Thursday 15 September 2016

Review ~ Autumn Allure by Allie Boniface

Autumn Allure
eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 15th 2016

Publisher: DFM Publishing

Description:
Time for this playboy to face the music. He just never dreamed it would be a lullaby…

Nate Hunter went to college for a business degree, but he prefers working as a bartender and enjoying his small-town, single life. Then a dying ex-girlfriend tracks him down to tell him he has a daughter he never knew existed.

Nate doesn’t know the first thing about being a father, but one look at Autumn and he’s a goner, so he agrees to take care of her until her aunt returns at Christmas.

When he asks no-nonsense librarian Maxine Abbott to move in with him and help take care of his daughter, she agrees – but only if he’ll pretend to be her boyfriend and get her mother off her back.

Their relationship of convenience works perfectly at first, until real feelings begin to chip away at their fake romance. Then Autumn’s aunt shows up early, and everything changes. Will Nate and Maxine’s budding love end in heartbreak before the last leaves fall?

My Opinion

Autumn's Allure is a cute, small-town romance. It's a sweet read that, for the most part, is a happy read as Nate navigates becoming a father to four-year-old Autumn for the first time.

As a short easy read, this kept me entertained. It flowed well and was just one of those books that made me feel good. It doesn't dig too deep, it just pulls you along with small town charm and an endearing cast of characters.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. If you want a sweet romance you might want to take a look at this.

4

Tuesday 13 September 2016

Review ~ Beneath the Surface by Melynda Price

Beneath the Surface
eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 13th 2016

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Description:
He was the last man she wanted to turn to for help. But when freelance journalist Quinn Summers uncovers a shocking secret with the potential to rock Washington, DC, she reluctantly finds herself on his doorstep. Someone intends to silence her forever, and Asher Tate may be all that’s standing between her and a vicious killer.

Overbearing, arrogant, and insanely hot, the ex-marine Special Forces officer turned mercenary for hire is no bodyguard—especially when it comes to the stubborn woman who sets his blood on fire as quickly as his temper. Quinn Summers is a powder keg of trouble just waiting for a match, and he isn’t surprised that the feisty beauty has made some dangerous enemies.

To survive, she’s going to have to play by his rules—and that means stepping into Asher’s world, where he controls the playing field. But in his fight to save Quinn’s life, he just might end up losing his heart.…

My Opinion

Having enjoyed a few books by this author within the last year, I was eager to get my hands on Beneath the Surface. The fact Asher is an ex-marine only made me more eager to read it since I'm enjoying that trope right now.

Just like her other books, Beneath the Surface captured my interest and held my attention the entire way through. The romance is mixed well with the suspense and mystery, and overall I enjoyed the plot.

I'm not going to say too much on the story as I don't want to ruin the twists that evolve as you get further into the book. However, it was a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat read. The characters go from hating each other to love and although there may have not been as much chemistry as in previous books, I liked the tension between Asher and Quinn.

The only reason I didn't rate this a five is because of the stupid mistakes some of the guys made. As trained professional, they did some things that I questioned whether or not were believable. Also, I wasn't always sure the killer was as smart as he was made out to be. He also made some mistakes I questioned and things were left up to chance a bit too much.


Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading more and hope Jaxson is going to get a book soon.

4

Friday 9 September 2016

Review ~ Wildfire Hurricane (Ryder Boys #1) by Amelia James

Wildfire Hurricane (Ryder Boys #1)
ebook downloaded via Amazon for free.

Release Date: July 5th 2016

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Description:
When Simone Leveque met Dash Ryder in seventh grade, she immediately fell for him—head over heels down the stairs…

Despite her less than graceful introduction, Simone jumped right up and yelled, “Ta-da,” drawing the attention and admiration of everyone, including Dash. The two quickly became bickering best friends, fighting about anything and everything until Dash finally kissed her, cementing their young love for a lifetime.

They fought hard and made up harder, but some things are unforgivable…

Simone knows Malcolm lied to Dash. Plain and simple. She would have never cheated on him, especially with his own brother. Dash wouldn’t believe her back then, and thirteen years later when their careers bring them back together, he still won’t. 

