Playing by Heart by JB Salsbury

BLURB: 

Jesse Lee is the worst!

He’s a multi-millionaire, triple-platinum-selling, Grammy-Award-winning man-slut—a worldly, self-indulgent heathen. I wouldn’t sleep with him if he were our last chance to ensure survival of the human race. The only reason I put up with him is because he’s my boss’s brother.

Whatsherface is one of those holier-than-thou types.

She’s bossy, has a horrific singing voice, and she’s so ordinary, she practically blends in with the eggshell-colored walls—the complete opposite of anyone I’d bang. The only reason I put up with her is because my career is on the line.

Playing by Heart is an enemies-to-lovers romance where opposites not only attract, they ignite.

My Review

I love everything JB Salsbury – but will say I wasn’t sure what to expect from this hot rock star contemporary romance.  Turns out, the only thing I didn’t like about Playing by Heart, was it was over to soon!   An absolutely wonderful rock star romance that will own you from strung out start to inspiring finish. 

Told in first person, from dual perspectives, this story of heartbreak & closure, sacrifice & fresh starts, is funnier than you’ll expect “I’m a bonnet away from looking like an Amish grandmother.” sexy & romantic   "…what it feels like to be thoroughly loved in a slow, deliberate way…" & get you in the gut - will they, won't they angst.  Bethany - a supporter of “Fake it ‘til you make it!” kind, caring & searching for the good.  Jesse – on the road back to the musician he once was.  Wonderful strong, loving & fun supporting characters in family & friends add to the depth of this romance. 

 I loved the heart & emotion, the verbal sparring – couldn’t get enough of.  Another wonderful novel from JB! 

 “You might want to consider redefining your definition of love.”

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

Saint (Mercy #2) by JB Salsbury

BLURB

Milo sold his soul to the devil to save an angel.
Now he’s after revenge.

There are worse prisons than the lush estate of a notorious drug smuggler in Mexico. Mercy lives out her days alone and hidden from the world, but her sleep is riddled with nightmares of the muti and all the boys and girls just like her who weren’t lucky enough to get away.

If the people who kept her as a child are in Mexico, is it possible she could find them?

What starts as vigilante justice unravels a web of human trafficking deeper and darker than Milo and Mercy could’ve imagined. When she comes face-to-face with the people she once considered family, she proves she is far from the Angel they raised her to be.

MY REVIEW

 

Saint by JB Salsbury, book 2 of her Mercy duet, this is the sexy contemporary romance & mystery thriller conclusion to Mercy & Milo's story.  Picking up right where the Ghostgirl epic cliffhanger left off, Saint with Milo "...doing what was best for those I love. You know what they say. Hindsight is a bitch."  A romance entwined with drug cartels & international human trafficking...

The connection between these characters continues to extend past the physical, toward soul deep, heart wrenching emotion.  While Milo risks all for revenge, Mercy struggles to hold on to the man she loves  "Forever. You and me. Not a single thing on earth will ever come between us." all the while fighting to be free once more from a all new kind of imprisonment.  Secrets, vengeance & lies "For your protection, it's better that you don't know."  A wild ride as a new mystery unfolds, one evil put behind them only to fight another.  "There is so much evil in the world. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get away from it."  A story of a savior, of healing of body & soul ~ finding faith in humanity & seeking destined purpose in this world.  

I love seeing these characters grow into themselves "I realize I'm not an angel, that I have no supernatural powers, but that doesn't mean I can't make a difference in a person's life."  So much love & affection.  An ending that won't disappoint.

"Everything is a journey, a wild ride with constant surprises."

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

The Final Fight by JB Salsbury

 

BLURB

 

When life brings you the perfect person at the worst possible time…

On a weekend visit to Las Vegas to visit his brother, Marine Braeden Daniels meets a woman who challenges him in ways he can’t deny. The best part is she wants what he wants.

No strings. No feelings. Just fun.

AJ is a Las Vegas performer who is finally living her dream. Growing up poor, she’s determined to succeed at any cost. No one will stand in her way—not even a hot Marine who breezes into her life all confidence and a cocky smile.

A few stolen weekends and neither can deny the feelings quickly growing between them. But the obstacles that keep them apart become more devastating when the Marine Corps calls Braeden away for a six-month deployment.

