Beneath the Burn by Pam Godwin

They meet by chance. The timing is wrong.

Three years later, she finds him again, but their separation was poisoned with narcotics and bloodied by enslavement.

Her freedom gambled away, Charlee Grosky escapes the international businessman who held her captive. But his power reaches beyond her protective barriers and threatens everyone she has come to love.

Jay Mayard wears his tortured secrets under his rock god facade. Drugs are his release, even as he seeks to be the man forged of the steel only she can see.

In a celebrity world filled with paparazzi, groupies, and drugs, Jay and Charlee must face their worst fears. When the battle is over, what will be left...Beneath The Burn.

Genre: Romantic/Erotic Thriller

Content warning: Includes graphic rape, sex, anal, bondage, and violence. Age 18+ only.

Five +++++ Stars!!! 

♥♥ ♥Jay & Charlee ♥♥♥

**Possible spoilers below**

Dare to be vulnerable with me. 

Holy. Shit. This story is so fucking good.

Two hours of sleep. That’s all I had. I could not put this down. It’s one of those stories that will stay with me for a long, long time. As soon as I finished, I cried with exhaustion, but yet I wanted to turn back to the beginning and start this rough and heartbreaking journey all over again. 

It is not for everyone. The first 20% or so was hard to stomach. It’s explicit, graphic, and violent; it does not hold back. It will violate you, make you cringe and cry. But just so you know, underneath all the ugliness, the burn it leaves behind will leave a lasting impression. 

Life was jaded like that, throwing them together when he couldn’t tolerable affection and she was desperate for it. 

Jay is broken. He doesn’t like to be touched. He hides himself in a haze of drugs and women. The only solace is his music. When he stumbles into Charlee’s tattoo shop after a late night haze, all he wants is to feel numb; to lose himself underneath the sting of a needle. No one has ever touched him, nor seen the scars on his back. But one look in Charlee’s blue eyes, has him feeling thing he has never felt before. After leaving her, he feels the need to change for her. He will return to her after the completion of his tour, a new man, a worthy man. However it wasn’t mean to be. He returns to learn that his Charlee was dead, at least that’s what he was lead to believe. 

He could try all he wanted. Her tears were involuntary, but she was not broken and her strength was her own. 

Damn. I love Charlee. She has got to be one of my favorite heroines. She’s endured so much pain and torture under the hands of Roy Oxford. No matter how hard she tried, she could never outrun him. He will always hunt what is his. After two years of his abuse, she escaped, only to be brought back to him four years later. Abducted again soon after meeting Jay. The short memory of their encounter fresh in her mind. Those scars. Wow. What he must have gone through. The strength she sensed in him would get her through this. But escaping Roy this time around will be much harder.

She was his greatest possibility. His reason. His why. He would give whatever she needed to be whole and happy, because loving her was as essential as drawing air. 

Three years later…

Thank God for Nathan Winslow. If it wasn’t for him, she would still be in Roy’s clutches. Nathan is an ex-marine and brother of Noah, Charlee’s loving boyfriend at the time of her abduction. They are constantly on the run from Roy and his seemingly infinite amount of dirty connections. But things are about to change when fate intervenes and Charlee is on the cusp of seeing Jay again. 

By this time, Jay is a mega rock star. His songs about Charlee, the heartache, the longing, catapulting him and his band to superstardom. Losing Charlee destroyed him. He’s constantly in a drug induced state while burying himself in countless, faceless women. But once she comes back into his life, he cannot believe his salvation, has been alive all this time. When he finds out why she disappeared, he has a new purpose: He will keep her safe at all costs -- he will not lose her again. But how long can he keep her safe from Roy especially in a drug haze he constantly fights? Can he give her what she wants as a lover? Charlee, too, is fighting her own demons. 

“I fucking love you. I don’t deserve you, but I will spend the rest of my life earning that right. You are my music, do you understand?” 

The things Charlee and Jay went through were both horrific. The strength they found in each other was a beautiful thing to witness. The lengths Jay & Nathan went through to keep her safe was beyond admirable. 

I cannot begin to express how much I loved this story. It was non-stop action, love and suspense. So much was happening and the story never lost its edge. I was captivated from beginning to end. It wasn’t pretty and wasn’t easy, but FUCK! was it worth it. FUCKING LOVED IT!!!

Ever Enough by Stacy Borel

What happens when the man you thought was the one, ends up being the one that got away?