Dash can’t believe the woman who sent his heart to an early grave is now his new boss… 

Time doesn’t heal pain. Dash still can’t forgive Simone for betraying his trust all those years ago, and when old tensions combine with an undeniable attraction, a new flame takes hold—literally. 

An out of control wildfire tests Dash’s firefighting crew, and an unprecedented hurricane threatens the city, forcing the volatile former couple to work together to survive while somehow keeping their hands off each other. But reckless passion isn’t enough to keep them together this time. Simone must fight to bring the truth to light if she wants her future with Dash to outlast this…

My Opinion

This wasn't what I expected. I will admit Wildfire Hurricane got added tom y TBR pile based on the cover. When I read it was about firemen I was sold. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations and I found myself skimming the more I read.

The main issue I had with this book is it's set over less than a few days. That means there's a lot of emotions, disasters, obstacles, and danger thrown at the characters in mere hours. It created a very fast paced book, but for me it lacked a believable quality. I wanted to like it, but I just felt like everything was so over exaggerated. The only way I can describe it was it felt like I was being yelled at constantly in a B-list disaster movie. Too many things happened, too many emotions were involved, and it became overwhelming as there was no time to get my head around things.

As well as that, I didn't understand Dash and Simone's relationship at all. It gave me whiplash with all of the arguments and makeup sex. One minute they're shouting at each other, the next they're having sex--repeatedly. That's literally the gist of the book--argue, sex, argue, sex. It was juvenile and the characters didn't act their age.

In such a short period of time, I just didn't find it enjoyable to read. I like more depth and emotion and because of the time frame none of that could happen. The constant thoughts interrupting the speech became irritating too. They were too random and detracted from the plot a lot of the time. I just didn't like the style.


Overall this book didn't work for me. I loved the cover, but the story just did nothing for me, no matter how much I wanted to like it.

2

Thursday 8 September 2016

Review ~ On Dry Land (Swimming Upstream, #3) by Rebecca Barber

On Dry Land
ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.

Release Date: June 2016

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Description:
Tyler Andrews, Olympic swimming superstar, has always gotten his way—until he falls in love.

Living in the spotlight was just part of Tyler’s life. Magazines, paparazzi, and being the topic of every sports radio show in Australia…it was either adjust or be driven insane. He’d gotten used to his fame. Hell, he even enjoyed it. But there is one thing he can’t get used to—his girlfriend, Ava Jacobs, hates being the center of the public’s attention.

Ava has lived her life in the shadows—and that’s exactly how she likes it.

But after fulfilling her lifelong dream to have her debut novel published, her world is turned on its head by Tyler’s fame. She writes novels for a reason—it’s a quiet, peaceful profession. The last thing she wants is to be thrown into the spotlight. 

Love and life don’t always fit as well as fame and fortune.

Frustrated by Ava’s continuous reluctance to publicly embrace their relationship, Tyler takes every opportunity to make his own declarations—social media posts, visiting her at work, and even crashing her first television promotional appearance, which she grudgingly accepted as part of her publishing deal.

So when something changes and Tyler abruptly pulls away, Ava knows something is terribly wrong.

With Olympic selection looming, Ava’s publisher eagerly awaiting a sequel to her hit novel, and day-to-day life taking a toll, Tyler starts to see that life is much easier in the pool than… 

On Dry Land.

My Opinion

Having read all three books now, I honestly don't understand the point of book one. For me, it's disappointing the series has been set up this way because James and Anna can never feature again, which means book one is still left with unresolved issues.

As for this book, I kind of felt it was just going through the motions. Personally, I liked James and Anna better and thought they had more chemistry than Tyler and Ava. I wish the author had stuck with their romance than invented two new characters. I found it hard to connect with Tyler and Ava. They just didn't hold t attention as well.

With regards to the plot, like I said, it was okay. However, it didn't feel like there was much to it. It was predictable and felt like the author just threw in every romance stereotype to create a book. From the constant break-ups to make-ups, to other issues I won't divulge so as not to ruin the plot, things didn't make sense to me. There were no explanations and Ava's constant instant forgiveness made her seem weak. I lost interest in her because she refused to stand up for herself. I also still have no idea where all of her issues come from.


Overall, for me this book was only okay. I felt it didn't really add much to the series and was filled with too many stereotypes without much originality. There were also way too many exclamation marks. Book 1 is still the best in my opinion, but I can't complain too much since I managed to catch all 3 books on free day sales.

