Tag Archives: Kindle Unlimited/Paperback

Quick Trick (Rough Riders Hockey # 1)

By Skye Jordan

Synopsis

Infamous Rough Riders’ playboy Grant Saber has been sidelined for a bum shoulder. If he has to be off the ice for three weeks of recovery, he‘ll do it on his back—breaking in a new wanna-be cowgirl every night. But pressure from the team’s owner and Grant’s parents land him in his hometown of Holly, North Carolina instead. Things look up when he learns the hometown beauty who was once so out of his league is now single, and sexier than ever. Determined to slip in a night with her while he’s in town, Grant is shocked to discover one will never be enough.

Faith Nicholas has no interest in the newest Saber-son gossip. After losing her father just months before, she is now on the verge of losing their family hardware store—which is also her home. She couldn’t care less about the Saber’s big money or flashy toys. But she can’t seem to keep Grant out of her store–or her dreams. His magnetic charisma is impossible to ignore, and the longer he stays in town, the more she finds to love about a man who isn’t as superficial as he’d like others to believe.

With a struggling store, four-hundred miles and a rigorous hockey season looming between them, Grant will have to pull out his very best moves if he’s going to make this quick trick last forever.

Review

QUICK TRICK is the story of Faith, home town sweetheart, and Grant, NHL superstar reluctantly home for the first time in eight years.

I liked Faith, who was feisty and didn’t take crap from anyone, especially from Grant. She’s very well liked in her home town, even more so after she gave up college to come home and care for her dying father, a man who was very respected. I liked Grant as well, who’s your typical sports star manwhore, so used to women falling at his feet that he had no idea how to win over a woman of substance. He’s cocky and arrogant, but he’s also a nice guy to those he truly cares about. I liked the buildup to their romance and thought Grant’s attempts at getting a date were cute and sweet. I felt the conflict between them at the end was believable and I liked how it was resolved.

QUICK TRICK is told in dual POVs and is the first book in the Rough Riders Hockey series. While I wouldn’t call it a novella, it is a fairly quick read, although I never felt like the story was moving too fast, so that’s good. However I did have a couple of issues with this story. Firstly, there was no real resolution between Grant and his family; instead that situation felt like a loose end, and I’m not a fan of loose ends. Secondly, if you’re expecting to read about Grant playing NHL games and bonding with his teammates, you’ll be disappointed because apart from Grant helping out with the town’s junior hockey teams, there’s no hockey in this story at all. Despite that, I thought this was a nice, easy and enjoyable read that left me wanting to read the next book in the series.

Quick Trick (Rough Riders Hockey # 1)

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Rough Riders Hockey Series

The Sapphire Heist (Jewel # 2)

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By Lauren Blakely

Synopsis

Keep your lover close and your enemy closer…

After giving in to a fiery night of passion, island adventurer Steph Anderson and bounty hunter Jake Harlowe are back to square one. With millions in stolen jewels at stake, it’s hard for Steph not to question her new partner’s true motives—no matter how sexy he might be. Jake is hungry for more of Steph, but he can sense her growing mistrust, which only fuels his own doubts. Worse, there’s undeniable evidence that someone else is now after the jewels—and that they are both in real danger.

Fighting against their magnetic attraction is a distraction these two can’t afford. In order to survive, they’ll have to pull off one more heist—and trust each other with something even more precious than jewels: their hearts.

Review

THE SAPPHIRE HEIST continues on from where THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR finished, with Steph believing Jake stole from her after they spent the night together. As with the first book, a lot of the story revolves around their trust issues; Steph doesn’t trust Jake, which upsets him and then Jake doesn’t trust Steph, which upsets her. It’s hard to connect with characters or believe their chemistry when they’re always doubting each other. Steph is still struggling to accept that her stepfather could be a criminal, despite all the evidence that’s right in front of her. Ultimately, this book was pretty much the same as the first book, just with a bit more mystery, a few more bad guys and some scuba tours thrown in.

