Tattered (Lark Cove #1) by Devney Perry ~ Review

Source: Freebie.

Tattered (Lark Cove #1) by Devney Perry

Thea Landry has always known her place in modern-day society. It’s somewhere just above the trash can her mother dumped her in as a newborn but below the class where much comes easy. With her tattered shoes and bargain-bin clothes, her life has never been full of glamour.

So when a rich and charismatic man takes interest, she doesn’t fool herself into thinking their encounter is anything more than a one-night stand. Months later, she’s kicking herself for not getting his phone number. Or his last name. She’s given up hope of seeing him ever again.

Until one day, years later, Logan Kendrick waltzes into her life once more and turns everything she’s built upside down. This time around, she won’t make the same mistake. She’s going to fight to keep him in her life—not for herself.

But for their daughter.

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Devney Perry is one of those authors that I WANT to love. I hear stellar things about her books. Some of my best friends love them. So even though I read The Coppersmith Farmhouse a while ago and didn't love it, I wanted to give her books another chance. And since I got Tattered as a freebie from a newsletter, I thought this would be the perfect book to try. Unfortunately, I ended up liking Tattered even less than The Coppersmith Farmhouse. 

On the upside, I found the premise interesting. I'm a sucker for the surprise pregnancy trope, so it's not tough to get me behind secret babies. And going hand in hand with that, the bones of this story was good. Thea's past, her relationship with Hazel and Jackson, the complexity of Logan's family...there was so much that could have been great here.

However, it was in the execution of all these great things that Tattered fell short. Everything just felt very surface-level. I never got to the point where I was really feeling for the characters. Especially Logan--I didn't trust his commitment to Thea and Charlie at all. Because we didn't get to see growth for him, not really. It was like the flip of a switch--one day he didn't have a kid or a girlfriend, now he had both and he loved them.

The romance in particular was a let down. It felt forced. Another thing that was like the flip of a switch, changing more because that was where the plot was going rather than being where the characters and their emotions were evolving to. 

And it irritated me so much how Logan was so disillusioned. Thea TOLD him she didn't want to move, that Charlie didn't want to. And yet he has it in his head throughout darn near the entire book that they're going to pick up and move to where he needs them. (Until of course the plot necessitated him to have a sudden change of heart, but I won't go into that because spoilers.)

Oh, and speaking of things I'm not going to spoil: there's a storyline that comes to light further into the book that was terrible. The book did not need it, and it felt very out of place. (And it was so opposite of exciting that I legit almost forgot about it...)

Overall, Tattered was nowhere near as great as it could have been. I want so badly to enjoy Devney Perry's books, but at this point I think I may need to stop trying? We'll see if another one catches my eye enough for me to pick it up...third time might be the charm. 

2 stars - I'm in the minority on this one, but it fell super flat for me!

The Nanny Rules by Melynda Price ~ Review

Don’t touch the nanny. It’s one rule I’m most certainly going to break.

Since becoming a single father, I have two things that keep me sane—my daughter Lily and playing football for the NFL. But when my meddling sister hires a nanny without my knowledge, I’m not thrilled to come home and find the woman has taken over my house. Our instant attraction is one more complication I don’t need in my life.

But my daughter loves Amelia, and I will do anything for that tiny munchkin. Even if it means walking around with blue balls most of the time. Why does the nanny have to be so sweet—and drop dead gorgeous? She’s driving me crazy. Never in my life have I wanted a woman more.

I just need to make it through this season. I can do that. Hands free, of course. But then there’s that moment, and I know she’s thinking what I’m thinking and, well, yeah. Screw the rules...

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I'm a very character driven reader.  These characters were never real to me.  

It's really hard to get to know the characters when there is too much tell and not enough show.  Weeks would go by from one scene to the next with only a sentence to explain some of what happened during that time.  I don't always have issues with that but I have to have already made a connection to the characters.  That wasn't the case with this book.  These characters are just flat words on a page that I just don't care about. 

Sometimes I questions if the characters would even do something.  I really don't like it when an author forces the characters into things that they just wouldn't normally do.  That happened in this book.  I will admit that it's hard to tell if a character is forced when you don't know them well enough to even like them.  But this book is about a football player.  There are some things that are just a given in that situation.

