Aleveria / KarenL

I had to take a few days to let this book sink in. Why? Because this is not your average Rocker Romance. Oh no. Cari and Taryn have elevated this to a whole new level. And I'll tell you right now, it doesn't end here.

I can't get much into that BECAUSE SPOILERS AND I SO HATE YOU GUYS *ahem*. But let's just say that it ends on a cliffhanger.

We'll instead talk about the main story.

Luc has been trouble for his band 'The Grunge' for years. It's just terrible timing however, when Dex announces they're dumping him, and the perky blonde singer from 'Warning Sign' walks by and demands an audition to replace him. He just wishes that they hadn't sounded so amazing together - because now they're stuck co-leading her band, and neither of them can deny how much they sizzle.

Then there's Ethan. Molly's dirty Professor. He kept showing up everywhere, including Denver & Ryan's wedding. He'd become one of Walking Sign's extended family, and it was becoming impossible to ignore him. She was already in that "wedding" headspace - wistful about all of her friends belonging to someone - and he jumped on that mood like... well, like a Professor on a houndstooth jacket.

After her encounters with Ethan at the wedding, and Luc when they sang together, she was utterly dizzy. Then the three of them came together at the same time, and Ethan made it perfectly clear that he'd be open to having some fun with both Molly and Luc.

Molly knew triads worked, she saw it daily between Lauren, Randy, and West - but was that kind of thing for her? She definitely wanted both men, but did she want both men? She had enough on her plate with Lila Shawcross on her case, and now having to share HER band with Luc himself.... Did she need the extra drama?



Maybe they could keep things casual. Maybe they could make the co-lead singer thing work. Maybe Ethan wasn't a distraction. Lots of maybes, lots of complications, lots of other things that come with falling for the last people you thought you would.

--------------------
In my opinion, this is the best 'Oblivion' book yet - and that's saying something. I've been with them from the very beginning. You're gonna need some kleenex by the time you're done, and also be ready to wait a little bit for a resolution to the story that simmers in the background.

This book gets five "dancing in lingerie" stars.

Okay, right up front I want to say that this is a HUGE departure from any other Willow Winters book I've ever read. Not a bad thing at all. I think it shows her range as an author. I couldn't help hearing film noir music as the soundtrack while I was reading, and I wonder if that was how it was intended. I'll have to find out at some point. I'm super curious.

But let's get back on topic. This book was ah-maze-balls.

Nathan Hart is the "Bad Boy turned good" of the silver screen. Real-life too, and he's used that to his advantage. A lot of his youth is an open book, but there's some parts that aren't. He also knew that returning to the east coast was a gamble. Being so close to home might open old wounds. He didn't know that it would bring him face-to-face with the one secret he didn't want anyone to know about...

Harlow May was the girl from the "good" side of town. The girl he shouldn't have been with. The girl he pushed away.

When Harlow saw Nathan across the room, it was like a gut shot. She'd done everything she could not to think about that time in her life, although it was impossible. It was in her mind daily. Bad enough when he was a world away, but now, sharing the same rarified air... she couldn't breathe. He was the only man that she ever loved. And he knew everything about her. About that time. About that night.



So yeah, I loved it. Did you get that from my review or no? I can't wait to read the other books in the Exposé series, I'm sure they're all winners.

I give Heartthrob Five "NDA Surprise" Stars

I am reviewing my own personal copy of this book, of my own free will. :-)

I guess you could call the POV of this story an "unreliable narrator," although it's a little bit of a stretch. I say that because there's a lot of mythology surrounding the actual Epiphany Machine, so most of the backstory is theory, and not rooted in any sort of fictionized factual information. I also enjoyed seeing our real history woven into this parallel universe. A kind of 'what-if' scenario, if someone had done what Adam Lyon had.

Past that, I found the characters to be wholly intriguing.

Ventner is our protagonist, although he's no hero. We learn about his world, which is ours, except it's tainted by a machine that gives you a clue about one aspect of your personality. Nobody really knows how the machine gets it's information. Is it from a divine being? Does it work based on some sort of ESP? Or is Adam Lyon using his own kind of "cold reading," to make it work? Again, no one knows. There are many theories, and we get to read about several over the course of the book.

