Review: Focus On Me by Megan Erickson (18+)

Focus On Me
By Megan Erickson
Expected publication:
July 21st 2015
By InterMix

Colin Hartman can now add college to his list of failures. On the coast-to-coast trek home from California, Colin stops at a gas station in the Nevada desert, and can’t help noticing the guy in tight jeans looking like he just stepped off a catwalk. When he realizes Catwalk is stranded, Colin offers a ride.

Riley only intended to take a short ride in Colin’s Jeep to the Grand Canyon. But one detour leads to another until they finally find themselves tumbling into bed together. However there are shadows in Riley’s eyes that hide a troubled past. And when those shadows threaten to bury the man whom Colin has fallen in love with, he vows to get Riley the help he needs. For once in his life, quitting isn’t an option...


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When I first picked up Focus On Me I didn't expect to read the book I read. I expected a love story with a little bit of conflict. Which maybe one guy wasn't out the closet or one guy wanted to be a player. No what I read was so much more than that. I read a book that had a lot of personal issues that many people deal with on a daily basis and seek help for it. Riley had demons inside that took over him when he wasn't expecting it and that brought so much to the story.

I loved how sweet and patient Colin was with Riley. I think he was a bit crazy to give Riley a ride when he didn't even know him. But I guess it worked out for him because they did bring out good in one another. At one point I felt like Riley was someone that hadn't matured much because of things he would say. But then as I continued to read I saw the real truth behind his behavior.

Colin was such a sweety. He was a guy who was disappointed in himself because of failing out of college. But he was so much more than that. He was a caring guy that was extremely loved by his family. His intention were always good and Riley was lucky to have him. Riley was a great guy, sweet, he had this carefree spirit about him that could bring out the good even in the baddest of guys. But Riley needed more help than he realized. And I was glad that he found Colin to help him get it. 

This book made me feel that even with struggles in life there's always something good to come out of it. Throughout this whole story while Riley struggled and suffered, Colin struggled and suffered too. That's what a relationship should be about. Never doing it alone. I love Megan and I can't wait to get my hands on her next book. 

I give Focus On Me a 4.5 stars and it's a definite Good Choice for Reading!!

Review: Sugarbaby by Crystal Green

Sugarbaby
by Crystal Green
Kindle Edition
Published May 19th 2015 by InterMix

Received via NetGalley

Hasn’t anyone heard the saying “nobody’s perfect”? Apparently, a lot of people in my hometown of Aidan Falls haven’t…

Don’t get me wrong. Most of the locals here are perfectly nice. But certain close-minded ex-classmates have a problem with the fact that I cheated on my jock-star football boyfriend on one drunk, stupid night. And no one likes to see a local hero embarrassed.

But everything changed when I accidentally sent a “sext” to the wrong number—and ended up sharing some flirty exchanges. So when the mysterious, sexy Noah Reeves shows up at my job, I’m a bit shocked.

You see, Noah’s a billionaire businessman who famously disappeared after a competitor kicked him out of his own family’s company. Why would he want to meet me? I don’t see anything special in the mirror.

But Noah may just be able to disprove the old adage that mirrors don’t lie…

SUGARBABY was an okay read for me. I did like the main MC, and her friends, and even felt a strong connection with her at time. Her friends were funny and I enjoyed their friendship with Jadyn. They had a great bond.

Aside from that, I had too many issues with this story. My first issue is the whole way Jadyn and Noah meet. She sends him a text by mistake, which was meant for her friend Diana. Noah writes back, and the both immediately have this “connection”. After exchanging a couple of text, he ends up at her job a couple of days later. Jadyn doesn’t really know who they are and treats them like any other customer. Of course she pieces it together and is just as curious as Noah is. I, honestly, would have been freaked out that this boy felt the need to find me, but that is just me. I also understand why he did it. Noah is bored and in hiding so, why not? He has nothing else to do, right? I think my biggest issue is that the text conversation were just so dead. There really wasn’t anything THAT exciting between the texting.

Anyway, I don’t want to give too much away. Once all this happens and things take off a bit, I actually started liking their relationship. I kept reading and was hoping for a HEA between the two. But somewhere along the way the story sort of changed. Noah decides to deal with his issues and drags Jadyn along. I feel like his entire personality changed and I no longer cared for him. In fact, I sort of got bored. Jadyn becomes like this caretaker and is always trying to help him, and in the process keeps getting hurt. To some, this makes for a perfect story. And I get it, there has to be some kind of drama. But this just wasn’t for me.

I hate writing reviews like this, and normally I don’t write a review or rate a book that I did not read until the end, but I read 90% of it and felt that I should share my thoughts. Obviously the author did something right if I was that frustrated while reading, right? LOL!

I wasn’t aware that this was a part of a series. Even though I wasn’t a fan of SUGARBABY, I did buy the first in the series, HONEYTRAP – which features different characters.

If you love NEW ADULT CONTEMP. I say give SUGARBABY a try. It wasn’t a story for me, but I am pretty sure tons of NA fans will chew this baby up. :)

2.5 Stars!

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Review: Trust The Focus by Megan Erickson (18+)

Trust The Focus
By: Megan Erickson
by Intermix
Published March 17th 2015

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With his college graduation gown expertly pitched into the trash, Justin Akron is ready for the road trip he planned with his best friend Landry— and ready for one last summer of escape from his mother’s controlling grip. Climbing into the Winnebago his father left him, they set out across America in search of the sites his father had captured through the lens of his Nikon.

As an aspiring photographer, Justin can think of no better way to honor his father’s memory than to scatter his ashes at the sites he held sacred. And there’s no one Justin would rather share the experience with more than Landry.

But Justin knows he can’t escape forever. Eventually he’ll have to return home and join his mother’s Senate campaign. Nor can he escape the truth of who he is, and the fact that he’s in love with his out-and-proud travel companion.

Admitting what he wants could hurt his mother’s conservative political career. But with every click of his shutter and every sprinkle of ash, Justin can’t resist Landry’s pull. And when the truth comes into focus, neither is prepared for the secrets the other is hiding.

I want to start off by saying this, Megan Erickson is the cutest little thing ever. I met her at Apollycon and I thought she was a blogger. We were mingling and laughing until someone mentioned her book. I stopped in my tracks and questioned her. She was just so sweet, and humble. And clearly you can see she takes pride in her work because I absolutely LOVED this book.

Now I have never read a M/M romance. Not because I find it gross or anything. I just haven't picked one up that grabbed my interest until this one. Trust The Focus was written so beautifully. This is not a book about two guys who discover they're gay and come out and have a bunch of bunny sex. No this book is definitely about friendship, love and finding courage to come out.

This book was so sweet. I actually connected with Justin a lot. He recently lost his dad and is having a hard time with his loss. His father was his best friend, his confidant. I also lost my dad and found it so hard to find peace after that. So I understood his pain. But luckily Landry was there for Justin. So together they embarked on a journey together to spread his dad's ashes.

I'm telling you, this book was so good. The turmoil Justin was going through on the inside was written so vividly that I wanted to go into the pages to kiss him and hug him tight. But thank goodness Landry was there. And no one could have been a better best friend than Landry. He really is the true definition of a "BFF". His love, understanding, patience and friendship is exactly what Justin needs. Landry made the journey worthwhile and a lot more memorable. He's definitely Justin's "Yin". I love me some Landry.

At the end when everything came out in the open, it made their journey from beginning to end so worth it. I didn't have one dull moment reading this book. From the time I picked it up to the time I put it down, this book entertained me the whole time. I absolutely fell in love with Justin and Landy. And I would definitely read another book with them. Megan's next book in series is called "Focus On Me". This book has a completely different character but Justin and Landry make an appearance in the book. So I can't wait to read it.

Trust The Focus is a definite Good Choice for Reading!! 5 Huge Stars!!

Blog Tour/Giveaway: Promise Me This by Christina Lee

Promise Me This
by Christina Lee
Published October 7th 2014
by InterMix

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A new love will test the boundaries of passion between a privileged boy next door and the tattooed, blue-haired girl who helps him embrace his wild side...

