BLOG TOUR: All Lined Up – Cora Carmock

Posted on May 21, 2014May 20, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

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Synopsis

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack follows up her trio of hits—Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It—with this thrilling first novel in an explosive series bursting with the Texas flavor, edge, and steamy romance of Friday Night Lights.

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That’s what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn’t always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It’s obliterated.

Dallas doesn’t know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn’t know that Dallas is his new coach’s daughter.

And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

5 out of 5 stars

36244-addtogoodreads

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My Review

“In Texas, two things are cherished above all else – football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.”

Can I just start by saying – HOLY CRAP! This has got to be my favourite Cora book! (I love the Losing It series but this is something else!) I cant even begin to tell you how much I need this book in paperback RIGHT NOW! There is just something about All Lined Up that had me hooked from the very first page to the last and even after this book was all I could think about. Dallas and Carson were and still are embedded into my mind and I seriously need more of these two. I need them in book two and I need to know where they are and how they are and Cora, can we just please have another book or novella about these two? Pretty please with a hot guy on top?

I love football (Sorry, I mean the English Football) but Cora has written the football scenes perfectly for us lot whom have no idea about American Football – like me. She actually made me wish I had grown up in America, going to all these football matches and pep rallies because we do NOTHING like that over here, which is pretty sad and I am going off topic right now. But yes, if you are like me and you earn for that American college lifestyle, Cora makes you feel like you are a part of it, and I could see everything in my mind when she was describing so I pretty much felt like I was there. And of course, with Cora being a Football coaches daughter, she, of course, was going to put her all into this book, let us know her perceptive of growing up as the coaches daughter through Dallas and the hardship of kind of being second best to football.

All Lined Up is captivating, I hung onto every page. Cora has written a fantastic and sexy and steamy college romance novel, with little bits of drama embedded in-between and of course, gossip and football along the way. You will be fanning yourself, swooning, shouting at the characters but most of all, you will fall in love them and the story and hate it when you get to the last sentence because you never want the book to end.

Dallas has always felt she was second best to her dad. Football, then her. It also doesnt help that she is the Coaches daughter and that leads to players using her to get closer to her father but she’s had enough. Her ex was an asshole so she tells herself she is never going to date a footballer player again.

But one crazy night and she meets Carson – a football player who has just transferred to Rusk University. He has no idea that she is the Coaches daughter, but he doesnt care. From the moment they meet, something changes for both of them but Dallas cant be more than friends with Carson and Carson needs to focus on his football if he ever wants to be in the starting line-up.

No matter how much they try to deny the attraction, neither can walk away. But what happens when they both find out who the other is?

I really enjoyed knowing Dallas. She is a dancer, she tries to stay in the shadows and she is the Coaches’ daughter. Plus she loathes football and knows she is second best to it. But she just gets on with it and pretends she doesnt care, but you know deep down she does.
The first meeting with Carlton changes her. In a good and bad way because hes a football player and she doesnt date them anymore but he kind of pulls her from her shell – she feels at ease with him, like everything will be okay. But when she finds out he’s a football player, she just cant go there again. Thus beginning the back and forth between her feelings for him. You really wanted her to say ‘fuck it’ and go with him but I understood her reasoning, guys use her to get close to her dad or get on the team and she doesnt want that again. Not after her dickhead ex-boyfriend but something switches and she cant stay away from Carlton, no matter how hard she wants to. She just keeps going to him, like a magnet.

I understood her need to stay under the radar, to try and not let people know she is the Coaches’ daughter and to pave her own future without her father stopping her. Being under his eye, knowing everything you do – to some extent – would really annoy and infuriated me. Especially to be scared to let loose because you know someone on the team will tell him about your fiascos. But I loved how she become stronger, she laid everything out, she bared her soul and it was really therapeutic for me to watch her do that. For her to say ‘this is what I want and I am going to do it’. I was really proud of her.

I adore Carlton so much. He is pretty dang sweet and funny and you know after that first meeting Dallas has entered and stayed in his mind. But he cant let a girl into his life, he has to concentrate on making the starting team because he wants to be something, wants to help his family. I admired his hard work, his need to be something and he put his everything into his football training and his school work proving that he really wants this. To give something back to his family after everything they face up for him. The only thing I wish we knew more of was Carlton’s family, but other than that I was content in knowing him.

You could see how affected his was around Dallas, how his head was in turmoil over her. He wanted her but he couldn’t too, he had to focus. So being friends was what it was all about. But you knew that the attraction was too much. My heart pain for both Dallas and Carlton over certain scenes and you knew they were both hurting, both stubborn in that they wouldn’t text or call one another but yano, when they get over the shitstorm, the love comes after and Carlton was definitely swoon-worthy. You knew he loved Dallas a hell of a lot and the ending for them was just beautiful. I cant wait to see how these two progress because when you have characters like these two, you know they are in it for the long haul!

I loved the chemistry between Dallas and Carlton, even right from the beginning you see it, feel it and you vow for them to get together; they are absolutely amazing together and every time they were pulled inside their heads, every time they were just friends you wanted to shake them and tell them that they had too much chemistry, too much attraction to stay away, that they had to be together, they needed to be together because they were perfect. I knew they were both scared, they both had things going on but in the end they just gyrated towards one another, let each other in and I just sighed so hard when they finally got their acts together. There are ‘steamy’ scenes, but it just makes their connection all the more real and everything they went though was worth fighting for.

If there is one book you pick up today, let it be All Lined Up. You won’t regret falling in love with Dallas and Carlton!

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Cora Carmack Bio:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She’s done a multitude of things in her life– boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

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Buy Links:

Amazon || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble

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Links:

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads ** Novel Goodreads

Rachel Van Dyken

Toxic (#2) – Rachel Van Dyken

Posted on April 20, 2014April 20, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Everyone has a secret…

Gabe Hyde is on borrowed time. He’s been hiding his identity for over four years-hidden from the world that used to adore him–obsess over him–driven to the edge of insanity by one poor choice.
But that one choice, altered the course of his life forever.
Pretending isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when pretending means hiding your real self from the people that care about you the most. But if anyone ever discovered the truth it wouldn’t just be his life at risk–but hers.

