Come Alive by Jessica Hawkins

Title: Come Alive
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: May 30th, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 275
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Netgalley
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Come Undone
Age Group: Adult

Determined to move on with her life, Olivia Germaine has vowed to forget David Dylan. Struggling to keep her head above water, she focuses on her new promotion and refuses to drown in the memory of their night together.

But when Olivia realizes what life without David means, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for him . . . and if she is ready to reopen the wounds of her past.

Can Olivia move forward with her marriage despite her feelings for David?

And can David stay away like he promised?

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

So, this is one of those books where the people that are around me while I'm reading this wished that I was illiterate.

The way I wanted so badly to just jump Olivia and end her was so profound. I understand her, the commitment she made to Bill. But come on! The feels! The feels for David Dylan! They are there; I can see it, Pluto can see, all can see it except her!

David Dylan, I want you. Olivia might be difficult, but I will take you.

I just don't understand who would put themselves into that type of suffering. The way these two are, there is just no denying their attraction and their emotions for each other.

The whole thing was such an emotional roller coaster, I wasn't sure if I would come off of it in one piece, to be honest. I was pulling my hair at everything. I don't know how Hawkins does it, I honestly don't, because she is just a master at this.

The struggle that Olivia was facing and just how things were working out, or not working out in this case.

I still cannot believe I have to wait until September for the last book. One thing Hawkins has going for her is the fact that she keeps me wanting to come back for more and more!

Come Undone by Jessica Hawkings

Title: Come Undone
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: January 1st, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 289
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Netgalley
Interest: Series
Age Group: Adult

Olivia Germaine has already found love. Devoted wife, loyal friend, determined career woman - she’s created the life she always envisioned.

But when Olivia locks eyes with a handsome stranger across a crowded room, he peers a little too closely and sees emotions she thought she’d buried long ago.

David Dylan, alleged playboy and eternal bachelor, challenges Olivia to confront the life she’s built and to make decisions that could either lead to happiness . . . or regret.

Will Olivia be able to draw the line between lust and love?

And can David respect that line?

Can anyone say Best Erotic Literature of 2013?! I can, I can!

Okay, so maybe erotic isn't the genre this one falls under (even though there were plenty of scenes that had even me reaching for a glass of water) this romance novel is different and enjoyable. Hawkins never lost my attention throughout the book, and I am so glad I got the chance to read it!

At first, when I saw that this was bout a married woman possibly cheating, I thought I would hate her. I do, but only because she's so stubborn! I understand how she must feel and what she would be going through, but I just wanted to smack some sense into her or at least pray she sees the light soon.

The tension between her and David was so hot that if someone even thought of lighting a match it would start a huge fire.

I read this in one night, there was no sleeping until I found out what happened at the end.

I thought I would end up dying in the end when I saw where Hawkins left me. I am so glad that there was a second book and that there will be a third! I am so happy and so sad, because of the wait.

This is one of those moments when I wish that authors would write faster!

Still love this series though. It isn't just about the romance and the sex, but about finding oneself.

So, I have to say, this is the Best Romance Book of 2013! Heck, maybe it can even have both made up awards.

The Pleasures of Summer by Evie Hunter

Title: The Pleasures of Summer
Author: Evie Hunter
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: May 30th, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Ireland
Pages: 448
Format: Electronic
Acquired: From Publisher
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: The Pleasures of Winter
Age Group: Adult

The Pleasures of Summer is a steamy erotic story of romantic obsession and explosive sexual chemistry for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey, The Pleasures of Winter and Sylvia Day's stories.

Summer O'Sullivan is rich, beautiful and in mortal danger. Her father has made powerful enemies who are targeting his precious daughter. Until the threat passes, Summer needs a bodyguard - someone to protect her and, she expects, to treat her with the reverence she's used to.

Into Summer's gilded cage comes former ranger, Flynn Grant. As far as Flynn is concerned, this is the assignment from hell, minding the spoilt daughter of a multi-millionaire. Summer and Flynn are poised to hate each other on sight. Even his devastating looks do not make up for how Flynn's rules cramp Summer's style. Unsurprisingly, the sparks fly between them. But when Summer breaks the rules one time too often, Flynn teaches her a lesson that leaves them shattered - and bound together in a way that astonishes them both.

