friendship – Z. Elizabeth

Red Hill – Jamie McGuire

Posted on December 24, 2013December 14, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

4 out of 5 stars

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My Review

For someone who doesn’t like anything Zombie related – books, TV shows, films…I surprised myself by actually wanting to read Red Hill and see just how disturbed I could be by reading a Zombie book.

I began reading this one morning on the way to work, and to be honest, I wasnt so far in when I began to feel really faint – Told you I wasnt good with zombies and gore and anything hospital related. So I stopped and told myself I would wait until I was home, but all throughout the day it was all I could think about, so on my lunch I read a bit more until I was sneaking bits between doing my work for the rest of the day.

Jamie took a big risk switching genres but it definitely paid off. I was hooked, despite my emotions all over the place and I even dreamt about Zombies coming after me when I put it down for the night. Although this book is about Zombies, it really is more about the people doing whatever they can to survive this apocalypse, to make it to safety, to make it to the ones that they love – and each character are entwined in one way or another – they just don’t know it yet.

Behind the backdrop of a now apocalyptic world, it is a fight for survival, a fight to stay alive and not get caught by the ‘Teds’ – which Zoe calls them. We see the fear of the three groups we follow, the fight to make it to Red Hill – to the safe haven where it’s far into the countryside that they are save and away from the Teds, despite a few rolling across the fields and the stretch of road.

We meet all the characters the day of the breakout, we watch them panic and set off to find loved ones so they can get to safety. We meet Scarlet first, she was working in the hospital when it broke out and as her children are with their father that weekend, she is determined to get to them, to get them to Red Hill and safe. We watch her kick into survival mode, doing whatever she can to get to her children. I’m not a mother but I can completely understand her panic over getting to her children. I can just imagine not being there to console them, keep them from harms way and it tore a new one in my heart over how she just wanted them with her NOW! We watch her going it alone, we witness the heartbreak when she gets to her ex-husbands house and they arent there. She writes where she is going, knowing them with know where it is and she sets off, in the hope that they will return to the house and make their way to her. Hope is all she has left and throghout the book we see her everyday waiting to see her children walking over the hill to the house. Never once does she let go of that hope and as the reader, I was with her, wishing for her children to be alive and safely making there way to her.

Scarlet really is a badass too! She can shoot a gun, she can get close enough to crack their skulls and she truly is amazing in my eyes. Despite wanting her children, she has the strength to make it through the apocalypse. She really was a tough chick.

Nathan and his daughter Zoe got to me a lot. He;s in a loveless marriage and the only person he looks forward to seeing is Zoe. When he finds out about the breakout, he races to Zoe, and races to his brother-in-laws as Skeeter has the guns and the strength to make it though the invasion. We watch Nathan’s determination to keep Zoe safe and from harms way throughout the book. He is one tough cookie but he is a softy underneath. He never lies to Zoe or promises anything he cant keep and I liked that about him. They are facing a brand new life of always being so close to death and to tell her it will be fine would be a complete lie.

Miranda, her sister Ashley and their boyfriends Bryce and Cooper are on their way to her Dad’s house – the same place which Scarlet is cooped up in as she worked with their father. They are shit scared, especially Ashley, but Miranda has to stay focused and get through the hysteria of humans and zombies running past her car. She has to get to the house and hug her dad and know they are safe away in the countryside. Miranda was a tough character, she had definitely set in survival mode and Ashley really hadnt. She was petrified and did annoy me at times. She needed to be consoled all the time, reassured all the time. You dont have time to act like a scary cat, you just need to get your shit together and fight to survive. Saying that, her and Cooper were really cute together and you could see how much they loved each other; they could sense each other even if they weren’t facing one another.

When Miranda picks up a guy, Joey…oh I loved him so much and Miranda started to fall for him too – when they made it to the house. Joey lost his girlfriend to the virus, has only just got back form Afghanistan but he was hard, he know just want needed to be done to get to the house, to get running water…he knew what to do. Underneath his hard ass, he was sweet and really liked Miranda too.

They all witness deaths, they all see and kill Zombies – apart from the kids, and they all grieve in their own way. Too many of my favourite characters died and I think the worst death was the one we didnt read about, but just told about because, oh holy hell, he was definitely my favourite 😦

We do see the growing attraction between Nathan and Scarlet. We see them start as friends, Nathan being there for Scarlet, we watch them care about each other, fall in love and find happiness during the dark times. They dont meet until late in the book, but it would see easy to just bond over going through the same things and they were really sweet together, although the romance doesnt play a huge part of the book, it was nice to have something.

Throughout the book it got me thinking about what I would do if our world became overrun by Zombies…to be honest I had visions of my flatmate being bitten, me hiding in my room, door locked and sat against it while she tried to get in…and then I couldn’t sleep. I really would hope I would go into survival mode and do something, but knowing my luck I’d be bitten and turn into one. You really do think about what you would do, where you would run to to hide, who you would want to get to throughout the book. The fears of who you would lose, who you would see turn and that freaks me out just a bit. I’m not good at the whole thinking this could happen…lets just hope it never does.

If you are like me and have never touched a zombie book, seriously, pick this one up. It’s not just about Zombies, its about the fight to stay alive, to be with the ones you love and doing whatever you can to get to them whilst staying alive. Thee is romance, but its not heavily based at all, and despite being a lover of all things romance, it didn’t actually bother me at all….i was more concerned over who was going to die and who was going to live.

Give it a go…you may even want to read more Zombie books…

BOOK TOUR: Second Chance Summer (#1) – Emma Hart (+ EXCLUSIVE Reese POV)

Posted on November 19, 2013November 19, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Today is The Book Lovers stop on Emma Hart’s Second Chance Summer tour. I will be giving you my 5 STAR review and an EXCLUSIVE Reese POV!!!
Then keep scrollling for an amazing GIVEAWAY!

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Synopsis

“You don’t get a love like ours and get to leave it behind.”

Kia James was never meant to return to her hometown of Harlan Grove, Alabama… But she has.
And Reese Pembleton was definitely not supposed to still be in love with her the way she is him… But he is.

Last summer was the summer to end all summers. It was the summer they both fell in too deep to get out, and try as she might, Kia can’t deny that whatever was there between them a year ago is still there. If she’s honest with herself, there’s so much more there than there ever was, but the way her dad walked out six years ago has shattered her belief of that fairytale love every girl craves.

Reese isn’t giving up so easily. His biggest mistake was not chasing after Kia the way he wanted to when she upped and left him without a word. Despite what she says, he knows her better than anyone, and he knows she still wants him the way he wants her. And this time, nothing will stop him from getting – and keeping – his girl.

But nothing is that easy. When Kia’s dad arrives back in town, family secrets come tumbling out she never realized existed. Everything her mom has ever told her about the reason he left is a lie – but how can she trust the man who, by his own admission, didn’t fight for her as hard as he could have?

With her past and present wants and needs colliding, Kia is thrown into the turmoil of the biggest decisions of her life. And she realizes, sometimes a second chance is all you need.

5 /5 stars

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My Review

“I’m the mechanic around here, Kia. If anyone is giving a service, it’s me, and I’m pretty sure you’re next on my to-do list.”

As I always do, I’d like to thank Emma for the dedications in Second Chance Summer. Firstly for the Beta reader and then for the Bloggers. I must admit, I was a crap Beta’er this time around, simply due to not internet connection as I had just moved into my flat, but I did help on the first two chapters, so you better all love them 😛

When I read this book, I fell in love. You all know how much I love Emma and her books are like heroin to me. I will always need more of them because dear god, she knows how to write. How to draw emotions from you, captivate you with her storylines and make you fall in love with her characters. And Second Chance Summer is no exception. All her characters have their own voice, their own personality and it really shines through in this book. You will most definitely be rooting for Reese and Kia (and wanting Adam and Luce – the best friends – to get together too!)

