Gently Broken - Short Story One by Ava Alise

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Synopsis:

Sex is great.
Partying is great.
Love damn stressful.

Best friends Kelsa and Renee do not disagree on much, that is, until it comes to love and sex.
Renee may be too sweet and Kelsa may be too wild, but if they stick together, they may learn something.

*** This little firecracker is the first of a 3-part short series, and each story grows hotter as you progress. No Cliffhangers. By the time you finish book three, you will be aching for the full length novels. Come join the story from the very beginning.***

My Review:

This story is SHORT.  However, in the limited length, I laughed, and my jaw hit the floor.  I did not see that ending coming AT ALL!  I found myself excited for short story two!  I think the synopsis above gives you a good idea of the main plot of the story.  I will say that there was a lot of swearing, so if that isn't your thing, read at your own risk.  I'm also hoping the second is a little longer, this one ended way to fast.  I am giving Gently Broken Short Story One 5-stars because I don't mind swearing, I liked the characters, and that plot twist was something else.  

My review is based on the following scale:

1 star: didn't like it

2 star: it was okay

3 star: liked it

4 star: really liked it

5 star: it was awesome

**I did receive an author provided copy of Gently Broken - Short Story One by Ava Alise in exchange for my honest review.  Any links above are not affiliate links and I will not receive any compensation for you clicking or purchasing from them**

Devastate by Marley Valentine

Title: Devastate 

Author: Marley Valentine

Genre: Contemporary Romance Standalone

Release Date: May 25, 2017 Cover Designer: PopKitty

They always say to expect the unexpected. Little did I know the unexpected also meant the unthinkable. 

No longer a wife or a mother, what was once a full and meaningful life was now obliterated; leaving me with nothing but darkness in its place. 

Until him. 

Blazing bright and determined to bring me back to life, Lior came knocking on darkness' door. Gentle, yet fierce; he was armed in warmth and healing. 

He was powerful, persistent and prepared for war. 

I just don't know if I'm willing to fight or ready to fall.

Evie,

Months and months have passed, and I have tried to crawl my way out of the depths of hell. I’ve tried to return to the land of the living, and be the man you need me to be; the pillar of strength you deserve. But, broken hearted and beaten down, I’m a pathetic excuse of a man. There is no glass half full, or the possibility of sunshine after the rain. There’s only darkness. Strangling me from the inside out; there will only ever be darkness.

With your tiny breaths filling the room, I watch your body rise and fall while you sleep. I allow myself to notice how much you’ve changed and let the blame seep into my pores. My eyes rake over your body. Small and petite, you curl yourself around a pillow; the pillow that has become the stand in body, to hold, hug and provide comfort. The dark circles under your eyes, the way your collarbones protrude, I’ve pushed you to look the exact same way that I feel. Lifeless.

I’ve sunk into the depths of hell, plagued by an eternity of nothingness, I am painfully aware that if we continue this way, I will drag you down. The emptiness that consumes me, will consume us, and the love we shared will be a distant memory. With time, it will fade and you and I will be hollow, dull versions of the people we once were. Passing like two ships, we won’t touch, we won’t talk and we will forget how to live. This hole in my heart is big, slicing me in two. Each rip, more painful than the last. The pain is crippling and my God is it constant. Like dead weight, I carry it around with me every fucking day and I can’t do it anymore. I thought I could survive the destruction, that together we would heal, but here and now, it’s just like a knife digging deeper into my wounds every damn day and I don’t know if I can handle it any longer.

Watching you last night for the millionth time, I realized this was the end. The end of us, and the end of me. I can no longer stand to see you sneak off into our daughter’s room when you think I’m asleep. I know you hide your pain from me, and it does nothing but make it worse that I can’t make it better for you. There’s nothing left of me, and my heart doesn’t know how to deal with watching your body shake as you try to stifle the sobs. With her clothes and toys scattered all over her handmade quilt, I watch you; my wife, break down, and I watch your heart shatter into a million more pieces than the night before. And the piece of shit that I am can’t do anything. Won’t do anything? I’m not even sure of which one it is.

What I do know is that my beautiful, courageous and loving Evie is falling apart, and I can’t save you. I can’t hold you, I can’t wipe your tears and I can’t tell you it’s going to be better. Empty. Void. Exhausted. I’m a shell of the man I used to be, I’m no longer me. I’m no longer a father, and I’m no longer a husband. I am a failure. And for that, I am so, so sorry.

You are more than my first love. You are more than my last love…

You are my GREAT love.

Evie, My Love. My Heart. My Soul. My Everything.

Forgive Me. Remember Me.

Love Me.

Always.

James

Marley Valentine comes from the future. Living in Sydney, Australia with her family, when she's not busy writing her own stories, she spends most of her time immersed in the words of her favourite authors.