Nate has developed quite a playboy reputation around campus. It's not that he doesn't respect or trust women; he doesn't trust himself. The men in Nate’s family are prone to abusive behavior—a dirty secret that Nate’s been running from his entire life—so Nate doesn't do relationships. But he can’t help himself around one girl…

Jessie is strong, independent, and works at a tattoo parlor. Nate can’t resist getting close to her, even if it’s strictly a friendship. But it doesn't take long for Nate to admit that what he wants with Jessie is more than just friendly.

With Jessie, he can be himself and explore what he’s always felt was a terrifying darkness inside him. Even when Nate begins to crave her in a way that both shocks and horrifies him, Jessie still wants to know every part of him. Testing their boundaries together will take a trust that could render them inseparable… or tear them apart.

This is my first book by Christina Lee and by the end of this book, I promised myself to pick up the rest of her series. I absolutely devoured Jessie and Nate. These two characters were written in a way that I felt like they could be my friends. It felt like I was reading a story of two of my friends. They're both down to earth and easy to be around. (If they were real)

Being that this is my first book in series, I knew nothing about these two characters. So they were completely fresh to me. My point being is I totally fell in love with both of them. I absolutely LOVED Nate. Yeah he was a bit of a man-whore, but of course he has a story behind that tough exterior. And that story makes you forgive him and understand him. What's even better is that throughout the book, he works on himself with the help of Jessie.

As for Jessie, I really liked her character, she had that bad girl kind of image. Such as, she was tatted up like your typical bad boy in most books today. But you get to read how every tattoo meant something special. I felt a connection with her mostly because in this book, she's still mourning for her dad. He passed a few years back but she sad about it. And I can relate to her. She was a sweetheart, a hard worker student and a wonderful friend to Nate.

Moving along to the chemistry between these two characters. It was HOT! HOT! The scenes between the two of them was like "Whoa!" But what I liked most about these two together was that they weren't sicking. They weren't all lovey dovey, I wanna puke or gag me with a spoon. They were able to act like humans despite their raging hormones. Together these two bring lots of sizzle to the page. 

I give "Promise Me This" a 4.5 stars and a definite Good Choice for Reading!!

Mother, wife, reader, dreamer. Christina lives in the Midwest with her husband and son--her two favorite guys. She's addicted to lip gloss, salted caramel everything, and believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

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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: All of You by Christina Lee

All of You by Christina Lee
Published September 17th, 2013 by Intermix

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Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.

Every time I think about this story, and replay it in my head again and again I get butterflies. The writing was great, the story reads at a good pace, and the characters are very likable. 

When I first read the blurb my immediate thought was bad boy covered in tattoos, but happens to be a virgin? Could be interesting. I had no idea what I was jumping into. 

This story is the total opposite of what I was expecting and this was a good thing because I didn't jump into it with high hopes. No particular reason why? I  just read too many New Adult novels. Every now and then you find some that you devour and are left wanting more. I thought it would read like any other New Adult out today where boy and girl meet, have a huge attraction to each other, have crazy sex, and decide they love each other... the end. 

Again, this book turned out to be the total opposite. Boy and girl do meet, have huge attraction, but become friends before anything else. Bennett and Avery build a friendship and really get to know one another. There is a huge ball of chemistry between the two, but I loved that the author took her time bringing these two together. You learn so much about both of them and fall in love with them individually, and as a couple. 

The reason I think I enjoyed All of You so much is mostly because the roles were reversed. Avery and her friends were like college dudes. All they wanted were hook ups and fun. No strings attached. Bennett was the female holding out and hoping the right person came along. This was a bit refreshing. Even though Bennett has never had actual intercourse with a female before, he has done other sexual things. Some readers had an issue with this, but honestly, if he was too clean cut and too sensitive I probably would have hated him.

There are tons of sweet moments in this story, and times where Bennett just makes you swoon. This is one romance I would like to read over and over again.

With the New Adult novels I've been reading there are very few that stand out from all the rest. I have a short list of books I feel are unique and different, and All of You has made that list. I truly enjoyed it and would love more on Avery and Bennett, but at the same time I was super happy with the ending, and wouldn't want that ruined. 

A definite Good Choice for Reading!