2.5

Wednesday 7 September 2016

Review ~ Chasing Rhodes (Rock Falls, #1) by Anne Jolin

Chasing Rhodes (Rock Falls, #1)
ebook downloaded for free in a giveaway on instafreebie.

Release Date: October 2015

Publisher: Self-published

Description:
Hannah Rhodes has just gotten out of a long term relationship, and she isn't looking for a new man in her life. But after a night out with the girls and one too many tequila shots, her plans to stay man free are blown all to hell. She finds herself in bed with the smoldering stranger from a party six months back and immediately knows she's in trouble, big trouble. And the last thing Hannah needs is more trouble.

Her last relationship took her out like an emotional freight train, and she’s trying to piece back the stability her life once had.

Greyson Holt’s biggest fear in life is to end up like his father, like the man who left him as a child, and broke his mother’s heart. He vowed to never be responsible for that kind of carnage. Men could be cruel and that kind of brutality was in his blood. He never allows himself to get too close to anyone, until he meets Hannah. 

Something about her makes him want to try, but a man can’t change overnight. 

Will Holt be able to catch Rhodes every time he lets her go? Or will their chase end in heartbreak?


My Opinion

This was an okay read. It was short and too the point, but I did struggle to create an emotional connection with the characters and the story. For me, it moved too quickly and it was just sex scene after sex scene. I didn't buy into the relationship and Hannah forgave way too easily.

For a short read it was okay, but I'm not sure I'll read more in the series. There just wasn't enough depth for me personally.

3

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Review ~ My Song for You (Pushing Limits, #2) by Stina Lindenblatt

My Song for You (Pushing Limits, #2)
eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 6th 2016

Publisher: Loveswept Random House

Description:
At twenty-one, Jared Leigh had been prepared to give up the life of a touring musician to be a father after getting his girlfriend pregnant. When she told him that she’d gotten an abortion, Jared was devastated. Now at least he has the groupies to keep him company—until a blast from the past rocks his world.

Callie Talbert hasn’t seen her sister’s ex since high school. But after Callie bumps into Jared while she’s grocery shopping with four-year-old Logan, there’s a spark that wasn’t there before. Jared quickly realizes that her deaf “son” is the same age his own child would have been. When Jared demands to know more about Logan, Callie panics. There are things she just can’t tell him. Besides, Jared’s a bad-boy rocker, not a dependable father figure. He’ll move on to his next gig soon enough . . . right?

Trouble is, Jared refuses to be pushed away, and the more quality time he spends with Logan, the more he’s captivated by the woman Callie has become. When the truth is revealed, Jared only hopes that the three of them have what it takes to become a real family.

My Opinion

My Song For You was a sweet, endearing read. I've been dying to read this for months. It's been sat on my Kindle and every time I open the app I want to start reading. However, when I was accepted for an ARC the release date was so far out I forced myself to waiting.

In the end, I found myself really enjoying this book. I didn't expect to read it in one sitting, but thanks to the rainy British weather, it gave me an excuse to do nothing all day and just lose myself in Jared and Callie's world.

Like I said, this was a cute and heartwarming read. I loved the relationship Jared had with Logan, and I felt for Callie due to the hand she'd been dealt in life. I also respected her for stepping up where it mattered. I won't say too much as you need to read this book to experience the emotions properly, but in general it's a feel-good read with an engaging plot and some uniqueness--like Logan's deafness.


Overall, I will definitely be reading more by this author. I would have liked to know what the label did about the band's final stunt, but other than that it was a well-rounded, well written, engaging book.

4

Monday 5 September 2016

Review ~ Finding Me (Finding, #2) by S.K. Hartley

Finding Me (Finding, #2)
ebook purchased myself.

Release Date: January 26th 2014


Publisher: Self-published


Description:

The lines are blurred between what is real and what isn't, the darkness that was once a place I feared was now a place of safety. 
If I stayed in the darkness, the hellish reality of what was truly happening no longer seemed real. 

But I was about to be pulled from beneath the consuming blanket of dark shadows, and plunged into the murky depths of my past. 
I was about to be shown my demons and all their evil sides, all of their pain and grief. I could only hope I survive it. 

