Monday 28 September 2015

COVER REVEAL: Love Unspoken by Lisa De Jong



Love Unspoken by Lisa De Jong (A Flawed Love Series, Book 2)
Designer: Mae I Design (Regina Wamba)

Blurb: 

I lent my heart to the bad boy, and he did exactly what I expected he would. He broke it.

And the guy I should have been with—he’s still here. He tries to take my mind off everything I’ve lost while showing me what I could have. I’m ready for a new start, to fall in love again … to do what I should have done in the first place.

Everything seems perfect.

Then the past comes walking back in. I thought I was over him, but one look and I know that’s not true. We went through too much together for those feelings to completely fade away.

When my past and present collide, how am I supposed to choose? They both love me, and I love them.

A heart will be broken … and it could be mine.




Goodreads Link: Goodreads
Author Facebook: Facebook
Amazon Link to Book #1, Lies Unspoken: Book #1

Monday 21 September 2015

REVIEW: Percolation, Poetry, and Passion by A.V. Sanders

Review

Rating: 5/5
Percolation, Poetry, and Passion is a short story from a brand new author A.V. Sanders. I heard about this story from a friend and was excited to read it.

Beckett and Simon were a cute couple and while it took me a bit to warm up to the idea of them as a couple, because Simon has a boyfriend in the beginning, when it did happen, my love of them as a couple didn't waver.

There is a little bit of angst sprinkled into this story. It didn't overtake the story and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, I think part of it was because A.V. Sanders did such a good job writing this and she has a real talent that I'm excited to see more of.

The ending is abrupt. But it's a happy ending and the couple are very much together.

I would love more Beckett and Simon in the future. And I look forward to seeing what she releases next because I'll definitely be in line to read it.

About the Book


Beckett works at a coffee shop to make ends meet while attending a prestigious university. It's not the most exciting job, but he's done it long enough he's good at it—and can avoid the tedium by spinning sexy little daydreams of things he doubts will ever happen.

Daydreams that soon include Simon, the hot, handsome, and older freelance writer who stops in one day. But then Simon becomes a regular, a bright spot more interesting than the inside of Beckett's head, and daydreams start to seem like they could be something far more tangible—if reality doesn't get in the way first.








Buy Links

Wednesday 16 September 2015

REVIEW: Against the Grain (THIRDS #5) by Charlie Cochet

Review

Rating: 5/5
We finally get Cael and Ash! Don't get me wrong, I love Dex and Sloane to pieces and I love their story. But I've been waiting for Cael and Ash's story for a while now, so it was nice to finally get it.

This book picks up straight after Rise & Fall, which is still my favorite book in the series. We switch POV to Ash and it picks up at a really funny scene that I adore.

This book really made me feel for Ash in a way I didn't before. You learn a lot about him and why he is the way he is. It was heartbreaking for me at times and I wanted to hug him and slap him upside the head for treating Cael the way he did. I was able to understand it a little better here, though.

Cael's past was a shock. I can't pretend it wasn't. The stuff he went through was tough and I'm glad he got away from that asshole. My heart broke for him and Dex when they discuss an incident in their past. 

It took a while for these two to get to where I wanted them to be. There were a lot of ups and downs in this book for them. So when they finally got together for real, I was cheering and grinning like an idiot. 

The stuff with Hobbs left me extremely pissed. I wanted to kill a certain character. And I really hope he either gets his comeuppance in the next book or grovels until he has me them convinced he's really, really sorry.

About the Book

As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.

Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.


Buy Links


Dreamspinner Press: Dreamspinner Press
Amazon US: Amazon US
Amazon UK: Amazon UK

REVIEW: Rise & Fall (THIRDS #4) by Charlie Cochet

Review

Rating: 5/5
Damn. I didn't think I would ever be able to pick a favorite book in the series. But it looks like I was wrong. This book was amazing, perfect and everything I wanted it to be and more. I wish I could still be reading this book it's that good. 

Thankfully, Rise & Fall picks up where Rack & Ruin leaves off. The torture is finally over and we're able to recover from the cliffhanger the last book left us with.

I'm still a super huge fan of Dex. He's my favorite and nobody can take his place. He goes through a lot in this book and some of the stuff had me worry about him. But I should know by now he's strong and can handle things.

Things between Sloane and Dex take a turn for the better and they're finally in a place I'm extremely happy with. There were some really fun sexy times and some really serious ones, too. I loved both equally because it fits them as a couple.

