Tag Archives: Cliffhanger

The Sapphire Affair (Jewel # 1)

By Lauren Blakely

Synopsis

Bounty hunter Jake Harlowe knows how to track a criminal. So when a group of swindled shareholders hire him to trail their former CEO, Jake expects a quick trip to the Cayman Islands to close another case. Until a devastatingly beautiful woman gets in the way.

Steph Anderson is visiting the Caymans for a rock climbing and dive trip—or so she tells Jake. She’s really trying to find out whether or not her stepfather embezzled money from his company. The last thing Steph needs is the distraction of a sexy, charming man whose kisses drive her wild.

Soon, the pair discover they’re after the same target—and millions in jewels. While Jake can’t be certain Steph isn’t working for her stepfather, and Steph can’t be certain Jake isn’t after the diamonds for himself, they can agree the heat between them is intense, and neither can deny the passion for long.

But the morning after, Steph discovers that she just might have slept with the enemy, and now she’ll have to outwit him to get everything she needs…

Review

I’m going to start by saying that I didn’t realise this would end in a cliffhanger. The blurb doesn’t say anything about it ending on a cliffhanger or that their story will continue on in book 2. I saw there was a second book in the series available and assumed that it would be about a different couple. I was wrong.

Both Jake and Steph have trust issues when it comes to the opposite sex. Steph is distrustful because of what her last boyfriend did to her after their relationship ended, and Jake is distrustful because he once partnered up with a woman (in bed and on the job) and she betrayed him. Because of their trust issues, most of the book is spent with them dancing around each other, wondering if they can trust the other. Steph also spends a lot of time struggling with the possibility that her stepfather is a criminal. Other than that, not a great deal happens.

THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR is told in dual POVs and cannot be read as a stand-alone as their story continues on in THE SAPPHIRE HEIST. It’s not a novella, but it is a fairly quick read and I did find myself skipping paragraphs because of the huge amount of inner monologue. This book didn’t blow me away, but I am curious as to how their story will end, so I will be reading the second book.

The Sapphire Affair (Jewel # 1)

My Rating:

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Jewel Series

Barely Yours

By Charlotte Eve

Synopsis

This is strictly professional … right?

William – I’m a serious businessman. A devoted father. And right now I’m at breaking point. I’m all my daughter has in the world, since her mother was so cruelly taken from us – just three years ago. I thought I didn’t want Tabitha raised by a nanny. But then I met Chrissie – young, passionate, and full of life. She captured Tabby’s heart in an instant, but now I must be on my guard. Because it seems like she’s melting mine, too …

Chrissie – Whoa! I did not expect the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen in my life to offer me a job looking after his daughter. My new boss is a real English gentleman: charming and handsome. But there’s something cold about him, too. What happened to make him so distant, so reserved? And how the hell do I stay professional, now that I’m starting to develop feelings for him?

Please note: this book ends on a cliffhanger.

Review

BARELY YOURS is the story of William, a thirty year old English single dad to his adorable daughter, and Chrissie, a twenty-two year old U.S. college student living in London on a twelve month work visa.

I liked William, who truly loves his daughter, but at times he was a bit hard to take. He would lead Chrissie on and then slam on the brakes, leaving her hurt and confused in the process. But when he finally realised what the problem was, he admitted it, he accepted it and he was ready to move on and give all he had to Chrissie. I liked Chrissie too, mostly because I thought she acted her age. She’s a young woman who’s smart and loving, and she has a good head on her shoulders. That being said, the ending is all her fault because she makes a rash decision without thinking. If she were a thirty year old woman behaving that way, this review would not be so kind. But because she’s only twenty-two and, in what I assume is her first real relationship, I can forgive her stupidity.

BARELY YOURS is told in dual POVs and is the first book in a trilogy about this couple. I must warn you, it does end in a cliffhanger, which I didn’t realise until the story ended on said cliffhanger at the 87% mark. Clearly I need to read the ENTIRE blurb before starting on a book, only so I know what I’m getting myself into. That being said, I enjoyed the story and I would read the next book, but I may wait until all three books have been released. The story will continue in NEARLY YOURS, but I don’t have a release date on that one at the time of this review.

