Sometimes Never (Sometimes Never #1) by Cheryl McIntyre

Hope didn't have the best role model when it came to relationships. She’s content with her current no-strings-attached extracurricular activity with the lead singer of her band. She’s never believed in love and commitment.

Mason starts his eighth school in five years anticipating nothing more than the usual—boring classes, fighting more than making friends, and girls happily willing to succumb to his easy smile. He’s never put much stock into love at first sight—until he sees her.

Regardless of their painful pasts, Hope and Mason discover that sometimes never can become forever.

*This is a mature young adult. Recommended for 17+ due to sensitive subject material, harsh language, and sexual situations.

3.75-4 Stars

“I’m afraid that if I let myself feel the way I do about you, ugh, I’m so afraid you’ll realize what I am, and you’ll walk away. And it’ll hurt me.”

“What are you?” I hold my breath, waiting.

“Broken,” she murmurs. 

This is story reminded me a lot of Colleen Hoover’s Hopeless. So if you’re a fan of that story, you might want to hold off on reading this. Strange request, I know, but hear me out. I really liked this story, and maybe if I had read this first, I might’ve actually loved this. However, I’m still in a Hopeless funk and that story Wowed the frick out of me. This is a wonderful story in its own right. I just think I should’ve picked it up after some time off from my Hopeless high. Am I making any sense? 

Anything could happen at any second. So why bother? Why bother meeting people? Making friends? Caring about someone? Falling in love? It’s just going to end. Taken away, ripped from my hands. Tore from my heart. ~ Hope 

Hope is one messed up chick; seriously fucked up. She’s not your typical teenage girl. She’s got multicolored hair and her attitude is sometimes scary. She can seriously kick any guy’s ass. What isn’t well known about Hope is that she’s hiding a pretty dark secret. She’s got this whole laundry list of issues that I cannot even begin to divulge. Something happens to her in her past and believes that she is not worthy of love. She doesn’t do relationships. Even her boyfriend isn’t even a boyfriend. No labels, that’s too personal. However, when she meets Mason, how much longer could she hide behind her tough persona? 

Mason Patel is my counterpart. He is the eraser to my chalk. The milk to my cereal. The chocolate to my peanut butter. We were made for each other…

It’s like I can breathe better. Stand taller. Smile easier. It’s ridiculous. I have this sinking feeling I’m going to regret this. That this boy is going to end up inflicting the worst pain I’ve ever felt. 

I absolutely LOVE Mason Patel. Just an FYI, he made it onto my elite ultimate book boyfriend list. That’s saying something. Anyway, Mason is immediately drawn to Hope. He wants to get to know this girl who just kicked a jock’s ass. She is nothing like the girls he used to date, if you could even call his previous relationships “dating.” Hope is a tough cookie to crack, but he’s a patient man and sooner or later, Hope is going to crack. But when he finds out Hope’s secrets, how will he react? 

I’m done counting the days. Now because of you I’m making the days count. 

This really was a very good story, one I really liked, a lot. The author dealt with some seriously dark issues and handled it very well. The relationship between Mason and Hope is a beautiful one. It’s amazing when you find the one person who truly mattered and can change your life like that. Just beautiful. However, there were times where I wanted to smack some sense into Hope. How she treated Mason at times made me so angry at her. Plus the ending left me a little disappointed. No worries, it ends happily, but it felt just a little rushed Anyway, I have no problems recommending this read, just go into it without certain expectations and with a little patience with Hope’s character.

Come Away with Me (Meet Me in Seattle #1) by Kristen Proby

Being confronted on the beach by a sexy stranger wasn't part of Natalie Conner's plans for a peaceful morning taking photos. And why on earth would he think she's taking pictures of him, anyway? Who is he? One thing’s for sure, he’s hot, and incredibly romantic, feeding Natalie’s wounded soul.

Luke Williams just wants the world to give him a break, so seeing yet another camera aimed at his face has him ready to pounce on the beauty behind the lens. When he finds out she has no idea who he is, he's intrigued and more than a little tempted by her. Natalie has a body made for sex, a sassy mouth and Luke can’t get enough of her, but he’s not ready to tell her who he really his.

Natalie is a no nonsense girl who doesn’t do well with lies and secrets. What will happen to this new relationship when she discovers what Luke’s hiding?

3.5-3.75 Stars

“Because you’re the first woman I’ve brought into my home and all I can think about is getting your beautiful body naked and fucking you senseless.” 

Holy shit! Umm, yea. That’s hot. 

I’ve been wanting to read this for a while now and figured it was good time as any to finally do so. I could never say no to a celebrity Hero character. I’ve read my fair share of these types of stories, you know…the ones where a famous hot actor meets and falls for the typical, non-celebrity, girl. I’m a sucker for those, especially when the steam factor is as hot as this one. 

