A. L. Jackson

Teaser Tuesday 40

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
• Be careful not the include spoilers! 
• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

The final teaser for this year comes from Come to Me Quietly by A. L. Jackson. It's a NA romance that is coming out on Jan 7. I am at 25% of my ARC copy and it is very emotional and intense so far. 

"My nerves flared in a way I didn't quite understand. I didn't think I'd felt so comfortably uncomfortable, like I wanted to bolt and to sink into it all at one. Maybe I was finally slipping over the edge of sanity. God knew I had been heading there for a long time."


 Come to Me Quietly - A. L. Jackson

Goodreads Blurb

Aleena Moore is content with her life. She has goals and dreams and an easy smile. She also has a secret she holds locked inside.

Jared Holt believes he doesn’t deserve to love or be loved. He destroys everything he touches. Haunted by the mistake that shattered his life, he’s fled from the memory of that pain.

Jared doesn’t know why he’s compelled to return, but finds himself drawn back to the place where it all began. The exact place where it ended. When he runs into his childhood best friend, Aleena’s older brother Christopher, he agrees to share Christopher and Aleena’s apartment while he looks for a place of his own.

Aleena is no longer the little girl Jared remembers from his past and evokes feelings in him he never wanted to feel again. Terrified of destroying her, he fights to keep her away. But her touch is something he can’t resist—the touch that sealed his fate.

Their pasts are intertwined and their futures uncertain. The only truths they know are the secrets they whisper in the night.

Jessica Sorensen

Review: The Destiny of Violet and Luke by Jessica Sorensen

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Title: The Destiny of Violet & Luke (The Coincidence #3)
Author: Jessica Sorensen
Date of publication: 7 Jan 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Author's links:
Website / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3 stars


Goodreads Blurb

Luke Price's life has always been about order, control, and acting tough on the outside. For Luke, meaningless relationships are a distraction-a way to tune out the twisted memories of his childhood. He desperately wishes he could forget his past, but it haunts him no matter what he does.

Violet Hayes has had a rough life. When she was young, she was left with no family and the memory of her parents' unsolved murders. She grew up in foster homes, living with irresponsible parents, drugs, and neglect, and trying to fight the painful memories of the night her parents were taken from her. But it's hard to forget when she never got closure-and she can't stop dreaming about what happened that tragic night. To make it through life, she keeps her distance from everyone and never allows herself to feel anything.

Then Violet meets Luke. The two clash instantly, yet they can't seem to stay away from each other. Although they fight it, they both start to open up and feel things they've never felt before. They discover just how similar they are. But they also discover something else: The past always catches up with you...


My review

This is the third book in the Coincidence series but the first one about Luke and Violet who were introduced as secondary characters in the previous books. It can be read as a standalone, since Callie and Kayden are not really present here, though books 1 and 2 give some background to the story. Seth and Greyson from the previous books also have a strong  and important presence here.

The story of Violet and Luke follows very much the same structure as The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden. We meet two young people broken by their part trying to cope with the pain in their lives - she is an adrenaline junkie, he reverts to alcohol to numb all sensation. Both of them have had rough and painful childhoods and now at college they are plague by nightmares and are desperately trying to make it on their own. In their story the author explore yet another form of self-destructive behaviour, just as was the case with Callie and Kayden in the previous books. 

The similarities come as too much and things in this series just start to repeat themselves. I was blown away by the suffering of Callie and Kayden and their self-destructive reaction to it. We see pretty much the same picture here and it is already old, familiar, lacking the intensity of the unexpected. 

The major difference between the two stories is that this time Violet and Luke's past and present are more than closely connected. This just made their relationship all the more difficult to sustain. 

I was really disappointed with the ending of this book. It's a cliffhanger of the worst kind. History repeats itself since the book 1 ended in the same way - abruptly, in the middle of the story. I am getting tired of reading half stories and it really takes away a lot of my overall enjoyment of the book. To make matters worse, there is no release date yet for the next book. I still want to read it because I am curious to see if and how Violet and Luke will be able to ultimately overcome their past and save each other. 

ARC

ARC Challenge: Week 7

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My friend Lexie over at Fastidious reader started an ARC Challenge 2013 together with Deniz from Closet Geeks and Slow Mo. The challenge is pretty simple - read and review at least one, if possible two ARCs a week and it goes on till the end of this year. Since I am literally swamped with ARCs some of which I requested rather foolishly, I decided to join them.


So, this week read and reviewed only one ARC - Rebel (Renegades #2) by Skye Jordan. It was a light, sexy read, just like book 1 in the Renegades series (my review). 
I also finished my review of The Emperor's Blades but per request of the publisher, I will be posting it closer to the book's release on Jan 14. 

I want to thank my friends Lexi and Deniz for organizing this challenge. I had fun participating in it and it did help me with dealing with some of my ARCs. I managed to read quite a few of them over past the month and a half, but I also accumulated some great new ones. 

