Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

He was my older brother's best friend. 
He was never supposed to be mine. 
I thought we would get it out of our system and move on. 

One of us did. 
One of us left. 

Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. 
He broke my heart last time. 
This time he'll obliterate it.


How do I review this book without going over-the-top gushy? Yes, from the blurb to that pretty, pretty, pretty cover to just an all-around great read, I just can't stop loving this book. The idea of the story alone already made me want to melt into a puddle.

This was a great read. This was an awesome read. I always love it when the main characters have a long history together and this was a great take on that angle. It was kind of tough reading about how they had to grow up before they could have their time, especially Elle. Oliver was sometimes not the best hero but he had his moments and those were the best ones.

This was my total feel-good of the week. I loved CC's trope--it wasn't hard to read and made for some really comfortable storytelling. I loved how the POV was put together--the main story was Elle's while the past was in Oliver's. It showed just what their story was all through the years, without any bias. The only reason why I am not giving this book a perfect ten was because of that one missing important part--what did Oliver, Elle's brother Victor, and her dad talk about after they were found out? I know later on in the book that Oliver mentioned that they managed to hash things out...but how?! I want to know everything. Tell meee. Hahaha!

To top it off, this book also had some interesting secondary characters. Victor, Elle's bestfriend Mia, and Victor and Oliver's friend Jenson made their mark as well. I know this is a standalone but it wouldn't hurt if those three also get books of their own.


Final verdict: 9/10. Great read.

The Bittersweet Chronicles: Pax 1

Pax Clark is rock and roll royalty. The son of one of rock's most famous drummers, he wants nothing more than a career in music. But sometimes family can be a burden, and Pax is committed making it on his own. After legally changing his name, and taking off for a new town, he sets out to prove that he can be his own man.

Carly Nelson is eighteen and in trouble. Her father died leaving her a hundred thousand dollars in debt to a loan shark, and she's the collateral. When she meets her cousin's good friend Pax, the attraction is undeniable, but can he save her without risking everything?


First off, let me just say that I cannot get over the fact that Walsh has a grown kid. Least of all someone old enough to have a romance of his own. Nooo, never. Keep 'em young! But then life goes on whether we like it or not...even in books, apparently.

But in all honesty, the idea of this series is just beautiful. It was interesting to know what kind of kids Walsh and Tammy would raise. And I guess Pax's character, all the independence and the pride in making it on his own, was just something that could be expected from any child of those two. It felt weird reading this because the Lush series is not even done yet but at the same, it felt nice to know that the characters I have come to know and love (too much it seems sometimes!) were really doing well. Reading about how they, even after all those years, continue to still be a family and for the Lush band to be doting uncles to Pax just melts me on the inside. I love these guys!

I am already excited how this six-part serial is going to pan out. Pax and Carly have a great chemistry and I can already tell that these are going to clash beautifully. This first part of the series just served as a foundation as to who the characters are and and how their story will likely evolve. But most of all, I am excited at the fact that SL is writing a new YA/NA material. Ahhh, the possibilities! I can't wait!!! *flails*


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.

Series Recommendation #16: Record by KA Linde

I cannot believe I haven't featured this trilogy yet in my series recommendation blog special. Because seriously I only have nothing but pure love, love, love for these books, its characters, and its author (of course!).

I came across the first book purely by chance and it was probably the best stumble-by-chance book I found last year. Well, there is no probably to that statement...because it really was. The wait for the next two books was excruciating. It was times like those when I really try to swear off recently started books that aren't standalones but I'm not a very patient person. But all the wait was worth it.

I fell in love with Brady and Liz in the first book and was hooked by the time I read the second book, I was pretty resigned to the fact that I will have a hard time letting go of these characters. Suffice it to say that I delayed reading the third book because I was becoming a mess at the thought of the trilogy ending.

Let me just say that this was a beautifully crafted story that was generously spread for a period of two years. That's a luxury that we don't get to have these days wherein stories almost always have hurried timelines. I really felt that I was able to see the characters grow over time and took that as a privilege.

