Blog Tour - Charged by Jay Crownover - Excerpt

From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes CHARGED, the latest in her sexy The Saints of Denver series, releasing May 24th! Known for her strong heroines and alpha males, you won’t know what hit you as you read Avett and Quaid’s story. Keep reading for more about the Legal Eagle and Avett and order your copy today.

About Charged

Title: Charged (Saints of Denver #2)

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: May 24, 2016

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

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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation…or her ruin.

Avert Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.

When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.

Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.

As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.

Excerpt

I narrowed my eyes at her, shifted my weight from foot to foot as her proximity and the charge of her pushing and pulling thickened both my blood and my cock. I was an attorney for a reason. I never met an argument I didn’t like or that I didn’t feel compelled to win. The way Avett always seemed to challenge me was as much of a turn-on as her curvy little body was. 

“Where is your father?” I lifted my eyes from her penetrating gaze in search of the big biker. I didn’t need to try and explain a black eye or a broken arm to Orsen on top of why I suddenly had not interest in searching out a pretty piece of ass to spend time with.

“He’s waiting at the truck. I told him I had some questions I needed to ask you about what happens next.”

“Do you?”

“Do I what?” She was getting increasingly annoyed and I wanted to groan at the way it made her cheeks flush and her breathing hitch. I bet she looked the same way when she was about to come.

Shit. That was not the direction I needed my thoughts to go, but now that they were there I didn’t have a chance in hell of wrangling them back into the safe zone.

“Do you have questions about what happens next?” My voice didn’t sound like my own and I knew there was no hiding the wayward direction of my thoughts as they played out in my gaze as I watched her carefully. 

Slowly, her head shook back and forth, dislodging the bun at the back of her head. Pink stands of hair floated around her face, curling over her shoulders, and my fingertips itched to reach out and push it off her face.

“I know what happens next, Quaid…do you?” Her tone had dropped to a husky whisper that hit me right in the dick. My entire body tensed up and I almost, very nearly, leaned down and met her as she lifted up on her tiptoes towards me, i caught sight of a familiar face. The heady, little bubble of seduction and intoxicating risk that Avett had created around me popped, dropping me hard, back into reality. 

I turned my head as her lips grazed my cheek, and even though it was as innocent as any kiss had ever been, it felt more erotic, more forbidden, and more illicit than any of the actual sex I had ever had. This little slip of a woman could demolish me, waste me, annihilate me, and if I allowed her to do it, I knew it would feel better than anything had in a very long time. 

Don't miss the other Saints of Denver  books!

About Jay Crownover

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs. 

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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Built by Jay Crownover

Title: Built (Saints of Denver #1)

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

The first in the new SAINTS OF DENVER series from NYT bestselling author of the MARKED MEN series, Jay Crownover.

Sometimes you have to tear everything down to build something new…

Sayer Cole is frozen inside. At least, that’s what it’s felt like for as long as she can remember. She’s yet to let anyone past her icy exterior—and the one guy she thinks might melt her heart couldn’t possibly be interested in someone so uptight.

Rough, hard and hot-as-hell, Zeb Fuller has rebuilt his life and his construction business since protecting his family sent him to jail all those years ago. His elegant client, Sayer, makes him feel like a Neanderthal in denim, but despite the many hints that he’s been dropping to get to know her better, she seems oblivious to his charms.

Just as things finally start to heat up, Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and he needs Sayer’s professional help to right a wrong and to save more than himself. As these opposites dig in for the fight of their lives, fire and ice collide in an unstoppable explosion of steam…

I am a huge Jay Crownover books. Every book of hers I get my hands on I absolutely devour. When I first heard about her new Saints of Denver series I was extremely excited. And Built, the first book, absolutely did not disappoint me. 

Sayer Cole has always been told that she’s cold. That’s how she’s been taught to be. She doesn’t let anyone in and doesn’t show anyone any weakness. But Sayer is tired of always being closed off, of never letting anyone get close to her. But she just doesn’t understand how anyone could be interested in someone as upright as she is. Zeb Fuller wants to get past Sayer’s defences, if only she would let him. But as much as he wants to get close to her, Zeb isn’t sure he’s the right person for someone as elegant and sophisticated as Sayer. Just when he thinks he might be making progress with Sayer, something from Zeb’s past comes back to haunt him and Sayer is the one person who can help him. Even though they’ve put their personal feelings aside while handling everything else happening in their lives, Zeb and Sayer can’t deny that there’s something so much bigger happening between them.

Even though I haven’t reviewed it, I absolutely love Jay Crownover’s MARKED MEN series. (If you’re curious, I haven’t reviewed them because I binge read the entire thing in a week and didn’t really know what to do with myself after I finished.) But the moment I finished Asa, the last book, I immediately needed more and I couldn’t wait to jump in to the SAINTS OF DENVER series. Too bad for me, that wasn’t going to be happening for another four months. But the moment my copy of Built showed up in my mailbox I dropped everything to read it ( and this is where I would like to take a moment to apologize to my family who was visiting me and who I proceeded to ignore that evening in favor of reading Built). And guys, this book. I could go on for days about my love for Built. I loved it so much it might even be my new favourite Jay Crownover book. I don’t even know how to explain why I loved this book so much or what it was about Built that got to me so much. Well that’s not entirely true. There is one particular aspect of the story that gets me every single time it pops up in a book and I guess that totally had a lot to do with my love for Built. But also Sayer and Zeb because you just can’t not love them.