Second Chance Summer is just that. Its about a second chance, about giving in to your true feelings, to stop hiding behind them, afraid of loving. It about forgiving and discovering the truth, its about finding your voice, even through the dark parts and coming out alive at the other side. Kia and Reese had the best summer of their life last year, thye found love in and with each other but that was all ripped away after one night of passion and Kia left – left for New York early and hasnt returned to her home town of Harlan Grove until now. She never, ever thought she would return but something inside her told her too.

Reese has the best summer ever, he finally got the girl, he fell in love so deep that even after she left without a word, then came back a year later, his feelings for her have never gone away. Despite being pissed and mad at her for leaving and not even returning for Christmas, he cant be angry at her, he cant shout at her because that will only make her run again. He still loves her and any girl he has been with was just a distraction from Kia. But now shes back and trying to deny her feelings her him, he is determined to make her see his feelings haven’t gone away, and nor have hers. Nothing will stop him getting Kia back, no matter how much she is fighting it.

I need to start with Reese (Sorry Kia). Get in my bed you sweet, gorgeous, sexy mechanic, you. He feel so deeply in love last summer that when Kia left without a word, he was stumped. He slumped around like a lost puppy looking for his owner, so angry and pissed and sad that Kia just fucked off without a single goodbye – especially as she went a week early. He waited until she came home for Christmas, but she never arrived. And he regrets not going after her, but now shes back, he is pissed but he knows shouting at her will do nothing.

Now shes back and he is determined to make her see she is the one, that nothing has changed, his feelings havent changed and that he still wants her just as badly as he did a year ago – he has been pinning over her and will do anything to make her see he loves her, to make her see that although they are young, she is it for him and he will follow her to the ends of the earth just to have her.

His beautiful soul and his words are what hooked me – and they way he is oh so sexy and dirty (with oil and his mouth) and dear god, how he will cradle Kia when she is crying, how he learned guitar, how to dance and sing, just to show her he can do it, to show her that he will do anything to see her smile and laugh and will do anything to make her blissfully happy.

Behind that cocky and sexy ass, really is a guy whose heart is completely taken by a girl who took it last summer and has never given it back. I cannot wait to read the prequel and the second book of their story!

Kia was a character. From the first page you instantly know how much she hates coming back, how Harlan Grove holds so many good and bad memories for her – especially with an alcoholic mother who couldnt give two rats arses, a memory of her father leaving and never returning and a summer of fun and a summer where she fell in love that leaving him behind killed her but she had to leave. And now she is back and the first person she sees is Reese and she cant cope with her feelings for him – they are just the same as they were a year ago. She knows how hard this summer is going to be having to spend time with him.

Since being away for college, Kia has become sassy and has developed an attitude, which I bloody loved as it meant she could bite back at Reese when he turned on the charm and she should see through him, but he still affected her just as much as he did last summer. But although NY changed her, her vulnerability and the pain and heartache of not just Reese, but seeing her mother, or rather not seeing, and then finding out exactly what happened and why her father left all comes tumbling down this summer and along with not wanting to show her true feelings to Reese, it all gets too much for her.

Reese breaks down her walls and she falls, slowly, but she falls again. But she is afraid of loving him so hard that he will leave her, but Reese, as you will see, will never leave her. You see her find herself again, have fun, fall harder in love and build back the bridges, with her father and kind of with her mother. Second chances are big in this book, but here is to hoping that everything will be sorted out in Third Chance Together, because I need my Kia and Reese together forever!

I loved the secondary characters, Adam and Luce. They are absolutely brilliant best friends, these two banter and fight with each other, Luce is amazing at being there for Kia throughout everything and Adam, oh Adam, he is freaking hilarious, yet at the same time I did want to smack him around the head when he does something so stupid to Luce. I hope there is more of these two, because id love to see a book or even a novella about them – after what happens in SCS.

Emma puts in blood, sweat and tears into her books to make them the perfection they are. She knows chemistry, knows how to make a sassy heroine and a bad-boy-with-a-sweet-side hero along with the amazing best friends and a great storyline. Kia and Reese are a favourite couple of mine and Reese is firmly on my BBF list. I cannot wait to read their summer, see how they fell in love and then see what happens after Kia leaves for college again and how Reese is going to cope without her and try to get to her.

Grab Second Chance Summer and every single one of Emma’s books and become engrossed along with me! PLEAAAASE 😀

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Exclusive Reese POV

Kia walks into the room, her tank top and tiny bed shorts clinging to her body, and my eyes crawl over her in the darkness. The low neck of her tank exposes the curve of her breasts and the shorts show almost all of her legs. Her hair is mussed from her sleep in the truck, and I can see she’s taken all of her make-up off.

And she’s never looked more damn beautiful than she does right now.

She pushes the covers aside and slips into the bed next to me. Her blonde hair fans across the pillow and she gazes up at me with wide blue eyes that are probably the color of the sea crawling up the beach outside.

I look down at her and smile. Her pink lips curve up, and I drop my head down, touching my lips to hers, and creep my hand across her stomach to her waist. Her fingers grip my arm and dig into my skin as I hold her tightly against my body. I run my tongue along the seam of her mouth, teasing her lips, and hers mingles with mine as they part. She takes like toothpaste, minty and fresh, and I get hard as she pushes against me and slides her knee between my legs.

My hand moves to the small of her back and my fingers hook under her shirt, brushing across her silky skin. She wiggles and her body rubs against mine, sending blood rushing straight down to my dick.

“Kia,” I mutter. My lips press to her jaw, kissing a gentle path along the curve of it, and she breathes faster. Her chest rises and falls frantically against mine, and I arch her back and drag my lips down her neck to her collarbones. I dip my tongue into the indent in her skin and suck lightly on her skin, smiling against her when she gasps.

And I wonder what I’m doing.

I want her. I want her so fucking badly it hurts. I want to remember what it’s like to have her lying under me, writhing and gasping all hot and bothered. But she’s had an absolute bastard of a night and that’s the last thing she needs.

What she needs is to be held. She needs to be held so tightly in my arms she’ll finally believe I won’t let go, that I won’t leave her. She needs comfort. Stability. Reassurance.

She needs every ounce of love I can give her.

And her needs outweigh my wants any day.

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About Emma Hart

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

Find Emma online at:
Blog: http://www.emmahartbooks.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EmmaHartBooks
Twitter: @EmmaHartAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451162.Emma_Hart

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Links

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

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GIVEAWAYYYYY!!!

KINDLE FIRE HD + £25/$25 GIFT CARD:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ONE OF TWO SIGNED COPIES OF SECOND CHANCE SUMMER:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SIGNED COPY OF SECOND CHANCE SUMMER, THE LOVE GAME, AND PLAYING FOR KEEPS, PLUS EMMA HART SWAG:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tours

BOOK TOUR: The Time Until -Casey Ford (+ EXCLUSIVE Sam POV)

Posted on November 15, 2013November 15, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

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Synopsis

Alan Green and Samantha Cohn have known each other for as long as both can remember. They have a special relationship that has grown far beyond mere friendship.

Inseparable, Al and Sam have spent their lives with one another—from childhood secrets, through awkward teenage years, to finding themselves as adults—it’s always been the two of them together.

When unexpected tragedy hits, and Sam is left fighting for her life, Alan can only watch and wait. Left alone without his best friend, Alan spends his time reliving his past, ensnared in the memories of the chaotic relationship with the girl that stole his heart.

How would you spend the time until?

5 out of 5 STARS

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My Review

I had the privilege to Beta read The Time Until and the first time around, oh my god, I sat reading it, sobbing my heart out from start to finish. Both happy and sad tears. My emotions were all over the place and that in itself, to me anyway, is a book that I love. You make me cry, I will love you forever.

