Nicole Reed - Beautiful Ink (Forever Inked #1)

Family.

I have tattooed that single word on more skin than I care to count. It elicits powerful thoughts and emotions for most people.
Loving. Caring.
Supportive. Togetherness.
Forever.

But not for me. The word family means so much more.
Vicious. Harmful.
Dangerous. Corrupt.
Deadly.

You can’t run forever from the ones who love you.

Note: This novel is not a cliffhanger and can be read as a standalone.Warning: This book is real, beautifully raw, and not for the faint of heart. It is the story of a young girl’s loss of innocence while growing up around a motorcycle club. It is not suitable for children under the age of seventeen due to language, sexual content, and intense subject matter. Based on true events.

***{4 stars}***

This book was quite a surprise. The blurb sounded interesting enough to give it a try, and honestly I wasn't really expecting much from it. But I was very much surprised. Yes, it has a base storyline of an MC, but it is so much more than that. It's about a girl born into a world not of her choosing. She has no escape from the ones who "love" her. But she doesn't give up hope. This is her journey from the darkness of a trapped life in the MC to one of love and happiness. It's a hard, vicious road. Escaping means a lonely existence where she can't really find a real life, roots, or friends for too long. But sometimes life lands you in just the right place, or so you think. Can she trust him? Is he telling the truth? It's all quite a journey for more than just her. 3 people collide in this romance. 2 walk away with some small piece of happiness. But which 2?

Penelope Douglas - Aflame (Falling #4)

Title: Aflame (Fall Away, #4)

Author: Penelope Douglas

Genre: NA |  Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 21, 2015

Synopsis

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Bully, Until You, Rival, and Falling Away comes the sizzling conclusion to the Fall Away series.

The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg…

Everyone wants to be me.

Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name.

I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do.

They all talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate?

But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here.

Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.

Pre-Order Aflame → Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Penelope Douglas is a writer in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to "just get the degree!" She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, The Originals, and she shops at Target almost daily.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Tsū | Goodreads

Purchase Links → Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

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Penelope Douglas - Falling Away (Fall Away #3)

Jaxon is the guy she’s supposed to avoid.

K.C. is the girl he won’t let get away....

K. C. Carter has always followed the rules—until this year, when a mistake leaves her the talk of her college campus and her carefully arranged life comes crashing to a halt. Now she’s stuck in her small hometown for the summer to complete her court-ordered community service, and to make matters worse, trouble is living right next door.

Jaxon Trent is the worst kind of temptation and exactly what K.C. was supposed to stay away from in high school. But he never forgot her. She was the one girl who wouldn't give him the time of day and the only one to ever say no. Fate has brought K.C. back into his life—except what he thought was a great twist of luck turns out to be too close for comfort. As the bond between them grows, he discovers that convincing K.C. to get out from her mother’s shadow is hard, but revealing the darkest parts of his soul is nearly impossible.…

Goodreads TBR list

***{5 stars}***

I didn't think it was possible to top my love for Jared and Tate, but WOW. Jax is such a complex, damaged character. Just when you think you have him figured out he surprises you. But his surprises are not always what you hope them to be. He can be the temptation that you dream about, but will probably never catch. Or he can be the top of the heap jackass that you wish you had never met. He can break your heart. 

KC has not been a character that anyone has loved so far, but we really just didn't know her story. Now that we have "walked a mile" in her shoes, I understand her so much more. And the match between her and Jax is perfect. They bring out the "drive" and determination in each other to be better. To climb higher than their circumstances. 

Their story takes you to the highest of highs and the lowest or tear filled lows. A complete emotional rollercoaster, but that's what makes this such a great romance. You have to have the lows to appreciate the highs and the absolute love affair. Page turning obsession, I read this all in one afternoon. There was no way I was putting this one down, I just HAD to know what was going to happen next. Great job Penelope Douglas! Your series just keeps getting better and better for me. And even though I am anxious about the sneak peek into the next book (because it looks like we are jumping off the cliff again), I can't wait!