We also learn, through Ventner's experiences, several perspectives of it's usage. Both of his parents have experienced a prediction, and they both associated with Adam Lyon. He feels distant from both of them in different ways, and that makes him curious enough to find out more.

He becomes Adam's protégé, so much more becomes clear after that point. At the same time, Ventner's life is made up of stilted acquaintances, friends, and lovers. (okay, lover). He begins to interview the regulars at Adam's "Salon" nights, and receive more information about the machine, the relationships between the people around him, and his parents.

“You’re coaxing people to talk about what the epiphany machine has meant to their lives. That’s important, and nobody wants to talk about what’s important. The only way to get people to talk about something important is to leave them with no other option.”

As time progresses, events that have happened in our timeline also happen in Ventner's parallel universe. We see them through their eyes, and although they usually end up in a similar fashion, the impetus may be much different. Some of the chapters are quite disturbing, but I found them fascinating. To see those events through the eyes of the people involved, after using the Epiphany Machine... it was like understanding why it happened.

As the story climaxes, Ventner does something he cannot undo. He's riddled with indecision and doubt, and a TON of guilt. It lives with him until the very end of the story, and the book goes on a roller-coaster from there as well.

I could now claim the distinction of having been definitively rejected by both of my parents, one in infancy and one in adulthood—a stronger indication than anything else in my life that I was marked for the great, special destiny of which I desultorily dreamed.

Mind you, it's not the fast-moving kind, nor a kiddie ride - no, it's the kind that makes you queasy. You wonder if you should ride it again. But you know you should continue. There's a need to go on, because not finishing is worse than letting the dizzyness take over.

Four and a half "He liked Dylan better" stars.

Fresh off the Roommates books, Kendall Ryan changes pace to another more erotic series. We meet all of our Heroes in the first of these, called Forbidden Desires.

In this first installment, part one of two with Gavin, Connor and Emma, is left on a cliffhanger. There is no threesome action, simply a love triangle.

The Kingsley brothers - Gavin, Connor, and their other brother Tristan - run an escort agency. It's completely legitimate. On their end, there is no sex for money exchange, although what happens once their clients and escorts get behind closed doors is their business.

Gavin and Emma are the first to meet, and when she learns about the brothers' business, she's offered a proposal from Gavin and his younger brother Connor. After some convincing, she takes them up on their offer, and learns that the brothers couldn't be more different. There's appeal on both sides - and she has to keep her wits about her if she wants to end up with her heart intact.

Secrets & lies - trust given and taken away, what path will Emma choose? Will Connor step up? How will Gavin react to Emma's upcoming confrontation? (which I'm sure will be front and center in book 2) We'll find out in October, 2017.

I don't know about you, but I'm already salivating for more!

Five "coffee shop non-tip" stars!
______________
Some Notes:
Cheating: No, she only has sexual contact with one brother
Heat Level: SUPER HOT
Explicit Scenes:public sex, heroine's prior abusive relationship, implied past auto-erotic asphixiation (I mention these ONLY if you want to know - click at your own risk, you WILL be spoiled)

I want to give this book more than four stars. It deserves more than four stars. For the writing. However, since I'm reviewing the book as a whole, I feel like I have to give it four stars.

Let me get the bad stuff out of the way. Plainly put, the stories are done a disservice when read in the order in which they're presented. When Take Me is read after Hate Me, several things occur.

1. The book (as a whole) ends abruptly, when - if read the other way round - it would have more of a "finished" feel.
2. The main characters in the second story are mentioned frequently in the first one, and it alludes to their HEA. I would've liked to have read that first instead of having it "spoiled".
3. Tristan's financial situation isn't fully explained... how does he become "Florida's Bill Gates" when he's still struggling at the end of Take Me?
4. There are NO mentions of the first story's couple in Take Me, which becomes disconcerting after all the mentions in Hate Me.
5. Unrelated to the story sequence, there were a few loose threads left hanging, and I would've liked to see them tied up. Tabby's story (her trauma), Aria's Divorce, Tristan's money situation, Michael/Tabby/Jenna wrap-up, to name a few

So, with that in mind, I couldn't justify 4.5 or 5-stars. That being said, the writing was impeccable, and I never lost interest in the book - characters, story, pacing, themes, etc. Thus the four stars.