The whole set-up of the NFL star and a nanny that has a masters in Psychology is just contrived.  Yeah, there's a reason given as to why she would take such a job but I'm not buying it.  This NFL player has had a traumatic experience and his daughter is recovering from that.  The perfect person to understand them both is someone who understands about how the mind deals with lose.  So it just felt too contrived.

Pretty much could have told you where and how this story was going.  Totally predictable.   Well except the idea that the Browns would EVER win the Superbowl.  That is just plan ridiculous.   And while it was nice that everything fell into place for the ending, it just was too easy.  Too predictable.  Boring, really.

About the only thing I can say I enjoyed was the idea of this story playing out in the NFL.  I love sports stories and football is my favorite.  There was a good balance between the story and the sport.  

Reading time is way to precious.  Skip this one.  

          

Dark Alpha's Claim by Donna Grant ~ Review

Dark Alpha's Claim is the first in an exclusive new series from New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant!

There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I am coming for you...

My whole existence is based on taking what Death wants. Born to eliminate Fae guilty of unforgivable crimes, my reckless, wild nature makes me the perfect assassin to carry out Death's bidding. I've seen more sinister and violent dealings than anyone could ever imagine. But it was the sight of her face that stopped me cold. I've never wanted a woman-never mind a human-so badly; never felt my heart, hardened by death, burn brighter and hotter until it burst into flames. She is everything I desire. The kind of woman that compels you to stake your claim on her, to let the world know that she's yours. A Reaper saving her life will only attract danger, but I vow to protect her at all costs from the Fae that hunt her, and keep safe the woman who has claimed me, body and soul.

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Um...I'm confused about a great many things.  Let's start with the title, shall we??? What the actual heck does it have to do with anything in the story I just read??  I mean I was confused by the title a lot when I first realized that this book/series was a spin off of the Dark Kings series...MINUS the dragons, of course.  But you see, Alphas are usually ALPHAS.  No alphas in this book.  None.  IF I try really hard to find a meaning here, I MIGHT be able to place this dark alpha on the evil enemy in this book BUT he makes no claim.  So, alas, I am confused.  I stayed confused for the whole book.  And I wasn't happy about it.

Next, I'm really wondering if the same author wrote this book as the Dark Kings series.  I mean the style is so different.  There is so much summary in this book.  Scenes just happen in a paragraph and I was left wondering was that a battle?  He just took out 5 Fae but it happened in a sentence as a summary?  Really?  I mean it doesn't happen that way in the Dark Kings books AT ALL.  If it was the same author, really, then she was in a hurry or was she trying to mash this into a novella size book never doing the story justice.  Just sayin'.

Next, instalove.  Okay, I'm usually good with instalove BUT there needs to be a reason, you know.  It doesn't just happen.  Usually in a paranormal book there is a reason for such things.  Fate.  OR SOMETHING but no reason is not okay.  I don't like it.  I don't get it.  I wanted more development of their relationship.  They kissed like the second time they even saw each other and the first time was like a bump into you kinda of meeting.  AND the reaper had just killed a bunch of Fae for her...quickly in a summary fashion but STILL.  That would kinda ruin any kissing mood, don't you think?  I did.

So one wonders WHY I finished this book and WHY I gave it even 2 stars and WHY I intent to read the next one in the series.  Yeah, about that...it's just the Dark Kings series is so good.  And there is a cross over between the two.  The reapers appear in the Dark Kings books though there were no Dragons in this series but there is some bits and pieces of information.  Things I want to know and understand for the Dark Kings series.  Besides, a girl can hope, can't she?  Hope this series will get better?  Besides the very quiet Own seems to be the focus of the next book and he has my interest.  AND the bad guy needs to be taken out and I wouldn't mind seeing that happen on the pages of a book.  

If you're not a Dark Kings junkie like me, you probably aren't interested in this one at all.  Looks somewhere else for a good paranormal read.  Maybe read the Dark Kings.

             

Gron's Fated (Ruth & Gron #2) by V.C. Lancaster ~ Review

Source: KindleUnlimited

Gron's Fated (Ruth & Gron #2) by V.C. Lancaster

Ruth and Gron have finally arrived on his home planet after falling in love when they were both abducted. But that doesn't mean their problems are over. Now they have to deal with Gron's family, and how Ruth can fulfill her role as a Queen in his society when she can't understand anything anyone says! With Gron's Alpha, mother, brother, and best friend all getting involved, the strain begins to take a toll on his and Ruth's relationship...

