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Thursday, April 8, 2021

Dual Review: THE WORD IS MURDER + THE WHISPER MAN

I keep telling myself I want to read more Mystery/Thriller books that don't include the In Death series. I've read three last year, and that's including these two up for review. 2021 will be the year I try to incorporate more into my reading! I have quite the little to-be-read collection piling up. Both Anthony Horowitz and Alex North were new authors to me. One blew my socks off and the other left me conflicted. It goes to show how much my mood and impressions of a character can greatly affect my enjoyment of a story. Both books have this minimalist cover-look though that I absolutely am a fan of.

Promo Tour + Review + Giveaway: DIRTY by A.C. Bextor

DIRTY.

A seemingly innocuous five letter word until you pull back the layers of its meaning.

Imprisoned in a small room within the walls of the Satan's Creed Motorcycle Club compound, Casey Richards struggles to survive the only life she was raised to know. Her mother, a club whore, and her father, an unknown outlaw she's never met, Casey's fate is all but sealed in the eyes of the club.

Foul. Unclean. Undesirable.

Trapped in a loveless marriage, and with no children of her own, Emma Carsen is the only living soul willing to fight for her niece, Casey. She's all but given up on saving her until the one man she's longed to see again unexpectedly finds his way back to town and into her life.

Sordid. Vile. Unscrupulous.

Max Taylor, former-biker of a disbanded MC, has been holding onto reasons to avoid coming back to the small town he grew up in. The same ghosts that drove him away eventually force Max to find his way back. Now that he's home, he may be Casey's only chance for freedom.

Filthy. Hateful. Impure.

In order to get to Casey, Max must find a way to infiltrate the MC. Setting up a meet with Hoss, Satan's Creed's President who's known for this depravity as much as his double-crossing ways, it's clear that forming an alliance is going to be more of a challenge than he expected. Now he must prove his loyalty to the club and in doing so, he's forced to get his hands...

DIRTY.

Review: BANG by E.K. Blair

Title: Bang

Author: E.K. Blair

They say when you take revenge against another you lose a part of your innocence.
But I'm not innocent.
I haven't been for a very long time.
My innocence was stolen from me. Taken was the life I was suppose to have. The soul I was born with. The ruby heart embedded in a life full of hopes and dreams.

Gone.
Vanished.

I never even had a choice.
I mourn that life. Mourn the what-ifs.
Until now.
I'm ready to take back that was always meant to be mine.

But every plan has a fatal flaw. Sometimes it's the heart.

**Due to the dark and explicit nature of this book, it is recommended for mature audiences only as some scenes may be particularly disturbing**

"Nothing is real until you break down the walls and reveal the ugliness."

"What on earth did I just read?" was my first thought after finishing this book. "OMFG" was my second. Dark erotic suspense novels aren't everyone's cup of tea but I'm starting to find it's one of my guilty pleasures. I was so torn on how I'd go about rating this book to be honest. But even though Bang took me way out of my comfort zone, it's undeniable that this book was brilliantly written. I'm still reeling and in shock with how it ended though. WHAT WAS THAT CLIFFY?! Bang would make one epic revenge thriller movie. Holy smokes.

Review: EVERLY AFTER by Rebecca Paula

All truths burn bright and clear. I'm still waiting in the dark.

Everly Monteith has traded her life of glitter, parties, and self-destruction for waitressing in a Parisian café. She's put the tragedy that sent her across the Atlantic in the past—until her toxic ex shows up and sends her reeling once more. Her fresh start begins slipping away until a smug British war correspondent crashes her party. But falling for Beckett means letting down her guard, something that might put them both into the dark.

There are beautiful lies in this world, and it takes me being chased through a hallway at a rave to decide this girl is one of them. But even the most beautiful lies aren't worth chasing.

Twenty-five-year-old Beckett Reid is forced into sabbatical after being kidnapped on assignment in Afghanistan. Back in Paris, he locks himself away to work on a novel, focused on saving his budding journalism career. But when he meets an enigmatic American heiress, his plans are quickly neglected. Everly is the perfect replacement for dangerous war zones, even if she does leave glitter on everything he owns. Reckless and wild, she runs through life making more mistakes than anyone he's met, but Beckett is determined to fight for her, even if he must face the messy truth that he must fight for himself first.

*This New Adult romance is recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content.*

"Sometimes there's good in what scares us."