Saylor doesn’t hate men.
Just Gabe.
Only Gabe.
He’s a reckless, happy-go-lucky, silver spoon fed pain in her ass. Everything about him makes her more and more confused. Unfortunately they both donate time at the same Group Home. If she wasn’t afraid of flunking, she’d be long gone. She hates that she’s attracted to him almost as much as he hates that he’s attracted to her–and she can tell, especially since their first encounter ended up making her knees so weak she couldn’t form coherent sentences for weeks afterwards. But the closer she gets to him, the more confused she becomes. He isn’t who he says he is, and he’s hiding something big.

What happen when two worlds collide? Two worlds that never should have met in the first place? Some secrets are too big to be hidden forever–the only question? Will his destroy everyone he loves? Or finally bring about the redemption he’s been craving for the past four years?

Everyone has a secret…What’s yours?

My review of RUIN

5 out of 5 stars

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My Review

When I read RUIN, I knew that Gabe would steal my heart, so TOXIC was not going to be left for months on time, hell no. It was going to be read the second I finished RUIN. I definitely gobbled this book down and it caused me numerous tears, heartache, different theories (one which I actually got right!) but I also got my laughs, my smiles, the banter and the amazing friendship from Kiersten, Weston, Gabe and Lisa too. God I love these characters.

Toxic is much more deeper (if it can be because Ruin ruined me) than Ruin. From the synopsis, we know that Gabe is hiding his identity, so in a way we know that probably isn’t his name. So what is? What is he hiding? Throughout the book, until it is revealed, you are sat trying to work out who Gabe is, what his secret is, why he is hiding. I unlocked one name, one secret and when that was revealed, it still came as a surprise because I hardly ever guess right.

Gabe, as we know, is the happy guy. The guy who sleeps around because he doesn’t drink anymore. The guy who can banter like hell, can be a sarcastic idiot but the guy who is protective of his friends, who will do anything to make sure they are okay, and would die for them – much like he told Wes in Ruin, but underneath he is broken, and depressed and feeling guilty for his past.

It’s hard not fall for Gabe (maybe more than Wes) because you feel for him, you go through the motions with him and dear god, his life is just one torment after the other. You have Gabe with the secret, Gabe with different identities, Gabe with his friends and Gabe with Saylor. But who is he truly?

You watch conflictions, you watch love and hurt and pain and it all rolls into one massive fuckball when the identity comes to life. You get frustrated with him but in the back of you mind you know why he is doing it and you understand it so much throughout the book. But despite the lies and secrets, Gabe is completely loyal to his friends and your heart will break for him but then be put back together in the form of Saylor and the gang.

Enter Saylor. She comes flying, literally, into Gabe’s life when his past is lying on his shoulders, when his past is moments away from unravelling. They don’t get off to the best of starts, but they seem to be integrating into each others lives more and its hard to keep their feelings from each other. I definitely thought Saylor was going to be weak, that she wouldn’t stand up to Gabe and his mean words in the beginning but I was wrong. She did and I love that about a heroine who doesnt shy away from biting back.

The more time Gabe and Saylor spend together, the more feelings are transpiring. They connect firstly through music and that is the one constant between them. The one constant that could express what they were both feeling, especially Gabe with his guilt and sorrow. Saylor was strong, she was there for Gabe when shit went down and she was completely selfless – which I admired from her. Not many people could do what she did, not many people would stay but she did and she helped him with everything, with the pain and the guilt, especially through the goodbyes.

She taught him to love again, to be okay with being your true self after so many years and to accept yourself for who you are. She really is inspirational.

Toxic is raw, its tear worthy, its heartbreaking but it also comes with pages full of love. Love for Gabe, love for Saylor, love for the gang and the little secret hiding. Rachel draws you completely in with her writing, you feel everything, you connect on a personal level and you just have to keep turning pages; turning pages to find out more about Gabe, about his secrets. Such a beautiful and emotional book and you all should get reading this series ASAP.

Delve into the lives of such amazing characters and get your heart broken and then fixed up once again. Rachel, I cannot wait to meet you at the Edinburgh signing. Be aware of The Book Lovers 😉

M. Leighton

All The Pretty Lies – M. Leighton

Posted on January 14, 2014January 4, 2014 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

“Live, no regrets”

Her…
Sloane Locke has led a sheltered life. However, with a history like hers, she can understand why her brothers and her father want so much to protect her. She has gone along with it for twenty long years, but those days are over. For the girl who never makes promises, Sloane has made a pact with herself that things will change on her twenty-first birthday. So when the clock strikes midnight, Sloane strikes out to spread her wings and break a few rules.

Him…
In addition to inking skin, Hemi Spencer possesses many talents. Controlling himself has never been one of them. It’s never had to be. He’s lived a life of indulgence for as long as he can remember. Right up until tragedy struck. Now, he’s nothing but controlled. He’s a man on a mission, one who will let nothing and no one stand in his way.

Them…
Nothing in their lives could’ve prepared Sloane and Hemi for what they’d find in each other—distraction and obsession, love and possession. But the one thing they can’t find is a future. Neither one has been totally honest. And they’ll soon learn that the devil is in the details. In the details and in the lies.
How far will two people go to live in the now when the now is all they’ve got?

5 out of 5 stars

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My Review

Give me an M.Leighton book and you know I will gobble that shit up. Anything she writes, I know I will automatically become obsessed with and love and All The Pretty Lies was no exception. M.Leighton can hook you within the first page and from then on you are reading until you have reached the end, absorbed with the story, the characters, just everything keeps me involved and I feel every emotion that the characters do, which is definitely what you need when reading a book. It makes you feel connected to them and I definitely did with Hemi and Sloane (and Sarah – she’s wicked naughty).

All The Pretty Lies is about living life with no regrets. Living it to the fullest and being free, letting go. And both Sloane and Hemi definitely begin to live with this motto.

Sloane has been protected and mollycoddled by her father and three brothers ever since her mother died when she was a young women. They have protected her and bubble wrapped her and shes had enough. At 21, its time for her to break free, to do what she wants to do, to live but its hard enough trying to make the four men in your life understand that need when they want you safe and sound and still treat you like a little girl. Sloane hasn’t had the life experience of going to parties, going on dates, having a boyfriend, like the rest of us have but now is the time to experience all she has missed and that is just beginning with getting a tattoo…which ultimately changes her life.

