Christie's Review: Inflame by Tessa Teevan

Title:Inflame

Series: Explosive #3

Author:Tessa Teevan

Release Date: May 12, 2014

Rating:4 stars

Cliffhanger:No

HEA: Yes

Easy going soldier Kale Montgomery, a self-proclaimed ladies man, has no plans of settling down, especially not with his best friend- the sexy, sassy schoolteacher Lucy Dawson. Their relationship, though unconventional, is mutually beneficial, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Friends with benefits? Casual lovers? Whatever you want to call it, they’re having fun, in and out of bed, and to them, that’s all that matters. At least that’s what they think, but how long can you spend in someone's bed before you find they're also infiltrating your heart?

As their casual fling with no strings attached progresses, it's not long before they realize they're both in way over their heads. One fateful night changes their lives forever in ways they could never have imagined, giving them the push to finally admit that maybe, just maybe they want more than they’ve let on. Their mutual attraction rapidly intensifies as it shifts from burning lust to unrelenting want, need, and possibly even love. Suddenly the idea of settling down doesn't seem so bad. In fact, it sounds pretty damn perfect.

Just when things seem to be falling into place, past pain and renewed insecurities rise to the surface and threaten to smother the flames of their passionate relationship, reminding them both why they’ve always kept the idea of love at arm's length. Will Kale and Lucy realize that what they've been waiting for is each other, or will the blazing whirlwind of their feelings burn out too quickly, causing it to all go up in smoke?

There are very few series that I can say every book in them are 4 or 5 star reads. When you can say that, the series belongs on your favorites shelf because there’s something special there. This is a hard thing to accomplish and Tessa Teevan has done it for me. I really liked this book-Kale and Lucy’s story takes right off where we left it in Incinerate. Lucy is Charlie’s best friend and has a very strong personality-it took me a while for her to grow on me. She’s not usually my favorite type of heroine-brash, blunt, and only goes for the casual hook-up with men. I do love strong heroines, but I’m not a huge fan of the friends with benefits type stories. I was banking on Ms Teevan’s track record in the series to pull another winner out of the hat. and yes, she did make a believer out of me.

Lucy is a second grade teacher who’s perfectly happy with her life how it is-she doesn’t need a man to complicate things. After being told all her life that she was a surprise baby that caused a shotgun wedding and years of unhappiness, she’s not all fired up to put herself out there for the sake of love. I felt for her-that’s got to be hard to be told you’re unwanted by your father. It messes with your head.

When Kale shows up at school for his goddaughter, she’s slammed with lust but also can’t help but have a soft spot for this man who’s so devoted to her student.

Kale is just as attracted to her but the combination of his past and the fact that he’s only home for a short while is making him wonder if they should start anything. But damn, there’s something about this woman that stirs every sexy teacher fantasy there ever was.

Seeing the freckle on the tip of her nose causes me to grin, and she sucks in her bottom lip when I do. I know I shouldn’t be hot for teacher, but I can’t help it. I totally am.

They decide pretty much right away that there’s no reason they shouldn’t enjoy themselves until he has to go back overseas. She doesn’t hold back, and her bold honesty and her total comfort in her own sexuality is refreshing and hot as hell to him. They get down and dirty, play up every teacher student fantasy ever devised, and love every second of it. They can’t get enough of each other.

Excuse me, Ms. Dawson. I believe you owe me a punishment, an I’m here to take it like a man,” I tell her, watching as her eyes widen. I watch as she swallows hard, and my dick is raging in anticipation of her response. “Sergent Montgomery, I’m not sure you can handle the punishment I have in mind for you.”

Kale and Lucy have some serious chemistry under the sheets, but they also come to find that they’re becoming best friends as well. They’ve moved into the friends with benefits category…the benefits having come before the friends part and though they both tell each other that it’s the ideal situation, they’re lying. To themselves and each other. They both want more but are unwilling, or maybe unable to admit it and overcome their pasts. We don’t really know what happened to Kale, but we know that whatever it is, it broke his heart and prevents him from being able to attempt a relationship.

