Beautiful Broken Promises by Kimberly Lauren

I must admit that I am fangirling on Kimberly Lauren right now. Every time she publishes a book I make sure I buy it and read it within 24 hours. I loved both of the previous novels to Beautiful Broken Promises and could not wait to see what Lane was hiding. I was not prepared for this story, so yes tears were shed but it still made my night.

I want to avoid giving too much away about the story because I enjoyed being surprised to discover the source of Lane's heartache. In Beautiful Broken Mess, Lane is portrayed as this giant who protects Aubrey, physically and emotionally. So when we discover that the reason he is so distant and secretive is because he feels like a failure for not protecting someone he loved we better understand the depths of his pain and his affection for his friend. He possessed a maturity that the other characters are lacking in the previous book but here we see that he is not infallible and he allows the weight of his burdens to hinder his good judgment. In spite of that, Lane is still the more systematic and calculating member of his new found family. Although there is a moment when Jaxon has the cooler head and gets Lane out of trouble that I found endearing.

Lane's story continues after Aubrey and Jace have had their baby. The novel moves away from the college romance and focuses on how this group is maturing and embracing adulthood. There is still a silliness to the story and some comic relief, largely thanks to my girl Emerson, who is now begging her husband for a family. The beginning of the story focuses on what Lane has lost, the extent to which he has gone to regain it, what happens when he finds it, and what he gains in his discovery. There is the road trip element in this story which I always enjoy because the characters are faced with new challenges in each setting. Lane travels from Texas, to Mexico, to California, then New York.

We get to meet Lane's parents and a new interest, Raegan. She is young, disoriented, naive and riddled with guilt and self-doubt. She is driven by a singular focus that Lane threatens. Facing this challenge, Lane and Raegan connect; he with her because she returns what he lost, and she with him because she is unwilling and unable to give up what has been hers to protect. Their union is built on sacrifice and compassion. At one point he tells her, "I wish I had found you sooner so I could love you longer." Kimberly Lauren weaves a beautiful love story for Lane, which he deserves.

Into the Deep by Samantha Young

I read On Dublin Street over a year ago and once finished I knew that I had to read any and everything that Samantha Young published. I am always a little on the fence about new adult romance because I prefer my book boyfriends to be established gentlemen (or hot, sexy, alpha male, badass bikers). Imagine my surprise at discovering Jake Caplin to be a rather mature and self-assured charmer. I have had Into the Deep in my cue to read for some time now and with the recent release of Out of the Shallows I figured now was as good a time as any other. 

Into the Deep is the story of Jake and Charley, a young couple who meet again at a study abroad in college after a heartbreaking separation that happened when they were teenagers. Jake is firmly attached to a new girlfriend and Charley is unable to trust Jake four years after their break up. Both Jake and Charley have best friends who are with them on this adventure in Edinburgh and they end up spending time together with their collective group. Somehow in the midst of all of this mingling, things get complicated: Jake wants to make amends with Charley without hurting his girlfriend and Charley wants closure with Jake but knows she could very well get hurt again in the process. In the meantime, Charley is quite fetching and manages to attract the attention of the lead singer of a band who also happens to be friends/roommates with Jake. See? Complicated.

Into the Deep is definitely a page-turner. Jake and Charley are a couple you want to know more about, you want to see what happens. In truth, I despise love triangles. I personally do not bother with the complicated. I am an all in or walk away type of girl. So I found myself urging Charley to not listen to her heart and walk away from Jake throughout the story. The wonderful thing about the structure of this story is that the reader does not immediately know how Jake hurt Charley, we just know that he did. The first two-thirds of the book alternates between the present day and four years ago. We toggle between their reconnection and their initial introduction and burgeoning romance. This configuration allows the reader to see how incredible Jake is without holding too strong a grudge against him. Charley often comments on his maturity and charm and all of the things about him that led her to give him her heart. So by the time we do discover the awful truth the hurt and heartbreak is felt from both parties. The scene encapsulates the hurt Charley feels at the words and actions Jake renders while also capturing how much pain he feels in giving them to her. It is harrowing and enchanting all at the same time.

