Review and Giveaway:Trusting Liam by Molly McAdams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Melpomene

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

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Date: June 9, 2015

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

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

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

TrustingLiam

Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

01 nowhere “The only way to break free is to understand the past so you don’t continue to follow in their footsteps.”

Oh my gosh!! Katie McGarry has done it again! I love MC series and Katie’s books. So when you combine them, this is a match in my book nerd heaven.

SYNPOSIS
Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

This is a story about being proud of where you come from. It’s about love and forgiveness and being true to yourself. Emily has been told ties all her life, but she never knew it, until she came back and was thrust into her biological father’s world. Now she is slowly unraveling the lies and falling more in love this life and these people who she’s been told to fear.

Oz made a mistake and has been put a babysitting duty, of the leader’s daughter. He knows she’s bad news and wants her to go home as soon as possible. But the longer he stays near her, she brings out feelings that he has no right to feel. But no matter how hard he tries, he can’t deny that this MC princess is going to be his downfall, if he doesn’t get a hold of himself.

In true Katie McGarry form, this book is perfect for mid teens. There is no over the top sexiness. There was a fair amount of tension, but nothing explicit. Oz and Emily try and fight their attraction, but sometimes the heart doesn’t work with what we want.

“I thought your job was to prevent me from learning the truth…”

“No. My job is to love you.”

This book was full of excitement and had an emotional story line that will tug at your heartstrings a bit. I found myself even tearing up a bit at the end. You fall in love with these characters and don’t want any harm to befall them. But sometimes life isn’t perfect. So if you find people who love you, except their love and hold on tight.

~Melpomene

BuyNowhere but Here (Thunder Road)

Review: GUS by Kim Holden

01aaaa How do you go back to doing what you did before, when half of you is gone forever?

This book….This book is about so many things. This is about healing, moving on, forgiveness, love, just to name a few. This book will make you cry, and at the same time those tears will bring you healing. Your heart will be overflowing with so many emotions, the release will make you complete.

When I read Bright Side, I fell in love with Gus. I know the book wasn’t all about Gus, but I knew, I knew Gus was going to need someone very special after that. There is no way you can recover from that alone. But my heart was in no way prepared for what Gus would go through. His world was shattered. His heart was shattered. He was merely alive, but in no way living. It was going to take more than just him mom and band mates to bring him back.

On the outside, Gus is this hot rocker that likes to party all the time. He gets mixed up in all kinds of vices that are slowly tearing him apart, but he doesn’t care. His life is no longer bright, so he has lost the will to do anything anymore. Watching him self destruct was one the most painful things I’ve ever experienced. He was wrecked. There is nothing left, but a shell of a man in search of anything to fill him up.

Cue, Scout. Scout is hired on to be his keeper. Little does she know that in watching him, she is healing him. And in doing that, he is healing her as well. I loved Scout. I loved the fact that she wasn’t perfect. I loved the way that Gus brings her out of her shell. Her life was so far from ideal, that she wished for something better. I enjoyed watching her grow to realize that no matter how mismatched a family is, as long as their is love, that’s all that matters.

It cracked me up watching Gus try and figure her out. She had secrets that prevented her from living life to the fullest. But after a few rough patches, he found that making her smile was his new goal. That’s when the book became a little more funny. But don’t let that fool you. While this book had a nice dose of silliness and teasing, it had a hefty dose of reality. And sometimes reality sucks. It suck hard. But like I said before, this book will bring you healing. Just hold on tight, and perhaps grab a box of tissues before you start.

I was so thankful for a glimpse into the Bright Side characters. I needed to know that they were ok. I have to believe that even through something so devastating, with the right amount of time and love, healing can happen.

“Some people wear their scars on the outside. Others wear them on the inside.”

~Melpomene

Buy Gus

To fully understand where Gus is coming from, you must read Bright Side
You can thank me later.

Review: All Played Out by Cora Carmack

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

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

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

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

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

Item #1? Hook up with a jock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Melpomene

Buy All Played Out: A Rusk University Novel

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

01court How does one put into words all these feelings I have? This book was epic. This book was fantastical. This book was magical. This book was beautiful. There are not enough stars to rate this story.