An unforeseen factor will blow everything out of the water. Their no strings attached situation just produced one hell of a string. It seems history is repeating itself and Lucy, who was a surprise baby herself, is now pregnant and freaking the heck out. The combination of their pasts make for one serious struggle but it ends up being just what they needed to wake them up and realize how much they mean to each other. From the minute Kale finds out he’s going to be a father, he’s absolutely, 100% supportive and sweet and I completely fell for him and his sensitivity towards Lucy.

Suddenly, their lives include morning sickness, sonograms, baby shopping, and they both fall crazy in love with their little Sprout. (Get it? Kale...Sprout?) They vow to make this work.

Their friends and family are all there for them and if Kale can just deal with all the emotions that are being stirred up and be open and honest about his past, everything would be perfect. When you find out what happened to him in his past you will hurt for him, but at the same time, after a while, I was like, come on already! Tell your woman and move on! He just can't seem to find a way to talk to her about it. And it bites him in the ass later.

This was a great read. I really came to care for Lucy and Kale so much and the addition of the past couples in the book was so enjoyable. I loved getting a little bit more of the gang-their humor, their friendship, and the peek into their lives in the epilogue was fabulous! If you haven't read this series, get on it because it's hard to believe anyone couldn't appreciate these books.

***ARC provided by author for an honest review***


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Eliza's Review: Monster in His Eyes by J M Darhower

Title: Monster in His Eyes

Series: Yes

Author: J.M. Darhower

Release Date: 28th April, 2014

Rating: 3.5 "Beautiful Monster" stars

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I'm thinking before I even do.

It's alarming and alluring. It's dark and deadly. It's everything I've ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn't take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it's too late. He has secrets, secrets I can't fathom, secrets that make it so I can't walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that's both terrifying and thrilling. He's a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn't stop me from loving him, too.

It's difficult as a reader to not to have high expectations when you read a blurb that grabs you. It's also difficult to review without giving too much away.

Karissa is a 18 year old undergraduate student, her close relationships extend as far as her overbearing mother and best friend/roommate Melody. After moving around a lot with her mother in her earlier years she hopes to establish her identity and independence by attending school in New York. It's here that she initially meets Ignazio Vitale, Naz. Thirty seven year old "freelancer" Naz remains much of a mystery throughout the book, only in later stages do we start to see glimpses into his past.

The relationship between himself and Karissa was I felt was like watching a moth gravitate towards the flame. He was mysterious, romantic, intense, honest sometimes verging on brutal; an unforgiving predator and she, his Beauty, his innocent.

I enjoyed reading this for several reasons, it had romance, passion,suspense, a dark element and it also kept me guessing and doing a few goldfish impressions. In essence however part of me felt that it was more of introductory story. I found myself waiting, waiting for the darkness, we caught glimpses of the Monster but never saw him fully unleashed.

The writing is done so very well, it's atmospheric - I felt the tension, the chills and am so much looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

In the words of Melody:
"So I'll just chill, till the next episode".



***ARC kindly provided by author for an honest review***

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Christie's Review: Phenomenal X by Michelle A Valentine

Title: Phenomenal X

Series: Hard Knocks #1

Author: Michelle A. Valentine

Release Date: April 22, 2014

Rating:1 star

Cliffhanger:Yes

[No (hide spoiler)]

Good Girl. Notorious Bad-Boy. One Phenomenal Love. 

From the mean streets of Detroit rises the newest superstar of professional wrestling, Xavier Cold, better known as Phenomenal X. His muscular physique makes men cower before him and women lose their minds with desire.

Anna Cortez is fresh out of college and naive to the harsh realities of the real world. Tired of living under the thumb of her conservative family, she defies them when she accepts a job as the assistant to wrestling’s most notorious bad-boy. Phenomenal X has an animalistic nature that even good girl Anna finds hard to resist.

One night forced to share a bed in a sold-out hotel, lines blur between them and they quickly learn that one lustful night changes everything and neither one of them will ever be the same.

I hate to be harsh, but there was nothing I found original or exciting about this book. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I really don't think that was it. This is New Adult at it's worst and it didn't make a believer out of me.

With total honesty, I must say that there were several factors that didn't do it for me.

1)The absolute repetitiveness of being told how "Bad Boy" he is and how he is no good for her.

This point is driven home over and over. It takes up the majority of their conversations before they hook up to the point where I was flipping through their conversations. I didn't need him to keep telling her he is bad, no good, not a nice guy, that he'll hurt her, that he uses women but he doesn't want to with her...you get the idea. I got the idea.

