Synopsis

Tina Chen just wants a degree and a job, so her parents never have to worry about making rent again. She has no time for Blake Reynolds, the sexy billionaire who stands to inherit Cyclone Technology. But when he makes an off-hand comment about what it means to be poor, she loses her cool and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life.

To her shock, Blake offers her a trade: She’ll get his income, his house, his car. In exchange, he’ll work her hours and send money home to her family. No expectations; no future obligations.

But before long, they’re trading not just lives, but secrets, kisses, and heated nights together. No expectations might break Tina’s heart...but Blake’s secrets could ruin her life.

Purchase links: amazon | apple | nook | kobo | google | all romance | smashwords

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.

Synopsis

People come as well as go.

Twelve years ago, Edwin Tully came to Oxford and fell in love with a boy named Marius. He was brilliant. An artist. It was going to be forever.

Two years ago, it ended.

Now Edwin lives alone in the house they used to share. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to a build a future from the fragments of the past.

Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin’s quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons, but he offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again.

As the two men grow closer in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin learns he can’t protect himself from everything—and sometimes he doesn't need to try.

*** *** ***

I discovered Alexis Halls' books last year and he qucikly became an autobuy for me. This contemporary m/m romance is set in the same world as Glitterland which I loved (my review). Knowing Mr. Hall's absolutely mesmerizing writing style, I'm sure this story will a pleasure to read.

Synopsis

An up-and-coming MMA fighter wants more than just one night from a woman fleeing her past in New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster's irresistible new novel 

Heavyweight fighter Denver Lewis plays real nice, but he doesn't share. That's why he's been avoiding top-notch flirt Cherry Peyton. But a man can only resist those lush curves for so long. Their encounter surpasses all his fantasies, bringing out protective urges that Cherry's about to need more than she knows… 

Denver's combination of pure muscle and unexpected tenderness has been driving Cherry wild. Yet no sooner does she get what she's been craving than old troubles show up on her doorstep. And this time, Cherry can't hide behind a carefree facade. Because the man by her side is one who'll fight like hell to keep her safe…if only she'll trust him enough to let him.

Review

This is the second novel in the series after a full-length book on Cannon and a novella on. It's a nice MMA fighter romance but I felt it lacked something to make it stand out and there are a couple of things in it that really annoyed me.

There were far too many cliches which made the story predictable and somewhat boring. At the same time, the conflict seemed over the top and unrealistic which added to my overall disappointment.

The hero and heroine presented the whole set cliches about femininity and masculinity. She is cute and sweet, the damsel-in-distress and he is the big alpha fighter who comes and saves her. Both of them are sexy in very classical sense and they seem too good (in appearance) to be real.

Cherry acted immature and childish a lot of the time and it was annoying though Denver's character compensated for this. He was a bit of caveman - over-protective and possessive but I think his back story was good ground for his behaviour and he did work hard to tone it down and be a better partner to Cherry.

Cherry and Denver's story is similar in many ways to Cannon and Yvette's. Unfortunately, Cherry did have a lot of the characteristics which I hated in Yvette - naive, childish, stubborn.

The romantic relationship started really abruptly and it happened too fast. There wasn't much development at the beginning but towards the end, things seemed more realistic.

I did love the other fighters and their easygoing camaraderie, they were teasing each other all the time, yet they stood up by and supported each other when the occasion arrived.

I liked the side stories of Stack and Vanity and the additional peaks we get of Armie who is my absolute favourite in this series. There were two distinctive secondary plots which I found a bit distracting though they both facilitated the development of the main plot. 

It's a sweet romance, a bit over-the-top, a bit predictable and cliched but fans of contemporary romance, especially involving alpha male fighters and cute, a bit clueless heroines, would enjoy this. 

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: Nothing Like Paris (Bend or Break #2)
Author: Amy Jo Cousins
Genre/Themes: Romance, New Adult, M/M
Release Date: 3 March 2015

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Pre-order:  Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks.

Synopsis

Jack Tarkington’s life is in the toilet. He was supposed to be spending his junior year studying someplace cool like Paris or Rome. Instead, after taking out his anger on the campus “golden boy”, whose dad ripped off his parents, Jack is facing possible expulsion.

Sure, it’s all his own fault, but coming back to the small Iowa town he thought he’d escaped, after crowing about his admission to a prestigious school, has been a humbling experience.

When he runs into Miguel, Jack braces for backlash over the way he lorded it over his old friend and flame. Instead, Miguel offers him friendship—and a job at his growing farm-to-table store and café.

