Review: Always You by Missy Johnson

Title: Always You

Series: No.

Author: Missy Johnson

Release Date: December 19th, 2013

Rating: 2.5

Cliffhanger: No.

[ Yes. (hide spoiler)]

I was thrilled when I was offered a graduate teaching position at the prestigious Tennerson Girls Academy. At twenty-three, this would be my first ‘real’ teaching assignment. Working at the elite boarding school, home to the daughters of some of the wealthiest people in the world, was a great opportunity that I would’ve been stupid to pass up.

One week into my new job, and I suddenly had no idea why I chose high school…I was a seventeen year old boy once, I knew how teenage girls behaved.

You can’t even imagine the hell of trying to teach thirty, hormonal driven seventeen year olds who have been cooped up, away from any male contact.

I could handle the whispers every time I entered the room. I could even handle the obvious attempts at gaining my attention. What I couldn’t handle was her…



Rich bitches and way too many rules. Was it any wonder that I hated school?

Add to that the lack of male contact, and I was going insane. Like literally. I wasn’t used to this. A year ago I was normal. I had a boyfriend, friends and a loving family. There is nothing normal about me anymore, and nobody here lets me forget that.

My name is Wrenn, and I’m only here because my aunt took me in after what happened, but my aunt also happens to be the headmistress of this academy…Can you see my problem?

I’m hated for my lack of money, and I’m hated for who my Aunt is.

Then he arrived. Dalton Reed. My new history teacher.

Slowly, he helped me see that even in the worst situations, there is always hope.

The start was very good, I instantly liked the characters and was impatiently waiting for development. I was engrossed in the things that were happening and I could empathize with Wrenn, that lost her family in an accident. It seems very fascinating to me that though this novel contained many of the elements that would make me love it, I can’t seem to find too much to say about it.

When things started quickly progressing I felt it was too rushed. I wanted to hit someone when I got the ‘insta love’ vibe. For most part of the book, I didn’t feel it was forbidden relationship. Wrenn and Dalton’s behavior as well as constant winking or comments between them in school were very obvious and didn’t give the book the forbidden feel.

Always You is not angsty or too much gut wrenching read. On the contrary, Dalton and Wrenn’s story is nothing like every other student teacher novel I’ve read, which was nice, but also, I have to confess, I missed some drama. Everything went down so effortlessly, it was bordering on boring. I caught myslef a couple of times wishing for more action, more depth or more… something. As much as I liked this story, it wasn’t very thrilling or action packed. I just missed ANGST.

There were few things, I liked very much. The bittersweet ending was a nice touch. It felt like a enjoyable, big red cherry on the top; The book was not bad at all...I think most people will adore Always You more than I did.

Missy Johnson created cute, funny and sweet story. Fans of this type of new adult romance will be in heaven. Personally, I hoped for a little bit more. I didn’t hate this novel but it didn’t impress me either. But If you're looking for a sweet book to kick off the holidays with some romance, this might be a story just for you.

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Book Blast: Blood on The Tongue

 

Title:  Blood on the Tongue:  A Cooper & Fry Mystery (Ben Cooper & Diane Fry #3)

Author:  Stephen Booth

Genre:  Mystery

Publication Date:  December 3, 2013

Publisher:  Witness Impulse, imprint of HarperCollins

 

 

Stephen Booth returns with an evocative thriller perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson.
It’s a new year for Ben Cooper and Diane Fry, and that means new mysteries to solve in the icy depths of a bitter winter.

It isn’t the easiest way to commit suicide, but the dead woman seems to have simply curled up in the freezing snow and lain there until her heart stopped. There was no one to observe her death but the foxes and the hares. Yet she is riddled with bruises. Her demise is horrifying. Is it also suspicious?
When two more bodies are found, Cooper and Fry begin to wonder whether these tragedies are connected—and whether they will survive the winter …

Purchase Links: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

STEPHEN BOOTH is an award winning British crime writer, the creator of two young Derbyshire police detectives, DC Ben Cooper and DS Diane Fry, who have appeared in twelve novels set in England’s beautiful and atmospheric Peak District.



Stephen has been a Gold Dagger finalist, an Anthony Award nominee, twice winner of a Barry Award for Best British Crime Novel, and twice shortlisted for the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year. Ben Cooper was a finalist for the Sherlock Award for the best detective created by a British author, and in 2003 the Crime Writers’ Association presented Stephen with the Dagger in the Library Award for “the author whose books have given readers the most pleasure”.



The Cooper & Fry series is published all around the world, and has been translated into 15 languages.

Connect with the Author: Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

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Cover Reveal: I See London by Chanel Cleeton

Title: I See London

Author: Chantel Cleeton

Release Date: February 3rd, 2014

Harlequin HQN (Digital First)
New Adult Contemporary Romance - See more at: http://www.stuckinbooks.com/2013/12/cover-reveal-i-see-london-by-chanel.html#sthash.6a6AAeP3.dpuf

Harlequin HQN (digital first)

New Adult Contemprary Romance

Harlequin HQN (Digital First)
New Adult Contemporary Romance - See more at: http://www.stuckinbooks.com/2013/12/cover-reveal-i-see-london-by-chanel.html#sthash.6a6AAeP3.dpuf

Maggie Carpenter is ready for a change— and to leave her ordinary life in South Carolina behind. But when she accepts a scholarship to the International School in London, a university attended by the privileged offspring of diplomats and world leaders, Maggie might get more than she bargained for. 

