Our Favorite Books of 2013!

 

So, to end our first year on this blog, we decided to create lists of our favorite books of 2013. 

REVIEW: Kaleidoscope by Kristen Ashley

Kaleidoscope by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Book Description: 

When old friends become new lovers...anything can happen.

Sexy, gifted, and loyal, PI Jacob Decker is a tall, cool drink of perfection who had Emmanuelle Holmes at "hello." His relationship with Emme's best friend kept them apart for years, but things have changed. Now that a case has brought him to Gnaw Bone, Colorado, the road is wide open for Emme and Deck to explore something hotter and deeper than Emme dreamed possible. So why is she sabotaging the best thing that's ever happened to her?

It isn't easy to catch Deck off guard, but Emme does just that when she walks back into his life after nine long years. The curvy brunette had her charms back in the day, but now she's a bona fide knockout . . . and she wants to rekindle their friendship. Deck, however, wants more. Emme's always been the one; she excites Deck's body and mind like no other woman can. But a dark chapter from Emme's past overshadows their future together. Now only Deck can help her turn the page-if she'll let him . . .

REVIEW: Down to Business by J.C. Alexander

Down to Business by J.C. Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description:

While everyone else heads off to college, small town girl, Autumn Malone, stays behind to help manage her family’s failing restaurant. Two years later, a scholarship at Adelphi University comes her way, and she can’t resist the chance to start a new life. The one thing that she isn’t planning on doing…is falling for irresistible Vinny Mazzola.

To outsiders, Hamptons born Vinny Mazzola has it all: good looks, money, and an esteemed reputation. While studying business at Adelphi, the last thing he expects to do is fall in love with awkward Autumn Malone who forces him to ask himself what is really important in life.

When the opportunity arises for Autumn to work at Vinny’s family-owned Italian restaurant, Mazzolas, it seems like a perfect way for her to get to know him better. That is until she meets his over protective mother and his conceited ex-girlfriend who both want nothing more than to get rid of her. Between frats, family, friends, and foes, when it comes down to business, will Vinny and Autumn have to sacrifice everything for a love they can’t live without?

Review: Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski

Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


To sum it up: Determined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned.

Sarai’s reckless choices send her on a path she knows she can never turn back from and so she presents Victor with an ultimatum: help her become more like him and give her a fighting chance, or she’ll do it alone no matter the consequences. Knowing that Sarai cannot become what she wants to be overnight, Victor begins to train her and inevitably their complicated relationship heats up.

As Arthur Hamburg’s right-hand man, Willem Stephens, closes in on his crusade to destroy Sarai, she is left with the crushing realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. But Sarai, taking on the new and improved role of Izabel Seyfried, still has a set of deadly skills of her own that will prove to be all she needs to secure her place beside Victor.

But there is one test that Izabel must face that has the potential to destroy everything she is working so hard to achieve. One final test that will not only make her question her decision to want this dangerous life, but will make her question everything she has come to trust about Victor Faust.

COVER REVEAL for SWEET BURN by Anne Marsh!

We are really excited about this cover reveal. 

Not only is it a hot cover, but the book is about firefighters. And we LOVE firefighters! (well, Lindsay does ) So when we had the opportunity to participate in the cover reveal for Anne Marsh's upcoming book Sweet Burn, we jumped at the chance!

So, without further ado, check out the cover!

COVER REVEAL! The Do Over by A.L. Zaun

We have a great cover reveal for you today! 


The cover is beautiful and the book sounds awesome!

Review: Upon A Winter's Night by Pamela Clare

Upon A Winter's Night by Pamela Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



To sum it up: The war between Britain and the French is finally at an end, and the MacKinnons are looking forward to celebrating their first peacetime Christmas in five long years. While Iain and Annie have discovered that the pleasures of marriage grow deeper with time, Morgan and Amalie find themselves at bitter odds. Meanwhile, Connor and Sarah have a newborn son to cherish.

