Real Ugly (Hard Rock Roots #1) by C.M. Stunich

Turner Campbell is an asshole.

I f*cking hate him.

But I can't get enough either.

He sings like an angel and f*cks like a devil.

If I could, I'd run away and never look back because to tell you the truth, I think this man might be the death of me.

***

Naomi Knox is a bitch.

I can't f*cking stand her.

But I can't stop thinking about her either.

She looks like an angel and plays like a devil.

If I could, I'd f*ck her good and forget all about her, but to tell you the truth, I think this woman might be my last saving grace.

4.5 Stars

Real Ugly. That’s life. Fucking hideous and hateful and bloody. I wish I could see it otherwise. ~ Naomi 

Holy fucking shit. Well, you know a book is good when I start a review by swearing my mother fucking ass off. Don't be shocked when the rest of my review is more cursing vomit. 

What the fuck did I just read?

This was very different from any other rock star books I’ve read. It seemed more angsty and more dirty than normal. It’s far from pretty, or predictable. I’m not going to lie to you, but the title of this book really fits the story. It isn’t a pretty story, so far from it actually. This story, with its flawed characters and take-no-shit attitude created a very Ugly world full of angst, anger and raw vulnerability. I’m going to warn you right now, this book pissed me off, like a lot. No worries though, you’ll love every minute of it. 

All this time hating Turner, wishing him ill, wanting him dead, has built up into this angry sexual fervor that begs me to ride him until my heart explodes from my chest and my fingers draw blood from his back. 

The H/h in this book are prime examples of people walking the thin line between love and hate. They hate each other so much that I don’t think they could ever love anyone else but each other. Does that make sense? I know it’s confusing, but trust me, when you read this, you’ll understand. 

What is with this chick and who the hell does she think she is? Why doesn’t she worship me like everybody else? 

I don’t even know where to begin describing Naomi and Turner’s volatile relationship. A few words come to mind: Explosive, unstable, unpredictable, and hot-tempered. They are crazy fucked up. 

I have to remember that he’s not just a devil, but The Devil. 

No matter how angelic Turner is on stage, Naomi knows better. She and Turner have a past, but Turner doesn’t remember it. That is what pisses Naomi the most. He saved her, was there for her when she most needed it, but Turner is an asshole. In her mind, she was just one of his many nameless conquests. 

Something about her just pisses me off at the same time it gets me off. 

Turner is an asshole, plain and simple. I fucking hated him, but fucking loved him at the same time. Everytime Naomi stuck up for herself and knocked him down a peg, were joyous moments for me.

Turner cannot get Naomi off his mind. As the lead singer of Indecency, he’s had his share of women, still does actually. No woman has ever imbedded herself into his skin like she has. Unfortunately, she’s hard to avoid since her band is touring with his. There’s something vaguely familiar about her, but with his intermittent drug highs, he could be just hallucinating. Whatever the case may be, her supposed hatred and anger towards him just fuels his want for her. Naomi knows when Turner wants something, he’ll stop at nothing to get it. 

Fuck the past. The present’s all that matters anyway, right? 

So many things happened in the book. Along with fighting her feelings for Turner, there’s something, or someone, in Naomi’s past that is haunting her. Like I mentioned earlier, this story is NOT predictable. This story is far from the cookie-cutter rock star love stories out there. C.M. Stunich is so talented. I love her stories. They’re so full damaged characters that they always make for such interesting stories. This was no exception. However, before you decide to pick this up, I warn you now, this does end in a massive cliffhanger. Luckily, we don’t have to wait to long for the sequel. Can’t wait. 

Thank you C.M. Stunich for providing me this ARC

Losing Me, Finding You (Triple M #1) by C.M. Stunich

Twenty-one year old Amy Cross's idea of a hot Saturday night is curling up with her favorite book boyfriend and secretly sneaking a bottle of her mother's wine. That is, until she meets Austin Sparks, the biker boy with a past that burns like fire and a gaze she can't look away from. Without knowing what she's doing or why she's doing it, Amy ends up on the road with Austin traveling from one city to another while learning things she's only ever read about in romance novels.

At first it seems like Austin is Amy's fantasy come true, but as their journey progresses, she starts to sense that Austin is running away from something. Amy knows that she'll do whatever it takes to help him find himself. What she doesn't expect is that she'll lose herself in the process and how good it will feel to be free.