I had been curious about Sayer since I first found out about her while reading Rowdy. Though that books was definitely Rowdy and Salem’s story, Sayer was pretty prominent and I just wanted to find out more about her. But then I started reading Built, and the more I read about her, the more frustrated I got with her and how she constantly kept trying to push Zeb away. Because why in the world would anyone want to push Zeb away. Like, WHY? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the reason I was getting so frustrated with Sayer was because I could relate to her so much and I understood why she was doing what she was doing. Once I figured that out, I loved her. And as I’ve already hinted at, I’m basically in love with Zeb. And I didn’t really expect that, to be completely honest. I mean, I love all of Jay Crownover’s boys. In fact they’re some of my favourites when it comes to boys in books. But Zeb was gruff and rough around the edges and completely unexpected in the best way possible. By the end of Built, he had completely stolen my heart. And I feel like I should say something about Hyde but I don’t want to reveal too much and risk spoiling some of the best moments in this book. But I will say this: prepare to have him completely melt your heart.

I love Jay Crownover’s stories, there’s just no way I could ever deny that. And Built? It might just be my favourite one. And if nothing else, it has got me more than excited about what’s to come in the rest of the Saints of Denver series.

Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Title: Remembrance (The Mediator #7)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot return with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favorite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soulmate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze’s wedded bliss before it begins.

You can take the boy out of the darkness. 

But you can’t take the darkness out of the darkness.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva). 

But when she’s hired as guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child, to hosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone her wedding night.

Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including once she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?

What happens when old hosts come back to haunt you?

If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.

There are some books out there that I feel like I have been waiting forever to get to read. Meg Cabot’s Remembrance is most definitely one of those books. A book by my favourite author in one of my favourite series? How could I possibly not be excited about this book? And no matter how high my expectations were, this story most definitely lived up to them.

Something you might know about me if you’ve been following my blog for quite some time: Meg Cabot is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the reasons I read. Oh and she’s totally at the top of my list when it comes to my favourite authors. And her Mediator series? Some of my all time favourite books featuring what is probably the first couple I ever shipped. Though that might be Michael and Mia from the Princess Diaries. Or Jess and Rob from the 1-800-Where-R-You series. Seeing a trend here? If you haven’t picked up on it, what all those couples have in common is they were written by Meg Cabot. I spent all of middle and high school reading Meg Cabot’s books and to this day, they remain some of my favourites. So a couple years ago, when it was announced that there would be a seventh book in the Mediator series featuring grown up Suze and Jesse? There was definitely excitement on my part. Probably some (loud) squealing. Maybe even some excited jumping around. Possibly some full on excited yelling. 

Once I calmed down from my excitement, it proceeded to feel like the longest wait EVER until we all got more information about this book. But then somewhere in the middle of that, the news about the new Princess Diaries book came along (and there was a repeat of the excitement I mentioned above--sometimes I wonder how my roommates put up with my excited yelling about books on a weekly basis) and that tied me over. And then one glorious day in December 2015, I got UNBELIEVABLY lucky and was able to read Remembrance early. It was one of those drop-everything-must-read-this-book-right-at-this-very-moment-but-I-should-wait-to-make-the-fun-last-longer-but-I-don’t-care-I’m-reading-this-NOW moments. And, guys, Remembrance was absolute perfection. I started reading, and it felt like barely any time had passed since the last time I read a Mediator book (which I think was when I was a high school senior, for those curious). I was able to jump right back into the awesomeness that is Suze Simon and her ghost ass-kicking ways. It was just like seeing old friends again after a long time, but even better. I don’t even know how to put into words how awesome Remembrance was and how amazing a job Meg Cabot did giving fans a story about characters they love.

And let me take a moment to talk about Suze and everyone else in her life. As much as I remember loving these books when I was a teenager, I didn’t remember how much Suze would make me laugh with her inner dialogue and the way she reacts to everything that happens in her life. It was absolutely amazing getting to know her again as an adult in her early/mid twenties trying to make sense of life. And how could I have possibly ever forgotten how freaking dreamy Jesse de Silva was? Alive, grown-up, soon-to-be doctor Jesse? Even dreamier. And, honestly, I will be shipping Suze and Jesse together until the end of time. They are perfect together and I just want them to be happy and keep being together and I would absolutely keep reading about them just doing regular stuff forever. I just love them that much. But it wasn’t just Suze and Jesse that were around, all the characters that I loved from the original six books, and even that I didn’t love so much (*cough* Paul Slater *cough*) were around and putting a smile on my face. And Suze’s triplet nieces? They kind of stole the show. And I’m kinda hoping for a next generation Mediator book (books?) with them, kinda like is happening with the Princess Diaries series. Because I would totally read that. In a freaking heartbeat.

If you’ve made it through this majorly ramble-y review, you are awesome and I love you. Now if you’ve never read the Mediator series, you should really get on that. If you have, get yourself to a bookstore pronto because you need to be reading Remembrance, like yesterday. And then come back and tell me how awesome it was and I’ll be here to tell you, “I told you so.”

Oh, and I’ll be waiting and crossing any available limbs int eh hope that Meg Cabot gives us all more books about Suze and Jesse.

Missing Dixie by Caisey Quinn + Giveaway!

Title: Missing Dixie (Neon Dreams #3)

Author: Caisey Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: October 27, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Fighting for redemption…

I’ve lived most of my life in darkness, beneath the shadows of secrets and addictions. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt the only girl I’d ever loved—the one who brought me into the light. In my entire life I’d made one promise—a promise I’d intended to keep. I’ve broken that promise and now I have to live with the fallout. Dixie Lark hates me, and I have to tell her that I love her. I also have to tell a truth that might destroy us forever.