Okay, so let's move on to the good stuff. :-)

Hate Me is about a guy who haplessly finds himself attracted to his sister's "mean girl" frenemy. Okay, not so much the "fren" part. Michael has always firmly believed in the whole "Blood is thicker than water" thing, so Jenna should be totally off-limits. But there are two sides to every story, and hers is pretty compelling.

Jenna's life spiralled for a while after a tragedy plunged her into self-hatred and shame. She became someone else, someone that walled off her old crowd, so she became one of the mean girls. It just kinda happened. But when she was away from them, her life was very different. Jenna had a side that wasn't mean at all. And that's the side that Michael fell for.
--------------------
In Take Me, Aria is returning home with her son, Cade. She'd never really gotten the life she wanted, and maybe this could be a fresh start. Although moving back in with her mother wasn't a dream come true, it was better than any other alternatives. She didn't count on Tristan though...

Who, in a weird twist of fate, was also back home. Taking care of his ailing father in exchange for a cut of the family business. Tristan gets a rude awakening when he finds out Aria is back, and with a kid in tow. When she got married, he severed all ties and declared a moratorium on all Aria-based news, so he had no clue what had happened to her in the years since they'd last seen each other.

Their attraction is stronger than ever, which leads to a deal that neither one of them wants to call off. Tristan finds himself deeper in Aria's orbit than he wants to be, and LIKING it.

-------------
I'm giving this duology four "Wednesday/Oscar" stars. :-)

Toxic is not for the faint of heart. It's dark. There are some themes that might trigger some people. --> abuse, extreme violence, murder, crime, cheating (although justified) However, if you can set that aside and read it for what it is, dark, dangerous, deadly, decadent, fiction... you won't be disappointed.

I'm honestly not sure how to go about reviewing this, because I don't want to give anything away. There isn't anything super twisty, but I feel like it's better to go into Toxic a little on the blind side.

There are two parts to this story, The Before - and The After. No, the events aren't named that specifically, but there is a defining point in the heroine's life that defines the path she takes. And while our hero isn't quite a Prince (more of a King actually *rim-shot*), he's more than just a force behind the change.

Our heroine goes from nurse to waitress, and things go from bad, to better, to horrific, then to... well, you'll find out.

I hate to be that sketchy, but you may be thanking me later.

I give Toxic 4.5 pencil sketch stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

My headspace when starting this book was a little light-hearted. I mean, "Drunk Dial" means instant hilarity, right? And while there is a LOT of humor in this story, the thing that knocked me back into the dirt was the utter rawness. To quote [b:Illidan|26721433|Illidan (World of Warcraft, #14)|William King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446533087s/26721433.jpg|46751663], I was not prepared.

Both of our main characters are deeply flawed people. Rana and Landon knew each other in their early teens, then lost touch for 13 years when Rana's family moved away. She never forgot him, and one night after a particularly trying day, she finds his number and drunk dials him.

Rana is immediately mortified - after her initial verbal diarrhea that is, and they end up having a short, but meaningful conversation. Turns out Landon never forgot her either. The problem is that they live hundreds of miles apart, so the phone is their only connection present-day.

Landon and Rana start an amazing friendship via text & phone calls, which escalates when Rana gets some alarming news. They end up in the same place at the same time, and it means some things that each of them has been hiding from one another come to light - literally. (No OW/OM cheating btw)

At first they can only be together in person for a short time, and it's problematic. They're becoming more and more attached to each other. But there are things that tie them to their homes. Things that seem important to their lives.

But, as with most stories, the truth will out, and that truth changes everything.

Sometimes life has to throw you a curve ball in order to make you see that you can hit what comes at you. Both Rana and Landon find this out in Drunk Dial, and I'm left with a pile of soggy tissues.

I don't want to say any more, lest I give away any of the plot points, but I'll say that Rana is brave, goofy, funny, charming, beautiful, and loving. Landon is chivalrous, empathetic, gorgeous, fun-loving, open-hearted, and giving. And the book is sometimes deep, sometimes hilarious, sometimes frustrating, and all the time amazing.

I really loved it. Five "I want his banana Food Truck" stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

My headspace when starting this book was a little light-hearted. I mean, "Drunk Dial" means instant hilarity, right? And while there is a LOT of humor in this story, the thing that knocked me back into the dirt was the utter rawness. To quote [b:Illidan|26721433|Illidan (World of Warcraft, #14)|William King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1446533087s/26721433.jpg|46751663], I was not prepared.