So I guess I should stop now. I apologize but I get all fangirl-ly when talking about these books. It couldn't be helped!

(Click on the title links for my reviews.)

Off The Record

On The Record

For The Record

Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward

You’re not supposed to want the one who torments you. 

When my stepbrother, Elec, came to live with us my senior year, I wasn’t prepared for how much of a jerk he’d be. 

I hated that he took it out on me because he didn’t want to be here. 
I hated that he brought girls from our high school back to his room. 
But what I hated the most was the unwanted way my body reacted to him.

At first, I thought all he had going for him were his rock-hard tattooed abs and chiseled face. Then, things started changing between us, and it all came to a head one night. 

Just as quickly as he’d come into my life, he was gone back to California. 

It had been years since I’d seen Elec. 

When tragedy struck our family, I’d have to face him again. 

And holy hell, the teenager who made me crazy was now a man that drove me insane.

I had a feeling my heart was about to get broken again.


I was drawn to this book primarily because it felt like Our Secret Love all over again. But this time, all grown up. I never thought stepsibling stories to be taboo unless they really grew up together since they were tiny then things could get awkward fast. It may still not be taboo then...but maybe bordering on it.

In short, I did not find anything wrong in the "relationship" between Elec and Greta. They were two teenagers from two separate worlds that had to live together when his father married her mother. Greta fell in love with literally "the boy next door" while Elec lived with his father's abusive nature. Eventually, Elec left to live with his mother and didn't see Greta again until many years later, when his father died. And then the story of second chances began.

The best elements I loved about this book were: 1) there were two main parts in the story--the first time they got together when they were still in high school and then years later when they already had their own lives as adults; 2) this was told in first person POV (Greta's); and 3) and there was a little bit of Elec's POV in the form of excerpts of an autobiographical book that he was publishing.

The writing was unhurried without being dragging--this was really surprising in a good way. It did not get boring at all despite the story spanning years. I guess if PW can put together a plot like that enjoyably for the reader, then it's a given I will be reading her other books as well.


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.

For The Record by KA Linde

With Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work...and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her. Now, her every move is under a vicious magnifying glass, and her life feels like it’s falling apart.

On the road to reelection, the passionate bond between the congressman and the journalist gets tested at every stop. Threatened by shameless media sensationalism and jealous exes, Brady and Liz now have to learn to trust each other despite what they read in the papers.

In the finale to USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s sexy Record trilogy, Liz and Brady may be setting off fireworks along the campaign trail, but can their love transcend politics as usual?


So we have finally come to the last book in Brady and Liz's story. And what a way to end a series!

Brady and Liz may finally be together and telling the world that they were but that didn't mean that everything was smooth-sailing from there. They still had to deal with the people's reactions to their relationship and their judgments, and people that were set on destroying them. Brady had to stand by what his relationship with Liz meant to his political career and how it could also be affected. Liz had to strive to make a name for herself despite being with someone that was a public personality and a very succesful one at that.

This trilogy deserved this wonderful ending. The characters were so well-written with enough depth and dimension that I had began to think they were real. The unhurried plot that spanned two years--a novelty that is hard to find in today's many romances--that showed how two people can grow with each other and into a relationship that can weather storms that other couples can only think of. And that epilogue? Wow, wow, wow! 

Ahhh, I cannot gush enough about this book!!! (Obviously!) THANK YOU, KAL, for coming up with this series and for deciding to share it to the world. I'm a lucky, lucky lady to have read each everything. I will forever recommend this to anyone.


Final verdict: 12/10. Great, awesome must-read.


Record series reviews: 
Off The Record
On The Record

Take by Ella Frank

TAKE – verb: to reach for and hold in one’s hands or get into one’s possession, power or control. 

Logan Mitchell is a man who’s always been more than happy to take what he wants. It’s a philosophy that’s proven lucrative in both his business and personal life, and never was it more apparent than the night he laid eyes on Tate Morrison. After pulling out all the stops and convincing the sexy bartender to give him a try—he’s hooked. 
Now, Logan finds himself in a predicament that demands more from him than a smart-ass answer and his innate ability to walk away when things get too deep. 
He has a choice to make, and it’ll force him to do something he’s never done before—take a chance.