Frankie Rose - Winter (A Four Seasons Novel)

A girl with a dark history…

Avery Breslin took a leap of faith when she changed her name. As Avery Patterson, she is no longer the daughter of a serial killer. No longer the girl who was bullied and abused through high school. A fresh name and a fresh start at Columbia University means Avery can leave all that behind. There’s only one thing marring her dream of a clean slate…. A boy with a past of his own…

Luke Reid has a lot going for him: sex appeal, badass tattoos and insane musical talent. Despite his guitar skills, his calling in life has always been to serve and protect. A NYPD cop by day, singer in rock band D.M.F by night, from the outside Luke seems like he’s got it made. But falling for a girl whose father was accused of deeply sinister acts—a man whom Luke shared a devastating history with, himself—only serves to complicated things. 

Pieces of a puzzle…. Four symbols, four methods of destruction. A trade. 

Borrowed wings. 

Dark secrets that threaten to destroy.

Add to your TBR (Goodreads) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24426351-winter?from_search=true

Amazon US

***{4 stars}***

This book is a re-write/release, and I had not read the original version so I'm going in with a "clean slate" mind. This book is listed as Romantic Suspense, but it's 75% suspense, 25% romance. Avery and Luke are damaged, complex characters, that share a past. They have, each in their own way, lived thru the same tragedy that binds them. The murder of her father. But the world thinks that he is a serial killer. This story is how they get past that to live a life with some semblance of normal.

Avery has moved across the country to New York to attend Columbia University. To have a new start where no one knows her or her family's tragic past. But you can't always escape your past. Luke has loved her since she was a teen, so he has tried to protect her. Even following her to New York to be a cop and a part time rock star. She tries over and over to push everyone away, she trusts no one. But Luke won't give up on her, even continuing to work towards proving her father was innocent.

We spend the first half of the book getting the "set up" of characters, and it was a little too much "college" like drama. Avery's friends partying and the usual college mess. But the second half of the book really gets into the suspense/mystery that is the base of the story, it starts to fly. The romance between Luke and Avery is secondary to the suspense, but I still felt like their love story was worth the part it played in the overall story. And by the end I was looking forward to reading more about them and hopefully another book in this series.

***ARC was provided by author for honest review 2014.

Bella Jewel - 'Til Death Pt. 2

They say there's a fine line between love and hate.

There is.

I married a douchebag.

I didn't know it at the time.

He came in like a handsome stranger and blew me off my feet.

I fell madly in love, like the naive girl I am.

Then he left me high and dry.

Turns out, I was nothing more than a business plan for billionaire playboy, Marcus Tandem.

He needed to be married in order to obtain his grandfather’s business, and I was the poor victim in his path.

I believed in what we had, until the truth reared its ugly head.

I never meant anything to Marcus. Not a damned thing.

With my world spinning on its axis, the girl I once was has long since died.

Instead he left me as this empty, emotionless shell.

I may have made a vow before God to love and cherish him ‘Til Death do we part, but it’s time for me to give back to Marcus, exactly what he gave me.

He has to pay.

And pay he will.

***{5 stars}***

Pain, how much can one person endure when their heart has been ripped apart? But can true love overcome all the damage done? The damage done to each other? The lengths we went to push each other away and hurt each other? 

Sometimes the universe has other plans for us, and it isn't over until Death Parts us.....

Jewel has a way of writing that makes you feel every single emotion, from happiness to the absolute heartbreak of loss. This may have been just 2 short installments of a whole story, but we get everything we need to fall in love with Katia and Marcus. Loved them! And the supporting cast would be great with their own stories too (hint hint). I hope we get to see more glimpses of them in the Jokers Wrath MC series. 

***ARC provided by author for honest review

'Til Death: Volume Two
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AU: http://bit.ly/1C2Bq2N

'Til Death: Volume One (on sale for 99c)

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Jasinda Wilder - Falling Away (Falling #4)

My name is Benjamin Dorsey. You know my mom and dad's story. You know Kylie's parents' story. You even know Kylie's story.

You don't know mine, yet.

You don't know what a broken heart is until you've loved someone your whole life, only to have her slip through your fingers because you waited too long. That's heartbreak. That's regret. And how do you live with that? How do you go through the motions when she's there as a reminder of what you lost, of what you could have had but were too damn chicken to go after? I couldn't. So I left.