The drama with Cael and Ash and Calvin and Hobbs comes to a head. And we finally get some progress with them, just in time for Cael and Ash's book.

The ending had me laughing so hard, I didn't think I would recover. Probably one of my favorite scenes in a book to date. And definitely an amazing way to end this book. It also makes me excited for book 5 because I want to know what happens with Tony and Old Betsy. 



About the Book



After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost. 

With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart.


Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press: Dreamspinner Press
Amazon US: Amazon US
Amazon UK: Amazon UK

REVIEW: Rack & Ruin (THIRDS #3) by Charlie Cochet

Review


Rating: 5/5
This series is an addiction for me. I find myself diving in and gobbling up as much as I can and then desperately waiting for more and more. Thankfully, I got to read the first few one after the other, which helped a lot!

Rack & Ruin featured less Dex and Sloane drama, apart from one thing that happened in the latter half of the book that left me wondering where would they go from there. But it wasn't OTT and it was desperately needed. I hate it when established couples I love break up, so I was glad this didn't happen with them.

We see a lot of the other two future couples. Cael and Ash and Calvin and Hobbs. There is some drama with them and it makes me even more eager for their books.

The stuff with Ash had me worrying a bit... or maybe more than a bit. I'll admit, I kind of knew things weren't the way they appeared to be, but that didn't help me feel any better. All I could think about is what damage it would do to his relationship with Cael. Poor Cael really is head over heels in love with him.

The ending is cruel in so many ways. I might have jumped off the settee when I finished. I trust Charlie Cochet, though, and I know she'll make the next book worth the pain of the ending.


About the Book



New York City’s streets are more dangerous than ever with the leaderless Order of Adrasteia and the Ikelos Coalition, a newly emerged Therian group, at war. Innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire and although the THIRDS round up more and more members of the Order in the hopes of keeping the volatile group from reorganizing, the members of the Coalition continue to escape and wreak havoc in the name of vigilante justice. 

Worse yet, someone inside the THIRDS has been feeding the Coalition information. It’s up to Destructive Delta to draw out the mole and put an end to the war before anyone else gets hurt. But to get the job done, the team will have to work through the aftereffects of the Therian Youth Center bombing. A skirmish with Coalition members leads Agent Dexter J. Daley to a shocking discovery and suddenly it becomes clear that the random violence isn’t so random. There’s more going on than Dex and Sloane originally believed, and their fiery partnership is put to the test. As the case takes an explosive turn, Dex and Sloane are in danger of losing more than their relationship.

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press: Dreamspinner Press
Amazon US: Amazon US
Amazon UK: Amazon UK

Tuesday 15 September 2015

TRAILER & COVER REVEAL: The Road That Leads to Us by Michalea Smeltzer




Title: The Road That Leads To Us
Series: Us Series (standalone)
Author: Micalea Smeltzer
Cover Design: Regina Wamba (Mae I Design)
 Release Date: October 27, 2015



Blurb

Things are about to get rocky for Dean Wentworth and Willow Wade.

Willow Wade is used to living in the spotlight, with her father a famous drummer in the band Willow Creek—her namesake—it’s been a lot to live up to and oftentimes she doesn’t feel she’s enough. But there has always been one person she could turn to.

Dean Wentworth knows a thing or two about how crippling a name can be. His family is worth billions after all. But Dean’s always been content to do his own thing. Play his guitar. Work on cars. And geek out to his various “nerdoms”.

But when Willow turns up unexpectedly, he realizes maybe there is more in life he wants.

Her.
 

One trip will change their lives forever.







Pre-order Now
99c

AMAZON US / UK






Trailer





Excerpt


Those bitches were gonna die.

That was a horrible thing to say about my so-called ‘friends’—and I used the word friends loosely, because true friends wouldn’t ditch you the day of your scheduled road trip because they’d rather be sunbathing in the Hamptons.

The fucking Hamptons.

Ew.

I mean, how clichéd could you get.

This was why I hated rich people.

It also sucked that I was one of those rich people.

Well, I wasn’t, but my dad was.

So by extension so was I.

When you grew up with a rock star for a dad, cameras and eyes followed you everywhere. It was exhausting.

I couldn’t just be Willow.

I was Willow Wade.

The daughter of the famous drummer Maddox Wade.