Barely Yours

My Rating:

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Phase (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 1)

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Living in the shadow of a legend has its drawbacks.

Every aspect of Phoebe Reede’s life has been defined by her father. Caught halfway between being a teen and an adult, she yearns to break free from the weight of expectations surrounding the Reede name.

Her desire for freedom sends her overseas on her first solo journey. There, she finds herself having an unexpected adventure with an unlikely person.

How can she learn who she wants to be and what is nothing more than a phase?

Review

You know, you can’t help but be scared for what you’re about to read when the author’s dedication at the beginning tells fans “I’m sorry”. Sounds ominous, right? Moving on. For those of you who’ve read the Declan Reede series, you’ll know who Phoebe is. For those of you that haven’t, that’s ok, because you can step into Phoebe’s series just fine. She was just four years old in Declan’s series, but in this series she’s an eighteen year old woman trying to figure out who she is away from her father’s fame and talent. She loves her family but is desperate for some alone time, so she embarks on a six week trip across America, which is where she meets Beau.

I liked Phoebe, who I thought was brave and not afraid to speak her mind, but there were times where I thought she was a little too sensitive because of how quickly she would fly off the handle. Like father, like daughter, I suppose. There were also times where I found her to be a little irritating, mainly when she was going on about trying to figure out who she was, or constantly talking about Beau’s accent. And as sexist as this will make me sound, I wasn’t a fan of her crude talk, given her age and the fact that she’s a girl. I know, I know. Feel free to shake your head at me. Now Beau on the other hand I really liked and found to be totally swoon-worthy because he was a true gentleman; perfect for rough-around-the-edges Phoebe. He’s super sweet and a real nice guy, at least up until the end when everything goes horribly wrong. I enjoyed reading their dialogue, which at times was funny, cute and awkward.

“How can I feel this way, Beau? We hardly know each other. It can’t be love.”
“Love don’t know nothin’ of time, darlin’. Or knowledge. It just is.”

PHASE is told only in Phoebe’s POV and is the beginning of a new series, one where the books will not be stand-alones. I would classify PHASE as an instalove, and be warned because it does end in a cliffhanger. While I thought the bulk of the story was nice and sweet and romantic, I also found it to be a little slow, probably because I was expecting the same intensity I found in Declan’s story. But when I got to the end, that changed because the ending was soul crushing and heartbreaking. It left me angry and upset, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days and days. I just kept wondering where Beau and Phoebe will go to from here and praying that they won’t do anything stupid in the next book/s. A book that has me getting emotional about it days later deserves the maximum rating. I can’t wait for the next book, PHOBIC, to come out January next year.

Phase (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 1)

My Rating:

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Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story Series

Cheat (Karma Inc. # 1)

By Gillian Zane

Synopsis

Karma’s a bitch…and her name’s Cassie.

Working for Karma Incorporated might sound like the best job in the world, but there’s one really big catch: you’ve got to die to get it. Cassandra Mercier died at the ripe old age of twenty-one and is now gainfully employed by the Afterlife Corporation as a Karma operative. Her job duties include manifesting bad karma on unsuspecting victims.

Two months into her internship Cassie is promoted and given her first solo case. His name is Bishop and he is a cheat. He needs some bad karma, and Cassie’s the right girl for the job.

Inflicting a bit of payback on this cheat should be easy for Cassie, so she gets permission from her boss to do a little investigating on her own time. Investigating into her living life, the one she can’t seem to remember. The only problem, she is forbidden from doing the digging herself. Afterlife Corporation rule. She can hire someone to look into it for her, though, and that someone turns out to be Drake Greco. She regrets her decision the moment she walks into his office…

Review

I’m not going to go into a lot of depth with my review of CHEAT because it’s a very short novella that is part one of a six part urban fantasy serial, and because it felt more like this was simply an introduction to the story. The main character is Cassie, who was known as Cassandra Mercier before she died. She’s having trouble accepting her new life in Afterlife because she can’t remember her old one, which is not normal. What’s also not normal is how long it took for her to be processed. While it’s against the rules for her to look into her own life and death, she can hire someone else to investigate as long as she doesn’t get caught or reveal who she really is. This is where Drake comes in and helloooo Drake. He’s all dark and mysterious and I am definitely intrigued by him. I’m assuming he’ll be the love interest for Cassie and I can’t wait to see them together.

