Friday, February 28, 2014

Review for All for Maddie by Jettie Woodruff




Synopsis:

I believe in love at first sight...because I am a mother. A mother's love knows no laws, no boundaries, and no remorse for anyone who interferes with the life of a child.
I have lived a complete lie, holding on to a secret that could now cost me my daughter. I can't lose Maddie. I couldn't breathe without Maddie. Maddie is my life.
The saying about dying for your child is the absolute truth. The other things you would do are comparable to that of death. I know, I did those things. I did unthinkable things, all for Maddie. I continued the lie, the secrets with the one man who had no right, whom I despised and wanted dead.
I had no choice. I did it all for her.....for my Maddie.

Review:

Ever read a book that gets in your head and stays there, It leaves you feeling lost without it once it's over? This is definitely one of those....once again Jettie didn't disappoint. It's a unique, original storyline about fear, regrets, sacrifice and most of all the power of love and forgiveness. Be prepared to be sucked in and forget about the world around you for several hours...because once you start there is no turning back. Just take my words of advice and be warned that it will play on EVERY one of your emotions.You will laugh at sweet Maddie's innocence and you will wanna scream at Whitley and Alex one minute only to cheer them on the next.

No spoilers here my friends....you must experience each raw love/hate emotion just as I did. So buckle up and enjoy the wild ride!!!!

4.5 Crazy but freakin amazing stars

Karen

Introduction - Karen

I won't lie I was "that girl" that called readers nerds without a life.....until Fifty Shades made me eat those words. Needless to say I haven't stopped reading since....and being a hopeless romantic with a dirty mind, it's almost always romance/erotica. I love a book that pushes the boundaries and takes you on a wild emotional ride. Best way to describe my love affair for books is this....I like my books like I like my sex life....intense, passionate and most importantly unexpected!!!! No one likes predictable and boring right??? Haha sorry ya'll I call em like I see em....be prepared cause this Georgia peach holds nothing back :) If ya wanna know just ask me ?!?!?!?! Now bring on the juicy good books....

1) Favorite book and why? Well I can't pick just one because I like them all for different reasons. I tend to place my books in categories. So here are a few off the top of my head: Edge of Never Series by J.A. Redmerski because I've never cried so hard for a book character. It was such an amazing emotional ride. Underestimated by Jettie Woodruff because of what she endures for love...I can not wait for the next one to come out to finish this journey. Love Story-Rosemary Beach Series by Abbi Glines because I love the way they all connect to each other and my favorite will always be Rush and Blaire.
2) Favorite author and why ? Jettie Woodruff because I haven't read a bad plot yet.They all make you feel as if you are right there with them fighting the same battle in search of the one thing we all want...unconditional love. However, not only can she write but she's a real, down to earth person that really takes the time to interact with her fans.
3) Favorite book boyfriend and why? I'm sure most would choose those like Christian or Gideon with money and power. Now don't get me wrong all women like those things....BUT I'd prefer a man who is more concerned with showing his lover unconditional love and support like Professor Dean West from Spiral of Bliss Series by Nina Lane or Andrew Parrish from Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski. Now those were some hot men...........you can't tell me you all haven't pictured them over and over in your mind :)
4) What female character are you most like and why? Honestly, I've related to ALOT of them at different times in my life. But most recently I'd say it was Olivia West from Spiral of Bliss Series by Nina Lane because of her own personal struggles and those within her marriage.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Review of Finding Us (True Love #2) by Harper Bentley

SynopsisJag Jensen and Ellen Love had been best friends their whole lives until he turned thirteen and started noticing girls his own age, but that didn’t mean he stopped watching out for eleven-year-old Ellen. By his senior year in high school, baseball had taken the front seat in his life, with a scholarship to college and a pro career looming on the horizon, when sophomore Ellen caught his attention and they struck up their friendship again. Although Ellen wanted more, Jag didn’t want to drag her into what he knew would be a crazy life, but love has a way of deciding one’s future, and eventually they became a couple. Ellen followed him to California as he began his pro career, but his wild and hectic lifestyle screwed everything up. 

