Friday, November 8, 2013

Off Chance by Sawyer Bennett


Off Chance by Sawyer Bennett
(Off series #5)
 
Book Synopsis:  He is seeking absolution.

Flynn Caldwell has a hero complex and it’s one of the reasons he joined the New York City Fire Department. He has spent his entire professional career trying to atone for that one person he failed to save. Because, if he can do that, then perhaps he can be worthy of love again.

She is seeking escape.

Rowan Page’s life is nothing short of a disaster. Always immersed in trouble, she has only herself to depend on. She’s determined to pull herself out of this mess and make something of her life, despite the hard years she has lived on the streets of New York.

Together, they have the chance to become complete.

Flynn and Rowan’s worlds exist miles apart, but when a chance meeting brings them together, neither of them can deny the instant pull that connects them to each other. What starts as a tiny spark eventually flares into a fire so hot, it refuses to be extinguished.

For it to work, both of them will need to jump feet first into the flames to see where it takes them, despite the risk of being burned.
_____________________________________________________________________
 
My review:  5 stars!!!
 
I have literally loved every book from Sawyer Bennett.  She takes real life situations and turns them into fantastic books.  I adore her writing.  She is amazing.
 
All the books are connected, in that, the boys in the books are related, i.e. brothers, cousins, etc.  So, you see the same characters over and over again.  You get to see them from different points of view and I love hearing about a couple after I've finished their book.  I like that the books are connected in that way.  It makes it more real!!
 
This book is about Flynn.  Flynn had a bad experience in his past and he is out to save the world.  Or die trying.  Because of his past, he decides to be a New York firefighter.  He tasks risks and sometimes unnecessarily puts himself and others in danger.  His chief gets upset at him on a regular basis.  However, he feels like the risks are necessary to save lives and he continues to do them against the wishes of his co-workers and boss.  During one such risky fire, he breaks a window and rescues a woman.  Her dog does not like Flynn in uniform with the mask on, so he takes it off, which is very risky.  Then he finds the woman chained to the bed and drugged.  WTF?!?!  Yeah, that's what I thought. 
 
Rowan has a hidden past.  She moved away from home changed her name (not legally of course), but she wanted to start over.  So, she moved to New York.  She lived on the street, then got mixed up with the wrong crowd.  She tried to leave to boyfriend, Juice (what kind of a name is that?!?!), and he caught her and chained her to the bed.  Who does that?!?!
 
Flynn first saves her life by getting her out of the burning house.  Then he saves her by helping her out.  Then he saves her in so many more ways.  Flynn is a great guy.  He loves with his whole heart and Rowan is just not willing to let herself fall in love.  She's scared to get go.
 
I cried in this book.  I was heartbroken at one point and I felt such a strong connection to the characters that I felt I was going through this with them.  Such a strong and powerful message.  It moved me to tears, literally.  I loved it so much!!
 
Go get it.  Or if you haven't read the other books by Sawyer Bennett, go get them first.  Read them in order, you will not be disappointed, I promise.  Great books!!
 
Happy reading!

Treasure Your Love by J.C. Reed


Treasure Your Love by J.C. Reed
(Surrender Your Love #3)
 
Book Synopsis:  Meeting Jett was like a drug. Dangerous. Addictive. And better forbidden. In his game, there’s a high price to be paid. But how much is too much?


 
Brooke Stewart, a realtor in New York, was never in love until she met the green eyed, sexy as sin, six foot two sex god, Jett. The man to whom she surrendered. The man who hurt her once only to conquer her heart again.


 
Sexy, handsome, and arrogant Jett Mayfield knows he has found his match. Brooke is like no other woman he’s ever met and he has every intention of keeping her in his bed.
 
Their future seems full of promise...until the past is catching up with them and dark secrets threaten to destroy their lives. Soon they realize that to love means to lose, and some choices are harder than others.
 
When everything comes crashing down, can mistakes be amended…or will he lose her forever?

A woman who surrendered to love.

A man who would do anything to protect her.

Two lives that are about to be tested…and the last secrets laid bare.

____________________________________________________________________
 
My review:  4 stars!!
 

Monday, November 4, 2013

Long After by Cheryl McIntyre


Long After by Cheryl McIntyre
(Sometimes Never #3)
 
Book Synposis:  For Annie Phillips, there is a right way to do things and everything has a place. College and her flawless GPA are top priority, as is planning her perfect future. Anything less than perfection is unacceptable. So when she meets Loden Guiles, she believes she has finally found her perfect happily-ever-after.
 
