Review: Stealing Harper By Molly McAdams

This is Chase's POV from Taking Chances.

Chase Grayson has never been interested in having a relationship that lasts longer than it takes for him and his date to get dressed again. But then he stumbles into a gray-eyed girl whose innocence pours off her, and everything changes. From the minute Harper opens her mouth to let him know just how much he disgusts her, he's hooked.

But a princess deserves a Prince Charming who can make her dreams come true. Not a guy who can turn her life into a nightmare.

All good intentions go out the window when Harper starts to fall for the guy Chase has come to view as a brother. He wanted to protect her by keeping her away, but he can't stand to see her with anyone else, and he'll do anything to make her his. But when it comes down to Harper choosing between the two, will Chase have the strength to step back from the girl who has become his whole world if it means she's happy?

Lines will be crossed. Friendships will be put to the test. And hearts will be shattered.

CAUTION: DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ TAKING CHANCES

If you read my review of Taking Chances or hell even if you had any contact with me for about a week after reading it you know, you know how much that book DESTROYED me.  I cried for days, I cried while writing my review, I cried so much my eyes stayed red.  I cursed my book bestie Gabrielle for having me read the book while at the same time loving her for bullying me into reading it.   I wanted to send Molly McAdams a bill for therapy and tissues.  I wanted to have Chase for myself.

So I am sure you are all asking yourselves why in the hell did you read Stealing Harper Janna when you knew what would happen and how upset you were before.  I will tell you why.  I needed Chase’s POV, I needed to see inside his mind and heart to see if all the love I had for him in Taking Chances would be the same in Stealing Harper. I can safely say that no my love for Chase isn’t the same, it is more intense.  I love him even more after reading his POV.

Chase knew he had screwed up when he pushed Harper into Brandon’s life, but he never expected for it to destroy him as much as it did just seeing her with his best friend.  He fought the attraction, he tried to just be friends, but when you are so deeply in love with someone staying away isn’t always easy.  He broke my heart more than once because he just wanted Harper to take a chance on him so he could prove that she was his one and only once and for all.  When we read the events leading up to the end of the book, you feel the anxiety forming because you know what is about to happen and you can’t stop it no matter how hard you wish the words you are about to read weren’t true.  Awe hell I have tears in my eyes again just thinking about it.

Now I am taking a text that I had with my book bestie and this should kind of hint at what I feel for Harper, I wasn’t a huge fan of her in Taking Chances but in Stealing Harper she made me hate her for how much pain she put Chase through.  Okay so here is what I said “I want to do a combo vag kick throat punch bitch slap to Harper”.  Yep that basically sums up how I feel.

I have cried before with books, I am an emotional person so I feel harder than some people might.  Taking Chances and Stealing Harper are books I will never forget.  They will hold a special place in my heart because they made me feel so many emotions so deeply that they imprinted into my heart and soul.  I am looking forward to reading Trusting Liam because I just know that it will be just as amazing as the first two books.  Molly McAdams you have shredded my heart, caused me to go through boxes, yes boxes of tissues, and you have a way to make something that is so painful still be beautiful and moving to your readers.

Amazon

Blog Tour: Presently Perfect By: Alison G. Bailey

Perfection is an illusion fueled by the perception of others.

****

Tweet was my heart, my soul, and my purpose.

She was my everything.

Neither of us were perfect. We both made mistakes. Looking back, that was okay, because every choice brought us to where we needed to be at the time we needed to be there. The one constant, our love and friendship.

There are two sides to every story and I wouldn’t trade our sides for anything in the world.

First let me start off by saying please read Present Perfect before reading Presently Perfect.  You will have a much better understanding even though this is in Noah’s POV, having Amanda/Tweet’s POV first makes this so much more meaningful.  Secondly make sure you have boxes of tissues close by, I am still contemplating sending Ms. Bailey my bill for Puffs after reading this book.

This has to be one of top reads for 2014.  I fell in love with Tweet and Noah in Present Perfect, but have given my undying affection and love for these two after Presently Perfect.  As I stated above this is in Noah’s POV and while we do reread some scenes we have read before they are still different because being able to finally see and feel what Noah was during everything that goes on makes it all that much more emotional.  Now were there times when I wanted to slap the ever loving shit out of Noah, yes there was.  Can I just ask this: What the hell was up with the B squad, aka Beth, Brittani, and Brooke I was beginning to wonder if he had some sort of fetish with sluts whose names start with the letter B.