In their remote hideout, the two start a battle over who is the tamer, and who is the tamed. It's a duel that stretches their minds and bodies beyond every limit. And in time their hearts begin to surrender too.

But when the dark forces that have been stalking Summer finally track them down, the battle is no longer a game, but a matter of life and death ...

Evie Hunter does it again! The companion to the first steamy novel in this wonderful series, the authors continue the tale with Summer and Flynn.

Summer is a spoiled socialite, who loves parties and having a good time. But Summer's in danger, because somebody is after her. After an accident, Summer's father decides to give her a body guard. She does her best to run off as many of them as possible, until Flynn comes along. And he's not so easy to scare away.

Flynn may just have met his match in Summer. She's sexy and tempting, a forbidden fruit that he has to taste. But she's a job, and he should never get involved with someone in the job.

Now isolated, the two of them are confronted with temptation at every turn. Flynn to keep his hands from her, and Summer doing her best to seduce him in order to get her way. With emotions running high on both ends it'll be a test of wills to see who bends first.

Honestly, this book was just as good as the first one. Summer proved to be an incredibly headache and Flynn to be a man not to mess with. Whatever was going on between the two, I don't even know what to call it, was there from the moment they met and Hunter never let it go!

This novel had me and wouldn't let me go. I never had a reason to stop reading this book, and I'm so glad that I did get the chance to read it. As erotic literature goes, I'd say this novel would be in the top ten of amazing books to read in the genre.

And there's going to be a third book! You all don't even know how excited I am right now! I can't wait to see what comes next, because there is no stopping the awesome team work of Evie Hunter!

Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks

Title: Highlander Most Wanted
Author: Maya Banks
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: March 19th, 2013
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 352
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Never Seduce A Scot
Age Group: Adult

Genevieve McInnes is locked behind the fortified walls of McHugh Keep, captive of a cruel laird who takes great pleasure in ruining her for any other man. Yet when Bowen Montgomery storms the gates on a mission of clan warfare, Genevieve finds that her spirit is bent but not broken. Still, her path toward freedom remains uncertain. Unable to bear the shame of returning to a family that believes her dead or to abandon others at the keep to an imposing new laird, Genevieve opts for the peaceful life of an abbess. But Bowen’s rugged sensuality stirs something deep inside her that longs to be awakened by his patient, gentle caress—something warm, wicked, and tempting.

Bowen seizes his enemy’s keep, unprepared for the brooding and reclusive woman who captures his heart. He’s enchanted by her fierce determination, her unusual beauty, and her quiet, unfailing strength. But wooing her will take more than a seasoned seducer’s skill. For loving Genevieve, he discovers, means giving her back the freedom that was stolen from her—even if it means losing her forever

Like everything from Maya Banks, I loved this series! Another Highland novel that takes your breath away (and makes me fall in love with the Scottish even more!).

This is a continuation of the last book. As soon as the McHugh's have left their keep, leaving his people in the hands of the Montgomery and the Armstrongs. Distrust runs deep and loyalties are questioned at every turn. In the heart of the madness is Genevieve, a young woman who had been kidnapped a year prior to the novel. She is known as Ian's whore, and harassed constantly by the McHughs.

When Bowen arrives, desires begin between the two. But it is not that easy, especially because of the part that Genevieve plays in what had been his sister-in-law's kidnapping.

I found myself a liking Genevieve, and irritated with her at the same time. The things that occurred to her were obviously unfair, and she was a strong woman, but sometimes she showed a lot of weakness that brought her down a notch.

I was mainly irritated with the Armstrongs, and this might be because I didn't understand exactly the relationship that was going on with them and other clans, or just clan rules in general. I wish I could explain further, but that would be major spoiler alert. If only Maya explained the rules of the clans a little better, I could probably understand this novel in a whole new light.

Also, I didn't like how fast the relationship between Genevieve and Bowen developed. Prior to getting together they were just at odds with each other, and then he saves her, again after multiple times, but after that last one things changed drastically and they just sleep together. I raised my eyebrows, like really?! Sweetheart, he saved you from getting raped and you just willing give yourself to him? I found that just a little bit unrealistic.

