Author: Alexi Lawless
Date of publication: 24 Oct 2014
Genre: Romantic suspense

Author's links:Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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My rating: 4.5 Stars

Synopsis

"Isn't it terrible when love is not enough?" 

In the action-packed sequel to Complicated Creatures: Part One…

Jack Roman was perfectly happy living the life of a high-powered and charismatic philistine. He had time, money, women and a penchant for the fast life. Until he met his match in Samantha Wyatt and his obsession with her would take him to hell and back… 

Wes Elliott’s been dreaming of the muse he let go of as a young man—the woman he never forgot throughout his travels and the successes he’d left her to find. He always thought he’d see Sammy again—he just never expected her to be fighting for her life when he did… 

Samantha Wyatt is being challenged by her past, tested by her decisions, and hunted by her nemesis. As her dangerous present and enigmatic past collides, Samantha conducts the riskiest operation of her life, and the men who love her will be forced to decide: Do they trust her enough to let her protect them? And do they love her enough to let her go?

Review

This was an emotional and action-packed sequel to Complicated Creatures: Part I (my review) which I thoroughly enjoyed. Its'w ritten in the same engaging style - detailed and well-researched with a lot of depth of feeling. We see even more character development and plot twists kept me on the edge and turning the pages impatiently. 

While this books continues Sam and Jack's many additional characters also take center stage. Wes tries to find his way back to Sam and even though he is a good guy by all means and I was not happy about the love triangle that he fromed with Sam and Jack. There was a particular episode in the story which some might consider cheating, thought I personally don't thing so, yet it made me feel a bit uneasy and really bad for Jack.

Sam's personal and professional life goes compeltely off in this installment. Everything around her is in motion and changing but this also leads her to re-examine a lot of her personal issues. For the first time we see this warrior-like woman who appears so strong and in total control, in a state of inner turmoil and completely lost.

Things get even more difficult for Jack and I felt bad for him. His love for Sam is so strong, all-encompassing, yet it scares and confuses him. He is led by the best of intentions but he also makes some costly mistakes that affect everyone around him. 

The story is told in multiple POVs and it's working really well, giving the readers different perspectives. This creates a lush background to all that is happening with the characters, main and supporting. 

The book ends with a kind of cliffhanger, not the worst possible, yet there are lot of things left to be cleared in the final installment in the series. Things could go either way for all the characters and there are still secrets from Sam's past to be revealed.

It's a recommended read for anyine who have read and enjoyed the first book. If you like romantic suspense with strong and intriguing characters and a lot of military action, you should give this series a try. There is also a novella told from Rush's POV coming in between books 1 and 2 and you can get it for 0.99 on Amazon and for FREE if you sign-up for Ms Alexi Lawless newsletter.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Shadowed Heart: A Luc and Summers Novel
Author: Laura Florand
Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance, Paris, Chocolatiers

Release Date: 3 Dec 2014

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Three words, to shake a man’s existence.

Three words, to call on all a man’s strength, all his courage, all his love, and all his ability to hope and dream…and trust.

Three words, to wake up every fear a man has ever had.

“I’m pregnant, Luc.”

Now how could a man be perfect enough for that?

Author’s note: This book occurs in the early days of the marriage of Luc and Summer, the couple in THE CHOCOLATE HEART. I don't recommend reading it without having read THE CHOCOLATE HEART.


Why am I waiting for this? - I love the Amour et Chocolat series by Laura Florand and The Choclate Heart is one of my favourite stories. This is continuation of Summer and Luc's story as they start a family and I'm excited to see them again. This series of contemporary romance stories involving sexy, brooding French chocolatiers, is perfect for the fans of emotional love stories deftly told in a truly beautiful writing style. 

Working in low-level IT support for a company that’s the toast of the tech world, Sigmund Sussman finds himself content, if not particularly inspired. As compensation for telling people to restart their computer a few times a day, Sigmund earns enough disposable income to gorge on comics and has plenty of free time to devote to his gaming group.

Then in walks the new guy with the unpronounceable last name who immediately becomes IT’s most popular team member. Lain Laufeyjarson is charming and good-looking, with a story for any occasion; shy, awkward Sigmund is none of those things, which is why he finds it odd when Lain flirts with him. But Lain seems cool, even if he’s a little different—though Sigmund never suspects just how different he could be. After all, who would expect a Norse god to be doing server reboots?

As Sigmund gets to know his mysterious new boyfriend, fate—in the form of an ancient force known as the Wyrd—begins to reveal the threads that weave their lives together. Sigmund doesn’t have the first clue where this adventure will take him, but as Lain says, only fools mess with the Wyrd. Why? Because the Wyrd messes back.

Review

This is a rather unusual read for me, a queer urban fantasy, which I picked up after a recommendation from a friend. 

I liked a lot of things in the story and enjoyed reading most of it but at some point I felt lost in the the complexity of the Norse mythology which was presented in overwhelming detail. I had to google far too many things in order to make sense of the story and this took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. 

