Ruin by C.J. Scott
**** Mysterious Stars!
" Like I said, Winter was the Sleeping Beauty of Montana. Except no prince came to wake the princess. Princes avoided Winter like she had the plague......Until now."
Exactly until now when mysterious gorgeous hunky man gets off the bus, and meets the girl.
Kate has been away to college but is home, back in sleepy Winters with her family and friends. She and Jane her friend are at the cafe when Ben Parker gets off the bus. Since no one ever gets off and stays in Winter's Kate is wondering who and what he is about. Kate and Jane decided to find out, he tells them he is just staying for a short time and has no money. Kate and Jane work out a plan where he can work at Jane's Grandma's, Mrs. Merrweather's home which is in bad repair for room and board. He agrees, but Ben has secrets that not everyone knows about, and he wants to keep it that way.
I really enjoyed this story Ben is hot, mysterious and a really good guy. Kate is smart, knows what she want which is definitely Ben. At times she comes on a little to strong with all her lusting over him, it felt a little desperate in the beginning. They do seem to have a connection but all the secrets get in the way. I liked how Ben tries really hard to help Jane and her Grandma. I also enjoyed watching Ben and Kate fall in love with each other. This story had great characters and a great mysterious story line. Will Ben's secrets be to much for Kate and the community to handle? Read and find out!

New Young Adult

Thanks C. J. Scott and Publishers for ARC!

A Heart Divided by Mary Brock Jones
****
This was an enjoyable read overall slow in a few places but still written very well. The beautiful descriptions of the New Zealand landscapes made me wish I was there. The gold rush years where beautiful and hard but Nessa brings a breath of fresh air to the area. Really a delightful story of love and endurance.

Thank You Harlequin Australian Publishing! 

Frontline by Alexandra Richland
* :(

DNF stopped at 75%. I started out liking it but....just didn't care anymore about these characters. It started off pretty well but went down hill fast do to the main character Sara. She is incapable of asking Trenton questions as to if he is the one responsible for certain things, she is all about assumptions and blame. I could get over it if it was once, but she just kept assuming the worst of him with out confronting him and finding out the truth. Trenton was amazing, but he put up with her crap for to long, to the point I didn't want to see him with her any longer. Just didn't work for me, It might for you.

 

The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott
****

This was a really light fun sweet romance, that I completely enjoyed. Samantha must marry by her 25th birthday or risk losing her inheritance and home. However Samantha will not be forced into just any marriage, she wants to be loved. I really liked Samantha she is witty, smart, strong willed and minded, and she is very kind. William Wentworth owns land that boarders Samantha and he is finding himself drawn, and intrigued by Samantha, Lady Everland. After watching someone following her carriage he feels a great need to protect and watch over her. I liked Will he is handsome and chivalrous. There is also a little mystery suspense to this sweet romance. It was fun to watch how Samantha and Will's love story unfolds. If you love regency pieces or historical fiction this was really good. I didn't know this was a series when I read it, author did a good job of including things that I would have need to know for this story.

clean read

Thank you Harlequin Love Inspired! 

 

Beneath The Surface by M.A. Stacie
****Hot Stars

Whoot whoo Dale! Loved Dale she is a very strong minded woman who knows who she is and what she wants. It was interesting to see her paired up with Kyran Reese who is a strong alpha male. It worked surprisingly well. Kyran is the CEO of the family corporation along with his brother Taylor who is CFO and they are both hot and broken and have their secrets. Talk about dysfunction at it's finest. Kyran is strong, sexy, family fixer, and has serious emotional bonding issues. Taylor is just as good looking, has serious family issues,he is never sober long which begins to affect his daily life. Dale was just hired as Taylor's assistant she immediately can tell something is wrong/going on with Taylor he is either late, drunk or a no show at work. Dale upon meeting Kyran has an immediate attraction that she pushes aside because he is her boss. Kyran on meeting Dale feels the same pull, he chalks it up to lust and knows he shouldn't want her but she wont get out of his head. I love the elevator scene with these two hot! Kyran just cant take the sexual tension between them any longer and makes his move. No shirt Kyran inters the elevator, Dale with her yummy vanilla scent is everywhere, and Dale is intrigued at all of his beautiful tattoo's that are hidden beneath his dress shirts and his amazing body. They decide that the lust and sex is amazing and they will just keep it to that, but can they? Kyran has so many issues and uses boxing as his outlet no one at work or in his family knows how he deals with the pressures in his life. Dale is like an anchor that grounds him. I loved all the hot scenes and banter between these two. Dale would not put up with his crap and she dished it right back at him. I think this is what Kyran liked about her, she wasn't intimidated by his brooding ornery self, she could tell it was a cover. Taylor's issues come to a head too. Dale and Kyran go through a lot before their story is all over. Really a great read!

