Trust – Z. Elizabeth

Teaser Tuesday: Still Human (#2) – Kerry Heavens

Posted on August 13, 2013August 11, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser

Hanging on the back of the door is a garment bag with an envelope. Written on the envelope is my name in Danny’s writing.

66% Loc 2582, Beta Copy of Still Human – Kerry Heavens.

GUEST REVIEW of the THOUGHTLESS series by Kerry Heavens

Posted on May 28, 2013May 26, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

So I volunteered to write a guest post for Zoe, something I have never done before. But writing is supposed to be the one thing I can do with ease right? And lets face it, I am never short of things to say, especially about books I’ve loved.

So what to review?

I had a quick look at Zoe’s list of reviews to find out what I could bring to the party. I decided to start at the bottom of my own favourites list, because the ones at the top of the list will have already been reviewed won’t they? Won’t they?

That’s when I noticed that Thoughtless wasn’t on the list…or Effortless…or Reckless for that matter! This is weird, I thought. Oh wait, she probably loved them so much she put them under their own tab…no? Oh maybe she loved them so much she has an entirely different blog dedicated to them?…NO!

This was that point when I got straight on to Zoe to find out what the hell was going on. “Oh, I haven’t got round to them yet.” She replies casually! WHAT????

So I have the distinct honour of reviewing my all time favourite series for you, with the hope that if nothing else it will make our esteemed blog host read them and save her reputation as a serious book blogger!

My only other issue before I begin (no I haven’t even started yet, get comfortable!) is that I’m not sure how I feel about this whole spoilers thing. I don’t want to give you a blow by blow, I want you to read them and love them. It is going to be very hard to tell you about all three books without some spoilers, but I will try to stick within what the synopsis reveals for each one.

It is no word of a lie when I say, Zoe, you are so lucky! I would give my right arm (the book holding one) to switch places with you. So that I could be the one that hasn’t read these books and you were the one recommending them…Then I could read them for the very first time, all over again. *sigh*

I read each of these longer than average books in one sitting, on consecutive nights, resulting in the kind of book hangover you never want to experience. 4-5am nights, then up for the school run, three nights in a row! I would say it was a labour of love, but it was no labour, just pure love!

So Thoughtless…

Synopsis.

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

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

Let me say right now. Infidelity is a HARD limit for me in life. It happens, I know. It can make for a great story, I agree. You can write about it, I will read it, enjoy it even, but don’t expect me to sympathise with the characters. Whatever they get, they deserve!

So S. C. Stephens plays a blinder here. Because all my morals went out the window, the very first time Kiera hears Kellan sing. I wasn’t endeared to Denny particularly, so that was the first dent to my moral code. I didn’t care about him enough to be outraged for him. Their relationship just never convinced me.

Kiera will most likely start out irritating you, then you will get quite angry with her and it won’t get better until you are in a full blown fit of hatred for her weak, pathetic, prudish nonsense. Seriously the blood rushes to that girl’s cheeks more often than it would to a 17 year old boy’s ‘gentleman’s area’ at a Playboy pool party! It is just ridiculous! I can’t tell you one single thing about her that shines out as a redeeming quality. On paper she is terrible, in real life I would be forced to slap her and I’m not a violent person and yet…I don’t hate her. I can’t. Because I know, that faced with Kellan Kyle, I would have been just as much of a waste of space as she was, beginning to end. Guaranteed. I mean, I definitely wouldn’t have been so prudish. But I’d have made just as many appalling decisions.

This brings us neatly to Kellen Kyle. GOD. Quite simply the most perfect man ever to occupy my thoughts. I mean LOOK AT HIM!!!

“Everything about him had screamed, I’m going to take you right here and make you forget your own name.” – Kellan.

I don’t need to tell you all about his phenomenal good looks or how perfectly imperfect his hair is when it falls just so. Kiera will bore your arse off about it constantly. It goes without saying. He is funny and talented and charming. But it is what is on the inside that makes Kellan so special, something I wished Kiera had been more conscious of. He is damaged, fragile, so vulnerable and you just know she is going to crush him with her obliviousness. (Is that even a word?)

So while Kiera hedges her bets and frankly disgusts you, you will fall so hard for Kellan that even when he is being a shit, your only thought is, she drove him to it.

“You wreck me.” – Kellan.

So, you know it will be a gut-wrenching rollercoaster. I admit that I hid it under my pillow and paced my bedroom at least once, like Joey from Friends when he hides The Shining in the freezer. But the passion and love that is expressed in this book, that you actually live through this book is worth every second of the pain. I cried, I feared a heart attack at one point and I rather embarrassingly caught myself panting every time he touched her. BECAUSE IT IS THAT GOOD.

The supporting characters are all equally brilliant. The D-Bags, Kellan’s band are all sweet hearts, well except Griffin. Griffin is something else! You will love him. He is the original FIGJAM, and he just lives to get a rise out of Kiera (I refer you to the aforementioned gratuitous blushing. PFT!). The girls are great too, Jenny is Kiera’s conscience when she most needs one, but she is a great friend to Kellan too. They are all just great.

The scene setting, the atmosphere, the pace, it is all brilliant.
Have I gone on enough? Just Read it, you won’t be disappointed!

Effortless…

Synopsis.

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

I am going to try not to spoil this, or the ending of the last one for you, here goes…

Kiera is infinitely less annoying. She grew up. A lot. So that is a relief

“Loving you, Kellan, is so easy, it’s effortless…” – Kiera

You’re damned right about that Kiera!

If you thought it wasn’t possible to love Kellan any more, you were wrong. Everything that endeared you to him in the first book is still there and bought reinforcements!

“But, if for some reason we’re not closer, if something has gotten between us, please, I’m begging you…don’t give up on me. Stay. Stay with me. Work it out with me. Just don’t leave me…please.” – Kellan

The moral of this book is trust has to be earned. If everything you hold dear was acquired dishonestly, you will spend every day scared half to death that you could lose it in exactly the same way. That’s just how it is. In telling us this part of the tale, S. C. Stephens does it again, no she doesn’t do it again, she never stops doing it!

“You are told from the moment you enter school that time is constant. It never changes. It is one of those set things in life that you can always rely on…much like death and taxes. There will always be sixty seconds in a minute. There will always be sixty minutes in an hour. And there will always be twenty-four hours in a day.

Time was not fluctuating. It moved on at the same, constant pace at every moment in your life.

And that was the biggest load of crap that I’d ever been taught in school.

Truth was, time did fluctuate. It was easy to lose hours or even days in a blink of an eye. Other times, it was a struggle to get through a mere hour. It ebbed and flowed as relentlessly as the

tides, and just as powerfully too. The moments that you wanted to last forever were the ones that were washed away all too soon. The moments that you wanted to speed up, were slowed down to a snail’s pace.

That was the truth of the matter.” – Kiera

Oh and if Griffin (and his Hulk) hasn’t got under your skin yet, he will. 😉

“Well, what’s the point of being a rock star if I can’t bang the groupies?”

Rolling my eyes, I found myself muttering, “I thought it was supposed to be about the music?”

Griffin, unfortunately, heard my sullen comment and chose to respond to it. “No, no, I’m pretty sure it’s the pussy.”

Griffin ❤

Reckless…

Synopsis.

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

You will finish this book totally distraught that it is over.

