One Small Thing by Erin Watt

 

BLURB

Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems a small thing, just for her.

Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…

Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.

Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.

 

MY REVIEW

One Small Thing by Erin Watt is an emotional coming of age, contemporary romance, as heart-wrenching as it is romantic "...mixed the bitter with the sweet."  High School seniors in small-town America, Beth & Chase both "...caught between the past and the present." find themselves connected in a way they never could have foreseen.  A story of overcoming loss & guilt, repairing relationships & finding their places in the world. "What he wants and what I want are at odds with what we should  be wanting."  The lesson of letting loved ones lost live in the heart & of focusing on "...one small thing that I could be grateful for each day..." 

 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

 

Amazon US/UK

 

The Problem With Him (Opposites Attract Book 3) by Rachel Higginson

 

I’m over men. I’m done with them.

Or at least the ones that work in my kitchen. Fine, one man in particular. Wyatt Shaw is cocky and condescending and so far out of his element that he doesn’t know which way is up. Or how to run his brand new kitchen all by himself.

That’s where I come in. Sous chef extraordinaire. Second in command. Bane of his existence. I am the reason Wyatt’s doing so well as the new executive chef of one of our city’s most prestigious restaurants. He has me to thank for his glowing accolades and five-star write-ups. Only if you were to ask him, he’d say I’m his biggest problem.

Despite his discouragement and bullish behavior, I’ve set two goals for myself.

The first? I’m going to fight my way to the top of this male-dominated industry and claim my own award-winning kitchen.

The second? I’m going to do whatever it takes to ignore Wyatt and his rare smiles and the thickening tension that’s started to simmer between us.

Wyatt Shaw might be Durham’s new shining star. He might be up for a James Beard Award. He might be my new boss and key to my future success, but he’s also in my way.

So he can keep his smoldering looks and secret kisses. And he can be the one that figures out how to make it through service without getting distracted by me.

I’m not the problem. The problem is him.

The Problem With Him by Rachel Higginson, book three of her Opposites Attract series, though can truly be read as a stand alone, which I love.  Kaya is a ambitious sous chef striving for success in the heart of Durham, North Carolina, while Wyatt confident & fearless, has recently made his way to executive chef - right where Kaya wants to be.  What Kaya wants most is what Wyatt has, "I would do anything for it." that's just the start of the problem with him.

Told in first person, this is a easy breezy read that is witty, funny & super sexy, burning & explosive with reluctant, yet undeniable attraction.  A "...constant push and pull, bringing the desire between us to a boil."  This is a story of characters working to find their place in careers, relationships & family ~ the struggle is real.  Full of unexpected friendships that turn into strong endearing bonds of the life long kind.  Challenging each other to take risks to achieve all they've dreamed of & more "If there's no risk, there's no reward."  A great look inside the world of culinary arts - "...a special kind of club for people that would rather work than live."  All to ultimately make the very best of this thing called life.  "Whatever it is you want, you have to go hard after it and trust in the journey."

I loved the verbal sparring between Kaya & Wyatt.  The "...go big or go home girl..." that Kaya is & the way Rachel paints the perfect picture of Wyatt's smile.  Couldn't get enough of the chemistry that had been simmering for years.

Looking forward to the fourth & final book in the Opposites Attract Series,
Something About Her
coming in the new year 2019

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK



Ghostgirl by JB Salsbury

 She was brainwashed into believing she could save mankind.

Now, she’s the one who needs saving.

Abandoned with his two younger brothers, Milo Vega was placed in foster care. Now a twenty-year-old high-school senior covered in gang tattoos and working as the school’s janitor, he is living a life vastly different from the one he was destined for.

When another foster joins the family, this one from the psychiatric facility, Milo’s skeptical. A rare genetic condition makes her unlike any girl he’s ever seen, and he wants nothing to do with the one he calls Ghostgirl.

Despite his reluctance, his protective instincts flare when she enrolls in school, and eventually, an unlikely friendship grows between them. When a tragic event snaps her fragile psyche, Milo is faced with the possibility of never seeing her again.

