ARC received for an honest review

It has been a couple of days since I finished reading Toward The Sound of Silence, and I am having trouble putting the words together to do it justice.

Every time I pick up a new Carmen Jenner book, I say to my self "Self - this can't be better than her last book."

Toward The Sound of Chaos blew all her other books out of the water (and I have loved and adored each and every one of her books)

She has written a raw, gritty, emotional book about too battered and broken souls finding their way to each other. You can't help but fall for Jake and Ellie as they go through their daily struggles but also helping each other get through.

I can't tell you how many times I had to put my Kindle to the side as the emotion got to me. How many times have you wanted nothing but the silence - but here the times of silence speak the loudest

"My brain fights me at every turn, and it wins, because how do you fight a battle that only wages within your head?"

My heart hurts now just thinking about this book again.

Ellie and Spencer - her struggles felt tangible to me (not from my personal experience, but from the experience of family members). I just wanted to reach through the pages of the book, give her the biggest hug that I can possibly give, tell her how amazing and wonderful she is.

From the moment Jake and Ellie met - in not so auspicious circumstances - I could not help but hope they would make their way to each other, that they could be there to help and heal each other, to make things better.

I hoped they could survive each other.

Then hoped my heart would survive this book.

"I survived war, I survived torture at the hands of the Taliban, but I won't survive Ellie Mason, not with my heart still intact."

I know that I am not doing this book justice. But Toward The Sound of Silence is a great reminder that not all romances are hearts and flower. And they don't need to be.

ARC received for an honest review

BJ Harvey has done it again with Game Maker, and *Shock gasp* I think #TeamTaylorSandwich may have a bit of competition for my affections.

Danika Roberts (Zander's baby sister) is the perfect combination of sweet, sass, sexy and geek. And has been besotted with Zach since she knew what it was to like boys.



Zach is just... can I just say that I am in love with a sexy Chicago fireman? I mean really, who wouldn't want to slide down his pole and play with his hose???

This is more than just Zach and Dani finding each other, finding love. This is a story of friendship, being torn between love and loyalty, family and friends.

There were plenty of times I just wanted to slap some sense into Dani - for such a smart girl she was making some silly decisions. I could understand why at first, but as the story continued I am not sure if she frustrated or Zach more!

I loved that we got more of that incestuous little group from the Bliss series! I can't help but laugh out loud at some of their antics and conversations.

Game Maker is sexy and sweet and hot as Hades, along with a lot of emotion and heart.

I think this may turn into my favourite BJ Harvey series!

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review

Female singer? Check
Stalker? Check?
Family issues? Check
Bodyguard? Check

Cue Whitney Houston singing I Will Always Love You as this book has the vibe of The Bodyguard!

Primal Instinct is a fun, suspenseful sexy read that I enjoyed from the first word to the last.

Taylor and Colt were just meant to be. From their steamy hot beginning to finding their way to a relationship, they kept you on your toes. The pranks, the heartfelt tales of their pasts, the smouldering looks across a crowded room...

Sigh.

I connected with Taylor quite easily, our lives are nothing alike but we have all been in that zone that she is currently in.

And Colt. Alpha. Bossy. Sexy as sin. Heart of gold. Who wouldn't want to ride that train?

The suspense is the kind where you know who the players are and where the story is going to end, but waiting for that axe to fall has you wondering right up until it all happens.

There are some great secondary characters (who are the main protagonists in the first book which I haven't read but will be!), and I hope we get more of these characters in future stories.

It is always hit and miss when you read a new-to-you author, but Tara Wyatt is one I will be keeping an eye out for more books in the future.

ARC received for an honest review 3.75 stars

It has been a while since I read a book by Aleya Michelle and was pleased to get an early copy of Tyson Caine.

This is a super sweet friends to lovers story with some darker underlying issues.

I couldn't help feeling for Tyson as he takes on the world, takes care of his brothers and deals with his growing feelings for his best friend Brooklyn.

And Brooklyn, I just adored her from the first word to the last. She was this beacon of light that just outshone everything and everyone around her.

And when they decide to take their relationship to that next step, you could feel the uncertaintly leap of the page.

"What if we end up hating each other? We also have a lot of the same friends and interests - how could I avoid her if it ended badly? Should I risk it? Should I take a chance on us?

Is it worth risking losing her forever? I just can't decide what to do.

I love love loved Tyson's little brother Tom, though it took me a while to warm up to middle brother Tyler, but as the story continued my heart ached for him more and more.

The Caine brother's story was not always an easy one, but I loved the kinship, the solidarity they shared.

There was one thing that irked me though whilst reading - but it was not to do with the story but the writing.

I felt that there was a lot of times where the author used then didn't use contracted worded in the same sentence - One minute it would be He's... and the next sentence it would be He is and things like that. It just messed with the flow for me, and at times it made it feel clunky and stilted - but this could just be me.

I really did enjoy the story line, and I look forward to seeing what the next Caine brother brings us.

"If you don't aim for the stars: your goals are too low in life"

ARC received from Hachette Australia for an honest revew

I am not going to lie - this is the first book by Ms Perry that I have read (even though I have had her books on my kindle and my bookshelf for what seems like forever).

Hooker had me hooked from the first word to the last.

From the minute we meet Jade I had a sense of hope for her - but with the title of the book I also had a sense of foreboding that I should have known what was going to hit me.

It was gut-wrenching, heart-breakingly sad.

Until Brock. Can I just take a minute to swoon over Brock Weston.... OK, I am back. I don't want to give too much away about him, but you will agree with me when you read him

Jade and Brock's story is one heck of an emotional rollercoaster. Hate. Despair, Love. And most importantly... Hope.

Hope for the life Jade wants to live. Hope she can get away from the situation she has been put in. Hope the she and Brock can have a relationship. Hope for love.

