Review: His Roommate's Pleasure by Lana McGregor

His Roommate's Pleasure By Lana McGregor 
Published on July 1, 2013 by Carina Press

About the Book:

It started with an accidental click…but where will it end?

Desperate to turn in a paper, Adam borrows his roommate's computer and mistakenly opens a folder that contains Josh's collection of porn. Adam had no idea that his jock roommate was gay—and into leashes, paddles and domination. And Adam, an inexperienced virgin who's only ever kissed one guy, is surprised to find himself curious about submitting…

Josh can't believe that his roommate discovered his spank bank—and he can't believe that Adam is so turned on by the thought of giving up control to someone. Taking a chance, he offers to look through the photos with Adam…and maybe try acting some of them out.

Night after night, the boys delve into their darkest fantasies of domination and submission. And as lust and experimentation grow into the promise of something deeper, Adam must decide if he's brave enough to tell Josh how he feels.

 
My Thoughts:

His Roommate’s Pleasure is one hot, dirty, dirty gem filled with sweet surprises!
”You tripped and fell into my porn folder?”

After a happy accident reveals similar tastes and turn-ons in porn. Cuffs, collars, paddles, and more. Seemingly opposite roommates, Josh and Adam, decide to explore their kinks, wants and needs together. Sharing and opening new worlds and pleasures in each other with domination and submission. From pictures online to using what is around their room to trips to the sex store. I adored the questions, concern, slow steps and progression these two took in their exploration. Actually this story might have been a first for me—one where both characters were learning about their darker desires. Usually there is one in the know leading the trembling newbie into the world of BDSM. But here both Adam and Josh are exploring the new emotions and power of humiliation, pain, and submission. They didn’t dive in with “Sir”-s, clubs, or labels either. They just talked and experimented with their needs by sharing and trusting each other. 

And boy-OH-boy did they spark, spank, and cry out with need and desire! The chemistry caught on the page here made me blush. Fueled by nerves and heat. The tension burned and crackled! That tiny, HOT dorm room was p-p-pulsing with sex! Adam and Josh could go from awkward to hot or sweet to intense in a blink of an eye. They fumbled and worked their way through what turned them on with words, touches, blushes, and grins. Adam slowly discovering his desire and power to go down on his knees for Josh—to please, trust, and give himself so completely to him clicked right into place with Josh’s need to protect, prepare, and keep Adam safe, hot, and horny. Very hot and dirty together! Believe me…Ms. McGregor is not afraid to get sticky with her down and dirty boys!  

”Josh’s hand shifted, sliding around to the back of his neck again, stroking. His other hand was in Adam’s hair. It was only two points of contact but somehow it felt like Josh was touching him everywhere.”  

I adore Lana McGregor's style.  YES, she can turn up the heat, but she possesses a fun, light sarcastic hold on her pages and banter as well. Supplying us with laughs and smiles while slowly building the relationship in the dorm room and out. The dorm room setting, by the way, felt so real to me at times. Adam and Josh did not hook up in a dark, leather filled club—it was their college dorm room. A room filled with empty Cheetos bags, laundry, and porn. It grounded the feel of the scenes in reality. Just two young, inexperienced men trying to find and understand their desires. To maybe find someone to share those fantasies and secrets with. 

My favorite part of this story and my biggest surprise was the sweetness though. This story held such adorableness. A new layer to Josh and Adam’s relationship began outside of their sex games by sharing time together over meals and movies.  The confidence and comfort grew and changed as they got to know each other more and more. Yes, I “aww”-ed.   But can Adam and Josh make it work outside of their dorm room games? Will they dare to ask for more? Want for more. Come knock on the dorm room door to find out! 

A sweet, sexy read!  I’ll be on the lookout for more from Lana McGregor for sure.

4 Suns

Author Spotlight (Interview & Giveaway): Tarryn Fisher of Love Me With Lies

It’s no secret by now that we at Waves of Fiction are die-hard fans of Tarryn Fisher!! She could write up a grocery list and we’d be fangirling away!! We’ve read hundreds of books but haven’t come across any writing like Tarryn’s: riveting, mesmerizing, and ADDICTIVE.  

After concluding Thief, the last of the Love Me With Lies series, we asked Tarryn to visit our blog again to answer some questions.  Partly because we can't quite say goodbye to this series, and partly because she simply fascinates us!  Be sure to scroll down after reading our author interview to enter a giveaway for the complete series and cool Tshirt.