Anyways, I shall move on.  Noah while he may have been with someone he never lost what he felt for his Tweet, and he suffered just as much emotionally as she did when she would push him away.  His reaction to when he finds out about Tweet being sick had me crying massive ugly tears because I could feel his pain.  I cried a lot during this book, just like I did in Present Perfect, but I think I cried more this time around. 

I could go on and on about how angsty, heart wrenching, emotional and gut twisting Presently Perfect was, but what I want you to know is that it was a beautifully written story about two best friends whose lives are far from perfect but when you have something as special as Noah and Tweet have, then your life is perfect in its own way.  Alison G. Bailey has shredded me not once but twice with the story of Tweet and Noah’s journey to happiness, hell I have tears in my eyes while I am typing this review (more tissues needed again).   I will always remember both of these books for a very long time to come and they will hold a special place in my heart.

If you would like to read my review for Present Perfect here is the link:

http://www.mysecretromancebookreviews.com/2013/08/blog-tour-giveaway-present-perfect-by.html

Here's the GR link for Presently Perfect

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21588076-presently-perfect

AMAZON ** B&N

EXCERPT:

              I was standing one step below Tweet when she broke free from Brad, twisting her body in my direction. I let go of her other wrist and caught her as she fell toward me. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I grabbed hold of her hips, trying to keep her steady.

Tweet’s head tilted back as she clung to me. “Look, Brad! It’s Noah! My Noah!” Her voice was ear-splittingly high. “He’s so sweet and sexy. He’s swexy. He licked my thigh under my parents’ dinner table.” She straightened her head, bringing her forehead to rest on mine. The look in her eyes had turned smoldering, her voice husky when she asked, “You remember licking me, Noah?”

We had a huge fight just a little over an hour ago and now she was completely wasted; her clothes were rumpled, she had pieces of sand stuck to her face, her hair was a tangled windblown mess, and she reeked of tequila and the ocean. But she was still the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes on. My expression teetered from snarling at the Smurffucker to wanting to smile at Tweet.

God, even drunk she’s adorable.

I was either the biggest idiot known to mankind or so beyond in love with this girl that all my common sense and self-preservation got obliterated when I was around her. My heart was pounding against my chest while the temperature in the room soared. The tension in my muscles was beginning to disappear and I was getting lost in teal eyes. I needed some distance.

My hands moved to Tweet’s shoulders and I helped her stand upright. “I’m taking you home.”

“But Brad was going to do some things to me on purpose. I don’t know what, but I’m having fun. Hey! You want to come with us?” she asked, hooking her arm around mine.

My gaze zeroed in on Brad glaring down at me, his jaw clenched tight. My priority was to get Tweet home safe. I’d deal with this asshole later.

I snaked my arm around Tweet’s waist and led her down the steps. She was abruptly yanked away from me. I whipped around and saw Brad clutching Tweet’s arm.

“Haven’t you done enough to her tonight? She’s having a great time with me, so get your fucking hands off of her,” he growled.

Tweet smiled up at him, then turned to me, and said, “I really am having fun. He’s not a Smurffucker at all.”

Glaring at Brad, I grabbed Tweet’s hand, and led her toward the front door. We had taken two steps when I felt her being tugged away from me again. I let go of her hand, walked over to Brad, and punched him in the stomach. His hand fell from Tweet as he doubled over and dropped to the floor. I picked up Tweet, tossed her over my shoulder, and finally headed out uninterrupted.

Just before reaching the front door Tweet grabbed the waistband of my pants, lifting herself up slightly, and yelled, “Bye-bye, Brad! Thanks! Maybe you can lick my thigh next time! Bye-bye!”

Once we were at my truck, I lowered Tweet off my shoulder until her feet touched the ground. Her eyes struggled to stay opened, losing the battle, right before she passed out. I wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her body against mine while I unlocked my truck. I placed her in the seat and leaned over to fasten her in. The click of the seatbelt caused her to stir. Reaching my hand up to her face, my thumb brushed away the dusting of sand that clung to her cheek.

Her eyes stayed closed as a lazy grin slowly appeared across her pink lips. “Mmmm…,” she moaned. “Noah.” She sounded breathy.

“Yeah, Tweet?”

“You’re my knight in plastic armor.”

A slight chuckle escaped me as I remembered our Halloween costumes from when we were six years old.

“You always take care of me and make sure I have candy,” she said, her voice trailing off.

I stared at her for several seconds, simply enjoying the view. As I inched away from her, she shifted in the seat.

Another slight moan flowed over her lips, and she whispered, “I love you Noah.”

I knew she wouldn’t remember saying those words to me tomorrow, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that counted was that for the first time she let go of her heart, her head, and allowed herself to love me. There was nothing better than when the girl of your dreams made all of yours come true. 

