Rise & Fall by Charlie Cochet Review

3.5- 4 stars out of 5
I don't know how to rate this. On one hand I love this series and the characters but on the other the plot sort of fell flat for me

Synopsis:
"After an attack by the Coalition leaves THIRDS Team Leader Sloane Brodie critically injured, agent Dexter J. Daley swears to make Beck Hogan pay for what he’s done. But Dex’s plans for retribution are short-lived. With Ash still on leave with his own injuries, Sloane in the hospital, and Destructive Delta in the Coalition’s crosshairs, Lieutenant Sparks isn’t taking any chances. Dex’s team is pulled from the case, with the investigation handed to Team Leader Sebastian Hobbs. Dex refuses to stand by while another team goes after Hogan, and decides to put his old HPF detective skills to work to find Hogan before Theta Destructive, no matter the cost. 

With a lengthy and painful recovery ahead of him, the last thing Sloane needs is his partner out scouring the city, especially when the lies—however well intentioned—begin to spiral out of control. Sloane is all too familiar with the desire to retaliate, but some things are more important, like the man who’s pledged to stand beside him. As Dex starts down a dark path, it’s up to Sloane to show him what’s at stake, and finally put a name to what’s in his heart." 

I truly love this series and all of its characters, but this installment just did nothing for me plot wise; I loved parts of it that felt like little extras but plot wise not so much. I think that the other books had so much more and this one felt very one note. But this book was still very funny, sexy, and entertaining but only in certain parts. I just felt like the revenge plot was so drawn out. I mean how many chapters can we read about Dex being a dumbass and ignoring his boyfriend? 

So let's jump in with what I didn't like:
-Dex and his revenge. This to me was probably what brought the book down. It went on for sooo long, and it was just more annoying than gripping. I mean his boyfriend needed him and he decided to ignore him, after Dex told Sloane to stay with him and let him take care of him. I mean I was just so over it by the middle of the book and skimmed his scheming portions of the book.

-Dex and Sloane ignoring the problem. Jesus Christ this annoyed the fuck out of me! It was so frustrating having two grown adults pretend that something isn't wrong when it clearly is. When Sloane finally confronted Dex I was so relieved. 

This was honestly it. This was the only thing that I didn't like, and I didn't like it so much that it really made me not love the book.

What I liked:
-Dex and Sloane's relationship(when Dex wasn't being stupid). I love how close and loving they are together it is really awesome to read. Oh my god when Sloane **SPOILER** marked Dex **END OF SPOILER** I was on cloud nine no joke, full on smile and hand to my chest swooning. I loved that by the end of the book they feel like they are finally on solid ground. 

-Everything that is Tony. I have mad love for Tony and any scene he is in or anytime he is mentioned i want more!! I don't know if I want to see him get a book because I am fucking creepy and I feel that Tony is mine. The way the book ended with him I was dying!! I cannot wait for the next book to pickup where this one left off :) It was a cliff hanger but a hilarious one.

-Cobbs. Seriously that scene was fucking hot and well worth the wait.

-Ash's relationship with Sloane...and everyone. Ash was just such an awesome character and I love the more we get to see of him interacting and not being a total dickhead.

-Finally knowing what happened to break up Hudson and Seb. It was tragic and sad, and I have know idea how Charlie is going to fix that; but I have faith in her.

-The little snippets we got to see of Bradley and Lou. I am beyond excited to see their story in total.

Final thoughts:
Honestly there were a lot of little things that I really enjoyed, and that's why I think my rating will lean more towards a 4 star.

Definitely recommend if you have read the series. But if you feel like this one isn't for you skip it, I don't think you will be missing too much that you wouldn't be ale to pick up in the next book.
I am so excited to be in the povs of Ash and Cael :) Can't wait!

Cranberry Inn Series by Beth Ehemann Review

**I am reviewing books one and two in the series and I thought it would be much easier to do both in one post since I really hated both enough that I don't want this series to have more than one post, and because it would save me some time :)
Room for You (book one)
1 star out of 5
I despised this book and the main character. I have no idea how it conjured up the hype that it did.

Synopsis:
"Four years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant.
I tried to pick up the pieces and glue them back together the best I knew how, but something was always missing.
A father for my two girls.
But then, Brody Murphy landed on my doorstep, literally. He was a carefree, playful hockey player who barged into my life and messed with my head. He left me more confused than I had ever been.

What if the one thing I thought I needed was the only thing holding me back?"

This book(and series) was nothing but a pity party for Kacie and all the sad shit that happened in her past. 