Ruth is just trying to make the best of a bad situation in her new jungle home with her mate, but Gron finds himself getting jealous now he doesn't have Ruth to himself anymore, though he knows a male can't expect to hold all his Queen's attention. He has to decide whether he can put his own happiness before Ruth's safety, or whether he has to sacrifice his heart to protect her.

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After reading Ruth's Bonded, I was curious enough to pick up book 2 but not exactly excited for it. So mostly my expectations were nonexistent--something I hoped would work in Gron's Fated's favor. Unfortunately, this second installment wasn't an improvement on the first.

On the bright side of things, Gron's Fated was largely from Gron's POV. It was interesting getting to learn about his culture and actually witness some INTERACTION throughout the story. And the addition of more characters than just Gron and Ruth was nice, too.

That said, this novel continues an issue I had with the first one: neither Gron nor Ruth put forth much effort of learning to truly communicate. I understand that they love each other regardless and clearly get on well enough...but why would they not want to improve their situation by learning more? They don't even really TRY. So Ruth barely knows what's going on most of the time, and Gron is hoping she catches on. It makes things more difficult than they have to be.

Another downside to this one was just the fact that it was kind of a drag. It was interesting at first, but once things got going and it became pretty clear how things would turn out (i.e. with little to no true development between the characters), it got harder to want to continue reading. In the end, I was feeling solidly meh.

Overall, Gron's Fated was unfortunately more of a drag than a joy to read. There were some solidly good aspects, but those were overshadowed by the lack of development. Yet again, however, I am curious enough to continue the series. Maybe some different characters will revive the series for me? Fingers crossed!

2 stars - Solidly meh for me.

The Prince (Wicked #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ Review

Source: e-ARC provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Prince (Wicked #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a new story in her Wicked series…

She’s everything he wants….

Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. The Prince. There is nothing in the mortal world more dangerous than him. Haunted by a past he couldn’t control, all Caden desires is revenge against those who’d wronged him, trapping him in never-ending nightmare. And there is one person he knows can help him.

She’s everything he can’t have…

Raised within the Order, Brighton Jussier knows just how dangerous the Prince is, reformed or not. She’d seen firsthand what atrocities he could be capable of. The last thing she wants to do is help him, but he leaves her little choice. Forced to work alongside him, she begins to see the man under the bitter ice. Yearning for him feels like the definition of insanity, but there’s no denying the heat in his touch and the wicked promise is his stare.

She’s everything he’ll take….

But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare that is hell bent on destroying the world and everyone close to him. The last thing either of them needs is a distraction, but with the attraction growing between them each now, the one thing he wants more than anything may be the one thing that will be his undoing.

She’s everything he’d die for….

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It is no secret that I love me some JLA. Her books are some of my favorites. And Wicked was a good trilogy, so I was looking forward to The Prince. Partly because I was excited for more of the Wicked characters--but especially because Cadan intrigued me in Brave. Unfortunately, this novella didn't end up really working out for me.

Let's start with things I liked:

- Tink! Tink is hilarious. Adding more Tink to anything automatically makes it better. That's just a proven fact. So I liked his humor and silly ways, but I also liked how he was a friend to Brighton.

- There were some good moments between Cadan and Brighton. They were fleeting, and I'll talk more about this in a minute, but I have to give credit to the moments I liked, and there were a couple.

- It's not a long novella, so it was easy to fly through. I honestly read it in one sitting without a problem. 

Now for things I was not a fan of:

- The romance. First of all, there wasn't a lot of it. I get that this is a novella, but so much of it was spent on world stuff and only a small portion of it was spent working on the actual Brighton/Cadan romance. Second of all, when it was happening, it wasn't a solid romance. It was so shaky and I felt nervous the entire time reading it. Never did I feel like they were a stable couple. Third, it's so short. They have a moment one second, then they're over the next. Ugh. That's all I'm going to say about that for the sake of spoilers.

- The story was rushed. I thought it was only going to be the beginning, but the whole thing was very this happens then this then this then this, which I guess is good? But it didn't exactly come across as entirely organic, you know? I get that it's a novella, but...

- The Prince is not a standalone. There will be a sequel. So this is like the first half of a story. Which means, in theory, that it could have been fleshed out just a liiiitle more before getting to the, ahem, ENDING, thus making the novella flow better.