That's right, I ran away. I found myself across the continent, playing minor league football. I mean, at least I still had football, right?

Nope. That got taken away from me too. A career-ending injury left me down-and-out, scraping the bottom of the barrel, hating myself and hating life. And then I met Cheyenne Leveaux, my physical therapist, who became my one and only friend, the one bright light in the darkness of my messed up life.

But of course nothing is ever simple, or easy.

Tragedy struck, and the rug was swept out from under me yet again, and this time the guilt, the doubt, the secrets, and the old heartbreak may threaten my one chance at true happiness, my one shot at my own happily ever after. 

***{4 stars}***

This is one of those series that sticks with you forever. It's one of my favorites, I have reread them, cried over them, and felt every word of each one. Wilder has a way of pulling every tear filled, happy, anxious emotion out of you. We have faced tragedy, heartbreak, and "love of your life" kind of happiness. But now we leave them behind, this is the end of the road for this series. And Wilder has done it justice. 

I see this book as two parts. First we have Ben. We all know what happened and why he left, so now we see his wandering journey around the country trying to find his way. Something that will give him some happiness and purpose. And just when he thinks he can stand on solid ground and begin to live. Life has something else in mind. Another tragedy knocks him off balance again, but in the midst of tragedy and sadness he meets her. And here we are at the second part to this book. Her. She is as messed up as he is, but in so many different ways. We have to "walk a mile" in her life to understand where her pain, sadness, and self-destructive drive comes from. But as with all Wilder stories, we go on a wild ride as the two of them find their way. It's a roller coaster as always, and I'm so glad we got Ben's story. If you haven't read this series, you are missing out on something special. Start at the beginning with a quiet afternoon and a box of kleenex's. 

Looking forward to the spin-off we get a sneak peek at!!

***ARC provided by author for honest review....and thank you for allowing me the privilege!!

Lisa Renee Jones - Revealing Us (Inside Out #3)

New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones takes readers on the ultimate journey of a sensual discovery in Revealing Us, the unforgettable climax of the trilogy.

You've discovered Rebecca’s secrets. You've discovered Sara’s secrets. Now Sara will discover “his” deepest, darkest secrets…but will those secrets bind them together—or tear them apart?

No in-between…

He has become her life, her heart, her very soul. But he is dark and damaged, and his secrets are many. Sara will risk everything for him. He, in turn, will dare to expose his deepest needs, his most erotic desires. And in the fury of passion he will reveal all that torments him, all that he can never escape. To love him, Sara must embrace the darkest part of him, and become his shelter in a storm that will be his                                                                             ultimate salvation.

***{4 stars}***

I rarely read a series back to back. It will sometimes backfire on me and I wind up feeling less of an impact when I am finished. And even though I thought some of the plot points were predictable, I thought the overall storyline was unique and strong enough to carry through to the end. It was never boring and it kept my attention page after page. Sara and Chris are damaged characters, but their secrets aren't so bad that they will walk away from each other. I really like this series, and I love that I have a bunch of Novellas to read, cause I feel like this isn't the end of their story........

Lisa Renee Jones - Being Me (Inside Out #2)

The sexy second installment in the Inside Out erotic romance trilogy, following If I Were You—in the seductive tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Fascinated by the dark fantasies in the journals she’s discovered, and the two men who have now found a place in her life, Sara McMillan finds herself torn between her new life and her past. Now, more than ever, Sara identifies with the lost journal writer, Rebecca, and is certain that something sinister has happened.

In the arms of the sexy, tormented artist Chris Merit, Sara seeks answers about Rebecca and ends up discovering things about herself she never knew existed. Chris forces Sara to reconsider who she is and what she truly wants from life, but not before his dark desires threaten to tear them apart. Her boss, Mark Compton, offers her the shelter to understand just what those needs mean to her, and what they might have meant to Rebecca, but can she trust him to lead her to a final conclusion to Rebecca’s story?

***{5 stars}***

This is going to be short and sweet because I am rushing right into the third book. The layers of this story just continue to amaze me, I am totally sucked in. So much happens, we get some answers to our underlying mystery, but we are still watching Chris and Sara find their way with each other. Can't wait to see how this all plays out....