10 Years by Bethany Lopez
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
A lot can happen in 10 years, and Gwen and Craig have been there for each other through it all, from meeting on the playground to juggling college finals. But their long-standing friendship hasn't been without its challenges.
Gwen keeps her emotions locked down tight, and when someone hurts her, she shuts down and shuts them out. Craig has always been her hero, but when one night leaves her broken, she realizes he has the power to hurt her the most.
Unable to get past Gwen's emotional barriers, Craig focuses on baseball and reaching for his dreams, but he misses his best friend. He wonders if he'll ever have the same relationship he did with the girl he met ten years ago.
When the barriers finally come down and their true feelings are revealed, will they finally become the couple everyone says they're destined to be, or will the darkness from Gwen's past tear them apart forever?
*Warning* This book contains some scenes that may be hard to read. This story is meant for readers 18 and older.
Leo Maddox by Sarah Darlington
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
The one. The only. Leo Maddox.
Leo’s cocky. He’s mean. He’s gorgeous. He’s never learned the meaning of the word no. He’s the twenty-one-year-old, billionaire grandson of a hotel mogul. He has vacation homes he’s never been to and cars he doesn’t drive. Women. Fashion. Alcohol. There’s nothing he can’t get. Well…almost nothing.
He can’t have her. The girl he loves. The girl he’s loved his entire life. She hates him. Until one morning when Leo wakes up and decides enough is enough. He’s going to get the only girl he’s ever wanted. So what if she has a new boyfriend. So what if she loathes his very existence. Clara belongs with him and he’s going to prove it to her by winning her heart.
This New Adult Romance is told entirely from Leo Maddox’s POV. It can be read before, after, or in place of He Belongs With Me. Recommended for readers 18+ due to strong language and sexy scenes.
Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Lizzie Brandt was valedictorian of her high school class, but at Radleigh University, all she's acing are partying and hooking up with the wrong guys. But all that changes when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, making her guardian to her two younger brothers. To keep them out of foster care, she'll have to fix up her image, her life, and her GPA—fast. Too bad the only person on campus she can go to for help is her humorless, pedantic Byzantine History TA, Connor Lawson, who isn't exactly Lizzie's biggest fan.
But Connor surprises her. Not only is he a great tutor, but he’s also a pretty great babysitter. And chauffeur. And listener. And he understands exactly what it’s like to be on your own before you're ready. Before long, Lizzie realizes having a responsible-adult type around has its perks... and that she'd like to do some rather irresponsible (but considerably adult) things with him as well. Good thing he's not the kind of guy who'd ever reciprocate.
Until he does.
Until they turn into far more than teacher and student.
Until the relationship that helped put their lives back together threatens everything they both have left.
Covert by G.K. Moore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Alessandro is the unwilling heir of a Chicago crime family. Intent on leaving the life set out for him, he decides to run as fast and as far away as possible. His plans crumble when one girl crash lands in his life. He should hate the daughter of his father’s mistress, but it’s near impossible when he finds that they are alike in more ways than one.
Olivia grew up watching men walk in and out of her mother’s life. When one man finally decides to stay, she learns that crime lords don’t leave until someone’s dead. Olivia’s salvation comes from the person she least expects: his son.
Six years later, Olivia and Alessandro are reunited when her life is threatened. If time has proven one thing, it’s that repeating their parents’ mistakes seems inevitable.
In a world where friendship is a luxury and love a death sentence, two unlikely lovers find each other only to be separated by their cruel reality.
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Little did Julia Robbins, an American career girl, know how much her life would change when she moved to London. The firm she works for has Belgravia Underground, London's hottest band, as a client and she ventures out to see them play.
She never dreamed her London Adventure would have her falling into the arms of Richie Stone, the bands lead singer. Their attraction is instant and they sizzle together. Julia realizes she may be his flavor of the month and will enjoy the now. She refuses to believe she could ever be enough to hold Richie's attention for long.
Richie is not your stereotypical bad boy, and Julia is not as conservative as her outward appearance would suggest. Richie is captivated by Julia, but will he be able to convince her that they could have something special?
Wednesday by Clare James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Her. Him. Alone. Beach house. Every Wednesday. Clothing optional.
Twenty-one-year-old Aria Prince has just moved back to her hometown to start over after a painful divorce. She’s always prided herself on being an early bloomer, but had no idea she’d be married, divorced, and the mother of a toddler by twenty-one. Surely menopause was just a few months away, especially considering the hot flashes and night sweats. Or was that just exhaustion?
Unlike her friends who were at school, going to parties, and sowing their oats—wild and otherwise—Aria’s days were measured in the number of orders she took at her family’s restaurant, the chapters she read in her nursing text, the amount of Cheerios she cleaned up off the floor, and the wet kisses she received from her son.
And that was just fine with her.
But when she began running into her former best-friend Tristan Green—who was home taking care of his sick father—at every turn, she remembered what it felt like to be just Aria. Not a single mother, or sleep-deprived nursing student, or royal screw up. And though she didn’t even have time to shave her legs, let alone consider a sex life, Tristan makes an offer she’d be a fool to refuse.