Tate Morrison knows all about taking a chance. He took the biggest one of his life the night he showed up at Logan’s apartment to explore his unexpected reaction to the man. 
Ever since then, he’s thought about little else.
At first he was convinced his attraction was based solely on his body’s curiosity. But the more time he spends with the silver-tongued lawyer, the more Tate realizes that their physical chemistry is only the beginning.
He’s starting to catch a glimpse of what life with Logan would be like, and it’s one full of excitement and satisfaction—a far cry from what he had in the past with his soon to be ex-wife.

Each man will face their fears as they begin to understand the true meaning of give and take. Their feelings for one another will be tested, as will their very beliefs. But now that they’ve found love where they least expected it, will they be brave enough to reach out and take it?


I have said this before and I'll say it again--it was torture waiting for this book to become available. That is the penance we pay for having had started reading ongoing series.

I can count in one hand the M/M stories I have read so far. But I'm not exactly saying no forever for more. (I'm too much of a Brokeback Mountain fan for that to ever happen.) But this series right here is fast becoming one of my all time favourites, M/M storywise or not.

So the story of Tate and Logan continues. This time it dealt more with how Tate had to tell his family about his relationship with Logan. Not to mention, that his family was the hypocritically religious type plus the fact that it wasn't him who broke the news to them. Instead it was his vindictive ex-wife. To cut the story short, it wasn't a pretty picture.

This book touched more on the realistic side of relationships like Tate and Logan's. Although there are beautiful stories of acceptance out there, there are equally the same of the opposite. It's a sad reality but I don't think that it is anyone's business to tell anybody who they can spend their lives with...unless it's a hurtful relationship. Which is an altogeher boat altogether.

Nevertheless, this was another great work from EF. I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book as Logan and Tate faces another demon: Logan's past. Bring it on!


Final verdict: 9/10. Great read.


Temptation series reviews:
Try

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.


What's with the YA/NA read-hogging lately? Not to mention all these new authors, too. (For me, that is.) But I would say that I am on a good streak though. Because here I am with another great find...and I've a feeling that this will not be the last one.

(And isn't it the beauty of reading when you can't stop finding new good authors to read? That means more absolutely gorge books to read in the future!)

I honestly didn't take this book seriously at first glance. Because, hello? Cinder and Ella? How clichéd is that? But then I read the blurb and I thought, why not? By the time I finished this book though, I was hooked.

I am so totally in love with this book (and trying not to gush so much here).

This is a modern fairy tale with a twist. Or twists. I loved the virtual relationship between Ella and Cinder. I loved how they were able to honestly connect online even more than people who gave face to face relationships do. And I guess it was that foundation of three years worth of friendship that was their fallback when the going got tough when they finally met. And I loved how they managed to eventually trust each other with the world looking right at the end.

I was all cried out when I finished this book. KO, what have you done to me?! To make things better, it wouldn't hurt if there were more books about the rest of the great characters in this book. Yes, please. There won't be any complaints from this camp.


Final verdict: 10/10. Only love. Great must-read.

Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?


It's not that I've had enough of sexy reads (will never, ever happen, duh!) but I just thought I would spend some time on some little YA reads last weekend. Not to mention that I've been meaning to read this book for quite some time now.

I found this books to be a bit okay. I'm a big fan of stories about royalty, fiction or not, and I thought I'd give this a try. But I realized that the beauty of royalty-based storylines is that the HEAs are just awesome to read about. But that's something hard to guaranteed in a YA book setting like this. Hello, we can't have our main characters married at eighteen, can we?

Not to mislead you but yes, this standalone does have a HEA. But for how long? That's my cynical self asking. But that's just me. I still would like to think this was the forever kind and I hope I'm right.

This was my first AS read and definitely will not be my last. I'll have to scour around for the rest of her stuff. She created some interesting lead and secondary characters and I'm sure that goes the same for the rest of her books.


Final verdict: 7/10. Good read.

