From the Wreckage (From the Wreckage #1) by Michele G. Miller

Blurb: “In a matter of minutes on a Friday night, I lost my school, my identity, the security of my first love, the personality of my sweet fearless brother, my best friend, my town, everything as I knew it. Everything changed.”

“Minutes – that’s all it takes to change your entire life. How do you deal with that?”

For high school senior Jules Blacklin surviving the storm is only the beginning. Faced with the new reality of her life, she must find a way to rise From The Wreckage and answer the question – how do you get back to normal, when everything that was normal is gone?

 

 

5 stars

I absolutely LOVED this story!  I only wish it was not a series.  Gosh it just made me feel so much!  Talk about intense.  My heart was beating hard throughout the entire book. 

The tornado was a great catalyst for the love story! I mean, wow, totally impressed with the writing.  The way the characters were changed and yet struggled to come back to a new normal was written brilliantly!

I could totally identify with their conflicted emotions.  I liked how mature they were, they realized that nothing is guaranteed and used that in a positive manner.  For instance when they realized their feelings for each other, they didn’t jump right in but both were open and honest with each other about why they felt this way and talked about if it was just because of the trauma they shared.  It added an additional layer to their already deep characters. 

And they didn’t leave the families out in the cold in this book either.  They were three dimensional characters, which I totally dug because most YA’s tend to forget to fully build the parents and siblings, instead choosing to put more into the MC in the book. Something I’m not really a fan of in this genre but I deal with it.  It was just nice to have a well rounded novel that was more than just your typical teenage romance.  

I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.  

Most Eligible Cowboy (Peach Valley #1) by Carly Morgan

Blurb: Can an ailing man’s ultimatum be Jackson and Maya’s greatest blessing?

Amateur photographer Maya Vance needed a do over after catching her husband of eight months cheating with her best friend. Her favorite aunt Patty provides just the escape. She’s recently opened a sixty-five acre bed and breakfast in her small town called the Palace in Peach Valley and asks Maya to take pictures for her marketing brochures.

Permanently unattached Jackson Bale was supposed to take over his family’s ranch, but his ailing father won’t hand over the reins until he proves he’s ready to settle down. His father has given him sixty days to find a woman and marry her or he’ll sell the ranch to some corporate big wigs that have been after the land for years.

Within hours of his father’s ultimatum, the whole town knows. Women he hasn’t heard from since high school start coming out of the woodwork, flaunting their feminine wiles in the hope of catching Peach Valley’s most eligible cowboy.

It isn’t until he meets the vibrant Maya Vance that he thinks marriage might be a possibility. But she’s heard of the ultimatum too and wants no part of it. Jackson isn’t to be deterred. Despite his father’s wishes and the land, he knows he’s met the love of his life and will do whatever it takes to win her over.

4 stars

This had tones of a christian romance but I don’t know that I would categorize it as one.  The romance itself was slow and I didn’t really feel the chemistry between them in all honesty.  The story itself was cute, simple and a quick read. 

I admired Jackson’s family loyalty and his openness to helping others.  He took his position as eldest very seriously and it showed in the book.  But I think in this story, Maya was the one who shined for me.  I don’t know why because Jackson had so many painful obstacles to navigate but I just didn’t connect with his character like I usually do.  Maya came across as more relatable to me I guess so I connected with her more and felt more for her. 

I felt the parental ultimatum was unnecessary and quite frankly a terrible burden to put on your eldest sons shoulders.  Especially with the heartbreak Jackson already had to endure in his love life.  Actually, I take that back. I think his parents were just just plain terrible. They tried to control a situation that is uncontrollable and attempted to use emotional blackmail and threats to get their way.  What a terrible example of a loving family IMO.  If I was in the position his father was in I would NEVER do to my kid what he did.  

While I enjoyed this story, I doubt I will be reading anymore in this series.  

Play With Me (Grover Beach Team #1) by Piper Shelly

Blurb: What if you had to do the one thing you hated most to get the guy you loved to notice you?

