Review: Protégé by Lydia Michaels

Protégé
by Lydia Michaels
Kindle Edition, 231 pages
Published August 16th 2016
by Penguin Group USA

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The author of the provocative Surrender Trilogy presents a new novel of one woman’s introduction to a world of sinfully sweet submission…

For too long, French teacher Collette Banks has locked her deepest desires away in the darkest corners of her mind. But now, she’s taking matters into her own hands by applying to a secret and exclusive society devoted to matching people with their ideal partner—or partners…

Founder Jude Duval has set up strict rules for admitting people into his world. But when he interviews Collette, he finds himself breaking protocol. Her innocence disarms him. Her willingness to explore her own sensuality delights him. And her spirit challenges him—enough to take her on as his own protégé .

What starts out as Collette’s erotic awakening will draw them both in deeper than either of them could have ever imagined…

Every now and then I love getting lost in an erotica. I have to REALLY be in the mood for this genre, and I so happen to come across Protégé on NetGalley and jumped at the chance to read it. Unfortunately, this book was just okay for me. I had more issues with it than likes. One issue being I had a very HARD TIME connecting with Collette, the main female character. No matter how much I tried to see things from her point of view I still felt like she was a punching bag. She had no backbone whatsoever.

I will say that from a level 1 to 10, the sexy time in this book is a STRONG TEN! It lacked nothing in that department. I loved the secret world Lydia Michael’s created. It was very interesting.

I did like the relationship between Jude and Collette. When they were together I could deal with her. I thought they were the perfect pair.

I give PROTÉGÉ 3 stars. It was interesting enough to keep my attention and want to read till the very last word. I would be interested in trying another book in the series (if it is a series).

3 Stars!

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Review: Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott
Published January 28th 2014
by Harlequin Teen

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Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

     I have a love/hate relationship with this book. It's just one of those books that make you feel so many things. I really wanted to feel emotional for the main character Emma. Because she was having a hard time dealing with her mom's death. And I get that she's grieving but I just couldn't. But her attitude towards her stepfather and her mom being put on life support to save her baby brother's life was outright selfish. She didn't care that her stepfather was in pain and her baby brother was fighting for his life. 

        Her attitude was such a turn off, that I wonder if the author (whom I love) wrote Emma that way on purpose. To have conflicted feelings for her. As much as I understand that she's grieving, I just couldn't bring myself to want to console her. She lashes out at anyone who tries to help her. She really couldn't get a grip on her feelings enough to rationally think of the reason behind her mom being on life support. She viewed her baby brother as the thing keeping her mom alive.

        The only person that was able to get to Emma was Caleb. A bad boy going through the same feeling of loss. And his only way of dealing with it is to steal cars and act up. So they connected through that. For some reason Caleb wasn't the bad boy I expected. He seemed more of a boy that's hurt than a bad boy. I actually liked him a lot more than Emma. And even though I didn't connect to Emma, I was glad that she found Caleb because he was able to help her through her grieving process.

        I appreciate that Elizabeth was able to write a character so bent on anger. She wrote her so well that I did feel conflicted. I knew her anger was based on grief. But I just couldn't like her attitude at all. Her stepfather loved her and was grieving too. And she didn't care. It's weird how a book can be written so well but you can dislike the characters so much. I give Heartbeat a 3.5 stars.

Review: Believe by Erin McCarthy

Believe by Erin McCarthy
Published January 21st 2014
by Penguin Group

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Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naive dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

Review: Sweet by Erin McCarthy

Sweet by Erin McCarthy
Published October 15th 2013
by InterMix

Jessica Sweet thought going away to college would finally make her free of her parents’ constant judgments and insistence she play chastity club role model for their church events, but if anything, the freedom has made her realize she can’t go home and be a hypocrite anymore. Tired of dodging their questions, she stays at school over the summer and lands in an unexpected crash pad: Riley Mann’s house.

Sarcastic, cocky, and full of opinions, Riley is also sexy personified with tattoos and biceps earned from working as a roofer all day. Not the right guy for her even if Jessica was looking for a relationship, which she is definitely not. But Jessica knows that Riley hides the burden of having to raise his younger brothers behind that grin and as she helps him get his house in order for a custody hearing, they begin to fall hard for each other, and she is forced to question what she’s hiding herself.