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My Review:

This is my first book by Marley Valentine.  Evie has had it ROUGH.  I do mean rough, making it through the losses she has is commendable.  I could sympathize with her treatment of Elliot, even if it wasn't right.  I loved Lior and Courtney.  Their characters made me smile, and one of the last scenes in the book made laugh out loud at the banter between the two.  Devastate was well written with everything flowing nicely.  There weren't any huge twists, or any jaw dropping moments, but that was ok.  The story moved along and Evie's feelings were explained to the point of being able to put yourself in her shoes.  Yet, the mood was lifted with Courtney's crazy self.  I'm excited I got a chance to read Devastate since it not only introduced me to Marley Valentine's work, but has also made me a fan!

I'm giving Devastate a 5-star review.  I loved it!  It started out as a sad story, but the way it was written didn't make it feel depressing.  There was a light in the dark that left us creating our own ending for the characters.

My review is based on the following scale:

1 star: didn't like it

2 star: it was okay

3 star: liked it

4 star: really liked it

5 star: it was awesome

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**I did receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Devastate by Marley Valentine in exchange for my honest review.  The links above are not affiliate links and I will not receive any compensation for you clicking or purchasing from them.**

New Release - Crescendo by Lana Sky

Crescendo

A Beautiful Monsters Novel by Lana Sky Publication Date: May 13, 2017 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Purchase: Amazon | Kobo | iBooks |Scribd

You don’t become the fiancé of one of the most powerful crime lords in the city without understanding exactly how gritty and depraved the world truly is… and how to thrive in the inferno. After five years spent under his controlling thumb, Daniela knows her position with a man like Vincent Stacatto is precarious, but as long as she plays by the rules of his “game”, she’s safe… Until she’s taken by the devil. Kidnapped by a rival boss, Daniela becomes a pawn between two powerful forces, and just another casualty in a bloody game of chess. But to get to the top, and stay at the top, you have to fight dirty and hold nothing back, because the most dangerous piece on the board isn’t the King. Contains Mature subject matter not suitable for those under 18.

About Lana Sky

Lana Sky is a reclusive writer in the United States who spends most of her time daydreaming about complex male characters and legless cats. She writes mostly paranormal romance, in between watching reruns of Ab Fab and drinking iced tea. Only iced tea.

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Cover Reveal - Legally Mine (Spitfire #2) by Nicole French

Preorder on Amazon:

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Legally Mine 

(book 2 in the Spitfire Trilogy)

by Nicole French

Blurb:

Skylar Crosby should be on top of the world. She's just graduated from the best law school in the country and is supposed to kick-start a successful career. But with her father still recovering from his gambling addiction, her absentee mother suddenly reappearing in her life, and the stresses of studying for the bar exam, Skylar is feeling more like she's holding the world up rather than standing on top of it. And then, of course, there's the matter of her utterly smashed heart. 

In just a few short months, brilliant attorney and all-around tycoon Brandon Sterling quickly became the sun to Skylar's universe only to twist it upside down and inside out with his secrets, leaving her with a decision to make that will change both of their lives forever. And although Brandon can't forget the girl who gave him back his heart, sudden changes in his own complicated life will make getting her back that much more difficult. Luckily, Brandon Sterling has never been one to walk away from a challenge. 

Even when the whole world seems united against them, it's possible that they are their own worst enemies. Legally Mine, the second book in the explosive Spitfire series, continues the saga of Skylar and Brandon as two stubborn, intelligent, damaged people trying to learn how to let themselves love and be loved return.

In case you missed book 1 in the Spitfire Trilogy, you can get it on Amazon 

About Nicole French:

Nicole French is a lifelong dreamer, hopeless romantic, and complete bookworm. When not writing fiction or teaching composition classes, she is hanging out with her family, playing soccer with the rest of the thirty-plus crowd in Seattle, or doing on dates with her husband. In her spare time, she likes to go running with her dog, Greta, or practice the piano, but never seems to do either one of these things as much as she should. 

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Burning Hearts by KM Lowe

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Synopsis:

Being a fireman is a tough job. For Jase McGrady saving lives, helping people and supporting his colleagues are rewards in themselves. And then the unthinkable happened.

Jase had a life, a job he loved, a fiancée, a future. Until the one thing he believed he could always win against took the one thing he loved. And he couldn’t do a thing to save her. One fire and Jase’s life had gone up in smoke. 

Jase has now managed to piece his life back together but it’s been hard. He’s adamant that he’ll never love again. 

And then Grace Montgomery walks into the station. 

Grace is soft, kind and gentle. She’s a capable firefighter but as the only female in the station, Jase just can’t help his protective streak making an appearance. Grace starts to break down his walls and opens up to him about her own history of abuse.

As the emotional storm rages, can Jase and Grace learn to weather it together or will their own personal demons pull them apart?

Can Jase forget his lost love and allow Grace into his heart, or is it for ever burnt and ravaged from the past?

My Review:

Burning Hearts is a contemporary romance about firefighters Jase and Grace.  Jase had lost his fiancee, Michelle, in a fire.  Grace is coming to the Blue Watch after her relationship with Colin ended.