Ryan Hunter’s parties are legend. And tonight she’s going to be there.

Lisa Matthews anticipates the return of her best friend and only love since kindergarten from soccer camp. But when Tony finally shows up, his mind is more focused on another girl. And worse, she’s a soccer player. Fighting for the attention Lisa craves, she’s just a hairbreadth away from making a very stupid decision. But when extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, she’s prepared to play ball to get her man.

The tryouts are hell, the first match ends bloody, and the morning after the selection party she wakes up in the worst place possible—in the arms of the captain of the soccer team. The hottest guy in school… Ryan Hunter.

5 stars

This was a great YA story.  I loved how quickly we got to the reasons.  And how there was no long drawn out misunderstandings with regards to their feelings.  I mean, it was a little bit built up but for the most part the unrequited love wasn’t the main focus like I thought it was gonna be.  Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good unrequited love story but this one went a totally different direction and it was a nice change of pace for this genre.  

Ryan Hunter is seriously a smooth guy.  He didn’t try to pretend he didn’t care while at the same time he wasn’t like over the top about his feelings either.  When I usually read about popular guy’s in school trying to get with the girl they is usually very aggressive.  And Ryan wasn’t like that at all.  It was all just so natural, the way he treated her.  And the way he was there for her, helping her trying to get the guy without putting the moves on her.  It was nice, their chemistry felt real. 

She wasn’t in denial about her feelings either. We get to see her struggle with who she thinks she loves and her growing feelings for Ryan which made it more believable for me.   And the ending!  I did NOT see that coming.  Seriously a great novella. I’ll have to check out the others in this series as well. 

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Blurb: Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man in her room, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is certain, being married to one of the hottest rock stars on the planet is sure to be a wild ride.

 

5 stars

Dude!  I don’t know why but I loved this story!  Drunken marriage in Vegas doesn’t usually appeal to me but for some reasons these characters called out to me is a visceral way.  I believed it.  Their wanting to work out the marriage. It was odd that I felt this way because I was never one to dive head first into a nearly insta-love book.  But I loved it.

David was the tortured artist. Very classic character, and I really enjoyed watching his struggle with knowing his wife didn’t remember them getting married.  He seemed truly upset. I will say that his emotional immaturity got on my nerves a bit, but he seemed to be aware of it and actively trying to resolve his issues.  I liked how they got to know each other while not putting their very real chemistry on hold.  That was one of the good parts of their story, kinda just going with how they felt.  She was a little bit country, and he a little bit rock and roll.  And it fit.

I liked the fact that Evelyn didn’t remember getting married to him but still realized that there was something there worth trying for.  Most people would chalk that shit up to alcohol, but Ev felt for this person even though she didn’t remember him.  She felt bad for inadvertently hurting his feelings with her memory loss.  And she wanted to make sure he knew that it wasn’t intentional and she would try to not do it in the future.

And can I just say that while angry sex isn’t a turn on in the least, this author wrote it so well that I enjoyed reading about it.  The climax was trope but again, it just seemed to fit.  And I loved how slowly they got to know each other.  It made everything seem more realistic.  I am definitely going to be reading more in this series.

Dirty Little Mistake (Dirty #2) by Amber Rides

Blurb: At eighteen, Brenna Cooper turned her back on her boyfriend-hopping, drug-addicted mother. She fought her way from poverty and heartache into a life she’s proud to lead. Now twenty-two, Brenna has four years of hard work behind her and a bright future ahead of her. She’s careful and cautious and keeps her nose clean. Always. Or almost always anyway.

Five weeks ago, Brenna received some news that hit her hard and she slipped from the straight-and-narrow path.

It was just one mistake.
One party.
One too many shots of tequila.
One little one-night stand with her muscle-for-brains neighbor, Ian.
And it’s behind her.

Or it would be if it weren’t for the teeny, tiny matter of the positive pregnancy test.

Now, Brenna is terrified of following in her mother’s footsteps. She needs to tell Ian about the baby. Soon. And she needs help finding a way to do it.