This is all about the redemption. You more or less forget that you ever wanted to throttle Kiera. All the characters stories are developed. Griffin will become your new second favourite book boyfriend, behind Kellan. I can’t quote it without spoilers, but his speech in the VIP room at the nightclub where he tells Kiera why he didn’t fuck those two girls, was the moment I fell HARD! From there on in, I was just eating up each new sweet thing he did. Yes I said sweet, you’ll see.

God, I want to say so much (I’m bursting here!), but it will ruin it and as I said right back at the beginning, I wish I was you and it was my first time, so I know I can’t!

Knowing that I will never hear the D-Bags play, that I can’t rock up to Pete’s for a beer with the boys any time I want. Knowing that Griffin will never try and grope me and that…gulp…Kellan isn’t actually real and I will never have him…well that nearly put me in therapy.

The whole thing really is a rollercoaster. But it was the ride of my life!

I know I just chewed your damn ear off, so sorry about that, but I am slightly passionate about these books! The fact that I managed to do it without telling you to hop straight over to Twitter and follow the undisputed King of the TL, his royal sexiness, @GriffinakaHulk because he is everything you hope Griffin will be and you can actually talk to him, for real!…shit! I mentioned it didn’t I? Oh well, you should, so I’m not sorry!

Thanks for having me here, I’m sure I won’t be invited back; I talk far too much.

Kerry x

Oh, and before I go. Once you have read them all…promise me, you won’t do it until you have read them all? Ok, if you promise! Once you have read them all, check out the original ending of Thoughtless, before S. C. Stephens decided to make it a series.

To say I am glad she changed her mind is an understatement; I don’t think I could have lived with this…

http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2715147/1/Thoughtless_Original_Ending

There is also a Kellen’s POV from the rain scene, google it. X

ABOUT KERRY HEAVENS

My debut novel Just Human will be out this summer, follow me on Twitter @kerryheavens or Facebook – Kerry Heavens Author for updates.

Just Human – By Kerry Heavens

What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you?

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

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

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

Can they put aside their fears and give it a go?

Or will deep rooted doubts and insecurities tear then apart?

Family, Romance

The Doctor Wears A Stetson (#1) – Anne Marie Novark

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Jessie Devine can rebuild an engine blindfolded, but when it comes to men, she’s all thumbs. When it comes to Cameron McCade, it’s even worse. He stole her heart in high school, then left town for good. Now he’s back and sparks are flying. Can they take up where they left off? Can Jessie risk her heart again? Repairing cars is no problem, but taming Cameron’s restless spirit is something else entirely.

3.5 / 5 Stars

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Excerpt:

The atmosphere sizzled in the small office. Jessie stood like a statue, her eyes opened wide. “Why did you come back?” Her raspy voice held a note of accusation.

Cameron also heard anguish in her words. Was he causing Jessie pain? When all he wanted was to hold her in his arms, take her to bed and make love to her until the passion between them was spent?

In two long strides, he was beside her. She backed against the file cabinet. He stepped closer.

“You know why I’m back. We need to finish what we started seventeen years ago.” He touched a finger to her cheek, traced the smooth line of her jaw, eased his hand behind her neck and pulled her to him. Her trembling intensified and she put her hands on his chest as if to ward him off.

He caught her hands and moved them over his heart. “Feel my heartbeat, Jess. It’s beating for you.” He pressed his body against hers. “Feel how much I want you. I tried to stay away, but God help me, I couldn’t.”

His mouth claimed hers in fierce desire. Jessie moaned, holding back only for a second, knowing deep down resistance was hopeless.

She couldn’t help it . . . she kissed him back
(From Goodreads)

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My Review

17 years ago, at 15, Grease Monkey Jessie was asked out to a high school dance with Cameron McCade. The guy she has always had a serious crush on. After having a great night, he stole her heart but after that night he finished school and left town for good, leaving Jessie broken-hearted, even though it was only a few hours, she felt that spark and she knows he must have too.

Now 17 years later, and after nursing a broken heart for the death of her parents and her husband, Cameron is back in town for a couple of days and seeing him brings back all her old feelings for him…feelings that never went away. But can she got there? She’s filled up with guilt but her feelings are so strong for Cameron that it’s hard to resist him. But how long can she resist him for before she gives in?

Cameron had a plan in high school. To get out of the small town and become a Doctor. And that is exactly what he did. He never really comes back to his home town but he’s been offered a promotion at work and it’s his mother’s birthday so he’s back in town for a few days. Never did he think seeing Jessie again, working in her father’s garage would spark his old feelings for her, but they did and now it’s time to try and get Jessie to agree to start off where they left off 17 years ago.

I have an obsession with reading about Cowboys. I’m not sure where this stemmed from but I want to go to Texas, just hang out on a ranch and ‘bump’ into a sexy cowboy who wears a Stetson, has his top off and sweat glistening off him, has a sexy accent and a pick-up truck….*goes off into a dream world*okay, I’m back. So when I found this little gem on Amazon, 1-Click called out to me and I read it within a couple of hours.

Okay, so Cameron isn’t exactly a cowboy, but his family live on a ranch and he wears a Stetson so that is good enough for me.

So it’s the first book I have ever read by Anne Marie Novark but it certainly wont be the last! I will be downloading the next few books in the series as they focus on the other brothers in the family and their love life’s too. From reading the synopsis and the excerpt on Amazon, I knew it would be a great book, and I wasn’t wrong. Ms. Novark had me engrossed within the storyline, wanting to know every little bit of Cameron and Jessie and of course, the supporting characters who were there for both Cameron and Jessie. It was a fun, sexy and sometimes frustrating book to read (In a good way) and it has paved the path for me to read more about the sexy McCade brothers now. More Cowboys!!

As mentioned, the book starts when Jessie is 15. She’s an utter Tomboy and helps her dad out at his garage. She’s a grease monkey, so when Senior Cameron McCade asks her to his prom, she hesitates until he begs her to go with him. She accepts, buys a gorgeous dress and goes to the dance with him.

She may be a little young and inexperienced, but that night up on Lover’s Point, she gave her heart away to Cameron only to have it broken in two when he left the town straight after high school.

For 17 years, Cameron has been at the back on Jessie’s mind. She’s had to change up her life after her dad became ill and died. She got married and then became a widow when he died too. So her life hasn’t been the greatest and now, after trying to safe her dad’s shop, she has the dilemma of running out of money. When TR died, she inherited a piece of land on the McCade’s ranch and although she promised Cameron’s mother she wouldn’t sell it to the big oil companies, now is the time where she is in a rut. She feels guilt and doesn’t know what to do.

Cameron McCade hardly ever returns to the small town he grew up up. He’s not a busy Doctor and really doesn’t have time. His plan for to move away and that’s what he did. But his life isn’t all the fulfilling anymore and when offered a promotion, he is given time to go away and think about it. So he returns back home to think on it and visit his family as it’s his mum’s 60^th.

Pulling up outside Jessie’s shop with his flash car in tow, he needs it fixing and when he sees Jessie still in town, working at the shop, all his old feelings for her spring back and he knows now, that is needs to start back up what they began 17 years ago.

But with obstacles along the way, guilt eating up Jessie and Cameron’s careful planning going to shreds, will they get their happy ending?

