Surviving Raine (Surviving Raine #1) by Shay Savage

As the captain of a schooner catering to the elite on the Caribbean Seas, Sebastian Stark does his best to avoid any human encounters. Interacting with people isn’t his thing, and he prefers the company of a bottle of vodka, a shot glass, and maybe a whore. There’s no doubt he’s hiding from a checkered past, but he does well keeping everything to himself…

…until the night his schooner capsizes, and he’s stuck on a life raft with one of the passengers.

Raine’s young, she’s cute, and Bastian would probably be into her if he wasn’t suffering from alcohol withdrawal. As the days pass, DTs, starvation, and dehydration become the norm. Even the most closed person starts to open up when he thinks he’s going to die, but when she realizes their traumatic pasts are connected, it’s no longer the elements that have Bastian concerned.

He has no idea how he’s going to Survive Raine.

**Smirking** I guess I’ll start off by saying, “Wow!” 

4.5-4.75 Stars

“I never know what to think about you. I don’t know why you…why you do anything for me.”

“Because I love you.” There were tears in her eyes now, and it fucking tore me apart.

“I don’t understand that, either.”

“Because you are worth it,” she said with determination. 

Speechless. I swear this book made a sobbing mess out of me. I lost count on how many times my eyes got all misty and I got all sniffy. Seriously, guys…check this book out. I can’t believe this wasn’t even in my radar before I picked it up. Thank you, Trish, for saying the words, “Baddass, Alpha-Male with a dirty mouth.” Those words alone sold it for me. 

I was what I was – violent, crude, and utterly unlovable. 

Sebastian Stark is one broken character; damaged, but not beyond repair. He just needs the right person to hold him together. I have come across some fucked up Heroes in stories before, but holy crap! It’s safe to say, Sebastian can wipe the floor with most of them. See those words up there? They’re true, except the last one, unlovable. I easily admit he was very hard to like at first, but you can sense that there’s more to him that his crassness. 

One thing I did know immediately – if I somehow lost this, if I could never have this again, if something jeopardized her in any way whatsoever – it would kill me. 

All Raine wanted was a little R & R. Instead, the schooner she chartered ends up sinking and now she’s stuck with Sebastian on a ten-foot life raft. Raine is nothing like any other woman Sebastian has ever come across. She’s light to his dark. Being stuck with her is the last thing he wanted, but no matter how rude and mean he is to her, she never backs down. He doesn’t know it yet, but the most dangerous part about being stuck on a life raft, wasn’t the dehydration, but Raine herself. 

“You can’t hide from me anymore, Bastian! I have seen into you, and I don’t understand why you won’t just admit!”

“Because I’m fucking terrified of feeling something for you, okay?” I screamed at her, and my whole body went cold. 

The relationship that forms between Raine and Sebastian was inevitable. What I loved most about the story was seeing Sebastian’s walls slowly start to crumble. The stories he shared about his past broke my heart. He’s always thought himself worthless and unlovable. The only thing he believes he’s good for are fucking and fighting. No wonder he drinks himself to oblivion to drown out his misery. My heart ached for this man. Just ached! 

As for Raine, I loved her. You couldn’t help but admire her determination to get to know this man who saved her life. His steel, cold heart didn’t stand a chance. The way he protects her is crazy heartwarming. He does nothing half-assed. He fights and loves with all his heart. It always saddened me when he would deem himself unworthy of Raine and her love. Beneath that tough exterior, he’s scared shitless of losing her. 

I’ll never walk away from you, Raine, I swear – I’ll be with you as long as you will have me. If any motherfucker ever tried to take you from me, I’d fucking fight to the death for you.” 

OMG! I cannot recommend this book enough. There’s just something about this story…I couldn’t put it down. Being in Sebastian's POV, it made for an intense read, but man did I love it. The only drawback was the ending. It was left for interpretation. It wasn’t sad, it wasn’t happy….just room for more. I cannot wait for the next book!! 

Love Thy Neighbour (Friend-Zoned #2) by Belle Aurora

Asher 'Ghost' Collins and Natalie Kovac shared a passionate night together. One neither of them can forget.

So why is it so hard for them to be around each other?