Ridley James has a shady, crappy decision filled past. He’s the first to admit that the ages of thirteen to seventeen were nothing to be proud of. He bounced from foster home to foster home, girl to girl, and fake I.D. to fake I.D. Five years ago, though, his terminally ill aunt took him in and helped him turn his life around. Before she died, she made him promise a few things. Ridley would stay on the clean path she’d led him to. He’d stay out of trouble. Most importantly, though, he’d look out for her son – his cousin – Ian.

He was doing well.
Until he and Ian moved into his new house a month and half ago and they met his pretty, sweet – and drunk – neighbor.

Ridley knows his only choice is to pretend Brenna has no effect on him. Especially since she came flying out of Ian’s room the morning after their housewarming party, begging him to forget he ever saw her.

He was doing fine with that, too.
Until Brenna came asking for his help – in becoming Ian’s girlfriend.

Now, Ridley is trying to keep his hands and his feelings to himself, struggling to understand why a girl like Brenna is interested in his cousin at all, and fighting to keep his promises to his aunt.

The closer Brenna gets to Ridley, the farther she gets from making her confession to Ian. The more Ridley gets to know Brenna, the less control he has.

Both are keeping secrets. And neither is prepared for the truth.

5 stars

Even with the unbelievably of the intentional misunderstandings going on ALL over this book for suspenseful purposes, I really loved it.  The author would throw in those deliberate misunderstandings and I would get ready to throw the book, then….she would retreat just a smidgen, giving me a taste of the romance I so wanted to see.  Thereby pulling my attention back in and making me want to finish the book.  

Well played Amber Rides, well played indeed.  

Brenna was so young and naive.  I felt great pity for her, and not in a good way.  I mean, it was expected she had no idea what she was doing since she had no mother figure in her life to teach her, but I don’t think she gave the other people in her life enough credit personally.  She made up for her lack of knowledge in these types of situations by giving in to her uhm…baser desires.  She was a super cute horn dog trying to force a square peg in a round hole and she failed, quite hilariously.  The dialogue in this book is fricking fantastic by the way. And quite possibly saved me from DNF’ing this book on more than one occasion.  

Ridley, man this dude was all kinds of hotness.  Smart, vulnerable, strong, patient, understanding, loyal to his family and did I mention he bakes!  Yes, please!  He was a bit of a glutton for punishment but I’ll be damned if his weakness for helping Brenna didn’t just push right over the edge in love with him.  

I had no idea this was the second in the series and now I want to go back and read the first one.  I’m a fan and will certainly keep my eye out for more books by this author in the future.  

Storm Gathering (Scorpius Syndrome #4) by Rebecca Zanetti

Blurb: Even before surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Greyson Storm was a lone wolf navigating minefields. As a kid, he learned to take a hit and find safety. As an adult, he joined the military and quickly learned how to protect and defend. When the world ended, he created a mercenary camp with military precision, no entanglements, and a promise to avenge a fallen friend. As part of that vow, he kidnapped Maureen Shadow, but now that he has let her go, her blue eyes and intriguing mind keep haunting him…

As possibly the only Biotechnology Engineer still living, Maureen Shadow might be humanity’s one hope to survive the aftermath of Scorpius, making her frighteningly valuable to both allies and enemies. Even after sexual tension explodes with Greyson, she’s not sure which camp he belongs to—friend or foe? Worse yet, survival may mean thwarting his prime mission, putting her in even more peril. When danger and seduction collide, there is no safety in this new world. 

Favorite Quotes

She really didn’t know him, but there was something honorable about letting a friend die in peace and then keeping a promise. Man, life had changed when hunting and killing made sense to a scientist like her. So much for holding out for a nice and peaceful, geeky guy.

Miss Julian gave me a foundation, but I was still damaged. Even when I found brothers in the military.” Greyson captured Moe’s chin between his thumb and forefinger. “With you, I feel whole. Like there’s hope somehow. I forgot that it even existed. In the apocalypse, you gave me hope.

