Lost Boy ~ M. Robinson

In a world where I had no say, violence became my refuge, and nothing else mattered. Not even my own life.

Until her.

Skyler Bell.

It all started the first time I heard that voice. Giving me hope for tomorrow. My first love was everything all at once.

Consuming.

Maddening.

Forever.

Mine. 

Except, I never imagined there were secrets that needed to be shared. Lies that needed to be confessed. Truths that needed to be told. Demons that needed to be buried. Once I realized the depth, the longing, the sadness and sorrow in her eyes mirrored mine, it was too late. Love didn't come to me as heartbreak, it came as everything I've ever wanted. Walking away wasn't an option, but it was the only choice I had.

I finally found the price of love and it cost me...

My soul.

 

I don't know how Skyler and Noah could survive this, because I almost didn't. My heart broke over and over. The roller coaster of emotions was almost too much. The angst, heart-break and tragedies were devastating. 

I always liked Noah, but seeing how much Skyler destroyed him, but he chose to keep moving....well he has all my respect. He never had it easy. Everyone was leaving him or choosing something/someone else over him. I don't blame Noah for the decisions he made. Frustrated and screaming at the book because of them, absolutely. But I didn't blame him. I am surprised he remained as stoic as he did. 

Skyler has been misled her whole life. It just breaks my heart to hear all her secrets revealed and what she went through, even as a child. How does someone come back from that? How could she heal? How could her and Noah ever heal from all the tragedy??

I kept pushing because I knew M would pick up the pieces, but as my heart and jaw laid on the floor, it was really hard. I just wanted them to be happy for five minutes before something else tore them to shreds. I was very proud of Noah and Skyler even-though I was frustrated with their decisions. I loved this cover and Noah's place in my hear grew. I'm happy for this Lost Boy. 

Contracted by Marni Mann

Years ago, I was burned by a woman.

I forgave, but I haven’t forgotten, and it’s a road I’ll never go down again.

My career has become my life instead. I’m Max Graham, the biggest music agent in the business. Women love me, but I don’t do love anymore. I’ve found another way to meet my needs.

Eve Kennedy—stylist to the stars and total bombshell. By far, she’s the most daring woman I’ve ever had in my bed with a sexual appetite as ferocious as mine.

We might just have the hottest sex life in Miami and LA.

We don’t date anyone else—although, sometimes, we invite someone for a night. We travel the world, and I lavish her with gifts. But she knows my career comes first.

And the best part? For the past two years, she’s been happy with our arrangement.

Or so I thought.

I’ve survived heartbreak once before, but this one could be the end of me.

Eve and Max were HOT right from the start. Their chemistry was off the charts and they sizzled. For two years everything was great and status quo, but the illusive word of "more" came up which threw their relationship for a loop. 

Max, having been burned before, didn't want to admit how much Eve meant to him. Everyone around him could see it, even Eve could, yet Max couldn't admit it to himself. He was stubborn and regimented. There was no need to deviate from his norm because it was working. At least until it wasn't for Eve any more. 

Eve is a strong and independent women. But even those types of women want to be needed and feel wanted. Gifts and material things are nice, but the emotional connection and commitment is so much more to her. Not being able to express their love verbally or have a definitive direction of their relationship was hard on her. She wanted "more". 

I liked the push and pull, the "will he or wont he admit his feelings" angst. At times, though, I wanted to smack Max for being so oblivious to what was right in his face. Max needed to say something before he lost Eve forever. I won't say what happened, just that the last half of this book kept me on the edge willing for Max to pull his head out of his butt. I was very proud of Eve and the way she handled herself. 

Endorsed ~ Marni Mann

My client’s younger sister is off-f***ing-limits. 

Getting my first big client signed to the NFL was the second best moment of my life. Escorting his sister back to her hotel was the first. Imagining what she would feel like, look like, taste like—none of it was as good as the real thing.

If her brother found out, it would destroy my career, so I ended things between us.

Eight years later, the girl who got away still owns me.

First I’ll make her forgive me, and then I’m going to make her mine.

He’s owned my body for far too long. 

It’s been years since he’s touched me, and my skin still remembers every brush, stroke, and thrust. I want to forget how good it felt. Almost as much as I want to do it again.

We can’t finish what we started until I make my confession.

I have a secret—and one that wasn’t mine to keep.

Before he can love me, he’ll have to find some way to forgive me. 

 

Samantha and Jack have this explosive chemistry! But she is the baby sister of his client and he's just getting started as an agent. Jack can't screw this up. Yet, he can't step away. Samantha feels this magnetic pull to Jack and after their one night, feels completely shredded that she read him all wrong. 

Fast forward 8 years, these two reconnect and it's like their spark never died. Hesitant as she may be, Samantha still can't deny that her heart belongs to Jack. Jack feels Samantha is the one that got away.  Jack is now ready to go after what he wants, but Samantha isn't ready to just let him back in. There is way more at stake now. 