With no hope of the two getting along they decide to go their separate ways. And somehow end up closer than they've ever been.

Will friendship ever be enough for the pair?

4.5 Stars

“Say it, baby.”

It dawns on me and with a small smile, I tell him sincerely, “I love you, Asher Collins.”

Looking pained, he closes his eyes and rests his forehead on mine. He whispers, “Don’t deserve you. Not even a bit. But as long as you want me, you got me.”

My eyes close and I whisper, “Don’t leave me. Ever.”

“Never. You’re my girl,” 

The first book in the series, Friend-Zoned, was so much fun to read, so I was beyond excited when this book came out early. Not sure if it’s the writing style, the characters, or if it’s the duel POVs, but then again, it could be the combination of everything that’s making me a huge fan of this series. Once again, I found pure reading enjoyment :)

This is Nat and Asher’s (a.k.a. Ghost) story. Both characters were prominent in book one, where we bore witness to their constant bantering; their strong personalities constantly clashing. It’s safe to say that these two are very similar in attitude, which is NOT a good thing...trust me. However, that did not stop them from hooking up in the conference room one night; a night that neither could ever get over. 

"I get a sick, twisted sense of enjoyment seeing her all riled up.” 

After their one, hot, steamy, memorable night in the conference room, they try to avoid each other like the plague. Their circle of friends, with the exception of Tina, know nothing of their moment of weakness that one night. Its quite well known that the two do not get along.

Nat is a freaking spitfire; I was immediately drawn to her character. She’s confident, strong, and has a tell-it-like-it-ispersona. After reading the first chapter, I knew instantly she deserved to be in my heroine makes me want to turn bi shelf. LOL! 

I feel strongly for her. Stronger than I’ve ever felt for anyone in my life and knowing she’s mine makes me feel like I can do anything. Overcome anything. 

As for Asher, he’s sexy, badass and has a quiet dangerous quality about him. He does NOT do relationships. He’s led a harsh life and if it wasn’t for the help of Nik and his family, he could’ve turned out even worse. Nat is his dream girl; a girl in which he feels like he doesn’t deserve. 

Months after their encounter and of avoiding each other, they found themselves surprised when Nat moves right next door to him. They decide to call a truce. Their friendship soon turns into something more, though they both decide to keep their relationship a secret. For now, at least, they want this for themselves. But how long will this arrangement last? Will Asher be able to overcome his past to be the man Nat deserves?

One side of his mouth quirks up, he lowers his forehead to mine and he quotes me, “You and me. We’re the same kind.” 

Loved. This. Book. The relationship between Asher and Nat was not only hot, but also very emotional. They just get each other. But it wasn’t all drama, though. I found myself smiling, a lot. Yep, lots and lots of funny and amusing moments.

I can’t wait to read Max & Helena’s book next. Max is so awesome. He’s a loving father and just an overall sweetheart. For him to be paired up with Nat’s sister, Helena, whose studying to be a physical therapist, is a perfect match; I can only imagine what kind of magic she can do with Max’s daughter, Ceecee. Plus, she’s Nat’s sister! If Asher wasn’t in the picture, Nat and Max would’ve been a great match. OMG. I can go on and on about this series. Just read it! It’ll make you smile :)

Love Realized (Real Love #1) by Melanie Codina

For Jake, it's always been Gillian

It's been her since that day she unknowingly stole a piece of his heart.....when he watched her fall for one of his best friends. Resolved to the fate that she couldn't be his, he locked up the deeper emotions he felt for her and loved her as a friend. As friends, they went through it all together. Marriages, births, divorces and even death. But when a shameful secret Gillan has kept from her friends is revealed, Jake realizes that she needs him more than ever. He knew what it was like to go through heartbreak and he wasn't about to stand back and watch her endure it alone. He also knew she would turn to him for support. What he wasn't prepared for was the return of the emotions he had long ago locked away. Could he control these emotions again and did he even want to? Could he make her realize his love for her was real, or would she slip through his fingers again?

Four Stars

A promise is a promise, and if a man doesn’t stand by his word, he really doesn’t have much to offer. 

So after my last read, which was pretty intense (and a bit disappointing), I was in search of a light, fluffy, steamy read. I don’t know what drew me to this book, but I’m really happy to have read it. Though it wasn’t as fluffy as I would’ve wanted, it still helped me get rid of that dark cloud that my last book left. 

