Blog Tour: Chasing Dreams by Nicole Edwards

Nicole Edwards has done it again! Chasing Dreams is a fabulous beginning to another wonderful series! I’m so looking forward to reading more about Devil’s Bend!

Chasing Dreams has a slightly different feel to it than other books by Nicole Edwards.  It’s still hot, steamy and filled with hot Texas cowboys, but it’s more.

Club Destiny and Alluring Indulgences are stories about family and finding love. Chasing Dreams is about finding yourself, following your dreams. Finding love along the way just makes it all that much better. While Nicole doesn’t classify Chasing Dreams as erotica, it’s still very, very hot! There are some scenes in there that will make your ereader catch on fire! The heat factor did NOT die down in this one!

Cooper Krenshaw is a famous country singer. He’s left the stage and is looking for some peace and quiet. He comes to Devil’s Bend to meet up with his college friend Adam. When he meets Tessa, Adam’s sister, he falls head over heels in love with her.

Tessa has demons from her past. She’s scared, cautious and feels unworthy. Cooper changes all that. Unfortunately between her past and his present colliding, they may never make to happily ever after.

Cooper was perfect! Well, almost perfect. He has enough flaws to make him perfect. Tessa was perfect too. She has demons from her past and they sometimes control her, but she was willing to give Cooper a chance. That’s all that matters. The chance.

Now, I will admit, there were some moments where I got frustrated with both Cooper and Tessa. But then, that’s real life right? We get frustrated with people. I think that’s what made these characters so appealing. While they seemed perfect on so many levels, they still had flaws.

There was a very nice set up for the next book in the series. At least I hope it was! I know who I’d like to see get together next. I just hope I’m right!

Find it on GoodReads! 

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Lily of the Springs by Carole Bellacera

The hardest reviews to write are for the books that hit me the deepest, the ones I love the most. Let me tell you, this review took me weeks to write! I couldn't get my thoughts together on it or decide which part to review. This definitely was the hardest review to wrote to date. So here goes....

"I knew my marriage was in trouble the night my husband brought home a streetwalker to teach me how to satisfy him."

Once I read that line, I was hooked. Just by that one line, I knew I was going to be on a rough and stormy ride of emotions that would pull me in opposite directions the entire time. And I was right. Those words hit me with such force I swear I could hear and feel what the heroine felt.

It also happens to be the first line in the book.

Lily of the Springs isn't my typical read. I usually read heavy romance books. Occasionally I'll branch out to other genres, but any book I read must keep me enthralled in order for me to keep reading it...making me forget all those steamy love scenes I so very much look forward to. And this book did. I could not put it down! I loved every minute of it and if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. This is one of those books that captured my heart and will never let go...and I don't want it to. I simply loved it and didn't want it to end. Just thinking about this book brings a bittersweet smile to my face.

Carole Bellacera takes the reader back in time as the story takes place over the course of three decades- the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. The story starts off in Kentucky and travels through the mid-west as the story unfolds. The story follows Lily as she searches for independence and love- not only from her husband but from herself as well. All the while Carole does an excellent job of describing the settings as the story develops. She pulls the reader back in time. I felt as if I lived through that time period. While there were a few words that I had never heard before, I found her overall choice of words to be right on point.

Lily falls in love with her high school sweetheart and plans to get married. The young couple was very much in love. They agreed to give themselves to each other until one night Lily’s boyfriend didn't want to wait anymore. So he sought out someone else, devastating Lily. After finding out what happened, a heartbroken Lily turned to a childhood friend. It's been years since she's spoken with him…after all, she was not allowed to speak with him. He's the one friend from long ago who she connected with during her childhood years in Kentucky, Jake.

Jake is the stereotypical white trash boy of the town. The kind of bad boy you want your daughter to stay away from. He comes from a bitter family. He's learned from watching the actions of his abusive father. He does what he wants when he wants. It's his way or the highway. When he sees Lily walking down the street, he wants her. Which isn't a problem for him since Lily goes willingly and openly into his arms. One night of passion turns into a secret romantic relationship that grows hot and sexy, until shocking news sets their fate in motion…news that Lily thought Jake would be happy with but clearly wasn't.