This cover is quite beautifully HOT!

Thank you TWCS Publishing House!

Torn By K. A. Robinson
****

I definitely see why it was entitled Torn, because I was torn between these two amazing guys. They are both hot and great for her in different ways, and choosing will be painful for Chloe. Chloe, Logan and Amber have been BFF's for forever and are headed off to college together. Logan has been her confidante and protector for just as long. I loved Logan he is super attentive, sweet, fun, oh so protective, and jealous (who could blame the poor guy)and beautifully handsome. Logan really is an amazing guy he knows Chloe so well and has been her rock and her everything because her family was so abusive and dysfunctional. Chloe meets handsome tattooed Drake the first day of school in her class, and there is an immediate connection between the two. Drake stirs feelings in Chloe that she has never felt before, but Drake doesn't feel like he is good enough for her so he pushes her away and into the arms of yep her BFF Logan. Then Drake realizes that he can't stand that and wants her too. Thus the vicious triangle goes. I usually love triangles, but this one was a little much with the cheating and I felt one of them was used, and I hated seeing him care so much for her and nothing but fake returned. Chloe does eventually get the right guy for her, so yay. Okay that was all kinds of crazy and messed up, but it was really good:D Still can't believe that ending!

Thank you Atria Publishing!

 

Stripped by Jasinda Wilder
***** Light fun stars!

I really really liked this one it was fun and light for the most part, fit my mood perfectly. I am completely hooked on Jasinda as an author love the way she writes.
The story starts off with Grey still living at home in a very strict home. She never really feels like she knows who she really is because she is not allowed to express herself for fear of breaking one of her father's rules. He does allow her to go to dance class were they are modest in what they teach. One thing leads to another her and her father have a falling out and she is off to college in California. Well not a good place to end up with little to no money...which then leads to the stripping. Stripping was so out of character for her poor thing. My favorite part of this story was watching Grey take control of her life and figure out who she was and what she wanted. Dawson plays a big part in her ability to open up and figure things out. Dawson is a hot actor and incredible, loved him. He is super thoughtful, has his own skeletons in his closet,and the complete alpha male. I loved, loved watching them fall into love. Grey makes it tough at times, but Dawson perseveres he sees in her what he himself is lacking...sososo good. Jasinda writes some of the hottest best love scenes ever. Go indulge!:) 

 

 

A Veil of Glass and Rain by Petra F. Bagnardi
***.5-4 Stars

"The first time I saw Eagan, it was through a veil of glass and water. I was nine, and he was fourteen."
Petra writes such beautiful prose that just for that I would give her 5 stars. Really beautiful!

A Veil of Glass and Rain is about two best friends who are lost in the friendship side of it and can't figure out how to move past it. Both wanting more but not knowing how to get there and as they say timing is everything. Brina's character is very passionate she does everything deeply including loving Eagan even though he is unaware of her true feelings for sometime. Brina's character was hard at times to relate to, she is so NEEDY with all capitals yes, and she knows it. If she didn't have Eagan close then she was a shell of herself more than she all ready was. Brina felt like a person that goes through life in a depressed state 90% of the time, and the only time she sort of came out of it was with Eagan. She never seemed to be happy just being Brina and that was just sad I thought. Eagan is pretty cool he is about life and living it to the fullest. Because he has known Brina for so long he does love her and he is use to taking care of her, it is almost a need for him to be her rock. In this way they work well together. There are also wonderful secondary characters in the story that I loved the twins Ivan and Alessio were great. The story at times feels a little disjointed, and the ending a little rushed. I do have to say though that I did read it in a day so it did keep my attention, and it is a different read from the normal strong girl with issues gets the hunky guy, (one more and)and the love scenes are beautifully written and hot.
I do look forward to reading more by this author.