Each day they’d give themselves to those who needed them. Every day – except Wednesday. Wednesday they’d take what they needed from each other.
Did she forget to mention Tristan was gorgeous?
Or that they hated each other?
Well, you know what they say about the line between love and hate … it’s a skinny-ass bitch. The question was, could they keep their feelings out of it?
Sound Advice by L.B. Dunbar
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
“Nana’s Rules to Live By”
Gentlemen should always open the door for a lady.
I
was busy and I didn’t have time for a vacation, let alone a weekend
away. When a frantic phone call from an old neighbor brought me to my
grandmother’s summer home, I wasn’t prepared for an extended stay. And I
especially wasn’t prepared for the man holding the door open to the
radio repair shop who made a lasting first impression.
In attempts at a relationship, a gentleman should always make the first move.
Calling
Jess Carter’s clenched jaw and denim-colored eyes part of his
standoffish manner was an understatement. His brooding exterior bordered
on being downright rude. From the moment I bumped into him, quite
literally, our lives began to intertwine in a way that made me question
what I wanted.
Children should be seen and not heard.
Jess
had secrets and I was determined to get to the bottom of them. Even he
didn’t know the solutions to all his problems, I wanted to help. In
doing so, I might have drawn too close to the truth, forcing Jess to
risk something he wasn’t sure he could chance again. I had decisions to
make for myself and it’s hard to know whose advice to take when so many
questions remain unanswered.
Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
When soccer all-star Jax
Avery collides with Dani Hart on his twenty-first birthday, their
connection is instantaneous and explosive. For the first time in years,
Jax isn’t interested in his usual hit-it and quit-it approach.
But
Dani knows better. Allowing herself a night to be carefree and feel the
intensity of their attraction won’t change anything when it comes to
dealing with a player. So when Jax doesn’t recognize Dani the next time
he sees her, it shouldn’t be a total shock. The fact that he’s her new
roommate's brother? That’s a shock.
Dani doesn’t regret that
night with Jax, just the need to lie about it. Since her roommate has
made it clear what she thinks about her brother’s “type” of girl, the
last thing Dani wants is to admit what happened.
Jax knows he’s
walking a fine line on the soccer team. One more misstep and he’s off
the roster, his plans to go pro be damned. Except he can’t seem to care.
About anything… except for the one girl who keeps invading his dreams.
Despite
Jax’s fuzzy memory of his hot hookup with his sister’s friend, he can’t
stay away from her, even if it means breaking his own rules. But there
are bigger forces at work–realities that can end Dani’s college career
and lies that can tear them apart.
Jax realizes what he’s losing
if Dani walks away, but will he sacrifice his future to be with her?
And will she let him if he does?
FINDING DANDELION, the second
book in the Dearest series, is a stand-alone novel. This New Adult
romance is recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content.
A Love for the Pages by Joy Penny
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Kiss. Marry. Kill. Nineteen-year-old June Eyermann has always known exactly which of her favorite Byronic heroes goes where. She’d kiss moody and possessive Rochester from Jane Eyre and marry prideful but repentant Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, leaving obsessive and spiteful Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights to be chucked off a cliff—but no. She couldn’t leave any of her heroes behind. She lives for her favorite fictional worlds.
But June is about to get a serious wake up call when she returns home for the summer after her college freshman year. Stuck somewhere between feeling like a kid again under her parents’ roof and being forced to start acting like an adult with worries about her future career, June looks at the library volunteer position offered to her as a way to keep her sanity for the next few months before she can go back to school.
What June doesn’t expect to find at the library is her favorite romantic heroes brought to life—all in the same man. Obstinate, prideful and even a bit rude, Everett Rockford shouldn’t exactly be “dating material,” even if June’s heart rate accelerates whenever she’s near him. But after discovering his enigmatic past and witnessing a few fiery moments of tenderness, June can’t help but see Rochester, Darcy and even Heathcliff in Everett. If she’s going to make it through the summer without becoming a tragic heroine in her own story, she has to separate the man from the ideals of fiction in her head. Because if there’s one thing she knows about Byronic love stories, it’s that they don’t always end happily ever after.
Just Listen by Clare James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Description:
*Caution: Just Listen
contains explicit sex scenes between an alpha hockey player trying to
begin a new life and an ambitious reporter who will do just about
anything to get her story … Conflict of Interest doesn’t even begin to
describe the trouble these two get into.*
Aspiring reporter
Casey Scott knows it was unethical to get involved with retired hockey
star, Finn Daley, but she did it anyway. Happily. She also knows that
she should tell him about her assignment, but she can’t seem to do it.
No matter how many times she tries. With Finn, Casey experiences
intimacy, pleasure, pain, comfort, and a strange sort of stability.
Things she’s not yet willing to give up.
But when she finally uncovers his secret, the decision she has to make is harder than she ever imagined.
