Friday, December 30, 2016

Bad Mommy by Tarryn Fisher Review!

"I can make you a part of something great and beautiful and still portray you as the ugly thing you are." - Tarryn Fisher, Bad Mommy




I don't even know where to begin with this review. There was so much build up and hype for Bad Mommy and Tarryn definitely did not disappoint her flock. 

Bad Mommy isn't like any other book I've read. It is dark and twisted, but so intriguing. This is one of those books that I could not put down. I was fascinated by Fig and the way her mind worked. I felt like I could never get a clear, accurate understanding of who Jolene really was. And Darius- he felt like a wolf in sheep's clothing from the very beginning to me! 

*****As per usual, my review may have some spoilers in it. Read at your own risk!!!******

Let's talk about Fig for a bit, shall we? I think the below quote is the best way to actually describe her-

"You could search for years and you still won't be able to know who that woman is, because she doesn't know herself."- TF

I think this is right on with Fig. I feel bad for her. She's "batshit crazy" I completely agree, but I don't know that she really knows any better. She seems to be a deeply broken woman who is a master manipulator and desperately wants love. I feel like that could be so any of us, especially if you take out the creeper/stalker part. She's a woman desperately trying to find who she is, but is so easily swayed by the beauty of others. She really has the old fable of 'the grass is greener on the other side' going on. Fig's character just...hurt my heart.

One other thing I didn't understand about Fig was George. At the beginning of the story, it seemed like Fig and George had separated a long time ago. However, when we later heard from a different POV, George had been present the whole time but was apparently completely invisible to Fig anymore. She was fixated on the life she wanted to have: She wanted to be Bad Mommy. She wanted Jolene's daughter. She wanted Jolene's husband. She wanted/she became Jolene. 



I loved and I hated Jolene. She seemed to be the type of woman and mom that most women want to be like. I did feel like she was intentionally naive for a good portion of the book: not wanting to see any problems in her marriage or in her friendship with Fig, but I think that what's I loved her more than I hated her. She tried to see the good in people. She tried to rescue, even to her own detriment. Look at the end of the book, for goodness sake! If anyone had a clear reason to freak out, she did!! 

"Jolene didn't make friends as much as she took friends. They arrived; she opened her arms and smiled. She was like the happy drunk you met in a club. Senseless, full of love and goodwill." -TF


"Everything with her boiled down to actions and consequences. She saw people as broken derailed trains, full of compartments and mostly out of steam. I didn't know she she decided to become everyone's conductor, but that's what she does- she gets the trains moving again. I respected her for it, but this time, with this particular person, I felt the need to warn her." -TF

I don't want to spend much time discussing Darius because he was a butthead. Jolene and even Fig deserved more than he would've been able to offer. If you want my vote, Darius is the true psychopath in this story. Though, Fig doesn't fall far from the crazy train either. 

Anyway, I know I didn't discuss too much about the storyline of the book. I don't usually in my reviews. What matters most to me, what makes the most successful book for me, is when I feel connected to the characters. In this book, just as in all of Tarryn Fisher's other books, I feel a part of their world. I feel like I am in their herd. I even feel a little Fig-ish ;) I love it, though. Bad Mommy isn't for everyone. If you want a light-hearted, easy, fun happily ever after type of book, you may want to put this one on hold for later. But, do come back to it later. It's twisted, it's fairly dark, overwhelming and confusing, but so incredibly well written and worth every minute of the time spent reading! <3 





Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Clam Jam by R.C. Bold Review!!

"I want to be someone's everything." "You already are." - R.C. Boldt, Clam Jam



I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book and I'm glad I did because I enjoyed the read. It will be released on January 10th, 2017!  This book was somewhere around a 3.5 for me, but I decided to round up because the pros definitely outweighed the cons for me in this book.


**** There are SPOILERS in this review so continue to read only at your own risk!! ****


Maggie is our main leading lady of this story. She's been burned by men in the past and is in that place (that most of us have been in one time or another) where she's swearing off men at the beginning of the book. Enter art and his gigantic lie! He has seen Maggie from afar and has that ultimate, love at first sight experience. However, he knows she's recently been burned so the only way he'll be able to be a part of her life is through a strictly platonic relationship. Maggie's ideal roommate is a gay man and Ry's ideal anything is Maggie, so i.e. he "becomes" a gay man for her.