When Finley breaks her heart on graduation night, eighteen year old Emilyn is left alone to pick up the pieces of her life. After muddling through the next ten years-including immersing herself in a lifeless marriage-she is brought to her knees when she encounters Finley at her high school reunion. Long ago buried emotions and feelings bubble to the surface and when Finley kisses her, Emilyn flees the scene. Arriving home to find her husband in the arms of another woman, Emilyn is forced to return to her hometown and start again. But is it possible to start afresh when the past just won’t seem to let you go?

Finley has spent the ten years since high school focused on his career. As a songwriter, he has never had a problem getting women. But when he realizes that the woman he let go a decade ago could be his happy ever after, he decides to do whatever it takes to get her back. But are some hurdles too great to overcome?

Four Stars

“I swear I’m never leaving you again Em. Never! You are mine. Do you understand me? Mine! And if I have to spend the rest of my life finding every single piece of your broken heart, I will. I will put you back together again Em. I’ll do it because I’m still so in love with you. I will fix you, and I’ll fix this.” 

Emilyn and Finley were high school sweethearts. They were very much in love with each other. It all came crashing down when Finley ups and leaves her on their graduation night. Emilyn is devastated. She doesn’t understand why and she never fully recovers from losing Finn. She even enters a loveless marriage, a marriage that ends in disaster. But I’ll save that for later. 

Emilyn and Finn are given a second chance when they meet again for their ten-year high school reunion. Emilyn is a hard sell when it comes to attending, but with the help of her kick ass best friend, Harper, she is convinced that not only Finn won’t be there, but also attending would be a fun getaway from her husband. When they see each other, they realize what they knew all along: They belong together, but with their circumstances, her marriage, their distance…how will it all end?

“I’ll follow your rules and stay behind your line in the sand. But the moment you cross that line yourself, or you ask me for more, it’s game on.” He winked at me and walked away.
Jesus H. Christ.
I was fucked. 

Emilyn finds out the hard way that her husband is not only cheating asshole, but also an all around piece of shit. Yea, I’m not sugarcoating…he’s a fucking douche. Luckily we have Finn to take our mind and hearts away. Though Emilyn is hesitant to give her heart again, it’s only a matter of time before Finn breaks through her shell. 

I really enjoyed Em and Finn’s story. There are a lot of things that are thrown in the mix, and it’s not as predictable as I thought it would be; it made for great drama. I also LOVED Em’s best friend Harper. She is amazing and so fabulously fun…I’m hoping that the next book (if there is one) to be about her and Finn’s BFF Kyler.

I do have to mention a few things that bothered me, prevented me from giving it a full five stars. One – the reasoning behind why Finn left Em in high school wasn’t good enough for me. Two – the ending seemed a little rushed and I wanted just a little more. Three – I wish the epilogue included something about Em’s ex-husband, like, say he got gonorrhea or something. Trust me…the cheating bastard deserves every horrible thing. Haha. 

Sizzle (Bad Boy Rockers #1) by Lexi Buchanan

Thalia is twenty-one and has just finished her sophomore year of college, and is trying to avoid going home to her stifling parents who have a curfew of nine every night, and have a bad habit of treating her like she's still ten years old. Her new boyfriend, Liam, invites her to spend the summer with him and his family, so as she’s been unable to find a local job to keep her at college, Thalia jumps at the chance. Liam tells her that she can be his guest at his brother, Jack’s, wedding at the end of the summer.

Jack is twenty-five and feels as though he’s drowning. He’s engaged to Mia, against his will, because it’s always been drilled into him, family comes first. Jack’s studying for a law degree, and wants to go out on his own once he graduates, specializing in criminal law. His father wants him to accept a junior partnership in the law firm owned jointly by him and Lewis, his fiancées father, to practice family law.

Then he meets his brother’s girlfriend, Thalia, and he can’t get her out of his head. He needs her to keep her distance, because every time she smiles in his direction, he wants to carry her to his room and do really naughty things to her.

Then Saturday night arrives and Liam takes Thalia to a new bar that has opened on the outskirts of town, where she discovers Jack’s big secret. By day he’s the good looking, slightly older brother with a chip on his shoulder, who gives her hot looks, and by night he’s Phoenix, singer/guitar player for bad boy group ‘Deception’, who makes her sizzle to the core!

He has muscle.

