Rock the Heart (Black Falcon #1) by Michelle Valentine

For the last four years, good girl Lane has regretted breaking up with Noel Falcon. She thought she was sensible when she told him his dreams of being a rock star would get him nowhere, but now that he's a rock god and her career is stagnant, she realizes just how wrong she was. When Noel hires the marketing company where Lane is an intern, she’s forced to see him again. If she wants to land her dream job as executive within the company, she has to win him over and secure his account. Too bad Noel is still pissed at her for breaking his heart.

When Lane’s company flies her to a Black Falcon concert to gain Noel’s attention, emotions run high the moment she sees him and realizes she’s far from over him. But Noel’s countless trysts with groupies and his cocky attitude make Lane believe he isn’t the same guy she once loved—now he seems to only want her body. Then after Lane discloses she needs him to procure a job, Noel proves he’s a changed man by forcing her to go on the road with him in order to get it.

After Lane reluctantly takes Noel up on his offer, she becomes willing to do whatever it takes to keep him satisfied, even if it means succumbing to his seductive ways. Lane soon finds deception is a dangerous game and she’s not the only one playing.

Four Stars

“I’ll do anything you want to make this happen between us, including give you time because I can’t lose you again. It hurts too fucking much.” ~ Noel

Son of a bitch! Curse you, Rockgods! You know you’re one of my weaknesses; my kryptonite. I couldn’t help but pick this book up. I seriously have issues. I can’t say no to these hot and sexy tattooed gods. The only thing that would totally make me combust is if he was a British rockstar. Alas, he is not, but that’s okay. Noel Falcon is still one hot male specimen.

“This next song goes out to the girl who shredded my heart without hesitation back in high school. It’s called Ball Busting Bitch, and Lanie, this one’s for you.”

Oh, yea Noel has some resentment towards his former high school love, Lanie. According to Lanie, I knew I broke his heart when I said I could never be with a dreamer because dreams don’t pay the bills. Fast forward four years and now he’s famous. She, however, is still trying to make it in the marketing business. She works as an intern at one of New York’s top marketing companies. Because no one else at the firm volunteers, she reluctantly agrees to wine and dine Noel to obtain information in marketing his charity. This is the kind of break she needed to get hired permanently, but how will she react to seeing Noel? Better yet, how will he react seeing her again?

“All I want to do is be with you. Now that I have you back I can’t see my life without you. When I think about my future, I think about you.” 

The love of his life is back. Now that he’s famous, Noel can have anyone he wants. But when Lanie shows up, all he wants her; a second chance. He will do whatever it takes to win her back, including convincing the CEO of her Marketing company to allow her to tour with him and his band while she “researches.” She is not thrilled at this idea and really does not want to subject herself to this. This. Is. Not. Happening. Unfortunately, her career is on the line and she has no choice. Two weeks with Noel. A lot can happen in two weeks.

“I tried to get over you. I really did, but you were always there. Every woman I kissed was you.”

Second chance love….God, I LOVE stories like this, I’m a sucker for it actually. This story was pretty predictable, but it was still worth the read. Sometimes you need something like this to take you away and live the dream of catching the eye of a super sexy rock star. **sigh** I will always love these type of stories and will always return to them like a moth to a flame. I cannot wait to read book two in the series: Riff and Aubrey’s story. He’s such a man whore and I totally loved Aubrey. I’m also hoping she’ll write one for each twin in the band, too. Tyke and Trip…yumm!! Oh wait! New image is forming in my head: Tyke, Trip and me…**Faints**

Back to You by Priscilla Glenn

When Lauren Monroe first laid eyes on Michael Delaney back in high school, she had every reason to stay away from him; within minutes of their first encounter, his volatile actions confirmed his notorious reputation. But Lauren saw something in him that caused her to question his bad-boy persona, and against her better judgment, she took a chance. She had no way of knowing that the unlikely friendship they formed would become so important to her.

Or that it would end so painfully.

Eight years later, when Lauren begins her new job at Learn and Grow Day Care, Michael is the last person she expects to see. Refusing to revisit the hurt and confusion of their past, Lauren vows to keep her distance from him. But staying away from Michael proves to be more difficult than she thought, despite her lingering grief and her instincts for self-preservation.

