Review, Blog Tour, & Giveaway: Friction by Sandra Brown

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**Be sure to check the links at the end to enter the giveaway**

25114548I haven’t read Sandra Brown in years. This book is a big reminder that I shouldn’t overlook authors just because I’ve read them and because they are well known….yes, there are some authors out there that I believe have gotten lax over the years and taken their popularity for granted, not putting out their best efforts, however, Brown has shown me in this novel that she isn’t one of them.

From the very first chapter, I couldn’t read fast enough to hear all of Crawford Hunt’s story. Hunt is a Texas Ranger that is seeking back custody of his five-year old daughter, Georgia. After an unexpected episode happens during the custody proceedings, Ranger Hunt finds himself as the rescuer of the sitting family court Judge Holly Spencer. Once this happens the action never stops.

I loved this book, but I couldn’t help to be to look for some unexpected twist. Some hidden motives behind the obvious that made some of the characters act out the way they did. That never really happened. However, that doesn’t mean I was disappointed. Sometimes, as in real life, people hold onto the past and let it dictate how they act in the present. So although I found some of the storyline a stretch, in other ways, I found that maybe at the end of the day, those stretches, in fact, kept the story real to life.

I believe Ranger Hunt’s behavior in the past was a bit “gun-ho” and, indeed, reckless. As much as it pains me to say, I found his behavior, many times, in this book the exact same way. I couldn’t believe how he handled some of the situations. TBF, yes, it would have been nice to see that he was less reckless now as the years went on…but is life really that way? I don’t imagine he will ever change. He will always be reckless, however, his heart is often in the right place, and his intentions always seem to be. The fact that I even say that about a fictional character just points out how much I really enjoyed this book!

Whilst I didn’t think Judge Spencer acted reckless in her past, I did find some of her behaviour in the present a bit reckless. Having said that, I can’t exactly say I wouldn’t have acted the exact same way if I were in the same situation. At the end of the day there were several characters I really enjoyed in the novel. I genuinely wanted things to turn out okay for them as well.

Bottom line, I started this book and couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Once I finished the novel I was sad that my adventure was over and I was already worried about trying to pick up another book that would leave me half as satisfied as this one did.

If you’re a Sandra Brown fan this book will not disappoint you. If you’ve never read Sandra Brown, this book should convince you to become a fan. Finally, if you’re like me and just a lax fan that’s been away for a few years, this book will remind you of what a fun writer she is! Don’t hesitate, run out and grab your copy now!!!

Until next time…

Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review

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Review and Giveaway: Better When He’s Brave

01bwhb Titus is a cop. He’s a good cop who always does the right thing. Never illegal. But this time around he needs to walk a fine line and rely on those, who don’t always work on his side of the law, in order to keep his girl safe.

I’m a sucker for cops. But I’m really a sucker for hot, bossy cops, and Titus King fits the bill perfectly. That man has been so focused on the job and so used to doing things his way, that when Reeve walks back into his life, he’s no way prepared for what is coming.

When Reeve walks in his door and lays down a plan to help him, he is forced to protect her in order to take down the latest criminal, who’s trying to destroy The Point. But being in close proximity with her is messing with his body. He doesn’t want to want her. He wants her gone. She’s caused enough trouble for him and his family. But the longer she stays the longer he’s pulled into her.

The Point has been a dangerous place. But when Reeve comes, it jumps up a notch and seems to follow her and pretty soon the people around them are going to start paying for it. So Titus is on a mission. Keep the girl alive. Protect his family. Do whatever it takes, even if it cost him his life.

I was FREAKING out, when I read the prologue. Seriously. I love Titus and to see him in that situation, was very nerve wrecking. In fact, throughout the entire book I was stressing. Craziness on every corner was pulling him down. He is the job. But when Reeve started to creep into his life, I saw the man, not the cop. And watching them grow closer, amidst the turmoil, was perfect. Even with all the bad things happening, love manages to still creep in.

~Melpomene

Buy Better When He’s Brave: A Welcome to the Point Novel
Get caught up with the rest of the Point gang:
Better When He’s Bold: A Welcome to the Point Novel
Better When He’s Bad: A Welcome to the Point Novel

EXCERPT
“Everyone has a breaking point.”
I sounded gruff and really had to concentrate on getting the words out because she leaned forward and her lips hit right below my ear on my rough jaw. Her teeth started to nibble and her tongue lapped a long wet trail all the way up behind my ear where she breathed, “I would love to see you when you reach yours.”