This story is classic Adult Contemporary: Lots of drama (which left me teary eyed and emotional) and just enough steam to wet the appetite. I really couldn’t put it down. 

“Tell me you didn’t forget, Logan. Tell me you didn’t forget that I told you, if you cheated on me again it was over!” With that, his eyes opened wide, and he reached for her. 

Gripping her shoulders, eyes actually tearing, he pulled her close to him, begged her, “Please, Gillian, no, please don’t do this. I’m begging you, don’t do this.” 

On the surface, Gillian seemed to have it all: a loving husband and three wonderful children. Gillian and her husband, Logan, were high school sweethearts, had their first child while in high school, but have defied odds and have been married for the last sixteen years. We first meet her having a birthday party for her eight year old son where everything seemed to be going smoothly until a her co-worker shows up, with his wife, whom she has never met. However, when she first sets eyes on her, she almost loses her composure. There in front of her was the woman that Logan had an affair with. Shit was about to hit the fan. 

“Why wasn’t I enough for him, Jake? Why wasn’t I good enough?” 

For the sake of her children, Gillian has kept her husband’s affair a secret. She forgave him the first time, but when she found out that he was still seeing her, she knew it was over. Logan loves Gillian, but he knew he fucked up (again) and there was no going back. That his second chance was all used up, there will no longer be another; this was the breaking point in their marriage.

“You would be much more than ‘just enough’ for me, Gillian.” ~ Jake 

Jake has loved Gillian since he was seventeen years old; he knew it the moment he first saw her. Unfortunately, his friend Logan beat him to the punch, and has been on the sidelines looking in. No woman ever compared to her, even his ex-wife. No matter, though, they have always remained best friends and will always be a part of her life. However, with this new turn of events, he knows he has a chance at more and this time, he is not going to let her slip through his fingers. 

“Can I have you, Gillian?” he repeated, and she realized she hadn’t actually responded to his request. Her body was screaming hell yes, but she had yet to verbalize it to him. Could she do this? Could she take this step with one of her oldest and best friends? 

This was such a good story, which included a very likeable heroine and a sexy Alpha male Hero (jealous, very protective of what’s his and very possessive….LOVE those types of Alphas). 

The beginning was a bit slow to start, with lots of narration, but things picked up pretty fast. It was heartbreaking to read the dissolution of Gillian and Logan’s marriage. It literally made me cry seeing how heartbroken the two were. These two loved each other, there was never a doubt, but Logan was an asshat to cheat. Men can be such idiots. However, I was happy to see Jake finally have his chance at winning the girl of his dreams. The only problem, of course, was: Were they ready to take their close friendship to the next level? 

Like I said before, I am a sucker for friends-to-lover stories, and this was a prime example of one. Very happy to have picked it up.

Love & Relativity by Rachael Wade

Love, life, and happily ever after? It’s all relative.

Marine biology student Emma Pierce lives in paradise—geographically speaking, anyway. Stranded on Sanibel Island, Florida, she works at a nursing home by day and spends her nights dodging the island's infamous bad boy, Jackson Taylor, at her favorite karaoke bar. Trying to heal from the loss of her sister and a failed relationship she rerouted her life for, she's ready to graduate and finally leave Florida behind.

When a run-in with Jackson and his rowdy crew goes sour at the bar one night, sparks fly and irreversible damage is done. It’s no secret that Jackson loves to get underneath her skin, but this time he's gone too far. Now all he wants is to earn her forgiveness before she's gone for good, but their ideas of closure—and the future—are enough to keep them worlds apart.

This is a stand-alone title but coordinates with The Preservation Series:

Preservation (Book One, Available Now)

Reservation (Book Two, Coming March 6, 2013)

Declaration (Book Three,TBA)

4.25-4.5 Stars

My torso spasmed and heated beneath his touch, and my eyes fell shut. "Open your eyes, baby. Look at me." He pressed his forehead down to meet mine, my eyelids fluttering open at his command. "Look at me and tell me you don't want it." 