Now Jag is lost, realizing he’s never been without his best friend in his life. Learning to live without Ellen doesn’t settle well with him, so while trying to remain at the top of his career, he also wants to get his girl back, which proves to be more difficult than he thought it’d be. Will Ellen give him another chance or does that sort of thing only happen in the sappy romance novels she always used to read? Jag hopes she’s willing to try again as he puts his heart on the line for the woman he knows will always be his forever and a day.

This is the second book of the True Love Trilogy


4 Stars

First of all, if you have not read the first book, please do not read this review, as it may contain spoilers. This book continues the story of Ellen and Jag from Discovering Us, however, it is from Jag's POV. I love a good guy POV, so I enjoyed this book. It starts off very similarly to the first book in that Jag describes how he has known "El" since they were kids, but he points out how he doesn't necessarily remember every date like she does - their first Popsicle together, for instance. I got a few chuckles out of this because I could sort-of hear my husband when I read statements like that. He does catch us up on the fact that he has always cared deeply about her, however. His story moves along from childhood to their teen years a little more quickly, though, which I did appreciate. I don't really like reading the exact same story from a different POV - I want more, which is what he gives. Jag does talk a lot more about his hesitancy to be with El, physically, and it really made me appreciate their relationship more because it reiterates that theirs is not an "insta-love" or just a relationship based on sex. 

So, we basically get caught up to the present, which begins right after El leaves Jag when he tells her that they need a break. This, of course, happens after Jag attended an event for the commercials that he is shooting with lingerie model, Alessandra. At that event, Jag was basically told that he could not bring El with him and had to pretend to be with Alessandra, instead. This is after he had bought El this amazing dress and accessories and paid for her to get dolled up for the event. I think that every girl could feel her hurt and humiliation after that. We see from Jag's POV that he hated it as much as El, but he also sees it as something he has to do that should not effect his relationship with El. In his mind, he loves her, he wants to be with her, and she should stop being upset with him about it. After he storms off to cool down, however, and El leaves, he seems to begin to "get" it. 

Thus begins Jag's time to try to figure out how to win El back. He begins to open up to several team mates and talk with them about their relationships and experiences, which is truly comical, and he begins to get ideas. El remains pretty steadfast at first, and with Jag's ball schedule, it takes some time for him to get back to Chicago to see her. He does finally get through to her, and they have a very steamy make-up session. As with the first book, we then have several chapters where we see how much El and Jag love and care about one another and their families. Jag finally sees that El had given up a lot for him to follow his dream, so he becomes more supportive of her dreams, even though it means more distance for them between Chicago and California. Nothing good ever lasts for long for these two, however. Alessandra is not finished trying to come between them, and Jag continues to be that guy that doesn't realize how devious women can be! I began to get a little frustrated with him at this point. I really wanted him to completely ignore her and his agent, Dirk, yet he does not. 

This, sadly, leads us to the end of the book, which has these two at odds again. This time, however, El breaks up with Jag after getting some information that makes her very suspicious of Jag's actual relationship with Alessandra. Jag tries to talk with El but finally goes back home and begins another season of baseball. He hurts himself, causing El to contact him, but is Jag ready to take El back when she constantly shows him that she does not trust him? We don't know - another cliffhanger. Again, not my favorite tool for a book ending, but I will definitely be waiting for book three. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Review of Discovering Us (True Love #1) by Harper Bentley



Discovering Us (True Love, #1)
Synopsis: Ellen has loved Jagger since she was five and he was seven when they kissed through the chain link fence at school. She’s had their wedding planned since she was twelve and is ready for a happily ever after with him, but life just isn't that neat and tidy. Although they lost contact over the years, which broke her heart, during Jag's senior year in high school, sophomore Ellen catches his eye once again and their friendship is back on. When things between them gradually develop into something more, Ellen wants to give herself completely to Jag, but he’s not so sure he wants to risk their relationship in taking things to the next level. When Jag is drafted to the Dodgers as the hot, new pitcher of the team, Ellen decides to go with him, transferring colleges and leaving her friends and family behind. But things get more and more complicated when busy schedules, a slimy agent and a supermodel disrupt their lives, which makes Ellen question whether they’ll ever get their perfect forever.