ARC

Review: Rebel by Skye Jordan

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Title: Rebel (Renegades #2)
Author: Skye Jordan
Date of publication: 21 Dec 2013
Genre/themes: Contemporary Romance

Author's links:
Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3.5 stars




Goodreads Blurb

Sassy, smart, and sexy, former supermodel-turned-tech guru Rubi Russo has it all—looks, money, confidence and freedom. Her life is a whirlwind of fast cars and fleeting affairs—and she likes it that way. With a past like Rubi’s, forever isn’t part of her vocabulary. So when studly Renegade stuntman Wes Lawson wants to take their friendship to the next level, she’s all out.

Raised a simple country-boy, Wes knows the brazen Rubi isn’t his type. But after spending time with her, he discovers she’s everything he’s ever wanted in a woman. To win her wild rebel heart, he’ll have to prove he sees behind her smokescreen to all the goodness she tries to hide. Then it’s just a matter of crushing her fears, shattering her barriers, and convincing her that loving him is everything she’s been missing in her life, too.

Piece of cake.

My Review

This is the second book in the Renegades series Skye Jordan, it delivers the same light and sexy fun as book 1, Reckless. I feel like there is more romance in the story of Rubi and Wes, but there is also more drama, which got just a bit too much towards the end of the book.  

This series features the type of romance that I would describe as fairy tale of dream romance. We have these gorgeous and smart and successful, almost perfect people who meet and fall in love. You need to suspend your belief in order to accept their romance and fully enjoy it. 

Wes and Rubi start as friends when they meet through their best friends, Lexi and Jax, whom we meet in Reckless. There is undeniable chemistry between them but Rubi is reluctant to act on it because of her fear of abandonment and commitment issues.

Wes is just perfect, even too good to be true, still I loved him. He It was Rubi whom I had difficulty liking enough. I understood her issues, yet it took her far too long to deal with them. Wes was so determinate, confident in what he wanted and it was really frustrating to watch Rubi's hesitation, her going back and forth in her decisions. 

I liked the reversal of the traditional roles in romance where the man is a player and he finds a sweet, innocent girl who manages to tame (change) him. In this story it was Rubi who was more sexually experienced and adventurous than Wes. She enjoyed her one-night stands and was not interested in having a long-term relationship. Wes was a more traditional, monogamous guy, going for beautiful, yet ordinary.

They were so wrong for each other, yet they complemented and challenged each other and that made their relationship work so well. It was not just hot chemistry between them, there was admiration and respect, common interests and the need and desire to take care and help the other one. 

It wasn't a smooth ride for those Rubi and Wes. Her issues ran really deep, and his ex girl-friend didn't help matters. Still, the drama surrounding their coming together was a bit excessive. I think that their final break-up was unnecessary. It was just one too many obstacles to the happy end. 

On the plus side, I loved the presence of Jax and Lexi in this book. They have crucial roles in the lives of both Rubi and Wes and I am really happy with the way their own story was further developed. 

My main disappointment with this book was the ending. It felt rushed and I wish it was developed in some more detail. Since, there will be a third book in the series (I didn't get any clues as whom it will be about, but I am hoping it is Rachel and one of the other Renegades), I hope we will see more of Wes and Rubi actually being together as a couple. 

Despite some minor weaknesses, overall it was a light fun read with some hot sexy times coupled with sweet romance.

Best of 2013

TOP 10 of 2013: Best Book Boyfriends

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A five-day celebration of the best of 2013 and what we can expect of 2014 hosted by Fiktshun.


Day 4: Best Book Boyfriends (only books published in 2013 which I read during the year)

Only seven boyfriends for me! These are the ones that I really loved, there are a few more that I liked a lot, but I decided to stick with only these :)

Griffin Reid - Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis- ex-military man, war hero, suffering from PTSD, yet loving and caring, super hot alpha male

Sean Owens - Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox - he is gorgeous and sexy, he is a computer geek, hacker and he stutters when nervous. I love that he is not perfect, it his weaknesses that make him just irresistible

Nicolo Manganiello - Friends without Benefits by Penny Reid - He is a super hot, sexy Italian guy, a TV star who cares deeply for his family and fights for his love

Cadmen McQueen - The Artist Trilogy by Karina Halle - a nerdy tattoo artist who risks literally everything to win his high-school and one-and-only true love

Sage Knightly - The Devils series by Karina Halle - love the name, btw. He is 1970s rock star who made a deal with the devil and suffered the consequences 

Isaiah Walker - Crash into You by Katie McGarry - racing-obsessed, street-wised, hot, tattooed foster-care guy experiencing a turbulent first love

Dominique Richard - The Chocolate Touch - self-made top chocolatier, French, dark and dangerous, struggling to overcome his humble origins and turbulent past in order to be worthy of the woman he loves


This is my final day participating in this meme since I already posted my list of books coming in 2014 earlier this month. I want to thank all the hosts, Fiktshun, Jamie from Two Chicks on Books and Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads and participants in this meme. I had great fun. I wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Best of 2013

TOP 10 of 2013: Contemporary romances

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A five-day celebration of the best of 2013 and what we can expect of 2014 hosted by Fiktshun.
Today's topic is Best of ... reader's choice and I've decided to do contemporary romances since this is the genre that I read the most during 2013.


