ARC REVIEW: One Night with the Billionaire (Men of the Zodiac #9) by Sarah Ballance

Title: One Night with the Billionaire
Series: Men of the Zodiac #9
Author: Sarah Ballance
Publisher: Entangled Indulgence
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 151
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Sarah Ballance | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Sign: Sagittarius

He's the perfect kind of trouble...

Zoe Davenport is on her way to a perfect, idyllic, private resort, where there's no ex-fiancé and definitely no public scandal involving said ex-fiancé. But one look at the exceptionally sexy resort owner, and Zoe wonders if she's escaped scandal just long enough to land herself in even hotter water...

Except that Ryder Nash isn't exactly a stranger. He and Zoe used to live next door to each other. She was the sweet little temptation who couldn't stand him-the bad boy with a loud car and a new girl every weekend. What Zoe doesn't know is that all those years ago, her father paid Ryder off...to keep him away from her.

And if Ryder gives into the fiery attraction that rages between them-even for a moment-he'll lose everything all over again...

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

So this series really hasn't spent much time on my radar. However, last month I picked up the previous book since it was by one of my favorite authors. So when this one came up not long after I finished that one and I happened to notice it was centered around "my sign" I figured why the heck not. I had also read my first book by Sarah Ballance and adored it mostly so it just furthered my decision to read this. The good news after finishing, I really liked it. Well, once again, mostly. The bad news? The ending has left me, well disappointed if I'm being honest.

See, I'm sensing a pattern. And not in a good way. Sarah Ballance writes wonderful characters that you can easily and very quickly get attached to. Her storytelling is absolutely lovely. Both good things. The bad is that you have a couple who meet for the first time, and yes basically Ryder and Zoe count because even though he was the bad boy next door...they never spoke or interacted, except maybe to stare at each other from the other side of the fence. They knew nothing about the other one. In both books I've read, things get intense and heat up really fast. Which is perfectly fine, I always feel the strong connection and sparks within the pairing. But from the point they meet you get like, 2 weeks worth of mostly sex or lusting after each other and very little of the "getting to know you" phase. Then by the end of the book, once again 2 weeks later, L bombs are dropped.

I had been hoping it was just a fluke with the first book I read, but now with this other one...I'm guessing that's not the case. Insta-love is such a bummer. I truly feel this would be my only complaint in both cases. But that's a big one.

The characters were so much fun though. Ryder was very much the gruff alpha male type. Oh my word and he had the most delicious dirty mouth. I swear when he would get all up in Zoe's personal space and start whispering all the naughty things he wanted to do to her...I had the urge to start yelling at my Kindle for him to start acting on those things. Sigh. His intensity was all kinds of sexy. I think I should kind of take back what I said earlier because I do have one complaint about Ryder. He had a pretty rough childhood that was mentioned but it felt somewhat pointless, except maybe to explain his drive and acceptance of Zoe's dad's payoff. I wish it would have added more depth to his character though and maybe be more of an issue in the present.

Zoe was pretty awesome herself. I appreciated the fact that she wasn't completely spineless. Her dad has basically controlled her entire life and all of her decisions since she was little. So I was expecting her to be more of a pushover, but she was far from weak. I loved watching her grow even stronger than she first appears and really stand up for herself. See that fire inside her when she takes control of her own life. She was a really great character.

Insta-love aside, there is a lot to love within this book. Like  I said the characters are all completely lovable. Even the side characters, I love Sarah Ballance's writing style, and the setting was total paradise. Like I want to go stay on Ryder's resort island and never leave! However, as desperate as I was to want to continue with the Chase Brothers series of hers that  I fell in love with...doubts are sinking in. I feel like I'm willing to take one more shot and keep my fingers crossed the relationship doesn't develop at warp speed. There's only so much of the early I love yous a person can take.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

ARC REVIEW: Finding Perfect by Kendra C. Highley

Title: Finding Perfect
Author: Kendra C. Highley
Publisher: Entangled Crush
Published: September 14th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 199
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Publisher
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!!

Kendra C. Highley | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

How far will you go for perfection? 

