Melpomene

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

Review and GIVEAWAY: Sharing You, by Molly McAdams

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01sharLet me start out by saying that I hate cheating. Therefore, I HATE cheating books. They bother me like crazy. That being said, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read this book. However, when I was reading the novella, Capturing Peace, you see a glimpse into Brody’s life and see the heartache and turmoil he deals with. So then I was curious how Sharing You was going to turn out.

Synopsis:
Twenty-three year old, Kamryn Cunningham has left all she’s ever known and moved to a small town where no one knows her name, who her parents are, or her social status in the horseracing world. Months after opening her own bakery and evading attempts of being set up by her new best friend, she meets Brody. Kamryn fights the instant pull between them because there’s a detail she can’t dismiss. Brody’s married.

To say that twenty-six year old, Brody Saco has had a rough marriage would be an understatement. After marrying his pregnant girlfriend, he spends the next six years in a relationship filled with hatred, manipulation and guilt involving a tragedy that happened five years earlier. When he keeps running into his sister-in-law’s best friend, Kamryn, he can’t ignore that she makes him feel more with just one look than his wife ever has; and soon he can’t continue fight his feelings for her.

When staying apart proves to be too difficult, Brody and Kamryn enter a relationship full of stolen moments and nights that end too soon while they wait for Brody to file for divorce. But the guilt that comes with their relationship may prove to be too much for Kamryn, and Brody might not be strong enough to face the tragedy from his past in order to leave his conniving wife.

Watching Brody suffer, at the hands of his evil witch of a wife, got me thinking that even though I don’t condone cheating, I’m almost willing to make an exception in this case.

KC(Kamryn) has made a brand new life for herself. She was beyond done with doing what her snobby parents wanted and expected her to do. She wanted freedom. She wanted a life of her choosing. And by golly, she was doing it.

She never told people her background, at the risk of them knowing who she was. She didn’t want them to have any preconceived ideas of how think she would be. Kamryn was nothing like her family or ex boyfriend. She was happy with the life she made for herself.

Since it’s only been a few months since she left, she wasn’t in a rush to start dating. After having a boyfriend for 6 years, she needed a break to discover herself and to just be content. So she was completely shocked at the instant attraction she had for Brody. And since he was married, she felt horrible. She didn’t want to have feelings for a married man. And most definitely did not want to act them.

Brody is miserable with his wife. He wants to get her help. She is always up and down and he would like to move on, but only if he doesn’t have to worry about her. She is manipulative and is always bringing up the accident and blames him for it. He blames himself enough, he doesn’t need her always doing it. But leaving her is hard when he doesn’t want another loss, on his shoulders.

When he meets KC, it’s a major shock to his system. He hasn’t had feelings for anyone in almost 5 years, and that includes his wife. But he was married and he has no right to act on these feelings. But sometimes you can’t help who you fall in love with.

Again, this was a hard one for me. But as I was reading, I was convinced soul mates do exist. Well done, Molly. Well done.

~Melpomene

Be sure to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Sharing You: A Novel

Read the novella, Capturing Peace: A Novella

Review: The Saint, by Tiffany Reisz

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01saint I love The Original Sinners series. I really do. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about them, but they totally grew on me. And after the first four books, I was totally satisfied with how it ended. As if you don’t know, I love saucy books. So when Tiffany said that she was going to write about Nora’s time, before she was a Domme, I wasn’t all that interested. I’ll admit, I was worried there would be no sauce, or maybe just light sauce. Silly me. This is Tiffany Reisz we’re talking about!! I don’t think she could write a light sauce book, if her life depended on it.

Synopsis
In the beginning, there was him.

Gutsy, green-eyed Eleanor never met a rule she didn’t want to break. She’s sick of her mother’s zealotry and the confines of Catholic school, and declares she’ll never go to church again. But her first glimpse of beautiful, magnetic Father Søren Stearns and his lust-worthy Italian motorcycle is an epiphany. Suddenly, daily Mass seems like a reward, and her punishment is the ache she feels when they’re apart. He is intelligent and insightful and he seems to know her intimately at her very core. Eleanor is consumed—and even she knows that can’t be right.

But when one desperate mistake nearly costs Eleanor everything, it is Søren who steps in to save her. She vows to repay him with complete obedience…and a whole world opens before her as he reveals to her his deepest secrets.

Danger can be managed—pain, welcomed. Everything is about to begin.

Now if you read the first four books, you’ll know some of what happens in this book already. But there is sooo much we never knew.

