Bel's Top 10 of 2014

Oh boy! I always have a tough time with narrowing down which ones to include. I realized in putting my Top 10 together that the books on this list are ones that my mind always travels back to. I figure if these books come to my mind as often as they do, then they must be it, right?

Winger by Andrew Smith

When I first picked up this book, I never suspected that it would affect me as much as it did. It wrenched my heart and the aftermath left me gutted for days. I’d do it all over again.

Play by Kylie Scott

One word: Mal. The second in the Stage Dive series delivered the funniest, hottest, most ridiculous scenarios. Mal's character made me laugh hard. He is the class clown who happens to be a freaking hot drummer, mischievous to the core and one of my top 5 fictional boyfriends. 

This Is Falling (Falling #2) by Ginger Scott

What a delightfully gradual fall! I fell head over heels for this one about a girl suffering from PTSD and the sensitive co-ed who befriends her. I'll repeat what I said in my review in that I wish I could experience this book for the first time over and over.

Breakable by Tammara Webber

I so loved Easy which is an all-time favourite and an obvious go-to choice for me. This sequel, Webber's solid writing shows us events told from Lucas’ POV, revisits his painful past and how he came to be the man he is today.

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

It was a difficult choice between this and Jordan's other NA title, Wild, which I loved also. I eventually went with this because its dark, gritty premise explored many thought-provoking questions about who has the potential for violence, if it can be accurately predicted and how to stave off that threat. Do potential offenders deserve humane treatment? And what if you could fight it?

The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith

This was the ultimate in sweetness. Two strangers trapped in an elevator during a blackout in NYC. Their connection spans several states and even continents. And my favourite part about this book? The many lovely quotes to choose from.

Sway by Kat Spears

This one surprised me big time. The premise had me thinking it would be pretty funny, and it was. But it was also uncomfortable and wrong in places due to the main character's lack of a social filter. What caught me off guard was how much I ended up liking the at times loathsome, sarcastic and opportunistic protagonist.

The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski

This follow-up to The Edge of Never was so wonderful. The title alone eludes to hope. Camryn and Andrew create their own happiness and adventure, making it hard not to love them for it! 

How To Get Ainsley Bishop To Fall In Love With You by T.M. Franklin

So much awesome here! I have a special fondness for this one as I’ll always remember laughing out loud, reading it on the beach in the Bahamas. It’s smart, funny and witty. Honestly, you’ll fall in love with Oliver because he's the “forever boy”.

The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson

This is a very gripping story about a girl who’s transplanted to America from her war torn country that was once ruled by her dictator-father. Through her eyes, the reader gets to see life from a different cultural perspective. It’s an eye-opening and consuming read.

 


Okay, in some circles this may considered as "cheating" but I would be remiss if I didn't include some honorable mentions. Please forgive me but I just had to throw some more love out there...

Undone by Cat Clarke
A young girl dealing with her best friend's suicide seeks revenge on the popular group of high school kids she blames for his death. You'd think it would be all serious but it's sometimes charming tone and surprisingly funny moments help to offset the somber mood. The ending leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

 

The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi
You've read books about people coming to terms with being gay. In this, the main character has already accepted that fact but feels she must "fix" herself in order to help her mother heal emotionally from her father's death.

The Hook Up (Game On #1) by Kristen Callihan
Ms. Callihan doesn't know this but she almost owed me a brand new tablet because holy cow, this book is freaking hot!!

Beneath The Stain by Amy Lane
Two words: Amy Lane. She describes love in all its extremes so perfectly that it's hard not to be affected. Imagine if she did greeting cards! 










All right then. I've shown you mine, now let's see yours!  

~ Bel

Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott (Excerpt & A Freaking Awesome Giveaway Too!)

Stay up all night with the sexy rockers in Stage Dive, the epic New Adult series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott, author of Lick and Play.

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it's booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble. 　

Lena's not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

Amazon // B&N // iTunes

 

The Stage Dive series by Kylie Scott:

Lick (Stage Dive #1): Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

Play (Stage Dive #2): Amazon / B&N / Goodreads

Deep (Stage Dive #4) available on January 6th, 2015: Amazon / B&N /Goodreads

Review

* * * *

After ascending to hilarious highs in Play, it's time to get sober in Lead. Lena, who we met in the previous book, is hired to be Jimmy’s sobriety companion. Yes, the lead singer of the biggest band in the world needs a "babysitter" to make sure he doesn’t fall back into old addiction habits so that means being in close quarters with him at all hours, all day, every day.

Jimmy begrudgingly agrees to it. It’s not exactly what Lena had in mind either but since she’s still floundering after leaving home a year ago, she takes the job offer. As with the heroines in the previous two Stage Dive books, Lena is another strong female entering into the macho world of the Ferris brothers. She is so not intimidated by Jimmy at all. He can grunt his answers and be as anti-social as he wants to be but he doesn’t scare her off.

After a day that includes an emotional farewell and a particularly nasty and public encounter with another family member, Lena sees a whole new side to Jimmy that is otherwise kept very private. This is the Jimmy that is beyond reach.  And this is the Jimmy that she starts to have feelings for.  I have to say, Lena’s developing and inconvenient crush on him is adorable and funny.  Jimmy is so clueless that he doesn’t even pick up on it, at least not initially. However, anyone of us who has ever gone through that can recognize all the things that Lena is going through from the unintentional stares to the runaway thoughts turned fantasies. The boundaries start to get blurred and Lena knows that she’s falling for someone who is emotionally unavailable and incapable of the kind of intimacy that she wants. Let's not fail to remember that he is her boss too. Talk about complicated!

I appreciated that Lena is honest with herself.  She’s a big girl, she knows where this could lead and she’s prepared to deal with the consequences of her decisions, stupid as they could turn out to be. But she’s willing to take the risk to a certain extent. Jimmy on the other hand vacillates between wanting Lena to get her own life and wanting her to himself. Yes, there’s some jealousy and yes this big guy is in total denial about it. And when he suggests some utterly nonsensical ways for her to get over her crush on him (based on some silly magazine article) things naturally get heated up. People it’s hysterical and it’s made even more so because Jimmy is not only stubborn but also not very good with words. It still doesn’t stop Lena from mouthing off at him and falling deeper for him. As their relationship goes from professional to bizarre to hysterical to uneasy, he continues to be mostly grumpy and distant.  

One thing I like about the Stage Dive series is that all the heroines that have been introduced so far are impressive, independent women. They’re unapologetic about who they are and they don’t dwell on what they may be lacking. It’s refreshing. When it comes to relationships, these women aren’t necessarily interested in changing the guys who come into their lives. If anything, these women bring out the better versions of these hard rocking, hard living guys. Lena is no exception. She’s a phenomenal foil to Jimmy’s moodiness. She cares for him deeply and her relentless encouragement of him to push past his barriers slowly chip away at his gruff demeanor. Lots of stuff broken, hearts included in the process but since when has love ever been easy?

Lead has solidified my author crush on Kylie Scott. I don't know how but she once again manages to create a mini-universe within the Stage Dive family. Lena and Jimmy have their own unique story to tell independent of the others but it's still about a tight-knit family. They all gather around when needed and of course, Mal, that dear sweet clown is there to deliver extra laughs. 

And before I forget, I'd also like to thank whoever it is who's responsible for these freaking hot covers. Hot musicians and tattoos - an irresistible and dangerous combo! Look at these covers and discuss ...

They're just lovely, aren't they? So if you're into broody lead singers who will rock your world and wicked sharp heroines who are their match, Lead is a sure bet! And now that we've met David, Mal and Jimmy, I CANNOT wait to find out Ben's story in Deep :-)

In the meantime, check out the a delicious excerpt from the book and learn more about the awesome Stage Dive series and the incredible Kylie Scott!

~ Bel

Excerpt

“Lena, you seen my old black Led Zep shirt?”

“Nope.”

“You sure?” His brows became one dark cranky line. The scratches on his face were healing well, thank goodness. Though it didn’t reduce my desire to throttle his mother on a daily basis.

“Yes. I haven’t seen it.”

Can’t find it anywhere…”

“And this is a surprise, how?” I slipped my hands into my back jean’s pockets. “Jimmy, you own more clothing than Cher, Brittney, and Elvis, put together. Things are bound to go missing.”

“Sure you haven’t seen it?”

“For goodness sake, what do you think, Jimmy? That I stole it to sleep in or something?” I laughed bitterly. Sure as hell, the truth deserved a good mocking. I’d sunk so despicably low.

I hadn’t even meant to steal the stupid thing, but the shirt had been mixed up with my laundry a few days ago. It’d been the first top I laid my hand on after stepping out of the shower, ready to go to bed. Without thought, I’d put it on and it’d been so soft, the scent of him lingering beneath the laundry detergent. Every night since, I’d found myself in it come bedtime. My shame knew no limits. And no, I still hadn’t quit. The words still hadn’t come even close to leaving my mouth.

He frowned. “No.”

“That I have some deep secret longing to feel close to you resulting in my stealing your shirt like some creepy perv?”