For “Perfect Paige” Westfield, today is “D” Day. As in, she just got one on her calculus test. With her dreams of Stanford, her reputation, and her parents’ expectations at stake, Paige needs to find a way to save face before everything she’s worked for goes up in flames.

Ben Franklin (yes, he’s related) is from the wrong side of town, with the wrong clothes and the wrong kind of life. He also knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he’ll be happy to tutor Paige—if she makes him into the kind of guy her best friend, the hottest girl in school, will date.

It’s the perfect arrangement. And Paige is determined not even the inconvenient—and utterly imperfect—attraction simmering between her and Ben will ruin it…

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating.

I am so unbelievably happy that this book found it's way into my life. After finishing Finding Perfect, I realize I've done just that...found perfection. It has been a very, very, very long time since a book has captured my heart so completely that I'm left desperately wanting to find a way to tack more stars to the end of my rating. Especially a Young Adult novel! This book has done just that. I devoured it. Devoured! And now I sit here with the early symptoms of the dreaded book hangover settling in and wishing I had slowed down and truly savored it more. I'm in love. What can I say? It was flawless.

I am such a character driven person. All of the characters in this book were just brilliant and full of depth and I absolutely loved them. Even Paige's mom, whom I completely, to the depths of my soul, despised up until the last few pages, I loved the fact that she inspired all of those feelings and emotions from me. She inspired just as many feelings as the rest of them did. I love when an author can do that to me. Make me hate someone, yet at the same time love the fact that I do. Well done, Kendra C. Highley!

Paige was simply amazing. I wish I had had even 1/8th of her drive when I had been her age. She would strive so hard for perfection and put so much pressure on herself to live up to everyone's expectations and she did such an amazing job, but at the cost of an incredible amount of stress that no seventeen-year-old should have. Ever. Of course it doesn't help all the added pressures and expectations from her mother. I mean the girl is 4th in her graduating class but her mother acts as if she's not trying hard enough to be number 1. I hated it. I hated seeing what it was doing to her. I'm surprised Paige didn't have ulcers. It was brilliant, though, watching her grow and finding the courage to start living up to her own expectations and desires. She totally kicks major butt and is worthy of girl crush status.

Ben was just a cupcake. I loved how smart and compassionate he was. How he took the time to look past "Perfect Paige" and dig a little deeper. Plus my heart melted at his relationship with his mother. They had such a sweet and inspirational type of dynamic. Ben has such a huge heart and he's the perfect person to have in your corner, cheering you on. I adore him. No. I more than adore him. There are just no words.

And don't even get me started on the others, like Ben's mom who works her behind off for both her and Ben and was so encouraging and just a warm and happy person. To Paige's dad who, even though it took him a while, really stood up for his daughter and he was pretty freaking funny to boot. But also the person I was afraid I wouldn't like, Zoey. The gorgeous and popular best friend of Paige. But I loved her just as much as I did Ben and Paige as well. She is so awesome and I cannot wait to read her book because that teaser of an epilogue has me dying already!

As I said in the beginning this book was just flawless. From beginning to end. It was sweet, emotional and full of angst. Oh the most delicious angst. The romance was so incredibly sweet and heartwarming. 

I feel like all I'm doing is spinning around and around in circles saying "I'm in loooove!" And I swore I was going to try and do this review justice instead of gushing and swooning all over the place. I think I'm failing. So I think that's my queue to stop.

I loved this book. I can't wait for more. I need more!

A huge thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security #3) by Tonya Burrows

Title: Wilde at Heart
Series: Wilde Security #3
Author: Tonya Burrows
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
Published: September 7th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 260
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense
Source: Publisher
★★★ (3/5) Stars!

Tonya Burrows | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A thrilling category romance from Entangled's Ignite imprint...

He has everything under control.Except her .

Reece Wilde put everything in his life on the back burner to protect his brothers and their struggling company, Wilde Security. With a major contract on the line, Reece can't afford any mistakes...like getting caught in a red-hot, X-rated moment with wild child Shelby Bremer, who's more trouble than he can handle. Now he's being blackmailed. 

