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Game Changer is the first book in the adult contemporary romance series, called Playing Games. I thought that Game Changer has crossover appeal to fans of new adult as well as adult. The characters are in their 20s and they, or at least one of them, has a career that is pretty college adjacent. I really liked reading Game Changer. Don't let the title fool you, it isn't so much about playing games with each other, well maybe a little bit, but not as much as I expected. I found Maci and Liam to be very genuine with one another and that was refreshing. Sure, there were secrets but they didn't feel like they were playing games. I found most of their games to be centered around actual games (of the video variety).

There were many things I liked about Game Changer. I liked how smitten Liam seemed with Maci. he was just so adorable in his pursuit. It didn't seem contrived or cocky in any way. In fact, Liam had an innocence about him with his feelings and interactions with Maci and I could not get enough of his adorableness. I also really liked the setting in Tampa, Florida. I am familiar with the city, so everything was very easy to picture for me.I thought the plot was well done and the romance was great, and felt very natural.

I loved the chemistry and romance between Maci and Liam, but as the book went on, the more I wanted it to be a standalone. I wanted their story to wrap up, not because I don't want to see more of them- I do! But I just felt like we could have gotten to a good spot with them in one, slightly longer, book. (am I the only one that thinks this about some books?) I am interested to see all of what is going to happen in the next story. I know that book 2 is already out so at least I don't have to wait to see what is going to happen. If you like contemporary romances with a nerd flair, check out the playing games series.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Mine is the third book in the Holton Woods series by HelenKay Dimon. I have not read books 1 or 2 in the series, nor had I even heard of the series before reading Mine. I had no problem keeping up with the story or the characters, so I can confidently say that each book stands on its' own. CIA and Military is a trope that I don't venture into very often, but for the right book and the right plot line I am happy to try it. And there was just something about Mine that spoke to me. It is a really engaging read and a fantastic romance.

I loved the clash and mixture of two dominant personalities. Natalie and Gabe have incredible chemistry. Natalie is ex CIA and people want her dead. Lots of people. Gabe comes into the picture to keep Natalie safe, throw in lots of obstacles, off the charts chemistry, quick witted banter and really smart writing and you have the formula for a romance that you will not be able to put down. I don't know if it is just me, but I really love to watch the head on clash of two dominant personalities. And that is exactly what you get with Natalie and Gabe. They are each really different, and their pasts manifest differently in their presents, but both of them are used to getting what they want. Watching them interact was so much fun for me. It brought a level of intrigue to their romance.

I also thought it was interesting that Natalie was the more gun shy when it came to commitment in Mine. I would have initially pegged Gabe as that person, but I was totally wrong. HelenKay Dimon is a masterful author. I cannot wait to dive into more of her books. (as an aside, she joins the ranks of my not-so-secret list of lawyers turned authors that I love to read.) If you like the high tensions of an on the run romance, and like government agent/military/bodyguard romances Mine is a fantastic one for you to check out! It is really well done.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**

Burn For You is the third book in The Protector Series, an adult contemporary romance series centered around Chicago Firefighters and Police. I didn't not read either of the first two books in the series, and in fact this is the first I have ever heard of author Stephanie Reid, and I am like a kid in a candy store having discovered her now. I want MORE! I cannot wait to read the first two books in the series, but you don't need to read them in order, they really do stand alone great on their own. I don't love the cover. It kind of feels like a 90s soap opera romance to me, but that is the only thing I didn't love about this book. I love that this book centered around an arson investigator. I am now on the hunt for more arson centric books.

You know when you start reading a book and a giddy excitement builds up inside of you somewhere along the first couple of chapters? And you think, "YES! This is going to be a GREAT book." That was how I felt when I started reading Burn For You. I just knew that this book was going to be a hit with me. It is told in dual narrative between Vic (toria) and Jason, and I knew from reading the first of each of their respective chapters that I loved both of them. Vic is a girl that has had a crush on her brothers best friend for years, and she tries do hard just to get him to notice her at all. Jason was a little bit harder to get to know. Right away it is clear as day that he is such a great guy- really genuine and he honestly cares about doing right by people, but past that- he is locked up tighter than a vault.