She curled a hand around the back of my neck and rubbed her cheek against mine. When I let my monster have at her, it took in giant mouthfuls, gobbled her up, and tried to burn as fast and as hot as the pleasure would allow. She wasn’t kidding when she said hers needed to be soothed. Every move she made was deliberate, erotic. We touched everywhere and somehow it was more intimate than all the times I had been inside of her over the last month. She brushed her chest against my own and I decided the playing field needed to level out a little, so I hooked my hands under her shirt and lifted it up off over her head. Her hair fell back down around us like a dark curtain and I grabbed her face so I could kiss her. She blinked at me with big eyes and smiled.

“You are the only one that sees it, over and over again. You were the breaking point from the moment you walked in the door to tell me you helped Novak grab Dovie. I wanted to be disgusted, to hate you, but I didn’t. I thought you were beautiful and resilient. You seemed so misguided and lost, and even then I wanted to get you naked and fuck you on my desk.”

Her face lowered to mine and our lips touched just a tiny bit. One of her hands skated down the center of my chest and landed on my belt buckle. I reciprocated by popping the clasp on the back of her bra and pulling it out of my way.

“You should’ve tried. I would’ve let you.” The words danced across my lips and somewhere in the center of my chest an animal howled in delight. That was what was missing in my life. Someone that appreciated all the sacrifice, the hard choices I had made to become the man I was, but who could also appreciate the fucked-up kid I had been.

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Review and Giveaway: The Forgotten Mountain by Heather Lyons

01for Oh my word….

This book takes place immediately after the previous one, The Hidden Library, and we all know how THAT one ended. Yelling, screaming, and a whole lot of “Oh No!!!” So be sure to read the first two books, The Collectors’ Society and The Hidden Library, before you venture into this one. You can thank me later.

SYNOPSIS
After years spent in Wonderland, Alice Reeve learned the impossible was quite possible after all. She thought she left such fantastical realities behind when she finally returned to England.

Now Alice has become a member of the clandestine Collectors’ Society, and the impossible has found her again in the form of an elusive villain set on erasing entire worlds. As she and the rest of the Society race to bring this mysterious murderer to justice, the fight becomes painfully personal.

Lives are being lost. Loved ones are shattered or irrevocably altered. Each step closer Alice gets to the shadowy man she hunts, the more secrets she unravels, only to reveal chilling truths. If she wants to win this war and save millions of lives, Alice must once more embrace the impossible and make the unimaginable, imaginable.

Sometimes, the rabbit hole leads to terrifying places.

Emotions runs high as Alice and her friends try to a way to heal their loved one all the while still searching for the evil mastermind who is determined to destroy their worlds, one at a time. Alice will be forced to trust her instincts and do whatever it takes to make this happen. A lot is riding on her shoulders, this time, but she is up for the task.

They’ll meet all sorts of new characters, some which turn out to be allies, while some enemies. Alice has to take so many risks, but she’s the only one who can do this. I love seeing the traditional characters in a new light. You may think you know them, but you really don’t. I love seeing which fairy tale characters pop up in each book. It brings back so many childhood memories seeing them here. The craziest thing about this book is that one of the characters is actually named after me. She is CRAZY. And I love her.

Heather has a way of spinning the “normal” fairy tale world into something way more complex and exciting. These are most definitely not your children’s stories. And this next addition is no exception. The Forgotten Mountain was filled with loads of excitement and adventure, a nice dose of romance and friendship, and of course, a nice sprinkling of “Oh no!!” Now I must sit here and wait patiently for the next book. I wonder if Mary has something to help me…..

~Melpomene

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Don’t forget to grab your copies of
The Collectors’ Society
The Hidden Library (The Collectors’ Society Book 2)
The Forgotten Mountain (The Collectors’ Society Book 3)
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Review and Giveaway:Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams

01 tru You know how books have short epilogues, that just give you a small glimpse into their futures? Well, this book was like the most epic of epilogues. For those who don’t know, Liam is the son of Chase and Harper, from Taking Chances and Stealing Harper. I’ll admit, when I hear Liam was getting a book, I said a little prayer to the book gods that I was going to be able to handle it. Taking Chances was my first book ugly cry, and Stealing Harper about killed me. Molly pretty much destroyed me and everyone else, with those books. So you can understand my nervousness.