Unless he risks it all to save her.

MY REVIEW

Ghostgirl by JB Salsbury is a contemporary romance like none I’ve read before.  Characters so different & intriguing from the start – this is an addictive contemporary romance full of mystery, angst & heart wrenching emotion “I felt that shit everywhere.”  All while funny, sexy & sweet.  Family ties that are blood ties, for better or worse.  Attraction that is as unusual as it is undeniable.  Secrets are revealed, with a cliffhanger that will have you ready for more. 

Told in first person from dual perspectives, with flash backs throughout.  Milo~a boy whose had to grow up to fast, he is fierce & protective of those he calls his own with “…gang affiliations inked all over my skin and the hundred-pound chip on my shoulder…”  A guy after my own heart “Call me a pussy, but it’s the truth. No matter how old I get, I hate being sick without my mom.” Ghostgirl~who is she?  Where did she come from? Can she save mankind?  “Vulnerable, shy, and so modestly sexy…” She is the ultimate mystery.  A story of overcoming pasts that haunt, finding hope & freedom with self-sacrifice at the same time, toward a future not thought possible.

 

I loved the sarcastic wit, emotional depth & secrets that unfolded through to the end.  

“It’s all too much yet far from enough.”  

Looking forward to the conclusion to their story in Saint.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

Confessions: Julien by Ella Frank

Synopsis

People are complex.

Love a double-edged sword.

And when it comes to a broken heart, there are no rules, only time…

For the past eight years, Julien Thornton has been living with a secret. One that only a handful of people know about.

To the outside world, he has it all.

A thriving career. A loving husband. And a face that the American public fell for by the millions, on a reality show that inadvertently saved his life.

But behind the shine of celebrity, behind the easygoing nature, a crippling truth fills Julien with pain and self-loathing. It’s a truth that he fights to overcome daily with the help of his husband, Joel Priestley, and now their boyfriend, Robbie Bianchi.

But unlike Priest, Robbie doesn’t know what he’s helping Julien to fight. He doesn’t know what Julien did all those years ago. And with the anniversary of his sister’s death fast approaching, the time for explanations is running out.

And thus the question: will the princess be able to forgive the prick as the priest once did?

Only time will tell.

My Review

Confessions: Julien, book two in the steamy contemporary MMM Confessions Series from Ella Frank.  Starting right where we left off with Robbie, Julien & Priest in Robbie, book one of this Confessions series.  Riddled with flashbacks to Julien’s past, this story is full of mystery, angst & steamy hot sexy times.  A new level of ‘tissues required’ emotion will have your heart reeling for these characters, broken & tortured on the inside “…not all demons were the same.”.  Connections intensify, secrets are revealed, honesty is given & trust is built, only to be threatened before it’s all said & done.  “This was it, their final piece of baggage—and it was heavy.”  Be prepared to leave yourself wide open to double the intensity that only this threesome can offer. “…there were a whole lot of “never befores” going on.” 

“There is strength in numbers. Those on the outside protecting the one within. That is us. One. Two. Three.”

My adoration for Julien- the man with “A broken heart of gold…” only increases as we learn about all he’s had to endure over the years.  While my addiction to Priest – the protector continues to intensify & I simply can’t shake the stupid smile I wear while reading Robbie – who makes everything sparkle.  I love that Ella continues to give us what we want with a few cameos from our guys from whom this series was spun.  

 

Looking forward to the third book in the Confessions series:

 

~Confessions: Priest~

 

“I used to be scared of storms. Until I realized with a storm you have warning. Now it’s the calm I fear.”

 

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

 

Amazon US/UK

Mogul by Katy Evans

He's my most delicious secret.

The hot Suit I had a one-night stand with one evening.

I didn't know anything about him, not even his name.

Only that we shared a taxi, and he was staying at the hotel where I worked.

We met in room 301. Where he commanded not only my body but my soul.

