Review: Beneath the Burn by Pam Godwin

This story was good... Damn good, actually. This was my first Pam Godwin book, and after reading this story I think it's safe to say that it definitely won't be my last. Going into this book, I knew that I wanted dark... And while the dark element was involved, it was told in such an unexpected way. A little warning before starting this book: There are parts to this story that are hard to stomach- It contains explicit, graphic and violent scenes that hold nothing back, so it may not be for everyone. I on the other hand, love these type of stories so needless to say I was completely satisfied once I reached the last page.

Without giving too much away, I'll explain the background to this story a bit: The heroine Charlie and the hero Jay meet when they least expect it- Jay is the lead singer for The Burn, and he's lived a horrific childhood that in turn makes him cringe anytime someone tries to lay a finger on his skin. He's always tried to escape his pain with drugs and sex until one night he decides to try something different, leading him straight into Charlee's tattoo shop...

Now this isn't your typical romance novel... These two don't begin a relationship right after meeting like you would typically expect in any other story. Circumstances only led them away from each other for many years before these two ever get a chance to become something more. In the meantime though, their first impression of one another lingers with them through all their time apart which only ignites the flame that we all knew was burning...

The hero Jay is a broken man, to say the least. His only solace is his music... That is, until Charlee came along. No one has ever touched him or seen the scars on his back but one look into Charlee's blue eyes has him feeling things he's never felt before. The feeling makes him want to change and be a better man; Someone worthy of a woman like her. Unfortunately though, things aren't meant to be. Years of never once hearing or seeing Charlee again, he returns back to that same tattoo shop only to find out that Charlee is dead- Or so he thought...

As for the heroine Charlee... Man, I freaking loved her character. She's endured so much pain and torture but in turn, it only strengthened her. It seems her entire life was lived under Roy Oxford's thumb- A man whose so desperately in love with Charlee that he'll stop at nothing to make sure that she's only his. No matter how hard she tried, she's never been able to outrun him- After years of his abuse, she managed to free herself but only to be brought back to him many years later. Roy had managed to abduct her again the night she met Jay and the only thing she was left with was his memory.

Three years later...

She's once again escaped Roy's clutches, only this time she had the help of Nathan Winslow. He's an ex-marine and the brother of Noah, Charlee's loving boyfriend at the time of her abduction. Day in and day out, they're constantly on the run from Roy and his infinite amount of dirty connections... But things change in the most unexpected way when fate intervenes and Charlee meets Jay again.



By this time, Jay is a huge rock star. In his time away from Charlee, he spent every waking moment writing songs about her which in turn took his band to the top of the charts. Losing Charlee destroyed him and turned him to drugs and sex more than ever. Yet, once she comes back into his life his reason for living has given him a new purpose: And that's to stop at nothing to keep her safe at all costs.

I refuse to give anything else about this story away- You'll just have to read it for yourselves to find out what these two broken characters had to go through to finally reach their much deserved happily-ever-after. While reading this though, you're probably wondering if this book is another case of the whole "insta-love" theme... After-all, these two characters seem to feel things for one another after only one chance meeting. ...And while this story did feature a fast developing relationship, it just worked in this story. I honestly can't believe I'm even saying that, as I'm an avid hater of the whole "insta-love" theme in the first place, but something about how things all played out made this story all the more realistic. We're able to see that their one encounter is what helped them through some of the toughest parts of their lives away from one another, and gave them the will to fight the circumstances that threatened to consume them.

The chemistry between Charlee and Jay is so very strong- They've both endured very horrible pasts and each day is a struggle to overcome their demons. Charlee is scarred emotionally and her sexual life is fucked up, to say the least. She yearns for pain after being in the clutches of Roy's never-ending abuse, but Jay just can't bring himself to hurt her after losing her once before. How do two such damaged people make things work when one needed love and affection, while the other couldn't stand being touched?

"Life was jaded like that, throwing them together when he couldn’t tolerable affection and she was desperate for it." -Charlee


It was honestly so heartwarming to watch these two find support and healing in one another- It wasn't easy, but they were the only ones who understood each other's pain and both embraced the things that the other needed to heal... Even if those things pushed the boundaries of their own comfort zones.

Over-all, this story isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you can get past all the ugliness involved then you'll truly be able to see a beautiful story that involves both healing and surviving- It will capture you heart, touch you deeply and without a doubt stay with you for a long while.

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Worth the Chance by Vi Keeland

Vince “The Invincible” Stone, Vinnie to those who knew him before, has the biggest fight of his career ahead of him.  He needs to put all of his focus and concentration on training for his fight.  He knows that this is the chance to prove all those who ever doubted him wrong.  Vince doesn’t need to be wanting the sexy woman from his past, the one he walked away from 7 years ago, but he can’t stop what he feels for Liv. 

Liv has never forgotten about the boy who broke her heart, and she would know him anywhere.  What she doesn’t expect is having to interview him for her job and be thrust back into his life.  The more time she spends with Vinnie, the more the walls around her heart begin to crumble.  She knows that they have a chemistry that is unmatchable with anyone else. 

