Melpomene

Review: Sebring by Kristen Ashley

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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

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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: Smoldering Hunger by Donna Grant

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01 smold If it’s wrong to love these dragon kings so much, then I don’t wanna be right. I’m so happy with this book, I can’t even tell ya. Romance, drama, suspense, intrigue and emotion. The perfect combination of this paranormal romance series.

The last time we saw Darius and Sophie was at the end of Passion Ignites. They were in a bit of a saucy situation, that was definitely an indication of what was in store for us in this book. Let me tell you, they have quite a connection.

Darius is back in Edinburg searching for dark fae to destroy, but he tried to stay clear of Sophie and deny what he feels, because he wants to protect her. He knows being with her would put her in harms way, an swore to protect the human race, even if they wouldn’t do the same to him. In fact, when Con woke him to join in the war, he was so angry. Nothing soothed him, until he met Sophie. She had this way of calming him and pulling on his heart. I think it was because she was a doctor. She was always calm and knew the right things to say and do. And when you’re up against an angry dragon king, sometimes that’s how you need to be.

There are a few different story lines happening in each book. And I love them all. But this one had a story line made me mad. I’m waiting for someone to step up and smack some sense into this dragon. And another one had me smiling the biggest smile. I am freaking out. No joke. When I read it, I squealed and had the goofiest grin on my face when I got to the end. I’m still sitting here in a happy fog.

We also get a glimpse into a few characters from the spin off series, the Reapers. They bring in a whole new story line and a new set of allies/enemies, depending on who you’re talking to. I have a feeling it’s gonna be good. And I can’t wait!!

If you’re in the mood for a new PNR series, I highly recommend you pick up read the entire Dark series. Go HERE for the entire list.

~Melpomene

Buy Smoldering Hunger: A Dark Kings Novel

Cover reveal: Midnight Lily by Mia Sheridan

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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.

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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

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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

Audible Review: Restless Waters by Jessica Park

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01 aud Just when I thought a book couldn’t get any better… Man, oh man! I just finished listening to the audible version and I’m a puddle on the floor. Since I’ve read the story, I knew what was going to happen. But nothing could prepare me for actually hearing this heartbreaking story. Between the super talented narrator’s voice and the beautiful music that was sung throughout, I was overcome with emotions. I tend to get that way when I read anyways, but this was more. It’s hard to describe, but when you actually hear the words, they have more of an impact. In fact, my husband was laughing at me, as the tears fell down my face, more than once last night. I was a mess.

Arielle DeLisle was fantastic as the narrator. She made me forget everything and drew me in. Her voice brought so much emotion, I could feel Sabin’s torment and pain. It gutted me. And then to add Troy’s music and voice in the mix, I was sunk. Totally sunk. He captured Sabin’s emotions perfectly.

I know that Audible members can get 50% off right now, before the holidays. So if you’re on the fence about getting this, trust me. You want to hear this.

~Melpomene

Grab the audible version HERE.

Grab the kindle version HERE. It’s actually free on KU!

Check out my review HERE.

Review: Iniquity by Amy Bartol

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01 ini How can I write a review for a book that has been in the back of my mind for the past three years? I’ve never felt like this over a series before, so this is very hard for me. It’s over. Lives have been lost. Lives have been saved. Nothing more can be done. It’s very bittersweet for me. I found, as I was reading, I would just burst into tears, for no reason at all. It was coming to a close, and I wasn’t ready for it. We may have wanted this, but deep down we really don’t want it to end.

The Premonition series has been a part of my life shortly after I became a reader and I don’t know how to say goodbye. In fact, I suck at saying goodbye. I mean really, how do you say goodbye to characters that you love so much? And even though some of these characters I hated, deep down I really loved them. They were doing what they’re made to do, even if I didn’t agree. But saying goodbye is still going to suck, so here I go.

Goodbye, Russell. I fell in love with you the moment you opened your mouth and I was met with that amazing southern drawl. Your sweetness and protectiveness always made me so overwhelmed. You’re Evie’s soulmate. You’re bound to her and you can’t just walk away, even if your heart is being ripped to shreds. I loved how you loved Evie, even when she couldn’t love you the same way. No matter what, you were there for Evie. Even if she made you mad and frustrated, you never stopped protecting. You did it full force. I will miss you.

Goodbye, Finn. I always thought you were something special. And reading reading Iniquity, I know I was right. Even though you made me a bit mad over Molly, I know your heart was in the right place. You were a fierce second. You always helped Brennus and your queen and I love you forever.

Goodbye, Buns and Brownie. You girls were the best friends Evie could ever have. I’m so glad she had you guys as part of her inner circle. She couldn’t have done anything without you girls.

