Month: March 2015

Review: Deep by Kylie Scott

Posted March 31, 2015 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Deep by Kylie ScottReviewer: Holly
Deep by Kylie Scott
Series: Stage Dive #4
Also in this series: Lick: Stage Dive 1, Lead: Stage Dive 3, Lick (Stage Dive #1), Play, Lick
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Publication Date: March 31st 2015
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 231
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Don't miss a beat with the fourth and final novel in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling Stage Dive series from Kylie Scott.

Positive. With two little lines on a pregnancy test, everything in Lizzy Rollins' ordinary life is about to change forever. And all because of one big mistake in Vegas with Ben Nicholson, the irresistibly sexy bass player for Stage Dive. So what if Ben's the only man she's ever met who can make her feel completely safe, cherished, and out of control with desire at the same time? Lizzy knows the gorgeous rock star isn't looking for anything more permanent than a good time, no matter how much she wishes differently.

Ben knows Lizzy is off limits. Completely and utterly. She's his best friend's little sister now, and no matter how hot the chemistry is between them, no matter how sweet and sexy she is, he's not going to go there. But when Ben is forced to keep the one girl he's always had a weakness for out of trouble in Sin City, he quickly learns that what happens in Vegas, doesn't always stay there. Now he and Lizzie are connected in the deepest way possible . . . but will it lead to a connection of the heart?

I was really looking forward to Ben and Liz’s story after all the buildup in the previous books.

We first met Lizzie in Play, book two. Her sister, Anne, got into a relationship with Stage Dive’s drummer, Mal. Lizzie was immediately drawn to bass player Ben, but Mal warned Ben off her right away. Anne was worried about Ben’s reputation and didn’t want him anywhere near her sister. Ben tried to stay away from her, but Liz made it nearly impossible. She started texting him right away, and despite everything they formed a friendship. But still, he made it clear it couldn’t be anything else…until the night of her sister’s wedding, when he took her back to her hotel room and did delicious, dirty things to her.

After months of pushing, Liz was thrilled when Ben finally took her up on her offer. She’d come to know him quite well, and her feelings had deepened from a causal crush to something more. She thought he was finally ready to commit to being with her, to bring their relationship out in the open, until he disabused her of that notion first thing the next morning. So she does what any self-respecting woman who’s spent the last few months throwing herself at a man only to get rejected does – she threw him out of her room, sans pants, then proceeded to avoid him like the plague. Until a few months later, when they can’t avoid each other anymore. Amid tension from the band and a world tour, Liz and Ben need to work on finding a way to navigate the future together.

Liz’s crush on Ben and his avoidance made me think there was going to be a lot of tension in this book, and I was right. Unfortunately the buildup worked against it in a lot of ways. Ben’s fear of commitment and constant push/pull with Liz was frustrating. The final resolution especially worked against the story. Liz did all the giving, while Ben spent the majority of the book pushing her away. I wish their issues had been addressed in the end, rather than him making a grand gesture and her caving. They had a lot to work out between each other, yet we were to believe “I love you” made everything all right? I didn’t buy it.

That aside, there was quite a bit I liked. Liz was a fun, irreverent character who was easy to sympathize with. Though she was young (she turned 21 in the book), she knew what she wanted and didn’t let anyone treat her like a child.

His hands tensed on my shoulders, fingers rubbing. “I told you not to come in here.”
“I know.” I sniffed, then set my chin on his chest and gazed up adoringly at him. “But have you noticed how I actually make my own choices like a real live adult?”

Her relationship with her sister was well written. Their mother wasn’t much on being maternal, so they basically raised each other. Anne sacrificed a lot for Liz, and Liz took care of Anne as much as she could. They had a strong sibling bond that came across not just in their heart-to-hearts, but in their every day conversations.

“Huh.” The whites of Anne’s eyes were showing. “Good. This makes me think better of the bearded wonder.”
“Mm.” It was a step up from her calling him the Sperminator, at least.

I liked how she connected with other members of the band and their significant others. I didn’t like how she spent the majority of the book sitting in her room, watching t.v.. She needed to get out more and make friends outside the ladies of the band. Actually, I would have liked to see her have a life outside the band, period.

