Release Day - The Banker by Piper Rayne

Title: The Banker (Modern Love #3)

Author: Piper Rayne

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: April 5, 2017

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU

Who knew my brother’s friend could be Mr. Right, and not just Mr. Right Now?

My brother refused to introduce me, so I blame him. If he’d just caved, and introduced me to Jasper, I wouldn’t be in this mess. I mean, really what’s the big deal? I’m not interested in the guy’s looks.

Oh no, I want his cold hard cash. (Be honest, you were expecting that other four letter ‘c’ word weren’t you?)

Now, before you go getting all judgy, I’m not a gold digger. I have a legitimate business opportunity for Jasper to invest in. The problem is that my stick-up-his-ass brother is embarrassed that his twin sister invents kick ass sex toys. His problem, not mine.

So, I took matters into my own hands. Defeat isn’t a word in Lennon Hart’s dictionary.

Using my stealthy P.I. moves, I narrowed my search to a time and place where I knew I could find him. It was completely innocent. A chance meeting that would give me the opportunity to pitch my business.

It wasn’t until I sat down across from the gorgeous panty soaking man in front of me, that I realized I wanted so much more than just his money. I could very well want his heart if I wasn’t careful.

Apparently my P.I. skills aren’t as stellar as I thought because Jasper had his own secret—and it changed EVERYTHING.

I said this after reading The Boxer, the second book in Piper Rayne's Modern Love series, and I'll say it again now that I've read The Banker: these books just keep getting better and better. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that The Banker was my favourite out of the three books.

I LOVED Lennon. Even when the story wasn't about her (as in the previous two books in this series), I loved her. I don't know exactly why other than something just really clicked for me when it comes to Lennon. I always wanted to see more of her, and more than that, I wanted to see what it would take to get her to see that maybe letting herself fall for someone isn't the worse thing in the world. Enter Jasper. And really, Jasper was the perfect match to balance out Lennon (and duh, because otherwise what would the point of the story be). I loved seeing them together and I loved seeing the gradual change happen in both of them as they allowed themselves to let the other person in. They worked together and they worked for me. And there's a certain other character who's name I won't mention (because SPOILER) who totally charmed me and put a smile on my face anytime they were on the page. It just made a great story even better and I loved that character for it. And Lennon and Jasper, of course, since this whole thing is about them.

I also want to mention the friendship in the Modern Love series. Sure, these books are romances, but there's also friendship between Whitney, Tahlia and Lennon that's present throughout all three books. I loved how the friendship continued to be important to the three girls as their lives changed and they started up new (romantic) relationships outside of that friendship. No matter what was going on, they were always there for each other and I loved those moments where it was just the three of them being ridiculous together or supporting each other. 

If you want some fun romances that are just a pleasure to read, then do yourself a favour and check out these books by Piper Rayne. If you're anything like me, you'll be surprised by how much you end up loving the stories and the characters. One thing's for sure, I will definitely be checking out more books from Piper Rayne in the future.

Release Day Blitz - Anything You Can Do by R.S. Grey

Title: Anything You Can Do

Author: R.S. Grey

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: February 2, 2017

Source: ARC from Author

Buy the Book: Amazon

Lucas Thatcher has always been my enemy.

It’s been a decade since I’ve seen him, but our years on opposite coasts were less of a lasting peace and more of a temporary cease-fire. Now that we’re both back in our small town, I know Lucas expects the same old war, but I’ve changed since high school—and from the looks of it, so has he.

The arrogance boy who was my teenage rival is now a chiseled doctor armed with intimidating good looks. He is Lucas Thatcher 2.0, the new and improved version I’ll be competing with in the workplace instead of the schoolyard.

I’m not worried; I’m a doctor now too, board-certified and sexy in a white coat. It almost feels like winning will be too easy—until Lucas unveils a tactic neither of us has ever used before: sexual warfare.

The days he pushes me up against thew all and presses his lips toxin, I can’t help but wonder if he’s filling me with passion or poison. Every fleeting touch is perfect torture. With every stolen kiss, my walls crumble a little more. After all this time, Lucas knows exactly how to strip me of my defenses, but I’m in no hurry to surrender.

Knowing thy enemy has never felt so good.