SYNOPSIS
When Kennedy Ryan moves to California, she never expects to come face-to-face with Liam Taylor—the intriguing man who has haunted her thoughts for a year. A man who led her to breaking every one of her rules for a single night of passion that ended up meaning more than it was ever supposed to. Accustomed to disastrous experiences with men, Kennedy shields herself before he can break down more of the carefully built control she’s clung to for the last four years. But every time she sees Liam, she feels her resolve weakening.

Liam Taylor has been asked to help socialize his boss’s nieces. But what he thinks sounds more like a babysitting job ends up leading him to the only girl who ever slipped away before morning—a girl he thought he’d never find again. And now that she’s within reach, Liam’s determined to never let her go.

But when a secret from her past tests their relationship, will they be able to cling to the trust Liam has worked so hard to build?

I adored Liam!! He’s had some big shoes to fill. His dad was loved by a lot of people and sometimes that can be overwhelming for him, since he never met him. Many times throughout this story I found myself tearing up as they reminisce about the past. My heart would splinter a little bit, when they talked about Chase. I know the book is about Liam, but Chase played a huge part in this entire series, so it’s really hard to forget about him.

Kennedy was a tough nut to crack. I kept yelling at her to loosen up, but she never listened to me. But then, I found out why she was the way she was. Then it all made sense. The past few years have been rough on her.I can see why she had such apprehension, when it came to Liam. But he wasn’t going to give up. He’s much like his dad in that sense. If he wants something, he will fight for it.

I was so happy to see all the past characters, especially the side ones like Brian. He was a funny, and very loving guy. Comments like dude number one and dude number two, when he was talking to Kennedy and her sister, made me snort a bit. When he would speak about Chase, with such love, tears were forming in my eyes. He loves Liam just as much as his father. And let’s not talk about the name Little Chachi, unless you have a tissues nearby.

All in all, I am very happy with this ending. It’s not a happily ever after, because life isn’t always happy, but it’s about as happy as you can get with what life’s dealt you. Well done, Molly!

~Melpomene

Trust me when I say that you should read Taking Chances and Stealing Harper before you read this. You will benefit more from it. And then when your tears have dried up, you can start on Liam.

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Date: June 9, 2015

Buy Taking Chances (Taking Chances and Forgiving Lies Book 1)

Buy Stealing Harper (Taking Chances and Forgiving Lies Book 2)

Then buy Trusting Liam: A Taking Chances and Forgiving Lies Novel

TrustingLiam

Review: All Played Out by Cora Carmack

01all In science, every action might have an equal and opposite reaction, but not in life. Life is unbalanced. Life is complicated.

This series keeps getting better and better. The football aspect is even starting to grow on me. These books have just the right amount of emotion and heart. Nothing too sappy, but the perfect amount of realness. And Mateo’s story is just that. It made me want to crawl in and join that group of friends.

SYNOPSIS
First person in her family to go to college? CHECK.
Straight A’s? CHECK.
On track to graduate early? CHECK.
Social life? …..yeah, about that….

With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay… Scratch that. She knows she hasn’t had the full college experience).

So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a “to do” list of normal college activities.

Item #1? Hook up with a jock.

Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it’s impossible to get hurt… again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learns about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it.

Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she’s never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he’s willing to take the chance when it’s more than just a game.

Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.

I totally connected with this story, since I was a very sheltered and school driven myself. I never really experienced the “usual college activities.” So I enjoyed Nell’s list making and the checking off of the items. I wish I did that, when I was younger. Work is important, yes, but if that’s all you have, you’re going to live a half life. So, I was glad to see Nell attempt to take control and change it for the better.

Mateo was the best kind of guy. No, scratch that. He was the best kind of guy, for Nell. His joking and flirting, around his friends, hid his true feelings. But Nell saw right through those and was able to help him move past them. He was the comic relief that was needed. Everyone group of friends need a Mateo.

I also enjoyed their smoking chemistry. To have that kind of instant attraction, is the best, when it is well written and not over the top insta-lust. And that is exactly what this was. The perfect balance.

Somewhere between my chest and my stomach there’s a knot that twists every time I see her. And I’m starting to enjoy it, the strange pleasure pain of wanting her.