THE SAPPHIRE HEIST is told in dual POVs and cannot be read as a stand-alone; if you’re going to read this book, you need to read THE SAPPHIRE AFFAIR first. As with book 1, I wouldn’t call this a novella, but it is a fairly quick read and again I found myself skipping sections of the inner monologue. As I got towards the end, I was worried that we’d be going into a third book because the end was rapidly approaching and we didn’t have a conclusion yet. But the stolen jewels were recovered and the ending moves extremely quick after that. Overall, I thought these two stories were ok, but not great, and I probably won’t be reading any more of this series, should there end up being more books.

The Sapphire Heist (Jewel # 2)

My Rating: 1/2

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Jewel Series

The Sapphire Affair (Jewel # 1)

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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)

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Jewel Series

Until We Collide

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By Charlotte Fallowfield

Synopsis

What do you do when the guy you’re in love with is seeing someone else?

That’s the dilemma facing Paige Taylor. All of her life she’s only ever had eyes for the gorgeous Alec Wright, but despite their undeniable chemistry, their timing has always been off. Fast approaching her thirtieth birthday, Paige despairs of ever finding love and a happy ever after. Her best friend Poppie tells her that she can either watch life pass her by, or grab it with both hands. She convinces Paige to throw herself back into the dating pool, or she could be waiting for Alec forever.

What Paige didn’t expect was the catalogue of dating disasters to follow. A neck brace, jelly fish, stitches, flashing and an encounter with a gorilla were some of the most memorable. Despite some downright hilarious, humiliating and cringe worthy dates, her biological clock is ticking and Paige is determined to keep trying until she finds the one. Was Alec Wright always her Mr. Right, or is he still out there waiting to be found?

Join Paige in her quest to find the ultimate prize. Love.

Review

First off, I want to say that I did enjoy this book. I really did. However, I would not classify UNTIL WE COLLIDE as a romantic comedy. Was there comedy? Yes. Paige is a walking disaster who ends up dating the worst kind of men imaginable and finds herself in some highly embarrassing situations. Her best friend, Poppie, is an absolute delight and a great source of laughs as well. That being said, take out those few scenes and I found this book to be sad and depressing. Why? Because it took Paige and Alec thirteen years to finally come together. Yep, you read that right…thirteen years. It’s lust at first sight when they meet when Paige was just seventeen and Alec was twenty-one. But from that moment on, they’re separated by boyfriends, girlfriends, work, miscommunications and a shitload of bad luck and bad timing.

I liked Paige, who I think tried really hard to move on from Alec. She’s a wonderful woman with an amazing career, who simply wants to fall in love, get married and have a family. It’s a simple dream, which makes it all the more heartbreaking that she spends all those years chasing it. Since this story is only told in Paige’s POV, it’s hard to get a read on Alec, especially since we don’t really see a great deal of him. He annoyed me when he made Paige wait six years before telling her he wanted her again. Paige spent those six years completely single while he slept around with a huge number of women. When she finally decides to quit waiting for him and starts getting serious with another guy, that’s when he decides to make his move. I also felt bad for the woman he strung along for years while waiting and hoping for another chance with Paige.

As I mentioned above, UNTIL WE COLLIDE is told only in Paige’s POV and is a stand-alone. The story takes place over thirteen years, with the epilogue taking place about seventeen years later. I’m trying to remember if there was any sex, but I don’t think there was. I think it was all done behind closed doors. It does come with a HEA for Paige and Alec, and if you can handle reading about years of missed opportunities, then I’d recommend picking this one up.

Until We Collide

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Barely Yours

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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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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)

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Filthy Foreign Exchange # 2

By S.E. Hall & Angela Graham

Synopsis

The conclusion to Echo and Kingston’s story.

When Echo Kelly is invited on a backpacking trip throughout the UK, she jumps at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, refusing to let one fleeting past exchange stop her.

At least, that’s what she’s convinced herself of, until the moment she sees him again. It’s not the one-time “run-in” she was expecting, and therefore prepared to handle.

