REVIEW: Fusion (Explosive #5) - Tessa Teevan

Title: Fusion

Series: Standalone. Book 5 Explosive Series

Author: Tessa Teevan

Release Date: October 28, 2015

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5 Young Love Sweet Love Stars

"Where you go, I go, and that will never change."

There is something magical about how Tessa Teevan writes her love stories, and Fusion is yet another example on how this author can write something with a teeny-bopper feel but with the additional steam and chemistry.

Jeremy Banks, Sierra Sullivan, and little Ava Banks first appeared on Ignite, Tessa Teevan's debut novel about Jace and Sierra's younger sister, Lexi. Since then, we've read cameo's and mentions of the Banks family and I couldn't get enough! But if I thought they were an absolute blast of a family then, I was proven wrong after reading Fusion. The Banks family is now one of my favorite book families ever. Aside from Jeremy and Sierra being on my top couple, and little Ava as the spunkiest and smartest kid, of course. I have read every single book by this author and I have enjoyed them all in different levels, however, Fusion took my love for Tessa Teevan to a whole new level. 

I have enjoyed reading Jeremy, Sierra, and Ava since that first book, I adored them now in their own book. Fusion is a perfect blend of all things sweet and spicy, just the way I like it. I love how the book started out from their childhood, giving us more in depth look and feel on how their relationship was planted and blossomed throughout the years. From being 8-year-old kids making new friends to their teenage awkward years to finally admitting that their friendship is more than just that. I was freaking smiling and swooning over Jeremy the entire time I was reading this book! 

Jeremy and Sierra's friends to lovers story is what happily ever afters are made of, it was realistic, it was something that can easily happen to you or your neighbors, it sure made me wish I had someone like Jeremy when I was growing up. Every page, every conversation, felt real life and it felt like I was with them throughout their growing years. What made Fusion extra special was even though this was a light-hearted love story, there were still some emotions that were enough to balance all the sweetness and mushiness (and I love the sweetness and mushiness), but not too much to make unnecessary dramas. 

Go on and relax in your favorite reading corner, purchase Fusion on your e-readers, smile, fall in love with absolutely every character in this book.

Stars: 5 stars

Recommended to: Everyone who wants to read something light and sweet. Fusion will hurt your cheeks from smiling too much!

Series: Standalone.

POV: First person. Dual POV.

Extra Comment: I am a huge sucker for Epilogues, Fusion's Epilogue is THE BOMB! There's a reason Tessa's name is close to Tease-a. ;)

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BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Fall Up - Aly Martinez

Maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall

in love at rock bottom—up.

Title: The Fall Up

Series: Standalone

Author: Aly Martinez

Release Date: October 26, 2015

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I wanted to jump.

He made me fall.

As a celebrity, I lived in the public eye, but somewhere along the way, I’d lost myself in the spotlight. 

Until he found me.

Sam Rivers was a gorgeous, tattooed stranger who saved my life with nothing more than a simple conversation.

But we were both standing on that bridge for a reason the night we met. The secrets of our pasts brought us together—and then tore us apart.

Could we find a reason to hold on as life constantly pulled us down?

Or maybe there’s only one direction to go when two people fall in love at rock bottom—up.

 

5 Mangoes Stars

ARC received from TRSoR for an honest review

The author said this story will be lighter, fun, less emotional, just good ol' happy stuff. That's what she said. What I read was something unforgettable. Sure it was lighter than her other stories, but The Fall Up tackled something that personally touched me. Hit me close to home and not just because it happened to someone I love but because the emotions from Levee and Sam were emotions that I felt, that I considered at some point and while reading their story, it was like they were talking to me. Reading a story, no matter how light or heavy, simple or complicated it was written, that touches me like that will be a story that I will always remember.

Levee Williams is a famous singer, a celebrity, with a heartbreaking history, so heartbreaking that she feels she's falling down and she can't get a handle on her thoughts. She knows she shouldn't feel such a thing, but she still feels it nonetheless. Going up to that bridge constantly has her thoughts and emotions jumbled up. That bridge, however, led her to someone who will not only catch her fall, but will more than happily fall with her if only to make sure that she lands safely on her feet. 

