The Education of Sebastian (Education of #1) by Jane Harvey-Berrick

A friendship between the lost and lonely Caroline, and the unhappy Sebastian, leads to an illicit love that threatens them both.

Caroline Wilson is trapped in a cold and loveless marriage with an older man. When her husband finally wins a long sought-after promotion, Caroline feels she has little choice but to follow him to a new home in San Diego. There she meets Sebastian, a young man of 17. 

For an all too brief summer, their happiness blooms. 

But external pressures begin to bear down, not least from the overbearing David, and Sebastian’s parents begin to suspect that their son has a secret. Even Caroline’s new friend, Donna, realises that dark passions exist below the serene surface.

4.5-4.75 Stars

He kissed me with sudden ferocity, covering my face and throat with hard, burning kisses. His weight pinned me down as I ran my hands across the taut muscles of his back and shoulders.

“I love you,” he growled. “That’s all that matters.” 

When I came across this book, I wanted to read it like ASAP. The only thing that stopped me was that I knew it ended in a cliffhanger, so I waited for the release of the second book. As soon as book two was released, I was all over it like white on rice. I knew the premise of the story involved a thirty-year-old woman and her 17-year-old lover. Yes, that’s right: Seventeen! Did it bother me? Nope. I LOVED it just the way it is. 

“You want honesty? Well, I don’t know what will happen… but neither do you. Maybe we’ll make it… maybe we won’t. But you’re giving up before we’ve even tried. I don’t understand. Why won’t you take a chance?” ~Sebastian 

Caroline is thirty and stuck in a loveless marriage. She married David when she was only nineteen years old. Eleven years after, she’s utterly miserable. He constantly mistreats her and takes her for granted. He’s a navel officer and traveling comes second nature. When they return to San Diego for the second time around, this is when her life begins to change. 

She’s known Sebastian since he was eight years old. Now, don’t judge just yet, hear me out. When Caroline first lived in San Diego, he would constantly go over to her house and visit with her and her father. He’s never had a happy home life and going over there was like a refuge for him. He was truly saddened when she moved away. Fast forward ten years later, she returns and finds Sebastian all grown up. She’s also starting to realize that he’s constantly flirting with her. But she’s married, albeit not happily, and he’s only seventeen. So what if he’s only four months shy of eighteen: It’s not right, right? However, Sebastian is relentless. He’s always finding ways to hang out with her. It’s only a matter of time when both succumb to their attraction. 

“Can you feel yourself inside me?”

His face was filled with amazement.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I can.” 

Sebastian couldn’t believe she’d come back. He’s loved Caroline for a very long time. Crushing on her when he was only eight was just the starting point. Now that she’s here, he’s going to do everything he can to be with her. It’s always been Caroline. Always. They start an affair. Their first time was pretty memorable. Not only was Caroline Sebastian’s first, but this was also the time where she learns of his age. Heck yea, she freaked. She swore that she would wait til he turned eighteen before doing it again, but unfortunately, that plan blows up in her face. They seriously cannot resist each other. They enjoy being around each other, not only on a physical level, but also a very deep emotional level as well. Caroline starts to wake up. Sebastian makes her want things that she didn’t think were attainable. They set up a plan that when he turns 18, she will not only divorce David, but they plan on running away together. They have dreams of roaming Italy and starting a life together in New York. But how long can they keep their affair a secret?

“I love you, Caroline. I always have. My whole life.” 

The times when they were together were raw, beautiful and sensual. Sebastian is just the sweetest man in the world. He absolutely is 100%, head over heels, in love with Caroline. However, Caroline couldn’t help but constantly question their relationship. Sebastian is gorgeous. Why does he even want me? Could they make their dream work? Her fears were valid, but Sebastian kept reassuring her that they will try to do the best they can to be together. This book had me on pins and needles the whole time. I was waiting for the shoe to drop. I was emotionally invested in their relationship. When this story ended, I was a hot mess. I was glad I read this when I knew book two was out because as soon as I closed this book, I opened book two immediately. I LOVED THIS STORY!