5 stars

I think this is my favorite book in this series so far.  Greyson is this ‘still waters run deep’ kinda guy.  And RZ gives him more depth than her previous male characters I think.  Or it might be that the stakes have risen so high in this series that it just seems that way. Either way, he’s my favorite.  His attention to detail in every aspect of his life is quite appealing to me.  His struggles keeping his group safe  while attempting to maintain a  precarious truce with other groups in the area was pretty impressive.  

And while I can’t say I felt the same for Maureen AKA Mo, I can still admire her spunk when it comes to being in between what she thinks is right and moral in a world where very little of that exist anymore.  She is faced with tough decisions about where her loyalties lie.  Rather than choosing which side she is on, she sees the big picture, and somehow convinces others to move past their individual agendas toward a more common goal.  And in the end I came to really like her gentleness and problem solving demeanor.  

One of the best things about this series is the fact that while I’m generally on the fence with alpha males,  but their reasoning for becoming possessive, dominant figures is written wonderfully.  Yes they are possessive, yes they are dominant and at times come off as chauvinistic.  But the post apocalyptic world doesn’t run on morals and vulnerability.  Those things can get you killed quickly and they know that while they have to be these hard men, they can also be vulnerable.  But only to those special people in their lives that they trust. It’s a constant push and pull between seemingly opposite views.  But RZ balances both traits in these men that makes them so attractive to me as to not even care about the alpha-ness that resides in them.  

That’s a unique talent in my opinion.  So go get you this series.  It is AWESOME. 

The Unforgettables by G.L. Tomas

Blurb: Back home in Chicago, Paul Hiroshima had it all.

Popularity, charming looks and a talent for the arts that made him admired by his peers. Moving to Portland, Maine the summer before his senior year was going to change all that. With his city life behind him, there was definitely no reason to make the best out of a bad situation—that is, until he meets the amazing Felicia Abelard.

Over a love of comic books and secret identities, Felicia becomes the sidekick to his hero; there’s just one problem: they weren’t supposed to fall in love.

As the season comes to an end, Paul and Felicia face in-depth challenges to preserve their summer formed bond. With the brink of the new school year at hand, this tale of best friends and first loves will make this year unforgettable.

5 stars

I Floved this book!  It had all the ingredients for a fantastic YA diverse romantic read.

At first I wasn’t really digging it.  It started off a bit slow and jumped around quite a bit.  And the sex scene was quite awkward for me to read honestly.  But then I realized that that’s exactly how high school was.  So it started to make sense the more I read.

Paul was a pretty easy going character and I could relate to his being the new kid in school. I went to eight different schools growing up so I could totally get his feelings of homesickness.  His background was pretty cool too.  He was a half Japanese/half white Buddhist that could dance like nobodies business.  The author really gave him dimension and layers.  And his family wasn’t a background prop either.  YA’s are notorious for sticking the parents and siblings in the corner but not with this one and for that I am glad.  They even addressed how different they are treated and how they handled it.

While Paul was easy going, Felicia was a bit uptight.  She was what one would call a loner.  Not really something I can relate to but that didn’t take away from how much I ended up loving her.  I liked how she wasn’t afraid to stand up to the people who bullied her, even to her detriment.  And I dug her nerdiness!  Their mutual love of comic books is what initially brings them together.  And the fact they were neighbors.  Felicia was a Haitian american with very strict parents.  And she struggles between wanting to fit in and pretending she doesn’t care.

Their story is fast-paced and turbulent.  And I loved every second of it.  Highly recommended.

Cocky Bastard by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland

Blurb: He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.
A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.

When my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned detours. 

My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.
I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back. 

I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.

All good things must come to an end, right? 

Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.

Favorite Quotes: 

“What am I supposed to do?” She eventually whispered. I blew out a heavy stream of air. “Do what’s in your heart, Aubrey. If that’s not being with me—it will suck—I’m not going to lie. But I want you to be happy. That’s how I’m sure I’m in love with you. If the choice is you being happy or me…there is no choice. You come first.”

