Waiting on Wednesday (26)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine!

Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover 
 
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Series: Welcome to the Point #1

Description from Goodreads:
Welcome to the Point

There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.

Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.

Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.

Bax terrifies her, but it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize that some boys are just better when they’re bad.
 
Why I'm Waiting: 
I have several reasons for being all kinds of excited for this book. It looks awesome. That description? Makes me break out the grabby hands every single time I read it. I mean, ahem, "Sexy, dark, and dangerous." And ohmygod. ALL OF IT. Looks so. Amazing. Just. Ahhhh! I also love the name Bax. Plus, this book is by Jay Crownover. I heart her and her books so freaking hard. (For real, if you haven't started on the Marked Men series yet, you need to get on that. Seriously. Now. DO IT.) 

So yeah. This book looks like a special brand of awesome, you know? 

What are you waiting on this week? Let me know! 

 

Review: Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams

Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams 
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Format: eARC, 371 pages
Publisher: William Morrow
Series: Forgiving Lies #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
A matter of secrets...
Undercover cop Logan "Kash" Ryan can't afford a distraction like his new neighbor Rachel Masters, even if she's the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. To catch a serial killer, he needs to stay focused, yet all he can think about is the feisty, long-legged coed whose guarded nature intrigues him

A matter of lies...
Deceived and hurt before, Rachel would rather be a single, crazy cat lady than trust another guy, especially a gorgeous, tattooed bad boy with a Harley, like Kash. But when his liquid-steel eyes meet hers, it takes all of Rachel's will-power to stop herself from exploring his hot body with her own.

A matter of love...
As much as they try to keep it platonic, the friction between them sparks an irresistible heat that soon consumes them. Can Kash keep Rachel's heart and her life safe even as he risks his own? Will she be able to forgive his lies ... or will she run when she discovers the dangerous truth? 

I spent a majority of February in a reading slump. Not so much because I didn't have anything good to read--actually it was because of the opposite. I had so much awesome stuff to read and I couldn't stick to any one thing. Then I picked up Forgiving Lies and I was hooked. 

Now, the hooking was actually more of a process than a thing that happened the moment I started reading the book. The very beginning is a lot of background information, which isn't outright boring or anything, but it didn't exactly enthrall me either. So I started the book in January, where I got through the nitty gritty of the beginning, and then picked it back up around the end of February, which was when this book saved me from the deep hole of my slump.

Aside from the very beginning, Forgiving Lies had me thoroughly engaged in the life and happenings of these characters. The mystery aspect wasn't very mysterious, but the sweet romance and amusing banter made up for that. It takes some well-worked characters to make up completely for a slacking facet of the plot, and Molly McAdams really did a wonderful job writing characters that I certainly wanted to spend time with. 

Rachel was a great heroine. She was a victim, but she didn't play it up. She was strong and resolute, and even though she has her issues, they aren't over the top and annoying. They're just how she is, and I was okay with that. Kash was also a great character. I loved being in his head, and his struggles were something I remained interested in throughout the whole story. And just his thoughts in general. He is such a genuinely good person, and I respect him so much for that. He is also attractive. I respect that as well.

Throughout the novel, I slowly but surely fell in love with Molly McAdams' writing. The book may have started out flimsy, but it definitely worked its way up by the time the end was upon us. I also think Molly did a marvelous job of portraying Rachel's situation with Blake. I could see how Rachel's logic went, and that whole ordeal was very realistic, which is something that I'm not usually convinced of when events such as this are added into stories.

The ending to Forgiving Lies is a total cliffhanger. I'm not even going to pretend anything else. It's a refreshing cliffhanger, though. I was certainly clamoring for the next book, but I also appreciated the great build-up to where the story left off. 

Overall, Forgiving Lies is a great story, and I'm glad I chose this one as my first to wade into Molly McAdams' wonderful writing. She creates believable characters that I grew fond of, sweet romance that made me giggle, and a story as a whole that drew me in more and more as it went on. I am way more than excited to dive into my next book by Molly McAdams! 

*Actual Rating: 3.5 hearts, but I'm rounding up*

Blog Tour: Rome by Jay Crownover (Review & Giveaway)

Rome by Jay Crownover 
Release Date: January 7, 2014
Format: eARC, 384 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Series: Marked Men #3
Source: Edelweiss
Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Indie Bound 

Description from Goodreads:
Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, supersoldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

The Marked Men novels are some of my favorite New Adult books. They're just plain Awesome--yeah, with a capital A. We know I loved Rule (I was his advocate in the NA Crush Tourney, remember), and then Jet freaking rocked so hard. Now we have Rome, and...well, he is my absolute favorite.

Yeah, I said it. FAVORITE.