I have read this book three times and each time is just as emotional as the last despite knowing what is going to happen. Each time a little has changed and I think the final version is just pure amazing. Casey will have you hooked from the very start, wanting to know the beginning of Sam and Alan, wanting to journey through their time line, know about their friendship and how they go to the point they are at now…with Sam fighting for her life and Alan, his life also altered but he is petrified of life without Sam. Casey has a way with this story that you just cant and don’t want to put it down. You NEED to know what is going to happen, need to know their background but need to know if Sam lives or dies…and if she dies, how Alan is going to handle her death.

They have pretty much been inseparable since they were 5, and at 20, that’s a hell of a lot of time and years spent together. To lose her would kill him. My heart was hurting, my chest was hurting, I cried so hard that my make-up was running down my face and this book was all I could think about…and this was only when I was Beta’ing it, so I damn well know just how brilliant this story is if I was feeling all these emotions right from the beginning.

I don’t want to spoil the book, as I want YOU to read it and because so much happens during the time Sam is fighting for her life, from the past and the present of these two, how their families are coping and how their friends are there for both of them throughout the event. You find out so much from Alan, about his and Sam’s past, about how they became friends, everything they have been through together and separate and despite Sam being in a coma, you learn so much about her, her personality, her love, all from Alan and the flashbacks to the past and of course, how he talks about her in the present. You can really see how much he loves her, how he cant imagine life without her in it and how scared he is to loose her. It cant be an option to him, she has to live and be with him.

Casey makes you go through the motions with your emotions. I literally felt everything whilst reading this book, and bloody hell, what a debut it is. It is firmly on my ‘favourites’ shelf, not just of 2013, but of every book I’ve read. You can tell just how hard Casey worked on this book, to how he wanted it to be portrayed and read and he was spot on with everything – from the emotions, the storyline and especially how he keeps you hanging right until the end to see if Sam lives or dies. I was consumed within this book, needing to get to the end to know how it ended and it really is a great ending to the story of Sam and Alan.

If there is one book you buy today, then make it The Time Until. You will not be disappointed, you will sob your little heart out so hard but it’s worth every single word to get to the finish, to see how it ended….

So to you Casey, from Sugar Boobs, thank you so much for letting me Beta read this and everyone is going to love it, I just know it 😀 I look forward to reading more books from you in the future!

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Sam’s POV of the ‘First Kiss’

“Samantha can you go see what’s keeping Alan for me? I think he went to get cleaned up by the concession stand.” I nod my head and finish putting the folding chair into the back of the SUV. I walk up to the stand, but don’t see any sign of Alan anywhere.

“Where did he go?” I ask myself. Heading to the back of the stand, I hear the rustling of clothes. I roll my eyes a bit and make my way toward the sound.

“Hey, Al, everyone is wa—”

HOLY SHIT!

Alan is standing there with his shirt halfway off his body and my heart has just died. This is no pansy boy here. No sir, this is a man. A ripped, chiseled man. Sweat beading down his chest causing his body to glisten in the fading sunlight. I bite my bottom lip in an unconscious attempt to bite his stomach. I shouldn’t be staring at him like this, but I have to. My eyes are drawn to his stomach muscles as he flexes them slightly. Despite knowing it’s for my benefit, the gesture makes me want to touch him. His goal-keeper shorts hang low on his hips, showing a tantalizing view of his underwear – which hang just as low as his shorts. My breathing freezes in my lungs and the slow burn is a welcome reminder that I’m alive and not in heaven.

I want this to be real.

He finishes taking off his shirt and his biceps work under his tight skin causing my temperature to sky rocket. My feet move on their own and I suddenly find myself standing in front of him, eyes locked on his Spartan like abs. He looks so delicious I can’t stop from feeling his muscles. Slowly running my fingers along the hard edges of his brawn. He shivers slightly at my touch and I fight to control the sudden surge of excitement from my knowledge that my touch causes that reaction in him.

Touching his body causes my body to heat more. My core is so hot I’m surprised my pants haven’t started on fire. The hot moisture causes my clothes to cling in a strangely enjoyable way.

If he was to touch me like I’m touching him I’d most likely explode into a nuclear explosion – or a supernova.

“Where did these come from?” I ask at barely a whisper. It’s the loudest I can muster since my body has decided to stop lubricating my throat. My eyes never leave Alan’s stomach, I’m not confident in my ability to control myself if I look into his eyes.

My control is fragile as it is right now.

“Where do you think?” he ask me back. “I run every day. I have to stay in shape for soccer.”

Of course, I knew that. I’m not an idiot, despite evidence to the contrary at the moment.

My other hand joins the first one in its exploration of Alan’s amazing new body. I start to calm down a bit, but I can still feel my cheeks burn. I risk a glance up at his face and immediately realize my mistake.

He’s majestic in his look of adoration. The lingering drops of sweat make his face glow in the sunlight at his back. He’s beautiful and all mine. That thought brings a smile to my lips. Looking at his lips I barely have time to ask myself what they would taste like before I got first-hand knowledge. Alan’s body moves so fast I don’t even know what to do. His heavenly body slams me against the wall and the pleasure of the force nearly causes me to moan.

Alan’s never been this forceful and dominating. It feels amazing. His powerful arms – which I’ve never taken the time to fully enjoy – hold me firmly but gently against his body as our lips explore each other. The incredible taste of his warm lips cause me to forget to breath and I have to break away briefly to catch my breath and my bearings.

Alan has different ideas and my mouth in suddenly invaded by his tongue. My eyes roll into the back of my head at the new sensation. It’s intense and powerful, but also gentle and considerate. He’s taken control but not enough to make me feel pressured. I feel like I could say “stop” at any time and there would be no hesitation.

I decide to give in to him completely at this moment. I want to see how far he’s willing to take this new and very much approved attitude.

I start to slip from his grasp and before I can readjust he grasps my ass to hold me up. The gesture causes a surge of lust to shoot through my wet body. The sudden emotion and response makes me gasp slightly and moan loudly into his mouth. My mind starts to fall into bliss, but I can make out a wicked smile on his lips before I disappear. Wild anticipation intrudes on my bliss as I wonder what he has in store for me now.

His tongue slides slowly down my neck and the resulting goose-bumps send chills down my back and more lust to my already willing and waiting core. He pushes against me harder as he sucks on my collarbone and feeling his obvious excitement makes me lose even more control. I can’t control my strength when I crush his face into my chest.

His need hits a certain spot on my wetness and I nearly pass out from the sensation.

“Oh my god,” I scream in-between breathes. Oh my god is right… this feels godly. Why does it ever have to stop? I might just shatter into a million pieces if he does.

Alan takes my mouth again and I enjoy the swollen feeling that comes from it.

“I love you,” Alan whispers into my mouth.

The entire world grinds to a swift and decisive stop. I remember what we’re doing.

He’s my best friend.

What the hell am I thinking?

“Wow,” a small voice comes from next to us. Still in a confused trance of pleasure and shock, I turn my head with Alan to see his sister standing there. Alan jumps away and I immediately regret not savoring his delectable smell and feel before, I miss it now. But knowing what we were just doing causes me to forget my regret.

We shouldn’t be doing that, ever. We’re friends not lovers. What would happen if things didn’t work out? It would disastrous. I need Alan. He’s been my rock and comfort for so long. I can’t lose him simply because of something like lust I mistake for love.

But he says he loves me. Is it real love? How long has that been?

Alan is talking to his sister. I can’t focus on them at the moment, I’m trying to keep from going crazy from worry.

I can’t lose him.

The thought alone is enough to send fear blasting through my very soul. My heart seizes in my chest at the potential abandonment.

No, I can never let that happen!

“That never should have happened,” I tell him and a pinch of pain attacks my heart at his dropped face. This has to be done.

“What do you mean?” he asks me and the hurt evident in his voice cause me to second guess my decision before fear takes over again. I get up and push his hand out of the way. Maybe I should explain a little. He might understand if I tell him my reasoning behind all this.