I enjoyed seeing the other characters, and how they’re slowly dropping in the coupledom. We also see a glimpse of what’s to come in the next book. I’ve been waiting for that one. I’m very excited.

~Melpomene

Buy All Played Out: A Rusk University Novel

Review: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

01 rock I have always enjoyed Nalini Singh’s books. My favorites are her Guild Hunter series. It’s hard to move onto another series, after loving those so much. But the Rock Kiss series is a nice series. It’s a change of pace to read about real people and not have the paranormal aspect thrown in.

This book is my favorite of the Rock kiss series so far. I loved the fact that it wasn’t an insta love story. It had plenty of tension and angst, and that’s the best part of love stories. There was a fair amount of flirting and seduction and very subtle foreplay, but the sex wasn’t the main part of the story.

I enjoy stories with a big strong male character and the timid little females. I’m all about being taken care of, even if it’s not the norm. So when my books have it, I love it.

EXCERPT
Charlotte arrived at work at seven thirty the next morning to find Gabriel Bishop’s office door open, but no carnivorous predator inside. A fresh suit was hanging on the back of his door, however, which meant he’d been in already.
Deciding to catch up on e-mails that had come in overnight from international suppliers as well as stores involved in a stock take, she was typing a reply when a sweaty Gabriel arrived fifteen minutes later. He was dressed in black running shorts and a faded University of Auckland T-shirt that was currently sticking to his body.
She’d known he was in shape, but now she realized none of it was an illusion created by his well-cut suits. Okay, she’d already known that, but seeing his muscled body in the flesh was a whole different ball game. He was built like a tank, hard and powerful.
Each of his thighs was thicker than both of hers put together, his biceps toned, his shoulders appearing even wider than usual. Everything about him was big. Civilized clothing didn’t make him look better, she realized—it toned down his intense masculinity. Out of his suits, with the ink on the upper part of his left arm exposed, as well as that on his opposing thigh and…
Her skin hot and lower body clenching, she just nodded in response to his “Good morning.”
Disappearing into his office, he returned with his suit pants and a fresh shirt slung over his arm, along with a sports bag. “Push the meeting with Sales to nine, will you, Ms. Baird? I need to talk to HR about something before then.”
“Yes, sir,” Charlotte said almost soundlessly, but he was already gone, heading toward the employee shower one floor down.
The thigh tattoo went all the way around, the design intricate.
Heart rate a rapid stutter, Charlotte got up after he disappeared and decided to go grab him a coffee. He’d bought her one yesterday after all. She was just being nice. “Oh, shut up, Charlotte,” she muttered once she was in the elevator, and slumped her face into an upraised hand.
The truth was she was running away. Only for a few minutes, but that’s what this was: strategic retreat. Gabriel Bishop was overwhelming. Once, before she’d ever met him and under the influence of cocktails, she’d told Molly she wanted to rip off his shirt and sink her teeth into his pecs.
That desire hadn’t waned even now that she knew he was a T-Rex. Of course, the desire was all strictly in her imagination. The idea of actually handling him in real life? So impossible as to be laughable. Charlie-mouse was not about to play with a predator who could eat her alive and not even notice the bones. The good news was that she could admire him in relative safety—there was no chance in hell he’d ever notice her as a woman.
Getting the coffee from a nearby café, she took it back upstairs. He was in his office when she entered, the striped dark gray of his tie hanging around his neck and his damp hair roughly combed. The scent of clean, fresh soap over warm skin permeated the office. Shooting her a smile that turned him from gorgeous to flat-out devastating, he flipped up the collar of his white shirt to get the tie in place. “Thank you, Ms. Baird.”
Nodding, Charlotte escaped, though she really wanted to stay. She’d never realized how erotic it was to watch a man dress until this precise moment. And she shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her boss—especially since she couldn’t keep from quivering like a rabbit in his presence. Sometimes she just annoyed herself.
“Get to work,” she muttered and knuckled down.
Gabriel was fine for the first hour, but then he began barking orders even a six-armed woman with a split personality would have had trouble handling.
Finally, pushed to the edge, Charlotte snapped. “I’m going as fast as I can!” she yelled when he asked her for something a minute after he’d asked her to complete another task.
He scowled and held out a file. “This is a priority.”
Grabbing it from his hand, she said, “Fine,” and slapped it down on her desk.
It was over an hour later that he disappeared for ten minutes. When he returned, it was to put a small bakery box on her desk. “I think you need something to sweeten your mood today, Ms. Baird.”
What she needed was for the T-Rex who was her boss to stop snarling and growling, she thought as he returned to his office. Not opening the box until her curiosity had almost killed her, she found it held a slice of decadent chocolate cake with a white-chocolate ganache topped with curls of both white and milk chocolate. “I cannot be bribed with cake,” she muttered, eating a bite nonetheless.