Charley is a strong-willed heroine who unfortunately suffered heartbreak much too early. She is fortunate to have a close-knit family and group of friends that add a lot of body to this story. I found myself laughing out loud at a good deal of the banter between the friends. The secondary characters are really good at helping Charley and Jake come to terms with all that they are dealing with, placing a multitude of perspectives on what happened between them four years ago and what is happening with them in the present day. Top all of this off with the beautiful and always bewitching setting of Scotland and Into the Deep is a lovely story. QUOTABLE: "I knew after weeks of meeting you that I was never going to love another girl like I love you. You're it for me. They write books about what we have." Whew!

Beautiful Broken Mess (Broken Series, Book #2) by Kimberly Lauren

This time around we get Jace's story. If I'm bring honest, I liked Jace better than I did Jaxon, even in the first book. We also get a better understanding of Audrey, the misunderstood vixen in Jaxon and Emerson's story.

Audrey has had a rough life: enduring an abusive father, abandoned by her mother, and getting pregnant and married while in high school. Now she is attending the same school as Jace and trying to find a way into his life. Jace is haunted by fleeting memories of his brief time with Audrey. He wants her, has wanted her for four years. He faces some other melodrama in his life that also puts a hitch in his wagon. Somehow, circumstance presents roadblocks in their journey to be together and these two have to figure out a way to get past all of the nonsense. All of the characters from the first book are back and they either make trouble or just join in in the fun.

Plus we get to meet Audrey's new companion Lane, a rather large and sexy man whore.

Once again Kimberly Lauren presents the hooker with a heart of gold heroine for readers to judge and the holier-than-thou Riley brothers to redeem her. Audrey is back but we find out that she made mistakes and doesn't want to apologize as much as she just wants to get her story out there so they'll stop judging her. Jace is still the sexy, intelligent twin but makes the same mistakes his brother did by not trusting the people around him for guidance. He does reveal a dominant side that I am all for hearing more about. I love that he knows how much Audrey wants him to take control and does so with a smile. When we're not dealing with the theatrical guilty feelings, we get to enjoy some pretty hot rendezvous between these two. The story dragged at times and I put my reader down more times than I care to admit. Another bright spot in the story is Emerson is still around and she is funnier than ever. She has a few more one-liners in this story than she did in her own. She is still slutty in a fun-loving way but her comedic relief takes away from the drama of so much history between Jace and Audrey. Admittedly, I was not as enamored with this book as I was the first but it is still enjoyable and I'm looking forward to Lane's story and discovering what secrets he's been keeping.

The Edge of Always by JA Redmerski 4/5 Stars

The irony of being single and reading books about hot, sexy, badass alpha males is that when reading about said man, he is everything you could possibly want. However, when said single girl comes across an actual man that personifies these qualities, he is the physical embodiment of every reason why she is still single. Occasionally, the book boyfriend comes along that is realistic and still hauntingly very appealing. Andrew Parrish is such a man. Is it possible that a young woman can find a man that is handsome and talented and restless? Absolutely.

The Edge of Always is the continuation of Andrew and Camryn’s story after they finish their first road trip. They find this happy groove where they are both waiting for something to happen but seem to be enjoying their time together until tragedy strikes and the restlessness becomes overwhelming to both of them. After several weeks of debating and doubting themselves they decide to go back out on the road to rediscover what brought them together in the first book.

I read The Edge of Never over a year ago and the end of the story was so emotionally charged that I felt incomplete and needed more; not in the sense that I felt the story was incomplete, but from the want to know more about the direction their HEA would take. In this book, the author includes a letter to her readers in which she explains why she did not add more to the original book. She talks about the heightened emotions the book conveys and how affecting their story is to the reader. I appreciated that she added this piece and included a little surprise for fans of the first book.

Since reading the first book, I’ve ventured into so many romance genres that it took me a while to get to a place where I could truly engage in Andrew and Camryn’s story again. I bought the book when it was first released and waited months to read it. Now that I’ve read it, I’m happy that I’m through it. The one downside to New Adult romance is the angst that goes along with young lovers. Not just angst but the feelings of self-doubt and insecurity and finding that sense of comfort and peace with the person that you know you belong to. JA Redmerski captures all of these emotions so incredibly well that when you get to the moments of passion between them it feels like someone released a pressure valve in your lungs. I found myself rereading these parts just so I could mentally prepare for what could come next. 

