Rebecca Shea--Unbreakable

Adult Contemporary Romance

Jessica Harper is the epitome of perfection. She’s a good daughter, makes excellent grades, and always strays on the safe side of life. The last thing she thought would ever happen was falling in love with her best friend’s brother. But sometimes fate just has a way of bringing two people together.

Wide receiver for the University of Arizona, Gabe Garcia, seems to have it all. When his feelings for Jessica come to surface, Gabe will give up everything to be with her.

But what happens when a tragedy abruptly changes the course of your life? For Jessica and Gabe, everything they thought they knew about each other will be questioned. Sometimes, there are scars in life that are cut too deep to completely heal.

Will their love prove to be unbreakable, or will it shatter and prove fate is just another lie?

*This book contains mature subject matter and is not intended for those under 17 years of age.*

{4 stars}

For me, this is not a romance. It's a story of survival, and how one girl can find herself again and regain her first and true love. Gabe and Jess' story starts out much like many first loves do, and its beautiful and peaceful in its simplicity. But tragedy strikes, and Jess copes the only way she knows how, by running. I don't want to give to much away, but putting aside the proof reading errors (my pet peeve), I really enjoyed the book. The characters are well developed, and we get the POV from Jess, Gabe, and Landon. Its not an overly complex story, and that's ok, it all worked. I was hooked and couldn't get enough and I wanted this HEA so bad I power read to get to it. Looking forward to Landon's story next.

Kylie Scott--Lick (Stage Dive #1)

Adult Contemporary Romance

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

{4.5 stars}
I really liked this book (despite the numerous proof reading errors), the story flowed so well I just grazed right over them. I don't think the synopsis does it justice, it's not just about waking up hung-over and married. That's just the first step in the story, the real story is them learning each other. Secrets, pasts, and lies almost destroy them, but they both take the risk to get to know each other and really fall for each other. They are cute and cuddly, but not in an annoying way. We could have had a little more character development and a longer story. But for a first book, it was really good. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Jasinda Wilder--Falling into Us (Falling #2)

Adult Contemporary Romance

THE STORY YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW...

When Kyle Calloway died, he took a part of Nell with him. She wasn’t the only one left to pick up the pieces, however; Kyle’s death left a gaping hole in the hearts and lives of his parents and his older brother Colton, and ultimately broke the will of the girl he loved.

THE STORY YOU NEVER IMAGINED...

Becca de Rosa is Nell’s best friend. When Kyle died, Nell was so devastated that no one could reach her, not even her best friend Becca. As she tries to help Nell through her grief, Becca’s own life is thrust into turmoil, and everything she knows is changed.

Jason Dorsey asked Nell out the week after her sixteenth birthday, but that date never happened. Instead, he ended up going out with Nell’s best friend, Becca. He had no way of knowing, then, how that one date would send him on a life-long journey with Becca. He had no way of knowing the tragedies and triumphs he would experience, or that in Becca, he might find the love of a lifetime.

THE HEARTACHE YOU’LL NEVER FORGET...

{5 stars}
If Nell's story hadn't ended and we kept on reading, this is the story we would have read about. I didn't think I would like Becca and Jason. Compared to the overwhelming story of Nell and Kyle, I thought it might be just a pale part 2. But I was so very wrong. Becca and Jason have their own tragic, heart melting love story. It's simple in it's first teenage love aspect, just like Nell and Kyle. But where Kyle and Nell's story ends, Jason and Becca's moves on. They have college, and life beyond their small town and the heartache they left behind. Not as emotional a ride for me. But O what and ending...... Just think of the perfect HEA for Nell and Becca and that's what you get. Beautifully done, captivating in its romance. I really enjoyed the ride!!

Jasinda Wilder--Falling Into You (Falling #1)

Adult Contemporary Romance

I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.
Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.

Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

{5 stars}
Nothing in this synopsis prepares you for this story......

It's beginning is beautiful in its simplicity of first loves. But the tragedy of Kyle's death is painful to read, its heart wrenching, and exhausting. It sucks Nell into a void where she keeps all the pain inside so she doesn't break, she doesn't let herself grieve, or cry. She moves forward with no emotion. She sees Colton at the funeral and they have a brief impact on each other, two very damaged souls in need of something worth living for. A few years later she sees him again, playing guitar in the park and they begin the process of moving forward from their tragedies. Lots of baggage to unload, lots of tears and emotions to release. It was amazing....

This story does jump forward a few times, and we change point of view between Colton and Nell, which all works really well so we can see both sides. I was captivated from the beginning, couldn't look away, cried a little, and held on for the emotional ride they took me on. It is not a hearts and flowers romance (not after Kyle's death), it was raw, emotional, and beautiful. The connection that is made thru their music was great, and now I have an all new playlist to download.

Darynda Jones--Fifth Grave Past the LIght (Charley Davidson #5)

Paranormal Romance

Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case, she is determined to stay away from him until she can find out the truth. According to her therapist, however, she lacks conviction.

When dead women start appearing in her apartment - lost, confused and terrified beyond reason - Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who's responsible. And even if he can't, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return: Charley. All of her - body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay…

{5 stars}
The synopsis never tells you the whole story....that Charley is flat out funny too. That is what captured my attention when I first started reading this series. No matter what trauma or trouble Charley gets into, she manages to find humor in it. Add in Cookie, her assistant, and you have the absolutely perfect balance for the darker aspects of this series.

Charley can't ever catch a break, take a vacation, or just "hang out" at her apartment. There is always a dearly departed hanging out needing attention, or a guardian Rottweiler (also departed) watching over her. And now, Reyes lives next door (I would never be in my apartment if he lived next door). In this book, Charley has a serial killer to catch, a cheating husband to set up, and to get Cookie in a class so she doesn't accidentally shoot someone. All in a days work, right? I'm exhausted just thinking about all the things that go on in Charley's life. Wow, but to come home to Reyes every night.....dream come true.

This series just keeps getting better and better. I really wished each book was a little longer, or Jones was able to write/publish them faster. I know, I'm addicted, can't help it......stalking the preorder lists now for the next one..