Bingeworthy Books

Category: Review

Review: Live Wire by Cristin Harber

I’m going to make this simple for you, if you’re a Titan fan at all, you’ll want to read this book. It’s chock full of Sugar, Lexi, Parker and Boss Man, Jared goodness. There’s also some serious nerd/glasses porn that made me swoon and laugh.

Jared aka Boss Man is adding to the Titan team and Lexi and Sugar decide that they need to check out the possible new recruits. OF COURSE, hilarious hijinx ensue. With typical Sugar charm and badassness, she vets the new recruit while getting in and out of a bit of trouble, with the help of a few good men. 😉

After getting in and out of trouble… it’s baby time for Jared and Sugar. I’m an absolute sucker for a badass like Jared being brought to his knees by his love for his ladies. Seriously, this is such a sweet side of Jared and I melted into a pile of goo.

Don’t forget, we also get to meet Bishop, the subject of Ms. Harber’s Titan book! I have to say that I can’t wait for his book. I know, I say that about every book she writes but I REALLY mean it!

And yes, it’s only available on iBooks,(for now) but I urge you to snap this one up!

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July 7, 2016
Review: Into the Blue by Chanel Cleeton

Into the Blue is a fantastic addition to the Wild Aces series by Chanel Cleeton. The first book in the series absolutely knocked my socks off and I was absolutely salivating for this book. Into the Blue is a true second chance story. Thor and Becca fell in love as teenagers and he made the decision to go into the Air Force against Becca’s wishes. Hindsight being 20/20 and all it was the right decision to make at the time for Eric (Thor).

Ten years later, they come face to face and realize that they still have very real feelings for each other but are faced with how to deal with those feelings and the reality of their situation. This is something that Cleeton has done so well with this series, balance the romance with the reality of real life. He has a job that requires moving around, she has a job that she loves and has worked and sacrificed a great deal for that she cannot and will not leave. Thor has already made the decision once to choose the Air Force over Becca and she is understandably weary of entering into any kind of relationship with Eric. He’s only there for a wedding… it’s temporary.

Of course, things change and Eric decided to spend his extended time Becca, in their hometown, to make her understand how good they can be together. Into the Blue is about former lovers trying to make decisions about how to live their lives together-despite the professional and personal challenges they face and I appreciated how Cleeton slowly walked her characters through those decisions.

Into the Blue does not have the crazy flash bang love at first sight chemistry that Fly With Me had. This book is a different animal and is much more of a slow burn but an excellent read, nonetheless.

While we get Becca and Thor’s story, we also get more of Easy and Dani. Cue deep breathing here. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THIS BOOK. January cannot come fast enough. FOR REAL.

I walked into Liberty, my gaze peeled on the crowd, searching for Becca.

Easy had texted me two hours ago and mentioned that she was here, and I’d gone back and forth over whether I should come out at all. It hadn’t escaped my notice that she’d pretty much been avoiding me all week, whatever truce we’d reached in the cemetery on Wednesday apparently forgotten, and while part of me knew I should give her the space she needed, another part of me was afraid that she would use the space to keep a wedge between us.

I couldn’t apologize, couldn’t grovel at her feet, if she wouldn’t forgive me. And right now, she was a locked door I couldn’t break through. I’d thought I stood a chance, thought that the fact that she still talked to me like I meant something to her, like we were friends, meant we had a shot. But now it felt like that had just been wishful thinking, and I really had blown it with her.

So this was it. My Hail Mary, Hallelujah, final attempt at getting her to let me in. I’d caused her enough pain over the years; I didn’t want to keep doing it. If she truly wanted me out of her life, then I’d give her that.

I spotted Easy first, his arm wrapped around the same girl he’d been with the first night—a girl with hair eerily similar to Dani’s. Easy saw me across the crowd and waved me over, the girl—Rachel or something—tensing immediately at the sight of me and answering the question of whether she knew who I was to Becca.

I cut through the crowd, still searching for her, nerves rolling around in my stomach.

Easy jerked his head in greeting. “Hey, man.”

Rachel looked ready to bolt and warn Becca I was here.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I asked, glancing over his shoulder, trying to make out Becca’s features in the sea of people. Liberty was packed tonight.

His lips curved. “She’s by the bar with Bandit.”

Shit.

I didn’t know Bandit that well, but we’d been out together before, and if he was with Becca, it definitely wasn’t because he wanted to be friends.

Easy shot me a pointed look that irked the shit out of me. “Can you blame the guy?”

Fuck.

My gaze drifted to the bar, and then I froze.

Becca stood in a corner, the lights shining down on her like a fucking halo, the skirt of her dress brushing against Bandit.

She looked so beautiful that I felt it like a pang in my chest, the smile on her face one I’d seen so many times before, aimed at me. The one I’d lost. Thrown away. She looked like she was having fun, and then Bandit leaned in closer and said something that made her laugh, and her whole face transformed, her shoulders shaking, eyes sparkling.

I held my breath as her gaze drifted through the crowd; my heart hammered, waiting for the moment . . .

Our gazes locked, her body stiffening, the smile sliding off her face.

It knocked me back like a blow.

I’d envisioned finding a way to talk to her tonight, maybe dance with her, flirt with her; I hadn’t envisioned standing here with my heart in my hand, watching her flirt with Bandit of all fucking people, as what little hope I’d clung to died a bit inside.

I waited to see if she’d acknowledge me somehow, the plea that she’d throw me one of her smiles—something, anything—battering me inside. A wave, even. Just some sign that she saw me, that she still cared, that there might be a chance for us to put the past between us.

I’d missed her this week, missed seeing her face, hearing her laugh. We’d been apart for a decade, and somehow the glimpses I’d had of her had made everything harder, bringing back all those feelings we’d had for each other with a sharpness that pierced me.

Look at me. Please. Forgive me. Let me in.

I stood there like an idiot, the sound of Easy saying my name over and over again drowned out by the bar noise and the pounding of my heart.

And then she did turn, shifting her body away from me, tilting her face up to Bandit, her lips curving in a smile I knew all too well.

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July 6, 2016
Documentary release: Love Between the Covers

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I’ve been wanting to see this documentary since I heard it was being filmed three years ago! Last year, I attempted to see it twice and missed the showings. Needless to say, when I saw this promotional opportunity, I jumped on it! I had the pleasure of watching this film a few days ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it! If you’re a romance reader or a reader of any sort, I think you’ll find this documentary absolutely fascinating, I know I did. I think if you’re not a romance reader, this film would extremely eye-opening because I don’t think the average reader realizes how much romance pays the publishing house bills! Snobby readers are so quick to poo poo romance and they don’t realize that romance tends to keep the publishing house lights on. 😉 It was so interesting to me to listen to authors talk about their path to becoming a writer and how it has changed their lives. Being a part of the publishing ecosystem as a blogger and publicist, I identified with so much of the larger concept of how powerful we can be as women and our ability to take the bull by the horns (in my case, my love of books and reading) and turn it into something that helps to put food on the table while, being involved in something that I truly love.

I really cannot recommend this film enough. Buy it or rent it on the 12th!!!

Love Between the Covers – Official Trailer from Laurie Kahn on Vimeo.

More snippets:

vimeo.com/169703785

vimeo.com/169602389

vimeo.com/169594856

vimeo.com/169589724

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Q&A with Laurie Kahn, writer, producer and director

Please give us your description of the film playing.

While romance novels and their signature covers are ubiquitous around the world, the global community of millions of women who read, write, and love them remains oddly invisible. Love Between the Covers is the fascinating story of five very different authors who invite us into a vast female community that’s running a billion dollar industry on the cusp of an irreversible power shift. In Love Between the Covers, we enter one of the few places where female characters are always center stage, where justice prevails in every book, where women win what they want, and the broad spectrum of desires of women from all backgrounds are not feared, but explored unapologetically.

What drew you to this story?

I want to bring the lives and work of compelling women to the screen, because any industry dominated by women is typically dismissed as trivial and “merely domestic.” My previous films — A Midwife’s Tale and Tupperware! – are very different from one another, but they were both shaped by my desire to look honestly at communities of women who haven’t been taken seriously (but should be), who deserve to be heard without being mocked.

What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

Two things really. Raising the money (isn’t that always the case?). And figuring out how to structure the film. Love Between the Covers is more than the story of five characters; it is the story of an unrecognized global community. Structuring this film was even harder than structuring a film with five characters (which is a difficult task in and of itself!). We finally found a solution in the editing room.

What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theatre?

I want people to realize how deeply ingrained we all are in dismissing anything that is by women, for women and about women. Many romance readers told me stories of complete strangers looking over their shoulders on a train, or at the beach, leaning over and asking them, “Why do you read that trash?” I really don’t think that would happen to someone reading a mystery or a thriller! Romance novels are dismissed as simplistic. People who’ve never read a romance novel tell me, “They are formulaic. They all end happily.” But all genre fiction ends with a happy ending. Mysteries all begin with a crime and end with the case solved — a guaranteed happy ending. Arnold Schwarzenegger is never killed in his movies. The good guys always win. So why are romances singled out? I think it has to do with a devaluation of women’s work and a deep-seated fear of women’s desires.

What’s the biggest misconception about you and your work?

People tend to dismiss my ideas as fluffy. When they see the finished films, they realize the topics are not fluffy

How did you get your film funded? (Is it a studio film, a crowdsourced film, somewhere in between?) Share some insights into how you got the film made.

I started out with development funding from Mass Humanities, the Romance Writers of America, and the Nora Roberts Foundation. I then raised more than my $50K goal in a Kickstarter campaign (I raised $58K). That allowed me to start shooting. Most of my production funding came from the National Endowment for the Humanities. And several foundations and dozens of individuals came through for me at the end when I needed to pay for music rights, do our sound mix and color correction.

Believe it or not, Love Between the Covers and the larger Popular Romance Project it’s part of have been attacked in the US Congress. Senator Coburn railed about the project in the US Senate, insisting it was silly and trivial. And Rep. Salmon introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives (H.R. 5155 – see attached), to kill this project! Fortunately, the bill didn’t pass!

**Originally from: Indiewire – Women & Hollywood – Interview by Laura Berger http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/hot-docs-2015-women-directors-meet-laurie-kahn-love-between-the-covers-20150424

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July 5, 2016
Review: Unbreak My Heart by Lorelei James
Way back in 2012 I was binge reading of Lorelei James’s Rough Riders series and along came book fourteen, yes, that’s 14 in the series. In that book we met Gavin and Rielle AND Sierra and Boone. Sierra is Gavin’s daughter and a part of the McKay family and Boone is a West. The McKay and West families don’t have the best relationship, where the older generations are concerned but that didn’t really phase Sierra and Boone as they forged a very strong friendship.

I looked back at my review of Gone Country from four years ago and this was the last line of my review.

Well, cut to four very long years later (and even longer in the Rough Rider Legacy series) and we finally have Sierra and Boone’s complete love story. I think after waiting a very long time for a book like this, most people want to know two things:
1. Is it any good?
2. Was it worth the wait?
The answer to both of those questions is resounding YES.

In typical Lorelei James fashion, she gives us the characters we know and love but as adults. If you’ve read Gone Country, you’ll remember that they were (S&B) only teenagers and both had a lot to learn and a lot of living to do. Now, Sierra has gone to college and is working her first post-graduation job and Boone has been in the Army and is doing some medical training. So, they’ve gone their separate ways (as Boone made happen in Gone Country) and have become adults with experiences and responsibilities. Boone and Sierra end up in Arizona somewhat by chance. Sierra is there working for her father’s company and she hangs around her cousins, Kyler, Anton and Hayden who are still in college at Arizona State University. Boone is friends with those guys as well, they all grew up around each other.

This is where the “New Adult” part kicks in and if I have a least favorite part, this is it. It’s that whole college party, who is hooking up with who aspect. But, I realize that so much of this is our introduction to Kyler, Anton and Hayden as “men” when we’ve only known them as boys. It certainly intrigues me as to how Ms. James will develop their stories and I’m DEFINITELY looking forward to those books. And let’s face it, these boys have some SERIOUS swagger and sexiness running through their DNA. GOOD LAWD. Seriously, Cord McKay (Kyler’s dad) alone will make your Kindle sweat, smoke or burst into flames. (Cowgirl Up and Ride)

The second question- Was it worth the wait? You bet your ass it was. 😉

We learn the origin of Boone’s quiet intensity and come to understand him as a man, even more, thanks to Ms. James taking her time and fully fleshing out his character. Sierra learns what he needs and it’s lovely to see how she gives him that and how Boone learns to trust that love from Sierra. He, in turn, gives Sierra the freedom to make decisions about her career without feeling weighed down by him.

Now, let’s say you’ve made it through this rambly bit of my thoughts and you HAVEN’T read the Rough Riders series. Well, I have two things to say to that.
1. What are you waiting for? It’s summer and what other excuse do you need to binge read one of the HOTTEST series ever written? There are a number of books in this series that I have re-read numerous times. Check out the RR series —-> HERE
2. You don’t have to have read the RR series to enjoy this book. Ms. James does an incredible job of filling in their history for those that are not familiar with it. And for those of us that have read RR and know their history, that filling in didn’t feel too heavy-handed, in fact, we learn things we didn’t know before.
So, yes, it was worth the wait, every single sweet and ridiculously sexy bit of it.

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June 22, 2016
1 book, 2 reviews: Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen

Tonya and I had to pleasure of reading Bittersweet and SPOILER ALERT… we both LOVED it.

I had a massive hangover from this book. It wasn’t just from dreaming about all of the cider tasting I’d like to do in Vermont. I had an emotional, this book was so good, I don’t know what to do with myself hangover! Griffin and Audrey were an absolute pleasure to read, the whole freaking family, farm, every character that Bowen created and introduced us to was a pleasure.

I laughed a lot. I swooned. I salivated thanks to the foodie and cider porn Bowen bestowed upon the reader. After meeting years before in college, Griffin and Audrey had incredible chemistry and that had not dimmed one single bit when they meet again. While Aubrey had some serious mommy issues, it didn’t cripple her. She was hilarious and passionate and I adored her character. I found myself laughing out loud throughout this book. As I mentioned before, I found myself swooning over the bearded, burly somewhat gruff Griffin.

I cannot wait for more from this series (Steadfast 7/12/16) and (Keepsake 10/16) and frankly, I’d like a book from all of Griffin’s siblings, please. I’d also like to book a trip to Vermont complete with a cider tasting tour.

In a world where we could all use a little more joy, this book certainly fits the bill. So- to conclude, buy this book. M’Kay? (4.5 stars)

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OMG! And by that I mean “Oh my Griffin!”. Sigh…..what can I say? Farmer Griff was smoking hot! And soooo sweet under that bearded gruff exterior. This was a bit of a second chance romance too which I adore. Audrey and Griff met in college. Griff was the hot football player who was getting away from farm life. Audrey was the sorority princess party girl. They had some sparks for a couple of wild nights but unfortunately, their timing was just completely off.

Fast forward a few years and Audrey has finally found her niche as a chef after failing out of two different schools and not measuring up her entire life to her high-powered executive mother. Griff had to cut his dreams of a pro football career short when his dad died and go home and care for not just the farm but also his brother, sisters and mother. He’s been working from sunup to sundown ever since trying to keep his head above water and still develop his own interests at the same time.

Audrey was such a loving free spirit. It was sad to see how her esteem had taken a hit through her experiences. In spite of it all, she was bubbly and had a wonderful sense of humor. She did carry a little chip on her shoulder and was definitely out to prove her worth, but she didn’t let it make her bitter. She is definitely a heroine you want to root for. She runs into Griff again when she’s sourcing food for farm to table dining for her company. Despite his gruff exterior and less than warm welcome, she doesn’t waste any time fitting right in on the farm with Griff and his family. Griff resists Audrey as much as he can and boy is it fun to read. Griff thought Audrey would never fit in with farm life and that the last thing he needed was another person to take care of. He slowly realizes that Audrey isn’t just another person to care for but is his perfect partner in building the future of the Shipley Farm. I loved the humor, banter and of course the sexy times were hot, hot, hot. This was just an all around great story. It’s short on drama (a very good thing) and loaded with heart. (4 stars)

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June 14, 2016
Author spotlight: Delta Revenge by Cristin Harber

Today, it’s my pleasure to feature Cristin Harber and her most recent book, Delta Revenge. Ms. Harber has a quite a long history with SSBR. I’ve been reading and reviewing her books from almost 3 years and every book is a winner for me. Yep, I every single one.

Delta Revenge will go down as one of my favorites and that’s saying a lot. There is a distinction for me where my “favorites” are concerned, if it goes on my re-read pile, that means something. (Now that I think about it, there are a lot of Harber books in that pile.) Delta Revenge is going in the re-read pile. I loved it that much! Javier and Sophia are such an incredible combination,in that, he’s a badass and she is too! Javier has no idea to what extent she is but the characterization totally works.

Sometimes, as writers write books in series and the same genres, their characters can begin to feel the same. I think this can happen very easily in the romantic suspense genre as the characters tend to have very specific characteristics. As far as I’m concerned, this isn’t the case with Harber’s books. Every male character is distinctive and the storylines do not ever feel recycled. Revenge certainly has a very interesting setup and the book keeps hitting you with action-packed moments. The other side of the coin is her Harber’s ability to temper action and suspense with absolutely smokin’ hot sexytimes.

Get to know Cristin:

Can you start by introducing yourself to the readers that maybe don’t know you yet? Hi! I’m Cristin Harber, I’m a New York Times bestseller of sexy romantic suspense, military romance, and contemporary/new adult romance. I love writing alpha heroes and strong women, crazy situations, scorching hot scenes, and more often than not, things blow-up in my books.

Can you tell us a little about your journey to becoming an author? I’ve wanted to be a published author since I was a kid. I actually have my Young Author award from 6^th grade framed in my office! Haha. For a while I’d pitched the traditional route, but ultimately, I found that indie publishing was where I was most comfortable. I’m entrepreneurial by nature and it makes me very happy to run my own publishing company.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you? Before I wrote romance I penned political thrillers.

Do you have any rituals when you write? I have a treadmill desk that I stroll on while writing. Sometimes I wander my neighborhood when I’m stuck on a section I can’t figure out.

Favorite snack? I’m a big fan of Greek yogurt (anything with Hazelnut and chocolate!) and Stacy’s Garlic and Parm pita chips, and of course, coffee with way too much milk and sugar.

Favorite drink? Coffee and the occasional Pepsi. It’s all about the caffeine.

Favorite song right now: Florida Georgia Line’s H.O.L.Y. But honestly, pretty much anything they sing is my favorite.

Last book you read: Nikki Sloane’s Sordid. I don’t usually read dark romances, but she’s a friend and her book was banned by Amazon. I have a problem with censorship (and there’s honestly no reason for the book to be unlisted, I’ve read much, much worse in the sub-genre). It’s a great read, wonderful characters, and I’m glad I picked it up! If dark romance is your thing, this is a sexy book!

Favorite movie of all time: Ummmm, hmm. Of all time? I’m going to skip this question. I’ve never been able to pick one of anything. Haha!

What’s your favorite book trope? To read and to write… I love happily ever after stories and one of my favorite tropes is best friend’s older brother and friends to lovers. But asically, I just love love. If they fall in love, I’m with them in in the story.

Who are some of your favorite authors and books? I love Kristen Ashley and Maya Banks among many, many others. Old favorite loves include the Twilight series! And I constantly re-read Kristen Ashley’s Unfinished Heroes series.

What is the best piece of advice you have received in your writing career so far? Don’t stop. Keep writing, keeping writing. Then write some more. Not all the words will be pretty. But there’s no excuse. If you want it bad enough, you do it. So that’s what I try for. Write as often as I can. Find the words that tell a story good enough for my readers, ignore my excuses, and keep going.

What’s coming up next for you? There’s another Titan book in the works! Bishop’s story is coming along and he should be available later this summer. And as always, I have some #supersecretprojects up my sleeve.

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June 13, 2016
Review: Unbreak My Heart by Nicole Jacquelyn

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I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone when I decided to read and review this book. The synopsis screams ANGST and I’m very particular when it comes to angst. So particular that I have stayed away from overly angsty books. I cannot deal with OTP one thing after another craziness that many angsty books are filled with. But something in this book called to me and I’m really, really glad I read it. (In fact, it’s one of my favorites of 2016)

While I have several of Ms. Jacquelyn’s books on my TBR, Unbreak My Heart is the first book of hers that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I started this book at 10pm one night and I stayed up until almost 2AM reading it. I gave in at 75% and resolved to finish it the next day. I was absolutely riveted. This book was heartbreaking from the beginning, with Kate growing up in love with Shane and then watching him fall for her best friend Rachel. Kate then spends a great deal of her time helping Rachel with the children while Shane is deployed. She loves the children deeply and sacrifices so much of herself for them. When Rachel dies tragically, she steps in to take care of the children as she always does. Enter Shane. Now, I’m going to warn you, you’ll want to punch him numerous times throughout the book. His treatment of Kate is hard to take. She is so loving and gives that love to everyone around her freely, with no conditions. Even with Shame being a dick, I never questioned the path that Ms. Jacquelyn set Kate and Shane on. Kate KNOWS Shane. She knows why he acts the way he does and she doesn’t poo-poo it or necessarily let him get away with it. She always pushes him AND pushes back. Kate knows, just like Ms. Jacquleyn does, that Shane is redeemable.

Redemption stories are my catnip. I love them. I enjoy seeing an author take a character and transform them into someone that is loveable and understands that they are worthy of love. Shane always had it easy with Rachel, whereas Kate always pushed him. I think while Rachel loved Shane, Kate LOVED Shane. It takes him a while to realize and understand this and during that time, he does some stupid stuff. On the other hand, when Shane had his guard down and let loose his feelings for Kate, he was sweet and loving.

In this book, we also meet Kate’s family and they are a trip. Luckily, we are getting more of Evans family, book two, Change of Heart will be available in September! (Yaa!)

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I don’t remember the drive to the hospital or even where I parked that afternoon. I can’t recall what the nurse looked like as she searched for Rachel’s name in their computer system or the walk toward the room where I waited for someone to speak to me.

The first thing I remember clearly is the white-haired doctor’s kind face as he sat down across from me, and the young chaplain’s small smile as he chose the chair to my left. Their words became a litany that I would hear in my dreams for years.

My Rachel was gone, but her son was alive and in the NICU.

“Is there anyone you’d like for us to call? Any family or friends that you’d like to be here?”

The question jolted me out of the fog that seemed to be getting thicker and thicker around me. Dear God.

“I’ll make the calls,” I answered, looking blankly at the wall. “Can I have some privacy please?”

“Of course. I’ll be right outside if you need me,” the chaplain answered, reaching out to pat my hand. “I’ll take you up to the NICU when you’re ready.”

The room was silent after they left, and I fought the urge to scream at the top of my lungs just to hear it echo around me. I understood then why people hired mourners to wail at funerals. Sometimes the lack of sound is more painful than the anguished noise of a heart breaking.

My hands shook as I pulled my phone out of my front pocket and rested it on the table in front of me.

It only took a moment before the sound of ringing filled the room, and I rested my head in my hands as I stared at the name across the screen.

“Hello? Kate? What’s wrong?”

“Shane—” I said quietly, my voice hitching.

“What? Why are you calling me?” His voice was confused, but I could hear a small thread of panic in the urgency of his words.

“I need you to come to Tri-City Hospital,” I answered, tears rolling down my face and landing on the glass screen of my phone, distorting the letters and numbers.

“Who?” His voice was frantic, and I could hear him moving around, his breathing heavy.

“Rachel was in an accident.” I sobbed, covering my face to try and muffle the noise.

“No,” he argued desperately, as I heard two car doors shut almost simultaneously. “Is she okay?”

I shook my head, trying to catch my breath.

“Kate! Is she okay?” He screamed at me, his anguished voice filling the room as I’d wanted mine to just minutes before.

“No,” I answered through gritted teeth, feeling snot running down my upper lip as I heard him make a noise deep in his throat. “She’s gone.”

He didn’t say a word, and less than a second later, the connection was broken.

I rubbed at my forehead, trying to convince myself that it was all just a nightmare. Where was I supposed to be? What was I supposed to do now? My best friend in the entire world was there in that hospital, but not really. I couldn’t bear to see her. I couldn’t help her. Where the fuck was I supposed to go?”

I made my way to the NICU as quickly as I could, and within minutes, I was holding my new nephew in my arms. The nurses told me that he’d passed all of his tests with flying colors, and I was in awe as I sat down in a rocking chair, cradling him to my chest.

“You sure got a shitty beginning, little man,” I murmured against his fuzzy scalp, rocking back and forth gently. “I’m so sorry, buddy. You’re probably missing your mama and that warm bubble you’ve been in for so long. I can’t help you there.”

I sniffled, closing my eyes as tears rolled down my cheeks. My whole body ached, and even though I had that little boy in my arms, the whole day seemed like some sort of surreal dream, foggy in some parts and crystal clear in others. I wanted to hop up and take his sleeping, little form to Rachel, to tease her about the weird Mohawk thing he was sporting and make joking comments about how men always seem to sleep through the hard parts of life. I wanted to see her smile proudly at the sturdy boy she’d produced and grumble that I was hogging him.