I adored Sloane. Despite being innocent and naive, not at all her fault, she really wants to live life to the fullest now shes of legal age. Although it doesnt help that the men in her family are all police officers. She wants to show them that she doesnt need protecting anymore, that shes old enough to be herself, to do what ever she wants. You feel everything she is going though – albeit, we probably went through this a lot younger, but from fancying a guy, to falling in love to being playful and feeling hurt, those feelings don’t go away and are always foremost in your mind.

I liked seeing Sloane gain confidence in herself, in her feelings and in what she wanted. To see her from a protected young women and going through the motions of liking a guy, trying to get his attention then feeling a step back when she feels he doesnt like her only to gain that confidence when he actually does makes you feel like a proud friend to see her putting herself out there. I loved her tattoo and I think it represented her perfectly. She really did live by that tattoo and you can see that it means a hell of a lot to her. We watch her grow up, go through a lot and come out in the end happy and in love and completely at bliss with Hemi….but that doesnt mean its all smooth sailing with these two and at certain points I prayed they could get through it, get through their situation and thank god they did. I don’t know what I would do it Sloane and Hemi didn’t end up together!!

I definitely have a little crush on Hemi…..okay okay a hella big crush. You can see the turmoil he is going through, how he wants Sloane but he doesnt too. How he needs to stay away but he cant. You actually can understand in a way, why he cant go there, but when he breaks, its pure joy! Its beautiful to see him ‘lose control’ as such, to want Sloane, an innocent young women, someone he wouldn’t go for because he goes for the ones who expect nothing and leave when he’s in the shower in the morning, but there is just something about Sloane that he craves, that he wants and it was lovely to see him break this barrier down.

My heart broke when the news came out about what he was searching for, but you know that his feelings are pure, that he cares a hell of a lot for Sloane, and he has never felt these feelings for anyone before. You want to forgive him and you actually beg for Sloane to forgive him, to give him another chance, to listen to him. The pain, the hurt, the guilt overtook him but you could see that above all that, his heart was taken, his heart belonged to her and he didn’t want that heart to belong to anyone but her. My heart tore when shit went down, when he wouldn’t leave her side and you could feel the terror that was radiating off him, the fear of losing the one person he loves the most and you were right there along with him.

Despite everything, Hemi is a beautiful being. He’s an owner of a tattoo shop, he’s been through pain of losing a family member, wanting to find the person who killed his brother but in the end, the grief and guilt was too much to take and he had to let it go, he had to learn to life again – “Live, no regrets” and that is what he did with Sloane and it was such a delight to see both of these characters join together, learn to live life together and that ending just had me in tears over who perfect these two are together.

M. Leighton sure knows how to captivate you into her writing, into her stories and the characters. You feel their emotions, you turn every page, wondering just where the time has gone because all you’re been focused on is Sloane and Hemi’s story, needing to find out their secrets, what will happen when they are revealed and how their ending is going – will they stay together or not?

But the ending is the perfect conclusion to their journey. It sums up everything perfectly and I was crying with happiness over the event that took place at the ending. OH how I was so happy and smiling with glee over Hemi. I cant wait to see if they make an appearance in book two, which will be about Reese, Hemi’s brother. PLEASE say they will, I’d love to keep up with their developments 😉

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

One Tiny Lie (#2) – K.A Tucker

Posted on July 16, 2013July 14, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

5 /5 stars

My review of Ten Tiny Breaths HERE

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My Review

Because you’re not a one-night girl, Irish.” Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, “You’re my forever girl.

*Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy in return for an honest review*

I bloody well loved Ten Tiny Breaths, as you can see from my review, so when I found out Livie was getting a book that was the GREATEST news ever. I literally could not wait for it because I wanted to see how Livie’s life would pan out and if she too, would find love and her obstacles in her life.

I was not disappointed in this book at all. When I picked it up, it was demolished in a matter of hours (not counting how I had to put it down to work) but I was just drawn into Livie’s life, wondering how it was going to end up, wondering about Ashton’s too. You really do feel for Livie and Ashton and that is why I love K.A Tucker’s style. You get sucked in, you have all these feels and you feel the same as the characters you are reading about. It’s hard not to.

Ten Tiny Lies is about Livie and her going off to college. Kelsey’s worried that Livie is going to crack and so she recruits Dr. Stayner to help Livie out, in his obscure ways. Although Livie doesn’t want his help, she humours him and in the end, she talks to him every Saturday, doing everything he tells her to. In turn, when she goes to college, she lets her hair down. She drinks, she makes friends and of course, she falls in love. And as I’ve said, not without complications.

Everything in her life is tipped upside down, she has no idea what to do because it’s the only thing she’s ever known. Just what is Livie going to it?

We first meet Livie in Ten Tiny Breaths. She really is the glue to her and Kelsey, especially after everything Kelsey did and went through. She is strong willed, she’s smart, she’s shy and she has her future all mapped out, she has since she was a little girl. But despite all this, she has yet to ‘crack’ under the pressure of everything and she is too grown up for her own good. Kelsey wants her to crack, to act like the teenager she is and to not just focus on looking after everyone, she needs to let loose a little, live a lot and find herself. Enter Princeton, new friends, a lot of alcohol and a whole lot of complications. What is Livie meant to do? Everything seems to be falling apart right under her.

You really do see Livie grow throughout One Tiny Lie. She is definitely a straight and narrow girl, hating to go off track and not knowing what is going to happen, but Princeton is slowly changing her and its scary. She wants to change but at the same time she doesn’t. It’s all shes wanted and known since she was a little girl. What is she to do if she can’t be a doctor?

I loved her journey though. She finds out who she really is, lets loose and lives a lot, makes new friends, gets drunk and gains a new crush in the form of Ashton. But Ashton is just a little bit broken. Livie has always felt empathy towards people, feels that she can help them in some way and she really did want to help Ashton out, no matter how many times he seemed to push her away. Her determination to ‘free’ him is what I loved about her and she really does find who she is at the end.

