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Risk It by Jennifer Chance
13 Sunday Jan 2019
13 Sunday Jan 2019
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12 Saturday Jan 2019
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12 Saturday Jan 2019
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Title : Days Like This
10 Thursday Jan 2019
September 21, 2015
reviewed for
Title : Forgotten Desires: A short story in aid of The Eve Appeal
Author : Jodi Ellen Malpas
Series : N/A
Release date: Sep 21, 2015
Rating : 5 Stars
>> A short story of 5K words released for The Eve Appeal. All profits on the sales of this book will be donated to the women’s cancer charity. Forgotten Desires is a small story with a big message to women everywhere.<<
Blurb : Kelly has fallen into the humdrum of everyday life. Her fulfilment is found in the washing, the cleaning, the ironing and running herself into the ground with her job. She’s not sure when it happened, but the fun, spontaneity and excitement in her life was lost somewhere along the way. So when she’s asked out on a date by a gorgeous man who demands her attention, Kelly’s not so sure she’s up for it. It’s been a while, to say the least. It would be easy to refuse, stay at home, finish that pile of ironing, and then answer some work emails. The thought of being so organised alone brings a smile to her face. But with the encouragement of her best friend, she bites the bullet and goes all out. Bye-bye ironing, hello gorgeous man. She doesn’t know where this Kelly has been, but she quite likes her, and she doesn’t plan on misplacing her again.
Review : What Jodi Ellen Malpas can do to a reader within 5k words is incredible!
Directly after the first lines I knew: this is a Jodi-ish book, without a doubt. I love the story which is short but includes so many different emotions.
Normally you can´t really connect with the characters of a book in such a short time, but Jodi made it possible with introducing us to Kelly and the mysterious but without a doubt sexy as hell man!
The message this short-story conveys within the 25 pages is even better, because if you think hard enough about it, it makes this book even more interesting!
And the best part about all of it? It´s for a good cause!
So enjoy reading while helping others at the same time!
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08 Tuesday Jan 2019
June 22, 2016
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Title: Ramping Up
Author : Zoe Dawson
Series: Mavrick Allstars #1
Release date: June 21st 2016
Rating : 4 Stars
Blurb : The world of extreme sports just got a little steamier! Zoe Dawson’s pulse-pounding, emotional series follows the wily young female agents of Mavrick Allstars as they chase their dreams—and meet the chiseled athletes who make them come true.
Helena “Lena” Mavrick is ready to prove that she can play with the big boys. Working at her father’s internationally renowned agency, Mavrick Allstars, Lena sets her sights on one of the most coveted phenoms out there: a twenty-four-year-old surfer caught ripping it in a viral skateboarding video. Signing him would be a huge win—and his marketing appeal isn’t the only thing that makes Lena’s heart skip a beat. Trouble is, fraternizing with the client is against company policy.
Professional surfer Gunner Smith lives under the absolute control of his coach—until he takes the ultimate risk and starts over as a skateboarder. Gunner swore he wouldn’t give up his freedom again, but Lena’s out-of-the-blue offer makes him think long and hard. She’s smart, she’s bold, she’s got sponsors lined up around the corner—plus she’s drop-dead gorgeous. He’s just not sure his coach will let him get away that easily, because he’s not just Gunner’s coach, he’s also his father.Gunner is used to hiding his tortured past. But when his steamy affair with Lena threatens their future, he must decide whether he will sacrifice everything for the woman who’s stolen his heart.
Review : I think “Ramping Up” (Mavrick Allstars #1) by Zoe Dawson was my first Skateboard novel ever. I could relate to the flair of the places it was set to take place – I have seen similar places in California and loved watching the guys and girls doing their tricks with their boards.
I think that was what drew me to the book. But I have to admit that I struggled a little with the terminology of skateboarding – but that has nothing to do with the book – yeah well and readers should know … at the end of the book are some explanations hidden for those used phrases.
Lena and Gunner were two interesting and well developed / written characters. Gunner slightly better than Lena I felt. I could not always catch Lena’s PoV in certain situations. Sometime she seemed to be totally on the same page like Gunner and sometimes she was so far off with her fancy clothes and money background. She seemed so different from him, but than suddenly she was all in. I could not quite follow her.
Gunner on the other hand was easy to get. He was kind of lost and floating but he still never lost the focus on the big picture. The only thing where he felt undetermined was when it came to his father and in parts I think that was understandable considering the background.