Let me start out by saying that Tiffany is a genius. This book showed us why Nora needed Søren so much and why she immediately was drawn to him. In all honesty, she broke my heart. Her feelings of not being wanted, made me so very sad. I think part of me needed to read this book. I could never wrap my head around how they could together, with such a large age difference, or even how they connected when she was a teenager. Part of me thought that was just weird. But after this, I realized, it was just right.

“Have you ever had a dream feel so real that upon waking you thought you were still asleep? He took her hand in his.

“Once or twice.”

“I felt like that the moment I saw you, Little One. I dreamed you once. I think I’m still dreaming.”

While this book gave a lot of insight, it packed a lot of emotion as well. I was on the verge of tears the entire book. But I didn’t understand why. There was one part of the story that she kept coming back to and just made it worse. By the end of the book I was a wreck. I don’t remember crying in her other books as much as I did in this one. She kept us on the edge of our seats the whole time.

And now, of course, I’m am dying for the next one. There are quite a few more stories that Nora needs to share with us.

~Melpomene

Buy The Saint: The Original Sinners Book 5

Get caught up with the Red Years

The Siren: The Original Sinners Book 1

The Angel: The Original Sinners Book 2

The Prince: The Original Sinners Book 3

The Mistress: The Original Sinners Book 4

Review and Giveaway: Five Ways to Fall, by K.A.Tucker

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00011 I have enjoyed this series so much. I am very sad to see it end. It seems like I just started reading these, and yet, it seems like I’ve been waiting forever for Ben’s story. I have loved him from the way back in the first book, Ten Tiny Breaths. I knew he was special. Even though he was a bouncer at a strip club, there was way more to him than he was showing or telling.

Trouble maker, Reese MacKay, makes one wrong choice after another. And this time, it’s no exception. Too much Mr. Cuervo has turned her world upside down. Little does she know that her short lived marriage wouldn’t be the tipping point of her life.

Synopsis:

Sometimes you can’t change—and sometimes you just don’t want to. Discover Ben’s side of the story in this fourth novel by the beloved, top-selling indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths, One Tiny Lie, and Four Seconds to Lose.

Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.

If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking…

Ben is my absolute favorite character out of all of this entire series. He is the sweetest mam’s boy, who can charm the pants off a nun. After seeing his parent’s marriage struggle, he really doesn’t want to get involved with anyone. But once he Reese catches his eye, he falls fast. But he can’t really do anything about it, or he risks losing his job. But he just might be willing to take that risk.

I do have a certain love for Reese also. I think it’s the hair. 😉 She has lived with the fact that she isn’t good enough for her momma or her cheating ex. Her heart almost can’t take any more pain. She seriously tugged my heart. She doesn’t wanna fall for Ben, the man whore, but you don’t always get what you want.

This book can be read and a standalone, but I highly recommend you start from the beginning. You can see the entire dynamics of all the characters as they intertwine throughout the books.

~Melpomene

Make sure you enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Five Ways to Fall: A Novel

Start at the beginning:
Ten Tiny Breaths: A Novel

One Tiny Lie: A Novel

Four Seconds to Lose: A Novel

Pre-order the novella, In Her Wake: A Ten Tiny Breaths Novella, which is from Trent’s POV.

Review: Changing Forever, by Lisa De Jong

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“They say you should dream like you’ll live forever, and live like you’ll die tomorrow.”

If you read When It Rains, you’ll understand why I was very nervous going into this book. VERY nervous. When It Rains was one of the most tear spilling books I’ve ever read. But thankfully this one wasn’t like that. I doubt my heart could take any more. Lisa said that this one was, “the creme in the oreo…it’s the sweet spot before you get to the other chocolate cookie(Living With Regret).” Good for this one, bad for the next. But we have time to prepare. While this is the second in the series, it can be a standalone.

Synopsis
I’ve always let my past dictate my future, letting it paint a picture of exactly what I don’t want to be. Where I don’t want to end up.

Drake Chambers is as arrogant as I am stubborn. A college quarterback, a national star. I thought he was just another one of those guys … the type every girl should stay away from, but he’s carrying more than the weight of the football team on his shoulders.

He unravels the feelings and beliefs I’ve held onto for so long.

I thought we had it all figured out. Two people who’d finally found their happily ever after, but the past always has a way of sneaking into the present.

With one decision, everything changes … forever.

Emery had her whole life mapped out. She knew what she wanted to be and she knew how to get it. So she wasn’t in the mood to deal with a super cocky football player, no matter what he looks like. He may be her partner in class, but that’s all. She has no time for distractions.