The strongest element in the story for me was the way the author played with/subverted traditional sexual roles and romantic standards. Sigmund was an adorable, so-not-typical romantic lead - geeky, neither ubermanly, nor gay, just ordinary, yet capable of loving without a question. His two best friends were interesting and unusual female characters, together with his father they made strong supporting characters who contributed a lot to the main story.

The other main character, Lain/Loki was rather complicated and difficult to understand and evaluate. His was interesting and his episodes were both amusing and confusing. Sigmund and Lain's love story was very sweet -  real, intimate, there was no pretence, despite how non-traditional it seemed.

The writing was strong and convincing, creating an intriguing and complex world building. Besides the strong romantic element the story was really action-packed, especially the second half of it. I'm not a gamer myself, but I found the gamer perspective and jargon which permeated some of the story telling well done and interesting. 

Still, I felt there were to many unresolved issued by the end. It was difficult to appreciate the subversion of traditional mythology in the story when I'm not sufficiently familiar with the original myths. It's a HFN ending and I hope that the sequel which is coming next year it will clarify some of the things that baffled me here.

Overall, it's a curious, unusual story, well told, which will be better appreciated by people who are more familiar with Norse mythology than me.

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N / iBooks

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis

Shannon MacLeod has always gone for the wrong type of man. After she drifted from one toxic relationship to the next, her last boyfriend gave her a wakeup call in the worst possible way. With her world shattered, she’s sworn off men—especially those of the bad-boy variety.

Cole Walker is exactly the sort that Shannon wants to avoid—gorgeous, tattooed, charming, and cocky. But his rough exterior hides a good man who’s ready to find “the one.” He’s determined to pull Shannon from her self-imposed solitude and win her heart.

As Shannon opens up in the face of Cole’s steady devotion, the passion between them ignites to blazing levels. But when Shannon’s past comes back to haunt her, her fears may destroy the trust Cole has built between them—and tear them apart for good…

Review

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Author: Shiloh Walker
Genre: Romantic suspense

Release Date: 3 March 2015

Pre-order links: BN | Amazon | Indiebound | The Book Depository

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Synopsis

LUST FOR LIFE

 

Purchase links: Amazon * iBooks * Barnes and Noble * Kobo * IndieBound

EXCERPT

WHEN I PUT THE key he had given me in the door to his apartment it felt like the end of a long journey. Really it was only a little over twelve hours and I had stopped to nap once along the way, but it still felt like too long since I had seen his face or been able to touch all that toned and tattooed skin. Jimbo greeted me at the door when I pushed it open. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and he jumped up and put his paws on my legs. He was going to be huge when he finally grew into his fuzzy body and I was overwhelmed at how happy I was to see him. I dropped to my knees and rubbed my face in his neck as he licked me all over my face. I was obviously missed and I had to say it was just one more reason I knew I was finally where I was supposed to be. It was late, so the apartment was dark. 

I checked the dog’s food and water, trying to be quiet in case Rowdy was already asleep. I was winding my way toward his bedroom when a haphazardly discarded sketch pad lying on the couch caught my eye in the dim light. I paused for a minute to pick it up and felt my heart stop and then start to race as I flipped through the first few pages. There were a couple of drawings that were obviously for clients, tattoos that hadn’t made it from paper to skin yet, but most of the pristine white pages were covered with images wearing my face. There was mermaid me, and naughty- sailor- girl me. There was sassy Indian girl me with long Pocahontas braids and there was sexy devil me standing next to angelic me. There were dozens of them all in different shapes and sizes, but every single image was undoubtedly modeled after my distinct look. I wasn’t sure if he had drawn them all over this last week while I had been gone or over the months we had been chasing each other in circles. 

Either way it made my heart swell and the full certainty that I was it for him settle deep inside my bones. I set the pad down and tiptoed through the hall. Jimbo took one look at where I was going and huffed out a disgusted- sounding snort. The poor guy had learned early on that he wanted no part of what happened between his humans when they were together in the bedroom. The light was off and Rowdy was sprawled on his stomach across the covers. His blond hair was sticking up every- where and he hand one arm bent up under his head. The only thing that could have made the sight better would have been if he hadn’t bothered with the black boxers before crashing out. 

Even with them obscuring the view, I couldn’t complain. I let out a breathless sigh and crept closer so that I could lean over and touch my lips to that anchor on the side of his neck. I felt his pulse leap and tasted the salt on his skin as he murmured sleepily and rolled over onto his back. Those infinitely blue eyes glowed at me in the dark as a grin pulled up the corner of his mouth. 

“Hey.”

    

About ROWDY: The New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with this sizzling, sexy story of love, heartbreak, fate, and second chances. After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned. Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister. Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.     

  

About the author: Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with ROWDY. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.         

Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter

ROWDY Goodreads * Jay Crownover Goodreads


GIVEAWAY

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3 Stars

This is the final book in the Lucky Harbor series and it offered a cute romance thought it didn't end up as one of my favourites in the series.