AUTHOR BIO:

Alison was born and raised in Charleston, SC.  She attended Winthrop University and graduated with a major in Theater.  While at school she began writing one-act plays, which she later produced. Her debut novel, Present Perfect, landed on Amazon's Best Seller List and appeared on many "Best Reads of 2013" Book Blogs. The novel won Best Book at the 2014 Indie Romance Convention Awards. The second book from The Perfect series, Past Imperfect, was published in February of 2014 and hit many Top 100 category lists on Amazon

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website - http://alisongbailey.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AlisonGBaileyAuthor

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7032185.Alison_G_Bailey

 Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlisonGBailey1

Instagram - http://instagram.com/alisongbailey

Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/alisongbailey/present-perfect-by-alison-g-bailey/

PURCHASE LINKS:

Present Perfect (Book #1)

Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/km2b3bn

B&N - http://tinyurl.com/ktg8fy3

Smashwords - http://tinyurl.com/lttkba4

Past Imperfect (Book #2)

Amazon - http://tinyurl.com/pumtvb8

B&N - http://tinyurl.com/oyvh4pm

Smashwords - http://tinyurl.com/ppptykv

Presently Perfect (Book #3)

​http://www.amazon.com/Presently-Perfect-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00QJ0RK6M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1417628155&sr=1-1&keywords=presently+perfect

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/presently-perfect-alison-g-bailey/1120852648?ean=2940149901920​

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ARC Review: Torture To Her Soul (Monster In His Eyes #2) by J.M. Darhower

If you have read Monster In His Eyes (which you need to read before reading Torture To Her Soul to fully understand the story) you know that Naz has a monster inside of him, one that has owned him for years, one that craved vengeance, needed retribution, and screamed for blood. The blood of those who took from him, and that blood he collects but at what price?

In the previous book we had Karissa’s POV, now we get to see Naz’s POV. We get to understand Naz and he is one complicated man. He is torn between the vengeance that he craves and the love of Karissa, who he knows hates him for his actions.

Naz’s knows that he should never have gotten involved with Karissa like he had, she was supposed to be part of his plan for retribution, part of the blood that he needed to shed, but he fell in love with her. He knows that she hates him, he deserves her hate but he can’t let her go. His very presence causes Karissa pain.

Is Naz a bad man, yes. Is he a good man, yes. Can you be a bad man and still be a good man? Yes you can and Naz proves it. While his actions and past may define who he is, he is also protective of Karissa and will do anything it takes to keep her from harm. His love for her is what makes him a good man at the same time it makes him a bad man as well. I know that may not make sense but, if you read both books in this series, it will. I would rather have a Naz at my back, knowing that while he should kill me he won’t because he loves me, than someone who may not ever physically hurt me but doesn’t love me either. Messed up thinking on my part? Yep I admit it, it is, but that still doesn’t change how I feel.

This book at times is slow, but that slow style is a journey that us readers need to take to get inside of Naz’s head and while we may not fully understand everything that Naz is, getting that insight into his soul makes a lot of his actions more forgivable.

I couldn’t wait for this book to be released, I had read Monster In His Eyes for the first time only a couple months ago and was anxious to see what would happen next and I was not disappointed. I think fans of the first book will love seeing Naz’s POV as much as I did.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Remy by Katy Evans

Remington “Riptide” Tate is one of the hottest underground fighters around.  There are sides to Remy that no one else but those closest to him knows.  He is black and he is blue.  He has one thing that he will fight for and do whatever it takes to protect, that being Brooke Dumas. 

In Real and Mine we got Brooke’s POV.  In Remy it is all in Remy’s POV.  We get too see what Remy was thinking, feeling, wanting and needing from the start. 

I absolutely loved Remy, more than the other books hands down.  I connected with Remy more than I have with Brooke.  Remy is more than just a fighter who is not only fighting in an underground MMA fight, he is fighting to stay Blue, fighting to prove to Brooke that she is the one thing in his life that means the most to him.  His music centers him, it is how he expresses himself to Brooke and tells her how he feels with songs. 

I loved seeing how from the moment he laid eyes on Brooke he knew she was the one he had to have.  Remy is omg sexy beyond words.  He is protective, sweet, caring, and sex on 2 legs and he only has eyes for Brooke.  Seeing the events that happened between him and Brooke in his POV made me love him even more than I did prior to reading Remy.  Remy deserves his happiness and he finally gets it with Brooke.

I am addicted to this series, each book is like a fix for my addiction.  I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series, like a drug addict is needing his next hit.  I hope that in the future books we will get more of Remy’s POV because I for one could not get enough of this sexy fighter.