Jessica has never had a problem getting naked with a guy, but when it comes to showing Riley how she truly feels inside, her fear of rejection may just ruin the best thing—the best guy—to ever happen to her…

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Published November 26th 2013
by Harlequin Teen

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From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Review: More Than Good Enough by Crissa-Jean Chappell

More Than Good Enough by Crissa-Jean Chappell
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Published: January 8, 2014 by Flux; 216 pages

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Trent Osceola's life is turned upside down when his mother announces that he will be moving to the Miccosukee reservation to live with his father, who was recently released from prison. Only half Miccosukee, Trent feels alienated from rez society and starts to question who he really is. When he changes schools, he reconnects with Pippa, a childhood friend who moved away, and together they tackle the class assignment to make a film of their lives. When he starts to see himself through Pippa's eyes, Trent’s not sure he likes what he sees. Will he ever be good enough for the rez, for school, and for her?

Review: The Temptation of Lila and Ethan by Jessica Sorensen (18+)

The Temptation of Lila and Ethan
by Jessica Sorensen
Published October 22nd 2013
by Forever

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THE TEMPTATION OF LILA AND ETHAN

On the surface, Lila Summers is flawless: good looks, expensive clothes, and a big, beautiful smile. But a dark past and even darker secrets are threatening to bubble over her perfect façade. She'll do anything to keep the emptiness inside hidden-which leads her into situations that always end badly. Whenever she hits bottom, there's only one person who's there to pull her out: Ethan Gregory.

Ethan set the rules a long time ago: he and Lila are just friends. He doesn't do relationships. Although his tattooed, bad boy exterior is a far cry from Lila's pretty princess image, Ethan can't deny they have a deeper connection than he's used to. If he's not careful, he could be in serious danger of becoming attached-and he's learned the hard way that attachment only leads to heartbreak.

When Lila falls farther than she ever has before, can Ethan continue to help as a friend? Or is he also getting close to falling . . . for her?

Jessica has been working up Ethan since book one. And since she introduced him to us he's always intrigued me. I knew his story would be interesting and I could not wait for his book. In this book, you see that Lila and Ethan has built a friendship through out the three books. A friendship only they understand. What shocks me about this book is Ethan, he's not the jerk he portrays to be. He genuinely cares and has feelings for Lila. I liked seeing that side of him. To me, Ethan was a badass, hardcore who didn't care about anything. But when I read this story, I realized that he was a sweet guy. He just had to let go of the pain and hurt of his past.

 I actually feel this book is the most emotional to me out of the three. This book touches the subject of drug addiction. What Ethan goes through with Lila was rough. How he stepped up to help was very admirable. And I respect his character so much more for that. He has proven to be someone more responsible that he actually lets up to be. Even when dealing with his own demons, he always did the right thing. He finally did face his past in this book. So we should be seeing nothing but good things for him here on. 

Lila turned out to be a complete fraud of who we thought she was. She gave us the illusion that she was this good girl who was brought up with high standards. But in reality she was the one who was the most messed up of all. But I blame that all on her mom. Her parents were one of those parents that "Kids are to be seen not heard" kind of parents. So they disregarded her completely. So it's easy to see why she turned out to the most damaged of all.

If I have to pick one of the three books so far in this series that's the sexiest, it has to be this one. The chemistry between Lila and Ethan was smoldering. The sexual tension between the two was so hot and when the time came that they finally did get together. I have to admit, it was sexy as hell. 

HOT. HOT. CALIENTE. 

As always I have enjoyed every book in this series. But I really enjoyed this one the most. I think it was because of the chemistry between the two characters. Sorensen really knows how to write with chemistry flying off the pages. I give The Temptation of Lila and Ethan a 4.5 stars and its a definite Good Choice for Reading.

Review: Three Sisters (Blackberry Island #2) by Susan Mallery

Three Sisters by Susan Mallery
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Expected publication:
February 26th 2013
by Harlequin MIRA

After Andi Gordon is jilted at the altar, she makes the most impetuous decision of her life – buying one of the famed Three Sisters Queen Anne houses on Blackberry Island. Now the proud-ish owner of the ugly duckling of the trio, she plans to open her own pediatric office on the first floor, just as soon as her hunky contractor completes the work. Andi's new future may be coming together, but the truth is she's just as badly in need of a major renovation as her house.

When Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about a suspected affair, she opens up a Pandora's Box of unhappiness. And he claims that she is the problem. The terrible thing is, he's right. In her quest to be the perfect woman, she's lost herself, and she's in danger of losing her entire family if things don't change.

Next door, artist Boston King thought she and her college sweetheart would be married forever. Their passion for one other has always seemed indestructible. But after tragedy tears them apart, she's not so sure. Now it's time for them to move forward, with or without one another.

Thrown together by fate and geography, and bound by the strongest of friendships, these three women will discover what they're really made of: laughter, tears, love and all.

          My Review:

     Once again Susan Mallery delivers. Every time I picked up a book by Susan Mallery, I know I won't be disappointed. Three Sisters delivered. Three Sisters was an enjoyable read. What I loved most is that is a contemporary story but it main focus isn't all on romance. I really liked that. Sometimes some books over do the whole love thing and can be too mushy. But this book focuses on relationships and self help. The three ladies in this novel had a lot of personal issues they had to deal with and figure out throughout the book.

     Each character had so much going on, I felt bad for them. Except one, and that's Deanna. I didn't care for her much, but eventually she grew on me. The novel opens up with Andi, poor girl (not literally) moved to Blackberry Island to start her life fresh. Andi is a good person, she's a pediatrician and she loves kids. But she's scarred because her ex-fiance left her standing at the alter. What kind of person does that to the person they claim to love? So as you read the story, you see her struggles and fears. She's not a weak person which makes her more likable. I love her growth throughout the whole story. I was rooting for her to find that special love she deserves.

     Boston is of owners of the houses considered to be the "Three Sisters". Boston was a fun character. She's young but she has an even younger heart. Not caring about what anyone thinks and walking around with huge purple (I believe it's purple) strip of hair, she faces the world in pain. I think her pain is the worst one of them. My heart cried for her. The pain she deals with in this book, is a pain no woman should go through. Seeing her grow and find a way to cope with her loss was sweet. She was my favorite character. I really enjoyed her page time.

     Oh Deanna, how you rubbed me the wrong way. During the first half of the book, I did not like her one bit. She's one of those people that dresses so crisp and judges people. But behind that b*tchy persona is someone whose negative childhood has made her who she is today. She's dealing with her own insecurities and her own demons. And not knowing the proper way to deal with her past has affected her family life. No one should have to endure a horrible childhood. Though she wasn't my favorite characters, I was glad to see her change her life around.

     All three ladies brought their own character and personality which made this book very enjoyable. I loved the scenes between all the ladies and the men in their lives. All three men were sexy and I really liked how much they cared for their ladies and never really gave up on them. Three Sisters is another win for Susan Mallery. I can't wait to read the next installment of the Blackberry Island series. Three Sisters is a 5 stars read, must buy and a definite Good Choice for Reading.

 

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Paperback, 288 pages
Published August 28, 2012 by Harlequin Teen
Digital ARC courtesy of Netgalley

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Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

I was very apprehensive going into Speechless. I am not a fan of books that center around a mean girl, even if it boils down to her getting knocked off her pedestal. I can’t empathize with a character I don’t like, so I do my best to just avoid these stories. However, I loved Saving June, so I knew I had to give this one a shot.

Surprisingly, I didn’t want to bang my head against the nearest wall. In fact, I actually enjoyed it. I think this has a lot to do with the reason Chelsea fell from high school royalty. I was expecting it to be shallow, a character drowning in her own self-pity more than anything, but that wasn’t the case. There are serious issues dealt with here, and I liked that Harrington took it to that place.

Despite that fact, Speechless was still predictable. It follows the same path that those like it have, and there wasn’t a single thing that surprised me. That didn’t stop me from enjoying it, though.

I wish we had gotten to see more interaction with the person who was ultimately harmed by Chelsea’s actions. I understand that the book is about her personal growth and coming to terms with the things she has done, but I felt like he should have been a much bigger part of the story.

In Speechless, Chelsea Knot learns the power of words, and learns that sometimes you just have to do the right thing, regardless of the repercussion. Hannah Harrington’s writing is raw and addicting. I would recommend it.

4/5 Stars

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
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ARC provided by Netgalley
Published by Atria Books
August 14, 2012

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

          My Review:

     Beautiful Disaster consumed me. This is one of those books that pulls you in and doesn't release you until you have finished it. Have you ever read a book that's so good you can't wait to finish it? But when you finish it, you're sad because it's finished. I took my time a little bit with this book, because I know the second one isn't out yet or won't be out until next April. So as much as it consumed me, I just read it at bedtime. This book is so so good. I know this book has many mixed reviews but my review will be a raving one.

     I'll start off with Travis. Travis has a bit of a obsessive personality. When he loves he loves hard. When he hates, he hates hard. So whatever he feels about something whether it being good or bad, he felt it strong. So needless to say when he fell in love with Abby, he loved her with every fiber of his being. Now that's where people consider this dysfunctional and I can totally understand that. And to some degree, I agree, but I also believe that some people just love hard. I love Travis. This character actually made me feel bad for him. I understood his past which made me understand why he is the way he is.

     Abby took me by surprise. I liked that she was a strong minded girl and stood her ground with Travis. She wasn't at all what I expected. Most characters in most contemporary stories get all mushy and aren't strong at all. She knew how to handle Travis like no one else. She didn't cower to him at all. She held her own just about anywhere she went. And that's something you have to admire in a character.

     I absolutely loved this book. But I have to say that I'm completely shocked at the ending. I didn't think it would end that way. The author really took the ending and ran with it. Though in Beautiful Disaster you do witness some obsessive and possessive behavior it doesn't take away from the story. The story is about two people with different lifestyles, who fell in love. I give this book 5 huge gold stars and a definite Good Choice for Reading!!

Review: Covet by Melissa Darnell!

Covet
By Melissa Darnell
Paperback, 488 pages
Expected publication: September 25th 2012
By HarlequinTeen

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Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.

Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for.

A reckoning is coming…and not everyone will survive.

Covet takes you on one big emotional rollercoaster ride. You will want to cry, laugh, scream with joy, and you’ll want to reach into the book and smack some sense into the characters. I went through so many emotions while reading Covet and I am not sure if I’ve fully recovered yet. I loved every minute of it! I didn’t think it would top Crave, but Darnell pulled it off.

Things change drastically for Savannah and worse than in book one. Just when she think things will be okay for her Tristan and they can finally be together, something else happens and she has to break up with him just to keep him safe and keep the peace. It broke my heart and I wanted to seriously scream. Darnell does such a great job putting emotions down on paper that you feel it’s happening to you. I felt like I was Savannah and making the hardest decision of my life.

Tristan, poor Tristan. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him throughout the whole book. He got the short end of everything. Actually both characters just had one thing after another happening to them. They just couldn’t catch a break. Their emotions about everything just tore me up, but some were good and some were bad. When I say you can feel everything they feel, I am not kidding. It was practically coming off the pages. And all the magic happening was awesome! This is one of the things I really enjoy about this series. The take on magic and vampires that Darnell conveys; it’s refreshing and fun to read.

Needless to say, Darnell is on auto buy for me and this series is definitely one of my favorites. I have a lot of books that are my favorite, but when asked for recommendations, this series is one that always comes to mind. I always push the first book, and I am pushing it now. If you haven’t started this series, please do. It’s fantastic and creative in every way!

I will say though that at one point the story did slow down, but it was necessary in order for readers to fully understand Savannah’s new life. She learns a lot about herself and her father. However, I do think some parts could’ve been shortened. Once the story picks back up though, it’s unputdownable! Oh, I have to add that the ending shattered me. I still don't know if I am happy about it, or just sad. I am not upset and do like where the story went, but O-M-G! Love it! When I was done reading Covet, I was searching on GoodReads for others to discuss it with because I wanted to just let it all out. Such a great book! Read it!


4.5 Stars out of 5!