This was not your ordinary romance. I felt it was so much more.

Ms Perry grabbed my attention right from the start, and I was drawn into Brock and Jade's world, dragging me along for one heck of a ride.

The story flowed, was well paced and as much as I wanted to get to the end to find out what happened, I didn't want it to end.

Like the advertisements say, "Snickers really satisfies" (you will get this when you read)

Now, I am off to grab her other books off my shelf and kick myself for taking so long to read them.

Copy received from author for an honest review.



It seems like forever since I have spent time with the characters from this series, but boy was it worth the wait for Grafted Vines.

I have adored Dani right through this series, and I have been impatiently waiting for her story. And it was everything and more than I could have asked for.

This is a beautiful friends to lovers story, although it was not an easy journey for them to get to where they ar today.

Zachary is jaded by former relationships, Dani has been holding out for him for so long, her heart has belonged to him for so long that she hasn't been looking for anything long lasting.

There were so many times that I wanted to slap some sense into Zachary - even though he could see what was right in front of him, he was pushing it away.

She wanted - and deserved - so many things that scared the sh!t out of me. But damn did I love her

All I could do was hold on, remain seated and keep my arms in the carriage as I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster of a ride.

I loved that we got more of the couples from the previous books in the series, loved the glimpses into their lives since their stories.

Ms Flores has written such a beautiful story. I could imagine myself at Zachary's winery, looking out over the vineyard and sipping a glass as the sun sets


I will be sorry to see these characters go, but I can't wait to see what Ms Flores brings us next

Copy received via Netgalley for an honest review



This book again follows the same timeline as the first two books, so if you haven't read them you will be fine.

This is the brother's story that I have really been wanting. With the glimpses of Levi and Shelly's relationship through his brothers eyes, I just knew that this was going to be the one that got me in the feels.

I loved that how through everything, they never lost contact - sure they might not have seen each other in years, but still there was that connection that only best friend have, that only those you truly care for can keep.

This really was a summer of first for Shelly,and at times I laughed out loud, at other times my heart ached for her as we saw what she had been missing. Her story is like a butterfly coming out of it's cocoon.

There really was so much more to Levi's story than one would think, and I felt for him as we learn more of his childhood (which if you have read the other books you know about)

Heart of a Bad Boy was definitely my favourite book in this series, and even though I am sad to see the series come to an end, I am looking forward to seeing what Ms Jamison brings us next.

ARC received for an honest review

You will have to have read Manwhore and Manwhore + 1, as Ms. Manwhore starts up right where + 1 ends.

This is a wonderful continuation of Rachel and Malcom/Sin's story is a sweet, sexy snapshot into the future, after they have found their HEA. Told from Rachel's POV, we get an insight to what is really to come for our lovers.

I just adored this novella - it is kind of like an extended epilogue story. I mean, there can never be too much of Malcolm Kyle Logan Preston Saint, can there?

We got more of Malcolm's boys, and lots of good times with Rachel's girls. There are also a couple of things that I am hoping, praying, are leading in to more stories from these fabulous characters *cough cough need Gina and Tahoe's story cough cough*

This is a sweet, sexy -- oh maaaaan is it sexy -- short read that left me wanting more.

Please give us more Ms Evans. With a cherry on top!

ARC received for an honest review

What a sweet, sexy adorable story is Everywhere and Every Way!

Caleb and Morgan really have that love/hate thing going on -their relationship didn't start out as much more than bickering, even though they both though the other was hot.

With them, fighting really is foreplay!

Morgan is all this prim and proper Southern gal - with some very improper thoughts about a certain builder. She's all Dorothy in the street and Blanche between the sheets!

(hope you all get the Golden Girls reference there - or am I just showing my age???)

And as for Cal - well, tradies do get the ladies!!

But it is not all fighting and foreplay. They both have a lot of other stuff going on.

Cal is the oldest of the three "Billionaire Builder" brothers. And there is so much tension between Cal, Tristan and Dalton that at times you have to wonder if they are ever going to be able to get back to being brothers, not enemies. I felt for all of them as they try to reconnect, but especially Cal as he has always wanted them to be closer.

There was so much that they could overcome with a few D & M's.

The scene stealers for me though are Cal's 2 big, lovable mastiff dogs. OMG they made me laugh, put a smile on my face with their antics.

I really enjoyed Everywhere and Every Way and devoured it in one sitting. Ms Probst has been one of my go to authors for a while now, and I am really looking forward to the next book in this series. Gimme Gimme Gimme!!!

ARC received for an honest review

Woohoo! Finally we have the second and final installment of the First and Last series (that "finally" makes me sound bitchy and makes it sound like we have been waiting years for this book but it hasn't been that long - but long enough!!)

Last Kiss starts up where First Kiss finished, and it is full steam ahead from the minute I read the first page the second I finished the last.

Last Kiss is full of action and danger, is sexy and suspenseful. There is so much going on in Reeve and Emily's lives, so much to tear them apart, or will they get their crap together and make a go of things.

I was kept on the edge of my seat (well, my couch since I was lazing on there!) right until the end.

After First Kiss, I was so glad that Amber had been found and saved. And I was that for a little while during Last Kiss. But ugh, please tell me I am not the only one who wished she was gone again!

By about half way through the book I was wishing and hoping every page that she would go away! She is a manipulative, conniving, self centred piece of work (though we kind of got that in the first book I guess) and I just wanted to b!tch slap her nearly every time she was on the page.

I adore Emily and Reeve together - then again, who isn't go to love a sexy bad ass like Reeve.

Last Kiss was a perfect ending for Emily and Reeve's story - I always knew it wasn't going to be easy for them to get where they are, but boy what a rollercoaster Ms Paige has taken us on.

Now, all I can hope is that one day we get more of Joe's story.