I loved watching Vic, or Toria, as Jason calls her worm her way into the puzzle that is Jason. Burn for You is the kind of book that you can't stop reading, but at the same time you just want to slow down to draw the book out more. I loved their story so freakin' much. It just felt like magic coming off the pages. It has been a good month or two that I have felt this kind of raw love from a book. I am addicted to Burn for You. It is easily one of my top picks for 2015 favorites. If Stephanie Reid is an author that you have not read yet- you need to fix that ASAP. Whether you start with Talk to Me (book 1) or Burn for You, it doesn't matter. Burn for You is on my must read list for contemporary romances.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Cadence is the first book in a new adult series, called the Ruby Riot series. Ruby Riot series is a rock star romance that is a spin off of the Blue Phoenix series. I have not yet read the Blue Phoenix series, but I absolutely love love love how the author worked the spin off series in. Ruby Riot is a newer rock band on their way up the charts, and they are touring with the hugely popular Blue Phoenix. And if that isn't a cool enough tie-in, Cadence brings together the two rock groups from the separate series together via Blue Phoenix's drummer Bryn's younger sister Tegan joining the tour. And guess who she has her eye on? That's right- Jax of Ruby Riot. I thought that was a really, really inventive way to both tie together two different series, but keep them separate enough that they have no problem standing on their own.

Tegan is her own woman. She speaks her mind and has no problem holding her own with anyone. I loved that about her. I didn't know quite how it was going to mesh with Jax. Rock stars are used to getting what they want, and it seemed like so was Tegan. And I was right, there are so many battles of the dominant personalities (in different ways) in Cadence, it was kind of fun to read. Jax was half infuriating, half adorable, and gosh darnnit if I didn't love him for that.

I don't read a ton of rocker romances, but when I am looking for something bold and in your face, I love to pick up a rock star book to get my fix. And this was a larger than life read. It was a little bit of a cliche with all of the parties, drinks sex and rock and roll, but that isn't really a bad thing. It was what I wanted when I look to this kind of story fix. However, If you like slower build romances that are not quite so crazy, this might not be the genre for you. Cadence was fast paced, and totally fun the whole way. I felt like I was on the road alongside Blue Phoenix and Ruby Riot. And just like any tour, there are twists and turns and surprise potholes waiting for you along the way. Cadence makes me want to go back and grab all the Blue Phoenix series novels and get to know the band a little bit better.

Bottom Line: If you love rock star romance and you are looking for a loud, in your face fun (and a little bumpy) romance, check out The Ruby Riot series. Cadence delivers.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**Right Kind of Mistake is a flirty, sweet and fun new adult contemporary romance that centers around hockey players. I loved Cam and Haylie's story, even though it did feel a little short to me. I would love to see a full length novel about them. If you like novella length stories that are not part of a serial (they feel complete on their own) then Right Kind of Mistake is exactly the book for you.

I loved the characters and the romance. Haylie is a college student that has been burned by her hockey player ex- boyfriend and Cam is his teammate that has had eyes for Haylie for as long as he can remember. I loved how sweet and pure Cam felt towards Haylie. It made me like him almost instantly. Even though it took Haylie much longer to warm up to him, it was fun watching Can try and win her over.

My only qualm with Right Kind of Mistake was the length. I thought it was very well written, and the characters and plot were very engaging but I wanted to see Cam and Haylie's story fleshed out a lot more. The book was about 110 pages and I wanted it to be three times that length. I thought everything moved a bit too fast for me. Goodreads and amazon do say that this is book one, but I am not sure if the second book will feature a new couple or if it will be a continuation of Cam and Haylie. I, for one, hope that it is a much longer continuation of Cam and Haylie's story. Like I said, I think they have a ton of potential and would make a wonderful full length new adult novel. I would read three more books about them if they were at the 300 page mark or so. If the second book is going to feature a new couple, I would enjoy that too, but would prefer that to be more around the 300 page mark as well. Author Rebecca Thomas' writing is solidly good and she does a wonderful job of making the characters likable.