I don't say it lightly. As I said, Rule's my boy, and I'm always happy when we get to see him in this series, but Rome...he won me over. In general, Rome is the type of guy that I always have a soft spot for in books. I love soldiers and for some reason, I like to see them work through their issues to find their way to a life where they can be happy. So I LOVED Rome's character. His determination, his strength, his hotness, and even his flaws. 

Our dear girl Cora...I liked her. She was the perfect person to match with Rome. She is strong and independent herself, but she also isn't afraid to dream a bit. I admire that a bunch. Plus, there's the fact that she's just a darn cool chick. That's cool, too. 

There were smexy time, there were hostile time, but at all times I was positively loving this book. Jay Crownover is one of my favorite New Adult authors and she made me incredibly happy with this book. This book...it freaking HAD me, y'all. From beginning to end, I was in. I actually didn't expect this story to go the way it did, but it was awesome nonetheless and I enjoyed it so much.

Overall, Rome is my new Marked Men favorite. The book is fantastic, I loved the character, and Jay Crownover has rocked it yet again. I am more excited than I could ever possibly tell you to read Nash! But I must wait patiently for now... *GRABBY HANDS*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

I’m supposed to share interesting details about myself so that my readers get to know me so here we go in no particular order: I’m an natural redhead even though I haven’t seen my real hair color in years, I’m a big fan of tattoos and have a half sleeve on either arm and various other pieces all over the place, I’ve been in the bar industry since I was in college and it has always offered interesting insight into how men and women interact with each other, I have 3 dogs that are all crazy, I live in Colorado and love the snow, I love music and in all reality wish I could be a rock star not a writer or a bartender but I have zero talent so there is that.

I love to write, love to read and all I’m interested in is a good story with interesting characters that make the reader feel something.

Connect with Jay: 

 Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads  

GIVEAWAY 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers

A Little Too Hot by Lisa Desrochers 

  Release Date: January 21, 2014

Publisher: William Morrow Impulse

Series: A Little Too Far #3

Blurb: 

From USA Today bestselling author Lisa Desrochers, comes the third book in her sizzling New Adult series.

If you play with fire…

Tossed out of college and cut off by her parents, Samantha West is in pretty dire straits. So when her rocker best friend hooks her up with a job dancing at a gentlemen’s club, who is she to turn it down? Plus, there are rules to dancing at Benny’s: No touching, keep your clothes on at all times, and never get closer than three feet. Unfortunately for Sam, her first private client makes her want to break every single one of them.

Harrison Yates is scorching hot, but he’s got a past that involves being left at the altar not too long ago. Sam is determined to make him forget about his ex, but when she makes her move, it flings her life into a spiral of chaos she never saw coming.

Because Harrison Yates isn’t who he seems to be. And his secret will probably get her killed.

Add it on Goodreads! 

Giveaway: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 


♥Jessica(: 

Review: Trust in Me by J. Lynn

Trust in Me by J. Lynn
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Format: eARC, 237 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Impulse
Series: Wait For You #1.5
Source: Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Description from Goodreads:
It’s Wait for You as you’ve never seen it. Trust in Me lets you in on Cam’s side of the #1 New York Times Bestselling story.

Cameron Hamilton is used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But when Avery Morgansten comes crashing into his life – literally – he finally meets the one person who can resist his soulful baby blues. But Cam’s not ready to give up. He can’t get the feisty and intriguing girl out of his head.

Avery has secrets, secrets that keep her from admitting the feelings Cam knows she has for him. Will persistence (and some delicious homemade cookies) help him break down her barriers and gain her trust? Or will he be shut out of Avery's life, losing his first real shot at the kind of love that lasts forever?

We all know I loved Wait For You. And that I love JLA. So I'm just going to tell you now: I loved Trust in Me. But as always, I have REASONS. Ready for 'em?

Cam has a great personality. Or, should I say, Jen did a great job writing Cam's personality. If Wait For You were to have been dual POV, it would have been super easy to tell whether it was him or Avery telling the story. He's so DIFFERENT from Avery, and I loved it. Avery had a serious outlook on things, and while Cam could totally take things serious when needed, he was mostly super entertaining. He had a fun mind.

Cam and his sweetness. Again, his mind. I loved being inside it. He was so sweet. Little did I know how much he called Avery "Shortcake" in his mind. Ha! Outwardly, Cam was sweet as tea in Wait For You, but it was cool to be inside his head and see it extend there, too. But it still wasn't TOO MUCH, either. Cam was still a guy. Obviously.