Sam Rivers. I remember asking the author, "Can I keep Sam?", from the first moment he was on that bridge until the very last page of the book. He was on that same bridge as Levee that night, he took a look at her and knew he had to make sure that that girl is not up there to do something horrible. He struck up a conversation. And from that first sentence he uttered, I knew he was a guy that would be the perfect for Levee. That's not to say that Sam is hurt-free or anything, he actually has some heartbreaking story himself and I think that's why he can understand and help Levee better. Writing about Sam is making me smile. I just want to put it out there. Their attraction is instant, their chemistry sizzled, and Sam and Levee together, holy heck adorable and swoon-worthy!

The Fall Up indeed was different than Aly Martinez's Wrecked and Ruined and On The Ropes series, it has more funny and cute moments, but the emotions that only this author can pull off in any story is there. Loud, clear, and palpable. And because I've read all of Aly Martinez's books and they all made me cry, why stop now? I did say this book personally hit a spot for me, remember? I laughed, I felt tingles, and I cried sad tears and happy tears. Why do you always make me cry, Aly?

I think I'm just rambling now, what I want to say is simple and short. READ THE FALL UP. YOU WON'T REGRET IT.

Stars: 5 stars

Recommended to: Everyone. Everyone who's losing hope, who wants inspiration, who longs for inner peace (yes, I just said inner peace) and happiness.

Series: No. Standalone.

POV: First person. Dual POV.

Extra Comment: The supporting characters are all amazing, especially the best friends, Ryan and Henry!

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“You’re overdoing it, Lev. I know this job isn’t exactly nine-to-five, but it’s not twenty-four-seven, either. You have to stop being Levee Williams all the time and just be you.”

“I know,” I responded.

I didn’t though. I felt like a robot parading around in a lost woman’s body.

Smile.

Pose.

Turn.

Toss in the occasional song.

Repeat.

What little time I did manage to carve out for myself was spent at various children’s hospitals across the country.

Smile.

Pose.

Turn.

Watch a child die.

Repeat.

With every day that passed, the smile became less and less genuine, the pose more and more forced, and the turn took me further and further away from who I really was.

My career was soaring while, personally, I was plummeting. Every single day felt like a terrifying free fall in no particular direction. I was stuck in the middle with no way up—or down.

“You remember that girl, right?” Henry asked, tucking a hair behind my ear.

I nodded.

I did remember her. She was fun and carefree. She loved going out and dancing at nightclubs until the very last song played. She slept until noon if she could. Then, fueled by coffee alone, she’d spend the day with a guitar strapped around her neck and a notepad at her side. She had a huge heart, but she knew her limitations.

Oh, I remembered that girl. I just couldn’t figure out how to get back to her.

Aly Martinez

Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Aly Martinez is a stay-at-home mom to four crazy kids under the age of five, including a set of twins. Currently living in South Carolina, she passes what little free time she has reading anything and everything she can get her hands on, preferably with a glass of wine at her side.

After some encouragement from her friends, Aly decided to add “Author” to her ever-growing list of job titles. Five books later, she shows no signs of slowing. So grab a glass of Chardonnay, or a bottle if you’re hanging out with Aly, and join her aboard the crazy train she calls life.

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BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & EXCERPT: Never Say Never - Emily Goodwin

Title: Never Say Never

Author: Emily Goodwin

Genre: Full length, stand-alone contemporary romance

Release Date: September 28, 2015

My life was full of nevers.

It was never supposed to go this way. I was never supposed to lose Mom so soon. I was never supposed to worry about making ends meet, to worry about losing the farm. I never thought I’d be working a job I hate, with a boss who was more interested in what was under my shirt than in my head. Saving neglected and abused horses had been my whole life. It was my reprieve, my sanity, my last saving grace in a cruel world. I never thought I’d grow to resent it, but I guess there is a first for everything.

Then I met him.

The Hollywood playboy. The entitled, cocky asshole that I can’t get out of my head. I never thought there could be more to him than sex appeal and an infamous reputation of loving and leaving. I never thought I’d fall for him, put my heart on the line, and risk letting him completely destroy me.

But you know what they tell you…never say never.

  “I dreamed about you,” she whispers. I can hear other people talking around her and remember she’s at work. 

“A sex dream, right?” I say with a smirk. 

“If it was, I wouldn’t tell you,” she says, and I can tell she’s smiling. 

“Then I know it was one. Was I good in this dream? I gotta know so I can live up 
to your expectations.” 

“There you go, being presumptuous again,” she laughs. 