During Real and Mine we got to meet Remy. He’s hot, he’s sexy, he’s fierce, he’ bipolar. We watch him when he’s high and when he’s low. We watch it all through Brooke’s eyes.

Now, we get the story from Remy. We get to see and hear what’s going on in Remy’s mind. How he feels, what he’s thinking, how he suffers. Finally. We get the other side of the story.

I was so excited to get this story. I wanted it. I wanted to read it. I wanted inside Remy’s head, and I got it.

It was fascinating to see all of this through Remy’s eyes. Hearing his thoughts, hearing how he was suffering for Brooke, for someone to love him, for someone to find him worthy. Hearing how he handled things and how he tried to keep calm added a new depth to the first two stories. It was also comforting to hear how Brook centered Remy and helped calm the voices, calm the “speedy” and help him through the black.

My only complaint is I didn’t get to hear everything I wanted. I felt there were some really important parts that were not covered in this book. There were pieces in the first two books that I wanted from Remy’s POV. How did he handle being apart from her? I wanted more from that.

I’m really glad I read Remy. It added some pieces of the puzzle and made a more complete picture.

EXCERPT:

“REMY! REMY! REMY! REMY!” people yell.

Their chants grow in intensity while her startled golden eyes devour me like I’m devouring her.

“You want more Remy?” the announcer happily asks the crowd. “All right then, people! Let’s bring out a worthier opponent for Remington Riptide Tate tonight!”

Hell, they can bring out anything they want, man or monster.

I’m so primed, I could take a couple at once.

In my peripherals, I’ve got her pinned down, nice and tight. In that frilly shirt. Those body-hugging pants. I’ve already cataloged her at about a 120 pounds and five feet seven, at least a head shorter than me. In my head, I’m already measuring her breasts in my hands and tasting her skin with my tongue. Suddenly, I notice she whispers something to her friend, rises to her feet, and takes off down the aisle.

Review: Leo's Chance by Mia Sheridan

The follow-up to Leo, the USA Today bestselling novel by Mia Sheridan.

Does everyone deserve a second chance? Even someone who lies and deceives to get it?

Do we all have a second chance coming? Even if we play a part in our own destruction?

How hard would you fight to have a second chance at love? A second chance at life? Another chance to tell your own story?

Every love story has two sides. Evie told hers. This time it's Leo's chance.

 

Purchase through AMAZON

Purchase through Barnes and Noble

This review is for the second book in the Sign of Love series. It may contain spoilers if you haven't read the first in this series, Leo. See my review for Leo here.

My Review:

I love a guy's POV story, and after falling for these characters in Leo, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I was not disappointed. This gave the background and insight into what the hell Leo was thinking in the first book. I love getting into a guy's mind to find out what he was thinking and why the heck he did those crazy things. Even though it is a guy's POV, be prepared for an emotional ride. You will go deeper into Leo and Evie's lives in foster care, and it is just heartbreaking at times. The things that the characters go through as children feel plucked out of real-life case file, and make you wish you could reach into the book and hug them tight.  A completely poignant representation of how poverty and instability affects children.

For the life of me, I couldn't understand why you WOULDN'T want to jump right into this book. I mean there were a lot of sketch situations and misunderstandings that happened between Leo and Evie. Sure, they worked their problems out, and Evie got over them, but as a skeptical reader I wanted to know what the heck the back story was. How could this guy get into some of these situations that looked pretty bad? ALL ANSWERED AND EXPLAINED. Congratulations Leo, you're off the hook for your wrong doings with me. You are forgiven.

I really liked Leo, but I think I liked this book even better. Of course it's because I'm a girl who loves all the details, clarity, and getting into a guy's head.

  

THIS IS ME. HAPPY.

But there is really so much more. The additional stories that are added in, are UGH, JUST AWESOME. After Leo's and Evie's first date, Leo heads to a bar to and makes friends with another person who is struggling with their own personal issues. As they talk about their problems they both find solace that things will be okay for them. Even though their encounter is brief, it is perfect execution for introspection. Two strangers helping each other in some way, completely by chance. It was perfection.

The shell story!! Wait for it people... you will LOVE IT! A new scene was added to the end of the penthouse scene! If Evie were real, I'd punch her in the arm for forgetting to tell us this story in the first book! LOVE.

You will get introduced to Leo's therapist, Dr. Fox, who he met in the hospital after his accident. It was cool to see Leo with a functioning male figure that was trying to help him make sense of what happened to him, and put the hurt behind him. In my mind, Dr. Fox was totally Robin Williams from Good Will Hunting. They have a touching relationship and you will really enjoy it as a reader.

