Thursday, January 29, 2015

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Better When He's Bold by Jay Crownover

I'm (Rachel) a big fan of Jay Crownover so I jumped at the chance to be part of the Review & Excerpt Tour for Better When He's Bold the second story in the Welcome to the Point series. If you haven't had a chance to pick up this series, you're missing out! For my stop today I have my review, an excerpt and a giveaway so make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter!

Better When He's Bold (Welcome to the Point #2) by Jay Crownover

Publication Date: February 3rd 2015 by William Morrow & Company

Purchase Links:

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound ** Other

About the book:

There is a difference between a bad boy and a boy who is bad...
Welcome to the Point...
In a dark and broken kingdom, a ruler has to be fearless to control the streets and the ruthless people who run them.
Race Hartman is just bold enough, just smart enough, and just lost enough to wear the crown. Places like the Point will always have bad things and bad people, but the man in control of all that badness can minimize the devastation. Race has a plan, but can he prevent total annihilation without destroying himself?
Brysen Carter has always seen her best friend's brother for what he is--too pretty, too smooth, and way too dangerous to touch. Basking in Race's golden glow is very tempting, but Brysen knows she'd eventually get burned.
When she starts receiving threatening texts and someone tries to take her out in parking lot, the only person interested in keeping her safe is the one man she can't allow herself to have.
Sometimes being bold is the only way to stay alive. But can she let Race save her life . . . if it means losing herself to him?

My Thoughts:

Better When He’s Bold is the second installment in the Welcome to the Point series, a series with lots of moral gray areas. These are truly “bad boys” (with big hearts) who are trying to keep the underbelly of society as “good” as can be by controlling their vices. Like Bax in Better When He’s Bad, Race is a sexy anti-hero. Brysen was helpless to resist his pull, especially when he turns out to be her ~~white~~ dark knight in shining armor.

Brysen has been attracted to her best friend’s brother, Race, for some time. He’s gorgeous with charisma to spare, attracting any female with eyes! Brysen fights this attraction because her life is complicated enough without adding Race into the mix. He’s involved in shady dealings in the Point, in fact he’s sort of the King in that tarnished kingdom. Brysen may look like she’s from a typical, privileged, upper middle class family, but appearances aren’t what they seem. Behind closed doors her family’s life is a mess. Brysen’s moved back while she works a job and attends college to help provide stability and care to her high school aged sister, Karsen, until she graduates. Her parents are too selfish and involved in their own problems to notice Brysen or Karsen. Brysen keeps her nose to the grindstone until Race’s help and protection become necessary. The more he’s in her life, the more she can’t resist.

Race is taken with Brysen. She’s the first girl who doesn’t just fall at his feet whenever he flirts or tries to charm her. She’s from the privileged side of town, The Hill, but appearances are deceptive. As he gets to know her he admires her selflessness when it comes to those she loves. When it becomes apparent Brysen that she’s in danger from a crazy stalker, Race is determined to keep her safe.

Jay Crownover writes additive, captivating stories, and brings her imperfect characters to life, making you care for them and their problems. Better When He’s Bold was no exception. Even though Race is really not a good guy in the classic sense, we get to see the reasons for his decisions and actions, making it hard not to love him in spite of the sketchy things he’s involved in. I swoon when a guy is concerned about his woman and will make every effort to keep her safe and happy. Race was that guy for Brysen, but it wasn’t just a one way street. Brysen was a reminder of all the good in life, helping him keep his moral compass while dealing with the darker parts of The Point.

While Dovie and Bax’s story continues to be my favorite romance, Race and Brysen’s was compelling and smoking hot, as well! I’m addicted and invested in this series and will gobble up any future stories. I can’t wait to read Titus’ story! He’s Bax’s brother who walks on the right side of the law; a policeman in need of some loving! As a side note, I’d love to have a romance with Karsen and Booker. Sometime would need to pass, obviously, but there’s definitely chemistry a-brewing between those two!

4 Suns

Excerpt:

“I should go home.” My voice was strained to my own ears. I couldn’t have sounded less convincing if I tried.

“There are always other things we should be doing. Come back to my place with me, Brysen.”

It wasn’t a question, it was almost an order. It shouldn’t sound as hot as it did.

“I don’t really think that’s a great idea. Besides, we haven’t even touched on the fact that I do officially have a stalker.”

He took a step even closer and the finger he had used to rub my cheek he now used to push some of my hair back behind my ear. It was probably the most kind, most reverent touch I had felt from another person in my life. That it was coming from this complex and troubling man hit me in all of my warm and squishy places.

“You have a stalker until I can get my hands on him. And it might be a bad idea, but it’s a bad idea that is going to happen one way or another, so fighting it seems stupid and takes energy I can sure as hell put to better use. Let me take care of you for one night, Brysen. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Of course I wouldn’t regret it. I wanted him, was entrapped by him, and after I ate it all up, took everything he had to give, lived in the pleasure and passion he broke loose inside of me, it would for sure kill me to know I would never be able to have it again. I blew out a breath, lifted a hand to wrap around his thick wrist, and fully intended to tell him no, that it just wasn’t worth the impending heartache, but what came out of mouth was:

“I don’t know what to do with you, Race.”

His warm hand slid under the fall of my hair at the back of my neck and his head lowered toward mine. His mouth hovered right over mine and my lips parted in their own invitation.

“Yes, you do.”

When he kissed me, my mind was made up. I wanted this—wanted him—and I hadn’t had anything just for myself in far too long. I knew it was bound to lead to really bad things, but on the way there I really, really wanted to enjoy everything that came with him. Including the way he pulled me close. The way he slid his hands down over the curve of my ass. The way his tongue lured mine out to play, and maybe mostly the way he made everything else that was always hounding me fade away. With his mouth on mine, with his hands roving over me, there was no crumbling home life, there was no failed math class there was no lurking and unidentified threat … all I could feel was heat, burning, desire, and desperation. It was such a welcome reprieve from what I usually felt that there was no way I could tell him no.

He took a step back and squeezed the back of my neck. I was breathless and his eyes had shifted to that sexy, deep, opaque forest green.

“I can’t offer you anything fancy. You’ve been on my mind and under my skin for a minute now, but I promise that I’ll make it worth your while.”

I breathed out a sigh and took the hand he offered me.

“You already have, Race.”

He flashed that dimple at me again and inclined his head toward the mouth of the alley.

“Where did you park?”

“Around the corner.” He gave me a look that indicated I would be lucky to find the BMW in one piece once we reached it.

And don’t miss the previous books in The Point Series!

BETTER WHEN HE’S BAD

About the author:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men and The Point series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.