“Maybe,” I say. “Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” She was a fan before we met. Has she thought about fucking me before? Becoming a sex icon is weird. Don’t get me wrong, I love it at times. But it’s fucking weird to know that women all over the world fantasize about me solely based on my looks and the little bit of personality they see during interviews, and it’s all fake anyway.

“I have very high standards,” she jokes. “Dream or no dream.” 

“I always please, multiple times. And I have dreamed about it. More than once.” 

“You did not just say that!” she exclaims, and I smile as I imagine the look on her 

face. “You are a little cocky, ya know.” 

“There’s nothing little about my cock.” 

She just laughs. “We’ll see about that. Oh my God, no, no—I didn’t mean—oh 

shit,” she stammers, and I laugh even harder. “Friday,” she says. “Where are we 

going?”

“I don’t care,” I say honestly. “I’m still not sure what to do around here.”

“There’s plenty to do by you, in Billings. Here…we have a movie theatre that closes at nine, two diners, one pizza place, and a couple fast food chains. Oh, and a bar, of course.” 

“How do you live?”

She just laughs. “You get used to it, and online shopping is a life saver.” 

“How’s Aurelia?” I ask before I have to go.

“She’s doing pretty well, actually. I think she’s lonely, and I feel bad because I’m 

gone all day and don’t feel comfortable letting her out when I’m not there. Not yet at 

least.” 

“If you could do horse stuff full time, would you?”

“God, yes,” she says right away. “That’s what my mom did. But it’s not that easy. 

Rescues are expensive, and I have vet bills to pay, so I’m stuck here. I refuse to believe it’s forever though.” 

“I don’t believe it either.” I make a mental note to have Claire look into the expenses of horse rescues. Speaking of Claire, she’s motioning to me. “I have to get back to work,” I tell her. “I’ll call you again. You still have to tell me why you’re having a bad day.”

“It’s not so bad anymore,” she says softly. “And I’d like that. Bye, Aiden.”

 

4.5 I'm Not Saying Never Stars

ARC received from Between The Sheets PR for an honest review

"It's broken but beautiful."

Right here is a perfect example of why I love giving "new to me" authors a try especially if the synopsis of their books hits the genres I read. I haven't read any Emily Goodwin novels, but when I read the synopsis of Never Say Never and that it's open for review sign-ups, I felt like I wanted to experience this story and at the same time, possibly gain another author to love. Never Say Never and Emily Goodwin hit the spot for me!

This book is not just a modern day fairytale story of a hotshot Hollywood celebrity and a normal, country girl who falls in love and lives happily ever after. It's that and more. Never Say Never is about family, loss, hope, compassion, and life. It's about getting back up to your feet when you feel like you're down on the ground and want to stay there because it hurts too much to move. The author was successful in writing something that deeply touches every aspect of life and weave them all together into a beautiful story that will touch its readers. I know it touched me in a way that I was crying just from reading the Prologue. I loved how emotional it was without the author trying too hard to word everything into something more than it is. The simplicity of the storytelling but still having an impact says a lot about Emily Goodwin's talent as a story-writer.

Aiden and Haley were easy characters to connect and fall in love with. Each of their struggles compliments each other, thus, making a good balance between their own strengths and weaknesses. Haley is also one of a few book heroines which I easily liked and I don't easily like heroines, I mostly find myself connecting more with the guys. Haley was gentle and her love for the horses was admirable and inspiring. It's impossible for Aiden not to end up falling in love with someone like Haley. Their chemistry is undeniable, and with the pain Aiden is also carrying in his heart, I love that he was still open to express his love to someone. 

I loved everything about this book and I'm glad I "discovered" another author for me to follow! Where have I been hiding all this time? 

Stars: 4.5 stars

Recommended to: Do you love horses? Do you love inspirational heroines? A modern day fairytale? Yes? Read this book!

POV: First person. Dual POV.

Series: No. Standalone.

Extra Comment: I found new love for horses and even though Haley is all about rescuing horses, the deeper meaning of this for me is rescuing other animals, too.

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Emily Goodwin is the author of the twice banned dark romance, STAY, as well as over a dozen other titles. Emily writes all types of romance, from love stories set in the zombie apocalypse to contemporary romances taking place on a western horse ranch. Emily lives in Indiana with her husband, children, and many pets, including a German Shepherd named Vader. When she isn't writing, Emily can be found riding her horses, designing and making costumes, and sitting outside with a good book. 