Her journey takes her from a straight A’d student to a woman. We watch come out of her shy shell and transform. We see her develop strong feelings for Ashton, watch her deliberate over what the hell to do and literally change her life. Her lifestyle changes, her career prospects change and admitting that out loud is so scary she doesn’t want to, but she has to. She takes babysteps with the help of the amazing Dr. Stayner (What a babe) and he helps her every step of the way with his crazy ideas. But he always makes her see that whatever she does, her dad will always be proud of her.

Dr. Stayner makes Livie understand that you don’t need to plan every single detail of your life, that you should just let things fall into place. Life carries on regardless of if you plan it or not. He really was the father figure that I think Livie needed at that crucial time in her life.

From the get go I was infatuated with Asthton. There was just something about him that I was drawn to – from the way he overpowered Livie to stealing her Jell-o shot and kissing her. HOT HOT HOT! The cocky little bastard that he was. This is the start of a very complicated and back and forth ‘relationship’ between the both of them. They had the chemistry from the first moment but despite Ashton’s cockiness and smugness and flirtiness, he’s pretty damn broken up inside. He’s not ‘free’, and everything he does is a front he puts on in front of his friends and everyone in college.

He hides his private life away, not sharing anything with anyone yet he’s strong, and loveable and you cant help but want to smother him with love and help him through everything. To be the one to free him from his shackles.

He has everything you would want. A great car, goes to a great school, money but there is just someone that he wants but he just cant have her – Livie. No matter how many times he pushes her away, he cant let her go – he’s torn between telling her that she should be with Connor and wanting her to himself. But he’s hiding a massive secret from her, a secret no one, not even his best friend Connor, knows about. See what I told you about the fact that no one really knows anything about Ashton.

But bit by bit he kind of needs Livie to be his reason to be free, to breathe again, and hes there for her as much as she is for him, despite her not fully understanding everything. When you find out the reason why they cant be together, your heart will ache for Ashton. I cried and it pained me that he went through all of this and is still continuing to.

When everything does come out, my heart bled for Livie and Ashton. It was time for Livie to put herself first and take a time out, focus on exactly what she wanted in her life, and if she wanted Ashton in it or not. Her decision was not taken lightly but you could see why she chose what she did in the end. It was courageous of her and of course, she loved Ashton and she really needed to know the truth from him now. Before she fully ‘took’ him back.

They were both exactly what the other needed.

I’m going to mention Connor, as he’s in the synopsis but I really didn’t click with him. He was definitely a safe option for Livie and although he did seem to really like Livie, he just wasn’t really there for her throughout her confusion over her career, her failing grades and I just couldn’t understand why a boyfriend wouldn’t be there for his girlfriend. Thank god she had Ashton around to comfort her and be there for her. She made the right decision.

I was so glad to see Kelsey and Trent and everyone else from TTB cameo in One Tiny Lie. I had missed them so much and although we obviously see Kelsey more – still LOVE this girl and I still love the comments she comes out with, we get to see her and Trent all lovey dovey, which is exactly how we love them!! They deserve so much happiness after everything they have been through. Livie leaves Kelsey in the dark about everything until Livie cracks and returns home after that one revelation one night and tells Kelsey everything. It was so nice to see the two of them bonding and just being the amazing sisters we know them as.

In my opinion this is really what One Tiny Lie is about. Breathing again, freedom, finding who you truly are and being okay with that, with the changes in your life and falling in love and being loved back. Livie and Ashton complete each other. They show each other how to love and how to live and how to free themselves from everything holding them back. They both stole a piece of my heart and I really do hope that they get to be a part of book three – Cain’s book – because I would love to know what happens beyond the end for the two of them.

Please, if you have yet to read Ten Tiny Breaths and One Tiny Lie, grab your copies. These books truly deserve to be read and Ten Tiny Breaths was on my top 10 favourite books of 2012 and would I ever lie to you about great books? No!

Colleen Hoover, New Adult

Losing Hope (#2) – Colleen Hoover

Posted on July 13, 2013July 6, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

5 /5 Stars

My review of HOPELESS

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My Review

If you’ve read my Hopeless review, you will know how much I adored that book. Like seriously? It’s on my favourites list and Holder is definitely a book boyfriend. When Colleen said she was writing a book in Holders POV and his story, well that book was going on my TBR list asap. Hopeless is pure amazing and I knew Losing Hope would be too.

I was not disappointed at all. Thank to NetGalley, I downloaded my copy and in two days, Losing Hope was read. It was devoured. I was sucked in and entranced by every word, every page and every feeling and thought Holder was telling us.

The fact that Losing Hope is NOT a retell of Hopeless…well I just love it. Yes there are certain scenes that are told in Holder’s POV but this is HIS story. His story from losing his sister, to finding Sky to finding Hope along the way. HIS story of how he began to live, how he fell in love, how he learnt to forgive and breathe again.

I had seen tweets that Losing Hope was more emotional than Hopeless and they were not wrong. A few pages in and I had to hold back the tears as I was in public. I ugly cried throughout the book, I felt every single emotion from Holder; I wanted to climb into my kindle and hug the shit out of him. I wanted to be there for him, be Sky and let him fall in love with me. Help him through everything he was going through.

If you have yet to fall in love with Holder in Hopeless, by god, you will completely and madly and totally in love with him in Losing Hope. He literally has my heart now. (I say this a lot. But it’s fine. It’s not cheating if they are from different books.) Daniel, Holder’s best friend also has a piece of my heart. He is utterly brilliant!

Colleen has written an AMAZING book in Losing Hope. She has you sucked in from the first page, she has you laughing, crying – ugly crying that is -, wanting to know everything about Holder. You feel. You feel everything in the book. There is no getting out of it and you won’t want to either because you will cherish all these feels.

We knew Holder was intense in Hopeless, but hes really intense in Losing Hope. But you can kind of understand why. I loved that you could see the story through Holder’s eyes. Experience his story and his feelings when that certain event happened. If you thought you knew Holder in Hopeless, you are mistaken. You won’t truly know him until you read Losing Hope.

