Review to follow

ARC received for honest review

L.M Augustine's latest offering, Two Roads, their first foray into the NA genre, is sweet and funny, but also delves into the darker side of life.

Cali Monroe is the ultimate "mean girl" all the others around campus look up to. She has a biting remark to say about anyone and anything, and has that promiscuous, man-eater reputation.

But that is not who she is. She is filled with the guilt of her brother's death 4 years earlier, and rather than partying, she would rather stay in and immerse herself in the world of poetry.

**Note - if you don't know much about the life and poetry of Robert Frost, you will by the end of reading Two Roads**

Other than poetry, the other love of Cali's life is tormenting Logan Waters, geek to the core and her brother's best friend. What she doesn't blame herself about for his death, she blames him for.

So instead of dealing with their feelings, Cali and Logan embark on a practical joke war. I loved their snarky comments, public put downs. They are hilarious at times, at other times you can feel they cut right to the core.

But as they say - it is a fine line between love and hate.

Through a mutual love of poetry, Cali and Logan try to get back to that place they were before her brother's death. Friends. This may be helped along with a mutual hate of, and a bit of blackmailing, with crepes. Those pancake wannabes.

Can their love of poetry and hate of crepes help them grieve and heal from the hurt her brother's death caused them?

For that you are going to have to read for yourself.

At first I did not particularly like Cali with the mean girl attitude. But as the story moved along and we realise why she has this facade, then my heart was breaking for her.

Logan is just adorable. Geek chic.

All through the book you could feel the mutual attraction between the two, and as much as it looked like they hated each other, you could feel the pull they had towards each other.

Poetry is a big, big part of this story (maybe a little bit of overkill, but that could just be me), and there was a few times I wanted to shake Cali and go "seriously? You can't tell who that is about?" when she was reading poetry online.

Two Roads delves into darker places than the author's previous works. While yes it is a fun lighthearted read on the surface, it goes into depression, suicide, grief, all dark places that the author has dealt with very sympathetically.

I enjoyed Two Roads as I have LM Augustine's previous works, and I look forward to reading more in the future.

ARC RECEIVED FOR HONEST REVIEW

The premise of A Blue Tale is not new - rock star bad boy meets rich girl. What makes this different is where the story takes us.

Eli is the daughter of a rock god, and because of that, she is gun shy of relationships. Everyone wants something of her, but do they want her? She has everything a girl can want ~ successful business, great friends, more money than she could ever spend.

But she is wanting. After tragic incidents in her life, betrayal by those she loves, she is empty. She just wants someone or something to make her feel again,

Then there are the men in her life ~ Shaw, the man who hurt her like no other could - at least that's what she feels right now. Shaw is a bit of a douche, but at the end of the day I could kind of understand his actions, however misguided they may be.

And Deacon... he is just... Deacon. He is the swoonworthy rocker who knocks her off her feet. A broody musician, he can see through to her soul. He is a bit of a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. There is more than meets the eye with this one.

But you can't help but love the guy, especially when he talks like this:

"You look f*&king gorgeous tonight, princess." He said as he turned on his side to face me and cupped his hand on my cheek. "And if, for some crazy ass reason, you decide you still want anything to do ewith me tomorrow, I promise not to stop loving every inch of your body until you scream so loud, the neighbors know my name."

Hot, right?

There is tension between Shaw, Deacon and Eli, but it isn't really a love triangle as such. It is a difficult situation dealt with the best way that Eli can at the time.

I did feel that maybe we could have had a bit more about Deacon's blurry past. We got the basics of things, but as these were so much a part of who he is now, it felt a bit brushed over.

I also felt that the story lost it's way a little bit with the introduction of the evil mothers and kidnappers plotline. I don't feel that is added much to the story, the time could have been used more on the Eli/Shaw/Deacon plotline.

I did love the secondary characters, especially Willow and Duke. These two are so ingrained in Eli and Deacon's lives I loved how they play pivotal parts in their lives.

Overall I did enjoy A Blue Tale, even with those couple of little things.

One thing that did bug me though - Eli is short for Elizabeth, but instead of reading it at Ellie, I was reading it at E-lie the whole book. This might not bother you, but it did me and interrupted the smooth flow of reading as I had to go back and mentally change it after reading it.

