Review: "Outside the Lines" by Lisa Desrochers

As the oldest son of a Chicago crime lord, Robert Delgado always knew how dangerous life could be. With his mother dead and his father in prison, he’s taking charge of his family’s safety—putting himself and his siblings in witness protection to hide out in a backwater Florida town. Fourth grade teacher Adri Wilson is worried about the new boy in her class. Sherm is quiet and evasive, especially when he’s around his even cagier older brother. Adri can’t help her attraction to Rob, or the urge to help them both in whatever way she can. But the Delgados have enemies on two sides of the mob—their father’s former crew and the rival family he helped take down. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds them. And if Rob isn’t careful, Adri could end up in the crossfire...

Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well, now that I've had some time to mull over my thoughts about this book, I can say this: I didn't hate it, but I was hoping to love it more than I did, too. Which is too bad, because really, it has all the right ingredients for a unique and enjoyable New Adult read.  

As it says in the synopsis, Rob has moved with his family from Chicago to small town Florida under witness protection. I enjoyed this part of the plot, as it added a unique element of danger to Rob's situation. It also explained Rob's resistance to getting involved with Adri - he was very focused on finding out who was after him and his family, with the ultimate goal of making it back to the family business in Chicago.  Rob's intense focus on his goal was one of the main reasons I kept reading - I was really curious to see how the author would be able to give Rob and Adri their happily ever after, because I didn't see how a relationship between them would ever work.  Was Adri going to move to Chicago and become a mob boss' wife?  Or would Rob give up everything his family had built over the generations and be content to live a life of anonymity in Florida?  Neither scenario seemed plausible, and finding out how this would be resolved was my main impetus for reading to the end.

Unfortunately, my main complaint is a pretty big one - I didn't feel that the connection between the two main characters was real. Everything happened too quickly, and their chemistry was based on little more than looks. What drew Rob to Adri? She was pretty, innocent, and kind to his little brother. And I'm supposed to believe that Rob would risk exposure of his whole family just because Adri is nicer than the usual women he gets involved with? I wasn't buying it, sorry.  As for Adri, her whole naive, Mary Sue persona was a bit much for this reader.  I know she had reasons to explain her demeanor, but I've been there, read that, and I'm bored of it.

Although I wasn't completely satisfied by this book, I am looking forward to reading the next installments in the "On the Run" series.  I was super intrigued by some of the secondary characters in "Outside the Lines", especially Adri's friend Chuck - that guy better get some page time, he absolutely deserves it!  

My rating: 3 stars

Review: "Accelerate" by Tracy Wolff

A sexy carjacker takes a would-be starlet for the ride of her life as a pulse-pounding new series from New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff begins. Once the brains behind a car-boosting ring, Nic Medina has spent the last three years playing it straight. Now drag racers flock to his L.A. auto shop, Hotwired, for a shot at going head-to-head with the man himself. But when a crooked cop gives Nic a treacherous ultimatum—steal ten high-end cars or watch his nephew disappear into the system—he makes the only choice he can, one that puts the life he’s worked so hard for at risk. No sooner does Nic agree than he spots some nasty competition—and a gorgeous bystander in harm’s way. A small-town girl with Hollywood dreams, Jordan Bass never expected to be swept up in a real-life drama. But that’s exactly what happens when she witnesses a violent crime. And when a smoldering stranger takes the wheel and practically kidnaps her in a desperate bid to keep her safe, she’s not sure whether to scream . . . or kiss him. Nic’s bad news—but the real bad guys aren’t above silencing a witness. On a collision course with danger, Jordan finds herself falling for the man whose street smarts are keeping her alive . . . and whose touch puts her in high gear.

Many thanks to Loveswept Publishing via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whenever I pick up a book by Tracy Woff, I have certain expectations - a fast-paced plot, unique (and always hot!) characters, and some excellent steam. 

"Accelerate" more than met my expectations! I absolutely loved the characters - Nic Medina sounds amazing, and I was able to empathize with Jordan's backstory and current situation.  I even loved the small glimpses I got of the secondary characters, Nic's family and friends in particular - I can't wait to read more about them, especially Nic's sister.

The book starts off with Jordan attending a drag race with her friend, where she catches a glimpse of Nic and learns a bit about him and his crew, his garage and his backstory.  She's intrigued, and from there, the action is pretty much non-stop.  The only thing missing was a bit more explanation and detail.  I wanted to know how a guy like Nic, with no money or connections, builds up to having the best, most exclusive garage in San Diego in three years.  Why did Jordan choose San Diego to escape the past?  Did the college in San Diego have a special program that Jordan was accepted to?  Did she always want to live on the west coast?  We learn what happened to Jordan's family, but it earns barely a mention.  A little more detail on that circumstance, or even tying it into Nic's situation, would have better rounded out the story, in my opinion.

These missing details did not lessen my enjoyment of "Accelerate" on the whole.  I think anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with a heavy dose of action and steam will love this new series by Tracy Wolff.

My rating:  3.5 stars

"Walk The Edge" by Katie McGarry - Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway!!!

   

One moment...

That’s all it takes to change your life.

What happens when your entire future is on the line because of one reckless moment? This is what Breanna Miller and Thomas “Razor” Turner have to face in Katie McGarry’s WALK THE EDGE. Blackmail, family secrets, future plans on the verge of collapsing, two people who aren’t supposed to be together fall in love, and the power of social media in defining who you are when you’re not even sure who that person is yet…Join the Club and and immerse yourself in the world of the Reign of Terror. Pick up WALK THE EDGE today!

   

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyberbully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

 

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And don’t miss the first book in the Thunder Road Series,

NOWHERE BUT HERE!

 

 

"There's something about McGarry's writing that's totally enthralling. Her characters are vivid, flawed and riveting, making this is a truly amazing read!"

~ RT Book Reviews "Katie McGarry is a master of her craft! Raw emotion, pure grit, I hang on every word. Her characters are real people with real problems and I cheer them every step of the way. Ready for a new addiction? Look no further than Katie McGarry's books."

~ Gena Showalter, Bestselling author of Firstlife "I finished WALK THE EDGE by the amazing Katie McGarry. It was SO good that now I feel bereft. I already miss Razor & Bre - I need to know more! She is by far my #1 favorite author. She paints a picture with the words, puts you IN the story... LOVE."

~ Lori Foster, New York Times Bestselling Author

 

DON’T MISS THIS AWESOME INCENTIVE OFFER FOR AN EXCLUSIVE ECHO AND NOAH SHORT STORY!

Order WALK THE EDGE, Register your Order by April 1st and receive an exclusive Echo and Noah short story and a chance to be in the next Thunder Road novel! Register at https://offerpop.com/campaign/796530.

   

About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Goodreads

 

Excerpt:

“I’m here about your mother.” The asshole knows he has me when my eyes snap to his.

“She’s dead.” Like the other times I say the words, a part of me dies along with her.

This guy has green eyes and they soften like he’s apologetic. “I know. I’m sorry. I’ve received some new evidence that may help us discover what caused her death.”

Anger curls within my muscles and my jaw twitches. This overwhelming sense of insanity is what I fight daily. For years, I’ve heard the whispers from the gossips in town, felt the stares of the kids in class, and I’ve sensed the pity of the men in the Reign of Terror I claim as brothers. It’s all accumulated to a black, hissing doubt in my soul.

Suicide.

It’s what everyone in town says happened. It’s in every hushed conversation people have the moment I turn my back. It’s not just from the people I couldn’t give two shits about, but the people who I consider family.

I shove away those thoughts and focus on what my father and the club have told me—what I have chosen to believe. “My mother’s death was an accident.”

He’s shaking his head and I’m fresh out of patience. I’m not doing this. Not with him. Not with anyone. “I’m not interested.”

I push off the railing and I did out the keys to my motorcycle as I bound down the steps. The detective’s behind me. He has a slow steady stride and it irritates me that he follows across the yard and doesn’t stop coming as I swing my leg over my bike.

“What if I told you I don’t think it was an accident,” he says.

Odds are it wasn’t. Odds are every whispered taunt in my direction is true. That my father and the club drove Mom crazy, and I wasn’t enough of a reason for her to choose life.

To drown him out, I start the engine. This guy must be as suicidal as people say Mom was because he eases in front of my bike assuming I won’t run him down.

“Thomas,” he says.

I twist the handle to rev the engine in warning. He raises his chin like he’s finally pissed and his eyes narrow on me. “Razor.”

I let the bike idle. If he’s going to respect me by using my road name, I’ll respect him for a few seconds. “Leave me the fuck alone.”

Damn if the man doesn’t possess balls the size of Montana. He steps closer to me and drops a bomb. “I have reason to believe your mom was murdered.”

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Review: "My Best Everything" by Sarah Tomp

You say it was all meant to be. You and me. The way we met. Our secrets in the woods. Even the way it all exploded. It was simply a matter of fate. Maybe if you were here to tell me again, to explain it one more time, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so uncertain. But I’m going back to the beginning on my own. To see what happened and why. Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out. Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart? The summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating. My Best Everything is Lulu’s letter to Mason – though is it an apology, a good-bye, or a love letter?

Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Uh oh, I was really loving this book until the very end, unfortunately. Damn, I hate it when that happens! So frustrating!

Despite that, there were a ton of great things about Sarah Tomp's debut. The writing style was very different, but that is a big part of what kept me reading.  Being written in the second person was a little confusing at times, but I found that I needed to know what was going to happen to Lulu, and why she was telling the story that way to Mason.  Did Lulu get in trouble with the moonshine business and now she was writing a letter to Mason from prison? Did Mason end up getting killed? Or did Lulu make enough money to get to college and now she was writing a letter to him from California? I really had no idea which direction things would go, and the author kept me guessing right until the very end - I love when that happens with a book! I also loved how unique this book is, and the way the author created this amazing world all her own. Lulu's town and situation is unlike any other I've ever read before, and I always appreciate that in a book. I also loved Lulu's personality, and her friendships with Roni and Bucky. The three of them were so much fun, and they reminded me a bit of my group of friends from high school. Mason was a very different love interest - his whole family and upbringing were just so far removed from what I'm used to, but completely fascinating at the same time. Again, love! 

