DIRTY STOLEN FOREVER by Nazarea Andrews - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS:

Colt Rayburn loved Aiden Delvin, once. A lifetime ago. Before duty and the Marines took him a world away, chewed him up and spit him out.

Aiden would have waited forever for Colt to come back. But Colt didn’t want that, and he’s rebuilt his life. Without the man he loves.

When Colt comes home from a deployment that went wrong, Aiden is there. Inexplicably back in Green County and impossible to resist. He swore he’d never go back to that place, never destroy Aiden the way he had when he walked away the first time.

But Aiden grew up and changed too, while Colt played war hero.

Both of them know what they want. After all this time. But can a love story that destroyed them once be rebuilt, when life and duty still hangs over them both…

The second in a sexy new series about Green County, and the people who serve there.

REVIEW:

Colt is home after a devastating loss in Afghanistan. While he is happy to see his family and be in a familiar place with modern conveniences again, he is sad about the reason. The one person he wasn't prepared to see was Aiden. The boy he loved before the Marines sent him across the world.

Aiden never understood the reason Colt joined the Marines. Colt enlisted without even discussing it with Aiden, leaving him shattered and alone. Staying in Green County was too difficult because reminders of the life he could have had with Colt was around every turn. He's only back because his brother needed him.

When Colt and Aiden see each other at the local bar, things are tense and awkward. They both know that the attraction is still there, though. Colt just doesn't know how to bridge the gap between them and Aiden doesn't know if he wants to open himself up to heartbreak again and holds himself back.

Colt and Aiden's past is revealed through a few flashbacks that give us a good picture of what pushed Colt to join the Marines. Watching Colt open up to Aiden to reveal the truth is hard. Their relationship is so fragile and both he and Aiden are scared. Will Colt return to the Marines, leaving Aiden again? Is Aiden planning to go back to New York to continue his artistic life surrounded by other artists? They'll have to trust each other to move forward.

I don't read many M/M romances and I'm happy to say that this one is amazing! I was sucked into the story immediately and desperately wanted it to work out for Colt and Aiden. Something else I loved about this story is the acceptance that Colt and Aiden receive from family and friends in regards to their relationship. It is a non-issue, which is so needed in literature. This isn't a GLBT story. It is a love story. A second-chance romance. A story about family. The two main characters just happen to be male.

The Green County Series is definitely one you should read. The first one, DIRTY SEXY SECRET was great, too. You can read my review here.

THE HARD COUNT by Ginger Scott - REVIEW

 

Welcome to THE HARD COUNT review tour with Ginger Scott, hosted by Wordsmith Publicity. Be sure to check out all the participating blogs, reviews and enter the tour giveaway!

 

 

THE HARD COUNT

Mature YA Contemporary Romance-Stand Alone

Release Date: July 15, 2016

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1O7xc52

Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01HSM221W

iBooks: http://apple.co/1WMNjb8

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1tuu6yY
Kobo: http://bit.ly/260udA4

Google Play: http://bit.ly/29Bc3j4

Nico Medina’s world is eleven miles away from mine. During the day, it’s a place where doors are open—where homes are lived in, and neighbors love. But when the sun sets, it becomes a place where young boys are afraid, where eyes watch from idling cars that hide in the shadows and wicked smoke flows from pipes.

West End is the kind of place that people survive. It buries them—one at a time, one way or another. And when Nico was a little boy, his mom always told him to run.

I’m Reagan Prescott—coach’s daughter, sister to the prodigal son, daughter in the perfect family.

Life on top.

Lies.

My world is the ugly one. Private school politics and one of the best high school football programs in the country can break even the toughest souls. Our darkness plays out in whispers and rumors, and money and status trump all. I would know—I’ve watched it kill my family slowly, strangling us for years.

In our twisted world, a boy from West End is the only shining light.

Quarterback.

Hero.

Heart.

Good.

I hated him before I needed him.

I fell for him fast.

I loved him when it was almost too late.

When two ugly worlds collide, even the strongest fall. But my world…it hasn’t met the boy from West End.

REVIEW:

There is so much I liked about this book. 