I am very excited to see where this series is going to go!!

~Melpomene

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Review: The Prince by Sylvain Reynard

01prince Well now. That was a quick little glimpse into a new series, and I think I’m gonna like it. I think I’m gonna like it a lot.

SYNOPSIS
The unveiling of a set of priceless illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy at the Uffizi Gallery exposes the unsuspecting Professor Gabriel Emerson and his beloved wife, Julianne, to a mysterious and dangerous enemy.

Unbeknownst to the Professor, the illustrations he secretly acquired years ago were stolen a century earlier from the ruler of Florence’s underworld. Now one of the most dangerous beings in Italy is determined to reclaim his prized artwork and exact revenge on the Emersons, but not before he uncovers something disturbing about Julianne …

Set in the city of Florence, “The Prince” is a prequel novella to “The Raven,” which is the first book in the new Florentine Series Trilogy by Sylvain Reynard.

“The Prince” can be read as a standalone but readers of The Gabriel Series may be curious about the connection between The Professor’s world and the dark, secret underworld of “The Prince.”

I remember seeing this character in Gabriel’s Redemption and he seemed “otherworldly” to me. So when this new series was announced, and it was said to be a sort of spin off, I knew EXACTLY who it was going to be about. Now, you don’t need to read the Gabriel’s Inferno series, to read this. But, personally, to get the full experience, I highly recommend that you do. You can thank me later.

I was mesmerized by how this Prince was intrigued with the Emersons. Well, mostly he wanted to kill the professor. But seeing a few scenes, from his eyes, made me fall for the Professor all over again, even if he’s a jerk sometimes. We see quite a few scenes with the Emersons, as he watches them and plans their demise.

But right when the Prince is ready to follow through with his plan, a new threat creeps into his city and now he must deal with this first.

I am so excited to read The Raven and find out what happens next. Part of me wants more of the professor, but then to see him means that the Prince is out to harm him. So maybe, I’m not in a rush to see him quite yet.

~Melpomene

EXCERPT
In the distance, the Prince could hear voices and muffled sounds.

He approached silently, almost floating across the floor.

Desperate groans and the rustling of fabric filled his ears, along with the twin sounds of rapidly beating hearts. He could smell their scents, the aromas heightened due to their sexual arousal.

He growled in reaction.

The corridor was shrouded in darkness but the Prince could see that the professor had his wife up against a window between two statues, her legs wrapped around his waist.

Her voice was breathy as she spoke, but the Prince tuned out her words, moving closer so he could catch a glimpse of her lovely face.

At the sight of it, flushed with passion, his old heart quickened and he felt the stirrings of arousal.

It was not his custom to observe rather than participate. But on this occasion, he decided to make an exception. Careful to remain in the darkness, he moved to the wall opposite the couple.

The woman squirmed in her lover’s arms, her high heels catching on his tuxedo jacket. Her fingers flew to his neck, undoing his bow tie and tossing it carelessly to the floor.

She unbuttoned his shirt, and her mouth moved to his chest, as murmurs of pleasure escaped his lips.

The Prince felt more than desire as he watched the woman’s eager movements. He caught a glimpse of her exquisite mouth and the toss of her long hair that would no doubt feel like silk between his fingers.

She lifted her head to smile at the man who held her close and he could see love in her eyes.

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Release date 1-20-15
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Release date 2-3-15
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Review: The King, by Tiffany Reisz

01king “…a king must have a kingdom.”

WOW! Let me say, that whatever expectations I had for this book, were completely blown out the the water. This was so much more than anything I could’ve imagined. There are so many layers to Kingsley, you have no idea.

Synopsis
Cunning. Sex. Pure nerve. Only this unholy threesome can raise him to his rightful place as a rule of Manhattan’s king kingdom.