OMG!!! LAUREN FREAKING CRAZY PANTS!!!! Aren't you DYING to know what the hell was up with that crazy scum of the earth?? Holy crap, it's crazier than you think. She is insane and there is a lot more behind the scenes that you'll find out about her.

Yeah, Lauren is nuts and must go away now. Buh bye.

In the first book I really didn't think about it much, but Leo really didn't appear have anyone to lean on. You find out that he really does have good friends that are looking out for him and keeping his best interests in mind. His secretary, Christine, is more like a big sister or aunt to him. His father's business partner, Preston, really respects him and is on his side.

 My only little complaint was that Leo really had Evie on a pedestal, and thought she was a saint. She's great, you're smitten, we get it. Get a grip Leo. He does go on and on about her. Some of his caveman possessiveness was a bit over the top at times. But just when I thought his behavior was beyond crazy, listening to his explanation totally made sense.

"I'm not really sure what that dynamic is between us, but it was always there growing up, and something about it always seemed to work for us, it would calm her and calm me. I had a need to be in control, and maybe she had a need to give someone else control. Whatever it was- it worked for us then, and I find myself reverting back to it now."  

Well, I REALLY liked this one folks. I think you will too if you are ready for a smart, introspective, emotional read that doesn't skimp on steamy scenes. It was different, and just what I was looking for.

"We didn't know how much love and forgiveness and understanding would be required to make it back on the path we were meant to be on, together. But what we did know was that we were here because we had both been willing to fight; to fight for each other, to fight for ourselves....love won"

 

Mia Sheridan was kind enough to answer some questions for us. After reading these emotional books, I had to pick the brain of the author who created these characters. Check out this independently published, USA Today best selling author's website HERE.

 Leo is the first book in the Sign of Love series. Tell us a little about where your inspiration for the story came from?

I sat down to write the story of Leo and Evie at the beginning of the year and although I had a really good feel for the characters I wanted to write about, I wasn't exactly sure where their story would go. One day I opened up Yahoo and there was a fun little article about "Your sex sign," or something along those lines. I read it and I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to take a character who had the main characteristic of one of the signs and have life throw something at him or her that would challenge that innate characteristic? What would that look like? How would they react? How would they fight to get back to the path they were meant to be on? I knew immediately that Jake was my Leo, my fierce and loyal lion. Their story took shape from there. 

Tell us what we should expect from the Sign of Love series.

Each book in the sign of love series will be a stand-alone with no cliffhanger. Originally, I intended on doing one for each sign… but I may mix a couple of the signs or do something different in a couple of them. We'll see. ;)  I probably won't do another pov book only because I rarely think it's very necessary. The reason I chose to do so with Leo was because Jake was keeping a secret throughout the story and I thought he exhibited some behavior that I was clear about, but that I thought could use some explanation in his own words. And there was really no way to do a dual pov in Leo without blatantly revealing what was actually going on. I wanted readers to know how he was struggling with his lie and how conflicted he was about who he was and who he wanted to be.

Leo was your debut novel. Tell us about that journey.

It took me about two months to write Leo. It will always be my most unique journey because I honestly was just writing it for myself. I sincerely didn't think more than a couple people and maybe my neighbors and husband would read it! If I knew then what I know now, or had any idea how many people would actually download it, I don't know if I'd have the courage to publish! I just look back at myself kind of like a country bumpkin, like "lalala, I'll just publish mah little book here." :D I didn't even know what a blogger was or a book tour, or anything really! I was completely clueless.

The hardest part for me is that doing something like this is WAY outside my comfort zone. I hate putting myself up in front of others, especially to be judged and reviewed! I shake like a leaf when I have to introduce myself in front of a group of ten people. I'm ridiculous that way. It's the part I struggle with the most – but in the end, it's probably good for me. Immersion therapy or something?

Thanks so much Mia! Congratulations on your success and I, along with many others, can't wait to read more from you in the future!

Follow Mia Sheridan on Facebook

Review: Call Me, Maybe by Liz Adams

Call Me, Maybe: Sexual Caresses at an Airport is a fun short story. Liz Adams has created a wonderful story that will ensnare you. You'll wonder about the interactions between two people attracted to each other. What draws them to each other? What makes them act they way they do? What makes them act on those desires? Even if they just met! This is a great story! While it is a short-story, it’s packed with some amazing passion.

This story was really different from any other I've read. While there's lots of passion and some hot groping, there's no sex. It's actually kind of funny when you think about it. The premise is original and the fact that the POV is the man's makes it that much more fun!

You should definitely pick this one up!