Review: Chase Power Player Series by Cassia Leo

Chase: Complete Series (Power Players #1-4) by Cassia Leo
Published November 11th 2012 by Gloss Publishing 

Follow presidential candidate Chase Underwood and former escort Larissa Jacobs' sensual and tumultuous journey from beginning to end.

PART I: Chase
Larissa Jacobs' financial debt is climbing after a failed attempt at becoming the next big thing in Hollywood. After losing her job as a party clown, Larissa's roommate gets her a gig working for an escort service. Her first client is Senator Chase Underwood: hot, married, and the current presidential candidate. Will his penchant for sexual domination destroy his prospects of world domination?

PART II: Disclosure
Larissa Jacobs' financial debt may be a thing of the past, now that Senator--and the all-but-certain future president--Chase Underwood has offered her a lucrative position in his campaign. But, like the rest of Chase's staffers, Larissa is asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement; only Larissa's NDA comes with some interesting stipulations that may make or break their arrangement.

PART III: Exposure
Larissa Jacobs has finally found the man of her dreams in presidential candidate Chase Underwood, but her dreams of happily ever after have been put on hold indefinitely. When a feature in the L.A Times exposes their affair, Chase and Larissa are thrust into the center of a scandal that will rock the nation and the very foundation of their love.

PART IV: Closure
After the scandal caused by her affair with presidential candidate Chase Underwood, Larissa Jacobs is flown to his lavish villa in Tuscany. Larissa watches the news coverage of Chase's victory and fantasizes about him storming into the villa and making good on his promise to marry her. But her fantasies are becoming less and less appealing with every day they spend apart. It doesn't help that the hot Secret Service agent assigned to guard her has become the only person she can speak to.

Will Larissa remain true to her promise to wait for Chase? Will Chase finally put his love for Larissa before his career?

My Thoughts

PART 1: CHASE

Larissa Jacobs takes a job as an escort to pay down her student loan debt and try to buy some time as she attempts to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Her first job is with Chase a Underwood who is a high profile politician and Presidential hopeful. He makes her an offer she just can't refuse.

Super quick and fast novella and has me mildly curious where this will lead... So on to book two.

PART II: DISCLOSURE

Larissa accepts the position as Chase's political assistant and as soon as she signs the non disclosure agreement the pressure to perform kicks off. They fly out Maryland for a political event and reporters and high profile contacts seem like too much to handle. That is until Chase makes Larissa another offer she just can't refuse. Is a proposal enough to keep her on the sideline waiting for Chase?

This installment sure kicked up the heat factor. These two are hot together and I'm super curious if their hidden attraction will hold up or explode under pressure... On to the next one to find out!!!

PART III: EXPOSURE

Larissa and Chase's illicit affair is exposed right before the presidential election. The polls show that Chase is the next presidential hopeful but he and his political team have to face the firing squad that can damage his chances of winning the race. To avoid full on backlash he proposes to Larissa and convinces her to go into hiding until he's in office and the affair has lost public attention.

This story is addicting for all the wrong reasons! It's rushed and extremely rough but I can't stop reading it! I'm curious about Drew now. He popped up out of nowhere and I can't help but notice he's caught Larrisa's attention. Let's see how this all plays out. Next please...

PART IV: CLOSURE

Larrisa is whisked off to Tuscany in an effort to defuse the scandal between her and Chase right before the election. She plays her part and helps Chase land the presidential win. However waiting for him is harder than she thought and Drew begins to flood her thoughts. When Chase gets wind that he might possibly lose Larissa he makes a bold move.

I liked the ending and despite the rushed story and whirlwind feeling, it's fiction and I enjoyed it. Entertaining...

Overall Series Rating

3 Suns

Review: Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna

Her Best Laid Plans by Cara McKenna

Publication Date: April 15th 2014 by Harlequin

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

Experience Ireland—the dramatic beauty, the warm hospitality…and the smoking hot local guys!

Imagine nursing a pint in a cozy, authentic country pub, far from Cork's busy city pulse. Getting here took you a plane, bus, taxi and…um, bicycle. But just as you're resigning yourself to drinking beside grey-haired farmers, you see him—a man with the looks and charm to soothe any heartbroken girl.

He's your bartender. Your really, really gorgeous bartender.