Can she love me even if she can’t forgive me?

Learning to move on…

Gavin Garrison broke his promise to my brother and he broke my heart in the process. I may never love anyone the way I’ve loved him, but at least I won’t spend my life wondering what if. We had our one night and he walked away. I’m finally beginning to move on when my brother’s wedding and a battle of the bands brings us back together.

Our band is getting a second chance, but I don’t know if I can give him one. How do you hand your heart back to the person who set it on fire once already?

With the first two books in her Neon Dreams trilogy, Caisey Quinn easily became one of my favourite authors when it comes to New Adult romance. And Missing Dixie? Well it broke my heart, put it back together, and it was the perfect conclusion to this story.

Gavin Garrison has always loved Dixie Lark. In a life filled with darkness, she’s been the one constant bright spot. The last thing Gavin has ever wanted to do was hurt Dixie, but now he has and is determined to make it right. In order to do so, he first has to put his life in order so he can have a chance at earning her forgiveness. But Dixie is done waiting for Gavin to make his choice. She can’t keep living her life wondering if Gavin will ever stop returning back to the darkness. She will always love him, even if loving him means letting him go. With the band reuniting for one last chance at what they’ve always wanted, Gavin and Dixie are being given a second chance at being together. But after everything that’s happened, are they willing to risk heartbreak once again?

Early in 2015, I read Leaving Amarillo and absolutely loved it. I was ecstatic to find out it was the first in a trilogy and I was wondering how the next two books would live up to this one. Then in the spring I read Loving Dallas and I loved it even more than the first book and that took me completely by surprise. And of course after that I was worried that the final book couldn’t possibly be able to live up to what I had it built up to in my mind. And now, well, I’ve already read Missing Dixie twice and I’m honestly ready to read it a third time when I pick up my copy next week. That’s how good it was. Missing Dixie was definitely darker than the other two books in the trilogy. Considering this was Gavin’s story, it had to be. And because of that darkness, there were times when Missing Dixie seriously broke my heart. But just as much as it felt like my heart was breaking, this story was also helping preparing the damage it was causing. After having finished the book, I would even have gone so far as to say that Missing Dixie was heartwarming. This is just a story that will give you ALL THE FEELINGS. I could go on and on about everything I felt while reading Missing Dixie because this story was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. But it’s a rollercoaster that’s absolutely worth being on.

I have been rooting for Gavin and Dixie since the opening of Leaving Amarillo. I had high hopes and expectations for their romance. And had Missing Dixie not given me the happily ever after I so wanted for them, I would have been seriously angry. But Caisey Quinn didn’t let me down on that front. Getting to see so much of Dixie again was interesting. She’s grown so much since Leaving Amarillo, and in Missing Dixie she finally knows who she is and what (and who) she wants. I loved seeing that growth and the strength that came from that growth. And it’s just hard to not love Dixie what with the incredibly huge heart she has. And Gavin, well, he pretty much broke my heart. But in a good way. I knew from what had been said in the first two books that he hasn’t had an easy life. But getting to find out all about it from him just broke my heart. I wanted him to leave that darkness behind and do something for himself instead of always getting dragged back in his mom’s crap. But as much as Gavin’s story broke my heart, there were other times when he made my heart feel totally warm and happy. And he may have made me tear up once or twice. Just saying. More than Dixie and Gavin’s romance, the part of Missing Dixie that totally stole my heart was Liam’s story. I dare you not to have your heartbroken by this little boy’s story. But don’t worry, his story is not all heartbreak thanks to Gavin, Dixie, Dallas and Robyn.

Missing Dixie was everything I could have possibly hoped for. Caisey Quinn wrote a better conclusion than I could have ever hoped for these characters. This story broke my heart, put it back together, and took me on an emotional ride. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Giveaway!

If you haven't started Caisey Quinn's Neon Dreams series yet, your are seriously missing out. Lucky for you, I'm giving away 3 copies of the first book, Leaving Amarillo (my review), on Kindle. Interested? Just enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below!

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Undaunted by Ronnie Douglas

Title: Undaunted (Knights in Black Leather #1)

Author: Ronnie Douglas

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: September 15, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Following in the tradition of Kristen Ashely, Joanna Wilde, and  Jay Crownover, this first novel in a sexy, dark New Adult series tells the thrilling story of a young woman who finds herself drawn to a Southern motorcycle club’s inner circle—and a dangerously hot biker.

Aubrey Evans needs to get her life back on track after her father indicted for embezzlement. She’ll save college tuition money, hightail it out of small-town Tennessee, and steer clear of hard-muscled boys on motorcycles. yet there’s no ignoring someone like Zion. A knight in black leather, Zion looks like every ad idea she’s been told to avoid, but she can’t resist him. Whenever she’s in trouble, he’s there. Applying as his rough exterior may be, it’s the protective, principled man beneath that tempts her like crazy.

Zion knows Aubrey doesn’t intend to stick around. She claims to want only friendship, but he senses there’s a naughty girl hiding on the inside—one whose intense desires match his own. For now, he’ll be patient and play by her rules. Though he knows it’s just a matter of time before he weakens her resolve.

As they join forces to figure out who’s behind a local crime spree, it’s clear that the danger goes deeper than Aubrey guessed. And when she needs someone tall, dark, and undaunted to keep her safe, Zion intends to be there—now and always.