R.S. Grey is one of my absolute go-to's when I'm looking for fun, happy romance. There's just something about her books and I've yet to read one that I haven't liked. So of course it was no different with her latest, Anything You Can Do.

It's not really a secret by now that I will read just about anything R.S. Grey writes. In fact, except for maybe one, I've read all of her books. And that one that I haven't read, I'm planning on rectifying that very soon. I'm always excited when I hear that she has a new book coming out, and it was no different when she announced Anything You Can Do. Also didn't hurt that the story sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun (spoiler alert: it totally was). I basically had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading. And I have to say, the whole time I was reading, the story reminded me of the TV show Hart of Dixie (side note - if you haven't watched it, you should because it's one of my favourites), likely because of the small-town doctor's office setting and the humor injected throughout the story. And the fact that it reminded me of one of my favourite TV shows only made me love Anything You Can Do even more.

Like with all of R.S. Grey's books, her characters are what really do it for me. I love the people she writes about and the relationships they develop over the course of the books. In this case, I loved Daisy and Lucas. I mean, the lengths Daisy goes to to try to convince herself that all she feels for Lucas is hatred had me laughing on more than one occasion. It was obvious to everyone but herself that she was in love with him which, at times, is what made the situation that much funnier. And Lucas. Well, I want to say that I could tell right from the start that he was going along with this war he and Daisy had going on because that was the only way he could have her, but I would be lying. For a while there, I thought they were both in it for the fight. But once I clued in, it was pretty obvious what was going on and I kept hoping that he would finally say something. Or that Daisy would finally clue in to what was majorly obvious to everyone else. Either one.

Anything You Can Do was another great romantic comedy from R.S. Grey. There's a reason she's one of my absolute go-to's for romance and this latest book only served to reinforce the fact that I will continue buying and reading all of her books.

Throwing My Life Away by Liz Czukas

Title: Throwing My Life Away

Author: Liz Czukas

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: December 20, 2016

Source: ARC from Author

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

7 photographs, 2 weeks, an entire life to get back. No problem, right?

After her stepfather accidentally throws away her high school mementos, sentimental Mariska is pretty sure the world is over. That is, until she comes up with a plan. She’s going to recreate her past, with a little help from her friends.

It’s not easy to rally everyone into helping, especially Caine, who couldn’t be less sentimental about anything if he were a park bench. But from a guerrilla kite festival to convincing her ex-boyfriend to recreate her lost prom picture, Mariska is willing to do what it takes.

With a little nudging from Caine, Mariska starts to realize she can’t actually get her past back. And maybe that’s okay. Because while she’s so focused on the past, she’s missing out on the present, where her friends are busy having the summer of their lives. And where funny, quiet Cain might just be the future she never knew she wanted.

As someone who reads a lot I know that there are some books that will stick with me more than others, it's just what happens. But those books that stick with me, they do so for a reason. Sometimes it's because they resonated with me in a particular way, in other cases it's because it was a particularly good story. I don't know exactly what it was about Liz Czukas's Throwing My Life Away, but I know that also two months later, I'm still thinking about it.

Despite having her books on my shelves, I haven't actually read any of Liz Czukas's books. Well, that's not entirely true; I've read the New Adult titles she's written as Ellie Cahill and I absolutely loved them. So when she approached me to see if I would be interested in reading Throwing My Life Away I jumped at the opportunity. And I'm glad I did because I loved reading this story. Right from the start, it made me nostalgic for that time between high school and college where I was ready to move forward and see what the future had to offer while also wanting to hold on to all the memories of the past (granted I'm someone who actually liked high school and have lots of good memories from it). While reading, I could understand Mariska's sadness and anger at losing all her pictures because it felt like she was losing all her memories. But as much as it sucked, if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have had a story to read and that would have sucked just as much. 

As much as I enjoyed reading all about Mariska and her friends recreating her memories (or at least doing their best to recreate something close to her memories), my favourite part of the story was Mariska's relationship with Caine. At first, I honestly didn't think their relationship would be anything beyond friendship and that it would just be some side plot that wouldn't really get explored. And I was immediately disappointed because there was something about the way they interacted with each other that made me want to know and see more. And then Caine started popping up all the time and before long I was rooting for Mariska and Caine. They so clearly made sense together even if it took forever for the both of them to figure it out. And even when they figured it out, I still wasn't quite sure they were going to happen. But they did and it was perfect. 

