Inky (Book 1 in The Leaves Series) by J.B. Hartnett Review!

"Then let's be scared together, Anika. Let me love you the way you should be loved. We'll take each day as it comes, but we have to talk... Don't walk away." -J.B. Hartnett, Inky

First off, SO sorry about the delay in writing! Life seems to be getting in the way lately, but I've been wanting to get back into writing so I decided to sink my teeth into this book and have at it!

We're initially introduced to Anika "Inky" Redding. Inky has not had an easy life. She went through a traumatic childhood, which is heartbreaking to read about. She will tug at your heart strings, share her panic with you, and blow you away with her skill in singing and painting. She is a true artist and just wants to share her love with others.

Next we're introduced to Evan... aka jerkface... aka Inky's fiancé. Inky is crazy about him. She's been crazy about him for forever, always settling for what he was willing to give her. I am NOT an Evan fan and I don't think you will be, either. Inky thought the sun rises and sets with Evan originally, but then...

She met Cole. Ah, Cole. Sparks fly at the first meeting between Anika and Cole, but she felt the sadness radiating off of him after his horrible divorce.

Cole kept reappearing in her life after that first night. He fell in love with her art. He fell in love with her voice. He calmed her. He loved her, instantly.

As Inky's art career is flourishing, her relationship with Evan crashes and burns. There's betrayal, lies, hate, and at the same time, a necessary evil. Not only is Evan trying to break her, but someone from her past comes around and tries to destroy the life she's making for herself. Inky is heart broken, but as the reader, I could see there was something much, much better in her future...


The love between Inky and Cole was instant. This was the only part of the book I wasn't completely sold on. I'm all for the idea of love at first sight, but I still enjoy a little courting, a little love-in-the-making story. We definitely get to see Cole and Anika's love develop as they grow together as a couple, but the first time she goes over to his house, she never leaves? Just seems a bit rushed to me.

Still, the love between Cole and Anika is wonderful. They fit each other wonderfully. Anika can pull Cole out of his darkness and he can give her a true family and a soothing calm in the storm. These are the things they've both always wanted and needed and they can find that in each other. It's inspiring, romantic, and a unique love story they share. I loved reading about Cole's backstory and the demons he's faced. I loved Anika's talent and only wish I could see some of the paintings described as they sounded fantastic and truly beautiful.


Things seem to finally be looking up for Anika and Cole. They've found one another and all seems to be right in the world. It sounds as if we're getting our HEA that we all love, right? Wrong! Stay tuned... this book has a HUGE cliffhanger, but thank goodness book 2 is not far behind ;)

Fighting The Fall Cover Reveal!!

So the day is here my friends and I cannot contain my excitement! It's the cover reveal of Fighting the Fall, the fourth installment in the Fighting Series by JB Salsbury. I'm not going to beat around the bush because I am THAT EXCITED so without further ado, here's the cover for Fighting the Fall:

I absolutely LOVE IT! It's simplistic yet powerful and let's not forget sexy as hell! Fighting the Fall will be released on November 4, 2014. The fourth book brings us the story of Cameron Kyle and Eve Dawson, two people who swear they don't need anyone to get through in life but as their worlds collide, will they be able to fight their feelings or fall for it all?

 I feel his eyes on me, and when I turn I almost recoil at the intensity behind his stare. “Can you stop acting like we’re two old friends shooting the shit when you know good and fucking well you’re thinking the same thing I am.”
My mouth falls open and I force it shut, only to have it drop open again.
“I’ve had my hands and my mouth all over every inch of that gorgeous body, Eve. You think I can’t read you? Know what you’re thinking about right now?”
I swallow hard. “What am I thinking about?”
“Same thing I am.”

 I cannot wait to get my hands on this book because I know I will devour it just as I have with the other books in the Fighting Series. I have loved Eve Dawson since we were first introduced to her in Raven and Jonah's story, Fighting for Flight. She's sassy and independent and doesn't take sh*t from anyone, especially men! Cameron has been a bit of an enigma in all the books because we really don't know anything about him so I am ready for this book, SO READY!
Goodreads Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21537883-fighting-the-fall

If you haven't read the other books, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!?!? GET ON IT FOLKS! I promise you won't be disappointed! If you're unsure which books are in the Fighting Series well let me just help you out! I will also add the links so you can get "one-clicking" on this series!

#1 Fighting for Flight
Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1lzQxgW
Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/1dOw1S2

#2 Fighting to Forgive
Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1u4PwNj
Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/1gsjoiV
iTunes:  http://bit.ly/1lvZ0La
Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1mhbZq7
B&N:  http://bit.ly/1iqmQuv

#3 Fighting to Forget
Amazon US:  http://amzn.to/1u4PIfu
Amazon UK:  http://amzn.to/1ocfCz0
iTunes:  http://bit.ly/1qfUuH5
Kobo:  http://bit.ly/1lOFjmO
B&N:  http://bit.ly/1rTOHWS

Now that all of that is out of the way, let's meet the woman behind this incredible series, JB Salsbury!