I’ve fallen in love with a beautiful, sexy, sweet, jealous control freak. 

Shit. 

After taking scenic pictures, Natalie is surprised when a man approaches her and demands her camera. Is she getting mugged? No. Luke is just sick and tired of people taking pictures of him. He’s getting tired of living the celebrity life. He wants his privacy and this woman taking his picture is unacceptable. However, when he learns that she has no clue as to who he is, he’s both embarrassed and intrigued by her. How could she not know who he is? Luke finds this very refreshing and wants nothing more than get to know this stranger. 

The relationship between Luke and Natalie progressed at a very nice rate. Nothing seemed too rushed and the steam between the two was very H-O-T! Normally celebrity love stories often involve long drawn out dramas and miscommunications between the H/h. Though this one had a few minor (like very minor) ones, it was refreshing just to read and not feel angry and frustrated at the drama. It was just a story about the two of them getting to know one another and falling in love. It was a nice change of pace and I’m sure I’ll be checking out more from this author. 

The Valentine's Arrangement by Kelsie Leverich

Tattoo artist Ronnie Clark is counting the days until Valentine's Day is over. Ronnie doesn't do romance. She doesn't do flowers or dates, and she sure as hell doesn't do love--not anymore. After her fiancé cheated on her while deployed, she has vowed never to fall in love again, especially with a soldier.

Sergeant First Class Kale Emerson is home on his mid-tour leave from Iraq, but he can't wait to return to finish leading his soldiers on their mission. He's got no time for a relationship...but casual sex, that's a different story. And when he meets Ronnie, a snarky, gorgeous, take-no-prisoners kind of woman, a fast fling is all he can think about. But when Kale realizes he's met his match with a bombshell woman who is hell bent against love, will just sex be enough? And will winning her over both body and soul be the toughest battle he ever fought?

Three Stars

"You can stop mind fucking me now."

Kale's eyes came close to popping out of his head. "Excuse me?"

Ronnie rolled her eyes. "Let's get this straight, Soldier. I'm not sleeping with you. You can get it out of your pretty little head, and I suggest you do so before I stick a needle to your skin." 

I saw this book on Facebook, thought the cover was beautiful, the blurb interesting and the next thing I knew, I had to have it. Maybe it was the kind of day I was having or if I was just in one of those moods where the cover was too pretty to say no to, but I had to start reading it immediately. I hate to say it, but this story didn't wow me. 

”I don’t have a problem with pain, baby. Touch me wherever your little heart desires,” he whispered as his mouth reached her ear.

Holy fucking…he was driving her body insane. 

Ronnie is a very talented tattoo artist who broke up with her ex-fiancé after finding out he cheated on her while he was deployed in Afghanistan. Men are just cheating bastards. With Valentines Day just around the corner, the last thing she needs is to meet a man like Kale. He’s a soldier and is sex on a stick. It’s pure lust at first site for both Kale and Ronnie. Both aren’t looking for a relationship, but both agree to just a physical relationship. I mean, he’ll be leaving soon again anyway, right? No strings attached, just sex. 

Well obviously we all know where the story goes from here. I did find Kale sexy and hot, though Ronnie did annoy me a little. I didn’t mind the predictability and the steam factor is very hot, but there was just something missing. I can’t really pinpoint it, but it’s the reason for the three star rating. 

Falling Stars (Falling Stars #1) by Sadie Grubor

'A falling, or shooting, star, is the common name for the visible path of a meteoroid if it survives impact with the Earth's surface.'

Christopher Mason, the infamous lead singer of The Forgotten, has a reputation for being 'difficult'. Harboring dark memories and the burden of a painful secret, he struggles with a past he desperately wants to destroy. Amidst this star's battle with the pull of his demons, he risks losing everything he’s built as a musician. 

Enter Mia Ryder, the head strong yet laid back, lead singer of Hushed Mentality. As the opening act for The Forgotten, Mia and her all girl rock band are sure to gain the publicity needed to sky rocket to the next level in their dream career. 

Mia's laidback personality is challenged by Chris’s plotting for their demise and removal of the 'girlie band' from 'his' tour. But even Chris's best laid plans aren't prepared for Mia. 

As the demons pull this shining star down, is the one person he wants to eliminate the only person who can save him from the collision course he is on?

3.5-3.75 Stars

It was also no secret the band had a reputation, especially the dark lead singer often labeled the hot, arrogant asshole. 

"Hot, arrogant asshole." Yup, I was sold. Shocker I know. I'm not ashamed either. I love these types of books. Honestly the premise of the book intrigued me. I love strong heroines who won't take crap from assholes like this. From the beginning, it was pretty apparent that Chris Mason is an asshole. Yes, he's hot. Yes, he's sexy, but his attitude was almost a deal breaker. Two things kept me going. One: I knew, or at least I wanted to believe, that Chris is only acting like he is because there's something more to his story. Two: Mia was amazingly strong and didn't take his crap. I loved that.