Holder will completely surprise you. He did with me and there are certain scenes where I felt for him. My heart ached for him and although I understood why he did it, I wanted him to forgive himself, let himself love and this is why he and Sky were so perfect together. They were right together because they balanced each other out. They knew what they other needed without exchanging words. They knew each other well enough to know what the other was feelings.

“I live you Sky…I live you so much”

Just the littlest things they did meant so much to one another and I love this kind of love. It’s the purest form and they both definitely love one another so much that they can’t live without each other.

Holder is angry, hes confused, hes scared and he can’t forgive himself for losing both his girls but you watch him slowly fall in love, slowly learn to forgive himself and his sister, learn that he can breathe again and that Sky is the end game for him. She’s everything to him and he can’t and will never lose her again. It would kill him.

We see him relationship with his sister, Les, with his mum and of course Sky. We see different sides to him, sides you will fall in love with, sides you will want to smack his head but you will understand why, why he acted that way, why he did that certain thing. And in the end you will sob your heart out, be madly in love with Holder and love the journey he has been through in the last 13 months, see how far hes come, especially with Sky.

NOW to Daniel, Holder’s best friend. I cannot tell you how hilarious this dude is. The first time he is mentioned, I wanted to kiss him because the things he says are just so freaking funny. He is an awesome best friend to Holder, protecting him and sticking up for him, even wanting to get into fights for him. You know he will always have your back. The banter between him and Holder had me in stitches and you can really see the bromance between the two. It was lush to see that Holder had someone who cared for him and would do anything for him.

The ending was perfect. You see the closure that Sky and of course Holder needed. The closure to breathe again, to learn to love and forgive and let go of the grief that was held up inside of him. You see he and Sky come along way, a life where they are both in love with each other, a life where they are the end game and are happy together – happy to have finally found each other again.

Although it would be totally lush to have a book beyond Hopeless and losing Hope, I love the fact that it ended like that. Where Holder learnt to forgive and he and Sky are off to start the rest of their lives together. The way it should be.

If you have get to read Hopeless, please do get it. It is easily one of my favourites and I cannot recommend it enough. You will love Sky and Holder. Then go and buy Losing Hope and fall even more in love with Holder and his story this time. There are a lot of surprises and twists in losing Hope that aren’t in Hopeless and you will feel every emotion, and cry your eyes out. Remember what I said….if a book makes you cry, it’s a bloody, damn great one!

L.M Augustine, Promotional Events, YA

Click To Subscribe – L.M Augustine (+ GIVEAWAY)

Posted on July 10, 2013July 7, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

1,135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them.

As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I ❤ Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she’d have on.

To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

4/5 stars

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My Review

So it’s L.M Augustine week on The Book Lovers and today is review daaaaaaay!

I had heard of Click To Subscribe through the twitter grapevine and when L.M followed me, I checked out his blog and HELLO CHAPTER ONE. From then on, I was so excited to get this book on my kindle that when it was released and L.M Dm’d me about it, it was an instant download.

I actually read Click a few weeks ago but I have been so rubbish at my reviews that it’s taken me this long to write it, but alas, I write everything down so it’s been easy to type and remember everything that I loved from the book!!

From the synopsis, I knew it would be a great read. I love anything to do with technology in books, so when I saw ‘Vlog’ I knew this was a book that needed to be read by me. Nowadays I hardly read YA, but L.M’s synopsis drew me in and how glad am I that I actually read Click to Subscribe?! It’s such a great read, it’s a refreshing storyline and one that I bloody well-loved reading about.

Best friends to lovers? YES PLEASE!! They are one of my favourite storylines yet there is so much included within the storyline that you wonder if they ever will get together. If they really should be together (they should, I was definitely rooting for them) and if they would eventually get together, and that West would realize they are perfect for each other.

L.M Augustine has included everything in Click. There is hilarious banter between Cat/Harper and West, loveable moments, awkward moments, moments where your heart is aching, where you will cry, where you will laugh and moments where you will be smiling so big that you will feel giddy about what you are reading.

The past 6 months havent been the greatest for West. He’s lost his mother, his father is a douchebag and the only friend he has that he can count on is Cat. He vlogs as a way to feel closer to his mother and one day, someone named Harper comments on his video and from then on they form this close bond.

West is such a freaking great character. He’s witty, can give awesome banter back. He’s adorable and he’s dealing with the pain of losing his mother. He’s also in love with a girl he’s never met. How is that for confusion for him?! He’s hurting, and he;s trying to deal with it the best way he can…by vlogging for his mother. Thinking it’s her he’s speaking to. He would actually be completely lost without Cat, his best friend.

We see bantersaurous-rexing between him and Cat and he and Harper and you will fall in love that extra bit with West because of it. But there will be times when you just want to hit him around the head, especially after Cat declares her feelings. He just stares at her, leaving the atmosphere awkward and in turn, you feel awkward because its such a predicament to be in.

Despite his reservations in wanting to know Cat’s feelings for him, we see him think things through. Although it takes a while, we see him confused and scared and angry and upset that he doesn’t have anyone to talk to about Cats feelings and his feelings that are slowly moving to the surface. You wish you were the one to help him through it all. But he gets there in the end. You see him figure out that he loves Cat and he starts to see her differently. although he’s scared, we know that he and Cat are awesome together and nothing will stop the love they have for one another.

I really, really loved Cat. Seriously. I think it was due to the fact that I saw myself in her. How she plucked up the courage to tell West she was in love with him, to never give up on him no matter how hard it became. This was me a few years ago with my best friend. She was the ultimate bad ass but caring best friend and I LOVED her character. I love the fact that although she was knocked back by West, she never, ever gave up on her feelings for him. I completely admired this about her. Normally YA girls aren’t the strongest (unless I’m reading the wrong books), but Cat blew me away. I wanted to be her friend, tell her to keep expressing her feelings for West because deep down, he had to have feelings for her!!! She acted like Harper and if he loved Harper, then he loved Cat too.

She is a brilliant character and even at 16, she knew exactly what her feelings were, that she wanted to be with West and despite the hurt she was put through, her feelings never wavered and she never gave up proving that she is the right girl for West. I applaud her confidence!