I kind of felt sorry for Jessie throughout the book and at times annoyed and frustrated with her – But then I kind of understood, a tiny incy bit, where she was coming from. But not a lot to want to strangle her and tell her to go with her heart. She had her heartbroken at 15 to Cameron McCade and over the 17 years has seen fleeing sights of him. She had to leave her dream of going to college behind when her father became ill and when he died, she took over his garage and has been working there ever since. She is also widowed but she feels utterly guilty for not loving him the way a wife should. She also feels guilty for not being able to give him children and she also keeps turning down Cameron because of a promise she made to TR before he died.

All of this weighs on her so much so, that you just wanted to shake her and be like “PLEASE just stop it. You love Cameron, always have done but TR is dead and you need to stop living in the past and live for the future.”

You do feel sorry for her. The guilt is enough to make anyone down and although when she does get over it and realizes nothing is her fault, she is a bright and bubbly girl who loves being with Cameron.

She bloody well goes through a journey. You see her at 15, see her lose her heart to Cameron only to have him break it when he leaves. Then he’s back and she feels all the feelings rush back to the surface, having never gone away. The thing that annoyed me was that she let him back into her life too easy, but then I suppose, they didn’t know each other that well when they were younger and only spent a few hours together, so maybe it was easy to slip back into the ‘friendship’ mode and act normal, even if they hadn’t seen each other for many years.

It really was nice to see the chemistry between the both of them. To see they really should be together and finish off the rest of their life, just like it start 17 years ago, even though they were both to young. 17 years is a long time to be apart, but they flowed right back into how they were when they were kids and i suppose all that time just drifted away and it was like they were never apart.

Cameron McCade has always been a planner. At 18 he had his life planned out. Get out of the small town, go to medical school and become a Doctor. And that is exactly what he did. He didn’t want to become a rancher like his brother and father, he needed out. He left straight away after high school, not even saying goodbye to Jessie as he was scared of his feelings for her and since then he has hardly returned home.

Coming back home for his mother’s 60^th and to think over his promotion, he hangs out with Jessie a hell of a lot. Being with Jessie is changing something in Cameron, which was really nice to see as you realize he really does plan his whole life. Being around Jessie makes him not want to plan his life anymore, she makes him calm, different, and perhaps a little scared as he had never felt this way about anyone.

I loved how determined Cameron was to make Jessie see that they have this amazing chemistry and are good together – that they should continue what they started as kids. He never gave up on pursuing her, knowing that she really is The One for him. He goes through his own obstacles during the book such as his feelings for Jessie, how he doesn’t have a plan for once but he kind of likes it. It was really nice to watch him change and grow along the way too. The fact that he loves Jessie so much to switch up his life, well that just made me smile a lot.

There are a lot of barriers along the way, which could have easily been straightened out and a lot of blind sighting from Jessie and Cameron which also could have been straightened out if they both just cut to the chase of what they were hinting and their feelings for one another. They are eventually sorted out but I felt that if they both just said what they meant in the first place, a lot of what happened wouldn’t have dragged on.

Jessie and Cameron do get a HEA though and I cannot wait to see cameo’s of them in the next couple of books.

So if sexy Doctor’s who wear Stetson’s and are literally like a walking sex stick is your kind of thing, then give The Doctor Wears A Stetson and fall in love with Cameron too. Then go and download the rest of the books (Like i am) and fall in love with the other McCade brothers.

Erotica, New Adult, Romance, Serenity Woods

ARC: Six Naughty Nights – Serenity Woods

Posted on March 16, 2013August 16, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Six nights to remember, six days to forgive…

Esther is grateful for the strong arms that saved her and her young son from an earthquake. But she wishes their rescuer was someone else. Anyone other than the man who left her pregnant after a holiday fling.

Toby’s carpentry skills take him wherever there’s work, and right now that work is definitely cut out for him. He has to get over the shock that the little boy in his arms is his own son—and convince Esther that he’s always regretted walking away from her.

Esther can’t bring herself to deny Toby his right to get to know Charlie. Besides, with her own home flattened, she has nowhere to go but with him to his apartment…where she discovers a sexy role-playing card game tucked in his suitcase.

When Toby invites her to accompany him to the Northland to attend his best friend’s wedding, the opportunity to explore their still-simmering attraction is too tempting to resist. As the steamy scenarios heat up, they start to realize this is more than a game. But Esther’s hiding a secret that could cause as much devastation as the earthquake…

Pre-order now
396 pages

Amazon UK – £3.04
Amazon US – $4.54

Out 26th March 2013

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My Review

Three years ago, Toby and Esther spent two glorious weeks together in Fiji, where fun and sex were the main course. When the two weeks were up Toby walked away from her, leaving her heartbroken and a few weeks down the line, pregnant.

Now three years later, and in the company of a little boy, Charlie, he and Esther are saved in the midst of an earthquake by no other than Charlie’s dad, Toby, who just so happened to be at the same place, at the right or maybe wrong time.

Toby goes wherever his carpentry skills take him and now he’s in Christchurch. Rescuing the girl who he has always regretted walking away from, it’s a shock to know that the little boy in his arms that he just saved is his own.

Esther doesn’t deny that Charlie is his, nor can’t she bring herself to deny him his right to get to know his little boy. Besides, since her apartment was flattened by the earthquake and with nowhere to go, Toby offers his apartment to Charlie and Esther, which is where she discovers a sexy role-playing card game tucked in his suitcase.

Toby is leaving Christchurch for a few days to attend his best friend’s wedding and he invites Esther and Charlie along with him back to Northland, so he can get to know his son, but also there’s an opportunity to explore their still-sizzling attraction to one another, which is just too tempting to resist.

But as the scenarios heat up, they both start to realize that this is more than just a game. Old feelings are starting to rehash but Esther is hiding a secret that could cause devastation if found out and she doesn’t know whether to spill it or not. It could ruin everything.

I’d firstly like to thanks Serenity Woods for sending me an ARC copy of Six Naughty Nights. You all should know my love for Seven Sexy Sins by now and when Serenity started following me on Twitter, well, I went all fangirl on her and she offered to send me a copy of this sexy book! So here I am, reviewing Six Naughty Nights – the next book in the Love in Reverse series – which was pretty much too hard to put down. Although it did come to a time where I needed sleep and reluctantly had to stop at the next chapter.

For those who have read Seven Sexy Sins, you will know that Toby is a character in that book. The flirty one, the one who everyone teases and it didn’t seem to bother him at all. He’s still the cheeky chap he was in SSS, but we get to see much more of him and his personality. I can’t tell you how many times I laughed at the things that came out of his mouth. He was hilarious.

I love how easy he seemed to slip into the role of being a father, even when he was freaking out about it. He was a natural with Charlie and my heart ached over how much he fell in love with Charlie and how he treated and cared for him even when he had known him for a few hours. It was like he was born to be affectionate and have his own kid to love. He was very family orientated.

Throughout the book, you really see the true Toby appear. Not only is he the cheeky, flirty guy, but he’s sensitive and has insecurities of his own that he has buried deep down because he doesn’t want anyone to know that they do sting when he’s teased. He always tries to get the approval of his friends and family and it pains Esther to see him being treated this way. He’s insecure over his family because he’s the ‘least educated’ one as his two brothers are Lawyers and Doctors.

