Tag: book 4

Rumor Has It (Real Love: Book 4) by Jessica Lemmon

Rumor Has It (Real Love, #4)

2 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: May 15th, 2018

Genre: Humor, Romance

Series: Real Love

Eye Candy – Book 1 (review here)

Arm Candy – Book 2 (review here)

Man Candy – Book 3 (review here)

Rumor Has It – Book 4

America’s Sweetheart – Book 5 (expected publication date: October 2nd, 2018)

Where you can find Rumor Has It: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

This is one bad boy who’s fit to print. A notorious jock tackles life—and love—after football with a type-A journalist in this sexy standalone from the author of Eye Candy.

Barrett: As a former pro football star, I’m used to playing the field. After injuries cut my NFL career short, my second act as a broadcaster ended on live television when a hot mic picked up a little verbal . . . indiscretion. But this latest publicity stunt might just land me back on top—much to the chagrin of Catarina Everhart, the prissy, beautiful journalist who’s been assigned to date a bad boy (i.e., me) and write about it. Catarina swears I’ll never touch her, let alone kiss those full lips of hers. Based on our chemistry, I’m not buying it. . . .
 
Catarina: Barrett Fox seems to be doing everything in his power to make me hate him. The cocky egomaniac is infamous for his bad behavior, and now, thanks to my boss’s harebrained schemes, he’s apparently my problem. As one fake date leads to another, I start to see a different side of Barrett. He’s close with his family. He does volunteer work. And, okay, he kisses like a dream. Am I really dating Barrett Fox? Or is he playing me? Because suddenly I’m risking my reputation—and my heart.

My review:

 Before I say what I am going to say, I like the series…a lot. Even the first book, where the female main character drove me nuts, I liked. This one….not so much. Both of the main characters were unlikable. The romance seemed forced and flat. Their interactions with each other were either hot and heavy or cold and icy….no in between. I did like the storyline. I love a storyline with a good girl falling for a bad boy.

Rumor Has It is a sporty take on the old and often used storyline where a good girl falls in love with a bad boy. Except the good girl is a journalist who is roped into pretend dating the bad boy. Only the pretend dating soon turns real. But the good girl doesn’t believe that the bad boy can change. Or can he?

I couldn’t stand Catarina. I thought that she was the most stuck up, self-absorbed character that I have ever read. I didn’t blame her for her reaction to working with Barrett but she took it to the extreme. She couldn’t even pick up on the hint that her ex-boyfriend wasn’t interested in her. I couldn’t even tell that she was having feelings for Barrett until almost the end of the book. Even then, I doubted it.

I didn’t like Barrett either. But not as much as Catarina. Barrett made some crappy decisions that influenced everything he did in the book. Like yelling at the female ref and then trying to say “Well, if it was a guy it would be OK.” No, no it wouldn’t be. My dislike did temper when I realized that he was sorry for what he did. It also lessened when his childhood was discussed.

I did not like Barrett or Catarina together. I felt that their interactions were forced. They did not come across as genuine to me. For characters to run hot/cold as much as they did was a turn off for me. As was Catarina’s blatant disdain for Barrett. Which in turn caused Barrett to treat her badly. It was like a freaking merry-go-round and I couldn’t get off.

The romance part of Rumor Has It came across as forced and fake. In turn, the sex was the same way. Forced with no emotions. Don’t get me wrong, I thought that the sex scenes were hot. But because of how I felt about Barrett and Catarina, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Like I mentioned above, I liked the storyline. I wish that I had a connection with either of the main characters.

The end of Rumor Has It was your typical romance ending. All hearts and rainbows.

While I didn’t like this book, I am looking forward to reading book 5. Like I said above, I enjoyed reading the series.

What I liked about Rumor Has It:

A) Good storyline

B) Hot sex scenes

C) Ummm…that’s it??

What I disliked about Rumor Has It:

A) Unlikable main characters

B) Forced and flat romance/relationship

C) No connection to characters

I would give Rumor Has It an Adult rating. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book. There is explicit sex, language, and mild violence

There are no trigger warnings for Rumor Has It.