“Course I don’t fucking think that,” he replied crankily, reaching up to grip the top of the doorframe. All of his bulging muscles stretched the arms of his white T-shirt in the nicest way. It was all I could do not to start drooling, my heart beat taking up residence somewhere down between my thighs. And who could blame it? Not me. Maybe if I got laid, this would go away and things would return to normal. It’d seemed safer to avoid rubbing up against any men just in case I got carried away and started dating again. This new situation, however, changed everything.

“Well, of course not! That would be crazy.” And wasn’t that the god’s honest truth? Cray-zeee. Lock me up and throw away the key because it wasn’t like I didn’t know better.

“Just can’t figure out where the hell it could be.”

Angels couldn’t have smiled as innocently. They might have tried, but they would have failed, the dirty-mouthed, winged, little liars. “Jimmy, I don’t know where it is. But I’ll look around for it later, okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, and then added as an afterthought, “and stop looking at me weird.”

“I’m not!”

About Kylie Scott:

Kylie is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and one delightful husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet.

Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Goodreads | Website

Giveaway


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A Peek In The BiblioBin #109

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

For Review:

Lead (Stage Dive #3) by Kylie Scott

Sugar On The Edge (Last Call #3) by Sawyer Bennett

In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4) by Kristan Higgins

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper


Purchased:

Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott

Scoring Wilder by R.S. Grey

Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott

* * * * 

Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller Lick.

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big  ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Kylie Scott made a fan out of me with Lick, the first in the Stage Dive series.  The chemistry that she brought to David and Ev’s relationship was ridiculously fantastic in its intensity. In Play, she does the same thing though a different kind of chemistry and a whole lot of hilarity.

Mal Erickson, hottie drummer extraordinaire is essentially the class clown. He’s the funny guy who can crack a joke in a millisecond, diffuse a tense moment and just reduce anyone into fits of giggles. He’s the guy who enjoys baiting people and riling them up. Hmmm… kind of reminds me of my hubby.  Anne comes into his life one night at a party after mutual friends convince her to join them in an effort to cheer her up. You see, earlier she came home to an empty apartment, her deadbeat roommate having moved out without so much as a warning or even repaying the money Anne had loaned her. At the party, Anne seeks out a quiet spot to have a conversation with her friend Reece, who is also her boss at the bookstore. He also happens to be the object of her unrequited love. She doesn’t realize that Mal is in the background listening in on her end of the phone conversation. So their initial meeting is a little awkward and Mal is of course, mischievous.

Later that night he announces they’re destined to be together and they’re moving in. He’s obviously drunk and Anne has no idea what to do with him. There’s no way he could possibly be serious. Oh just wait. The next day, there he is all moved in. In her apartment. This is for real! Apparently, he feels that they can each benefit from this arrangement. She wouldn’t have to worry about rent and for some reason that he refuses to divulge, he needs someone to be his pretend girlfriend. Anne ends up going with it. Who knows it could be fun plus she's curious about Mal.  

Okay, this whole setup is outlandish but I’m not reading this for a heavy dose of reality.  I knew I'd be in for a fun read and I was honest to goodness laughing my behind off! I mean the kind of laughing where your entire body is shaking. Mal is so comical. He’s like a goofy puppy dog wanting to be played with and adored. Lucky Anne gets to deal with this hyper, dramatic manchild and she deftly holds her own. Their conversations and quips are spot on. The timing just perfect. She handles whatever is thrown at her like a champ and she dishes back. So much about their whole setup seems implausible but they somehow get each other and they click.  

As with these things, there is obviously something going on with Mal below the surface. He just refuses to talk about it.  At some point, Mal can no longer keep up appearances. He eventually confides in Anne. When that happens, Anne's heart goes out to him. Using her screwed up family as an example to help Mal open up, she can perhaps sort herself out too. 

By the way, these two together are as hot as hell! Even when they’re baiting each other it’s sexy and fun. My favourite scene involves the crashing of a bed and that ludicrous banter leading up to it. I’m not telling you, you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

In between all the sexy stuff and funny jokes, what's troubling Mal also affects the rest of the band. When that all comes to light, it’s wonderful to see the entire band rally around each other. This is a family and they stick together no matter what. So it’s nice for Anne, who has always had to fix things herself, to see this, experience it and be embraced into this family. It’s also nice for her to finally be appreciated by someone who actually sees her instead of her being taken for granted.

Play is awesome. Lick was intense and complicated and Play does have some of that. While Mal may drive a lot of the action, it's Anne's impressive acceptance of his craziness and how unique their relationship is that makes the story special. And because Kylie Scott does such a bang up job of creating distinct personas for her characters, Play is exciting, heartwarming, adventurous and no lie, laugh-out-loud funny!

~ Bel

* The review for Lead (Stage Dive #3) will be posted on its release day, Tuesday, July 29