Book Review: Play With Me by Kristen Proby

Summary:
Will Montgomery is a successful professional football player and seemingly has it all. He’s not used to being told no, and certainly doesn’t take no for an answer. So when he turns his charms on his sister’s sexy rocker-chick friend Meg, he’s not only turned down, but met with open hostility, piquing his curiosity and libido. He’s determined to show her that he’s not the arrogant jock she thinks he is, and to get her into his bed.

Megan McBride is not impressed with Will Montgomery, his fat contract, fancy car, or his arrogant public persona. She doesn’t have time for a relationship, and if she’s learned anything in life, it’s that loving means losing, so she guards her heart ferociously. But she can’t deny the overwhelming attraction to the sexy, tattooed athlete, and when Will starts breaking down her defenses and grabs hold of her heart, will she be able to admit her feelings for him, or will her troubled past cause her to lose the first man she’s ever truly loved?

My Thoughts:
After reading the summary, the bones and structure for the book were there and Proby had some really good characters, but I felt that the book kind of flopped. 



I was really excited for this book to come out. The first and second book in the series were really great. Great characters, great plot, and great writing. Unfortunately, this book did not hit all three. 

For me the plot let me down. Most books hit some sort of climax, where a character undergoes some sort of personal growth or something happens that must then be overcome, but I felt like that didn't happen in this book. Yes there was an issue Meg had to get over, but the issue didn't seem real. I know she had trust issues when it came to certain feelings and expressing those feelings, but the whole scenario just did not seem realistic. It felt forced and while the book ended with a HEA, I felt like there was no actual growth to the main characters. I would have liked to have seen a more realistic setting for Meg and Will. 

Proby's writing is great. SHe does a really good job of setting her scenes, and getting across what her characters are feeling and trying to express. I was especially happy with her bedroom scenes. There was so much heat coming off of the pages I could almost see the steam. :)

I think the characters in this book are great and the writing is really good, but the plot needs some work. Other than that it was a good fast read. I would still recommend this book!

My Rating: 3 Stars!

Links to Buy!

Amazon

Barnes&Noble

About the Author:

Kristen is the author of the Amazon and USA Today bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps. 

Blog Tour: Focus by Alyssa Rose Ivy Review & Giveaway!

Title: Focus (Crescent Chronicles, #2)

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Release date: January 23, 2013

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Age Group: Mature YA/ New Adult

Tour Schedule

 Summary:

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

Summary:

Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

My Thoughts:

The first book in this series was great and I was happy to be able to read the second!  Allie is on her way to start her first year at college but that is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much going on in this book for Allie, Levi and everyone else!

Now I am all for strong women and not giving into a man right away, but there were times where I was frustrated wtih Allie. I know she and Levi didn't necessarily get off to the best start, but the man is trying to hard to prove to Allie that he does care about her and after a while I thought that he had proved himself enough, but Allie just kept refusing him. I was glad the whole book wasn't that way or I would have gone insane. I love Levi. He is great for Allie with her tendency to not always think everything through before she acts. 

The chemistry between the two characters was perfect. I can't think of one way I would change it in that regard There were times where they really made me laugh. 

I'm on the edge of my seat for the next book! Levi may not have learned his lesson and Allie may not have fully forgiven him which could lead to so very very bad things!!! I can't wait to see what happens in the third book!

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Links to Buy:

Focus (Crescent Chronicles, #2) –

 Amazon

Barnes&Noble

 Flight (Crescent Chronicles, #1) –

 Amazon

 Barnes&Noble

Giveaway!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Book Review & Giveaway: Manipulation by Jolene Perry

Welcome to my stop on the Manipulation blog tour by Jolene Perry hosted by YA Bound.  Click HERE to see the rest of the blog tour schedule!

Summary: Micah hates her ability to “see” things when she touches people. She’s terrified of relationships, holds on to guilt over the death of her classmate, Lacey, and has no idea what to do with a vision from Landon, a boy from her school. She feels him falling for her, but Micahdoesn’t do friends, much less relationships. 

Enter a spooky history project about a tragedy from three hundred years ago, and voodoo dolls that Micah somehow feels has to do with her gift. Suddenly she’s sure the shadows in the woods are following her every move—without Landon’s relaxed attitude about what’s happening in her life, Micah would be sure she’s going crazy. 

With no ideas on timing or specifics, the visions of both herself and the people she cares about are turning dark—and it appears the shadows around her house do move on their own. But as Micah and Landon try to prevent Micah’s visions of the future, the shadows close in, and they’re now afraid they’ve become the cause… 

Micah's story is the first of three girls, with unique talents, who are part of a 300 year old tragedy that follows them in the shadows. 

Goodreads / Amazon / Kindle / Barnes & Noble

Summary: Addison Prince has almost always gotten what she wants.

Dean Courser only wants to find his brother, but it's the one thing he’s failed at... Even with his unusual ability.

Dean and Addison share the gift of Manipulation—a brief touch that forces others to do what they wish. But when they meet and realize their connection, they find more questions than answers. Suddenly Dean is seeing shadows move on their own, and Addison is learning her father’s mysterious group may know more about her abilities than he’s ever let on.

As Dean and Addison second-guess every decision about who they are and why they're wanted, time is running out. With shadows following their every move, they're losing hope they’ll ever get to safety—if such a thing exists.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

My Thoughts: (Manipulation)

I loved the first book in this series and was very happy with this book as well!

You don't necessarily have to have read the first book to be able to follow the second one, but I was really glad I did. So I would recommend to all to read Insight first. You get a better feeling for the backstory with everything. 

The best thing about this series is that I feel it is original. I don't mind reading different author's different takes on things, but I love reading ideas and characters that are unlike others. It also helps that the actual writing is fabulous!

It was great to see how the whole book played out. Addison proves that she is so much more than a rich girl and how much she loves her sister. It was also great to see how well Dean and Addison got along. I think it was good for both of them to be able to rely on someone that also faces many of the same challenges.

I can not wait to see what Perry will write next! 

I would recommend this book (this series!) to anyone looking for a good read!

My Rating: 4 Stars!

About the Author:

Jolene kissed a boy on her high school graduation night. One she’d wanted to kiss for a long time. They got married two years later, have built two homes together, survived military deployments, law school, student loan debt, and two children.

Jolene plays the guitar, takes pictures, and loves to hike. She doesn’t like rivers, but loves the ocean. She loves to fly, but gets motion sick. Her ultimate vacation would be to sail
through the deserted islands in The Bahamas. Two years ago, she got that wish when her parents retired on a sailboat.

She taught high school French when she was only a few years older than her students, and then taught middle school math with her degree in political science and French.

She spends grocery money on designer fabric, shoes, and books.

Jolene cannot express how many times she wished she could write a whole novel. And now she has. Several times. Life is good. 

Website / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / Tumblr

  
      

GIVEAWAY!!!

Prize #1: (1) Paperback copies of Insight and Manipulation (International)

Prize #2: (1)Paperback copy of Manipulation (US only)

Prize #3: (3) e-book copies of Manipulation. Kindle or Nook (International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review: Knight and Play by Kitty French

Summary:
CEO of Knight Inc. Lucien Knight is catch-your-breath gorgeous and damaged by his troubled past in Norway. All grown up and relocated to London, he's built his empire of adult clubs from the ground up to become the gorgeous patron saint of the sex industry. No one knows the dark childhood secrets that have given Lucien a backbone of steel and a heart encased in ice.

No one until Sophie Black, that is...

From the moment girl-next-door Sophie accepts the job as Lucien Knight's PA, she understands how Alice must have felt when she tumbled down the rabbit hole.
Lucien takes her safe, vanilla life away and plunges her head first into a huge dish of fantasy flavours. Rich, spicy chocolate covered with dark, oozingly lickable sauce? Check. Tutti-frutti with indecently red, glistening cherries on the top? Yes please.

Lucien strips away all of Sophie's inhibitions, and when he instructs her to select three new toys, she soon realises he has more than a game of Monopoly on his mind...

He's opened the door to a whole new pleasure packed world without limits, and Sophie is utterly intoxicated. But how far is she willing to go? And what happens when she has to step back into reality again?

Lucien & Sophie's is a story of star crossed love and forbidden passion, a sexual odyssey that spans the globe and changes both of their lives forever.
Let it change yours, too.


My Thoughts:
It’s best to have a fan nearby or to open a window. This book is H-O-T HOT!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I love erotica, but hated 50 SoG, which this is compared to. I’m just glad I read this though. Amazing!

There is a lot going on this book. First you have the beautiful Sophie. She has been running from the idea of what her husband is doing behind her back and is finally ready to take a stand. And that stand just happens to involve the delicious Lucien. 

Lucien is yum! But there is way more to Lucien then his hotness factor. This is a complicated man on a kind of warped mission when it comes to Sophie. He doesn’t believe in love and is confused on what he may be starting to feel!

Dan left me torn. There are parts of the book from his POV that left me unable to hate him. I simply pity him now. What he is doing is horrible, poor Sophie, but through hearing it all through his thoughts as he finally realizes what he has done and what he may be giving up there is no doubt in my mind that he is a man that gambled and lost. BIG TIME! He doesn’t deserve Sophie anymore, but I hope Lucien doesn’t kill him ;).

The sex is this book is fabulous. Lucien is a man who knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. He is comfortable with who he is and takes Sophie out of her shell and gets CREATIVE in the bedroom…and the living room…and the forest…I think you get what I’m saying. :)

The cliffhanger was brutal. Let the boxing gloves come out because I can not wait for book 2!

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Link to Buy:

Amazon

A Beautiful Struggle by Lilliana Anderson

Summary:
*** ADULT CONTENT WARNING *** contains sex scenes not suitable for under 18s


Katrina Mahoney has a very full life attending university to study a law degree, training for triathlons and now she is working part time as well. She couldn’t possibly find time for a relationship, especially after her last one ended so catastrophically.

Right now she is content focusing on work, study and training while hanging out with her best friend David Taylor, a womaniser with a heart of gold that would do anything for Katrina – except watch her get hurt again.

That is, until the dashing Elliot Roberts, a junior solicitor from her work, shows an interest in her despite their office’s ‘No Dating’ policy. 

Katrina struggles with following her heart or following her mind and has trouble seeing where her heart truly lies.


My Thoughts:      ***Mild Spoilers!***

I absolutely loved this book. I loved how strong of a character Katrina was, I loved David and Elliot, and the ending!

I am not one to read books with weak female characters. I hate the wishy-washy or insta-love types so Katrina was right up my alley. Not only was she physically strong, but she was mentally strong. She said what she wanted to, even though at times she probably shouldn't have ;). And even when she was emotional, I felt like it was deserved. :(

David was the ultimate guy best friend. I loved how he saved her in the beginning. It absolutely killed me when thing went south! Elliot is fabulous but David is superb! Every girl should have a David in their lives. :)

The plot was perfect. Even though I kept switching teams (Elliot or David) I was very happy with the end results. Nothing was forced and the book felt like it unfolded in a fashion that was real and not fake. The only thing I would have changed about the book was seeing Beth or Bianca get beat at their own game more. I loved when Katrina would put them in their place!

This is a great short read that I would recommend to anyone over 18! 

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Links to Buy:

Amazon

About the Author:

Australian born and bred, Lilliana Anderson has always loved to read and write considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer. Besides writing Angelien's biographical trilogy, she also writes contemporary romance and drama all set within Australia.

When she isn't writing she is a wife, and a mother to four children. She has worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities before transferring to commerce/law at university.She currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.

Blog Tour: Falling from Eternity by Megan Duncan

Summary:
For William, life was as wicked and malicious as the beast he was trying destroy. Decades spent living a life of extravagance, domination and ravenous hunger haunted him. But when you live forever, the past never stays buried. And that which wishes to control you, will never let you go. William thought he found his escape, his one and only love, but the thing he fears the most could be the only thing that saves them. Or, it could doom them all.










My Thoughts:
I loved this book because of the constant action. There was never a dull moment, but plenty of times I found my self quickly clicking to turn the page!

The beginning was a little slow, but that is understandable with the amount of information that is needed to set the story. It was so easy to fall in love with the characters of this book! There was a definite focus on the romance between William and Autumn in this book, that I think it just made it all the better!

William learning to live with himself seems to also be a key part to the story. He must come to terms with how he used to live, the monster he used to be. I was so not happy the book ended when it did!!!! Oh well. I can't wait to see how the story may continue! A great short read!

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Link to Buy:

Amazon

Don't forget to check out the giveaway on Megan Duncan's blog!!!!

About the Author:
Megan Duncan is a lover of all things paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi and anything just out of the ordinary. She is continually fighting her addiction to chocolate and living in her overactive imagination.

Cure for Pain by NM Facile

Summary: 
Ty Jaden isn't what society needs. At twenty-six, he's a charismatic and intense heroin dealer turned user who landed himself in jail. Now he's out, clean and just wants to get away from the city that is still his prison. But it won't happen when powerful men have a vested interest in making sure he continues his trade. So, now he has a plan: keep his head low, do what is expected of him, ignore all distractions and wait for his opportunity to finally get away. What he doesn’t need is to get involved.

Mary Flynn is a doe-eyed small town woman trying to make the world a better place by volunteering at a Minneapolis Safe Works chapter and teaching at-risk youth. Mary, an angel with inner fire and intimidating intelligence, is trying to save the world from people like Ty. He didn’t want to drag her into his world, but like a moth to flame, she was drawn to him.

Like an angel, she might just be his redemption. 

My Thoughts:

I loved reading Across the Hall by Facile and was so excited to hear she had a new book out! Cure for pain is another book she should be proud of!

What I like most about Facile's writing is that it feels real. The emotions, the people, and the situations in this book feel like they could actually happen. It makes it so much easier to connect with the characters when you aren't rolling your eyes about how ridiculous something sounds. I loved how she got down to the nitty gritty with the drug use and how it can affect people, but it didn't control the story. The main focus was on Mary and Ty.

Ty may have a record, but you can't help but fall in love with the man. There is so much more to him than what he has done in the past. Mary was a sweetheart and really took a chance when she started a relationship with Ty. I loved how their relationship progressed. There was no insta-love, but two real characters slowly getting to know one another that eventually led to great feelings. To me it almost felt like I was reading a true story and I loved that about this book. 

I had no complaints and there was not a darn thing I would change! I can't wait to see what NM Facile will write next!

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Links to Buy:

Barnes&Noble

Amazon

Kobo

About the Author:

NM Facile is the youngest of a large Midwestern family. Growing up in a small town, she learned early the quirks and charms of a small town and the lure of big city life. She shares the love of a lifetime with her husband and three children. She spends her free time lost in worlds where all cats are gray in the dark and love is just around the corner. Her everyday life is filled with the excitement of child development and the minutiae of the day-to-day. She colors any monotony with books, movies, crafts, and daydreaming; and leaves no room for downtime.