- I also did not like the ending. I get that it's supposed to make me intrigued for the next book but I'm...I'm not sure. I don't feel invested in this story enough. I think that's just a ME thing, though. I think others who liked the Wicked world will probably click better with the arc that's being executed here.

Now, there are two things I'm on the fence about:

- Brighton. I'm not sure if I like her or not. I think maybe I just don't understand her. I don't dislike her at this point, so that's good.

- Cadan. I don't quite know what to say about him. The way he is sometimes...I don't like it. But when he's HIM, I kind of do. But the way he ended this book...sigh. I know he's going to have his reasons, but jury's out on how I'll feel about him when all is said and done.

Overall, I wanted so badly to enjoy this novella. Unfortunately, The Prince didn't click well with me. I wanted more (solid) romance, and I wasn't all that interested in the actual plot of the entire thing. I'm on the fence about whether I'll continue onto the next book or not--I'll need to think about it more. BUT, all that said, I think this is a *me* issue. I think most people who enjoyed the original Wicked trilogy will like The Prince just fine. It just didn't turn out to be my cup of tea, sadly.

2 stars - This novella just didn't click with me, unfortunately.

Tall, Dark, & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel #1) by R.L. Mathewson ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

Tall, Dark, & Lonely (Pyte/Sentinel #1) by R.L. Mathewson

When the mother that abandoned them years ago suddenly shows up and moves them to New Hampshire, Madison has no choice but to go or lose her family. Shoving her dreams aside yet again, she tries to make a life for her siblings only to discover that nothing is going the way that it should. It's really cold. Her fifteen year old sister acts like a hooker in training. Men act funny around her. Her boss is a real jerk. She feels like an outsider. Her best friend turns out to be a mouthy sixteen year old kid and the incredibly handsome guy renting the room adjoining hers not only hogs the bathroom, taking three showers a day and leaving her with cold water, but he also has a secret. A secret that she becomes a bit obsessed with and can't let go no matter how many times she's warned off.

Detective Ephraim Williams learned long ago not to show any emotion or allow himself to get attached to humans. What was the point? They came and went and he remained. This time wouldn't be any different or so he thought. When his landlady told him that her grandchildren were moving in he didn't expect much, well other than to be left alone. What he didn't expect was to have to fight bloodlust every time he so much as caught the scent of his delectable neighbor's blood or her bombarding him with questions every time she cornered him. If that's not bad enough, a Master from his past has found him once again and is demanding his blood and is willing to do anything to get it, even using the beautiful, irritating, neighbor that makes him feel more than pain for the first time in centuries to get it.

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I'm a huge fan of R.L. Mathewson's Neighbor From Hell series -- it's so funny and the romances are great. So while I'm waiting for the next book in that series to drop, I figured it'd be a good idea to try another of R.L. Mathewson's series, Pyte/Sentinel. Unfortunately, the first book in the series, Tall, Dark, & Lonely, didn't click with me very well at all.

This is the first book in a paranormal series with vampires and whatnot. Normally, I'm a huge fan of vampires. But these ones...they were just so boring. I'm not entirely sure why, but they really did not intrigue me. Well, the Pyte didn't at least. The Sentinels sound like they could be fun -- but mostly because they have soulmates and I am ALWAYS here for that.

The heroine of this story is a girl named Madison, and I can't really tell you anything about her other than that she's a teacher. And stubborn. That's it. She didn't leave a lasting impression on me to like or dislike her. Instead, she simply bored me. Then there's Ephraim who is kind of cool. Definitely not the best hero I've read, but not the worst either.

Together, I liked these two well enough, but I don't feel like we got enough of them actually being together. We have a lot of Ephraim not wanting to be around Madison, and Madison mad at Ephraim, and then there's the big conflict of the novel. We don't really get the in between moments of things progressing for the couple.

And that brings me to the writing, which wasn't up to par with what I'm used to from an R.L. Mathewson book. I think this is due to the fact that this is one of her earlier books and she's clearly improved since then. That said, it's still notable that this book did not really draw me in. Actually, to be honest, I had to force my way through most of it. Things weren't all that interesting, and I feel like we missed a lot on the relationships front -- both in Madison and Ephraim's romantic relationship, and the familial relationships with the kids.

