Showing posts with label Jenn Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jenn Reviews. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2017

Rock Chick Reawakening (Rock Chick, #0.5) Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley




Rock Chick Reawakening (Rock Chick, #0.5)
Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm wondering why I felt like Daisy and Marcus didn't need their story to be told. After all, they had their story, in its own way, through out the Rock Chick series. So I thought- no way would I read this. Then, our blog was offer a chance to read it before it came out. I thought- sure why not? Never say never!!

Daisy totally needed her time in the spotlight. And I now have answers to a few things I never thought I needed.

Daisy- she had a crummy upbringing, so much so, that she dreamed up a castle to safeguard herself. (Now I get the whole castle thing in the series.) She has a traumatic experience, which pulled at my heart strings, before she fully meets her man, Marcus.

Can I say how much I loved Marcus!? Such a great guy when it came to Daisy. He was alpha without having to be an idiot. Ha ha! Never was he crude- which I was so grateful for. He had class, and he was a gentleman. He wanted Daisy, and he set out to make his life right to do so.

I felt like KA did a great job with this Novella. No jerkface alpha, no run around sentences, and no over load in detailed information. I loved that I felt like she was back to her original style- but with a new kick. (That probably only makes sense to me.)

And can we say how much I loved that epilogue??? It made me teary, it made me smile, and it made me laugh. I loved how it all played out. I was so happy for the Sloan's. Truly one of KA's best epilogues!

I loved all of the series characters short moments- even before Daisy new them. I even loved the short clip about Dawn! Hahaha!

I'm also liked how the smexy scenes were not overly done - no over kill.

I'll say one negative thing: Coochie. If my eyes never see that word again- or have it filtered through my mind, I'll be one happy woman. Ugh.

ARC generously provided for an honest review- and I can whole heartily say that this is one of her better stories in a long while. It's all about that epilogue.


Wednesday, January 6, 2016

REVIEW: Big Rock by: Lauren Blakely




We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Lauren Blakely’s BIG ROCK! A standalone sexy romantic comedy, BIG ROCK takes everything you love about a Lauren Blakely novel –witty dialogue, smoking hot sex scenes, and heartfelt moments –and puts them into one fantastic book! BIG ROCK is releasing Wednesday, January 6th! Readers can start their new year off right with Spencer! BIG ROCK is a standalone, dirty romance novel written from the guy’s POV. Come join us as we meet Spencer-parts, heart and all!






Big Rock by: Lauren Blakely

Book Description:
It's not just the motion of the ocean, ladies. It's definitely the SIZE of the boat too.

And I've got both firing on all cylinders. In fact, I have ALL the right assets. Looks, brains, my own money, and a big c*ck.

You might think I'm an a-hole. I sound like one, don’t I? I'm hot as sin, rich as heaven, smart as hell and hung like a horse.

Guess what? You haven't heard my story before. Sure, I might be a playboy, like the NY gossip rags call me. But I’m the playboy who’s actually a great guy. Which makes me one of a kind.

The only trouble is, my dad needs me to cool it for a bit. With conservative investors in town wanting to buy his flagship Fifth Avenue jewelry store, he needs me not only to zip it up, but to look the part of the committed guy. Fine. I can do this for Dad. After all, I’ve got him to thank for the family jewels. So I ask my best friend and business partner to be my fiancĂ©e for the next week. Charlotte’s up for it. She has her own reasons for saying yes to wearing this big rock.

And pretty soon all this playing pretend in public leads to no pretending whatsoever in the bedroom, because she just can’t fake the kind of toe-curling, window-shattering orgasmic cries she makes as I take her to new heights between the sheets.

But I can’t seem to fake that I might be feeling something real for her.

What the f*ck have I gotten myself into with this…big rock?












This was a quick, easy, and simple read from Spencer's point of view, which I loved that it was done from his view point only. It's a great friends to lovers story- you never know what/who you have right under your nose until you actually DO realize what you have.