She was so judgmental of Brody and his life(that she knew nothing about), he did nothing but show and say how much he liked her and her kids. He did nothing to deserve her judgment and mistrust. Kacie listened to women she knew were mean untrustworthy people, and still chose to believe them over the man who had done nothing but tell her the truth and showed her repeatedly how much she could trust him. Poor Brody was always chasing after her, trying to love her after she messed things up and tried to ignore him. She kept pulling away from him(no seriously the whole book up until the end) because she's so "messed up" I wished he would have been like fine go be a lonely miserable person while I get a drama free life. 

I get that her heart was battered by her ex and dad, but what I didn't understand was how Kacie could lead a pity party life when she has daughters that should know what happiness is. Kacie didn't need a man to make her complete, but she needed to realize that shit happens to everyone and that living a sad life would not help her daughters in the long run. I liked that Brody sort of called her on this, and told her that her negativity and loneliness doesn't show her kids what a good life is.

Every mistake she made was because of her "pity me" past and I could not stand it. She never went after Brody and apologized or owned that she messed up, never! I can't remember a time that I couldn't stand a character as much as I can't stand Kacie.

She had so much that (ignorant) people could have judged her for but Brody didn't, not once. Yet she can sit there on her high horse and repeatedly judge him. I just have no idea how the book has all the hype that it does.



Room for More (book two)
1 star out of 5
Wow I guess I am a masochist because I willingly read this after hating the first book. I really hoped it would have been as great as others said...hint: it wasn't

Synopsis:
"Four years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant.
Three months ago, I found something I haven’t had in years. 
Hope. 
That hope came in the form of a sexy, carefree hockey player named Brody Murphy. He swooped in and won me over with his big heart and the way he cared for me…and my girls. When they look at him, they see the father they’ve never had.
Now, my past and present are colliding and the outcome might just be too much for me to bear. Can I make the right decision when I’ve spent my whole life making the wrong ones?"


Fuck you Kacie. And a big fuck you to Zach. My love for Brody has increased 10 fold; I don't know how he deals with that lying and clueless woman. 

I honestly have nothing more to say about this book, other than I shouldn't have continued after not liking the first book. Yeah it was just so frustrating and upsetting. The one time that Brody needs Kacie's support he walks in on a disturbing sight, and finds out she's been lying to him.

Brody needs her for the first time after being there for her all the time, and she can't even do that. Kacie is so self absorbed and everything that happens in her little world is never her fault.

The Devil's Ride by K.A. Merikan Review

4.5 stars out of 5
Wow this was such a (pardon the pun) ride. I really just had a great time reading this story, and there were very few things that I didn't like.

Synopsis:
"You don’t fuck with the club president's son. 
Tooth. Vice President of the Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club. On a never ending quest for vengeance. The last thing he needs is becoming a permanent babysitter for a male hooker.

Lucifer. Fallen. Lost. Alone.
After a childhood filled with neglect and abuse, followed by his mother’s suicide, Lucifer set out into the world alone. There was nothing for him out there other than taking it one day at a time. As the bastard son of the Coffin Nails club president, Lucifer never got much fatherly love. So when the Nails show up at the strip joint Lucifer works in, the last thing he expects is to be put in the custody of Tooth, the Nails Vice President famous for his gruesome interrogation techniques. The man proves to be the sexiest beast Lucifer has ever met. He’s also older, straight, and an itch Luci can’t ever scratch.

Tooth’s life came to a halt twelve years ago. His lover got brutally murdered, police never found the perpetrators, and all leads were dead ends. To find peace and his own justice, Tooth joined the Coffin Nails, but years on, he’s gotten nowhere with the case, yet still lives on with the burning fire for revenge.

Babysitting a deeply scarred teenager with a talent for disappearing is the last thing on his bucket list. He promised himself to never get attached to someone like him again. To make sure the openly gay boy is safe in the clubhouse, Tooth is stuck keeping an eye on him. The big, blue, attention seeking gaze is drawing Tooth in, but fucking the president’s son is a complete no-go, even when both their feelings go beyond lust.
What Tooth doesn’t know is that Lucifer might hold the key to the closure Tooth so desperately needs."

This was a pretty gritty read, but it wasn't to the point where I felt uncomfortable or unable to read. I just really loved all of the complex aspects of every character, not just Tooth or Luci but also the other club members. This book felt so thought out and organized.

The book was a story about growing, strength, love, and valuing your worth. It also touched on allowing people to help you and being able to rely on their strength and love, without letting them become your sole source of strength.