Everly After isn't what I'd classify as your typical new adult contemporary read. It had quite a dark and depressing tone during many parts of the book. Mainly because of the heroine, Everly. She's settled into a life that she doesn't find meaningful. She's very much struggling to find a purpose, and it made me sad to see her take one step forward only to go back five. She made a lot of poor decisions which made her a hard character for me to like. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book and not only because Beckett swept me off my feet! What I loved most about Everly After was that the main characters didn't fix each other's imperfections. It was more that they helped each other admit to them and move forward as individuals. Rebecca Paula has written a beautiful story about two broken people loving each other enough to support them at their lowest.

Review: MADE by J.M. Darhower

Title: Made

Author: J.M. Darhower

Corrado Moretti.

The world knows the notorious Kevlar Killer, but few have ever seen what lies beneath his armor. The abused child. The neglected teenager. The broken man. He always did whatever he had to do in order to survive.

It's kill or be killed.

Throughout his life, he has been there in the shadows, a witness to everything from beginning to end. Bound by loyalty and honor, there's only one thing he would sacrifice it all for: family.

Never get close. Never get attached. It's a lesson that has been brutally pounded into him since childhood, but they're words the DeMarcos make it difficult for him to follow. Through them he finds love and grieves loss, realizing the world isn't quite as black and white as it's made out to be.

Made.

"The circle of life, it's cruel, but it's unavoidable."

Wow. Corrado Moretti was a character that stood out in Sempre and intrigued me to no end. This book was phenomenal! Everything about Corrado's life is completely exposed and you can't help but feel for this honorable man. Made wasn't full of romance and cheesy love lines, which was understandable considering the kind of man Corrado is. This just made every scene between him and Celia that much more meaningful and touching.

"Only the weak use their fists. The strong use their words."

Made encompasses Corrado's childhood all the way to adulthood. His childhood was tough to read. His family acted like it was normal for someone to be beaten and even killed. Corrado's goal in life was to become 'an honorable man' like his father. You begin to realize quickly that he is one and an even better one than his father who, compared to his other family members, was relatively good. His mother was harsh and unstable. His sister was devious and ungrateful. His father wouldn't get 'Dad of the Year', always absent due to his work with La Costa Nostra, but he did teach Corrado some valuable lessons. Corrado learned early on how to be independent and how to emotionally detach himself from others. At least until he met Celia DeMarco, the daughter of La Costa Nostra's boss.

"I'll cheat the law, I'll cheat my taxes, I'll try my damnedest to cheat death,

but never... never... will I cheat on you."

Celia is the light to Corrado's dark. She was fierce, protective of her younger brother, Vincent, and extremely curious. I absolutely LOVED seeing how they were as kids, as teens, EVERYTHING. I really enjoyed seeing how nervous Corrado would get around Celia heheh. He had a facade on while working but every time it was just him and Celia, it melted away and all you saw was heart. Corrado was incredibly compassionate, when he allowed himself to be that is. Surprisingly, he can be very amusing with his seriousness haa. But above all, I loved that he never treated Celia like she was 'his property' as some of the other men did and he never took her for granted. I also enjoyed seeing all the pieces come together for Sempre. And seeing young Carmine, Dominic and Haven... oh lord, my heart could hardly stand it. A MUST READ for those who loved Sempre!

"Because without villains, there wouldn't be superheroes."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Luna Rossa
"I found the one," he whispered into her hair.
"Favorite Sinatra song?"
"Yes," he replied. "But I meant you."
SWOOOOOOOOON.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So I read Made before reading Sempre: Redemption and noticed that there are some parts that I didn't recall in the first book.

I still enjoyed it nonetheless but here is the recommended reading order I've seen on GR.

Sempre

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

Sempre: Redemption

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

Made

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

Series prequel. Should be read after Sempre & Sempre: Redemption

(Corrado's story)

Friends (takes place before Sempre) & Forever (takes place after Sempre: Redemption)
FREE | Amazon | Kobo |

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Review: BECOMING CALDER by Mia Sheridan

Title: Becoming Calder

Author: Mia Sheridan

From the New York Times bestselling author of Archer's Voice. Becoming Calder is the first part in a two-part romance series. The conclusion, Finding Eden, is available now.

There is a place in modern day America with no electricity, no plumbing, and no modern conveniences. In this place, there is no room for dreams, no space for self-expression, and no tolerance for ambition.

In this place, there is a boy with the body of a god and the heart of a warrior. He is strong and faithful and serves his family honorably. But he dares to dream of more.

In this place, there is a girl with the face of an angel and a heart full of courage. To her family, she is the vision of obedient perfection. But she dares to want that which she has been told can never be hers.

Becoming Calder is the story of good versus evil, fear versus bravery, and the truth that the light of love has always found its way into even the darkest places...From the beginning of time, to the end of the world

**New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and graphic sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

"No one should ever stop you from gaining knowledge if you want it."