I wanted everything to be different.

I hummed softly with my eyes closed for a long time, holding the baby close to me. It was quiet where we sat, nothing breaking up the stillness of the room until I heard someone open the door.

“There he is,” the nurse murmured from the doorway.

My eyes popped open to see Shane’s ravaged face just feet from me. He looked like he was barely holding on. I swallowed hard as his red rimmed eyes took in his son carefully before rising to meet mine.

“Is he okay?” he asked thickly, searching my face. I’d never seen him so frightened.

“He’s perfect,” I answered, my voice throbbing with emotion. “The nurses said he’s a rock star.”

He nodded twice, reaching up to cover his mouth with his hand, but before he could say another word, he was stumbling and falling to his knees with an almost inaudible sob.

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June 8, 2016
Be my Book Husband Sampson Cooper! Heaven and Hell by Kristen Ashley
Every year, I do a KA re-read marathon. I tend to need them when things have been stressful and I am in need of a comfort read. I made a list of some of my very favorites and that list was in the double digits but I chose to start with At Peace and then I moved on to Heaven and Hell. Looking at my Goodreads account, I realized that I first read H&H 4 years ago and I’ve read it again every single year. It doesn’t get old for me.

This book was somewhat of a saving grace for me as I was dealing with my grandfather’s illness and death earlier this week. Sam and Kia served as my soft place to fall when I needed a break. That’s what a comfort read does, right? I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read this one but I discovered something this go round…

I read this book on my Kindle via a copy I bought from Smashwords four years ago. It was highlighted and bookmarked so, normally I knew when my favorites parts were going to happen. For some reason, I couldn’t get that copy to load on my Kindle. My Paperwhite is acting a bit wonky these days so I just decided to suck it up and buy it from Amazon. My only reservation was that this would be a clean copy, no notes or highlights. To be honest, I liked it. Not having those cues helped me to discover new moments I may not have focused on before. And this led me to my discovery- Sampson Cooper isn’t a book boyfriend…he’s a book HUSBAND. I didn’t highlight the new copy of H&H with the exception of one passage:

Spoiler alertish?

My husband was beautiful. My husband was gentle, protective and loving. My husband was funny, but the thought I was funnier. My husband gave me everything.

Sampson Cooper is one if the best male characters that KA has written to date for me. I’d have to say that he is a bit of a rarity in the male character world right now. Sam isn’t a complete manwhore, he’s wealthy but not a billionaire, he doesn’t have a massive amount of issues to get over. He’s alpha but not in a complete pound his chest get in your face way. Kia is very vulnerable when they meet and their time together feels totally natural and not forced. He’s a celebrity of sorts but he’s just Sam and it feels completely organic. Sam is the husband, not the boyfriend.

What’s the point of this post, you ask? There are several:
1. Comfort reads are necessary and awesome.
2. Highlighting and bookmarking are overrated. You have the opportunity to discover something new!
3. Sam Cooper is the inaugural BOOK HUSBAND.
4. Heaven and Hell is the dark horse in the Kristen Ashley stable, in that I don’t think it’s talked about as much.
So, tell me, have you ran across any other male characters like this- ie Book husband vs Book Boyfriend? Let’s make a list shall we?

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May 20, 2016
Review: Fly With Me by Chanel Cleeton- Five Star FLAIL

This book. This book had me staying up until 2AM to finish it. I started it earlier in the day and I absolutely could not put it down. Sleep was not a high priority and neither was being mentally present the next day. AND I DIDN’T CARE.

I discovered Chanel Cleeton last fall and I fell head over heels in love with her and her writing. Lo and behold in the last book of the Capitol Confessions series, there was an excerpt for this book. PILOTS. F-16 PILOTS. Can you say catnip?

When I was thirteen, Top Gun came out and I was OBSESSED. We went to the Naval Museum in Pensacola, Florida that summer and I sat in an F-16 cockpit and I was convinced I was going to be a pilot. Time passed and I came to appreciate the volleyball scene more and frankly, I was always more of a fan Slider than Maverick. Which considering that Maverick (Tom Cruise) turned into a couch jumping, Zenu loving weirdo, I feel even better about my choice. (FYI- Top Gun pilots were Navy, Cleeton’s pilot’s are Air Force… there is a difference.)

