Tag Archives: Young Adult

Atone (Recovered Innocence # 2)

By Beth Yarnall

Synopsis

Beau: Six years. That’s how long I spent behind bars for a crime I didn’t commit—the murder of the woman I loved. Now I’m free, but life on the outside is a different kind of prison. I don’t know who I am or who I want to be. At least I have my sister, Cora. She never stopped believing in me. She even got me a job at the private investigation agency that cleared my name. And then Vera Swain walks into Nash Security and Investigations and kicks my world on its ass.

Vera: There’s only one thing that would make me come out of hiding after two years on the run: finding my sister. I made the mistake of telling a monster about her, the same monster who beat me and broke me. Now I’m forced to confide in Beau Hollis of Nash Security and Investigations. He looks at me like he knows me—the real me. He sees too much, makes me feel too much. The pleasure he offers is exciting and addictive. But I can’t fall for him . . . because my love could get us both killed.

Review

After learning about Beau and his wrongful conviction in VINDICATE, I couldn’t wait to read his story in ATONE, and while we do get a glimpse into his story, ATONE focuses mainly on Vera and her quest to save her little sister from the same monster that held her captive for years.

You can’t help but feel for Beau and everything he’s endured. Wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, he spent six years in prison for a crime that all of his friends and family⎯with the exception of his sister⎯thought he was guilty of. Since his release, he struggles with his freedom, as well as the sadness and anger he feels towards Cassandra for her death. He’s in a state of flux and needs something to give his life purpose. Enter Vera, a strong but closed off woman who has a hard time trusting anyone, and that’s certainly to be expected given everything she’s gone through. She trusts Beau with her body, but not with her life story, no matter how hard he tries to get her to open up. These are two very broken people who need each other to heal.

ATONE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. However, I’d recommend reading VINDICATE first to fully understand Beau’s case. I enjoyed reading the book and the dark turns it took, even the shocker that involved Vera’s sister near the end. I honestly didn’t think the author would go down that route, but I do like being kept on my toes. While I enjoyed it, I was left disappointed over the number of unanswered questions I have, which I can’t even voice here as they would be considered spoilers. It’s because of those unanswered questions that I’m only giving ATONE 4 Hearts.

Atone (Recovered Innocence # 2)

My Rating:

Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks

Visit Beth Yarnall: Click Here

Recovered Innocence Series

Anatomy Of A Player (Taking Shots # 2)

By Cindi Madsen

Synopsis

This bad boy is about to get played…

After getting her heart broken by a player again, Whitney Porter is done with men. She’s focusing on her future career and her first assignment at the college newspaper: Posing as a sports writer for an exposé on the extra perks jocks receive. But Hudson Decker, the bad boy of the hockey team, is about to test her resolve. To keep herself from breaking her no-sex rule with the temptingly tattooed athlete, she decides to use him for a side project: Anatomy of a Player, to help Whitney—and women everywhere—spot a player, learn what makes him tick, and how to avoid falling for one.

With his life spiraling out of control, Hudson Decker’s looking for a distraction. When his teammates bet him that he can’t land the gorgeous but prickly new reporter, he accepts the challenge, boasting he’ll have her in bed by the end of the semester. But Whitney is so much more than Hudson expected, and soon enough, he’s in too deep. The last thing he needs is another complication, but staying away isn’t an option. One thing’s for certain: this girl totally throws him off his game.

Review

After discovering her latest boyfriend is nothing but another cheater, Whitney decides to focus more on her classes and her journalistic dreams instead of dating losers. Desperate to get a spot at the campus newspaper, she offers to take on any story and is given the assignment of exposing all the perks and privileges jocks⎯especially those on the hockey team⎯get that the rest of the student body could only dream about. Pretending to be a sports reporter, she meets Hudson, who is exactly the type of “player” she needs to avoid. She’s already been fooled by men with hot bodies who know the perfect thing to say to make a woman melt at their feet, and she has no intention of being just another nameless notch on his bedpost. But the more she resists, the more intrigued he gets. And as they learn more about each other, the more blurred their end games become.