Becoming Calder is the kind of book that makes you think and appreciate life. Realize how fortunate you really are for having indoor plumbing, electricity, sweets, pencils, paper, freedom. This story was riveting, unique and enlightening. Although I felt the first 50% was slow for my liking, the last 50% was heart-pounding and epic! My heart hurt for both Calder and Eden, for having fallen for each other so intensely but not being able to express it to the world. You witness their growth from children to young adults and how their feelings grew as the story progressed. The burn was wonderful and their love was heart-wrenchingly real.

Calder Raynes is the water bearer in an isolated village called Acadia where everyone has a specific role assigned by the Gods. Even as a young boy, you can see how compassionate and strong he is. I loved all the scenes with his younger sister and those with his best friend, Xander. Both of whom were excellent secondary characters. Calder had always dreamed of being a part of the council, to be of more use to his people and to go out to work in the community.

Those that live in Acadia follow their leader, Hector Bias whom the Gods 'speak' to. Prophecy foretold that him, along with his future wife, would lead the people of Acadia to Elysium after a great flood. As I continued reading, I started realizing that Elysium was their Heaven and that Hector was essentially leading his own cult. He creeped me out to no end. His character seemed so calm and insightful but he could be incredibly ruthless as well.

"If this is the last piece of heaven I get before I'm dragged down to hell, then I'll gladly take it."

Eden was brought into Acadia when she was a young girl because she was needed to fulfill the prophecy. She was kept in the main lodge with Hector and the other council members but was basically isolated from everyone else. She had no friends. Her education was very limited. She was taught how to play the piano but that was it, no math, no science. The very first time she tries to interact with Calder and his friends was so heart-warming. The spark of the flame.

As they grow older and closer, I wanted to melt in a puddle of goo from their secret meetings and lessons at their spring. They're meant for each other. Though I was annoyed with how weak Eden was at the start, her character growth was phenomenal by the end. Both Calder and Eden are strong in different ways. They fought for their love. You experience so much hope and devastation in this book, it's crazy. I cried so hard in the last quarter of the novel. TISSUES ARE A MUST.

There was a scene with Calder and Xander concerning clothes and shopping in the second half ot the book that was so adorable yet so sad. Their friendship was actually my favorite aspect in Becoming Calder. They were like brothers, going to any length to help the other. But that ending! Oh-em-gee. I don't know how Mia Sheridan does it. Every book in her A Sign of Love series has been extraordinary and this one was no exception.

"As long as we're both under the same moon, we'll always find a way to each other."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A Sign of Love novels do not need to be read in order and can be read as stand-alones!

However, there are exceptions such as Becoming Calder and Finding Eden which must be read together.

Leo

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

(Inspired by Leo)

Leo's Chance

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

Hero's POV novel. Should be read after Leo

Stinger

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

(Inspired by Scorpio)

Archer's Voice

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

(Inspired by Sagittarius)

Becoming Calder

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

(Inspired by Aquarius)

Finding Eden

| Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo |

Second part & conclusion of the Aquarius story. Should be read after Becoming Calder

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Review: ACE'S REDEMPTION by A.C. Bextor

Title: Ace's Redemption

Author: A.C. Bextor

Cherry
Memories alone can ruin you. Fear has a paralyzing effect, and love isn't always enough to keep you safe.

Ace was the gateway to freedom I hadn't known since I was fifteen. He offered his protection from the demons that haunted me; both living and dead. Although I knew I wasn't enough to keep him, this didn't deter my hope that one day he'd love me for who I was, not the broken girl he tried so desperately to save. In the end, the ghosts of my past found me. Their malevolence knew no bounds, and I was forced to succumb to their will of darkness. Each threat named against those I loved made any escape impossible; choosing my life for theirs became my desolate absolution.

Inevitably, it was my own weakness and self-doubt that became my undoing.

Ace
Emotional ties are sometimes severed. Friendships down always endure their hardships, and love offered isn't always returned.

I was in love once. For me, leaving her back in Ohio was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. For her, moving on with her life that included her son and the man she loved was no less than she deserved—unconditional happiness. My reasons to bring Cherry home to California were obvious. I needed help with my family, and she needed help staying clean and convincing her parents she was ready to give her son the life he deserved. It was the perfect plan. However, the best laid plans often get lost amidst their best intentions.

Cherry fell in love with me, and in return my love for her acted as the catalyst to her destruction.