SYNOPSIS
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

This book most definitely had the Beauty and the Beast feel, mixed with faeries. It worked perfectly. It had the feel of a Young Adult book, but it was definitely New Adult. Anyone familiar with the fae know that they are not G-rated. But that isn’t what this story was about. Was there love? Oh yes. But this story was about more than that. It was about friendship and loyalty. It was about curses and evil. It was about looking deep inside yourself and finding the courage to stand up and against the evil that’s surrounds you.

Feyre has grown up with a very hard life. She has done so much for her loved ones, but none of them do things for her. When she’s forced to live with Tamlin, she is thrust into a fight that she had no idea was going on. She has to make tough decisions that will forever change her. But she will be strong.

The men in this book were amazing!! Lucien was the BEST!! He’s the best friend and the comic relief. But he will do his job and help anyway he can. Rhysand was a mixed bag of tricks. I loved to hate him. But in the end, I find myself a bit taken with him. The verdict is still out though. Now, Tamlin was perfect. He is a protector of his people and land. He would anything for them, including dying, if only to save those he loves. The connection between him and Feyre was amazing. Swoon worthy actions and words, which made me fall for him.

“You’re exactly how I dreamed you to be, too.”

If you like fairy tales, you will love this book. I am kicking myself for not reading Sarah’s books sooner. But I plan on rectifying this soon. If her first series is half this magical, I will be a very happy muse.

Well done, Sarah!!

~Melpomene

Buy A Court of Thorns and Roses

Review: Sweet, by Tammara Webber

01 sweet “Once upon a time, an undeserving boy pulled a little half-drowned, wannabe mermaid out of the ocean. He laid her on the sand, thinking his heart would break if she didn’t wake up. The moment she opened her big dark eyes and looked up at him, his heart wasn’t his anymore…”

SYNOPSIS
He’s the love of her life, but he doesn’t know it.
She’s his one moment of sacrifice in a lifetime of survival.

He was damaged and wild, but resilient.
She’s always been obedient. Now she’s restless.

Home for the summer between college and med school, Pearl Torres Frank knows two things: Boyce Wynn is the embodiment of everything she should run from, and everything she wants to run to. Rebellious and loud. Unconcerned with society’s opinion of him. Passionate. Strong. Dangerous.

And one more trait he hides from everyone but her:
Sweet.

Boyce and Pearl met when she was 5 and him 7. From that moment on, Boyce was her protector, even if she never knew it.

I’m so glad Boyce got his own book. I loved his character in Breakable. He seemed like this rough and tough kid, but deep down, he had more hurt and hardness than you’d even expect. But you could tell, with his subtle interactions with Pearl, in Breakable, that there was more to their relationship than they were telling.

“I was a man who loved this girl from the moment she’d come back to life and saw no one but me.”

I loved the back and forth POVs and all the background history we got, of these two. We see them meet. We see them subtly flirt and then we see then reconnect and give in to feelings that were dormant for so long.

For most of my life, Boyce Wynn’s smile had been three things to me: safety, warmth, and home, even as that same smile made my heart throb with longing for some shadowed unreachable thing.

My favorite part of this story was Boyce’s POV. His feelings and emotions were so real. My heart was breaking for the boy who just wanted to be loved, and never found it until his one act of greatness brings him face to face with his savior.

“I’ll love you straight on through eternity.”

~Melpomene

Buy Sweet (Contours of the Heart Book 3)

Review: Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven

01 badEver read a book that’s seems more real than real life? Well, this is that book. Everything flowed perfectly. There was enough banter, but not over the top annoying. There was enough romance, but not not to where I wanted to skim over “yet another sex scene.” There was the perfect amount of sexual tension to curl my toes and keep me on the edge of my seat.

SYNOPSIS
When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan’s romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they’re forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they’ll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks.

The chemistry between Cassie and Ethan was thick. They fought, and loved, fiercely. My heart broke for the hurt they both endured, but I know things will work themselves out. These two people, while they’re far from perfect, are perfect for each other.

I laughed so much in this book. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the comedy worked. I know actors tend to be over the top and sometimes annoying, but Cassie and Ethan never seemed like that. This was real. This is exactly how I would talk to my friends.

Now I’m waiting at the edge of my seat for the next book. Can they move on from the past hurts? Can they have a happily ever after? I really hope so.