JB Salsbury, New York Times Bestselling author of the Fighting Series, lives in Arizona with her husband and two kids. She spends the majority of her day as a domestic engineer. But while she works through her daily chores, a world of battling alphas, budding romance, and impossible obstacles claws away at her subconscious, begging to be released to the page.
Her love of good storytelling led her to earn a degree in Media Communications. With her journalistic background, writing has always been at the forefront, and her love of romance prompted her to sink her free time into novel writing.
Fighting for Flight, Fighting to Forgive, and Fighting to Forget are the first three novels in the MMA romance series. Fighting the Fall is due to be released November 2014.
For more information on the series or just to say hello, visit JB on her website, Facebook, or Goodreads page.

 AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/JBSalsburybooks

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/JBSalsbury

Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6888697.Jamie_Salsbury
Website:  http://www.jbsalsbury.com/


GIVEAWAY
There is a giveaway for 5 x $10 Amazon gift cards.
Rafflecopter Link:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba3ffd55136

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover review!

"God gives us the ugliness so we don't take the beautiful things in life for granted."- Colleen Hoover, Ugly Love

"Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly."


Ah, Ugly Love.

It's not love at first sight.

It's not even like.

Can't even call it a friendship.

What is it then?

Attraction.

Want.

Pain.

Need.

"Love isn't always pretty. Sometimes you spend all your time hoping it'll eventually be something different. Something better. Then, before you know it, you're back to square one, and you lost your heart somewhere along the way."

Ugh, Miles Mikel Archer. Break my heart, why don't you?!

It's a slow, intense build as we start to learn the story of Miles' past. It's beautiful and heart breaking and totally makes me understand his actions in his current life with Tate. You just want to hug him and shake him at the same time. He's got a girl who's willing to do absolutely anything for him, but he can't allow himself love.

Heartbreaking.

And Tate. She's got the soul of an angel. She sticks by him, she keeps taking anything she can get, just because she needs any part of Miles she can have. The honesty in the below quote just gives me chills:

"I'm terrified to lose him for good, so I sell myself short and take what I can from him, even though I know I deserve better." 

Tate can see the life they could share. She already knows the love she has for Miles. Will Miles be able to allow himself to experience it? Is the ugly love worth it in the end?

5 Star read for me-- go check it out!

Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire Review!

"The Maddoxes could sense trouble. At least it seemed that way, because whenever there was a fight, they had either started it or finished it. Usually both." -Jamie McGuire, Beautiful Oblivion

I don't really know where to begin for this review. I'll begin by saying... WOW.  I had high expectations for this book. It's written by Jamie McGuire, so naturally I expect it to be fabulous-- it did not disappoint. 

So, let's start from the beginning. We've already been introduced a little to Trent through his wonderful brother, Travis. I always paid attention to Trent in Travis' story because I loved the strong sense of family he had. Trent was there for Travis whenever he needed him. There was also something mysterious about Trent, though. I felt like there was definitely something worth reading into for him...and there totally was! Trent is charismatic and only has eyes for Cami. She's strong, she's independent, she's taken care of her brothers and her family for years-- always being the one who will take the hit for the betterment of her family. If Cami is taking care of her brothers and taking  everything from her parents, who's there for her? In comes Trent. 

"I'm just so bwessed!"

Their story is a good one. It's a friendship turned love story. It's the type of relationship that you know will last because both people really care for the other and haven't jumped in too much, too soon. I'm trying not to say too much, because I really want you to read the book!

Ohhh, and...

What I didn't expect was the total loop I was thrown at the end of this book. Maybe I just wasn't looking for that little extra piece or maybe it was just implanted SO perfectly by McGuire, that when I realized what was going on... I had to take a step back from my iPad! It was... shocking, surprising, perfect. It brought that extra little piece to the novel that made me almost cry, wishing there was just one more chapter to read! 

Yep, Jack's response right above this sentence... that was me at the end of this book! 

Read it!

Plastic Hearts by Lisa De Jong Review!

"We all make mistakes and do things we wish we could take back, but it is what we do after that truly matters...and I like your after." - Lisa De Jong, Plastic Hearts

This book was a freebie for me and I am so glad I decided to pick it up! Lately I've been feeling like there's been way more quantity than quality in the book deals department. This was definitely an exception, though- a diamond in the rough! I enjoyed this book. Some parts were a little predictable, but nevertheless I enjoyed the story. 