This is the first work of Ms Dosher I have had the pleasure to read, and I am sure I will read more.

ARC RECEIVED FOR HONEST REVIEW

We first met Trevor Mayson and Liz Hayes in Until November (Ash and November's story)

Trevor and Liz have been circling around each other for months. After a night of "nearly sex" and a misunderstanding that gets blown right out of proportion, Trevor is keeping his distance.

Liz has had enough. No more waiting for Trevor to come to the party, she is moving on ~ at least she is trying to.

Trevor can't move on, she is his "boom", his one.

Trevor isd all sexy hot alpha and caveman all rolled into one. Reading as he goes all caveman on any man who dares to go near his Liz is at times exhilariting and at times frustrating and annoying. While it is at times hot, sometimes he just came off as a bit cheesy.

Where Trevor is all caveman and out there, Liz is shy, quiet and k,eeps her feelings locked up tight. She has troubles of her own which she won't let anyone help her with. In this regard she is such a strong woman, but it makes her make some questionable decisions.

Of course there is the requisite troubles with the exes, out to make trouble for the new couple. Gotta have one of them. These of course lead to some awkward situations, one in particular that is quite sad, but a bit funny (well it was to me, but I am a bit warped and others might not find it amusing!)

While I loved Until Trevor, I found that Trevor and Liz's story fell a bit flat compared to Until November. Not sure what it was but it just lacked that little something that Until November had for me.

Of course, we get more of Ash and November, and their calendar of kids (you'll get it when you read) and of course the rest of the Mayson boys.

Cash is more involved in Until Trevor, setting things up for his story, Until Lilly (which I am really looking forward to, there seems to be a fair bit going on there that I NEED to know).

If you want to get lost in a world of sexy hot alpha male-ness, then Ms Reynolds 'Until' series is a great place to do it.

ARC RECEIVED FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

Well, Living In Sin certainly starts with a bang!! **fans myself**. Not gonna tell you what happens, but boy I think my Kindle caught fire, it was pretty damn hot!

Jace. Every woman's eye is drawn to him when he is in the room. Sexy. Confident. So good looking that even a supermodel would think she was not hot enough for him.

Adrienne is a successful business woman, smart and sassy. Single and in a long sexual drought.

She has seen Jace at events before, but thinks he is a man whore as he is always with a different woman - no thanks!

What neither of them knows is that they have each seen the other person and interest is piqued. She is his "mystery woman" he sees one night, he is the player, even if he is a God-Like Creater (GLC)

When they finally get together, boy do those sparks fly. I loved how they were both drawn to each other. As much as it was supposed to be a one night only thing on both sides, they can't help but want more.

Adrienne was great. It was a nice change to have a woman who did not just fall into his bed and roll over and beg because "OMG he is sooooo hot". She stood her ground and made Jace fight to be with her.

Jace is the ultimate sweet talker. Heck, with all his years in his chosen career, he could sell ice to eskimos! Seriously, who wouldn't melt if he was saying this about you, and you are what he wants?

"Well, I hope she doesn't have a date. We're just friends because she refuses to date me,"

But behind all the talk, there is a man who has suffered, who is still suffering for things in his past. And he is also not all talk, he follows it all up with with his actions.

Of course, we have the requisite outside forces trying to keep the pair apart. There were a couple of secondary characters that I really just wanted to say "really?" to.

I loved the secondary characters. Adrienne's best friend Em was great.

And then there are Jace's best friends, and fellow escorts - Nico, Kade, Mark and Troy. Have you ever watched the TV show Gigolos? No? Well the way these boys interact is like reading an episode of it (now go and NetFlix it!!)

What will happen if Adrienne finds out about his job? Will he ever give it up? Can their relationship withstand it all?

Oh no, I will never tell! For that you are going to have to read Living In Sin for yourself.

This is the first I have read of Ms Lucero's work, and I found it a well written, well paced story that kept my attention (especially after I got past the first 10% after the "Big Bang" beginning, when Adrienne came into the story.

Now, to find my own Jace when I hit Sin City later this year!!