Day 3: Best Contemporary Romance
Rumor Has It - Jill Shalvis - small town romance featuring a geeky 4th-grade teacher and a war hero

Flirting with Disaster - Ruthie Knox - hot contemporary romance between stammering computer genius/security specialist and his slightly lost and wild high school crush

Louder Than Love - Jessica Topper - rockstar meets suburbia in this heart-breaking love story of an ex metal rock star and widowed librarian trying to rebuild her life

Friends without Benefits - Penny Reid - second chance of love for high school best friends, told with Ms Reid's signature sense of humour and geek-appeal

The Chocolate Heart - Laura Florand - an intense love story between a self-made best chocolatier in Paris and the spoiled, yet emotional neglected billionaire heiress 

The Davina Code - Janet Elizabeth Henderson - a laugh-out-loud funny romance between a struggling actress and a jaded cop on suspension

Unbound - Cara McKenna - an erotic tale of desire, self-esteem, addiction, acceptance and appreciation.

Surviving Raine - Shay Savage - an intense tale of a broken man fighting for survival against nature and his own demons, only to be saved by the love of an amazing woman

Tangled - Emma Chase - a humourous love story told from a male perspective

Sleigh Bells in the Snow - Sarah Morgan - a heart-warming Christmas romance





Feature

Teaser Tuesday 39

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Here are the rules:

• Grab your current read 
• Open to a random page 
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 
• Be careful not the include spoilers! 
• Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers. 

I have modified them slightly for my Teasers. It will not be two sentences from a random page but two, usually more, sentences from the pages I have read so far that have struck me as most interesting, original or that I just happen to like a lot.

This week's teaser comes from my current read, Rebel (Renegades #2) by Skye Jordan. This time I am keeping it short and sweet. I have read the first book in the series, Reckless, (my review), so I decided to continue with the second one. I am almost done with it and it is just as enjoyable, fun, sexy read as book 1.

"Rubi. Out of all the women he could have fallen in love with, he'd gone and fallen for Rubi Russo? Seriously?"
 

Rebel (Renegades #2) - Skye Jordan

Goodreads Blurb

Sassy, smart, and sexy, former supermodel-turned-tech guru Rubi Russo has it all—looks, money, confidence and freedom. Her life is a whirlwind of fast cars and fleeting affairs—and she likes it that way. With a past like Rubi’s, forever isn’t part of her vocabulary. So when studly Renegade stuntman Wes Lawson wants to take their friendship to the next level, she’s all out.

Raised a simple country-boy, Wes knows the brazen Rubi isn’t his type. But after spending time with her, he discovers she’s everything he’s ever wanted in a woman. To win her wild rebel heart, he’ll have to prove he sees behind her smokescreen to all the goodness she tries to hide. Then it’s just a matter of crushing her fears, shattering her barriers, and convincing her that loving him is everything she’s been missing in her life, too.

Piece of cake.

Best of 2013

TOP 10 of 2013: Best Book Covers

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A five-day celebration of the best of 2013 and what we can expect of 2014 hosted by Fiktshun.



Day 2: Best Book Covers

My list has more than 10 covers, but I have included some series, since the covers go together and like them all equally :)

Crash into you - Katie McGarry
The Way Home - Cindy Gerard

Left Drawning - Jessica Park

Prodigy and Champion - Marie Lu














 




     



Best of 2013

TOP 10 OF 2013: Best Books of 2013

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A five-day celebration of the best of 2013 and what we can expect of 2014 hosted by Fiktshun.
I will try to join in on all days but I am not making any promises. The holidays usually bring havoc to any plans I make, so we'll see how this will go.


Day 1: Best books I've read in 2013


Friends Without Benefits (Knitting in the City, #2) - Penny Reid - Contemporary romance/comedy - my review


The Way Home (One-Eyed Jacks #2) - Cindy Gerard - Contemporary military romance - my review


Crash into You (Pushing the Limits, #3) - Katie McGarry - Romance/Young adult/realistic fiction - my review


Flirting with Disaster(Camelot, #3) - Ruthie Knox - Contemporary romance - my review




Shooting Scars (The Artists Trilogy, #2) - Karina Halle - Contemporary romance/New adult/action/crime - my review



Shadowfever (Fever, #5) - Karen Marie Moning - Urban fantasy - my review




The Chocolate Heart (Amour et Chocolat, #5) - Laura Florand - Contemporary romance/Parois/chocolatiers - my review




Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3) - J. R. Ward - paranormal romance/vampires 






What were your favourite reads this year? Leave me a comment and I will stop by to check them :)

Look for Top Ten of Best Covers of 2013 coming on the blog tomorrow.

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