People expected greatness from me.
I just wanted to graduate college without slitting my wrists.







Author Bio


Micalea Smeltzer is a bestselling Young and New Adult author from Winchester, Virginia. She’s always working on her next book, and when she has spare time she loves to read and spend time with her family.



Author Links

C

Monday 14 September 2015

REVIEW: Blood & Thunder (THIRDS #2)

Review

Rating: 5/5
It's hard to imagine this series getting better, but it does. I'm seriously fangirling over Dex. Did I mention in my previous review that I love him? No? Well, I do. I love him a lot.

Blood & Thunder is the second book in the THIRDS series and it continues Dex and Sloane's journey. I love these two even though they go through so much and things still aren't hunky-dory. 

There is angst in this because of Sloane and his trouble getting over Gabe, which is still hard for me, and him struggling with his feelings for Dex. My poor Dex really does have to deal with a lot. But I know Sloane will eventually embrace his love for Dex and start treating him like he deserves.

We get more action and also a look into some of the other characters who will be getting their own books. I'm excited for those! It'll be so good to see the other guys get their HEAs as well.

Something I love about this series is the humor. Yes, there is angst and yes, there are bad guys and everything. But the humor is always there and I love a good laugh when I'm reading.


About the Book

When a series of bombs go off in a Therian youth center, injuring members of THIRDS Team Destructive Delta, and causing a rift between agents Dexter J. Daley and Sloane Brodie, peace seems unattainable. Especially when a new and frightening group, the Order of Adrasteia, appears to always be a step ahead. With panic and intolerance spreading and streets becoming littered with the Order’s propaganda, hostility between Humans and Therians grows daily. Dex and Sloane, along with the rest of the team, are determined to take down the Order and restore peace, not to mention settle a personal score. But the deeper the team investigates the bombings, the more they believe there’s a more sinister motive than a desire to shed blood and spread chaos.

Discovering the frightful truth behind the Order’s intent forces Sloane to confront secrets from a past he thought he’d left behind for good, a past that could not only destroy him and his career, but also the reputation of the organization that made him all he is today. Now more than ever, Dex and Sloane need each other, and, along with trust, the strength of their bond will mean the difference between justice and all-out war.

Buy Links

Saturday 12 September 2015

REVIEW: Hell & High Water (THIRDS #1) by Charlie Cochet

Review


Rating: 5/5
A friend of mine told me I had to try this series. It's something that took me a while to get to, but when I did I can promise you I wasn't sorry.

Hell & High Water is the first book in the THIRDS series. It's a very strong start to the series and really got me into Charlie Cochet's writing, which I love. It introduced me to some amazing and wonderful characters who I now adore.

My favorite thing about this book has to be Dex. He's the type of guy I love. Funny, with a good heart and cares deeply about his family. Also, he does the right thing. All these reasons (and more) makes him one of my favorite characters to date. I could not imagine this series without Dex.

Hell & High Water introduces us to quite a few characters and we learn about THIRDS and Therians. I worried it would be too much for me, but it really wasn't. I think Charlie Cochet does an amazing job introducing everything and everyone.

The grief in this was a little difficult for me in places. Especially Sloane's grief. 

I'm really glad I found this series and I'm excited to see what will happen next!

About the Book



When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences—and the media frenzy—aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed. Instead, his adoptive father—a sergeant at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron otherwise known as the THIRDS—pulls a few strings, and Dex gets recruited as a Defense Agent. 


Dex is determined to get his life back on track and eager to get started in his new job. But his first meeting with Team Leader Sloane Brodie, who also happens to be his new jaguar Therian partner, turns disastrous. When the team is called to investigate the murders of three HumaniTherian activists, it soon becomes clear to Dex that getting his partner and the rest of the tightknit team to accept him will be a lot harder than catching the killer—and every bit as dangerous.


Buy Links

Friday 11 September 2015

REVIEW: Crush by Laura Susan Johnson

Review


Rating: 4.5/5 stars!
I've read this book twice. Once, well over a year ago and the second time just a couple of months ago. I loved it the first time I read it and I love it even more now. I love Laura Susan Johnson's writing style.

Crush is not an easy or fun book. It's full of pain and heart wrenching moments. But there is a beautiful love story that is told and that brought a tear to my eye.

Jamie has had a horrible life. His childhood was full of pain and suffering. When he's finally rescued, he ends up in a good home. But that doesn't change his past and it doesn't 'fix him'. I loved this boy/man. I loved him so much.