Chase Malloy is funny, loyal, and an all-around nice guy. He’s also sloppy, tattooed, and undirected. All Chase wants to do is survive college, hang out with friends, and make music. Knowing his best friend’s step-sister since they were fourteen, Annie and he have always had a love-hate relationship. The last thing Chase expects is to fall for Annie, but he knows he’ll never live up to her idea of the perfect man.
 
On the outside, Annie and Loden’s relationship appears picture perfect. But behind closed doors, Annie quickly realizes Loden isn’t the man he pretends to be. Every time her not so well laid plans crumble, and Loden proves to be not so Mr. Right, Chase is there to pick her up and brush her off. Will she realize the perfection she’s been searching for has been in front of her all this time?
 
*Long After is a companion novel to Sometimes Never and Before Now. Many of the same characters appear in Chase and Annie's story. However, it can be read as a stand-alone book.
 
**This is a new adult novel. Due to harsh language, sexual situations, and violence, this book is recommended for 17+.
___________________________________________________________________
 
My review:  5 stars!!!

Okay.  Let me start by saying, this book is the third book in a series.  Each book in the series is about a "couple."    The first one was about Hope and Mason, the next book was a novella about Hope and Mason, the second book was about Park and Lucy.  Now this third book is about Annie and Chase.  You first learn about Annie and Chase in the first book. 

Annie is Hope's foster parents daughter.  It's a really weird situation, as is all marriages these days!!

Anyways, you learn in the first book that Annie is not very nice.  Hope still stands up for her and defends her (which is why Mason notices Hope and falls in love).  Even though Annie is not nice to Hope, or really anyone for that matter. 

Chase is friends with Hope and Park.  (I believe he was part of the band, but I can't remember exactly).  Annie and Chase fight a lot.  Everyone hates being around them because they are always fighting with each other and it drives everyone crazy.

Skip forward a couple of years and Annie and Chase are now in college.  They are actually friends now.  They still fight, but that's just what friends do.  Annie is a hot mess.  She has this perfect life planned out and she has a check-list for life.  The man she dates has to have certain qualities before she can consider dating him.  Well, then she meets Loden.  He checks all her boxes.  She falls for him pretty quickly.  He's perfect after all . . . until one day he's not.  He starts getting super abusive, possessive and controlling.

Chase is Annie's best friend.  He watches as she changes while dating Loden.  He doesn't like Loden for several reasons.  Chase is there for Annie every step of the way.  Every time Loden does something to Annie, Chase is there to pick her up and put the pieces back together.  Long story short . . . Chase ends up finding Annie on the floor with Loden's hands around her neck.  He is trying to kill her.  She left him and Loden doesn't get left.  Chase defends her and just about kills Loden.  He was there for Annie, he saved her life, literally. 

What happens next . . . go get the book and read all about it!!

Happy reading!!

Friday, November 1, 2013

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen


The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen
(The Secret #3)
 
Book Synopsis:  From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ella and Micha series comes a gripping story of passion, pain, and the courage to love ...
On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect facade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?
_________________________________________________________________
 
My review:  5 stars!!

Okay.  So, I'm a HUGE fan of Jessica Sorensen.  I could not wait for this book.  I liked Lila a lot in Ella's story because they were such good friends and I knew there was a story behind Lila's pretty facade! 

This story is so good.  It's about friends and then turning into more than friends.  Lila has a very ugly past that she has been taught to hide behind, with prescription drugs.  She watched her mother do it for years and thought that was the way of the world.  She's hiding behind drugs rather than facing the pain.  It blows up in her face and does not end well.

Ethan has a different past, but not unlike Lila's.  He did drugs for years while growing up.  He decided to stop when the girl he was dating, London, decided she was going to do harder drugs, like heroin.  That did not end well for her and Ethan paid the price.  He lived with the guilt of that day and the consequences surrounding it.  He decided from that day forward, he would not let drugs run his life and it was time to stop and grow up.

He finds out Lila is using and decides to step in (well, she doesn't really leave him a choice, something bad happens).  He helps her learn to live without the drugs and helps her through some really tough times.  He is her best friend (besides Ella, but she's with Micha now and isn't around much). 

What happens next?  I can't say.  I don't want to ruin the ending.  Just know that it's good.  And I can't wait for the next Ella and Micha book because it's going to be GREAT!!!!

Happy reading!