There's a lot about Liz Czukas's Throwing My Life Away: the nostalgia it brought on, the photo quest, the yearbook battle, the slow build of the romance. It was so many things I love all in one book. To make a long story short, this is a story you definitely don't want to miss.

East of Redemption by Molly E. Lee

Title: East of Redemption (Love on the Edge #2)

Author: Molly E. Lee

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: June 8, 2016

Source: ARC from Author

Buy the Book: Amazon

Easton Wells has spent years burying his guilt by digging up some of the world's most renowned treasures while surviving the dangerous terrains in which they're located--all captured for television. When his producers threaten to axe the show, he has no choice but to turn to the last person he still trusts--the girl he left behind.

Rain Walker has made a name for herself documenting wild and endangered animals, and the last voice she expects to hear while shooting in South Africa is Easton's. He's more gorgeous than she remembers, but the pain in her heart is as fresh as ever. They'd once planned on spending the rest of their lives together, but after her father's tragic death while on expedition in Israel with him, Easton bailed on their future together without an explanation. It's been nine years, and yet the intense love they shared seems only a moment ago.

When he asks her to film his latest treasure hunt, Rain wants to turn him down instantly. But when he explains it's to the same cave that swallowed her father, she can't say no. She wants to experience the last place her father was alive, and she's beyond curious about what happened to the boy she used to love.

They've got two weeks to locate a treasure that's been lost for centuries, or Easton will lose the one thing in his life he's come to depend on. As their old passion is reignited--and dark secrets uncovered--they face the extreme terrain of the mountain range that threatens them at every turn. As more than the wildlife and sharp drop-offs tries to kill them, Rain starts to question if the legendary treasure they seek--the same one her father died trying to unearth--is truly meant to be found, or if some things, including their feelings for each other, are better left buried.

I discovered Molly E. Lee a few months ago when I read her debut novel, Edge of Chaos. I got completely wrapped up in the story and once I finished reading I knew I would be reading all her future books. And as much as I loved Edge of Chaos, I loved her latest, East of Redemption, even more.

Earlier this year I read Molly E. Lee’s Edge of Chaos and absolutely loved it. So I was majorly excited to find out that she already had another book coming out so soon. Not only that, but it sounded like such a different kind of story for romance and I couldn’t wait to read it. And guys, East of Redemption was absolutely amazing. I just couldn’t seem to get enough of the story. And that’s because, all things considered, it’s a pretty high-stakes story. I mean, Easton and Rain were on the hunt for a possibly mythical treasure located in dangerous caves with people intent on stopping them on their trail. And that’s just the half of it and I won’t say much more on that so as not to spoil it for everyone. So let me talk about the romance instead. There wasn’t a single moment where I didn’t want Easton and Rain together. Pretty much from page one you know they’re perfect for each other and they care for each other. They just need to let their shared past get in the way, but as usual that’s easier said than done. And it didn’t stop me from rooting for them for the entirety of the book. The romance in East of Redemption just worked for me. I loved it, but most importantly I loved the people the romance was about.

So hypothetically, how would I go about finding myself a gorgeous, athletic, thoughtful yet cocky treasure hunter/would-be archeologist? Because after reading all about Easton in East of Redemption, I think I might want someone like that but I don’t want to steal Easton away from Rain because they are so freaking great together. For real though, I loved Easton and for so much of the book my heart pretty much broke for him because of all the guilt he was carrying around. Guilt that he didn’t need to be carrying but that he was carrying all the same. And I pretty much want to be best friends with Rain. I loved getting to read a story where the girl was saving the guy just as much as he was saving her, if not even more so. That’s how Rain and Easton’s relationship felt. I loved seeing Rain’s strength and her courage, how she wasn’t afraid of what kept getting thrown at her along the way. Much like with Easton, there was just so much about Rain that I loved. And it should go without saying that I loved the two of them together (yes, I know I’ve already said that).

Molly E. Lee's East of Redemption was a phenomenal read. It struck the perfect balance between action, adventure, romance and angst and I loved every single page of it.

Cover Reveal - The Summer Games: Settling the Score by R.S. Grey

Title: The Summer Games: Settling the Score

Author: R.S. Grey

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: May 2, 2016

Find it on Goodreads

As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday night have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she’s landed in Rio, she’s ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:

- The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs…

- The committee passes out condoms like candy…

- The games continue long after the medals have been handed out…

As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she’s forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent—too bad he’s unavailable in a way that “it’s complicated” doesn’t even begin to explain.