• I love Nico and Sasha's friendship and how they were able to start connected even after Sasha moved away.
• I love how Reagan's father (the football coach) took her opinions about Nico seriously when she approached him about Nico playing for the team.
• I love how Nico and Reagan's relationship grew and changed over the course of the story. It was a relief to read a story that didn't have insta-love between the main characters.
• I appreciate how Ginger Scott showed how petty and fickle adults act. 
• I love how much Nico loved his niece.
• I love how Nico avoided the trouble in his neighborhood and didn't allow himself to get dragged down by drugs and violence.
• I love how we saw Nico's brother break down and turn his life around when he was left to care for his daughter alone.
• I love how Reagan's family rallied around Nico and supported him in his shot at a future in football.
• I love how we saw Reagan's mom get a backbone and stop worrying so much about what the community thinks about her.
• I love the future Ginger Scott gave Nico and Reagan. There is nothing but good things coming for those two. They are smart. They are devoted. They are strong. Together, they'll accomplish their goals.

I will point out that Ginger Scott mentions that this is a Mature YA. BUT, in my opinion, there isn't much in here that pushes it too far to the mature side. A little language; a little heat, but nothing over-the-top. This is a book that would be totally appropriate in a high school library. 

THE HARD COUNT is a one-sitting read. Be prepared when you start. You won't want to stop. 

SIDENOTE: I didn't know what a hard count was until I read the book. Very cool. Here is a website that explains it. http://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/hard-count.aspx

It's so clever. Basically, it tricks the other team into going offside (I think) be delaying the snap just a little bit. Here is a YouTube video that shows it.

  

GIVEAWAY

1 signed copy of In Your Dreams, $10 Amazon gift card

Open International

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

About Ginger Scott

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless and In Your Dreams.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she

often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Connect with Ginger

Website:  http://bit.ly/1M8g5bi
Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/1U7lDvQ
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1TBkPPT
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/YHKtlF
YouTube:  http://bit.ly/1RcfgqZ
Google:  http://bit.ly/1Rcfjmt
Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1QKNuyr

THE MATCHMAKER'S PLAYBOOK by Rachel Van Dyken - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS:

Wingman rule number one: don’t fall for a client.

After a career-ending accident, former NFL recruit Ian Hunter is back on campus—and he’s ready to get his new game on. As one of the masterminds behind Wingmen, Inc., a successful and secretive word-of-mouth dating service, he’s putting his extensive skills with women to work for the lovelorn. But when Blake Olson requests the services of Wingmen, Inc., Ian may have landed his most hopeless client yet.

From her frumpy athletic gear to her unfortunate choice of footwear, Blake is going to need a miracle if she wants to land her crush. At least with a professional matchmaker by her side she has a fighting chance. Ian knows that his advice and a makeover can turn Blake into another successful match. But as Blake begins the transformation from hot mess to smokin’ hot, Ian realizes he’s in danger of breaking his cardinal rule.…

REVIEW:

Oh my goodness! There is so much to love about this book. The story is great, but what I really appreciated was the humor. Ian's and Blake's banter is adorable. There are a lot of laugh-out-loud moments and even though my husband couldn't care less about what I'm reading, I continued to make him listen to the lines I loved.  Check out all the teasers that have been generated.

Ian and his best friend Lex own and run Wingman Inc. A matchmaking site for girls. They have a fool-proof system for setting people up in long-lasting relationships. Lex, being a tech genius, developed a mathematical system that predicts the probability of the relationship's success. Unlike other matchmaking companies that put two strangers together, Wingman Inc. helps the girl who has a crush that doesn't return her feelings. Ian's process guarantees that the guy will fall for the girl.

What I loved about their philosophy is this. Every girl is beautiful. They appreciate all shapes, sizes, and colors. If, during the process of the matchmaking, Ian and Lex determine the match between the girl and her crush isn't going to work, either through their interactions with both parties or through the mathematical calculations, Wingman Inc will find another match. Ian and Lex don't do anything to change the girls beside basic things like clothes and hair. The Wingman Inc philosophy is that a girl should never change for a guy. I love that!

It is fascinating to see what Ian has the girls do to get the guy of dreams. I'd love to know if it really works. So, someone needs to recreate some of these things and report back. HA HA HA!

