Patrycja's Review: All It Takes by Sadie Munroe

Title: All It Takes

Series: standalone

Author: Sadie Munroe

Release Date: 30 June, 2015

Rating: 3.5 - 4 stars

Cliffhanger:. No

Nineteen-year-old Star Collins never intended to return to her hometown, Avenue. That part of her life ended when she was nine years old, and child services took her away from her hoarder mother. Her mother chose her stuff over her daughter. That part of her life was supposed to be in the past.

But her mother has just passed away and Star finds herself giving up her summer to quietly clean out her old home. She just wants to sell it and move on with her life. However, things aren't going the way she planned. With her dyed-black hair and tattoos, she's attracting almost as much attention from the small town residents as Ash Winthrope, the guy who was just released from prison.

All Ash wants is a chance to start over. He screwed up and he knows it, he's going to have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. But he's stuck in Avenue until his parole ends, and no one, not even his own parents, wants anything to do with him. Nearly out of money and completely out of options, Ash takes the only job he can, helping Star haul stuff out of her mother's house.

Neither of them expects anything to happen between them, or for their lives to change. But sometimes meeting the right person is all it takes.

[ Yes (hide spoiler)]

The story follows Star, a nineteen year old college student, who inherited her mother’s house after she passed away. After years of living in foster care and not seeing her biological parent, Star goes to the town she was born it to deal with the house. To her surprise the house is in worse shape than she thought was possible. Before seeing it, Star knew about her mother’s hoarding problem but she didn’t realize the size of it… The size suggesting her mother could have her own episode of The Hoarders: Buried Alive. She has only summer to clean it up and sell it, before going back to college, and she desperately needs help.

That’s why Star decides to offer a job to Ash – the guy everyone in town seems to hate, because of the mistake he made five years ago, that send him to prison.

All It Takes is very intriguing story. It is different and unique in its own way, however it also reminds me of something Jessica Sorensen could write. Star and Ash are both complex and realistic characters, which is the main reason why Sadie Munroe’s debut novel is good. You cannot help but fall in love with them and root for them. The story develops slowly, but in engaging way, so it’s hard to be bored. I liked how this book was not only a romance but also dealt with forgiveness, acceptance and other important issues.

My only concern was the ending. It left me unsatisfied. Some of the questions were left unanswered.

Overall, I can without a doubt recommend this New Adult novel. It’s sweet and charming.

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Eliza's Review: Priest by Sierra Simone

Title: Priest

Series: Standalone

Author: Sierra Simone

Release date: 29th June, 2015

Cliffhanger: No

There are many rules a priest can't break. 

A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I've always been good at following rules. 

Until she came. 

My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I'm twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. 

I am a priest and this is my confession.

**Priest is a standalone, full-length novel with an HEA.  For mature audiences only.**

Our father Bell, who art in the Town of Weston,

Synonymous with taboo be thy name.

Thine lamb Poppy did come.

Thy saintly will undone,

as too did his urges leaven.

Gave us smut when common sense fled.

But forgiveness in afterthought he pled.

Poppy led him into temptation,

But delivered him from lonely damnation.

Thy angst and taboo more potent I would favour,

but thine ethereal smut I did savour.

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Release Day Blitz: BETRAYAL (Obsession #2) by S.M Phillips

BETRAYAL (Obsession #2) 

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"I gave you one chance, Anna. A chance to run and never look back. That's all you had to do. Run and keep your goddamn head down, yet here we are and it's not just you in the firing line anymore. You better pray that nothing bad happens to my brother, because this time I'll be taking you down with me." Running was the only option that Anna Jameson was given. To up and leave everything that she had ever known and put it all behind her. That was the toughest decision that she'd ever made, and she made it... But was it all worth it? As soon as her anxiety and fear began to slowly ebb away, she could see a faint light at the end of the dark and horrific tunnel that she had found herself in... That light was the dark, sexy and demanding Jensen Blake. A man who played on her every emotion and a man who she swore she would avoid at all costs. Nobody can run forever and the past is about to catch up with her. With nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, how many more people will suffer at the hand of Anna's hidden past? Danger, fear and betrayal decide to make an unwelcome appearance and it looks like they're about to become her new best friends.