The family's preparations for the holidays are interrupted when Iain learns that Britain has not paid the Rangers for the summer's victorious campaigns. Unwilling to let men who fought under the MacKinnon name suffer deprivation at Christmastime, Iain, Morgan, and Connor leave the warmth of their frontier home for Albany. There, they find their happy Christmas, and even their freedom, at risk at the hands of a ruthless British officer who holds a grudge against them.

With the men gone, Annie, Amalie, and Sarah do their best to prepare for the festivities despite differing traditions, a raging bull- And the gnawing fear that their husbands won't make it home in time for Yule...

Don't AVOID TEMPTATION! Check out K.A. Linde's new book!

One if the highly anticipated books of the year is here!

Review: Surrender by Pamela Clare.

Surrender by Pamela Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To sum it up: A hand-picked cadre of warriors, they had the fierce courage of their Scots fore-fathers, combined with the stealth and cunning of the Indians who lived beside them in the wilderness. Battling the French in no-holds-barred combat, they forged a new brand of honor, became a new breed of men... MacKinnon's Rangers.

Iain MacKinnon had been forced to serve the British crown, but compassion urged him to save the lovely lass facing certain death at the hands of the Abenaki. He'd defied his orders, endangered his brothers, his men and his mission, all for a woman. But when he held Annie's sweet body in his arms, he could feel no regret. Though he sensed she was hiding something from him, it was too late to hold back his heart. In love and war, there are times when the only course of action is... Surrender.

Review: Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare

Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To sum it up: There was only one rule on the frontier— Survival. So when a wounded, buckskin-clad stranger appeared at the door of her isolated cabin, Elspeth Stewart felt no qualms about disarming him and then tying him to her bed. Newly widowed and expecting her first child, she had to protect herself at all costs. And Nicholas Kenleigh threatened not only her safety, but her peace of mind. The terrible scars on his body spoke of a tortured past, but his gentle touch and burning gaze awoke longings she had never expected to feel.

Bethie had every reason in the world to distrust men; the cruelty she had suffered at their hands had marked her soul, though her blonde beauty showed no sign of it. But little by little she found herself believing in Nicholas, in his honor, his strength. As he brought her baby into the world, then took both mother and daughter into his care, she realized this scarred survivor could heal her wounded spirit, and together they would.

Review: Never Seduce a Scot

Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



To sum it up: Eveline Armstrong is fiercely loved and protected by her powerful clan, but outsiders consider her “touched.” Beautiful, fey, with a level, intent gaze, she doesn’t speak. No one, not even her family, knows that she cannot hear. Content with her life of seclusion, Eveline has taught herself to read lips and allows the outside world to view her as daft. But when an arranged marriage into a rival clan makes Graeme Montgomery her husband, Eveline accepts her duty— Unprepared for the delights to come. Graeme is a rugged warrior with a voice so deep and powerful that his new bride can hear it, and hands and kisses so tender and skilled that he stirs her deepest passions.

Graeme is intrigued by the mysterious Eveline, whose silent lips are ripe with temptation and whose bright, intelligent eyes can see into his soul. As intimacy deepens, he learns her secret. But when clan rivalries and dark deeds threaten the wife he has only begun to cherish, the Scottish warrior will move heaven and earth to save the woman who has awakened his heart to the beautiful song of a rare and magical love...

Check Out Bird of Prey!

Rescue Me Blog Tour!

Welcome to the Rescue Me blog tour! 

We love romantic suspense so this book was right up our alley. And honestly, who wouldn't want to read a book with a hot guy on it.

BLOG TOUR: Blue Lines by Toni Aleo!

Welcome to our celebration of Toni Aleo's new book Blue Lines! 

Here at Confessions of 2 Book Lovers, we're huge fans of Toni Aleo's books. And you probably won't find a bigger fan than Nikki. The first moment she hears about a new book from Toni, she starts a count down to release day. We're talking über fan. She's even a card carrying member of the Toni Aleo chapter of the author stalker club. 