  

 Interview

Q: We’re all mourning the end of The Love Me With Lies series. What an emotional roller-coaster, and we’re also talking some serious depression now that it’s over. :)  How do you feel now that the series has concluded, and how hard was it to say goodbye to these characters?

Tarryn: It wasn’t hard. It was time. I wrote the Opportunist when I was twenty one. I’m thirty. So they really have been with me for a long time. I have much more space in my head now. I like that.

Q: What was the hardest or the easiest scene for you to write in the final book?

Tarryn: The office scene was the easiest. After all this time I just wanted everyone to finally know what really happened. It was hard not to jump to his defense for all these months. I just had to bite my tongue. We all know I don’t do that well!

Q: As an avid fan of these books, I can honestly say I could not imagine a more appropriate ending for this series. Well done! Did you having an ending in mind when you started writing these books or was your writing process fluid throughout?

Tarryn: I knew they would be together, but I also knew that after such a huge time lapse there would be serious consequences. I wrote the end first. Then worked my way around that.

Q: We met a pretty dynamic cast in your series, as well as some secondary characters that were quite compelling. Do you foresee any spinoffs from the Love Me with Lies cast?

Tarryn: Nooooo. I am quite done. Secondary characters are secondary for a reason.

Q: Between Olivia, Caleb and Leah, which would you say was the most difficult to capture on paper?

Tarryn: Olivia was. I was just starting to write seriously, and I was determined to tell the truth about myself. So it was pretty painful to put all of my flaws into her character. Leah exhausted me.

Q: If you had to describe each of these three characters using one adjective how would you represent Olivia, Caleb and Leah?

Tarryn: Raw, Naive, Shallow

Q: What has been the general reaction to these characters from your readers?

Tarryn: They take a long time to attach to Olivia, but for the most part they do. They despise Leah but can’t help being fascinated by her.  And most love Caleb.

Q: Speaking of… You’ve acquired quite the dedicated fan base with your books, and rightly so. Has this caught the attention of any publishers? Do you anticipate self-publishing your future books, or would you consider partnering with a publisher?

Tarryn: There has been interest. I think publishers see me as a risk to be honest with you. I like being Indie. It’s a rebel movement and I believe in it. My voice is indie. I’m too random to be a formula writer, I think.

Q: Can you share any updates maybe teaser quotes on what you’re currently working on?

Tarryn:

 I wake up in a cold sweat. I am hot. No, I am cold. I am freezing. The blankets tangled around my legs feel unfamiliar-too smooth. I pull at them, trying to cover myself. They are thick between my fingertips—or maybe my fingers are swollen. I can’t tell because my brain is sluggish, and now I’m getting hot again. Or maybe I’m cold. I stop fighting the blankets and let myself drift…backwards…backwards…

And just because we could never get enough of Olivia, Leah and Caleb we have some spoilery questions we hope you’ll entertain. :)

Q: What happened to Olivia’s ring?  Does she wear it now or did Caleb get rid of it?

Tarryn: Olivia has her ring. I like to think she wears it sometimes. But she sees their penny as her ring. She never takes that off.

Q: Who did Leah marry?

Tarryn: No one we know.

Q: What is behind the backwards names Caleb used every so often?!? Is that a Tarryn habit that Caleb picked up? :)

Tarryn: No, I don’t do that. But, someone I used to know-did. It’s just one of his quirks. He did it in The Opportunist.

Q: Was there more to Laura’s storyline than what was presented in Thief?

Tarryn: You know, I view life not as a straight line. It branches off and some of those branches don’t lead anywhere. They just happen. I like to get a look at those little branches. This is actually a common way to tell a story in indie world. You zoom in on an occurrence and study everything about it. Laura was a liar. There are honest liars, like Olivia. Vindictive, spiteful liars like Leah, Necessity liars like Caleb and people who lie for no good reason like Laura. I think we all fall into one of those categories.

 

We want to thank Tarryn so much for answering our questions and giving us such a memorable, and emotional story.  We will never forget Olivia, Caleb, or Leah!!  We can’t wait to read your next mind spin, the excerpt definitely sparks our curiosity!