~Melpomene

Buy Bad Romeo

FURY, by Fisher Amelie, Synopsis Reveal

The much anticipated release of Fisher Amelie’s third standalone installment of The Seven Deadly Series, FURY, finally has a release date! Stay tuned below for the reveals of her new covers for VAIN and GREED, a chapter from FURY, as well as the heart-stopping trailer for FURY, due out May 4th, 2015.

Prepare Yourselves.

About FURY:

Revenge is an euphoric thing. Trust me on this. Nothing compares to the release you get when you ruin someone’s life. When they’ve stolen important things. Things that didn’t belong to them. Things I revel in making them pay for.

What? Have I offended you? I’m not here to appeal to your delicate senses. I have no intention of placating your wishes or living within your personal belief system nor do I care if you hate me. And you will hate me. Because I’m a brutal, savage, cold-blooded murderer and I’m here for my revenge.

I’m Ethan Moonsong…And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most sacrificing man to the most feared and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Fury May 4

OH MY GOSH!!!! I am so excited for this book!!!! When I read Vain and Greed I was moved to tears. Those stories were so poignant and I believe everyone should read those books. I have no words for what those books meant to me. When I was able to meet Fisher at the Austin Book Fest, I was speechless in her presence. I was such a fool, I never got a picture taken with her!! Next time I will.

And now for an excerpt from FURY, due out May 4th, 2015…

I heard a snap and the light cracked on, piercing through my closed lids. My head pounded and I groaned then rolled over, pulling my cover over my head to drown out the source of my pain.

“Get up,” a deep voice commanded. “Get up,” he continued, kicking my shoe.

“Dad,” I rasped. “I’m hungover and feel like shit.”

He was silent for a moment so I pulled the cover down just enough to see his face. He was not amused.

“Ethan, watch your language, get your butt up, and find a job.” I didn’t answer him. I had nothing to say that would please him. “And while you’re at it, stop this ridiculous drinkin’, son.”

I sat up, ran my hands through my long black hair and wrapped the length around my fist. I sat back against the wall, reveling in how cool it was, and tried not to vomit.

“Did you see them today?” I asked him, unable to help myself.

My dad removed his hat and leaned against the jamb, scrubbing his face with his free hand. “You like to torture yourself,” he said, shaking his head then sighing. “You remind me so much of your mama.”

The mere mention of my mother sent me spiraling down once more in depression. We’d lost her a few years before and I was still in agony. That, coupled with the fact that Spencer Blackwell stole my girl right out from underneath my nose, was enough for me to drink to excess every night. I hate him.

“Are they,” I swallowed, afraid of his answer, “are they together now?”

My father sighed again. “Ethan, get dressed.”

“Are they?” I asked again, letting my hand drop to my side. My hair slid with it and cascaded down my back.

“You are a stubborn boy. Yes, okay? Yes, they’re together. All the more reason to move on, son.”

My body suddenly weighed a thousand pounds and I felt my head reeling. So it was true then. They were together and they would probably get married and I was going to have to sit there in that godforsaken small town and watch it all happen. I was going to get a front row seat to my own misery.

I nodded once, rested my hands on my knees for a brief moment, then ran past my dad, shouldering him as I did so and nearly knocking him over before making it to the small bathroom across the hall and retching everything in my stomach into the toilet.

My dad stood in the bathroom doorway shaking his head in disappointment. When I was done, I fell back into the wall. That look shamed me to my core. Any time my dad felt let down, I felt the weight of my disgrace so heavy the only thing I could think to dull the ache was to drink myself into a stupor. It was a vicious cycle.

I let my hair cascade over my face. I heard the old wood floor creak beneath his feet as he left without another word and jumped when the front door slammed. My eyes closed as my head pounded.

The claw foot tub sat to my left so I leaned up and turned on the water, slowly removing my clothing one piece at time. Each movement felt like a hammer slamming into my head.

“God,” I groaned. “I am an idiot.”

I stood then stepped underneath the warm water and just stood in silence, letting the water absorb into my hair and seep into my skin. I breathed in the steam deeply. I was miserable. Not just physically but my heart was the heaviest it’d felt since my mom passed and I had no one to blame but Spencer Blackwell for that.

The asshole who rode into my life under the guise of helping his sister only to yank what I thought was a stable foundation right out from underneath me. He stole from me, a bona fide thief, and I wanted to make him pay. No, I needed to make him pay.