It’s only six months.

What could possibly happen?

 

My Review

The Final Fight is just that, the final book in JB Salsbury’s Fighting series.  Although this story can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the series – 1. Because it’s amazing & 2. Because of the cross over characters throughout the story.

Told in first person, from dual perspectives, this military romance will take you from laughing, to teared up, with heartache, gut wrenching moments, all the way to utterly encouraging you to do more than you ever thought possible in this life.  “…sexy and sweet and funny…”  What starts as a friends with benefits relationship between two people who are career focused & simply don’t have time for more. “He’s married to the military for God knows how long. And I will never give up my dreams of becoming a Las Vegas superstar.”  with a “…palpable chemistry…”, between them that is nothing short of hot “Edgy and sexy.”, “What started off as purely animalistic turned into something sweet.”.  With a love triangle that “…makes my heart revolt.”  Quickly becomes a story of hero’s, that will have you “…overwhelmed with emotion. Helpless to stop it.”  Intense emotion, tragedy, loss & deciding if there’s a way back from it all.  “Emotions war with my vulnerability and all the unanswered questions about my future.”    A story of love, family, broken dreams, fearlessness & surviving in a world that so often tests the limits of the human body, heart & spirit.  “We’re gonna fight our way through this because we know no other way. And we’re gonna do it together.”

This is the perfect finish to the Fighting series, I simply could not have asked for anything more.  I loved it from page one.  Everything from the witty-sarcastic-funny dialogue, to the super sexy romance, the bond of a family I’ve come to know & love throughout the series, all the way to the intense gut wrenching end.  I thought it was great how JB managed to close the loop on all the characters stories we’ve read about from the first book through the last.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

“Fighters supporting fighters…”

 Thank you JB, so looking forward for what you have for us next…

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

AMAZON US/UK

Wrecked by JB Salsbury

 

 

Blurb

When you can’t trust yourself, how can you ask anyone else to?

It’s been months since Aden Colt left the Army, and still the memories haunt him. When he moved into a boat off the California coast, he thought he’d found the perfect place to escape life.

Then Sawyer shows up, and turns his simple life upside down.

Beautiful and sophisticated, she seems out of place in this laidback beach town. Something is pushing her to experience everything she can—including Aden. But as much as he wants her, starting a relationship with Sawyer puts them both at risk.

For Aden, the past doesn’t stay there; it shows up unexpectedly, uncontrollably, and doesn’t care whose life it wrecks.  

My Review

Wrecked by J.B. Salsbury is a sexy & emotional contemporary romance.  Aden is struggling with loss in his past & is dedicated to protect those he loves from himself in the future.  Loss is in Sawyers to near future, as she struggles to make good on a promise to the one she holds most dear.  Both drawn to the California coast to find if they are truly "Wrecked beyond repair."

Told in first person from dual perspectives, with minimal flashbacks, this is a story that is a beautiful combination of tragic & heart felt as well as sexy & funny.  This is a fast paced read with difficult themes including post-traumatic stress syndrome, & sadness of loss due to terminal illness.  “Life can change so quickly and in such abrupt ways that we never get a chance to see it until it’s over.”  Heart wrenching & tear jerking, J.B. beautifully intertwines tough circumstances with funny & light hearted moments that honor sacrifice & cherish life.  Seriously sexy, angsty, beyond butterflies, these characters have an instant connection “like an anchor in a sea of madness.” as they journey to learn to take back the lives they once had & become more then they thought possible.  To work past deception-with no regrets, to embrace heroism, overcome fears & to live life to its fullest – trust, take a risk, try something new,

“Life’s too short to let fear keep you from living.” 

I couldn’t get enough of the soul-deep chemistry between Aden & Sawyer.  “she sees past the darkness in my soul to the man I was before.” “…he makes me feel like I’m the only woman in the world.”   I definitely don’t want to give anything away – so will only say that between the sultry romance, the self-sacrifice & the ways these characters are given wisdom & strength through cherished friends & family, allowing tragedy & loss to be turned to beauty & love ~ this is a full range of emotion romance that I simply loved, down to my bones:

“Life is beautiful and terrifying,”…”And we deserve to feel that down to our bones.” 

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. 

Amazon US/UK