**Smirks** Nice teaser line, eh? I was privileged enough to beta read this for the awesome Ms. Wade. This was whole lot fun to read, too, especially when I would vent out my frustrations, bang the palm of my hand to my forehead and vent my frustrations regarding Jackson to her. You know what? Now that I think about it, this isn’t the first Hero that she created that made me want to both reach out and strangle the asshat, but at the same time kiss the fucking shit out of him. **coughs** Ryan.Preservation. **coughs** Ugh! You’re a wicked, wicked person Ms. Wade. lol 

That smile lit up a room. Always wide, always perfect, always accenting his plump lips. Jackson Taylor was the whole tempting, sexy, albeit frustrating package: Playful, charming, and rebellious. All together, it made for one delicious dish. 

Jackson Taylor has got one heck of a reputation on Sanibel Island: Resident bad boy and well known womanizer. Emma and he have been good friends for the past three years. Jackson wants more from Emma and has made his intentions clear, but Emma’s not having any of it. She does not want to be another notch on his bedpost. Besides, if she gets in to her chosen University in Seattle, she’ll be leaving the island soon anyway. She has no time for the complications of romance. However, things start to snowball between the two and before Jackson even knows what’s happening between them, he confesses his true feelings for Emma. How much longer can she deny her feelings as well? 

“Yes.” I braced myself against the stovetop, his carnal appraisal sending me into hot flash overdrive, and holy hell, did it feel too good to deny. Why was I here again? Why were we fighting? What was my name?
“Then what are we waiting for?”
“Jackson.” I arched a brow.
“Emma.” He arched one back.
“I’m still mad at you. Don’t come any closer,” I said feebly attempting to peel his fingers away from my waist.
“Or what?” 

**Smirks** I’m telling you, Jackson really knows how to push Emma’s buttons (and mine, if I can be truly honest). Unfortunately, Emma is a tough chick to crack. She’s recently gone through some tough times. First the break up with her ex, Chris. The second and biggest change, being the loss of her beloved sister; a loss that she feels is her fault. Plus, Jackson was there that fateful night, too. Is he a constant reminder of that night? She carries some serious baggage, but Jackson somehow manages to crack her shell and they start a relationship. Unfortunately we do not get to enjoy their relationship before shit starts to hit the fan fast. The next thing you know, they’re fighting and Jackson forces decisions without Emma’s consult. I know Jackson wants what’s best for her, but the way he goes about it drove me crazy. The things he says and does to force Emma away made me so angry. At this point, I was unsure if Jackson was even redeemable. 

“I hope you can forgive me someday, Emma. I really do. I’m begging you, forgive me for all of it.” 

If I can be honest, the relationship between Jackson and Emma drove me insane. Both were stubborn in their own right, but I know they had nothing but good intentions. The ending just made me smile :) 

In addition, the secondary cast of characters were nothing short of awesome. I LOVED Emma’s best friend Whitney. She is my girl! She's just full of awesome. Quirky and fun, thy name is Whitney. However, she is very unlucky in love. However, her luck is about to change. Carter from Preservation joins the cast. This is a HUGE PLUS in its own right. I adored him in Preservation and just fell in love with him some more in this book. He’s such a sweet guy and he's just delicious with his glasses and tattoos **SWOON!!** Seriously, my heart melts for this man. AND! There’s something brewing between he and Whitney. Gahhh!!! I LOVE IT! Did you know that they’re going to have their own book? Oh yea. I’m all over that. Anyway, just do me a favor and pick this up. The story has a lot of drama and a lot of heart. Great overall and I can’t wait for more.

The Mistress (Original Sinners #4) by Tiffany Reisz

The final book in The Original Sinners Series - The Red Years.

There's punishment-and then there's vengeance.

Nora Sutherlin is being held, bound and naked. Under different circumstances, she would enjoy the situation immensely, but her captor isn't interested in play. Or pity.

As the reality of her impending peril unfolds, Nora becomes Scheherazade, buying each hour of her life with stories-sensual tales of Søren, Kingsley and Wesley, each of whom has tempted and tested and tortured her in his own way. This, Nora realizes, is her life: nothing so simple, so vanilla, as a mere love triangle for her. It's a knot in a silken cord, a tangled mass of longings of the body and the heart and the mind. And it may unravel at any moment.