Against the odds, both guys bond over broken dreams and find common ground in music. But when Jack’s college gives him a second chance, he’s torn between achieving a dream that will take him far from home, and a love that strikes a chord he’ll never find anywhere else.

Warning: This book contains a humbled guy who’s on the brink of losing it all, a determined entrepreneur who seems to have it all together, apologies issued through banjo-picking duets, and two lovers who can play each other’s bodies like virtuosos.

My 2014 in Books

I'm late to this party but I figured it's still Januray, so it's OK to post how my 2014 looks in terms of the books I read.

Total books read: 135

Can't pick just one, sorry. I've already posted my top 16 best reads of 2014 in two posts - Part I and Part II

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

No limits (Ultimate #1) by Lori Foster - I wanted so much more for Cannon in this book. I find the heroine really annoying

Complicated Creatures series (Part I, Part II and a novella in between) by Alexi Lawless. I started this series after the author sent me an unsolicited request to review the first book. I rarely take up such requests since I don't have the time any more but for some reason I decided to give this romantic suspense a try and I'm so happy I did. It was the best possible surprise, a very well written, fast-paced and engaging read with strong characters.

Complicated Creatures Part I by Alexi Lawless

5. Best series you started in 2014? 

Psy-changeling by Nalini Singh - my first PNR and I'm loving it. I've also read all the free stories of the author's site and the accompanying novellas. Can't wait for the next book, Shards of Hope, coming out in June 2015.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

A tie between Sarina Bowen (The Ivy Years series) and Molly O'Keefe (Boys of Bishop series)

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read?

Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie - I don't typically read much fantasy but I enjoyed this one a lot

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? 

The Kraken King by Meljean Brook - steampunk adventure romance

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? 

Prosperity by Alexis Hall - it's such a beautiful and complex story and I'm sure I'll discovered things I've missed the first time round

Sun-kissed by Laura Florand- It's not my favourite Laura Florand's book but the cover took my breath away the first time I saw it

11. Most memorable character of 2014? 

Drew Runous - Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid - a beared poet, philosopher, musician, alpha man, mountain game keeper!

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

Psy-changeling series - I'm late to this party but I managed to catch up and now I'm addicted to this series

"Dunno what I'd have done, if I'd been Ruben. truth is, I reckon most of us go through life begging folk to love us, one way or another. It's just I can't imagine having the bollocks, or the need, ot say it direct."

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

At Peace - Kristen Ashley - 660 pp.

Glitterland: Aftermath - Alexis Hall - 28 pp

Unravel - Calia Read - not what you'd expect from a NA romance, more of a psychological thriller than romance

Miss Frederica "Free" Marshall and Edward Clark from The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan. I loved this two and their coming together was just a pleasure to read!

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Shadowed heart by Laura Florand - the relationship between all the French chocolatiers

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously. 

Beauty and Mutache - Penny Reid

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else.

Liesmith (Book of Wyrd #1) - Alis Franklin - It was an interesting and unusual read, a bit difficult and I wished I had enjoyed it more

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014? 

Drew Runous - Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid

23. Best 2014 debut you read? 

Bollywood Affair - Sonali Dev

The Kraken King by Meljean Brook

This review is of Evenfall: Vol. 1 and 2 Director's Cut  in the LGBT series In the Company of Shadows by Santino Hassell and Ais. It's a dystopian thriller involving secret organizations, assassins and a tender love story. The whole series is self-edited and self-published and it's available for free at http://www.inthecompanyofshadows.com/

I had a friend recommend this book to me more than a year ago but I was intimidated by the size - 4 books with more than 1000 pages each and I felt I jusct couldn't make that committment at the time. As th year went on more and more of my friends read and loved this series. At the end of 2014 I made a promise to myself to start the new year with it and  here I am in the middle of January already done with book 1.

This is more of suspense and action-packed thriller than a romance. There is great world building, enganing story, memorable characters, what more can a reader want.

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / 

My rating: Vol.1 - 4 Stars and Vol.2 - 5 Stars
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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.

Purchase links: Amazon | B & N | IndieBound

Title: Give It All (Desert Dogs #2)
Author: Cara McKenna
Genre: Romantic suspense, Bikers
Release Date: 3 Feb 2015

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

My rating: 4.5 Stars
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Synopsis

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer....