  

About the author: I am a real life villain, truly. I drink sick amounts of Starbucks. Most of the time my hair smells like coffee. I was born in South Africa, and lived there for most of my childhood. I moved to Seattle just for the rain. Rome is my favorite place in the world so far, Paris comes in at a close second. I read and write more than I sleep. When I was eleven, I wrote an entire novel about runaway orphans, using only purple ink. I am addicted to Florence and the Machine and will travel to see concerts. I love scary movies and giraffes. I spend way too much time on Facebook. Meet you there?…

               

                                            Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

We are giving away an e-Copy of the complete Love Me With Lies series: The Opportunist, Dirty Red, and Thief. Winner will have a choice of an eBook from either US Amazon or US Barnes & Noble.  But that’s not all, we’re including a T-shirt (see picture below) from the series!!  Just fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Good luck and thanks for visiting Waves of Fiction!



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Giveaway: Signed Copy of The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

Hello readers! We’re here to pass along a giveaway from Tarryn Fisher hosted by The Tarryn Fisher Street Team at The Pressed Penny.  She has generously provided a SIGNED Paperback copy of The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies #1) to one lucky reader.  Just click below on the link to the rafflecopter and follow the instructions.  Make sure you visit The Pressed Penny where you can stalk get fun updates and information on Tarryn Fisher and the Love Me With Lies Series.
 

Here are extra entry instructions provided by the Tarryn Fisher Street Team:

 

 

Extra entries may be earned by purchasing or gifting a copy of ANY of the Love Me With Lies e-books and provide a proof of purchase between now and Friday evening.  You can enter 1 time per day with a new entry.  You can even encourage a friend to purchase the book and send in the POF to the e-mail address provided for the giveaway (tfgiveaway@gmail.com)



 

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Prize will be fulfilled by The Tarryn Fisher Street Team. Good luck!

Review: Knight & Play by Kitty French

 

Knight & Play by Kitty French

Publication Date: November 23rd 2012

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

About the book: There's only one thing in life Lucien Knight really hates, and that's husbands who cheat on their wives.

There's only one problem in Sophie Black's life. Her cheating husband...

From the moment Lucien & Sophie meet, the seal is set.

Romantic, emotional & intensely erotic, Knight and Play is the perfect read for lovers of international bestsellers Fifty Shades & Bared To You. Let yourself be swept away by Part One of the Knight series from Kitty French, a romance so hot it'll burn your fingers...

CEO of Knight Inc. Lucien Knight is catch-your-breath gorgeous and damaged by his troubled past in Norway. All grown up and relocated to London, he's built his empire of adult clubs from the ground up to become the gorgeous patron saint of the sex industry. No one knows the dark childhood secrets that have given Lucien a backbone of steel and a heart encased in ice. No one until Sophie Black, that is...

From the moment girl-next-door Sophie accepts the job as Lucien Knight's PA, she understands how Alice must have felt when she tumbled down the rabbit hole. Lucien takes her safe, vanilla life away and plunges her head first into a huge dish of fantasy flavours. Rich, spicy chocolate covered with dark, oozingly lickable sauce? Check. Tutti-frutti with indecently red, glistening cherries on the top? Yes please.

Lucien strips away all of Sophie's inhibitions, and when he instructs her to select three new toys, she soon realises he has more than a game of Monopoly on his mind...

He's opened the door to a whole new pleasure packed world without limits, and Sophie is utterly intoxicated. But how far is she willing to go? And what happens when she has to step back into reality again?

Lucien & Sophie's is a story of star crossed love and forbidden passion, a sexual odyssey that spans the globe and changes both of their lives forever. Let it change yours, too.

My Thoughts:

Knight and Play was and extremely sexy and sensual ride!  Smoking HOT does not cover it!

Sophie Black is stuck in a boring life, languishing in a lonely marriage.  Her husband is gone at all times for “business trips” which she is coming to realize are anything but.  It the back of her mind his disinterest and detachment spell something she hasn’t wanted to come to terms with: he’s having an affair. Her career is also in the stuck position and she’s ready for something new.  That something new is a position working for Lucien Knight, an adult entertainment business mogul.  Her heart stutters when she lays eyes on him:

Tall, dark and handsome was nowhere near the mark. He was tall, definitely, but with dirty blond hair and flint blue eyes that were now fixed on her with a predatory look of interest.

She has no idea how much her life is about to change.

Lucien Knight can see the sadness in Sophie’s eyes when she walks into his office and immediately wants to remedy it.  He hires her and quickly finds out her good-for-nothing husband is cheating on her, one of his biggest no-no’s in life.  He can’t understand why someone would neglect Sophie.  Just one look at her and he sees all kinds of sensual potential.  She’s got spunk, sass, innocence, and she’s gorgeous:

The girl was eighty percent kitten and twenty percent lioness, and he considered it his mission to make her roar.