Cam's cookies. I actually have nothing to add on this. Just...those cookies. ;) *giggles*

Extra things. It was nice to see Cam when he WASN'T with Avery, too. When he talked with Ollie and Jase. In between what happened with Avery. That was also a great set up for what's going to happen in Be With Me--Jase and Teresa. It's going to be all kinds of awesome! And there were a few extras with Avery that I liked, too.

I pretty much just liked this whole book. Novella. Whatever.

BUT. This is definitely just something EXTRA. There's not a bunch of Cam-secrets in this one--it's not a NECESSARY read. If you liked Wait For You, then go for it! Read away. But if you're looking for a while different story all for Cam, then...nope. This is exactly what it says it is: Wait For You in Cam's POV. I loved it. I recommend it. But don't go in hoping for more than it is.

I actually thought there would be more extra things than there were. The story was great, the writing was fantastic, but there wasn't as much to this story as I thought there would be. Like I said, it's just something EXTRA. For those of us who love Cam.

Oh, and Trust in Me was definitely the perfect title for this! I love the perfection of those words.

Overall, Jen writes some darn good books. I'd say this one can be added to the long list of those. Cam is swoon-worthy, and I love him more than I did before (who'd of thought THAT was possible?). I can't wait to get more glimpses of Cam and Avery in Be With Me!

♥Jessica(:

Review: Wait For You by J. Lynn♥

Wait For You by J. Lynn
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Format: ebook, 332 pages
Publisher: Avon
Series: Wait For You #1
Source: Edelweiss

Description from Goodreads:
Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

How do I explain how I feel about Wait For You? Because I'm seriously not sure about this right now. First and foremost I should tell you this: it was awesome. But that's a vague statement. WHY is this story so awesome?

First, the characters. Jen's writing is wonderful, but I love her characters the very most, and Wait For You was no exception. Avery was somewhat annoying to me in the sense that she spent so much time running from everything. She didn't face things and that bothered me, especially when it affected her relationships with people. A certain person in particular, actually. Hehe. But other than that, I liked Avery more and more as the story went on and I learned more about her. Then I understood her better and her decisions didn't grate on me as much. CAM. Then there is Cam. Just thinking about Cam right now makes me giggle. He is kind and funny and I want him to be real so I can touch him. I mean...heh. He bakes cookies and has a pet turtle named Raphael. I swear, JLA writes some of the best guys. Other than our two main characters, there are supporting characters that I enjoyed so much. They were amusing, and I always like seeing interactions with friends. Couple-y things are fantastic! But it's nice to see regular interactions with other people, too. Oh, and I'm talking both Cam AND Avery's friends here. I liked them all.

But my love for this book goes beyond the characters, obviously. The writing. I don't know how Jen does it. I'm thinking it's some supernatural-type explanation because really. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? She writes the best dialogue, she writes the best kissy scenes, she writes the best awkward scenes, she write the best... I actually have a long list of this in my head right now, but I'm guessing you get my point. Her writing pulls you in and keeps you there with a freaking chokehold or something. But it's the most lovely chokehold that ever existed.

The story. Honestly, not much surprised me about this book. I knew what Avery's secret was and it wasn't incredibly difficult to guess what Cam's issues were. This is one of those cases, though, where that doesn't matter. Because the story is written well and the situations are still so incredibly interesting. Plus, Cam and Avery's story is super sweet, even with the heavy topics strewn within. They work through it and it is magnificent.

Overall, Wait For You is a terrific book that will make you feel all tingly inside. It was the first contemporary book I read by JLA, but goodness knows it will not be my last. I loved it! And I am so excited for Trust in Me and Be With Me. More Cam and then more awesome. Lots and lots of awesome. Eeep!

♥Jessica(:

Cover Reveal: TRUST IN ME by J. Lynn!

 

 

Description:

It’s Wait for You as you’ve never seen it. Trust in Me lets you in on Cam’s side of the #1 New York Times Bestselling story.
 
Cameron Hamilton is used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But when Avery Morgansten comes crashing into his life – literally – he finally meets the one person who can resist his soulful baby blues. But Cam’s not ready to give up. He can’t get the feisty and intriguing girl out of his head.
 
Avery has secrets, secrets that keep her from admitting the feelings Cam knows she has for him. Will persistence (and some delicious homemade cookies) help him break down her barriers and gain her trust? Or will he be shut out of Avery's life, losing his first real shot at the kind of love that lasts forever?

Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

I love this cover so hard. The picture goes with Wait for You so well and it's so cute! I'm so excited to read Cam's POV. More cookies and more giggles, I'm sure. :)

 

Now tell me, what do you think?

 

♥Jessica(:

A LITTLE TOO FAR by Lisa Desrochers Cover Reveal!