When Maggie meets Hugh, a twentysomething British guy, she finds herself living the life she always wanted. Suddenly she’s riding around the city in a Ferrari, wearing borrowed designer clothes and going to the hottest clubs. The only problem? Another guy, the one she can’t seem to keep her hands off of. 

Half French, half Lebanese, and ridiculously wealthy, Samir Khouri has made it clear he doesn’t do relationships. He’s the opposite of everything Maggie thought she wanted…and he’s everything she can’t resist. Torn between her dream guy and the boy haunting her dreams, Maggie has to fight for her own happy ending. In a city like London, you never know where you stand, and everything can change in the blink of an eye.

This is a New Adult romance recommended for readers 17 and up.

“So are we going to talk about it?”

I jerked my head up. A knowing smile spread across Samir’s lips. An awkward tension filled the air between us. It was strange to think that on one hand we’d been more intimate than I’d ever been with anyone and yet he still felt like a total stranger.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I bluffed.

He quirked a brow at me, his head tilted to the side, his expression considering. “So that’s how you’re going to play it?”

“Pretty much.”

I knew I was the polar opposite of smooth, but I didn’t know what to say to him.

Samir grinned. “Fine. I have my memories to keep me company.” He winked at me. “And believe me, I have plenty of good memories.”

I reached out and shoved him, the move reflexive, my hand fisting the expensive fabric of his shirt. I froze mid-motion, my hand clutching the fabric, half-pulling him towards me, half-pushing him away.

Samir’s voice deepened, grew seductive. “Why won’t you admit you want me? It was pretty obvious when your body was wrapped around mine.”

I flushed. “My body was never wrapped around yours,” I snapped, releasing my hold on his shirt. “It was a one-time, stupid, drunken thing. It’ll never happen again.”

“Sure it won’t.”

- See more at: http://www.stuckinbooks.com/2013/12/cover-reveal-i-see-london-by-chanel.html#sthash.6a6AAeP3.dpuf

My hands remained on his chest, my fingers curled into the fabric of his black sweater. Curled into his warmth. Up close, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to study Samir. His eyes were a dark coffee color, framed by ridiculously thick, long lashes. Dark curls of hair brushed against his collar. His skin was tan, certainly far tanner than my own pale skin. He was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

“Scared?” he teased.

Yes.

I was tired of being ruled by my fear and nerves. I closed the gap between our lips, lingering just a breath away from kissing him. My hand traveled north, releasing my grip on his sweater, moving up his neck. My fingertips brushed against his bare skin, the feeling silky smooth. My hand continued its upward path, growing bolder now, threading through Samir’s hair, loving the feel of his silky curls beneath my fingers.

He stiffened.

Our gazes met. I held the force of his stare, shocked to see desire flaring in his eyes. It was all the encouragement I needed. My lips brushed against his— hesitant, exploring, hungry. Once, twice. Samir sighed, his mouth opening slightly. His breath tingled with mine, his tongue grazing my lips. He wasn’t quite kissing me back but he wasn’t moving away either. Clearly he was going to make me work for it.

“Kiss me.” He whispered the words against my mouth, taunting me with them, goading me further, pushing me over the edge.

“Shut up. This would be so much better if you didn’t talk.”

He chuckled, his lips vibrating against mine.

I opened my mouth, deepening the kiss, my tongue reaching out and grazing his. Suddenly everything exploded. The taste of him swirled in my mouth, the feel of his body against mine, sent sparks through my body. He kissed me back. He kissed me like he was drowning and I was his lifeline— mad, desperate kisses that had my body tightening in anticipation and my mind blown.

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Originally a Florida girl, at seventeen Chanel moved to London to attend an international university.  In the four years that followed, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, learned how to dance, travelled through Europe, and made lifelong friendships.  Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever.  But fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise, when an American fighter pilot with smooth dance moves, swept her off her feet.  

Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure in South Korea.  An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she is happiest curled up with a book.  She has a weakness for handbags, puppy cuddles, and her fighter pilot husband.  Chanel writes New Adult contemporary romances and Young Adult thrillers.  Her New Adult debut, I SEE LONDON, will be released by Harlequin (HQN) on February 3, 2014, followed by a sequel, LONDON FALLING, later in the year.  

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Review: Ashes To Ashes (EIT#8) by Karina Halle

 

Title: Ashes To Ashes

Series: Experiment in Terror #8

Author: Karina Halle

Release Date: December 11 2013

Rating: 5 stars

Cliffhanger: Yes

It’s been two months since Perry Palomino and Dex Foray’s relationship reached a new turning point, two months since Perry started a new life in Seattle, and two months since their Experiment in Terror show took on a new partner, ex-Wine Babe Rebecca Sims, and found a new level of success. But whenever there is light in their lives, the madness still has a way of coming back in.