Shelby's mile-long impulsive streak gets her in more trouble than she'd like to admit. Between her sister's wedding, her coffee shop set on fire, and getting down and dirty with the groom's brother, things are definitely coming off the rails. With both their careers and their safety on the line, Reece is determined to keep them both safe...even if it means a Vegas-style shotgun wedding. 

But gambling on a wild card-and a wild soul-is risky...and sometimes, it can get a guy killed.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

Even after taking a couple days to soak it all in, I'm still feeling just as "meh" as I did when I finished. I mean, there was plenty of stuff about Wilde at Heart that I absolutely loved, but along with that, there were just as many things that I didn't care for. The first book in this series, Wilde Nights in Paradise, was a huge hit for me. I absolutely loved it and I fell in love with the Wilde brothers and their different personalities and the really fun vibe and family dynamic that they shared. I couldn't wait to get to know the other four brothers better. While this one was just okay, I feel like the first book was so much better.

Reece and the oldest Wilde brother Greer were the two brothers I was drawn to the most. So this was one of the books in the series that I was looking forward to the most. Both guys seemed like very responsible, workaholic and driven guys. I love characters like that. The ones that are wound up tight, don't allow themselves to let loose and be playful or have fun. Because you know the moment they do let that side of themselves out, even just a little bit, it's going to be so much fun. That's exactly how Reece was. I absolutely adored him and he surprised me so much in this series. Especially his little secret that had me completely lose my heart to him.

I loved Shelby to pieces. She is the exact opposite to Reece in every way possible. She's tattoos and colorful hair, she's bold and pretty wild, she was just a whole lot of fun. She's also made a whole lot of mistakes in her life and it always seems like she's letting those close to her down. My heart went out to her so many times. It was like a tornado of crap just followed her everywhere and wouldn't let up.

I think that's what made this so difficult to get through at times. A situation would go from bad to worse to holy crap when will this end and then still the stuff would just keep piling up on top of it all. There were times when I felt like it was all just too much. I like obstacles, I like angst and drama. But the things that went wrong weren't just a bunch of little things here and there. These were huge, intense and crazy things. I guess I just constantly felt defeated like there was no way things could get better...ever. Even the good moments between Reece and Shelby were tainted because of her own personal demons and secrets. So even when I'd feel moments where my heart wanted to soar for these two I'd think about how bad things where going to be when truths would come out and it would mar everything and leave a dark spot where the lightness had been.

This story was definitely not lacking in the suspense department. Don't get me wrong, I loved the storyline. Truly. It is a romantic suspense after all so that's not what I'm complaining about. I guess I wish there had been more straws of hope for me to grasp for.

I really, really did love Reece and Shelby together though. There was a sweetness to their relationship mixed in with all the intensity. They had a very strong connection and it was so much fun seeing the things they brought out in each other. Opposite as they were, they were each exactly what the other one needed in their lives.

Overall it was a fun read, but not everything I had hoped it would be. I'm just kind of right down the middle with this one. It definitely wasn't bad and I'm glad that I read it, but I wasn't in love with it either.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

ARC REVIEW: Chasing Mr. Wrong (Chasing Love #4) by Joya Ryan

Title: Chasing Mr. Wrong
Series: Chasing Love #4
Author: Joya Ryan
Publisher: Entangled Brazen
Published: September 7th 2015
Format: eARC | Pages: 152
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Erotica
Source: Publisher
★★★★ (4/5) Stars!

Joya Ryan | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

A sexy category romance from Entangled's Brazen imprint...

Who needs Mr. Right when you can have the perfect Mr. Wrong?

Ryder Diamond-the town's golden boy-doesn't have time for taking chances, let alone love. Against his better judgment, he lets his buddies set him up on a blind date with a girl who's only passing through town. But temporary or not, Whitney James sets fire to desires he can't control.

Before they know it, Ryder and Whitney are in a supply closet, drowning in lust. She's only in town for the summer-what better way to spend it than in the arms of Mr. Perfect? Except, she's wild and free, and he's Mr. Stability. Which means he may as well be Mr. Wrong.

