scared – Z. Elizabeth

ARC: Lover Undercover – Samanthe Beck

Posted on April 14, 2013August 16, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

He’s undercover. She’s in over her head. Yoga instructor Kylie Roberts is the good twin. At least she was—until an accident forces Kylie to step into her twin’s sexy stilettos at a posh Hollywood “men’s club.” But nothing could’ve prepared Kylie for the dead body in the club’s parking lot or the ridiculously hot detective who insists the killer is targeting her regulars. Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie’s help to draw out the killer. It means long nights undercover and long dances where Kylie’s body tempts him with sensual promises. Dances that leave them both wanting more. But despite Kylie’s hidden identity and the danger lurking in the shadows, it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this undercover operation under the covers…

4/5 hearts

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My Review

*Thanks to Publishers via NetGalley for approving me of reading Lover Uncover in exchange for an honest review*

Kylie and Stacy Roberts have been joined at the hip since forever, well they are twins. People back in their home town always had expectations that they were never amount to anything especially Stacy who is deemed the ‘bad’ Robert, so why not live up to that reputation. When they were old enough to move away and try to prove them wrong, L.A came calling.

Kylie is the ‘good’ sister and is a yoga instructor, focussing all her time and effort on her job, which means romance and dating has taken a backburner since…well forever. When her sister is involved in an accident, Kylie is forced to step into her twin’s shoes at a posh Hollywood ‘men’s cub.’ Cursing her sister for making her pretend to be her so they can pay their rent, Kylie couldn’t have imagined she’d find a dead body after her first night or that a smoking hot detective insists the killer is targeting her regulars.

Detective Trevor McCade needs Kylie to help him with the investigation to make the killer strike out again…at him. This means long nights undercover at the club and long dances where Kylie’s body seduces him into a frenzy. Her dances are leaving both of them wanting more and it’s only a matter of time before Kylie and Trevor take this whole undercover service under the covers.

After reading Private Practice by Samanthe Beck, when I saw this book was by her and when I read the synopsis, I clicked ‘request’ and was so happy when I received an email to say I was approved to read it. Gosh, I loved every single moment of reading this book. Samanthe keeps you in tenterhooks, with the investigation, wondering who the killer is, to Kylie’s journey and discovering it’s okay to have people help you and to open yourself up to romance and of course, the ‘undercover’ romance between both Trevor and Kylie- hot, hot, HOT!! Swooooosh!

Samanthe Beck’s writing is engaging; it draws you in so you have to keep turning the pages and its all kinds of sexy and informative – with the police investigation and the sexy scenes. With the investigation and how it was handled, it seemed that Ms. Beck has done her research on how victims should be handled and treated, how secret you must be when undercover and how fast you must react when the killer strikes. Although there are obvious some scenes that in no way would be allowed to happen, it all added to the fun of this book. It all interested me until the very end and I had many different men on my list of suspects. I can guarantee you probably won’t guess who it is…I sure as hell didn’t.

When her twin sister Stacy breaks her leg, she cons Kylie into pretending to be her until its healed as Stacy is technically the one earning the money to pay their rent. Kylie isn’t happy at all, not wanting to pretend to be her sister and to be a stripper but if they want to stay in their house, its something she has to do. Kylie is literally the sweetest character you can imagine. She’s taken a backburner on the dating scene because her mother royally screwed up around men and with her bad parenting, whereas her sister went the other way, screwing men then leaving them, not thinking she is good enough for a relationship.

Kylie is loyal, bright, determined and straight-thinking, yet she’s fiercely independent and doesn’t like the thought of a man coming between her and her dreams of opening her own yoga studio. Because of her mother, who was so dependent on men, it’s turned her the other way to not want a man and to not let him stop her in any way. I kind of admired that about her, yet it annoyed me too. Being in a relationship, you can still have you independency whilst leaning on them to help you with your dream. But I think with her up-bringing it just made her cautious and that is why she was the way she was.

