Sweet Spot Book Blog

#Review ~ How to say Goodbye by Amber Lin

Amy has a secret: no one’s ever held her hand. She doesn’t even know how to hug. Everyone thinks she’s smart, but straight A's are way easier than making friends. Then she meets Dane, a golden-haired surfer whose easy charm and hot touch teach her what she longs to know.

Dane lives for the salty breeze and a sweet wave, because that’s all he has. He’s been on the streets since he was fourteen. A drifter. Homeless. Then he meets Amy. Smart and accomplished, she’s everything he’s not. He wants to be the sort of man who deserves her.

Except that means facing down his past—and that past might very well swallow them both.

3.5-3.75 Stars

She wouldn’t see him again, because she didn’t know how to be close to another human being. No textbook had ever taught her.

The premise of this story was very intriguing to me. This sounded different and the H/h were definitely out of the box: A heroine who has never neither hugged nor held hands paired with a homeless Hero. I wanted to know exactly why these characters were the way they were, like what made them this way and what exactly brought them together. How will their relationship work?

“No,” she said and then kissed him back, firmer now. This was falling and floundering, gasping for air and finding nothing but him. Only him. She never wanted to be okay again.

Amy was abandoned by her mother and was raised by her Uncle. Physical interaction was very lacking in her life - at home, at school – even her interaction with her mother was only through the phone. It’s no wonder all her focus was in succeeding academically.

As mysterious as Amy was, she was nothing compared to Dane. First off, I loved Dane. I didn’t care if he was homeless – he was such a great guy. He was sweet, caring and unbelievably tender. Though he struggled to come to terms with what a man like him in his situation can really offer a girl like Amy, he still treated her delicately and respectfully; he made me melt.

He groaned, his eyes closing. “Why do you put up with me?”

She could turn him away and find someone more stable to be with. But she’d always preferred the mysterious beauty of the sky to the ground she walked every day. If there was ever anyone prepared to wait for him, she was. She’d waited her whole life for someone to love her. She could wait for him too.

“Because there’s nothing else I’d rather do.”

I couldn’t really give this story a full four stars simply because it took a while for the story to get going. Not only that, but I wanted more development of Amy and Dane’s relationship. Not that it was rushed or anything, but I think it needed a little more something. However, I cannot stress how much I loved Dane. I understood his hesitance and his reluctance, but I admired at how much he respected her enough to want to become more for her.

** Complimentary Copy provided by author in exchange for honest review**

#Review ~ Rock Bottom (Tristan & Danika #2) by R.K. Lilley

Their love had the power of a runaway freight train, and the potential to be just as destructive.

The tempestuous sequel to Bad Things picks up where the first book left off. Reeling from a profound loss, Tristan and Danika struggle to pick up the pieces and build a life together, but the hard habits of a lifetime are not so easy to escape.

Rock Bottom takes us on a dual point of view journey through addiction and desire, through love and agony, and answers the question we’ve been asking since these characters were introduced in Grounded: “What happened between Tristan and Danika?”

DANIKA

Even love couldn’t cushion a fall like ours. My love for Tristan was so big that I felt consumed by it, and even so, it was not enough to overpower our combined demons.

I struggled. I yelled and screamed. I scratched and kicked.

I fought like hell, but even the most determined fighters have to stop before they break.

No one could say I didn’t fight for him.

“I love you,” I spoke softly into his ear.

He gripped me harder. “I can’t ever lose you, Danika. I’m not sure I’d survive it.”

“You’ve got me. And I’m not going anywhere. Not ever.”

I meant the words when I said them, but life had other plans for us.

I’d have given my life for that fight. In fact, I very nearly did.

TRISTAN

She was the one.

If I’d ever had a doubt, I didn’t now. She was the one I’d be thinking about, longing for, until I took my last breath. If I lost her tomorrow, I’d pine for her like a lovesick fool.

This was the kind of love that only hit you once in your life.

This book is intended for readers 18 and up.

4.5 Stars

**Possible spoilers for those of you who haven’t read Bad Things (book #1)**

Every misstep that led us down the path to our destruction was our own doing

That above quote, my dear friends, is how the prologue ended. Very ominous isn’t it? To say I was freaking out was an understatement. After reading book one, I immediately jumped to this book. I wanted more of Tristan and Danika’s story. They were addictive.