Kaleb (Alluring Indulgence #1) by Nicole Edwards

Zoey Stranford might’ve had a crush on the sexy boy next door since middle school, but she’s a woman now, and that crush has turned into a full blown case of lust. So why is it that at twenty nine, her libido decides to ramp into high gear and the only thing she can focus on is the intensely sexy, scorching hot boy next door who is definitely not a boy anymore? 

The only problem is that Zoey and Kaleb have been best friends for as long as she can remember. Not to mention, Kaleb and his brothers are working on buying Stranford land to build a new resort, and she’s more than a little hesitant about his intentions.

Kaleb Walker has had his eye on Zoey for close to twenty years, but never before has he considered taking their friendship to the next level, no matter how many fantasies he’s had about her over the years. That doesn’t explain why Kaleb is hell bent on having her – in as many ways as possible. 

Kaleb finds himself in a precarious situation. His brothers have nominated him to pursue Zoey’s father about purchasing the land needed to get their new resort off the ground. Finding out that Carl Stranford is on the brink of foreclosure and Zoey might just lose her house and the land, Kaleb now has to convince her to put aside her pride and let him help her.

It doesn’t take long before the flames start burning bright and hot, and the two of them burn up the nights and the days as they explore each other’s forbidden fantasies. But can their friendship survive a business transaction or the new friends with benefits clause? Or will they realize that they’ve been overlooking something much deeper that’s been right in front of them all along?

Warning: This book contains sexual encounters and graphic language that some readers may find objectionable, including, but not limited to m/f/m encounters, anal sex, exhibitionism, and voyeurism. Consider yourself warned! Contains graphic material that is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

Erotic Romance

Mature Audience

3.5 Stars

“I can’t promise gentle, and I can’t promise I’ll shower you with sweets words. As much as I want to, I’m not that man.” 

I’ve seen this book around for the better part of the last few weeks. It’s been taunting me every time I went into my TBR, looking for my next read. I’ve seen all the good reviews and figured, “why not?” Now let me say this now: This book is incredibly HOT! Like make you squirm and gets you all hot and bothered type of HOT. The sex scenes had my jaw dropping and my imagination running wild. If I were to rate the book on the steaminess and sex alone, hands down this would’ve been an easy Five Star read. However, I had to take into consideration the plot too. Yes folks, there was an actual plot in this story, which was good, but nothing too fantastic. 

“I’ve waited too damn long to have you.” 

Zoey Stranford and Kaleb Walker have been friends for a long, long time. They even went to their High School Prom together, but neither wanted to take it to the next level and possibly ruin their friendship. Plus the complication of Kaleb and his brother wanting to buy Zoey’s father’s land is just another reason to not go there. But like all these friends-to-lovers story lines, something was about to give. 

Zoey and Kaleb start out with a kiss, but what they felt after that made them even more lustful for each other. After years of waiting for each other, you know the sparks were going to fly. HOLY FREAKING HOTNESS, did it ever fly! Like I said, the steam in this book is beyond hot…it’s fucking scorching! Plus, Kaleb’s best friend, Gabe, also makes a few appearances and even joins Kaleb and Zoey between the sheets. That just takes it to a whole new level, too. FUCK! Just fucking hot. **Squirms**

In addition to Kaleb, we are also introduced to his brothers: Travis, Sawyer, Braydon, Brendon (who are twins!!!), Ethan and Zane. Each is sexy, of course, and by the looks of it, will be getting books of their own. Yea. I think I’ll check those out, too, when they come out. Call me crazy, but I’m so looking forward to Braydon & Brendon’s story…apparently they have a reputation for sharing women. Shit. I think I just realized that I have a thing for hot Alpha male twins. **Squirms** Sorry, my imagination just totally went astray there. Teehee. 

WHEW! Anyway, if you want a really, really smoking hot read with a very predictable plot, this is definitely for you. 

Reservation (Preservation #2) by Rachael Wade

A sequel to the Amazon bestselling romance, Preservation, told from Ryan’s point of view.