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Falling: A 7-Novel New Adult Anthology

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 14, 2014

Falling never felt so good . . . Seven best-selling stories of love, heartbreak, and redemption.

***These full-length novels are either stand-alones or the first in a series.***

✦ ✦✦ ✦✦ ✦✦ ✦

SPIN MY LOVE by Chantal Fernando, NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Facebook | Goodreads | Website World renowned DJ Tane Miller returns to his hometown after leaving when he was eighteen and never looking back. When he runs into his beloved childhood friend Giselle, his life takes a turn he could never have anticipated.

DEAREST CLEMENTINE by Lex Martin Facebook | Goodreads | Website Clementine Avery doesn't date. Not after her ex cheated and a professor stalked her. But when she accidentally signs up for a romance writing class, she has a hard time resisting hot RA Gavin Murphy, who volunteers to help her find a little "inspiration." 

DEEP BLUE by Jules Barnard Facebook | Goodreads | Website Recent college grad Cali Morgan thinks she has her life all figured out, until she returns to Lake Tahoe and runs into an old crush she barely recognizes. A serious accident pushes Jaeger’s life in a new direction, but he’s hotter than ever, his presence rocking the foundation Cali staked her future on. 

DAZZLED by Jane Harvey-Berrick Facebook | Goodreads | Website Young London actor Miles Stephens gets a chance to star in a big-time Hollywood movie, but when the dream of a lifetime doesn’t match reality he turns to Clare, lifelong friend and girl next door. Clare knows two important facts: when you break chocolate, the calories fall out; and that she’s totally in love with clueless Miles. 

HE FOUND ME by Whitney Barbetti Facebook | Goodreads | Website Andra disappeared from an abusive environment when she was seventeen, choosing to build a new life, full of secrets. But when she met Julian, everything changed. And the moment she let her guard down, a threat from her past caught up to her. 

THE RIGHT KIND OF WRONG by Jade Eby Facebook | Goodreads | Website Kara Pierce and Vince Gage have a tumultuous past. As in - he almost ruined Kara's life. When they're forced to work together on a final college project, Kara must learn how to do the hardest thing she's ever done: forgive. 

THE YEAR WE FELL DOWN by Sarina Bowen Facebook | Goodreads | Website Corey Callahan thought she'd start college playing varsity ice hockey. But she'll start it in a wheelchair instead. The only perk? Her too-delicious-to-be-real neighbor, Adam Hartley. They're just friends, until one crazy night when things fall apart. Or fall together. All Corey knows is that she's falling. Hard.       

Grab your copy of this limited-time anthology featuring a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, along with some of the hottest debuts of 2014 for ONLY 99 cents!

   

Giveaway!

(Open International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Recently a friend of mine from university reached out to me on GR and she thanked me for my reviews which she found very helpful for someone like her who is new to GR and doesn't have much time to search for new titles. I was overwhelmed and I remember my first steps in actively reviewing books 2 years ago - how I struggled with GR initially, what it took me to understand the workings of NetGalley, Edelweiss, other book blogs. As usually, I was acting stubborn and didn't ask for help and tried to figure it all out by myself. 

For an international reader like me, it is even more difficult to find your place in the book blogging/reading (online) world. So, to cut a long story short, I decided that I could share some of my insights with the hope that could be helpful for some new readers out there. I know there are a lot of resources already available but still, I will add my two cents to this topic. I will try to make it a series of short article/posts with advice directed mostly to new readers/reviewers. Feel free to add your comments and suggestions any time. 

My first post will focus on the ways we can get free book (either just to read, or to read and review).

How to Get Free Books

Most of us are hard pressed for money and as a compulsive reader my budget for books regularly goes overboard. So, I'm always on the lookout for great deals and sources of free books.

- Many of the Goodreads groups have topics for books sales and freebies. Find the groups which reflect your reading interests and then search for the right topic and subscribe to it. This source works bets for me.

- There is a number of sites offering daily newesletters with book sales and freebies. I'd suggest that you try out different newsletter to see which one works bets for you. Many deals repeat along the site but there are also some appearing on one place only. I have cut down the newsletters I receive to just two, since I don't really have the time to go through too many daily emails - SweetFeedBooks and BookBub

- Check the bestsellers list (free books) on Amazon - I don't do this very regularly, but you can find some awesome jems there sometimes.

- Another way to get free books even before their official release is provided by sites like NetGalley and Edelweiss - where you can request books for review. You need to provide feedback on the books you've read and there is always a chance that your request may be denied. I'll be introducing this services in more detail in my next post

- You can also get books in exchange of review in several groups on Goodreads. This is a great way to read new books for free if you are willing to try new authors, especially ones that publish their works independantly (indies) - Making Connections, New Adult Book Club

Other free reads (short stories, deleted chapters, prequels, epilogues, etc.)

Author: Anne Calhoun
Date of publication: 16 Sept 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author's links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry 

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so... different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for. 

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah's more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he'd be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn... seriously epic.