Trevor is a detective who has recently been given a case suddenly has a link when a stripper is seemingly connected to the two men who have been beaten to death. The two men who were regulars of this stripper. Both loyal to Stacy. But with Kylie pretending to be Stacy, its Kylie who had to keep up appearances and who is slap bang in the middle of this investigation into finding the killer. Going undercover, Trevor knows that the more time he spends with Stacy (Kylie) the more he is falling for her but first he needs to know what she is hiding.

Trevor is a loyal character, he’s lovable, a hard worker and protective. He also has a big heart, and the way hes attracted and falling for Kylie is just so sweet, even when he finds out the truth. He wants to be there for her, prove that not all men will ruin your dreams, he especially will help her at any costs to achieve hers. His protectiveness for Kylie throughout catching the killer pulled my heartstrings. He would do anything for her, to make sure she is safe. He is such a cutie.

The attraction that Trevor and Stacy (Kylie) have is instant. They both feel the pull, the need to get closer to one another and when Trevor is the detective on scene of the death of a man Kylie found, that first proper meeting he is there every step of the way with Kylie, both undercover and in real life. You can see the chemistry and that Kylie feels nervous around him…well she is lying about who she is…but also shes never felt the way she does for ANYONE and now Trevor has turned her into this gooey mess. But she’s also turned him into this gooey mess, especially when she dances for him in his undercover-ness. The more he has to pay for dances and pretend to become a regular to get the killer after him, the more its becoming harder for the two of them to not jump one another and just have sex right then and there in that private room as the dances were particularly steamy!

That epilogue. Holy shit, it reminded me of another book in some ways, but I’m not going to mention what book as it could potentially spoil the ending, but dear god, let me find a guy to do that please! Or let me be Kylie so I can have Trevor. It was the perfect ending and perfect for both of them to be ended like that in the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There is a lot I haven’t mentioned, but I want you to read it yourself to find out what occurs. I have given you the bare minimum to at least catch your attention in reading Lover Undercover and I truly hope it makes you want to buy it when it comes out!

Pushing aside the investigation and the sexy scenes, Lover Undercover takes Trevor and Kylie on a journey. More Kylie really. It takes her on a journey of growing up, of self-discovery, of love and acceptance and a journey that not all men want you to give up your dreams; you just need to find the right one who will support them. From being a shy women to growing up and blossoming into a confident women, who now knows what she wants.

If you loved Private Practice, you will definitely love Lover Undercover too!

New Adult

ARC: Before You Go – Clare James

Posted on April 3, 2013April 1, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Paralyzed by the past and terrified of the future, Tabitha Kelly is broken.
After a public sex scandal at her college, Tabby moves to a new city with a new school, convinced she can start over. But she soon realizes the changes are not enough. Tabby must take action to help her heal and move on from the past.
And though it sounds crazy, she believes a one-night stand is the best way to take back what’s hers. If she can choose where, when, and most importantly, who … maybe she can regain control.
First, she needs a willing participant.
She finds more than that when she meets Noah Adler.
Unfortunately, she can’t go through with it. And when she tries to forget about the plan—and the guy—it becomes impossible.
Noah quickly weaves his way into her new life and her heart. But as he comes dangerously close to discovering her secret, Tabby’s at risk of losing it all.

4.5/5 stars

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My Review

*Id like to thank Clare James for supplying me with an ARC of Before You Go in return for an honest review*

Tabitha has been through a lot in the past couple of months. From being involved in a sex scandal at her old school, to her friends ditching her, to drowning in a deep depression, it’s a lot to try and overcome so when she goes to live with her dad, she figures she can at least try to get through the next two years.

In doing so, she decides that she just wants one night, one night with a guy in which after, it will help her gain control on her life and she can start over. But not everything is that simple.

Picking up a guy in her local bar, she meets Noah Adler and he’s more than willing to sleep with her. But when they both get to the final stages before having sex, Tabitha can’t go through with it, and she becomes paralyzed and fakes illness.

Tabitha tries to forget about Noah, but it seems impossible when he seems to be everywhere she turns at school. He quickly weaves his way into her life, and her heart and it scares Tabby but she kind of likes it. But shes so scared of him finding out her secret, that she doesn’t tell him. What happens what it all comes out though? Will Noah stand by her or leave her?