He has tattoos.

He has piercings.

He has a mouth that makes her panties wet every time he opens it. He is supposed to be getting married.

He is also her boyfriend’s brother....

3.75 Stars

“You’re my brother’s girlfriend, and I’m engaged.” 

“I don’t understand.” The anger drained out of me as I moved closer to him.

“I know you don’t, but you need to stay away from me, because I’m not sure I have the strength to stay away from you. There’s something about you…” 

I added this book to my TBR a while back, anticipating its release. First off, who could resist this cover? Holy hotness! Second, the series title included the word rockers in it, so you know I couldn’t refuse. So when I searched Amazon and found out it was released, I was all over this. 

I tore through this book in one day, but I have to confess that the last 30% of the book got a little annoying and I’ll tell you why in a little bit. For the most part, it was a good read and not as angsty as I thought it was; which was a relief by the way. Sometimes too much angst makes my blood pressure go up and I have no choice but to put it down and breathe. However, this story was actually far from angsty. Believe it or not, there wasn’t really any real cheating involved. Can you believe it? I mean, after reading the blurb, I thought for sure there was going to be an abundance, butnope, nada, zero, zilch -- no cheating. I don’t want to give anything away, but let me just say that the story could’ve been more complicated, and it was, but then again it wasn’t. LOL. Did you get that? 

The one huge positive in the story was the Hero, Jack – VERY swoon worthy, and very honorable. Not to mention the fact that the man has got some tattoos and some well placed piercings **smirks**. Another positive is his band mates, Donovan and Reese. Holy shit, these guys are H.O.T. Just so you know, these guys are best friends, who like share things. Get my drift? Hot, hot, HOT! I’m seriously looking forward to their stories. 

However, Jack and his crew can only take a story so far. There were a number of things that prevent me from giving this at least four stars. Here are a few minor negatives:

One: This wasn’t really a rock star story. It just so happened that Jack, Donovan and Reese played together. They’re not famous, yet. So I really wouldn’t consider this a rocker story.

Two: Welcome to reasoning behind why the last 30% of the book annoyed me. lol. For most of the story, Thalia, our heroine, referred to Jack as Jack. It wasn’t until later on when she found out he goes by the name of Phoenix on stage. From then on she referred to him by Phoenix. Yea. I wasn’t feeling that name, especially when she was screaming and moaning it. Yep. Definitely wasn’t feeling it. 

Three: The reasoning behind the forced marriage was a little extreme, particularly on the bride’s father’s side. When I found out why he was so adamant on having Jack as a son-in-law, I was just like What?! That’s it? Really?! That’s pretty lame. To find out that all this drama was because of that was a bit of a let down. 

All in all, the story was pretty entertaining. Plus the steam factor in this story is high on this one, too, so I wasn’t disappointed in that department. I’m definitely going to be on the look out for Reese’s story due out next year. But for now, I hope you guys enjoy Jack’s piercings…oh, umm, I mean… story. :)

Left Drowning by Jessica Park

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

3.5 Stars

I love Jessica Park; I really do. That's why I wanted to read this when it released. However, this wasn't one of those couldn't-put-it-down type book like Flat-Out Love was. It took awhile for the story to get going. I wanted to stop on numerous occasions, but my curiosity got the best of me and so I kept going. I had a feeling the Hero and heroine were connected somehow. As the story unfolded, I formed some of my own theories and in all actually, when everything was all said and done, my theory wasn't too far off. 

The story itself was good, for the most part. It kinda had thatColleen-Hoover-Hopeless-vibe to it. Something was connecting the two characters. Both had traumatic pasts and that are now affecting the present. They're both damaged, and when they meet at Matthews College, they instantly connected. 

I guess I'm in the minority when I say that I didn't connect with these characters. Blythe to me just seem so indifferent, especially when it came to Chris. Yes, she loved him. Yes, she didn't want anyone else, but throughout the story, she didn't seem to fight for what she wanted. They had this truce that they weren't going to be anything but friends, even though it was obvious that the two were crazy for each other, and I didn't understand their blasé attitude about their relationship, or lack thereof. It just felt off for me; I don't know. I was rooting for these two from the very beginning and just when I thought they were going to be together....they ended not to be. It took a long time for that to happen, too, and for them to just go back to before, really frustrated me. Oh! And when Chris broke her heart after what they went through?! OMG, I was LIVID. Like I said, I just didn't get their relationship. 

Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you will LOVE this story, but it wasn't meant to be for me. I liked it, but I didn't outright love it. I hope you guys have better luck with this than I had.

Fear of Falling by S.L. Jennings

I can’t remember the last time I felt completely safe. Security seemed more like a luxury to me, reserved for those who were fortunate enough to have picture perfect childhoods. For those who didn’t bear the ugly scars that keep me bound in constant, debilitating fear. I’ve run from that fear my entire life. But when I met him, for once, I couldn’t run anymore.

He scared the hell out of me in a way that excited every fiber of my being. It wasn’t the tattoos or the piercings. It wasn’t the warmth that seemed to radiate from his frame and blanket me whenever he was near. It was just…him. The scary beautiful man that threatened to alter 23 years of routine and rituals, and make me face my crippling fear.

My name is Kami and I am constantly afraid. And the thing that scares me the most is the very thing I want.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled, pulling me into the hard warmth of his chest. “I’ve got you. I’ll always catch you when you fall.”

And just like that, Blaine had staked his claim on the untouched part of me that no living soul had ever moved. He had captured every fear, every reservation, and crushed them in the palm of his inked hand.

Author Disclaimer: Abuse is real- verbal, emotional, physical and sexual. It takes place all around us; it doesn’t discriminate against race or gender, wealth or poverty. It affects us all- those of us who’ve had to live through it, or watch it happen, even those of us who’ve only heard about it. We are all affected. We are all forever changed. 

This is not a story for the faint of heart; this is the story of one woman’s very real struggle through a world against her, the people who hurt her, her real life demons and the people who showed her that every gray sky, no matter how dark, has a sun waiting to break through.

***Inspired by true events***

4.75-5 Stars

The scariest part about love isn’t love itself. It’s letting go and plunging into the unknown. It’s trusting someone with the very most sacred part of your heart. It’s allowing yourself to feel something foreign and uncharted, despite how much it terrifies the hell out of you. 

It's been a couple days since I finished this book and I still don’t know what to say. I really don’t. One thing for certain is that I loved this book. This wasn’t easy an read; it’s emotional and I have to warn you, there were times where I had to put it down, take deep breaths, and compose myself before continuing. More than just that, I had to constantly remind myself of the heroine’s mindset, otherwise I would've gone crazy. 

This. Is. Me. My situation isn’t fucked up. I’m fucked up. Completely, irrevocably, fucked up to my core. 

Yep. Meet Kami, our heroine. This is her, in a nutshell. I’ve never met any character so set in her ways that it would take a bulldozer, a truck full of dynamite and a loaded cannon just to put a crack her wall. I’m not going to bullshit you, she will try your patience, but then all I had to do was remind myself that she’s extremely damaged and that alone would calm my twitchy palm. I will not go into any specifics, but just know her past is very traumatic. 

She does not believe in love. To her love brings nothing but pain and misery. The only people she trusts are her roommates, Dominic and Angel, both damaged in their own right. She has a connection to them in which she doesn’t have with anyone else, until she meets Blaine.

Him. It was all him. Blaine somehow made me forgetme. The me that wasn’t allowed to feel all these beautiful, exciting things. The me that didn’t believe in happy endings. The me that was unlovable, and in turn, could never ever love.

Blaine was my more.

I had finally found my exception. 

Oh Blaine -- sweet, wonderfully sexy, tattooed, pierced in all the right places Blaine. Not only does he make me squirm and my heart beat all tachycardic, but there’s so much more to him. So much, that my review will not be able convey how I feel about our Hero. He never gave up on Kami, no matter how hard she tried to push him away. He stood by her, meltdowns and all, and still remained non-judgmental at her side. I just LOVE HIM. 

When you know, you know. And you don’t fight it. You don’t deny the inevitable. You free fall because you know there’s someone there to catch you on the other side. 

There were a lot of little things that stood out for me that made this such a great read. Kami’s roommates are fantastic and I’m sure I’m not the first one to say this, but both Angel and Dominic need their own books. In addition, the narcissistic side of me loves the fact that the heroine was Asian (hi, fellow Filipino here **raises hand**). But the main and number one reason why I loved this book was because of all the emotion it evoked in me. It was difficult at times, yes, but Kami and Blaine’s story is so worth the read. Ms. Jennings: Bravo, Langaa. Bravo!