“Sam?” The pain in his voice convinces me that nothing will help the situation. I take a step back when he steps up to me. I’m not scared of him, but his touch will be my undoing right now. Words start spilling from my mouth with no thought behind them.

“This is all wrong… We can’t… I don’t want…” I don’t want to change our relationship. We can’t do this. This doesn’t feel wrong, but I think it is.

I have to get out of here before his sorrowful, majestic face cause me to break in two. I bolt for the car and spend the rest of the ride home in silent contemplation. We can still go back to how we used to be…

Right?

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GIVEAWAY!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Casey

I like to write and love just about anything romance [Except triangles, I hate triangles…. Oh! And Squares! They’re the worst].

Anyway, I live with my wife and two kids in good ole U.S.of A. and I actually work full time as a Graphic Designer. I write to relieve stress and because I like to create stories.

The Time Until is my first book and it’s both a joy and a chore to write.

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Links to The Time Until

New Adult

Falling Into Us (#2) – Jasinda Wilder

Posted on August 31, 2013August 30, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

THE STORY YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW…

When Kyle Calloway died, he took a part of Nell with him. She wasn’t the only one left to pick up the pieces, however; Kyle’s death left a gaping hole in the hearts and lives of his parents and his older brother Colton, and ultimately broke the will of the girl he loved.

THE STORY YOU NEVER IMAGINED…

Becca de Rosa is Nell’s best friend. When Kyle died, Nell was so devastated that no one could reach her, not even her best friend Becca. As she tries to help Nell through her grief, Becca’s own life is thrust into turmoil, and everything she knows is changed.

Jason Dorsey asked Nell out the week after her sixteenth birthday, but that date never happened. Instead, he ended up going out with Nell’s best friend, Becca. He had no way of knowing, then, how that one date would send him on a life-long journey with Becca. He had no way of knowing the tragedies and triumphs he would experience, or that in Becca, he might find the love of a lifetime.

THE HEARTACHE YOU’LL NEVER FORGET…

5 / 5 stars

My review of Falling into You is HERE

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My Review

By now you should know my favourites. The ones that completely stole my heart, ripped it out, made me a sobbing mess, had me falling in love with their story, having my heart pieced back together and left an outstanding impression to me. That was what Falling into You did to me. It showed raw pain, dealing or more like trying to deal with grief and falling in love. To say it’s a great book would be an understatement….

BUT then came along Falling Into Us and I can’t tell you how much this book stole another piece of my heart. I sat wondering why it had taken so long to finally get round to reading this book and I actually couldn’t think of any. But it’s okay because I did get around to it and I did completely, head over heels demolish every single page and every single line that was in the book.

I read it on the way to work, back home from work and then into the evening. It PAINED me to put it down during work and even when I jumped into the shower, Jason and Becca were constantly on my mind. I needed to know more about them, finish up their story, and see how their lives pan out. I really cannot tell you how much this book just made me forget the outside world.

There will always be one book you will read and you are like “why hasn’t this been in my life sooner?” And I’ve got to say, this is the book. I may, just a tiny bit love this book more than Falling Into You, but only a little bit because I adore Colt and Nell’s story. To say both couple lead different lives, it’s hard to really compare the stories because they all go through heart break and pain but Jason and Becca’s just stole my heart a bit more.

Becca is an amazing character. She is smart, like super smart, she is Nell’s best friend, she’s overcoming a stutter which still appears when she is nervous or excited and she is gorgeous, but that is overshadowed because of Nell. Her parents are strict on her, especially her father, she’s in all these classes, constantly doing homework and hardly ever has any freedom. Her freedom is poetry which she keeps locked away from anyone.

She’s always had a crush on Jason from afar but hes always liked Nell. But when Nell stands him up and she tells him to call Becca, well then we get to know what they did on their ‘date’ as we know they went out in Falling Into You.

I did adore Becca. You could feel her frustration at her parents – she just wanted freedom. Not to be shackled. She also fees frustrated and angry at being second best to Nell when Jason asks her out but you can pretty much see from the get-go that these two have so much more than he and Nell would ever have. And that is where the story begins. Throughout the years, you see her progress from a shy and soft spoken girl into a confident and outspoken women. Being with Jason truly helped her throughout the many trials and heartbreak she faced over the years, the love she had for him, the way she knew he was the one for her. She helped him as much as he helped her and I loved watching her progression throughout the book and the years. She was so comfortable in her own skin and around Jason. That is exactly how it should be.

I loved Jason. He’s not the person he showed other people. He didn’t have the greatest home life, but he was strong, and the way he handled his childhood shaped him into the person he grew up to be and the person we all fall in love with. He’s special and I think that’s why Becca has a soft spot for him, despite the fact he was gorgeous too. He chose the path in life to not be his father and I applaud him for that. Along with the help and love of Becca, he could do anything he put his mind to. She was there with him through everything, much the same as he was with her. They both go through horrible things but they bring each other back to life, because of the strength of their love.

Jason is such a sweetheart when Becca goes through the most painful thing to happen in her life. He’s patient, he never leaves her and he breaks through to her, gets her to speak to him. He holds her, loves her and lets her know he’s not going anywhere. He truly is a special guy and you can utterly see why they were the ones for one another. They just balanced each other out, they loved each other so much and although their journeys weren’t easy, they had each other to power through and be right by each other’s sides.

You watch they grow from insecure teenagers to confident adults, who know exactly what to do, what to say, how to love and how to help each other. You watch them talk things through, complement one another and talk about their future, always including the other. Their relationship and their bond is so strong, nothing can part them.

If you are looking for some Nell and Colton, then they do appear in this book. You get to see more of their relationship, their cuteness and see their relationship develop even more. They are still so awesome together. You do relieve the moment Kyle dies, and the tears did appear again. Even though you know it’s going to happen, it’s still as painful as when you read it the first time.

Falling into Us will tear you apart. It will make you cry, make you smile, throw your kindle away because you don’t want to relive that moment, make you giggle and smile and sigh at the cutest of Jason and Becca. I wasn’t worried at all when Jasinda said she was writing a second book that included these two, because I knew it was be great. And it bloody well was.

I would recommend reading Falling into You first, then Falling into Us. Read about Nell and Colton, then Jason and Becca and come back and tell me all your FEELS. Because you will FEEL a hell of a bloody lot!!

New Adult

More (#2)- Clare James

Posted on August 25, 2013August 22, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

One summer.
One chance to forget the past.
One opportunity to make things right.

There’s no denying the heat between Jules Taylor and Foster Sutton. They are two wild souls with a fire burning inside. Together, they create a hot and dangerous mix of emotion and lust.

But after a terrible accident leaves one friend dead, Foster is bound by a secret that keeps him from getting closer to Jules. And he’s left with only one thing to offer her – friendship.

For Jules, her relationship with Foster is getting old. He falls down and she picks him up, but they never move forward. Their occasional hook-ups are no longer enough, and Jules vows that this is her summer to forget Foster and find love. If it were only that easy.

It seems fate is pushing Jules and Foster together at every turn. And it’s only a matter of time before they give up and give in.

MORE is the highly anticipated companion story to BEFORE YOU GO. It can also be read as a stand-alone book

4 / 5 stars

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My Review

*I’d like to thank Clare James for a copy of More in exchange for an honest review*

A few months ago, a lovely lady called Clare James emailed me and asked if I would like to review a copy of Before You Go, her debut novel. Yes, I would love to, was my reply and I loved the book. You can see my review HERE and that Noah was my Mancandy Monday a few weeks ago HERE.

A few weeks back she emailed me again asking if I would love to review More, the story of Jules and Foster. Well yesss, of course I would. I really liked them both in Before You Go and I knew that there story would captivate me just like Noah and Tabby’s did. About three weeks ago (yes a late review) was not a good week for me. I was in a funk; a downer mood and I didn’t know how to get out of it. I decided to pick up More and just pour myself into reading this book, hoping to god that Jules and Foster would help me through it.

