Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Review: Dare to Kiss by S.B. Alexander!


Besides her family, Lacey Robinson’s only other love is baseball. She’s on top of the world when Arizona State University approaches her to discuss a scholarship. To be the first girl ever to grace a college boys’ team is beyond what she has ever dreamed.

Her fastball is impeccable, her curveball equally as good, and her slider annihilates anyone who dares to step in the batter’s box. But fate has its own way of throwing curveballs. When she loses her mother and sister to a home invasion, baseball and her dreams die with them. Tragedy has a way of seeping deep into her psyche, causing nightmares, panic attacks and blackouts. Diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, her psychiatrist recommends a change of scenery and picking up the things that she loved to do, and for Lacey that is baseball.

After a move clear across the country, only two things matter to Lacey—overcome her PTSD and make Kensington High’s baseball team. But trying out for the team comes with obstacles—the captain, Aaron Seever, doesn’t want a girl on the team.

Her life is further complicated when she meets Kade Maxwell, a tall, sexy and drool-worthy bad boy who has a magical touch that awakens her feminine side and a kiss that slowly erases her nightmares. But getting involved with him may be dangerous when Kade’s archenemy returns to town to settle a vendetta.

To complicate matters, her PTSD has taken a turn for the worse. She has to find a way to heal otherwise she may not have a chance at anything in life, especially love.
This is a New Adult Novel and contains strong language and sexual content. Intended for audiences age 17+

 Description taken from Goodreads



My Review


Dare to Kiss definitely surprised me.  I flew right through it and got wrapped up in the plot as well as being so invested in the characters.  It really had an interesting concept and I have never read anything like it before.

Let’s start out with the characters first shall we?

First up is Lacey, our main character.  She was a hoot.  She was so sarcastic.  I love me some overly sarcastic characters.  Probably because I, myself, am known to be quite sarcastic.  I love it.  It’s an art, is what it is.  But, there was so much more to Lacey than what’s on the outside.  Just by looking at her you can tell that she sticks up for herself, she’s dedicated and knows what she wants.  But, getting in her head you realize that she has flaws and she is scared and paranoid because her mom and sister were murdered.  She’s also strong as well.  She tries so hard to get over her PTSD, even though she may make a few mistakes down the road, you can’t fault her for not trying. 

Next up is Kade, the love interest.  I found Kade to be super interesting.  He was swoon worthy and protective but he also had his faults as well and I hope that we can delve more into that in the next book.  You know, I actually found myself comparing Kade to Daemon from the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  They both have that devil may care attitude but deep down care for the ones closest to them and their families are what gets them through the day.  Solid character, Kade is.

All of the side characters were great as well, I hope we see more of them in future books, or could they possibly have their own?  Companion series?  Yes?  Please?  I want more of the triplets!  That’s right, I said triplets! 

The storyline was definitely something that I loved.  The combination of Laceys’ PTSD, her love of baseball, and her need to get through some traumatic stuff was handled pretty well and was balanced.  She really works through everything and doesn’t give up.  There was a sense of mystery in the fact that the killer who murdered her mom and sister is still out there and I really hope that that continues in the next book.  I did feel as though the author built up the murders and Laceys’ bullying/threats so much but there was no follow through, no resolution.  Both plotlines just kind of stopped.  So, here’s to hoping that we get more in the sequel.

The romance was definitely steamy but I hated that it was insta-love.  And this right here is the main reason why Dare to Kiss isn’t a 5 star rating.  I wish it was but insta-love is a major turn off for me and a lot of other readers.  There really was no foundation for their relationship at all, not until later in the book when they actually start sharing their inner most darkest secrets.  After that I could get on board but just barely.  It just really went way too fast. 

It did end nicely as there is no real cliffhanger but I am glad that there will be a sequel so we can explore more of the murder case as well as all the threats Lacey received for playing baseball.

If you enjoyed the sports element of All Lined Up by Cora Carmack or the romance and deep issues in the Wait for You series by J. Lynn (JLA), then I dare you to check out Dare to Kiss.  (See what I did there?)

4/5 Hearts!


Check Out The Book Trailer!








Thursday, September 25, 2014

Cover Reveal: Inspire by Cora Carmack!



I am thrilled to bring you the cover for Cora Carmack's INSPIRE! INSPIRE is a New Adult Paranormal Romance novel and is due to be released on December 15, 2014!



Inspire
The cover was designed by VLC Productions.

About INSPIRE:

Kalliope lives with one purpose.