I would not recommend Rumor Has It to family and friends. I would recommend the other books in the series, but not this one. I would not read this book again but I would read other books in the series.

I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Rumor Has It.

All opinions stated in this review of Rumor Has It are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Emperor’s Visions (formerly Warriors) by R.A. Denny

The Emperor's Visions (Tales of Tzoladia Book 4) by [Denny, R.A.]

4 Stars

Publisher: self-published

Date of publication: October 18th, 2017

Genre: fantasy, young adult, Christian fiction

Series: Mud Rocks and Trees

Refugees – Book 1 (review here)

Seekers – Book 2 (review here)

Captives – Book 3 (review here)

Warriors – Book 4

Visionaries – Book 5

Where you can find Warriors: Amazon | Barnes and Nobles

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“The only thing keeping that seal around his neck is his head. Heads are easily removed.”
Time is running out. Tzoladia is under siege. Heads will roll.

As the prophecy unfolds, Emperor Zoltov’s military forces take action to exterminate the “Subhumans.” Leaders form risky alliances.  Metlan’s ambition propels him into places of mystery and murder. Brina and Amanki sail through a sea filled with enchantment and betrayal. Moshoi is dazzled by treasure as he faces the horrors of an evil empire. All forces converge on Tzoladia for a showdown.

Will mud, rocks, and trees come together and prevail? Who will lose their heads?

My review:

When R.A. approached me to review Warriors, I was pretty stoked. I have loved every book in this series. Usually, I expect some sort of lull in a series. A book that isn’t up to par with the rest of the book. Not with this series. Each book has been fantastic and Warriors continues with the excellence.

Warriors picks up shortly after the events of Captives. Amanki is a foot soldier in the Tzoladian Army. Brina is a slave and is being used by the leader of the Sparaggi Tribe. Tuka is working for the emperor. He is also a spy for a local resistance group. Metlan is now the king of the Samalitans. He also holds Brina’s seal. Somehow, they all must meet up and bring the seals together.

Amanki is on the front lines of a war that he didn’t ask to be in. Fighting for an emperor that wants him dead. I liked that he still held on to his faith, even when events happened that made him question it. He grew in this book. He became more of a leader.

I was a little put off by Brina at the beginning of Warriors. There was a point in the book where I did question whether she was going to continue with her quest. She did redeem herself in my eyes after the battle when she aided Amanki. If she gets her seal back from Metlan, what it will do. If Amanki’s can call a leviathan, then what will hers call?? I also figured out what was going to happen between her and Metlan before it happened.

Tuka had it rough. He was spying on the emperor for a group of rebels within the palace. He was being pressured to assassinate the emperor because he was the closest to him. He also was supposed to help Burlem find out who ordered the killing of the women and children of his tribe. At one point, I didn’t know what was going to happen to him. I thought that he was going to do one thing and ended up doing another. Put it this way, I am glad that he met Samuel.

Metlan got on my nerves. I know that he had to prove that he was worthy of being a king but still. He played Brina. But, I am wondering if he did have feelings for her. And what he did was more of a political attempt to get the Karsonians to behave. Guess I’ll have to see. I am also wondering where Pergassi is and if she is still alive.

There are a couple of twists in the plot. One that I saw coming. One came out of left field. With the one I saw coming, the author dropped enough hints in the earlier books. So when Baskrod revealed it to Metlan, I wasn’t surprised. The other one, though, took me completely by surprise. I kick myself because I should have seen it coming.

The Christian element of the book was well written. Adon was discussed, praised and it was mentioned but it didn’t take over the book. Which is great for someone who wants to read a religious-themed but doesn’t want to feel it being forced down your throat.

I thought that the fantasy aspect of the book was very well written also. I love to read fantasy but I have found some of the books can be dull and repetitive. Warriors was a refreshing change from that.

The character and world building in this book were over the top. The author took an already great world/characters and added more depth to them. I am looking forward to seeing how much more she adds to the world/characters in the next book. I enjoy reading a book where I can picture the characters and the world. It makes it so much more interesting to read.

