Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1) by Katie McGarry

"I won't tell anyone, Echo. I promise." Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone touched me like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins? His dark brown eyes shifted to my covered arms. "You didn't do that-did you? It was done to you?" No one ever asked that question. They stared. They whispered. They laughed. But they never asked.

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

FIVE++ HUGE STARS!

This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year and it even made my very selective crack-book shelf. This story is ridiculously good, no, it is excellent. It’s simply brilliant. The story and its characters were emotional, raw and beautiful. It was not your normal YA story. It was so much more than that. 

For people like me and Echo, our souls contained more scar tissue than life. 

Echo had it all. She had her mom, dad and beloved brother, Aires. She was also part of the popular crowd, member of the dance team and dating the captain of the basketball team. This was her normal. This was her life before Aires died serving in the military and before the incident with her mother. Even though she cannot recall all the events surrounding the incident, the event left her scarred physically and emotionally. She will no longer have normal. Now she’s seeing a therapist, her father is now married to her now pregnant former babysitter and no longer part of the popular crowd. This doesn’t deter Echo from trying to achieve normal again. She believes that if she can remember the events of the incident, she can start to heal and possibly start accept her life now. However, no one will tell her what happened, not her therapist and certainly not her father. She’s left to try piece everything together on her own. Desperate to find out, she befriends and enlists the help of Noah.

Noah wasn’t always about getting high, chasing girls and earning a bad reputation. He once had a promising future until the day he lost his parents, leaving him and his two younger brothers parentless and in the mercy of the foster care system. He and his younger brothers were separated and placed in the care of different foster families. Noah’s first foster family experience ended in disaster and was unfairly deemed as emotionally unstable. Convinced that his brothers were also placed in an unsuitable environment, he is determined to find out all he can about his brother’s family, hoping he can dig up dirt to use in a possible custody battle for his brothers once he turns eighteen. Unfortunately, his therapist will not give him the information he needs. Initially Echo was only there to help him and vise versa. According to Noah, she’s a siren. He’s not supposed to feel anything for her. He’s not a commitment/relationship type of guy. So what is it about Echo that makes him feel differently? She makes him want more. What is going on?

”Echo, I can’t tell you what’s going to happen because I don’t know. I don’t hold hands in the hallway or sit at anyone else’s lunch table. But I swear…on my brothers that you’ll never be a joke to me and you’ll be much more than a girl in the backseat of my car.” 

Echo and Noah were not designed for one another. Plus, in their own eyes and in the eyes of others, they’re deemed as damaged. Who would want all their baggage? The road to their relationship was rocky. They both denied their feelings for each other, thinking that it’ll just add further complications to their already difficult lives. Fate, however, brought these two together for a reason. They start to develop a trust not easily given to others and they slowly start to heal. Their relationship was real and raw. They made each other realize that there was more to life than what was dealt; that it was okay to want more. Together they made a passionate couple and my heart ached for them to work everything out. 

There is so much more I can say about this book. I can easily delve into how much I loved Echo and Noah and how they complemented each other perfectly. I can also start going and on about the secondary cast of characters, like Lila, Isaiah and Beth, which were all amazing, but that would make this review longer than it already is. 

My parting thoughts are as follows: This was just excellent. Its one of those stories that when you finish, you just want to flip back to the beginning and read everything all over again. I love Echo and Noah’s story. I love how emotional it is; I love how it made me angry; I love how it made me tear up. I especially love how happy I was with the end result. I love everything about this story. I highly, HIGHLY recommend!!

Playing for Keeps (Neighbor from Hell #1) by R.L. Mathewson

Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to be sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of. 

The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only thing left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.

Five Delicious Buttercream Frosting Flavored Stars (whew! Stay that ten times fast :)

This was such a wonderful find. I LOVED every moment of this story. I could not put it down for the life of me. How could I not? Not only did it have a great romantic story line, but a lot of scenes in the book made me laugh out loud. Particularly when they involved Jason Bradford and his insane obsession with food. Gotta love a man with a big appetite. Word of caution, never get in the middle of a Bradford man and his food. It was freaking HIGH-larious! And Haley was simply lovable as our heroine. They started out as friends and their relationship just took a natural course. Nothing felt rushed and it was perfect. Their chemistry was such a joy to read. Very well done, grasshopper. Very well done! Highly, HIGHLY recommend!!!

The Siren (Original Sinners #1) by Tiffany Reisz

The Siren is a modern-day retelling of My Fair Lady with uptight English literary fiction editor Zachary Easton as an unwilling Professor Higgins and well-known wild child Nora Sutherlin as his erotica-writing Eliza Doolittle. Zach only has six weeks left at Royal House New York before he heads to Los Angeles to take over as Chief Managing Editor at Royal West. When his boss orders him to help Nora Sutherlin rewrite her latest novel, Zach agrees to work with her only if he is given complete control over the fate of her book. If Nora doesn’t rewrite it to his satisfaction in six weeks, Royal won’t publish it.