Oh, but! I almost forgot to mention. My favorite aspect of this book was Chris. I am a huge fan of him, and I would be interested in seeing where his story goes. He's a good, funny, cool guy. Okay, sidenote over. :)

Overall, I was so underwhelmed by this book. That said, I am considering picking up book 2 because it's a Sentinel book and they seem quite intriguing. But I'm not exactly jumping right to it -- we'll see when/if it happens. For now, though, I'd say Tall, Dark, & Lonely is a book you can skip if you're considering trying some R.L. Mathewson, but I do highly recommend her Neighbor From Hell series if you're in the mood for some contemporary romance that'll give you all kinds of laughs!

2 stars - Sadly underwhelming.

She Found Us (The Baxters #1) by L. Ann Marie ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

She Found Us (The Baxters #1) by L. Ann Marie

Mitch had a rough beginning. Experiencing foster care, emancipation, pregnancy and an abusive husband before she’s 18 doesn't deter her from her one goal, finishing college. With her above average intelligence she has virtually no experience in socializing with her peers. A stalking ex-husband forces her to seek help from an unlikely source. While afraid of large men Mitch puts her fear aside to get to her daughter and get out of the city.
Jamie is mesmerized by her voice, her beauty and her courage. He can’t let her walk away without figuring out why he feels losing sight of her will alter his life.
Kevin is stopped dead. He can’t tear his gaze away from her. She is in his bed with his cousin and he can’t move. He is riveted but can’t understand what is causing his head to spin.
When Mitch lets go of convention and jumps into a relationship with two alpha males a sense of right and connection she’s never experienced wraps her and her daughter Jess in a life she never knew existed.
Afraid of scaring her into more flashbacks they calmly and quietly introduce her to the Dom/Sub lifestyle. This ensures her safety and their need being satisfied. When they almost lose her to her psychotic ex’s vow to kill her before anyone else can claim her they take steps to keep her and Jess in their lives forever.

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I'm in a group on Facebook for reverse harem readers, because I love reverse harem books and they're so hard to find so recs are always appreciated. In that group, someone posted about this book (and the next two in the series) saying that they were good and free. They're not RH, but they're menage so close enough. And I hadn't heard anything about them before, but they were free so I downloaded them because why not? I started reading this book right away, because I was too busy to focus on ACOWAR but didn't want to spend what free time I did have staring at the walls. I finished it a couple of days later. And I'd say that this book is...okay-ish.

The writing is kind of really bad. I considered DNF-ing a few times when I was barely into the book, but I was too curious as to where the story would go to actually put it down. Plus, I figured that once the story got going, the writing would get better. Because it was a lot of telling and very little showing, so I thought maybe it was just the way the author was writing to get situated in the story. But no, the writing was consistently meh throughout, unfortunately. 

That said, I really enjoyed the idea of this book. The premise. And some of the things that happened. It was somewhat predictable, but it was predictable in a way that I liked. It was why I picked up the book in the first place -- I specifically wanted to see this relationship form, and I got what I wanted. I also liked that Mitch had a daughter. That's not something I see often in RH or menage stories. It was a nice little different detail.

The characters were okay. Mitch was kind of too perfect, which is weird to say because basically every bad thing you could imagine has happened to her. But it feels like everyone is always complimenting her on something, and it was just too much. Jamie and Kevin were over the top...but again, that's what I signed up for when I picked up this book. I have to admit I rolled my eyes more than once, though.

Overall, She Found Us wasn't all that great. The writing made it difficult to connect with the story and though I liked the premise, the execution of the story as a whole was lacking. I do still plan to read book 2, however, simply due to curiosity. I can't say I'd honestly recommend She Found Us, however.

(Note: I've read book 2, Our Wife, since then and it was a terrible decision. Sigh.)

2 stars - Premise was okay, but the execution lacked.

Dangerous Games by Tess Diamond ~ Review

Source:  Received an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Tess Diamond’s gripping debut, when an elite negotiator and a security expert team up to solve a kidnapping, the only thing higher than the tension is the heat . . .

Maggie Kincaid left the FBI two years ago and didn’t look back . . . until now. A senator’s daughter has been abducted, and the nightmare set in motion isn’t just familiar to Maggie, it’s personal. She’ll need all the help she can get to bring Kayla Thebes home alive—even if that help comes from a hot-as-hell ex-soldier who plays by his own rules. . .

For Jake O’Connor, negotiation equals weakness. But he’s immediately drawn to the sexy former agent who epitomizes strength. It isn’t long before he and Maggie are working together 24/7, learning to read each other’s signals and wanting much more.

But for Maggie and Jake, letting their guard down—even around each other—may be dangerous. Now, as they close in on a kidnapper with nothing to lose, their first mistake could shatter a young girl’s last chance…

Amazon | B&N

I had some problems with this book.

It starts good.  The premise is interesting.  Maggie is a kidnapping victim turned FBI negotiator.  The ex-military security guy that's hotter than hot is getting in her way but the sparks are flying between them.  And I was was a happy reader, thinking this book looked good.  Then it just fell flat.

The first HUGE problem I had was the repeated head games Maggie fed herself.  She had unresolved issues with how things played out when she was a child and the death of her sister during their kidnapping.  She repeats the same thoughts over and over again.  She can't do this.  She has to do this.  It's not going to work.  It has to work.  And while a  little of that made sense, the constant use of it made me so much less sympathetic to Maggie.  I just wanted to chuck the book when a new rant started in her head.

Then there was the relationship between Maggie and Jake.  I think this is supposed to be romantic suspense.  But the balance between these two was way off.  It felt like the author was trying to prove that a female could be in charge but it went too far in the other direction.  By this, I mean that Jake becomes unbelievable.   He's a military guy yet he takes a back seat to Maggie almost immediately.  There needs to be more push and pull between them.  There needs to be successes on both sides.  A relationship has to have a balance and this one is way too heavy on the female.  And though I'm all for her being successful and being the brains behind this victory, Jake wasn't allowed to play his part.  It felt fake and cause the characters to feel flat.

And then there is the suspense.  A teenage diabetic has been kidnapped.  A Senator's daughter.  But the story lags and the whole diabetic aspect of it has me questioning the medical research done.  The girl is without her medication and food for a very long time.  It got to the point of feeling contrived.  And as each aspect of the story blew up to an even more outrageous circumstance, I felt like we were playing the slow motion version of 24, the TV show, and not in a good way.  And don't get me started on the ending.  Contrived with a cherry of a cliffhanger on top is about the only way to explain it without spoiling it outright.  And that cliffhanger is the very thing that has slowed this story down.  I assume the next two books in the series will unravel that disturbing development but it will have to go forward without me.  I have my guess as to the outcome and I can live with that.  

I started this book liking it.  I wanted to keep liking it.  I tried to keep liking it.  I lost the ability to keep liking it about the time I realized that Maggie was going to repeat the same internal speech to herself with every new development in the case.  I decided I really didn't like it at all when I realized that these two characters had somehow fallen in love in a matter of a short few days.  All that while they still weren't sure how to talk to each other.  And the icing on the cake of my dislike came with the silencing bullet that cemented the cliffhanger.  Yep, leaving it there.

       

Furious Rush by S.C. Stephens ~ Review

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Furious Rush by S.C. Stephens

Too fast, too furious-and way too hot to handle . . .

Mackenzie Cox has a lot to prove. Daughter of a racing legend, she is eager to show the world that she has inherited her father's talent in the male-dominated sport of professional motorcycle racing. The last thing Kenzie needs is to be antagonized by her rival team's newest rider, Hayden Hayes. Plucked from the world of illegal street racing, Hayden immediately gets under Kenzie's skin. His insinuations that Kenzie is a spoiled princess who was handed her career fuels her desire to win, and much to her surprise, Kenzie soon learns she performs better when she's racing against Hayden.

As Kenzie and Hayden push each other on the track, the electric energy between them off the track shifts into an intense--and strictly forbidden--attraction. The only rule between their two ultra-competitive teams is zero contact. Kenzie always does her best to play by the rules, but when her team slips into a financial crisis, she has no choice but to turn to Hayden for help. The tension simmers during their secret, late-night rendezvous, but Kenzie has too much to lose to give in to her desires. Especially when she begins to doubt that Hayden has completely left his street life behind...

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

Review...

This is the first book I've read by S.C. Stephens, but it's definitely not the first of hers on my radar. I've had my eye on the Thoughtless series for a while, I even have them all on my Kindle, but I've never actually taken the leap into reading them. I was really excited to read Furious Rush, though. It sounded great and I truly thought it'd be up my alley. And it was. For all intents and purposes, I SHOULD have enjoyed this book. 