Old Habits Die Hard.

Ryan Campbell is not only leaving his title of Professor behind to move on to bigger and better things at Simon and Warden Publishing, he’s also become Seattle’s rising literary star. Sitting on the overwhelming cusp of newfound fame, he learns soon enough that being popular has its downside. 

Attracted to the buzz surrounding his new career, former lovers begin to creep back into his life, and potential ones emerge with enticing advances. While he works to juggle reserved, yet stressful, wedding plans with Kate and his new public image, he has enough to manage without worrying about Carter and Dean—Kate’s loveable albeit eccentric friends—and their latest shenanigans. 

Surrounded by a lifestyle that includes temptation at every turn, Ryan finds himself immersed in a world full of scandal and lies, where his oldest weaknesses thrive and his ghosts return to haunt him. Questioning whether his life with Kate is his best path, he must discover if he’s still capable of being the man he aspired to be when she first became his, or if happily ever after is only an illusion.

4.75-5 Stars

I've been trying to do it right

I've been living a lonely life

I've been sleeping here instead

I've been sleeping in my bed...

I belong with you

You belong with me

You're my sweetheart ~ Ho Hey by The Lumineers 

If there’s anyone in the world who deserves a happy ending, it’s two broken people who taught each other to love. 

First off, a HUGE and MASSIVE thank you to Rachael for giving me the opportunity to beta read this. I loved Preservation and I couldn’t wait to continue Kate and Ryan’s story. What made this book even extra awesome is that it’s told completely in Ryan’s POV. I’m such a sucker for these types of stories because as a woman, I’m curious to know what makes a man tick, especially for someone as damaged as Ryan. Getting into Ryan’s head was an interesting experience. I felt so much more sympathetic for him. 

Every moan, muscle clench, and ragged breath told me she was mine, and I hers. I continued to punish her with ruthless strokes, filling her ear with hot breath. “You belong to me,” I demanded “Next time someone touches you, remember you’re my sunrise. Remember this,” I hammered her with one fierce strike, jolting her backward on the counter. 

Damn, Ryan! Holy fucking hotness! Ryan is hotter than ever and deeply in love with Kate. Changes are happening all around them. Ryan is now a published author, with his book in serious talk for a movie deal. His celebrity status is skyrocketing fast. While all this is happening, his fiancé, Kate, is thousands of miles away, working. They are trying their hardest to make this long distance relationship work, but man, it’s not easy. 

Now that Ryan is in the celebrity limelight, his notorious past is creeping out of the woodwork; it’s slowly coming back to haunt him. He needs his Kate to keep him grounded, but he’s left to deal with it alone. Ryan wants nothing more than to announce to the world that he’s engaged and happy, but his publicist has other plans. The risk of scandal is always nipping at Ryan’s heels. However, what concerns him most is how Kate will react to what she reads in the tabloids. 

“I do trust you, Ryan. But it takes effort. It’s not without pain.” ~ Kate 

We all know Kate has her trust issues and it has taken her forever to get to where she is today, especially with former-playboy Ryan. To me, Ryan did nothing wrong in this story. No. Wait. There was this one thing, that pissed me off and made me cringe, but I forgave him because he did come to his senses right away. However, since this was told in Ryan’s POV, we knew immediately he never wanted to intentionally hurt Kate; that’s the last thing he ever wanted to do. Will their relationship survive? Will Kate ever fully trust Ryan? 

“Nothing is worth what I have with you. Will you please give me a chance to prove that to you?” ~ Ryan 

Reading this through Ryan’s eyes was fantastic. His struggle to balance his career, while maintaining a long distance relationship with Kate was frustrating and heartbreaking at times. It was a tough pill to swallow, but those times when he and Kate were together more than made up for it. Speaking of Kate, I only have one thing to say to you potential readers: Be patient with her. Her tendency to overreact was the only drawback to the story. I know she has had trust issues in the past, but you would think getting engaged to a man such as Ryan would’ve resolved most of those issues. She was definitely worthy of a few bitch-slaps ;)

This story was such a great addition to the Preservation series, but after I was finished, it was a bit of a bittersweet moment for me. I will miss Kate and Ryan tremendously, but I am HIGHLY looking forward to Carter and Whitney’s story in Declaration.This is definitely another winner from this fabulous author.