As Lauren and Michael recall the friendship that changed them forever and the events that tore them apart, will they finally be able to heal? Or will the ghosts of Michael’s past prove to be too much to overcome?

4-4.25 Stars

“See, Red? When life hand you lemons, you know what you gotta do now.”
“Wow,” Lauren said. “Yes, Mr. Cliché, I know what I have to do. I make lemonade.”
“No,” he said. “You scream, ‘Fuck you, lemons!”
“God,’ she said with a horrified laugh.
“And then you throw those goddamn lemons into oncoming traffic, and you go do what you want to do.” 

This has been on my radar for the last couple weeks. The book I read prior to this left me in tears and completely torn up. So I was in desperate need for a sweet story and thought that this would be exactly what I needed. I stared this book in the evening and I could not put it down. This is a story of two best friends, Lauren and Michael, who lost their way, but found their way back to each other. Fate had other plans for them.

She was one of the most genuine people he’d ever met, and he knew at that moment that if he did nothing else in his life, he wanted to be friends with Lauren Monroe. 

This story was told in the third person, showing both Lauren and Michael’s perspectives. It switched back forth from present day to their high school days, when they were best friends. In High School, their friendship was considered a little unconventional. He had a bad boy, womanizing reputation, while she was sweet and innocent. But somehow, they’re friendship worked. They were inseparable and could always count on each other. However as time went on in high school, Lauren started to feel more towards Michael. Michael on the other hand knew she deserved better than him and had always kept her in the “friend” category. He never pursued her even though he, too, wished for more. Their friendship was the most important thing in his life and he was not about to ruin it. Unfortunately, high school had to come to an end and it was at this point that their friendship was tested and ultimately split them apart. 

Suppression involves the cognizant desire to forget, whereas repression happens subconsciously. 

Eight years have passed since Lauren and Michael last saw each other. Now fate has brought Michael, along with his four year old daughter, to the new Day Care facility she works at. Lauren tries to keep things professional, but is having a hard time deciding what to do with Michael. They both miss each other and the friendship they had, but don’t want to confront each other about what happened in the past that drove them apart. They each play their safe role, but how long can they deny what they meant to each other?

“I always knew I would fall in love with you,” he said softly, “but you were never suppose to love me back.” 

This was such a sweet story. Their relationship was not rushed and it took time for them to find their courage to face each other. Michael’s side of the story was a little on the sad side and it did tear me up finding out the reasons why he kept away from Lauren. I do wish there was a little more steam, but oh well, I really liked it anyway. 

Flawed by Kate Avelynn

Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.

Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.

Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact...

4.75-5 Stars

**WARNING** I’m an emotional wreck and cannot control the verbal vomit that will most likely come out of my mouth. So with that said, the following may contain spoilers and some expletives. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk :) 

You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.

“No, I love you. You’ve never loved me, even though it’s supposed to be me and you, forever.” He reaches for my waist and buries his sticky face in my stomach. “Why can’t I be enough? I want to be enough so fucking bad.” ~ James 

Fuck. My. Life. I waited forever for this book to come out. The release date was pushed back so many times, I was ready to sayfuck it and not even bother to read this. Alas, I had to find out if it was worth the wait. Well, let me state for the record: This was worth the wait, well…at least to an extent.This story is not fluffy and far from an easy read. This broke me. I’m hurt and I’m just flat out numb from the experience. I want to hate this, I really do, but I just can’t. It was definitely a couldn’t put it downstory. Just be prepared for a highly emotional read. 

I have no idea what he sees in me. Strength, he says. Beauty. A big heart. I see none of these things. I see fear, flaws, and a heart so full of blackness I can’t give up my own selfish wants to set him or my brother free.

This story is told from our heroine, Sarah’s, POV. Her family life is fucked up. Her dad is an alcoholic and a former boxer with lots and lots of regrets. He takes out his drunken aggression out on his kids, James and Sarah. James has always been her protector; her savior. He takes the brunt of punches and does everything in his power to protect her. The only drawback to James’ protectiveness is his obsession with her. He makes her promise to never leave him. Their lives both revolve around each other. She cannot and will not do anything intentionally to hurt her beloved brother. The guilt he lays upon her binds her to him. However it becomes clear that his feelings for her is starting to become more than sisterly, especially when his best friend, Sam, is showing interest in her. 