It's no secret that I love my New Adult stories and I'm always in the lookout for more. The latest I found was Ronnie Douglas's Undaunted. And though it wasn't quite the steamy read I thought it was going to be, I still really enjoyed this story. 

Aubrey's only goal is to get her life back on track. Tennessee isn't exactly where she wants to be, but she's determined to spend this time at her grandmother's getting back on her feet so she can go back to Oregon. Aubrey's been told to keep her distance from the bikers in town but it's easier said than done when she keeps on running into Zion, the dark and dangerous biker she can't seem to resist. Zion knows Aubrey won't be sticking around and he knows better than to get involved with someone who doesn't know anything about motorcycle clubs. But Aubrey could be the girl who makes him want to give it all up if it means he gets her. As circumstances keep pushing them together, Aubrey and Zion can only resist he attraction between them for so long.

In the last couple of years, New Adult has become my weakness. I've always been a sucker for a good romance story but until NA really became a thing, I didn't really stray too far from YA romance. But once I discovered NA, that was it, I had found the thing I would never get tired of reading. And that still stands true after two years of reading the genre. Inevitably, though, I've developed certain expectations when it comes to my NA books, things I expect to happen or how the romance might play out. With Ronnie Douglas's Undaunted I got something different. It's not that I didn't enjoy the story, because I totally did, it was just different from your typical NA. What I mean by that is that at times it almost felt like the romance wasn't the sole, or even the main, focus of the story. It was also about figuring out who was behind the crime spree in the seniors neighbourhood, it was about the inner workings of a motorcycle club. And the romance was the definition of drawn out, to the point where I was starting to wonder if it was actually going to happen. But in spite of this not being a typical NA read for me, I still found myself really enjoying this story and look forward to reading more.

When I first started reading about Aubrey and her plan, I was snickering to myself a little because I totally knew how it was all going to work out for her. Meaning that she would have to throw her plan out the window and just go with what was actually happening in front of her. But as much as I knew things weren't going to work out the way she planned and I wanted her to loosen up, I still really enjoyed Aubrey as a character and really liked reading this story from her perspective. What I liked the most about Aubrey was how much she wasn't afraid to speak her mind to all those bikers. Sure, she had to warm up to them a bit, but once she did, she spoke her mind. I wish that I could have gotten more of the story from Zion's perspective. I liked him a lot and I was so curious about him and his backstory and I wish I could have gotten more of him than I did. And I'm definitely curious about some of the other characters I glimpsed and look forward to finding out more about them in future books.

Even though it wasn't entirely what I thought it was going to be, I still really enjoyed reading Ronnie Douglas's Undaunted. The story was interesting and it was enough to get me to be curious about any future books in this new series.   

Bounce by Noelle August

Title: Bounce (Boomerang #3)

Author: Noelle August

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

Playing the occasional club gig just isn’t cutting it for twenty-two-year-old cellist player Skyler Canby, who’s trying to support herself and her mother back home in Kentucky. Persuaded by her best friend Beth to accompany her on an audition of rate first feature film launched by Blackwood Entertainment she figures why not? Beth’s a shoe-in for the lead, but maybe Skyler’s newly dyed pink hair will help her stand out enough to score a small speaking part.

Never in her wildest dreams does Skyler imagine she’ll land the lead role or that she’ll have her shoes knocked off her feet by the kiss her audition partner, Grey Blackwood, plants on her—a kiss that feels very real an not at all “acted.”

After throwing a party that causes thousands of dollars of damage to his older brother’s home, reckless musician Grey Blackwood gets roped into working off his debt on the set of his CEO brother’s newest project. Grey spends his days fetching coffee and doing odd jobs around the studio, but he lives for nights when he performs with his band. Heinous if he can stay focused, success as a singer is just around the corner. But that’s tough with a distracting pink-haired girl occupying his every waking thought.

Skyler and Grey have every reason to resist each other. But, like a song neither of them can get out of their minds, they have no choice but to go where the music takes them. 

Though I haven’t reviewed the first two books, I have been loving Noelle August’s Boomerang series. I was really excited about the release of Bounce and I can now officially say that out of the three books, it’s officially my favourite.

Skyler loves the cello and performing in clubs, but it’s not easy supporting yourself only on club gigs. Unless she finds a way to make money fast, she’s going to have to move back home to Kentucky even if it’s the last thing she wants to do. When her best friend convinces her to join her at a film audition for Blackwood Entertainment, Skyler figures she has nothing to lose. But she also never thought that she would be cast as the lead or that she would feel an instant connection to Grey Blackwood. Grey has a lot to make up for. After throwing a party and trashing his brother’s home, Grey finds himself working on the set of his brother’s latest project. The one upside to working at the studio is getting to spend more time with Skyler. They both know they should resist the attraction that’s between them, but Grey and Skyler can only deny their feelings for so long.

I love fun and flirty New Adult. Don’t get me wrong, I also love my sexy-times filled NAs, but there are times when all I want is an adorable story that’s fun and flirty. And that’s why I’ve been loving Noelle August’s Boomerang series in the last year. Though I haven’t reviewed the first two books in the series, Boomerang and Rebound, I loved them and they only made me more excited about the final book, Bounce. And let me just say that Bounce is officially my favourite out of all three. With the second book, I had gotten curious about Grey and I wanted to know more about him. There was just something about him that drew me in so I was really excited to finally get to read his story. And his story didn’t disappoint me. Bounce completely drew me in, until a few hours later I realized that I had spent my entire afternoon reading the book. And I didn’t regret that one bit. This story was fun and the romance was everything I had wanted it to be. And that’s because Grey and Skyler became friends before they became anything else and those are my favourite kinds of romance. 