Basically his whole life was one sacrifice until the day he met Lena…the question is only if he would be able to change that situation and grab the chances that will come his way.
Interesting book with unusual characters (at least for me) – its worth the read….
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08 Tuesday Jan 2019
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June 21, 2016
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Title : All the Rage
Author : T.M. Frazier
Series : n/a
Release date : June 21st 2016
Rating : 4 Stars
Blurb : They call me Rage.
My real name is like a shadow, always close behind, but never quite able to catch up.
I fly under the radar because no one ever suspects I’m capable of the kind of brutal violence I commit each and every day.
You see, I’m a girl. I’m nineteen.
And I’m a killer.
This life is all I know. It’s all I want to know. It keeps the s**t buried that I need kept buried. It allows me to live without thinking too much.
Without dwelling on the past.
Until him.
It all changes when an ordinary boy becomes my next target.
And my first love.I have to choose.
The only life I’ve ever known has to die, or he does.
Either way, I’ll be the one pulling the trigger…
All the Rage is a STANDALONE.
Review : A new book by T.M. Frazier ? you really have to ask if I want to read it ? Guess no … that is pretty obvious …I hope. I count my self lucky to have received an Advance Reading copy of her newest book “All the Rage”.
There was no question that I would like her writing style because I read enough books from her. But still it can always happen even after many books you like that you end up with a plot that does not work out for you.
Especially because the plots by this author are usually anything but “sweet”.
But no worries – the plot of “All that Rage” is everything the Blurb promises and just the way that Fans of T.M. Frazier will expect it to be – Raw and deep.
I can not recall having read a plot like this featuring a girl – so I believe it’s a quite unique setting. The blurb already promises a lot of suspense and the readers will not be disappointed. There are some funny moments to but most of the time I found myself in awe for Rage.
Sounds strange right ? Admiring a killer ? …I feel the same way when I put it like that – but you have to read the book to understand what makes her different.
There was a strange moment towards the end when I would have expected something different – something a little more twisted (and believe me the way it was written was already VERY twisted) – but what I would have guessed would have been the cherry on top – but even without that I am pretty sure the readers will love the book.
You are wondering why it did not get 5 stars ? I don’t give 5 stars that often – because 5 stars require me laughing my ass off or crying a river … – as both did not happen I could not give those but it’s a 4 +++ at least – especially for this highly unusual plot setting.
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07 Monday Jan 2019
June 23, 2016
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Title : To Live Again
Author : Melody Dawn
Series : The Living Series #1
Release date : September 29th 2015
Rating : 4 Stars
Blurb :
Chloe: She’s broken beyond repair.
Jayson: He’s determined to fix her and make her love him in the process.
Chloe has the perfect life or so everyone thinks.She tried to leave her past behind, but it follows her like a dark shadow. Drowning in guilt, she’s dying to live, but sees no way out. So she tries to fool herself and everyone else into believing she is fine. But Jayson sees through the act that Chloe puts up for everyone else and he’s going to do everything in his power to help her to live again. Can Chloe let go, or will that night forever ruin her future?
Review : I just had the opportunity to read and review To Live Again (The Living Series #1) and This is Living (The Living Series #1.5) by Melody Dawn Back to Back. Both books are about the same Persons. Only “This is Living” takes places several years after the first Book “To Live Again”. And I can not advice to read “This is Living” without reading “To Live Again” first.
It was a well written, fast and easy read even if the plotline was hard to digest at times.
If I would have to sum up the content of this book in one short statement I would say, this is a book about forgiving yourself and learning to life with your mistakes.
I hope nobody will ever have to face what Chloe went through and honestly it is no wonder she is broken beyond repair. She is trapped by her past, trapped by a mistake she only had half the blame to take for if at all.
And there lies is also one of the things I found hard to understand. I can not go into detail to avoid spoiler but as far as I understood it due to a fact that was out of her control she did something. Its true she did something wrong but in the end result that would not have mattered that much anyway. And there were other persons also involved and (I might have overlooked it but) I did not read anything about what happened to them.
How could I explain without spoiler I wonder. Let me try with food… lets say you are forbidden to eat Ice-cream… but you still eat ice-cream and drop dead because someone poisoned the ice-cream. Does it still matter that you ate the ice-cream ? I believe the focus should be why it was poisoned !