Sarah has been interested in Sam for as long as she can remember. When they start to form a relationship, her feelings are mixed with elation and worry. She can be herself with him. He knows her every flaw, both inside and outside ones. Even after seeing all her scars, he still loves her. She doesn’t understand why, but is grateful for the love and friendship he provides. Sam fills a big hole in Sarah’s life that James cannot fill, no matter how much he wants to. She doesn’t want to break her brother’s heart and knows James is capable of hurting Sam if he ever found out about them, so they keep hush-hush, at least for now.

While being with Sam is every bit as incredible as I’d dreamt it’d be, he’s temporary. James is permanent. 

While most stories are transparent and you know who the heroine should pick; most of the time, I want to smack some sense into her. However, this was not the case. I wanted her with Sam, more than anything, but I can understand her loyalty towards James. How could you not? He’s been her everything. After all they’ve been through, I understand her hesitance. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted her to choose Sam, but the choice really wasn’t easy to come by. My mind and heart hurt at Sarah’s predicament. 

Towards the end of the book, my heart was racing and I was eager to know how this will all come to a close. Without spoiling much, let me just state that I was an emotional wreck, still am actually. I wanted to give the book less stars, but I just couldn’t. It was such a good story, but I wished the ending took a different route. 

If you decide to read this, you are in for one heck of an emotional story. There are moments where you will cringe. I guarantee you will feel conflicted and your heart will be torn to shreds, but I cannot deny the long lasting impact this story had on me. So there you have it. Go forth and read this at your own risk. You will either hate it or appreciate it for the incredible emotions it’ll illicit from you.

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If you're interested, there is an alternate ending (which BTW, made me smile :)
http://www.kateavelynn.com/alternate-...

The Secret of Ella & Micha (Secret #1) by Jessica Sorensen

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. 

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes. 

(New Adult Contemporary)
*Mature Content** Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language

4.5 Stars

Micha pulls back and smoothes my wet hair out of my eyes. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. I can’t do this without you.” 

**Sigh** I should’ve read this sooner. This book has been on my Kindle since October; when I first noticed this book. I loved the cover and loved the blurb and immediately bought it, but didn’t pick it up until now. What a mistake that was. I loved everything about this story. It was emotional and you couldn’t help but root for the H/h. The story had so much more than your typical YA. I could not put it down. If it wasn’t for work, I would’ve read it in one setting. 

“So then you understand why I ran away. If I don’t change, then I’ll turn out like her – I’ll turn out just like my mother.” 

Ella is damaged. She was once a carefree spirit and didn’t take any crap from anyone. Ever since she found her mother after she committed suicide, she was never the same. Not even her long time best friend, Micha, could help her. That night at the bridge, everything came crashing down on her. She’s afraid of turning out like her mother. Coping with her loss isn’t easy. She feels responsible for it. To top it all off, Micha is acting weird. She feels a shift in their friendship. Is he developing other feelings for her? It just becomes too much. So what does she do? She runs away. She disappears for eight months, leaving behind her old identity and also leaving behind Micha.

I use to come and go as I please with whoever I wanted, but once things started to change with our friendship, it became clear the void I was trying to fill was in her. ~ Micha 

For Micha, no girl has ever compared to Ella. They’ve been best friends and neighbors for a long time. Until one day he almost lost her. That was the day that he knew he couldn’t live without her; the day he wanted more from their friendship. Then she disappears. For the past eight months, Micha has been searching for Ella. One day, she reappears. But the girl that comes back isn’t his Ella. She’s become the total opposite of his best friend. In place of his tough-girl, passion filled, gothic clothed BFF, stands a preppy, straight-laced, play-by-the-rules kind of girl. However, he sees beneath the exterior and will do whatever it takes to bring back the girl he loves. 

My legs tense and Micha leans back. “Stay here, baby,” he whispers, like he can read my thoughts. “Trust me, okay? Don’t run.”

He waits for me to nod and then crashes his lips into mine, keeping his hands under my skirt. I arch my body into him, pressing my chest against his, and my nipples tingle. His tongue sensually plays with mine, tracing every spot on my mouth and my lips. My body starts to fill with a secret longing. 