Bouncing from bed to bed on the Upper East Side, Kingsley Edge is brilliant, beautiful and utterly debauched. No carnal act of chemical compound can relieve his self-destructive heartache—only Søren, the one person he loves without limit or regret. A man he can never have, but in whose hands Kingsley is reborn to attain even greater heights of sin.

Kingsley’s plan to open the ultimate BDSM club—a dungeon playground for New York’s A-list—becomes his obsession. His expertise in domination can’t subdue the one man who wants to stop him. The enigmatic Reverend Fuller won’t rest until King’s dream is destroyed, and so the battle lines are set; it’s one man’s sacred mission against another’s…

Since I loved The Red Years, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get into the White Years. Without the Mistress it would appear boring. HAHA!!! Boy was I wrong!! There is still the same amount of saucy parts as well as the loving parts. This one also has a nice dose of heartbreak and loss.

This story is about a king and how be builds his kingdom. It is about love that withstands the test of time. It’s about a young man who will to anything for his family, even if they’re not blood related. This story is about how be built his BDSM club, just so Søren could be himself. King has always loved Søren and he would do anything for him.

After stumbling around for years, with no real plan for his life, Søren comes back into his life, and suddenly he knows what to do now. With the help of his new assistant, Sam, he sets forth to create his kingdom.

I loved Sam. It was almost like she put on this planet to help King. Everything she did, was for him. She was funny and quirky. She was sexy and sweet and knew how to keep King in his place. No matter what was happening, she was there for him, willing to do anything to make his dreams happen. They bonded over their horrible pasts and moved on together. I’m glad she was able to keep him going and not fall for him, like so many others seem to do.

As we catch glimpses of King’s past, my heart broke. No man should go through what he did. I was so glad Søren was there for him, during the scary times. He loves King, even if he won’t tell him. You can see it.

“I did my part by coming back to you,” he said. “God did his part to keep you alive long enough for me to get here. Now you do your part and make yourself worthy of this second chance you’ve been given.”

I’m glad we got to see Grace and Fionn. I totally forgot about them!! Sad, I know. But I hope they’ll be in future books. I hope Søren will go to them also. That would be fantastic.

~Melpomene

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Buy The King: The Original Sinners Book 6

Get caught up, with the first five books.

The Red Years
The Siren: The Original Sinners Book 1 (Original sinner seires)
The Angel: The Original Sinners Book 2 (Original sinner seires)
The Prince: The Original Sinners Book 3 (Original sinner seires)
The Mistress: The Original Sinners Book 4 (Original sinner seires)

The White Years
The Saint: The Original Sinners Book 5

Review and Giveaway: Saving Poughkeepsie by Debra Anastasia

01sav For those who don’t know, I have loved loved loved Poughkeepsie more than words can say. From the very first chapter, I knew this book was special. It is in my Top 10 of all time. In fact this was my very first signed book I ever received. So it will always hold a special place in my heart. So when I heard that she was making it a trilogy, I was concerned. I loved the first book so much, and I just didn’t know if the second and third books could hold a candle to it. I have such love for Blake, Cole and Beckett and was so worried something horrible would happen, that I almost didn’t want to read them. But I had faith in Deb, and she didn’t disappoint.

Synopsis
Beckett Taylor’s quest to be a better man has brought Eve Hartt back into his life, but sometimes it feels like they’re bound together with barbed wire. Though he longs to love her without causing pain, the wreckage of their past continues to crash down around them.

Yet with the help of this brothers—and for his brothers—Beckett won’t stop trying. He’s determined to make them all a family, to make a life they want to live, and to make Poughkeepsie a place that’s safe to live it.

He can feel their futures balanced precariously on his shoulders: Blake and Livia and their children, Cole and Kyle and the new baby they’ve just brought home, and Eve…always Eve. He wants their dreams to be real. But murderers don’t just get Happily Ever After handed to them. They have to wrench it away from Satan himself.

Good thing Beckett is prepared to do just that. After all, saving Poughkeepsie is the only way his story ends.

Prepare your heart and your head for a wild ride in this final installment of the Poughkeepsie Brotherhood series. Debra Anastasia does not disappoint as she weaves the last chapter of a story that blends true love, turbulent emotions, and life’s harsh realities into an uplifting tale that calls to the good in each of us.