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BLOG TOUR, REVIEW & GIVEWAY: Alasdair (Masters Among Monsters #1) - Ella Frank

Title: Alasdair

Series: Masters Among Monsters #1

Author: Ella Frank

Release Date: October 13, 2015

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A DANGEROUS ALLURE
Bestowed with eternal life by the Ancient Vasilios, Alasdair Kyriakous is one of the most feared and ruthless vampires in existence. His name carries weight across all of the seven continents.
But he is a mystery to his kind, an anomaly among the self-indulgent. While he enjoys the pleasures of the flesh, he is exceptionally particular in his choice of partners and prides himself on his ironclad self-control.
Yet with one look his control will become a thing of the past, and Alasdair will discover that eternal life doesn't always last forever…
A DEADLY ATTRACTION
Thrust into a world he could never have imagined, Leo Chapel awakens in his worst nightmare. Taken hostage by the dangerously mesmerizing vampire, Alasdair, Leo must rely on his intelligence to escape before he reveals a secret he isn't even aware he's hiding.
A FORBIDDEN DESIRE
Unaware that they've been brought together by an outside force and are little more than pawns to a higher power, Alasdair and Leo spend time trying to uncover the other's secrets, the attraction between them growing stronger all the while.
But enemies are watching and preparing to act against them. When decisions that will alter lives and destinies have to be made—can a dead, grey heart learn to beat again?

4.5 Vampire Stars

ARC received from RockstarLit PR for an honest review

What else are you popping my cherry for, Ella Frank? This author has popped my M/M cherry and now with Alasdair, she upped it and made it a M/M Paranormal story. This author is a mean genius and I love how her stories, regardless whether it's sweet romance, sexy romance, thrilling romance, Male-Female, Male-Male, paranormal, she knows how to lure in her readers with her addictive words and characters.

I am a don't knock it til you try it at least once kind of girl and that applies to the books I read. I always say I'm willing to read anything as long as the synopsis caught my interest, I've known and read most of the authors previous books and loved it, and sometimes both good and bad reviews add to my curiosity. I have read and loved Ella Frank's books and it seems fitting that she open my eyes to another world of vampires, too.

Alasdair is not the typical romance I've been reading, but that's not to say that Alasdair and Leo and even Vasilios gave off an extremely hot and heavy atmosphere it's a wonder that my Kindle didn't produce smoke. I enthralled with Alasdair! His power, his submission, his dominance, his sensual personality was addictive to read. Leo wasn't too difficult to love, either. The way he was confused about how he's feeling towards Alasdair tickled my heart. I felt the genuine confusion, lust, and attraction -- it felt real. I have only read a handful of paranormal books, and by handful I mean you can count in one hand for real, and I was worried that this will be the first book by the author that I won't love as much, but she proved me otherwise! I was captivated with Alasdair's world, I love the storytelling and how I can imagine and feel the location. As usual, the author's talent in writing her stories was enough for me to find myself reading and reading until there's no more page left to turn.

This is yet again another Ella Frank novel that's not easy for me to review and not because I don't have anything to say but because I felt like I will end up spoiling the story for everyone else. Believe me, you wouldn't want that. Alasdair will keep you on your toes! I can and will say, however, that if you are an M/M Paranormal virgin like me, there is no better author to pop that cherry for you. And if you are a fan of the genre, Ella Frank will give you another favorite to love.

Stars: 4.5 stars

Recommended to: Paranormal, M/M readers, this is an amazing read!

Series: Yes. Book 1 of 3 (3 as of the moment)

POV: Third person.

Extra Comment: January seems so far away!

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---

About Ella Frank

Ella Frank is the author of the #1 Bestselling Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite erotic serial, A Desperate Man. Her Exquisite series has been praised as "scorching hot!" and "enticingly sexy!"
A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction and lives with her husband in Portland, OR. You can reach her on the web at www.ellafrank.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ella.frank.author
Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.

