REVIEW ~Fix You by Christine Bell~

Title: Fix You

Author: Christine Bell

Series: The McDaniels Brothers #1

Release Date: March 27, 2014

My Rating: 2

Olivia Beckett’s once-charmed life is falling apart. Her family is about to lose everything, and she has almost no chance of continuing her college education. She can't even seek solace from her high school sweetheart. He's changed. She doesn't recognize the boy she used to know— his violent behavior is escalating and it scares the hell out of her. Her whole world is crumbling, and she has no one to turn to……

Sebastian “Bash” McDaniels is an up and comer in the boxing world working nights at the local college bar until he can land the fight of his dreams that will get him the hell out of Boston and away from his family's tragic past. He’s weeks from his goal when Olivia Beckett comes tumbling into his life in a flash of silky dark hair and haunted eyes. When he saves her from a potentially brutal beating, they begin to grow close, but Olivia's ex isn’t ready to let her go so easily.

Bash can't bring himself to walk away, but fixing Olivia just might leave him broken…

Unfortunately, Fix You was not for me. I have been known to enjoy the serial books that are becoming a "thing" but, I think this book would have been better off sitting a little bit longer and coming out as a full story and not pieced out. I feel that the serials are meant for very emotional, and raw stories. Fix You didn't accomplish that with me. It felt disjointed and very rushed. I could not bring myself to like the heroine, Olivia, she seemed childish, and naive. Whereas, Bash has so much riding on his job, and seemed to be a stand up guy for his family until Olivia makes him lose his head. It just didn't click with me. The story, the characters, their circumstances and their chemistry. Something just seemed off. 

That being said, Fix You does have the potential to grow into a book I would like to read. It did end on a mild cliffhanger which will probably intrigue me enough to move on to the second book. But the second serial is going to have to possess major growth where Olivia is concerned, and more explanation where her family is concerned, and build more on Bash and Olivia's relationship. The way part one ended, it just felt like a physical connection with no deeper meaning between the two.

Again, I don't mind serials but they have to be done fantastically. This one was just so-so, and the fact that it was a serial on top of that just made it more frustrating than anything. I want to be left needing and wanting more. Fix You just left me perplexed and wanting it to have gone the extra mile and reach its potential. I sincerely hope this was just a slow start and then next parts in the book will rise to the occasion.

Happy Reading!

*ARC provided by the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with Christine:

REVIEW ~Come Home to Me by Brenda Novak~

Title: Come Home to Me

Author: Brenda Novak

Series: Whiskey Creek #6

Release Date: March 25, 2014

My Rating: 4 Stars

Home is where her heart is...

When Presley Christensen returns to Whiskey Creek with her little boy after two years away, she has completely changed her life. She's made peace with her past and overcome the negative behavior that resulted from her difficult childhood. Now she's back in the small town that was the closest thing to "home" she ever knew—the town where she can be with the sister who's her only family.


There's just one catch. Aaron Amos still lives in Whiskey Creek, at least until he moves to Reno to open a branch of the Amos brothers' auto body shop. And no matter how hard she's tried, Presley hasn't been able to get over him. Seeing him again makes the longing so much worse. But she hopes she can get through the next few months, because she can't fall back into his arms…or his bed. She's come too far to backslide now. And there's a secret she's been guarding—a secret she'll do anything to protect.

I've got a conundrum where Come Home to Me is concerned. On one hand, I devoured it. Ate up every bit of heart-wrenching and sometimes frustrating drama. On the other hand, I can never, ever condone some of the characters' actions. The easiest way to explain this book is that I hate to love it. But it's true I loved it. I don't often devour 400 page books in a 36 hour span, when I worked 16 of those hours, and slept a good chunk of the others. This may have been my fastest reading to date, and I consumed every single word and couldn't wait to get to the next. I don't know what it is about Ms. Novak but, even when I disagree with a character's actions, she can still make me glued to every aspect of their life. 

