For Emery (For You #4) by J. Nathan

* * * 1/2

A STANDALONE New Adult Sports Romance in the For You series. Each book follows a new couple.

Emery
I’ve loved Jordan Grady since I was eight.
Since he became my protector.
Since he became my safe haven each night.
But I was younger.
Off limits...
Until high school when he finally kissed me.
And for a few fleeting moments, everything was right in the world.
Then I was forced to do the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do...
Disappear from his life without a trace.

Grady
I’m Alabama’s star right tackle—and a real prick.
I live my life by a few solid truths.
Life isn’t fair.
Don’t let anyone get too close.
And those who claim to care about you can up and leave.
But you know what they say about things that disappear...
But Emery Pruitt had never been mine.
Even if she had returned after four years.
Older.
Confident.
And more beautiful than the night she vanished.
But it didn’t erase the fact that she’d left me.
So, why find me now? 

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


Whenever I've read one of J. Nathan's books I've always enjoyed it. I see her as including just enough angst without being too overwhelming which is just the right combination for me.

For Emery is a story about the ultimate kind of friendship that's forged from the earliest and most influential years in a young child's life. Grady first meets Emery when her family moves in next door. Unfortunately, Emery's family life is a mess and she finds solace in hanging out in Grady's bedroom. He makes her feel safe and protected, and maybe it's hero worship that makes her declare that they'll be boyfriend and girlfriend, and even marry one day. Grady doesn't take her too seriously as far as that's concerned since she's a few years younger than him, but it doesn't change how deeply he cares about her and wishes he could fix everything for her. She disappears from his life abruptly and doesn't hear from her again until she shows up at as a freshman at college where he's a star on the football team. Seeing her again is a complete shock and brings up many years worth of pent up bitterness. Still, he's not letting her out of his sight. Now they just have to learn how to become friends all over again.

Be warned that this story involves domestic violence and Grady has some anger issues as well. Grady's behaviour feels a bit off to me only because the Grady in the younger years is extremely kind and protective, whereas the college-age Grady can be a jerk. It is inferred that Emery's disappearance is the cause of the shift in his attitude but I felt still felt as if I was missing something there.

This was an engaging but tough read because of the subject matter, and it's hard not to be overcome by some of the details. They're not terribly graphic, it's more the fear that Emery has lived with for so long and how she must be careful to protect herself. The upside is that two people who thought they'd lost the most meaningful connection to another person they've ever had, find each other again. And it's no an exaggeration to say that their friendship is a lifesaver. J. Nathan tells a good story and I recommend this one if you're up for it.

~ Bel

House of Cards by Garrett Leigh

****

Calum Hardy’s life has unravelled. Reeling from the betrayal of a man he once loved, he boards a train heading south, with no real idea where he’s going except a world away from London.

Brix Lusmoore can hardly believe his eyes when he spots one of his oldest friends outside Truro station. He hasn’t seen Calum since he fled the capital himself four years ago, harbouring a life-changing secret. But despite the years of silence, their old bond remains, warm and true—and layered with simmering heat they’ve never forgotten.

Calum takes refuge with Brix and a job at his Porthkennack tattoo shop. Bit by bit, he rebuilds his life, but both men carry the ghosts of the past, and it will take more than a rekindled friendship and the magic of the Cornish coast to chase them away.

Source:  An advance electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Bad:

The book ended.  

The Good:

Porthennack is whack.  Seriously, this is one messed up town and I totally want to go there.  The people are just... crazy, in all the best ways.  Brix's family.  Oh my god.  Just.  Yeah, hilarious.  Brix himself is awesome.  He's sensitive, intelligent, funny...  He rescues chickens and protects his crazy criminal relatives, and takes in broken friends.  Which is fitting because Brix's pretty broken himself.  

Calum is definitely lost and broken and escaping a terrible relationship.  Once he starts getting back to himself he's also sweet and funny.  He finds himself falling for Brix, but Brix keeps a distance between them and he doesn't trust himself anyway.  

When these two finally take the leap to be together it's beautiful  They find love and hope for the future neither really thought was possible.  House of Cards is my first Garrett Leigh book, but it definitely won't be my last.  

~ Shel

Hard Hitter (Brooklyn Bruisers #2) by Sarina Bowen

* * * *

He’s a fighter in the rink, but he’s about to learn that playing nice can help you score... 

As team captain and enforcer, Patrick O'Doul puts the bruise in the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of hard hits, O'Doul is feeling the burn, both physically and mentally. He conceals his pain from his coach and trainers, but when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to ignore, they send him for sessions with the team’s massage therapist.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Ari Bettini is in need of peace of mind. For now, she’s decided to focus on her work: rehabilitating the Bruisers’ MVP. O'Doul is easy on the eyes, but his reaction to her touch is ice cold. Ari is determined to help O'Doul heal, but as the tension between them turns red hot, they both learn that a little TLC does the body good...


*Source: advance e-galley from publisher provided in exchange for an honest review


It's been a bit of a tough week and I wanted to throw myself into something that's familiar, so that would be a world of hot hockey players who are aggressive on the ice and surprisingly sensitive off the ice.

Patrick has always put himself through the wringer during all their games. That's his role - to take the hits without complaints. But after years of being roughed up, his body needs some tlc. In comes, Ari, the team's well-respected yoga instructor and massage therapist. Patrick is forced to see her as part of his rehabilitation but it unnerves him to have anyone touch him. It confuses Ari but she's willing to work patiently with him to help him get better. Spending time with each other is what they need. He's not used to companionship and she could use a friend after a disastrous break up with her shady boyfriend. Unfortunately, things get complicated between them thanks to the ex-boyfriend whose interference could unravel their relationship and careers.

What can I say? I'd be hard-pressed to come across a Sarina Bowen book I didn't like. In Hard Hitter, I enjoyed seeing Ari work to reclaim herself after being in a long-term relationship, and an unhealthy one at that. She faltered a bit but I had to admire her for the courage it took to stand up for herself. Once again, kudos to Bowen for addressing a sensitive issue with such finesse. And Patrick? It's different to see someone who's such an alpha morph in to this sensitive, wannabe boyfriend seeking out romantic advice from his teammates. Really! They're funny! And of course, the sexy times are as scorching-hot as ever which include some fun props ...ahem...massage table.

Hard Hitter is an excellent follow-up to Rookie Move. Aside from Ari and Patrick, there are a couple other subplots of interest in the background that I got excited about. This sports romance has it all - the good guy, the bad guy, the tough girl, best friends, laughs and lots of heat.

~ Bel

Breaking A Legend by Sarah Robinson Blog Tour - Review & Q & A

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BREAKING A LEGEND

Kavanagh Legends #1

Sarah Robinson

Released Sept 29th, 2015

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Perfect for fans of Katy Evans and Monica Murphy, Sarah Robinson’s blistering-hot series debut introduces the Kavanagh brothers—mixed martial arts fighters who work hard, play hard, and love with all their hearts.

As one of the big names at his family’s gym, Legends, MMA star Rory Kavanagh is used to being in the spotlight—until a gruesome leg injury knocks him out of the cage. Rory is left feeling sidelined in more ways than one, battling the inner demons that come with losing the one shot at his dreams. Then Clare walks into his life and gives him a new dream: winning her heart. There aren’t many new faces in Woodlawn these days, but this tough, beautiful stranger makes Rory want to get his life back into fighting shape.

Clare Ivers doesn’t think she’ll be able to tell anyone what really brought her to the close-knit Bronx neighborhood where she just started bartending. But her life’s on pause and her past is catching up fast, try as she might to move on—with new friends, steady work, and a chiseled alpha male trying to get her attention. Even though Rory’s more than a little intense, she can’t deny that her heart beats faster when he looks at her with those soulful silver eyes. Clare thought she was done with love, but Rory might just be man enough to show her she thought wrong.

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Sarah Robinson is the bestselling author of The Photographer Trilogy and the Sand & Clay rock star series. A native of Washington, D.C., Robinson has both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in criminal psychology. She is married to a local police officer who is just as much of an animal rescue enthusiast as she is. Together, they own a zoo of rescue and foster animals.

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We asked Sarah Robinson a few questions and she very kindly joined in our silliness!  Check out the Q & A below:

BiblioJunkies:  What is your favorite thing about sports romance?

Sarah Robinson: Masculinity and rugged alphas, for sure. Almost every sports romance has a muscled, strong athlete who’s one of the best in his field, and won’t let anything stand between him and his dreams. Being an athlete takes dedication, skill, and ambition- all very attractive qualities to me in a man, and ones I hope to portray in all my novels. Rory’s career is over at the start of the novel due to an injury, but the same drive and determination never leaves him. He knows what he wants, and he’s going to get her.

BiblioJunkies:  Do you have a favorite book boyfriend/literary crush?

Sarah Robinson:  Gabe Hyde from Rachel van Dyken’s Ruin Series has stuck with me for a while, something about the way she writes men is intoxicating to me. They’re both strong and capable, yet wounded and in need of a woman’s help to be the man they want to be. If you’re talking specifically MMA       romances, then any man in the Fighting Series by JB Salsbury has stolen my heart more than once. Honestly, I don’t have one specific favorite, because my favorite is usually whatever I’m   reading at the time!

BiblioJunkies:  What is your favorite book of 2015 (so far)?

Sarah Robinson:  I adored The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon, which I’m not sure came out this year but I read it   this year. That story was fantastic. I laughed out loud, literally to Confessions of a Reformed Tom            Cat by Daisy Prescott. For a chilling and fantastic read, I read Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes         which actually comes out next year. Her first book, You, was amazing, and it’s in my top favorites        of all time. For romance specifically, I really loved After the Kiss by Lauren Layne, and that whole     series. I plan on reading at least 30 more books before the end of the year though, so who knows   what else might catch my eye! At the end of every year, I post a “top books of the year” list on my website, which you can subscribe to in order not to miss it at www.booksbysarahrobinson.net.

BiblioJunkies:  Are you a boxing/MMA fan?

Sarah Robinson:  Do I like sweaty men groping around at each other and flipping around on a mat? Yes, yes I do.    Do I like the sport itself and am a diehard fan? Not necessarily. I enjoy the sport itself, but it’s   always so short. So often when I’m watching, it’s always the lead up to the fight, then the fight is ten seconds, and it’s over. Those ten seconds are pretty freaking awesome though.

BiblioJunkies:  We are all about books, boys and pie (or really any sweet treat) here at BiblioJunkies HQ, we’ve covered the first two, so I have to ask, what is your favorite treat?

Sarah Robinson:  I’m eating pizza as a type this and wearing a t-shirt by Chris Crocker that says “I ain’t tryna please ya, I’m just tryna eat some pizza,” so one would think that is my favorite, but that’s just my favorite of the day. My favorite sweet treats varies based on the time of the month, you know what I’m talking about ladies, and based on how heavily my personal trainer shamed me and my eating habits that particularly, but if the calories don’t count, sheet cake is my favorite thing in the world. Generic vanilla sheet cake with dye-your-tongue-blue frosting and outrageously large frosting flowers. Heaven, right there. Sometimes I crash kid’s birthday parties just to eat the cake, and if they have one of those weird fruit cakes, they’re off my friend list for life. This is very serious.

I often post the silly things I’m wearing and eating on my Instagram (www.instagram.com/booksbysarahrobinson) so make sure to follow me to keep up!

Review:
***

There seem to be a lot of boxing/MMA books out there right now where the badass fighter falls for the abused girl.  Breaking a Legend was well-executed, thoughtful and a good read, but I think I'm burnt out on this particular storyline.  I will never tire of staring at the book cover, though.  :)  That said, I enjoyed Breaking a Legend, especially the supporting cast of characters.

I do adore the Kavanagh family and can't wait to read Kieran's story in Saving a Legend (coming in March 2016).  Lots of siblings, each will get their own book according to Ms. Robinson's website, and if you have siblings, you know the kind of hijinx that ensue.  There's a real family dynamic that is entertaining and engrossing, and that is what will keep me coming back for more.  

~ Shel

Tryst by Alex Rosa

***

In this sensational New Adult debut by Alex Rosa, boyfriends are too much trouble. So what’s the harm in a little fun?

With an abusive relationship behind her, Skyler moves out of her Orange County apartment, changes her phone number, cuts ties with her friends, and moves in with her brother Josh, a talent agent with a spare room in his incredible house in Hollywood.

Josh is happy to take Skyler under his wing, but he has one rule: she can’t sleep with his roommate, Blake. That’s fine by Skyler. She doesn’t want a man in her life right now—and certainly not cocky Blake who’s with a different girl every night. But his all-American boy charm and his ripped model physique are difficult to refuse. Josh will never know if no one ever tells him. And a little secret now and then never hurt anyone…

I have mixed feelings about Tryst...  I enjoyed Blake, the uber-hot bad boy.  Skyler's best friend, Tucker was a hoot.  The brother, Josh felt fairly irrelevant, except as a road block to Skyler and Blake's relationship.  My mixed feelings stem from the fact that the story felt unfinished.  There seems to be unfinished business with Skyler's abusive ex; with Blake's career and the relationship between Blake and Josh after the events of Tryst.  

Notwithstanding the unfinished business, Tryst was a decent love story.  The brother's best friend theme is common in romances - an easy impediment to the burgeoning relationship of our hero and heroine - so it is easy for the books to run together.  Tryst stands out, because, in addition to this, there are the lasting ramifications of an abusive relationship and how a victim moves forward with relationships after removing him-or-herself from the abusive relationship.  Here, Skyler clearly has low self-esteem that makes her think she is not yet good enough for a "normal" relationship.  And Blake has self-esteem issues stemming from his promiscuous ways.  He feels that because of his player status he doesn't deserve Skye.  When it's all said and done, the characters grow and heal together, which is really what it is all about.

I'm hoping that Tryst was the start of a series, because I'm very interested in the story of Josh and Vanessa.  I can only hope that Skyler and Blake give them hell in their story.  :-)

~ Shel