Alex has always been a Greenwich, high class, finely dressed, pre-med, pre-life determined girl. Her parents have made all of her decisions for her and have set her on the path of the life they want for her. Alex has never really tried to stir things up. She's gone with the routine, done the things her parents wants of her, because all she's ever really wanted was to feel accepted, appreciated, seen, and/or loved by her parents. While Alex's heart is in Art, she's taken on Pre-Med to make her parents happy. She's dated the boy who her mom wants her to, based on his family's elite social status. She's done all these things looking for love and little does she know, in a dark club on a random night, love walks right up to her.

Meet Dane Wright. Ohh, Dane. He's dreamy. 

He's everything she's not supposed to like. He's tattooed, rough around the edges, a bartender, and an artist. Alex tries to push him away. She acts like she's not interested. She tries to keep herself from feeling for him. He knows better. Dane knows that Alex is meant to be his. He knows she'll come around. He knows she's the one. 

Alex can see the pain, the hurt, the sadness within Dane. He's had a hard life and he's starting to make something of himself, for himself after everything he's been through. Dane owns his choices, he does what he wants, and goes for what he really wants in life. He doesn't let the past or inconsequential things get to him. 

Alex, on the other hand, can rev him up or break him down like nothing or no one in his life ever has. Will she be able to accept him for him or will she go back to her cookie cutter ways? Will she let love walk away to please those she's always so desperately tried to impress? Read it to find out!

"I learned a long time ago that most of my family and friends had plastic hearts. Plastic hearts are made so they cannot be broken. Cracked maybe, but never broken." --Alex

More Than Forever by Jay McLean Review!

"Because it's eternal, the rise and fall of the sun. It's forever. Just like us." -Jay McLean, More Than Forever

This book. It guts me. It intrigues me. It makes me believe in love. This is the 4th book in the More series by Jay McLean. While the first, second, and third focus on other great characters like Jake, Kayla, Logan and Amanda, this book is all about Lucy and Cam. I have loved Lucy from the very first introduction to her in the first book. She's a quirky, romance novel addict and she's a ball of fire after a few drinks! She's everything I'd want to be friends with! If I had to describe Cameron in one word it'd be...devoted. He is devoted to Lucy, she is all he sees and all he wants.

Lucy's mom is terminally ill. She's struggling just to make it through her final days and Lucy as a young teen has taken over the role of Mom to the family. She cooks, cleans, transports her siblings. She's holding everyone and everything together while her Dad drinks his sorrows away. If Lucy is holding everyone and everything together, who's holding her? Enter, Cam. No matter how much Lucy tries to push Cam away, he keeps coming back. He shows up every day, trying to take a little bit off her plate and help her out, whether she asks for or acknowledges the help. Lucy thinks she needs to handle everything on her own. If she stops doing everything, she has to think about all she's lost and that's something she can't handle.

Not only does Lucy have this habit of pushing people away, but she's also got another nasty habit that's hurting herself physically. Who knows what would've happened if Cameron hadn't appeared in her life. 

"I thought it was impossible to laugh again. But he did it; he made my impossible, possible." ~ Lucy

The love story of Lucy and Cameron is beautiful. It's more realistic than most books I've read. Lucy always has her nose stuck in a book. She reads about all our favorite book boyfriends and she realizes she's the luckiest leading lady of all because she has Cameron. 

"You changed her life, Cam. And fate, it changed all of us." 

One of my favorite parts about this book is Cameron's love for Lucy's brothers. He steps in to help her not only because he is falling for her, but also because he's falling for them. He sees them as his own brothers and they take him in as family, too. He's Lucy's strength and the boys' role model. He's full of love for Lucy and for all those he cares about. 

The book follows Cam and Lucy through high school and off to college. They aren't that cookie cutter couple that never has any problems. Lucy's jealous. Cam is oblivious at times. There are definitely times throughout the book where I wish I could just reach through my iPad and shake both Lucy and Cam. But, they are constant. They are fierce in their love for each other. Each are all the other sees. 

"I feel like I've loved you for eternity and it's not even close to long enough." 

Read it. You won't regret it!

Just Destiny by Theresa Rizzo - Review

Before we get started on this review I want to warn that there are spoilers ahead so if you haven't read the book...do not proceed!!

Okay now that the spoiler alert is out of the way, lets get onto the review. I picked up this book because it was listed as a "freebie"  and I thought hey why not. Boy was I in for a surprise...

 This book hit me like a ton of freakin bricks!! My God, I was up until 2am when I started this book and finally had to put it down because I could not read anymore. My mind was numb. My heart hurt like hell and we won't even talk about the swollen eyes and snot filled nose!