The next day he was gone and I only had a memory of him.

I could still taste his kisses, feel his demanding touch.

I searched for him for months. Daydreaming about him. Wondering if I'd ever find him.

Until the day I find myself staring face to face with his jeweled black eyes again.

He says lets keep it casual, and my heart knows that falling for this workaholic in a three-thousand-dollar suit is off the table.

Because he has a secret. One that's a deal breaker for me.

My Suit has a name.

Ian Ford.

And this is our story. 

Told in first person from dual perspectives Mogul by Katy Evan includes characters from her book Tycoon.  This story hits the hot early with instant chemistry "...the most sexual being I have ever known." ~ "He has lit my fire and no one can quench it but him."   This Dirty Workaholic, aka hot Suit is ambitious, sexy, protective & possessive in all his perfectionist glory.  It only takes one night for him to turn Sara's life upside down, but she might be the only thing to make him consider a new beginning.  With raw, vulnerable romance & lessons on love learned "...love can be lost at any moment, but it can also be found. It can change and grow and shine and hurt..."   Trust is put to the ultimate test, "Communication, understanding, patience, loyalty-that's the stuff that makes it last." 

 

I enjoyed Sara, her free spirited brazenness mixed with a cautious nature, although maybe a little to cautious at times.  Ian - pure alpha character that would make any girl blush.  "...it was heart-stopping, toe-curling, panty-melting, and a little bit soul-wrenching--" 

Intrigued to see what Becka's story holds - coming next "Yes, please, and thank you,"

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

 

Amazon US/UK

 

Part-Time Lover by Lauren Blakely

   

   

BLURB

I’ll say this about Christian — he made one hell of a first impression. When I first saw the strapping man, he was doing handstands naked on a dock along the canal. His crown jewels were far more entertaining than anything else I’d seen on the boat tour, so I did what any curious woman would do — I took his photo. I might have looked at the shot a few dozen times. Little did I know I’d meet him again, a year later, at a secret garden bar in the heart of the city, where I’d learn that his mind and his mouth were even more captivating. But given the way my heart had been trampled, I wanted only a simple deal — No strings. No expectations.

Our arrangement worked well enough until the day I needed a lot more from him…

***

Let me just say, this whole part-time lover thing was her idea. I’d have gone all-in from the start, but hey, when a gorgeous, brilliant woman invites you into her bed, and only her bed…well, I said yes.

But then, one hysterical phone call from my brother later, begging me to find myself a wife so grandfather’s business stays in the family, and I need a promotion with Elise. Turns out a full-time husband suits her needs too, and a temporary marriage of convenience ought to do the trick, until we can simply untie the knot…

As long as no one finds out… As long as no one gets hurt… As long as no one falls in love… But our ending was one I never saw coming.

Part-time Lover by Lauren Blakey is a wonderfully sexy contemporary romance follow up to her Wanderlust.  This story of a mutually beneficial part-time love affair, is told in first person from dual perspectives, with flashbacks & crossover characters from Wanderlust - this book is angsty, witty, clever, funny, sexy & emotional.  "I love that it's completely haphazard and completely meaningful in a whole new way."

Elise is a woman on a mission - rebuild, recover & be happy - minus the risk of a broken heart.  Christian is a persistent twenty-nine year old retiree with the body of a god "Let the record reflect, the Danes make the best-looking men."

  These two characters reflect on past relationships & loss, to discover a "...connection--it was the most intense..." that  just might be worth taking a risk for & see through to the other side "The side of letting go, of being free."

Elise with her caring heart & fierce determination & Christian with his kindness, intellect & patience of a saint, I couldn't get enough of the honesty, openness & ease of their relationship.  I love the connection these characters have across the board - with friends, family, cities, towns, places & people.  The way Blakely activates all your senses, sight, sound, taste, smell, touch... That belief in what life can hold if you trust in fate - "To the realization that all I have to do to find happiness is step off the cliff."

ARC received in exchange for an honest review. 

Amazon US/UK