This story is FIERY HOT and should require one of my trademark panty warnings:  May spontaneously combust while reading!  Now consider yourself warned, and know that this warning is for a great percentage of the book. 

Lucien shocks and pushes Sophie’s buttons at every turn lighting all kinds of fires she feels she shouldn’t consider.  She knows her husband is cheating but she’s still technically a married woman.  Normally I detest cheating in books, but when a mate is cheating all bets are off and I consider the injured party free to do what they will. This is my opinion, so the fact that Lucien and Sophie get involved when she is still married didn’t bother me.  Lucien held the same opinion, but Sophie still felt the burning guilt after all was said and done. 

This was a fast and addictive read and I was eagerly flipping through the pages (keeping my fan set on HIGH!) to find out how everything would play out.  Would she continue to work for Lucien?  Would she reconcile with her husband?  Would Lucien allow his feelings to move past just “the here and now” philosophy?  Be warned, this ends with everything up in the air so have book two, Knight & Stay, on hand and ready to go when you finish this one. I’ve already started on it and so far I have to say I like it even more than this one. 

 

4 Suns

 

 

 

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Axel by Harper Sloan

Waves of Fiction is excited to be part of the blog tour for Axel by Harper Sloan!

Axel by Harper Sloan
Published July 7th 2013
Purchase: Amazon |
  Barnes and Noble

About the book:

Note from the author--This book is intended for a mature reading audience and isn't suitable for younger readers. Brash language, sexual hotness, delectable alpha males, some violence and adult situations are all over this book--you have been warned.

Fate hasn’t always been friends with Isabelle West. In fact, fate has been a downright bitch.

Isabelle has learned the hard way how hard life can be when fate isn’t by your side. It can hand you dreams on silver platters, but it can snatch them right back and hand you nightmares. One thing Isabelle knew for sure fate was consistent with was taking away everything she ever loved.

For the last two years Isabelle has been slowly clearing the clouds of her past. Happiness is finally on the horizon. She has a thriving business, great friends, and her life back. All she has to do is jump over the last hurdle…her ex-husband.

When problems start causing her to fear her new life, and memories that are better left forgotten start rushing to the surface the last thing she needs is a ghost from her past to come knocking on her door.

Axel never thought he would look into the eyes of Isabelle West again, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to now. He’s carried his anger for so long he isn’t sure he can just turn it off, but when he is faced with protecting her and an unexpected desire to have her again, life gets a little more complicated.

How will Axel and Isabelle deal when all their cards are put on the table and everything they thought was true blows up in their faces?

My Thoughts:
Calling all Kristen Ashley fans - you are going to LOVE Axel and all the other seriously swoon-worthy, bad ass alpha males in this book! This was a fantastic debut, and I am looking forward to reading the next one!

Axel is the perfect bossy, protective, sexy guy. For years he's thought THE love of his life just up and left him without a word and he's been holding onto the anger and pain of losing her. Rising up from the shitty cards he was dealt growing up - he made something of himself and is running a successful security business. But Izzy is never far from his mind.

Izzy was completely and totally in love with Axel. After he goes off to boot camp, tragedy strikes her more than once and her life is sent into a tale spin. She lives through an abusive marriage and manages to survive and then begins to pick up the pieces of her life again. As she's finally feeling safe and some happiness - her abusive ex strikes again and her best friends decide to call in reinforcements - and one of them just happens to be Axel - the love she thought she lost so many years before.

I will admit that Izzy's breakdowns did get frustrating for me at times. It was her insistence on NOT telling Axel the truth about their crossed wires all these years that about drove me insane. And I have to say - it's a great way to build suspense and keep you turning the pages. I just wanted to get to the point when these two finally saw eye-to-eye and realized they still had it BAD for each other.

The beautiful thing about this book was the sweet and incredible love these two shared. It was such a strong bond when they were just kids, and they could feel that love and attraction again after so many years. I truly felt it and believed in their love.

"Not one day went by Izzy that my heart didn't belong to you. To this day there has only been one woman that has and will ever hold it. F***, baby but the love I have for you is so f****** strong sometimes, I wonder if it will crush me."

Not to mention how HOT they were together. If my Kindle could catch fire - it would have.

I love a bossy, protective man and Axel did not disappoint. This book has a slew of fantastic bossy men and I'm thrilled to read their stories in the future.