Drake Chambers, was a super hot jock, that everyone though had life in the palm of his hand. He seemed to work hard and play harder. But no one know what’s really happening with him. His life isn’t nearly as perfect as everyone thinks. So when he’s paired up with a cute girl from speech, he finds himself trying to distance himself from her. He has no time for distractions.

But soon life seems to push these two together and they can’t seem to stop the momentum, no matter how hard they try.

He’s nitrate, and I’m acid. We’re testing the limits, waiting for the explosion, but neither of us can stop.

But eventually it all comes crashing down and them and this is where the angst comes in. And I do mean ANGST! A plot twist that gutted me. And of course, the groveling wasn’t nearly enough, in my eyes. But I just had to hold on and hope these two get it straightened out. Even if I wanted to reach in and smack them both upside their heads. But nooooo, we had to suffer right along with them.

“There are two versions of forever: the one I dreamed of every day as a kid, and the one I made my own after the old dreams faded away. The old dreams weren’t meant to be, but this one is. You’re my forever. I just had to take a few wrong turns to find you, and now that I have, I never want to live with out you.”

~Melpomene

Buy Changing Forever (Rains Standalone Book 2)

Buy When It Rains

Review: Go With Me, by Elyssa Patrick

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01 go I remember meeting Daphne in Stay With Me, and I had a feeling there more she was hiding from us. I was super excited when I found out this was coming. I sooo wanted to her her story.

Synopsis
I, Daphne Fox, have a few things to confess:

1. I hate Nick Brady. Loathe. Abhor. Can’t stand him 95% of the time.
2. That other 5%? I’m not talking about that at all.
3. People think I’m lucky for surviving the car crash. I disagree.
4. Nick is the only guy who makes my nightmares go away.
5. I won’t love him, though. Love is not worth the pain.

I, Nick Brady, have a few confessions of my own:

1. I don’t hate Daphne Fox. At all.
2. I find her scar sexy. Just like the rest of her.
3. I may be her older brother’s best friend, but that’s not going to stop me.
4. I love her.
5. And I’m going to do everything I can to have her.

Daphne broke my heart. I seriously felt bad for her. She is the survivor of a horrific crash and she is struggling with that. Why is she hear? Why did she live? Would someone love me covered is nasty scars? Am I allowed to be happy and in love? I wanted to reach in and hug her hard.

Nick was that guy that you think you hate, but you really don’t. You fight with him, but it’s really just foreplay, only you don’t notice till you’re in too deep. He has loved Daphne since before her accident, but he was too busy pissing her off to tell her. And when she almost died, he decided he has to do something about this feeling.

Their banter was so fun to watch. You could see the sparks flying from off the pages. I could see how all the guys are very protective of her, but Nick takes it further.

The only part I wasn’t super crazy about was how it was mentioned that he slept around a lot, but she never brings it up to him. They acted as though it was no big deal. I guess I’m not used to that. Most books at least have the couple talk about it. But it’s not a big deal.

I’m glad we still were able to see Caleb and Hailey make appearances in this book. They still played a large roll in the story. I like that.

But I am seriously excited for the next book!! I love Jamie and his jokes. But I know there is way more to him.

~Melpomene

Buy

Buy Stay With Me

This happened.

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This past weekend, was probably the highlight of my book life, so far. If it gets any better, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to handle it.

Saturday night was a book signing for my favorite author, Colleen Hoover, and combined with a concert with Griffin Peterson. For those who don’t know Griffin wrote the music for Colleen’s recent book, Maybe Someday.

To say I was excited was the understatement of the year. I mean seriously, I was driving my family crazy with how excited I was. I was so nervous that I was going to pass out at some point. I felt bad for my poor hubby. I apologized to him, in advance. Who know what was going to happen with me.

Hubby and I arrived Friday and spent the day sightseeing. Which I’m kinda glad we did, since I met up with some friends on Saturday and never saw him til almost midnight.

So let me tell you how this crazy day started out. I must warn you, it’s not my finest moment. But at least I didn’t scream, ok?

Hubs and I went downstairs, to get directions to a store we wanted, and I happen to turn my head and I see HER!!! Now any normal person would be cool. But I, however, am not normal. So what do I do?? I hit my hubby and whisper, “Dear!! Dear, it’s her!! It’s Colleen Hoover!!” Poor guy, just rolls his eyes and is like, “Ok?? She’s a person like you and me. Go say hello.” Duh!! That makes sense!!