"Maybe that's why I came out here-to get mixed up with the wrong kind of man and make a few mistakes."
He smiles and takes my hand. "You shouldn't say things like that to a man who's a walking mistake, and one who would like nothing better than to take you home with him."

"Believe me beautiful, I'm bad fucking news. A nice girl like you should run away from me as quick as you can."

Ok, so he's told her that he's no good, now he has permission to fuck up because he warned her, right? No. If you don't want to treat this kind, sweet, good girl badly who you're so protective of, just don't do it. Well, I guess he needed to live up to his reputation.

2)(view spoiler)[He screws his slutty PA during the week that they are hanging out every night. So basically, he hangs out with her after she gets off work-every night. And then goes back to his hotel and has sex with this ho-every night? But they're just friends, he has the right to do that, right? No. He's flirting with her and making her feel like he cares about her-that's why he won't sleep with her, because she means too much to him. So....sleeping with this chick behind her back won't hurt her? Ugh. (hide spoiler)]

And my most hated young heroine response to manwhoring-Yes he's a slut, but he's HOT. He's sweet.

I wish he wasn't so damn good looking. It makes staying mad at him ridiculously difficult.

3) Their "relationship" consists of one week of "friendship" where they flirt and deny their feelings. The second week they have sex, become a couple, and they're in love.

4) It was like a watered down version of Katy Evans' Real...but with unlikable characters.

5) Nettie and Carl the old couple from the diner I loved, I actually liked them better than the main characters. They were so hilarious I actually laughed out loud at their conversations. Why couldn't I feel that way about X and Anna??

This book really was not what I was hoping for or expecting. It was too cliche and over the top. I just didn't feel anything for the two main characters besides frustration and that's being 100% real. Sorry to say, this book was not for me.

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Patrycja's Review: Love, In English by Karina Halle

Title: Love, In English

Series: No. Standalone.

Author: Karina Halle

Release Date: April 20, 2014

Rating: 3 stars

Cliffhanger:. No

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter.

I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now.Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

Purchase Links:

Amazon • iTunes • Barnes and Noble

Karina Halle is one of my favorite authors; her books are always exciting, full of suspense and have the best yet the weirdest romances ever. I simply adore her! My love for her books made me break my number one rule. – I don’t deliberately read books with adultery. And look at me now, here I am rating and reviewing Love, In English completely manipulated by my fixation with Dex, Javier and Camden.

I have known from the very beginning that Love, In English would be very hard read for me. That’s why I anxiously read all the teasers and reviews of it. I wanted to be prepared. I wanted to know if this book will break me, make me cry or if it will make me angry. Karina Halle’s books are too good to be missed, so I tried to make myself mentally ready for the heartbreak. That was my mistake.

I simply knew too much about the story! How could I enjoy it properly while I had known very well how this story would go? From the first page I knew what was going on, so nothing really surprised me and for the most part I was bored…That’s why I won’t be saying much about the plot. If you haven’t already read Love, In English, please do yourself a favor and don’t read too many reviews, especially when they summarize the plot.

Anyway, It’s hard for me to review Love, In English. Giving this exceptional tale of forbidden love only a three stars is making my heart ache, but I can’t give it more :( I didn’t have much problems with cheating, as I was ready for that. So please, know that this is not why I rated Love, In English three stars.

While Karina’s writing touched my heart and seriously amazed me once again, I found it hard to feel deeply connected to the characters. Even though I liked Vera, I hadn’t been in sync with her. As for Mateo, I just felt like he was one of those guys who wanted to feel young again and took it to completely another level. He acted like gigantic ass more than once. I was not able to agree with their decisions, and it has nothing to do with cheating per se. It was actions that followed that made me angry at them.

Overall, this story just wasn’t for me. Not very bad, nor as splendid as other Karina Halle’s books, Love, In English lacked something that could make me feel everything. The tale of Mateo and Vera’s relationship was harsh, and yes it was very realistic and beautiful in ugly kind of way, that will definitely appeal to many readers. Unfortunately, despite those qualities, I just couldn’t find myself in this book. I think I was this little, clueless girl standing in the corner trying to understand and not judge while still being not mature enough to get the drama wholeheartedly.



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