On The Record by KA Linde

For political reporter Liz Dougherty, election day—a day of looking toward the future and saying goodbye to the past—seems like a fitting time to start a new relationship. But feelings for her former flame still linger...

The sexy second book in bestselling author K.A. Linde’s Record series decides whether it’s better to pick up the pieces and move on...or to pick up right where you left off.


Saying it was close to agony waiting for this book to become available pretty much describes what the past months since I read the first book in this series late last year was like. KA Linde spoiled me with that first installment--it was too good for my miserable existence.

This was another fantastic read. It actually delivered more than I had expected for the second part of this series. I did not expect to read a Liz trying her very best to move on after leaving Brady Maxwell and their summer affair. I was happy for her and I was actually glad she had someone else. And then...boom!

As much as I was a fan of the Brady-and-Liz love story, this book actually gives the rare point of view when the lead characters in the story move on. And I had to go through all these pages wondering if Brady and Liz will ever get back together. But at the same time, I was extremely happy with how I got a peek at Liz being unselfish and growing up from when this story all started. And that goes the same with our Senator.

But love is a beautiful thing and it will find its way back to where it belongs no matter how you try to get rid of it or hide it away or forget about it. There might be just a few scenes here between Liz and Brady but those scenes pack a punch. Every time. And that ending? It's that throw-your-ebook-reader-in-frustration cliffhanger kind of thing. Wowzer.

This is one one of those books that set the bar higher for the rest. Another topnotch work from Ms Linde and dare I say, I am ready for book three. Bring it on por favor.


Final verdict: 9/10. Great must read.


Record series reviews:
Off The Record

Rhett by JS Cooper

I’m Rhett.

I’m cocky because I can be. I’ve got it all: the looks, the money, the endurance. I’m the guy that every girl wants to be with, yet none of them have ever been able to tie me down.

I don’t do love. I don’t do relationships. And I sure as hell will never do marriage.

I’m all about the fast life and everything that entails. There’s a different woman in my bed every week. My friends are jealous of me. My enemies envy me. Everyone wants my life. And everything in my life is absolutely perfect. 

Until the day she told me she was moving away. She’s my best friend. She was my first kiss in grade school. We share everything with each other. We never dated because I don’t love her. I don’t care that she’s moving. I don’t care that she’s moving for a guy. I don’t care because I don’t love her. I don’t do love. 

I’m Rhett and I don’t let anything get me down. Then one night changed everything and everything I thought I knew was called into question.

All of a sudden, being Rhett didn’t mean so much anymore.


Ahhh, my very first JSC and I'm glad it was this one. I had so much feels reading this book and I really felt like an idiot grinning all by myself while reading it--in a good way, of course.

Let's just say that bestfriends-to-lovers stories never get old and this is one of the best in my recent memory. Although it might not appeal to all readers how Rhett didn't man up right away with what and how he felt for Clementine, I totally understood his part. ***SPOILERS*** I loved how he really valued their friendship and did just about anything even to the point of (booo!) hooking up with other girls just to distract himself. I know that isn't the most ideal thing to do but the fact that he was apprehensive to bring his relationship with Clemmie to the next level just showed how much he really loved his bestfriend. Sex is the easiest way to lose a friend and it was very adult of both of them to really understand that. There was so much thought put into whether they should corss the line or not.

And Clemmie was a sly little fox. I love a girl who knows her own mind but just like Rhett, she still tried to protect their friendship despite how she felt. And that was when I knew that this was the kind of love that lasts...even after The End part. The way these two valued love and friendship, I'm pretty sure they were in good hands.

One of the best things in this book: that this was in Rhett's POV. I rarely come across a male POV this equally frustrating and enjoyable. It was that good to read. I just loved this! Is all.


Final verdict: 8/10. Good read.

Scoring Wilder by RS Grey

What started out as a joke— seduce Coach Wilder—soon became a goal she had to score. 

With Olympic tryouts on the horizon, the last thing nineteen-year-old Kinsley Bryant needs to add to her plate is Liam Wilder. He's a professional soccer player, America's favorite bad-boy, and has all the qualities of a skilled panty-dropper.