4.75-5 Stars

As we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation…

So I’ve finally had some time to digest my initial thoughts on this beautifully erotic book. I was left heartbroken, yes, but that shouldn’t take away from the rest of the story. I initially gave this review 4.5 stars based only on how I felt at the end. I thought about it, and I realized that that judgment was unfair. To be quite frank, whatever I may end up saying will definitely not do this book the justice it deserves. I love this story, plain and sinful. **Ehem** I meant plain and simple. lol. This was differently beautiful, darkly seductive and passionately erotic. (Love those adverbs ;-). If you do not come into this book with an open mind, you might be put off. Otherwise, this was definitely one of those memorable stories that will stick with you. There are a lot of shockers in this one; some of which, spun my beliefs, and quite possibly yours, into a wonderful little tailspin. You have been warned.

This story centers on Nora Sutherlin, a famous erotica writer, who not only writes the stories, but lives it. In the Underworld, Nora is a famous and most sought after Dominatrix. Though, technically she’s a Switch, once being the submissive of her former lover, SØren. Before I continue, I must confess that I developed a rare lesbian crush on Nora. She has become one of my all-time favorite heroines. She has a wicked sense of humor, smart, and extremely seductive. I completely understand why men and women plunk down their money to just have the opportunity to kiss her boots. To say that she is a unique character is a severe understatement. There’s just something about her. It doesn’t hurt either that she is constantly surrounded by beautiful and gorgeous men either. 

”He’s sexually aroused by inflicting pain and humiliation. And he’s phenomenal at it.” ~ Griffin describing SØren 

SØren: (Beautiful and gorgeous man #1) Whoa. Where do I begin? There’s only so much I can say about SØren. He is first and foremost a sadist. He is dead sexy and extremely intimidating. His commanding presence alone can stop a room full of people. He and Nora were long time lovers prior to this story. They were, and still are, madly in love with each other. They were together for years, he as her Dom and she his sub. He inflicts pain, that is what he is good at and that is what Nora craves, until she runs away. Though she is no longer owned by him, she is still drawn to him. 

”Push, lunge, shove, attack, force, jab,” he rattled off the words. “I do love a man with a big vocabulary.” ~ Nora 

Zach Easton: (Beautiful and gorgeous man #2) He is Nora’s editor. He’s just relocated to the States after separating from his wife, Grace. It’s obvious that he is still in love with her and has a difficult time trying to move forward. He was very reluctant to accept the role of Nora’s editor. Apparently he’s not a fan of romance novels. However, with the persistence of his boss, he takes on the role. Nora, being Nora, starts to intrigue Zach. He’s never met anyone quite like her. She’s bold and brash. To me, I think Nora is there to help Zach heal and move forward. And that’s exactly what happens. 

”I will save you from yourself”…he could hear Wesley saying those very words to Nora. He hadn’t leaned yet you couldn’t save someone who didn’t want to be saved. 

♥♥Wesley♥♥: (Beautiful and gorgeous man #3) He is Nora’s nineteen year old, gorgeous, charming and virginal brown eyed roommate/intern. Although, Nora tells everyone he’s only sixteen to maintain her “street cred” (lol). He’s a southern gentleman who is completely and utterly in love with Nora. She loves him, but holds herself back knowing that he will never belong into her world of dark, erotic love. According to Nora, he’s too vanilla for her wild tastes. I’m so in love with Wesley, it’s ridiculous. 

Honorable mentions: Kingsley Edge and Griffin Fiske. I can’t write this review without at least acknowledging these two delectable gentlemen. ;)

Alright so there you have it. I LOVED this story. The ending was not what I wanted, but luckily there are at least two more books after this. I want those two books like yesterday. lol. I’ll definitely be stalking Mistress Reisz’s website and GR for when these two are coming out. Cannot wait for more!!

Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer Armentrout

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Five++ Big Huge Enormous Stars :)

Resistance is futile, Kitten 

Before I begin, I have to thank Rachael for loaning me her beloved copy of this awesome story. I don’t think I could’ve survived waiting until August. No worries, your book is safe and sound. You rock! ♥♥♥ 

♥♥♥ Daemon was a total babe, but he was stab-worthy, which at times, zeroed out the babe part. ♥♥♥ 

Daemon is still Daemon and, God, did I miss him. I loved him in Obsidian, but man, he was even more swoon-worthy in this one. There were several moments of utterly sweet Daemon that made me melt. I literally closed the book, sighed heavily and just hugged the book. Take the following for example…

His throat worked slowly. “Can I…?” There was a pause and my heart stuttered. “Can I just hold you? That’s all…that’s all I want.”

A knot formed in my throat and my chest tightened, cutting off my voice. I didn’t want him to leave, so I nodded.

Relief flickered across his stoic face, softening the hard lines, and then he walked around to his side, kicked off his shoes, and slid into bed beside me. He moved closer, extending an arm, and I went, curling against his body, my head nestled in the space between his shoulder and chest.

“I kind of like being your body pillow,” he admitted, a smile in his voice. “Even if you drool on me.” 

