REVIEW ~DOUBLE DOWN BY ALESSANDRA TORRE~

Title: Double Down

Author: Alessandra Torre

Series: All In Duet #2

Release Date: June 18, 2018

The stunning conclusion to the All In Duet...

In Vegas, there was one man who was off limits. One man… and I fell for him. 

I knew there were risks. Still, I played the game. When Dario Capece called, I answered. When he beckoned, I came. When he broke all my rules, I looked the other way. 

I knew there were risks. I just never realized they included death. 

*Note, this book is the second and final book in the All In Duet. It should be read After Even Money.

I LOVED this ending to the All In Duet. It was twisty, raw and gritty. Everything that book one had setup, and took it a million miles beyond my expectations. Dario and Bell had a lot of heartache and growing to do to get where this book ends, but they did it, and when they could have taken easy road and just called it quits, their utter obsession with each other and their love kept them strong and dedicated.

Double Down is one of those heart-racing books that left me breathless at times, had me fearful at others, and made my heart happy. It encompasses ALL of the feels. I will say, as much as I loved this book, the reason for the lack of the fifth star is only because after everything Dario and Bell go through, I wanted a more definitive ending for them. They, in and of themselves in their relationship, are solid in the end. But there is an unresolved issue, that I felt like really needed to be resolved to give them the ending they deserved.

HOWEVER, to combat my own opinion, it was also almost fitting that it wasn't resolved BECAUSE of their journey. I'm just one of those softy readers that desperately needed a happily ever after ending, not a happy for now ending. Even given that information, I LOVED this book, and the duet in its entirety and think it is MORE than well worth the read. It's gripping, and seductive and amazing. Truly this book rounds out a duet that I think most readers would love and devour!

Happy Reading!

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

Title: Even Money
Author: Alessandra Torre
Series: All In #1
Release Date: June 2, 2018

From NYT Bestseller Alessandra Torre comes a suspenseful and seductive duet...

Sometimes it only takes a minute. A connection of eyes across a room, a quickened heartbeat, and everything changes.

I was a cocktail waitress with a fondness for partying and meaningless hook-ups.

He owned half of Vegas, with the reputation to match.

I should have turned away. Instead, I stepped closer.

Then, the lies started. Rumors spread. Stalking commenced. Someone died.

None of it stopped me from falling in love.

COVER REVEAL ~MIXED UP LOVE BY NATASHA MADISON~

Title: Mixed Up Love

Author: Natasha Madison

Release Date: August 7, 2018

Hunter 

When my business partner asked me to do him a favor, I had no idea he was sending me on a blind date his mother arranged for him. I walked in the bar, saw the woman drinking her third martini, and knew I was in for an eventful night. 

After the unexpected second date, she didn't know my real name or who I really was. By that time, the lie was too far gone, and I wanted her too much to admit the truth. 

Laney

It's not every day you find out your ex-boyfriend is engaged. 

I shouldn't have agreed to the blind date. My mother insisted, and I wasn’t in any position to turn down a night out. 

I will admit, I definitely shouldn't have ordered that fourth martini before said blind date even arrived. 

The man turned out to be swoon worthy, handsome, condescending—a perfect distraction. Then I found out he was a liar.

I've never been in over my head to this degree. 

Then again, I've never been in love.

When her nose isn't buried in a book, or her fingers flying across a keyboard writing, she's in the kitchen creating gourmet meals. You can find her, in four inch heels no less, in the car chauffeuring kids, or possibly with her husband scheduling his business trips. It's a good thing her characters do what she says, because even her Labrador doesn't listen to her...

REVIEW ~CRAZY STUPID LOVE BY KL GRAYSON~

Title: Crazy Stupid Love
Author: KL Grayson
Series: Dirty Dicks #3, a standalone
Release Date: June 20, 2018

There’s a special place in hell for a man like me—a man who shamelessly sleeps with his best friend’s little sister, knowing he’ll never be what she needs. A man who takes because the only thing he has to offer in return is a broken past that’s destined to destroy his future.

I was the kid who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks with shit parents and clothes that had been handed down one too many times. I stole to feed my sister, fought to protect her, and I’ll always be the guy your parents don’t want you to bring home.

So yeah, that’s me. Lincoln Bennett. Adley Allen’s walk on the wild side. Her dirty little secret. And I’m okay with that—ninety-nine percent of the time. Unfortunately today is in that one percent when it doesn’t sit well with me. For some strange reason, I want to be around to celebrate all of Adley’s successes. I want to be here when she gets her first job and take her out to dinner after her first shift. I want to be the one she depends on, the person she calls when she has a bad day. Or a great day. Or any kind of day.

I want more than her body. I want her heart. But men like me don’t get women like her.

At least not to keep.

Perfectly angsty and swoon-worthy! Crazy Stupid Love is KL Grayson at her best. I thought I was in love when I read Crazy Hot Love, but THIS book, the best friend's little sister trope? I was a FREAKING GONER! Lincoln and Adley are crazy stupid. Crazy stupid for thinking a fling wouldn't be a messy entanglement. Crazy stupid for every moment of denial they tried to believe in. And crazy stupid IN LOVE. These two are just sublimely sweet with off-the-charts chemistry. I mean seriously? If there's a real-life Lincoln out there somewhere, I call dibs SO. FREAKING. HARD. 

But while these two are wildly perfect for each other, Lincoln's past of a more than screwed up family dictates a lot of his actions in his relationships, and especially with sweet Adley. He can't risk ruining her for myriad of reasons, the first and foremost being she's the only woman who's made him want more. And while Adley works her spitfire damnedness to make this work, there's one hurdle even she can't get them both over. It's up to Lincoln to finally put his demons to rest, or risk losing her and so much more. 

I can't say how much I enjoyed this book. It was amazing and I gobbled up every word of it. Lincoln and Adley's story far exceeded my expectations and as much of a suck as I am for the best friend's little sister trope, this book was no cookie cutter. It was unique from the very beginning, and I was blissfully sucked into the narrative. So, do I recommend this book? Heck yes, it's a book that I might need in signed print if I can get my hands on it, it's that special that it deserves a space on my bookshelf! 

Happy Reading!

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

K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.

5-STAR RECOMMENDED READ ~KANDILAND BY TL SMITH~

Title: Kandiland
Author: TL Smith
Release Date: June 17, 2018

MY RATING: 5+ STARS

He was forbidden, my boss and incapable of loving me.
People talked about him, whispered about him in passing.
He was the king of his town.
And I was a visitor.
I was by no means a smart girl. Never loved with my head, always with my heart.
That fact alone almost killed me once.
I should have listened the second time around.
But the king of this small town, had me starving. Had me craving his taste.
My name is Kandi, and he called me his Kandiland.
The king declared I was his medicine, and with each dose, he became better and better.
He was the perfect liar.
And I was his perfect Kandi.
Together, we were explosive, and toxic in every way.

*Kandiland is a full length Standalone*

Excuse me while I still try to pick my jaw up of the ground. This book just snuck itself into my top reads of the year and while I was expecting something enticing, I couldn't have been prepared for THIS. Kandiland is the first book I've ever read from TL Smith, but good golly miss molly it will not be my last. This book expertly weaves together two damaged characters that aren't looking for anything other than a physical touch that will make them feel alive. In Kandi's case she's still recovering from an event from a year ago that left her heart in tatters, and in Huxley's case we're given a cold domineering man, with no need for love, just a hunger for power. Power of his business, power over this town he owns, power over his rotten and scarring past, and power over this woman who dropped into his town and stole his breath without his permission.

However, what they find together is a passionate obsession they thrive on. The push and pull, the yes and no, the anger-sparked lust all dominate Kandi and Huxley. Neither think they can possibly make a forever of this, but when faced with a decision that could lead to a future without each other, they'll have to both make decisions that could have them falling back into the toxic ways of their pasts, or breathe a new life into their toxic present that makes their future something worth living and thriving for. 

This book just about destroyed me. With a name like Kandiland, you'd expect a little fluff, but this book is seductively gritty, and heart-twistingly angsty. Kandi is a quirky spitfire, and Huxley is a "you can't say no to me" alpha. Together they are mind-melting and had me awestruck. I was glued to every bit of their story, and though that ending made me the happiest of readers, I would complain one iota if there was another book in their future. I can't say enough good things about this book. It's wonderful. More than, even. And If you haven't picked it up, you're missing out on a fantastic love story!

Happy Reading!

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

COVER REVEAL ~BAD BEHAVIOR BY VIVIAN WOOD~

Title: Bad Behavior

Author: Vivian Wood

Series: Redemption Beach #1

Genre: New Adult

Cover Design: Pink Ink Design

Release Date: July 10, 2018

From Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller Vivian Wood

Cynic. F*ck up. Outsider. 

That’s Jameson in a nutshell - not to mention drool-worthy, dreamy, and perfect fantasy object.

He’s also my older brother’s best friend and business partner.

I’ve had a thing for Jameson ever since I was old enough to have dirty dreams. My brother has made it crystal clear that if he catches rough, wrong-side-of-the-tracks Jameson even looking at me, someone will get hurt.

That doesn’t deter me, though. I want Jameson to be my first.

And that’s why my brother can never find out what happened.

Because Jameson kissed me.

No -- not kissed -- he shoved me up against a wall, possessed me, and took my breath away. Then he promptly passed out in my bed, wasted.

Now I know that Jameson wants me. I may be off limits because of my brother, but that kiss is branded in my mind.

I need another taste of Jameson.

I crave his brutal touch. Pinned against the wall, gasping at the feel of his body pressed against mine, crying out in pleasure and pain while he gives me everything I’ve dreamed about.

As long as my brother doesn’t catch on, Jameson might just give me exactly what I want… and a whole hell of a lot more.

Vivian likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees. 

Vivian's lasting motto in romance is a quote from a favorite song: "Soulmates never die."

Be sure to follow Vivian through her Vivian's Vixens mailing list or Facebook group to keep up with all the awesome giveaways, author videos, ARC opportunities, and more!