*This novel contains material that is not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. Content includes: drug use, explicit language, violence, rape, and other scenarios with content that readers may find offensive. Please use caution when deciding on this book, as every reader has the right to understand the product before purchase.

**ARC was kindly provided by author A.C. Bextor via The Book Nuts in exchange for an honest review**

"I don't think it's possible to forget, but eventually you'll make other memories—

good ones that will outlive the bad ones."

I really, REALLY enjoyed this one!! It wasn't what I was expecting, which was a story centering around a male motorcycle club member (the name Ace just screams 'hot biker' you know?) falling in love with a distraught woman that club saves. I wasn't entirely off the mark though. Ace was a MC member, specifically the Lights of Peril MC. He gave up his cut and returned home to California, to his sister, grandmother and his friends, because he couldn't stand seeing the woman he loved (Sadey) be happy and in love with the club President. Peril was actually where Ace first met Cherry. She was the 'club whore'.

Raegan, aka Cherry, had an extremely rough past. She was caught up in drugs and terrible people. She was forced to give up her baby boy at a young age because of it. Eventually, Cherry became a club whore at Peril for a place to stay and belong. She was intimately acquainted with Ace and was there for him during the times he wallowed over Sadey. From there, they became friends. And as a friend, Ace agreed to take Cherry with him to Cali and help get her life back on track if she helped with his family and stayed clean.

"I'm your friend, and you can talk to me... even if you want to talk about her."

I loved Ace and Cherry's relationship. Ace was protective of her and cared for her but he couldn't bring himself to love her because of his lingering feelings for Sadey. They were just friends, but he couldn't imagine Cherry being with anyone. The just the thought pissed him off. He was a controlling alpha but he was also very sweet. Then there was Cherry. Words cannot express how much I felt for this girl. She's certainly become one of my favorite heroines! Having gone through what she did, she was still sassy and strong. She didn't let the past define her. The fact that she wanted to get clean for her son was admirable as well. Learning about her unrequited love for Ace made my heart ache. Cherry's the kind of character that you can't help but cheer for.

The secondary characters of Ace's Redemption were wonderful. I loved them all, even man-whore Hayden! Ace's friends were a funny bunch and a part of a band called Devil's Despair. They accepted Cherry into their folds easily, as did Ace's grandmother Bean and little sister Sarah. Cherry hadn't spoken with her parents since dropping off Decklan (her son) with them long ago. You really notice how much love she had to give, so seeing her have a close relationship with Ace's family was heart-warming.

"You can't always protect those you love from everything, and feeling guilty
about it doesn't help the circumstance."

I did love that Cherry reconnected with her dad. But most of all, I got all teary-eyed when she was finally face-to-face with her son! I had a feeling Cherry's past would come back to haunt her though. And when it did, I couldn't stop reading. I was on a mission to get to that happy ending!! I felt disgusted and angry learning the details of her horrid history. I wanted those responsible to suffer a painful death. Although, I could understand her actions as a means to protect her loved ones, I wanted to shake her when she tried to 'escape' the way she did. I cried a good amount during the last 30% of the book, let me tell ya.

The only reason I docked half a star was because there were some time jumps. I would have loved to have witnessed Ace and Cherry's romantic relationship develop the first few months after they finally got together. Overall, Ace's Redemption was an intense and incredible read! Great romance and character dynamics. Ace and Cherry first appeared in the Lights of Peril series but I thought, having not read that series myself, A.C. Bextor did a spectacular job in 'introducing' them and their complicated relationship quickly. I will probably end up reading Lights of Peril anyway though haa. I can't wait for the next book in the Devil's Despair series! :D

"No more escapes. You never need an escape again and most certainly never from me."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bean

The wise and loving grandma.

She refers to texting as "sending words" (how adorable right? heh).

She didn't have much dialogue but when she did, you shut up and listen.

I loved when she gave Ace the 'you're worth it' speech.

I'm right here

"I'll give you anything as long as you don't go anywhere without me. I miss you, Rae."

Every time Ace called Cherry by her real name my heart got all warm.

This scene made me teary-eyed! He was laying out his feelings without actually saying I love you.

And to me, it was just as meaningful, if not more, given their history.

Extras: Character Casting

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Dual Review: THE WORD IS MURDER + THE WHISPER MAN

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Promo Tour + Review + Giveaway: DIRTY by A.C. Bextor

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Review: BANG by E.K. Blair

Monday, April 20, 2015

Review: EVERLY AFTER by Rebecca Paula

Friday, November 28, 2014

Review: MADE by J.M. Darhower

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Review: BECOMING CALDER by Mia Sheridan

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Review: ACE'S REDEMPTION by A.C. Bextor