO and all that jazz but Emma has made me fall in love with Aaron. He works for his father and will be taking over the business. At first site of Dayton, he cant believe the love of his life is standing in front of him, no less a call girl. He wants to catch up, wants to know everything about her again so when he buys her time, he knows she has no choice but to go where he goes and he kind of loves that – he’s a demanding guy and wont take no for an answer and she is pretending to be his girlfriend after all. He sees this as a chance to show her he still loves her, show her that no one has and will match up to her. Every chance he sets out to show her how great their summer in Paris was and how he still remembers the little things about her, things that shouldn’t matter but they do.

Aaron is just a breath of fresh air; he’s hard working, a guy who wants Dayton to himself and will do whatever he can to get her love back. He knows his way around her body, knows what to say to turn her off, piss her off and leave her hanging. He wants to make her happy, wants to be by her side and he’s fun. No matter how rich or alpha he is, he can let loose and enjoy himself with Dayton, enjoy the smallest luxuries and he’s a romantic too. The things he does, especially in Paris will make your heart soar. The city they fell in love, where they relive the summer they spent together will also be the downfall, the city where love turns to hatred and I hated that for both of them. Hated that Paris turned into a bad memory.

And you will want to smack the ever living shit out of him for that secret he was harbouring. Thank god I get to read Final Call and see how Dayton and Aaron’s relationship progresses. Silly, silly Aaron.

But I still love him. You can see the pain tearing him up. The torment over the secret that has now come out and how he wont let Dayton go. He will fight until his dying day to get her back. Now he had her, he will never let her go. And I hope to god he makes the right decision.

Emma has added a slice of sexiness. Okay, scrap that, the sex scenes and the dirty talking will make you fan yourself. Turn you in goo and wish you were the one Aaron was throwing around and seducing with those freaking orgasm-inducing words and moves. Not only do you feel the connect between Dayton and Aaron, you know for a fact they are most definitely compatible in bed and outside of it. They know what to say and do to turn each other on and leave the other hanging and gagging for one another. I loved how Aaron and Dayton could feel each other, searched each other out and how they were just made for each other and as fate would have it, found one another again.

But my god! I shouted at Emma for the cliffhanger she leaves you with. I didnt’ see it coming at all. No little hints, nothing and it hit me right between the eye so much so I was in complete shock over what I had just read. I just couldn’t fathom it and now I need to know what is going to happen in Final Call and I can. Yes, yes, Final Call is my next read 😉

New Adult, Romance

Falling Into You – Jasinda Wilder

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

I wasn’t always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.
Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.

Colton didn’t teach me how to live. He didn’t heal the pain. He didn’t make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

5/5 stars

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My review

So you know how I always mention that if a book makes me cry then it’s a great one? Well I full on ugly cried throughout this book, so much so, I had to stop, redo my make-up so I could go to work.

Oh god, Jasinda Wilder completely drew me in with Falling Into You. It didn’t take me long at all to read it because I literally devoured it. I couldn’t get enough. Ms. Wilder had me beaming, then sobbing then feeling every single emotion both Nell and Colt were feeling. The songs, dear god, they set me off and because I was also listening to music on my Ipod, songs that were convenient to that scene appeared and I was a mess. But I did like feeling this way as I’ve said; books that make me sob are great ones.

Nell and Kyle grew up together. Since the moment they were born they have been inseparable and to everyone, it seemed inevitable that one day they would end up together. During one argument, their confusion for how they were looking at each other differently came to light and since that moment, they had been together. From best friends to lovers, it seemed an easy transaction for them both. And it was perfect. As a first love, Jasinda captured what it was all about. From the awkwardness of talking about sex, to the desire they had for one another.

But then, I was on edge, because of the synopsis. I was waiting in suspense of when the death of Kyle would happen. I didn’t like that feeling at all because I was dreading it. Dreading to find out how he would die. And oh god, I cried so much I had to put my kindle down and take a few minutes before I could continue. My heart broke for both Kyle and Nell.

I instantly loved Kyle. He was the best friend Nell ever had. He was always there for her, making her happy, comforting her when she was sad or upset and he was protective over her. They were both there for each other. When feelings changed for one another, it was inevitable. They grew up together, spent every day together; they knew everything about each other so it was just down to time as to when they would be together.

They were happy-go-lucky, in love with one another, waiting to take the next step all their friends were taking. Shift two years in to the future, and they were the happiest they could have been. Then one night it was all taken from Nell. Kyle was taken from her in the most terrible and perhaps heroic way. He saved her but Nell couldn’t see that. She saw her kill him.

When this scene occurred I, 1. Thanked my stars I wasn’t on the train to work, and 2. Cried my heart out until I just had to shut my kindle down and get some sleep. It was just heartbreaking watching Nell’s reactions and sobs and cries for Kyle, and it just hit my core, the amount of pain they were both feeling, all different types of pain consuming them.

Since that fatal day, Nell was never the same. She didn’t cry anymore, she held all the pain and guilt inside of her, still blamed herself for Kyle’s death and just pottered on in life, having nightmares of that night. She still held on to everything, wanting Kyle back. It choked me up over how she kept all the pain inside and wouldn’t let it out. Kyle was her best friend and boyfriend whom she loved and watching him die that way, I know I would never be the same again.