So Grey and Skyler. Can I just say that I loved them and leave it at that? I mean, that’s really all there is to it. I loved them as individuals right from the start, and then I loved the potential for a romantic relationship between them. And when that didn’t really happen, I absolutely loved them as friends. And then I loved them as something more than friends. Can you tell, yet, that I loved them? But for real though, I was curious about Grey based on what I had seen of him in the first two books. And when I started reading Bounce, I was pretty much instantly charmed by him. And even though sometimes there were moments when I sort of wanted to slap some sense into him, I still loved him and was rooting for him all throughout the book. And the same pretty much goes for Skyler. I loved her from the start, and I understood her tendency to want to take care of everyone around her, sometimes at her own expense. And like with Grey, there were certainly some occasions where I wanted to slap some sense into her. But at the end of the day, what they did is what ended up bringing them together and seeing all that happen was my favourite part of this story. So it’s not like I can really complain. 

Noelle August’s Bounce was absolutely fantastic. There was just so much that I loved about this story and nothing I could really say would come close to doing it justice. So just read it, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Cover Reveal - Missing Dixie by Caisey Quinn + Giveaway

I am so excited to be part of this weekend cover reveal blitz for the final book in Caisey Quinn's Neon Dreams series, Missing Dixie. I've been lucky enough to read the book already and I can tell you that it was definitely the kind of conclusion I was hoping for for this series. So keep on reading for a look at the cover, some teasers and a giveaway. And if you haven't seen it already, be sure to head over to the USA Today cover reveal featuring a chat about NA with Caisey Quinn, Cora Carmack and Sophie Jordan.

Pre-Order Missing Dixie

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / HarperCollins Publisher

Fighting for redemption…

I’ve lived most of my life in darkness, beneath the shadows of secrets and addictions. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt the only girl I’d ever loved—the one who brought me into the light. In my entire life I’d made one promise—a promise I’d intended to keep. I’ve broken that promise and now I have to live with the fallout. Dixie Lark hates me, and I have to tell her that I love her. I also have to tell a truth that might destroy us forever.

Can she love me even if she can’t forgive me?

Learning to move on…

Gavin Garrison broke his promise to my brother and he broke my heart in the process. I may never love anyone the way I’ve loved him, but at least I won’t spend my life wondering what if. We had our one night and he walked away. I’m finally beginning to move on when my brother’s wedding and a battle of the bands brings us back together.

Our band is getting a second chance, but I don’t know if I can give him one. How do you hand your heart back to the person who set it on fire once already?

Teasers!

Want a glimpse at some of what's to come in Missing Dixie? Check out the teasers below, they won't disappoint you and will definitely leave you wanting more.

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Blog Tour - Better When He's Brave by Jay Crownover + Excerpt & Giveaway

Title: Better When He's Brave (Welcome to the Point #3)

Author: Jay Crownover

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: August 11, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo / B&N / iTunes

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover’s third novel in her sexy, thrilling Welcome to the Point series, a woman’s search for repentance leads her to the one man from her past she can’t forget as they join forces to save their city—and the explosive love neither can live without.

Titus King has always seen his world in black and white. There is a firm right and wrong in his mind, which is why as a teenager he left behind the only family he’d ever known to make a better life for himself. Now a police detective in one of the worst cities in the country, he can’t deny his life has turned a million different shades of gray.

They new criminal element in The Point has brought vengeance and destruction right to Titus’s front door, and walking the straight and narrow seems far less important now. The difference between right and wrong is nothing compared to keeping those he loves alive. To add to his already strained moral compass, the beautiful and mysterious Reeve Black has made her way back to town. This girl might be as dangerous to Titus as the guy trying to destroy The Point but he can’t walk away because he needs her—in more ways than one.

Reeve knows all about the threat tying to destroy The Point. She knows how ruthless, how vicious, and how cruel this new danger can be…and instead of running away, she wants to help. Reeve knows that she has a lot to depend for and saving the city, plus the hot cop that she hasn’t been able to forget might just be the only way she can finally find some inner peace.

With an entire city poised on the brink of war, Titus and Reeve stand in the crossfire—and it will take two brave souls to fight for the ultimate love.

Over the past year, I have fallen completely in love with the dark and gritty world of The Point. It’s a weird thing to say considering all the bad crap that happens there, but it’s a fact. Jay Crownover made me fall in love with this world she created and Better When He’s Brave only solidified this.

Titus King has made it his life’s mission to try to bring some light to the darkness that is The Point. Wanting nothing more than to make a better life for himself, Titus left his family behind and became a cop. But singlehandedly saving one of the worst cities world can take its toll. When someone new seems intent on destroying The Point and is going after everyone and everything he cares about, Titus will do everything he can to save his city. Reeve left The Point, hoping to put it all behind her. But she’s done running away and she’s ready to help Titus bring some light to The Point. But saving the city makes putting themselves in the crossfire and may require them to sacrifice what they’ve found in the midst of all this darkness: love.