I am happy knowing more about Camryn and Andrew’s journey and how they found their comfort and peace with one another. I love that I feel complete after reading this story. More than that, I love that a writer can create a character that is not so detached from reality that a single girl can still hope to find an Andrew Parrish, just maybe not on a Greyhound bus.

Like Falling (Surfacing Series Book One) by Jaden Wilkes 4/5 stars

I started reading this book almost three weeks after receiving my ARC. The beginning seemed so confined and reserved. The middle is a little scattered and hard to follow. But the denouement is filled with this bliss that seems unreal. The ending is tense and a little unbearable, like Gone With the Wind or Fifty Shades of Grey. I realized that the story is very character driven therefore the movement of the mood of the book very closely resembles the main character.

Sarah is a Mennonite girl from a provincial town in Alberta Canada. She has spent her entire life completely sheltered by the rigid beliefs of her family. She is easily dismissed by her family and seeks solace in daydreaming. The book opens with her on her way to college. She attends a school several hundred miles away from home with her best friend, Naomi. At college she meets two men, Tyr (pronounced tear) and Adam. The rest of the story proceeds with her having to make tough decisions about which of these men she should pursue. Sarah's family is working on arranging her marriage while she is working on pursuing a life outside of her hometown, one in which she would be forced to live within the confines of strict mother and father.

Sarah's journey of self discovery leads her on a path that is sometimes difficult to read. At other times, this book is difficult to put down. I was so surprised by this book, largely because I had never heard of the author. This is an awesome story. The characters are so different from the standard romance novel stock. I tried to rationalize that maybe it was cultural and relative to the setting but honestly I do not care. I love that they make REAL mistakes. I love that their flaws are relatable. I love that the love triangle isn't this tug of war but this young woman's struggle with affection and attraction. I also like that the reader does not automatically know which man is the right one for Sarah, that we have to wait and see. And I did find the end to be very reminiscent of GWTW and FSOG. I'm glad there is a sequel but lately that has made me nervous because I've been reading really strong first efforts and mediocre to subpar second reads. I think as long as the original story arc is followed every reader will be happy with the follow up, Like Drowning.

Frigid by J. Lynn 3/5 Stars

J. Lynn creates these unconventional love affairs in a tangible way. Some of her novels have fueled a few of my sweetest dreams. However, I found Frigid to be infuriating. The writing is the same but the basis for the storyline is unbelievable. Kyler Quinn is your male lead. He is handsome and determined. He is resourceful and sincere. He is intuitive up to the point that he cannot tell that his best friend since he was a child has harbored feelings for him. Kyler feels as strongly for her as she does for him but does not act on these feelings. This I have a hard time believing because it is not meeting with his character. Sydney is no better. Her insecurities take a toll on the patience when reading the book. She is constantly second-guessing the meaning behind what Kyler says (which I admit is typical of a 21-year old woman and a 35 year old woman). Anyway it is Sydney's insecurities that cause the most problems in their burgeoning affair. I will stop there because I do not want to spoil the book. Positive feedback: love the setting in the mountains during a snow storm. It seems cliched but this is where J. Lynn works her magic and takes a formulaic convention and still manages to add some interesting plot points. Kyler meets the requirements for sexy book boyfriend with flying colors. SWOON-WORTHY MOMENT: Wait until you find out the meaning behind his tattoo.

 

Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren 4.5/5 Stars Rating

The book description did not interest me. College girl sleeps around like a guy and refuses to apologize for it. Yea...that did not seem interesting. The reviews for this book however did grab my interest. I want to know why people were so goofy over another college romance. Hmmmm? So I read it and now I get it...TWINS!!!

Basic storyline: Emerson is a college junior that doesn’t want to get too involved with anyone so she establishes rules for “sleeping around”: never sleep with someone a friend has feelings for, never sleep with someone in a relationship, and never sleep with anyone more than three times. She has two best friends: Cole and Quinn. Cole has friends from Texas that are moving in with him into an apartment next door to Emerson and Quinn. Enter Jaxon. Jax is swoon worthy in a “best book boyfriend ever” kind of way. He is very much like Travis Maddox (from Beautiful Disaster) but WITHOUT all of the insecurities. He wants Emerson and recognizes from the start that he will have to work very hard to get her. Needless to say, Emerson has her reasons for her rules and Jaxon seems hell bent on ignoring these reasons, with respect of course. Rounding out this group is Jace, Jaxon’s identical and equally sexy twin. 