But how?

I finished showering and threw a towel around my waist, stepping from the tub and toppling onto my bed when I reached my room and fell to sleep, not even bothering to dress myself. I fell quickly, fantasizing about my revenge.

I must have slept for hours because when I woke, it was pitch black outside. I rolled onto my side and checked my alarm clock. Eleven o’clock. Perfect timing, I thought.

I sat up and tucked my towel around my waist a little tighter, stood and went straight for my dresser. I grabbed a pair of boxers and socks and put those on before heading for my closet and tossing an old, worn pair of jeans on, a thermal and an old tee. I brushed my teeth, grabbed my wallet and keys, threw on my boots and headed toward my piece of shit truck.

I knew exactly where I was going because it was where I planned on going every night until I forgot about Caroline Hunt.

My truck started but barely and I tore out of our driveway not bothering with my seatbelt, kicking up dust and rocks as my tires spun against the loose gravel. I’d replaced my stereo because I couldn’t stand radio, at least not Kalispell radio, and plugged my phone into the audio cable. Bastille’s Dreams remake blasted and I turned it up, letting the painful lyrics wash over me, fueling my desire to get plastered as quickly as possible.

I entertained myself with thoughts of strangling Spencer Blackwell with both hands then beating the crap out of him with my fists. Bastard. I pulled into the local pub and put my piece into park before tucking my left foot into the emergency brake.

I disconnected my phone and the stereo went silent, reminding me of how alone I really was. I turned the engine off and absolute silence surrounded me. I couldn’t take it. My door creaked with age as it swung open and I slammed it shut, unable not to. The fury raging in my blood was more than I could contain.

Before heading inside, my hand went to the empty space between the cab and the bed and searched for the bottle of whiskey I always had wedged in between. I took a large swig, not wanting to spend too much of my savings on the liquor inside the crap establishment. After all, I was going to need it. Revenge was a costly business.

I took one more swig for good measure and wedged it back in its usual place then wiped my mouth on the back of my sleeve. My hair swung heavy in my eyes. It was still a little wet from my shower and I thought about tying it back with the extra leather tie I usually kept in my glove compartment but thought better of it. It helped me hide and I wanted to hide.

I looked around me. The lot was full but I only recognized a few cars this time which was good because I had no intention of making conversation. Regardless, most of Kalispell had stopped trying because I’d rarely done any responding since Cricket cut out my fucking heart and ate it raw. The hair was only insurance.

I took two deep draws of air, gulping it down, desperate for it to soothe me but, of course, it didn’t. I let each escape my lips in shaky breaths and clenched my fists over and over before deciding to head inside.

My boots crunched the gravel beneath my feet as I headed toward the door. When I entered, I ducked my head toward the floor and let my hair cover me, not that it did any good other than to conceal me. I could still feel the heat of their stares, though, still feel the pity in their gazes. I wanted so badly to yell at them to fuck off but I kept as much composure as possible. I couldn’t get kicked out of the only real bar in Kalispell.

I picked a stool at the end of the bar, the same stool I always did in the corner and in the back because it was dark. I sat and met Vi’s eyes. She sauntered over to me, placing her elbows on the bar top, giving me a clear view of her generous chest. I held back my eye roll.

“Hello, darlin’,” she drawled. “You look like shit.”

“The usual, Vi,” I told her as quietly as I could.

“How ‘bout a kiss then first?” she asked, leaning in a bit more.

“Christ, Vi, how many times? Huh? Just get me the gosh damn drink.”

She laughed. “Already worked up then, I see. I like it,” she said, winking.

Vi, or Violet, was thirty-nine years old, had lived in Kalispell her entire life, and had worked as a bartender for over fifteen years. I could tell at one time Vi had been a beautiful woman but I could also tell she had heard many hollow promises from equally hollow men and that she obviously believed them all. Otherwise, why would she still be there? I watched her tired eyes and her slightly too-forced smile. She had the look of someone who used to be chased but had graduated to the chaser. She looked miserable.

She left and returned with an empty glass and a bottle of Jack. She set the glass on the bar and filled it to the brim. She was being generous. She was always this way. She told me once she hoped I would drink it all away and decide to take her up on her offer. I told her that would be a cold day in hell, to which she only laughed.