I really loved Luci. He was such a great character and watching him grow into a person who valued and recognized his worth was so awesome. I loved how he was growing on his own, but also had Tooth there to help support him. They had such a great relationship even before it turned into a physical one; their friendship was something that I loved reading, and I felt myself smiling a lot throughout the story.

There were obviously some parts of the story that made me, not uncomfortable but wary. For example, the first time that Tooth *SPOILER*spanked Luci*END SPOILER* I didn't understand how a person could do that without knowing the other person. don't get me wrong I love reading about spanking, but it just felt odd that Tooth would do this the first time he had ever met Luci. I understand that that is how Tooth is, that he doesn't give a fuck and does what he feels is best. And I also was not too keen on how caricature-ized Priest's, the president of the club and Luci's father, wife was like she just felt really fake and the drama she caused felt so unreal and annoying. I was shocked that Priest never did anything to her after her last stunt that she pulled, and considering how gritty this club was and how "bad ass" Priest was.

I loved that Luci was written as androgynous and beautiful, but wasn't written as the cliched (and really offensive) stereotype of a "weak" gay man who acted flamboyantly. Yes he was gay and had a submissive streak, but he was never seen as anything but a man. I also enjoyed the fact that Luci wanted to be a barber. That is a profession I am not too familiar with and one that I never see written about. 

I loved this so much. I loved that Luci took care of Tooth. That was something that I found to be so sweet and intimate, and something that happened even before they said their feelings for each other. Washing his beard and hair, and the scalp massages and hair masks were such sweet things that definitely showed the softer side of Tooth. I loved that they had their own little routine, and didn't care what others thought about their friendship (not that anyone cared).

I was/am obsessed with Tooth; plain and simple. I think that he is such a fabulous character; he had such a sense of right and wrong, and he never let slide discriminatory comments. His understanding and compassion really shone through and I think that he was exactly who Luci needed. His dominance was really a hot spot for me, and his "punishments" for Luci were odd but also hot. The way he handled Milk after doing the awful thing that he did was amazing, especially the way Tooth explained the reasons why what Milk did was wrong. Tooth was just a good man. Yes he was skilled in torturing and other illegal criminal activities, but that didn't change how caring and compassionate he was to those he loved.

Final thoughts:
Yeah man this book was just hitting all of my kinks, and the men were just such great complex and really attractive people. God, this was just so well written and executed. I highly recommend to anyone who loves well written biker stories. There are a few graphic parts, but nothing, in my opinion was overly disturbing.

This can be read as a standalone (that's what I did). This is definitely one of my comfort rereads. I would definitely love to read more about these characters. Even a short story or extended epilogue or something.

Coming Soon...

2015 release that I am so excited for:

**click on titles for links to its Goodreads page**

Fuel the Fire by Krista & Becca Ritchie (part of the Calloway Sisters series and the Addicted series)
Coming Winter 2015 (Jan/Feb/March)
No blurb yet








Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley (part of the Chaos series)
June 30th 2015
The ride of her life . . . Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy---until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa's pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.

Climb on and hold tight . . . 
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he's the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa's acting, it's clear she's falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker's secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa---or ride away forever . . . 

Damaged Like Us by Krista & Becca Ritchie (Like Us series)
Late 2015
No blurb yet











  Cut & Run book 9 by Abigail Roux (part of the Cut & Run series)
  March 30th 2015
  Nothing will be shown or told(ex. synopsis, cover, title, etc) to the readers until the release     day.

 Against the Grain by Charlie Cochet (part of the THIRDS series)
July 2015
Primary romance: Ash & Cael. 

The timeline is continuous for the series with one book leading to the next with an overall story arc and a smaller plot being resolved. The main characters point of views will be from Ash & Cael.

More info coming soon.




Sloe Ride by Rhys Ford (part of the Sinners series)
No release date yet
The fourth installment in the Sinners series, this time following the story of Kane Morgan's younger brother Quinn.









The Four by Rhys Ford (part of the Ink and Shadows series)
July 2015
Kismet Andreas lives in fear of the shadows.

For the young tattoo artist, the shadows hold more than darkness. He is certain of his insanity because the dark holds creatures and crawling things only he can see—monsters who hunt out the weak to eat their minds and souls, leaving behind only empty husks and despair.

And if there’s one thing Kismet fears more than being hunted—it’s the madness left in its wake.

The shadowy Veil is Mal’s home. As Pestilence, he is the youngest—and most inexperienced—of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, immortal manifestations resurrected to serve—and cull—mankind. Invisible to all but the dead and insane, the Four exist between the Veil and the mortal world, bound to their nearly eternal fate. Feared by other immortals, the Horsemen live in near solitude but Mal longs to know more than Death, War and Famine.