For American Jamie Webb—recently dumped and housesitting for two weeks—Connor Kelleher is like a six-course feast after a 23-year starvation diet. But it's gotta be casual. She's just begun rerouting her life after a three-year man-related detour. Still, a sexy romp (or twenty!) with Sexy McBartender?

But what happens when Jamie's best-laid plans for no future plans with any man begin to change?

My Thoughts:

Her Best Laid Plans was a satisfying romance and one HOT novella, but I didn’t expect any less from Cara McKenna.

Jaime’s life plan derailed after her long-time boyfriend broke up with her.  She was to support him through med school and then he was to return the favor when he finished and she went for her degree in architecture.  Now that Jaime’s put her life on hold and delayed college, she’s two years behind with nothing to show for it. Loser ex!! With the summer off and no plans until she starts college and a new job in the fall, Jaime travels from Boston to Ireland determined to have a good time.  Things are looking up when the gorgeous Irish barman, Connor serves her a Guinness at the local pub. Yet, what Jaime thought of as a vacation fling turns into something so much more. Connor has found a place in her heart and settled in deep.

Connor works at the family’s pub saving every dime to go back to college for his engineering degree.  He’s wasted years on a misspent youth and plans on correcting that in the fall. When Jaime walks into his bar he falls hard for her and starts imagining a future:

“I fell harder for you in a week and a half than I have for any girl I dated for ten times that long,” he said. “If this isn’t worth turning my life inside out for, I can’t imagine what is.”

This romance ticked all the boxes for me in 85 pages! Even though Jaime and Connor’s relationship happens in ten days it didn’t feel like insta-love to me at all. They used every free minute getting to know each other.  And oh, I liked some of the ways they did that:

She sucked in a breath, back arching.

“Good,” he murmured. “Let me figure you out.”

She smiled at that, unseen. Of course he’d want that—to mess around and discover how she worked, how to make her respond.

Oh my, and yes, please!!

This was HOT! Connor and Jaime’s time together was intense, passionate and yet so very sweet.  I was desperately hoping they could work things out in spite of living on two different continents.  A HEA is a requirement for this romance junkie, and let’s just say I had a smile on my face by the end.

 4 Suns

Connect with Cara McKenna:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Wave of Sunday #60

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.

Today we are spotlighting:

Push (Push #1) by Claire Wallis
Publication Date: May 1st 2014 by Harlequin MIRA
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

I feel like I am wrapped in a cyclone. Everything is whirling around me, drawing the air out of my lungs and filling me with the best kind of turmoil. Every time his tongue slides against mine, a prickle in my gut tells me how right we are together. How much I need David. How much I need us.

I hope the cyclone never stops.

Emma Searfoss has spent a lifetime trying to escape her abusive stepfather. It's why she moved far away from home. It's why she's kept no ties with her remaining family. And it's why she's got a major rage problem. When her neighbor shows up to fix the kitchen in her new apartment, his enigmatic charm calms the fire in her. David is cool and collected, and he makes Emma feel safe for the first time ever. But David has his own chilling past—his six previous girlfriends have all disappeared without a trace. Emma's walking a dangerous line, but David's pull is intoxicating. And impossible to resist…

This is a new adult romance with mature content for readers 17 and up.

Rachel's Thoughts:
I saw this around on Goodreads recently and I'm EXTREMELY curious! Emma and David's relationship sounds very sweet, but then you come to the fact that David has had six girlfriends that have gone missing and that's a definite red light flashing: DANGER!! WTH?! I want to believe that David had nothing to do with their disappearances, and I'll be rooting for that the entire read, but what are the chances? I do have a theory, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. I'm dreading the cliffhanger because there is no release date shown for the second book. Eeek! I plan on reading this very soon, probably the beginning of June, so I guess we'll see.

What about you, readers? Has anyone read this yet? And if so, what did you think?


Brandie's Thoughts:

The synopsis started off making me think it's just like any other NA book I've ever read...until it gets to the part about his past girlfriends all having disappeared. NOW you have my attention! This sounds really good and like a must read!! I don't know about it being a cliffhanger book, though...I may have to wait until the next book is out so I don't torture myself. But this one is definitely going on my TBR list!

Review: An Unexpected Sin by Sarah Ballance

An Unexpected Sin (Sins of Salem #2) by Sarah Ballance
Published April 14th 2014 by Entangled: Scandalous

Colonial Salem

The moment the stranger's dark eyes meet hers, Anne Scudder's world is immediately overthrown by chaos. That single flare of desire is immediate, driving away all notions of propriety. Instead, Anne is consumed with sinful thoughts - ones that no unmarried girl should ever have for a man who isn't her husband...