Bottom Line: Great characters, great romance, tons of potential, and I definitely want to see more of these characters and this couple, but it was too short of a read for it to be an all time favorite. If you are looking for a quick- get right to the nitty gritty, sweet romance, check out Right Kind of Mistake. I think you will love it!


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**

How to Be Brave is a debut young adult novel by E. Katherine Kottaras. It is a really beautifully done standalone novel about a high school girl that is learning how to be brave, but really just learning how to be herself after her mother's untimely death. I really enjoyed the main character, Georgia. I thought she was all at once a breath of fresh air in young adult novels, but at the same time so quintessentially teenage that it is impossible not to relate to her in some way.

How to Be Brave is a really cute story about Georgia and her friends and her high school life. And as a bonus it is a list story! You know what I am talking about- main character is sad about missing out on something, or some event happens in her life (or is about to happen) and she makes a list of things she wants to accomplish. The event in How to Be Brave was Georgia's mom's death. Her mom wrote her a note and told her to "do everything" and to "always be brave". I loved the list of things that Georgia and her friend Liss came up with. I thought they were a mix of really original items, with a few classics thrown in for good measure to "get the guy". I loved how the list story line played out. I was completely 110% loving How to Be Brave, and then the author threw a major curve ball into the mix and I didn't know how to take it. The book ended up taking a bit of a different turn than I originally expected, but it ended up being a really interesting turn. I didn't always agree with the actions of the main characters, but their journey was pretty great, and Georgia is a star in my eyes.

How to Be Brave is told alternating between classic dialogue chapters with random verse style stream of consciousness interspersed throughout the story. I thought that was a unique flair to the narration. I really dug it. If you like well done, and beautifully different young adult stories- How to be Brave is one for you to check out.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Licked is the first book in the romantic comedy series, the L.A. Liaisons series by Brooke Blaine. I freakin' loved this series. Licked is one of those books that had me laughing out loud the whole time. It blew all of my expectations out of the water. Before we go any further, and I am sure that you can tell this from the summary, but Licked does have a bit of a love triangle. BUT WAIT! Before you immediately say pass, let me explain. It is a love triangle, but it is so not a typical one. I can say with confidence that while the love triangle, that is so not the point or the beauty of Licked. The main character, Ryleigh picks between the guys rather quickly, and Licked is their story.

Ryleigh is the owner of an ice creamery and booziery. Yes you heard that right- ice cream and a bar! what a concept. And I loved that her concept was just as eclectic as she was. She is wonderfully retro and quirky. Heck, all of her ice cream flavors are naughty. I got such a kick out of hearing her describing them. And she calls one scoop of ice cream a "castrated ball", which she then went on to explain as the perfect upsale technique because no one wanted a castrated ball, they wanted a full set of balls AKA two scoops. Oh my gosh, I just loved her. She cracked me up.

Now let's talk about the guys, and they are both excellent guys, so I am not at all ion fear that I will give away which she ends up with. First, there is Cameron, Ryleigh's high school crush. I loved how sweet and considerate Cameron is. He seems like one of those genuine guys that was nice in high school and now. And then there is Hunter- Cameron's roommate and best friend. Hunter has a bit of an edge to him. He seems to smolder more than Cameron. (does that make sense?) At first I was worried that Hunter was going to be a "bad boy" and it was going to be good v. bad, but I was really happy to be proven wrong. Hunter holds his cards close to his chest, but he is really a good guy. I knew Ryleigh was going to make a good choice regardless of who she ended up with. And I am very pleased to report that there is no love triangle drama between the three of them. It was all very mature and that made the eventual couple's love story so much better for me.

Bottom line: if you like your romances on the romantic comedy side and you love quirky female leads, and guy hotness galore- Licked is the book for you. I don't know who the next book is going to feature, but I do know that I will be reading it! You need to read Licked- get ready to laugh your butt off.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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The Darkest Frost Volume 2 is the second and last book in a two book series of the same name by author, Tanya Holmes. I loved part one SO SO much. When I finished the first book, I needed to have the second book. It was all I could think about for days. I was so anxious to start reading that I refreshed my kindle probably 5 times waiting for my review copy to get synced. And then I proceeded to ignore 3 other days of review books so I could read the darkest Frost. This is just one of those books that made me forget the world. The second volume brought a lot of character development and insight that we were able to fully flesh out in the first book because of all the secrets. I loved looking into the brothers past and getting to know them so much better.