 I'm telling you...to get through this book I needed a bottle of Tequila and a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I'm an emotional eater/drinker. Don't judge.

We start out the first of the book from Steve's POV (Jenny and Gabe's next door neighbor), which is a little weird and I was slightly confused but whatever. Steve ends up proposing to his girlfriend Annie at a University of Michigan game. It was sweet and thoughtful but Annie is a bitch. Sorry just being honest but we will get back to them later!
 So we have Jenny who is 28 years old and is married to Gabe. He's a doctor and 12 years older than her. First thing I thought was....Trophy Wife!!

Okay kidding, kind of but no seriously totally kidding. So Jenny and Gabe go on a little mini vacation to the mountains and are on a bike ride. Jenny bought Gabe a new bike helmet to wear but he refuses to wear it, stating the one that he has is just fine because it's worn in and comfortable. Foreshadowing anyone???? Anywho, while on this bike ride Jenny wants to approach the subject of having a baby. I mean she is 28 after all but Gabe really isn't too thrilled by the thought of raising kids again (he already has two grown children from his previous marriage). So they get into a little argument because Jenny thought Gabe would be more open to the idea since um hint hint she's already pregnant. She doesn't tell him though and rides off on her bike. Well to make it short, Gabe is hit by a car chasing after her. He literally pushed Jenny off the road and down an embankment so she wouldn't be hit. Jenny is fine but Gabe....not so much. He's brain dead. After a few heart wrenching days, Jenny has to say goodbye and make the decision to turn off life support. At the same time she learns that she has lost the baby...she's miscarried. I took ugly crying to a whole other level....

I was pulled through every damn emotion possible. I felt every single emotion Jenny went through and I experienced them with her. My chest hurt so bad I felt as if I had lost my husband too, that is how well the story is written. I had to put my Kindle aside after only 20% in because I was a mess.

Okay so now that the shock is over with we get into the grit of the story. Jenny has to make the decision to donate Gabe's organs because apparently he didn't do so, even though he's a doctor and believed highly in it. So after getting over the initial idea of donating "pieces of Gabe" off, she has the idea of taking something for herself. Jenny feels that since random strangers will receive "pieces of Gabe" then she should too. She makes the decision to have Gabe's sperm frozen so she can be inseminated and have Gabe's baby.

Yeeahhhh....you heard me right. She wants to take her dead husbands sperm and inseminate herself so she cane have a piece of Gabe forever. Truly shocked. I work in the healthcare field and I am bound by a code of ethics and well this topic just blows ethics right out of the water. I get where Jenny feels a need to keep something of Gabe for herself but that's what memories are for!! I honestly do not agree with what Jenny wants to do and it was hard to reason with her selfish insanity. You can't fully move on with your life and have the chance to love again because you're "settling" with having your dead husbands baby and feeling content with that. No honey, no no no no and hell no. Grieve, hurt, get mad, get happy, get depressed and take the time to heal. But she pushes with this idea and it causes some serious shit to hit the fan. Gabe's uncle, George, goes bat shit crazy when he realizes Jenny's intent and sets the stage for an ugly lawsuit.

This is where Steve comes in. Ya know, the guy you read about as soon as you start the book? He's Jenny's neighbor and an attorney and is secretly head over heels in love with her. But he's engaged to Annie although he doesn't truly love her but feels he can find love with her. Cray Cray I know!!

 I do love how you get to read from everyone's POV. That truly gave the story so much more depth. I felt more connected to everyone that way and wasn't just going off someone elses feelings of a character.I will say reading Annie's POV made me seriously want to throat punch her! Ughhh shes such a greedy, selfish bitch!

Okay so moving forward...Jenny asks Steve to be her attorney against Gabe's uncle but the problem is, Steve isn't familiar with cases like this and doesn't really want to represent her. He completely disagrees with her idea and doesn't feel right supporting the controversial lawsuit, as does every other attorney in the state of Michigan!

So the story evolves and secrets are revealed. You get to see how death and loss can truly bring someone from the depths of hell to the surface again. We learn a lot of shocking secrets, one which is Jenny's and I honestly did NOT see that one coming! I had to reread it twice because my mind wasn't absorbing it!!! I think it's because I didn't understand WHY Jenny would want to put herself through this ugly lawsuit KNOWING her secret would be revealed and so many people would be affected. God woman wake up and smell the damn reality of the situation!!!

I wanted soooo badly for Steve to just confess his love to Jenny and for Jenny to see what was right in front of her that she was denying herself.  I can go on and on with this story but I don't want to give anymore away.

Will Jenny and Steve end up together? Does Jenny win the lawsuit and go through with the insemination? Well...you'll just have to pick it up and read the book to find out!!