Despite his insecurities, Toby had a big heart full of love, and he and Charlie were just so cute together. As I’ve mentioned, Toby was a natural; no awkward talking between the two of them and their conversations just flowed, despite Charlie being just over two years old. And for a two year old, he came out with some goddamn funny lines. I just wanted to cuddle him up and have him talk that way with me. He was the most adorable little kid about and you really could tell he was Toby’s son. I also loved how Toby didn’t treat him as a kid as such; he didn’t talk down to him. That way, he and Charlie bantered was hilarious but they also had so many sweet scenes together and the way Charlie just accepted that Toby was his dad, and started calling him ‘Daddy’ brought a tear to my eye.

“You’ve got a big willy.” Charlie observed. “It’s bigger than mine” He studied his own offering.
“Size isn’t everything, dude, or so they’d have you believe.”

I can’t tell you how much I howled reading this conversation.

Esther is a strong, independent woman, but she also has insecurities. Ever since Toby walked away from her after their two weeks in Fiji, she was heartbroken, distrustful and left pregnant. Since then it’s just been her and Charlie against the world. She doesn’t have any family and doesn’t like anyone helping her, rather doing it herself. After Toby’s attempts of getting in contact with her, she ignores them, wanting to punish him for how he left her. She knew how to contact him but she didn’t want to, she didn’t want him back in her life, even if Charlie did deserve to know his dad and Toby deserved to know he had a son. So when she sees Toby in the supermarket as an earthquake hits, and he gets them to safety, she doesn’t deny that Charlie is his when she’s asked.

I loved that Ms. Woods didn’t make Esther withhold the information to Toby. Many books draw that out and after a while you want to scream at them, but Esther was honest and because of that, they could get past one obstacle about their past and power through the rest.

Esther and Toby’s attraction was still pure. It was still as hot as it was three years ago but right now, Esther doesn’t want her feelings to return. She wants them to stay hidden away and not get heartbroken again by Toby. She wants to resist him but she can’t. So when they propose to play the role-playing game while they are in Northland, they try to do the same as Rusty and Faith – keep it physical and not let any emotions get in the way. Oh, why didn’t they listen to Rusty? They have too much history to keep old feelings away and sex is never just physical (for some people), emotions truly do get in the way. The more time they spend together, and the more they play the games, love is inevitably going to get in the way.

Now on to the games. I FREAKING LOVED THEM! Is this game real? I think I’d like to buy it because holy hell, Toby and Esther role-playing…I needed cold water thrown over me everytime they has sex because I was burning up. I loved how dominant Toby was in the bedroom and although Esther hated being the ‘sub’ because of how independent she was, it did turn her on to be dominated. Although she was always insecure about her body every time she was naked, Toby loved every part of her and that made her come out of her shell and play along. She was brilliant and being pushed to her limits playing someone else. Every sex scene was intense and steamy but I reallllllly like the sex scene where he tied her up. It was intense and made her vulnerable but it was also a pivotal point in their ‘relationship.’

Throughout everything that happens with Toby and Esther and when her secret does come out, I felt so sorry for both of them. They loved one another but Esther was determined it wouldn’t work and the secret hurt Toby, but he kind of understood somewhere deep down, why she did it. But the ending! Oh the ending. It was just amazing and I was cheering that everything, truly, would be okay for them both.

I absolutely enjoyed Six Naughty Nights. Serenity Woods’ books always draw me in and there is always an amazing storyline wrapped into the book, where it’s not just about sex, it’s about a connection and their journey together and alone. She makes me care about all the characters and makes my emotions go all over the place, much like her characters. I will always come back for more with Serenity Woods and I am so glad that I got to receive an ARC of this book from her, because I will definitely be recommending this to everyone and saying how great it is.

PS. Much like Rusty, Toby is definitely a new book boyfriend and I really couldn’t decide who I love best. It wouldn’t be fair 😉

Emma Hart, Family, New Adult, Romance

Never Forget (Memories, #1) by Emma Hart

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

Synopsis

A city girl.
A small town boy.
A summer they’ll never forget.

Spending the summer at her Grammy’s in Lilac Bay, Devon, is city girl Alexis ‘Lexy’ Edwards idea of hell. That is, until she reconnects with her childhood friend, Jen, and meets Alec Johnson.
Alec is the kind of guy Lexy knows she needs to stay away from. He’s the village flirt, ridiculously hot and very dangerous to her self control. But there’s a problem – she can’t seem to keep him out, even though she knows he’ll break her heart.
As Alec slowly strips away Lexy’s defences and the two embark on a summer romance she never wanted, their feelings grow to more than either expected. But nothing lasts forever, and reality intrudes.
As her world is shaken to it’s core, Lexy’s self made prediction comes true when she discovers she’s spent six weeks surrounded by secrets. Kept out by her family and the only guy she’s ever trusted, she falls apart.
And when Grammy tells her that ‘you might not end up where you wanted to be, but you’ll always end up where you’re meant to be,’ she has to figure out if her meant to be is back home in London, or if it’s been in Devon the whole time

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My Review

“You have to learn …that you might not end up where you wanted to be… But you’ll always end up where you’re meant to be. Maybe Alec is your meant to be”

City girl Lexy used to spend her summers with her Grammy in Lilac Bay, Devon, but it’s been five years since she’s been there and during that time, she’s changed a lot. She doesn’t want to spend two months at Lilac Bay but when an old friend gets in touch, she soon remembers how much fun she used to have at the beach with Jen and now they are rekindling their friendship, it looks like it’s going to be a great summer after all.

But of course, you can’t go a whole summer without adding a boy into the mix and that is where Alec comes along. Handy man to her Grammy for the summer, he’s extremely good looking and very flirty and when he meets Lexy, she resists his charms, due to knowing his reputation from Jen. She doesn’t trust him but he sets out to prove he’s nothing like the reputation he has. That shes the girl he wants to be with.

But when secrets come out, everything changes. Lexy now has to decide if she can trust and forgive Alec for what he was hiding and if she can let him back in, back into her heart.

This is the first book I have read by Emma Hart but it certainly won’t be the last. Never Forget, in my eyes, was perfection. Oh I can’t tell you how much I love the book. From the first page I couldn’t put it down. It had me laughing, crying, and wanting to be in Devon with everyone, because I love Devon and have been to Barnstaple quite a few times and I love it there. Emma Hart’s imagery throughout the book had me falling in love once again with Devon. She made it picturesque, she made me want ice cream and learn to surf and have a great summer on the beach surrounded by friends and boys and of course, get my butt back to beautiful Devon.

Also how awesome is the book cover? I know they say ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ but come on, everyone does that. But I KNEW, even before reading the synopsis that I had to have my hands on this book. The cover is beautiful and romantic and lovely to look at. And the colours displaying romance and warmth and girly feelings that you can’t not look at it and think “Hm let’s see what the synopsis is about.”

The story is one that I instantly knew I had to read.

A city girl and a small town boy who fall in love over the summer. I LOVE these kinds of stories because I am a total sucker for romance and HEA’s.

Lexy isn’t happy that she has to spend two months at Lilac Bay with her family and her Grammy. Don’t get her wrong, she loves her Grammy, it’s just she’s nearly 18 and she would rather stay at home with her friends and using her fake I.D at bars. She’s not happy at all, but when an old friend, Jen, gets in touch, it seems her summer has taken a turn for the better. She knows how much fun they used to have and is glad that she has someone to spend summer with.

Her Grammy’s handy man Alec is a sight that no girl can resist, not even Lexy, even if she does deny that to anyone who asks. Jen – although friends with Alec – tells Lexy about his reputation as a ladies’ man and that in turn makes Lexy know she can’t trust him, so she isn’t fazed by his comments and lets him know that nothing will ever happen between them. She isn’t looking for a summer romance and wants to protect her heart.