I liked seeing how Ian evolved from the beginning to the end of the story. He had to really make some tough choices in this book. First of all, he was breaking a major rule by getting involved with a client. In fact, their contract states that if he sleeps with a client that the client can sue. Also, Blake is different from any girl he's ever been attracted to. She's a tomboy and in the beginning he definitely has issues with her clothing choices. Then, the biggie, he was hired by Blake to get her crush to fall for her. Is he willing to do what she wants even if it means he might have to miss out on the chance to be with her himself? Not everything goes smoothly for Ian and Blake. There are hurt feelings and misunderstandings, but in the end, I love that everything works out.

Even though Ian and Lex are total manwhores, they are still lovable guys. Ian's friendship with his close little group is wonderful. The ending sets up the sequel (more like companion since the story will follow two different main characters) perfectly and I definitely can't wait to read about Gabi and Lex. It will be interesting to see how they end up working through their feelings. As it is, we know they are attracted to each other, but they fight like cats and dogs constantly. THE MATCHMAKER'S REPLACEMENT will be interesting to say the least. It is due to release on July 26, 2016.

MISTER O by Lauren Blakely - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS:

Just call me Mister O. Because YOUR pleasure is my super power.

Making a woman feel ‘oh-god-that’s-good’ is the name of the game, and if a man can’t get the job done, he should get the hell out of the bedroom. I’m talking toe-curling, mind-blowing, sheet-grabbing ecstasy. Like I provide every time.

I suppose that makes me a superhero of pleasure, and my mission is to always deliver.

But then I'm thrown for a loop when a certain woman asks me to teach her everything about how to win a man. The only problem? She's my best friend's sister, but she's far too tempting to resist--especially when I learn that sweet, sexy Harper, has a dirty mind too and wants to put it to good use. What could possibly go wrong as I give the woman I've secretly wanted some no-strings-attached lessons in seduction?

No one will know, even if we send a few dirty sexts. Okay, a few hundred. Or if the zipper on her dress gets stuck. Not on that! Or if she gives me those f*&k-me-eyes on the train in front of her whole family.

The trouble is the more nights I spend with her in bed, the more days I want to spend with her out of bed. And for the first time ever, I'm not only thinking about how to make a woman cry out in pleasure --I'm thinking about how to keep her in my arms for a long time to come.

Looks like the real Adventures of Mister Orgasm have only just begun....

REVIEW:

AMAZING STORY!

Nick and Harper know each other through Harper's brother. As long as he's known her she's been off limits. Harper's brother has let Nick know in no uncertain terms what he'd do to him if he ever tried anything with Harper. Nick has been able to stay away since he didn't see her very often, but ever since Harper asked him to help her pull a prank on her brother they've been meeting more often just to hang out. They have a natural connection. Nick likes everything about Harper. Her quirkiness, the fact that she is a magician for a living, and her awesome sense of humor. Ever since the day of that prank, Harper has made a daily appearances in his fantasies. Harper is the only woman he sees, he can't even picture himself with another woman.

Harper sets his world on fire when she approaches him with a request. She has a hard time talking to men she is attracted to, hasn't really ever dated, and has never had sex. She thinks she's met a guy she likes and wants to get some experience. Who better than a man she already likes and trusts. Since Harper's brother just got married and is leaving for a week-long honeymoon it's the perfect time to give her some lessons.

Together Nick and Harper have amazing chemistry. As the week goes on, Nick realizes that he doesn't want his time with Harper to end. He doesn't want her to date another man. Will he be able to make a move and claim her for himself? Is he willing to risk his friendship with Harper's brother in order to have the woman of his dreams?

There are so many things I loved about this story.

1. Nick and Harper go bowling twice in this book. They have so much fun! Not enough romances include bowling.

2. Instead of porn, Harper uses Tumblr to find things that turn her on. She visits daily and ends up sharing some of her favorite things with Nick. Here is a great Tumblr that features some images and gifs that seem like the ones Harper looked at. http://nsfwromwriter.tumblr.com/ This Tumblr belongs to an erotic romance author, but I can't remember who right now.

3. I love that Nick is a cartoonist.

4. Harper is a magician. She performs a trick for Nick in bed - the pencil up the nose and out the ear trick. Don't worry, she doesn't reveal how it's done.


5. The humor. There aren't many books that can make you laugh out loud and this is one of them.  Both Nick and Harper are funny and their banter is awesome! I LOVED IT!

So, if you haven't read MISTER O yet, you need to.


Want to read the companion book that features Harper's brother? If so, read BIG ROCK.