Tammy's beginning was also rocky. Not as bad as Jamie's. But pain and suffering is still pain and suffering and we all react differently. He's Jamie's polar opposite, but it works so well. I loved him, too, and I wanted him to give himself a break.

Jamie and Tammy meet as children, again as teenagers and then again as adults. Their relationship takes time, but I rooted for them throughout the book. I was celebrating the good and crying during the bad. These guys deserve their HEA. More than any couple I've read to date, I think.

***Spoiler***

So why not 5 stars? It's a little nitpick of mine. But they use condoms after they marry and it made me a little uneasy. The author did a video about the reason she chose to write it. But as a personal preference, I would have liked for them to stop using condoms once married.



About the Book


Raw, graphic, candid portrait of two young gay men whose love affair is deeply affected by the scars they sustained from childhood sexual abuse. Tammy and Jamie are soul mates, but their love is thwarted for years by bad timing, fear of ridicule, and the damage that lingers long after childhood.












Buy Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Crush-House-Glass-Beach-Book-ebook/dp/B0096FLPRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441992493&sr=8-1&keywords=Crush+Laura+Susan+Johnson

Thursday 10 September 2015

REVIEW: Focus on Me by Megan Erickson

Review


Rating: 5/5
Megan Erickson has done it again. She's written another fabulous story that made me fall in love with her characters and left me wanting more.

Focus on Me is a lot more emotional than Trust the Focus was. It's heavy and deals with serious topics that you don't always see done well in books. But Riley's problems were delved into and never sugarcoated. This is not an easy read, not by a long shot, but it's no less amazing than Trust the Focus was.

I loved Colin and I loved Riley. I loved them as individual characters and as a couple. Their journey was not an easy one. I would say it's tougher than Justin and Landry's journey was in book one. I love how their relationship was handled. I love that it wasn't easy and it took work and sometimes things didn't go the way I wanted them to. Everything had to happen, I understand that now.

Another thing I loved about this book is Justin and Landry! We get to catch up with those two amazing guys and see how they're doing. I think the reason they appeared in this book was great and the prologue made me smile so hard.

I'm definitely hooked on this authors books. She's made a solid fan out of me and I cannot wait for the next book.


About the book


A sexy new romance from the author of Trust the Focus.


Colin Hartman can now add college to his list of failures. On the coast-to-coast trek home from California, Colin stops at a gas station in the Nevada desert, and can’t help noticing the guy in tight jeans looking like he just stepped off a catwalk. When he realizes Catwalk is stranded, Colin offers a ride.


Riley only intended to take a short ride in Colin's Jeep to the Grand Canyon. But one detour leads to another until they finally find themselves tumbling into bed together. However there are shadows in Riley's eyes that hide a troubled past. And when those shadows threaten to bury the man whom Colin has fallen in love with, he vows to get Riley the help he needs. For once in his life, quitting isn't an option…



Buy links



REVIEW: Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

Review

Rating: 5/5
I'm a huge fan of m/m romances and I also love discovering new authors. Trust the Focus introduced me to the fabulous Megan Erickson. It also introduced me to the lovable Justin and Landry or #JusLan.

I can't begin to describe my love for this book. It made me angry, it made me happy and it left me feeling bereft because I wanted to continue with these boys on their journey.

At first, Justin is a bit hard to like. He does some not-so-nice things that hurt Landry. But as the story progresses, it's impossible to not fall in love with him. He's in love with his best friend and is afraid to come out because of his mom. To add to all that, he lost his dad, one of the most important people in his life.

Landry is openly gay and has a "boyfriend". He's also in love with his best friend. He puts up with a lot from Justin. But there are also times Justin has been there for him and supported him throughout the years. He has two awesome parents who love him and want the best for him and for Justin.

I wanted to give both these guys a hug and tell them they they needed to be together. I was rooting for them to find that much deserved HEA, which thankfully, they got. I would love to catch up with them in the future and perhaps see how life is going for them. But that doesn't mean I wasn't happy with the ending, because I was. It was amazing!



About The Book




From the author of Make it Count comes the first novel in the In Focus series…



With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.

But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.


Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

Buy Links

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trust-Focus-Megan-Erickson-ebook/dp/B00LMGLZPU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441876883&sr=8-1&keywords=Trust+the+Focus