This is the first book of the True Love Trilogy.


5 Angst-ridden Stars 

So, I came across this book back in December and immediately wanted to read it. I read reviews, however, and figured out that it had a cliffhanger, so I decided to wait. I am actually not a big fan of cliffhangers. I love a good series because I love to spend time with the characters and really get to know them, but cliffhangers drive me crazy! This is the type of book that is right up my alley, though – childhood friends that develop into high school sweethearts who then have to learn to navigate early adulthood to see if their love will actually make it. Enter Ellen “El” and Jagger Knox Jensen, also known as “Jag”. These two have known each other since Ellen was five and Jag was seven. Ellen is the youngest of four, with three older brothers, so she grows up being a bit of a tomboy. She runs, swims, skateboards and spits alongside Jag for most of their life. However, around the age of 11, she realizes that she is beginning to have different feelings about Jag. He’s not just her buddy anymore; he is the boy that she will marry someday. He, however, being two years older, is also starting to see girls in a different light. The only problem is that he doesn’t see Ellen in that same light – she is still his little buddy, but he doesn’t really have time for her anymore since there are so many other girls that he can chase after. As they get older, he becomes more handsome and popular, and he begins to make a name for himself in baseball. Ellen decides to live with her secret crush and move on with life as she enters high school. They go for five years – five years! – without talking.  

Life throws her another curveball (hey…I’m just going with the theme, here) when she is a Sophomore in high school and Jag is a Senior. He seems to finally see her again and wants to hang out with her. They begin as friends, with Ellen constantly getting flustered and ahead of herself. Example – she tries to tell him that something is super but also thinks of fun, so she tells him that it’s “fuper”. He just chuckles and moves on. He graduates and moves on to play baseball at college in a different state, but they continue seeing one another long distance. She then graduates and moves to college, as well, but they are still long distance. I want to point this out because this is actually something that I liked about Ellen. A lot of the female characters these days really seem to forget themselves or not take the time to figure out what they want. Ellen wants to work in Sports Medicine, and she finds a good program and pursues it at her choice of college, rather than following Jag. You go, Ellen! This does make for a difficult relationship, however, as their relationship grows more through phone conversations and text messages, which the author primarily just summarizes. Jag did always keep a physical distance between Ellen, however, that seemed to frustrate both of them, but this was addressed once he tasted a little bit of jealousy after seeing some pictures of her with a friend that also happened to be a boy. I also liked this part of the book because, as much as it might be fun to read at times – the dreaded insta-love and immediate physical connection – it is also refreshing to read about something that develops over time. Jag has spent most of his life caring for Ellen and protecting her, and he remains constant in that aspect and protects her from himself on an intimate level until they are both ready. When it happens, though, it is HOT.  

This leads us into the next phase of Ellen and Jag’s story – the Big Leagues. Jag gets drafter to a Major League Team. Ellen is, as always, very supportive and excited, but she is still frustrated at the continued distance in their relationship. At this point, her family and friends really rally around both of them. Her friend Rebecca encourages her to wait through his first year and then move out with him when he is “called up” to the actual team – The LA Dodgers. This is what Ellen does – she works hard to get ahead in her program at school and makes sure that she finds a program that is also well known in her field and gets everything transferred. Even with this, Ellen thought about her decision and talked with Jag, her friends and her family about this. It didn’t come across as rash. She made a decision that her program and her boyfriend were both equally important at this point, and she wanted the ability to invest in both. So things move forward and seem really good. Jag’s schedule is crazy, as he has Spring Training for six weeks, then constant games – both in and out of town. Ellen, meanwhile, starts at her new school, gets involved in her classes and even gets a job. She doesn’t just live off of Jag – she actually wants to be his partner and do her part – again, something that I like. She hits the first snag, however, when she meets one of their neighbors – Allesandra. Allesandra is a lingerie model who makes snarky comments about Jag helping her with her car at some point before Ellen made it to California. This seems to be where the crack in their foundation begins – if not with the crazy schedules that they already have. Ellen does not care for Allesandra and her Brazilian beauty, and she lets Jag know. Several months go by, and things still seem to be okay on the surface, but then comes the commercial. This is the commercial heard ‘round the world for their relationship. Jag signs a contract to film a commercial with Allesandra, which happens on the beach, so you can imagine what that looks like. Jag knows that Ellen does not care for Allesandra, so he, in my opinion, really downplays what happened in filming the commercial. I think that this was one of his big mistakes, however, Ellen keeps convincing herself and her friends and family that it doesn’t bother her as much as it really does. This is one of her big mistakes.  