Because of this facade, they are able to really get to know each other and become close friends. I obviously don't agree with Ry lying and I can understand how badly it hurts Maggie and breaks her trust with him, but I can also see the value of really getting to know each other without the added pressure of dating and possibly feeling like you always have to put your best foot forward, so to speak.


Naturally, Ry and Maggie are the perfect couple from the beginning of the story and everyone but Maggie seems to see it. Her best friend Sarah picks up on it. Jack, the supposed boyfriend but really best friend of Ry, obviously knows it and has from the very beginning. Maggie is even introduced to TWO female ex's of Ry's plus met Ry's Mom who had no idea what she meant about her son "coming out" so by the end of this book,I was a little frustrated Maggie hadn't picked up on anything yet, or her BFF had told her (Ry or Sarah)! There was passion between Ry and Maggie that was undeniable. The story overall was very well written, albeit a little longer than I really thought necessary.

My favorite part of this book was the end and the sweet, thoughtful, perfect romantic comedy/drama movie type  experience Ry fave Maggie to win her back. I mean, really?! Who wouldn't swoon at that?! I love that he kept the letters and I loved the little part of his 'tell' that made Maggie feel like he really loved her.




My only complaint? I want to know more about Jack and Sarah!! They had good chemistry as well, but I know Jack gad to keep  the facade so I'm hoping those two get their happily ever after in a future book 2!



Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Dirty by Belle Aurora Review!

Dirty by Belle Aurora Review!



Title: Dirty
Series: RAW Family #2
Author: Belle Aurora
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 31, 2016


Blurb

My marriage seemed perfect from the outside looking in.
People envied me. They wanted my life, wanted to be me. 

Mrs Alejandra Gambino.
Wife of Dino Gambino. Daughter of Eduardo Castillo.
Respected. Loved. Mob royalty. 

They had no idea of the horrors that lurked behind closed doors.
They didn't know I was at the lowest point a person could reach. 

Enter Julius Carter.
Aloof, handsome, blue-eyed Julius Carter. 

He saved me.
I screwed him over. 

Now everybody was after me. My life was forfeit.
It was only a matter of time. I was a dead woman walking. 

The question was, who would get to me first?


Review

First, I have to thank Ms. Aurora for the awesome ability to receive and review an ARC of Dirty in exchange for an honest review.

Next, I have to encourage you to read Raw (book 1 of this series) before reading this book or even this review!

This book, Dirty, has been...highly anticipated by me. I had hoped for a long time after reading Raw that we would get a 2nd book and/or a series, but really had no idea that this book was coming until I saw a teaser about it a couple of months back. I was so freaking excited about it that I avoided any and all teasers about it because I wanted to be totally surprised when I immersed myself into the story once it came out. Welł, this plan worked well and not so well for me. The reason I fell so hard for Belle Aurora and her writing was due to Twitch. Twitch is one of those epic characters that's so broken, so disturbed, so mysterious that you just have to learn more about. Then, let's add in the star-crossed, obviously soul-mate lovers piece to the mix! I loved that they were so different. Lexi was the ying to Twitch's yang. Because of my avoidance, I was partially let down to discover a little ways into the book that Twitch and Lexi weren't the main characters of this story. However, we did get glimpses of Twitch which I am BEYOND grateful for and even MORE excited about the next book to come. Hopefully I won't go crazy waiting on it, but the little teaser in the back of Dirty gave me something to definitely look forward to.

Enough about Twitch and Lexi's story, though. Dirty is about Julius and Alejandra (Ana). We were introduced to Julius briefly in Raw as he is Twitch's best friend, his brother, his one true confidant in all things. Julius was the only one who was able to be there for Lexi in a time where she really needed it and from that point forward, I was totally sold on Julius Carter.

Julius had a difficult upbringing himself. He keeps most people at a distance and works in an environment where there's not a lot of emotion and quite a bit of practicality and matter of fact behaviors. He is a total alpha and in charge of any and every thing around him. His job is to come in, assess situations, and make the ultimate judgement call for a group that's not easy to step in to.

Ana belongs to one of those groups. She is from a well connected mob family and treated more as a commodity than a cherished member of the family. She is beaten and broken, but strong and courageous through it all. When so many would've quit ten times over, she continues to fight. 