Reasons I fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann

It’s stupid to fall for your brother’s ex. It’s even worse to enlist another’s help to win the ex over. But Brody is desperate and Hayley, his partner in American Sign Language, is more than willing to lend him a few tips. 

She’s the school’s matchmaker,’ and with her bizarre and positive personality, Brody finds her easy to talk to, even about the most awkward situations. Hayley’s tips seem to be working, but as Brody learns more about his matchmaker, he starts finding reasons to spend time with her, and not the girl he thought he was in love with. 

But Hayley isn’t ready to fall for anyone. Labeled the “Funny Fat Friend” within her group, her self image makes it impossible for Brody to share his feelings without Hayley shrugging it off as a joke. 

Convincing her Brody can, and did, fall for the “Funny Fat Friend” turns out to be harder than simply falling in love.

Written by Cassie Mae under the pen name Becca Ann

Four Stars

How could I want anyone else? She’s amazing, that girl. Damn sexy, funny, and just knows how to make me feel…all that crap you’re suppose to feel when you’re with the girl you just have to be around.

I need her.

No. I crave her. 

First off, do not get let the not so great title of this book steer you away. If I can be honest, it almost made me not want to read this book. The cover is cute and I really like it, but the title? Not so much. I hate that word: Fat. I’ve always had a complex about it, but I’m sure a lot of girls do. When do we women ever think we are ever skinny enough? lol. Exactly! However, I am a sucker for stories where the not so typical skinny minnies get the hot guy, so of course I had to read it. I’m very glad I did, too :)

“I’m not exactly Miss Size Zero.”

Huh?

“I’m what they call the FFF.”

“Meaning?”

“The Funny Fat Friend.” 

Hayley has always been the FFF. She’s also the friend that guys go through to get to the girl they actually want. Kind of like the matchmaker, per se. She’s set up a lot of her friends this way. She’s always felt that this was her role: The inevitable matchmaker. So when she notices her American Sign Language friend, Brody, always constantly swooning at his brother’s ex-girlfriend, Quynn, she offers her help. 

I take a deep breath and grab her hand. I’m not going to let her shake me off this time. “I like you, alright? I want to date you not out of pity, but because I…I needto. Hayles, I can’t get you off my mind.” 

Brody didn’t know what he signed up for when he takes Hayley’s offer to help him win Quynn’s heart. Brody has always been infatuated with his brother’s ex. She’s every guys’ dream: Blonde, skinny, friendly and popular. However, the more time he spends with Hayley, the more he likes her. He’s never thought of her as fat or ugly. As a matter of fact, Brody thinks Hayley is beautiful, inside and out. She makes him laugh, and just feels naturally comfortable around her. The quirky little thinks she does drive him crazy. Who knew this girl would turn his life upside down? 

I’m not going to stop until she tells me to stop. I love her. And I want to have one of my firsts with her too. 

It takes Hayley forever to believe a guy like Brody would be interested in a girl like her. Brody tries to send the right signals, but it literally goes over her head and/or she just ignores it. However, when she does let him in, it was one of those moments where I couldn’t stop grinning. I was so flipping happy, it was ridiculous. 

Just pure Awesomesauce! 

This is another one of those impromptu reads that I just needed. Just an FYI, this is strictly YA. Not too much hanky panky going around, but there was a little. Let’s just say that it was enough to make me swoon. However, I did find the clean language a little too clean. The stuff that came out of Hayley’s mouth were a bit on the very cheesy, clean side, but then again, I have a sailor mouth so the lack of dirty talk made me a bit uncomfortable. LOL! Yea. I know…I have issues. Fuck. Shit. Damn. I mean, is it really that hard to say? LOL! 