Okay. This book….I started this book knowing it was about Beckett and nothing else. I knew it was going to be rough. Cuz let’s face it, Beckett Taylor is not a clean cut guy. He is a force. If you don’t work with him, you’re against him, and he will take down anyone who’s against him.

Saving Poughkeepsie is just that. He wants to save it and will do anything, in his power, to do that. He wants his family to be safe. If that means losing his own life, then so be it. But he wants Eve as his family, so he’s going to do everything to keep himself, and her, safe as can be.

“Everybody in my life has their match. I just want you to be mine.”

Eve’s story was so heartbreaking. The fact that everyone around her was starting families, and she knew she couldn’t, it was chipping at her heart. But she loved Beckett and trusts him to be her family. So little by little, his little “Killer” was coming back to him.

This story was filled with a hefty dose of emotional scenes that stunned me to my core. I was so upset at one point, I had to step away. How can a book do this to me?? I kept hoping I was reading it wrong, or perhaps it was a dream. I was in no way prepared for what I just read.

This was the most action packed, nerve wrecking, heartstrings tugging, gut twisting, amazing book. The last 20% I spent on the verge of wanting to drink. The excitement level was through the roof. I felt like I was in the story. I was rooting for Poughkeepsie. I wanted to jump in there and defend it against those who wished to tear it down.

This was the best ending to the most fabulous series. I feel honored to be able to experience this story. Well done, Debra. Well done!!

***GIVEAWAY***
If you’d like to read about Poughkeepsie and experience all these emotions for yourself. Comment below and I’ll pick a winner later this week and you’ll receive a set of all three EBOOKS.

~Melpomene

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Review: Even the Moon has Scars, by Steph Campbell

01even

“The stars. They all burn out eventually. But that big guy up there,” he pulls back and points to the moon. “Even he’s got scars, and he’s still keeping on, right? I’ll be okay, Lena. We’re both going to be okay.”

WOW! This is one of those books that make me sit back and think, one night really can change everything. Whether they’re physical or emotional, everyone has scars, just as the title says. How to choose to heal yourself, is what makes the difference.

Synopsis
Two strangers.
Two broken hearts.
One night to set each other free.

Almost dying from an undiagnosed heart condition means every second of your life is a precious gift to be guarded.
Lena Pettitt was born a miracle.
And her parents never let her forget it.
Even if that daily reminder kept her from experiencing the one thing they were trying to protect most–her life.

Gabriel Martinez’s heart has been ripped out.
His pride has been stomped on.
Oh, and he now has an arrest record that’s caused an even bigger rift between him and his DA mother. All for a love that wasn’t really true.

Now he’s exiled to his grandmother’s, working on his late grandpa’s old Corvair, when a shivering girl knocks on the garage door. Lena, left alone for the first time ever, has locked herself out of her house. Gabe knows he could help this girl get back inside her house–but that may mean missing the next train to Boston to pick up the part he’s spent eight weeks tracking down. She can wait for him at his grandmother’s or…

A few hours, an aluminum valve cover, and some strong coffee later, neither Gabe nor Lena can feign disappointment when they race to the station and arrive just as the last train home from Boston is pulling out.

As jaded as he is, Gabe can’t deny the fact that he’s excited to spend the night exploring a city he knows nearly every corner of, with a girl who sees magic in the simplest things.

Lena has been waiting for her tiny world to crack open her entire life. Now that it’s finally happened, she finds the only thing she can focus on is the unexpected tour guide who opens her eyes to possibilities she never imagined.

All they have is this one night, together, under the bright moon in a city full of hidden beauty.
It’s one night that will change how they see the world and the paths their hearts will take forever.

Lena always hated being under her parents microscope and always looked after. She hasn’t been alone, in her entire life. So a night of freedom, seems like heaven to her. Even if it was all an accident.

I totally understood how Lena was feeling, being sheltered all the time. But when Gabe started to take her places, we started to get a glimpse into his life and how broken hearts can come in many forms. His home life was not pleasant, to say the least. My heart was breaking for the things he had heard over and over. No one should have that. This boy was so unsure of himself, that he would just about anything to feel love, even if it meant chasing after one wrong thing after the next.

I am so glad they had this night to explore and learn about each other. They learned how to fill in the cracks of their broken pieces.

This was a very sweet story, with enough emotion to keep me happy. One night changes everything. Love can heal even the deepest of scars. Well done, Steph. Well done.

~Melpomene

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