But Grammy has other plans and sets it about herself to play cupid. So the more time they spend together, the more that Lexy tries to hold onto her heart but its failing. She’s beginning to see Alec in a new light and it’s scaring her. He’s pushing his way into her heart, but she is with his heart too.

Taking a chance on him, they both open themselves up to each other and fall in love. But then the worst happens and Lexy’s world crushes beneath her. Her family have betrayed her, Alec has betrayed her and the pain is unbearable. Alec and Lexy are heartbroken but he’s determined to make her never forget the time they spent together even if she decides she can’t forgive him for keeping the secret that everyone knew but her.

I have to start off by saying that I absolutely loved Lexy’s whole family. They were amazing to read. They were so close and their banter with one another, oh my, it had me laughing so hard at the things they all came out with, especially Grammy. She’s one hell of a character and was such a great read. I loved everything that came out of her mouth. She seemed like such fun to be around and I would loved her to be my Nan, to give me banter, to tease me and to give me advice when I would be angry/confused/lost/happy – just like Lexy was throughout the book.

Lexy, as her mother called her, was a control freak. She doesn’t want to be in Lilac Bay, she wants to be in London, but day by day, she’s pushing her up-tightness out the window and becoming someone else, someone better. Shes having fun, she’s renewing her friendship with her crazy friend Jen; she’s meeting new friends (and love interest) and is letting her hair down. I loved her journey from being closed up and not wanting a summer romance, to just focus on school to falling in love and letting her defences down. It’s great when you see a character change in them – for the better and grow into the person they were meant to be – just forget along the way.

I have to say, I have a new book boyfriend. ALEC! Oh how you stole my heart from the word get go. He’s confident, cocky, and flirty but he’s also incredible loyal, he’s a sweetheart and he would do anything for his friends/the people he loves. Although he does have a reputation as a bit of a ladies’ man, which is why Lexy was cautious and found it hard to trust him, she too, broke his walls down bit by bit and made him actually have feelings for a girl for the first time. To actually want to be with them and not have them be a one-night stand. I loved watching his journey and growing into himself. I loved watching him fall in love and actually mean it. I loved watching him prove he wasn’t what his reputation deemed him and that Lexy truly was the one person he cared for deeply and the first girl he had ever loved – and will probably only love.

The supporting characters were brilliant. Jen is crazy but loyal and she will tell Lexy how it is but always be there for her. I can’t wait to read her book when it’s out. I know it’s going to be a great one!

Bing, Lexy’s brother. Oh he had me in stitches. Their banter to one another is out of this world. They bicker like siblings do, but you can see that anyone who touches Lexy will get a fist in his face. He’s protective of his little sister but he does love embarrassing her in front of Alec. I would just love for him to be my brother (And I do have a brother). His and Jens book. Well, I can’t wait. I could really see the chemistry between them so I can’t wait to see what happens with these two.

I truly loved the ending. It was reminiscent of her parent’s past and I just cried at it because it was perfect. Perfect for these two who know it’s more than a summer romance and know that they don’t want their love to end at all. What Alec said, oh, I fell in love with him even more. He and Lexy are so right together. They bring out the best in one another and for him to go to all that effort to be with her, I command him!

Emma Hart has written a fantastic novel in Never Forget. You will have laughs, you will cry and you will feel the pain that Lexy felt when her world crushed beneath her. It’s a truly wonderful coming-of-age book. You watch a great family bond become even closer, you watch friendships rekindle, you watch a love affair grow but most of all, you watch two people change right before your eyes, into the best possible person they can be, together and alone.

There were also dual POV’s, so we got to see both Lexy and Alec’s thoughts and feelings towards one another. I love it when an author does this, because it’s mostly the girls feelings we get and we have to guess whether the guy is genuine or not. But Alec’s POV’s were truthful and you could really see how much he wanted to prove himself to Lexy and how much growing up he did. It was real.

I really, really, really recommend this book because one page in and you will be hooked right to the very end. The writing is a breath of fresh air, the plot flows and to be honest, there isn’t enough words to tell you how amazing Never Forget is.

I’d also like to add that I’m super excited for book two, Always Remember, focusing on Bing (I love him) and Jen. It means more Lexy and Alec which is going to be awesome!

Abbi Glines, Family, New Adult, Romance

Never Too Far (Too Far #2) – Abbi Glines

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

He had held a secret that destroyed her world.

Everything she had known was no longer true.

Blaire couldn’t stop loving him but she knew she could never forgive him.
Now, she was back home and learning to live again. Moving on with life… until something happened to send her world spinning once again.
What do you do when the one person you can never trust again is the one that you need to trust so desperately?

You lie, hide, avoid, and pray that your sins never find you out.

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My Review

If you have yet to read Fallen Too Far, check out my review of it here, before you read Never Too Far.

Never Too Far starts off from where Fallen Too Far ends.

Its three weeks later and Blaire is in Sumit, living with Cain’s grandmother. She knows she can’t stay there forever; she’s just biding her time to leave and uproot somewhere else. Where, she doesn’t yet know but its not only her she has to think about now.

Rush is still in Rosemary. He’s a complete wreck and he’s missing Blaire more than he’s ever missed anyone before. He’s become a recluse, staying in and not hosting parties anymore. All he thinks about is Blaire and how he can get her to forgive him. He needs her like he needs air to breath. He just can’t live without her but he understands how hurt she is.

When Blaire moves back to Rosemary, Rush takes it as his chance to try and win her back. He’ll do whatever he can to make her stay in Rosemary and be with him again; to forgive him for everything that has happened in the past few weeks. Can Blaire truly forgive Rush, like he so desperately needs her to do?

With Rush heartbroken over Blaire, he feels that he will never see her again. Feels that she will never love him again and never forgive him. He loves her too much to let that happen.

So when Bethy brings Blaire back to Rosemary, Blaire insists it’s only for a few months, to save up some money and then move on to another city. Somewhere where she can leave Rosemary and all the memories behind. But now that Rush knows Blaire is back, he’s going to do whatever he can to win her back.

Blaire is determined not to let Rush back in. Not to let him hurt her all over again when he decides to leave her. There has been too much between them for her to trust him again, but it’s not that easy for Rush. He’s determined to prove that he’d do anything for Blaire, anything to get her back and anything to be near her. Even shutting out his family for her. Shutting out Nan.

Blaire is torn between wanting Rush and needing to stay away from him, but she still loves him and doesn’t know what to do. Does she want him back? Can she trust him again? And add in the hormones and she’s screwed. Literally screwed. Rush is crumbling her wall bit by bit, pulling himself back into her life and she just can’t let him go. Not again.

But then add in a whole lot of drama in their lives. Misunderstandings – mainly on Blaire’s part as Rush seems to be the one who cocks up all the time, and you have Never Too Far.

These misunderstandings could have easily been sorted out if they both talked to one another when they happened instead of being angry before listening to what actually happened. I suppose with so much history between them, it’s hard to fully forget what has happened and to fully trust again. I think this is why Blaire kept jumping to conclusion about Rush. They were all straightened out in the end, and they do get a HEA. They are perfect for one another.