A really good, steamy romance with some suspense and action to keep you on the edge of your seat! Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this one - can't wait for Greg's story next!

About the Author:

Harper lives in small town Georgia just a short drive from her hometown of Peachtree City. She (and her 3 daughters) enjoy ruling the house they dubbed 'Estrogen Ocean', much to her husbands chagrin. Harper has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books; you can almost ALWAYS find her with her eReader attached. She enjoys bad reality TV and cheesy romantic flicks. Her favorite kind of hero--the super alpha kind!

Harper started using writing as a way to unwind when the house went to sleep at night; and with a house full of crazy it was the perfect way to just relax. It didn't take long before a head full of very demanding alphas would stop at nothing to have their story told.

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Wave of Sunday #40

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR.

Don't forget if you let us know which book has caught your attention this week, you have a chance to win our new feature giveaway! Just leave us a comment or quote in the comment section.

This week we are spotlighting:

Fear of Falling by S.L. Jennings
Published July 18th 2013 (first published July 15th 2013)

About the book
I can’t remember the last time I felt completely safe. Security seemed more like a luxury to me, reserved for those who were fortunate enough to have picture perfect childhoods. For those who didn’t bear the ugly scars that keep me bound in constant, debilitating fear. I’ve run from that fear my entire life. But when I met him, for once, I couldn’t run anymore.

He scared the hell out of me in a way that excited every fiber of my being. It wasn’t the tattoos or the piercings. It wasn’t the warmth that seemed to radiate from his frame and blanket me whenever he was near. It was just…him. The scary beautiful man that threatened to alter 23 years of routine and rituals, and make me face my crippling fear.

My name is Kami and I am constantly afraid. And the thing that scares me the most is the very thing I want.

“Don’t worry,” he smiled, pulling me into the hard warmth of his chest. “I’ve got you. I’ll always catch you when you fall.”

And just like that, Blaine had staked his claim on the untouched part of me that no living soul had ever moved. He had captured every fear, every reservation, and crushed them in the palm of his inked hand.

Author Disclaimer: Abuse is real- verbal, emotional, physical and sexual. It takes place all around us; it doesn’t discriminate against race or gender, wealth or poverty. It affects us all- those of us who’ve had to live through it, or watch it happen, even those of us who’ve only heard about it. We are all affected. We are all forever changed.


This is not a story for the faint of heart; this is the story of one woman’s very real struggle through a world against her, the people who hurt her, her real life demons and the people who showed her that every gray sky, no matter how dark, has a sun waiting to break through.

***Inspired by true events***

Brandie's Thoughts:
Wow, this book sounds intense. Abuse is a very tough subject to read about - and the fact that it's 'inspired by true events' has me really interested in giving it a try. Not to mention she had me at 'tattoos and piercings'! I definitely plan to read this one in the near future.

Arlene's Thoughts:
I completely agree with you Brandie. This book sounds like it's going to pull at some emotional strings pretty hard. I've seen the initial ratings for this story, and Fear of Falling seems to be getting a resounding positive response. So despite the author disclaimer putting me on high alert, I'm intrigued. Definitely giving this book try!

Blog Tour Excerpt: Innocence Defied by Lainey Reese

Today on Waves of Fiction we are participating in the blog tour for Innocence Defied by Lainey Reese hosted by Shh Moms Reading.  We have an incredible excerpt to share with you as part of our tour stop!

Excerpt!

A crowd was moving around the baggage terminal, and Gage looked up to scan for Zoe when a woman caught his eye. She was curvy in a lush, mouthwatering way that made his palms itch. She had jet-black hair that bounced around her shoulders with every step she took. As he watched, one long lock looped over an arm and curled around her right breast as though outlining it, and Gage started forward without meaning to. All thoughts of his beloved kid sister vanished as he kept his sights on that curl and the gently bouncing breast it cradled. He was going to have those breasts by nightfall, he promised himself, and everything else that went with them. Just as he was drawing close and getting ready to make an introduction, the gentle bounce became a faster one as she started running. He stopped in his tracks, unwilling to disrupt her when she was obviously rushing to greet someone. He hoped like hell it wasn't a man, because that would seriously ruin his whole "get her naked and devour every inch of her" plan.
She was going to run right by him, he thought as she drew closer and closer, and just when he started to sidestep, thinking he must be in front of whoever she was meeting, she squealed, "Gage!" and launched herself at him.