Come Home to Me is the second chance story of Presley and Aaron. After two long, hard years away from Whiskey Creek, Presley has finally decided to return home. Dependent upon Aaron's impending move to Reno to expand the auto shop he runs with his brothers. However, Aaron decides to stick around a lot longer than anyone is expecting. That throws a huge wrench in Presley's plans. She's got a big secret she's hiding from everyone, except her sister Cheyenne, and Aaron trying to pick up where they left off isn't helping her resolve of keeping that secret. Cheyenne doesn't ease matters when she propositions Aaron to help her and her husband... without her husband's knowledge. Side note: Cheyenne's husband, Dylan, just so happens to be Aaron's brother. So as the web of lies and secrets grows, some slip through the cracks and even more mistakes are made. All boiling down to the reveal of Presley's secret that will shatter Aaron's reality, and has the ability to affect Cheyenne and Dylan's future and happiness as well. But let's not stop there. Let's also include the ordeal Cheyenne has Presley and Aaron roped into... and this just can't end well for someone.

This book blew my mind. Cheyenne crosses lines, that I could not even begin to fathom. I'm hoping for some kind of happy and honest conclusion where her story line is concerned, but I don't see that happening. As for Presley and Aaron... well they just have a big old mess on their hands. Part of me couldn't stand Presley, but looking at the big picture she won me over in the end. You can only hold someone's past against them for so long. Aaron on the other hand, went with the flow much more willingly that I had expected. Despite his jealous tendencies, I saw him as a bit of a rockstar. He fought so hard, and just wanted Presley to accept the changes in him, as he had for her. I think my biggest point of contention with this book is Cheyenne. If I extricate her story line from the book, I loved it. But when I remember her actions and what she pulled Presley and Aaron into... it kinda spoils things for me. However, I still devoured this book. It reminds me of a soap opera, not necessarily in a bad way. When I watch one, although I'm not a frequent viewer but, when I do, I just can't stop watching. I want to know everyone's back story, who's cheating on who, this couples history, etc. It's all so fascinating to me. That's how I feel about Come Home to Me. Was it a Grade-A romance? Probably not, BUT it was a Grade-A book! I think what'll make it better is if I just imagine Dylan and Cheyenne's story ended in their book, and the Dylan and Cheyenne in Come Home to Me were on an alternate plane of existence. A little far fetched, but it let's me love this book without feeling a little wigged out. In terms of Presley and Aaron's story though, big thumbs up!

Happy Reading!

*ARC received by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with Brenda:

ARC REVIEW ~Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston~

Title: Bite Me

Author: Shelly Laurenston

Series: Pride #9

Release Date: March 25, 2014

My Rating: 3 Stars

Livy Kowalski has no time for idiots. When you shapeshift into a honey badger, getting through life’s irritants is a finely honed skill. Until she gets stuck housing her nutso cousin and dealing with her dad’s untimely and unexplained demise.

That’s where Vic Barinov comes in—or his house does. Vic can’t step outside without coming back to find Livy devouring his honey stash and getting the TV remote sticky. It gets his animal instincts all riled up. But he’ll have to woo her at high speed: all hell is breaking loose, and Livy is leading the charge…

I hate to say it because I really loved the rest of this series, but this book wasn't Ms. Laurenston's best. As a reader, I begin to set certain benchmarks for authors when I've read several of their books. I don't begrudge authors that step out of the box, I actually applaud them... if they do it well. My benchmarks for the Pride series are hilarious antics, beloved characters, and erotic play to boot. What I got with Bite Me was more of cameo reel for past characters and a very twisty plot that was dragged out. I didn't get enough of the main couple and the plot was thinned out too much among too many characters. Don't get me wrong, I love hearing from past characters but, in this instance I was bombarded with so many of them I couldn't remember who most of them were, and I didn't get to spend enough time with them to remember why I loved them. I know I loved them because I love every single one Shelly Laurenston's characters. It was more like a family reunion on speed than anything else. Having said that, the parts with Vic and Livy were simply awesome. 