Confessions of our One Night with Him...

Welcome to the One Night with Him blog tour!

Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley

Play It Safe by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

No connections. Play it safe. These were the rules Ivey lived her life by.

Until she hit Mustang, Colorado, a perfectly imperfect town where the citizens were welcoming and one of them included the tall, beautiful, macho man rancher cowboy, Grayson Cody.

On the run for a decade, Ivey knew she was supposed to play it safe. But she was tired of being on the run. She wanted a normal. She wanted real. She wanted a home.

And she wanted Grayson Cody.

And Grayson Cody wanted Ivey.

No one who looked at them couldn’t see they belonged together. There was one man in this world for Ivey and one woman in this world for Grayson Cody.

So they fell in love.

But just as quickly as they fell together, they were betrayed and torn apart. Separated for years, Ivey was certain her life would not include her rancher cowboy. Until the town of Mustang reached out to her when Gray was in trouble. Even though she thought he broke her heart, she charged in to help. Then Gray and Ivey discovered they were betrayed and, not only that, Gray had an enemy who would stop at nothing to defeat him.

It seems like every time I finish a Kristen Ashley book I find myself really wanting to move to Colorado! No joke.

Grayson Cody. Oh man how I wish you were real. Gray was the epitome of a sexy, sweet, down home cowboy who stood up for what / who was his and didn't take shi*t from anyone. I loved him and there's nothing more I can say that won't turn this review into a love letter from a reader (me) to a fictional character (Gray) and I'd rather not have everyone on GR think I'm (too) crazy!

Ivey Larue. I loved her and I felt her pain. It had to be so hard to grow up the way she did. I was rooting for her HEA from the first line on page one. And even though I knew it was coming, when the asshat (who made me want to  him) who tore them apart showed and did the damage, I wanted to scream and cry for her. Even though that situation eventually led her to a good "happy limbo" place, I was still pissed and was ready for her to get back to Mustang, and especially, to Gray! I really liked Lash and Brutus and I was glad that Ivey had them in her life, and that Gray was ok with them staying there after the were reunited. Even though he staked his claim
 
With all the supporting characters and side plot lines, this was one busy book. I had a hard time putting it down, as is the usual occurrence with KA for me. I think Play it Safe has become one of my top favorites though. While there was drama and heartbreak, the love and relationship between Gray and Ivey was mostly drama free. They had their one blip due to outside circumstances, but once they talked it out, that was it. They were together and nothing and no one was coming between them again. Even though they, as a couple, had to deal with crap situations, they did it together. Even though the 'bad guys' were dealt with pretty smoothly and they never came back for that one final hurrah, or I guess that the finale wasn't as major as it usually is, I was ok with that. I was just really happy the h/h got their much deserved HES. And true to form, KA wrote one fantabulous epilogue that had me tearing up with happiness! I loved it! 

View all my reviews

OMG! Time for ROCK GODS!!!!

Welcome to our post for the Rock God Series by Ann Lister!

We Can't Wait to Taste Some Bitter Fruits!

TITLE – Bitter Fruits    |    SERIES – Eden’s Fall #1    |    AUTHOR – Sarah Daltry
GENRE – Paranormal New Adult Romance    |    PUBLICATION DATE – December 1, 2013
PUBLISHER – Escape Publishing  

Check out the Bliss Series by BJ Harvey!

Bliss Series

#1 Temporary Bliss (Mac & Daniel) – Available Now

#2 True Bliss (Zander and Kate) – Available Now. 

#3 Blissful Surrender (Sean and Samantha) – April 2014

#4 Finding Bliss (Noah and ?)  – Release July 2014

The Dysfunctional Test by Kelly Moran

The Dysfunctional Test by Kelly Moran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"You are cordially challenged to a test of true love. "

Growing up in her large, crazy Serbian family, Camryn Covic became an expert at shutting down her emotions in order to maintain her sanity. But when she loses her apartment, her job and her boyfriend all in one day, she hits her breaking point.