Besides all the feels, because there was a lot of that, trust me! I absolutely found myself enjoying this novel. Maya Banks is amazing! She is a beautiful writer that brings her characters to life and has beautiful writing style.

I would recommend Maya Banks to just about anyone. And did I mention how she reenforces my love for Scottish men?

The Pretty One by Lucinda Rosenfeld

Title: The Pretty One: A Novel about Sisters
Author: Lucinda Rosenfeld
Info: Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 320
Format: Electronic
Acquired: Netgalley
Age Group: Adult

Perfect. Pretty. Political. For nearly forty years, The Hellinger sisters of Hastings-on-Hudson-namely, Imperia (Perri), Olympia (Pia), and Augusta (Gus)--have played the roles set down by their loving but domineering mother Carol. Perri, a mother of three, rules her four-bedroom palace in Westchester with a velvet fist, managing to fold even fitted sheets into immaculate rectangles. Pia, a gorgeous and fashionable Chelsea art gallery worker, still turns heads after becoming a single mother via sperm donation. And Gus, a fiercely independent lawyer and activist, doesn't let her break-up from her girlfriend stop her from attending New Year's Day protests on her way to family brunch.

But the Hellinger women aren't pulling off their roles the way they once did. Perri, increasingly filled with rage over the lack of appreciation from her recently unemployed husband Mike, is engaging in a steamy text flirtation with a college fling. Meanwhile Pia, desperate to find someone to share in the pain and joy of raising her three-year-old daughter Lola, can't stop fantasizing about Donor #6103. And Gus, heartbroken over the loss of her girlfriend, finds herself magnetically drawn to Jeff, Mike's frat boy of a little brother. Each woman is unable to believe that anyone, especially her sisters, could understand what it's like to be her. But when a freak accident lands their mother to the hospital, a chain of events is set in motion that will send each Hellinger sister rocketing out of her comfort zone, leaving her to wonder: was this the role she was truly born to play?

With The Pretty One, author Lucinda Rosenfeld does for siblings what she did for female friendship in I'm So Happy for You, turning her wickedly funny and sharply observant eye on the pleasures and punishments of lifelong sisterhood

So, when I first started reading this, like back earlier in the year, I was having a hard time relating for a lot of reasons. The main reasons were: Age, Experiences, and most importantly Sisters. I only have a brother and I can relate absolutely nothing with him, since he's much older than me and we have different interests. But then, I joined a sorority and I got over a thousand sisters overnight, except for my three line sisters who I spent 78 days and 8 minutes with each and every day talking with and doing something. And it was through that experience that I got to see a little bit more about what it's like to have sisters.

Obviously, sorority sisters vs. real sisters is completely different, but there's a main core to it: There's fighting, there's laughing, there's crying, and in the end there's just a heck of a lot of loving, and that's something that I found as a consistent them in this novel.

All three sisters are very different and I found that Rosenfeld did an excellent job in highlighting these differences. I know how hard it can be to find a voice for every single character, because they are supposed to feel real, and real people are just so different from each other. But I think that she pulled out of really well. All their voices came through, even that of the secondary characters.

I like how each sister interacted with each other and the people around them. Yes, they had their differences and they had a lot of faults, but they also had each other and that made the novel even cooler to read as they worked it out.

This novel was funny, witty, heartfelt, and very realistic. It pulled the reader in and didn't let go!

If you are still looking for some nice summer reads, check this one out for sure!

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Title: The Lonely Hearts Club
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: January 1st, 2010
Publisher: Point
Pages: 290
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Bought
Age Group: Young Adult

Love is all you need... or is it? Penny's about to find out in this wonderful debut.

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

This is the first time I'm reading an Elizabeth Eulberg book, even though pretty much all her books are on my TBR pile and I am really excited I got to read this.

This was a quick read and I found it incredibly enjoyable.

Penny was a fantastic girl. She had a lot to work on and I'm glad she was able to grow from all her experiences. I kind of wish there had been a Lonely Hearts Club in my school, or that I had been smart enough to do one myself. I felt bad for her, but I was glad that she was able to move forward from that jerk.