Livy is a cut throat, no holds barred, honey badger who never fit into her family. So when her estranged father passes away suddenly, her feelings don't reflect accordingly. She never got along with him, and her feelings in general, even toward her closest friend, don't showcase appropriately in the first place. Vic Barinov is on the same wavelength. He is an easy to love, awkward, bear/tiger shifter. They both have an achilles heel for honey, and on more than one occasion Vic has found Livy hunkering in his cupboards, stealing his honey. It is painfully obvious that Vic has a soft spot for Livy, but he doesn't know what to do about it. While their love affair is slow progressing through the book, they must still team up when a shifter killer hits too close to home, and has friends in the upper echelons of the shifter world helping hide him. They pull all their resources to find the killer and with a blend of danger and hilarity this journey will be no small feat.

I feel that Bite Me was more mystery laden than the previous books. With that mystery the author felt the need to pull in several older characters and it kept the book off center for me. The time with Vic and Livy was few and far between. BUT when it was their turn center stage I loved every minute of it. I love that they are awkward and unsettling with everyone except each other. They just get each other, and it made their gradual progression to love that much sweeter. While, I loved them as a couple and even their friend chemistry together, I felt like I would get invested in them only to be thrown into another character two seconds later. It was almost never the same characters either. I think you could cut out half of the scenes without the major characters in them and the integrity of this book would stay intact. In this book I just wish the author would have narrowed the scope of the world a little bit. I still liked Bite Me, but it just wasn't up to par with its predecessors.

Happy Reading!

*ARC received by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with Shelly:

REVIEW ~Mine To Crave by Cynthia Eden~

Title: Mine To Crave

Author: Cynthia Eden

Series: Mine #4

Release Date: March 10, 2014

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Eden continues her dark and sexy “Mine” romantic suspense series with…MINE TO CRAVE.

HE TAKES WHAT HE WANTS.

From the moment that billionaire casino owner Drake Archer sees Jasmine Bennett, he’s obsessed. Consumed by desire for the mysterious redhead, Drake will do anything necessary to claim her. Yet as desire rages between them, danger is stalking ever closer. Drake’s past isn’t dead, and the ex-Special Forces agent will soon have to face the ghosts he left behind.

SHE’S HIDING SECRETS.

Jasmine isn’t who she pretends to be. She’s a woman on a mission—and she’s supposed to be stealing secrets from the mysterious Drake. Falling for him isn’t on her agenda, but when lust and love tangle together, all the rules get broken.

AN ENEMY IS CLOSING IN…

When Drake learns of Jasmine’s betrayal…all hell breaks loose. He knows that he should turn his back on her, but it’s too late for him. He can’t let her go, but he can teach her a lesson. No one betrays him…not without paying a heavy price. Drake will destroy all of the enemies on his trail, he’ll bury his past, and he’ll teach Jasmine to want only him…just as much as he craves her.

Mine To Crave is simply wonderful. The action, the banter, the chemistry, the suspense? All of it is just perfection. This book had so many twists and turns I couldn't even blink or I'd miss a story altering fact. Whatever you think you know going into this book, Ms. Eden will shatter than truth before too long. I love books like this. It's not a cookie cutter book. It has everything and anything I want out of a romantic suspense book. But it doesn't just concentrate on the suspense. The characters have very strong ties to one another, and their relationships develop and grow exponentially over the course of the book. As for Drake and Jasmine, our hero and heroine, they just melt my heart. Even when they're unsure of each other, they're completely consumed by their feelings. And they show it! Gah! I can't tell you how infuriating it is when the characters just play up their doubt and ignore their other feelings. You can have conflicting feelings. Ms. Eden showcases that perfectly in Mine To Crave. You really cannot ask for more well developed characters than the cast this book supplies. 