Adult read not clean

Bring Me Home by Cassia Leo
***** Beautiful Stars!

Just became one of my all time favorite series. This series is great I loved every minute of Claire, Chris, and Adams story. Each book just kept getting better and better too. This one is my favorite, I love how all the lose ends are tied up, wasn't sure in the beginning that I was liking the direction it was all going but I loved it. It was great to watch Claire, Adam, and Chris grow into these unforgettable characters. These guys have to be on serious emotional overload, I know I was as I read it, well if they were real. The way Cassia writes though they feel so real, you hurt when they hurt, I cried when they cried, and laughed when they laughed and I really didn't want it to end.
Talk about choices, Claire has two beautiful men inside and out to choose from Chis or Adam who will she choose? I struggled with who I thought was best for her, because they both were in different wonderful ways, but the way it turns out is the best. Clair also struggles with the need to heal from the loss of Abigail in her life, she knows that if she could just see and hold her daughter one time that it would mean the world to her......There is so much to this story that I just don't want to give any of the details away if you loved the first two you will love this one. This was a breath of fresh air in the New Adult genre for me it is similar to a lot of the other books out there boy meets girl someone has issues, but this seemed to just have more to it, well rounded, a completeness to it, oh I don't know it was just amazing! 

 

 

Wounded by Jasinda Wilder
****

Two beautifully tortured characters that I loved! Wonderful story!
Rania is 12 when the first Iraqi War breaks out and the war is devastating to this bright beautiful girl. She losses almost her whole family most are killed. Her brother decides that he should be part of the War and abandons her. Rania can not find work or anyone to take her in. Life is hard for everyone. Rania is so alone and so so very hungry. At times you feel like she would like to die, but no, human instinct proves you want to live. Rania wants to live and that makes all the difference in her life. One night faced with the horrors of mens reaction to her beauty, and her desire to live find Rania in a place she hates. Rania realizes quickly what she must do to not die from the hunger.
About 12 years later the second Iraqi War is in full swing and there is an American attack on Rania's village, which puts Hunter in Rania's path. Theirs is a relationship built on tragedy, friendship, admiration and trust. I felt for Hunter as he had to deal with what was going on with Rania, and yet there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it. I love the last few chapters of this book the most as we get to see just how much they really do care for each other. Oh yes this one was tragic but still hot and steamy.

Adult read




Audio read: The male narrator was just okay for this book. I like him in other books but for me he does not pull off the alpha male guy(sorry poor guy) He has a great voice just not for this.

This Girl by Colleen Hoover
*****

Colleen does it again! That is how you write the same story from the guys point of view felt like I read a whole different story, but in a good way. Really well done!!

audio book read love the narrator thats why it took so long to get through it. I had started to read it but had listened to the other two books and wanted my favorite character to come to life.

One of my all time favorite series!

Over all a clean read some language some touchy feeling not a lot of detail.

 
If You Leave by Courtney Cole
*****

Yay we get Maddy's story! Which was really good! Maddy has so many demons at her back door do to all the loss,responsibility and abuse she has lived through in her life. She and Mi have lost both their parents do to a car accident years ago, Maddy had to grow up quickly to take care of her sister Mi, and take care of the restaurant her parents left behind. Maddy had other plans for her life but those were all derailed after the accident. All of these changes changed Maddy. For one night she allows her best friend Jacey to talk her into letting go of her responsibilities for a night. That is when she meets Gabriel and everything changes.
This was a really fun read as well as heart wrenching. Maddy has so many demons to deal with as does Gabriel. Gabriel suffers from PTSD do to his time served in the Afghanistan War. They are both such real, raw lovable characters I felt their pains their love and their losses.(yes tissues will be needed) They go through hell and back and the way Mrs. Cole takes us there is very real and insightful. I loved too that we get to have More of Mi and Pax's story which was amazing.
If you loved the first book I think you will love this one as well. Go read it:D

Side note:
After reading this it gave me a reminder to give thanks to all the men and women who lay down their lives so that my family and I might remain safe and free. Thank you for being willing to come home and fight your demons so that I might sleep soundly. Thank you for forever being changed that I might have peace and freedom. My words seem inadequate but they come from the heart thank you thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf. May you heal and have peace also. -Cindy

adult read not clean