I really loved his relationship with his best friend, and heroine of the story, Charlotte. I loved his relationship with his family, too. I also liked that for once there weren't family hang ups to drive the hero to indulge in women- he just does it because he likes it- there's no stupid reason driving that part of the story.


Even though Bradley was a major douche, I liked the stupid ways he tried to win Charlotte over- they made me laugh or roll my eyes at his lameness.


Overall- this was a great read and I was able to read it pretty quickly. I enjoyed the story-line, as I always love a good fake fiancee relationship story that turns real, the steamy moments,  the humor, and minimal drama. And hey- how can you NOT love that cover? MMM-HMMMM. It's a good one. ;)













I absolutely love this book.

This it's one of those rare gems that comes along once in a blue moon and becomes an instant favorite.

There is no pretense, no issues, and no stupidity on the part of the characters. They started out as friends, and they fell for each other over the course of the book. This book is told entirely from Spencer’s POV and that was A.W.E.S.O.M.E. It totally worked. I loved seeing Spencer realize he was falling in love with/in love with Charlotte. Not everyone call pull off an all-male-pov book, but Lauren Blakely not only did it, but she excelled at it!

I want to scream from the rooftops about how great this book was. I loved that even though Spencer came from money, his family was a good family, his parents were awesome and he had a good relationship with both his parents and his sister. You don’t often find that. It’s all too common in books for a character to come from a horrible family to show just how much they’ve overcome in their lives. But here, it was refreshing that his parents were awesome and his sister was cool.

I think part of what made this book so awesome was the friendship that Spencer and Charlotte had. Not only were they friends, but they were business partners. I loved seeing how their one week engagement started to bleed over into their work life. I also love that they would do anything for each other. Neither hesitated (much) when it came to helping out the other person when they were in a bind. Spencer concocted the engagement with good intentions, to help his dad make the sale of the family jewelry store. And it had the added benefit of helping Charlotte keep her ex from trying to win her back. I also loved the rules that they set up for their “relationship” as things started to move from platonic to a more heated variety:

1.    No Anal
2.    One week. Until we break up.
3.    Go back to being friends
4.    No sleepovers.
5.    No weirdness.
6.    No lying.
7.    No falling in love.

Needless to say, they broke their rules one by one (except rule 1…that was always a no-go).

This book was pure perfection and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it. I’m only sorry that I haven’t read any of the author’s books before. I’ll definitely be changing that and binge reading her backlist asap!