“Drink up, buttercup,” she said, smiling lasciviously.

“I will,” I told the bar top.

I watched the world around me through the breaks in the hanging strands and six glasses later, I was starting to finally feel numb. I lifted my head a little feeling slightly relieved, feeling like I could breathe a little deeper now that the ache wasn’t so severe. I continued to search the crowd, not knowing who I was really looking for.

A quiet but persistent nagging awareness took residence in my chest for some unknown reason as I watched a girl dance on her own in the middle of the dance floor. Others around her paid no attention to her but she was the first person my eyes were drawn to. I studied her.

Her hair was tucked into a blue scarf, little tendrils peeking through and grazing across her neck whenever she moved. She was extraordinarily tall and her hips and rear end were more indulgent than I’d ever considered before. She turned slightly, giving me her silhouette. Her stomach was flat and her breasts were full. She was beautiful, I could tell, even if I couldn’t see her fully through the low lights.

“Jeez,” I said, swiping a hand down my face. “I’ve had too much.”

But I still couldn’t stop watching her. She wore worn jean cut offs, a fitted button up with the sleeves rolled up her forearms and ankle boots. She rolled her shoulders playfully, enticing someone she knew just off the dance floor. Another girl joined her side and they did the robot. She threw her head back and laughed.

This shocked me almost sober. “That laugh,” I whispered to myself. “That laugh,” I repeated. I knew it but couldn’t quite place it.

She took her friend’s hand and twirled her around the floor vivaciously. She was so full of life. So my exact opposite.

She lightheartedly skipped in place and raised an arm in salute to her friend before turning toward me.

That’s when I got a good, clear look at her. I gasped out loud and placed my hand on the back of my head, my elbow on the bartop, ducking my head down lower to hide myself further.

Please, please, please do not recognize me, I thought, still watching her from the corner of my eye.

She stood two seats down from me. “Vi!” she said, laughing a little. “Vi!”

Vi turned toward her. “Hey, baby! What’ll it be?”

“Can I have a water, please?” she asked, sitting down and releasing a breath of exhaustion. She continued to smile, though, and it ate a little at my gut.

“Of course,” Vi answered and started to pour water into a clear plastic cup. Vi’s eyes pinched a little. “Hey?” she said.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“How come I never see you drink anything harder?”

Her face fell a little but picked right back up. No one would have noticed it but me. “I’ve never had good luck with alcohol,” she admitted a bit sadly.

Vi was quick enough to recognize something there that didn’t want to be said and let it go with a nod, handing over the water without another word.

“Vi!” someone else called out and she walked their direction.

She took a long drink from her water and set it down, turning toward the crowd and surveying the dancers. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, some private joke she shared with herself.

I looked on her for a long time. Long enough for my heart to calm itself. Long enough to struggle with myself in an internal argument. Finally, I decided that I wasn’t watching her because I found her attractive, though I knew she was. Only that I was wondering what she was doing there.​

She turned around in her seat after catching her breath and glanced at me. For a moment, I believed she didn’t recognize me but I was wrong. A second scan confirmed it for her. She leaned in and narrowed her eyes. Shit.

Ethan?” she asked. “Is that you?”

“Hello, Finley,” I answered.

FisherAmelieAbout Fisher Amelie:

Fisher Amelie resides in the South with her kick ace husband slash soul mate. She earned her first ‘mama’ patch in 2009. She also lives with her Weim, ‘Jonah’, and her Beta, ‘Whale’. All these living creatures keep the belly of her life full, sometimes to the point of gluttony, but she doesn’t mind all that much because life isn’t worth living if it isn’t entertaining, right?

Fisher is the author of The Seven Deadly Series, The Sleepless Series, and Leaving Series, and was a semi-finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award.

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Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover

01confess “Are you here to save me?”

Perfection. Utter perfection. In fact, I think she may have been channeling her inner Tarryn Fisher with all the twists and turns this story was filled with. This book is definitely unlike anything Colleen’s ever written before. I loved every gut wrenching part. My nerves are officially spent. But I couldn’t stop reading. I have never stayed up til 2:30 reading a book before. I felt happy, then devastated, hopeful and then shocked. And then happy all over. Full circle.