Addictive. Hmmm…

Funny. That word holds a lot of meaning, especially in this second book. This book had such a different vibe from book one. This one had me worried from the very beginning. It felt like I was walking on eggshells the entire time; waiting for the axe to fall and destroy this couple’s already fragile and combustible relationship.

I was, by nature, a fighter, and no one could say I didn’t fight for us.

I’d have given my life for that fight.

In fact, I very nearly did.

Danika and Tristan’s relationship is as intense as they come. They need each other like they need air, but they’re relationship is about to get tested even more. Tristan’s band has been signed to a record deal, which means time away from Danika. From Vegas to L.A., they try to make it work, but insecurities and obsession start to reel its ugly head – from both sides of the relationship.

Danika is missing Tristan like crazy, but she wanted to support Tristan’s opportunity to make it big in the music world. However this scenario is just asking for trouble. The constant flow of drugs and Tristan’s man-whore past are always at the forefront of her mind. I couldn’t really fault her for this considering there was Dean, bandmate and friend of Tristan, who constantly plotted to break them apart. Oh hell, yes, I would be worried, too.

I lay awake for a long time, stroking his hair, watching him sleep, like a mama bear with a cub, knowing he was slipping away, knowing he was on the wrong path, a path that was bad for him and agonizing over what I could do to help him.

Tristan is more possessive and protective over Danika. He’s been through so much loss already and spending days away from her makes his coping capabilities practically non-existent. He tends to turn to alcohol and drugs to cope. He becomes more volatile by the minute. The strain in their relationship slowly stretches out throughout this story until it snapped and all that was left was broken and damaged beyond repair.

The contrast unraveled me faster. What I’d left behind, the constant using, the highs followed by the strung out lows, only the lows were more unbearable than ever. I couldn’t exist as me, couldn’t stand how that felt.

Not without her.

I almost gave up and said, “fuck it.” I almost just jumped to book three because I didn’t want to see this couple fall. However, my friend encouraged me to not skip this book. As much as I’m glad I didn’t. Yes, this was intense. Both Tristan and Danika broke my heart. They loved each other so much, but fate had different ideas for them. This was an emotional rollercoaster and it shook me to the point where I was spent and tearing up after this ended.

This was not a pretty read, but as I look back I realized that this part of their story was essential to tell; their relationship wouldn’t have made the impact on me if it was left out. I wholeheartedly cherished their beautiful and steamy moments together, which were PLENTY. I was consumed by their all-consuming love, but I knew where this was headed and I was bracing for the crash.

Crash. Hmmm…

Another word that hold more meaning. I’m just so relieved that book three is out so I have a chance to finally breathe. Wow. What a ride so far.

Cover Reveal ~ One to Protect (One to Hold 3) by Tia Louise

Title: One to Protect (One to Hold)

Author: Tia Louise

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 21, 2014

Hosted by: The Book Nuts Author Promotions

Synopsis

WARNING: Recommended for adult readers (18+) only. Mature themes, strong language, and sexual content.

One scar.

One betrayal.

No escape.

When Melissa's ex-husband Sloan beats criminal charges, she stops believing he will ever pay for what he did to her. Derek Alexander can’t accept that--a tiny silver scar won't let him forget, and he is determined to get the man who hurt his fiancee.

Then a face from the past turns up dead.

After exhausting all legal options, Derek is ready to do whatever it takes to protect his family... until his partner Patrick devises a trap that changes everything.

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20577157-one-to-protect

Meet The Author

Tia Louise is a former journalist, world-traveler, and collector of beautiful men (who inspire all of her stories... *wink*)--turned wife, mommy, and novelist.

She lives in the center of the U.S.A. with her lovely family and one grumpy cat. There, she dreams up stories she hopes are engaging, hot, and sexy, and that cause readers rethink common public locations...It's possible she has a slight truffle addiction.