ANATOMY OF A PLAYER addresses some pretty big issues that are sadly a part of the real world, like how some men in influential positions are still sexist towards women, and how the distribution of college funds seems grossly unfair and geared towards sports rather than academics. I liked that those issues were broached, even if I did feel they were left somewhat unresolved. Despite the serious topics, ANATOMY OF A PLAYER is a fairly light read⎯though somewhat predictable and slow⎯that is told in dual POVs. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. The previous couple make appearances, but you don’t really need to know their story to get on board with this one.

Anatomy Of A Player (Taking Shots # 2)

My Rating:

Buy Links:
Amazon.US: Anatomy Of A Player
Amazon.CA:  Anatomy Of A Player
Amazon.UK:  Anatomy Of A Player
Amazon.AU:  Anatomy Of A Player
B&N:  Anatomy Of A Player

Visit Cindi Madsen: Click Here

Leo’s Chance

By Mia Sheridan

Synopsis

Does everyone deserve a second chance? Even someone who lies and deceives to get it?

Do we all have a second chance coming? Even if we play a part in our own destruction?

How hard would you fight to have a second chance at love? A second chance at life? Another chance to tell your own story?

Every love story has two sides. Evie told hers. This time it’s Leo’s chance.

Review

I’m not going to go too much into this one as LEO’S CHANCE is just a companion novel to LEO, this time told in Leo’s POV. What’s different? We get a glimpse into Leo’s therapy sessions. We get a glimpse into his interactions with his mother and we find out what happened to her. We also get two completely different epilogues which are told in Evie’s POV. What’s the same? Pretty much everything else, which is why I found myself a little bored and ended up skipping large sections of the story that were a repeat of what we already knew. At one point I thought about not finishing it, but after putting it down and reading a couple of books in between, I decided to pick it up again and I was glad I did.

Leo’s Chance

My Rating:

Buy Links: Amazon

Visit Mia Sheridan: Click Here

Leo Series

The Score (Off-Campus # 3)

By Elle Kennedy

Synopsis

He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

Review

THE SCORE is your classic story of a manwhore who meets a girl in love with commitment. What happens when these two people end up alone together for one night, and one of them is desperate NOT to do anything wild and reckless and so out of character? Fireworks. That’s what. And it’s not only Dean that brings the dirty to the bedroom; Allie brings in a little bit as well. And I liked it. While she’s not as adventurous as Dean, she’s adventurous enough to keep him coming back for more.

I loved these two. Allie is a very nice girl, one that comes with a kinky side that she’s not afraid to share with her partners. She loves being in a relationship, but she’s more than capable of making independent decisions about her future, and too bad if others don’t like them. How do I describe Dean? He’s rich; he’s cocky; he always gets everything he wants; and he has probably slept with most of the women on campus. Sounds like he’d be awful, right? WRONG!!! He’s…damn it, he’s just an easy guy to like. Yes, he’s rich, but he’s not a spoilt brat. Yes, he’s cocky, but he owns it and it’s part of his charm. Yes, he’s slept with a lot of women on campus, but they all love him so obviously he treats them right. He’s also very smart and very loyal to those nearest and dearest to him.

THE SCORE is told in dual POVs and while it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. There were several laugh out loud moments, as seems to be the norm with this series, but it did have a couple of serious moments. Overall, the book was light and extremely enjoyable to read. Once again, I loved reading the banter between Dean and Allie, as well as Dean and his teammates. THE SCORE is another great read in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, one that’ll have you laughing and crying. You’ll wish you could find a group of guys like this to call your own.

“You realize what you’ve done, right? You’ve officially allowed my best friend to believe I like to shove dildos up my ass.”
“Aw, that’s not true. If anything, Logan is enlightened now. We opened up his mind to the delightful possibilities of anal play.”