My, my, my. Yes. The story had lots of emotion and lots of chemistry. Like I said, it’s not your typical YA. Both Ella and Micha had to overcome a lot of serious issues to be together. They know each other like no one does and no one ever will. They need each other too much; they are meant to be. I absolutely LOVED this story and I cannot wait for book two, which is due out anytime now. As an added bonus, the author is also writing a book three that deals with Lila and Ethan, Ella & Micha’s best friends. I’m definitely looking forward to these books. Highly recommend for those looking for a mature YA story. 

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a KitchenAid mixer, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O.

Adding insult to O-less, since her move, she has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Each moan, spank, and–was that a meow?–punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has, yep, you guessed it, no O.

Enter Simon Parker. (No, really, Simon, please enter.) When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has, well, mixed results. Ahem. With walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick…

In her third novel, Alice Clayton returns to dish her trademark mix of silly and steamy. Banter, barbs, and strutting pussycats, plus the sexiest apple pie ever made, are dunked in a hot tub and set against the gorgeous San Francisco skyline in this hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight.

Four Stars

Tis a sad, sad day when a girl doesn’t even know her own orgasm. 

Oh Alice, how I’ve missed your humor. I was so freaking excited to get this book as an ARC. Alice is one of those can’t miss authors and to have an opportunity to read this ahead of time…**happy dance**

This book started off in classic Alice style with lots and lots of humor. The sexual innuendoes and smart ass whit was back in full force. Even after the first chapter, she had me smirking and giggling like a school girl. I knew I was in for quite a ride and she did not disappoint me. 

Bad, rapid-fire sex and an ill-timed one-night stand had robbed me of my orgasm. She’d been on vacation for six month now. Six long months. 

Poor, poor, Caroline. Can you just imagine? SIX MONTHS! And to top it all off, she has a very noisy neighbor. She just moved into a new apartment in San Francisco and her very first night in that apartment, she was greeted with ”oh, Gods” and “Mmmm…Yeah, baby. Right there. Just like that…Don’t stop, don’t stop!”which was preceded in some serious spanking and wallbanging that resulted in painting to drop on her head. Oi vey! This was just the beginning too. In addition to “Spanx”, her nickname to one of three of her neighbor’s harem of woman, she also gets to listen to “Purina’s” purring and “Giggler’s” giggling. I love these nicknames, by the way... LMAO! So who is her mysterious neighbor?

“Why are you such a manwhoring asshole?” I asked, my face inches from his.

“Why are you such a cockblocking priss?” he asked, and when I opened my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought, the fucker kissed me.

Kissed me. 

Meet Simon Parker, a.k.a. Wallbanger. This is Caroline’s very sexy and very sexually charged neighbor. He’s quite a looker and charmer. No wonder he has a harem of women. Simon and relationships are hard for a photographer like him. He travels a lot and knows the emotional toll it can take on a potential girlfriend. So why bother, right? So Simon is all about having his fill with willing and knowing women when he’s home from an assignment. Hence his “harem,” though he really hates that term. When they first met, it didn’t really count since Caroline chickened out. So it wasn’t until the second time when they were forced to really acknowledge each other. Sparks flew and the tension between the two was palpable. 

Wallbanger v.s. Pink Nightie Girl

They form a truce of sorts, which leads them to become very good friends. The more they hang out, the more they seem to want more. Both have their reasons to keep things on a friendship level, but eventually they do form a relationship. Will Simon finally help Caroline bring back her O? God, let’s hope so for both her and our sakes. 

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the H/h, their quirky friends and I just adored Clive, Caroline’s personality filled cat. You can definitely call Clive, the story’s main comic relief. Loved the humor and loved the chemistry. However, the one thing that really prevented me from giving it more stars is the huge amount of sexual frustration I felt. If I had balls, I would’ve been in blue ball hell. LOL. I was getting way too antsy; waiting for Simon to give Caroline her long lost O. Just when you think it might happen, you feel your heart racing and you’re almost there. Just a little more and oh, my God this could be it…then…nothing.Yea. Blue balls. I can laugh about it now, but man it sucked. LOL. Anyway, you just can’t go wrong with reading this. Alice Clayton’s humor and witty writing is always welcome in my book. Love this author and I will continue to support her work. I can’t wait to see what she has next.