• A face that makes girls weep – check. 
• Abs that can shred Parmesan cheese (the expensive kind) – check. 
• Enough confidence to shift the earth’s gravitational pull – double check.

Not to mention Liam is strictly off limits . Forbidden. Her coaches have made that perfectly clear. (i.e. “Score with Coach Wilder anywhere other than the field and you’ll be cut from the team faster than you can count his tattoos.”) But that just makes him all the more enticing…Besides, Kinsley's already counted the visible ones, and she is not one to leave a project unfinished.

Kinsley tries to play the game her way as they navigate through forbidden territory, but Liam is determined to teach her a whole new definition for the term “team bonding.”


I have been asking for a football, er, soccer romance novel for what felt like forever now so when I first came across this book, I was ecstatic. Over the moon. Uber extra happy. And to think that it was by RS Grey? It was already scoring big with me because I loved the first RS Grey book I read, Behind His Lens. It had been months since then but this book just reminded me that I need to get started on her other stuff already in my TBR pile. Stat.

There are books that you enjoy and then there are books that make you all happy inside. This book was the latter for me. No, both. I was smiling nearly the entire time that I was reading this--whether outside or inside. Amazingly engaging narration and storytelling with the random Harry Potter or Game of Thrones reference thrown in. Who doesn't like when that happens? The main characters are entirely likeable...the others I like to hate.

Okay, although I am not 100% on the side of how Liam and Kinsley's romance started, I am nevertheless cheering for them. (I would like to score Coach Wilder, too.) Good Lord, their chemistry was leaping out of the pages. Eh, my iPad, that is. They were sooo hot together. And this was before the even hotter sex. Kilig is a Filipino word that doesn't have a direct translation in the English language (Google it) but nevertheless, the kilig-factor of this book is just skyrocketing! 

Everyone who knows me know that I have a weakness for footballers but Liam is just so easy to fall in love with. I have never put up celebrity pictures who would make for the ideal main characters in books but I shall make a first for this read because I did have someone in mind while reading this book. And Isco from Spanish club Real Madrid was the Liam in my head. Never mind that he may not fit the exact physical description of the character but everytime his scruff is mentioned...ahh, I just melt. Just look at the guy, for chrissakes! 

(Te amo, bebe. Sigh.)

And the epilogue just melted my insides. Melted me all over. Scrape me off the floor now please. Why oh why do you do this to me, Ms Grey?

Bottomline is, this was an utterly captivating romance and beautiful love story. Call me biased because I love football and any romance associated with it. But this was a definite win for me and my favorites stack. For the footy mad, dare I say, hat trick?


Final verdict: 10/10. I-drowned-in-awesomeness read.

The Billion-Dollar Marriage Contract by Alyssa Urbano

Doomed from the start...

Nikos Demakis and Cassia Andrade were married under a billion-dollar company merger contract. Nikos isn't ready to give up his playboy lifestyle, and Cassia is far from the glittering socialite that their elite circle expects. Events force them to live separate lives.

Ten years later, Nikos is ready to give it all up and settle down with the wife he only sees once a year. Cassia is also ready to settle down...just not with Nikos. 

Will Cassia once again surrender herself to the man who scarred her forever? Or will she give up her inherited fortune to leave and never look back? Will they still be able to fulfill the terms of their billion-dollar marriage contract, when death and danger stalks them at every turn?


The premise of the book right away attracted me because when I stumbled on this book, I was looking for a feel-good read. But as it turned out, this wasn't the feel-good read that I was expecting because aside the romance that I was looking for, the story was injected with enough action to get me reading this book in one sitting.

In short, this was an absolute surprise. Although I wasn't able to really connect with the main characters, there was enough chemistry here that really kept me on the story. There were was some regular romance cliches to the plot but I still enjoyed the play of intrigued weaved right into the romance.

This is another gem of a find because I didn't know that the author is a fellow Filipino. After this, I could probably say that I can spot it when a book has an "accent" when it isn't written by a native speaker. This was the second time I felt it, didn't mind it, but turned out that the gut feel was right. I'd love to see if I will be able to do so sometime in the future again.


Final verdict: 6/10. Okay read.

Reasonable Doubt Volume 2 by Whitney Gracia Williams

She lied to me...
She betrayed the one rule that I'm most adamant about: Honesty. Complete and utter fucking honesty. 
I really wish she was someone else—someone who didn't have the ability to make me feel, someone I could easily discard like the hundreds of women before her. 
She isn't. 
I'm drawn to her like I've never been drawn to a woman before—completely captivated by the very sight of her. But unfortunately, with my past slowly re-surfacing for all of the world to see, I'll have to find a way to let her go. 
She can never be mine. 


I have always told myself not to start a book series if it's not fully complete because the waiting is gonna be one heck of a pain in the neck. But I would rather have that than miss this series because the first part was just too intriguing. Okaaay...and too sexy to pass up on and wait for the entire series to finish.

While Andrew wasn't an instant from the start of this series, he certainly grew on me. So imagine my dismay at the end of the first part of this serial. Ugh! But he is starting to redeem himself in my books (no pun intended) in this second installment. He just does. There's nothing like a seemingly untouchable male lead starting to show cracks and starts to crumble. I feel like doing a fist pump and doing a hell yeah! And I still adore Aubrey. I love her spunk and I'm rooting for her to bring Andrew to his knees.

I loved how WGW started to unravel the story of Andrew's life. I say it ever gets boring in these pages.  Bring on Volume 3 please!


Final verdict: 8/10. Great read.


Reasonable Doubt series reviews:
Volume 1

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.

But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just...play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.


What is this awesomeness?! Ye, gods! I didn't expect to love this book sooo reakin' much. I don't think I can do this book justice with this lowly review. Maybe in a month? Because right now all I wanna do is gush and blubber I could cry.

This book was just brimming of chemistry! There's chemistry and then there's chemistry. Oh, my god! And the sexy is just overwhelming. I'm not talking about the action because this is a CL book and that went without saying. I'm talking about Ansel and Mia putting the flirt on. These two characters are just overwhelmingly good together. And the locales? Well, Las Vegas is hardly sexy but Paris?! Woah, shut up now.

I just can't make a decent review fit enough for this book. Blame it on Ansel because I am crushing so hard on him right now to string a single coherent thought. I can't find any faults at all. But trust me on this, buy this book now and start reading it!!!

Wait, there is no sixth star? Ugh, bummer.


Final verdict: 10/10. Great must-read. Awesome, lovely, sexaaay.

Series Recommendation #8: Losing It by Cora Carmack

This series tells the stories of three college friends totalling to three standalone books and two novellas. I am still unhappy about the fact that my Cade, of all main characters, did not get a novella. It's a cruel, cruel world!

Nevertheless, this was a good series. I was very impressed with CC's stuff when I read Losing It because it was my first time reading her. And just when I thought I was over-the-top crazy for the first book, she gave me Faking It. I. Adored. This. Book. Totally, totally fell for Cade. I loved him! Sigh. I want more of him to read though.

I know people who loved every written word of this series. This is an obvious recommendation for everyone who loves an NA story taken to the next level...of awesome.

Losing It

Keeping Her

Faking It

Finding It

Seeking Her

All In by Raine Miller

Looming danger. A love worth fighting for. A man who’ll go all in.

Ethan Blackstone has a problem on his hands. He’s broken Brynne’s trust and she’s left him. He’s unwilling to live without her and isn’t giving up—he’s dead-set on getting his beautiful American girl back. The passion between them was explosive, but the secrets they hid from each other are dark and chilling and are powerful enough to destroy their shot at a life together. With political threats now directed at Brynne, Ethan is running out of time and he’ll need to gather all his strength and agility to protect her from the dangers that could take her away from him forever. Will Ethan be able to save Brynne from a past that keeps her locked in fear? Will he ever feel the warmth of her touch, the solidity of her trust again? This is a love-struck man who is willing to do whatever it takes to possess the heart of the woman he loves. He’ll go to any lengths to protect her. He’ll go all in.