When Clare James emailed me and asked if I would like to receive a copy of this book, I read the synopsis and instantly knew I wanted to read it. And I’m so glad I did because I couldn’t put it down. I even took to reading it over my friend’s house last night while they all talked amongst themselves. So yes, I can honestly say I was hooked. I know there are many books about popular girls and sex scandals but really…this book was nothing like any of them. It was completely different and took a different spin on them all, into something that wasn’t just focused on the love aspect, it focused on the issue at hand – the sex scandal and how it affected Tabitha’s life, to how she needed to control her life and get it back on track without anyone finding out about her past.

We meet Tabitha in her local bar and get a glimpse into her past – the night that changed everything about her. Everything that was taken from her. She’s depressed, scared, frightened, emotionally scarred but all she really wants is to move on and take control of her life, thinking the only way to do so is to find a willing guy who will have a one night stand with her. She thinks by doing this, everything will at least, try to be back to normal.

Spotting a hot guy at the bar, Tabitha approaches him, asks him to play bingo with the locals and they engage in drinks and literature all night until they get back to her apartment. But before anything can really go any further, Tabby stops it, a feeling a dread soaring through her, but Noah doesn’t mind, he stays with her, making sure she is alright and playing nurse. Such the cutie, right?

Thinking she would never see him again, shes surprised when he’s in her class and he’s her ‘boss’ at her internship with the school’s newspaper. Noah never wanted her to be a one night stand but not wanting to pursue anything with him, at least that’s what she first says, he slowly worms his way into her life, makes her see that he’s not a bad guy and he really likes her and wants to help her through whatever is hurting her. She never knew that he was the guy she was looking for to help her and love her, loving him in return.

I fell for Noah the instant he appeared in the book. There was something about him that captivated not only me, but of course, Tabby. He was charming, he was sweet, but he also cared about Tabby, becoming persistent in being friends and wanting to pursue more with her. But he knew there was something deep down in Tabby that was still hurting her and I loved that he wanted to help her out, help her to stop being so scared of whatever it was, to help her overcome her need of being in control, both in her life and in the bedroom, in turn gaining her trust and not pushing her to tell him her secret, waiting until she was comfortable in telling him. He was literally the greatest boyfriend/friend that Tabby could have had, and to help her through everything, he was just perfect, even when he was hiding his own secrets.

I have to say; I enjoyed the scenes where Noah was helping Tabby overcome her need to control and her fear of being touched intimately. He knew just want to do to make her feel relaxed and let her, give him some of the control in turn, making her trust him and the ways he used to help her through this insecurity and dread. They were great scenes with Tabby slowly getting used to being touched by Noah and because of that, she let herself go, let Noah touch her, relax her and finally learn that sharing the control meant trusting one another, knowing they won’t push you into something you don’t want. It was great to see her journey throughout the book in gaining back pieces of herself.

I applaud Tabby’s strength. It took a lot of courage to let people in, even though she hadn’t told them about her past. Strength to let a guy in, to trust him and fall in love with him, to having a friend that she can lean on and a family that support her and love her. She pushed everything from her past away, including dancing, in which she loved. She didn’t want anything to do with the old her, but I loved that she just couldn’t stay away from her dancing. It was a big part of her, but also an escape but the more she danced, the more the old her was slowly seeping back. She found that strength to power through and try to overcome her past, and in doing so gained a best friend and a boyfriend who adores her and they both will do anything for Tabby, so when the scandal comes out, Noah does what any guy in love would do, hes there for Tabby. Like he would ever leave her. She has his heart for the taking.

The secondary characters from her Dad and stepmother, Amy to her friend Jules were big parts in Tabby’s story and life. They were constantly there for her, making sure she was okay, pushing her to achieve her potential and helping her overcome her past (even if Jules didn’t know what was wrong, she was there to comfort and assist in gaining that strength back).

Clare James has written a great debut novel, one that I think you should read. I love books that take characters on journeys, to be the best person they can be, and Before You Go is just that. It’s about a emotionally damaged girl who grows day by day in strength with the help of friends and family and who falls in love with the boy who stands by her throughout everything. It’s a perfect read and has the right amount of emotions for everyone. It’s a beautiful read and I definitely think you should add it to you TBR list and read it right now.