What Jake attempted nearly gave me a panic attack. I really believed Jake would have been happy with the news, but he wasn't. In a way I was glad he didn't accept the news with happiness. It would have been too easy....

"You made your bed, now you have to sleep in it," is what Lily's mother told her. And she does, trying to make the best of her marriage to an alcoholic and abusive husband. Jake was abusive on all levels- physically, emotionally and verbally, and Lily took it all. Yet she forgave him many times for his actions. Lily loved Jake and did whatever he needed, being a dutiful wife for many long years. I truly believe Jake loved Lily at times. I think you would too if you read it even though he was abusive. I know it doesn't make sense but you have to read it to understand.

Unfortunately, Lily doesn't get much in return in the form of a loving and caring husband. Instead of flowers and chocolates, she gets fists flying into her head and verbal degradations spewing from Jake's lips. He oftentimes would embarrass her, sometimes in situations with other women who he obviously lusted for. It's not what she thought her marriage would be. She often wondered what marriage would have been like if she married her high school sweetheart instead....

Even though there were years of deceit and abuse, there were good times too for Jake and Lily. I found myself rooting for Jake plenty of times, thinking he'd really changed. There were times when Jake would really impress me. But the straw that broke the camel’s back was a long time coming. Lily finally snapped. She lasted way longer than I would have, but it was different during those times so I understood why she did. I was in a state of shock when I found out what Jake did. I mean...I expected some form of it but I didn't want to accept it. Carole Bellacera kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time so when I found out what Jake did, I was like, oh hell no!

This review could go on and on but I'm going to stop now. There is so much that happens that I don't want to give it away. There were so many turn of events in this book...never a dull moment....I can assure you that!

I feel like this book is somewhat personal to the author....it's just a feeling I have. I could be wrong but I don't think I am. Every once in a while I'll read a book where I get this feeling, like it's reaching out to me, letting me know these are real words form a real person. A fictional story yet underneath the lining is the true life of a real person. I strongly believe there is truth in this story somewhere for the author.

This story does have a happily ever after, in case you're wondering. Yes romantically....and in other ways too. Lily was pushed down so many times but she never gave up. She was fighter, a soldier. She did what she had to do and in the end it paid off for her. Its funny how things come full circle... you get what you deserve in the end. I have always believed in karma and this novel just goes to show that it.

Lily of the Springs is the kind of book I love the most. The one I look for and have the hardest time finding. The kind that really get down in the bones, take root and never let go.

Every once in a while, a song will play that makes me think of a book. This time it was Carrie Underwood's, So Small. I have played that song so many times since reading this book. Perfect.

Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

3.5 stars 

Charity was hired to help bring more business to Fool's Gold- and more men. Yes, she was hired to bring more men to the small town since there were only two (I think) in the entire town and the rest were woman. I thought this was a little ridiculous. Really? There is a man drought so you hire someone to lure them to the cozy quaint town? Come on. That part was so hard for me to get past. Honestly, does that ever happen? No. Anyway, in her search for more businesses and more men, Charity meets the people of Fool's Gold and falls in love with them and the town. Having always been on the go as a child, she was ready to buy a home and establish some roots. 

Along the way, she casually dates one man but has feelings for another. Josh Golden is a famous cyclist that competed twice in the Tour de France along side Lance Armstrong. He has numerous sports endorsements and woman begging to be with him. Josh retired early from cycling after watching one of his teammates die during a race, which he blames himself for. Since then he has not been able to race. Josh has been divorced for a few years now and has had a bit of a dry spell until Charity arrives in Fool's Gold. Now he only has eyes for her.

The beginning of this book was bland...nothing really that special. About a little more than half way through it gets a bit more interesting and finally picks up. We meet people from the small town, a secret is revealed and a sports hero makes his comeback. I will say that even though this book didn't WOW me, I will be reading the next one.