Both of our main characters are deeply flawed people. Rana and Landon knew each other in their early teens, then lost touch for 13 years when Rana's family moved away. She never forgot him, and one night after a particularly trying day, she finds his number and drunk dials him.

Rana is immediately mortified - after her initial verbal diarrhea that is, and they end up having a short, but meaningful conversation. Turns out Landon never forgot her either. The problem is that they live hundreds of miles apart, so the phone is their only connection present-day.

Landon and Rana start an amazing friendship via text & phone calls, which escalates when Rana gets some alarming news. They end up in the same place at the same time, and it means some things that each of them has been hiding from one another come to light - literally. (No OW/OM cheating btw)

At first they can only be together in person for a short time, and it's problematic. They're becoming more and more attached to each other. But there are things that tie them to their homes. Things that seem important to their lives.

But, as with most stories, the truth will out, and that truth changes everything.

Sometimes life has to throw you a curve ball in order to make you see that you can hit what comes at you. Both Rana and Landon find this out in Drunk Dial, and I'm left with a pile of soggy tissues.

I don't want to say any more, lest I give away any of the plot points, but I'll say that Rana is brave, goofy, funny, charming, beautiful, and loving. Landon is chivalrous, empathetic, gorgeous, fun-loving, open-hearted, and giving. And the book is sometimes deep, sometimes hilarious, sometimes frustrating, and all the time amazing.

I really loved it. Five "I want his banana Food Truck" stars.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

Okay, first of all, I'm going insane because CLIFFHANGER! I'm warning you about it, but I'll also tell you that it's totally worth it.

This story is right up there with [b:The Boss: Book One|26856316|The Boss Book One (The Boss, #1)|Cari Quinn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443855081s/26856316.jpg|46894907] (the series) by Cari and Taryn, and that was a favorite of mine. It's still one of my top reads from the past year. Thrill Seeker has the potential to make that list as well.

The characters are ones you'd want to know. Intriguing, magnetic, likeable... I want to know more about all of them. That goes for the side characters too. Mostly the people that work at Bellamy's. Dean, Chelsea, and Angel.

But those aren't the main attractions, the heart of the story belongs to Georgia and Max. I love that the story is told in dual perspective, because it lets the reader into the minds of both of the main characters.

Georgia is the utterly professional and point-perfect hostess at Bellamy's. Max frequents the Bistro several times a week, and she makes it a priority to always give him their top-notch experience. She knows what he likes, and she makes sure he gets it. However, Max would prefer she give him more than just food and wine - and secretly, Georgia would like that as well. She's just too much of a professional to act on her urges.

Max Chapel is always "Mr. Chapel" to Georgia, because he's a customer first and foremost. She has to pretend he doesn't make her heart race, or that he flusters her so much that she has to work extra hard to stay professional around him.

But one night, that all changes.

And once they cross the line, there's no turning back.
-----------------------

OH. MAH. GAWD... this book is so hot, and then... CLIFFY! I immediately went to facebook and told off Cari and Taryn (tongue in cheek of course), but truly, I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for book 2.

Book 1 gets FIVE "pairs of ripped nylons" Stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

I re-read some of the series before starting on RaoC on Tour: Las Vegas (which is what I shall be dubbing this - because #RaoCROX), but not all of them - however, I remembered enough that I got every single callback that got mentioned in this installment.

Speaking of which, I believe I'll start there. One of the joys of the Random books is the callbacks. Like little easter eggs (in this case literal eggs) to the readers, it's always a treat to be transported back to a moment from one of the earlier books. #HooHaPhone #Mavis #PurpleShack #Gene #AnFet

RaoC on Tour: Las Vegas Centers mostly on Darla, Trevor, and Joe, although the rest of the gang is there as well. I mean, you can't have a RaoC book without all of the Randomites and their Randomettes!

Darla is busy being the band manager still, and has gotten them a huge break. They're the opening act for a big-ticket artist in Las Vegas. With a couple of bumps in the road leading up to the actual trip - they make it there intact, except that Darla wants to "play the odds" at the roulette table. Seems she has a bit of her mother in her after all. Her gambling doesn't go exactly as planned, which leads to some soul-searching, and finding her way to some fans that might help her get back a little of the cash she lost.