I'm going to Hell.

Innocence Defied by Lainey Reese

Published on July 16, 2013 by Samhain Publishing

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

About the book

Gage Hollister is a Southern Dom looking for a full time sub/slave. When his family's business brings him to New York City for an indefinite stay, he decides that now is the time to find her. Night after night he prowls the local BDSM club in search of a woman whose need to be dominated equals his thirst for true submission. As the search drags on he begins to wonder if his perfect match even exists. When he is asked to play chaperone for a family friend embarking on her first trip as an adult; he welcomes the chance for distraction from his thus far fruitless endeavor.

Zoe Marshall is the youngest sister to Gage's best friend and she has been in love with Gage for as long as she can remember. She has saved herself for him and him alone. Now, after careful planning and a bit of luck she finally has her opportunity to show Gage that she's all grown up and ready to be his. Although he believes himself too old and jaded for an innocent like her, Zoe will not relent until she belongs to him in every way.

Soon Gage's resistance crumbles and Zoe's dreams become reality but their budding love is tested when her brother discovers them. As those bonds of friendship strain under betrayal and broken trust, Zoe is confronted with having to choose between the man she loves and the brother she worships. Will having the love of her man cost her the love of her family? If so, is her heart strong enough to survive that loss? Is their love?

Warning:
This book contains graphic language, BDSM elements, M/F/M ménage, a Southern Dom who's a gentleman; and the woman who brings out the scoundrel in him.

Other Books in the series:

Table For Three

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

 

Damaged Goods

Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

About the Author:

 

A note for my readers:
I write books that have very dominant men in them.  The men in my books are fierce and controlling in the bedroom and overbearing and protective out of it.  And the women never have anything to fear because the men would throw themselves in front of a bus before they'd let anything hurt their ladies..including themselves.  I write fiction.  In real life we need to be way more careful and choosey than my heroines are.  Never give up your power or your body to anyone unless you have all the groundwork of safe words and real solid trust in place.  Safe words are non-negotiable- No safe word?  No way.  

Now, as for me. I live in a tiny little place called Lake Stevens with my daughter, and our many pets.  I'm an animal lover.  Yup it's true.  I am one of those people who lets the dog on the couch and has cat hair on her sweaters.  

I've dreamed of writing since I was twelve and after the reception my first novel received I am kicking myself for not following that dream sooner.  Since my first novel A Table for Three came out I have been a changed person.  My childhood dream has come true and every day away from my computer feels like a waste.  With the release of Damaged Goods I took a leap of faith and left the day job behind.  Every day is a crazy adventure of second guessing my decision and wallowing in the joyful realization that "I don't have to go to work today!"  A realization that I have NEVER had for longer than a week in my entire adult life.

Fate has smiled on me and I am now a full time author!  My dreams are becoming a reality and I have you to thank.  Thank you all for reading and reviewing (those reviews really make a difference).  I hope that this is the start of a long and fabulous life together...you and me...I'll write and you read and together we'll make the world a steamy wonderful place!

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Review: Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Published July 16th 2013 by Skyscape

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N

About the book:

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

My Thoughts:

I read a lot of fantastic books throughout the year. But once in a while I will come across a book that is so fantastic that it renders me speechless. A book that works a number on my emotions and leaves me utterly drained – but in a blissfully happy way. A rare book that will keep me up late because I just can’t bare to put it down and have to finish it. And that is what Jessica Park did to me with Left Drowning. This was the first book I’ve ready by this author – but it will certainly not be the last.

We start the book meeting Blythe. She’s on her way home from a party in a drunken haze. This has been her coping mechanism for her first few years of college while she refuses to deal with her tragic past.

Then one day she meets the fun-loving siblings who will change everything in her world. Eric & Estelle, the twins. Sabin, the out-going and hilarious flirt. And the oldest, Chris, who she immediately connects with on a level deeper than anyone in her life. It’s the friendships of these awesome people that help Blythe to start healing and dealing with her past. In addition – her love and connection with Chris continues to grow the more time she spends with him, despite his constant reminders that she’s too good for him and more than he’s ready for.

Not to mention the sexual tension and steam between them is HOT! But no matter his growing feelings for her, Chris continues to hold back and keep his past from her. Everything isn’t exactly what it seems, and it’s clear these siblings have suffered their own tragic past – but have fought to get past it. Blythe knows there’s more to their story but doesn’t question them. She’s worked hard to make peace with her past, and she wants nothing more than to help Chris get past his – whatever it may be. But he’s determined to only move into the future, never thinking about or dealing with those demons that haunt him.