Instead, it’s an announcement she never saw coming…he’s the tour guide.

She’s got no backup plan for that.

Kingston knew what it meant the moment Echo accepted the offer. And when he lays eyes on her, standing in his childhood home, her fate is sealed forever. There’s not a damn thing that will stop him from finally claiming what’s always been his.

Her.

Not everyone gets a second chance—and Kingston Hawthorne sure as hell isn’t going to let his slip away.

Review

I bought FILTHY FOREIGN EXCHANGE # 2 as soon as I finished book 1, because it ended in a cliffhanger and I wanted to see how Kingston & Echo’s story ended. Why was Kingston framed? Why did he leave so suddenly? Why didn’t he defend himself? I thought I’d get answers to those questions in this book, so I was disappointed to get to the end and realise that no, I wouldn’t be getting those answers. We never found out why Kingston was framed or if the real perpetrators were ever punished, and I hate loose threads like that. Instead, the book starts about a year later with Echo on her way to the UK for a backpacking adventure provided by Kingston’s mother’s charitable foundation. Echo is still hung up on Kingston, but she denies it to herself and anyone that will listen, and Kingston is determined to win her back, but she’s angry and refuses to listen to anything he has to say. This is what makes up most of the story.

While I was able to read this in pretty much one sitting, I found I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous book. I can’t really describe it, but it’s like there was a huge switch between books 1 and 2, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. When Kingston fled the US, Echo’s parents hated him, but flash forward a year and they seem to like him, but they’ve never explained their change of feelings to Echo. In book 1, Kingston’s father is made out to be a mean SOB, but when we meet him here, he’s really very nice and clearly loves his son. Echo seemed very mature for her age in book 1, but acts a little childish in this book. As I said, I can’t really explain it, but it’s almost like nothing was the same, if that makes sense. The story isn’t terrible, but this was not the conclusion I was looking for, although it does come with a HEA. This is book 2 in a duet about Kingston and Echo, so it can’t be read as a stand-alone. I think Echo’s brother might get his own book, but I don’t think I’ll be reading it.

Filthy Foreign Exchange # 2

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Filthy Foreign Exchange 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

Royal Date (The Royals Of Monterra # 1)

By Sariah Wilson

Synopsis

This Cinderella didn’t plan on a prince . . .

Kat MacTaggart is a girl who has a plan for everything—including her holiday ski trip to Monterra with her best friend. Everything is going according to plan until she finds herself careening out of control down a mountainside and being rescued by a guy who looks like Superman’s hotter Italian cousin.

HRH Prince Nico is intrigued by the woman he saved on the slopes and her refusal to date him. He offers Kat a deal—let him show her his country and he’ll pay her to write articles that will help Monterra’s tourism industry. Kat agrees, but given her past and lingering distrust of men, she has one condition—absolutely no kissing.

Thanks to the claims of a jealous British noblewoman and the schemes of a meddling paparazzo, Kat’s rule doesn’t seem to be a problem at first. But the more Kat gets to know Nico and the people around him, the harder it is to remember her keep-your-distance plan. Should she stick to it or risk everything for a chance at happily ever after?

Review

What was it with European men? American guys didn’t give me the time of day. But over here I was like some kind of dude catnip.

You know, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this before; one that is an honest-to-God fairytale. Girl meets Boy. Girl tries to deny attraction. Girl finds out that Boy is a prince who wants to take her to his castle and make her his future queen. Sigh.

I really liked both Kat and Nico. Their chemistry was amazing and the romance was sweet. Kat is a twenty-four year old virgin who has never even been kissed. She’s waiting for marriage before giving herself fully to a man, but there’s another reason why she’s never been intimate with a man. She’s intelligent and beyond kind, but she’s not had an easy life and she’s a little naive when it comes to relationships and therefore reacts badly in certain situations. I liked her right from the start when she kept brushing off Nico when they first met. Nico. Oh Nico. If only you were a real man I’d come looking for you in a heartbeat. Handsome, charming, loyal, rich and future king, he’s also very sweet and he always tells the truth. What’s not to like? There were so many things he said in this book that made me swoon that it was hard to pick out just three of my favourite quotes.

