Private Message by Danielle Torella

Tess has never had sex. Believe it or not, she’s never had a decent kiss. 

The aspiring Seattle painter and photographer is still recovering from the trauma of being beaten and nearly raped at a rock show nearly three years before. So she keeps life simple: she goes to school, goes to work in a coffee shop, goes home, goes on living.

But then Ben’s naked body crashes—almost literally—through Tess’s wall against the world. 

Ben is doing his dad’s art-teacher girlfriend a favor when he agrees to pose nude for her drawing class. But what he draws is the interest of the irresistible punk-looking girl—and it’s interest he reciprocates, with interest. 

Their sexual chemistry is too much to resist. But it’s when they have their clothes on that their heat quickly slips on ice. Ben’s womanizing history is one thing, but it’s history of another kind—related to that fateful night at the rock show—that threatens to tear the young lovers apart forever.

2.75-3 Stars

Highlights:

- Our Hero, Ben, is a sexy, tattooed Brit ;)

- Our heroine is named Tess. Yes, I'm narcissistic that way ;)

- Adam Levine makes an appearance in the book. Yea, can't go wrong with that.

Lowlights:

- I'm a fan of insta-love, to a degree, but something about this story felt a little off

- Tess easily forgives Ben for a misunderstanding. If it was me, I wanted more of an explanation. His was a bit lame. 

- Heroine meets a new girlfriend at a bar one night and the next thing you know they're besties. Nope. Not likely. I don't care how well u get along.

- The few twists in the story weren't all that impressive.

There were a few more minor ones, but I think I've said the biggest ones. This had sooooo much potential, too. I wish I had enjoyed it more :(

Mid-Life Love by Whitney G.

If you'd asked me what love was two years ago, I probably would've said, 'It's this amazing feeling that obsesses and possesses you; it's what me and my husband currently have.' If you ask me that same question today, I'll say, 'Please get the hell out of my face.’

Claire Gracen's life is picture perfect. Her career as a marketing director is on the brink of being legendary, and her marriage to her high school sweetheart has never been stronger. No, wait. It has. It used to be amazing and fulfilling, but one day Claire realizes that she's been living a lie and her best friend and husband have committed the ultimate betrayal.

Broken and depressed, Claire is in need of something new—new city, new job, new friends. 

When she happens to attract the interest of the sexiest man she's ever met, a man significantly younger than her, she immediately turns him down—only to later discover that this man is Jonathan Statham, self-made billionaire and CEO of Statham Industries. Her boss.

Jonathan Statham is unlike any man she's met before. He's used to getting whatever he wants—whenever he wants, and he isn't about to take no for an answer. 

Sexy, unpredictable, and charmingly clever, Mid Life Love is a story that will captivate you, entertain you, and force you to fall deeply in love with the characters.

Three Stars

I'm a huge fan of the older woman / younger man stories. Can't get enough of them really. So when one of my GR friends pointed this out, I was giddy. However, with that said, I'm kinda sad that I didn't like it as much. To be frank, I couldn't get over the annoying heroine. The Hero, however, is COMPLETELY swoon-worthy. Loved Jonathan! He made the story worthwhile. He was sexy, sweet, possessive and just HOT. How he never gave up on her, is a complete miracle. Claire was constantly battling her insecurities, especially their age difference. She continuously turns him down, while he incessantly pursues her. Why? I still don't know. I know she's gorgeous and all, and is different from the women he's previously dated, but I seriously didn't get it. It seemed a little forced to be honest. 

**Sigh** Only in books. 

In real life, she would've been dumped and left. No one deserved that kind of rejection over and over again. Plus! How could he be okay with keeping their relationship a secret? For the majority of the book, she kept wanting it between just them, no matter how much he wanted to show the world how proud he was to have her as his. Really, Claire? Really? Yea. You totally deserved to be bitch-slapped. 

Like I said, I wished I had liked this more. It had so much potential, but the heroine completely ruined it for me.

Shine Not Burn by Elle Casey

IT HAPPENED IN VEGAS. 

I can't be held responsible. Things that happen there are supposed to stay there, right? Right? Yeeeah. Not so much. 

Andie's just days away from tying the knot, but there's just ooooone little glitch. Apparently, she's already married. Or someone with her name is married to a guy out in Oregon of all places, and the courthouse won't issue her a marriage license until it's all cleared up. Tripping her way through cow pies and country songs to meet up with a man who gets around places on horseback is her very last idea of how to have a good time, but if she's going to get married, make partner at the firm, and have two point five kids before she's thirty-five, she needs to get to the bottom of this snafu and fix it quick ... before her fiance finds out and everything she's been working toward goes up in flames.

Four Stars

“You’re my wife,” he said, only inches away, his hot breath flickering over my lips. “You married me in Las Vegas two years ago.”

“Yes.”

“And I’m your husband.”

I nodded, tears slipping out.

He gritted his teeth and growled out, “And this is us, consummating our marriage.” 

♥Mack♥

**Sigh** I really LOVE Gavin (Mack) MacKenzie. Finding out I was married to him would’ve been fucking awesome. Hold up. Wait. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up a sec….

So I read a couple reviews prior to picking this up, seeing whether or not I really wanted to give it shot. Turns out, the cowboy Hero involved is a real sweetheart, so I couldn’t pass it up. Plus, I haven’t read one featuring a cowboy in a while, so I was intrigued and decided to give it a go. Turns out this is my second book in a row that featured a night in Vegas ending up in a surprise marriage. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining; it became a very good read. 

“Just because a person is obsessed with the idea of something, it doesn’t make it right or even good for them.” 