  

 

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  Other books by S.M Phillips:    

 Obsession (Obsession #1) 

  

Obsession knows no bounds... Anna Jameson can't wait to escape the hell hole that her cousin has left her in. Desperate to escape her past, the idea of moving to stay with Holly whilst she got her head together sounded like the perfect plan... Until Holly upped and left, leaving Anna to pick up the mess that she left behind. Jensen Blake knows what he wants and will not be told otherwise. Obedience and control are what he knows best. With demons of his own, he has spent most of his adult life traveling from place to place the moment things started to become predictable. When Jensen and Anna are pushed together, an instant dislike simmers between them. Anna hates bad boys. She has witnessed enough of them to last her a lifetime.  The sexual attraction between them is evident but will that only make things harder for them both to handle? 

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Escape Down Under (Down Under #1) 

For Jess Townsend, life is about to get complicated. Following on from her split with Josh two months ago, Jess has thrown herself into her work full throttle, making sure that the one good thing in her life remains the same. Suddenly she is called into an important meeting at work. Absolutely petrified that she is about to lose her job, she does the only thing she knows how. Panic on the inside and walk through it with her head held high on the outside.  Jess soon discovers she is being offered a once in a lifetime opportunity, but will she take it? After dealing with an ex who can't let go and a broody mysterious Adonis who won't accept no for an answer, maybe the opportunity of an escape has arrived at the perfect time. What does fate have in store and what obstacles will be thrown her way? 

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  Fallen Down Under (Down Under #2) 

"Fuck." I slam my fist into the desk before me and feel nothing but rage. I need to go after her. I need to explain. "But isn't this what you wanted?" The voice inside my head whispers. "Isn't this a nice easy way out?" Everything Max has done has always been at a cost to others around him. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. No longer will his selfish ways punish those close to him. Sometimes it's better to have had and lost than to never have had at all.  Finally after what felt like forever, Jess was getting a glimpse of control over her life again and allowed her defences to come crashing down, only to have what it guarded to be crushed once again. Now, on the other side of the world away from her friends, she doesn't know what to do.  Should she stay or should she go?  Is it too late or have they both fallen too far into something that is completely out of their depths?  

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  Forever Down Under (Down Under #3) 

  In the last few months, Jess has been faced with more obstacles than she ever thought possible. Heartbreak, loss and betrayal to name just a few. Will her drama fuelled life finally settle into the happy, care free one that she deserves or is someone hiding and waiting for the perfect opportunity to ruin it all? Life for Max hasn't exactly been plain sailing either. Now that he finally has someone in his life that means more to him than anything he has ever known, one thing is for certain, he's not going to let anyone get in the way of his new found happiness, no matter what the cost. Demons are released, pasts are exposed and their future together is only what they make of it.  

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Welcome to the crazy and hectic life that is me... A fun, loving mum of one special little boy, girlfriend (I'm sure it should be wife by now!!) and an overall crazy, happy go lucky girl from England.I have always had a passion for reading and writing. Wherever I am, my book reader is never far behind along with a mug of coffee. I found myself wanting to write from a young age, I have quite a few hidden stories on my computer somewhere, maybe I will have to dig them out and play around with them at some point. 

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Blog tour with Christie's review: On My Knees by J. Kenner

 

 

  

Jackson Steele and Sylvia Brooks continue to thrill in the second novel of a scintillating, emotionally charged new trilogy that returns to the world of J. Kenner’s beloved Stark novels: Release Me, Claim Me, and Complete Me.

I never thought I’d lose control, but his desire took me right to the edge.