Drake and Jasmine are two individuals who are molded and haunted by their pasts. They both deal with regret and heartache. Despite the trials they have faced, when they come together, albeit under abnormal circumstances, they aren't willing to let each other go. Drake has every reason to hate Jasmine and turn her over for her betrayal, and Jasmine has every reason to turn and run as fast as she can. Something about their connection, and the feelings evoked, stop them dead in their tracks. Just when you think you know whose team everyone is playing for the author will hit you with surprise after surprise until you don't know which way is up anymore. The momentum in this book is hard, fast and unforgiving. You have to pay attention to every nuance, and every blink if you're going to make it to the end. Jasmine and Drake have every road block thrown at them. They never catch a break and it's not a pretty journey to their ending. 

In short, I loved every minute of this book. It was refreshing to not have so many moments where the characters acted like idiots. Jasmine and Drake made rational decisions, for the most part, and their story was a believable, once in a million tale that I devoured. 

The Breakdown- 

Writing: Amazing

Characters: Strong, developed, and funny when appropriate

The Steam: While the book isn't riddled with sex, Jasmine and Drake's chemistry is off the charts when they do hit the bed... or wall

Story: Awesome. Perfect blend of suspense and romance.

All of the Mine books are standalone, however there are some minor overlapping details from book to book. I have already added the previous books to my TBR list, so definitely look for those reviews in the near future. I really can't wait to hear about Noah and Trace's HEAs!

Happy Reading!

*Gifted copy from publisher/author in exchange for an honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with:

REVIEW ~Spin by CD Reiss~

Title: Spin

Author: C.D. Reiss

Series: Songs of Corruption #1

Release Date: March 12, 2014

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Mafia capo, Antonio Spinelli blew through my orderly life like a cyclone.

Gorgeous and passionate, with a breathtaking brutality, he put me under his spell the moment he touched me, drawing me into his underworld of risk, violence and betrayal.

And I found, just as this sophisticated savage didn’t trust me, I didn’t trust myself. Something happened to me. Some alchemy from the heat between us.

I discovered I was a savage, too.

***You do NOT need to read Songs of Submission to read Spin***

As a new reader of CD Reiss', Spin made me want to kidnap her and keep her locked up and writing book after book. A little morbid? Could be. But this woman knows how to write a freakin' book! Holy crap! I mean the sex is completely raunchy and dirty (which I love and devoured), but the whole story it just amaze-balls. Spin and Theresa are unlike any other power couple I have ever read. Both of them are domineering and stubborn, yet you can see the tension almost dissipate from them both when they get near one another, even if they are pissed as hell at the moment :). Although the effect they have could be their downfall as well as their most endearing quality. 

Theresa Drazen has it all. She works only because she wants to, she has strings she can pull from miles away, and she had the perfect relationship. Until said relationship was ruined when the other party decided to dip his wick elsewhere. Yes Dan, the DA, and Mayor want-to-be, is a world class skeeze. And while most would be distraught, Theresa picks up the pieces, takes the higher road, and eventually moves on. Enter Antonio Spinelli. An enigma of the worst sort. Theresa is drawn to him but her suspicions and the accusations her ex is lobbing at Spin are enough to make her think twice.Yet, this is one instance where physical need wins over logic. Spin and Theresa know they're no good for each other. His life in the Mafia puts her in immediate danger. As for Spin, he loses his control both in and out the bedroom where Theresa is concerned. She has him making rash decisions and compromising his already dangerous and deadly lifestyle. But as a modern day Romeo and Juliet these two cannot call it quits. 

Hell, I didn't want them to either.  Every time they are together it's sex-rough, rigorous, and utterly erotic- and drama. The kind of drama that a book lover, like myself, feeds on. It kept the momentum going at warp speed the entire book. I didn't catch my breath until the very last page. I can't begin to explain how amazing this story is. I experienced the same reservations the characters did, but in the end I needed to see them together despite the consequences. Ms. Reiss made me see beyond the logical reasons for them to not be together and understand the basic human needs they felt for one another. But the obstacles they're given may call a halt to their happily ever after... You can bet I will be devouring Ms. Reiss' previous series while Spin and Theresa are working on their future. This series will definitely have a "drop everything and read" tag on it. I simply cannot wait for the next!

Happy Reading

*Gifted in exchange for honest review*

Links to Buy:

Connect with CD Reiss: