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

Five Dares by Eli Easton

****

Andy Tyler has been the class daredevil since middle school. Over the years, he’s convinced his best friend, Jake Masterson, to perform some dangerous-looking stunts with him. But the dare they attempt on the night of their college graduation goes sideways. The firecrackers explode too soon and both of them end up with badly burned palms.

But hey, nothing gets the “terrible duo” down for long, and they recuperate in style at Andy’s family cottage in Nantucket. As the weeks go by, both Andy and Jake grow frustrated over the inability to use their hands for all sorts of daily activities—including getting off. So Andy begins a new series of dares that don’t just cross the friendship line, they obliterate it.

But what might be mere sexual relief to Andy is serious business to Jake, who only recently got over years of secret pining for his straight best friend. Inevitably, the burns heal, summer ends, and hearts are broken. To fix things, Andy will have to face the greatest dare of all.


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

Five Dates is a story of BFFs that are graduating from college and trying to figure out the rest of their lives.  Andy is the daredevil and Jake, his sidekick.  Andy convinces Jake to do a stunt at their graduation party with fireworks that leaves them both with terrible burns on their hands.  They spend their last summer recupperating and falling in love, but Andy feels like he has to live up to his father's expectations and Jake knows he has to move on.

Andy is an idiot who has always been in love with Jake, but didn't realize it was love he was feeling.  Jake's always known he was in love with Andy, but Andy's straight, so he swallowed his feelings.  

Five Dares is sweet, sappy, and funny.  I really love this book.  It's in my top two Eli Easton books (with Mr. Miggles.  If you haven't read Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles, go get it now!).  I hope you love these guys as much as I did.  Five Dares is now on my comfort read list - it's just that lovely.

~ Shel

Crazy Pucking Love by Cindi Madsen

From Publisher:

I just met the girl of my dreams. Megan Davenport is funny and smart, and she’s as much of an insomniac as I am. She’s also my team captain’s little sister, which I only found out after our passionate kiss. 

Megan is completely off-limits—her brother makes that very clear—and I know better than to think I can keep a relationship going during hockey season anyway. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be late-night friends, right? The only problem is, love makes you do crazy things, like breaking all the rules.

Source:  Advance Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet, sappy, sexy.  Crazy Pucking Love is a fun new adult sports romance featuring a sexy hockey player at the end of his rope and a troubled freshman looking for a fresh start.  

Crazy Pucking Love is refreshing because Megan is a strong female character.  She puts up with some nonsense from Dane, but she was outspoken about what she wanted and needed.  Which was made more remarkable given that she was overcoming her own past and moving on toward a better future.  Dane is much more sensitive than we generally see in a jock.  He perfectly defines "hot mess" and I loved him even more for it.

I definitely have to go back and read the rest of the Taking Shots Series and I hope we haven't seen the last of this super-fun hockey team!

~Shel

Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry - Blog Tour GIVEAWAY & REVIEW

Hi, and welcome to the blog tour to celebrate the release of Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry. I’m visiting some of my favourite blogs around the place to talk about writing Adulting 101, some of my influences and inspiration, and even sharing an excerpt or two! Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize!

About the Book

The struggle is real.

Nick Stahlnecker is eighteen and not ready to grow up yet. He has a summer job, a case of existential panic, and a hopeless crush on the unattainable Jai Hazenbrook. Except how do you know that your coworker’s unattainable unless you ask to blow him in the porta-potty?

That’s probably not what Dad meant when he said Nick should act more like an adult.

Twenty-five-year-old Jai is back in his hometown of Franklin, Ohio, just long enough to earn the money to get the hell out again. His long-term goal of seeing more of the world is worth the short-term pain of living in his mother’s basement, but only barely.

Meeting Nick doesn’t fit in with Jai’s plans at all, but, as Jai soon learns, you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have the adventure of a lifetime.

This is not a summer romance. This is a summer friendship-with-benefits. It’s got pizza with disgusting toppings, Netflix and chill, and accidental exhibitionism. That’s all. There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.

You can find out more about Adulting 101 at Riptide.

About the Author 

Lisa Henry - Author

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn't know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she's too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Email    Website    Twitter    GoodReads    Facebook

!!!Giveaway!!!

Each comment on this blog tour enters you for a chance to win a $20 Riptide credit and an ebook of your choice from my back catalogue. You’ll also win a super secret cute little gift that’s very close to my (and Nick’s) heart! Entries close August 20, and contest is not restricted to US residents. Remember to leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you if you win!

Review

* * * *

The description to this had me clicking the Request button so fast your head would spin. 

“There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.”

How can a line like that NOT draw me in?  I couldn’t deny the temptation. 

The humor in this blurb completely and absolutely fulfills its promise.  I found myself laughing out loud so many times that my husband was beginning to give me dirty looks.  And I texted enough hilarious quotes that my friends probably blocked my number.  Actually, that’s not true.  I’m pretty sure I convinced a few people to read this based on the quotes alone.  And one of them has never read romance! 

The writing style in Adulting 101 is unique.  Lisa Henry manages to tell Nick and Jai’s story in the third person all the while making it feel like you are living their stream of consciousness.   And that’s what makes Nick’s character so hilarious.  Reading his scatterbrained thoughts, his immature actions  as well as the hopes and fears that he holds inside make him one of the most three dimensional characters I have read in a very long time.   

Being inside Jai’s head is a little bit different.  Mainly because Jai is older.  Particularly in life experience.  Although he lives a nomadic life he is also grounded and provides the perfect contrast to Nick.  His calm demeanor and focus are the calm to Nick’s internal chaos.

The romance between Jai and Nick is realistically awkward and perfectly paced.  Amidst the hilarity there are moments of serious contemplation and acceptance as Nick learns to adult.   It isn’t easy for him and there are plenty of pitfalls along the way.  Some that will make you cringe and many that will make you laugh.

As you can probably guess, I can’t recommend this book enough.  Adulting 101 is a perfect realistic feel-good romance that will make you laugh hysterically and smile uncontrollably. 

Nat

The Girl Next Door by Amy Jo Cousins

When it comes to love, go big or go home.

Charles “Cash” Carmichael traded his high-rise condo and family-firm career for a job coaching soccer for Chicago’s inner-city kids. He’s adjusting to living on minimum wage when his young cousin, newly out and running away from home, shows up on his less-than-luxurious doorstep.

Angsty teens definitely aren’t Cash’s thing. He needs local backup, and there’s only one name he can think of: Stephany Tyler. Back in the day, the bisexual Steph was the perfect friend with benefits until she fell in love with a woman.

To his relief, his former friend steps up to the plate. Soon, though, Cash finds himself feeling the familiar need to keep her in his bed, and in his life. But Steph, burned by the ex-girlfriend and by the absentee dad she’s been trying to connect with, won’t risk her heart again.

Good thing Cash believes in leaving it all on the field. If he can just convince Steph to get in the game, there’s a chance they can both win.

Warning: This book contains ex-friends with benefits crossing boundaries a second time, several steamy encounters on staircases, copious discussions about gay sex from a “straight” guy, a shout-out to magic buttons, and an especially memorable going away threesome. 

Review:

I had to laugh at the warning for this book.  One, because most of the warnings that come on books published by Samhain make me giggle, and two, because it gives the idea that this book is all sex.  And it’s not.  There are some steamy scenes in it for sure.  And I can’t say that I’ve read a threesome in any other New Adult novel (or adult novel for that matter outside erotic romance). But Amy Jo Cousins fits it in seamlessly without ever making the reader feel like they’ve crossed into something unexpectedly steamier.

If you’ve read Off Campus (by now we all know I’m a huge fan) you are familiar with Cash Carmichael.  The clueless kindhearted friend that insists on staying in Tom’s life and who effortlessly draws Reese in too.   It’s been a few years since graduation and Cash has chosen to ditch his comfy parent provided job for a minimum wage non-profit position bringing sports to inner-city kids in Chicago.   A huge adjustment but Cash adapts easily.  Which is a good quality to have when his 17 year old cousin, Denny, shows up at his apartment looking for a place to stay.  Denny has just come out to his parents and they think he is just looking for attention.  The one person that Denny thought might take him seriously is Cash.  Cash wants to give Denny what he needs but he’s not quite sure what that is. So he brings in the troops.  The troops being his best friends Tom and Reese.  But they are still in Boston and can’t come out to help for a couple weeks.  In the interim, Cash enlists the help of the one person he’s been avoiding since he found out she moved to town.  His bi-sexual friend, Steph.  More memorable to him as his former friend with benefits.  Also the girl that got away.

When Cash meets Steph for dinner he finds the friendship that was so strained before naturally reappears.  Steph doesn’t hesitate to help out and it doesn’t take long before she and Cash are re-instating their friends with benefits relationship.  The difference is that Cash doesn’t want a casual thing.  For him this is the real deal.  But he knows Steph.  And he recognizes her issues with abandonment.  Mix that with Cash’s fear of being cast aside like last time and he decides to slowly work his way into her heart.  He just needs the time to convince her that he’s worth forever.

There are so many things to love about this book.  The biggest thing being Cash himself.  The story is told from his POV (third person) and he is just such a….DUDE.  And when you read it you will understand why that is hilarious.   He’s funny, kind and completely aware of his cluelessness.  This might be my favorite quality of his.  He KNOWS that it sometimes takes him longer to process information.  And he’s so embarrassed by it.  But he has a few tricks up his sleeve to hide that from people and I found it endearing.  His relationship with each of his friends (Denny included) really shows that he’s the glue that holds them all together.  Really there is nothing to dislike about the guy. 

Steph is amazing.  I loved her since the moment she threatened Tom in Off Campus.  She’s feisty and she has a huge heart.   A huge heart that’s been broken a few too many times.  She’s also naughty.  Much like her BFF, Reese, Steph is a bit of an exhibitionist, which allows for some fun steamy scenes.  It definitely helps that Cash is pretty much open to anything and everything.

If you’ve been following this series from the beginning you’ll enjoy the reappearance of Tom and Reese.  And if, like me, you started this series by reading Level Hands (Bend or Break #4), you’ll enjoy seeing how Denny and Rafi meet each other.  It was adorable to witness the start of their relationship through Cash’s eyes.

This series has been a joy to read and The Girl Next Door was the perfect sweet and happy remedy needed after experiencing the angst of the first two books.  Each one of these books have made it to my comfort read shelf.  I am not ashamed to admit I’ve read Off Campus three times in the past three months.  If that’s not a comfort read I don’t know what is.  It just hits the spot.  The best part is that the series isn’t over.  Look out for our review of Real World (Bend or Break #5) which comes out in November.  If you are a Tom/Reese fan you will love reading this novella about them 5 years post-graduation.

Nat

This Book Will Change Your Life by Amanda Weaver

* * * 1/2

Take a chance and change your life…

College was supposed to be where Hannah’s hard work paid off, but the major in honors chemistry she’s been working towards since childhood is slipping away. Worse, she’s not sure she wants it anymore. Salvation comes from an unlikely place—a used bookstore and Ben, the passionate college senior who works there.

Ben’s trapped in a life mapped out for him. Trapped in a future career as a lawyer to make his father happy. Trapped pursuing a girl he doesn't even like because she fits into a world he doesn’t want, but can’t escape. But then he meets Hannah. And for the first time, he knows what it means to truly want something.

So he gives in to being her friend. Then to wanting her. Then to kissing her. And within the freedom of his impulsivity, both of their carefully planned lives begin to fall apart...


Review:

After receiving a failing grade on her first honors chemistry test and then being caught in a downpour on her way back to her dorm room, Hannah takes unexpected refuge at Prometheus Books.  A small independent used bookstore in town.  For a girl that has spent the past 8 years living and breathing science so she can become a chemist, the act of reading for pleasure is foreign.  So when the cute bookstore employee finds out Hannah has never read for pleasure, he takes it upon himself to find the perfect first book.  Hannah leaves the store with a copy of The Book Thief and a crush that just won't quit. 

While working on his undergraduate degree, Ben has been able to hide on campus and pretend that his dreams of the future don't coincide with is father's demands.  But the end of his senior year is looming and pretty soon he will be leaving his dreams behind to pursue the law degree his father insists is the future for him.  When he meets Hannah, he finds someone who sees him and believes that he has every right to pursue his dreams of studying literature and becoming a professor.  The only problem is Ben doesn't share Hannah's confidence that pursuing what he loves most is the right choice.

As the school year progresses they encourage each other to pursue the paths they love while attempting to garner the approval of their parents.  A hurdle that is considerably easier for Hannah than it is for Ben.  

This was a super cute and satisfying romance.  I'm a huge sucker for a bookstore romance. Seriously, used bookstores beg for romances to happen and I love it when an author agrees.  That first scene with Ben had me falling in love with him.  He's so passionate about reading and wants everyone else to love it as much as he does.  But in the end, Hannah is the one that stole my heart.  Here is a young woman that is confronting so many changes in her life yet never once does she forget her self-worth.  Not only does she not forget it, she demands  it.  Throughout the story, she watches Ben struggle to make a commitment and fight for what he wants and loves and she has no illusions that if he won't fight for that then he won't fight for her.  

I won't tell you how that turns out, you'll just have to read and see.  I will tell you that you won't be disappointed in Hannah as a heroine or in Hannah and Ben's love story.  In fact, I can guarantee that it will leave you contentedly smiling throughout the day. 

Nat

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout Release Week Blitz

 

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Jennifer L. Armentrout's SCORCHED!! SCORCHED is a standalone New Adult Contemporary Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Frigid Series. And be sure to grab FRIGID, the first standalone in this amazing series!!

   

Amazon Paperback ** Amazon Kindle ** Barnes and Noble **iBooks

    SCORCHED Synopsis: Sometimes life leaves a mark… Most days, Andrea doesn’t know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he’s a major player, and they can’t get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now. Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She’s teetering on the edge and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers. Andrea’s life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn’t matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she’s speeding toward rock bottom, only she can save herself. Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after…   Praise for SCORCHED: “Armentrout’s latest new adult offering tackles substance abuse and mental illness — and, thankfully, the love of a good man is not going to be what heals this heroine.” – RT Book Reviews

 

And don’t miss the first standalone book in the series…

FRIGID

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    About Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.  

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

 

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Sweet (Contours of the Heart #3) by Tammara Webber

* * * * *

He’s the love of her life, but he doesn’t know it. 

She’s his one moment of sacrifice in a lifetime of survival.

He was damaged and wild, but resilient.

She’s always been obedient. Now she’s restless.

Home for the summer between college and med school, Pearl Torres Frank knows two things: Boyce Wynn is the embodiment of everything she should run from, and everything she wants to run to. Rebellious and loud. Unconcerned with society’s opinion of him. 

Passionate. Strong. Dangerous.

And one more trait he hides from everyone but her: Sweet.

If you’ve read Breakable, Landon/Lucas’ story, then you’ll be familiar with Boyce, his best friend from high school. Boyce is now 22 and not quite the knucklehead he was back then. He’s straightened up and successfully running his father’s garage. It’s the one thing that he’s been good at – cars. And now that his abusive father is bygones, the garage is his to do with as he pleases.  Pearl, has graduated from college and is supposed to be going off to med school except that’s no longer what she wants. Med school has always been her mother’s dream and by extension, it became hers. But now that she’s faced with that next step, she realizes that the medical profession is not where she’ll find her happiness. When she told her ex-college boyfriend what she planned to do, he reacted badly and she kicked him to the curb. Good riddance. Now she just has to break the news to her parents that she'd rather pursue a degree in marine biology instead. This should make for a fabulous homecoming!

Boyce and Pearl have known each other for many years – since they were five and seven years old. Their individual memories of how they met and the many milestones in their lives are precious. I became more enamored with them with each recounting of a particular event. Despite Boyce’s exterior appearance of being a moron at that time, he was extremely fond of and protective of Pearl, even if they weren’t dating.  Below the surface they had a connection, an understanding of each other that no one else got, not even their best friends Landon/Lucas and Melody. Their connection was something that they kept private, as if revealing it would ruin its mystique.

Now in the present, their hold on each other hasn’t waned. Trying to figure out how they fit together while also dealing with some drastic personal changes is the challenge in front of them. For Boyce, he’s suddenly reunited with his mom who desserted him and his older brother years ago. Her return doesn’t signal good things for him or his future at the garage.  Pearl is hurt when her mother refuses to accept her decision to switch her career path and has no choice but to move out when she reneges all financial support. She moves in with Boyce as a temporary solution. Perhaps they needed to be thrown together like this in order to finally confront whatever they are. All that tension boiling over ... oh dear readers, there’s plenty of good stuff here!

I didn't want to put the book down. I'm always in awe when an author is able to develop a series further with characters who have such distinct personalities. I also admire when events are connected so seemlessy from one book to another even if they appear to be insignificant moments. In reading Sweet, I felt I was in familiar territory again. And I won't deny loving every time Landon/Lucas was mentioned or was part of the scene. (I may have a bit of a crush on a fictional character.) 

My crush aside, I was so impressed with Boyce and Pearl because they have such good hearts. Boyce has been through hell growing up the way he did and enduring the losses that he has. He has kept his hot-headedness in check to become the type of man his father never was. When faced with the loss of her parents’ support, Pearl isn’t deterred nor does she put up with negative people in her life. The way these two pine for each other is almost too much. There's no doubting the adoration Boyce has for Pearl and that he'll do anything for her. And she feels the same for him. The fact that they've been friends forever and know each other so intimately makes their connection that much more passionate.

Sweet is a wonderful continuation in this series. As with Easy and Breakable, it has some serious and unsavory elements but it's inspiring to read how Boyce and Pearl overcome those. And if you're a fan of friends-to-lovers stories, you most definitely should add this to your reading list as this will certainly melt your heart and make you swoon. I spent two happy days with my nose in this book and I'm looking forward to rereading it again soon!

~ Bel

Carry Me Home by Lia Riley

* * * 

Love doesn’t have to be perfect to be true…

Years ago, Tanner Green loved Sunny Letman. She was meant to be his first kiss, first love, first everything. Then their world spun upside-down and out of control.

Free-spirited Sunny doesn’t do commitment. Sure, guys are great for a night or a week, but she always leaves first. That is, until professional skateboarder and town golden boy, Tanner Green, unexpectedly walks back into her life.

Despite their broken history, a fragile and undeniably electric connection still holds them together. Now Tanner has to convince Sunny that even though love isn’t always perfect, it’s worth sticking around for. . .

Now that we have Talia and Bran’s story all settled, it’s time to turn our attention to one of Talia’s best friends, Sunny. From what little we had glimpsed of her before, she comes off as a happy-go-lucky sort of girl who’s easy to get along with and someone Talia looks up to very much. Appearances can be deceiving my friends. Sunny puts up a very successful façade but underneath that is a young woman who is so cynical of love and commitment that she’d rather get involved in random hook-ups than risk having her heart broken.

Then Tanner shows up. Yes, Tanner as in the one-time boyfriend of Talia’s sister Pippa, and Talia’s regretful one-night stand. THAT Tanner. He catches Sunny during one of her random hook-ups. It's almost a stand-off between them. She refuses to be anything other than she is or allow his opinion of her to bring her down. For all she cares, he betrayed Pippa and he hurt Talia badly. Those things are unforgivable. But there’s more. She's purposefully ugly towards him because he's the only one who knows about her crappy childhood. He was witness to one awful incident that drastically changed the nature of their once close friendship. To Tanner, Sunny has always been on his mind and the one he has loved. To Sunny, he’s a reminder of all the painful memories and feelings she wants to repress. The fact that he can see through her BS makes her even more hostile.

When Sunny has to go on an unexpected road trip to see her estranged mother, Tanner offers to drive. She accepts his offer knowing full well that this could change things. It’s during this road trip that the truth come to light about certain events and the nature of his relationship with ex-girlfriend, Pippa. We see that Tanner isn't quite the bad guy we’ve thought him to be. He's suffered a lot and has kept everything to himself. And Sunny, that sweet, misguided girl, has to come clean to herself about what she’s doing with her life. Tanner calls her out several times and each time she tries to fight it until she relents. 

I enjoyed getting to know Sunny and Tanner in this jam-packed novella. Some details that were revealed helped with understanding Talia better, too. This is a sometimes sweet, most of the time messy, and all the time sexually charged story about frenemies turned lovers. Some bits were a bit much, only in the sense that I was thinking “oh girl, what are you doing now?” If you loved what Lia Riley gave you in the other three Off The Map books, you’ll find this one just as good! 