I won't go into detail of what happened in the story because I hate reviews with spoilers, but if you are intrigued by dirty, raw romances involving the mob, take no prisoners attitudes, mad kick-ass strong leading characters definitely check this book out! There is quite a bit of violence in it, so be prepared for that, but Belle Aurora is a great writer who really develops her characters and really allows the reader to be able to paint a clear, vivid picture of the story as it unfolds.

Happy reading, friends!





PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS





AUTHOR BIO

Belle Aurora is twenty seven years old and was born in the land down under. 

At an early age she fell in love with reading. Boredom one summer had her scouring the bookshelves at home. She stumbled across Sandra Brown's Breath of Scandal and fell in love with romance. 

Having been brought up in a loud and boisterous family of Croatian descent, she developed a natural love for dramatics and humor. Only some years ago had she discovered a new love. 

Humorous romance novels. 

Kristen Ashley and R.L. Mathewson had opened a brand new world where she could lose herself yet feel safe and at home in their stories. Belle has been known to become a screeching banshee while anxiously awaiting their newest titles. 

Belle never thought she would write. It had never interested her until recently. Friend-Zoned began to form and in February 2013 Belle typed the words Chapter One. And she fell in love. 

With words.
With writing.
With a creative imagination she never knew she harbored. 

Friend-Zoned is the first in the Friend-Zoned series. Keep an eye out for this cheeky author.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Dirty by Belle Aurora Release Blitz!




Title: Dirty
Series: RAW Family #2
Author: Belle Aurora
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: October 31, 2016


Blurb

My marriage seemed perfect from the outside looking in.
People envied me. They wanted my life, wanted to be me.

Mrs Alejandra Gambino.
Wife of Dino Gambino. Daughter of Eduardo Castillo.
Respected. Loved. Mob royalty.

They had no idea of the horrors that lurked behind closed doors.
They didn't know I was at the lowest point a person could reach.

Enter Julius Carter.
Aloof, handsome, blue-eyed Julius Carter.

He saved me.
I screwed him over.

Now everybody was after me. My life was forfeit.
It was only a matter of time. I was a dead woman walking.

The question was, who would get to me first?






PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS





AUTHOR BIO

Belle Aurora is twenty seven years old and was born in the land down under.

At an early age she fell in love with reading. Boredom one summer had her scouring the bookshelves at home. She stumbled across Sandra Brown's Breath of Scandal and fell in love with romance.

Having been brought up in a loud and boisterous family of Croatian descent, she developed a natural love for dramatics and humor. Only some years ago had she discovered a new love.

Humorous romance novels.

Kristen Ashley and R.L. Mathewson had opened a brand new world where she could lose herself yet feel safe and at home in their stories. Belle has been known to become a screeching banshee while anxiously awaiting their newest titles.

Belle never thought she would write. It had never interested her until recently. Friend-Zoned began to form and in February 2013 Belle typed the words Chapter One. And she fell in love.

With words.
With writing.
With a creative imagination she never knew she harbored.

Friend-Zoned is the first in the Friend-Zoned series. Keep an eye out for this cheeky author.


AUTHOR LINKS

Monday, August 22, 2016

Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan Release!!



I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell in love with the anti-stepbrother instead?




Anti-Stepbrother is NOW AVAILABLE!

Get Your Copy TODAY:
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1WGmyFl
 (September 12th delivery)
Add Anti-Stepbrother to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1UCNF0f




Blurb


He told me to 'settle, girl.' 
He asked if 'something was wrong with me?' 
He said I was an ‘easy target.’ 
That was within minutes when I first met Caden Banks. 
I labeled him an *sshole, but he was more than that. Arrogant. Smug. Alpha. 

He was also to-die-for gorgeous, and my stepbrother’s fraternity brother. 

Okay, yes I was a little naive, a tad bit socially awkward, and the smallest amount of stalker-ish, but if Caden Banks thought he could tell me what to do, he had another thing coming. 

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell for the anti-stepbrother instead?

Author Information



I didn't begin writing until after undergraduate college. There'd been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can't blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I'm hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories.

Stalk Her: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Thank you!! 



Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Anti-Stepbrother by Tijan Excerpt Reveal!