Can I just say that they had a helping hand in my downer mood disappearing? And of course I have let Clare know this too. I didn’t want to put the book down. I was reading it wherever I could because Jules and Foster are awesome together. I couldn’t stop reading, More was slowly lifting my mood up and I have to say it included everything. You had sexy times, I cried, I swooned, I loved the strength of Jules, the vulnerability of Foster but I loved that despite everything in their pasts, they were still ‘friends’ even if they ‘couldn’t’ be together, they still loved one another and were still there for each other.

Clare James makes you care for both Foster and Jules, and you still love Tabby and Noah in the mean while too.

We meet Jules and Foster in Before You Go and I am so glad they got their own story because there is so much to them. They met in high school, becoming fast friends and they have been with each other since. Jules has loved Foster since high school and the older they got, her feelings intensified and her and Foster began a relationship. But one night changed everything and her and Foster broke up.

Foster began to drown himself in alcohol, but what happened wasn’t the one reason why he was drinking, he did something bad, so bad that he cannot tell Jules because it would break their friendship up. Just like it did with Noah and him. He doesn’t feel worthy of Jules but one summer changes everything between them.

It’s a summer of love, forgiveness but also heartbreak and pain. Will Jules and Foster get a happily ever after?

Jules is strong character. You could definitely see it in Before You Go and you can see it in More. She does have a vulnerability to her, but that is where Tabby helped her out, made her go to this unconventional group meeting every week and it helps Jules overcome what happened in her past. Helps her to meet people who have been through loss and self-harming and abuse. For everything Jules had been through, shes a tough cookie, getting through to the other side with her friends there to support her.

Enter Foster. He and Jules have been friends for many years. They were and to some extent inseparable. Jules has loved him for a long time and although they tried the whole relationship thing, it ended because of Foster and his secret – which Jules has never found out. Jules is always there for Foster, through his boozing and the pain he harbours, trying to make him see that the accident wasn’t his fault, but that’s not why he drinks and he can’t tell her. He uses alcohol as an escape – as escape that he cant ever have Jules the way he wants her. You can see just how much Jules loves Foster, how much she wants him as her own, wants to help him out but it comes to a point where she realizes this will never happen. That she won’t have Foster again and so this summer is all about finding someone new. If only to have what Tabby and Noah have – that true, glorious love. But what about Foster? What does he feel about this?

Oh Foster. He really is a book boyfriend in my eyes. Sexy as hell but a wounded soul. Overcome with the memories of the past and alcohol seems to take that away, if only for a little while. He uses girls to take the pain away too and that is what stings Jules a little bit. Foster loves Jules, he would do anything for her, but in order for his secret to be kept, Noah told Foster to stay away, but he can’t. He needs to be with Jules – and friendship is all that he can offer her despite the fact he would like more. You see him battle with himself over Jules. He wants her but he cant. She wants him but she thinks he doesn’t want her. These two really give you the run around and you can’t help but want them to just be together.

When Jules injures herself, this is when the two of them spend all this time together. You see Foster caring for Jules, you see his jealousy over the guy she works with but you see him making something of himself. Interning in a restaurant and actually doing something he loves. The two of them have 14 nights together, just to be themselves and do whatever they want with each other, before Noah and Tabby come back from their vacation, but what will happen in those 14 nights? And what will happen when the secret comes out? Will it destroy their relationship?

Before i began More, Clare James mentioned a bath scene…can i just say…UH YES FRICKING PLEASE. Hottest scene i have read in a lonnnng while. Dear god, i need me a Foster!!

Anyway, If you have yet to read Before You Go – please do! Read Tabby and Noah’s story, then come back and read More – read about Foster and Jules, because you will love them and want to know more about them when you read Before You Go.

New Adult

The Thoughtless series – S.C Stephens

Posted on August 15, 2013August 11, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Thoughtless

For almost two years now, Kiera’s boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she’s ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source—a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he’s purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes…and none of them will ever be the same

Effortless

After being caught in the middle of a love triangle which led to a devastating betrayal, Kiera pledged to learn from the mistakes she’d made. She was determined to never again inflict that kind of pain on anyone, especially the soulful, talented man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it survive? Love is easy . . . trust is hard

Reckless

Can love survive when life gets Reckless?

When the band hits it big, Kiera and Kellan must ask themselves: Can their love for each other survive the constant pressures of superstardom? The friendships they’ve formed, the new family they’ve found, and the history they’ve forged will all play a part in helping them navigate the turbulent waters of the band’s exploding popularity. A greedy executive hell-bent on success, a declining pop star looking for an edge, and a media circus that twists lies into truths are just some of the obstacles the lovers will have to overcome if they are going to remain together. Fame comes with a price-but will it cost Kiera and Kellan everything

Overall: 12 / 15 stars

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My Reviews

You’ve all read Kerry Heaven’s guest review of The Thoughtless series haven’t you? Well for months everyone on Twitter has been shouting at me for not reading it. For not knowing exactly why Kellan Kyle is the ultimate book boyfriend; why he’s in the top 3 for almost everyone.

So when he won the NA tournament, myself and a lot of other people decided it was about time to pick up this series and get to know Kellan, understand why Kiera is super annoying and why Griffin is completely awesome. I can’t even begin to tell you how I just consumed all three books. They were so hard to put down and as someone who HATES love triangles, I just kept reading and reading, falling harder for Kellan, absolutely wanting to be touched up by Griffin, loving the whole band and getting so angry and irritated with Kiera. Denny? Well I was impartial to him in Thoughtless. In a way he brought it on himself leaving Kiera for two months but I’ll get to that later.

S.C Stephens has won my heart. She made me feel so much throughout these books that I didn’t know what to do or read after them. She makes you feel every emotion under the sun, she makes you irritated, angry, happy, swoony, cry, giggle, want to smack a bit, paranoid, and that is just the tip of the emotions I felt. She really does draw you into the story, into her writing, makes you carry on reading despite getting worked up throughout Thoughtless at Kiera. You want to know what happens, what happens in book two and if they get their happily ever after in book three.

This review is going to combined all the books together because I have a lot of thoughts and as I read them straight after the other, I feel that it’s just easier to add them all together.

Kiera

Kiera. Oh I had heard SO MUCH about this girl through the twitter grapevine. And it was all true. She irritated me, she had me screaming and shouting obscenities at her through my phone and kindle. She annoyed me, she frustrated me and I called her a ‘bitch’ and a ‘tease’ just a few times. In Thoughtless, shes young and naive and doesn’t really know the world. She moved half way across the country to be with a boy!! A boy who left after a few weeks for two months leaving her in a city she had no idea about.

Despite her naivety, she blushes at EVERYTHING! Seriously, I wanted to tell her to just man the fuck up and stop acting like a prude. I really loved it when Griffin took the piss out of her and talked about sex around her. It was literally the best thing ever just to see her act like a virginal little girl.

You see her hurt Kellan (and Denny) so much. Kellan is the sweetest guy around and Kiera just completely fucked him up. She played him, she teased him and I just wanted to slap her and tell her to let him go, stop toying with him feelings and emotions. She deserved what Kellan said to her, because everything was the truth. I really really disliked her in Thoughtless, but I began to warm up to her in Effortless. Okay, so she’s still annoying but now that she and Kellan are together, you see her ease up on her annoyingness. Trust is still a big issue with those two from everything that happened on book one, but they are trying. It doesn’t help that Kellan is off on tour for 6 months.

Kiera really tries her hardest in Effortless. She tries to put the past behind her and focus on her and Kellan. Getting them to the point where although they love each other, they need to trust one another. She grows up a bit in Effortless and you can truly see the love she has for Kellan – his for her too. But of course, Kiera is a stupid little girl and there’s something that she should have told Kellan when Denny comes back. Despite nothing happening with those two, I hated that she hid it from Kellan. She should have told him and got it over with, but no, she kept it a secret. But I do have to say, I squealed at the ending of Effortless. It was actually the cutest thing ever and I did cry, yes. Trust is a hard thing to come by, especially with those two, but I was so glad that they got over their issues and could finally love and trust one another unconditionally.