Bar owner Raina Harper can’t say for sure what Duncan Welch is to her. With her small Nevada town under siege by a ruthless casino development and still reeling from a spate of murders, she knows that trusting the public face of the corporate invaders is risky to say the least. Though, damn, it’s one fine-looking face.…

Duncan may be a mercenary when it comes to getting the job done, but he’s no villain. In fact, the calculating fixer soon finds himself in the bad guys’ crosshairs, framed and facing professional ruin. To clear his name, he’ll need help from Raina and her roughneck motorcycle club, the Desert Dogs. Gaining their trust won’t be easy, and the molten sexual tension between Raina and Duncan only makes things more complicated—especially since Miah Church, Raina’s friend and ex-lover, would sooner strangle Duncan than shake his hand.

One thing’s certain, though: If they don’t deal with their incendiary attraction soon, the whole damn town might go up in flames.…

This is the second book in the Desert Dog series of romantic suspense biker stories by Cara McKenna and it's an addictive read with great characters and a twisty suspense plot. 

The hero, Duncan, oh, boy, he was something else - I really hated him in the first book and when I learned that the sequel will be about him and Rain, I was anxious if and how the authro will developed his character in a convincing way for me to accept him as good enough/right for Raina. I needn't have worried. Ms McKenna not just made me accept Duncan but she basically made me fell in love with him, with his weirdness, his obsessions and pretences.

It's a very character driven story and the focus is on the journey/transformation of Duncan from the perfect emotionless almost robotic man in book 1 into a real human being with weaknesses and messy emotions. I felt deeply for Duncan and loved the person he was deep down and just let himself be in the end of the end. The relationship with Raina seemed impossible, illogical, they had nothing in common besides hot chemistry and they acted on it without too much expectations. He needed love and acceptance and the feeling of being wanted, valued, needed and Raina was not the most nurturing woman out there, at she was unwilling to open up to needing anyone, giving them more of herself than just sex. The love scenes were passionate, both rough and tender at the same time creating a sense of true intimacy, something Ms McKenna is a true master of.

Duncan and Raina went by trial and error in their relationship and there were some spectacular errors made by both sides. Apparently, a diamond bracelet given as a gift can the absolute thing to do, go figure :) On a more serious note, Ms McKernna examines the human heart, how difficult is to open up, to let ourselves feel any emotion since they could hurt us.

The suspense plot was not my favourite and I think it was the weakest element of the story. the characters and their interactions were much more interesting and well developed. I loved the glimpses of Miah and Casey.

I'm excited about the next book in the series and I hope it will be about Miah (he deserves his own HEA), though it might be about Casey, since we saw a lot of him in this book and by the looks of it things with him are pretty messed up. Meanwhile, Ms McKenna shared that she is working on a novella on Raina and Miah (back when they were together).

Recommended read for fans of romantic suspense with strong characters and focus and human relationships and matters of the heart!

Purchase links: Amazon / B&N

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.

Synopsis

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen. Complete strangers since this morning.

He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget.

*** *** ***

Why am I waiting for this? - The blurb is rather short but quite intriguing. I haven' t the latest books by Colleen Hoover but I did enjoy her of her earlier stories (Slammed) and Tarryn Fisher is a new to me author but I keep hearing great things about her. So, two popular authors collaborate, a mysterious blurb, how can I pass that up?

So, I already posted my favourite books of the year in the end of 2014 (Part I and Part II) and they were so many that I split the list into two posts. Now at the beginning of 2015 I am doing my monthly meme of the books I loved the most during the passing month.

December was a strong month for my reading - 3 DNFs (which is a lot for me for just one month) and too few books read because the holidays completely turned upside down my everyday routine. I've read two books that I can highly recommend this month and incidentally (or not so much since I've been on m/m reading streak lately), both of them are queer romances.

Genre/Themes: Steampunk, queer romance, novellas

My review to come

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Anything, Alexis Hall writes goes straight to my recommended reads list, every single thing. Four additional stories about our beloved heroes and heroines from Prosperity. It's easier to read because the slang isn't as heavy as in Prosperity and all the stories are beyond amazing. I think my adjective to describe Mr. Hall's stories is mesmerising. I think you can start with this stories in order to get a feel of the world of Prosperity and then move on to the novel itself which is an amazing read, but a challenging one, especially if English is not your first language

What are recommended reads from December? Leave me a comment or enter the url of your post in the link-up tool. 

Starting the New Year wtih a bang! I finished Liberty and Other Stories in the end of last year but all the celebrations I'm just now coming around to write my review. As usual, I'm having the hardest time writing my thoughts on books that I loved the most but I'm still trying my best. 

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

My rating: 5 Stars
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