Here is the fiery story of what happens when two people surrender to a love so great it can heal the scars of the past and give way to a life of pure, rapturous ecstasy.


I give up. I put up a fight but the man is hot AND British so there was really no hope for me to begin with. And did I mention that this book was written in Ethan's POV? *swoons*

I did not expect to get so attached to our guy Ethan here but he wrote a letter to apologize to Brynne. Who does that in this day and age anymore? And that is one of the reason why I love him to pieces. He also happened to be close to his father and that scene that he had with his Pops soon right after Brynne left him was a total win. Alright, as much as I loved Ethan, he couldn't really be prefect--he smoked! That is an absolute no-no for me. I know there was a reason for it but it was just something that I hated that he did. I don't know if having and doting on a pet lion fish (Simba!) ever made up for it.

I definitely got to know Ethan a lot better in this book and was able to finally got the whole story of what really happened to Brynne in her ugly past. It was nasty and I wouldn't wish it on an enemy. I was actually glad that this happened through Ethan's POV because I'm pretty sure that it added to the impact of the story. But then because of this, I also got to slowly know of what nightmares Ethan went through when he was in the Special Forces in Afghanistan. Reading two wounded souls healing together and giving their all in for a committed relationship was beautiful!

Did I mention that there was a Simba POV at the end  of this book? It was kind of short but was a fun read nonetheless.

I had nothing left but want for Ethan when I finished this book. Well, maybe for the next book as well.


Final verdict: 8/10. Good read.


The Blackstone Affair series reviews:
Naked

Naked by Raine Miller

Brynne Bennett is living the good life. An American art student at the University of London and part-time photographic model, she’s putting her life back on track with school and lots of hard work. When ultra successful London businessman, Ethan Blackstone, buys her nude portrait, he isn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wants Brynne in his bed and makes plans to keep her there no matter what. His dominant nature captivates and ensnares despite the demons she carries inside her. But there are secrets in this relationship. Huge ones. Can Ethan free Brynne from the past that has marked her? Will Brynne let him or will the specters tormenting her resurface to destroy them both...


I finally gave in and started this series because I cannot wait any longer to get to know Ethan Blackstone. I only heared good things about the man. And deservedly so, I think. The fact that he is British makes him an instant favorite. Hey, that's how the wind blows here. Okay?

I instantly loved Ethan and Brynne. I mean, Brynne put up a short fight--I loved that she tried!--but I couldn't blame her for eventually giving in to Ethan's charms. Because honestly, who wouldn't with him?

Books that don't have nasty kinks all over them are always going to be winners for me. I mean, BDSM is so overrated in books these days so coming across books when the characters have a "clean" sexual relationship is what is sexy! And I thank RM for putting out a sensual vanilla relationship that are many shades of sexy and hot. Oh, don't get me wrong, Ethan has dominant written all over his personality but at least there weren't anything here that made me cringe and gave me wrinkles. At least, not yet. But I hope I get to keep a sexy vanilla Mr Blackstone. Oh, yeah.

It was just sad how their connection started. Damn, there can never be anything good that could come out from lying by omission. Nope. And when it blew up on their faces, RM placed it right at the end of this book to keep me craving for the second part of the series. Ahh, I loved this part, by the way. I'm sorry but when a woman leaves a man and makes him crumble to pieces...well, I say, "You go, girl" and I hope she stands her ground for as long as necessary. That should make bring him to his senses and make him work for it.

I somehow think that this a bit short though but considering that this is part of a series, I will let it go. For now. And then let's see how the rest of the story goes along.


Final verdict: 8/10. Good read.

Seeking Her by Cora Carmack

A few months after being honorably discharged from the military, Jackson Hunt is still struggling to adjust back to the real world. He needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he’s going to keep his own demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal. 