~ Bel

The Deal & The Mistake (Off-Campus 1 & 2) by Elle Kennedy

The Deal * * * *

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice... even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it’s going to be oh so good.

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

I’d first heard of The Deal when I saw someone highly recommend it on Facebook. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan had almost burned up my ereader with its hot college sports romance and had definitely whet my appetite for more like it. Readers, I went on a bit of a bender and read both The Deal and The Mistake in one weekend. Go me! Hence, I’m covering both books in this review and no spoilers included.

The Deal gives you Hannah and Garrett who are in the same ethics class together but where she’s passing, he’s failing. One look at her score on the latest test has Garrett begging her to tutor him. She doesn’t succumb to his fame or flirty ways so refuses him because she honestly has no time. Garrett doesn’t give up easily and eventually wears her down by dangling a carrot in front of her – help him pass the class and he will make sure that she gets noticed by her crush, a popular football player in their class.

Despite everything he tries, Garrett can’t break Hannah’s defenses. That’s okay though because while he’d never noticed her before, he’s actually enjoying her company now. Hannah finds him growing on her though she won’t admit it out loud. There’s a reason why Hannah guards herself so closely and when she’s finally brave enough to admit it, Garrett shows that he can actually be a really stand-up guy. He also has his issues which would break any illusions people have of him and his family. When Hannah and Garrett come together, it’s beautiful and also maddening because of some despicable interferences from outside sources.

I liked The Deal a lot. At first I couldn’t help but notice similar themes with other novels but whatever similarities I’d noticed were fairly innocuous. The story pulled me in and I took to both characters. I mean, I have a soft spot for sarcastic and cocky guys…in fiction. And Hannah is awesome because she doesn’t back down to anyone or follow the pack. Her sarcastic nature is something I adored about her. Combine all their qualities and some sexual tension and you have yourself one helluva read!

~ Bel

The Mistake * * * *

He’s a player in more ways than one…

College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…

After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

By now we’re aware that our hockey player guys in the Off-Campus series are serious players. Being in a relationship is not high on the agenda. Hook-ups are the way to go and there are a few right off the bat here.

Logan is Garrett’s best friend and fellow teammate. Things between them are a bit off lately because now Garrett has a girlfriend and Logan may or may not be silently crushing on said best friend's girl in a bad way. He feels like a collosal jerk and the only way to alleviate the guilt is by being with other women. It leaves him empty inside but it’s a better alternative than being around the two love birds.

Grace is a sweet and awkward girl. She has a confidence about her that gets overshadowed by her tendency to blab too much when she’s uncomfortable. She runs across Logan one night at a party which leaves an impression on her. Let's say he's living up to his reputation. The next day in an attempt to avoid Garrett and not feel like a loser, he decides to take up a friend’s offer to meet them at a dorm party but when he arrives there, he doesn't remember the room number. He knocks on a door which turns out to be Grace’s room. That leads to some awkward chatting. Happy coincidence, she's been watching a movie (Die Hard) and he just so happens to share her love of action movies so he says yes to staying when she invites him in. One thing leads to another and they kind of sort of hook up. But then he bolts. Yes, that’s a jerk move. But he can’t get over how he left her feeling.

Logan attempts to make things up to her and thus begins a bizarre relationship. Even Logan can’t fathom what he’s doing. Whatever they’re embarking on, he’s worried that he may be leading her on and Grace isn’t exactly sure what’s happening between them.

Just as with The Deal, Logan and Grace have other matters in their lives that need attention. For Logan it’s his family obligations that could hinder his own career goals. For Grace, it’s her changing relationship with her best friend and a need to break out of her friend’s shadow.  Even with all the confusion and miscommunication between Logan and Grace, what I admire most about her is that she will not be anyone’s consolation prize. When Logan screws up big time, she makes him work to earn her trust back. Believe me, she makes him do it in the most hilarious and inventive ways possible!

The added bonus to The Mistake is seeing a bit more of the other guys in the house, Dean and Tucker. They’re both fun and sometimes shockingly insightful. Oh and one part that made me squeal was a shout out to a certain other fictional character that many may recognize.  I wasn’t expecting it and it was a nice touch!