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Teaser

With no more than a flash of thought, he was inside the man's room and standing at the foot of a large bed.
Locks. Such a useless human defense.
He cocked his head to the side and examined the book splayed open on the man's naked chest. It looked as though it had fallen there when he'd drifted off to sleep, his fingers still resting against the glossy cover.
Heroes, Gods, and Monsters of the Greek Myths.
Now that is an unlikely coincidence.
A sinister smile morphed Alasdair's lips, and he touched the tip of his tongue to the fangs elongating from his upper gums. The familiar surge of adrenaline caused his skin to come alive with awareness as his body prepared itself to do what it had been created for.
Raising his hand, he flicked his wrist and the covers whisked back. The man beneath was no more aware of the action than a slight shift in the air as a low sigh escaped him and he stretched his body, turning his head on the pillow.
The sight that greeted Alasdair made the hours he'd spent tracking well worth the time. When the human took a breath, the knotted drawstring tie of his linen lounge pants caught his attention. Fuck, that made him want to indulge his carnal side first.
Maybe this was the root of his current obsession. In fact, that thought was followed by one truer to his perverse nature. How long would it take to have him clutching those covers from lust if I wanted it? And as Alasdair continued to observe the human, he realized just how much he wanted it.
The chest where the book was lying was covered in a light dusting of blond hair. It trailed a path along the center of the man's sternum to his stomach, which looked as hard as his own. However, unlike his own abdomen, this man's skin would be warm to the touch.
Perhaps he could take a moment or two and… No, he didn't have the time, and that really was a shame. A meeting had been called this evening, and he was due at the Assembly Hall soon. The last thing he wanted to do was piss off the Ancients by being late.
So, with the speed and the stealth only his kind possessed, he was on the bed and stretched out above the man, and his mouth hovered over the ear closest to him.
He threw the book, which landed with a loud thump on the floor, and couldn't stop himself from slipping one of his hands beneath those thin pants to curl his fingers around the flaccid cock he found inside. When a soft groan left the human, Alasdair used his other hand to capture his captive's wrists like iron shackles and pin them above his head. Before the man had a chance to wake, he delved inside his head and projected an image of where this hunt would finally end.

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REVIEW: Walk Through Fire (Chaos #4) - Kristen Ashley

Title: Walk Through Fire

Series: Chaos #4

Interconnecting Series

Author: Kristen Ashley

Release Date: October 27, 2015

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5 Chipotle Stars

ARC received from Forever (Grand Central Publishing) via Netgalley for an honest review

"Attached to Logan, I'd go anywhere. Even if we walk through fire."

I have shed tears, felt heartaches so palpable that I was sure my heart was being crushed into tiny little pieces, and I experienced tingles up spine whenever I read a Kristen Ashley novel. And I have read most of her books. However, Walk Through Fire just made it to the top of my KA list to make me ugly cry from start to finish. There are not enough adjectives to explain all the emotions I have experienced while reading Millie and Logan's story. 

Every word in this new Kristen Ashley novel packs a mean, raw, emotional punch to the heart. I don't remember feeling as crushed and broken-hearted in a KA world as I did with Walk Through Fire. I think the last time I had this feeling was from reading the first chapters of Own The Wind.

Millie met Logan when she was 19, they fell in love, moved in together, made plans for their future, and out of nowhere, Millie left Logan. No excuse. No reason. No explanation. I was admittedly frustrated about it and thought, "Why the heck would you do that, Millie?!". I was curious what could possibly make her leave Logan the way she did. Their parents may not have been happy with their whirlwind romance, but they dealt with it, and the love and life they shared all those years together were too sweet and solid to just throw it away. Why, Millie, why?

I felt for Logan, and even though it was mostly Millie's thoughts, the pain from their heartaches is the reason for my ugly cry sessions. The way Kristen Ashley wrote Millie and Logan's story was heart wrenchingly... raw. When they saw each other again, two decades later, Millie's guilt and longing were still there, and Logan's hurt and anger re-surfaced. *cue the waterworks again* I seriously haven't cried like this in a while from reading about the characters' pain and struggles. What's crazy was that I LOVED IT. Everything, the story, characters, writing, had the perfect emotions in them that made it so difficult to drop the book and take a break from crying.

When Millie finally blurted out the reason why she left Logan, I was torn between feeling sad for her (and for Logan), and feeling angry about her not talking about it with him right away. Logan was surprisingly understanding, and I would like to thank him for making me see Millie's point, too. Okay, I still don't agree 100% with her decision but I understood where she was coming from. It was a difficult one to make. After all they have been through, the amazing love they have for each other 20 years ago, burned even brighter 20 years later. Even through the tears, scorching scenes, and happy smiles, I enjoyed every page I have read!

Stars: 5 stars

Recommended to: The ever loyal KA readers, this is one of her emotional ones ever. Not your typical MC feels.

Series: Yes. Interconnecting characters.

POV: First person. Third person. Multiple POVs.

Extra Comment: Lots of tissues are needed. Keep a tub of ice cream handy, too.

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