In other words: off limits.

It doesn’t matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there—shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase “international affairs”. 

About the author

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things…everyday.

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I’m a comedy geek and love all things “funny”. Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Website / Goodreads

Undecided by Julianna Keyes

Title: Undecided

Author: Julianna Keyes

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Source: ARC from Author

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Nora Kincaid has one goal for her second year of college: be invisible. Last year’s all-party-no-study strategy resulted in three failed classes and two criminal charges, and if she messes up again she’ll lose her scholarship. But there’s one problem with her plan for invisibility, and his name is Crosbie Lucas: infamous party king, general hellraiser…and her new roommate’s best friend. 

Crosbie’s reckless reputation and well-known sexcapades aren’t part of Nora’s studious new strategy, but as she’s quickly learning, her new plan is also really boring. When Crosbie’s unexpected gestures of friendship pull her head out of her books long enough to see past his cocky veneer, she’s surprises to find a flawed and funny guy beneath it all. The muscles don’t hurt, either.

But as Nora starts to fall for Crosbie, the weight of one of last year’s bad decisions grows even heavier. Because three failing grades and two misdemeanors are nothing compared to the one big secret she’s hiding…

I’ve been on a roll lately with reading awesome NA romances that have been flying a little under the radar. I’ve read so many good ones lately and I seriously hope this trend keeps up. The latest in my series of NA wins? Julianna Keyes’s Undecided.

After almost failing out and getting arrested in her first year of college, Nora Kincaid has a plan to get back on track. This year will be different: no partying, no skipping classes, and her free time is being spent studying in the library. And that plan would be great if only she wasn’t now living with Kellan McVey, campus track star and notorious party boy. Because where there’s Kellan, there’s also his best friend, Crosbie Lucas. And the last thing Nora should be doing is spending time with someone like Crosbie Lucas. But Crosbie isn’t who Nora thought he was. And the more she gets to know, the more she’s surprised by who Crosbie really is. But falling for Crosbie isn’t part of the plan. Especially after what happened at that one party the year before. Nora can’t help the feelings that are developing, but if what happened at that part comes out, the rest of her past mistakes are going to seem minor in comparison. 

It’s kind of weird. I hadn’t really heard anything about Julianna Keyes’s Undecided and didn’t really know about it but then all of a sudden it was popping up everywhere (and by everywhere, I mean the various social media platforms I manage to spend hours on each day). And when I found out more about it, I just knew it was going to be my kind of book. It also didn’t hurt that everyone kept saying fantastic things about it. So of course I decided to read it. And all those glowing reviews? They weren’t lying. I got totally sucked into Undecided. I don’t know exactly how to explain it. There wasn’t one specific things about the story that drew me in, or one specific moment that hooked me. I was just into whatever Julianna Keyes was doing with Undecided right from the beginning. Everything about the story came together in just the right way to make me love this book, plain and simple. But the biggest selling point (because I’m still me, after all) was the romance. The romance between Nora and Crosbie exactly what I needed and I loved every page of it. 

If Nora and I were to meet in real life, I think we would be good friends. I just felt like I really clicked with her when I started reading Undecided. With some books, it can take me a while to click with a narrator (if I even click with them at all). But not with Nora. I just love her right from the start. I understood her, the way she felt like she could either be crazy party Nora or boring and studious Nora, as opposed to something in the middle. I understood her complicated feelings about a certain hookup even when she was still confused about them. But Nora wasn’t the only person I loved in this story. Do I really need to say that I loved Crosbie? I feel like that should be a given. Crosbie wasn’t who I thought he was going to be. I loved the different layers to his personality, how to teh world he seemed like the super confident and cocky guy, but when you got to know him, you realized that’s not who he was at all. My only wish is that I could have gotten to see some parts of the story from his perspective because I just wanted to know everything there was to know about him. I also loved the friendship that  developed between Nora and Kellan. And I loved Kellan himself. I loved how shameless Kellan was because at the end of the day, he meant well. And I hope I get to read his story someday.

Julianna Keyes’s Undecided was the best kind of surprise. It was the perfect story with just the right amount of heart, romance, and humour. I loved every page of it and look forward to any new new adult novels from this author.