When Ben let his guard down, he was actually pretty funny and sweet. Unfortunately we didn’t see enough of that. It doesn’t help that the story is told in first-person from Liz’s POV. His relationship with his bandmates came across well and I liked how quick they were to call him out, and how quick he was to admit they were right, when he was being an ass.

Though I had some issues, I fell right into the story. Humor, angst, romance…this had it all. I wish it hadn’t ended the way it did, but I can’t deny it was an engrossing read.

3.5 out of 5

 

three-half-stars


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Giveaway: Still the One by Jill Shalvis (and some Animal Magnetism Love)

Posted March 31, 2015 by Holly in Giveaways | 1 Comment

Holly: There are a lot of great things to recommend Jill ShalvisAnimal Magnetism series. Hot heroes, adorable pets, tight friendships, hot heroes, strong family bonds (both made and blood families), hot heroes. Did I mention the hot heroes? Beyond that, the heroines are always independent and able to laugh at themselves….and their best friends.

Rowena: I don’t care how too cool for school you are, a woman needs her girls. Life is just tons better with your girls. Nobody understands you better than your girls. Your girls know how flawless you are and they’re always there to remind you when you forget.

Jill Shalvis’ female friendship game was too strong in the Animal Magnetism series. Between Kate and Holly, then Jade and Lilah – these girls made you just a little jealous while you read these books. Don’t lie. Getting to know each heroine and then meeting and coming to love their sisters and best friends made the reading adventure that much more enjoyable. Or if you already have fabulous girlfriends like these guys do then reading these books made you miss them and long for a girls night out so that this can happen..

drinking

Holly: I could definitely get down with some of that.

In every Shalvis book there’s at least one scene where I think, “that’s just like me and my friends.”

To celebrate the release of the latest Animal Magnetism book, Still the One, here’s a scene from each book that’s just like us. Be sure to enter the giveaway* below for  a chance to win all six books from the series, including Still the One!! 

Cover Image_Animal MagnetismFrom Animal Magnetism. All those times we ogled guys covertly.

“Check it out,” Jade whispered, nudging her chin in the direction of the windows.

Lilah’s attention was first caught by the very full waiting room and the women whose noses were practically glued to the windows leading to the side yard. “What’s going on?”

“That’s what I’m trying to show you. It’s our newest attraction.” Jade pointed outside, off to the right where the Bell had been parked for weeks now, ever since it had been delivered from Smitty’s airport across the meadow. From the hood the lower half of a male body stuck out. Scuffed work boots and long legs that led to—

“The best ass I’ve ever seen,” Jade whispered.

checking out guys

Cover Image_Animal AttractionFrom Animal Attraction. When your friend figures out who your crush is.

Her cell phone rang again, and still staring at the unopened letter, she answered without looking at the ID. “Dell, I’m going to start to think you’d rather be playing doctor with me.”

There was a startled beat of silence. “You and Dell are playing doctor?”

Jade winced. “Hey, Lilah.”

“Don’t ‘Hey, Lilah’ me. You got some ’splaining to do, Lucy. You’re playing doctor with Dell?”

“No! I just thought you were him again, and—”

“Again?” Jade was sounding excited now, a big mistake on Jade’s part. Lilah had the nose of a bloodhound, and she was on the scent.

[…]

“Sounds good. But I’m actually calling about tomorrow night. I want to get everyone together at Crystal’s.” Everyone meant Lilah and her boyfriend Brady—an ex–army ranger, now a pilot for hire—and Brady’s brothers, Dell and Adam. They were a tight group, and considered themselves family. By some miracle, they’d included Jade in that group.

“Sounds good.”

“Tell Dell for me?”

“Okay.”

“Aha!” Lilah cried triumphantly. “So there is something going on with you two.”

“Lilah, we work together. I meant I’d tell him tomorrow at work.”

“Or when you play doctor . . .”

crush

Cover Image_Rescue My HeartFrom Rescue My Heart. Sometimes a little tough love is in order.

“Text me,” Kate said. “Often.”

“I will.”

“And keep your heart zipped up tight. Your pants, too,” Kate added.

comfort

Rumor Has ItFrom Rumor Has It. Fun facts no one else gets.

“You watch too much TV,” Kate said. “It’s going to fry your brain.”

“You know what fries your brain? Not enough sex.” Meg pointed to her phone. “Got that little tidbit right off the Internet on my last break.”

“Well, then it must be true,” Kate said.

Meg laughed. “That’s all I’m saying.”
 

 

Then Came YouThen Came You. Your friends know you better than anyone else.

“Jesus,” Sara said, hand to her chest. “You look like a vampire.”

“Vampires don’t sleep in the open daylight,” Emily said.

“How do you use this thing every night? I’ve only managed one stomach crunch.”

“That’s because your idea of exercise is reading in bed until your arms hurt from holding up your Kindle,” Sara said.

Unfortunately true. She righted herself and jumped down. “But I want a stomach as fl at as yours.”

“Then you need to do more than hang upside down,” Sara said. “Burn some calories.”

“Calories,” Emily said on a sigh. “The evil tiny creatures that live in my closet and sew my clothes a little tighter every night.”

eat

still the oneStill the One. Sister’s can say things no one else can.

“Maybe you should date him.”

Zoe laughed. “We’re not suited.”

“Because?” Darcy asked.

“Well . . . he’s a bit alpha.”

Yeah. Just a bit.

“We’d butt heads,” Zoe said. “But I’ve always thought that maybe you two might . . .”

“A minute ago you were worried he might kill me.”

“Well, sleeping with him might go a long way toward making sure he wouldn’t.”

Darcy snorted. “Go away, Z.”

About Still the One:

Darcy Stone is game for anything—except sexy Navy vet and physical therapist AJ Colten, the guy who’d rejected her when she’d needed him most. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he needs her to play nice and help him secure grants for his patients. Unfortunately Darcy can’t refuse. She needs the money to fund her passion project: rescuing S&R dogs and placing them with emotionally wounded soldiers.

AJ admits it—Darcy is irresistible. But he’s already been battle-scarred by a strong-willed, vivacious, adventurous woman like Darcy, and he’s not making the same mistake twice—until he and Darcy are forced to fake a relationship. Growing closer than they’d ever imagined possible, Darcy and AJ have to ask themselves: how much between them is pretend? What’s the real thing? And where does it go from here?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Books a Million

About the author: Jill Shalvis is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. She has written more than four dozen romance novels and lives in Nevada with her family.

Use the Rafflecopter widget to enter:

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*Please note: This is not a Book Binge sponsored giveaway. You will be contacted by the publisher direct if you win.


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Guest Review: Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag

Posted March 30, 2015 by Tina R in Reviews | 0 Comments

Cold Cold Heart by Tami HoagTina’s review of Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag

Dana Nolan was a promising young TV reporter until a notorious serial killer tried to add her to his list of victims.  Nearly a year has passed since surviving her ordeal, but the physical, emotional, and psychological scars run deep.  Struggling with the torment of post-traumatic stress syndrome, plagued by flashbacks and nightmares as dark as the heart of a killer, Dana returns to her hometown in an attempt to begin to put her life back together.  But home doesn’t provide the comfort she expects.

Dana’s harrowing story and her return to small town life have rekindled police and media interest in the unsolved case of her childhood best friend, Casey Grant, who disappeared without a trace the summer after their graduation from high school.  Terrified of truths long-buried, Dana reluctantly begins to look back at her past.  Viewed through the dark filter of PTSD, old friends and loved ones become suspects and enemies.  Questioning everything she knows, refusing to be defined by the traumas of her past and struggling against excruciating odds, Dana seeks out a truth that may prove too terrible to be believed…

Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag tells us the story of a young journalist by the name of Dana Nolan who is abducted one day by a sadistic serial killer known as Doc Holiday. She is also his only know survivor, having killed him to make her escape. It is the story of how Dana struggles to piece together her shattered life while dealing with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, after being both physically and mentally scarred from her ordeal.

I have to say that I did struggle through the first half of the book. There seemed to be a lot of time spent on explaining Dana’s scrambled memories and her battle with the PTSD and the TBI. Although I totally understand the need to understand what the character was going through, at times I found it all a little overwhelming. I found the book to be more of a dramatic mystery more than the psychological thriller I was expecting. This isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the book because I did, I just find that I tend to go for those “edge-of- your-seat” type thrillers where the twists and turns have your brain working overtime. And although I thought this was a decent story, it just wasn’t one of my favorites.

I received this book through NetGalley for my review.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

 

This title is available from Dutton. You can buy it here or here in e-format.  This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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Guest Review: Just a Little Flirt by Renita Pizzitola

Posted March 30, 2015 by Tracy in Reviews | 0 Comments

Just a Little Flirt by Renita PizzitolaTracy’s review of Just a Little Flirt (Crush #2) by Renita Pizzitola

Between all the parties and random hook-ups, Fallon Carr is this close to flunking out of college. But her internship working with pediatric patients means the world to her—especially since, at the end of the summer, one lucky intern will be offered a paid position. Determined to leave her bad reputation behind, Fallon even takes a bet that she won’t sleep with anyone from work. But there’s one little catch. . . .

Not only is Cade Ryan the hottest guy Fallon has ever laid eyes on, he’s a therapy dog handler who volunteers his time to visit kids at the hospital. So when he starts pursuing her, Fallon can’t believe her bad timing. The thing is, Cade is different. He’s not like the college guys who see her as a one-night stand, or the high-school boyfriend who took a part of her she can never get back. Cade genuinely wants to spend time with her—and not just between the sheets.

Fallon won’t let her growing feelings for Cade get in the way of her dreams. Besides, no guy can break down the walls she put up long ago. So what’s the harm in a little flirting? It’s not like she’s falling in love. But she may have seriously underestimated how complicated things can get when the perfect guy falls for her first.

Fallon has finished her freshman year at college and now she’s managed to score herself an internship at the local hospital in the Child Life center. She is excited about the internship – especially when she finds out that there will be a part-time paid position available for one of the interns at the end of the summer. Fallon wants that position badly but she wants to get it on her own merit. She’s afraid, however, that if anyone from work finds out about her extra-curricular activities (partying and hooking up with guys) that she had during the school year that they won’t consider her. She’s determined to make a good impression and decides to not really drink (ok, not get drunk) during the summer so she doesn’t have to worry about hangovers. The hooking up with guys part is a little harder after she meets dog therapist Cade but she may be able to manage it. She can flirt – but she can’t touch!

Cade sees Fallon and is smitten. They hit it off as friends and he makes no bones about the fact that he wants to date her. He and his dog, Scout, start to get under Fallon’s skin and Cade decides that he wants more with Fallon than just a date or two.

There’s a whole lot more to Fallon than meets the eye. She has a past that she’s trying to escape and in doing that she shot herself into the other end of the spectrum when it comes to guys. The truth is, she really doesn’t like sex so when she gets closer with Cade she can’t figure out how she can like him but then stay out of his bed. She just knows that if she goes to bed with him it will ruin the relationship for them completely. Cade, however, has a whole bunch of tricks up his sleeve and he’s not afraid to try them out on Fallon.

I have to start off by saying that I’m enjoying this series immensely. It had been a few months since I’d read book one in this series, Just a Little Crush, so I re-read it before I picked up book two and it was just as a good the second time around. It also reminded me about Fallon and what she was like in book one. She was completely different in this book but her internship was the reason for that. Because she was stepping back from drinking and guys it put her into a different mindset once she met Cade and that was a good thing. Her personality didn’t change – thank heavens! – and she was still as snappy with the comebacks as she was before. I loved that about her. Despite all the turmoil she was feeling she still had a great sense of humor.

I loved Fallon and Cade together and I loved the addition of Scout in their talks. The dog was a therapy dog and therefore helped soothe Fallon when she was talking to Cade about things that upset her. It was a nice way to for the author to get Fallon to relax and I thought it was a wonderful way of adding the dog and showing exactly what therapy dogs do.

Cade was a great guy. I really didn’t see anything about him that I would put in the “minus” column when adding up his qualities. He was kind, patient, giving, fun, funny, sexy, thoughtful and generous of his time. He was kind of the perfect book boyfriend. lol

So far I’ve enjoyed both books in Ms. Pizzitola’s series and hopefully future books in the series will be just as good. I definitely would recommend this New Adult series to anyone looking for some good books to read.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This title is available from Flirt/Random House. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


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