Andie has plan: Make partner, get married and have the two point five kids by the time she’s thirty-five. She is determined to see it all the way through, even though her track record with men isn’t anything to brag about, but I’ll get to that in a bit. 

The only time she has ever veered slightly off the plan was when she went to Vegas for her friend’s bachelorette party and met a sexy cowboy. She was instant lust when she first laid eyes on Mack. After she accidently spilled her drink on him, the ice was broken, and they instantly hit it off. 

With him, I knew I could be myself. I could be confident and sexy and in control. I could dream of a life that didn’t involve a plan that had to be followed for the next ten years. I could forget where I came from and who I’d left behind to become the woman I was now. 

The men Andie’s life so far have fit certain criteria, which so far has resulted in dating a couple douches. There was something about Mack that was completely different and completely freeing. It could’ve been the alcohol, but then again it could be something else entirely. Her and Mack spent a passionate night in Vegas, ending with a hint of something big. 

Luceo non uro means I shine, not burn. To me, though, it means that I have a choice. I need to balance the bad with the good, make sure to avoid the things that could burn or scar me but get close enough to the heat that I feel life and really experience it. Until I met you, I’d never really embraced that idea. 

However, when Andie wakes up the next morning, she really couldn’t pinpoint what happened the night prior. What happened to her sexy cowboy? Though she wouldn’t admit it, she did feel slightly heartbroken at the thought of never seeing him again. 

Fast forward two years later…

Andie is getting ready to marry the biggest douche imaginable. She’s so focused on her plan, that she can’t see what her friends around her see. She’s completely shut out everyone around her. When she applies for her marriage license, she finds out she’s married. When she finds out it happened in Vegas, she immediately starts to piece things to together: Her cowboy and her got married in Vegas. What a clusterfuck! She needed to fix things ASAP, otherwise her plans will go down in flames. Will he even remember her? 

And I felt that point he was making with every thrust. He was taking possession of me, laughing in the face of whatever plan I’d made before coming here. He was calling the shots, not me. …

With every thrust, he gave me his response. “You. Are. My. Wife.” The last word came out as a growl. 

Oh man, I knew the moment Mack sees her at his ranch, things were going to get ugly. He was pissed, angry, but most of all, heartbroken. He really did fall for Andie. He is determined to keep her. Their chemistry is still potent and all he needs is time to convince her to give their relationship a try. 

I would’ve given this more stars, but to be quite honest, I wanted to bitch slap Andie, like multiple times. There were times where I was sporting some serious brass knuckles and then going to town on her. Seriously, she pissed me off. I wanted to yell, Get your head out of your ass and look at what you have in front of you!!Gahh! I hate stubborn ass heroines. 

As for Mack…well, he’s the newest member of my ultimate book boyfriend shelf. He made the book so worth it. Plus the steam in this book could rival any erotica book. Yea, it was HOT. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author. 

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride

4-4.25 Stars

“Love isn’t always smooth or straightforward. It can be messy and painful,” he said. “Doesn’t mean it isn’t still the most incredible thing that can ever happen to you. Doesn’t mean I’m not crazy about you.” 

I devoured this book; finished this in one day. Love my rock star stories. The blurb immediately captured my attention. Can you imagine? Waking up in Vegas, married, but not just to any ordinary man, but to a sexy and famous rock star! Oh man… I LOVE this scenario. I knew this was going to be a good read. 

“I needed a dose of reality. Someone who’d actually say no to me occasionally and call bullshit on that scene. That’s what we do. We push each other out of our comfort zones.” 

Evelyn, a.k.a. Ev, had her life all planned out. She was going to school to study architecture, following in her father’s footsteps. She has never caused any trouble for her parents. As far as appearances go, she’s pretty and curvy, but has always haddeficiencies with the opposite sex. So when her and her best friend Lauren take a trip a to Vegas to celebrate her twenty-first birthday, her ultimate goal was to hook-up with someone. What she didn’t expect was to wake up married. 

Normally, this situation would scream abort, abort!!, which initially was Evelyn’s reaction, but once she got to know David, she started to consider other alternatives. 

“You asked me if you were my attempt at normal. I need you to understand, that’s not it at all. Being with you, the way I feel about you, it does ground me. But that’s because it makes me question fucking everything. It makes me want to make things better. Makes me want to be better.” 

David Ferris is the lead guitarist and songwriter for the famous band Stage Dive. He has access to any woman he wants, but the only one he wants is the one he married. 

He was heartbroken when Ev didn’t remember anything about the night they got married. His pain became deeper when she immediately wanted to get an annulment. Ev was different than any other woman he’s met. Not only is she gorgeous, but she didn’t even know who he was. He could just be himself. With the pretense of getting a quick divorce, as well as help her escape the paparazzi, he flies her to L.A. Here, they are practically forced to be together. Can he help her remember their night together? Can they rekindle their connection? Will they give their marriage a try?

Sex was so messy. Love was far and away worse. 

David and Ev’s relationship is far from perfect. When his past catches up with him, Ev is finding it hard to hold on. Did they even have anything to begin with? 

I could not put this book down. The beginning was a little slow, but it picked up pretty fast. Some of you might not like the wholeintsta-love that happens between David and Ev, but I didn’t mind it at all. I love that David saw something in Ev that first night he met her. I LOVED how he never gave up on their relationship, even when it was at its lowest point. How he uprooted himself was the ultimate gesture; it made me just melt! This was definitely a great rock star story and I’m looking forward to the next installment, which BTW, I’m hoping to dear God that it’ll be about Mal. (He was flipping awesome!)

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!!