I first found Jay Crownover’s Welcome to the Point series not exactly by accident but it wasn’t a series I was initially going out of my way to read. But the moment I read the first book, I became hooked. As dark and gritty and hard to read as some parts of this series are, I could read these books all day. It should go without saying that I was very much excited about Better When He’s Brave. I was lucky enough to be given access to an advance copy of the book and I wasn’t very successful in holding off on reading it. And the moment I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The thing about the books in the Welcome to the Point series is that they come with addictng stories, stories that leave you constantly wanting more, constantly trying to figure out what is happening and who is behind all the horrible things that are happening. Better When He’s Brave kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Much like Titus, I just wanted to know who was behind everything, why they were so set on burning the Point down to the ground. And there were some moments where I was seriously concerned for the safety of the people in this story. And I don’t really think I need to say that the romance was hot, but I will say it anyway. I was ALL for Titus and Reeve.

The whole time I was reading Better When He’s Bad and Better When He’s Bold, I was curious about Titus. There was just so much about him that I wanted to know. With Better When He’s Brave, I finally got all the answers I wanted about Titus, and then some. There was so much more to him than I could have thought, so much that I possibly couldn’t have predicted but at the same time helped explain so much of who Titus was and why he did what he did. And I’m not going to lie, everything I found out about him totally made me fall a little bit (okay, a lot) in love with Titus. So really, it’s no surprise that Reeve fell for her pretty hard. But Reeve herself, I wasn’t entirely sure about. Because of what she’d done in previous books, I wasn’t sure whether or not I could trust, if she was actually helping Titus or just trying to save herself. But the more I read, the more I grew to like Reeve and, much like with Titus, I began to understand why she was doing what she was doing. And like I’ve already said, I was all about Reeve and Titus being together. And them together was often HOT.

I loved and devoured Jay Crownover’s Better When He’s Brave. This story kept me on the edge of my seat and convinced me that I would be happy to keep reading stories set in The Point forever.

Excerpt

“Everyone has a breaking point.”

I sounded gruff and really had to concentrate on getting the words out because she leaned forward and her lips hit right below my ear on my rough jaw. Her teeth started to nibble and her tongue lapped a long wet trail all the way up behind my ear where she breathed, “I would love to see you when you reach yours.”

She curled her hand around the back of my neck and rubbed her cheek against mine. When I let my monster have at her, it took in giant mouthfuls, gobbled her up, and tried to burn as fast and as hot as the pleasure would allow.She wasn’t kidding when she said hers needed to be soothed. Every move she made was deliberate, erotic. We touched everywhere and somehow it was more intimate than all the times I had been inside of her over the last month. She brushed her chest against my own and I decided the playing field needed to level out a little, so I hooked my hands under her shirt and lifted it up off over her head. Her hair fell back around us like a dark curtain and I grabbed her face so I could kiss her. She blinked at me with big eyes and smiled.

“You are the only one that sees it, over and over again. You were the breaking point from the moment you walked in the door to tell me you helped Novak grab Dovie. I wanted to be disgusted, to hate you, but I didn’t. I thought you were beautiful and resilient. You seemed so misguided and lost, an even then I wanted to get you naked and fuck you on my desk.”

Her face lowered to mine and our lips touched just a tiny bit. One of her hands skated down the center of my chest and landed on my best buckle. I reciprocated by popping the clasp on the back of her bra and pulling it out of my way.

“You should’ve tried. I would’ve let you.” The words danced across my lips and somewhere in the center of my chest an animal howled in delight. That was what was missing in my life. Someone that appreciated all the sacrifice, the hard choices I had made to become the man I was, but who could also appreciate the fucked-up kid I had been.

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Loving Dallas by Caisey Quinn

Title: Loving Dallas (Neon Dreams #2)

Author: Caisey Quinn

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: June 16, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

In the second novel in bestselling author Caisey Quinn’s Neon Dreams series, a country rock band and its members embark on the rocky rad to fame and find love along the way.

Dallas Lark is so close to achieving his dream of making it big in country music that he can taste it. Arriving in Nashville after signing with sexy, successful manager Mandy Lantram, his life goes from tragedy and turmoil to one lucky break after another—except it isn’t really luck because Dallas has sacrificed everything for his career, leaving behind his band, sister, best friend, and high school sweetheart, Robyn, in the pursuit of fame.

Robyn Breeland is a successful marketing coordinator and promotions specialist for a thriving liquor distributor out of Texas. She loves every aspect of her job: coming up with new ideas, traveling, hosting promotional parties and exclusive events—until it brings her face-to-face with the man who broke her heart, prompting her to erect a steel cage around it.

When their paths collide and they’re forced to work together, Dallas and Robyn realize that the old spark they thought they’d extinguished might still be a burning flame.

Since turning the last page of Caisey Quinn’s Leaving Amarillo I have been pretty much dying for Loving Dallas. I just had to know where the story would go next and what was going on with Dallas. My patience paid off because Loving Dallas was ABSOLUTELY worth the wait.

Dallas is finally getting what he wants after so many years of chasing his dream. Now he’s ready to make it big in country music. But getting to Nashville, hasn’t been easy. Dallas has had to sacrifice everything, including his band and most of his relationships, in order to get to where he is today. So the last person he expected to find on his tour is Robyn, the girl he left behind in order to chase his music dream. Robyn has put the past behind her and is now a successful marketing coordinator and promotions specialist for a big liquor company. She loves her job, but working on the same tour as Dallas, the man who broke her heart, is proving more difficult than she expected. It doesn’t take long before old feelings get stirred up and both Dallas and Robyn start wondering if everything they’ve sacrificed was worth it, if it meant not having each other in their lives.

