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Review: The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert

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I’ve never read a Katee Robert book til now. To be honest, I have so many auto buy authors that I rarely try new ones. I just don’t have the time or money to take chances on books that I may not like. But during quarantine I didn’t have anywhere to go so I just a chance, and I’m so happy I did.

I’ve read a few mafia series and really enjoyed them. When I started The Marriage Contract I was pleasantly surprised to see it was mafia and then I knew I was gonna like it.

There was tension and emotion and of course romance. My heart was racing a few times but I couldn’t stop reading. Teague and Callie had some crazy chemistry. When we first see them together you just knew the sparks were about to explode. And I swear every time he calls her Angel, I melt into a puddle on the floor.

With three ruling families there’s bound to be tension around. So this was a nice set up to what the next books will be about. There’s so many siblings running around and I can tell their stories are gonna be fun. E07ecially the next book! Man, talk about sparks!

~Melpomene

click the pic to buy

Review: Most of All you by Mia Sheridan

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Mia Sheridan books melt my heart. They really do. And Most Of All You was no exception. From the very first chapter, my heart was in my belly. The pain and sadness was real. Mia brings out all the feels in this beautiful story about being broken and finding the strength to put yourself back together.

Gabriel and Ellie had horrible beginnings. And I do mean horrible. The worst. No matter what I type out, nothing could explain the heartache that these two have felt. But as with all Mia books, the hurt in necessary to get to the healing.

How had it come to be that I was broken and lost, heading home with a man I barely knew, a man I couldn’t begin to understand, a man who both soothed me with his gentle manner and scared me with his knowing eyes? And yet as I lay there, I admitted he was also a man I somehow innately trusted when I trusted no man. Ever.

My goodness.

I love Gabriel. He was pure in his feelings and naive in his actions. He’s lived a half life. In fact some would say he was alive but not living. That is until he met Ellie. He saw something in her and he needed it. Too bad it took her a while to understand what that was. She was too broken to believe that she was good enough to help anyone.

“You have hands for creating beauty.”

“I don’t create beauty, Eloise, I just reveal what’s already there.”

That is what he did. He dusted her off and chipped away at her outer shell until she shone with blinding beauty and realized that she was loved. There’s was a slow burning relationship. That made it all the more sweeter, in my eyes.

“I don’t mind chasing you, Ellie. Just let me catch you once in a while.”

In true Mia fashion, I was crying a few times. Ellie was so strong and yet not. She wanted to be loved, plain and simple. She needed an angel. She needed Gabriel to show her the way to healing.

“I win every time I’m bold in how I love. I want to say I win a hundred times a day, a thousand, by loving the sunrise, and the wind, and the way raindrops sound on my window…

“And you. Most of all, you.”

Read this book.

~Melpomene

Buy Most Of All You http://amzn.to/2zexvVw

Review: Colorado Mountain series by Kristen Ashley

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Holy emotional roller coaster, Batman!!!

I just spent the last two weeks reading Kristen Ashley’s Colorado Mountain series and then kicking myself for waiting so long to pick these up. I am seriously questioning my sanity as a romance reader. These are a must!!! In fact, go to her website and look at the reading order HERE and start reading. Trust me. Things make a lot more sense that way. You can still enjoy them just by reading each series, but if you go in order, it brings out a few details and “Holy Crap!” moments that you don’t want to miss.

These six books all have a heavy dose of romance with a nice dose of excitement that sure to get your heart racing and your emotions rolling. My favorites, in this series are The Gamble and Breathe. In The Gamble, Max is the super alpha male who doesn’t take no for an answer. He is a fierce protector and lover. *whew* What a way to start the series!!

My most favorite book was Breathe. There’s aren’t enough words to convey all of my feelings. I had tears all over the place, with this one. I had a few “Holy crap!” moments, and then I discovered why she has a reading order. It made all kind of sense, going in the intended order. I went all giggly when I got to that point. It made me love her even more. When you go to read it, you MUST have this song nearby. No joke. Every time I hear this song, I think of this story and I start crying. My family makes me skip it when it comes on. They hate to see me cry. But this song…..