So I tap on her shoulder and she turns, smile and says, “Hi, Jenn!” and HUGS ME!!!! She knew who I was!!! AND I didn’t scream or faint. I think I deserve a gold star for that. I knew she was busy, so I didn’t ask for a pic or anything. I didn’t wanna be one of those kind of people. I figured I’d see her in the evening.

A few hours later, after seeing her a few more times, I was chatting with some friends that I finally got to meet, and guess who walks out of the elevator?? You guessed it. And guess who finally got up the nerve to ask for a picture??

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So my day is complete now. I can go home a happy girl. But it doesn’t end there. Oh no. I’m a part of many book groups, secret and not so secret. So when this signing/concert was scheduled, I was thrilled to be able to meet a few, that I’ve only chatted on FB with. It felt like going home. It was wild!! Going to dinner and joking around with them, felt like I’ve know them all my life, instead of only a few months. I’m the one in the front left.

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THEN the concert. WOW!! Griffin and his band were awesome!! We were in the front row and I couldn’t sit still. I was too excited. I mean look at this face!!

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Griffin had his dad there also. It was so cool to see him up on stage with his dad. They did a great job. This video isn’t the best, but what do you expect from me?? 🙂

Since I already have all of her books signed, I grabbed a few for friends and a couple shirts for me. And everything is signed by Colleen and the guys in the band, including Griffin’s dad!

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Here are few more of the things that happened.

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Yeah, I did this too. I claim temporary insanity.
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There were over 300 people there. It was wild to see so many fans of both of them. They all signed books and things and took the time to snap pictures with everyone. I was so much fun waiting in line, chatting with the other fans. What was even more amazing, was that even though we were last, and the signing lasted three hours, all of them were still smiling and very friendly. It was great to see that. We’re their fans and they wanted to make us happy. And believe me, we left very happy. 🙂

~Melpomene

Buy the book, Maybe Someday

Buy the album, Maybe Someday

Review and Signed GIVEAWAY!!! If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

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01if I remember reading this book two years ago and being positively devastated. I remember my family members walking in wondering why I was sobbing, but I was too consumed in my emotions to even speak. After I finished it, I thought to myself, “This would be a great movie.” So when I found out that they were making it into a movie, I was thrilled! The thought of reliving Mia’s past and her decision to stay or go, gives me chills. I can’t wait to cry!!

One snowy morning, Mia goes for a drive with her family and next thing you know her life has changed and she must decide whether or not to stay or go.

The book shows glimpses of her past, in order for her to choose. We see her loving family, her boyfriend, Adam, and what leads up to the hardest decision she’ll ever have to make. What would you do?? What would you choose??

Would you stay??

I have read this book three times, and every time I am overwhelmed with emotions. Watching her loved ones fall apart and keep each other together. Watching some tell her it’s okay to go, while others beg her to stay. Whew!!

“There are like twenty people in that waiting room right now. Some of them are related to you. Some of them are not. But we’re all your family.”

“You still have a family.”

*wipes eyes*

~Melpomene

Buy If I Stay

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Watch this trailer, and if you’ve never read this book, go and get it right now. You NEED to read it before the movie comes out, in August.

Review: The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story, by R.J.Palacio

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01won Choose kind.

I decided to take a break from the romance books I’ve been reading lately. So I was searching Amazon and cam across this little book. I was pleasantly surprised to see it. I had no idea this was coming! But if you haven’t read Wonder, please stop and go do that first. I’ll wait………

Done? Good. Wasn’t it beautiful?? I read it last year and then made me kids read it. I personally think every child should read it. Bullying is a very real thing. No matter what it’s about- looks, color, speech, whatever- bullying is a very real issue and should be stopped.

This little book, is from Julian’s point of view. He was the lead bully. We never knew what he was thinking., We only saw his actions. Now, I know some people think, “He’s just in 5th grade.” “It’s what boys do.” “He’s only playing around.” Well, it’s not right. Teasing and joking is WAY different than bullying.

Julian had so much going on, behind the scenes, I honestly felt bad for him. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to throttle him, while he was being mean, but after reading this book, I get it. I got him. I understood why he acted the way he did. I understood the fears that he felt. I understood the confusion that was swarming around him.

I highly recommend this little extra chapter, after you’ve read Wonder. If you are dealing with bullying, this may give you a bit of insight as to why kids do the things they do. We may not agree with them, but we will have a better understanding of them.

~Melpomene

Buy The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story (Kindle Single)

Buy Wonder

Preorder 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts