Tag: Kristen Callihan

Review: Fall by Kristen Callihan

Posted December 11, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Fall by Kristen CallihanReviewer: Rowena
Fall (VIP, #3) by Kristen Callihan
Series: VIP #3
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 568
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways.

In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.

Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands.

Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.

An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room.

Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun.

Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything.

All we have to do is trust enough to fall.

Fall is the third book in Kristen Callihan’s VIP series and it features our troubled hero, Jax Blackwood. You’ll remember Jax from the previous books as the member of Kill John that tried to kill himself. He finally gets his happily ever after and it wasn’t easy to come by. Jax battles a bunch of internal issues and I thought that Kristen Callihan handled the entire thing like a champ.

Jax meets his heroine in the aisles of the grocery store. They seem to be following each other throughout the entire grocery store and when he goes for the last pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream, Stella pulls a stunt that makes sure Jax never forgets her again. Stella never thought she’d see the stranger from the grocery store again but when she takes on a job that will have her house and pet sitting right next door to him, things get real interesting.

Jax is stunned that the ice cream thief is living next door to him. He’s also stunned that the more time he runs into her, the more he wants to run into her. The attraction takes him by surprise because she’s not normally his type but she’s definitely memorable and with each interaction, she becomes more and more..his. Stella can’t believe the guy from the grocery store is her next door neighbor. She still can’t quite believe that he’s not stalking her, all over a pint of ice cream but when they keep running into each other, she finds herself wanting to keep running into him. There’s chemistry between them and it’s starting to feel worth the effort of getting to know him.

The romance between Jax and Stella was hard and it was heartbreaking but man was I glad that I read it. I thought that by the end, these two had definitely worked out every single problem that lie between them and that happily ever after was definitely going to stick. It was hard to be in love with someone who was deeply depressed and easily triggered. I thought Callihan wrote Jax’s character so well that I cried more than once during the reading of this book.

Both Stella and Jax were great, compelling characters that had me firmly invested in what was going on with them and between them. I enjoyed every one of their scenes together and my heart hurt for both of them. I really felt for Stella and her desire for real friends. With her job, it was easy for her to be there for everyone but not a whole lot of people were there for Stella. Not in the way that she needed and wanted. I loved seeing the girls of Kill John gather around Stella and become her squad even when things were off between her and Jax.

It was good to see everyone and when Stella calls Killian and tells him to come home, that Jax needed him, I was a hot mess. Kristen Callihan wrote a great story about two people coming together in love after going through deeply personal issues and I was here for all of it. My heart went out to both Jax and Stella throughout the entire book and I was rooting for them to find their ways back to each other. This was another great romance in this series and I’m really looking forward to Brenna’s book. I just know it’s going to be great!

If you’re a fan of this series then I just know that you’ll enjoy this one. I definitely recommend!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

VIP

four-stars


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Review: The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan

Posted May 18, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: The Hot Shot by Kristen CallihanReviewer: Rowena
The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan
Series: Game On #4
Also in this series: The Hook Up, The Friend Zone, The Game Plan

Publication Date: April 18th 2017
Genres: New Adult
Pages: 337
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

First we were friends. Then we were roommates. Now I want more…

What can I say about Chess Copper? The woman is capable of bringing me to my knees. I know this about five minutes after getting naked for her.No one is more surprised than me. The prickly photographer my team hired to shoot our annual charity calendar isn’t my usual type. She’s defense to my offense, a challenge at every turn. But when I’m with her, all the regrets and darkness goes away. She makes life fun.

I want to know Chess, be close to her. Which is a bad idea.

Chess is looking for a relationship. I’ve never given a woman more than one night. But when fate leaves Chess without a home, I step up and offer her mine. We’re roommates now. Friends without benefits. But it’s getting harder to keep our hands off each other. And the longer we live together the more I realize she’s becoming my everything.

Trick is… Now that I’ve made her believe I’m a bad bet, how do I convince her to give this player a true shot at forever?

The Hot Shot is the fourth book in Kristen Callihan’s Game On series and it follows Dex from The Game Plan’s teammate, Finn Mannus. Finn Mannus is a quarterback in the NFL and he’s winning in life. He’s got a great family, supportive friends and he never has trouble with the ladies so when he shows up for a photo shoot for work and meets the photographer, Chess Copper, he’s not prepared for her to stay on his mind long after the shoot is over.

Chess is a photographer who works hard and goes out of her way to be kind to people but there’s something about Finn Mannus that gets under her skin the first time she meets him. She’s all prickly whenever he’s around and he’s around a lot more than he should be since the job she worked with him on is done. Before Chess knows what’s what, her and Finn have become friends and he’s become a daily part of her life.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn’t my favorite Game On book but it was still a pretty solid read. Finn was the bomb and I adored every minute of getting to know him. Chess was pretty great herself but there were times when I didn’t understand her actions and the way that she thought about things. That’s not to say that Finn didn’t have his moments of WTF because he did. Most of his came through the whole thing with the girl that wasn’t his ex but almost became his baby mama.

I enjoyed seeing Finn so sure in himself and in his feelings toward Chess. It took Chess a little longer to come around and when she finally does, I was glad for it. Kristen Callihan really shines for me with these sports romances. I can’t get these books fast enough and I’m always thirsty for more. That was the case with this one.

This was such an easy read filled with lots of laughs, characters that rocked my socks and a romance so steamy, I about melted into a puddle of lust more than once. Finn and Chess found the real thing with each other and Kristen Callihan captured their love in a way that I just flat out enjoyed. I hope she never stops writing books for this series because it’s my favorite series of hers and this was another fabulous addition. I definitely recommend.

Grade: 4 out of 5

four-stars


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Sunday Spotlight: Managed by Kristen Callihan

Posted November 13, 2016 by Rowena in Features, Giveaways | 7 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we’re running in 2016. Each week, we will spotlight a release we’re excited about. We’ll be posting excerpts and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

Sunday Spotlight

This is me right now:

happy

Kristen Callihan writes some really good books. She’s a popular author, with good reason. Her stories come to life and her characters charm the hell out of readers. She’s got a new contemporary romance coming out this week, book 2 of her VIP series, Managed and we’re super excited about it. 🙂

managed

Managed by Kristen Callihan
Series: VIP #2
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: November 14, 2016
Publisher: Kristen Callihan

It started off as a battle of wits. Me: the ordinary girl with a big mouth against Him: the sexy bastard with a big…ego.

I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I was upgraded to first class on my flight to London.

That is until HE sat next to me. Gabriel Scott: handsome as sin, cold as ice. Nothing and no one gets to him. Ever. He’s a legend in his own right, the manager of the biggest rock band in the world, and an arrogant ass who looks down his nose at me.

I thought I’d give him hell for one, long flight. I didn’t expect to like him. I didn’t expect to want him. But the biggest surprise? He wants me too. Only in a way I didn’t see coming.

If I accept his proposal, I leave myself open to falling for the one man I can’t manage. But I’m tempted to say yes. Because the real man beneath those perfect suits and that cool façade just might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I just might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Let the battle begin…

Pre-Order the Book:

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || KOBO

The hero is having a huge case of flying anxiety and our handy, dandy heroine is here to save the day. Check it out…

Excerpt

I remember Gabriel, aka extremely bad flyer. One glance his way, and I know it’s bad. He’s lying rigid as a plank, fists at his side, his expression so blank, you’d think he was dead. Except he’s panting, and a fine sweat covers his skin.

I don’t blame him this round. The turbulence is awful. The plane rattles so hard, my butt is in danger of leaving the bed.

“Sunshine,” I whisper.

He doesn’t acknowledge me. I’m pretty sure his jaw is locked shut.

Edging closer, I tentatively touch his shoulder and find his body trembling. “Hey,” I say in a soothing voice. “It’s okay.”

The cabin drops a few feet to mock that statement, and he closes his eyes, turning his head away from me. He’s gone utterly pale, his breath coming faster. “Go. Away.”

“I can’t.” I move closer. “Look, I know you don’t want me to witness this. But I’m here. Let me help you.”

He sucks in a breath through his clenched teeth. “Distracting me with blowjob jokes won’t work right now.”

“I know.” I’m actually worried about him. He appears to be on the verge of an outright panic attack. “Here’s what we’re going to do.” I push back the covers and crawl toward him.

He snaps out of his terror, his eyes going wide. “What are you doing?”

“Cuddling,” I tell him.

If anything he grows more alarmed, and I’m sure he’d back away if he was capable of moving. “What? No.”

“Yes.” I settle down at his side. God, he’s cold. I sit up. He gives a sigh of apparent relief, but I merely pull my end of the covers over his legs before lying back down.

He squirms, making a half-hearted attempt to move away, but he’s already at the edge, and there’s nowhere for him to go. “This is highly irregular…”

“Yep. But we’re doing it.” In normal situations, I wouldn’t dare force this on a person. But he’s already focused on me instead of the turbulence, which is a step in the right direction. I rest my cheek against his biceps. The muscle is rock hard and quivering.

He clears his throat. “I don’t—”

“You’re one breath away from totally losing your shit. Accept the torment that is physical comfort.”

His arms twitch as if he’s trying not to lift them but really wants to. And then he gives up the fight and raises an arm, making room for me to come closer. Victory. I lay my head on his shoulder, wrapping my body against his side.

The contact feels good. Too good. Because, holy hell, touching him—really touching him—sends a jolt of warm pleasure through me. All the sensitive nerve endings in my body seem to perk up and pay attention. Which is wrong in this situation; I’m here to help the poor man, not get off on him.

I have no idea what he’s thinking. For a second he holds me. Or, rather, he holds on to me like a lifeline. Tremors rack his body, but it’s clear he’s fighting it.

“Shhh,” I murmur, stroking his chest. It’s a nice chest, broad and densely packed with muscle beneath the proper clothes. His heart thuds against my palm, and I feel him take a deep breath. “Just think of me as your friendly neighborhood cuddler.”

He’s quiet again before another question bursts from him. “Are you telling me you’d do this for anyone?”

I snuggle down. “No. That you’re insanely hot is a huge factor. I get to cop a feel under the guise of civic duty.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

A smile pulls at my lips. “Can it with the outrage. I know for a fact that most people would rather snuggle up to a hot dude. If it makes me shallow for admitting that, so be it.”

He grunts even as his hand slips to the top of my arm. Long fingers stroke once before stilling. “Your honesty is astounding.”

“I know. Now hush, I have feels to cop.”


So stinkin’ cute!

blush

VIP Series

Giveaway: We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About the Author

KC

Kristen Callihan

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS

Kristen Callihan is an author because there is nothing else she’d rather be. She is a RITA winner and three-time nominee and winner of two RT Reviewer’s Choice awards. Her novels have garnered starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly and the Library Journal, as well as being awarded top picks by many reviewers. Her debut book FIRELIGHT received RT Magazine’s Seal of Excellence, was named a best book of the year by Library Journal, best book of Spring 2012 by Publisher’s Weekly, and was named the best romance book of 2012 by ALA RUSA. When she is not writing, she is reading.


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Weekly Wrap Up: October 10 – October 16, 2016

Posted October 16, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 1 Comment

We hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Here’s our weekly wrap up post that rounds up the posts you may have missed on the blog. Enjoy!

Reviews Posted

10/10: Tracy reviews Christmas Comes to Main Street by Olivia Miles | 3.74/4 out of 5
10/10: Tracy reviews To Win a Viscount by Frances Fowlkes | 3 out of 5
10/10: Tina reviews Longbourn by Jo Baker | 5 out of 5
10/11: Jen reviews In Safe Hands by Katie Ruggle | 4.25 out of 5
10/12: Rowena reviews Four Letter Word by J. Daniels
10/12: Tina reviews The Daylight Marriage by Heidi Pitlot | 3 out of 5
10/14: Tracy reviews A Christmas Kiss by Elizabeth Mansfield | 3 out of 5
10/14: Tracy reviews Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch | 4 out of 5

Posts You May Have Missed

10/11: Release Day Blitz: Wolf Betrayed by Carrie Ann Ryan
10/13: Cover Reveals: Unbreakable by Kallie Ross & Only with Me by Kelly Elliott
10/13: Blog Tour: Wolf Betrayed by Carrie Ann Ryan
10/14: What Are You Reading? (304)
10/15: WTF Cover Saturday (180)
10/16: Sunday Spotlight: Keepsake by Sarina Bowen

From Around the Internet

Nalini Singh blogged about a glimpse into Silver Silence that she shared in her newsletter. If you haven’t signed up for her newsletter to check it out, you should change that because it’s good stuff.


Julie James also announced on her blog that her upcoming release got a revised cover blurb. In case you missed that news, here it is:

The New York Times bestselling author of Suddenly One Summer blows the covers of two FBI agents who can’t hide who they are from each other . . .

FBI agents Jessica Harlow and John Shepherd have a past. The former lawyer and cocky Army ranger clashed during their training at Quantico, gladly going their separate ways after graduating from the Academy. Six years later, the last thing either of them expects is to run into each other again–assigned to work as partners in a high-profile undercover sting.

For both of them, being paired with a former rival couldn’t come at a worse time. Recently divorced from a Hollywood producer and looking for a fresh start, Jessica is eager to prove herself at her new field office. And John is just one case away from his dream assignment to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. In order to nail a corrupt Florida politician, they’ll have to find a way to work as a team–a task that becomes even trickier when they’re forced to hole up at a romantic, beachfront resort as part of the investigation. Suddenly, the heat behind their nonstop sparring threatens to make the job a whole lot more complicated. . .


Kristen Callihan revealed the cover for Book #2 in her VIP Series and I like it. I need to get my butt in gear and get the first book read so that I can jump into the second one. Here’s the cover in all its yummy glory.

It started off as a battle of wits. Me: the ordinary girl with a big mouth against Him: the sexy bastard with a big…ego.

I thought I’d hit the jackpot when I was upgraded to first class on my flight to London.

That is until HE sat next to me. Gabriel Scott: handsome as sin, cold as ice. Nothing and no one gets to him. Ever. He’s a legend in his own right, the manager of the biggest rock band in the world, and an arrogant ass who looks down his nose at me.

I thought I’d give him hell for one, long flight. I didn’t expect to like him. I didn’t expect to want him. But the biggest surprise? He wants me too. Only in a way I didn’t see coming.

If I accept his proposal, I leave myself open to falling for the one man I can’t manage. But I’m tempted to say yes. Because the real man beneath those perfect suits and that cool façade just might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I just might be the only one who can melt the ice around his heart.

Let the battle begin…

Giveaway Winners

No winners to announce this week, sorry…maybe next week? 🙂

That does it for this week’s weekly wrap up. How was your week in books? Hear any book news that we missed? Get any new books you want to share? Review any books we should check out? Please share.


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Weekly Wrap Up (1)

Posted July 3, 2016 by Rowena in Features, Giveaway Winners | 2 Comments

weekly wrap up

I follow a lot of book blogs and one of my favorite features I love seeing every week are the weekly wrap up posts that some blogs have. Smexy Books does one, Nick & Neyreda’s Infinite Book List has their own version of the weekly wrap up post and I figured, why don’t we do this at Book Binge? Well, now we do. Actually, now I do.

Here you’ll see what you missed on the blog, what’s new in our book world and we’ll announce winners for giveaways that we host here on the blog.

Weekly Feature Updates

7/01: What Are You Reading? (291) | Come find out what Casee, Holly and I are reading this week and share what you’re reading too. The good and the bad…we want to know!
7/02: WTF Cover Saturday (165) | This week’s WTF Cover is a doozy…you won’t want to miss it.
7/03: Sunday Spotlight: Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis | When I wrote this post, I hadn’t read the book but I’ve read it now and it’s definitely worth the spotlight. Go on over to the post and catch the excerpt that got me all excited to meet Finn!

Reviews Posted

6/27: Rowena reviews The Billionaire Bachelor by Jessica Lemmon | 4.25 out of 5
6/28: Tracy reviews MacLean’s Passion by Sharon Cullen | 3.75 out of 5
6/29: Tracy reviews Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis | 4 out of 5
6/30: Jen reviews Under the Wire by Helenkay Dimon | 5 out of 5
7/01: Tracy reviews Stormswept by Sabrina Jeffries, writing as Deborah Martin | 4 out of 5

Blog Tours

6/27: Release Day Blitz: The Billionaire Bachelor by Jessica Lemmon
6/28: Release Day Blitz: Forevermore by Kristen Callihan
6/29: Blog Tour: Tough Luck Hero by Maisey Yates
6/30: Blog Tour: A Gentleman Never Tells by Eloisa James

Book Stuff we’re obsessed with this week

  • Julie James dropped some serious news on us this week and I’m super stoked about it. She’s revealed her new title AND cover for her upcoming 2017 book. The title was changed from Flirty Little Secrets to The Thing about Love and here’s the new cover:

The Thing About Love

You can pre-order The Thing about Love now. [Amazon] | [iBooks].

  • My favorite part of every week is receiving new newsletters from my favorite authors because those things are filled with the best news. This week, Kristen Callihan made two announcements. First, Managed (Book 2 in her new VIP series) will be releasing on October 18, 2016 and the next book in the Game On series will come out in January of 2017. We have Callihan goodness to look forward to. Yippy skippy!

  • Is anyone reading Jen Frederick’s weekly serial Lainey’s List? If you’re not, you should definitely fix that. It’s addicting and my Fridays aren’t the same without reading the latest chapter. This week’s chapter is a good one. If you’re interested in reading it, just sign up for her newsletter and a new chapter will show up in your inbox every week. You can catch up on her blog here.

Our weekly winners wrap up is going to be a part of this weekly post and this week, we’ve got some winners.

Monthly Reads: May 2016

Psy/Changeling Book of Choice

Katie Bynum

Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen:

Helen

Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon:

Kareni

Sunday Spotlight: June 2016

Janhvi

Winners: You will be contacted by email so please keep your eye out. 🙂 Check back on Sundays to see if you’re a winner in one of our giveaways.

That does it for our very first weekly wrap up post. You’ll be seeing a lot more of these posts every week, I promise. So how was your week in books? Hear any great book news we missed? Get any new books we would like? Review any books we should check out? Please share. 🙂


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