What happens when the world you once knew crumbles and falls at your feet? 

Who will find me? Who will save me from my demons? 

My dark prince or my white knight... 

And will I find myself in the process?

My Opinion

This was a little better than the first. I'm glad Angel disappeared and the focus was on Logan and Neva. I'm also pleased that we got to read Logan's POV.

Once again things do move fast in this book. It didn't really give a lot of time for feelings to be developed, but it is a fast read I got through quickly.


Overall, it was better than the first and I'm starting book 3 now since I have the box set. I'm just hoping it's Low and Tate's story because I'm not sure what else there is to say about Logan and Neva.

3

Sunday 4 September 2016

Review ~ Finding You (Finding, #1) by S.K. Hartley

Finding You (Finding, #1)
ebooks purchased by myself

Release Date: September 29th 2013

Publisher: Self-published

Description:
My pain started when I was just ten years old, it was the day my mom got that dreaded phone call. 
My life has never been the same... 

I’m all kinds of broken. 

I have known Logan White forever, he was my brothers best friend and my secret protector. I used to have nightmares that drew me into a dark place, and when the nightmares got too much... Logan was by my side. The nightmares are few and far between now, but my life is centered around the tragedy of my past. 

But after an unexpected moment, things changed. Now Logan is somebody else; hot, sexy and so damn delicious and I want to know him. Desperately. But then there’s Angel Walker, who is far from the angelic nature of his name. He’s a broken man who just screams sin. He doesn't want to protect me or care for me, he just wants me. 

Do I want the man who can cut through all of my pain 
or the man who could cause me more?

My Opinion

This was on okay read. It's not my favourite by this author, but it still was enough to keep me engaged.

Things progress in this book very fast. I'm not sure I completely bought into the feelings between Angel and Neva. It all seemed a little abrupt and I didn't feel the chemistry. I am also firmly team Logan so I just wanted Neva to wake up and realise what was in front of her.


Overall an okay book. The plot was a little predictable, but I dived into book 2 straight away.

3

Saturday 3 September 2016

Review ~ Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream Series Book 2) by Rebecca Barber

Nobody's Obligation (Swimming Upstream Series Book 2)
ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.

Release Date: December 15th 2015

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Description:
Ava Jacobs is a shy accountant by day, aspiring romance writer by night—and her first novel just got published… 

Romance isn’t a big component of Ava’s life. That is, her real life. As the monotonous nature of crunching numbers and drawn-out board meetings slowly eats away at her, the only bright side to her otherwise mundane routine lies on the black and white pages of her debut romance novel. Her inspiration? A long-time infatuation—Tyler Andrews. 

Until the Olympic swimmer read her novel and connected the dots… 

Tyler Andrews is used to being the center of attention. But when his sister throws a romance novel in his lap, he’s surprised to be the inspiration for the hot, hunky hero. He has no idea who Ava Jacobs is, but he’s not at all happy with her using his likeness to spice up her steamy scenes. When he finally tracks her down, it’s her likeness that intrigues him. 

It takes just one romantic dance at a company banquet to spark disaster… 

When Tyler’s manager arranges a daring publicity stunt and offers him as an auction item at Ava’s fundraising banquet, the bids come in quick and hot. Little did Ava expect the winner, a work colleague, to donate Tyler as Ava’s date. With all eyes on the Olympic athlete, Ava can’t refuse a romantic dance. But even though Tyler was the inspiration for Ava’s steamy novel, she refuses to accept his attention if it’s not real. 

Will Tyler lose the one woman who caught his interest? Or will Ava push him away in an effort to prove she’s… 

Nobody’s obligation.

My Opinion

Eh. I don't think this was as good as the first one. I really wanted James and Anna to make an appearance after the ending of book 1. However that will never happen and I'm slightly disappointed with the way the author set this book up.

Ava is supposedly the author of Perfection Is Just An Illusion in this book. That means all of the characters in book 1 are fictional in book 2 so the worlds will never cross. I just felt let down with this turn of events. It's kind of that feeling when you get to the end of a book or good scene and it turns out to all be a dream. It rendered book 1 a bit pointless in my opinion.

Anyway, with regards to this story it was okay. I didn't feel the chemistry as much as I did in book one and I didn't understand Ava's issues and why she was so nervous. However it was still a sweet romance. It could have been cut down a bit, but it was okay and held my attention.