But in Nora's world, no one is ever truly powerless-a cadre of her friends, protectors and lovers stands ready to do anything to save her, even when the only certainty seems to be sacrifice and heartbreak....

3.5 Stars

…And so the game continues. The pieces are in place; the board is set. Who will walk away intact and who won’t walk away at all?

How I felt when I got approved for the Mistress: Excited, ecstatic, deliriously happy, worried and scared shitless

How I felt when I finished the Mistress: Confused, bewildered, sad, happy, heartbroken and I-need-a-drink

The jumbled mess of feelings after re-reading the last 30% over again and reassessing: Brilliant writing, still incredible storytelling, still love Nora’s world of beautiful men, ignore and resolved

First and foremost, I have to give props to Tiffany for giving us this gift of a series. I have nothing but respect and awe for her. I will forever be a fan of stories. They get me so riled up (see my status updates for further details). You have to love it.

Okay. Fangirling aside, here I go. Are you ready?

So I’ve had a week to stew over my initial disappointment in the story. Then after a few days, I decided to reread the last third of the book and with a more open mind. Though not a whole lot of my initial feelings changed, I was able to see a few things in a newer light. Whatever I say in this review, please remember that these are my opinions and my feelings alone. 

Tell me. 

I think the majority of you who love the series will probably LOVE this installment, but alas, not I. I will probably be in the minority, but this wasn’t what I expected. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some scenes that made me smile, cry, squirm and made reading it so intriguing, but they were pretty few and far in-between. 

The King & The Queen

“What father doesn’t want his children to play nice together? Come…let’s go play nice.” ~ Kingsley to Nora 

Once again, I found myself loving Nora’s character. If I have to be honest, I loved when the chapter was going to feature her. Even though she’s being held captive, her wit and wicked smart tongue had me smirking and kept the darkest moments, a bit more tolerable. Her stories about Søren left my heart pounding and me speechless. The way she would talk about him, you just knew that he would always be the love of her life. However, her stories that had her, Søren & Kingsley…together **smirks** left me squirming. 

As for Kingsley…No words can describe how amazing he is. He’s one of the strongest characters I’ve ever come across. His love and his sacrifice knows no bounds. He continues to astound me. I love him. Plain and simple. 

The Knight: Oh, Wesley. What happened to you, my love? If you guys know me, you know I’m OBSESSED with this man. I would totally crazy stalk him if he actually existed. After the first three books, I thought he could do no wrong in my eyes, ever.

WRONG!

He broke me in this book. I have never been so angry and confused in all my life. Pardon my rant, but I’m going to lay it all out: So Nora’s been taken. The love of Wesley’s life has been kidnapped. You would think the man would be inconsolable; a wreck. Ask me now if that happened? Go ahead. Ask me…NOPE! He wasn’t. This version of Wes left me heartbroken. I didn’t know what alien crawled into his body, but this was NOT the Wesley I came to know and love. I won’t give away what happens, but he disappointed me most of all. You can’t just love someone with your whole heart, your whole being, then turn around and just fall for another…**snaps fingers** like that. After finishing this, I chose to ignore this version and erase this stranger from my heart. The Wesley of books one to three will always be the love of my life. The version in this book is dead to me. 

The Rook & The Pawn: Grace & Leila, respectively. I’ve spoken with a couple of reader friends of mine who have read this too, and they agree with me when I say: “Who the fuck are you and Why are you in this story?” Seriously? I did NOT know the point of having these two added characters joining in. They made minor appearances in the previous three books, but to make them essential in the storyline did NOT make any sense to me. 

Checkmate 

So there it is. The Red Years portion of Original Sinner Series is done. I had hoped it would end better, but don’t fret dear readers, the ending really wasn’t an ending. Though I wouldn’t really consider it a cliffhanger, it did leave me with gaping. Then I shrugged it off and told myself that only the brilliant Tiffany would leave it like that. It’s has been one crazy, crop-inflicted-pain journey she has taken us on, but there’s always room for more. I beg for more stories of this world. With that, I’m anxiously awaiting the beginning of the White Years portion of the series. 

Thank you Harlequin MIRA and NetGalley for providing me this ARC