The Score (Off-Campus # 3)

My Rating:

Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks

Visit Elle Kennedy: Click Here

Off-Campus Series

Hard Tackle

by Celia Loren

Synopsis

I tell him I’m not interested, that I hate football players, that I’ve already had my life ruined once by an athlete.

I’m not the cheerleader type, and I’m not impressed by his money, his fame, his charm, or his incredible good-looks. And I’m certainly not into the fact that he’s basically about to become my step-brother.

But apparently Jack Stratton doesn’t like to be told no. From what I’ve heard, no woman can resist Tampa Bay’s star tight end.

Needless to say, he’s not used to a girl like me telling him to go f*ck himself.

It’s bad enough our parents are getting married and I have to see him semi-regularly, but now he’s on probation and has to move back in with us to keep from boozing and whoring around too much…

It was easy to hold out before—to escape his advances and deny my own desires—but living under the same roof as Jack Stratton might prove to be harder than I thought…

This full-length Contemporary New Adult Sports Romance Novel is the first book in the Stepbrother Warriors Series. Can be read Stand-Alone. Contains explicit adult content, harsh language, and offensive themes.

My Review:

This was another really enjoyable read from the author for me.

The pace is good, has great central characters with personalities that easily made me connect with them especially Bree and her mother. I must also say her new step father I particularly liked and it was great to not have all the over the top drama that some other stepbrother stories seem to have. This felt a little more mature perhaps again because Bree came across as being quite mature for her age being that she has helped her mum in her business.

Bree is head strong, independent and also quite realistic about life and love and has all the usual hang ups and secret loves. It was interesting to follow her and Jacks no attachment rules play out and you kind of know how that will turn out with misunderstandings and the usual love drama.

Fair Warning cliffhanger of sorts at the end which introduces a whole new set of questions and new characters and I will definitely be following this series.

Hard Tackle (Stephbrother Warriors #1)

My rating:

Buy Links:

www.amazon.com: Hard Tackle
www.amazon.com.au: Hard Tackle
www.amazon.ca: Hard Tackle
www.amazon.co.uk. : Hard Tackle

Visit Author: Celia Loren

The Aftermath (The Hurricane # 2)

By R.J. Prescott

Synopsis

Cormac “The Hurricane” O’Connell’s star is on the rise. Billed as the most promising young boxer of his generation, his new career is taking him to places he never dreamed. But O’Connell only needs one thing in life: his wife. In her final year of college, Em cannot follow him around the world but together they make it work. Just when everything they ever wanted is on the horizon, the past resurfaces to haunt them, and O’Connell realizes that justice might not be a part of his happy ever after. He couldn’t protect Em once before, but in the aftermath of the hurricane, he will make sure that never happens again.

Review

THE AFTERMATH is another great read from R.J. Prescott and continues on with Con and Emily’s story from THE HURRICANE. Em’s abuser is awaiting trial, but that doesn’t stop him from taunting her from jail. And with the trial coming up, she’s being forced to recount everything that was done to her and it really takes its toll. But she’s not dealing with it alone anymore; she now has Con by her side and he will do anything to protect her.

It’s rare to find a book where both the male and female leads win me over in equal measure. This is one of those rare books because both Con and Em are amazing. Despite all that she’s endured, Em has the strength to place her trust in not just one person, but several people. She gives Con a real purpose in life and makes him a better man⎯a man he never thought he could be. And Con? He makes her feel safe, protected and cherished, something she hasn’t had for a very long time. She is his heart and he is her safe haven, and they compliment each other perfectly.

Con: “Happy birthday, baby.”
Em: “Best birthday ever.”
Con: “How do you know? You’ve only just woken up.”
Em: “Because it’s the first birthday I’ve ever woken up with you.”