CHEAT is told only in Cassie’s POV and as I mentioned before, is part one of a six part serial that ends with a little cliffhanger. I’m not sure when the next one will be out, but I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for it.

Cheat (Karma Inc. # 1)

My Rating:

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Karma Inc. Series

Sugar Rush (Sugar Bowl # 2)

By Sawyer Bennett

Synopsis

After posing as an escort for the Sugar Bowl online dating service, Sela Halstead is looking for one thing: payback. She’s closing in on the site’s heartless founder, Jonathon Townsend, and she needs Beckett North, Townsend’s business partner and her lover, by her side. She’d thought that their intimate nights together had forged an unbreakable bond, but after a shocking betrayal, Sela begins to doubt the brilliant bad boy. When push comes to shove, can she trust Beck to do the right thing?

Now that he understands the truth, Beck will stop at nothing to secure the reckoning Sela deserves. But between his desire for her and his disgust for JT, Beck doesn’t exactly have a lot of control over his emotional state. Left with no other choice, he must summon all his discipline to maintain JT’s trust and pretend that they’re still friends. But how far will Beck go to prove his loyalty to Sela? He nearly lost her once. To keep her, Beck might have to kill for her.

Note: Sugar Rush ends on a cliffhanger. Sela and Beck’s story concludes in Sugar Free!

Review

Sawyer Bennett has done it again; SUGAR RUSH had me hooked from beginning to end. I read this in one sitting because it was just that good.

We continue on from where SUGAR DADDY ended, with Sela laying broken on the floor outside of Beck’s apartment after confessing her secret to him…and Beck calling her a liar. Despite the rough start, Beck and Sela find themselves back on solid ground fairly quickly, and that’s all because Beck realises his mistake and makes amends immediately. He owns up to his actions, both to Sela and to her father, and he apologises for them. No excuses, just an apology and a promise to never do it again. He truly is a great guy. But when he hears the entire story from Sela, a little bit if darkness invades his heart and he becomes desperate to make JT pay for his crimes. While both would happily kill him in a heartbeat if they could get away with it, they know they have to play this smart, and with some outside help, a plan is put into action to get JT out of the Sugar Bowl and into the hands of the police.

Usually I find the second book in a trilogy to be a bit boring and mostly filler, but that’s so not the case with SUGAR RUSH. A few shocking and scandalous secrets are revealed in this story, and I have a feeling more are yet to come. I was on the edge of my seat from the moment Beck and Sela came up with their plan to take JT down, praying that their plan wouldn’t backfire and blow up in their faces. And don’t even get me started on that ending, which had my heart racing trying to figure out what the hell was going to happen. SUGAR RUSH is told in dual POVs and is part of a trilogy, so it can’t be read as a stand-alone. As with SUGAR DADDY, SUGAR RUSH ends with a doozy of a cliffhanger that will have you begging for the third and final book, SUGAR FREE, which comes out on October 11. Where this story will take me next, I have no idea, but I’m sure looking forward to the ride.

Please note: This book talks about rape which may be a trigger for some readers.

Sugar Rush (Sugar Bowl # 2)

My Rating:

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Sugar Bowl Series

Filthy Foreign Exchange # 1

By S.E. Hall & Angela Graham

Synopsis

Echo Kelly is loyal to her studies, family, and aerial artistry. She has no time for or interest in anything else, and is heartbroken when her oldest brother, Sebastian, gets accepted to a study-abroad program— exchanging places with cocky, not-at-all-shy foreign exchange student Kingston Hawthorne.

Kingston Hawthorne had the life every twenty-year-old guy dreams of— endless cash, easy women, and fast cars— until his father ripped it all away, shipping him off to the States and placing him temptingly close to the underage virgin who fascinates him in the most challenging of ways.