For
Finn, his past, present, and future are colliding. And when he
discovers the truth about the woman he’s grown to love, and the one he
let get away, his world comes shattering down around him. With
everything on the line, there’s only one person who can help. But is it
too late?
Just Listen is the gripping conclusion of Finn and Casey’s story that began in Talk to Me.
Talk to Me by Clare James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Description:
*Caution: This story
contains explicit sex scenes with an alpha hockey player … who gives an
entirely new meaning to the term Body Checking. *
Finn Daley took
the world by storm two years ago when he was drafted by the NHL. The
young, handsome, high-scoring player quickly became a fan favorite. He
had everything going for him: fame, fortune, a promising career, and his
pick of women. But when he made an abrupt exit from the NHL last
spring, everything changed and he’s been in hiding ever since.
Casey Scott plans to find out why.
After
interning for free all summer at the top television station in the Twin
Cities, Casey lands an on-air gig. Trouble is, the new role is Sports
Girl—which means reporting from local bars and tailgating parties to
create excitement for the hometown heroes. All while wearing tiny team
jerseys that are so tight they leave little to the imagination.
But
she has a plan. Uncover the biggest sports mystery of the decade, and
she’ll be on her way. Question is, how far will she go to get the story?
Dearest Clementine by Lex Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Twenty-year-old
Clementine Avery doesn't mind being called bitchy and closed off. It's
safe, and after being burned by her high school sweetheart and stalked
by a professor her freshman year of college, safe sounds pretty damn
good.
Her number one rule for survival? No dating. That is until
she accidentally signs up for a romance writing class and needs material
for her latest assignment. Sexy RA Gavin Murphy is more than happy to
play the part of book boyfriend to help Clem find some inspiration, even
if that means making out...in the name of research, of course.
As
Gavin and Clem grow closer, they get entangled in the mystery
surrounding a missing Boston University student, and Clem unwittingly
becomes a possible target. Gavin tries to show Clem she can handle
falling in love again, but she knows she has to be careful because her
heart’s at stake…and maybe even her life.
DEAREST CLEMENTINE is a
stand-alone novel with two companion novels. This New Adult romance is
recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content.
On the Floor by Jennifer LaCross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Who knew that working together and living on the same floor with the guy of my dreams would be so hard?
Well, everyone.
Rachel
Harris has been closed off since high school, when her mother passed
away. Worrying about her family has made her own happiness her second
priority.
Jake Price has had family issues of his own, leaving him incapable of having anything more than a physical relationship.
When Rachel meets Jake on the dance floor, sparks fly. Fires burn. Their worlds change.
And then he walks away with no more than a thank you...
Through
a twist of fate, they are brought back together when Jake shows up the
next day as Rachel’s new co-worker. They reluctantly decide to put aside
their attraction for each other so they can work as friends.
But
when that attraction becomes something more, will Rachel and Jake be
able to figure out how to work together, be together, and open up to
each other? Or will their old issues be something that destroys
everything they have built?
This is the first book in the series about the members of the band, Second Story.
Some of the material in On the Floor may be considered inappropriate for readers under 17.
Expected publication of this book is April 25, 2014.
He Belongs with Me by Sarah Darlington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Two girls. One Leo.
Identical
twins, Maggie and Clara Ryder, both grew up with Leo Maddox,
billionaire playboy, apparent alcoholic, and heir to his grandfather's
world-famous Maddox hotel empire. Their roles were cemented long ago:
Maggie, as his best friend and Clara as his childhood nemesis.
But
when a simple twist of fate changes everything and both girls start to
fall for the lean, mean, ridiculously sexy and seemingly spoiled Leo...
which girl will win his heart?
Throw in a little mischief, drama,
and one smoking-hot bartender and lines are sure to blur. But one
thing's for certain, neither good-girl Maggie nor rebellious Clara will
be satisfied until they each figure out where they belong.
*NEW ADULT ROMANCE. Recommended for 17+ due to sexual situations and adult language.
Unspoken by Jen Frederick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Book Description:
Whore. Slut. Typhoid Mary.
I've
been called all these at Central College. One drunken night, one act of
irresponsible behavior, and my reputation was ruined. Guys labeled me
as easy and girls shied away. To cope, I stayed away from Central
social life and away from Central men, so why is it that my new biology
lab partner is so irresistible to me?
He's everything I shouldn't
want. A former Marine involved in illegal fighting with a quick trigger
temper and an easy smile for all the women. His fists aren't the danger
to me, though, it's his charm. He's sliding his way into my heart and
I'm afraid that he's going to be the one to break me.
Impulsive. Unthinking. Hot tempered.
I
allow instinct to rule my behavior. If it feels good, do it, has been
my motto because if I spend too much time thinking, I'll begin to
remember exactly where I came from. At Central College, I've got
fighting and I've got women and I thought I was satisfied until I met
her.
She's everything I didn't realize I wanted and the more
time I spend with her, the more I want her. But she's been hurt too much
in the past and I don't want to be the one to break her. I know I
should walk away, but I just can't.