THE AFTERMATH is told in Con’s POV, with the epilogue being told in Em’s. Now that Con and Em have their HEA, the series has been left open for Con’s friends to get their own stories. His friends, Tommy, Kieran and Liam, are great and their camaraderie and wicked banter really help lighten up what could have been a very dark story. The paintball scene? Hilarious. I didn’t want to put this book down and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

The Aftermath (The Hurricane # 2)

My Rating:

Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks

Visit R.J. Prescott: Click Here

The Hurricane Series

Disrespectful Diva (DJ Series # 2)

By Helen J. Barnes

Synopsis

Join Tara, better known as DJ DisDiva, and her best friend, Shazza, on a clubbing tour across the UK. Tara is living the champagne lifestyle as London’s hottest female DJ, producer and sound engineer. Her weeks are spent in the studio and her weekends spent clubbing it up, being paid for the pleasure. She is signed to one of the UK’s biggest record labels after the owner, Pops, takes pity on a down and out college student. One with a bad attitude, nothing but the clothes on her back and a head full of dreams of one day being the best DJ on the scene.

I think it’s safe to say, after a turbulent battle to the top, Tara deserves her time to shine. And shine she does, until her world gets thrown into a spin when Pops hires Dominic Clayton to manage the Xtreem radio station. He wastes no time in mixing things up and making his mark on the label.

Dominic’s reputation rivals even Tara’s and she knows there’s a good reason her best friend keeps warning her to avoid the sexy, yet arrogant, bastard. But how much can you avoid someone when you have to work with them? When they seem to show up everywhere you go. With a cocky smirk and devastatingly sexy green eyes, there is only so much temptation a girl can withstand before caving in and dancing with the devil. The only problem is, everyone knows, mixing business with pleasure is always a bad idea.

Review

Tara (a.k.a. Dis Diva) is currently living large, having risen through the ranks to be one of the most requested DJs in London. With her BFF, Shazza, at her side, they’re taking the world by storm. But their world gets turned upside down when Tara’s mentor and father-figure, Pops, hires his soon-to-be stepson, Dominic, to manage their station. They’ve heard of him and his bad reputation and want nothing to do with him. Sparks fly though when Tara and Dom first lock eyes on each other and bad reputation or not, she wants him. But with that single glance, Tara’s security quickly falls apart as relationships, friendships and loyalties are tested.

DISRESPECTFUL DIVA is part of the DJ series but it can be read as a stand-alone. You meet the couple from the previous book, but the events from their book have no impact on this one. It’s told mostly in Tara’s POV with a portion or two being told in Dom’s POV. The language is a little hard to get used to and I think anyone not English or Australian might have a problem understanding some of the words and phrases. The drama between Tara, Shazza and Dom was a little too bitchy for my liking and I didn’t like Tara’s bad attitude towards Dom, all because she liked him when she didn’t want to. If I was Dom, I would have given up and moved on. He’s a patient man that’s for sure. As you know, almost all romance novels have their major conflict right near the end, where it then gets resolved quickly and then BAM!!! Book over. But not so in DISRESPECTFUL DIVA. The major conflict between Tara and Dom happens around the 50% mark, was then resolved in a believable timeframe, after which the story moved on until we get our ultimate HEA. I thought that was really unique and I liked it a lot.

Disrespectful Diva (DJ Series # 2)

My Rating:

Buy Links:
Amazon.US: Disrespectful Diva
Amazon.CA:  Disrespectful Diva
Amazon.UK:  Disrespectful Diva
Amazon.AU:  Disrespectful Diva

Visit Helen J. Barnes: Click Here

Vindicate (Recovered Innocence # 1)

By Beth Yarnall

Synopsis

Cora: I got my driver’s license on my sixteenth birthday so I could visit my brother in prison. Five and a half years later, he’s still locked up for a murder he didn’t commit and I’m still trying to find a way to set him free. Then I hear about Nash Security and Investigation, a private detective agency that helped exonerate a wrongfully convicted man after thirty-nine years in prison. The problem? They’ve already taken on the one pro-bono case they’ll accept this year.