You can see the chemistry between Cat and West. Being best friends since they were younger, you kind of have to have chemistry and as they have grown up, you can see it more clearly. At least i could. Despite the fact they are BBF’s, they really do love one another. They are there for each other, especially Cat during the months after West’s mother had died, which was only a few months back. She supports him, she comforts him and you can really see how much she cares for him. There is no wonder that she is in love with him.

West is just too blind to see what is in front of him and at times to just want to smack him around the head and be like “YOU LOVE HARPER WHO IS CAT SO YOU LOVE CAT!” but i could see why he was reserved about it. It obviously had to take time for him to see Cat as more than a friend. In his own time too. To get his head around the fact that Harper doesn’t exist and it is in fact Cat after all the months.

The scene I loved was the ice cream scene. These two are utterly obsessed with ice cream and just reading their banter and their race to who finishes the ice cream first had me in fits of giggles. I am so going to do this with my friends (They probably wouldn’t be up for it but i;ll force them.) You can see how much fun these two have together and it was refreshing to watch West just have a time out from grieving and be the 16 year old boy that he is.

If you have yet to pick up your copy of Click To Subscribe, please do. You wont be disappointed and for a debut novel, L.M Augustine has written a fantastic book. Like technology in books? Like best friends to lovers? like banter and awkward teenage moments? THEN this is the book for you 😀

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About L.M Augustine

L.M. Augustine is a YA romance author who is obsessed with writing about dorky teenagers, love, and happy endings. He currently lives in New England, where he spends far too much time reading books and screaming at his computer, and he believes that the solution to the world’s problems can be found in chocolate cake. Click To Subscribe is his first novel, but it won’t be his last.

Find L.M. on:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Email: authoraugustine@gmail.com

Links to buy Click To Subscribe (Which ya’ll should!)

Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

(And all other Amazon stores)

B&N

Kobo

iBooks
Smashwords

GIVEAWAAAAAAAAAAAY

And now for your chance to win TWO Ecopies of Click To Subscribe. It’s open internationally, so good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Reviews

GUEST REVIEW: Secrets of the Tides – Hannah Richell

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Every family has its secrets. Some are small, like telling a white lie or snooping through a private drawer. Others are more serious like infidelity and betrayal. And some secrets are so terrible they must be hidden away in a deep, dark place, for if they ever came to light, they would surely tear a family apart.

The Tides are a family full of secrets. Returning to Clifftops, the rambling family house high up on the Dorset coastline, youngest daughter Dora hopes for a fresh start, for herself and the new life she carries. But can long-held secrets ever really be forgiven? And even if you can forgive, can you ever really learn to love again?

Secrets of the Tides is a compelling family drama with a dark thread of suspense at its heart

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Laura’s review

Every family has secrets, some are small like telling a white lie or snooping where your not supposed to. Others are more serious like an affair or betrayal. Then there are secrets that are so terrible that no one must ever ever find out for fear that it will tear a family apart.

The Tide is such a family full of secrets. When Dora finds out that she is pregnant, it forces her to confront her past. Returning to Clifftops in Dorset she goes to unlock the secrets of her troubled sister Cassie that she swore she would take to the grave. But can a secret so terrible really be forgiven and will the Tides ever learn to love one another again?

What a beautiful cover this book has! I found it extremely enticing and I just had to pick it up! And little do you know what gut wrenching story is hidden beneath this beautiful cover.

I read The Secrets of the Tides as the end of last year and thoroughly enjoyed it! This was truly one of the best debut novels I have ever read! It gripped me right from the start with a prologue set to keep you guessing.

This is a vivid, compelling family saga detailing the complex relationships they all have with one another and themselves.

I liked the way it kept moving between the past and the present as it keeps you guessing as to what happened and why things have turned out to be like they are. The past is in the view of Dora’s Mother Helen and the present day focuses on Dora. It is through this brilliant third person narrative that we are able to decipher the Tide family structure and read as their characters come alive through story.

The tension in this story is immense! Hannah Richell writes this incredibly well and I was physically tensing and praying that the events that were happening were not going to unfold badly. I thought she captured the grief and heartbreak of the characters extremely well. Richell explores the fragility of human feelings and how one mistake can tear a family apart.

I desperately wanted to know what this terrible secret was that had torn them apart and left them so racked with guilt. Each character blaming themselves for their part in the tragedy and I wanted to know who was to blame and which character was it that threw themselves off the bridge in the prologue.

This truly was an excellent debut that will draw you in and not let you go from the start. This story has stayed with me for a long time and if there weren’t thousands of other books that I want to read, I would definitely read it again. I am also thrilled that Hannah Richell has released her second novel ‘The Shadow Year’ which I will definitely be reading!

About me:

My name is Laura and as you may have guessed, I am an avid reader. As is the case with all book lovers, I have had my nose in books since I was very little. My nan has picture of me when I was two pretending that I could actually read the words of a book. I live in the south of England and I work in London as a Marketing Executive, so when I’m not working I’m either reading, on twitter, or writing my blog.

You can find me at my Blog, on Twitter and on Goodreads

http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk

https://twitter.com/Midnightstar3

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/12541010-laura

Abbi Glines, New Adult

Twisted Perfection (#1) – Abbi Glines

Posted on July 1, 2013July 1, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Life outside of her house was a new experience for Della Sloane. The dark secrets of her past weren’t something she ever intended to share with anyone. They would never understand. No one would ever get close enough to find out. There was always a chance she’d go crazy sooner than they expected…

Woods Kerrington had never been one to be attracted to fragile females. They seemed like too much work. He wasn’t in it for the work just the pleasure. A night full of naughty fun had been exactly what was on his mind when he’d laid eyes on the hot little number that didn’t know how to pump gas and needed some help.

What he didn’t know was she was as fragile as they came.
The carefree girl who spoke her mind and didn’t care what the world thought of her was more breakable than he could ever imagine…

5+ stars

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My Review

“You are mine. Do you hear me? You are mine, Della Sloane. I will take care of you. Nothing is taking you away from me. Nothing.”