This is a quick, sweet read. Samantha (great name by the way) and Jack are electric, but stubborn and damaged. Jack leaving her 8 years ago really did some damage. While Jack felt like he was doing the right thing, it had some major repercussions that I didn't think they would over come. I enjoyed the "are they" or "aren't they" going to try, angst, even though I may not have agreed how both of them handled things. The story was quicker than I would have liked, but it was still written well. The characters were relate-able and fun. I am looking forward to the next book in the series (but can be read as a stand alone).

Bare (Raw #2) (The Vault Series) ~ C.A. Harms

BRYNN
He was my weakness.

The one desire I fought the hardest, but craved the most.
There was an unexplainable pull whenever I was near him.
I was addicted to him. I was crazed by his touch. I longed for his kiss.

Until he broke me...

He was cold and callus.
What we shared was nothing but meaningless acts.
A facade. I was a ploy in his game of control.

I had no choice but to move forward.
I had to forget the impact he had on me.
More importantly, I had to forget him.
Only that was easier said than done…

Each night when I closed my eyes,
I’d hear the kind words he’d whisper, I’d feel his gentle caress as he held me close.
But the dreams always ended the same.
I would see him walking away, without looking back.

ALEC
She tested my limits from the start.

The more I fought the attraction, the more intense it became.
She defied every rule I set for myself and challenged my need for control.
She made me want the things I had denied myself for too long,
so I did the worst possible thing.

I broke her heart.

What should have been my way out only left me feeling bare.
My desire to have her magnified.
It was time to pick up the shattered pieces of my life and face the harsh reality of my choices.

But my biggest fear of all was that with Brynn, it was now too late to go back... 

Totally and Completely gut wrenching. This story has so much angst that my stomach was in knots. I was furious with Alec for most of the books, but I couldn't help but still cheer for him. Byrnn is such a strong, independent woman, I just loved her. Their coming together was messy, angsty and beautiful all at the same time. 

I love the writing of this book and the flashbacks are easy to follow. This book gives more of a first-person view of everything that happened in Brynn and Alec's past. you can feel their strength and devastation in these pages. While I understand why these characters are the way they are, some of their knee jerk reactions just crushed my heart. 

I was not expecting the emotional roller coaster I went while reading these. I had to stay up late to finish the book before I could go to sleep. It was almost too many "screw-ups" and "I'm sorry's" for me. I was that heartbroken. CA does a great job of healing the crushed heart, but whew, it was an emotional read. 

Sex, Not Love ~ Vi Keeland

My relationship with Hunter Delucia started backwards. 

We met at a wedding—him sitting on the groom’s side, me sitting on the bride’s. Stealing glances at each other throughout the night, there was no denying an intense, mutual attraction. 

I caught the bouquet; he caught the garter. Hunter held me tightly while we danced and suggested we explore the chemistry sparking between us. His blunt, dirty mouth should’ve turned me off. But for some crazy reason, it had the opposite effect on me.

We ended up back in my hotel room. The next morning, I headed home to New York leaving him behind in California with the wrong number.

I thought about him often, but after my last relationship, I’d sworn off of charming, cocky, gorgeous-as-sin men. A year later, Hunter and I met again at the birth of our friends’ baby. Our attraction hadn't dulled one bit. After a whirlwind trip, he demanded a real phone number this time. So I left him with my mother’s—she could scare away any man with her talks of babies and marriage—and flew back home.

I’d thought it was funny, until the following week when he rang the bell at Mom’s house for Sunday night dinner. The crazy, gorgeous man had won over my mother and taken an eight-week assignment in my city. He proposed we spend that time screwing each other out of our systems. 

Eight weeks of mind-blowing sex with no strings attached? What did I have to lose?

Nothing, I thought.

It’s just sex, not love.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans…

"Life wasn't about the news - it was about the first person you wanted to tell that news to."

Hunter Delucia....Yummy! I absolutely loved Hunter. He's a sexy, smart architect with a dirty mouth. Total swoon. He is sex. While I may not have agreed with his original proposal, I did respect his honesty. But, since he was thinking of and chasing after Natalia for almost a year, I think he knew there was more there. Unfortunately, Hunter couldn't get past his baggage. 

I adored Natalia too. Especially after I read about her history and all that she had been through. A lesser woman would have left certain things behind, but she stayed and made a difference. Her backstory also helped be understand why she was so skeptical of men and dating. I mean, she had an itch that needed to be scratched, but the men, but commitment wasn't on her list.

These two sizzle and burn up the pages. Super hot and a bit emotional. There were some hard decisions to make and at times I wanted to slap Hunter for his. Those choices made my heart ache and I felt for all that were being effected by them. 