If you’ve never read Kristen Ashley, I highly encourage you give her a try. You can thank me later.

~Melpomene

The Gamble (Colorado Mountain Series Book 1)
Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain Series Book 2)
Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain Series Book 3)
Breathe (Colorado Mountain Series Book 4)
Jagged (Colorado Mountain Series Book 5)
Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountain Series Book 6)

Review: What If, by Rebecca Donovan

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01what I am speechless……

I am destroyed……

My emotions are all over the place.

What if you had a second chance? What would you do? Would you take it?

When I heard Rebecca Donovan was writing another book, I was very excited to read it, and yet kinda nervous. The Breathing Series was the most gut wrenching series I ever read, and probably one of the most difficult series to finish. I was a wreck afterwards. Beautifully written, but it destroyed me. When I read the synopsis of What If, I was very intrigued. I knew I had to read this. But when I started this, I had no idea what I was getting into. I was completely taken back.

This is a story about four friends. It’s about what happens when life doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to. It’s about loss and heartbreak. It’s about friendship that can withstand anything. It’s about love.

When Cal was young he had three girls on his street, Rea, Richelle and Nicole. They did everything together. Until day, out of the blue, Richelle and her family moved away and Nicole stopped talking to him and Rea. They had no idea what happened and no matter what they did, they never got answers. But one day, Cal is drinking coffee and looks up to see Nicole sitting near him. But this girl isn’t Nicole. This girl is impulsive and outrageous, nothing like the quiet and reserved Nicole, from his past. He finds himself drawn to her in ways he doesn’t understand. And soon he finds out why. Not everything is as it seems.

Nicole is a perfectly wrapped present tied in a nice neat bow. And Nyelle is wrapping paper strewn across the floor on Christmas morning.

As we slowly see Nyelle’s story, you realize her life is way more painful than you ever thought. My heart was tearing apart bit by bit. The secrets she was keeping, would’ve made a weaker person crumble.

“Then…let the stars take it away and make everything better. And when the sun comes up, and those stars disappear, they take all the hurt with them.”

I did, however, loved watching Cal completely fall for Ryelle. And to watch her give into him, was so sweet. She didn’t want to, but sometimes, the heart has no choice. They needed each other, more than they ever knew.

“Holding your hand. It makes me feel like there’s a butterfly beating in my chest. There’s something about it that helps me believe everything’s going to be okay.”

~Melpomene

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Review: Until We Fly, by Courtney Cole

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“I stand on a wall to protect what is mine.”

WOW. Just WOW. I started this early this morning and read it in one sitting. I needed to finish it. My heart is in my stomach. My stomach is in my shoes. My nerves are shot. I’m a mess. At one point I had to put my kindle down and walk away to catch my breath. I was so upset. I live for angst filled books, and this definitely filled that requirement.

Synopsis
Ex-Army Ranger, Brand Killien, has always been good.

A good friend, a good soldier, a good everything. .
The problem is, good hasn’t gotten him anything but a crushed heart.

So after licking his wounds, he decides to move on. And moving on doesn’t include being good anymore.

Bad sounds so much better.

Jaded and detached, Brand is determined to never open himself up to anyone again. It’s not worth the pain. Instead, he becomes closed, hardened, aloof.

But then he’s called back home for a family emergency… a family that he is estranged from. A family that he put out of his mind a long time ago for very good reasons…reasons that involve secrets and pain. Reasons he tried hard to forget.

But home is where the heart is, and it just might be where Brand finds his again.

Why? Because home is where Nora Greene is. A fiery, red-headed spitfire, Nora is a thing from his past. A beautiful, feisty thing. When Brand left, she was away at boarding school.

But she’s back now.

And she wants Brand, scars and all.

I have been in love with Brand for a while now. I wanted him to have a happily ever after. I really did. He was a sweet guy and he deserved it. But his heart was broken and he became hard and closed off. He thinks he’s no good to anyone. Everyone leaves him, so he feels unworthy. He lives with guilt, from a past that he can’t get away from. It’s always chasing him.