Books by Tia Louise:

ONE TO HOLD (Derek & Melissa), 2013

ONE TO KEEP (Patrick & Elaine), 2014

Stalk The Author:

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jm2F2b

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTiaLouise

On Twitter: @AuthorTLouise

On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7213961.Tia_Louise

On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/AuthorTiaLouise

On Instagram: @AuthorTLouise

Newsletter:

Hosted By:

The Book Nuts

Frontier Inferno (#CalendarMen 4) by Kate Richards #decadentpub

Title: Frontier Inferno

Author: Kate Richards

Series: Calendar Men #4

Length: Novella, 61 pages

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Synopsis:

For Heather, Castle, Alaska offers many surprises. A new job—as a nanny of all things—a handsome firefighter whose charisma proves a distraction from her plans, and the danger of discovery. Heather may have to hightail it out of Castle and into the wilderness, or risk being dragged back into the very situation she’d fled.

Romance takes a backseat for single dad Chris Elder, while he focuses on his young son and his job as a firefighter/smokejumper in the small community of Castle. But the arrival of the feisty woman from the lower forty-eight may prove more than his resolutions, or his libido, can handle.

Can the magic of Alaska save these two from a lonely future, or will circumstances force them to step back from their Frontier Inferno?

Book Links:

Goodreads | Decadent Publishing

Read more about the Calendar Men series here:

http://calendar-men.blogspot.com/p/home.html

Author website:

http://katerichards.wordpress.com/

Five Stars

I think this is my favorite cover thus far in the Calendar Men series!!!

Heather gets off the train at Castle, Alaska in search for work. She immediately meets Billy Elder and his dad. Hello, Mr. April!!! Chris Elder is an Aussie living in Alaska. Should I mention, too, that he's a firefighter/smokejumper? He's a single, hardworking dad who is solid, strapping, and...well, you get the picture (smirks).

I've heard about the abundance of single men in Alaska looking for love. When Chris meets Heather, he is definitely interested and doesn't waste time. The story is fast-paced and entertaining. The small town and people are friendly and welcoming. There's some danger, a tad of mystery surrounding the heroine, and plenty of HEAT! I only have one question. Why can't this charity calendar be real? :)

Blitz ~ Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott

Title: Play (Stage Dive, #2)

Author: Kylie Scott

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller LICK.

Synopsis

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Four Stars

“You’re turning out to be kind of a mind fuck for me, pumpkin.”

I really enjoyed book one of this series, Lick, and I was anxiously awaiting this newest addition to the series. Now mind you, this is purely fiction. I know, I know. That’s pretty dumb of me to say considering all I read is fiction, but the scenario in which the H/h fall in love is strictly Made in Hollywood. Does that make sense? No? It will once you read this.

If he started yelling about sexual healing again I’d throw him out, cool furniture, drum kit, and all. Or I’d lick him all over. With my current confusion and stress levels, chances were 50/50.

Anne has a kind heart, one that those around her sometimes takes advantage of. She’s always willing to lend a helping hand, financially as well as emotionally, to anyone who needs it. So it isn’t too shocked when she walks into her apartment having found her roommate gone. Not only is she gone, but the hope of making her rent has also walked out the door. She is officially having the worse day ever. But all that is about to change when she agrees to attend her friend’s boyfriend’s sister’s party (Ev from Play). Whew!

Mal Ericson is the drummer for Stage Dive. He’s charismatic, boisterous and fun as they come. When Anne met him at the party, he was a whirlwind enigma. It was overwhelming to say the least, but a part of her couldn’t help be giddy at his attention. What she didn’t expect is to find him insider her apartment wanting to make an arrangement. She’ll play the dotting, sweet girlfriend to keep a certain image, and in return, he’ll help her out financially. As to why he needs a pretend girlfriend, well, you’ll just have to read and find out.

“Whatever you want is great.”

“That is so the correct answer. We are going to be the best fake couple ever, pumpkin.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“Puuuuuump-kin,” he drawled, eyebrows waggling. “It’s a great nickname. Your hair is kinda that color and we’re a couple now, couple have dumbass names for each other. C’mon, you think up one for me.”

“I’ll get right to work on that.”

This was such a fun read. Like, really fun. I found myself laughing and smiling throughout the whole story. There were times where my heart did break for this couple, especially when we find out why Mal wanted to clean up his act, but if I am to be honest, the biggest reason I enjoyed this book was because of Mal & Anne. Mal, especially, entertained me to no end. They made such a cute couple, pretend and real; I just loved it when they were together. They complemented each other so well. LOVE YOU, MAL!!

**Complimentary copy provided by NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin in exchange for honest review**

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