Leo: I’m this close to finishing law school—and never working another day at my dad’s P.I. office—when Cora Hollis walks through the door. She’s got a box of files, a handful of leads, and an independent streak a mile wide. She fascinates me and I can’t say no. Suddenly I’m volunteering to help her find a missing witness who could be the key to her brother’s case. But nothing is what it seems and giving in to the attraction between us could be more dangerous than finding the real murderer.

Review

Cora knows her brother, Beau, did not brutally murder his high-school sweetheart when he was eighteen. But the jury (and everyone else) thinks he did and sent him to prison for life, with no possibility of parole. Now Beau is twenty-three and is a far cry from the fun-loving teen he used to be. He’s resigned to spending his life in prison and insists Cora forget about him and his case and just move on with her life. Unsure of her next move, Cora hears about a PI firm that recently proved the innocence of a man sent to jail nearly four decades ago. With her own box of case files, she walks into their office offering to work for them for free if they agree to investigate her brother’s case. There she meets the PI’s son, Leo, who hates working at his father’s firm but helps out on cases during his summer breaks. He’s initally drawn to her looks, but after hearing her emotional plea, he truly wants to help and agrees to take on all the legwork if his father takes this case.

Leo: I’m a pale imitation of my father. She knows it and I know it. What she doesn’t know is that I’ll work my ass off for her.

Cora is determination personified. While fighting for her brother, she’s lost family and friends, even her parents. She doesn’t date. She doesn’t go to school. Her entire life is about her brother’s case and proving him innocent. Leo is a young man focused on three things: college; getting away from his father’s PI firm; and girls. Lots of girls. But that changes when he meets Cora and she quickly becomes very important to him. He wants to make her smile and he wants to win this case for her. Simply put, he wants to be her hero.

VINDICATE was a great read and a real whodunit right until the end. I read this book in one sitting, staying up way past midnight just to finish it. The story is told in dual POVs with the epilogue being told in Beau’s POV, which was short, sweet and a perfect way to end the book. I can’t wait to read his story in ATONE. This is one of those stories where the romance sort of takes a back seat, where solving the case is what keeps you turning the pages. From memory, apart from getting to third base, there’s no sex in this book. But as I said, there’s a mystery to be solved, danger to avoid, a man to prove himself worthy, and the occasional funny scene thrown in.

Leo: “Holy shit. That could’ve been us.”
Cora: “I know. You saved us.”
Leo: “Focus on that and not the part where I blacked out like a wuss.”

Vindicate (Recovered Innocence # 1)

My Rating:

Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks

Visit Beth Yarnall: Click Here

Recovered Innocence Series

Leo (Leo # 1)

By Mia Sheridan

Synopsis

Evie and Leo met in foster care as children and formed a bond of friendship. As they grew, their bond turned to love, and they vowed to make a life together when they turned 18 and were no longer a part of the system.

When Leo unexpectedly gets adopted as a teen and moves to another city, he promises Evie that he will contact her as soon as he gets there and come back for her in a few short years. She never hears from him again.

Now eight years later, in spite of the odds, Evie has made a life for herself. She has a job. She has friends. She’s content. Then a man shows up out of the blue, claiming that her long lost love, Leo, sent him to check up on her. The attraction between them is undeniable. But, should she trust this sexy stranger? Or is he keeping a secret about what his connection to Leo is really all about and why Leo disappeared all those years ago?

THIS IS A STANDALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY LEO. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Review

At the tender ages of fourteen and fifteen, Evie and Leo love each other very much. They’ve known each other for a few years and have formed a bond that is unbreakable. They’re older beyond their physical years given all they endured prior to being placed in foster care. They have plans to stay together forever, until Leo is adopted by a wealthy couple and moved across the country. Before he leaves, he promises he’ll write to Evie everyday and will come back for her when she’s eighteen to start their lives together. But after he leaves, she’s left heartbroken when she never hears from him and he never returns, breaking every promise he ever made to her. When Jake enters her life eight years later with information about Leo, hurt is not a strong enough word for what she’s feeling. Attraction is another word not strong enough to describe her feelings towards Jake. But how will she cope when she learns the truth about Jake and Leo?

Evie is an amazing woman who was dealt a crappy hand in life, but she didn’t let it break her. Those who take the time to really see her know how special and amazing she is. She works hard for everything she has and is loyal to her friends; people she considers her family. Leo also had a rough upbringing that sadly didn’t get any better after he was adopted. But where Evie made positive life choices despite all the negativity, Leo didn’t, and it caused him to spiral for years until an accident forces him to take a good look at his life. Jake’s connection to Leo was obvious, but I don’t think the surprise twist was really supposed to be that surprising, given the title of the book and all.

LEO is another great read from Mia Sheridan, which if my quick investigation is accurate, appears to be her debut novel. It’s a story that alternates between past and present events and while it is a stand-alone, there is a companion novel, LEO’S CHOICE, that is told in Leo’s POV. The story talks about child abuse and rape, so take caution if these are triggers for you. But there are moments of levity; the stalker/creeper jokes between Jake and Evie are funny and those scenes helped lighten up the book a little. And of course, the story comes with a beautiful HEA.

Leo (Leo # 1)

My Rating:

Buy Links: Amazon

Visit Mia Sheridan: Click Here

Leo Series

Among The Debris (Son of Rain # 2)

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Clay Jacobs and Evie Meyers are on the run. Together. Being hunted is almost worth it, so long as that remains true. It’s too much to hope that it can last.

Only weeks after their reunion in Salem, his family strikes, and Clay is torn from his lover’s arms once again. Alone, his certainty in their love falters. Everything he thought was true is called into question. Could his family be right? Could he have been caught in Evie’s spell?

Clay’s obsession with finding the truth leads him on a hunt across the globe. The answer will either bring him closer to freedom or destroy the remnants of his shattered heart. His quest may prove more difficult than he imagines when some people will go to any lengths to keep the truth hidden.

Review

Clay and Evie are finally reunited, but their reunion is short lived when Clay’s family tracks them down and tears them apart again. This time it’s Evie who’s running, leaving Clay alone, miserable and confused as to why she ran. Despite his conflicting emotions, he remains disenchanted with his family and the Rain and wants nothing to do with any of them. But he still needs information, so he convinces his family that he needs to get away to re-evaluate his life. They let him leave the country to work in their offices in England, which gives him free reign to track down a woman mentioned in Evie’s file and hopefully find the truth about the Phoenix/Sunbird.

While Clay’s family is constantly pointing out all the ways he has betrayed them, I suspect their betrayal goes way deeper-so deep and unimaginable that he can’t see it even though it’s staring him in the face. And if I’m right and when Clay finds out, I don’t know how he’ll ever be able to forgive them. At this point in time, I think Ethan is the only family member who has the potential to redeem himself. We meet Toni, the daughter of the Rain’s Oxford leader, who shares Clay’s belief that not all Others are evil and should be killed on sight. She has a dry sense of humour that was fun to read and gave Clay a reason to smile again. With her help, he’s able to retrieve the artefacts he needs to learn more about Evie’s heritage-artefacts that are hidden by the Rain in order to prevent their operatives from knowing the truth.

AMONG THE DEBRIS continues on from BESIEGED BY RAIN and runs almost parallel to RISE FROM ASH, book 2 in the Daughter Of Fire series. The Daughter Of Fire series is told in Evie’s POV, while the Son Of Rain series is told in Clay’s POV. Clay’s books don’t end at the exact moment that Evie’s books do, and I think it’s because of this I was a bit thrown by the timeline. It was easy with the first two books, but now we’re four books in so it took me a little while to get back on track as to what happened to who and in what book. But other than that, AMONG THE DEBRIS is another great read in both series. It’s so heartbreaking to see a couple that are destined to be together, yet they’re torn apart because others are so blinded by hate.