When the team is sent back to the stormy Oregon coast to investigate a haunted school, Perry wants to use the opportunity to reconnect with her family and reintroduce Dex into their lives. Only Perry’s not the only one who’s reaching out – her grandmother Pippa has started appearing to her with disturbing warnings and Perry’s presence at the school has ignited a chilling new wave of supernatural phenomenon. Once used a century ago as a sanatorium to house children dying of tuberculosis, the school’s past residents are slowly coming back to life and with one thing on their mind. They want someone to play with, someone to join them. Forever.

Even when dead, some children get whatever they want.

And they want Perry.

 

Ashes To Ashes was everything I hoped for and even a little bit more. I immensely enjoyed this spectacular installment of one of my favorite series ever. As always, I did get a great dose of humor, romance, sex and fear, everything that Karina Halle is the goddess of. I loved this part of the story, and I can’t believe there is only one installment left. My heart will literally fall apart when I reach the ending of Perry and Dex’s story.

Experiment in Terror is stunning, overwhelming ride full of twists and turns, and Ashes To Ashes is the best example of just that. Not only did I get a great glimpse into Dex and Perry relationship, that despite obstacles and critic opinion develops, but I also was able to get a shot of pure adrenaline, horror and fantastic scary plot that literally froze the blood in my veins.

"You, Perry, have my heart. You are my heart"

Dex and Perry are my favorite couple. Together they are like Bonny and Clyde, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Romeo and Juliet. They are just wow. 
 

I don’t want to giveaway to much of the story, so I won’t be telling you, what was going on. EIT is a fantastic reading experience and Ashes To Ashes is one of the best and most scary parts of it. After finishing I was left speechless. I wanted, no I craved more. I can’t wait for the spectacular grand finale, Dust To Dust, that will absolutely destroy me.

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Review: The Thrill of It by Lauren Blakely

 

Title: The Thrill of It

Author: Lauren Blakely

Series: No Regrets #1

Release Date: November 21st, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Cliffhanger: ? hard to say

A new adult story of Love. Sex. Addiction. Blackmail. And Power...

Some say love can be an addiction. Others say it's the thing that makes life worth living. Let me tell you everything I know about love...Love isn't patient, love isn't kind. Love is a game, a chase. A thrill. Love is wild and war-like, and every man and woman must fight for themselves. At least that's how it was for me. A high-priced virgin call girl by the time I started college, I was addicted to love and to sex. Even though I've never had either. I controlled love, played it, and held the world in the palm of my hands. Then I fell down from those highs, and I'm being blackmailed for all my mistakes, forced to keep secrets from everyone, except the only guy I don't regret.

Trey...

With all the other women, I knew what they were. They were temporary. They were pills, they were bottles, they took away all the pain, and numbed the awful memories that wore down my ragged, wasted heart. Until I met Harley. She's the only girl I ever missed when she walked away. But now she's back in my life, every day, and there are no guarantees for us, especially since I don't know how to tell her my secrets. What happened to my family. All I know is she's the closest I've ever come to something real, and I want to feel every second of it.

How can you love with no regrets when regret is all you know?

Love can be the ugly beautiful

The Thrill of It totally wasn't what I expected it to be and this misunderstanding made me quickly fell in love with this deliciously unique and beautiful storyline about tortured characters, that made my heart bleed. I felt glued to the pages, because this enticing, absolutely sexy and beautifully written story about addiction, mistakes and love is fast paced, realistic and so, so hot!

Harley is former call girl and a virgin. She’s addicted to power that comes from sex and she has no idea how to stop thinking about prostituting herself. To get some help she goes to SLAA (Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous) meetings. That’s where she sees Trey, tattoo artist, that she almost spend the night with.

Trey also is addicted to sex. From the time he was teenager he had constant sex with cougars. Women older and more experienced than him. Harley is the only ‘young’ girl he felt attracted to.

SLAA rules say they can’t have sex or be in any kind of relationship in the first year of recovery. Can they say no to their demons?

At the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to think as the first 15% were a little bit confusing. I couldn’t relate to characters well and quite honestly I was on the verge of hating them, but after few more pages, I found myslef hooked on the story. I can’t say I’ve read something so realistic and gut wrenching in a while.

Also, the writing was beautiful. Lauren Blakely mesmerized me. There were moments where the words were stunning and brilliant, and I just floated around with them somewhere far away from reality.

„In an instant, I’m back on earth. I’m no longer floating, removed. I’m here, next to her, and my chest is cracked open, and I’ve given her my bleeding, beating heart, and she’s holding it in her hands, and she’s not crushing it, she’s not destroying it. She’s doing the opposite. She’s getting me. She’s understanding, she’s burrowing her way so far under my skin, into my head, and around my heart that I am dangerously close to joining her in the tears department.”

There were also moments when I laughed really hard.

“I mean, we’re sitting here, and your dick is in my hand, and I’m asking you for tips, and you’re giving me advice for my first blow job, and I’m laughing, and you’re laughing, and it’s kind of awesome.”

Overall, The Thrill of it is simply heartbreaking story. The sexual chemistry is explosive, plot full of angst, nothing feels rushed and there isn’t a thing I would add, because Lauren Blakely created very good novel.

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