Worse, if her family finds out she's single "again," her sister's upcoming wedding will be a disaster. The bride-to-be has a plan, though. A plan that involves an old friend, a pretend relationship...and the probability of ending up in a padded cell. This time for real.

Troy Lanske agreed to the crazy plan only because, when he was a lonely foster child, Camryn was his lifeline. But she isn't the idealistic girl he remembers. She's become so jaded that she doesn't even believe in love anymore.

He sets out to restore her faith in happily-ever-afters, but his plan backfires when the fake relationship begins to feel all too real. Falling for the one woman he can't have could mean losing more than just his honorary family. He could lose everything.

Warning: Contains a Playgirl-material hero and a woman who thinks she couldn't be any more wrong for him. Enter one "Big Fat Overly Romantic Serbian Family." Sit back and watch the magic happen. Enjoy!

This was so not what I expected. A light hearted yet emotional and somewhat serious romance that left me with a huge smile on my face. Camryn comes from a loud and crazy family. She's always felt like the black sheep, the outcast, the ugly one. With her younger, beautiful sister's wedding coming up, the fact that she had quite possibly the worst day imaginable, what with getting dumped, evicted and 'let go' all in the span of a few hours, she's pretty low on the self esteem totem pole. When her sister comes up with the most insane plan to fake a date to the wedding in order to stave off her meddling family, she reluctantly agrees. Enter Troy. Lifelong friend and adopted son / brother, he's got some deep seated issues of his own. But he agrees to help Cam because he sees her like no one else does, and she has been there for him from the beginning. This was such a great romance about two people who have serious issues with self image, feelings of being unwanted and not good enough and wondering if they'll ever find love. I couldn't put it down. I started it this morning and just finished and I can't help but feel like this is a book that will stay with me forever. My heart broke for Camryn and how she viewed herself and how she felt her family viewed her. I even shed a few tears. I absolutely loved Troy and how even though he had his own self doubts, he knew how much Cam was worth and went to great lengths to get her to see herself how he saw her. As beautiful, funny, smart and worth it. And through all this Troy found his own happiness. With the added benefit of some pretty sweet and hot love (that means sex) scenes, a crazy ass family who had me simultaneously wanting to punch them and laugh my ass off, a 3 year old niece who absolutely stole the show she was so darn cute and funny, and a hea that left me still smiling as I write this, I'd say this book was a huge hit! I laughed, I cried, I got pissed, and I swooned. I don't think there's much else I can say to express how great this book was! Oh, and the grammar and dialogue was perfect! :D Now I must go find more books by Ms. Moran since I am now a huge fan!

View all my reviews

NOW is the time to check out Brenda Rothert!

Welcome to the Now Series blog tour! 

We are so excited to be taking part in this tour. Both of us are huge fans of high school sweetheart/child hood crush romances and when we read the blurbs for both books, we were hooked! We couldn't get them onto our kindles fast enough!

We want to TAME THE BOY NEXT DOOR!

Welcome to the Taming the Boy Next Door blog tour! 

We are extremely excited to be pimping these books! I mean, have you SEEN these covers!? They are seriously drool worthy!

REVIEW: The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Book Description: 


In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Saving Alexander by Susan Mac Nicol!

Blog Tour
Saving Alexander

Susan Mac Nicol

We're ALL FIRED UP about Nikki Dee Houston's new book!

Welcome to out blog tour post for All Fired Up  by Nikki Dee Houston.

Hey...wait a minute! Nikki! Do you have something you need to tell me?

  Hmm... Mwahahaha Ok I'm just kidding. I wish I was a talented writer...

Oh good. Because I was going to have a bone to pick with you for keeping this hottie a secret from me!

My Brother, My Rival by Eve Rabi!

Welcome to the My Brother, My Rival blog tour!