I do my best work in the bedroom. This is completely my domain. So it should be no big deal that she asked me to wait here. But something about being in Charlotte’s bedroom is wigging me out.
            Mostly because there’s nearby nudity transpiring mere feet away.
            She’s taking a shower, and no matter how you slice them, New York apartments are approximately thimble size. Let me spell this out—wet, naked, hot woman in a ten-foot radius.
            Got it? Okay. Moving on.
            I pick up a picture frame on her sky blue bureau of the dog her parents have. A fluffy brown summa dog—some of this, some of that. I’m going to focus on this mutt. Zero in on him. Look at his tail. Check out his ears. Yup, this picture is doing the trick. It is helping me not to linger on the naked woman and how well she kisses.
            Or how much I liked it.
            Why the fuck did I like it so much?
            Of course you liked it, idiot. A pretty woman kisses you, and you’re straight—you’d be stupid not to like it. End of story. Doesn’t mean anything. Stop analyzing.
            Especially since she just turned off the shower.
            Maybe she forgot a towel. Maybe she’ll open the door a crack, and ask me to grab one for her.         
            I smack my forehead. Get it together, Holiday.
            I set down the picture, draw a deep inhale and straighten my shoulders. The door creaks open. She steps out of the bathroom wearing only a white fluffy towel wrapped above her breasts.          
            “You might be wondering why I asked you to wait in my bedroom instead of the living room,” she says, in the most matter-of-fact tone.
            I have no clue how she can be talking like we’re having a business transaction when droplets of water slide down her bare legs. But I’m a strong man. I can handle this. I’m not tempted at all by my best friend. Though my dick begs to differ, the traitorous prick.
            “The thought crossed my mind,” I say, as I lean against the bureau, striking a casual pose.
            “Because if you’re my fiancĂ©, you need to be comfortable with me being naked,” she says with a crisp nod.
            Shit, she’s going to do it. She’s going to drop the towel. She’s going to make us practice fucking. I am the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
            Wait. No. I can’t fuck my best friend. I absolutely, positively, can’t screw Charlotte. Even if she tosses the towel on the floor and begs me to.
            I lace my fingers together behind my back, linking these twitchy hands.
            “Okay, so you’re getting naked,” I say, doing my best to imitate her cool-as-a-cucumber tone that is throwing me off big time.
            “No. It’s the idea of me naked,” she corrects.
            I give her a pointed look. “Seems to me it’s both the idea and the reality.”
            “Fine, fine. They’re one and the same, and it’s part of the debrief.”         
            “Is this the exam portion?”
            She walks past me, her arm brushing against mine before she yanks open the top drawer of the bureau. “Yes. This is the practical portion.”
            “And this is because you somehow think we’re going to be required to be naked together in front of Mr. Offerman in order to pull this off? This isn’t like some feats-of-strength style fake engagement where we have to pass certain skill sets in an obstacle course. You know that, right?”
            She nods, as she hunts around in the drawer. “I’m aware of that. I see this as more like the Newlywed game.”
            “And in this version of the game we’re quizzed on how I get used to the idea of you naked and vice versa?”
            Her breath hitches when I say that—vice versa.
            I don’t know what to make of that small gasp, or if it means something about the idea of me au naturel.
            She spins around, and holds up two pairs of panties, one in each hand. “Quick. Do you prefer it when your fiancĂ©e wears the black lace thong?” She waggles a scrap of silky-looking fabric that is so hot my face might be engulfed in flames right now because Charlotte owns that? “Or do you prefer her in the white side-string bikini?” She waves the white pair before my eyes, and all I can see is a tiny triangular patch of fabric that’s the slightest bit see-through.
            Forget the flames. I am a fucking inferno right now knowing she owns this too. White panties that reveal pretty much everything.








This hysterical and addictive standalone can be bought everywhere!! Go forth and laugh, swoon and fan yourself into the New Year with this dirty, sexy romantic comedy told from the male POV!

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1l6ZhLY






About Lauren Blakely:

Lauren Blakely writes sexy contemporary romance novels with heat, heart, and humor, and she has had eight books on the New York Times Bestseller list and fifteen on the USA Today Bestseller list. Like the heroine in her novel, FAR TOO TEMPTING, she thinks life should be filled with family, laughter, and the kind of love that love songs promise. Lauren lives in California with her husband, children, and dogs. She loves hearing from readers! Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire. She recently released SWEET SINFUL NIGHTS, the first novel in her new sexy romance series Sinful Nights that became an instant New York Times Bestseller. Her new adult forbidden romance, 21 Stolen Kisses, hit e-readers in May and landed on the USA Today Bestseller list. In January, she'll release BIG ROCK, a standalone contemporary romance sure to make you swoon. She also writes for young adults under the name Daisy Whitney. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, text BLAKELY + your email address to 678-249-3375 (please use the actual + sign).






✮✮✮ Enter to win this amazing giveaway for a “Friends Make the Best Lovers Basket” including a signed copy of BIG ROCK and an Open Table Gift Card! ✮✮✮






Wednesday, October 28, 2015

NINE MONTH PLAN by Wendy Markham







Nina Chickalini has been waiting all her life to get out of Queens, but something always holds her back. If it isn’t the four siblings she raised almost single-handedly, it’s the neighborhood pizzeria she’s running so Pop can take it easy. At last, she’s counting down mere months, instead of years, until she’ll be free to embark on her grand adventure.

Leave it to her best friend, good old reliable Joe Materi, to wait until now to make an incredible request.

Have his baby? The last thing Nina needs is another reason to feel tied down. But how can she refuse the man who’s always been there for her? Getting in the family way turns out to be easy, and suddenly she’s seeing her old pal in a whole new light.

The clock is ticking, her bags are packed, and Joe—muscular arms cradling a baby, sexy voice crooning a lullaby—isn’t part of the plan. So why does Nina feel as though she’s already embarked on the adventure of a lifetime?

An Avon Romance







Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Roped In Blog Tour

Title: Roped In
Series: Armed and Dangerous
Author: L.P. Dover
Genre: Romantic Suspense Stand Alone
Release Date: October 19, 2015
Photo by: Regina Wamba at Mae I Design and Photography


Who says a wild heart can’t be tamed?
For years, I lived for the job and let it control me. Violence was all I knew. I protected, killed, and served. My name is Blake Evans, one of the best undercover cops in the country. I thought I was about to live a quiet life on my ranch in Wyoming until an old friend showed up and changed everything. He brought me her, Hadley Rivers, country music sensation and the one woman I couldn't have. I didn't want her but she had me completely roped in.
My job is to protect her, to keep her away from some psycho who wants her for himself. However, there's more to her story than I was led to believe. I promised to keep her safe and I won't back down . . . even if I have to die trying. I can't let him have her.






 













Blake was a little ways ahead, but stopped and turned around. “You okay back there, princess?”

I waved him on. “Don’t worry about me!” I shouted. Picking up my pace, I reached down and grabbed a handful of snow. Each step he took, I did double to catch up to him. My fingers were numb from the snow, but I was almost there. Just a few more steps . . .

Blake sidestepped and tackled me out of nowhere, making me scream. His feet slipped and we both fell to the ground, laughing as we rolled around in the snow. He ended up pinning me to the ground, his legs straddling my waist and his body flush with mine. I shivered and it wasn’t because of the snow.

“You should know better than to sneak up on someone like me,” he said. His eyes strayed to my lips.

“I didn’t think you’d hear me,” I whispered breathlessly.

“You’d be surprised what I notice, princess.” He trailed a finger down my cheek to my rapidly beating heart. “Like how your heart is racing right now. I didn’t know I had that effect on you.” I blew out a nervous breath and he smiled, his lips getting closer to mine. “Tell me what you want,” he murmured.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because once I say the words, I can’t take them back.”

He brought his hands to my face, his thumbs tracing my cheeks. “Maybe this will help.” His lips closed over mine and I melted against him, willingly giving in. I’d never been kissed like that and I didn’t want it to stop. I wanted more. He pushed his tongue inside and I moaned as the heat rose between my legs. Holy hell, I wanted him. Rocking my hips up into him, I dug my nails in his back and he growled, pulling away.

“Fuck, Hadley.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, breathing hard.

He brushed the hair off my face and kissed me again. “You make me want things I can’t have.”

I nodded. He said exactly what I was thinking. “I know how you feel.”







Hadley is a country star with a stalker. She has a 'boyfriend', who I totally took to right away- and really, overall, fell in love with and felt a connection to. She ends up in a situation that puts her in the hands of Blake, the guy who will 'protect' her until all is well and that ends well. The problem? Blake. He has preconceived notions about Hadley and lets just say they don't start off on the right foot.
 
Roped In was a mixed bag for me. While there were parts I liked, there were parts I had issue with. It was definitely a tale that was stuck on fast-forward. Over all, what I enjoyed the most was the story-line that came around the 60% mark. Though, I really liked how the start of the story took off- I wasn't a fan of where Hadley ended up right after that. That part of the story had good potential. I just didn't like how the story told itself during that time frame, and I felt someone else was an unnecessary part and could have been cut from the book, as they didn't add to the story-line or story later. During this time frame, I also felt that the 'professionals' lacked professionalism around a client with the way they talked. I hate to say it but I also felt like Blake, the best there is, wasn't that great of a bodyguard

However, a big positive with the story would be:
I loved the twist with the main events and how that played out- though at times it felt a little hokey- it was still a great part of the story and I wished that had been the main focus, or how the story basically was told from the start.