Whoops! There I go, rambling again. My bad. LOL. Anyway, I LOVED the fact that the story was told in Brody’s POV. I love getting into the guy’s head. Its so cute how he struggled to come to the obvious conclusion. He’s just a sweetheart. 

The relationship between Brody and Hayley matures at a nice rate; nothing was ever rushed. Sometimes, I wished it moved a slight bit faster, but meh! I was still all good with the results ;) This was such a fast, predictable and enjoyable read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a very good, very cute and clean YA story. 

Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters 

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight--A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want--and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love...or each other.

4.5-4.75 Stars

I loved Rule like it was my mission in life. I loved him like it was inevitable… 

So the first thing I noticed right away is the cover. It’s gorgeous and I could not say no to a guy who looked like that. I mean, have you seen him? He’s gorgeous! And those tattoos? Total fuckingSWOON!! YUMMY. After I finished this book, I had to Google more tattooed hotties. I engulfed this book. I just couldn’t stop reading. Today was my day off and I was determined to be lost in a book. The story had drama, a little bit of angst, and a whole lot of sexual tension between the H/h which led to some wonderful times in between the sheets. This was just what the doctor ordered.

“Gotta tell you, Rule, I’m a fan of kissing with all that metal in your face. I never thought that was something I would be into, but you sure make it work.” 

Rule is moody, complicated and brash, but underneath his tough tattooed exterior lies a man who’s sweet, artistic, charming, brilliant and loyal. He’s also PIERCED in all the right places**wink & smirks** Just picturing his piercings makes me squirm and blush. Oh. My. God. Is it hot in here? FUCK! He’s hot. 

Anyway, I digress. He’s always been the odd brother out in his family, but when his beloved twin dies, he was an outcast more than ever. He’s always played by his own set of rules. He’s a very successful tattoo artist and is a big hit with the ladies. The way his parents treat him, especially his mother, makes him feel unworthy of being loved. He has never had a serious relationship and goes from one fling to another. 

“So Nash and I went out and there were redheads and there were brunettes and there was even a super-hot chick that looked kinda like Pink, but you think any of them did it for me? No, Shaw, not one because they weren’t fucking you; ever since you walked out on Sunday all I’ve been thinking of is you.” 

Shaw Landon has loved Rule Archer since she first laid eyes on him. Ever since his twin brother, Remy, took her home, everyone in Archer family welcomed her with open arms. Her own family has never made her feel as welcome as the Archers did. She never did belong her parents' world of the privileged and rich. They even tried to push her towards a man like Gabe, a man of good breeding, but completely psycho. 

Shaw has always been a fixer. Every Sunday, she picks up Rule from his apartment to drive him to visit his parents. She constantly finds him sprawled naked with his flavor of the week next to him, but she does it; no matter how much it hurts knowing that Rule never really sees her. As for Rule, he hates Sundays, but he always reluctantly goes. Little did he know that she would do anything for him. She always puts up with his bullshit without a hint of complaint. In Rule’s eyes, a girl like Shaw was in his eyes, unattainable. 

It wasn’t until the night of Shaw’s birthday that everything changed…

“What are you trying to say Rule?”

“I don’t know, all I know is other girls aren’t you and that isn’t cutting it for me. I think we need to figure out what’s going on between us.” 

This story between Rule and Shaw was one I couldn’t put down. Rule could be such an asshat sometimes, but I loved that he was trying. He wanted to be the type of man Shaw deserved. All Shaw ever wanted was Rule, flaws and all. The angst was kept at a minimum, but the drama was all there. 

There were a couple reasons why I couldn’t give this a full five stars. One: This book needed some serious editing. This version I have is supposed to be the tweaked out version, but they need to go over it again because the slight mistakes they missed made sentences long and drawn out. It even made it confusing at times. Two: The separation between Rule and Shaw towards the end seemed a little drawn out. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait for the next book that stars Ayden and Jet. But for now, I know I’ll be thinking about Rule, his tattoos and his piercings (**Blushes**) for a long time to come ;)