Once the commercial airs, everything begins to unravel. Ellen has some, in my opinion, valid concerns about the commercial and what he did not share with her. He, however, does not seem to hear her. He basically just ignores her concerns and her hurt feelings, takes her to bed, and moves on. Then they find out that he has a continued commitment to filming additional commercials, as well as doing whatever the ad campaign asks of him. I don’t want to give too much away at this point, but this leads to the final chapter where Jag hurts Ellen on so many levels. First, he disregards how she feels about what is going on in their life. In reality, this is just the culmination of his having disregarded concerns that she has had for a while. He then breaks her heart – plain and simple. So, Ellen leaves and flies home, and that is where the first book ends. I waited until the second book was coming out to read this, and I am glad that I did. I would have been seriously pissed to get to that ending.

So, now that you’ve been introduced to Ellen and Jag, I will share one of my biggest complaints about this book - it is that it wasn’t long enough! Probably not a bad complaint to have, but I would have loved more stories of Ellen and Jag as they are growing up so that I really feel that I know them. As it is, I read this book so quickly and each chapter is just a snapshot of what they are going through. You go from Ellen being around age five in Chapter One to around age 23 by the end of the book, so it moves very quickly. I’ve pointed out several reasons why I love Ellen, though, so let me get to the good stuff. I love Jag. He is described as this amazingly attractive boy that gets better with age. Ellen talks about how manly he becomes, especially as he trains more and grows into being an actual adult. When I think of Jag, I think of that Aloe Blacc song “The Man”. It seems to fit Jag’s attitude and swagger. I really do believe that he loves Ellen, so I’m a little heartbroken right now, too. I’m not sure what happened with him, although, I always try to put a book into a real-life frame once I’ve finished reading it. I think that, between both of their schedules and his gaining notoriety as an athlete and a semi-celebrity, they are actually probably responding pretty realistically to outside pressure on their relationship. Does that make my heart any less for Ellen, though? No. Does that make Jag any less of an absolute jerk for not seeing what he has been doing to Ellen, not to mention the final straw? No. I can’t wait to read the second book. I have heard that it is from his point of view. I need to know what the crap is going on. Is it at all possible that he has let his new fame go to his head? I truly hope not.

Jess

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Review of Room for You (Cranberry Inn #1) by Beth Ehemann

SynopsisFour years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant.

I tried to pick up the pieces and glue them back together the best I knew how, but something was always missing.

A father for my two girls.

But then, Brody Murphy landed on my doorstep, literally. He was a carefree, playful hockey player who barged into my life and messed with my head. He left me more confused than I had ever been.

What if the one thing I thought I needed was the only thing holding me back?






4.5 Sweet Stars

This book was just really sweet. There was definitely heat between Brody and Kacie, but that was not the focus of the story. Kacie is a single mother of twin girls who, after several important men in her life have hurt her, has a difficult time trusting men. Her mother runs an inn, Cranberry Inn, where Brodie ends up during a storm. Brodie is a hockey player who has spent the majority of his life focused on perfecting his sport. These two come together, and even when they are not looking for love, they definitely catch each other's attention. 

A lot of the female characters these days tend to drive me crazy, and Kacie falls into this in some ways. Even though she knows that she cares about Brodie, she spends a majority of the book fighting against that and fighting for him. I try to take into consideration that she has been hurt, and she definitely has good reasons not to trust men. However, everyone in her life is asking, no begging, her to give him a chance. She has two amazing friends, Alexa and Lauren, who give her a hard time about this, yet, she continues to fight until the bitter end. 