Goodbye, fellas. You crazy bunch of lunatics. I wanted to smack some of you many times, but I get it, you were only doing what you were made to do and what your king told you to do. You’re loyal and very strong fighters. I’m glad Evie could count on you to protect her, even if she didn’t think she needed it. And I still can’t believe I found myself crying over you guys, in this book. I mean, whoa. The twists and turns you guys gave me, definitely kept me on my toes.

Goodbye, Zephyr. I must admit, you scared the crap out of me, when Evie stumbled upon you in Reed’s house. I was sure you were going to kill her, but only because you’ve never seen anything like her. Once you figured it out, you were like her big brother. I love how you always had Reed’s back, even if it meant you were getting a beating right along with him. You never left his side. You’re the best, Z, and I will miss you.

Goodbye, Brennus. You crazy undead faerie. What can I say about you? Thank you for always having Evie’s safety as your #1 priority. Although, you could’ve gone a little bit less stalkery to prove your point. You freaked her out, man. You need to learn to back off and let the girl come to you. But I am glad she could call on you and you would be there as soon as possible. Thank you for protecting her and loving her enough to let her make her own decisions.

Goodbye, Evie. Girl, you have lived a crazy life. Heck, all your lives are crazy! But I’m glad to see how much you’ve grown in these books. I’m sorry you had a such a hard time, in the beginning. I wish you all the best and hope you will be happy with the rest of this lifetime.

Goodbye, Reed. Let me start out by saying that you will always be one of my top book boyfriends ever. You loved Evie so much, that you’d die for her, kill for her and walk away, if that’s what she wanted. I was always rooting for you. Team Reed all the way. I’m going to miss your sweet and romantic words, the way you and Russell would tease each other and how, no matter what, you put Evie first above all else. I will never forget you.

“You’re my air, Evie. Without you, I drown in a breathless sky.”

Thank you, Amy, for giving us these characters. They will always be loved and never forgotten.

~Melpomene

Inescapable (The Premonition Series Book 1)
Intuition (The Premonition Series Book 2)
Indebted (The Premonition Series Book 3)
Incendiary (The Premonition Series Book 4)
Iniquity (The Premonition Series Book 5)

Review and Giveaway: The Best Goodbye by Abbi Glines

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01 good “Oh, Captain, my captain.” Seriously. Swooning.

When I read When You’re Back, a few months ago, I completely fell for Captain. I wasn’t a big fan of some of his actions, but he intrigued me. And then the ending of that book left me with a fierce need for his story. I knew it was going to be good, because deep down he’s a good guy, but I had no idea his story would turn out this way. He may not always seem like it, but his intentions are in the right place, even if they seem like they’re not.

SYNOPSIS
After ten years in the employ of a mysterious crime boss, River “Captain” Kipling is ready to leave his sordid past—and his cover occupation as an upscale restaurateur—behind him. The only thing standing in the way of his “retirement” is his commitment to launch a new restaurant in the resort town of Rosemary Beach. With his sister, Blaire, nearby, Captain can delay his dream of running a humble bar on the waterfront, but the unwanted attentions of his head server, Elle, have him itching to get out.

Until he notices Rose Henderson, the new server at the restaurant. All he knows about the pretty redhead with the cute glasses is that she’s a hardworking single mom from Oklahoma. But there’s something overly familiar about her laugh…something strange about the way she looks at Captain…

I am so happy with this book. I wanted Captain to have someone to love him. I knew there was someone made just for him. It was too bad that life put a few road blocks in his path and making it difficult to live the life he wanted.

Finding out his past, broke my heart. His life turned tragic, years ago, and he’s spent the last 10 years trying to make the world a better place for those who can’t do it themselves. His ways aren’t what you consider “right.” But in my eyes, he was doing a job that many wish they could do but never had the guts to do it. After surviving what he did, he wanted no one else to suffer like that.

“No one touched my soul, Addy. Only you.”

I would say more, but there’s a bit of a turn in this story that makes me both happy and sad. Lies and deception have a way of messing up Captain’s world, but little does know that it’s all about to come out in the open and change his life again.

Abbi has created a world of characters that you wish you were a part of. The way they stand up for each other and drop everything to help each other, is refreshing. I love seeing the past characters come in and out of each book. It’s so good to see how their lives have been. And let me tell you, in this book, we get a snippet of a possible future, and I.CAN’T.WAIT.

~Melpomene

Be sure to go HERE and enter the rafflcopter.

Buy The Best Goodbye: A Rosemary Beach Novel (The Rosemary Beach Series)

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Review: Colorado Mountain series by Kristen Ashley

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01 Colorado Mountain

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)