I really liked Kiera in Reckless. She redeems herself and you watch her grow up a hell of a lot. She and Kellan are stronger than ever and after everything they have been through, they stick together, telling each other everything and battling things together, not alone. I loved Kiera’s strength, her love for Kellan and even through the way she and Kellan were treated, she held it together and tried to find scenarios and other ways to deal with what was happening. She really had her head screwed up in this book.

Kellan

My beautiful and broken Kellan. I don’t even know where to start because he is so utterly perfect I every way. He really has screwed up everything for real life men everywhere. My search for a Scottish Kellan Kyle is now on!

Kellan isn’t your normal book boyfriend. Not in a long run. He’s cocky and confident and oozes this sexiness from him. He’s perfect in an imperfect way and he knows it, but deep down he’s vulnerable and scared and doesn’t think highly of himself – that hes not worthy of being loved. He’s never known love but he wants it. He wants to feel that overpowering love for someone and that’s why he’s slept around. He wants to feel something if only for a little while. So when Kiera and Denny come along and he sees them together, well he wants that. He wants that love they have, that togetherness, that couple stuff.

You see him battle his feelings throughout Thoughtless. See him fall for Kiera, see him get hurt and pushed away and then begged to stay. It was a yo-yo on his emotions and you could really see how it was affecting him. He loved Kiera and she just kept messing with his mind. He hated the thought of her with Denny, he wanted her to himself and she was the first girl he loved, who he wanted to be with for longer than a night. You could totally relate to the way he acted throughout this book, because Kiera deserved every bit of it.

In Effortless you see Kellan and Kiera try to put their guilt aside and be together, in public. They have a lot of trust issues and when Kellan goes on tour for 6 months, the trust is put to the test. Kellan, being the perfect guy that he is would never ever cheat on Kiera. She means everything to him and he has fought so hard for her. He leaves little notes around the house for her to remind her that he loves her and he hides them obscure places so when Kiera finds them it’s like Christmas. You literally love every single note and hope that your boyfriend will do these for you. (I’m single, as you should all know). The biggest thing in this book is trust. Kellan doesn’t think Kiera loves him as much as he loves her and they are still trying to get over their trust issues. But Kiera proves that she not only loves him but she loves in so much more than she ever loved Denny, then that means so much to him. The ending is perfect, I squealed and cried and it’s the perfect way to end book two.

In Reckless my heart was breaking for Kellan. All he wanted to do was make music and with everything going on, with the record company kind of blackmailing him, his love of music was slowly dwindling. He wasn’t happy at all with what he had to do. All he wanted was to show the world who Kiera was, how much he loved her, and how no one would ever come between them but that wasn’t so. You could really see how much everything was affecting him, and Kiera was the one to try and lift his spirits back up. Make him see that she was there for him, help him through the things he was forced to do, through the manipulation of the label.

When a certain event happens – I loved him for it yet I was petrified for him, much like Kiera and everyone else was too. Although Kellan turned about to be okay, what followed after was the greatest thing that could have happened. With everything they had been through, to celebrate and do it this way was actually perfect. Both of them weren’t all that conventional anyway and this was just them. Together. With their family and friends to witness. Just how the both of them wanted.

The epilogue was one of the best things ever. I completely and utterly loved it. Seriously! It was an amazing way to end the whole series. A way to show that everyone were finally at the point in their life where it was just awesome. Family, great friends, overpowering love and a bond that can never be broken. I loved seeing all the couples together; the families together and everyone had come a long way since Thoughtless. They had all grown up and it was lush to see this. It was also lush to see Kellan and Kiera finally at a stage where it was it for them (well it always has been) but you see that although they have grown up, they are still the amazing two people that we (grew to) love (kiera) and you can see that they totally are end game for each other.

All the secondary characters – okay, they didn’t feel secondary – are just amazing. You will fall in love with each and every one of them. You will want Pete’s bar to be real, you will want to be a part of the IT group, have your own table with the DBags, want to work at Pete’s and be a part of their little group. You will want the banter, and the love and the support and friendship from each character. You will want Jenny as your best friend, Griffin to smut talk you and grope you, bear hugs from Evan. Each character has that something special about them and I think that’s what makes them so relatable and what makes you want to be their friends. Friendship and love like these guys have is something very special and it’s what makes me love books like The Thoughtless series.

If you were like me and haven’t got the chance to find out WHY Kellan is the greatest book boyfriend in the whole world and why we all got irritated at Kiera and then grew to love her, then go and buy this series and find out. Once to start it, it will be completely hard to stop reading. You will have a massive book hangover but in the end, it will be totally worth it.

Book Tours, Kerry Heavens

BOOK TOUR: Just Human – Kerry Heavens

Posted on July 26, 2013July 26, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

It’s The Book Lovers stop on the Just Human tour today, and I will be posting my review!

To follow the tour, just click on the banner.

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Synopsis

Meet Liv and Danny…

Liv loves Danny. She knows she loves him more than he loves her, so she lets him go without a fight when his parents make him move back to America. She knows she will never love anyone like she loved him, but she has to move on.

Danny loves Liv. He knows he loves her more than she loves him, because she does nothing to get him to stay, so he goes quietly when his parents leave the UK. He knows he will never love anyone like he loved her, but he has to move on.

Twelve years on, they have made a good job of pretending, they may have almost forgotten. But when they get in touch via Facebook, it seems that it is all still there.

They quickly find that they are intensely compatible in ways they hadn’t even begun to explore before they were forced apart.

Can they put aside their fears and give it a go? Or will deep rooted doubts and insecurities tear them apart?

5 /5 stars

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My Review

Email me and tell me your book has some sort of social media involved and I will snatch that book right up. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m a millennial. I’ve grown up with the internet and phones and I don’t know a world without them. I think that’s the reason why I love books that have texting and facebook/twitter in them.

When Kerry emailed me a few months ago with Just Human, it included a love story, past best friends turned lovers whom reconnect over FaceyB. Was I going to email her back and accept? Oh hell yes I was.

When I finally got my grabby little hands on Just Human, I was so freaking happy. Kerry grabs your attention from the first page and she has characters in which you care about and want to be best buds with (and of course Danny, where you actually want to be with him.) Kerry will make you laugh, smile, giggle, swoon and also cry – both happy and sad tears (THAT ENDING KERRY!!!) but you will follow both Danny and Liv’s story – in alternative POVS – to find out that despite the years apart, love holds no time and they both loved each other so much they didn’t say anything when Danny left. But thank god for technology hey!

From the synopsis, you can see that Danny and Liv both loved each other when they were younger, going from best friends to lovers. When Danny’s parents move back to the USA and Danny goes with them, he knows he loves Liv more than she loves him because she did nothing to stop him. He has to move on even though no one will ever hold a match to Liv.

Liv loves Danny but when he says nothing about staying, Liv knows she loves him more and so she lets him go to the USA. She has to move on even though no one will ever hold a match to Danny.

Twelve years have passed and Danny is prompted to facebook Liv. All old feelings come back and he and Liv begin to converse, falling back into old habits and talking like they haven’t spent the past twelve years apart, in silence. Their connection is back.

Can they both put aside their fears of losing each other again and give their relationship another go? Or will they be torn apart once again?

I really really liked Liv. She’s a girl after my own heart. She owns a bar, she’s proud of how far she has come, in her life and the bar, and she has tattoos. Lots of tattoos. UHHHH YES. One failed relationship after another, it seems that she should just stop and be by herself for a while. But when a facebook message comes through, and when she sees its from Danny, all these old emotions and feelings come flooding back and she can’t push them away, no matter how hard she tries.

