Review and Giveaway: Listen to Me by Kristen Proby

01 lis What a great way to start this new series!

Addison has been hurt a time or two, by musicians, so she has sworn them off. Never again shall she fall for one. HA! Yeah right. As soon as she makes this statement, it’s like the rock gods look down and laugh at her. She just wants to run her restaurant, with her friends, and just be her. But when Jake Keller steps up on stage and sing his heart out, she get knocked for a loop.

Jake walked away from from his rock life, five years ago. He always though he’d be happy without it, but in truth, he misses the singing. So when he’s offered a chance to get up on a stage and just do that, he goes for it, and it’s like all is well in his world. Plus it has the added benefit of seeing super sexy Addison when she’s working.

Addison is determined to remain closed off to Jake, but he slowly works his way into her heart. She is so afraid to open herself up again. But there’s something about Jake she can’t deny. The fun banter these two have makes the seduction all the more sweeter and creates quite a sizzle. But love doesn’t come easy for these two, that’s why I like it.

This book wasn’t just about the romance, it was about friendship. Jake and Addie have a great support system of friends that had me wishing I was sitting right there with them. It’s such a diverse group of friends and I can’t wait to continue with this series!

~Melpomene

Buy Listen to Me.

Enter giveaway HERE

LtM Teaser 5

Author Pic_Montana About Kristen Proby:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.

Review: Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

01 aa This is another book that I can’t wait til my daughter can read it. This story is filled with a very real problem, cyber bullying. It’s a real issue and it happens more than we know. I swear to you, I never read the blurb, so I had nothing to go on. So when I realized what was happening, I was just sick. In my head, I kept trying to figure out a way to help her. I realize this story is fiction, but to many, it isn’t.

SYNOPSIS
One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

Razor!!! Oh, how I really like him. I had no idea this boy, we met in Nowhere But Here, had so much going on in his head. He’s been floundering for a few years. Struggling to come to terms with something that happened in his past. But it all changes when he meets Breanna. Something clicks. And now he knows what he wants, and he knows how he’s going to get it, even if it costs him his family.

I must admit, my stomach was twisting all over the place, with Breanna. My heart broke for her. She has been struggling with who she is as a person, a daughter, a sister and a friend. No one understands her. She is wired differently than most. Sad to say, but people don’t seem to accept differences, especially teens. The tipping point, for her, is now dealing with a bully. She wants help but she doesn’t know who to ask or how to ask.

It’s so hard being a teenager in this world. On a personal note, I’ve had to deal with this as a teenager and I will say, it SUCKED. You’re afraid to tell anyone, at the risk of making it worse. But cyber-bullying is a whole new thing. It’s 10 times worse.

This is another fabulous installment of Thunder Road series that dealt with real life problems. This book had me on the edge of my seat quite a few times. My heart was hammering in my chest and my nerves were wrecked. Razor and Breanna both had serious issues that required help from others, but neither wanted to go and ask. They thought they could do it alone but you need family to help sometimes. And this book is all about family.

~Melpomene

Buy Walk the Edge (Thunder Road)

Meet Razor and all the gang in Nowhere but Here (Thunder Road)

Review: Midnight Lily by Mia Sheridan

01 mid A devastatingly haunting story about two young people who were so lost inside themselves until they discovered the key to being found, each other. This book made these feelings reach deep into your soul and scare you. That is why it’s so haunting.

SYNOPSIS
Holden Scott is the prince of professional football. At least he was before he lost it all . . . or more to the point, before he threw it all away. Now he’s out of a job, out of the public’s good graces, and perhaps just a little out of his mind. So when a friend offers up his remote lodge in the wilds of Colorado, giving Holden some time away to get his life back on track, he can hardly say no. The last thing he expects is to see a beautiful girl in the woods—one wearing a white, lace dress who appears in the moonlight, and leaves no footprints behind. Is she a dream? A ghost? A product of his muddled imagination? Or something entirely different?

Midnight Lily is the haunting love story of two lost souls reaching for each other in the dark. A tale of healing, acceptance, and the worlds we create to protect our own hearts. It is a story of being lost, of being found, and of being in the place between.

These two people are such beautiful characters, even in the midst of their trials. So hard to read it and not FEEL. My stomach was in knots and my heart broke over and over. Such pain. They’ve suffered so much and they cope the only way they know how. I wish I could say more, but it would totally ruin the beauty that is this book.

“We will never be perfect or without flaws, the lives we’ve been given are not like that. But, Lily, in my heart, you are perfect for me. Perfectly mine. And I’m yours.”

Without saying too much, I’ll end with this. I’m a big fan of Mia’s writing. I’ve come to expect a certain “type” of romance story, but this was nothing like that. Twisted and yet not. Wrong and yet right. Messed up and yet perfect.