I scowled at him, wanting to slap the attractive little smirk off his face. Instead inspiration struck. Stopping, I grabbed his arm and pulled his face extremely close to mine. I heard gasps from behind us. Our noses were less than an inch away, and his eyes widened when I licked my lips. 

Using the sickliest sweet voice I could muster, I opened my mouth. 

"In your fucking dreams, Mason."

I shoved him back and walked out of the restaurant extremely proud of myself, listening to the roar of laughter behind me. ~Mia 

This is what I loved about Mia. No matter what an asshole Chris was, she never backed down. She knew his game. She knew he wanted her and her band off their tour, but to play this game with him, it frustrated Chris. What pissed him off more is that he was drawn to her, more than he cared to admit. Chris has issues, severe ones that no one really knows about. He constantly has nightmares regarding his past. He hasn't had a good night's sleep in ages. No wonder he's an ass, right? What he finds out is that Mia has a way to calm his nightmares. One night when his plan on pushing her away goes to shit, he ends up in bed with her (no hanky though) and finds out that Mia's presence when he sleeps keeps his demons away. Of course the one person he supposedly can't stand is the one person he can't function without. Go figure. It really made for an interesting story. 

"So how are things with the lunatic?" Laney giggled and took a drink of beer. 

I rolled my eyes and took a drink of mine. There was no way I was telling them about last night. No way in hell.

"Same ass, same hole," I laughed. 

Chris fought and fought his attraction to Mia. It was beginning to frustrate me at how he just wouldn't give in. Then again, Mia was just as stubborn. I think I would've enjoyed this story more if they would've gotten it sooner. Does that make sense? Plus when it seemed like they finally got it, one of them would pull the breaks and the cycle of frustration begins all over again. Ugh! lol. But it wasn't all that bad. I really did like this story and I did LOVE Chris' Alpha asshole tendencies, especially when Mia would knock him down a peg or two. I'm hoping the author considers writing additional books that involve the secondary characters. I will definitely keep an eye out for them :)

Forever My Girl (Beaumont #1) by Heidi McLaughlin

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile. 

And now I’m going back. 

After ten years. 

I hope I can explain that after all this time. 

I still want her to be my forever girl.

Four Stars

"You don't get to come in here and demand answers, Liam. You've been off playing rock star. You're the famous Liam Page. You left this," I spread my around and point to myself. "You left me. There's no room for you here." 

I'm a sucker. You know that, I know that. I picked this book up purely because the Hero is a famous rock star. That right there drew me in. Oh come on! You know you would pick this up for the exact same reason. lol. However, there was a little more to his story. Don't get me wrong, this was very predictable, but I like knowing that it won't end in an annoying cliffhanger. It was just what I needed at the time. 

I miss the passion in her body when she's trying to show me hat's it's like to be loved by her. I'd give anything to feel that with her again, even if it's just for one fleeting, solitary moment. Just one quick taste of my girl again and I'd be complete. ~ Liam 

Liam is back. He's decided to attended the funeral of his best friend, Mason. That's what brought him back to this small town he left. He didn't want to face all those he left behind, especially Josie, his former girlfriend. She is still the love of his life. No matter how famous he is, no matter how many women he's been with, he'll always love her. It broke his heart to leave her, but how will she react when she sees him again? 

Watching his backside as he retreats should be second nature for me. This isn't the first time he's walked away from me and likely won't be the last. If I'm lucky he'll be gone for another ten years and I won't have to deal with him anymore. 

Josie is in denial. She still loves him, always has. Even though she's engaged to another man, when Liam comes back, she can't deny her feelings no matter how hard she tries. What makes it more complicated is their son Noah, the son Liam knew nothing about. Noah and Liam hit it off immediately. Liam wants nothing more than a chance to get to know his son and to win back a chance to become part of Josie's life again. 

"What was so important that you just left me?"

I sigh. "I told you, I needed something different."

"It wasn't me?"

"No." I shake my head to emphasize my point. "It wasn't you. It was never you. I hate myself for not taking you with me. I should've , but I didn't think you'd go and I didn't want you to tell me no." 

As much as I loved this story, a few things bugged me. One is the reasoning behind why Liam left without even giving her a chance to answer. How could he think she would say "no" to him? They were so in love, he shouldn't even had an doubt. Reason number two: He gets pissed at Josie for never telling him about Noah. In my opinion, he had no right to get pissed. He changed his phone number for crying out loud so he wouldn't have to face her. Pure cowardness on his part. Reason number three: Josie. There were times where her stubbornness annoyed me. Oh well. It can't be all perfect. For the most part, I did really like this story, but I did wish for some more steam…okay, now I'm just being picky. lol