But I didn't.

And it's not even because this is a bad book. It's actually pretty darn good. I just never got super into it. I never fell in love with it. I never got to the point where I was wholly invested in the characters and their story. As I read this novel, I spent the entire time taking note of the good things that should have made me enjoy the story--only to realize that I wasn't enjoying the story. I don't know why. I think this one just wasn't for me, which stinks. 

That said, I can tell you some great things about this book. Like the fact that it's so fun. The racing, the forbidden romance, the TENSION that fills the pages. S.C. Stephens did a great job building a solid story, and with a sport that isn't often given the spotlight. The characters were well-defined, both in their personalities and their ambitions. As I said, the shaping of this novel was very well done.

Along with those good points, I can also point out some things that I didn't think were so great about this book. Like the fact that while the characters were painted clearly, some of the steps taken to getting that way were a little over the top. And what I mean by this is that some things were expressly said in the novel in a way that didn't feel organic--instead it was more like the words were included to get those points out there even though they seriously took away from the conversation the characters were having. For example, in the beginning of the book Kenzie and Nikki were talking and Kenzie basically said "You know I'm under a lot of pressure to make my father proud and honor his legacy" and it was so obviously just a piece of information that was needed to be given. I'd have rather that been in Kenzie's internal narration than smacked in the middle of a conversation where it kind of stuck out like a sore thumb.

But anyway. Other things I didn't think were very good about this book. It took me longer than I would have liked to get over my dislike for the love interest. He was a total douche during Kenzie's first interactions with him and while she was getting distracted by how hot he was, I was still wanting to slap him upside his head. Another issue I had was that even after I got over my dislike for Hayden (the love interest), I was on edge around him often. Why? Because I didn't feel like he could be trusted. Which kind of dampened the fun of the romance for me, too, unfortunately. 

All that said, however, I think I can chalk my issues with this book up to the fact that this one just wasn't for me. Most others who've read it seem to have enjoyed it and I absolutely see why. Furious Rush is fun, sexy, and definitely a fast read. I flew through it myself, actually. So if you're in the mood for a forbidden romance based around motorcycle racing, I definitely recommend giving this book a shot. 

2 stars - A fun and sexy romance that sadly just wasn't for me.

***

As I said, many others liked it so if you'd like to check out a review by someone who enjoyed Furious Rush, try one of these...

Vi gave it 4 stars

Bianca gave it 4.5 stars

Karen gave it 5 stars

The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar ~ Review

Source: Purchased.

The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.
They lie.
For 21 days she held on.
But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.

A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense. Please note: This is NOT a love triangle.

A full-length, standalone novel, intended for mature audiences due to violence, sex and language. Subject matter may be disturbing for some readers.

Review...

When The Paper Swan released, there was all kinds of hype. I saw it all over the place--on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, EVERYWHERE. And the book looked really good. So I bought it on my Kindle. I was looking forward to reading it, because so many people have loved it, but I didn't get around to picking the book up. Then I got a paperback copy in my Bookworm Box. At that point, I was like, "Okay. CLEARLY I need to pick this book up SOON." So I did. And...meh. This book was not for me.

The synopsis for The Paper Swan is so vague. Which is obviously pretty intriguing. But it also leaves a lot of room for picking up a book that is so NOT FOR ME thinking it's something I could love. As it turns out for this particular novel, however, I just ended up sorely disappointed.

Before I wade into the waters of WHY I wasn't a fan of this book, I want to mention the things I liked about it first. Because this book wasn't a total waste. The writing was actually great. Leylah Attar clearly has talent. I got pulled in quickly, and even after I got to a point where I hated what was happening I could not bring myself to put the book down. And there was a twist in there that I was completely caught off guard by. Also, I want to take a moment and admire that beautiful cover. It's so PRETTY. Sigh.

Okay. So that's what I liked about The Paper Swan. What I didn't like is kind of hard to explain (without spoiling, at least), so bear with me while I try to outline my issues without giving away the twists.