And her new job? It's with Ryder's sister.

Sex and the inability to keep their hands off each other are the only things they have in common. But this little hook-up has "disaster" written all over it...and the only way Ryder can save his reputation is by avoiding the sweet little firecracker who could ruin it all.

I received a copy of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. In no way did this sway either my review or my rating!

I want to live inside Joya Ryan's imagination. Oh, but I am so not joking! The characters she creates, the bonds they form, the settings, the stories. I fall into them and lose myself and I absolutely hate coming back to reality once I've finished. And I always seem to finish all too soon... I loved this latest installment of the Chasing Love series. I was so excited to visit Diamond once again and get back into this wonderful group of friends and it was so much more than I was hoping it would be. It is hands down my favorite from the series.

Joya Ryan is the master of creating some of the most delicious fictitious men and the one guy that I've been looking the most forward to since I picked up my first book written by her, was Ryder Diamond. There's always been something I couldn't quite put my finger on that has drawn me to him the most and had me desperately wanting to know more about him. Ryder's family is one of the two founding families of their quaint little town of Diamond. And by little I do mean everyone knows everyone else and their business. So small that if you were to go wandering in to the local BBQ you'd get a smile and a, "new in town?" I love these types of settings.

In Ryder's case however, it puts a whole lot of pressure on him and his image. He's very controlled and doesn't cut loose. He's constantly polite even when people are at their worst. He never rocks the boat afraid of how it would reflect on him, his family and his business. I mean none of that is necessarily bad but he's always holding back and keeping himself in check. He never lets anybody see the entire Ryder Diamond. Not even his friends or family. I fell hard for him even before he lets pieces of the real him through. There's something so incredibly sexy about a man with that much drive and determination and acceptance of responsibility. Plus his heart shines through in the care he shows for his people and his town. But, the moment wild Ryder came out to play...holy hotness Batman. The sexiness couldn't be measured. All it took was a special girl to crack through that mask.

Whitney was brand new to the series. Just kind of breezing through town, a bit of a nomad really. Yet the moment we get to meet her I instantly loved her. I mean, to the point where I was ready to have her back over Ryder's, She's so spunky and bold, and I loved how playful and funny she could be as well. She hides a lot of pain and loss by constantly moving around and never setting down roots or forging friendships. So I loved how it wasn't just Ryder that started to get under her skin, it was the entire town. She just fit so perfectly into the group of characters in this series.

Whitney and Ryder were sizzling, explosive, incredibly hot. It was so much fun to watch Ryder "attempt" to keep himself under control around her...and lose every time. And to see him so distracted by her even when she wasn't around. Ryder really needed someone to come along and flip his world upside down.

One of these days, I still need to go back and read the first book in this series, but it was so, so much fun to see some of the characters from books two and three again and see what's going on in their lives. Penny, Bass, Auto, Huck. I missed them all so much! And I can't wait to see what this series has in store for the future. As far as I can remember there's at least one more person in their little group, Lily, who is still unattached and I'd love to read a book for her. Let's face it, I'm just not ready for this series to end period. I want more!

Thanks goes to Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book!

REVIEW: Make it Right (Bowler University #2) by Megan Erickson

Title: Make it Right
Series: Bowler University #2
Author:  Megan Erickson
Publisher: William Morrow Impulse
Published: September 9th 2014
Format: eBook | Pages: 384
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Purchased
★★★★✩ (4.5/5) Stars!

Megan Erickson | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Max Payton lives by two rules:

Size and strength win any fight, and never show weakness.

When a rash of assaults sends Bowler University for a tail spin, Max volunteers to help teach a self-defense class. One of the other instructors is the beautiful pixie-faced girl he keeps butting heads with…and who challenges everything he thought he knew. 

Lea Travers avoids guys like Max - cocky jocks who assume she's fragile because of a disability caused by a childhood accident. She likes to be in control, and something about being with Max makes her feel anything but. But during the moments he lets his guard down, Lea sees a soul as broken inside as she is outside. Trusting him is a whole other problem...