Mal longs to be… more human. To interact with someone other than lunatics or the deceased.

When Kismet rescues Mal from a shadowy attack, Pestilence is suddenly thrust into a vicious war—where mankind is the prize, and the only one who has faith in Mal is the human the other Horsemen believe is destined to die.



Power of Attorney by N.M Silber (part of the Lawyers in Love series)
April 2015
Federal prosecutor, Jacob Sachs, doesn't enter a room, he storms it, usually with a trail of assistants following in his wake. His confidence and skills in the courtroom are legendary. He's accustomed to being envied and desired, but he's not accustomed to being challenged.

Abby Roth is an intelligent and skilled attorney, with a mind even sharper than her tongue. She's a force to be reckoned with, in court and just about everywhere else. She can hold her own with the best, and give even a courtroom Titan like Jacob a run for his money. 
When Jacob and Abby are forced to work together to stop an infamous group of hackers, it quickly becomes apparent that the chemistry between them is explosive. Together, can two lusty lawyers handle bossy bureaucrats, testy tree huggers, aspiring anarchists and a cranky bailiff named Harriet?


 Until July by Aurora Rose Reynolds (part of the Until Her series)
April 13th 2015
The story of Asher and Novembers eldest daughter.

Stories Beneath Our Skin by Veronica Sloane Review

5 stars out of 5

Wow... I was not expecting to love this story as much as I do.

I can't even describe just how fantastic this was, everything I could have wanted was there. 

Synopsis:
"Tattooing might have once been Liam’s passion, but he left it all behind along with ugly memories when he went to college. When his uncle’s health fails, Liam must come home at last to say his goodbyes. His days are spent at the hospice, leaving his nights to rake over the past. To fill those empty hours, he takes a job at Great Sin Ink. The close knit friendship of the workers there both intrigues and shakes Liam, who has spent the last four years keeping everyone at arm’s length. Neither Deb, the no-nonsense piercer, nor Goose, a manic tattoo artist, will let Liam get away with his isolationist ways for long.

If it were just those two, Liam might have stood a chance -- but there’s also Ace, the owner of Great Sin. He hires Liam despite a thin resume, and that is a kindness Liam can’t forget. The two start up a tentative friendship, learning about each other as the summer days melt into each other. Slowly, Liam reveals a tender heart underneath the wall of quotes he uses to keep everyone out. Unfortunately, life doesn’t stand still, and both Liam and Ace have hard struggles before them that might break them up before they can even get together."

This was just such an amazing and genuine book. Like I said above I can't even describe how great this was to read. I was not expecting my reaction to this book at all. Just top notch writing and such great emotions. It was all so real, that it was difficult to remember that these were fake people. 

All of the reactions were exactly like how normal real life people reacted, there was no stupid miscommunication bullshit or anything. All of the characters were so honest and straightforward that I feel in love with each and everyone of them.

This was my first book by this author, and it will definitely not be my last. I just am in such awe of the characters, the plot, and the setting. I have such an obsession with anything to do with tattoo artists that I loved being able to get a look into their world. That was a really fun part of the book. I appreciated the love that these characters had for their jobs and customers.

I also really loved that there wasn't any real plot. Now that is usually a bad thing when it comes to novels, but in this case it wasn't at all. There was no annoying plot that got in the way of the characters or the character development. It was all about trying to move on with life after life shits on you. It was a story about every day people, and it felt like a random person was picked to be written about. I loved that Liam was just a regular guy trying to live his life. I loved that there was no hidden secret babies or action plot or any gun shoot out. It was just regular people trying to live.

Liam had some pretty shitty things happen to him in his past and they definitely shaped his present, but I loved his strength and perseverance and how he overcame those obstacles. I love reading about strong characters. I love reading about people who give a shit about themselves and want to fix what they see is a hinderance.

Damn can we just talk about how hot Ace is....wow. I loved that he was much shorter than both an average book "hero" and his love interest Liam. I am attracted to shorter guys being the more dominant pair in the relationship. I find that little details like that make me like a book much more. Plus he is tatted up and has a dreaded mohawk damnnn can I holla??

Final thoughts:
So if you are looking for a book that is very contemporary and low on the drama and unnecessary bullshit this is your book! I love it so much and have reread it an embarrassing amount of times :)

Amour Amour by Krista and Becca Review

4 out of 5 stars

Such a different and wonderful read. I honestly don't think I have read a book like this before.