Powerful, ambitious, and devastatingly sexy, Jackson Steele was unlike any other man I’d ever known. He went after what he wanted with his whole mind, body, and soul—and I was the woman in his sights. One touch and I surrendered, one night together and I was undone.

Jackson and I had secrets, dark pieces of our pasts that threatened to swallow us both. We couldn’t outrun our demons, or the people trying to tear us apart. But in our passion we found salvation, and in each other’s arms we found release.

I was scared to trust Jackson fully, to finally let go. Yet no matter the dangers that lay ahead, I knew I was his—and now that we’ve laid claim, there’s no more holding back.

On My Knees is intended for mature audiences.

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 iBOOKS I INDIEBOUND I GOOGLE PLAY I ALL ROMANCE

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J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly,  Wall Street Journal and International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, Victorian-era thrillers (coming soon), and paranormal mommy lit.

Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, has been consistently in development in Hollywood since prior to publication.  Most recently, it has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for development as series on the CW Network with Alloy Entertainment producing.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A three time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

Her books have sold well over a million copies and are published in over over twenty countries.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas.  She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

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This is book two of the Stark International Trilogy and normally I'm a little leery of reading the middle book, but this one turned out to be another decent addition to the series. A lot of times those middle ones tend to be a "filler" book. The one that's in between the /attraction/building of conflict and the last book with the revelations and resolutions. 

While there were some twists and turns and more than one bombshell, this time around, there weren't any surprises for me. I was able to predict fairly early on what secrets were lurking behind Jackson's scorching looks and smooth smiles. Maybe I was just paying a little more attention this time? But whether the foreshadowing was a little more obvious or not, I still appreciated that the story had that same depth and intelligence to it that I discovered in Say My Name. J. Kenner is one talented lady and she can write one hell of an intensely erotic scene. 

We're both wild. Crazed. This isn't about sex or love or even passion. It's about need. It's about release. It's about taking what we need from each other. Hard and fast and very, very thoroughly.

After the huge revelation at the end of Say My Name, we're left wondering how everyone will deal with Jackson's secret. How it will impact Jackson and Sylvia's relationship, and if that's only the first skeleton in the closet to come out. Well, let's just say that there's plenty more where that came from. Secrets, lies, and pretenses coated this couple with a brittle veneer that kept cracking more by the minute. 

These two struggle to battle their demons through a lot of this book. Jackson fought his need to vent his anger through underground fighting, and Sylvia fought her bitterness, resentment, and pain from her family's betrayal. I have to say, what her father did to her as a child gave me chills and made me sick to my stomach. And the threat hanging over her head that being with a public figure like Jackson left me uneasy and really sympathizing with her plight. 

The sensual scenes weren't as much of a power struggle this time around. Sylvia has submitted complete control to Jackson and they are very comfortable in their roles at this point. 

She surrenders to him completely, and he gets to command all of their pleasure. It's a situation they both benefit from, and I must admit, I did as well. They were as scorching hot as ever. 

It's raw. Feral. I feel a bit like his prey. And though I know that he is angry right now-that he is wild-I cannot deny the excitement that is arcing between the two of us. That is filling me. Making me wet and hot and oh, so very ready.

Jackson had an inability to be completely honest with her for a big portion of the book. It bothered me because it wasn't something minor-it was huge and potentially impactful to her. If it weren't for the fact that she was less than forthcoming herself, it may have frustrated me more. What I loved about him was his fierce protectiveness. And he had an unmistakable desperation to hold them together when he felt them slipping apart. I liked Sylvia's resilience and ability to pick herself back up every time she gets knocked down. And as overwhelmed by the feelings he evokes, she's tough enough to tell him like it is. 

Overall, a good second book to the series. While I didn't love it, it was still well written and steamy enough to melt more than a few panties. Of course, there was another cliffhanger (as expected with any trilogy) this time, more suspenseful than the last. I look forward to finding out what's to come in the conclusion. 

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