The end of Warriors was a mess. I won’t go into it other than to say it was sort of cliffhanger. But, things look to going in the right direction (finally!!) for Brina, Tuka, Amanki, and Metlan.

What I liked about Warriors:

A) Amazing world/character building

B) Fast paced original storyline

C) The plot twists

What I disliked about Warriors:

A) Metlan. Player going to play (cue in Taylor Swift here)

B) Pressure on Tuka.

C) The battle scene with Amanki and Kishar. And then the one with Amanki and Jacob

I was a bit torn on what rating to give Warriors. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to give it a Tween or a Young Teen rating. For the sake of the review, I would say Young Teen rating. There is violence. There is no sex but there is a couple of scenes where Metlan and Brina kiss. Again, nothing graphic. No language.

There are no trigger warnings in the book.

I would recommend this book to family and friends. I would reread this book.

I would like to thank R.A. Denny for allowing me to read and review Warriors.

All opinions stated in this review of Warriors are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

The Darkest of Dreams (Annika Brisby: Book 4) by Emigh Cannady

The Darkest of Dreams(Annika Brisby, #4)

5 Stars

Publisher: Silver Poplar Press

Date of publication: January 29th, 2018

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: Annika Brisby

The Flame and The Arrow – Book 1 (review here)

The Silver Thread – Book 2 (review here)

The Scarlet Tanager – Book 3 (review here)

The Darkest of Dreams – Book 4

Where you can find The Darkest of Dreams: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A heinous crime. An empire in turmoil. And a modern girl at the center of it all.

Darkness has fallen on the Marinossian family, leaving ruined lives in its wake and leaving Annika to pick up the pieces. With a deadly doppelgänger still on the loose, she’s escorted back to America to wait out the storm…however long that may be.

A world away, Talvi has been dragged to the desolate prison on Bleakmoor Island where he awaits trial for murder. His time in solitary confinement has pushed him to the brink of madness. The only thing keeping him from completely losing his mind is the mysterious inmate in the cell across from him. He’s one of the Näkki—the half-demon dark elves who were banished from his country hundreds of years ago. As Talvi gets acquainted with his new friend, he learns another version of his country’s history that makes him question his convictions. He vows to get some answers…if he ever gets out alive.
The question is, will Annika be there if he does?

My review:

I could not wait to read The Darkest of Dreams. I have read the earlier 3 books and I have become involved with the series. I needed to know what happened next. I needed to know what was going to happen with Talvi and Annika. Especially after the events of The Scarlet Tanager. Well, I wasn’t disappointed. The Darkest of Dreams exceeded my expectations.

The Darkest of Dreams starts after the cliffhanger in The Scarlet Tanager. Annika and the rest of the Marinossian family are left reeling and heartbroken. Annika is sent away for her own protection because there is a doppelgänger still out there. A doppelgänger that still wants to harm her. Annika throws herself into her work and exercising to cope with her grief. But, Annika soon finds out that what she thought happened that fateful night is not what anyone thinks it is. Determined to make things right, Annika travels to the one place she is not welcome.

Meanwhile, Talvi is in solitary confinement on Bleakmoor Island. On trial for murder, he is hoping to get out on a self-defense claim. But until then, he has to deal with abusive guards, sub-par living conditions and his own mind. When another prisoner is brought into the same area as he is, Talvi befriends him. Talvi soon learns that this prisoner is not who he seems. He also learns that what he has been taught about his country’s history might not be true.

Annika rocked in this book. From the first chapter, she dealt with the aftermath of what happened. I thought her scene with Heron was fantastic. When she got back to America, she had to deal with the fall out there too. James and her bandmates were there for her. Patti Cakes, not so much. I loved seeing the change in her, physical and mental. I cheered her on during the last half of the book. She did the right thing when faced with a huge surprise. Not going to get into it but it was awesome. Also, I will never look at glass elevators the same again.

Talvi broke my heart. He was suffering mentally over what happened. But to be punished for marrying a “modern” (ie non Elf) girl went too far. He was surviving in conditions that were horrible. Not only did he have a broken jaw (in 4 places) but he had to eat food that was disgusting. His cell was tiny. His bed was infested with bedbugs and lice. I did a literal “eww” when he was killing the bedbugs and nits. I was happy when Nillin was introduced. It gave Talvi something to focus on other than Annika and the events leading up to him going to jail. I wasn’t surprised when Nillin revealed who he was. There were little clues that I picked up on (which is a miracle because I don’t pick up on anything….lol).