In conclusion (like I’m debating here or something), The Deal and The Mistake both make for a great time. They both highlight some serious issues that affect many people and I think they’re dealt with sensitively here. I'm impressed by these heroines who aren’t afraid to be smart and won’t compromise their principles. And the guys – got to love them for all their brawn and ego but they do gain some maturity and wear their hearts on their sleeves. If that didn’t happen, there’d be no way I’d enjoy this series as much as I do.

Now the wait is on for the next story ...

~ Bel

The Girl I Was Before by Ginger Scott Cover Reveal

I cannot contain my excitement for today's cover reveal for The Girl I Was Before by the talented Ginger Scott. This is the third book in the Falling series - This Is Falling and You and Everything After - coming before it. I am a big fan of this series and am kind of sort of waiting patiently to read Paige's story. Until it gets here, we have a wonderful excerpt to share!  ~ Bel

I 

THE GIRL I WAS BEFORE (Falling #3)

 NA Contemporary Romance

Scheduled to release: June 23, 2015

Goodreads

I’m the selfish one. I suppose that’s the nicest thing people say about me. I’ve heard the other things, too. “Paige Owens is a pretty girl with nothing else to offer. She’s just a good time at a party. She’s stupid, heartless, cold and useless. All she cares about is getting a guy to look at her. Why would anyone want to be her friend?”

Some of those things are true. Others were true. They’re all hurtful.

None of it matters.

I’m ready to make the hard choices. I’m ready to face the consequences. I’m ready to be the girl I was before, and I’m done being the one who lost her way.

I’m ready to become the girl Houston Orr sees when he looks at me.

Houston isn’t a star athlete. He doesn’t play in a band. He’s never going to be president, and his life is so far away from simple and easy it isn’t even funny. He wasn’t part of my plan. But I’m starting to think plans are overrated, and maybe our stories are what we make them. And mine depends entirely on me, and the choices I make…starting now.

Houston is my fairytale. He’s perfectly imperfect. He’s poetry and life. He’s truth and heartbreak, all rolled up in a tall body with dark hair, broad shoulders and green eyes that lull me into submission. He’s nothing I ever thought I wanted, but the very thing I need. He’s the only guy I’ve ever really loved, and he thinks I’m a princess. I fell into him, and now I’m holding on.

But sometimes life takes away our ability to choose. Sometimes…things aren’t in your control. Sometimes, it hurts to be selfless. My only hope is that when it comes time to choose, I get it right.

Welcome to my once upon a time and wish for happily ever after.

EXCERPT:

I’m slow with my hand, and when she sees my fingers near her cheek, her breath hitches again.

“I like you, Paige,” I repeat, my voice a whisper, my lips close to her ear. I barely remember how to do this, how to do any of this, but every movement, every word with her right now feels so natural. “I don’t want to. You don’t want me to. But I do. And so do you. And we can keep fighting, and you can walk away from things, and you can yell at me when nothing makes sense and you don’t have anyone else to blame. I’m okay with that. I’ll be that guy. Even though part of me doesn’t want to. That part is fucking terrified. But the rest of me…”

I step back again, my hand fully on her cheek now, her weight resting on me, her eyes closed, lips still trembling.

“The rest of me just wants to kiss you,” I say, closing the inches quickly until my lips touch hers, surprise hers, claim hers and quell her fears all in one action. Her protest is short, and soon her hands find my shoulders and then my back and she pulls me into her. My hands are holding her face, and we both walk backward until her back is against my door.

I reach with one hand, frantic to find the doorknob, desperate to open the damn door. Panicked that if I break this contact she’ll stop, that she’ll slap me, that she’ll go back to not wanting to…anything. When I get the door open, we both fall inside, but our lips never part, our grip remains tight on one another. Reaching with one hand, I close the door behind us gently, not wanting to make any sound that could possibly get us caught.

This cannot be interrupted. It’s still too new, too at risk for being the only time I get to feel this. Goddamn does she taste like the most expensive drink I’ve ever had. Scooping her into my arms, I pull her even closer to me, until my legs hit the bed. I don’t want her to think anything other than this kiss is enough. I’ve thought about more. Fuck, I think about more twenty-three of my twenty-four hours, dreaming when I’m sleeping, daydreaming when I’m awake. But this kiss—it’s enough right now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of eight young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

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