Oh man. Loving Dallas. When I finished reading Leaving Amarillo earlier this year, I was pretty much dying to read Loving Dallas. But at the same time, I was a little apprehensive because I didn’t particularly like Dallas in the first book. In fact, I pretty much downright disliked him. So reading a book that was all about him and half told from his perspective? Yeah, I wasn’t sure how that was going to go down. But well, that didn’t turn out to be an issue. At all. Once I started reading Loving Dallas, I had a whole lot of trouble putting the book down. I just couldn’t stop reading. The story completely grabbed me. I wanted to find out everything there was to know about Robyn and Dallas, about their history together and what that meant for them now. The romance between those two was so much more than what I thought it was going to be (did I mention I had a few issues with Dallas before starting this book). It doesn’t hurt that seeing people who have a history get together is one of my favourite things to read when it comes to romance, but still. Even if that wasn’t the case, I would have loved Robyn and Dallas’s story. There’s just no way I couldn’t have. And once again, Caisey Quinn totally left me begging for the next book. I finished Loving Dallas and all I could think about was how much I wanted to read Missing Dixie. Like right now.

Any hang ups I had about Dallas Lark went out the window the moment I started reading Loving Dallas. He wasn’t the asshole I had thought him to be after I finished reading Leaving Amarillo. I mean, I suspected he wasn’t, but he didn’t exactly give me much to go on in that first book. But now I’m pretty much all in favour of Dallas. I would be happy to keep reading about him. And falling for him in the process. Because that’s totally what happened to me while reading Loving Dallas (totally an appropriate title, for what was happening to me). Sure, there were some times when I wanted to knock some sense into him because he was making some stupid choices, but at the end of the day, I loved Dallas. Almost as much as Robyn loved him. And Robyn was basically awesome. I loved reading about a girl who was kicking ass in the business world and didn’t take crap from anyone. But at the same time, I could feel her pain. How much she had been hurt by everything that went down with Dallas. So she was hesitant to start something again with him, especially in the middle of a huge music tour. But Dallas and Robyn together were kind of perfect in a totally imperfect way. And that’s really the best kind of romance. 

Needless to say that I loved Caisey Quinn’s Loving Dallas. If you love romance and country music, the Neon Dreams series is one you should get your hands on. It has music, drama, sweetness and romance…basically everything I love all rolled into one. And on that note, here’s Robyn’s description of Dallas. And it’s a pretty damn accurate description of how I felt while reading. 

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Title: Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: William Morrow & Company

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements, Mia’s gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael has managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn’t need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother’s leaked “fake” wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia’s father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

Meg Cabot is one of two authors who are responsible for me reading YA. And even after all these years, the Princess Diaries series still remains one of my all time favourites. When I found out that a new book would be coming out in the series, I was a whole new kind of excited. Having now read, Royal Wedding, I can say that my excitement was more than justified.

Mia has spent the five years since she graduated from college doing her duty as the Royal Princess of Genovia and running her teen community center. And being in love with Michael of course. But with her twenty-sixth birthday right around the corner, everything is threatening to fall apart. Her father is arrested for reckless driving, protesters are camping out in front of the Genevan Consulate, and paparazzi are constantly hounding Mia. The only bright spot is Michael, the love of her life. Except the tabloids are trying to ruin that too by publishing story after story about why Michael won’t marry Mia. But that all changes when Michael proposes on an exotic romantic getaway and Mia couldn’t be more excited to say yes. Until they return to the city and find out Mia’s grandmother has leaked the proposal to story to the press in the hope of hiding another royal secret. With everything being close to falling apart once again, Mia has to step up and prove to everyone that she’s ready not just to marry Michael, but to become the ruling Princess of Genovia.

Here’s something you might not know about me. Meg Cabot is one of my all-time favourite authors and I’ve been reading her books since I was 12 years old. So I’ve spent literally half of my life reading her books. I can still remember when I picked up the first book in the Princess Diaries and immediately got hooked. And then I read all the ones that were out, until I hit the point where I had to wait for the next one to be published. The last time I read a Princess Diaries book was my senior year of high school. And I hadn’t realized until I started reading Royal Wedding, just how much I had missed reading these books, and Meg Cabot stories in general. Royal Wedding was exactly what I had hoped it would be. I loved being thrown back into the Princess Diaries world, with all the characters I had grown to love over the course of the previous ten books. Honestly, the story could have been about anything and I would have read it, just to be back with all these people. As it was, the story made me so incredibly happy. I’m pretty sure I had a goofy smile on my face the whole time I was reading. There were even moments when I couldn’t help but full on laugh out loud (thankfully, I was home and not somewhere I would be getting weird looks) because that’s just how awesome, and obviously funny, the story was. And there were even a few times when I found myself to be tearing up because things were happening that made me emotional in the best way possible. Before I started, I had no doubt that I would love Royal Wedding, but I’m so incredibly happy that I loved it as much as I did.

Reading a new story about Mia, Michael, Lilly and everyone else was like being reunited with old friends. It took no time at all for me to get reacquainted with them all. Mia was still her adorably quirky and slightly nutty and hypochondria self and I loved reading her diary once again. And she was just like I remembered her. Just the grown up version. Which, obviously, because it’s been 6 years since the last book. And much like Mia was just like I remembered her, so were the other people in this story. Her grandmother is just as crazy as ever, if not even slightly crazier. Michael is still adorable and totally willing to do whatever for Mia. Tina is just as obsessed with romance novels as she’s always been. And Lilly was still her outspoken, take no bullshit from anyone self. So yeah, it was just like old times with the whole gang back together. And honestly, that’s what I loved most about Royal Wedding. The fact that I got to spend a short amount of time with these characters that I spent so many years reading about. And it felt like no time had gone by at all. 