This book focused on Talvi and Annika separately. It showed the deep rift in their marriage, no thanks to Finn. But, it also showed that if you worked towards something, it can be healed. I am not going to go much into the book. I will say that I enjoyed the self-help scene and was laughing at the notes left in the book.

There is a huge twist in the book. It wasn’t at the end, though. It was in the middle when Annika was touring in Japan. I was very surprised at this twist because it came out of nowhere. My jaw dropped, I went “Noooooo waaaaayyyyy” out loud and continued to devour the book.

The end of the book was good, very good. Again, something I can’t get into because in doing that, it will give away some major spoilers. Let’s say that the next book is going to be fantastic.

I will not be a Pros/Cons of The Darkest of Dreams. If I did them, I would be giving away some major spoilers.

I would give The Darkest of Dreams a rating of Adult. There are mild violence, language, and explicit sexual situations. I would not recommend anyone under the age of 21 reading this book.

There is no trigger warning in The Darkest of Dreams.

I would recommend The Darkest of Dreams to family and friends. I would give a warning about the explicit sex but other than that, tell them to read. This is a book that I will be rereading.

I would like to thank Emigh Cannaday and Silver Poplar Press for allowing me to read and review The Darkest of Dreams.

All opinions stated in this review of The Darkest of Dreams are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

The Dark Side of the Moon (Into the Storm: Book 4) by Margaret Watson

The Dark Side of the Moon (Into the Storm, #4)

4 Stars

Publisher: Dragonfly Press

Date of publication: June 2nd, 2017

Genre: Romance

POV: 3rd person

Series: Into the Storm

To Save His Child – Book 1 (review here)

An Innocent Man – Book 2 (review here)

An Honorable Man – Book 3 (review here)

The Dark Side of the Moon – Book 4

Family on the Run – Book 5

Where you can find The Dark Side of the Moon: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Disturbing things are happening in the small town of Eagle Ridge. Veterinarian Tory Holt had come here seeking sanctuary after her life in Chicago fell apart. But the violence she’d escaped has followed her to northern Wisconsin. A serial killer is preying on single women, and Police Chief Holt Adams has appointed himself Tory’s keeper. 

Although Tory is drawn to Holt, she realizes he’s hiding secrets. As the violence escalates in Eagle Ridge and Tory and Holt grow closer, Tory is forced to make a decision. Can she trust Holt? Or will she pay the ultimate price for her trust?

Trigger Warning: Police brutality, stalking

Continue reading “The Dark Side of the Moon (Into the Storm: Book 4) by Margaret Watson” →

Cuffed by His Charm (Dirty Little Secrets: Book 4) by Stacey Kennedy

Cuffed by His Charm (Dirty Little Secrets, #4)

4 stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 14, 2017

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 188

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Dirty Little Secrets

Bound Beneath His Pain – Book 1

Tied to His Betrayal – Book 2

Restrained Under His Duty – Book 3

Cuffed by His Charm – Book 4

Where you can find Cuffed by His Charm: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A tabloid scandal unites a powerful mogul and a woman from the wrong side of the tracks in this tantalizing novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Bound Beneath His Pain and the Club Sin series.

The multimillionaire owner of a chain of successful Irish pubs, Gabe O’Keefe loves being in the spotlight almost as much as he loves women. But when all his secrets are exposed in a shameless tabloid, his glistening reputation takes a hit. What hurts most is learning who sold him out: sweet and sensual McKenna Archer, his own employee. Gabe thought he could trust her. But now he’s got bigger problems than keeping his hands off McKenna.

After putting a difficult past behind her, McKenna would never betray Gabe. But she knows someone who would: her brother, a compulsive gambler who owes money all over town. To make things right, McKenna will have to set aside her feelings for her boss. Easier said than done. Gabe oozes pure temptation. But when they team up, McKenna sees that he isn’t the manwhore she always thought. He’s strong. He’s real. And the heat between them is the only thing that makes sense anymore.