You will understand what I mean when you read the book. In the end, it does not matter – because what happened – happened and no matter who takes the blame in the end it was Chloe that “did” it.
Jayson is this really sweet guy – that is basically “perfect” from top to bottom and not even Chloe can deny that, but she considers herself unworthy of live and love.
So from the moment those two meet Jayson is in for the fight of his life not even knowing what he is fighting against, which makes it extremely difficult to gain ground.
Life’s will be ruined, Hearts will be broken and in the question is who will survive.
The demons or the love …
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07 Monday Jan 2019
June 23, 2016
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Title : This is Living
Author : Melody Dawn
Series : The Living Series #2
Release date : September 29th 2015
Rating : 4 Stars
Blurb :
The first time Jayson Reece saw Chloe Schaeffer, he knew she would be his forever. He promised her then that he would show her how to live rather than just letting life pass her by. Now, 9 years later, they’ve had the storybook romance, a picture perfect wedding, and two twin boys to complete the family they always wanted. But something is missing…With two rambunctious boys, Chloe decides to be a stay-at-home mom until the boys are old enough to go to school. So, with her dreams of being a social worker put on hold, she throws everything she has into being the perfect mother and wife. Jayson has a very demanding career as an Emergency Room physician. He tries to balance out his workload and that of being a family man, but lately his job has come first. Is he beginning to lose focus on the things that are most important to him? Will Chloe’s drive for perfection and the challenges of Jayson’s career drive them apart? Or will they realize that love creates the perfection she desires and the balance he needs to keep his family together?There’s only one thing left to do. Jayson needs to renew his promise to Chloe and she needs to trust Jayson to get them back to where they belong.A place where living and loving is required…those only wanting to exist need not apply. e?
Review : I just had the opportunity to read and review To Live Again (The Living Series #1) and This is Living (The Living Series #1.5) by Melody Dawn Back to Back. Both books are about the same Persons. Only “This is Living” takes places several years after the first Book “To Live Again”. And I can not advice to read “This is Living” without reading “To Live Again” first.
It was a well written, fast and easy read even if the plotline was hard to digest at times.
If I would have to sum up the content of this book in one short statement I would say, this is a book about forgiving yourself and learning to life with your mistakes.
I hope nobody will ever have to face what Chloe went through and honestly it is no wonder she is broken beyond repair. She is trapped by her past, trapped by a mistake she only had half the blame to take for if at all.
And there lies is also one of the things I found hard to understand. I can not go into detail to avoid spoiler but as far as I understood it due to a fact that was out of her control she did something. Its true she did something wrong but in the end result that would not have mattered that much anyway. And there were other persons also involved and (I might have overlooked it but) I did not read anything about what happened to them.
How could I explain without spoiler I wonder. Let me try with food… lets say you are forbidden to eat Ice-cream… but you still eat ice-cream and drop dead because someone poisoned the ice-cream. Does it still matter that you ate the ice-cream ? I believe the focus should be why it was poisoned !
You will understand what I mean when you read the book. In the end, it does not matter – because what happened – happened and no matter who takes the blame in the end it was Chloe that “did” it.
Jayson is this really sweet guy – that is basically “perfect” from top to bottom and not even Chloe can deny that, but she considers herself unworthy of live and love.
So from the moment those two meet Jayson is in for the fight of his life not even knowing what he is fighting against, which makes it extremely difficult to gain ground.
Life’s will be ruined, Hearts will be broken and in the question is who will survive.
The demons or the love …
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06 Sunday Jan 2019
June 27, 2016
reviewed for
Title : The Secret Life of a Dream Girl
Author : Tracy Deebs
Series : Creative HeArts, #4
Release date : Jun 27 2016
Rating : 4 Stars
Blurb : Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, references to drinking and drugs, and a kiss so steamy it’ll fog up your ereader. Hiding in plain sight is harder than it looks…Dahlia Greene—aka international pop superstar Cherry—is undercover as a normal high school student. She just wants to experience what real life is like, so when she overhears hottie Keegan Matthews nervously talking about liking a girl, she sees the perfect opportunity to live a real life and play a little matchmaker. What was not part of the plan was falling for a guy she can never tell the truth.Keegan Matthews has been secretly crushing on Dahlia ever since she started at his school. Sure, Dahlia thinks he’s crushing on some other girl—not realizing his Dream Girl is actually her—but he figures, play along with her tips to woo someone else, let her get to know him, and then make his move. But with so many secrets in the mix, their romance is doomed from the start…
Dahlia and Keegan, Book 1 of 3
Dahlia and Keegan Book 2 coming March 2017
Review : Have you ever read a book and wondered at is end if it was over ? … like in really “wonder?” I just did, because when I reached the end of The Secret Life of a Dream Girl (Creative HeArts, #4) by Tracy Deebs I felt that it had an end but I was not sure I was satisfied because there where too many things left unsaid.