RIGHT OKAY!! Before I begin my gushing, GET TWISTED PERFECTION NOW! Seriously, this is definitely a 5+ book, I would give it the world because I was completely hooked. I read it within hours and only put it down to pee. Yupp, you wanted to know that really.

I love Abbi Glines. The Too Far series were the first books I had read by Ms. Glines and I was hooked. I would recommend reading this after Never Too Far and definitely before Forever Too Far as some of the storyline entwines in FTF.

Twisted Perfection is my favourite book out of the Rosemary bunch. As you will see in my review, I LOVE Woods. Like completely adore his character. He is not what you expect him to be and after reading NTF, he took a slice of my heart but now, hes got it all.

Abbi surely knows how to write a book where you just cant put it down. She makes you feel. Yes, feel all these emotions throughout her book and this book is deeper and darker than the Too Far series, but that is what I loved about it. There was so much in this book, emotional and mental issues, trying to be free, trying to find yourself, trying to do what is best, demons…. You will laugh, you will sob, you will swoon, fan yourself, become irritated and shout advice and abuse at characters through your kindle. I cant express enough that Twisted Perfection is twisted perfection.

You become addicted to the story, flicking pages until you are at the end and looking at your clock thinking “Where has the time gone”. You will read this book in a sitting, not wanting to put it down and wanting to know how the ending will happen. Will there be a cliffhanger so I’ll panic until the next book? Will it all end happily? Read it and find out for yourself.

We first meet Woods in Fallen Too Far. He had an interest in Blaire and I wasn’t his biggest fan as I wanted her with Rush. But then in Never Too Far I completely loved him. His friendship to Blaire was just so cute, he was there for her through everything and he won me over. NOW, now I am so flaming happy he got his own books, because, and I’m sorry, but I love him more than Rush. Yupp, you read that right. He won my heart. He’s embedded in my heart. No word of a lie.

He is a hunky, sexy, possessive, loveable guy who you just want to have sex with and then want him to make you his everything – like Della is to him. He’s thoughtful, always putting everyone’s needs before his own, especially Della’s when he finds out that not is all it seems with her, he wants to help her out, wants to help her move forward and move on from her past. He loves her with everything.

We know Woods works in the Country Club for his dad so he can take over the business one day, but this poses a major problem along the way. He craves the freedom that Della has and he craves her too but hes stuck and struggles. He wants to take over the business but he doesn’t want the path that is being chosen for him and he wants Della but if he wants the club he can’t have her. What is a boy meant to do?

At certain points I was shaking my head at Woods, hoping and praying he would see the light and tell his dad to stuff it, stuff everything – to not be a puppet anymore and have his life dictated anymore. It really is a big decision because really, this is all he knows, working hard to be the owner of the club, but when Della strolls into his life, she switches everything upside down and makes him really think about what he wants.

He’s never really known love. His family don’t extradite love and the only love hes known is his grandparents. He doesn’t think he can love. Enter Della…

Della stole my heart too. She had gone through so much and still is and I commend her strength and her will to live, to find herself in the world, to carry on and power through every scenario thrown her way. She has been sheltered all her life, shes naive and innocent to the world around her yet she craves to find herself, find where she fits in and it took her a lot of courage to do things alone, to travel alone and try to forget about her past. But despite that, there are certain things that trigger memories from her childhood and that is the scary part of being her. She zones out, gets trapped in her mind and memories come flooding back.

It was pretty freaking scary to see Della introvert into herself when her past floods back and it pretty much scared the crap out of Woods too, who witnessed it more than once. This should bring her down, but she powers through it, her strength grows with every obstacle in her way and trust me, with Woods’ dad trying to get her away from his son, she faced a hell of a lot with that one.

Della is caring and innocent and she craves intimacy. After that one night with Woods, it opened her up. She wanted more, she wanted everything offered to her and she wanted everything Woods would give her. She boasted confidence but inside she was just a scared little girl. When she tells Woods about her past, I was so grateful that he was there for her, wanting to help her through it and let’s just hope everything works out in the second installment in some ways.

The chemistry between Della and Woods is instant. From the first meeting you can see the attraction to one another. And even after four months apart when Della rolls up at Rosemary, the attraction is still there, probably even stronger than before. Woods has been thinking about that night and their one night stand was obviously so much more to both of them as they are taken aback when they see each other. But there is a dilemma; Woods is to be engaged to another girl in order to take over from his father. He doesn’t love the girl and all he wants is Della. But this is his life; it’s all hes known despite not wanting to follow his father’s commands anymore. It’s hard enough seeing Della everyday and knowing he can’t have her…its killing him.

Della throws Woods completely. What he thought he wanted, he no longer knows. He doesn’t know what to do, all he knows is he wants Della and shes been embedded in his head from that one night they shared.

The sex they have, Jesus Woods, you are such a dirty talker, I loved it! Dirty talk to me anytime baby 😉 He really is a man; he knows the right things to say and definitely knows what to do. DAMN Woods. The sex intensifies their connection and attraction to each other and only makes their love for each other grow stronger. From what we know about Woods, I reallllly wasn’t expecting this, but I LOVED it, I loved being shocked by him and his sexy ways.

There are POVS from both Woods and Della. You all know how much I love the POVS because we get to delve deep into the heads of both characters and that is exactly what happened with these two. We got to learn more about them, their pasts, their presents, their fears, their love, and their feelings. Everything about each other that the other was thinking. God, it truly made me love each of them more and more.

Twisted Perfection really is different from the Too Far series. It delves deeper into emotional and mental issues, darker pasts and fears. You watch two people who are seemingly lost, find one another, help one another and find love together. They find their purpose in their life.

There is no relationship cliff-hanger but there is a small one to do with Woods. It will be awesome to see how their relationship progresses throughout this small matter and how they survive with what is going to happen. When they finally sort their shit out, it turns around but the love these two have, they can jump through any hoops and obstacles thrown there way. God knows there are a lot in this book and it only made they stronger and more in love with each other. You know they will stay together no matter what.

So hurry up Abbi, I neeeed book two now and I neeeeeed to love Woods and Della even more than I do now. Woods has stolen my heart, and hes in my head and by god, I need him in my bed 😉

Emma Hart, New Adult, Promotional Events

BOOK BLITZ: Playing for Keeps (#2) – Emma Hart

Posted on June 27, 2013June 26, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Today is The Book Lovers stop on the Playing For Keeps Book Blitz and I shall be giving you my review of this awesome book!