~Melpomene

Buy Midnight Lily

Review: Xavier Cold by Michelle A. Valentine

01 aa1 YES!!! It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for this, but we really haven’t. The ending of Phenomenal X left us hanging and freaking out. So many conclusions were happening in my head. I needed to know. So when I got Xavier Cold, I opened this bad boy up so quickly and closed myself off from my family. A book nerd’s gotta do what a book nerd’s gotta do.

SYNOPSIS
“What’ll it be, Anna Cortez? Are you in, or are you out?”
One momentary loss of control has now ruined everything Xavier Cold had going for himself. With his world unraveling fast, he’s willing to do anything to save not only his job but his relationship with the only woman he’s ever loved.

Anna Cortez, still reeling from shock, tries desperately to save the man that’s consumed her heart, body and soul. She’ll have to dig deep and find courage she never knew she possessed to help Xavier fight demons from his past—a past that’s even more haunted than she ever imagined.

Looking back on my updates, I remember exactly what I was feeling. Heart racing. Nail biting. Stomach churning. Anna and X loved each other so much, but I swear they couldn’t seem to catch a break. Just when they thought they were going to be able to move on, something or someone threw a wrench in their plans.

Anna loved X so much and would do anything for him, but X after living the horrible life he did, has a fear of losing her. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t get it through his thick skull. I was getting so frustrated with him. You could see that he was trying to save her from himself, but she wanted nothing more than to be with him. He had good intentions, but goodness, he needed a whack across the head a few times.

I loved Anna and her never ending love for X. She was going through some very hard times but no matter what she was going to remain strong.

Very good conclusion to this duo. I am happy that they found their peace and I hope they move on and live a happy life together.

~Melpomene

Buy Xavier Cold (Hard Knocks Book Two) (Hard Knocks Book Series 2)

xc-blogtour

Review: Sebring by Kristen Ashley

01 a Boy, does Kristen Ashley know how to end a series. Goodness.

Fantastic. Emotional. Sweet. Sexy. Basically, it’s what you expect from a KA book. And you will never be disappointed. EVER.

Nick Sebring has a score to settle and he takes it upon himself to get close to Olivia in order to do that. But in doing so, he sees something in her that makes this more than a job. She is not living. She is surviving. Nick He decides to take it upon himself to give her a life of her choosing. A free one, if she’ll only let go and let him take care.

“And I’m the man who knew you meant a fuckuva lot to me yesterday, so you meaning more today means everything. And I’m the man who’s got two priority missions. To get you free of a life you hate and to get you to a place that you smile, frequently and easily.”

My heart was breaking for Olivia. Her life is full of secrets and lies and lots of destruction. She is a pawn in the game her sister and father are playing. She is merely a shell until she meets Nick Sebring. She wants to believe that he’s in this game for her and not any other reason. She wants the peace that he promises. She wants the safety. But living the life she does, she’s used to people playing her. So she’s wary of him at first, but then he gets her to believe that he can give her the peace she seeks.

“I breathe. I’m here. I take up space. I eat. I drive. But I have no brain. No will. No strength. No opinions. I do not matter to the point I do not exist.”

“You exist for me.”

So many secrets. So many lies. At numerous points my stomach dropped. I had faith that Kristen would work this out for me, but not without some stress. So you gotta get through it and it will be worth it.

Let me add a little more to this. My feelings about Knight just went up a little after reading this. He loved his brother, even if he caused him a ton a grief. Families forgive and move on and Knight did that and he helped Nick when he needed him.

That epilogue….aw man…again, she’s the queen of the epilogue.

“It’s your purpose this life to take care of me. And it’s my purpose to give that back.”

He tried to read her, thought he got a bead, and said, “You don’t gotta make grand gestures.”

But he’d read her wrong.

“You’re right, I don’t. You love me and I have one simple task. To make it worth it.”

That’s not gonna be hard, baby, you do that by breathing.”

Someone hand me a tissue, please.

~Melpomene

Buy Sebring (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 5)

Get caught up with the series.
Knight (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 1)
Creed (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 2)
Raid (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 3)
Deacon (The Unfinished Heroes Series Book 4)

Review: The ‘Burg series by Kristen Ashley

10367167_1053530031353464_8526708495364862976_n
Another week. Another Kristen Ashley series. I know I’ve said this before, but if you’re in the mood for a good romance that ends with a HEA, then you need to pick up a KA book. I swear to you, you will like it. And this series was another winner for me. I spent my last week of Christmas break reading the last five of these books. And then I sat there at the end, just crying. Kristen Ashley writes the BEST epilogues I’ve ever read. In fact, this one was so perfectly written, I found it hard to even pick up another book. Everyone’s lives are laid out in a nice pretty package.

Another fabulous thing about her books are the crossovers. If you go her site, you will see a reading order. Now, you don’t have in order, but I highly recommend it. You’ll see past characters pop up periodically, and it makes you squeal. Or maybe that’s just me. But seeing all these characters interconnect is pretty darn sweet. Seeing the kids grow up together and find their own happiness, makes me feel like a proud mama.

Plain and simple, read Kristen Ashley.

~Melpomene

For You (The ‘Burg Series Book 1)
At Peace (The ‘Burg Series Book 2)
Golden Trail (The ‘Burg Series Book 3)
Games of the Heart (The ‘Burg Series Book 4)
The Promise (The ‘Burg Series Book 5)
Hold On (The ‘Burg Series Book 6)

Review: Wicked Lust by Sawyer Bennett

01 cainHoly hotness, Batman!!! Dirty, sexy, HOT!! If you’re looking for a super saucy book with a bit of romance mixed in, then this would be right up your alley.

SYNOPSIS
Cain Bonham is as big and bad as they come. After serving in the Marines, he’s returned home to Wyoming and now works as head of security at the exclusive sex club, The Wicked Horse. His job is to protect not only the patrons, but to zealously guard the secret existence of the club itself.

Sloane Preston is all about discovering secrets. As an undercover reporter, she’s determined to reveal the truth behind the facade of The Wicked Horse and expose it for all the world to see. She just didn’t count on her pathway into the club coming at the hands of one gorgeously scarred and bad ass bouncer who manages to easily possess her body and soul.

While Cain’s not looking for anyone to catch his eye, Sloane did it all the same, and he’s not bemoaning the fact that she’s as wickedly kinky as he is. As both get caught up in the sinful fantasies that only The Wicked Horse can create, secrets and loyalties will be tested and hearts will risk being broken.

Sloan was on a mission. She must do her job at the risk of her own heart. But that silly heart of hers is pulling her in different directions. She had no idea that meeting Cain would make this job so difficult.

Cain is a dream maker at The Silo. He’s there for fun. Never giving more than one night to a girl. That is, until her meets Sloan, then he’s sunk. He’s wants more with her and pretty soon, she has him hooked into her. So when he finds out that he’s been played, the life he was working towards, just night be an illusion.

I thought Cain was just a player, but there was more behind the scenes that made me really fall for him. There’s a reason he does all that he does. But he also has a heart and would do anything for the girl who holds it.

Seriously, this book was super hot. If you don’t like dirty sex, or anything more than m/f, then steer clear. This book will dirty you up. And I seriously can’t wait for Rand’s book!!

~Melpomene

Buy Wicked Lust (The Wicked Horse Book 2)

You don’t NEED to read Wicked Fall (The Wicked Horse Series Book 1) to read this book, but I highly recommend it. You get more of Cain. And who wouldn’t want that?

Cover reveal: Midnight Lily by Mia Sheridan

I must admit, I am in love with this cover. I’m in love with the synopsis. Frankly, I’m in love with all things Mia Sheridan. So here it is, the synopsis and cover of Midnight Lily:

Holden Scott is the prince of professional football. At least he was before he lost it all . . . or more to the point, before he threw it all away. Now he’s out of a job, out of the public’s good graces, and perhaps just a little out of his mind. So when a friend offers up his remote lodge in the wilds of Colorado, giving Holden some time away to get his life back on track, he can hardly say no. The last thing he expects is to see a beautiful girl in the woods—one wearing a white, lace dress who appears in the moonlight, and leaves no footprints behind. Is she a dream? A ghost? A product of his muddled imagination? Or something entirely different?

Midnight Lily is the haunting love story of two lost souls reaching for each other in the dark. A tale of healing, acceptance, and the worlds we create to protect our own hearts. It is a story of being lost, of being found, and of being in the place between.

MidnightLily_v2

Release Date: March 15, 2016
Pre-order Midnight Lily
AMAZON
iBooks
KOBO
BN: will be added when it’s available

Review and Giveaway: Built by Jay Crownover

01 built What can I say? I like my characters to be a little bit flawed or broken. Not shattered or destroyed, just a little chipped. And Miss Jay Crownover has a knack for that type of story, which is why I was super excited to sink my teeth into this book.

Zeb Fuller is this big mountain of a man who has turned his life around from his past mistakes. He’s happy with his life and never really knew what he was missing until Sayer walked into it. Sayer is this straight laced layer who likes everything simple and calm on the outside. She was in no way prepared for Zeb and his overwhelming presence in her life.

SYNOPSIS
Sayer Cole and Zeb Fuller couldn’t be more different. She’s country club and fine-dining, he’s cell-block and sawdust. Sayer spends her days in litigation, while Zeb spends his working with his hands. She’s French silk, he’s all denim and flannel.

Zeb’s wanted the stunning blonde since the moment he laid eyes on her. It doesn’t matter how many smooth moves he makes, the reserved lawyer seems determinedly oblivious to his interest—either that or she doesn’t return it. Sayer is certain the rough, hard, hot-as-hell Zeb could never want someone as closed off and restrained as she is, which is a shame because something tells her he might be the guy to finally melt her icy exterior.

But just as things start to heat up, Zeb is blindsided by a life altering moment from his past. He needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. He can’t risk what’s at stake just because his attraction to Sayer feels all consuming. But as these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, battling together to save a family, the steam created when fire and ice collide can no longer be ignored.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like Sayer. She seemed a little stuck up. But the more I got to know her the more I realized where she was coming from. She was made to help people, and being a family lawyer, she is very good at it. But when it comes to her own relationships, she needs a little nudge. Enter, Zeb.

I really liked these two together. It was a bit of give and take and little push and shove, but these two were made for each other. I loved watching Zeb force her into looking in the mirror and realize what’s right in front of her. She needed that nudge. Zeb was perfect. Yes, he made mistakes but he will move heaven and earth to fix them and build his life to what he wants it to be.

This was very nice way to start this spin off series. It was nice to see a few of the past favorites and I see a few new characters that I’m hoping we’ll see a bit more of. Their stories are bound to be full of drama and angst. Just the way we I like it.

~Melpomene

Enter the giveaway HERE.

Release Date: January 5, 2016
Be sure and pre-order Built: Saints of Denver

EXCERPT:
I met her at a bar.
She had a beer bottle in her hand even though she looked like she should be sipping champagne out of an expensive flute, and that inexplicably turned me on. She was pretty and looked completely out of place in the no-name bar sitting across from one of my longtime friends who also happened to be her long-lost brother. He was the reason she was here. In that split second that I laid my eyes on her I wanted to be the reason she stayed.
I knew it was rude and that the two of them needed some time together, some time to figure out what they were to each other now that she had blasted into his life unannounced. If I was a better friend I would have left them alone. As it was, I made my way over to the tiny table and sat down. I was covered in sawdust and had drywall mud caked in the hair on my head and on my face, but she didn’t flinch or bat an eyelash when I purposely broke up their party of two and placed myself as close to her as I could without actually touching her.
My buddy Rowdy St. James lifted his eyebrows at me as I stared at her while he introduced us. Sayer Cole. Even her name was elegant and sophisticated sounding. She was an enigma, this pretty woman that seemed like she should be in any place but this bar with the two of us. She’d showed up out of the blue a couple of months ago claiming to be Rowdy’s half-sister, claiming that they shared a father, claiming that all she wanted was to be in his life and have some kind of family of her own. She looked too delicate to be that brave. Came across as way too proper to have said “fuck it all” and picked up her life to move it someplace unknown without being sure of her welcome. She looked like silk, but if my guess was right about her, it was silk wrapped around steel.

Melpomene’s Top 15 of 2015

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I decided to stick with a top 15 instead of 25 this year. 25 seemed a bit overachieving, so I toned it down a smidge. And I was going to write this long and beautiful post, but then I realized I just can’t write long and beautifully, so you get short and sweet. Here you go.

1. Before We Were Strangers: A Love Story by Renee Carlino

2. November 9: A Novel by Colleen Hoover

3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

4. Iniquity (The Premonition Series Book 5) by Amy Bartol

5. Breathe (Colorado Mountain Series Book 4) by Kristen Ashley

6. Restless Waters: A Left Drowning Novel (Left Drowning Series Book 2) by Jessica Park

7. The Song of David (The Law of Moses Book 2) by Amy Harmon

8. Kyland by Mia Sheridan

9. The Forgotten Mountain (The Collectors’ Society Book 3) by Heather Lyons

10. The One Thing by Marci Lyn Curtis

11. Where Sea Meets Sky: A Novel by Karina Halle

12. The Air He Breathes by Brittiany C. Cherry

13. Bad Romeo (The Starcrossed Series Book 1) by Leisa Rayven

14. Burned: Fever Series Book 7 by Karen Marie Moning

15. The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 13) by J.R. Ward

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The Gamble (Colorado Mountain Series Book 1) by Kristen Ashley

Elude (Eagle Elite Book 6) by Rachel VanDyken

Walk Through Fire (Chaos) by Kristen Ashley

Gus by Kim Holden

The Raven (Florentine series Book 1) by Sylvain Reynard

What were some of your favorites??

~Melpomene