Let's put a pin in that for now...

...and move on to Joe. He's broken the news to his family (his mother mostly) that he doesn't intend to return to law school. He's learned a lot about his parents as well, probably more than he ever wanted to. In RaoC on Tour: Las Vegas he gets another jolt. To say he's left with mixed emotions would be putting it mildly. Joe is a moody one, and I wouldn't have him any other way. He sure loves Darla and Trevor though, and it really shines here.

On to Trevor. Ever the steady compass of their relationship, he's the buoy for most of the book. Near the end however, he learns everything that's gone on behind his back, and feels quite betrayed by Darla and Joe. I would've liked to have read a little empathetic bit on how he understood Joe's pain from feeling "left out" better after this, but I managed to build that narrative myself. I'm sure Trev felt that way - he's good with the empathy.

Throughout the book, there are so many great parts that make the reader chuckle, sigh, cringe (in a good way), and cry. I just utterly loved it. Probably my favorite so far. I love how RaoC hasn't become an "overnight sensation," and hit it big, because I feel like we're watching them grow up. There are a couple of lines via Darla that hit me that way, and they couldn't be more true.

She feels like she's seeing Trev and Joe become men, and it's completely different from anyone else she's let into her life. The arrow isn't far off the mark, Darla. That's how real life is, and when a book evokes real life feelings, you're doing something right.

Five "phone-licking contest" stars.

This is a re-read from several years ago. Lead-in to the new release [b:Random on Tour: Las Vegas|35702353|Random on Tour Las Vegas|Julia Kent|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500421335s/35702353.jpg|57196097].

This is a re-read from several years ago. Lead-in to the new release [b:Random on Tour: Las Vegas|35702353|Random on Tour Las Vegas|Julia Kent|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500421335s/35702353.jpg|57196097].

This is a re-read from several years ago. Lead-in to the new release [b:Random on Tour: Las Vegas|35702353|Random on Tour Las Vegas|Julia Kent|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500421335s/35702353.jpg|57196097].

This is a re-read from several years ago. Lead-in to the new release [b:Random on Tour: Las Vegas|35702353|Random on Tour Las Vegas|Julia Kent|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500421335s/35702353.jpg|57196097].

This is a re-read from several years ago. Lead-in to the new release [b:Random on Tour: Las Vegas|35702353|Random on Tour Las Vegas|Julia Kent|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500421335s/35702353.jpg|57196097].

I received an ARC from NetGalley for this unbiased review.

I don't think Jennifer Probst will ever disappoint me. *knock wood* When I read Everywhere and Every Way, I knew I'd be waiting slightly impatiently for book two in the series. When it appeared in NetGalley, I clicked so fast I don't think I even registered I'd done it.

Thank goodness I got a copy because this book was just as fantastic as the first. We'd already seen glimpses into the Pierce brothers' background, now we get to see the aftermath from the other side.

Raven is the daughter of the man who ran away with Diane Pierce, only to end with their deaths in a car accident before they could actually make it to their destination - Paris.

She grew up under the spectre of hatred from the Pierce family. Taunts, ruination of her father's name, and becoming the town pariah. Raven vowed to get her vengeance on the Pierce family, living her life roaming from place to place, learning everything she could. She trained, becoming an amazing martial artist - she knew whatever was in store for her back in her home town... she'd be ready.

Unfortunately, she found she wasn't ready for Dalton Pierce. From the first day he walked into her bar, he had her head spinning. And he wouldn't leave her alone. They were a perfect match when they sparred verbally, he followed her to her gym where he kept up with her physically, and he desperately wanted to rehab "My Place," which needed to be done for a spread in Good Food and Fine Spirits magazine.

When it turns out Dalton is the only man for the job, sparks fly in so many ways Raven can't deny her attraction any longer. The only question is whether she can avoid the need for vengeance or the fallout when Dalton finds out.

------
First of all, I hate books with unnecessary secrets, but I thought the secret(s) in this book were plausible and definitely in-character for Dalton and Raven.

I could connect to both of the mains here, and all the Pierce brothers + Brady are simply dreamy. The girls are feisty and loveable, and I'd want to be BFFs with all of them.

I finished the book with a smile on my face, and that means a lot to me. If a book can make me feel anything after I've closed it, it's done something right.