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Synopsis

She’s in love with him.
He’s trying not to love her.
One night changes everything.

Aston Banks never meant to get close to Megan Harper – not even for that one night. Haunted by a childhood he refuses to face, he knew she could break through every wall he’d ever built and tear them down without even realizing she was doing it.

Betraying Braden by starting a relationship with Aston wasn’t on Megan’s to-do list, but the second she sees a glimpse of someone other than the arrogant ass she’s come to know, she can’t walk away.

Aston’s childhood is worse than Megan ever guessed, but as he tries and fails to push her away, it’s clear her love is stronger than the demons that cling to him every day. And now, because of it, he finally has to deal with what he’s buried deep down.

What he doesn’t want to face. What he’s fought against for so long.

And they have to do it all without Braden finding out.

Keeping a relationship secret has never been harder.

5 / 5 stars

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My Review

There is only so many times I can tell you I love Emma Hart – I’m sure she loves hearing it though. She is the best, no joke and if you don’t know of her, don’t speak to her, you are missing out big time. And I mean BIG time.

I want to thank her again for the acknowledgment in Playing for Keeps (my second from her YAY). Oh I have tears in my eyes. Emma is the sweetest person ever!! So thank you for the Beta and the Blogger acknowledgments, you won’t understand how much it means to me ❤

I got to Beta read this book and then I reread it again because seriously? I cannot get enough of Megan and Aston. I was SUPER excited to know they were getting their own book as I loved Megan in The Love Game and I love Astons mouth – the things he says, although I wouldn’t mind his mouth on mine 😉

Emma’s books are like a drug to me. I get hooked onto each and every one of them. I love how she seems to release one every month…it keeps my fix at bay. As I’ve mentioned in every other review of her books, she exudes every emotion in her books. The banter banter between characters, the sexual tension, the tears, laughter, anger, heartbreak…..she conveys it all brilliantly, and by gosh, Playing For Keeps has it all…and your heart will just break for Aston and your heart will then fit back together when you see Megan help him through everything.

As I’ve said so much love for Miss Emma Hart!!

We first meet Aston and Megan in the first book. Megan is Braden’s best friend. They have grown up together and have gone to the same school together. Braden is highly protective of Megan and knows no guy is ever going to be good enough for her, especially his frat house. They are all man-whores and Aston is no exception.

But Megan is harbouring feelings for Aston, and although Aston only wants her for the night, he knows that he won’t be able to let her go after. She is the only girl who he wants to be with but he can’t. He can’t because of his past and because of Braden, but Megan isn’t going anywhere. She can’t walk away now and so thus begins a secret relationship.

Banter the same way they always have around the others but when alone, it’s just them. Them together and they can show their true feelings for one another.

Learning all about Aston’s past, he tries to push Megan away but shes not going anywhere. Keeping their relationship a secret is harder when all Megan wants to do it help Aston through his past and that in turn proves how much she loves him and he her, for letting her in. But when they aren’t so careful and the secret is spilled, how does everyone especially Braden react?

Firstly Aston is not the guy you think he is. Although hes the playboy of the house, seemingly taking a girl back after every weekend party, there is a side to him that no one has ever seen. He keeps it hidden and locked away and he has a front, the front that he shows the guys. He has a potty mouth and I absolutely loved the banter he gives everyone, especially with Megan. But it’s just not him. He has demons that no one apart from his Grampa knows about. His frat house don’t even know his major!! That proves how much he keeps to himself and puts on this playboy front to hide from himself.

Aston has been through so much pain during his life, especially in his younger years. My heart was breaking for him, it was breaking for him and the pain he faced at such a young age had me crying when he would think about what was said to him and when he told Megan about it. It killed me to think how much he went through but he got out and although he still carries his past with him, he has people around him whom love him, even if he doesn’t think hes worthy of it so he tries to laugh it off or push them away.

You really will fall in love with Aston; there is no doubt about it. The potty mouthed playboy shows such a different side. You see him falling in love with Megan, become protective and possessive and jealous over her, but at the same time he tries to push her away, even though he doesn’t want to. It’s hard for him to let someone in, let them know about his past but Megan is there for him, helping him through everything, trying to make him see that it’s over now, that hes loved, hes safe and he has everyone around him who cares for him.

You know how much I loved Megan in The Love Game and my love for her only grew throughout the book. She’s an awesome character. She can banter, shoot sarcastic comments your way and generally keep up with you, but shes always caring and sweet and protective and is completely in love with Aston. She just wants him but is scared about what Braden will think of their relationship, so much so they hide it. But when Aston’s past comes back to haunt him and she finds out about it, she wants to do whatever she can to help and support Aston through his past demons.

She’s loving and I just want her to be my best friend. She is always there for you and the way she was with Aston’s Grampa was so touching. She helped to bring them together even more, to talk about their pasts with the one person they loved/hated. She brought their family dynamic closer, and eventually helped them both with Aston’s demons. No matter how much Aston tried to push her away, she couldn’t and wouldn’t walk away or let him go, she was in too deep with him. He was and is what Braden and Maddie are…the end game.

YES, for those of you who have read the first chapter of Playing For Keeps (The link is below) you will see that sex starts in the first chapter! Yessss, what a way to open the book. Aston and Megans chemistry is instant and they are drawn to each other like magnets no matter how much they shouldn’t be. That first encounter was it. Aston was hooked, as was Megan.

Playing For Keeps really is a book about fighting your past and looking to your future, finding love even when you weren’t looking for it and showing your true self – not hiding behind a persona. Emma has extracted this story with grace and it’s a beautiful book to read, so go and read it!

If you haven’t read The Love Game yet, go and get your Braden and Maddie fix, fall in love with them then come back and get your Megan and Aston fix in Playing for Keeps. You will definitely have a masssssive crush on Braden, Aston and Megan by the end of the books 😉

Here’s to hope that book three is about Kyle or Kay! They are an utter babes and deserve all the happiest that everyone else has 😀

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