But Josiah Cromwell is no stranger.

It's been six years since Josiah stole kisses from Anne, his best friend's younger sister. Six years since Josiah left after his best friend's death, burdened by the knowledge that he was responsible for destroying Anne's family. Now he's returned to claim the woman he can't live without. But even as their desire threatens to consume them both - body and soul - the dark workings of suspicion and witchcraft are afoot.

Because in Salem, too much passion can lead a woman to ruin... and condemned to death.

My Thoughts

An Unexpected Sin was a great story that took very little time for me to fall into the historical cadence. I was looking forward to this book because I was hoping to cleanse my reading palette with something a bit different and this book fit the bill perfectly.

In this novel, we get to meet Josiah and Anne as they come together after years of separation because of a tragic event that occurred when they were teenagers. When Josiah comes back to Salem, it’s in the midst of the Salem Witch Trials where a careless accusation can cause someone their life. Any misstep could be the catalyst to an inquisition where a woman could be burned at the stake with little to no grounds for the accusation.

As Josiah and Anne start to develop deeper feelings for each other, the past eventually pulls them apart and Josiah makes a choice to keep Anne safe from the dangers of the Witch Trials. Their story is filled with believable and captivating drama, and when you couple that with two characters that are easy to fall for, I found myself captivated by their journey.

However, I struggled a bit with a few writing nuances. I don’t think I’ve come across the word verily as much since the initial BDB books by JR Ward. The extensive use of this word was a big distractor and it left me wondering how much this story could have been better with some sound editing.

Now, An Unexpected Sin seems to be the second book in the Sins of Salem series and when I was offered a copy of the book by the publisher, it wasn’t made clear. However, I feel this story can easily be read as a stand-alone and not leave the reader feeling like they walked into the middle of a conversation. I would, however, like to go back to read the first installment because the small part Henry and Lydia played in this installment had me liking them immediately.

Overall, I was in the mood for a historical romance and An Unexpected Sin was a perfect choice. It was filled with an interesting plot and plausible backstory. Well done!

3 Suns

New Release: When We Fall by Kendall Ryan

When We Fall by Kendall Ryan
Published May 15, 2014
Purchase: Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iTunes / Smashwords

About the book:In this third and final installment of the much loved When I Break series, Knox and McKenna’s relationship has reached a critical impasse. The mistakes and secrets of their pasts have caught up to them and threaten their future happiness. Can McKenna trust that Knox’s sexual addiction is behind him and make a life with this beautifully troubled man? And when Knox reveals the full truth about his past, will McKenna be able to put her own fears aside and accept him?

About the Author:

Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the contemporary romance novels, HARD TO LOVE, THE IMPACT OF YOU, RESISTING HER and WORKING IT.

She's a sassy, yet polite Midwestern girl with a deep love of books, and a slight addiction to lipgloss! She lives in Minneapolis with an adorable husband, two naughty puppies, and a brand new son.

 She enjoys being naughty, reading, and anything girly.

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Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

I really enjoyed Losing It by Cora Carmack so I was thrilled to be part of the tour for All Lined Up, Cora's newest New Adult Series. This tour is hosted by InkSlinger PR and you can find a complete tour schedule HERE.

All Lined Up (Rusk University #1) by Cora Carmack

Publication Date: May 13th 2014 by William Morrow Impulse

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the book:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack follows up her trio of hits—Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It—with this thrilling first novel in an explosive series bursting with the Texas flavor, edge, and steamy romance of Friday Night Lights.

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

My Thoughts:

All Lined Up was a story of romance, football and growing up.

Dallas Cole is starting her freshman year at Rusk University, a college in Texas, where her dad is the football coach, and her ex, Levi is the quarterback. Dating a football player didn’t work out so well so Dallas is determined to stay away from the players. Being the coach’s daughter underscores that decision, because the players either are scared to death of messing with her or they suck up to Dallas to get on her father’s good side.  All her resolve is tested when she meets Carson.

Carson is at Rusk hoping to earn a scholarship through football, something he’s naturally good at. He knows it’s an uphill battle so he’s determined to focus and work hard.  His plans do not include girls or relationships, but meeting Dallas turns him upside down and he can’t stop thinking about her.