One of my biggest complaints, besides the lack of professionalism with the professionals, was Blake's voice. For the majority of the story I felt like he didn't have his own unique voice in the story and sometimes he felt a bit childish to me. By the end, I admit- I liked the emotions that finally felt real to me when he thought something specific had happened to Hadley.
 
What I liked:
1. NICK - such a connection I felt to him. He needs his own story.
2. Nick's hockey team and how they bonded with Hadley
3. Chapter 38-I totally was channeling Ellen Degeneres's voice during that time.
4. Connor
5. I had some real emotions for the situation with Simon and Nick at the start.
6. The twist and the story-line that came around 60%
7. The overall idea of the story.
8. Blake and Hadley more towards the middle to end of the story.









This book…There were definitely good parts for me and bad.

Starting from the beginning of the story, I absolutely loved Hadley with Nick. I loved everything about them…except that they weren’t real. I totally fell for him and wanted them to become a real couple. I could actually feel the chemistry between them leap off of my kindle.

The suspense storyline started off with a bang…literally. Even though I had just met the characters, it was very distressing to see what happened to Nick and Hadley’s bodyguard Simon. I felt so bad for Hadley, that a) she went through that and b) was pulled away from Nick before being able to find out if he was going to be ok. Sticking with this thought for a moment, I almost felt like I’d been dropped into Hadley & Nick’s story in the middle of their story. They would have made a great story, with the attack being a big turning point for them and the book. But after Hadley was pulled away from Nick, she was put in protective custody and she met the character that takes the cake in the jerk department.

I honestly can’t remember a character that I’ve hated more. And he’s supposed to be a GOOD GUY. While reading this with my friend Jenn, we were talking about how his words and actions reminded us of KA guys. And they did, only worse. KA’s guys often tick me off with how they treat the heroines in the books, and Blake was right up with them. But what made him so much worse for me was that he had no reason or basis for treating Hadley so badly. It was all preconceived notions and just being a jerk. She had just been through so much and he was set on punishing her for something that wasn’t her fault. She did nothing wrong. Yet he decided she was a pampered city princess and needed to be punished for that. He didn’t even take time to get to know her.

Consequently, after he realized he’s been a huge asshole, he did a total 180 and all of a sudden, he’s attracted to her and into her. I didn’t buy it for a second. I just didn’t feel any connection between them. And I thought their ILU was way too soon in the book.

The book was tanking, and fast…until there was a twist. Around the 60% mark, the stalker case looks like it’s closed…and I was disappointed. I mean, if the story is over by 60%, then what’s left!? There was some unnecessary drama but then the story took a twist. And it was fantastic! The twist totally saved the book for me. I loved every moment of the stalker storyline. That may sound weird, but the author did a great job with it.

Overall, while I had issues, the suspense storyline definitely made up for it. I would definitely like to see what happens to Nick. I really did love him and want him to get a HEA















New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, L.P. Dover, is a southern belle residing in North Carolina along with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she even began her literary journey she worked in Periodontics enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.
Not only does she love to write, but she loves to play tennis, go on mountain hikes, white water rafting, and you can't forget the passion for singing. Her two number one fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime and those songs usually consist of Christmas carols.
Aside from being a wife and mother, L.P. Dover has written over fifteen novels including her Forever Fae series, the Second Chances series, the Gloves Off series, and her standalone novel, Love, Lies, and Deception. Her favorite genre to read is romantic suspense and she also loves writing it. However, if she had to choose a setting to live in it would have to be with her faeries in the Land of the Fae.
L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.












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