So when I started to prepare the review I noticed that I overlooked the part in the Blurb that mentioned it was part of a series … so my mistake. That had me thinking again … because actually I think it IS possible to just read the first book as a standalone… it would work – it would just leave some things unsaid which in some cases might not the worst decision.
Actually the story is a sweet one, which might have been written several times before but usually it is from a different PoV. Usually you get the guys to be the ones “undercover” so this was a nice change.
The plot is well written, moves at a nice speed and the characters are developed very interesting. Its not a brand-new plot idea but its used so well that it reads nicely. I would not say it’s a “Easy summer/beach read” because there are some heavy subjects in there.
And I assume that they will become even more difficult in the next book. But it is a really great story that I can only recommend
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05 Saturday Jan 2019
June 28, 2016
reviewed for
Title : Beautifully Decadent
Author : L.A. Fiore
Series : Beautifully Damaged #3
Release date : June 28th 2016
Rating : 5 Stars
Blurb : Avery Collins has just landed her dream job, pastry chef for the posh-Manhattan restaurant Clover. Her new boss, Trace Montgomery, even helped with securing her an affordable place to live: a beautifully restored carriage house owned by his friend, Rafe McKenzie—a man that makes her catch her breath and stirs her imagination. Trouble is, he’s involved with someone, his father is being released after 25 years in prison and Avery is just his tenant. Exploring the attraction that sizzles whenever they’re together would be the icing on the cake, but Avery knows all too well that you can’t have everything. Of course, what’s cake without icing?Rafe McKenzie’s world shattered at nine when his father Liam—the only parent he knew—was arrested and convicted for armed robbery. Growing up in the system, Rafe managed to survive his childhood and now has a job he enjoys, a house he’s restoring and a tight circle of friends. He’s even working on reconciling with his dad, both eager to put the past in the past. Happy for the income a tenant would bring, Rafe agrees to rent his carriage house to Clover’s new pastry chef. When Avery Collins pulls up his drive, she’s not at all what he’s expecting. Funny, sexy and as sweet as her desserts, it doesn’t take long for things between them to heat up. Just when it seems as if they’ll have their cake and eat it too, the past comes back with deadly intent leaving Rafe to figure out who’s pulling the strings before his world shatters again.
Review : Is it possible to gain weight through reading a book ? I bet you are saying “NO” – impossible !! – but that is just your answer because you have not read Beautifully Decadent (Beautifully Damaged #3) by L.A. Fiore – already looking at the cover made me hungry … and the title is just so fitting to the content that it almost hurts.
It is no secret that I love the books by this author … So I got totally impatient waiting on the next book from her to be released … Yeah – it is on in the series of “beautiful damaged” – which I was sure would guarantee me total reading pleasure – I just had no idea at that time that this kind of pleasure also went right through my stomach too.
Oh – the books are basically standalone novels in that series but as the characters of the first two books make an appearance I would suggest to read them in the right order. It is not absolute necessary to enjoy this book but more to guarantee that you will not spoiler yourself into the endings of the other books.
Avery and Rafe were just wonderfully developed – there is nothing more that I could say. Ms. Fiore really worked her magic to create another set of interesting characters. I am already hoping for a forth book so I will be able to meet them all again.
But this author not only develops her characters to the dot – not also the setting in which they are placed. During reading I was envisioning Rafe’s house and also the carriage house that Avery was renting.
BUT what was even worse … I felt myself craving baked goods… without conscious thought I was digging into cupcakes during reading jus to get the real feeling and I found myself googling recipes for cakes and cookies while I read about them.
SO yes believe me it is possible to gain weight during reading this romance novel … but you can also believe me when I tell you – you will love every second of it and not regret any calorie.
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