Trigger Warning: Bondage scenes, explicit sexual scenes, explicit violence

Continue reading “Cuffed by His Charm (Dirty Little Secrets: Book 4) by Stacey Kennedy” →

Chasing a Legend (Kavanagh Legends: Book 4) by Sarah Robinson

Chasing a Legend (Kavanagh Legends, #4)

Title: Chasing a Legend

Author: Sarah Robinson

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: August 22nd, 2017

Genre: Romance, Sports

Number of Pages: 250

POV: 3rd person

Series: Kavanagh Legends

Breaking a Legend – Book 1

Saving a Legend – Book 2

Becoming a Legend – Book 3

Chasing a Legend – Book 4

Kavanagh Christmas – Book 5 (expected publication date: November 6th, 2017)

Where you can find Chasing a Legend: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A top-notch manager and agent, Quinn Kavanagh pictures a life outside of his family’s renowned MMA gym. Beneath his sleek exterior, Quinn has a secret passion for sculpting. But after a nearly fatal motorcycle accident, he’s struggling just to walk again, let alone get back to the studio—and it doesn’t help that the doctor in charge of his physical therapy is his childhood crush. Quinn’s always ready for a fight, but the bittersweet sting of unrequited love has him begging for mercy.

Dr. Kiera Finley is determined to make her medical residency a success. Six years ago, she gave in and shared a single passionate night with Quinn. Now she’s just hoping the cocky lover from her past doesn’t derail her plans for the future. Little by little, though, Kiera gets to know another side of Quinn. She knew he was a family man, devoted to his parents and brothers, but he’s also a free spirit trapped in a cage—and only she has the key. To heal both Quinn’s body and soul, Kiera’s tempted to give him a special kind of medicine.

Trigger Warning: Death of a pet

Continue reading “Chasing a Legend (Kavanagh Legends: Book 4) by Sarah Robinson” →

Misconduct (Birmingham Rebels: Book 4) by Samantha Kane

Misconduct (Birmingham Rebels, #4)

Title: Misconduct

Author: Samantha Kane

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: July 25th, 2017

Genre: Erotica, LGBTQIA

Number of pages: 288

POV: 3rd person

Series: Birmingham Rebels

Broken Play – Book 1

Calling the PlayBook 2

Jacked Up – Book 3

Misconduct – Book 4

Where you can find Misconduct: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

The Birmingham Rebels play both sides of the field, proving that the hottest action isn’t always in the arena.

Rookie running back Tom Kelly loves the perks of football stardom. Men, women—there’s no shortage of companionship for a pro athlete who’s hot, young, and willing, and Tom is definitely willing. But deep down he wants a committed three-way relationship, especially if the female in the middle is Carmina de la Cruz. The undeniably sexy Army veteran may not say much, but her body speaks loud and clear.

After a traumatic tour in Afghanistan, Carmina is struggling to regain her speech and rebuild her life. More than anything, she wants to feel like a woman again. Tom may be a wholesome All-American, but he knows just how she needs to be touched—and he’s not the only Rebel who arouses her interest. With his scorching intensity, Tom’s best friend leaves her wondering if two players might be better than one.

Danny Smith is no stranger to his team’s kinky reputation. He gave in to temptation once, but he’s not going down that road again. Sure, Carmina’s curves promise pleasure, but her eyes guarantee it comes with baggage—and Danny has enough of his own. Still, giving up control can feel so good. And when it comes to everything Danny craves, Carmina and Tom make the perfect team.

Possible triggers: None

Continue reading “Misconduct (Birmingham Rebels: Book 4) by Samantha Kane” →

I Knew You Were Trouble (Oxford: Book 4) by Lauren Layne

I Knew You Were Trouble (Oxford, #4)

Title: I Knew You Were Trouble

Author: Lauren Layne

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: June 13th, 2017

Genre: Humor, Romance

Number of pages: 215

POV: 3rd person

Series: Oxford

Irresistibly Yours – Book 1

I Wish You Were Mine – Book 2

Someone Like You – Book 3

I Knew You Were Trouble – Book 4

Where you can find I Knew You Were Trouble: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

New York City’s hottest bachelors are stirring up trouble in this fun, flirty Oxford Novel, as a love triangle forces a feisty beauty to choose between winning back Mr. Right or giving into Mr. Wrong.