Danny was her first for everything and now he’s got back in touch, they come flooding back. Despite being a strong character, Liv is insecure. She’s afraid of letting all these old feelings come back only to have her heart broken once again by Danny. But can she give Danny another chance?

Despite her strong exterior, shes still fragile and although she can most definitely hold her own, I loved that she pushed through her fears when she was with Danny, because he was there. He wanted her just as badly as she wanted him and to be honest, she always loved him, whether she wanted to acknowledge that fact or not. She was so happy when she was with Danny. It was like they were never apart and they just left off from where they finished twelve years ago. There was so much love for each other it was bursting.

Danny. Oh Danny. You big beauty you. Leaving Liv pained him all those years ago but he had to keep his chin up and get on with it. He loved her more than she loved him and moving killed him.

After a brief encounter with a blast from the past, he messages Liv in the hopes of her messaging back. Since this box has been reopened, he can’t stop thinking about her, about the past and hes scared she won’t reply. Bingo, she does and now they are talking like they have never been apart, like they used to, just older.

Danny is brilliant. He’s never really let himself love anyone the way he loved Liv. She has been in the back of his mind for years, unconsciously of course but now shes first and foremost in his mind. He wants to know her again, wants to see her again and most definitely wants to be with her again, which is what makes him so special in what he does.

Yes, he also has fears and insecurities but he knows for certain that Liv is the one. She always has been for him and now its just getting her to see that they are the end game.

He would do anything for Liv and the two of them together just makes your heart sing. Kerry captured their emotions and feelings down to a T. She captured their fears, their flaws, the chemistry they both still had and you just root for them as a couple. Root that they are the end game as they very well should be. They bring out the best in each other and you can see the love they have for one another, even if they are scared something will happened to break it. But you will fall in love with Danny and Liv, I can guarantee you that much.

You all know how much I love alternative povs and Kerry did a great job in writing these. She distinguished the characters amazingly, gave them their own voice and you really got to see their reunion from each other’s eyes. Their feelings and emotions and the apprehension but that is what makes this book so much more real. It isn’t all glitter and butterflies at times, its real life and real feelings and its finding that balance together and overcoming the fears together and pushing past them.

Nowwww the sex scenes. Do you really think I’d forgot about these? Do you now know me at all anymore? HAHA. YES Kerry does know exactly how to write some serious sexy scenes. Doesn’t help that I was on public transport (when am I not?) when these scenes appeared. They only intensified the chemistry and love Danny and Liv have for one another. Some hawwwwt stuff is going on.

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE Just Human. Once started, it was hard to put down and it really is a book that everyone should grab right now. Danny and Liv really did need the time apart to grow up and do their own thing and flourish before finally reconnecting. They are both at a point in their life where they are happy, and now they have each other again, that happiness has doubled.

You really need to learn all about their story. Just shout at Kerry for the ending. I did. I REALLY NEED book two now. Need to know whats going to happen because my heart can’t take it anymore. Danny and Liv have become a favourite couple of mine and they need to be yours too.

Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Human-ebook/dp/B00E251RHY/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Human-ebook/dp/B00E251RHY/

Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Just-Human-ebook/dp/B00E251RHY/

Cover Reveal, L.M Augustine

COVER REVEAL: Two Roads – L.M Augustine (+Giveaway)

Posted on July 25, 2013July 25, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Two Roads by L.M. Augustine

Release date: August 26th, 2013

Category/Genre: New Adult Romance

Blurb:

The only person poetry-loving Cali Monroe hates more than herself is Logan Waters, the geeky kid who lives in the dorm building next to hers.

Ever since Cali’s parents told her she would amount to nothing, she has felt entirely inadequate. Friendless and alone, she takes on the mean girl role in hopes it will make her feel better–and Logan serves as the perfect target. He infuriates her with his obnoxiously long lashes, his all too perfect dimpled smile, and his complete lack of personality outside of his intelligence. It doesn’t hurt that he’s part of the reason her brother is dead, either. So Cali hates him, and he returns the favor. Thus, their prank-filled, insult-driven rivalry is born, and torturing Logan quickly becomes the highlight of her life.

But when Cali’s parents set them up on a blind date, she begins to realize Logan might not be as boring as she always thought. He shares her love of poetry, takes a sadistic pleasure in making fun of crepes, and he makes her blush when he calls her smile pretty.

And hey, maybe those long lashes of his aren’t that obnoxious after all…

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~Cover designed by E.M. Tippetts Book Designs~

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Book Tours

BOOK TOUR: Indelible – Bethany Lopez

Posted on July 18, 2013July 14, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Today is the tour stop on The Book Lovers for Indelible – Bethany Lopez. I will be giving you my review of the book.

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Synopsis

After a year of partying, Sam decides to buckle down and focus on college. Things are going great until a one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. Raising a child while going to school isn’t easy, but Sam is determined to be strong for her daughter. She doesn’t have time for guys or relationships, and takes great care to protect her child and her heart.

Judd doesn’t fit the mold of a college ballplayer. His long hair and tattoos may fit the life he’s created for himself, but baseball is the one thing he takes seriously. When he meets Sam, he’s immediately drawn to her curves and refusal to put up with his crap. When Judd learns the truth, can he handle the responsibility that comes with loving a single mother?

Sam yearns for the fire that Judd fuels in her, but her child’s needs have to come first. Can two people at different stages in their life find a way to make a life together?

3 / 5 stars

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My Review

Indelible is the first book I have read by Bethany Lopez. I do have the Friends and Lovers trilogy on my Kindle but I have yet to get to it. When I had see this book on GR and read the synopsis, I just had to add it to my TBR list and when I saw there was a tour for it, I really wanted to be a part of it.

I actually read the book in a day. It was an easy read, I pretty much flew through the pages. Bethany writes with an ease, a way in which you don’t stop reading and suddenly you are right at the end, wondering where the time has gone because it only felt like a few minutes since you started the book.

The reason for my three stars is due to my confusion. It probably is crystal clear to other people but my confusion is over the timeline of the story. When everything happened. Was it over a few weeks? Especially when Judd was meeting Sam’s daughter, Karrie for the first time. After everything Sam said about not introducing anyone to Karrie or letting them know about her because she didn’t want guys coming in and out of her life, she certainly introduced Judd to her so soon. Or was it so soon? To me it was, but perhaps to you, it was weeks later. See, I couldn’t get my head around the timeline.

The other fact was the insta-love. One minute Sam doesn’t want anything to do with Judd then the next it’s all rainbow and glitter. But I dont read a lot of books about insta-love so is that what is it?

But despite all my confusion, I did enjoy the book. I liked the strength of Sam – the young mother. The single young mother, whom not only has to care for her two year old daughter, Karrie but she takes classes and is determined to become an art teacher. I was in awe of her, at juggling her daughter and school but she did a great job in doing so. Add in trying to have a relationship too, and you just felt so proud of her for everything she has accomplished in her life. It must be so hard to be a single mother, but she was brilliant. She had help off her parents and her friends so it wasn’t like she was alone in raising Karrie.

Bethany really showed us (Who have no children) just how it is like to deal with a two year old. The tantrums, the tiredness, the not knowing what is wrong with your child. It really puts into perspective just how hard it is for single mothers/fathers bringing up their child(ren) alone. I applaud every single parent out there.

There is a point near the end where i was so proud of Sam. For doing what she thought was right for her and Karrie and for Judd too. She was so courageous in what she did despite the hurt it caused her but what she did was the right thing to do no matter what either of them wanted to do.

Judd was pretty much amazing too. Not your typical baseball player, he has long hair, tattoos and a motorbike yet baseball is something that he cherishes and its important to him. You see him go from a bit of a player to falling in love and being responsible. One night he spots Sam in the local bar with him friend James (a girl) and he knows there is something about her. But she rejects him. The second time is much more nicer and that’s when he wants something more with her. Something that isn’t just a onetime thing. Despite not wanting a relationship – the same as Sam, they pretty much fall into one. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of insta-love stories, I just couldn’t really get my head around the fact that neither of them wanted a relationship yet it ended that way pretty damn fast, but who am I to say what is right or wrong?