You find out the truth about Blaire’s father, Rush’s mother and the whole story about the betrayal that broke up Blaire and Rush. By Gosh, I was not expecting that all at. I was hooked on how and what was going to happen after that. That truth has well and truly rocked the boat.

Although my love for Rush reached top level, there were some points in the book where I just got so annoyed at him. He kept messing up time and time again. Not on purpose, but it’s who he is. But the one part I got so angry at was at 80% when he screamed at Blaire. Sorry, I know what happened was truly horrible, but she was only trying to be supportive and if I was her, I would have moved back in with Bethy and told him to get lost. Because she didn’t deserve to be spoken to like that and left alone at night.

And then not to speak to her for 7 days, get Grant to tell you how she is and find out that Woods is helping her out. Sorry mate, you should have called her. She’s your girlfriend.

He always redeems himself, but I don’t know why Blaire stayed. I certainly wouldn’t have.

Still hate Nan. What an evil character. She’s a cold, hearted bitch. When that whole thing (At 80%) happened, I literally couldn’t have given a bigger shit about it. I had no feelings about her at all. Maybe I’m the cold hearted bitch, but I really didn’t care about her at all. I also hated that she wanted to know if she would be in the baby’s life. Why should she be allowed when she had been the ultimate bitch throughout her life and to Blaire? I would have told her to Fuxk off.

But Blaire is too nice. She’s too good. She puts people before herself. She cares so much and even though Nan was the problem, she still wanted to know how she was. It proves how great a character Blaire truly is.

Grant. I loved him in Fallen Too Far. But in Never Too Far, hm, I’m not sure now. Yes, he gave some good advice and was there for Rush no matter what but he seems kind of sneaky now. That he’s hiding something from Rush. I can’t wait to find out in his book what that something is. I do have my suspicions over what it could be. I’ll just have to wait and see if they are true.

Now Woods. Oh how I loved him! He’s brilliant. Such a kind, understanding and pleasant friend to Blaire throughout everything that is happening in her life. His book is going to be amazing! I can’t wait to find out more about him and his life beyond the club. Such a great friend and I hope his book makes me fall in love with him a little bit more. He deserves all the love that comes his way.

Bethy. I loved her character. In Fallen Too Far, Blaire guided her and took her under her wings and you can see how grown up she is now. How much stronger she is and how she takes no bullshit from anyone. She can stand her ground even against Rush. I loved her protectiveness with Blaire, taking care of her and making sure she was okay throughout the book. You could really see how great a friend Blaire had in Bethy and I know that she will be there for her no matter what. They are definitely BFF’s.

There was a lot of sex in this book. Got to love the sexy times. And it was even steamier than in Fallen Too Far. Of course, it was down to hormones but hells yes, give me a Rush fix any time of the day. He’d never leave my bed if that’s how he performs during sex.

I did enjoy the alternating POVS. Loved how we got to see Rush’s pov throughout the book. How miserable is was, how much he needed Blaire back, his feelings and emotions pouring through the book but also how much of an utter idiot he was at times. But he redeemed himself and I knew that no matter what, he would always be there for Blaire. Even when it seemed other things were more important, they all added up to spending the rest of his life with Blaire.

I have to say, the ending was a bit abrupt. I felt there could have been so much more to the story and I did get a bit frustrated when it said “The End”. BUT good news, Abbi Glines WILL be writing a third instalment of Rush and Blaire’s story, albeit it won’t be out until late summer, she said, but we will get to see beyond how it ended. Thank the lord! I need more Rush in my life!

There is going to sound so random, but after I finished the book, I led in bed thinking about their family dynamic. Like Nan and Rush are half-siblings. Nan and Blaire are half sibling (;)). Nan, Rush and Grant are step-siblings. Rush (maybe Grant, kind of) and Blaire are step-siblings. Holy Moly. Their family is super confusing and there are a lot of questions that I have that I still want answered. Hopefully with Grants book and the third book, Abbi will cover them so I’m not going to worry about them right now.

Never Too Far is about a journey. A journey into trust, love, friendship and family. It’s about standing up for yourself and doing what you think is best for you. It’s about forgiving too. I did really enjoy reading Never Too Far and going through Rush and Blaire’s journey together once again. I couldn’t put the book down at all.

I recommend this book to everyone who wants a Rush crush!!

J. Sterling, Romance

MY BIRTHDAY BOOK: Chance Encounters – J. Sterling

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Caroline Weber was a normal girl who thought she had her life figured out. After graduating from college in New York, she moved to San Francisco with her boyfriend, Clay. Everything in her life felt perfect. There wasn’t anything she would change…

…until she met Jackson Parks.

Is it possible that a chance meeting with a stranger can make you question EVERYTHING you thought you wanted? Caroline tries to carry on with her life as if nothing has changed…but the truth is, nothing can ever be the same.

Chance Encounters is an emotional love story about trusting and following your heart, even when it’s leading you down a difficult path.

Sometimes other hearts have to break in order to keep yours intact.

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My Review

Caroline Weber has been with her boyfriend Clay for many years. They moved from New York to San Francisco together after graduating college. After a tragic accident in New York, Caroline goes back to New York but on the return plane, everything she thought was perfect in her life suddenly changes when a stranger sits in the seat besides her.

His name? Jackson Parks and during the flight, he seems to be making Caroline question everything and the attraction between them is anything but. Once landed in San Fran, Caroline tries her best to continue with her life, but the truth is, everything has changed and she can’t go back to how life was before. It can never be the same.

Caroline did have a good heart, albeit, it was a heart used to doing ‘boring’ things – in the words of Bailey, her best friend. When she met Jax on the plane, she was instantly attracted to him and it was a kind of love/lust at first sight. You could see her inner dilemmas over both Clay and Jackson and she really didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially Clay, but loving two people, someone was bound to have their heart broken and she just didn’t know what to do. I’ve heard this saying and said this saying a few times in my 22 years and its “If you love two men, pick the second one, because if you really loved the first, you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” And this is totally true to Chance Encounters. If she truly loved Clay with all her heart, she wouldn’t have felt such strong feelings for Jax and she wouldn’t be talking to him every single day and would have told Clay about it, not kept it a secret.

I did, at times, feel so infuriated with Caroline, much because of the things she said at the start of the book about life and then she just contradicts herself and does the complete opposite of what she said she wouldn’t do. In a way, I suppose she never expected anything of this scale to occur and for her to think over what she should do – stay in the comfortable relationship and marry Clay or give up everything and go head first into a relationship with Jackson and find everything she didn’t know she was looking for?

I know the talking to Jax behind Clays back is completely wrong, but would it be considered cheating? It’s a hard thing to determine and I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

Oh Jackson. Jackson, Jackson, Jackson. You fell for an unavailable girl, and by God, you fell for her hard. I loved Jax from the start. He was playful, charismatic and has never loved a woman as much as he loved Caroline. Hell, he’s never loved a woman, especially one who has a boyfriend and he has standards – he would never split up a relationship and be a homewrecker. As much as there was a voice saying he should stay away, there was too much of an electric pull between the two, and they both felt it. It was pretty easy to see why Caroline developed feelings so quickly for Jax, he was the type of guy who would always be there and say the right things. I completely fell for him too and I was rooting for Caroline to make the right decision regarding Jax and pick him, because the things he would say and do in this book would make my heart swell. It was hard to see him love her so much yet be caused pain over Caroline’s actions – although she didn’t mean to.