3 stars

Eh, I was a bit underwhelmed with this story.  It tested my believability in some scenes.  I actually put this book down after a couple chapters because she mentioned how much of an Adonis he was.  If there is one thing that will make me put a book down fast it is when the FIRST thing that is mentioned is how hot he is.  I mean, I get it, physical attraction is important, but when its the first thing mentioned it just makes my interest level plummet.   

The relationship was pretty fast paced.   I mean, she allowed him to ride with her halfway across the country after knowing him a whopping 20 minutes!  I just couldn’t get past that. That raised a flag for me because in this day and age EVERYONE knows not to pick up strangers. Maybe I just can’t suspend my belief but the situation seemed way to easily manufactured to get them in close quarters for long periods of time.  And I know it’s order for them to form a bond quickly but it was just too convenient for me. It didn’t really impress me.  And it kinda went down hill from there.  

I will say this; The chemistry was pretty hot though.  Like Rose and Jack in the Titanic steamy!  

I didn’t click with Chance’s character.  I found his stalker mannerisms a bit over the top.  I didn’t see how their relationship was that deep to begin with.  He seems more invested in the relationship than she was, especially for all the things he did for her. Frankly I didn’t think she was worth the effort on his part. I would have walked after a week.

Aubrey was a forgettable character.  I honest to god had to look up her name while writing this! That’s how much she didn’t stand out.  Man, reading this back makes me think I should lower my rating even more.  Anyway, I’m glad this isn’t a series so I don’t have to worry about more books.  But hey, not everyone will have the same experience as me. In fact, my co-pilot Lenore happened to love this book.  

 

Get It (Enemies to Lovers #2.5) by Anyta Sunday

Blurb: Unrequited love is a bitch. It sucks you into a narrowly focused world and leaves you blind as a bat to other things…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 stars

This was a cute short story.  I loved how we got to see them come together.  It was nice to see Benny finally see what he had right in front of him.

James was quite the forgiving character. I’ve been where he is and I had to walk away.  I’m a huge fan of this author so I expected to love it as much as I did.

Never Let You Go (A Modern Fairytale) by Katy Regnery

Blurb:  Regret, betrayal, kidnapping, loss, madness, abuse, passion, love.

In this modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old foster children Griselda and Holden escape from their abductor after three years of brutal captivity, and try to cross the Shenandoah River on foot. Tragically, one of them makes it to safety, but the other is left behind.
Ten years later, Griselda’s boyfriend drags her to a fight club grudge match, and her world is turned upside down when she watches Holden step into the ring.

Though the connection between them is fierce, bitter regret, simmering rage, and a tangle of physical and emotional scars lie between them, just as dangerous as the white water of the Shenandoah.

4 stars

This book was pretty intense, highly emotional and not for the faint of heart.  It involved overcoming some pretty graphic physical abuse.  Not something I usually read, it was done well IMO.  Sometimes when a read a graphic story, I will start to feel sick to my stomach if it’s too much physical abuse, but this one was just shy of that so I was able to finish it without cringing too hard.

With Holden, I identified a lot with how his feelings were portrayed. Not because I was abducted, but I have some experience with violence in my past.  One of the reasons I generally avoid too much of it.  He almost seemed to have this self sabotage ideal about him.  Like he punished himself because he didn’t believe he deserved to be happy.  And when Griselda came back into the picture he went into shock and became hyperfocused on her.  It was pretty fast paced and intense.  I know I said that already but IT’S TRUE!

Griselda was a bit of a hard sell for me.  I get her guilt ridden soul.  We all carry some form of guilt on our shoulders at some point in our lives.  I think I have a hard time with how much abuse she put herself through because of it. And yes, I do get that it doesn’t make sense since Holden chased the violence as well…. but as a woman it’s real hard for me to see how that would be penance for a perceived wrong.  The best way to get revenge on an abuser is to live the best life you can, despite their attempts to scare you otherwise.  At least that’s how I have coped.

I don’t know if I’m making sense at this point cause it’s late and I’m tired.  Really the only way you may understand what I mean is to read it, so go forth bibliophiles, and let me know what you think.