To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.

But it breeds madness, too.





HeadshotAbout Cora Carmack:

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, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.







Monday, September 15, 2014

Cover Reveal: Wicked (Wicked #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout!



Holy friggens, guys! I am so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's WICKED! WICKED is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Wicked Trilogy. It is being released on December 8th, 2014. So make sure you pre-order it today!!



Wicked
WICKED Synopsis:

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.



Author PhotoAbout Jennifer L. Armentrout:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.





Saturday, September 13, 2014

Review: Perception: A New Adult Anthology + Giveaway!

The world will never look the same…

There comes a defining moment in every young person's life that irrevocably shifts their point of view. For a new teacher who still compares herself to her students, it’s a missing girl and a false accusation that could cost her more than her career. For a young man who settles into a rut that not even his broken marriage can pull him out of, it’s a drifter’s gun to his head. For an idealistic college student, it’s her parents’ divorce pulling back the curtain on who they really are, shattering everything she thought she knew about love. And for a recovering addict who's not ready to change, it might just be an unhappy ending to her illicit affair.

In Perception, discover five captivating stories that explore what it means to be a new adult.

Description taken from Goodreads



My Review

My Boyfriend is a Senator by Linda Davis

This story really caught me off guard with it being surprisingly sad and heartwrenching.  I loved how it was told in third person, you really felt connected with the main character as if it were you. 

Right from the beginning I could tell that Taylor wanted some kind of approval and just wanted to tell someone the truth about her boyfriend and it definitely hits you like a ton of bricks when you read between the lines and realize what’s actually going on.

The very last line really got to me and sent shivers down my spine.

Very interesting story, 4/5 hearts


Missing by Mary Laufer

A page turner this book definitely was.  Holy crap, I could see this as a movie, it was so thrilling.  Or even a TV show ala The Killing.

The characters had a lot of depth and could easily have had a whole book written about them.  I was sucked in from the very beginning and had my mouth hanging open by the end of the book.

I felt for the characters and the suspense definitely had me very fidgety.

I want to know what happens, Mary! 

Great thriller and mystery, 4.5/5 hearts


The Outlaw by Scott C. Davis

This really didn’t hit me as hard as the first two did.  I was so pumped up from reading them that this was kind of a let down.  Where the first two could be a small snippet of a full fledged novel, this felt random and didn’t make much sense.

It was written well but I feel like I just couldn’t connect with the main character.  I could definitely sympathize with him but there just wasn’t enough for me to actually care about him.

I feel like if it had been a tad more realistic or if there was more to it, then I might have enjoyed it more.

A decent story that just fell flat, 2.5/5 hearts


Drive by Nealy Gihan

I was severely disappointed with this story.  Both the main characters were horrendous.  I just couldn’t believe that Trevor was in his thirties when he acted like he was seventeen.  Simona was okay but I felt like she had no depth.

I really thought that this book had promise when Simona was in a restroom and found a disturbing message on the stall door and was really excited about what was going to happen.  I was actually more excited about that than the actual plot and I thought that Nealy was somehow going to weave that into it but it just kind of hit a roadblock.

Another story that felt very random with little things that would have made the story great that are just thrown in and not developed at all or just don’t make sense when all is said and done.

Started out great but I was, unfortunately, left disappointed and completely unsatisfied, 3/5 hearts


The Talisman by Heather Hildenbrand

This one was very interesting and the only paranormal/supernatural story of the bunch.  I loved the talisman aspect and the Demi demons.

The religious aspect kind of turned me off of it though, if that hadn’t been a part of it or if it was just tweaked a bit then I would have fully enjoyed it.

I still really did enjoy it and wold love a full book about this world and how everything came to be.

Heather did a great job of developing a paranormal/supernatural story in such a short amount of time.

Interesting P/S story, 3.5/5 hearts


All in all, Perception was a great bind up of some very interesting stories that you will fly through.

Overall, 3.5 out of hearts


Also, here is a snippet from my favorite story, Missing:

Theresa continued to write pages full of fabrications, mostly sexual fantasies planted for my sake. There were several entries involving her seducing older men—not only Scott Miller, but also other guys at the high school, from the science teacher to the custodian. With a vibrant red gel pen, she wrote paragraph after paragraph describing her having intercourse with them in the old darkroom off the Yearbook room, in the science lab, in the custodian’s closet. It happened before school started, between classes, and after school. “They can’t resist me,” Theresa wrote. “I’m beautiful.” 



Giveaway!!