When Liv is given an assignment, the one that could give her the job she has always dreamed of, will she be able to keep her story from Vince or will she reveal the truth and possibly shatter his heart by doing so?  Can she open her heart to Vinnie again and possibly lose the one thing she has worked so hard for just to have that chance with Vinnie again?  When there are secrets in a relationship, those secrets and destroy everything once they are revealed.

Vinnie is omg let me grab my fire extinguisher smoking hot.  This is one sexy as hell MMA fighter and he knows his effect on women.  He has worked hard to prepare for this fight, he knows that it is his chance to prove that he has made it to all of those who ever doubted his skill.  He has been training with Nico and is more than ready to get in the ring and win this fight.  He has had a shit life growing up with his addict mother, she just continues to pull him into her troubles and because he is a good son he is always there to help put back the pieces.  I think I seriously fell in love with Vinnie, he is the ultimate bad boy.  He is dominant, sex on 2 legs, protective, a MMA fighter, but he is also the guy that didn’t want to hurt the one person he cared about, Liv.

Liv has wanted this job with the paper she is interning for since she was little, this is her dream job.  She has always wanted to be a writer.  When she first runs back into Vinnie she really doesn’t want anything to do with the guy the broke her heart back in high school but she knows that she has to do the assignment to be in the running for the position that will open after the internship is completed.  When she is given an additional assignment regarding Vinnie you could almost see the train wreck begin to happen.  I felt for her, she was torn between the job she has always dreamed of and the one man that owns her heart.  I just kept saying to myself “don’t do it Liv, do not keep this from him”, but did they book listen to me?  Nope.  And what of course happens?  The secrets are revealed, trust and hearts are broken, and stupid decisions are made all in anger.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Liv and Vinnie.  He was the bad boy to her good girl.  He knew Liv was special all those years ago and didn’t want to hurt her but unfortunately he does anyways.  I liked how Liv didn’t just fall down at his feet the first time they see each other again, she made him work his way past her walls and into her life.  Having Nico as his trainer was perfect because you got to see more of Nico and Elle’s relationship in this book. 

This MMA fighter series is one that has me hooked, Worth The Fight started my love for this series but Worth The Chance has cemented my love for these fighters.  Vi Keeland has me drooling over these fighters, I am addicted and want more.  This is a definite must read, this book is smoking hot so be prepared incase your e-reader catches fire when reading about the sexy as sin Vince “The Invincible” Stone.

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Worth-The-Chance-Vi-Keeland/dp/1494931451/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392599494&sr=8-1&keywords=worth+the+chance

OMG! Vi Keeland has done it again!

Worth the Chance is an emotional roller coaster that will have you laughing, crying, and screaming at your kindle.  It’s wonderful. It’s beautiful. It’s OMFG HOTTER THAN HELL!!

Vince and Liv had a special connection in high school. Then he broke her heart. Now she has to write a story about him and they’re going at it again. This time though, Vince is in it to win it. The question is, can he convince Liv he won’t rip her heart out again?

I love the whole reunion/friends to lovers aspect of this story. We all have that one crush that got away or broke our heart. Live having the chance to do it all again, but as woman instead of a girl is awesome. Add in to the fact that bad-boy Vince is now hotter than hell and still a bad-boy, albeit a little bit tamer. Well….maybe not, but he’s all grown up.

Live and Vince make a dynamic couple. Vince is amazing. He’s honest, up front and unapologetic about any of it. He’s straightforward and doesn’t make excuses. I love it! He has no secrets. I LOVE that!

Liv doesn’t have any secrets either. At least, not until her boss wants her to do an expose on him. Then, she keeps things from him. But she does it out of love. She wants to protect him. He’s never had anyone to protect him, fight for him. She wants to do that for him. But, as we all know, secrets come back to bite us in the ass and Liv is no different. Her secrets come back to bite her. And Vince is furious!

The ending was amazing. I loved it. I couldn’t have imagined a better ending. It was sweet, tender, and down to the wire. It couldn’t have happened any other way.

I really enjoyed having Elle and Nico in the story. After getting to know them in Worth the Fight, I was so happy to see them again. It was like running into old friends and catching up.

I can’t wait for Worth Forgiving. I know it will be explosive, heart wrenching and hot hot hot!  July can’t get here soon enough!

About the Author

Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work.  She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!

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Review: Perilous Promises by Christi Williams

Perilous Promises tells the story of a woman who has gone through so much. She’s survived cancer, fought her way back to health, finished her degree and found a job she loves.

I really wanted to like Perilous Promises. I have some things in common with Perris and thought it would appeal to me. However, it just didn’t work that way.