Buuuuut, I was so very disappointed with the ending. Not so much with what happened, but with how the pacing seemed to change so abruptly. The book kept up a good, even pace right up until the very end, and then frantically rushed rushed rushed to a jarring finish. Say what?! What was that? What even happened? I don't get it! Ugh! I hated how the author did that, it didn't do any of those wonderful characters justice! So what was going to be a four star read for me ended up getting three stars instead. 

That said, I might be tempted to read more from Sarah Tomp in the future because thinking back, I enjoyed about 98% of the time I spent with this book, and that is always a good thing!

My rating:

"Sweet Girl" by Cristin Harber is Free!!!!

I haven't read any of the books in this series, but with a free prequel, maybe I best get started! Go get your own copy now!

      

A SWEET GIRL 

Nicola Hart grew up under the heels of her older brother and his sexy best friend, Cash Garrison. Years of ignoring her spark with Cash has transformed their friendship into a slow burning sizzle. One night with him could ruin everything. Or it could be more than she ever dreamed. They play. They flirt. But they haven't crossed the line because too much is at stake. Family. Friendship. And the deepest kind of love that she'd have to be crazy to walk away from. 

HE CAN'T STAY AWAY FROM 

She's his best friend's little sister. The definition of hands off. Cash has tried to ignore her for years. Those innocent eyes and her smile that screams kiss-me-if-you-dare... Instead, he's looked at every pretty little thing who's crossed his path, all to ignore the girl he seems destined to want. But when his hard partying ways get old and everyone at school is interested in Nicola, it's time to stake a claim. To make Nicola his girl, no matter the risks, and hold the hand of the one he really loves. 

Sweet Girl is the novel-length prequel to Garrison's Creed. Before Cash and Nicola can fall in love forever, they have to suffer through their first love.

Buy Links: 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/23aagWY

iBooks: http://apple.co/19okYBa

Kobo: http://bit.ly/191RRDP

B&N: http://bit.ly/1EZjJDK

Review: "Thicker Than Water" by Brigid Kemmerer

On his own Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect. Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years. The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her best friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers. Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden…

My thanks to Kensington Publishing via Netgalley for the free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

It is going to be very difficult for me to describe the complete awesomeness that is this book, but I'll give it a try. 

I very rarely give out five star reviews, but when I do, it's to the books that I can barely stand to put down, the books that when I wake at night to go to the washroom I have a hard time getting back to sleep because I'm thinking about them, the books that I wish weren't fictional because I want to believe that the characters are real, or the books that are so suspenseful and tricky that I just can't wait to figure out what is going on!  If one of these books has a somewhat open ending, I agonize over what will happen next, and maybe even tweet the author to ask if there's going to be a sequel (yes, I did do that in this case! Unfortunately, her answer was very vague.). "Thicker Than Water" is just that kind of book for me, and I absolutely loved every minute of it! Well, maybe not every minute, as there are some pretty creepy happenings in there.  I didn't love those things, they were rather uncomfortable to read about if I'm being honest, but they definitely helped to make this book a standout.  

I really enjoyed Kemmerer's other series, and one of the main reasons is the way she writes her characters. Same thing here. Her good guys always have flaws, and her bad guys are never truly evil. They all seem like they could be real people, even with their paranormal abilities, and I really appreciate that, in any book, but especially in YA books - it just seems as though these types of characters are few and far between in this genre.

I don't want to say too much about the plot or just how twisty it was, but it kept me guessing and surprised throughout the entire book. I never really knew what was going to happen next, and even if I was going to hazard a guess (which I didn't really have time to do because I completely devoured this book!), I would never have guessed right! Yep, totally flummoxed, that was me!

If you enjoy paranormal YA and are sick of the same ol', same ol', you should absolutely give Brigid Kemmerer's books a try. They are all great, but "Thicker Than Water" is hands down my favourite. I so hope this book will turn this into a series, because I want more, I need more, please give me more!

My rating:

TESSA BAILEY REVEALS THE COVER FOR "TOO HOT TO HANDLE"

When Rita Clarkson's Suburban takes its last breath on a New Mexico roadside, rescue roars up on a Harley in the form of smooth-talking honkey tonk owner, Jasper Ellis, a man as mysterious as he is charming. Rita's cross-country journey to New York City--with her three estranged siblings in tow--is only beginning, but now that Jasper has found Rita, his plans do not include her leaving.

Amazon – http://amzn.to/1PWXTXl 

B&N – http://bit.ly/24nRnR9 

iBooks – http://apple.co/1T5bW0Z 

Kobo – http://bit.ly/1SRy3YC 

Google Play – http://bit.ly/1QedVxs

About Tessa Bailey:

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.

Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.

She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.

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https://twitter.com/mstessabailey