As you can see, his arrogant side didn’t go very far, but more often he came off just charming and hilarious. There’s a scene where he joins Katy while she films her VLOG that will have you smiling from ear to ear. Lots of good times to be had. He was just amazing in this book. His relationship with Katy takes on a whole new level. The constant pen poking during class and the obvious flirting is beyond HOT. At the same time, he wants nothing more than to protect her. He deeply cares for her and her safety. Katy accuses him of stalking, but he just denies it and claims that he was just "looking out for her." Uh huh. Sure. However, we soon find out additional reasons, aside from the obvious ones, why he’s so overbearing. Something about Katy is changing.

I did not understand boys – especially alien boys. 

Ah, Katy. Where do I begin with you? I love you, you know that. You are one lucky chick to gain Daemon’s affections. However, what I couldn’t understand is why you were so stubborn, especially in regards to his reasoning for him wanting to be with you. He saved your life for crying out loud. Isn’t that good enough? Ugh! Some of your actions and decisions just baffled me, but I’m glad you finally came around. 

I’m not really going to delve too deeply regarding the plot. There were so many things going on, too many surprises, and new characters to figure out, particularly involving Blake (or was it Bartholomew, or Bilbo, or Bob? I forget). Anyway, I wouldn’t even know where to begin when it comes to describing the chaos that is going on in the story. Just know that this was another brilliant installment of a series that I come to just LOVE. Jennifer Armentrout's writing is pure genius. There’s just something about her storytelling that has you utterly captivated and enthralled. This was an excellent and brilliant sequel. To say that I’m looking forward to Opal (Lux #3) is an understatement. I would be willing to give up my first child to have that book in my hands now. Okay, so that was a tad much, but when you read this, trust me, you’ll understand why I made that statement. I truly loved this!!

Avoiding Responsibility (Avoiding #2) by K.A. Linde

Lexi has finally given up her once destructive relationships and moved onto bigger and better things with a sexy new man in town. Just when she is starting to figure it out with him, her world is tilted once again with a phone call from none other than Ramsey Bridges. A year after his entrance into her life, Ramsey is trying to make amends and does the one thing she never expects—invites her to Jack's wedding.

The wedding she had evaded at all costs. But no matter what she does, Lexi can't seem to escape her past with Jack. But does she really want to?

Despite the explosive chemistry between Lexi and Ramsey, she is skeptical about trusting him after everything that has happened. When things are amiss with him, she starts questioning his motives. Can Ramsey be the one to remove Jack from Lexi's life permanently or should she move on with her blossoming new life?

Five Stars

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The yellow tape surrounds the area; the sirens have all been silenced. The damage has been done. Everyone injured has been patched up and sent for further treatment. The train wreck is over. There’s nothing more to see here. 

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Once again, I am a mess. This emotional rollercoaster ride has come to an end; well, at least for now. Wow! This was just like the first book. My emotions were all over the place. Just check out my status updates, you’ll see just how screwed up I was. I literally had to take a break after every chapter and perform deep breathing exercises just to calm my ass down. I’ve never been so worked up before. This story, along with book one, has made a mess out of me. Do not fret…it’s a good type of mess ;-)

Immediately after I read this, a smile crept up my face. I loved the ending, though I wish there was an epilogue. **hint hint**. I’m sad that this ended and I’m hoping for more in the future, but for right now; for this very second, the biggest reason why I have a smile on my face is because I made it through intact and in one piece. 

***Please do not read further if you have not read book one, Avoiding Commitment. Possible spoilers ahead***

♥♥ Ramsey ♥♥: I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU. You have earned a coveted place as one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. I do not care about your past. I don’t even care that you’re related to the evil spawn bitch Bekah. I LOVE YOU. What you did for Lexi is beyond sweet. You stayed by her side and stuck up for her and it was by far, the sweetest gesture you could’ve done to show her you loved her. My heart just melted. You are amazing!

Lexi: Chica, I’m so proud of you!!! Yes, I questioned some of your decisions, but we all have to learn from our mistakes. You definitely learned your lesson the hard way, and I’m so happy that Jack is now out of the picture. When you kneed him in the cojones, I screamed out, “yes! It’s about time!! Woohoo!!” You definitely earned the right to date my Ramsey. Please treat him good. If you hurt him, I will come after you! 

Jack: I’m glad I denounced you after the first book. You haven’t changed one bit since the first book. I can’t believe all the extra drama you caused in this book. Ughh! Why do you have to be so freaking charming and sleazy at the same time Gahhh! I can never figure you out.

Bekah: I still hate you. More so now, than ever before. OMG! You are so f**king delusional! You are so malicious and callous. Jack will never fully love you. 

Chyna & Adam: I’m so happy you two are together! I wish you two all the best. ♥

**SIGH** Ok. I’m totally spent. I love this book. I love both stories. They caused me nothing but angst and tons of emotional outbursts, but it was all worth it. When these two are officially available in book form, I will happily run out and add them to my shelf collection. They are a must have in my opinion. I never thought I would enjoy a story with so much torment and anguish, but K.A. Linde proved me wrong. A definite must read!