I also learned a lot about the Beatles from her Beatles-loving-slightly-obsessed-parents. There were some characters that really surprised me, and I was glad about that. Eulberg didn't make her novel blatantly obvious. She had a lot of good tricks up her sleeves that brought the novel to life in interesting ways.

If you haven't read this book yet, don't waste time and I get going! It is unforgettable!

Weather Witch by Shannon Delany

Title: Weather Witch
Author: Shannon Delany
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: June 25th, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 336
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: Netgalley
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

In a vastly different and darker Philadelphia of 1844, steam power has been repressed, war threatens from deep, dark waters, and one young lady of high social standing is expecting a surprise at her seventeenth birthday party–but certainly not the one she gets!

Jordan Astraea, who has lived out all of her life in Philadelphia’s most exclusive neighborhood, is preparing to celebrate her birthday with friends, family and all the extravagance they might muster. The young man who is most often her dashing companion, Rowen Burchette, has told her a surprise awaits her and her best friend, Catrina Hollindale, wouldn’t miss this night for all the world!

But storm clouds are gathering and threatening to do far more than dampen her party plans because someone in the Astraea household has committed the greatest of social sins by Harboring a Weather Witch.

My very first Steampunk!

I wasn't sure how to take this book at first, since I've never actually read any steampunk before so I had nothing to compare it to. I found it interesting, confusing at times, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was an alternative timeline to that of the actual time period, which I found annoying.

I liked the protagonist, Jordan, a lot. She developed beautifully. I liked everything from the beginning as it started to fall together nicely. The only reason I won't give it five stars is because of just how long it took me to get really into it.

Originally, I made it through the first few pages without a glitch, but I wasn't excited about it and I ended up putting the book down for a few days. I didn't get gripped in from the beginning, and when I picked it up again, it took me awhile to get through some of the pages to finally get into the tale.

As the novel started to develop I found myself enjoying it a lot! I liked the characters, plot line, and everything else about it. A slow start, but it's worth going through all the muddy parts to get to the good.

None of the Regular Rules by Erin Downing

 I participated in the blog tour hosted by Giselle from Xpresso Book Tours

Title: None of the Regular Rules
Author: Erin Downing
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: November 20th, 2012
Publisher: ebook exclusive
Pages: 260
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: From Author
Age Group: Young Adult

Sometimes, a few dares can change lives…

The weekend before the start of senior year, Sophie Erickson and her best friends, Ella and Grace, discover a handwritten list of dares tucked away in the glove compartment of Sophie’s beat-up old Toyota. But this isn’t just any list; it’s a dead girl's bucket list.

Sophie's beloved aunt Suzy died as a teenager in a fatal fall, leaving Sophie with an overly cautious family, a few fading photographs, and a bucket of bolts that barely passes for a car. But now, Sophie has Suzy’s list of the things she wanted to do in her last year of high school. Sophie can't help but wonder: What would happen if she tried to fulfill Suzy’s last wishes, to live out the longed-for life of her aunt, her hero?

As Sophie and her friends attempt to knock off the things on Suzy's list of dares, love blossoms in unexpected places and Sophie begins to feel that her life is finally coming together...when in fact, everything is slowly unraveling around her. When the truth about a long-held family secret threatens to shatter everything she believed to be true, Sophie is forced to question everything she knew about the life and people she believed in, and ultimately herself.

It has been a while since I read a good book, it has especially been a long while since I read a contemporary book that has hit home in a lot of places.

When I first heard about this novel, I knew it would be as wonderful as people claim it to be. It had a lot of potential and from the very first page that I read I feel in love.

Now, I haven't read too much from Downing beforehand, so it was a little refreshing to read this and have so much with it.

When Sophie and her best friend discover Sophie's dead Aunt Suzy's bucket list, Sophie decides to complete what her aunt never got the chance to. And one by one, Sophie and her friends begin to tackle a list that ends up changing their lives forever - not just for the good, but the bad as well.

In the beginning there was a great mix between Sophie and her friends, which I felt really brought out the story. Different girls who fit together perfectly, and who all took the list one by one discovering new things along the way, and not just about each other, but about themselves.

This was a quick read and can be done in one sitting. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it'll break your heart, and it'll make you want to start finishing up all the things on your own bucket list. This book really had it all and I'm glad that it lived up to all the talk that I heard about it.