Excerpt
The sun shone into the room, and it took me a few moments to realize where I was. I didn't recognize the king-size bed, or the black sheets, but then Caden walked past the open door and all the memories flooded into place. I slept at his place. I glanced around the bed... I slept in his bed! "Your alarm's about to go off in ten minutes," Caden called from the doorway. He had a cup of coffee in hand and wore only jeans. I tried to keep my eyes front and center, but I lost. The tattoos were a nice little zig-zag pattern, pulling my gaze down, all the way down. Caden's slow, smooth chuckle told me he knew what I'd just done. My cheeks only warmed a little. I shot him a look falling back to the pillow. "I feel like this should be the first skip day of my school career." "You've never skipped before?" I shook my head, rolling it side to side on the pillow. "Am I missing out? Should I embrace my inner deviant?" He smirked. "You can skip a class for any reason in the world. It's your life." I sat up, eyeing that coffee. "You were supposed to be the bad influence." His eyebrow lifted. "I'm not selling it enough?" He lifted his cup. "You want some coffee?" "I'm wondering if today is the day I try coffee too." "You've never had coffee?" "I'm beginning to think I'm lame." I thought about it. "Really lame." "You slept at some guy's house last night. Think of it that way." His smirk was back. "Not so lame now." I could do one better. "I slept at a fraternity house." "And you drank beer." "It was the second night in a row that I drank beer." "See? Not so lame after all." "You're right." I sat up. "I'm halfway to total badass." He grinned. "We cuddled last night, and you could think of it as dry humping. You almost got some last night." Except I hadn't, and we were in the friend zone. Why were my hands curling around the covers into tight balls? I glanced down and forced them to loosen, then shrugged, trying to be the nonchalant badass I was. "You carried me to bed. Almost the same thing." Suddenly, the joking was gone, and his eyes burned. I could feel his heat from across the room, and my body reacted, instantly warming even before he said a word. "Nothing's the same as sliding inside," he murmured after a moment. "The feel of being in there, feeling that clench around you, knowing you can push as deep as you want, as hard or gently as you want. Nope. I've gotta step off the joke train for a moment here. Nothing is remotely the same as that feeling." Fuck. My pulse spiked. He tossed me a look. "Maybe I'll cop a feel the next time." I pretended to groan. "One more notch on my badass peg. You better cop a feel next time." "Is that all I am to you? A notch on the bedpost? I feel so used, Stoltz." Okay. My last name. We were back on familiar ground here. But my grin was still a little shaky. "Get used to it, Banks. I'm only disguised as this plain Jane. Inside there's a wild woman just waiting to be let loose." He didn't reply. He stared at me for a few more seconds, then straightened from the doorway. "There's nothing plain about you, Summer."


I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell in love with the anti-stepbrother instead?

Anti-Stepbrother is releasing August 22, 2016!

Pre-order on the following retailers:
iBooks: http://apple.co/1Yg47GW
Nook: http://bit.ly/22Vj7dD
Kobo: http://bit.ly/24CzWcI
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1WGmyF1
(September 12th delivery)
Add Anti-Stepbrother to your TBR at: http://bit.ly/1UCNF0f



Blurb
He told me to 'settle, girl.'
He asked if 'something was wrong with me?'
He said I was an 'easy target.'
That was within minutes when I first met Caden Banks.
I labeled him an *sshole, but he was more than that. Arrogant. Smug. Alpha.

He was also to-die-for gorgeous, and my stepbrother's fraternity brother.

Okay, yes I was a little naive, a tad bit socially awkward, and the smallest amount of stalker-ish but if Caden Banks thought he could tell me what to do, he had another thing coming.

I came to college with daydreams about being with my stepbrother, but what would happen if I fell for the anti-stepbrother instead?

Author Information 

I didn't begin writing until after undergraduate college. There'd been storylines and characters in my head all my life, but it came to a boiling point one day and I HAD to get them out of me. So the computer was booted up and I FINALLY felt it click. Writing is what I needed to do. After that, I had to teach myself how to write. I can't blame my teachers for not teaching me all those years in school. It was my fault. I was one of the students that was wishing I was anywhere but at school! So after that day, it took me lots of work until I was able to put together something that resembled a novel. I'm hoping I got it right since someone must be reading this profile! And I hope you keep enjoying my future stories. 


THANK YOU! 



Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters Review!!