Nora is living with a controlling father and she is trying to break free. She keeps secrets that could cause more harm, if exposed. So she takes this on all by herself, even if it slowly takes pieces from her.

“People watching has always been a hobby. Watching other people’s lives distracts me from my own.”

An unexpected accident brings these two together and fate draws them closer.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I’d like Nora. She seemed a bit too forward to me. But after a while I realized she is just a girl who is going after something that will make her happy. And frankly, she desperately needs a bit of happy in her life. Her story was almost more than I could handle. My heart was in pieces over it.

“He made me feel safe in a world that is dangerous and ugly, a world that has only hurt me.”

I honestly don’t know how to put in words, what this book made me feel. Sadness, happiness, angst, overwhelming anger, heartbroken, disgust, content. By the end of this roller coaster ride, I was completely happy I climbed aboard. This is the fourth book in the Beautifully Broken series, but it can be read as a standalone. But you really should read them all. Courtney Cole is an amazing writer and believes in happily ever afters, so even if she drags you through the mud, you’ll get all cleaned up, by the end.

“Sometimes, before we fall, we fly.”

~Melpomene

Buy
Until We Fly (The Beautifully Broken Book 4)

Catch up on the others:

If You Stay (Beautifully Broken)
If You Leave: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 2
The novella, Until We Burn (Beautifully Broken)
Before We Fall: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 3

Preview: Hope at Dawn, by Stacy Henrie

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“My love is fully and completely yours.”

Let me just say, I am learning to love these historical romances lately. This book is no exception. I’ll admit, I only wanted to read it because of the cover, It’s just gorgeous. And I assumed it was about a war, from the title, because I never read the blurb…again. This was also another book that is really hard to write about. I want to tell you the entire story, or just type out, “Read it.” But alas, I must do my best.

This book takes place toward the end of WWII and shows what the German-Americans had to deal with. The prejudices and silly laws were only a small part of what really went on in this story. But some of these things I never heard about. For instance, I learned that there was a law that you couldn’t speak German in public. Seriously?!?! These poor people couldn’t even talk to each other, in a language that was easier for them. Unreal.

But let me get back to the story…Livy left college early to come home and help on her family’s farm, while her older brothers went off to fight in the war. But needing to help out more, she found a job as a teacher, far from home, but was willing to move anywhere if it meant helping her parents. What she never expected was teaching German-American children and trying to stay neutral, during these very difficult times.

Friedrick, was home on a deferment, since his father was dying. So he was in charge of his house. He would do anything to prove his loyalty to his country, America. But some in the towns want them out. And they will do anything to make them leave. For instance, buy war bonds, or face jail time.

Friedrick starting help out at the school and found himself smitten with Livy. But knowing that they can’t ever be together, he tries to stay away. He keeps his friendship secret, so she can’t get into trouble, like the last teacher. But unfortunately, trouble seems to find them anyways.

“Standing for the truth will always come at a price, Friedrick, whether it is being bold and sure or silent and strong. Neither one is easy.”

This was a roller coaster of emotions. One moment, I was feeling so happy that they were possibly going to together, then the next minute something horrible happens. I was on the verge of my seat, half the time. I was just fascinated with all the historical information throughout this book. But mostly, I loved the sweetness and slow buildup of their relationship. I would call this a christian historical romance. There was a lot of praying and Bible reading, which I found refreshing. And there was definitely enough heartache to keep my tears flowing also. A complete ride.

What these two people had to endure, in the name of true patriotism and true love, was was just wild. But they would do it over and over, if it meant they could be together.

Knowing that this book is #1 in a series, makes me so very happy. I can’t wait to read the next book, Hope Rising, in December.

~Melpomene

I received this ARC, for an honest review.

Releases June 24

Buy Hope at Dawn (Of Love and War) now

B&N has Hope at Dawn for preorder.

Melpomene’s Top 10, in other words, Angstfest 2014

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I was looking through Goodreads and I decided to make a Top 10 list of my favorites. By the end, you will get a glimpse into what I look for in a book, as if you don’t already know.