With Kingston’s bedroom just a connecting bathroom away from Echo’s, the chemistry between them is even more enticing than the notes he leaves for her on the shower door.

How long can you pretend you’re just friends?

Review

Sometimes it’s nice to sit down with a book that you can just relax with and enjoy, and FILTHY FOREIGN EXCHANGE # 1 was that book. The story and its characters aren’t complex, and I didn’t have to worry about remembering every little detail for possible future reference. It was just a light and easy read.

Echo is a seventeen year old virgin who’s upset that her older brother, Sebastian, has left for England to study abroad for the twelve months. She’s even more upset that they’re getting an exchange student of their own and that he’ll be living with them. She wants to hate Kingston on principle, but after they “meet”, there’s something about him that calls to her. She tries to deny it, but that’s hard to do when he focuses all his charm directly at her. Echo is a loner and comes across as much older than her age most of the time. She’s intelligent and has a very quick wit that she uses against Kingston often. I don’t think we’re told Kingston’s age, but he is in college. He’s cheeky and very playful, and the biggest flirt you’ll ever meet. It’s his flirting that causes tension between them, but that’s just one of the many problems that keeps them apart.

FILTHY FOREIGN EXCHANGE # 1 is told in Echo’s POV only and is the first book in a duet about Kingston and Echo. I would classify this story as being YA. Despite the title, there is absolutely nothing filthy about what goes on in this book. What does that mean? That means there was no sex. Zero. Zilch. Nada. As an Australian, I had no problem deciphering Kingston’s slang, but I can imagine that not everyone would be able to follow it so easily. As I said before, this book was light and easy, which was not a good thing when it came to the cliffhanger, which I thought was a little weak. Will we find out why Kingston was set up and get a reasonable explanation as to why he was sent back to England so soon? I guess I’ll have to read book 2 to find out.

Filthy Foreign Exchange # 1

My Rating:

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Filthy Foreign Exchange Series

Forged In Smoke (Red-Hot SEALs # 3)

By Trish McCallan

Synopsis

Faith Ansell could never be mistaken for an action hero. The scientist is content in her lab, working with her team on life-changing discoveries. But when a mysterious organization captures her colleagues, she’s forced to flee for her life with SEAL Team 7.

Lieutenant Seth “Rawls” Rawlings, ST7’s corpsman, hasn’t been himself since a near-death experience in the Sierra Nevadas. He’s tense and distracted, and the team caught him arguing with himself—loudly. Despite his erratic behavior, Rawls is the only one Faith feels comfortable confiding her life-threatening secret in.

But Rawls has a secret of his own: his wasn’t the only spirit to return to the physical plane when he was resuscitated. At first, Rawls assumed the “ghost” he saw and heard meant he was having a complete mental breakdown. But the apparition soon becomes convincingly real, and what’s more, he may be the key to the conspiracy looming over them. Rawls had better act quickly because ST7’s race to save their reputations—and Faith’s life—is on.

Review

I’m going to start by saying that I’ve been waiting for FORGED IN SMOKE for two and a half years. That’s right, two and a half years. I originally read FORGED IN FIRE (book 1) back in November 2011, and again and along with FORGED IN ASH (book 2) in January 2014. I considered reading them again before reading this one, just to refresh my memory of the characters and events, but I ran out of time. Luckily, FORGED IN SMOKE starts out with a Sitrep and a character list that gives the reader a quick rundown of who’s who and what’s happened so far. It wasn’t perfect, but for the most part I was able to get back into this story fairly easily. In this book, we learn who is behind the attempted hi-jacking, kidnappings, bombings and the framing of SEAL Team 7…and why. The NRO’s plans are nefarious, but they truly believe they’re justified in their actions in order to protect mankind. We also learn that the SEALs have a powerful ally of their own; an ally who has been at war with the NRO for decades, maybe even longer.

I’ll be honest, this is a series where I’m more focused on the mystery, suspense and paranormal aspects of the story rather than the couples and romance, and that still held true here. I thought Faith was a bit of a weak character, and she annoyed me when her inner-monologue used scientific words to describe her physical attraction to Rawls. She’s a scientist, she’s super smart and she’s a geek. We get it. With Rawls, given that he was being haunted by the ghost of the mercenary behind the despicable events of the first two books, his character definitely took centre stage.