 

Today I have a SUPER AWESOMELY AMAZING FABULOUS cover to share with y'all! And, well...you know what? I heart this cover so hard, I'm not even going to take up a million hours telling you how awesome it is. I'm just going to show it to ya. Ready? (Trust me, your answer is yes.)

 

AHHHHH...

 

 

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

 

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother.In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for better part of the last few years…and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to Confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt…and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy on the eyes deacon…only eight months away from becoming a priest. As Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

 

*giggles* I totally just revealed it twice. So much hotness...I like it this way!

Giveaway!

The wonderful people running the reveal have a fabulous giveaway going on. WOOT!

I trace a finger along the lines of the tattoo over his heart—the kanji symbol for knowledge—as he grasps my thighs and rolls his hips underneath me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


So tell me!

What do you think of the cover?!?!

Personally, I loooove it. And goodness, I want to get my hands on this book so bad! AHHHH!

Do you love it like I do? And what about that blurb from JLA?! Goodness. Woo.

♥Jessica(:

JET by Jay Crownover Blog Tour! (Review & Giveaway!)

Follow the tour!

 

Review:

 

Jet by Jay Crownover

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Format: eARC, 400 pages

Publisher: William Morrow

Series: Marked Men #2

Source: Edelweiss

Buy It: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N | iTunes | Kobo

 

Description from Goodreads:

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

 

So, Jet is the companion/sequel novel to Rule, which was pure awesome. Before I even get into all the hotness that is JET, I'm going to tell you this now: You don't need to read Rule to read Jet. Jet's story holds its own and explains everything so you know what's going on. I STRONGLY SUGGEST you DO read Rule first, though, especially if you plan on reading them both. Because this book does take place after the events of Rule, so there would be a wee bit of spoiling going on (though the big, main secret of Rule's story is NOT revealed in this book), and it would be nice if you already had an idea of who all the characters are. So yeah. That's my suggestion. Not necessary, but something that might make the reading experience better.

Now, onto Jet. I think my biggest problem this book was going in and expecting another story just like Rule's. I'm telling you right now, if you're expecting the same story again with different characters, you're going to be disappointed. Because Jet is not Rule, and Ayden is not Shaw. And you know what? Personally, once I realized this and got into the story, I LOVED that. I loved learning about the new characters and falling in love with Jet and his story. It was just...amazing. I'm not sure if it was AS amazing as falling for Rule was, but it was still pretty darn great.

Character Rundown:
Ayden: I have a love/hate relationship with Ayden. I wasn't too fond of the whole "two Aydens" thing she had going on. I mean, it was irritating sometimes. Because things would be so great! They would be. And then the greatness would just stop because of her being afraid of it. I get that she wanted to stay away from her old life, but I didn't like the way she went about it AT FIRST. As the story goes on and her character grows, changes, and comes to her sensed...well, I'd like to be her friend.

Jet: Oh, holy hotness. I wish this guy were real. Ahhhhh, man do I. Personally, I think that if they WERE real, Jet and Rule, I'd be more into Jet than Rule. Don't get me wrong, they're both hot, and Rule has that attractive protective thing going on, but Jet...he's in a band. He has a lot of feelings. He sings. He's just...AHHHH. I love both the boys, though. But this story is about Jet, and I am with him right now. Goodness. He got on my nerves sometimes, too, because he had his times where he would walk away, or let Ayden walk away and I'd be like WHHHHYYYY?!?!?! So yeah. But I heart him.

Plot. Jet and Ayden both had their own little stories going on, and they didn't intertwine as much as Rule's and Shaw's stories did, but I liked watching them both go through everything, with their own stuff happening side by side. Jet was doing this, Ayden was doing this, and they both wondered about the other. They were independent more. I liked that, because it fit THESE CHARACTERS well. This story was alternating POVs just like Rule was, and we all know I love that. I just think I wish Jet and Ayden could have had more time just...being together in this story. It's still hot, and it's still awesome, but I could have lived with more togetherness.

Romance. This is where I smile at my hands and tell you to just read the book. If you're looking for a love story, you'll find it here. You will.

The end. Well, I'm ready to read about Rome. ;)

Overall, Jet is not Rule. Why? Because JET is not RULE. But this book was still completely wonderful. I read it in a day (would have been less than a day if my freaking KINDLE HADN'T DIED) and fell in love so hard. Trust me, read this book and you will, too. Jay Crownover is an awesome chick, and she writes some kickass New Adult books. I can't wait for the next one AHHHH! :)

 

About the Author:

 

 

Jay Crownover is the bestselling author of Rule. Like the characters in her Marked Men series, 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 and that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.

Social Media Links:

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Giveaway:

 

There's a tour-wide giveaway! Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter! WOOT!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

♥Jessica(:

 

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