4.5 Stars

“If you don’t want this,” he whispers as he grazes my ear with his white, white teeth. “Then you better tell me know because once I get started, I ain’t gonna be able to stop.” 

This author isn’t new to me as I’m a big fan of her Never series. When I saw that she was planning on releasing this Biker romance novel, I was one giddy schoolgirl. I’m not going to lie, I’m not going to try to deny it: I love Bad Boy Biker romance novels. I eat ‘em up like handful of M&Ms. Then when I saw the cover. HOLY SHIT! It made the anticipation even greater. Preacher’s daughter + Biker Bad Boy = Motherfucking bliss. 

Girls like me don’t wrap their arms around men in leather, straddle massive hunks of metal that my mom refers to solely as “death traps,” drive to cities we’ve never been. Girls like me put on their yellow camisoles, their white sweaters and their below the knee skirts. 

Amy Cross wants out. She’s twenty-one, a virgin, and lives at home with her very strict and very religious parents. She feels trapped; destined to be stuck in this boring life. Her only solace is through her books, of course that is until the Bikers come into town for the annual antique bike show. She more curious than ever to explore outside her suffocating bubble. It is when she decides to quickly sneak off into town that she meets Austin Sparks. Oh. My. God. 

You’re just like my favorite book boyfriend. Now I know why I was so drawn to you. 

Austin is crazy sexy: Tattoos, motorcycle, leather jacket, scar on his lip…fuck! He just screams Bad Ass. He is instantly struck with curiosity when he approaches Amy. For some unknown reason, he is drawn to her. Is it her innocence? Perhaps. But he knows there’s something more to Amy than what’s on the surface. Underneath her outward innocent appearance, lies somebody wanting to breaking out of her shell, and he might just be the man who can show her. 

She is fucking pretty, no doubt about it, but it’s not just her round eyes and swollen lips that draw my attention. Shit, I don’t know what it is, but I want to own this girl, feel her beneath me as I slide inside and know that she belongs completely and solely to me. 

Austin and Amy have a connection. They don’t quite know what it is nor how to deal with it, but they know one thing, they’re not ready to part yet, especially Amy who has had enough of her life. After an altercation with her strict parents, she reluctantly asks Austin to take her away and even asks to join his MC. Her desperation is palpable and Austin feels the need to protect her. But is introducing her to the MC life really a good idea? He doesn’t feel the same about his MC and to try to shield Amy from the ugliness he has to deal with isn’t going to be easy, but by God he’s determined to do it. He wants her and nothing will stop him from completely possessing her. 

“If you can think of your lover in six senses, then I’d say you’re nailed. They’ve got themselves wrapped around your heart….and your cock.”

“Six senses?”

“Sight, sound, taste, scent, touch, and other, that thing you can’t figure out that means everything.” 

Austin doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into. I love how he gradually comes to realize what she means to him. Well technically their relationship doesn’t really come gradually considering they just met, but that connection they have is undeniable. 

I really enjoyed this story, and I LOVED Amy and Austin. She is such a sweet and beautiful girl and it broke my heart at how suffocating her life was before she met Austin. She finally has the chance to be free. As for Austin, well, he was just what I wanted as a Hero: Just flat out sexy. They were unbelievably perfect for each other. Their scenes together…Fucking Hot!! Loved it. This author definitely doesn’t disappoint. 

Other favorite quotes

-- Perversion is just another form of art. It’s like painting or drawing or sculpting. Except instead of paint, us perverts use sex as our medium. 

-- “If you want me to be exclusive,” Austin whispers into my ear, grunting as the thrusts deep. “Then you’re going to have to keep me satisfied, sugar. Think you’re up for it?”

“The question is,” I breathe, squeezing as tight as I can around him, so that he’s forced to stop, to give into the power that’s between my legs and wait for me to release him. “Can you handle me? I have high expectations, you know. All us romance readers do. We’re spoiled by words.” 

-- Finally, I think. After all these years of reading about bad boys and alpha males and delicious men with ridiculous names, it’s my turn. Mine. Mine. Sorry, Horse: Sorry Kellan Kyle: Sorry, Ty McCabe: Sorry, Travis Maddox: Sorry, Gideon Cross. But I’m breaking up with all of you. 

-- “Let me know what I need to do,” I tell him, suddenly noticing a spot of bright metal gleaming in the tip. He's pierced! Oh dear God. How did I not notice before? “Austin, I … ” 

“Oh shush, sugar, and just suck it.”