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So, the book. I read it again as I tried to gather my thoughts and it sucked me in all over again. Noah and Jordan have absolutely staggering chemistry from the very beginning. They even allude to it in their own thoughts. And its absolutely true! It’s one thing for the characters to say that have chemistry but it’s another when the author makes you FEEL and BELIEVE the chemistry. To the point where you’re totally ok with that fact that it’s basically love at first sight.

Upon their first meeting in a bar in Las Vegas, it was lust at first sight but as Noah and Jordan spend more time together, it obvious that their attraction is more than just physical. There is an incredible dance club scene that makes melt every single time I read it (Catnip!) and their connection is obvious and immediate and DELICIOUS.

The song changed and the club grew frenzied around us, and then he was pulling me toward him and I was dancing, Noah behind me, his big hands on my hips, fingers laced with mine, his body moving against me.

Yes, please.

For such a tall guy, he had good rhythm. Really good rhythm.

Honestly, I could include the whole scene and just reading it and typing it again makes me want to read it ALL again. Noah and Jordan have that “We just met and I can’t enough of you, when I can I see you again?” thing going on. Noah is a pilot, stationed in Oklahoma and Jordan lives in Florida. This is a long distance relationship with a complicated twist. They do the best they can to see each other and learn even more about each other. Throughout the love story runs the very real complication that is Noah’s job as a pilot. Many of us know military couples/ families and see the reality of their relationship, the moving and the time they have to spend apart. I have an immense amount of respect for the sacrifices those couples and families make.

While Cleeton writes an incredible love story but she does not short change the reality of the Noah and Jordan’s future. The danger of his job, where will they live and can Jordan give up everything she knows for him?

In the middle of Noah and Jordan’s sweet and RIDULOUSLY sexy love story… there’s pilot FLIGHT SUIT sex… we meet Thor (guh) and Easy. I need these books and I need them NOW. Ok, so I may have Thor’s book on my Kindle right now. (July 5th) Easy’s will book be here in January and I’m telling you…his book is going to be a DOOZY. Holy crap.

This review feels completely all over the place and it IS because this book completely rocked my world and I’m still discombobulated over. I swooned, laughed, cried and I even had a number of Noah induced hot flashes. Fly With Me is on my Best of 2016.

So I can with 100% certainty recommend this book. You need this book. You need this book. Go… buy it now. Thank me later.

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From the author of Fly with Me and the Capital Confessions Novels comes the newest in the sexy Wild Aces Romance series.

Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée.

Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca.

Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?

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May 3, 2016
Review: Ain’t She Sweet by Marie Force

This book knocked me on my ass. I was not prepared for the emotional wallop that it delivered! See, Charley is one tough cookie and she has a hard shell. Tyler sees through the smartass and pursues Charley even though she has made it clear that she is not interested. Now, to be clear, Tyler isn’t an overbearing alpha stalker, he just somehow gets Charley and he is a very patient man.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will read this book again. From beginning to end, I gobbled it up! From the moment where Charley gets hurt and Tyler is there to get help, I held my breath. Those scenes were so tightly written and I was absolutely swallowed up in the story and that was the beginning of the book.

There were times where Charley’s “issue” from a past relationship bothered me a bit, I guess I felt like she needed to let it go and let Tyler into her heart. But let me tell you, Tyler has to be one of the most determined heroes that Ms. Force has ever written. He was so freaking sexy, affectionate, passionate, honest, and a dirty talker on top of all of that. Holy Crap.

In the midst of Tyler battling Charley’s issue, she has the benefit of having her big family around for counseling purposes. The family is one of the BIG reasons why I love this series so much. Nothing like having people who know you so well, hold up a mirror and help you see the big picture. Plus, we get to catch up with all of the previous couples and characters, which I absolutely love. Force also plants the seeds of new couples (Grayson and Emma) and then, there’s Max father to a sweet baby. I just… I need Max’s story and I know it’s coming, I don’t when and it drives me nuts.

This review is basically me gushing about how much I adored Charley and Tyler and how I need more of this series PRONTO. So, I guess you could’ve skipped all of that other gobbledygook and read this last sentence. It was great and I LOVED it!

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May 2, 2016