Taylor Carr has it all—a sleek job in advertising, a stunning Manhattan apartment, and the perfect man to share it with Bradley Calloway. Even after Bradley dumps her for a co-worker on move-in day, Taylor isn’t worried. She’ll get her man eventually. In the meantime, she needs a new roommate. Enter Nick Ballantine, career bartender, freelance writer—and longtime pain in Taylor’s ass. Sexy in a permanent five-o’clock-shadow kind of way, Nick knows how to push Taylor’s buttons, as if he could see right through to the real her.

Nick’s always trying to fix people, and nobody could use a good fixing more than Taylor. Sure, she’s gorgeous, with mesmerizing silver eyes, but it’s her vulnerability that kills him. Now that they’re shacking up together, the chemistry is out of control. Soon they’re putting every part of their two-bedroom apartment to good use. Then Taylor’s ex comes crawling back to her, and Nick figures she’ll jump at the chance to go back to her old life—unless he fights for the best thing that ever happened to him.

My review:

I really enjoyed reading I Knew You Were Trouble….even though it was book 4 in the Oxford series. Reading books out-of-order from the series that they are in usually annoy me. Unless they are standalone and I Knew You Were Trouble is definitely stand alone. While the other people from the other stories are in the book, they do not overwhelm the book with their stories. Instead, Taylor and Nick’s story is allowed to follow its own path.

What really made this book enjoyable to me was that the author took the time to have Nick and Taylor build up their relationship by starting the story almost a year before their relationship took off. You got to see them both grow into their feelings for each other. Honestly, on that, I didn’t think that they would. They were like oil and water and there was always verbal fallout when they got together. You did get to see a softer side of Nick and Taylor when her aunt died but that was the only niceish interaction until  Bradley chickening out and breaking up with her by letter (who even does that????) scene.

I liked Taylor but I didn’t like how cool she was with Nick. You could feel the sexual tension every time they were together, regardless if they were in relationships or not. There was one point in the book, before the trench coat scene, where I kinda wanted to reach through my Kindle and shake her. Why? Because she was fighting her attraction to him and I thought she was being stupid. So I was pretty happy when the trench coat scene happened. I am going to say that I think that she could have handled Bradley showing up unexpectedly at her apartment a bit better. Look what happened. A huge misunderstanding that almost cost her the man that she needed.

I love Nick. He was such a wise guy and kept Taylor on her feet. He also was the only one who was there for her when her aunt died and then again in different parts of the book. It didn’t take me long to see that he was falling for her (I think I figured that out before he did). Another thing I liked about him was that he was a nice guy. A genuinely nice guy who got hurt pretty bad by his ex. So I wasn’t surprised at his reaction to Taylor’s news. Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected him to act any other way.

I was a little taken aback by certain events involving Taylor and Nick. Honestly, I didn’t see Taylor’s news happening and but, like I said above, I could see what Nick reacted the way he did. I just think that maybe a week was too long but then again, Nick needed time to process what he was told. He did make it right but I was so afraid that he was too late. Of course, the book wouldn’t have had its happy ending if he didn’t but still I worried.

The end of the book and the epilogue was perfect. Not going to give anything away but I loved…..well you need to read the book to find out what I loved about the epilogue (haha).