FORGED IN SMOKE is part of a series and cannot be read as a stand-alone. While each book is about a different couple, the story arc encompasses the entire series, so you need to read each book in order. As with the previous books, this story is told in the POV of multiple characters, not just Rawls’ and Faith’s. It does come with a HEA, and while it doesn’t really end in a cliffhanger, the story is not finished and will continue on for at least another book. The next book, FORGED IN EMBER, will be about Mac and Amy, and since I’ve been waiting for their story since book 1, I’m really looking forward to it. I can only hope it won’t be another two + years before we see it.

Forged In Smoke (Red-Hot SEALs # 3)

My Rating:

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Red-Hot SEALs Series

Dirty Girl (Dirty Girl Duet # 1)

By Meghan March

Synopsis

Desperately seeking rich, famous, single guy with a giant cock to make my lying, cheating, should’ve-been-born-dickless ex-boyfriend realize what he’s just lost.
Oh, and I give great head. Just sayin’.

No man in his right mind would answer that ad.
Except thousands did.

My name is Greer Karas, and I should never be allowed near another bottle of booze again. Because when I drink, my friend and I do stupid things. Like take a page out of my older brother Creighton’s playbook and post something completely asinine on the Internet. Waking up with a giant hangover to find my humiliating personal ad has gone viral is not my finest moment.

Cue my look of shock when one of Hollywood’s hottest new bad boys, Cavanaugh Westman, comes knocking at my door and drops his pants to prove that he does indeed have a giant cock.
What he doesn’t have is an explanation for why he disappeared from my life without a word three years ago, only to show up on the big screen two years later, killing bad guys in action flicks.

Now he wants me again.
What the hell do I do now?

Review

After reading the synopsis for DIRTY GIRL, it was quickly added to my TBR list. It sounded like it was going to be a witty, funny, sexy and entertaining read, and while the story starts out that way, it quickly turns into something that’s just sex, sex and more sex with a smidgeon of a story thrown in. While that might be perfect for some people, it was a disappointment for me.

I couldn’t connect with Greer, who throughout the entire story tries and fails to stand up for herself. Her lack of strength was evident early on when she slept with Cav within minutes of seeing him for the first time since he left her abruptly, and without a word, three years beforehand. As for Cav, well, it’s hard to like Cav, who thinks that being dominant means treating a woman like a child throwing a tantrum. Thinking and saying things like “she’s begging to be taken in hand”, “she needs a keeper”, and “If your brother isn’t going to keep a leash on you to keep you safe, then I will.” doesn’t come across as dominant in my opinion, but rather controlling and demeaning. I was also not a fan of him calling her a slut or that he turned everything into a threat of sexual punishment. The dom and dirty talk felt cheesy and don’t even get me started on that anal sex scene.

DIRTY GIRL is told in dual POVs, is the beginning of a new series and ends in a cliffhanger. It’s clear that Greer’s brother, Creighton, has had a series written about him before, and if you haven’t read his series you’ll feel like you’re out of the loop in a couple of scenes. DIRTY GIRL is a novella so the story moves at a fairly quick pace, with some of the chapters being only a couple of pages long. It also includes some flashback scenes which I felt weren’t worked into the story in a seamless way. If you like stories that involve bullying men and an abundance of sex, then you’ll enjoy this one. Sadly, it wasn’t for me, and I was really looking forward to enjoying this one.

Dirty Girl (Dirty Girl Duet # 1)

My Rating:

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Dirty Girl Series

Hook (Duplicity Duet # 1)

By Elisabeth Grace

Synopsis

Women loathed me without even knowing my name. Men coveted the very idea of me.

Escort. Call girl. Prostitute. Hooker. Wh*re.

I’d heard it all. Done it all.

Over the years I’d felt a lot of things about my occupation…but not regret–never regret. I had my reasons for doing what I did and nothing and no one had ever made me question them.

UNTIL MARCO VALENTI.