Bodyguard (and baby-sitter) to spoiled-rich-girl Kelsey Summers isn’t exactly what he’d been looking for, but it’s a chance to travel, to get away from the home that has felt stifling ever since his return. It would be a pretty sweet gig if it weren’t for the fact that Kelsey’s father doesn’t want Kelsey to know she’s being followed. Hunt feels guilty (and a little bit creepy) as he watches her from afar. She’s vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When he sees her falling into the same patterns that he suffered years ago, he decides it’s time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know her is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.


Jackson and Kelsey were probably the most difficult characters to connect to in this series. At least that was how I felt when I read their book. That was probably also the main reason why their book was quite a difficult read for me. So I was glad to have this chance to know the couple again.

Unfortunately, it still didn't do it for me. I was a little excited to be reading this novella because it was Jackson's POV. I really wanted to know what he was thinking when he started his job to follow Kelsey around Europe. But the interest kind of waned bit by bit. Probably because it was already anticlimactic knowing what eventually happened with Kelsey and Jackson.

This novella just cemented how truly bad I feel that Jackson had to witness Kelsey's downward spiral. I guess knowing how things panned out between the two of them was a consolation. CC's writing is still flawless but this story in this series just didn't float my boat. If this had been a novella set after Finding It, it could've been a totally outcome though. Oh, well.


Final verdict: 6/10. Okay read.


Losing It series reviews:
Losing It
Keeping Her
Faking It
Finding It

End Of The Innocence by Alessandra Torre

He thought I owned him. He thought he loved me, that I was enough. But this animal, this sex god who could drive me crazy and steal my heart in the same breath, he would never fully be mine. It was impossible. No one ever owned a God...

One year. I have one year to find out more about this man I am marrying. More about his family. More about our sex, and all of the dirty, delicious places it will take me.

I thought I’d spend this year making a decision. I never thought the decision would be taken from me, snatched right from my naive little hands.


So I finally had my hands on the last book of this trilogy. The last book of my Brad de Luca adventure.

Okay, so I had massive loads of fun reading the first two and a half parts of this series that my expectations for this third installment is naturally sky high. Unfortunately, this read was a bit bumpy at best for me. There were some good points and then there were also some not-so-very good points. Although AT's prose is still the kind that makes it no hardship to read this in one sitting.

But we can't alway have perfection. I wasn't exactly thrilled about the climax of the story. I mean, I was okay with it and I really wanted it to be this big explosive confrontation. But my balloon kind of got deflated in this department just at this most important part of the story. And it kind of got of downhill from there because the confrontation I was waiting for never did happen and I felt cheated. 

Then there was an extended epilogue available online. And it battered some more of my expectations of Julia becoming a kick-ass lawyer. Why? The whole trilogy got ruined right at the end. I just don't get it. 


Final verdict: 6/10. Good read.


Innocence series reviews:
Blinfolded Innocence
The Diary Of Brad De Luca
Masked Innocence

The Diary Of Brad De Luca by Alessandra Torre

I was happy with my life. And who wouldn’t be? Beautiful women, money, a job that I could sleep through and still make bank. But I was bored. And I never could walk away from a challenge.

This challenge turned out to be brunette. Feisty. Just the way I like them. But innocent. Too innocent for me. Too innocent to do anything other than sample and then toss back. Anything more would be too risky, too much work.

I was unprepared for Julia Campbell. I should have done my homework, should have looked before jumping off that cliff. Ditching her proved to be problematic, my sexual needs greater than my common sense.

She was different. She became more than a challenge.

She may just bring my world crashing down.


I did not notice that this novella existed before I started reading the second book hence I read this after it. As much as I have loved the second book, there might have a been a doubt or two at the back of my head. Thank God I found this novella then.

This short story helped ease any doubts that I may have had about how genuine Brad's feelings were for Julia. It validated just how the crazy the man was for her. It was hard to clearly see that in the other two books because Brad's POVs were few and far in between.

It was good to know how caught off guard Brad really was with his attraction to Julia. I'm on Team Julia and it was good reading about what was really going on Brad's head while he started to get to know her. A hero's POV is always welcome and this was no different.


Final verdict: 8/10. Good read.


Innocence series reviews:
Blindfolded Innocence
Masked Innocence