How many stars will I give I Knew You Were Trouble: 4

Why: Sweet romance with likable characters that had oodles of sexual tension

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

To Bottle Lightening (North Oak: Book 4) by Ann Hunter

To Bottle Lightning (North Oak #4)

Title: To Bottle Lightning

Author: Ann Hunter

Publisher: Rebel House Ink

Date of publication: September 30th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult

Number of pages: 156

POV: 3rd person

Series: North Oak

Born to Run – Book 1 (review here)

Yearling – Book 2 (review here)

Morning Glory – Book 3 (review here)

To Bottle Lightning – Book 4

Where you can find To Bottle Lightning: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Alex is almost fifteen and convinced she’s ready to train for jockeyhood. Only one man stands in her way: North Oak’s gruff old trainer, Joe Hendricks.
Joe doesn’t think Alex can handle the demands of being a real rider– she’s reckless, doesn’t follow instructions, and not exactly humble.
Dejado Augustun, on the other hand, is already licensed to ride, does as he’s asked, and does it well.
He drives Alex nuts.
No way can this Dejado guy be a match for Promenade in the upcoming Breeders Cup Juvenile. It would be easier to hate him if he weren’t so darn nice. Worst of all for Alex, he likes her, and Promenade likes him.

Can Alex overcome her pride and realize she may not be the rider Promenade needs?

My review:

To Bottle Lightning answered a lot of questions that I had leading up to it. Questions that I posted at the end of my review for Morning Glory. Questions that I was happy to find out, were answered in To Bottle Lightning.

I was really happy to see that Alex had come a long way as a person in this series. She is still battling her demons, though, and I was waiting for someone to tell her to get help. Well, color me surprised when not only did Cade and Hilary bring it up but Carol did too. I wanted to cheer when I read that scene. For Hilary to bring it up to her actually meant something to me. It meant that Hilary cared.

What I also liked was that Alex was finally getting answers to her questions. She wanted to know why Cade and Hilary weren’t adopting her and they kept telling her to ask North. Well, North wasn’t answering that question and Hilary finally had enough. She brought Alex to North and told him to answer her questions and left. Which he did and surprised Alex. If you had read Born to Run, then you already knew the secret. But I’m not going to ruin the surprise. Read the books to find out. Oh and I thought his answer why things were left the way they were was bullsh*t. Pardon my French but it was.

I also liked that the author made Alex’s friendships realistic. Her friendship with Carol, which was wonderful, hit a bumpy patch when they started high school. Alex met another girl and Carol started spending time with Dejado…..the jockey that came in between Brooke and Alex’s friendship in Morning Glory. But what I liked, even more, was that Alex was questioning her sexuality and it was done in a way that didn’t take away from the book. She was attracted to her new friend and she also had feelings for Dejado. Even her new friend asked her if she liked girls and Alex couldn’t really answer that question. I loved it!!

Speaking of Dejado, I really liked him but felt he was put in an unfair position with Brooke. Brooke had a huge crush on him and he knew it but he liked Alex. He was very honest about it with Brooke but it did end up hurting her and damaging her relationship with Alex and Dejado. Meanwhile, Alex could care less about Dejado and let him know it. Why he kept on chasing after he is beyond me but I figured because he’s a teenage boy and that’s what they do. But with Alex’s new feelings towards him, I smell romance in the air. Or could the romance be with Carol, who is getting driving lessons from him?

As with Morning Glory, part of this book focuses on a different character. This time, it is Joe. His chapters went back from the time he met Dot, his wife, to when he was offered a job at North Oaks to when Dot was diagnosed and eventually passed away from cancer to when Rowan, Brooke’s mother, showed up pregnant, at his doorstep shortly after Dot’s funeral. What got me was how deeply he cared about everyone, including Alex. That was not something I was expecting when I read his chapters. It made me feel bad for him and I kind of wished that he would open up to Brooke about how he cared about her.

I did think that Alex training to be a jockey was a great move on North’s end. She was a natural rider and she had talent. Her only issue was that she was 15 and she wasn’t trained. So having Brooke, Alex’s frenemy, was a good choice. The two girls actually bonded, which I liked. They had so much going on in their friendship that it was tough to read their scenes. Then Joe took over and Alex started bonding with him too. It was weird to read that because Joe was so against Alex in the first few books.

The end of the book was a nail-biter, for sure but I loved it. I am so ready to read book 5, it isn’t even funny. I do have a couple of questions that I hope are answered in book 5:

Will Alex ever race? (the most important one)

Will she have to choose between Katie or Dejado?

Will Brooke ever get over Dejado?