Kaite Kavinsky

Middle Ground – Katie Kacvinsky (Book 2)

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

For four weeks Maddie has been living in Los Angeles, trying to be good. But no matter how hard she tries, something inside her won’t be sated. She can’t live a life of half-truths and false pretenses. So one night, she says how she really feels.

That’s all it takes. One night. One bad decision, and Maddie is thrown into a detention center where she’s forced to undergo secretive treatment meant to squash her rebellious streak. The powers that be call it rehabilitation. Maddie calls it torture.

Alone, Maddie will not survive. But if she can find something to hold on to – an image of Justin, their love – maybe she can fight. And if she’s really lucky, maybe she’ll even win.

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My Review

This is book two in the Awaken series. If you have yet to read Awaken I encourage you to do so. The sequel to the book did not disappoint at all!

Middle Ground picks up where Awaken finishes. Maddie is now living in LA with her brother. If you read Awaken, you will know that Maddie is now a part of the rebels and because of something that happened in the first book, right now she should be in a Detention Centre, but her father, who designed and made the DS (Digital school), used his power to make it look like she was. He sent her to live with her brother and to make sure she didn’t get into anymore trouble. But come on, its Maddie!

While living in LA, Maddie, albeit is happy, also misses her boyfriend Justin who is working at intercepting other kids who are on their way to the Detention centres and inviting them to join their cause. The cause is trying to get rid of the DS for good. They believe that people should have the right to go to school, interact face to face without everything being digitalized. But DS keeps kids safe; there is hardly any crimes and everyone who helps run this programme will do whatever it takes to make sure nothing happens to it.

But when Maddie and her friends go to a virtual nightclub, Maddie decides to test the people there and causes trouble in the club. But this incident is her last because before long, the feds are a-knocking and hauling her to the detention centre for rehabilitation into the DS world. Always being rescued by Justin and their friends, this time there is nothing they can do, and no way to get her out.

What goes on behind closed doors is something that no one will ever see or witness apart from the people inside. It is horrific. Maddie figures out that they are brainwashing the ‘patients’ to make them too scared to face the outside world so they will become dependent on the technology once more, and also Maddie is becoming scared too, her only ‘forbidden’ friend in the center is Gabe, who is a member of staff and has never touched a computer in his life. He helps Maddie through everything but it’s down to Maddie to live through the torment she is suffering and find a way out…her only hope of holding on is the love she has for Justin.

I absolutely fell in love with the second instalment. I have to say that Katie’s writing has definitely gotten stronger (I mean no offence at all to this) and I loved how her style kept me captivated and wanting to keep reading right till the very end. The book is descriptive and it definitely gave me vision of what the detention centre was like and how much horror was behind those walls, hidden away from the outside world. The characters are developed so much that you begin to feel every little emotion they felt, especially Justin and Maddie. It was hard not to fall ever deeper in love with these two. Maddie is utterly besotted with Justin, her love for him is overwhelming, and it’s something that got her through her time in the center.

You could easily see that Justin was in love with Maddie too, and it aggravated me that he didn’t say it back to her, because it was completely obvious. But he would do anything to be with her and get her out of the center and back with him, where she belongs. When they are reunited each time they see each other, I just kept wishing she would run away and go with him, but Maddie was a tough thing and stay at the center, helping her friends to understand and discover exactly what was happening to the kids, along with the help of new recruit, Gabe, who fitted nicely into their little group.

The ending completely set it up for the next book. Albeit, it wasn’t a cliff-hanger but it does leave you wondering what Maddie is going to do. Cannot wait to the last book in this installment!

Again, much the same of my review about Awaken, it truly makes you think about a world where technology completely enters the world, where hardly any face-to-face interactions happen outside the house and you do everything on a computer. Yes, it may be ‘safer’ and crime free but you will always get people wondering about life outside a computer, much like the kids who are in the detention centers and of course, the rebels. Would you like to be confined to a computer world for the rest of your life without really any human contact? I know what my answer would be. A definite HELL NO.