“You have only to tell me what dragons need slaying, and I will see to their quick deaths.”

“Why did you come up to me at the lodge?”
“Every other woman in the lobby was preening and made up with fake hair and fake…other body parts and there you sat, uncaring if anyone even noticed you. You were fresh, natural, and obviously intelligent, and I wanted to talk to you.”

“From the moment we met I knew I would fall in love with you.”

ROYAL DATE is told only in Kat’s POV (from memory) and comes with a HEA. This is the beginning of a new series from Sariah Wilson and each book will contain a new love interest for each of the three royal brothers. This book is definitely a fairytale in that there is no sex anywhere within. Not even behind closed doors. Was I waiting and hoping for a love scene? Yes. Yes I was. But the story was enjoyable despite it not having a single one. I will be putting the next two books in this series on my TBR list.

Royal Date (The Royals Of Monterra # 1)

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The Royals Of Monterra Series

The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers # 1)

By Jordan Marie

Synopsis

It was one night. He wasn’t supposed to rock my world.

CC
Gray Lucas is everything I hate in a man.
Cocky, rich, entitled and a player.
He’s a pro athlete and his exploits are legendary—one of which was me.
We had a one-night-stand.
It was wild, passionate, exhilarating and a big mistake.
Except maybe it wasn’t.
Because the more time I spend with him and his crazy family, the more I want him to stay…
But men don’t stay…do they?

Gray
The moment I saw Claudia Cooper again, other women ceased to exist for me.
She’s smart-mouthed, tough-as-nails, and gorgeous. She’s perfect.
I’m the man for her, the only man for her. She just doesn’t know it yet.
I have a reputation for playing hard, fast and dirty.
Love ‘em and Leave ‘em.
What CC doesn’t know yet,
Is that I’m not playing. I’m claiming her.

Take a man who always gets what he wants,
A woman who has learned not to want,
A crazy mother and insane siblings…
And oh yeah add in a skunk just to make things interesting—
And you just might have The Perfect Stroke.

Review

I haven’t read anything from Jordan Marie before, but I was in the mood for a romantic comedy⎯ even if it was about a golfer⎯so I picked this one up. Sadly, while there were the occasional funny scenes, I felt that the mean, bitchy and cruel actions of a few characters really took away from the comedy side of things. Also, when referring back to my notes to write this review, I discovered that I hardly took any, which means that throughout the story, not a lot popped out at me. Overall, it wasn’t a bad read and I was happy to keep reading, but it wasn’t great either.

It took me a while to warm up to Gray, who starts out as a bit of a pig. In his first POV chapter, he admits to sleeping with thousands of women and is shocked that CC is turning him down when there are plenty of women at the bar prettier than her. Then when they meet again a day or two later and he doesn’t recognise her, he was just plain rude and condescending. However, as his feelings for CC grows, he does become more likeable, even though there were times when he would knowingly put CC in a bad situation to serve his own purpose. CC was a much more likeable character. She was easy going and down-to-earth, and for the most part she was able to take care of herself. What I liked most about her was that she was more than able to hold her own with Gray and made it quite clear she wouldn’t put up with his shit. She also had no problem keeping his ego in check.

“Well, I mean, if I was gonna have a one-night stand with a pro athlete, I’d much rather it was football or basketball…something. I mean, at least then I could brag a little. I can’t here.”

THE PERFECT STROKE is told in dual POVs and is the beginning of a new series. Book two will be about Gray’s brother, White, and his best friend, Kayla, and I’m assuming each story will be able to be read as a stand-alone. It’s important to note that this digital version includes two stories, THE PERFECT STROKE and UNJUSTIFIED DEMANDS, and each story takes up about half the book. So don’t freak out when your Kindle says it will take you ten hours to finish the book, because it’ll only take half that.

The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers # 1)

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