This is my first read by this author. This book wasn't that great but at the same time I couldn't stop reading it. I know, it makes no sense. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the story moved so I wanted to know more but I didn't feel any real connection between the characters. They are likeable characters no doubt and I do plan to read the next book to find out about Ethan. I also think the book needed more romance scenes, but hey, I'm a romance junkie. What do you expect?

Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr

Amazon link- Angel's Peak

This is my first novel by Robyn Carr, and also the 10th in the series. It is completely out of the norm for me to read out of order. In fact, I preach quite often how important it is to read the books in order. With that being said, I just could not help myself when I saw the theme for this book, which happens to be a favorite of mine-rekindled love.

I was immediately hooked on Robyn Carr's writing. She definitely has a way with words and I can see why so many people like her Virgin River series. She finds a way to make the story feel real, as if you've known these people your whole life. She brought real life situations to fictional Virgin River. For instance, divorce doesn't happened often in books and if it does, it isn't spoken of all that much. At least not of what I read, but I could be wrong. Aiden, one of the brothers, went through a divorce (probably in one of the books I missed), and it was spoken of. I liked that. Not the divorce, of course, the real life issue there. It made me want to know more about Aiden and find out what happened. I also met a woman named Ellie, who had an extremely hard life. She grew up dirt poor and having to struggle to make ends meet at a very young age. She was also known as the town drunk before getting her act together. I'm guessing that happened in the prior books as well. Then there was Art. An adult with a learning disability that the family calls one of their own. I have never read that ever in a book before and I really enjoyed it. It's a look into the life of how people with a disability view things. It was very interesting. I came to enjoy Art a lot and looked forward to seeing him on the pages. He wasn't there too much, but enough for him to attach himself to me. I nearly broke down into tears at the end when something near tragic happens to him.

I enjoy this book for the most part. The problem I have with it is that the story lost it's focus from Sean and Francine, who are suppose to be the main characters. The first half of the book was great! It was all Sean, Francine and Rosie trying to work things out after Sean just found out about his daughter. There was a small side story involving Luke and Shelby that wasn't too much just yet. Then Ellie and Noah appeared, and further down the road George and Maureen appeared as well. There were just too many romances going on in one book. I truly felt George and Maureen's relationship was pushed. I found myself skimming through the book once I hit about 80% and couldn't wait for it to be over. I was upset at that point. I was enjoying this book very much until all these characters and their stories were brought on to the pages.

My biggest concern was that I was going to be lost with this story since it is the tenth book in the series. I am happy to say that this can be read as a stand alone book. I find myself extremely eager to read this series from the beginning. I know I am going to fall in love with this small town like everyone else has. The way the author describes this town makes me want to pack up my family and move there.

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

4 Stars!
Amazon link- Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas

*Reviewed by Alyssa*

To sum it up: Liberty Jones has dreams and determination that will take her far away from Welcome, Texas- if she can keep her wild heart from ruling her mind. Hardy Cates sees Liberty as completely off-limits. His own ambitions are bigger than Welcome, and Liberty Jones is a complication he doesn't need. But something magical and potent draws them to each other, in a dangerous attraction that is stronger than both of them.

When Hardy leaves town to pursue his plans, Liberty finds herself alone with a young sister to raise. Soon Liberty finds herself under the spell of a billionaire tycoon- a Sugar Daddy, one might say. But the relationship goes deeper than people think, and Liberty begins to discover secrets about her own family's past.

Two men. One woman. A choice that can make her or break her. A woman you'll root for every step of the way. A love story you'll never forget...