Jade C. Jamison, Music, New Adult

Everything But (Tangled Web #2) – Jade C. Jamison

Posted on December 3, 2012December 3, 2012 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

High school English teacher Erin Lancaster is stuck with the unwelcome job of filling in for the injured cheerleading coach, but she wants to back out when she discovers she has to be auctioned as a date during the annual spring fundraiser. She’s horrified to find her rock star crush Riley Schultz, former frontman of Spawn, will be playing emcee for the event, but she’s even more shocked that he also happens to be the highest bidder for her affections, and sparks fly when she discovers that maybe their attraction is mutual.

Riley’s been in the music business long enough to know that true love is not in the cards for him, but the cute blonde he’s dropped a wad of cash on would be a welcome distraction during his vacation. He has no idea there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Will one week together be enough for them to quell the flames, to enjoy everything but?

Warning: Not for the faint of heart! This book contains explicit sex and naughty language. Proceed with caution…if you dare.

Everything But is the second novel in Jade C. Jamison’s Tangled Web series. It features a little fun with handcuffs, an everything but sex scene that’ll make you giggle and blush, and a lot of heat!

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My Review

“You know Mr Schultz, I was prepared to give you everything…everything but…”
“Love?”
“Yeah…but I think you even got that out of me.”
“Only fair, Ms. Lancaster, since you managed to get that out of me too.”

Erin is an English teacher – in no way is she a cheerleading coach – but that is exactly what she is for a couple of months since the Coach has busted up her leg and is now in a cast from thigh to toe. Reluctantly agreeing to sub the team, their annual spring fundraiser is coming up and Erin, as the sub coach, is dragged into be auctioned off for a date too, much to her dismay.

It’s one thing to be auctioned off but it’s another when Rockstar God Riley Schultz is presenting the auction, especially when Erin has a crush on him and as he’s the highest bid for Erin, earning himself a date with her.

Rockstar Riley has come back into town for a week or so, while his new album is being mixed. His mother – who is on the school committee – has volunteered Riley to be a part of the auction, and although he’d rather sit on his mothers couch watching DVD’s, when he spots Erin, he can’t take his eyes of her and so that’s why he’s the one to win a date with her…at $500!

I absolutely loved the sexual tension in the car on the way home from the date. Especially when Nine Inch Nails’ Closer came on the radio. Bloody love that song and oh my god, it was the perfect song for how Erin was feeling – all hot and bother, and I would have totally felt the same way too!

This story, in my opinion, is about two tormented souls who have been scorned by ex-lovers in the past. Spending the short time together, they both begin to feel something for the other, completely new and scary territory for the both of them as they don’t want it to end up like their previous relationships. They tackle some major issues during the days they spend together – Riley’s family included – and get to know one another, which makes them fall that little bit more for each other.

Since reading Tangled Web, I was so excited to read Riley’s story and this book was everything and more. Riley has been dragged through so much in his past, from drug taking, groupie sex, alcoholism and generally being a bad boy, but when he meets Erin, who is slightly conservative shall we say, and vows to be celibate after two crappy relationships, everything turns upside down for him and it was a nice change to see some feeling flair from Riley.

Although there is a part where he acts like a jackass, I could see the conflicting ways of his actions. He really liked Erin but didn’t know what she was after from him and so acting so out of character (to her) would make it easier for him to walk away. Hm big mistake there for him but whatever the outcome – from both their actions – they just can’t seem to stay away.

I now come onto the sex. Holy Jesus moley! Every sex scene had me wishing I was Erin, and I’d like to say – Riley can definitely handcuff me any day…I just need to find him first! I could feel the chemistry sizzling between them both and I loved the build-ups to each sex scene. There was so much passion I didn’t know what to do when I was reading it. I was getting flustered!

It has now totally turned out to be one of my favourite books. I was completely captivated by the storyline, especially how they were both afraid of love. Riley and Erin, albeit, seemed to go through so many rough patches during the week, finally came together at the end – pushing past everything that had happened throughout the week, to finally finding that they can’t be without each other, no matter what is put in their path to stop them.