SYNOPSIS
Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

OMG!!! This story was filled with so many emotions. I had no idea what to expect. Colleen made me cry from the very beginning. I was totally caught off guard. Then throughout the story I was tearing up all over the place. Then there this underlying tension, that I couldn’t shake off. But then it was like BAM!! Then it all made sense. And let’s not discuss the ending. I swear she brought me full circle and I was bawling in the end.

I don’t feel lost in him at all, because it’s the first time I’ve ever felt like someone truly found me.

When Colleen said that she was going to combine art with her story, I thought, “Cool! If she can incorporate music, why not art?” But I was no where prepared for the hauntingly beautiful paintings that were going to be portrayed. They invoked so many emotions, and I only saw them in black and white. I bet seeing them in color will make me break down. But what makes this story even more emotional, is that these confessions are real. They were written by readers. My heart was twisted as I was reading them. There is so much hurt in this world, I just can’t fathom that.

Besides confessions, this story is about love. It’s about what you will do for those you love. How you will turn your life upside down, for those you love. How you will make the hardest decisions you’ve ever made, even if they’re the wrong ones, just to make your loved ones happy.

“I’m afraid if I listen to my heart once, I’ll never figure out how to ignore it again.”

“If only I could be so lucky.”

Colleen paints a picture of hope, forgiveness and taking a stand for what’s right, in the most beautiful way. But I’m wrecked now, so someone hold me, please.

Buy it. Read it. Love it.

~Melpomene

Release Date: March 10, 2015
Buy Confess: A Novel

Review: Ember by Rachel Van Dyken

01emberHow does Rachel make me cry so much in a mafia book?? HOW!?!?! I knew Phoenix would have a great story, but I had no idea how heartbreaking it would be. I think she broke my heart, from the very first page, chiseled at it a few times, dumped salt on it for a while, and then finally decided to fix it, almost at the very end. My nerves were all twisted up.

SYNOPSIS
I am a Killer. A Rapist. A Monster.
I know only pain and survival.
That is until the Cappo’s sister walked into my life.
And changed everything.

She’s a light who makes my darkness darker, her smile makes my heart turn to ice, and I can’t escape the fear her seductive looks instill–knowing it’s only a matter of time before I fail–again, and take her for myself.
This is the story of my redemption.
But it’s not pretty…I died, and now I’m alive, but not living, breathing but not surviving. I am Phoenix De Lange, son to a murdered mob boss, estranged brother, horrible friend, monster in the making, newest leader to one of the most powerful families in the Cosa Nostra.
And I will have my vengeance.
Or die trying.
I am Phoenix De Lange.
Death is all I know.
Until she offers me a piece of life–I can’t resist taking.

Phoenix’s life wasn’t easy, by any stretch of the imagination. He born of a monster and brought up to be a monster. He deserves nothing good. He is evil. But then she shows up and is determined to prove to him that the past can’t change her feelings for him. But he can’t let it go.

“You are everything that’s beautiful and pure in this world, and you deserve so much better than this life, than what any of us have to offer. Than what I have to offer.”

Bee has been alone all her life. She’s lived with an evil father who would’ve let horrible things happen to her, until Phoenix came in and defended her. He was he only friend. She needed him. She wanted him. She loves him. But how can make him realize that? No matter what she does He keeps pushing her away. Light and dark can never be together.

Sometimes watching Bee love Phoenix so much, and having him dismiss her, was painful to see. She just wants to be wanted, but he is there as her protector, nothing else. Day after day he turns her down, but she is very determined.

“The best thing you can do is love him from afar.”

“But I want to love him close.” I choked on the words. “I want to save him, I can do it, I know I can, if he just tried..”

“It slices me open to say this, Bee, but Phoenix,” her eyes filled with tears. “He’s beyond saving.”

This is a story about redemption, forgiveness of others and oneself, and of course, love. No matter how dark your past is, no matter how much hurt you caused, there is a way to redeem yourself. You just have to find the right people to help you achieve it, and accept that you are worthy of it.

~Melpomene

Buy Ember (Eagle Elite Book 5)

Start from the beginning of the Eagle Elite series:
Elite (Eagle Elite Book 1)
Elect (Eagle Elite Book 2)
Entice (Eagle Elite Book 3)
Elicit (Eagle Elite Book 4)
Enforce (Eagle Elite)