#1 Beautiful Disaster: A Novel, by Jamie McGuire
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Travis is my very first book boyfriend and no one will ever take his title. This book was my first introduction into the New Adult, angst filled romance books, and it set a pretty high standard. It is usually one of two books I always tell people to read. Beautiful Disaster is pure perfection. My review doesn’t even do it justice. It’s just perfect. Read it for yourself and you will fall in love with it. I promise you.

#2 Poughkeepsie (The Poughkeepsie Series), by Debra Anastasia
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This is by far the wildest romance book I’ve ever read. I am in love with this book so much, I can’t put it into words. I made the tattoo as my phone cover, a poster in my reading corner and even a book bag. I just love all thing Poughkeepsie. It’s real and raw and so very romantic. It’s basically the perfect combination of everything I love in a romance book. I judge every other romance book against this one.

#3 Point of Retreat: A Novel (Slammed), by Colleen Hoover
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I am a lifetime CoHort. Seriously. I love EVERY book Colleen Hoover writes, but Point of Retreat is my all time favorite. I can’t pinpoint the reason, but the emotions that this book caused was so overpowering, I was devastated. This is another NA/romance book that will not disappoint. But be sure to read Slammed first, or you’ll be completely lost. 🙂

#4 The Edge of Never, by J.A. Redmerski
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I actually grabbed this book, based on the cover. I had no idea what it was about. I new it was NA, which seems to be my theme, but I never read the description. This book had a rather unconventional love story, but I think my review does it justice. It can be read as a standalone, even though she wrote a second book. This one was my favorite.

#5 The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel, by Katja Millay
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This was another book that I grabbed, based on the cover. And it shocked the emotions right out of me. It’s hard to put in words how I felt. I wanted to reach inside this book and hug every single person. They were so broken, my heart was breaking for them. Beautiful and gut wrenching. Another perfect book.

#6 Gabriel’s Inferno, by Sylvain Reynard
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I remember picking this up and thinking, “How in the world is a guy going to be able to write a romance and make it beautiful?” HA!! I was totally surprised. This book was absolutely beautiful. I was shocked by the tears that fell from my eyes. The words were so romantic and beautiful.

#7 The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
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OK. This book DESTROYED me. Honest to goodness killed me. I was ripped to pieces and shredded. I have never cried more in my life, than when I read this book, TWICE. This book gets into your soul and changes you. It’s beautiful and sad. If you need to release some pent up emotions, read this. You will feel whole, when you are done.

#8 When I Look to the Sky (The Rock and Roll Trilogy), by Barbara Stewart
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This is the second book in a trilogy and it was very hard to decide which book I liked more. The first one, Rock & Roll Never Forgets, I can’t even review. It was so beautiful and epic and I was sobbing by the end. I tried to write a review, but every time I think of this book I cry. Big, fat, ugly tears. This book killed me even more, but I HAD to post about it. I can’t have another day go by without people hearing about this book. My review took forever to write. In between all the tears and emotions that were pouring out of me. My family thought I lost my mind, after I was done. It was that good. On a side note, this story helped me get through one the hardest times in my life. I ordered a complete set of signed books and they arrived at my house on the day I received such horrible news. They were such a comfort to me. I can never truly explain how much I love Barbara for these.

#9 Easy, by Tammara Webber
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I remember searching for books similar to Beautiful Disaster, and stumbling upon Easy. I was completely blown away. I fell for Lucas, instantly. I love reading about broken guys who try desperately to put it all behind them and move forward. And I love the girls who help them. 🙂 I am anxiously waiting for Lucas’ story to come out, in May. I am already anticipating on needing tissues for that one. 🙂

#10 Left Drowning, by Jessica Park
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I remember reading Flat Out Love and completely falling in love with Jessica Park. So when I found out that she was going to write another book, I was super excited to read it. This book…..To quote the last line of my review, “I may never get over this book.” This was the perfect combination of romance, angst, silliness and devastation. Another perfect combination. I can’t wait to see what’s coming next from her. But it will be awesome.