Emerson is my new favorite heroine. She is complex: when single, she is confident,  self-assured and able to handle other people’s negativity with a shrug of her shoulders, when attached to Jax, she struggles with all of the same insecurities that many women face. She is damaged and wants to hide behind walls and Jax challenges all of that and tears those walls down. There is a lot of angst with these two characters but I enjoyed their journey. This is just an incredible story of “finding the right one for you”.  I love the supporting characters. QUOTABLE: When Quinn catches Emerson ogling Jace, she replies “Sorry! It’s just so hard. I mean he’s my boyfriend’s identical twin. Obviously I like this brand.” Too funny!

 I am so happy I read this NA romance and hope to see more from Kimberly Lauren. 

Lick: Stage Dive Book 1 by Kylie Scott 3.5/5 Stars

Sexy rock star. Curvy heroine. Campy storyline. Oh, and a sexy rock star. This is one for those who like it a little sappy but not too much. Like switching from glucose to saccharine. 

Evelyn wakes up on a bathroom floor in Vegas, after a little hard partying for her 21st birthday, next to a half-naked man that she does not remember marrying. This man turns out to be the lead singer of Stage Dive, a popular rock band. Evelyn freaks out and runs away only to find herself front page news and seeking solace with her new husband. The campy part of the story ends there and the rest is formulaic but still entertaining. All of the fun elements of New Adult romance that readers enjoy.

David Ferris is the emotionally damaged rock star who married a girl that was different from all of the other girls he entertains. He is hot and has hot bandmates who are whimsical and sensitive. Malcolm is the lovable bandmate that welcomes Evelyn into David’s world in a “yanking your balls” kind of way. Readers will enjoy his comments. David on the other hand is all lust and desire. His bedroom antics are creative. SWOON-WORTHY COMMENT: “Topless Cuddles!”Yummy! 

Evelyn is not the stereotypical hot chick that is clueless as to how hot she is. She is curvy in a way that garners some negative feedback. She gets picked on because of her curves. What makes her worth reading is how she handles the comments. Her asides are hilarious. Both characters have past demons they are trying to overcome and this does get in the way of their relationship but not with all of the angst that is typical of NA romance.  

Lick (such a great name for a book) is an entertaining and quick read. I do recommend this one but I did find a few of the sex scenes to be stale. I am looking forward to the next book.

Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski Book #1 In the Company of Killers Series 4/5 Stars Rating

J.A. Redmerski writes these unconventional romances that take a drastic detour from the formulaic protocol of the run of the mill romances. The books come across as character studies, the readers discover how the two main characters grow and change from their introductions and interactions with one another. The first book I read from this author was The Edge of Never. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and wanted more. Amazon alerted me to the publication of Killing Sarai and I jumped at the opportunity to read about Victor and Sarai.

Sarai is an American girl that has been held hostage in a Mexican drug lord’s compound since she was 14. Victor is an assassin hired by the drug lord to kill a rival kingpin. When he leaves, Sarai escapes with him. The story proceeds with a road trip from Mexico to Los Angeles. The road trip storyline is a motif in Redmerski’s novels and it adds to the development of the romantic storyline. The characters in her novels face dangers/conflicts in different settings and usually find themselves narrowly escaping the threat.

I liked that Ms. Redmerski does not try to write Victor as a “killer with a heart of gold”; he is emotionally detached and makes calculated decisions that serve his interests. Sarai’s survival is not reliant or reflective of Victor’s affections; she lives because it serves a purpose. The story toggles between the two main characters point of view so the reader understands how Victor sees Sarai as “beautiful but defeated and damaged…a ticking time bomb, a danger to herself and very possibly to others.” He recognizes that while his demeanor is a reflection of years of discipline, Sarai harbors rage under a carefully crafted façade. Their coming together seems doomed from the start, but the reader will want to see what happens.