"Stop thinking about your life in increments. Seconds. Minutes. Days. Look at the bigger picture and embrace whatever time you have. Don't look constantly toward the end. Enjoy the right now." - A. Meredith Walters, Butterfly Dreams



This book, y'all... it got me. It's been a while since I wrote a review. That's not because I haven't read any good books. I have. I just haven't had that urge, that need to get my thoughts and feelings out via review for so long, not until Butterfly Dreams. There were parts of this book that I loathed. There were parts of this book that I adored. There were parts of this book where I wanted to cry. There were parts of this book where I wanted to scream. This book induced so many emotions in me.



To me, this story is all about Corin and Beckett. Corin has gone through quite a bit in her young life. She has had so much trauma and loss, she feels destined for it to continue to follow her. She is convinced that she's going to be the next in line. On top of all of her fears of loss and traumatized childhood, she also has some pretty significant anxiety. She struggles greatly in social settings. When she is around people and talks, she is abrupt and honest, some may say to a fault.

"I was the murderer of chitchat. My mouth was where small talk went to die."

I found her honesty and lack of filter throughout the book refreshing. I would think Beckett did, too. There were SO many times I wanted to reach through the book and just SHAKE HER and tell her to move on, reach out, ask for help, understand what was really going on underneath. There were other times, though, where I could identify with her. I have anxiety myself and I know how easily it can take over. I also know how good it is to have good things in your life to focus on, to look forward to, which is why I was so excited and proud of her when she allowed herself to have a relationship with Beckett.

Beckett Kingsley is one of the good guys. One of the best, actually. Beckett had something really life changing happen to him and he had a choice to make. He could've chosen to succumb to those dreary depressive thoughts or he could choose to live. To look for the good in every day. He did, and he encouraged Corin to do the same.

"Being scared is never an excuse to hide. You should wake up every morning thankful you have another day to enjoy."

See?!?! Everyone needs some Beck in their lives.



"I think that you're so scared of dying that you've forgotten what it's like to live. You won't let yourself. But, Cor, I won't let you do that to yourself. Take it from a man who almost lost everything- you can't focus on the end. You have to concentrate on what's right in front of you."

Ah! Beckett is so good, and he is so good FOR Corin. 

If what I've shared so far piques your interest, I urge you to read this story. I could've posted the synopsis or more details, but I don't really want to. Whenever I choose a book to read, I read very little about it before starting in. That way, I can be totally blown away or totally unimpressed. I want to see the story play out before my eyes, instead of already knowing pieces of the story. So, I apologize if you want more from this review, but know what I've said already. I wanted to strangle, hug, scream, and cheer for Corin so many times. I wanted to cry, hug, and love Beckett immensely. I want to thank A. Meredith Walters for another fabulous book. I don't think it takes the place of favorite over Clay and Maggie (also another great book- Find You In The Dark by A. Meredith Walters), but it is a definite close second!! 

Here's the links if you're interested in Butterfly Dreams :) 






Saturday, June 18, 2016

Me Before You by JoJo Moyes Review!!

"Push yourself. Don't settle. Just live well. Just live."


Where can I even start with this review? Below is what I typed as my initial review on Goodreads as soon as I finished this book:

by 

15576819
's review 
Jun 17, 2016  ·  edit


Formal review to come. What I'll say for now: this book destroyed me and I am an ugly-crying, sniffling mess at present.








If you have not read this book, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW! 

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!


The above sentiment hasn't changed. I am writing this review, the next day, after completing the book. Maybe it's still too soon. Maybe it'll always be too soon. One thing I am glad of was seeing the sun come up this morning. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading this, silently sobbing in bed as I read and my husband snored away. 



I don't really know how I feel about it. What I can say? JoJo Moyes is a fantastic author. She knows how to create characters that will stay with you for a long time. She is able to create such a strong emotional connection to a fictional story she created in her head and put down onto paper. Her story annihilated my heart but made compassion scream louder than any book I've read. This book will stay with me. I don't know if I'm emotionally stable enough to see the movie.




"You are scored on my heart, Clark. You were from the first day you walked in, with your ridiculous clothes and your complete inability to ever hide a single thing you felt."

I originally typed, "I don't know which character I loved more" but that's a lie. Will. Will is the character I loved more. I had a love/hate relationship with Louisa. She spent most of her life taking care of others, putting her needs last which I admire but also makes me want to shake her. I admire her helping to take care of her family. I don't admire her staying in a dead-end relationship because she didn't want more for herself and/or didn't think she could do better. Unfortunately, I think that is a reality for way too many people in our society and I don't like characters that encourage that passivity. 