Both Dallas and Carson weren’t planning on falling for someone, but sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants.  Keeping their relationship in the friend zone is just too painful, and as Dallas and Carson come to realize, unnecessary. As their connection builds, Dallas deals with her strained relationship with her father.  No parent/child relationship is perfect, and both Dallas and her father work at coming to terms with the past and future. 

Football and the life around it is a large part of this story and I enjoyed getting the feel of a place where the sport is a huge part of life.  I’m not a sports person, but I do appreciate the fun way it molds people into a community cheering for the same thing.

While I enjoyed All Lined Up I didn’t connect with the story as much as I hoped.  All lot of the struggles and inner turmoil from Dallas didn’t move me, and I wish some of the passages were cut down. Still, romance between Carson and Dallas was pretty hot and I was happy there wasn’t a lot of angsty drama between them.

This is a promising start to a fun series, and it sounds like resident playboy, Silas is up in the next story.

3 Suns

About the author:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Connect with Cora Carmack:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

As part of this tour we have a generous giveaway of 5 Signed Copies for 5 winners of All Lined Up. US Residents Only. Simply fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

Review: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters

Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters
Published March 17th 2014

Bully and victim.
Tormenter and tormented.
Villain and hero.

Ellie McCallum was a bully. No connection to anyone or anything. A sad and lonely existence for a young woman who had come to expect nothing more for herself. Her only happiness coming from making others miserable.

Particularly Freaky Flynn.

Flynn Hendrick lived a life completely disconnected even as he struggled to become something more than that boy with Asperger's. He was taunted and teased, bearing the brunt of systematic and calculated cruelty, ultimately culminating in a catastrophic turn of events that brought Ellie and Flynn’s worlds crashing down.
But then Flynn and Ellie grew up.

And moved on.
Until years later when their paths unexpectedly cross again and the bully and the freak are face to face once more.
When labels come to define you, finding yourself feels impossible. Particularly for two people disconnected from the world who inexplicably find a connection in each other.

And out of the wreckage of their tragic beginnings, an unlikely love story unfolds.
But a painful past doesn’t always want to let go. And old wounds are never truly healed…and sometimes the further you try to run from yourself the closer you come to who you really are.

My Thoughts

He made me remember a lonely girl who had been drawn to a sad boy and had found comfort in him. I had to push him away. It’s what I did. It’s how I ensured my continued survival. It’s how I protected my heart.
Unforgettable...

This story was simply beautiful in the best and worst way. I struggled with the bullying aspect of the book and it broke my heart to see how much Flynn went through, but overall this story touched my heart. Beautiful!

Bully and victim.

Friend.

Champion.

Lover.

In Reclaiming the Sand, we get the honor of meeting Flynn who as Asperger’s Syndrome. As a result, he is constantly taunted, teased and bullied at school. When he meets Ellie, who has been raised in the foster care system and has suffered a different sort of torture, these two become unlikely friends. However, when Ellie’s friends bully Flynn in the most cruel ways possible, she does nothing to defend him, leaving him confused and hurt.

After a tragic event leads Ellie to spend years in a detention facility and later completing parole service, she runs into Flynn and they steadily begin to reform the friendship that was broken so many years prior. As she begins to allow herself to love Flynn and he shows her that he’s capable of building a relationship with her, these two learn how to speak each other’s language and form a bond once again.

I have to say just how much I came to adore Flynn. He was complex yet so tender and simple in the most resounding ways. To see that he was capable of love on a whole different level made this story magical and pure. It broke my heart to see how he suffered at the hands of ignorant people that taunted and teased him so cruelly, but it was hopeful to see how he was able to build a life for himself and learn to function in society on his own. Truly emotional!

As much as Ellie’s choices broke my heart, she still proved to be a worthy character. Her hard edges and callous ways for some reason didn’t make me angry, but rather sad. I completely understood why she made certain choices, and I believed her regret. To say she deserved Flynn took a lot out of me, because to juxtapose someone so innocent, pure and kind against a character like Ellie’s is tough to swallow. However, the ending proved to be the perfect blend of appropriate and hopeful.

Reclaiming the Sand was beautiful in so many ways. This story absolutely owned me!! He gave me a life I never dreamed I could have.

He had given me connection and belonging and acceptance.

4 Suns