CRAVE ME by M. Robinson - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS:

They say in order to find yourself you have to go home.
What if home was what you're running from?
Where did that leave you?
Always on the other side of the fence.
Always looking in.
Always wishing you were someone you couldn't be.
Until one day you meet her.
The one.
She was my high, but she was also...

My demise.

REVIEW:

YIKES! This is the first book I've read by this author. Talk about emotional turmoil. These characters really go through the ringer and from what I read in CRAVE ME, it seems like the same goes for the other couples in the first three books in the series. CRAVE ME is a standalone book so don't worry if you haven't read the others.

CRAVE ME is the story of Austin and Briggs. Austin grew up in Oak Island, NC. A friendly beach town filled with people that love him. He has a tight-knit group of friends that the adults call the Good Ol Boys. Austin is the youngest guy of the group (Alex is the youngest and only girl in the group). He's always felt like he had something to prove - never really felt like he fit in. He loves all of the guys and Alex and knows they'd always have his back, but as the years passed and they started growing up, things changed. Hearts were broken, friendship tested, and secrets were kept. After a terrible accident left him damaged and full of guilt, Austin takes off and drifts from place to place. Never wanting to go back home where all his pain is wrapped up in the people he should be closest to.

Briggs lost her parents in a car accident when she was six-years-old. With no other family, she is taken to live with an Uncle she never met. An Uncle that doesn't know how to raise a child and tends to paint her a realistic picture of life. He doesn't show affection, frequently moves her from school to school, and keeps a close eye on her all the time - to the extent of giving her a driver/bodyguard that eventually becomes her only friend. After a particularly bad fifteenth birthday, Briggs makes a hasty decision that leads to devastating consequences. The consequences pull her further into her Uncle's world - a world of illegal activity.

One night at a party, Austin and Briggs see each other across the room. They have an intense interaction that leaves a BIG impression on both of them. Unfortunately, the only see each other that night. Fate brings them together again after a year or more and soon they begin a relationship. They start out as friends and progress to lovers after a couple of years learning each others secrets.

As the years go by, Austin becomes more involved in Briggs' work, going so far as taking the lead in the drug transactions. Unfortunately, this is the beginning of the downward spiral in their relationship.

The obstacles these two face seem insurmountable. The heartbreaks and deceptions keep piling on and on and on. Soon neither of them recognize the person they fell in love with.

Be prepared to hurt when you read this. I mean, really, you'll wonder how Austin and Briggs will survive in tact. At times you'll wonder if they'll survive at all. Your heart will ache as they work their way through their troubles.

I have one teeny tiny issues with the book. THE ENDING. I won't give anything away, but....I would have liked it to be a little tidier. Although the ending is the lead in to a spin-off series that focuses on Briggs' Uncle. Hmmm. Anyone else feel this way?

 If you want to grab the other three, here are the links:

SPINNING OUT by Lexi Ryan - REVIEW

SYNOPSIS:

Once, the only thing that mattered to me was football—training, playing, and earning my place on the best team at every level. I had it all, and I threw it away with a semester of drugs, alcohol, and pissing off anyone who tried to stop me. Now I’m suspended from the team, on house arrest, and forced to spend a semester at home to get my shit together. The cherry on my fuckup sundae? Sleeping in the room next to mine is my best friend’s girl, Mia Mendez—the only woman I’ve ever loved and a reminder of everything I regret.

I’m not sure if having Mia so close will be heaven or hell. She’s off-limits—and not just because she’s working for my dad. Her heart belongs to someone else. But since the accident that killed her brother and changed everything, she walks around like a zombie, shutting out her friends and ignoring her dreams. We’re both broken, numb, and stuck in limbo.

Until I break my own rules and touch her.
Until she saves me from my nightmares by climbing into my bed.
Until the only thing I want more than having Mia for myself is to protect her from the truth.

I can’t rewrite the past, but I refuse to leave her heart in the hands of fate. For this girl, I’d climb into the sky and rearrange the stars.