At the funeral we meet Colton – Kyle’s brother whom Nell has never met. There is this connection between them, they share pain over Kyle but it was more than that. But Nell runs and tries to ignore it. She has just lost Kyle.

When she saw Colton after two years, busking in Central Park, that spark is still there, but so is the pain, for both of them, but more so Nell. Colton can see that and is determined to help her through it. Not to tell her it will all be okay, because it won’t, but just get her to open up, get her to release all the pain and to cry. He sure as hell knows about pain, suffering through his childhood and then the pain he suffered in New York. But he’s dealing with it and tries to help Nell deal with it too.

I loved Colton. Sure he seemed like the tough guy and he was, but he was now reformed. Under all the exterior and the tattoos he was just has broken as Nell, but he found ways to get through it. He was caring, protective and music was his way of speaking. I adored all the music he wrote, they were all heartfelt and had me crying. He wasn’t perfect by any means but he really loved Nell and would do anything to help her through the pain, in turn, helping himself too. His advice and his own past experiences of pain and getting through it were enlightening and truthful. And as I’ve mentioned, they both went through horrific things but together, they were trying to make things okay and less painful.

I liked how things weren’t all rosy and cherries on top, they were both feeling the effects of losing loved ones but together, they made it bearable to live each day and to find love with one another. Even at the end of the book, they were still hurting but being together, falling into each other, they knew they were meant to be and they would always be there, to ease the pain somehow and down the line, maybe erase the pain and just leave the guilt and grief behind and turn it into great memories of lost loved ones.

The sex scenes. Oh heck. Seriously, you’ll be fanning yourself because the chemistry between the two of them is off the scale as is the sex. Colton certainly knows what he is doing and how to bring intense and explosive pleasure to Nell. There’s this overwhelming connection that they both share and it just made the sex between them even hotter. They both know what they want and how to please each other and I just…*sigh* would like a Colton for myself.

Music is a massive factor in this book. The music spoke the emotions that both Nell and Colton are going through. Each song represented what they were feeling, from pain, to love, there was a song for each chapter of their life. And it didn’t help that I was listening to my IPod when I was reading this book and songs relevant to the scenes would play, which in turn made me break down reading the scenes.

Falling Into You, is definitely a Five star book. I loved every second of this book. It’s emotional, but there are parts where I was laughing and smiling despite the theme of the book. You’ll want to hug all the characters, take their pain away too and connect with them, not just through the music but you’ll think about your own losses. Your heart will ache but it will get better, you’ll make it through the book, through Nell and Colton’s journey to try and be okay and in the end, you will be.

You all need to give Falling Into You a read, Jasinda Wilder wrote an AMAZING book!

Romance

Her Heart for the Asking – Lisa Mondello

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Promises made…secrets kept…

Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. He once promised he’d love her forever. But he’d abandoned their love for the rodeo and she hadn’t seen him since. Now she’s back in Texas. Her uncle’s heart is failing and Mandy has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare…the one man she’d never stopped loving.

Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle and a promise he’d made to an old friend. Hank Promise, Mandy’s uncle, was more like a father to Beau than his old man had been. The hardest thing Beau had ever done was leave Mandy behind for the rodeo. He can still see the bitterness and hurt on her face. It has killed him all these years to think Mandy had forgotten him…maybe even in the arms of another man. But now they’re both back in Texas, and Beau’s going to do all he can to win back her love.

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My Review

Mandy Morgan hasn’t been back to Texas in eight years, not after Beau Gentry broke her heart, but now she’s back visiting for a while from Philadelphia as her Uncle Hank needs a heart operation and he’s refusing. It’s up to her to convince him.

The reason why she hasn’t been back to his ranch is down to the boy her broke her heart at 16. She never really got over him, and feelings come flooding back with he’s the one who picks her up from the airport.

As much as she loves him, she hates him for that day eight years ago when Rodeo’ing was more important to him than her, especially as his words hurt her, and that’s why she hasn’t been back, in fear of seeing him again.

Beau, a rodeo champ is back on Double T, Hanks ranch to help Hank out in his failing health. He has two loves; the rodeo circuit and Mandy Morgan. But because of his father’s vendetta against her uncle, he had to leave her, as painful and heartbreaking as it was for him, to protect her and let her lead the life she deserved, even if she did want to run away with him.

Now they are back in Texas, all old feelings begin to boil for both of them, and no matter how hard it is for Mandy to stay mad, Beau is her first and only love and she wants him as much as he wants her.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it was short and sweet. I’ve began to really like books based in Texas and feature Cowboys, so it was obvious that I had to read this book. You really get involved with the characters, especially Mandy, who has never forgotten the pain she endured when she was 16 to have it all bubble up again when she sees Beau waiting at the airport. She goes through a lot in the story, with different emotions, which you really connect to, with both Hank and Beau.

You also read both Beau and Mandy’s inner battles about each other, which pull at your heartstrings because you saw they still loved each other but she knew Beau would return to the rodeo circuit soon enough and Beau knew Mandy would be leaving again.

The last few pages, when Mandy was about to leave, were perfect. Beau isn’t a guy who tells people his feelings, that was drilled into him by his father, but just hearing him pour his heart out to Mandy, wow, I loved him for that. There is no sex involved, which from my other reviews lately, there seems to be quite a lot, but it was a short nice, romance novel to chill with and float away with first loves, heartbreaks and family secrets, which all comes together in the end.