When the assaults ramp up and hit close to home, Lea and Max must learn, before it’s too late, that true strength can come from vulnerability…and giving in to trust is sometimes the only way to make things right.

Oh my gosh I am so in love with this series! It's been so full of emotions and heart, rich characters and humor, and oh the steamy romance. I was super excited to get into Max and Lea's story and it was so much more than I was hoping it would be.

You know, when I read the first book I wasn't exactly a big Max Payton fan. Let's face it. He was kind of a jerk. He came off as being not much more than a musclebound jock with a bit of a temper and not much substance. Plus he treated Kat like crap and I adored her to pieces. By the end of Make it Count, though, I was starting to come around and finally started seeing his more redeeming qualities. But it wasn't until Make it Right, and being inside his head,  that I truly lost my heart to him. And boy did I. 

I love Max. I do. He makes it impossible not to. He's got so much weighing on him through the majority of the book that it's easy to see the why and almost dismiss his previous behavior. All that pressure and lack of control over his own life, well I think I'd be kind of a jerk at times too. I loved seeing this different side of him though. The sweet and thoughtful side. And his playful side, holy crap Max is so funny! He had me cracking up so much. I loved all the things that Lea brought out in him, or more accurately, inspired in him to bring out within himself.

I was so curious about Lea after meeting her in the first book. I knew that if anyone could inspire Max to turn his life around it would be her. She may have appeared to be small and fragile when you first meet her, but once you start this book and get to know her you see that she is anything but. I really admired her strength and resilience. But there's so much more to admire about her. She doesn't let her disability hold her back. At times she drove me a tiny bit crazy because of all of her walls and trust issues, but I still adored her.

One of the things I really loved coming out of this book, besides how completely adorable Max and Lea are together, is how even through everything that Max put Kat through in the first book, you see this really great friendship and bond between them, through their whole group really. The dynamic between this group of friends is so fun and heartwarming and I'm looking forward to finding out more about Cam. He's not very known to me at this point, well except for his video game habit. But Megan Erickson writes such fun characters that I know I'm going to love him.

Just like the first book, this one was impossible to put down once I started it. I love how real they feel and how easy it is to almost feel all of the emotions and things that the characters are going through. Like I said with the first book, this is how New Adult should be done. This series has been more about the characters and their struggles both to find themselves and within their relationships with each other. Too many authors throw their characters in a college setting and then make it all about sex, sex, sex. While these books do have their steamy moments they're so much more than that. So much deeper. They're pretty close to perfect!

Weekly Haul #68

Stacking the shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's basically a way in which we get to show off the lovely new goodies we got over the past week/month however you decide to do it.

Wedding Date for Hire (Anyone But You #2) by Jennifer Shirk

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for this ARC! :)

So first, before I get to the books, my lovely friend Tonya from Lilybloombooks and After Hours at Lilybloombooks, has been making these gorgeous beaded bookmarks and opened up an Etsy shop, BeadsMarktheSpot. You can get as detailed as you want with size and color and charms and types of beads used. For me I didn't have a particular picture in mind I just knew the colors I wanted and the charms and then I told her to go nuts and get creative and I love what she's done. I couldn't have planned them out better on my own! (I'll take a closer picture of one so you all can see better). Thanks Tonya I'm loving my bookmarks!! :D

And now the books...

Percy Jackson and the Olympians box set by Rick Riordin

So a couple weeks ago I used one of my audible credits on the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series and then realized that series takes place after this one. Now, I had read The Lightening Thief before a loooong time ago and really liked it but for whatever reason hadn't continued with the series yet. I'm really looking forward to starting these up in a couple weeks!

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

I caved to the hype!

Hunter (Hunter #1) by Mercedes Lackey

I'm trying to bring more Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Paranormal into my life. This looks real good!

The Sculptor by Scott McCloud

One of the booktubers I like to watch, jessethereader, had SO much praise for this graphic novel. Even saying it was his favorite graphic novel of 2015. The premise sounded so freaking intriguing I had to get my hands on it!!

See? These bookmarks are just gorgeous!

Well that's it for my little haul this week!

What have you added to YOUR shelves lately?

Have a great week everyone!! :)