He is a sweetheart when introduced to Karrie and you can instantly see how much she will and is becoming a big thing in his life. He treats her with respect and plays with her and you just fall in love with him that little bit more over the fact that although its not his kid, he treats her like his.

Although I didn’t understand why he went from not wanting a relationship to wanting one, I could see him transform throughout the book, as I’ve already mentioned. He turns into someone who is extraordinary. Who is always there for Sam and Karrie and always will be. It was actually really nice to see.

There is a twist in the book that I actually didn’t even guess and I suppose you might not either. But I was so proud of the way Sam and Judd handled it. Albeit they were both angry, they spoke about it, and dismissed this person right away for the way they acted. It was very brave of Judd to do that.

Molly and James – both Sam’s friends were such great characters. They were funny, gave great advice to Sam and Judd (James did) and were there for the two of them, especially little Karrie who was a doll. It’s great when you have friends who will support you and be there for you when things get tough, especially when you have a kid to look after too.

Although I did give this book 3 stars, it is a cute love story. A love story about finding someone who won’t disregard you because you have a kid, who will change because they have found that one they want to spend their life with and the one who will treat someone else’s kid as their own.

Judd and Sam and Karrie are such a cute family that it’s hard to not love the three of them.

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Follow the tour here
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Family, Music, Terri Anne Browning

The Rocker That Needs Me (#3) – Terri-Anne Browning

Posted on July 14, 2013July 13, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

The Demon…

I’ve been fighting my own demons for most of my life. The alcohol seems to numb the pain, but it never makes the nightmares go away. All I want in life is a little peace. When I met my angel it felt like I found it, but there is so much standing between us. Why does she have to be so young…?

The Demon’s Angel…

Meeting Drake was the best thing to ever happen to me. I found my friend, my soul mate. But he lets my age stand between us. There is something that haunts him, and I selfishly want to be the one that helps him conquer his ghosts. If he would just let me in, let me closer, I think I could help him…

4.5 / 5 stars

My review of The Rocker That Holds Me HERE
My review of The Rocker That Savors Me HERE

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My Review

Since I had found the first book in The Rocker series by Terri Anne Browning, you could say I have fallen in love. In love with her and with the band. Since The Rocker That Holds Me, I have become obsessed with the stories. Of wanting to know the past of each character, to wanting ALL the books out now so I can gobble up each of the guys and the girls and watch their happy endings after all the shit they have been through.

If you have read my review of book two – The Rocker That Savors Me, you will see that I have such a massive soft spot for Drake. Okay, not a soft spot, I am basically in love with this guy. There is just something about him that drew me in. His dark past, his vulnerability, and the fact I want to mollycoddle him and be the one to help him through his past, through his drinking and just be the one for him. I know, I know, hes fictional, but I don’t care. In my head, he can be as real as I want him to be! Hahah.

You could say that my excitement for this book is an understatement. I was PISSING myself over getting my hands on this book so when Terri-Anne emailed me about an ARC, well who the hell was I to pass up reading The Rocker That Needs Me and my book boyfriend? OF COURSE I wanted an arc. I needed to learn all about Drake and his past and his relationship with Lana.

Myself and Holly (@Hollyshotreads) are completely besotted by this series and by Drake that we waited until each other had finished our respected books and read it together. We have been sooo anxious for the past few weeks and were completely excited to finally read Drake’s story. The texts she was sending me were making me chuckle!!

My darling Drake. My darling, darling drake. His prologue killed me. It killed me. And I cried. Yes, I cried at the start of this book. I knew it was going to be a bumpy and emotional ride, I knew it would be a hard and long journey and I knew we would find out about his awful past and the reason why he drink excessively until he blacks out. I was hoping that this wasn’t going to be his past, but I just cried so much when it turned out just what his past was.

It was heartbreaking and it really made you understand part of the reason he drank. I completely understood though, it just broke my heart that he needed the alcohol to numb him, to make the pain and the past go away. To stop him feeling guilty too.

But then he spots his angel when moving Layla and her sisters back to their guest house. But his angel is 17 years old and hes 31. He feels like hes found his soul mate but shes too young. He wants to stay away but he can’t. It’s like he needs Lana to breathe. To fill his life with some kind of hope, hope that he can get over his demons in time and hope that he can turn his life around and stop the drinking once and for all.

You really do see Drake change over the course of the book. Because of the dual POV, we got inside Drake’s head, which I absolutely loved. You got to see his fears, his insecurities, how he thought of himself and his band brothers and Emmie, and especially how he thought of Lana – his angel.

Of course there are parts where you just want to smack Drake but I loved how he needed and wanted to get help. Help for his drinking and for his past, no matter how hard it was for him to dredge it all back up. I felt like a proud momma for Drake sorting his shit out. He did it for Lana, for Shane, for himself.

Drake really does come a long way. He is a strong character, despite the addiction to alcohol. He is vulnerable too and completely besotted with Lana, which I found so heart clenchingly adorable. You could really see the fear of losing her when something big happens, and that is what kicks him ass into gear to try and win her back, to be a better man for her. He never wants to be without her, ever.

Angel, or Lana, as her real name goes is so mature and grown up for her 17 years. So doesn’t get involved in petty situations in school, she works hard, and focuses on her future and getting through school. She and Drake instantly click. Despite the age gap, there is something there between them that although they try to ignore, it’s blatantly there. They spend all their time together and it’s obvious that feelings are changing between them both for each other even though they are petrified and would rather hide them.

I loved the fear Drake had in losing her (which you will read in The Rocker That Savors Me). It was pure and you see just how much he and Lana balance each other out. But when one situation changes everything, Lana needs to do what is best for her. She is such a strong, caring girl and you really do feel for her. She loves Drake so much, but this something, she just needs to get away. To try and forget what happened. To focus on herself now even though she cares so much for Drake, it’s down to him to make the change.

Being miles away from Drake, I think it made Lana grow up and grow into herself. She just needed that time away to be herself – to focus on school but also focus on what she wants. I was so proud of her for standing up for herself, for not taking crap off Emmie, whom, despite my love for her, seemed to have some sort of vendetta against her. (I’m hoping this works itself out) but as I’ve said, Lana is amazing, shes brilliant and she didn’t deserve the hate towards her because it wasn’t her fault at all. (You’ll see what I mean). But I am glad she got her happy ending and both her and Drake, well I love them together and I’m glad they got over the issues standing in the way.

Drake does get his happily ever after. My heart was clenching in sweetness and an overpowering feeling to cwtched the shit out of him and Lana. My darling Drake finally got there in the end. Got to a point in his life where he was completely and utterly happy, in love so deeply with the one girl who stole his heart from the first sight. His journey wasn’t an easy one in any means. Lots of hurdles and bumps along the way, but they made him stronger. He broke his own barrier down, he stopped drinking, he put his guilt behind him, knowing and learning it wasn’t his fault and he got the girl who he knew he wanted to change for and be a better man for. You really cannot get any better than Drake. No way.

If you have yet to read about my book boyfriends in The Rocker series by the fabulous Terri Anne, then you are completely missing out. Seriously, you are because from the first book I knew this would become a favourite series of mine and it has. You have a band of ‘brothers’ all who have different secrets from their childhood and have grown up together and they have Emmie, the glue to their family. The girl who they all protected when they were younger and still are in a way. You watch the separate band members find their own way in life now; finding the one girl they want to spend their life with, and watching them grow.

The Rocker series isn’t one I’ve read before. The Rocker aren’t party animals, they aren’t the drink and drugs types. They are tame and it’s now time for them all to find the love of their life.

So join me in loving this series so hard and find new book boyfriends in each one of them.

Synopsis

My Review

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