Will helped her to see she can do better. She can do better in relationships. She can do better career-wise. She can do better in experience, laughter, love, and her future in general. Will would've been better. Will created a whole new world for her and she was happy to jump in. 

This isn't to say Will was perfect by any means. Sure, he was cranky and he was a playboy before his accident. But, the crankiness is understandable when you're constantly in pain and/or mourning the loss of a life you used to have. I am angry, but also can understand why the author did this to us. She developed this character (Will) that is really so easy to fall in love with. She got us to join in on Louisa's hope that she is making a difference, that maybe, just maybe, she'll be able to change his mind. There's one portion of the book that Nathan, or maybe even Will, tells Lou that she should've known better... she should've known she wouldn't be able to change his mind. And it did matter. Those six months MATTERED to Clark (Lou/Louisa) as much as they did to Will. 

"Time slowed, and stilled. It was just the two of us, me murmuring in the empty, sunlit room. Will didn't say much. He didn't answer back, or add a dry comment, or scoff. He nodded occasionally, his head pressed against mine, and murmured, or let out a small sound that could have been satisfaction at another good memory. "It has been the best six months of my entire life." "Funnily enough, Clark, mine too." And then, just like that, my heart broke. My face crumpled, my composure went and I held him tightly and I stopped caring that he could feel the shudder of my sobbing body because grief swamped me. It overwhelmed me and tore at my heart and my stomach and my head and it pulled me under, and I couldn't bear it."



Ugh. It wrecked me. This book, this story, just wrecked me. I'm not going to get into the politics of what happened and if it was ok, if it wasn't, etc. All I am going to say is that my heart hurts for Will and all he lost, as well as Louisa. There is always a silver lining, though and at least they found each other, even for just a short time. 


That's all for me, folks. I can't write/think/obsess over this story any more. I encourage you to read it. It will definitely remind you... to live. To embrace life. To strive for more. To feel. 




Tuesday, June 7, 2016

The Bookworm Box Review!

Y'all. Have you heard of The Bookworm Box?? If you have, you're a pretty smart cookie. If you haven't, you're still pretty smart because I know after reading this post you're going to be HOOKED! 💛

So, if you haven't noticed, this isn't going to be our typical book review post. Today, we were SO LUCKY to be chosen byThe  Bookworm Box to receive a free box in exchange for an honest review! We were so, so excited to be one of the chosen and cannot wait to share our joy for this fabulous, charitable organization!!

Speaking of charities... Each Bookworm Box you subscribe for/pay for, the proceeds go to charity. Each month, multiple charities receive funds from the Bookworm Box. One of the coolest things about that-- you can have a part in which charities receive those donations!! The Bookworm Box is constantly asking for your thoughts and suggestions for different charities and wanting your input. Where else are you going to find a place that wants you to have a say in where it's donations go??

Besides that cool piece of news, Colleen Hoover is the one who created this whole awesome empire. And if you don't know who Colleen Hoover is, well then... Bless your heart! You HAVE to read ALL of her books. Now. My suggestion is to start with Slammed 😍

Anyway, so now I've built up the hype and you're question might be- well what exactly is The Bookworm Box? Well, I'm happy to tell ya! It's a monthly subscription where you pay between $40-$50 (can't remember the exact number), but the proceeds go to charity and you receive TWO awesome, signed paperbacks by some pretty sweet authors and LOTS of book swag!

See below for our GA Bookaholics Bookworm Box: 


Pretty cool, right?! You receive some really special paperbacks that you'd ordinarily never have a chance to receive (especially because they are signed) and several other little surprise treats! It really helps you find new authors you may have never heard of, but all the authors of the books I have seen are still pretty popular. So, if I don't know about them yet, I'm usually pretty excited to learn about those (new to me) authors!

Anyway, because of my awesome Bookworm Box-- I've got some reading to do!! First on my list... Midnight Lily! ☺️

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Fighting Fate by JB Salsbury

JB Salsbury has hit it out of the mother #$%@! park once again!