WOW!!! Typing this out, brought all the emotions back to the surface. Now I need a tissue, or two…perhaps a hug.

~Melpomene

Review: Before We Fall, by Courtney Cole

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“Before we fall, we fly.”

WOW!! I need to collect the pieces of my heart before I can even type another word…

This is the first book I’ve read by Courtney Cole. But this will definitely not be the last. This was such an emotional book. Not in my usual cry my eyes out, but in a raw and dark emotional type. It made me all twisted inside.

Dominic Kinkaide’s been closed up and in a very dark place, for the past six years. He’s been hiding it from the world. Only his close family knows something happened, by they don’t know what. But whatever happened, it’s left him dark and seriously twisted. Seriously twisted and very broken. He was basically just a shell of the man he once was. He doesn’t let anyone get close to him and he doesn’t like people. He thinks everyone will let him down, so he won’t take any chances.

Jacey is a strong willed, no holds barred kinda girl. But she is also a bit broken inside. You don’t really realize what she’s been through til about half way through. You just know she’s looking for something to fill a void in her life, but hasn’t quite found it yet. So she’s just wandering around. When she first meets Dom, she is drawn to him and knows there is more than what he lets people see. She is determined to save him from everything that hurts him, even if it’s himself. She believes he’s a good man, no matter what he thinks.

After an unfortunate incident, they must work together, and their personal issues start to come to the surface and they’re forced to deal with them. Dom and his hot and cold behavior and Jacey’s need to fix things, bring out emotions that they both wish would be kept closed up.

There where so many emotionally charged scenes in this book. I was all over the place. Dom’s brokenness completely destroyed me.

“Fix me, Jacey…If you can.”

Watching him slowly come to the realization that there may be another person who loves him for him, was so powerful. Dom felt he was so unworthy of any type of love. He even told Jacey not to love him. But of course, she didn’t listen.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“You exist.”

I was teary eyed for the last 15% of the book. But when I read that Epilogue, it was all over. My poor spouse thought something was wrong with me. I am so glad I read this. I know there is more I want to say, but it would give too much away.

~Melpomene

Forever
Buy it now Before We Fall: The Beautifully Broken Series: Book 3

Review: The Edge of Never by, J.A. Redmerski

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“You were the missing piece of my soul, the breath in my lungs, and the blood in my veins.”

I cannot express how much I loved this book. I grabbed it only for the cover and I was completely shocked how wonderful it was.

Camryn was sick of her life and wanted more. She didn’t know what it was, but she knew she wasn’t gonna find it at home. So she packs a bag and hops on a Greyhound bus and sets out. Meanwhile, Andrew is on his way to see someone, but he really isn’t in a rush to get there. So he packs a bag and hops on a bus.

Little do they know that their quest is going to drastically change their lives. Even though they have completely different reasons for traveling, they slowly build a friendship that will help both of them in some very hard situations.

At first the book is in Camryn’s POV, which you find out that her life has gone down the crapper. She has had more heartache than someone twice her age. But then it switches to Drew’s when he takes notice of her. And it’s fun to hear what’s going on in his head. 🙂

As they travel, you slowly see their relationship grow from strangers to way more. It was really sweet to watch it unfold. When they sing together, I just cry. Now, when I hear Poison and Wine or Barton Hollow, by Civil Wars, I think of them.

“I think if past lives are real then we have been lovers in every single one of them. I’ve known you for a short time, but I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

Their trip has a few nerve wrecking parts, some sad parts, some fanning your face parts, and a few “HOLY CRAP, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” And let’s not forget my favorite, the ‘OH MY GOSH!!! OH NO!! THIS CAN”T BE HAPPENING!!!” All in the name of drama. I don’t think I stopped crying during the last 25% of the book. Don’t even get me started on the Epilogue.

This is a standalone, but the author decided to write a second book, The Edge of Always. We have to wait til November for that one, but I think I’ll make it.

~Melpomene

Buy It Now The Edge of Never