SPINNING OUT is a sexy, emotional novel of 100,000 words. It is first in the Blackhawk Boys, a series of standalone novels.
---
THE BLACKHAWK BOYS. Football. Secrets. Lies. Passion. These boys don’t play fair. Which Blackhawk Boy will steal your heart?
Book 1 - SPINNING OUT - Coming May 3rd (Arrow's story)
Book 2 - RUSHING IN - Coming Summer 2016 (Christopher's story)
Book 3 - GOING UNDER - Coming late 2016 (Sebastian's story)

REVIEW:

Guilt can make people do strange and terrible things. Arrow's guilt drove him to drugs, alcohol, and other illegal activity. It landed him on house arrest. Little does he know that when he shows up at his dad's house to start his sentence that Mia would be there. Not only just there, but always there as a live-in nanny to his father's new child. How is he going to survive with Mia in the room next door. Mia, the girl he desperately wanted, but couldn't have. Now more than ever.

With her father drinking his life away, it is up to Mia to pay the bills so when Mr. Woodison offered to pay her to take care of the house and his new baby she jumps at the chance. Even though working there would send her father over the edge, she figures what he doesn't know can't hurt him. Mia didn't know that Arrow would be serving his house arrest at the house when she took the job. She doesn't know if she'll be able to handle seeing him all the time. The guilt she has weighs so heavily on her that she is a shadow of her former self. Basically just going through the motions. After what she caused, she doesn't deserve a happy ending and seeing Arrow just reminds her what she did and what she could have had if she'd made different choices.

Both Arrow and Mia need to heal, but will they be able to get passed all guilt to do it? Arrow is determined to bring Mia back to her former self. He can't stand to see her walking around the house like a zombie - punishing herself for something that wasn't her fault. Arrow knows he is to blame. He just has to find a way to make everything right.

SPINNING OUT is an intensely emotional story. It is told through two timelines - present day combined with a series of flashbacks that reveal what really happened between Arrow, Mia, and Arrow's best friend Brogan leading up to a terrible accident. Will Mia be able to forgive Arrow when she finds out his involvement? What really happened that night?

Lexi Ryan sets up the next book in the series at the end of SPINNING OUT. I can't wait for Christopher's story and then Sebastian's after that.

A THOUSAND BOY KISSES by Tillie Cole

Age 5:

Rune moves with his family from Norway to Blossom Grove, GA. They moved next door to Poppy's family. In fact, their rooms are directly across from each other. 

“Rune,” she said, her voice serious and strong, “you live right next door, you’re a Viking and I just love Vikings. I think we should be best friends.”

Age 8:

Poppy's grandma dies and leaves her with her life's grand adventure. 

“I’ll give you a thousand kisses, Poppymin. All of them. No one will kiss you ever, but me.”

Age 15:

Rune's father is transferred back to Norway so the family has to move. The thought of separation is brutal for both Rune and Poppy.  For a couple of months they talk on the phone every day, but one day Poppy stops returning Rune's calls. He can't find out what happened. All he knows is that Poppy's family has left town and no one knows why. Rune blames his father for forcing him to leave Poppy and starts to hang out with a rough crowd, partying, and smoking. Anger is all he feels.

Age 17:

Rune's family moves back to Blossom Grove. Poppy has returned to town, too. She is nervous to see Rune and neither know how to act. They just know that things aren't the same and that they might never be again. Poppy is determined to keep the reason she disappeared a secret. She's convinced it's for the best and that she's protecting Rune from devastation, but staying away is harder and harder as time goes by. Poppy realizes she can't stand seeing Rune with other girls and when she's finally had enough when she sees him at a party she runs away only to be chased home by Rune. 

    

When Rune catches up with Poppy in their favorite cherry blossom orchard he demands to know what happened. Eventually, he wears her down and she confesses everything. Poppy and Rune begin the process of getting to know each other again. Poppy is also determined to bring out the old Rune again - the Rune she fell in love with when she was a child. It turns out that what Rune needed was his Poppy because slowly but surely he lets go of his anger.

“Kiss four hundred and thirty-four, with my Rune at the beach … when his love came home.”

A THOUSAND BOY KISSES is a beautiful story. It is different from any other book that Tillie Cole has written. Her other books are pretty edgy and this one is a true young adult novel.  Be prepared though, you'll need kleenex from the get go. 

You'll fall in love with Poppy and Rune and won't want the story to end. While I'm thrilled that this is a standalone novel, I was sad when it was time to leave their world. But when I did, I totally felt like I'd been through the wringer. A THOUSAND BOY KISSES is definitely an emotional ride. Be sure to download your badge of honor after you finish this heart-wrenching love story. I did!