I was on a spectacular high through most of this book, loving every beautiful written word. To only come CRASHING down, my heart wrecked by a certain turn of events. I understood later the authors reasoning, and it was completely justified. My advice to readers is keep an open mind. My friend told me the same thing while reading this book, and she was right. It’s worth every gut-wrenching minute.

I also loved how the author wrapped everything up in the end – bringing all the pieces together to fit like a puzzle. I had figured out some of the pieces early in the book, but it was brilliant how it all came together in the end. This author knows how to write – her style is beautiful and riveting. She pulled me in immediately and I couldn’t get enough. My emotions were all over the place, and I’m still on a high from finishing it. It was refreshing to read such a different storyline from anything I’ve read lately, but it still had all of the elements I love in a book – love, friendship, humor, sex, suspense, angst. It’s a book that I won’t soon forget!

5 Suns

Review: Into the Deep by Samantha Young

 

Into the Deep by Samantha Young

Expected Publication Date: August 13th 2013

About the book: Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.

And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…

My Thoughts:
A second-chance-at-love story always tugs at my heartstrings.  Not only did Into the Deep tug at my heart strings it settled in and gave my heart a great big crushing squeeze!  It was filled with painful longing, lusty attraction, and a once-in-a-lifetime-love.

Charley and Jake fell into love while they were both sixteen.  They were very young, but sometimes life works out like that.  Unfortunately, tragic circumstances cause a rift and Jake leaves Charley without any explanation shattering Charley’s heart. She’s never been the same.  Three and a half years later Charley has moved on as best as she could and is fulfilling her goal of studying abroad in Ireland.  Shock, pain, and disbelief strike Charley when she finds Jake also attending school there, as well, with a girlfriend in tow!  Avoiding him and his girlfriend is near impossible as all of their friends hang out together.  Plus, Jake can’t seem to stay away from Charley and asks her to be his friend.  She knows that she should avoid him and refuse but she just can’t tell him no.  Their mutual attraction and deep connection comes through loud and clear to everyone around, causing drama and angst. 

Into the Deep started out bittersweet because when Jake and Charley meet again he’s moved on with someone else! This crushed Charley’s heart (mine too!) throughout the story and it was painful to read Charley emotions. 

Part of me still felt for Jake and all he’d been through, and the other part hated him for breaking all the promises he’d made me.  From the moment we’d met, he’d dragged me into the deep, swearing to me he was in there with me. It was a lie.  He’d waded back out to the shallows and left me to drown.  Worse, he’d found a new deep elsewhere with some other girl.*

I’m fully in Charley’s corner.  The story alternates chapters flashing back to the past, and then going back to the future, revealing slowly what went wrong with Charley and Jake.  While I felt bad for what happened to Jake, I don’t understand why he just left things the way they were as time went on. Not only did he just leave things, he goes out to school where he knows Charley will be attending and gets a girlfriend!!  Not okay with me Jake!

Charley is an awesome girl trying to hold it together and respecting what she thinks is Jake’s happiness with another girl, all the while being his friend!! You know this can only last for so long before things explode.  Things end on a high note, but just like Charley, I don’t know if I’ll be able to trust and forgive Jake.  The story does not end in a cliffhanger, but it’s far from over.  The next installment will be told in Jake’s POV and I’m hoping he’ll win me over.  This will largely depend on how steadfast he is, where he lays his priorities, and how he handles Melissa.  Groveling wouldn’t hurt either!

With all my uneasiness over Jake I still want nothing more than a HEA between them.  Their chemistry, steam, and attraction are felt profoundly throughout the story!! Samantha Young always manages to suck me in with her addictive and brilliant writing, making me feel a whole range of emotions: soaring highs and crushing lows.  I’ll leave you on a high:

“Please. Please try because every time I look into your face, all I feel is…so in love with you. Then two seconds later, every time without fail, it hits me like a sledgehammer in my gut that you’re not mine. That I’m not allowed to reach out to you…I thought I could accept that, I thought I’d come to terms with it, but I can’t. We’re not over.” Tears shimmered in his beautiful eyes. “We can’t be over.”*

4 Suns

 

 

 

 

A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!!

*Quotes taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

 

About the Author: Samantha Young is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestselling novel ON DUBLIN STREET. Connect with Samantha on her:

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