Synopsis:
Love is a circus
"Every day,” he says lowly, “I hold a person’s life in my hands. The circus is based one-hundred percent off trust. I give it all to someone, and they give it all to me.”

The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.”

When Thora unknowingly walks into the crosshairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future--acrobaticpartners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world. 
Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.
This sexy and exhilarating New Adult Romance can best be described as Cirque du Soleil meets the steamy, athletic romance of Center Stage. 

I really loved the message that that this book sent to readers; that your goals are much more important than a relationship. This was a common theme all throughout the novel, and it is one that I back 100%. 

I will say that this book is so awkward. Like it puts you, the reader, in awkward situations from the first chapter to the last. I loved the story and was cringing most of the time. I'm not sure if I am just an awkward person that I felt this way but it was still so much fun to read despite it being uncomfortable at times.

What I loved:
-Nik and Thora's endearments. I thought they were so different and totally unique to the couple :) Demon and Devil, they don't sound like the sweetest names but with this couple the names totally work.

- Thora's strength and belief in herself, despite other people's opinions. She was such a fierce and strong character that I felt so strongly for her. She knew that she wasn't the best and never let that fact bring her down, she just kept trying harder and training longer. Thora was such an inspiration and I'm not used to seeing this type of character in books often. This is a reason why I read anything I can written by these authors, they always write such strong female characters and it gives me hope that this will become a trend for other authors to follow. Thora is such a realistic character that it was hard to remember that she was fictional.

-Nik. I loved him, no matter how abrasive he could be I loved his strength and love for his family. I loved that he would let loose once a week at the club, he was a parent  to his siblings for so long that having that outlet was something that he needed. I really loved how dedicated he was to his job and art. His love for Thora was so beautiful. Nik wanted her to succeed and did all he could to help her. I also really loved that he refused to hold her back from her dreams, such a stand up character.

-Nik's siblings, the setting, the atmosphere, and the circus :) I am so obsessed with cirque du soleil and the performers in it that it was really cool to have a book be sort of inspired by it.

-The side romance we get :D I loved it!! I was swooning when that couple flirted in their own tense way. So tense and hot, and it was just as good when they got together.

I could honestly go on. I don't want to spoil any romance elements or plot lines, all I have to say is read this book you won't be sorry!

What I could have done without:
-Shane. He was the biggest piece of shit "friend" ever. I just couldn't stand any scene that he was in, and I caught myself skimming when I saw that he was in it or mentioned. He was just a terrible friend who wanted his friend to be as miserable as he was. And then to try out after all of the year long shit fest he gave Thora...what the actual fuck?? I was so annoyed and pissed.

-Thora lying to her family. This is getting close to spoiler territory so I won't go in-depth with it  but I jut think Thora should have been honest.

final thoughts:

This was just such a good book. I really loved it and it is definitely on my reread shelf. I feel like this is definitely worth checking out. I also really hope that the authors decide to make a series out of it, because it is too good to just be a standalone.

Dragon Slayer by Isabella Carter Review

4 stars out of 5
This was a pretty solid read, and I enjoyed it immensely. 

Synopsis:
"Ingram is a coward and weakling—at least according to his father, the king, and the royal court. He cannot use a sword, he faints at the sight of blood, and even his brilliant abilities as a strategist are not enough to overcome his failings. When his father loses a bet to the notorious Lord Mallory over the matter of a dragon slaying, he pays his debt by ordering Ingram to marry him.

Then his father reveals that he is putting Ingram to a greater purpose, giving Ingram one last chance to prove he is not worthless. All it requires is betraying his new husband." 

I can't wait to read the next one, it ended on a slight cliffhanger and I want to know what's going to happen next!

I loved the slow burn relationship between Ingram and Mallory. I actually enjoyed there not being any sex on page. For some reason it made it much more enjoyable and it made sense for the couple. I am usually all for the sexing and seduction, but this was so enjoyable and I feel that anything more than kisses or cuddles would have taken away from the story and the sexual tension. 

I loved watching Ingram grow! He was such a sweet person and watching him become fierce and independent was fabulous. Plus the love and support that Mallory showed him just made it so great. And that was another reason I loved that there was no sex because it could have easily turned into one of those "saved by the magic dick" stories, but no Ingram was the one who saved himself and had the lovely Mallory by his side to support him not save him.

I definitely would recommend this book to fantasy lovers or people who love the forced marriage trope (honestly I feel like anyone could read this book and have a great time). Really enjoyable and had a bit of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.

Final thoughts:

I really loved this book and I really can't wait to get my grubby little hands on the next one! I really hope the author finishes it some time soon.