Bailey, Caroline’s best friend was the greatest friend EVER! She was there for Caroline through thick and thin, trying to help her through her battles with both Jax and Clay. Her advice and support was magical and she never once judged Caroline was her actions. Their friendship is something special and Bailey really did crack me up laughing at times. That is what you want in a great friendship! Jackson’s best friend, Alex was much the same as Bailey was to Caroline. They were both so loyal to Caroline and Jax and would do anything to try and make them happy. I’m so glad they both had amazing friends to help them through the situation.

And finally Clay. He was such a sweetheart, although he worked late nearly every night, but it never seemed to bother Caroline. He knew something was up when she returned from New York and he just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before she left. He genuinely loved Caroline and would do anything for her. The birthday date he set up was magical and I would love to have that date myself. I could understand his anger towards Caroline when she told him about Jackson. It would hurt and sting like hell to know your girlfriend has been speaking to another guy behind your back and fallen in love but then I think, if he hadn’t worked so late all the time, maybe it wouldn’t have happened? But because Clay was such a nice and lovely guy, in time he was able to forgive Caroline for what she had done and he went to live his own life after her.

It is a beautiful book to read and the way it was written is totally respectful towards what the book is about. I felt the emotions of all the characters and it was easy to fall into becoming attached to each character as they were easy to associate with and care for. It is definitely a page turner and I couldn’t put it down at all, I needed to know what was going to happen.

Give this book a read, it will not disappoint.

Chelsea M. Cameron, New Adult

My Favorite Mistake – Chelsea M. Cameron

Posted on January 2, 2013January 27, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Taylor Caldwell can’t decide if she wants to kiss her new college roommate or punch him.

On the one hand, Hunter Zaccadelli is a handsome, blue-eyed bundle of charm. On the other, he’s a tattooed, guitar-playing bundle of bad boy. Maybe that’s why Taylor’s afraid of falling in love with him, or anyone else. She doesn’t want to get burned, and even though her other roommates adore him, she wants him gone before it’s too late.

Hunter himself has been been burned before, but the fact that Taylor calls him out on his crap and has the sexiest laugh ever make him decide maybe love isn’t a lost cause. They make a bet: if she can convince him she truly loves or hates him, he’ll leave the apartment–and leave her alone. The problem is, the more time they spend together, the less she hates him, and the more she moves toward love.

But when the man who holds the key to Taylor’s fear of giving up her heart resurfaces and threatens to wreck everything, she has to decide: trust Hunter with her greatest secret, or do everything in her power to win that bet and drive him away forever.

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My Review

“It doesn’t seem like enough. Seeing your face when you opened it makes me want to buy you a million things just so i can see that look every single day”

Taylor isn’t happy to see a guy at her doorstep claiming that he’s her new roommate. It means that he has the bed in her room as the other room is occupied and that is not going to sit right with her at all. Seeing as there is nothing anyone can do, Hunter, the new roommate, proposes a deal. If she can prove she hates him, loves him or has sex with him, he will move out and they will never see each other again.

BUT he has the deciding vote to see if she is telling the truth or not. Taylor is determined to prove that she hates him, but the more time they spend together, the more the lines are blurring and love is slowly creeping in.

I have to be honest and say I didn’t exactly warm up to Taylor from the start. The way she behaved when Hunter was at the front door really annoyed me. She could have handled that situation better if she didn’t go off on one. Yes, I understand that it was meant to be a girls only flat and yes, having to share a room with a guy would be totally uncomfortable, but come on, it wasn’t his fault he got placed in the flat and the other two girls seemed more than okay with him living with them – even suggesting to switch rooms with her.

For someone to act that way when they have never met someone, it just didn’t sit right with me. Sure Hunter is cocky, but as Taylor said, she could see he wasn’t like that all the time, but still she was an absolute bitch to him. I suppose once you find out her secret, it makes sense why she was uncomfortable but still, it’s not an excuse to be rude. Saying that, I did warm up to her in the end and really did sympathize with her ways, especially as you can see why she is so afraid to fall in love and be with anyone…until Hunter.

I loved Hunter the first time you read about him. I would be more than happy to have him live with me and share my room! He’s a gorgeous, cocky guy who has five tattoos and plays guitar, yet you know that it’s just an act as he too, is hiding a big secret that he doesn’t want Taylor to find out; no matter how hard she pesters him about it. You can really see the attraction between Taylor and Hunter, and Hunter, even though he hides behind this façade, he really is sweet and kind and sensitive and would do anything for Taylor as he truly wants to be with her, even when he kept going “I don’t like you.” He’s a cheeky chap who speaks his mind and that completely scares Taylor. Yet Taylor is completely different to the type of girls Hunter sleeps with and that scares him too.

As I’ve mentioned, they both have big pasts they don’t want to share but when they do, it brings them closer to one another. They both help each other through their traumas, especially Hunter with Taylor’s, and he shows her that nothing can hurt her anymore and he shows her how much he loves her – more than the stars. I do have to say, their bickering and banter really made the book for me. It was hilarious and sexual and everything I love to read between two characters who are trying to hate one another.

The only downside was how long it took for them to sort their acts out and get together, but in no way is this book boring. They really are meant to be together and when they have sex for the first time, it was perfect for them. The perfect moment to become one and to share their feelings. They do go through some problems, albeit they work through them together and get past them with each other’s help which I loved. This book is really refreshing to read as lately I have been reading a lot of YA/NA with some much drama in, my heart couldn’t take it anymore, but this book was a wonderful read for a lazy New Years Day.

The ending was great! It left room to stand alone or to be expanded and become another book. I for one, vote for another book. I’d love to see more of Taylor and Hunter’s story, but if there isn’t another book, I am satisfied that everything fell into place for them. Hunter is my new fictional boyfriend!

Definitely give My Favorite Mistake a read 😀

J. Sterling, New Adult

The Perfect Game – J. Sterling

Posted on December 30, 2012December 30, 2012 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

He’s a game she never intended to play.
And she’s the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind… like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

They’re both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together.

Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful…

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My Review

“You’re both so screwed up alone that together you’re like the perfect mess.”

I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve had The Perfect Game on my kindle for a few weeks now, and every time I have gone to read it, I have been scared and chosen another book. The reason? When I download books, I read reviews, as do many other people, but I read one review that said something really bad happens and if you follow me on twitter or have read some of my reviews, you know I become too emotionally attached to books, the storylines and the characters, and I knew, if I read this book, I’d probably have my heart ripped out and throw my kindle away from me. And that is exactly what I did reading this book. But it was worth every second because I fell head over heels in love with this book from the beginning.

College junior Cassie Andrews and her best friend and roommate Melissa end up going to a frat party and that is when Cassie and Jack meet. Jack is your typical manwhore who gets any women he wants until he meets Cassie who is turned off by his charms and won’t give him the time of day. Jack’s cocky and always gets what he wants but when Cassie bites back, something switches in him and he pursues her until she relentlessly gives in to a date with him. Only one date though, and then he’ll leave her alone. But things aren’t always that easy when it comes to Jack when she gets to know him, the real him over dinner and that’s when everything changes for the both of them.

You find out that Jack isn’t all that cocky and deep down he’s been burnt badly by his parents leaving him and his brother when they were younger and that he has major trust issues, hence why he only sleeps with a girl once and lets them pursue him. He’s way out of his comfort zone with Cassie, but he knows there is something different about him than all the other girls. She doesn’t care that he’s an athlete, she only cares about him as a person and that’s when he knows he wants something more with her. She asks him to prove it, and that’s exactly what he does. Proves he can be a one women man, especially for Cassie.