I really enjoyed this book, but I was bummed I didn't get more towards the end. I felt that there was a lot of back history (which is needed to see why the characters are the way they are), but not enough for me at the end. I wanted more. There was an abruptness to it that I wished would have been drawn out a bit more. I mean, who would not want more Hunter and Natalia?! 

Wicked Torture (Wicked Nights (Stark World) Book 3) ~J. Kenner

Outwardly, Noah Carter is riding high as the tech world’s hottest new genius. Inside, he’s still reeling from the abduction of his wife and baby daughter eight years ago, and then the devastating discovery of his child’s body. For years, he kept up hope that his wife was alive, but now that she’s been declared legally dead, he’s thrown himself even more deeply into his work, cutting himself off from emotional ties because they just hurt too damn much.

Then he meets Kiki Porter, an eternal optimist with a killer work ethic and dreams of fronting a band. And everything changes. Even though he tries his damnedest to fight it…

Sexually, they are combustible together. But their true fire is emotional, though it is a slow to burn. But once it lights, it is all consuming. The relationship grows emotionally, the sex is hot, things are good.

But just when it’s looking like they might have a real future together, the past comes back to haunt them. And Noah’s going to have to decide what he’s willing to give up for love …

I was hesitant to pick this one up, because it is the third in the series, but it definitely can be read as a standalone. There are characters that I recognize from the original Stark Trilogy series with Damien Stark, but they do not steal focus from the main characters. 

J. Kenner's writing is always good. The story flows, even with flashbacks. You always know where you are at in the timeline. The characters are well written and you can't help but cheer for them. 

I did enjoy Noah and Kiki's possible second chance romance. Previous circumstances caused them to be apart, but once they see each other again, it's like the flame never diminished. While both are working on dealing with the past, they are thrust in to a situation where they have to work together. They come to realize all the things they missed over the years and rebuilding their friendship. 

Then, BAM, plot twist that threatens all they just rebuilt. While I didn't totally love each of their reactions, I understand why they reacted the way they did. I only wish real life could work in the way this one did. 

Road to Ruin (New Orleans Nights Book 1) ~ Callie Hart and Jonny James

Malicious Destruction of Property.

Two counts of breaking and entering.

Two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Four counts of assault.

Three counts of illegal gambling.

Three years served in Orleans Parish Prison.

Tommy ‘Havoc’ Kendrick’s rap sheet reads like a recipe for disaster: one part mayhem to three parts chaos. There’s no arguing the matter; he’s a bad guy, or at least he used to be. For the past five years, Tommy’s been on the straight and narrow, keeping his head down and staying out of trouble. He left the French Quarter behind, along with the New Orleans crime syndicates and underground fights that used to pay his bills. Trading in the high-octane thrill of earning money with his fists to work in an auto mechanic’s was hard, and yet somehow, despite everything, he’s made it work.

Until now.

Tommy hadn’t planned on seeing his brother again. When David Kendrick turns up on his doorstep with a bag full of money and four broken ribs, Tommy finds himself heading back to the place he swore he’d never return. Back to the fights. Back to the drinking, the drugs, and the women.

Back to a life he thought he’d left behind for good.

Nikita Moreau has lived in New Orleans all her life. She learned to drive there, lost her virginity there, bought her first house there, and she’s damned if she isn’t going to die there, too. As a prison psychologist at one of the country’s most dangerous facilities, she runs the risk of dying in the state of Louisiana on a daily basis, and yet she wouldn’t give it up for the world. There’s nothing more satisfying than helping those everyone else has given up on. Nothing more rewarding than fixing something everyone said was broken.

The day she meets Tommy Kendrick, however, she learns a painful lesson: sometimes a person is too broken to be fixed. Sometimes a person is beyond reach and cannot be saved. The tall, dark and handsome, tattoo-covered devil is danger personified. She knows this. She knows he’s bad news. So then why can’t she stop thinking about him? Why can’t she stay away from him?

And, most importantly, why won’t she save herself?

 

When I saw the cover for Road to Ruin, I wanted to read the book. Holy Hotness Batman. I am just like Nikita...I love a man with tattoos. Tommy Kendrick is super hot and a complete bad ass! I was super disappointed that this read was so short and I would have to wait for the next one. I wanted more of these characters now!

The environment Nikita works in is not ideal. At first I think she is a meek, quiet psychologist, but she surprises me. She's passionate about her job and her patients. So much so that it could get her in to some trouble and puts her right in Tommy's path. After several turn of events it almost seems like she is walking right in to Tommy's path, which is not a bad thing in my eyes. 

Tommy does not need to get involved with a woman right now. He needs to have his head on straight to get through the past he has walked right back into. He's a scary man with scary enemies. While he tried to get away from it before, now he has no choice but to be right back in the thick of things. 

I really liked these characters and wanted to see what happens to them. I was super bummed that I have to wait to find out, but I'm sure it will all be worth it. Callie and Jonny wrote a good dark read that I cannot wait to get more of.