This was my first Lisa Kleypas book, and let me just say- it won't be my last! I was thoroughly impressed with her writing style, and she truly did write a beautiful story when she wrote Sugar Daddy... note that I said story... not LOVE story. Sure, the book might have revolved around her love for a man that she's never been able to have, but I just didn't feel like I got heavily into the romance aspect until I was a little more than half-way through the book. The first half of the book walks us through the heroine's life during adolescence. However, the romance and conflict that took place during the last half of the book seemed a little too rushed for my taste. The scenes between Hardy and Liberty were few and far between, unfortunately. I just couldn't help but feeling not only disappointed, but a little frustrated that so little of the book involved the two of them together. As for Gage and Liberty's relationship, I just felt that there love story should have been longer and more detailed. When Gage first meets Liberty, he absolutely can't stand the sight of her- yet after only a few pages or so later, his feelings have magically changed, and now he's in love with her. It just seemed as if there feelings for each other were nothing stronger than lust. Everything about their relationship just seemed to fall into place too quickly, and too nicely wrapped up, if you know what I mean.

This book just wasn't so heavy a romance novel, as it was just a good old-fashioned story. And unfortunately for me, that's enough to take away some stars. One thing about this book that seemed a bit too over-the-top, is how descriptive everything was. And I mean EVERYTHING. From the inside decor of a fancy restaurant, to a cashmere throw- it just got to be a little too much, and I found myself wanting to skim through quite a bit, just to get back to the main story-line. To be fair, maybe that's one thing fans of Lisa Kleypas love about her writing- for me though, it just became over-bearing.

Hardy was put on such a high pedestal in this story, that I found it disappointing to see that he turned out to be much more absorbed in his business endeavors, than he was about Liberty. Let's just say that it was pretty obvious that Kleypas used this as an easy way out, in order to achieve that happy ending we all crave. After the amount of time that was invested into the whole Liberty and Hardy storyline, I couldn't help but feel a little cheated with how neatly packaged the story wrapped up. With that being said though... I can't wait to read Blue Eyed Devil- instead of only glimpses and a few short scenes involving Hardy, we get to read his entire story! ...*sigh*... I think that more than makes up for his lack of appearance in Sugar Daddy!

All-in-all, I felt that this book was more "chick-lit" than romance, considering that we really don't see the romance come into full effect until you're more than half-way through the book. I did still enjoy reading about Liberty's life journey, but let's face it: when you're an avid romance fan, it's a big bummer when you come to find out that it takes a backseat in the book. All of the negative criticism aside though, I still felt that this was a good read- it felt deeper than your average romance novel, even though at times, I was left wishing for a little more of this, and a little less of that. Regardless though, Lisa Kleypas has a gift for story-telling, whether it's filled with full-fledged romance or not.

Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley

4 Stars
Amazon link- Sweet Dreams

Two kinds of women get under your skin. The ones who do damage, they don't feel good there but once you're fuckin' stupid enough to let them in you got no choice but to take the time it takes to work them out. Then there are the ones who don't do damage, who feel good there, feed the muscle, the bone, the soul, not rip it or break it or burn it. The ones you don't wanna work out." -Tate


This book turned out to be surprisingly very good. Way better than I expected. There's enough emotion, heat, romance, surprises and suspense, to keep you so wrapped up you won't be able to put it down. Kristen Ashley can tell an awesome story and she will leave you wanting more. I was ready to delete it from my kindle at about 11% because I couldn't handle the editing, or lack thereof I should say, but I had to see what all the hype was about so I pushed through it all. And I am so glad I did.

If you have a problem with typos, then I would advise you not to read this book. It is filled to the rim with them. This woman is the queen of run on sentences, parenthesis, commas, colons, and any other punctuations you can think of. But despite all my complaints about the typos, and I had a lot of complaints, she makes up for it with Tate. What a yummy alpha male! If you're into a male who is an over the top alpha to the core, with a dirty smooth talking mouth, then this book is for you! I love my males to be big assholes, because under all that aggression and attitude is a soft teddy bear that knows how to work it just right. And let me tell you can Tate work it, baby! I'll be looking for more books by Kristen Ashley very soon.

Funny thing. I hardly noticed any typos in the hot steamy romance scenes she wrote...or maybe I was too distracted with Tate to notice them....


I actually called Amazon and questioned the lack of editing. I've never done that before, but I was so irritated with it that I had to open my mouth. Apparently, they had an updated version of it and I had them send it to my kindle. I'm so glad too, because I would like to reread this book again one day.