This book is one that if I could, I would reread all over again!

Lost Exit by Kevin Michaels

Title: Lost Exit
Author: Kevin Michaels
Release Date: January 14th, 2011
Publisher: Self-Published ebook
Pages: 265
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: For Review by Author
Age Group: Young Adult

It has been a long summer of violence, turmoil, and change in Atlantic City as the city continues its transformation from faded seaside resort to vibrant, entertainment, gambling Mecca. Life styles clash on the Boardwalk, in the casinos, and in gang controlled neighborhoods while a bloody territorial war between rival families has left a trail of bodies scattered throughout the town. LOST EXIT revolves around Timmy Davenport, a self-destructive college basketball player home for the summer, searching for the answers in life that have so far escaped him. The heart of the story is about Timmy and his relationships with his family and friends, as well as the city he grew up in, and the love of a game that was once his salvation. As he prepares for a basketball tournament that can define his future, Timmy, like Atlantic City itself, has to confront the ghosts of his past before he can move forward.

More than a coming of age novel, LOST EXIT looks at a character haunted by his own poor choices and addictions in a harsh, brutal world where he has struggled to find himself. The story is about a last chance opportunity for Timmy to prove himself while battling his inner demons on and off the courts as he pieces his life back together. Timely and intense, LOST EXIT blends the pain and angst of youth with the emotional struggle of characters coming to grips with their own identities.

When I first got this I wasn't sure what to expect. I had said yes when the author first sent the request because of how interesting the book sounded, and I was right.

Timmy is a basketball player who is on the road to self-destruction trying to escape a past that haunts him. Reading this I thought this would be about basketball, but as the story develops and the reader gets deeper into the story, you will find that it goes deeper than basketball.

In some level I could connect with Timmy, because when I was younger I was on my own path of self-destruction, but at another level I was really annoyed with him. I felt like he was letting things happen to him and he seemed really detached from his world. Like really, really detached and within the first few pages someone can see that. Friends are becoming strangers and his home is not a place he wants to be, and it's like he doesn't want to do anything about that.

Well, things get a little complicated for Timmy. Drugs, alcohol, gangs, and rivals surround Timmy's life sending the reader spiraling into a wild ride for Timmy as he grows and develops in the complicated world that Timmy has formed for himself.

This is a book I highly recommend.

The Suttering Tattoo by Greg Logsted

Title: The Stuttering Tattoo
Author: Greg Logsted
Release Date: December 13th, 2011
Publisher: TKA Distribution
Pages: 220
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 4 Stars

Steven Bishop is extraordinarily ordinary. He goes to school. He rides his motorcycle. He stutters. His best friend is a former Colombian cartel hit man turned cook/construction worker. You know, ordinary. All that changes the day Becky Moore walks into his classroom. Becky is dazzling, enigmatic.
One day Steven gives Becky a ride home on his motorcycle. There, they discover a severed arm, one of the fingers of which still has an unusual ring attached: a circle, in the middle of which is a heart, at the center of which is a bold number 37. While comforting Becky, Steven discovers a tattoo at the base of her neck: it is the same symbol. And so begins a thrilling descent into a world of crime and murder, a ride wilder than any Steven has taken before.

I'm not going to lie, it was a little difficult getting into.

Steven is this young man who has a stuttering issue and who meets Becky, a new girl in his school. After offering her a ride home on his motorcycle, they discovered a severed arm, and suddenly things go from dull to wow.

This turns into an adventure, with mystery and twists at each corner. Armed with his ex-con best friend, a pen, and Sudoku Steven and Becky go through the world that Logsted has created filled with action at every turn.

There were moments when I couldn't put it down, but there were also moments when I rolled my eyes and wished that the book would just end already. I don't know how to describe my feelings, besides this being a book that, unless really really interested, should probably just be borrowed from a friend.

I gave it four stars because I could a) finish it and b) Steven had held my interest at some points.

There was also a lot of questions I kept asking, which some got answered, and others are left up to the reader to decide. And I like that, because as annoying as it is at times, it just adds a little something to the novel to make it come alive.

A little more could have happened, some better character developments for example, but besides that it's not so bad.