Let it Be Me ~ By Barbara Speak

  3.5 ~ 4 Stars

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review 

Barbara Speak gives us a heartwarming story of two people, both victims of circumstance, whose paths have joined them together. Arianna Dubray, a likeable yet overly dramatic young girl, finds herself in a new town and a new life – none of it is welcomed or of her choosing. Her character had my sympathies as she greatly suffers from the secrets she carries, an abusive stepfather, a neglectful mother and the forced changes in her world. Arianna’s saving grace is a sexy and sweet cowboy I’ve come to adore…Canyon Michaels.

He’s hot, charismatic, patient and amazingly kind. Canyon offers a friendship to Ari when she is at the lowest point in her life. Both main characters struggle with emotional pain and the only comfort they find is within each other’s arms. I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow and blossom into love.

Let it Be Me was a slow moving read at first, but the storyline picks up during the second half as secrets begin to unravel and the bonds of their relationship deepens. I found myself constantly guessing as to what troubles were buried in Ari’s past. There’s lots of drama in this read and a cast of characters I’ve come to adore, especially Shelby (Ari’s cute little sister), and some I totally despised, that added the element of angst to the story. Some laughable moments and times I found myself frustrated – mainly with Ari’s melodramatic persona. But all in all, the heavy dose of heartache and heart mending, laced throughout the story, was emotionally touching. Happy there’s no cliffhanger, and looking forward to Canyon and Ari’s continuing saga in Let it Be Us.

Kane's Hell by Elizabeth Finn

 4 Stars

ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review

Kane’s Hell was an emotionally gripping tale that absolutely gutted me. Elizabeth Finn has the ability to weave incredibly beautiful love stories with such intensity, angst, heartache and drama.

I have to confess, found myself stepping away from this read a few times, because it was difficult to absorb all the tragedies the main characters, Kane and Helene, endured as teenagers. It sent me reeling. Terror befell this couple and it saddened me greatly to see how it destroyed their lives and drove them apart. One night changed the course of their lives and their relationship, as they experienced a taste of hell at the hands of a madman. And be warned, some flashback scenes were disturbingly graphic, yet necessary to connect with each character’s pain.

My heart ached for both, when seeing their jovial spirit and friendship destroyed, especially Helene. Seeing her pain touched me. Although she is a strong heroine, it was tough witnessing her struggles, dealing with the aftermath and her solitude. Barely surviving, her only coping mechanism was to throw herself into her studies and her job. Kane’s abandonment left her with no other option, until he returned and fell back into her life.

Kane is a beautifully broken hero. At first, his man-whorish ways ticked me off and it took some time for me to look beyond his gritty and sometimes brutish character. I was angered that he left Helene alone to suffer silently for over eleven years. But that all changed when I dove deeper into his persona to see how guilt utterly consumed him. My adoration for Kane grew as I saw the extent of his pain and his journey towards healing. In a way, he suffered alone just as much as Helene. Above all, I wanted to reach in, grab hold and make all of Kane’s guilt, shame and troubles disappear.

Kane’s Hell is a deep, powerful love story of suffering devastation, forgiveness, hope and the healing power of love. There were moments of sadness, and moments of off the charts passion. The main character’s horrific tragedy brought me to the brink of tears and emotionally devastated me…only to be slowly pieced back together through Finn’s story telling magic.  As always with this author’s tales, be prepared for an intense ride.

 

 

 

One to Save by Tia Louise

I really need to catch up on this series. Derek is one hell of a sexy Alpha and I fell in love with him in the first installment, One to Hold.  One to Save gives a glimpse into the continuing story of Melissa and Derek’s passionate romance. Tia Louise did not disappoint in laying out a storyline filled with steam, mysteries and angst. I just go weak in the knees and all swoony when a hero goes above and beyond the pale to protect his woman. Derek is my kind of knight in shining armor. Sexy, domineering and possessive, nothing will stop him when it comes to Melissa’s wellbeing. He would move heaven and hell to assure no harm comes her way. Derek stands in the line of fire to eliminate all threats at all costs…to the point of sacrificing himself for her and their child. Guarding her from danger, Derek manages to wound her heart by keeping secrets. Information that he holds near to shield Melissa has affected their relationship. Not disclosing certain information creates a rift between this couple, endangering a happy future together. I can’t fault Melissa for being upset with Derek’s intention to keep her in the dark regarding what lengthens he went through to protect her. But sometimes given his business, certain actions are necessary. Melissa has a tendency of taking things to an extreme and causing excessive drama. She’s stubborn and unreasonable in creating more hurdles for this pair to overcome, hurting Derek needlessly in my opinion. However Derek remains strong. The intensity of his love for Melissa is heartwarming. He is true and dedicated. That’s what I admire about his character aside from all his sexiness - his overwhelming commitment to shield his lover and family, especially given Melissa’s background. I enjoyed catching up with this sexy couple. Derek, as usual, was alluring and charming. One to Save was a quick enticing read jam packed with hot sex, drama and suspense. I can always count on Tia for a deliciously spicy tale.

Deep (Stage Dive #4) by Kylie Scott @KylieScottbooks

Why…WHY does it have to end? Stage Dive is one of my favorite rock-star reads and I hate – absolutely LOATHE the fact that Ben’s book marks this series’ finale. Kylie Scott has the knack of writing the most delicious, lighthearted romances that combines sizzling sexy bad-boy rockers, sassy chicks, laugh out loud antics and steamy passionate moments which always leaves me breathless. Reading Deep was bittersweet because I’ll sincerely miss this loony crew, especially my man, Mal. I’m a total Stage Dive fan-girl groupie. Poor Lizzy. Being Anne’s little sister and Mal’s sister-in-law, she easily fell into this band’s family and caught sight of Ben…the sexy, bearded bass player. After lusting and drooling over this bad ass for what seems like forever, she finally gets her shot at one night of unbridled passion, the likes of which were not only earth shattering, but also life altering – in a HUGE way. However, their one time Vegas fling did not end so well, which left her utterly crushed. All hopes of putting their tryst behind her is now impossible...She’s knocked up. Young, single, alone and preggers, Lizzy manages to suck it up, lay out a new plan for her future, break the news to Ben  (Cue in major freak-out - dude did not take the news so well) and face the possibility that she will take on parenthood all on her own.   Liz was a heroine that I could not help but admire. She’s the master of sarcasm and I loved the back and forth banter between her and Ben through their texts and phone conversations. She’s got attitude, but has a sweet and gentle loving side.  And it goes without saying - Lizzy is patient, especially dealing with Ben and his standoffish manner. I felt heartbroken at times because I sensed her affections towards the likes of Ben were one sided and her character struggled. Between raging pregnancy hormones, pent up horniness, meddling friends/family and a less than enthusiastic baby daddy, Liz has her hands full, yet never lost her sense of self and sense of humor. She is my favorite heroine of the series. Oh Ben, seriously, I wanted to knee you in the nuts and smack some sense into you. I really wanted to love Ben from the start, but he pissed me off…the big bearded relationship and commitment phobe jerk. Ugh! He flat-out frustrated me with his aloof demeanor and being scared shitless of Lizzy's situation. Yeah, he was sexy in a brooding panty melting way and his dirty talk was hot, but he’s a bit too self absorbed. That didn’t give me the warm and fuzzies towards his character. HOWEVER, when he FINALLY pulled his head out of ass and dropped his guard, he was sweet, loving and affectionate. Near the bitter end of the story, his gentle side broke through in the way he cared for Liz, and the seductive rocker won me over. It wasn’t easy, with all the drama he created, but I was so happy he was able to turn my feelings for his character around. I walked away adoring Ben. All in all, I enjoyed Deep and truly sad to see these characters’ stories come to an end. I will miss them, especially Mal’s crazy shenanigans. The ending was a bit too rushed for me. Letting go of these characters was difficult enough; I wanted to savor each and every one of them a little longer. Nonetheless, I absolutely love Scott’s clever mix of sex and humor, which flowed throughout each one of her tales. Her witty writing style places her high on my ‘must read’ authors list.

Broken Juliet (Starcrossed #2) by Leisa Rayven

 

 

5 Star-crossed Loving Stars

Arc received in exchange for an honest review

 

Finally, the encore…

The saga of Cassie and Ethan’s star-cross romance continues and WOW, I could not wait to jump into this sequel. At the end of “Bad Romeo”, I was left with so many unanswered questions… and my nerves were wracked with worry.

What was the real reason Ethan crushed Cassie?

What would become of this broken couple?

Will Cassie’s desire for Ethan overcome her fears?

Is Ethan strong enough to convince Cassie that this time he is truly committed? 

How will Ethan repair the heart he once shattered?

So on and so on…

GAH!! Leisa Rayven left me completely crushed and panicked – I was heartbroken over Ethan’s callous ways and yearned for him to mend Cassie’s (and my) heart. And now the stage is set, the curtains are drawn and in Act II Ethan and Cassie’s performance had my emotions whirling.   I savored every moment, “Broken Juliet” was an absolute HIT!!

“Broken Juliet” picks up right where “Bad Romeo” left me dangling – with present day Ethan desperately fighting to win back Cassie’s heart and trust and to earn forgiveness. As more of their heartbreaking past is brought to light, there’s insight into Ethan’s anxieties, the unimaginable sucky reasons why he destroyed their relationship and the toll their breakup took on the young Cassie. Gone is the witty, optimistic girl, leaving behind a fearful woman. My heart went out to her, seeing the life she leads is a direct result of Ethan’s past actions. Contrarily, Ethan’s outlook on life is forever altered as he discovers the importance of Cassie’s love – it is the missing piece of his soul. I loved the heavy element of irony Rayven laced into the storyline as well as the way she seamlessly floats between past and present, and how she allowed her characters to magically morph into each other’s roles.  Their love and struggles made for an undeniably beautiful romance.

 

Although I was less than pleased with the younger Ethan who consistently frustrated the crap out of me to the point I wanted to pummel him… SEVERELY, present day Ethan was one of those charming leading men that stole the show and won my heart. I championed his fortitude and believed his intentions were genuine. It wasn’t easy making my peace with his character when I both loved and hated him with a passion. Despised his cold-hearted ways of the past, undeserving of Cassie’s affections. Had me swooning seeing his pain, his change of heart and the beauty of his soul. I honestly relish a story of redemption and Ethan, I feel, has atoned for his past sins. I applaud his character’s growth. Oh, and the fact that he was incredibly sexy and passionate as all hell, helped to change my opinion. Once seeing Ethan’s sincerity, I couldn’t help but adore him.

“This is precious. This is love. This is something I’ll never take for granted, because I know how it feels to be without it.”  ~Ethan

 

Cassie, rightfully so, played the part of  ‘the woman scorned’ gracefully. I whole-heartedly understood her apprehensions and doubts, but wanted her to pull her head out of her ass a little sooner and make nice with Ethan. She held my sympathies in both the past and present – her pain moved me and I ached for her healing.  Ethan was both her destroyer and salvation, and I held my breath seeing her sufferings unfold. If any heroine is deserving of a brilliant happily-ever-after, it is undoubtedly Cassie.

I so loved…LOVED this second chance romance. Leisa Rayven lured me into Ethan and Cassie’s world, only to leave me craving for more. I wanted more of their present lives and their future. I wanted more of their sizzling passion. (Ethan’s really HOT, just sayin’). It hurt to let these characters go. They had such powerful chemistry and their antics both tore me down and mended my heart. This was a great series and really looking forward to more angsty, drama filled reads from this author.

 

BadRomeo