Edge of Chaos by Molly E. Lee

Title: Edge of Chaos (Love on the Edge #1)

Author: Molly E. Lee

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: March 28, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon

Blake Caster has been in an emotionally abusive relationship with Justin for so long, she can’t tell what is normal anymore, and so she clings to the one thing that is solidly hers—her passion for extreme weather.

Three years into her Meteorology degree, Blake meets professional storm chaser, Dash Lexington, who is as gorgeous as he is daring. Instantly recognizing her passion and skills in analyzing weather data, he makes a spot for her on his tight-knit storm chasing team. Dash and Blake form a fast friendship and it forces her to realize just how toxic her relationship with Justin is. She can’t deny the lightning-worthy chemistry she has with Dash or how her heart stalls every time he gets too close to a tornado. 

With each chase and the cherished moments with Dash, Blake discovers her own self-worth and gains the strength to end things with Justing for good. But he won’t go easily. As Blake tries to sever ties with one man, she fears she’ll lose the other to his dangerous obsession—and she doesn’t know if she’ll be enough to save him from the impending storm that could end them all.

Every so often, I read a book that I want to yell about from the rooftops because it’s kind of a hidden gem. It’s a book that not many people are talking about but I feel like everyone should be reading. Most recently for me, that book was Molly E. Lee’s Edge of Chaos.

After spending so many years in a toxic and emotionally abusive relationship, Blake doesn’t know what normal is anymore. Everything in her life is connected to Justin. The only thing that’s truly hers is her passion for weather. When she meets storm chaser Dash Lexington, Blake starts to see the world outside of her dysfunctional relationship. With Dash, Blake realizes all the friendship she missed out on over the years, all the things she could have done for herself. And she finds a chemistry she hasn’t had with Justin in a long time. Blake knows she needs to move forward, that she needs to leave her toxic relationship behind, but joining Dash on a tornado chase feels less terrifying. After years of questioning her own worth, can Blake choose herself once and for all without losing the one person who has quickly come to matter more than anyone else.  

There is nothing I love more than reading books I’ve heard very little about. You know, the kind of book where you come across it and something about the description or the cover catches your eye and you just know that you need to read this book. Or maybe it’s something just one person has said about the book that has you convinced that you need to read it. That was me with Molly E. Lee’s Edge of Chaos. Until just over a week ago, I had no clue this book existed. But after seeing one of my favourite authors mention it, I had to go look it up. And I was sold. Guys, Edge of Chaos is what I want all my NA to be. There was humour, there was drama, there was romance, and there was serious emotional baggage that hit you right where it hurts. The premise for Edge of Chaos is one that is likely to turn a lot of people away. For most of the book, Blake is in a relationship, dysfunctional and toxic as it may be, with someone who isn’t the love interest. i know plenty of people who would be turned off by this. But give Edge of Chaos a chance. It’s worth it. Blake and Dash make it more than worth it.

As you might have guessed based on some of my previous remarks in this review, the romance in Edge of Chaos is kind of tricky. For a good chunk of the book, Blake is actually in a relationship with Justin. Granted that relationship is all kinds of wrong, toxic and emotionally abusive, but it’s a relationship nonetheless. But there’s Dash, and Dash (thankfully) helped Blake see just how long her relationship was. The fact that she was in this completely abusive relationship made parts of Blake’s story hard to read. My heart was completely breaking, reading some of what she went through. But the most painful part was seeing how she knows she needs to get out of this relationship, she just doesn’t know how to do it. Because if it wasn’t for Justin messing with her self-esteem, Blake was such a strong, passionate, intelligent, capable and brave person and there was nothing I loved more while reading than seeing her actually own that about herself. And though she came to that on her own, a lot of it came from spending time with Dash. And Dash was pretty freaking dreamy. Who knew storm chasers were so hot? Dash was fantastic on his own, but what made me love him so much was how he was the complete opposite of Justin. And I loved the way he treated Blake. Even not knowing anything else about him, I would have loved him because of the way he treated Blake.

I can’t sing the praises of Molly E. Lee and Edge of Chaos enough. I absolutely love this story and could not get enough of it. You can bet that I will be talking about it for a long time and that I’ll be impatiently waiting for the next book in this series.