Then, what happens when someone from the past makes another appearance. Not quite a cliffhanger, but pretty close, which is why I can't give it 5 stars...I really dislike cliffhangers these days. I very much enjoyed the characters, however, and their story is believable...it's not instalove. It takes both of them stepping out on a limb and trying to trust one another. 

Jess

Introduction - Jess

I've been a big reader pretty much my whole life. I remember having a Babysitter's Club book light that I would use to sneak and read at night when I was supposed to be in bed. I remember graduating from Babysitter's Club and Nancy Drew to authors like Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood because my mom also read those books. In the past several years, I have been amazed at the number of authors out there, especially the Indie authors that have really become more available with e-books. I remember reading Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire, and all of a sudden, my suggested reads had some really cool authors, such as Jessica Park, Colleen Hoover, K.A. Linde, etc. Then, in early 2012, I started hearing the name Christian Grey. Then, it was everywhere on Facebook. Even women that I never would have thought would read a book, period, much less a steamy book, were saying how amazing it was. So, I finally read it and couldn't agree more - I think many of us will always have love for Christian - DESPITE who was cast to play him in the movie. :) So, now, I typically read books in the New Adult Genre, Contemporary Romance, or Erotica. I'm a sucker for motorcycle club books and MMA fighter books. I came across Madeline Sheehan's books, and basically, if a synopsis tells me that this isn't for everyone, and it's gritty and raw, I'm on it! My favorite author is always kind of changing because there are so many talented authors out there right now. I think I like when authors push the boundaries - people like M. Robinson, Jettie Woodruff, Madeline Sheehan, and Aleatha Romig. If you can make me love a guy and want him to be my book boyfriend even though I should hate him, then my hat is off to you. So, here are a few questions that us ladies have come up with to give you a snapshot of some of us:
1. What is your favorite book, and why? For me, I think that my love of difficult men began with Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. For every difficult man that I read about, I think that I can always take it back to him.
2. Who is your favorite author, and why? Jamie McGuire because she wrote an amazing story that also opened me up to a new genre - New Adult - and she brought me into Indie authors (many of which are now published, by the way).
3. Who is your favorite book boyfriend, and why? Part of me wants to choose someone like Christian Grey, Gideon Cross, or even Tony Rawlings, in all his complicated glory - the rich, alpha guy, but then I recognize that I also like the sweet, sexy guy that might be a little bit musical and creative (much like my own husband), so I would have to go for Kellan Kyle from the Thoughtless series.
4. What female character am I most like, and why? I think that this one can change frequently, as I come across so many different books. Right off the top of my head, though, I'm immediately thinking of Mia Murphy. I came across this book recently about a married woman whose husband admits that he almost cheated on her with a random woman while he was away on a business trip. This book is called Man of My Dreams by Faith Andrews. I have not had that experience, but I found myself identifying so much with her and how she responded to the situation. I felt like it was actually pretty realistic, and she thought things through so similarly to how I do. So, I think it would be her - for now.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Book Boyfriend Lovers!

Hello fellow readers and book boyfriend lovers! For almost a year now, several of us ladies have gotten together each month to read and discuss books. We inevitably end up talking more about the men we love in the books than having a high school English class grading session. Recently, we have also begun to enjoy interacting with new authors who are so anxious to get their books out there. We figured that the next step was to start really taking the time to write about all of these books that we enjoy - and any interactions that we have with the authors. We are inspired by so many of the other amazing book blogs out there that we just want to share our love of reading, as well! Our group is comprised of several different ladies in different stages of life. Over the next several days, we will try to post a little about ourselves so that anyone interested can get to know us and learn what types of books we love (the steamier, the better). Some of us have always been big readers while some of us began to realize that books were actually fun once we heard the name "Christian Grey". Maybe you'll even hear about some of our crazy outings, such as visiting Brazilian Bikini, which might mean something to some of you out there. Next stop, possibly a tattoo...who knows when you pair up some sassy, southern women!