My biggest problem with this book is that I don't think the hero is redeemable. Not with this particular girl, anyway. He treated her terribly, like SUPER terribly, and then all of a sudden he's forgiven. I have two issues with that: 1) There is a fine line between what is redeemable and what is not, and this guy DEFINITELY crossed it. For sure. It was so bad that I was HOPING for a love triangle so I could root against this dude. 2) He never did anything to redeem himself. I honestly do not understand what he did to make up for how bad he was to her. Say sorry a few times? Because that's basically all he did before the girl was forgiving him.

I feel like a lot of things in this book are waved off because of the past. Like, "THIS happened before, so I understand why THIS happened now." Or, "I understand why you did THAT because of THIS in the past." (Am I making any sense? It's hard to do this without spoiling! Ha.) It got to the point where the girl apologized to the GUY for things. Which she should not have had to do. It was so messed up.

Then there's the fact that there isn't really romance in this novel. There is smexy times. There are declarations of love. But there isn't much seeing them together being a couple. Which is ANOTHER thing that seemed to just be justified by the past. Just because people knew each other years ago and were close doesn't mean there's no relationship building to happen now. Especially after everything that happened.

While the writing was great, the plot itself was pretty weak. There's one big issue driving the entire novel, but it gets to the point where it feels like the hero should be over it. The fact that he couldn't let it go actually got annoying. Then there were a time jump or two which were just odd. I get why they happened, but when I was reading and flipped the page only to find out it was years later, it was confusing.

As I mentioned, there was one twist that caught me off guard, but then the rest of what was supposed to be surprising only made me roll my eyes. That may just be me, though, because I was kind of done with the story by that point. The hero wasn't redeemable and the heroine had Stockholm Syndrome or something and I didn't get how this was a love story and just blah.

Overall, The Paper Swan was disappointing. The writing was well done, and I'd definitely be willing to pick up another book by her someday, but the contest of this novel didn't work for me. If you like suspense, this one might work for you, but if you need great romance to enjoy a book, I recommend passing on this one.

2 stars - The writing was great, but the story itself was sadly disappointing.

Wild With You (Independence Falls, #4) by Sara Jane Stone ~ Review

Source:  Received an eBook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Dr. Katherine "Kat" Arnolds left Oregon and never looked back at the town that failed her as a child. But when a new patient from Independence Falls joins her clinical trial, she returns determined to show everyone in her hometown how she has thrived—including her high school crush.

Brody Summers saves people. For years, he looked out for his younger siblings and ran the family business. Now he works search and rescue. After a failed mission, Brody plans to take an evening off. When a blonde city girl knocks him off his feet, he refuses to walk away from desire. But it doesn't take long for Brody to realize the past is returning to haunt him—and it goes back farther than one wild night.

The last thing Kat wants is a reason to extend her stay in Independence Falls. But she can't escape the memory of Brody's wicked touch. As their passion heats up, Brody wonders if he's falling for the one woman who doesn't need rescuing.

Now Available from Avon Impulse

Review...

I've read one other book in this series and loved it.  I was excited to read more. 

I'm a very character driven reader.  When I don't like a character, I have a hard time liking the story or the book.  Such was the case with this book.

I didn't like Kat.  She does something...okay she lies by omission...to Brody in the first part of the book and I just never forgave her.  Lies are not a deal breaker for me.  I just need the character to have a good reason for it.  The reason can't be a selfish reason.  I felt this one was selfish.  She lied to get what she wanted knowing it would upset him and knowing he would find out the very next day.  I just didn't like her after that.



Kat has come back to the town she grew-up in to help Brody's brother Josh and to let the people of that town know that she made it in life despite how they made her feel as a child.  She definitely has a chip on her shoulder.  I do see character growth from her and by the end I was at least happy that she made Brody happy.


I loved Brody in book 3 so it was a given I would still care about him.  And I think it may be a big part of why I couldn't get over her lying to him.  Brody gives to help everyone else.  He's the opposite of selfish is every way.  How can he fall for a girl that lies for selfish reasons?  Couldn't deal with it.


Not sure I bought Brody's kinky side either.  Sure, dependable Brody has a tie his girls up fetish?  Really?  

There was some smokin' hot scenes and I did like how it ended.  If you count just the days I was reading this one, it's a fast read.  But I had to put it down for probably a week after I realized what she'd done.  When I picked it back up, I read the rest in an evening.

Those that have read this series will probably want to read this one.  If you're character driven and lies bug you, then I'd pass.