I found I didn’t like Perris. She was selfish and didn’t think of how her behavior affected others. She was completely self-absorbed. She has all these people around her who love her, care about her. All they want is to help take care of her and be there for her. Instead of embracing that, she acts like a spoiled brat! I will admit her ex-husband did get a bit overbearing, but in all honesty, I felt he was justified. She didn’t act like the threat to her was serious, or at least she didn’t take it seriously. Her ex-husband, Noah, just did what was needed to keep her safe. I guess in Perris’ mind it made her weak to need others. In reality that is just make her stupid and selfish.  Perris was constantly mad about the way others were taking over her life. If she had been mature enough she would have realized that others were stepping in without asking because of the way she was acting. It never occurred to her that she was the problem, not them. Asking for help, accepting help, does not make you weak. It just means you’re strong enough to realize you need help from those who love you.

Noah was a saint, at least in my mind. He tried to so hard to be what she needed. He did what he needed to protect her from the threat and put up with so much of her BS. He was willing to bend to her will in order to love her and have her. I loved Noah. We should all be so lucky as to have a Noah in our lives!

One of the things that really frustrated me about their entire reunion was the lack of communication from Perris. She never explained to Noah why their marriage fell apart. He asked, multiple times. She avoided the answer. She never gave him the answer he needed. It irritated me that he would go back to her without ever getting that answer. He has his suppositions but never got an answer. I was also frustrated because Noah was scared in their relationship. He wasn’t himself. He changed for her. He was hesitant to be himself with her. He was afraid of making a wrong move and having her leave him again. This doesn’t make for a good relationship. It will only lead to problems and more heartache down the road.

Love is about accepting people the way they are, not asking them to change for you. Perris wanted Noah to change. Noah loved Perris so much, he was willing to change for her. Perris wanted everything her way and didn’t really compromise. It was definitely a one-sided relationship.

So, while I definitely liked the concept, the tension of the threat against Perris and Noah, I just couldn’t get past Perris.

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Review: Heaven's Sinners by Bella Jewel

Everyone has a past.

Everyone has someone they loved and lost.

What if the person you loved and lost is back in your life?

How do you get past the hurt to find that love again?

Ciara and Spike have one of the hardest, most difficult pasts ever. Many years ago they were best friends. They both wanted the other but were too afraid to act on it. Then Ciara’s sister, Cheyenne, decided she wanted Spike. Now, Cheyenne is dead, Spike and Ciara hate each other, and the drama continues.

This story killed me. I cried through nearly the entire thing. Ciara and Spike just kept hurting each other. They couldn’t stop! I wanted to hit them both upside the head. Just when they would start to make progress, one of them would say something stupid and mess it all up again.

I do love how Ciara handled Spike on several occasions. Instead of running, she faced him head on with a smile on her face. It left Spike reeling, not knowing what was going on.

Once Spike and Ciara finally got together it was great. Spike held nothing back and Ciara gave as good as she got. It was intense. The whole story is intense. It’s full of heart-ache, mistakes, forgiveness, and moving forward. It takes a lot of courage and a big heart to be able to forgive someone. To be able to move past the things Ciara and Spike did to each other is phenomenal.

In case you’re wondering why he’s called Spike, you’ll have to read to find out. I guarantee you’ll be left with your mouth hanging open. I know mine was.

Ciara also manages to make friends with one of the guys in Spike’s MC, Muff. He was a great secondary character and I’m really hoping he gets his own story. He was a riot!

Of course we still see Addi and Cade in this one. I love seeing the past couples in series show up again. They’re not just secondary characters that make an appearance, they have a significant role in this story and I like it. I like knowing they were left behind in their own story. I like that they continue to live on in the following stories.

I only have one complaint about this story. The level of cussing went up dramatically. I don’t remember it bothering me in the first one. But this one, it feels like every other word was the f-bomb. Cussing in stories doesn’t usually bother me, but at one point I had to put the book down because it was just too much.

We have what appears to be a resolution to the problem Spike had. We don’t know for certain, just an assumption on the part of the MC Club. We’re left with them working on finding out for certain. No big cliffhanger, just a little uncertainty. We also leave Ciara and Spike with the HEA. Even though they’re big bad bikers, and they’ve done some pretty crappy things in their lives, you still love them. You still want them to have the HEA. They’re completely heartless. In fact, they almost seem….normal.

I’m thrilled to say I have the next one in the series in my hot little hands. I’ve moved on to Knight’s Sinner and I must say, it’s starting off with a bang.

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Review: Wilde Nights in Paradise by Tonya Burrows

When Libby Pruitt gets a stalker, her dad hires the only man he trusts with her safety, Jude Wilde. The problem? Jude Wilde shattered Libby’s heart eight years ago. Now they have to hide out with each other until her stalker is caught.

Jude and Libby both still love each other. The problem is whether or not they can work through past hurts to find each other again. Meanwhile, Jude has to keep Libby alive.

Jude and Libby’s chemistry is explosive. Their history only makes it more explosive. There’s not much tension from the stalker. I would have liked the tension to have been ratcheted up a bit more. I like lots of tension in my books.

The ending was pretty good. I liked how the stalker was revealed. It wasn’t who I expected. I suspected someone else, so I was surprised with that reveal.

The resolution between Jude and Libby was good. Jude finally got some closure to his long harbored secret. Libby finally found out what happened eight years ago. The boy got the girl. I like HEA’s.