How many stars will I give To Bottle Lightning: 4

Why: Another great installment in the North Oaks series. Great plot lines, great characters

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Young Adult

Why: Mild language.

I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it

Trying It All (Naked Men: Book 4) by Christi Barth

Trying It All (Naked Men, #4)

Title: Trying It All

Author: Christi Barth

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: May 16th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 3rd person

Series: Naked Men

Risking It All – Book 1

Wanting It All – Book 2

Giving It All – Book 3

Trying It All – Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Order. Attention to detail. Never leaving anything to chance. These are the qualities that make Riley Ness such a terrific federal agent . . . and a pain in the ass to everyone else. The only time Riley lets loose is when he’s hanging out with his closest pals. So when he’s thrown together with gorgeous, flighty Summer Sheridan, Riley’s brain tells him she’s a ticking time bomb—but his body doesn’t want to play by the rules.

Riley has to be the most irritating man Summer has ever met. The brooding hunk thinks he needs to teach her a few lessons about real life, while she’d rather show him how to enjoy it. But her BFF’s all but engaged to Riley’s best friend, and besides, their intense physical chemistry is all too real. Summer just needs Riley to try to meet her halfway and take a chance with the one thing that matters: his heart

My review:

As I have stated in my other posts, I really hate picking a book up and realizing it is the 2nd to the last book in a series.  There is so much backstory that I feel that I am missing out of and the other characters, who usually are in the book and I am left thinking to myself “What happened to them” and “What is their story”. Drives me nuts and yes, I know that it is all on me. I could just as easily skipped over these books when I was selecting them from NetGalley. But, no, I like to drive myself nuts and continue to request them.

I thought that Trying It All was a pretty interesting book. I loved Riley and Summer’s backstory. When Riley was a teenager, he was involved in a near tragic accident in the mountains of Italy that left him and his friends stranded for 3 days. Summer was the survivor of a mass shooting at her college. What made it interesting to me is that the author explored how to similar traumatic experiences could affect people differently.

With Riley, it made him hypervigilant to scenarios where something could go wrong. He was an expert with what to do in every sort of situation. He even took a job that used his talents (for lack of a better word). He was very detail orientated and never, ever did he take a leap without seeing where the leap would take him and if it was safe. He was so uptight that it hurt reading about it in the book. Which is why Summer didn’t like him. Her nickname for him was FunSucking DeathStar. I started dying laughing when I read that because it was so true.

Summer, however, decided that she had to live life like there would be no tomorrow after she left the hospital. So she did everything to the extreme and refused to let herself have a lasting, loving relationship with anyone. She even mentioned that the word long-term gave her a twitch. All because she might die the next day. I would say that she went the extreme opposite direction that Riley did.

Now, I don’t know how they interacted in the first 3 books, which peeved me because there was a lot of dislike of each other, but I will say that their mutual dislike was very short-lived in this book. Like a couple of chapters short-lived. Then they kissed and everything got turned upside down.

I liked how Summer was able to bring Riley out of his comfort zone on certain things….like paragliding. I do have to say that the kiss they shared while doing that was very, very hot but very unsafe. Good thing that Summer was able to see that and stop it before something happened. But Riley couldn’t make Summer see that sometimes playing it safe was a good thing until a very bad thing happened to her.

The sex scenes were off the pages hot and I liked that the author had them do the dirty in unconventional areas. They had sex on a beach (of course, while I was reading it all I could think of was…ouch sand….lol), in a car parked on the street and in a store on a rug in front of a sofa after hours. Normally reading about people having sex in public places don’t do it for me but this time it did.

I will say that I did agree with Riley when he did what he did and I agreed with Chloe when she called Summer out. Honestly, I think it should have been done earlier but hey, the rest of the book would have been boring. I also agreed with the intervention that Riley’s friends did. I think he needed it and again, something that probably should have been done earlier in the book.

The end of the book was typical with a HEA. I am waiting to see if Josh gets his own book. Not that should be interesting to read :).

How many stars will I give Trying It All: 4

Why: I thought that this was a good book with some hot sex scenes. I also liked that not so opposites attract angle of the book. It made for a very interesting read.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**