I will probably read this book again and I know that I will be eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

 

Savor You by Emily Snow Book #1 in the Savor Us Series 3.5/5 Stars Rating

I was looking forward to Kylie and Wyatt’s story after reading Devoured with Sienna and Lucas. Emily Snow’s character struggles and relationship angst in her novels is captivating. They are fun to read because the reader gets lost in the whirlwind of who’s right and who’s wrong. The fact that she uses rock stars helps with imagining the sexy hero who has to capture the heart of a strong-willed heroine.

In Savor You I did not get as lost in the story as I feel that I should have. This story has an endearing premise. There are two characters that have been going back and forth with one another for years. They have beaten themselves up over their want and desire to be together but never finding the courage to really be together. The theme of the book is the old cliché ‘relationships are hard’. However, the focus of the book is around how Kylie and Wyatt have never been able to get past the hard part. I think this is part of the reason why I am not as enamored with this book as I want to be. The main characters are weak; they are mental midgets. Of course, this revelation conflicts with the development of these two characters in the novel as a whole. They both come across as strong-willed and rebellious but in truth they are incapable of dealing with the difficulties of life in a mature way.

It took quite some time to get through with reading this book. I do feel that the storyline is strong and the author incorporates the supporting characters from the Devoured series very well. There is a nice mingling of the two storylines but I wanted more from Kylie. I was pleasantly surprised with the few twists that were integrated into the story and I think readers will enjoy that much.  

Facade by Nyrae Dawn Book Two in the Games Series 4/5 Stars Rating

I read book one and felt it was a good story. I liked Colt and Cheyenne’s story. Ms. Dawn does an excellent job of making her supporting characters interesting to her readers so that we will want to read about their stories in the subsequent books. Adrian Westfall is the focus of Facade. Adrian is Colt’s pothead former roommate. Adrian is struggling with demons that haunt him from the loss of a close relative. Delaney and her brother Maddox move to Brenton to find Adrian. She is also haunted by demons and believes that if she talks to Adrian about how their pasts are connected she can somehow heal the both of them. Throughout the story the reader can see the significance of the title in the way that the characters wear masks. Adrian and Delaney reluctantly move away from their emotional detachment into a relationship with each other that forces them to remove the their masks.

Facade is a beautiful story. The characters are well-developed and the plot has enough twists to avoid being cliched. I like the imperfect way that Delaney and Adrian come together. Adrian is emotionally damaged and seeks solace in smoking marijuana. He discovers a new addiction in Delaney. Delaney allows her guilt to overwhelm her and she succumbs to Adrian’s advances because of it. Ms. Dawn creates a very flawed relationship for Adrian and Delaney. When the two question the imperfect nature of their union they seek the advice of the other characters. Colt provides Adrian with guidance on how to pursue a meaningful relationship after spending years avoided one. There are some trite romance elements incorporated that prolong the novel. All in all, this is a lovely romance. Ms. Dawn leaves the reader with a clear indication that Maddox's story will be the next in the series for the novel Masquerade. The book ends with an excerpt from the next novel. I am looking forward to reading about Maddox and Bee.

Elite by Rachel Van Dyken The Eagle Elite Series 3/5 stars rating

I enjoyed this book. I loved the idea of the mafia storyline and the private college designated for the nation’s elite. I winced through the angst between the leads as they struggled with their burgeoning love. I enjoyed this book. The story revolves around Trace’s acceptance to an exclusive college her freshman year. She enters the school and meets the class president, Nixon, and his entourage who give her a rude awakening. She later discovers truths about her new school. the students that attend the school, and her family history. Her discoveries lead her to see how all of these things are connected and that she is more important that she could ever know. This New Adult novel has a great storyline and I am looking forward to the sequel.

With that said, I must admit that there were several aspects that were a distraction. There were quite a few plot holes and inconsistencies in the plot that I kept questioning. I realize that this is a series (not sure yet if it will be two books or three) but so much of the introduction of Trace to the school is unclear as the story progresses. I felt as though the college came across more as a high school and I had a hard time with this component. If reading, I recommend looking past the fastidious details and enjoying a creative story about the rediscovery of love.