Their relationship started off great, apart from the group of girls constantly making snide comments about Cassie. Things are perfect for them but they both have major trust issues especially Cassie. Her issues stem from her Dad who never follows through with his promises and so because of this, Cassie finds it hard to trust any man. Jack’s issues are from his parents leaving and the fact he’s never been in a relationship so he keeps telling Cassie he will screw up eventually. But together, they both refuse to let anyone get in-between them; they are determined to make this relationship work.

To see Jack change for Cassie was beautiful. She’s the one girl who sees Jack for who he really is and not the cocky, manwhore that everyone else sees. He’s real with her and it seemed that he needed Cassie as much as she needed him. As their relationship blossoms and they have been through a lot to get through to the other side, Jack has been drafted for his Baseball and is travelling and Cassie is doing well in college and has earned herself a photography internship. Things are going great but as any great book, nothing good ever lasts too long and things change dramatically over night between them when they are apart.

I screamed, shouted and threw my kindle away from me while I took in what I had just read. Then when I got my breathing back to normal and read the next page few pages, I did it all over again. To say I was affected was an understatement. I just couldn’t believe what I had read. It made me hate Jack for what he had done to Cassie after telling her he would never hurt her. I couldn’t condone what he had done, but then I felt remorse towards him. He felt so sorry and guilt was eating him up that he knew the right thing was to own up to Cassie about it, even though he knew he would lose her and that’s what he never wanted to do – she was his life. Then the way he handled it, going to the extreme of what he did, even when everyone was telling him not to, it got me frustrated and angry at him again. I know he wanted to make things right, but to do that? There was really no need, but in a way I could see his reasoning’s but it was definitely the wrong way to go as it backfired on him.

I am really glad that you get to see Jack’s POV in certain chapters. If we didn’t, I would have definitely hated him throughout the book, wondering if it was a bet or something to try and be with Cassie but alas, don’t worry, it’s not and he truly does want Cassie forever, which I thought was amazingly sweet.

This book goes through a journey. A journey of love, changes, breaking down barriers, heartbreak and friendship. There is a happy ending for both Jack and Cassie and after everything that they went through; the way he apologized would clinch at my heartstrings too. The ending was positively perfect in my opinion and although after everything that happens between the pair and many would probably not forgive him; it seemed the right choice for Cassie to do so. I, for one, am so excited to read book two The Game Changer, when it is out in 2013. Please hurry up and release it J.Sterling!!

New Adult

On Dublin Street – Samantha Young

Posted on December 28, 2012February 27, 2013 by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul.

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My Review

“Gentlemen are gentlemen in bed. They make sure you’re having a good time.”
“I’ll make sure you’re having a good time, and that you’re okay with everything we’re doing. I just won’t be well-mannered about it.”

I had seen everyone raving about this book for a couple of weeks, but due to the up-rise of books like 50 Shades, I was sceptical of reading this, thinking it was the same. But jeeze was I ever wrong in that!! I downloaded this book yesterday afternoon and I had finished it by the evening. I did have a 5 hour break where I had to go to work; otherwise I would have finished it even sooner. It drew me in from the first page and I just knew that I would fall in love with this book. I wasn’t mistaken at all. It’s nothing like 50 Shades, if you’re looking for something different to that whole BDSM stories that are now around.

Jocelyn Butler has gone through so much in her 22 years. She lost her parents and baby sister when she was 14 and then a year later she lost her best friend. To say she’s emotionally scarred by this is an understatement. She has serious trust issues and doesn’t let anyone close enough in fear that she will lose them too sooner or later. So after coming to university in Edinburgh and studying for four years, she is now looking for a flat as her best friend’s Rhian and James have moved to London. Whilst on the way to view a flat and meet its owner, she shares a taxi with a mysterious man (Who is absolutely oozing sex appeal) and they banter the whole way to her destination.

She then meets Ellie, the flat’s owner and after talking, Ellie decides she wants Jocelyn to move in. What Joss doesn’t know is that The Suit (The guy from the taxi) is Ellie’s brother and living there means she will see more of him. Because of this, she’s in a rut. Ellie is an outgoing, happy and funny girl and then there is Braden – The Suit – who is absolutely gorgeous and he can’t keep his eyes off her every time they are together. The attraction to one another is off the scale and although she tries to fight it at every corner, it’s impossible seeing as Braden wants her and he always gets what he wants.

Jocelyn, or Joss as she demands to be called, is a very complicated young woman. As I’ve mentioned, she’s been through a lot in her short years becoming a wild party animal to forget everything but four years ago she stopped everything and moved to Scotland to go to university. She’s a closed book – not letting anyone in fear of becoming hurt if they leave and not telling anyone about her past because she wants to keep it buried. But when she moves in with Ellie, her walls are slowly starting to crumble down. Her and Ellie become friends fast and Braden keeps pursuing and flirting with her. She doesn’t know what to do and it’s confusing her over how much she’s starting to care for these people when she doesn’t want to feel anything. She does start going to a psychiatrist and she begins to heal…slowly.

Braden stole my heart from the first moment he appeared. He oozes sex appeal and from the first moment he and Joss meet, there is an obvious connection between them. Braden isn’t the type of guy to stay with a girl longer than a few weeks after being burnt by a previous relationship, but there is something about Joss that he can’t get enough of. He seems to understand every little thing and feeling coming from Joss, which in turn frightens her. He’s possessive, bossy but cares for Joss immensely. They both know there is something between them, but because Joss doesn’t do relationships, he decides to take what he can get and proposes a ‘friends with benefits’ deal for three months to her and yes, you guessed it, she accepts. With much persuasive I must add. But this is just the beginning for the both of them and Joss’s feelings are starting to slowly change and its scaring her to let Braden in and he’s getting so close to her so when she keeps trying to break up with him because of her issues and freak-outs, he doesn’t let them issues affect their time together. They are just completely perfect for one another.

I really loved how much Brandan cared for Joss. When her walls did crumble, and they went through a rough patch, he gave her space, but he always wanted her back. He was with her throughout everything and when she told him her past, my heart fluttered. It was great to see him care so much and want to help her through her past and her pain. Going with her back to America to get closure was one of the best things he could have done. And it made me love him even more.

The only and only thing I did despise about Braden was what he said to her on one of the pages. I absolutely screamed at my Kindle and then the next page he said he was lying, just to get a reaction from her. I wanted to kill him for being so utterly horrid but then I suppose he was trying to see if she really did care about him like he did with her. He redeemed himself after that and he stole my heart again and all was forgiven.

Ellie, Braden’s sister is such a gem. She’s outgoing, fun, chatty and such a happy character. It was hard not to fall in love with her right away. She is the perfect flatmate and friend you could have. She does have a big storyline in this book and I was devastated when I found out what was going on, but she’s a tough girl and I knew she would get through it.

I love, love, love this book! It had everything. It’s a book about love, trust and passion. It takes you on a journey; Dealing with your inner demons, building friendships, letting people in and falling in love no matter how hard you try not to. It has something for everyone so what are you waiting for? Go grab your copy now and fall in love with all the characters, especially Braden and Ellie!

Here’s to looking forward to book two!!