Overall, I preferred book 1. I'm not sure what's in store for book 3, but I'll more than likely read it since I got it as a freebie the other week.

3

Friday 2 September 2016

Review ~ Inarticulate by Eden Summers

Inarticulate
eARC received via the author in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: September 12th 2016

Publisher: Self-published

Description:
He’s silent—but his touch speaks louder than words.
At first sight, Savannah is drawn to the harsh appeal of a man who refuses to talk to her. Keenan’s hard stare is arrogant and unapologetic. The quirk of his sensuous lips is cocky and in control.

But there’s more. There’s something deeper he’s trying to hide behind those steely grey eyes—a slight hint of vulnerability which captures her intrigue.

She’d been warned, told that his silence hides a myriad of lies capable of affecting her career and relationships with loved ones. Only she can't help herself. Testing Keenan's defenses is an addiction she can't deny.

Falling in lust is easy. Learning his secrets comes with a price. The cost? Her broken heart.

My Opinion

I'm not sure what to make of this book. I've followed this author for awhile, but for some reason I've never read a book by her. When I was emailed with the offer to review Inarticulate, the blurb captured my interest and I couldn't wait to start.

I will be honest and say I didn't know if I would get to the end of this book at points. I considered giving up more than once and marking it as DNF, but I stuck with it as something about the story intrigued me. The reason I wanted to give up at points has nothing to do with the story or the author's writing. The book is beautifully written with a unique story line. It's not normal to find a book where one of the main characters is mute. It was one of the reasons this intrigued me so much. I thought the author dealt with it and created the characters well. However, this was also the reason I struggled. My personal tastes lean towards books that include a lot of speech rather than be text heavy. With Keean's lack of speech it created a dense book with little interaction verbally. This isn't a bad thing, it's just not my tastes.

Overall, even though it wasn't completely my kind of read I can appreciate what the author has created and believe many will enjoy it. Something about it kept me reading despite my interests, so it's definitely a good read.


4

Thursday 1 September 2016

Review ~ Perfection Is Just An Illusion by Rebecca Barber

Perfection Is Just An Illusion
ebook downloaded for free via Amazon.

Release Date: October 6th 2015

Publisher: Limitless Publishing LLC

Description:
James Thompson is an Olympic swimmer with gold medals, world records, and million-dollar sponsorship deals…

But his fiancée Anna White is just an ordinary girl—or so she believes. 

When James takes her home for a visit and encounters her childhood friends and sleazy, jealous ex-boyfriend, Grant, he sees for the first time just how far apart their worlds really are.

Anna’s so-called friends undermine and backstab, but James is up for the challenge…

James is determined to make Anna see that while she might have once been an ugly duckling, she is now a stunning swan, and the only woman for him. 

As the London World Championships approach, media scrutiny of their relationship intensifies, and an intimate secret is uncovered...making their promise to each other nearly impossible to keep.

Caught up in a whirlwind of press coverage, and championship competition…

James and Anna find the stress almost overwhelming, and they struggle to maintain focus on their goals. But when victory finally appears certain, an old menace resurfaces and threatens to violate all James and Anna hold dear. 

Is it possible to have a perfect life?

A perfect love?

Or is perfection just an illusion…

My Opinion

I waited to start this book until the whole trilogy had been released. I even managed to scoop them all up free in Amazon, which turned out to be a great bonus.

Perfection Is just An Illusion held my interest well. The romance was sweet and the small suspense element kept me hooked. While the characters in this book are not British, because it comes from an Aussie author it felt like they could have been. I liked the break from all of the Americanisms that get forced into books nowadays. I'm a big fan of authors who break away from that and the change was nice since it seems to be becoming rarer.

Although the book is slightly predictable, and I didn't always believe in Anna's emotions and how she treated James, this book still kept me hooked and I will be moving on to book 2 straight away.


Edit: I was expecting James and Anna's story to continue in book 2 since the way things end is rather abrupt and not completely satisfying. However, I've just started Nobody's obligation and realised it's about a completely different couple! I think book one could have ended better and tied everything up more. I'm not sure if James or Anna will make an appearance, but I can't see I'll get the resolve I would like. I guess I'll have to read to find out.

3.5

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