He’d changed me and I’d naively fed into the fairy tale.

But Marco wasn’t my Prince Charming. He had secrets of his own. Secrets that would eventually rip away everything I held dear.

Review

Wow!! As bad as this pun is going to sound, HOOK had me hooked. I don’t know exactly when it happened, all I know is that I did not want to put this book down. I can’t say much about the story without giving away spoilers, but what I can tell you is that “Brandi” is a high-end escort and she has a very good reason for being one. She is a woman who is strong, loving and determined. Marco is her latest client, and he scares her because she finds herself attracted to him like no-one else before. He appears to be every woman’s dream, but it’s obvious early on that he’s hiding something. His promises and declarations have her believing that even someone like her could have a happily ever after, but after she gives him the final piece of herself, her reason for living is taken from her in the most horrible way, and Marco is involved.

HOOK is told only in “Brandi’s” POV, is part of a duet and comes with a cliffhanger; and what a cliffhanger it was. The story itself is a little slow at times and not a lot really happens, but that’s what makes the ending that much more explosive. While the cliffhanger was completely unexpected, it was believable because it fit with the story. I’m glad I didn’t read this when it first came out, because having to wait three months for the finale would have sucked…big time. Thankfully I only have to wait a week, as BURN comes out on July 26th. For now, I’ll leave you with these powerful words that make up the ending.

The lies and half-truths splintered my fragile heart into jagged pieces of glass that ripped me apart from the inside out. The eyes of the man I thought loved me bore down from above, and the realization hit that he was the one responsible.
He did this.
My heart was a kiln that hardened my despair and transformed it into a rage so monstrous it couldn’t be contained. I’ve been forged in fire and born anew.
He would pay.
They all would.
I’d burn this whole cesspool of a city to the ground until I’d exacted revenge on all of them.
Every. Single. Fucking. One.

Hook (The Duplicity Duet # 1)

My Rating:

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Duplicity Duet Series

Burning Choice (Trevor’s Harem # 3)

By Aubrey Parker

Synopsis

I’ve been in this billionaire’s game for a month — but something changed when half my competition was eliminated.

It feels less like a contest now … and more like an experiment.

I shouldn’t have made it past the first round. I don’t know how I did; I’m not special like the others. When I ask Daniel, he just tells me it’s complicated. Then he talks about brain chemistry, how love and sex are an addiction. He tells me how wild animals claim mates, and how he’s claimed me.

The stakes are higher.

The competition is fiercer.

I should have been kicked out long ago, but Daniel tells me I might be the needle in the haystack the company has been looking for.

Sometimes I’m afraid of them all, even of Daniel.

But It’s like I’m on a tether. I couldn’t leave if I wanted to.

Review

So I’m now three books into this series and even though I know a lot more than what I did when I started reading book one, I still don’t understand what is going on or what it is I’m reading.

Here’s what I know:
1 – Three more girls have been eliminated and somehow, despite not playing the game, Bridget is still in the running.
2 – We know that Daniel wanted Bridget in the contest to punish and humiliate her for something she did as a child. Pathetic much?
3 – We know that Halo is the program that runs the house and that it decides who stays and who goes.
4 – Everybody involved in the contest knows that Bridget and Daniel are sleeping together and yet they’re not removed.

Here’s what I don’t know:
1 – Who Caspian White is and why he’s so interested in the contest and Halo, or why everyone fears him and bends over backwards for him.
2 – I don’t know what it is Halo and the board are looking for. They’re looking for something/someone special that will make them a lot of money, but how these games will help them find it, I don’t know.
3 – I don’t know how the villain, Kylie, is getting access to computers to hack classified information about Bridget and what is going on in the house.

BURNING CHOICE is told in dual POVs, but again is mostly told in Bridget’s POV. It’s the third book in a four part serial, so it cannot be read as a stand-alone. Since I still can’t make sense of anything, I’m hoping it’ll all become clear in the fourth and final book. I have to admit, I’m getting more frustrated and less intrigued with each book. I wonder if I should give up, but I feel like I’ve invested too much time in this to give up now. So, onto the fourth book I go.