Fighting Fate holds it's own as the sixth installment in the Fighting Series, which introduces us to Axelle and Killian. Now if you've read the other books in this series, these two should be familiar to you, they're both introduced in Fighting to Forgive. The story of Axelle and Killian's friendship turned lovers turned big, confusing hot mess, is heartbreaking. There were times throughout this book that I wanted to straight up throw my Kindle at the wall and other times I wanted to curl up in a ball and just weep. JB knows how to write a story and even better, she knows how to write amazing characters that you'll never forget.

Axelle is your typical college student who likes to party, drink too much and has one really douchey boyfriend! Killian reminds me of poor Dawson in Dawson's Creek, always the friend, never the boyfriend. But when Axelle starts to realize what's right in front of her, she realizes that her feelings go much deeper than friendship when it comes to Killian.
Killian is they guy everyone loves. He's loyal, friendly and would give the shirt off his back to someone in need. He's had feelings for Axelle since he laid eyes on her but has always felt he held the dreaded friends only card. When they both realize their feelings go beyond their friendship, their love blossoms into something wonderful.
But as we all know JB Salsbury is going to sideswipe you with a situation that will leave you saying "whooooaaaaaaa!"

Without giving anything away, Axelle makes a decision to let Killian go because he has the opportunity of a lifetime to train and fight in London and she refuses to hold him back because she needs help. Killian is heartbroken. He's confused and doesn't understand why Axelle would just push him away when she desperately needs him. So the question is, if you really do let love go, will it find its way back if it's meant to be?
Thank you JB for another incredible story!

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Fighting Fate by JB Salsbury Review!!

"You don't need to protect me, Kill." Her lips are at my ear. "I can handle a lot more than you give me credit for." "I know you can, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Fight me all you want, but you can't fight the inevitable." - JB Salsbury




I chose the above quote not because it's sweet, not because it's romantic, it's both those things. Most of all, I chose that quote because it PERFECTLY represents this book in its entirety. This singular quote tells you all you'd really need to know, especially about Killian. 



I was given an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. As always, I am so appreciative of that, Mrs. Salsbury and I thank you for the beautiful story I just read!! 😍


Killian is protective, gorgeous, dedicated, determined, loyal, strong, and faithful. Faithful not just to Axelle relationship-wise, but faithful in that he has stood by her. He has given and would give it all, give  everything for her; all she has to do is let him- she doesn't even have to ask! The star of this book for me is Killer, hands down. I'd been excited about this book for so long, ever since we were introduced to Axelle and Kill. I knew there story would be epic and JB didn't let me down. I'm not shocked by that, though-- there's nothing she's ever written that I didn't drool over!!



Axelle is fantastic, too. She's not your typical heroine. She can be pretty rough around the edges, but has a bright, shining diamond hiding deep inside. She's been hurt more in her young life than many will experience. She's been repeatedly let down by men who are supposed to love and care for you, even if no one else in the world did. She has a pretty low self-esteem because of it but she has a killer best friend who's always been there to support her and try to help build her back up. Though she's definitely had some horrible cards she's been dealt, she still ends up a pretty lucky girl!






Though hard to see it and feel it at times, Axelle has a support system that most people would love to have. She has a man who would give up himself for her happiness, she has a mother who's had a difficult life herself but always kept her daughter as her #1 priority, the most adorable little brother, and the most loving, protective Step-Father who stepped in to be the father he didn't have to be. That's not even all-- she's got a lovely family that's not blood, but runs even deeper. She's part of the UFC family and after reading this series, there seems like no other place that I'd rather be!


"For a moment, I just sit back and watch as this group of men argue who gets to exact retribution on the dickwad that put Axelle through hell, and it hits me that, although the two men who meant the most in her life left her, they've been replaced by this renegade team of fighters who would gladly get arrested for her. My heart swells at the show of support, and I wish I could capture it on video and show her just how loved she is."




I think that's what I love most about this whole series. This family. This renegade group of individuals who are so different, have all had so much struggle in their lives, but FIERCELY love those that are in their inner circle. They are so welcoming and selfless, when in most of their own stories, that urge to be so giving and caring has been beaten down, shattered, and suffocated. Fighting Fate was no different. I'm not going to go into too many details of their story. You can get that from reading the synopsis. I hope I've painted a good picture of the characters though, because in my mind, that's what this book is. These two characters and their story. I highly encourage you to read it- there's no way you'll be disappointed!

Until next time, much love and keep readin'!