If you are a fan of Meg Cabot and the original Princess Diaries books, then Royal Wedding is an absolutely must-read. It was just like the books you read all those years ago, just with more references to sex and drinking. And it was absolutely amazing. 

All Played Out by Cora Carmack

Title: All Played Out (Rusk University #3)

Author: Cora Carmack

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: May 12, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

First person in her family to go to college? CHECK.

Straight A’s? CHECK.

On track to graduate early? CHECK.

Social life? …yeah, about that…

With just a few weeks until she graduates, Antonella DeLuca’s beginning to worry that maybe she hasn’t had the full college experience. (Okay…Scratch that. She knows she hasn’t had the full college experience.)

So Nell does what a smart, dedicated girl like herself does best. She makes a “to do” list of normal college activities.

Item #1? Hook up with a jock.

Rusk University wide receiver Mateo Torres practically wrote the playbook for normal college living. When he’s not on the field, he excels at partying, girls, and more partying. As long as he keeps things light and easy, it’s impossible to get hurt…again. But something about the quiet, shy, sexy-as-hell Nell gets under his skin, and when he learn about her list, he makes it his mission to help her complete it.

Torres is the definition of confident (And sexy. And wild), and he opens up a side of Nell that she’s never known. But as they begin to check off each crazy, exciting, normal item, Nell finds that her frivolous list leads to something more serious than she bargained for. And while Torres is used to taking risks on the field, he has to decide if he’s willing to take the chance when it’s more than just a game.

Together they will have to decide if what they have is just part of the experiment or a chance at something real.

I wish this review could just be me telling you all to go and read Cora Carmack’s Rusk University series because it is seriously amazing and I can’t say that enough. But I’ll try to give you a little more than that and be somewhat eloquent. But trust me when I say that all I really want to do is yell “GO READ ALL PLAYED OUT” really loudly and leave it at that.

Nell DeLuca has always been focused on achieving her goals. Until now, though, those goals have all been straight forward: go to college, get good grades and graduate early. Nell knows exactly what she haas to do to achieve those goals, but she can’t help but feel like she might be missing out on other things in the process. So Nell does what she does best: she creates a list of things to do before she graduates, hoping to cram in all the typical college experiences she can in the few weeks she has left. And Nell finds just the person to help her with her list. Mateo Torres knows all about typical college experiences. As the star wide receiver of the Rusk football team, he’s done his fair share of partying and hooking up with girls. But Torres can’t help but be intrigued by shy and quiet Nell and he quickly becomes determined to help her with her list. Nell and Torres bring out different sides of each other when they spend time together. Before long, the two of them have to start asking whether completing this list is just a game or if it’s become something more.

GUYS. How do I even begin to explain my love for All Played Out and Cora Carmack. I feel like I say this every time I review one of her books, but it’s true. And anytime I read one of her books, I find a new favourite. With All Played Out that couldn’t be any more true. I loved this book so freaking much. I was lucky enough to get picked for Cora’s street team and got to read the book pretty early and I haven’t been able to shut up about it since. Like for real. Pretty sure some of my friends are sick and tired of hearing me talk about this book but I won’t stop. I can’t. Because All Played Out was simply awesome and amazing. I completely love the world Cora has created with her Rusk University books and I would be more than happy to read books in that world until the end of times. And I’m barely exaggerating when I say that. The story in All Played Out is a continuation of the two previous books, All Lined Up and All Broke Down, but it’s also very much Nell and Torres’s story. And I loved their story. I loved seeing them work together to complete all the items on Nell’s list. And their romance was everything I had hoped it would be. I loved this relationship so freaking much and I just adored Nell and Torres.

I’ve said before that I can relate to certain characters or that I’ve been able to see myself in some characters, but that has never been as true as it was with Nell. While reading All Played Out, I just couldn’t help but see how much like Nell I was when I was in college, and how much like her I still am today. Looking back on my time in college, it wasn’t until partway through my junior year that I finally started coming out of my shell and doing more than just study and focus on all things school. Even today, I would much rather stay home on Friday night to read or watch a movie than go out. Sometimes I almost have to force myself to be social (though, I will say that it is significantly more work to have a social life once you’re no longer in college, but that’s a discussion for another day). And that’s just who Nell was. It wasn’t until Dylan mentioned that she didn’t do much outside of study that she realized that her college experience might not have been as complete as she thought. So all that to say that I loved seeing Nell work to get out of her comfort zone, and do things that she wouldn’t normally do on her own. It made for such a fun story, especially when she had Torres along to help her. And holy Torres. I have officially found my favourite Cora Carmack boy. Torres is pretty much everything I would want in a boyfriend. Seriously, Cora pretty much wrote my dream guy. And I love him so freaking much. I don’t even really know what to say to even begin to explain why I loved him so much. Torres was always a favourite of mine in the previous books but now that I’ve gotten to know him better, well he’s even better than I thought. He’s more than just the cocky party guy you see in the other books. He’s also one of the sweetest, most caring guys ever and when I saw that I just fell for him even harder. I could go on and on about how much I love Torres, but I’ll let you go read All Played Out and see for yourself how fantastic he is, instead.

In cased it wasn’t obvious yet thanks to all the rambling I just did, I absolutely ADORED All Played Out. If you haven’t yet read any of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University series you seriously need to GET ON THAT. Seriously, you have no idea what you are missing. For my part, I’ll just be sitting here waiting (im)patiently for Stella and Ryan’s book. Also known as All Closed Off, the next book in the series.