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. 

A Thousand Boy Kisses ~ Tillie Cole

Amazon US ~  Amazon UK

One kiss lasts a moment.

But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime.

One boy.

One girl.

A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade.

A bond that neither time nor distance can break.

A bond that will last forever.

Or so they believe.

When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation?

Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. When he discovers the truth, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come.

Standalone Young Adult Tearjerker Romance.

For ages 14 and up.

I can't even begin to say how amazing this book was. Life-altering, inspiring and uplifting are a few words that come to mind. This book completely filled my heart and was a total ugly-cry. Absolutely loved it!!

Rune Kristiansen is the ultimate book-boyfriend. I want to leave this review spoiler free, but I will say that quiet boy was loyal and was way stronger than he gave himself credit for. He went through things that adults have difficulty dealing with, let alone a hormonal teenage boy. But Rune was not your typical teenage boy. I love Rune!!!

Poppy Litchfield is an amazing, strong and beautiful young woman. Always the girl on the adventure, she doesn’t let anything slow her down. She found her very own Viking in Rune and never looked back. She thought of everyone, but herself. Poppy is selfless, loving and just a gorgeous person inside and out.

"Poppy and Rune for Infinity"

These two characters filled my heart, “it almost burst.” There is not a rating high enough to really convey how amazing A Thousand Boy Kisses is. Tillie Cole outdid herself!

Complicate Me (The Good Ol' Boys Series #1) ~ M. Robinson

Amazon US / UK

It was complicated, it was also just the beginning.

A decision.

A simple choice.

There is always that one moment in life where things could have been different. That one moment where you could have chosen a path that would lead you down a certain road. 

A different life. 

It was easier to pretend that we were still best friends, and that she was my girl and I was her boy. 

Pretending was better than knowing the truth...

I. Ruined. Us.

I had her. 

I lost her. 

I love her.

All I did was complicate us.

I loved, loved, loved Complicate Me. This one hits you right in the Feels! Darn you M. Robinson and your fantastic characters. I could not put this one down and I could not stop the tears from falling….both sad and happy.

Best Friends for Life. We’ve all said it, but who can actually claim they have those friends that have lasted a life time. These Good Ol’ Boys do and that includes their half pint. Sigh

Lucas was an ass. He was immature, seduced by peer pressure and well, to be honest, a typical teenage boy. It was emotional watching him learn from his mistakes and grow up, but eventually he did just that… Grew up.

Alex, half-pint, held out for Lucas for-ev-er! She pined over him and wished she could be his girl. That he could be hers. When she finally gets tired of not having anyone (double standard alert) while all the guys get to have that companionship, she meets Cole.

I’ll be honest; I was Team Lucas all the way. Even when he was being an idiot, I realized that he was just over ruled by peer pressure, hormones and his own fears. Cole weired me out and always made Alex seem like a conquest in stead of a person. Had she not been such a challenge, would he have gone for her? Lucas always cared for her. Her, Alex, not the “prize” of Alex, but the person….even if he had a messed up way of showing it.

If you haven’t read this, you must “one-click” this now. I cannot wait to hear about all the Good Ol’ Boys. Those are some hot, sexy men with some fun ahead.

Ryan's Love (Sawyer Brothers #1) ~ C.A. Harms

One of the hardest things I have ever had to do was bury my wife. 

The second hardest thing would be watching my twelve-year-old daughter fall to her knees as they lowered her mother into the ground to rest. 

A heart-wrenching vision that will forever be etched in my mind.

Claire was my best friend—she had been since we were barely old enough to talk. I always knew, one day, I would marry her. I think I may have even told her that a few times while we were growing up. 

Never did I think I would lose her so suddenly.

I knew at that moment…

Our life would never be the same again… 

What a heartwarming, ugly cry!! So emotional and I loved it!

Ryan’s heart is ripped out when his wife, Claire dies suddenly. He has his daughter he still has to take care of and for three years, just gets by. He’s not emotionally available and feels like moving forward would diminish the love he has for Claire. What he wasn’t ready for was Amber.

Amber has had her own issues when it comes to men, so she sets out to start new with her best friend in Montana. She, though the help of her Mother and Father (not in a good way) buys her grandmother’s old bakery and sets up shop. She re-vamps it and moves in right above it. Amber is selfless, sweet and patient. While developing her relationship with Ryan, she realizes she may be interfering with his and his daughters’ lives, so she steps away.

I cried a lot while reading this. It was so emotional and heartwarming, I couldn’t help myself. Losing your wife only to possibly fall in love again, but haveing to explain that to your child, is hard. You’d do anything for your child and that includes not following what you want if that means they are happy. I get that, but Ryan’s daughter, Olivia is stronger then she realizes. She makes an effort to see how wonderful Amber is and how happy she makes her dad. Breaking through those emotions are difficult for all parties involved, so I was so happy they made it work. ::Sigh::

Unpredictable (The Key West Series Book 1) ~ C.A. Harms

*Click Pic Above to "One-Click"*

Have you ever wished for a moment that you could pretend to live the life of someone else? Escape the harsh reality that your own is anything but perfect?

Quinn Tucker had always been forced to put her own needs last.

With an absent father and a mother who drowns herself daily in a bottle of Rum, there was no other option.

Jett Jameson was the distraction Quinn needed, even if it was just for one night.

A void filler, and a chance for a moment to allow herself to feel something other than emptiness.

He wasn’t what she expected.

Gentle.

Her life didn’t have room for a man like Jett.

Unpredictable.

But now it was too late, there was no turning back.

Desire.

Nothing would ever be the same…

This was the first C.A. Harms book I read and I loved it!!!! Quinn is such a kick ass woman, but has to put herself last. Her mother is an alcoholic and her father "abandoned" them before Quinn was born. Instead of being able to go to school or go out with her friends, Quinn is forced to get home right away in the event her mother stumbles into the house or gets arrested.

Jett doesn't want or need a distraction. He's married to his restaurant and rightly so. He didn't take his father's handout and built the business up himself. Meeting Quinn at a random party that he didn't even want to be at was the best thing to happen....for both of them.

Secrets start to unfold as Quinn breaks and tells her mother she's tired of being the adult. Truths about her father and where he's been the past 25 years place a strain on the already fragile relationship between Quinn and her mother. Jett, one of the best men I've read about, continues to be there for Quinn, even when she tries her hardest to push him away.

Get the tissues ready, because when Quinn's father comes back, they receive some sad news that causes Quinn to fall....But Jett will be there to pick her up, always.