This is the second half of a duology that needs to be read together, so I can't really say too much without spoiling the first book for you. If you have not read this series, you need to. I will set it up for you. Denivere, or Danielle, or D is a psychic detective that is sent to investigate Braeden Frost for the deaths of several of his patients. But you know the drill, Dr. Frost is not at all what he seems, and Danielle falls for him. And then there is his mysterious brother Xavier. And that is all I am telling you. The rest would ruin the awesome story that Tanya Holmes has crafted. Trust me, there are tons of twists and turns and the way everything fits together in the end is pure magic. We got so many answers and I loved the way everything worked out. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

If you like Gothic romances and paranormal romances, this is a must read for your collection. I cannot get enough of the Frost brothers. I want so much more. I know this is supposed to be the end of the story, but I want more! This will be a re-read book for me anytime I need a good paranormal pick me up. In fact, I kind of want to re-read this right now...from the beginning. I don't think I will ever be able to get enough of this story. I love it that much.

P.S. because I so want to avoid spoiling the book, I am putting out an open call to anyone that has the read the book and wants to chat about it, I would love to talk with you about all things frost! Let me know!


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Undeniable is a young adult contemporary romance by Liz Bankes. First off, I should say that I saw this book as more of a crossover between young adult and new adult. I think it will appeal to both upper YA readers as well as NA readers. Undeniable is a quirky and fun contemporary romance story that plays out a fantasy of almost all teens. Gabi lands an internship on the set of her favorite tv show and starts a whirlwind romance with an up and coming actor. I mean, come on, who hasn't thought about the possibility of running into, and hitting it off with your favorite actor? (I know you are lying if you say you haven't) Also, I wanted to say how much I liked the cover of Undeniable. I love that it is mostly greys with some pops of color. Gabi, however didn't match the description and image I had in my head, but that is a minor point.

Gabi is a kooky young lady. Some might even say crazy. Ok, I say she is totally crazy. She is a lot to get used to at first. The book is told in first person so she is your narrative. And she is scatterbrained and loose lipped. The result is a ton of short sentences that don't always logically flow. It was almost stream of conscious in that aspect, but after a while you get used to the rapid fire thought and learn to just hang on for the ride. You are at Gabi's whim. She grew on me as the story went on. I really liked that we got to see both her present with Spencer as well as slowly had her past with her ex boyfriend Max revealed.

The romance in Undeniable is really cute. The summary does a great job of pointing out that it is equal parts sweet and sultry. I really liked Spencer, even though he is way too much of a flirt for my tastes. He has a big enough personality to roll with Gabi and unpredictable nature. That was what I liked most about him. He wasn't deterred by the crazy. If you like European settings in book and you like the world of Hollywood (or London) acting, then Undeniable is a really cute read for you to try out.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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Use Somebody is a standalone new adult contemporary romance from author Riley Jean. If you like long standalone books, this is a great one for you! I personally love standalone books that are longer in length because I feel like I really get a chance to know the characters. Similarly if you crave really emotional romances, this is the book for you. Use Somebody takes you on a slow burn journey that ends up being really beautiful and completely satisfying. It is one of those books that will leave you with a smile on your face.

But it didn't start out that way for me. I spent probably the first 15-20% of the book totally confused. I didn't really know what was going on. I knew the story was about Scarlett but the story jumped in time and after the time jump Scarlett seemed like a completely different person. I had no idea what happened or even who the guy was in the beginning of the book. I kept expecting him to show up at her new job. But, even though they are slow coming, eventually you get more answers. And eventually I fell into a pace once I realized that Vance was the new main guy.

Scar and Vance have a very authentic and slow progression from co-workers, to friends to better friends and then to more. I loved watching them interact and get closer over time. And all the while we are getting to know Scar better as more and more of her backstory is revealed. Scarlett and Vance have a beautiful story to share and I am really glad that I stuck with it after the confusing beginning because what I got to read ended up being beautiful.


This review was originally posted on Book Briefs