These two try to fight the attraction as long as they can.  However, just when they think they've got it right, they have an obstacle to overcome.  

The first couple of chapters I felt a bit inundated with firefighter talk.  That was just a nice introduction to the terms used later on through the story.  Being from the USA, reading something based out of Scotland, I had to get used to the different terminology.  

I was a bit concerned that Jase's character was not going to be able to overcome his love of Michelle.  I also thought Grace could have used a bit more of a backbone when it came to Colin.  Jase was definitely the hero in the relationship when it came to Colin.  Otherwise, I thought Lowe did a great job showing Grace and Jase as a team when it came to their firefighting calls.  

I liked the ending, even if I kind of had an inkling of how it would play out.  I loved Mark a lot, his wit and bits of drama with Ali gave an interesting side story.  

I am giving Burning Hearts by KM Lowe 4 stars.  I really liked it and was happy to be introduced to Lowe's work.  Like I said previously, a little bit more of a backbone for Grace would have bumped up my rating.  Also, Josh's character, or lack of, kind of through me off.  I wasn't really sure what was happening with Meg and her baby, because Josh was just nonexistent.  Overall, I did really enjoy Burning Hearts and look forward to Lowe's future works.  

My review is based on the following scale:

1 star: didn't like it

2 star: it was okay

3 star: liked it

4 star: really liked it

5 star: it was awesome

**I did receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Burning Hearts by KM Lowe in exchange for my honest review.  The links above are not affiliate links, and I will receive no compensation if you choose to click them.**

Cover Reveal - Love Wasted by Shirl Rickman

Title: Love Wasted

Author: Shirl Rickman

Genre: NA Romance

Release Date: June 22, 2017

She loves him. She loves him not. 

When Cassandra Porter was seven years old, she fell in love with her next door neighbor and her best friends brother. Cass loved that boy every single day…until he broke her heart and all that remained were the pieces.

Ten years and what feels like a lifetime apart, that boy—now a grown and sexy, warm blooded man—is thrust back into her life. He might make her temper flair and blood boil, but a few unresolved feelings are no match for the way her heart races when he is near…

She drives him the good kind of crazy. 

Paxton Luke led his life with one thing on his mind: success. Friends and family come first, with no room for emotional attachments—not even with the neighbor girl, who's turned into a complete knockout. His sister's best friend. Emotions only lead to love, and love was trouble.

They’re determined to fight this undeniable attraction to the bitter end. It’s too damn bad their hearts are about to get love drunk-- wasted on love.

“Damn it, stop trying to avoid this conversation. Admit it; you’ve been avoiding me since New Year’s Eve.” I take another step in his direction, putting less space between us.

“Fine, maybe I have been, but I’m not now,” he admits, still a harshness to his voice. Unemotional.

Shaking my head, I think about laughing, but I really don’t feel like laughing. “Well, that’s nice for you, but I want to talk. I want us to talk about that night. I want to explain.” I keep my voice even although I feel like I’m about to fall off the edge of a cliff. 

The hardness shows a little of itself again in his eyes. “What is there to talk about? I think you made it pretty clear how you felt that night and I’m just trying to remember you’re Cass. Cass who’s my sisters best friend. Cassandra Porter the girl next door. The girl, who’s parents are best friends with mine. The Cass I spent my entire youth trying to avoid while still trying to protect. The Cass who was at every holiday or vacation for most of my life. Because that all means something. I’m trying to remember everything I should so I can forget the one thing I shouldn’t. The one thing that means nothing.” He sounds like he’s out of breath when he steps to me, we’re now toe to toe. I realize I’m breathing hard too.

The last words to leave his mouth are my breaking point, that old feeling of frustrated disappointment washes over me like a tidal. So unexpected although, it happened to me before, on another day and what feels like another lifetime. “Don’t you dare say that!” I shout, and without thinking, I put my hands on his chest and try to shove him with all the anger and hurt inside of me. But, he’s too fast. Too strong, and he grabs both of my wrists, holding them against his chest. I try fighting him for my freedom, but he doesn’t let go. He just holds them.

Then we’re back there again, it’s as if the countdown started all over, and we’re holding the other in the same intense gaze as we did that night. A war between desire and fear. His head lowers, and I go up on my tiptoes, our mouths touch lightly. We don’t move; we only press our lips together in tenderness. And, just when we both decide to relinquish a little control, the door bell rings. We freeze, our bodies still united by the mere connection of our lips. The air that was once heavy around us begins to dissipate with every chime of the bell.

Then we hear his voice. The one person holding us back. The person who isn’t really between us, but there still.

Shirl Rickman is a writer, a dreamer, and an optimist. A small town Texas girl currently residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Shirl adores her husband, daughter, and two crazy dogs. When she's not dreaming up new love stories, Shirl can be found reading, drinking her favorite coffee, Kona Blend with coconut milk. She loves kindness, laughing and meeting her readers. 

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