Two Young Adult Tear-Jerker Mini-Reviews

These are two YA books that I read and cried even as I enjoyed them more than anything this January.  All of them got 5 stars from me.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover:

Published:  October 3rd, 2017
Source:  Purchased paperback/listened to digitally downloaded audiobook from Library
My Rating:  5 stars

I purchased this book when I finally got the chance to meet Colleen Hoover, one of the authors on my must-meet list since I first read one of her books about two years ago.  It was a little later before I finally got around to reading this, because I really wanted to listen to the audiobook from the library, even though I owned a physical copy of the book.  The characters were all so unique and they just jumped right off the pages.  This was one really messed up family. But we start out not knowing exactly what all those issues are.  And then this guy named Luck shows up, and I loved him!  He made me laugh so much!  Although later in the book he does do something that made me very angry.  The book just got weirder and weirder as it went.  The craziness just piled on to this family. And then it took a turn I totally didn't see coming!  One that had me in tears and at about 35% in the audiobook, I gave up and just picked up the book to start reading.  I can read so much faster than it takes to listen to the audiobook.  Halfway through she had me sobbing so hard I could barely see through my tears to keep reading.  ANd I had to stay up and read, couldn't go to bed without getting past a certain point.

A couple things that I loved, there's a funny fact in the book about how you can't hum when you're holding your nose closed.  I want to know who actually read that part and didn't then actually try it.  I admit it, I tried!  Then there is a quote about not trusting an overconfident person, and I totally agree with that 100% from all my past experiences in life.  And because I just have to share it, here is my picture with Colleen Hoover!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Miss Me Not by Tiffany King:

Published:  November 11th, 2012
Source:  Purchased ebook
My Rating:  5 stars 

This is one I downloaded because there is a page in my romance author coloring book.   Now, honestly, the picture in the coloring book doesn't quite match the way the story was.  I loved the story though. So many wonderful emotional scenes to this story.  While the other book I read by the author, The Write Stuff, was more New Adult, this was really YA.  I wish it was one I could purchase for my school library with school funds, but I would have to order it from Amazon with my own money and then wait to get my district to catalog it.  This book was so good that as I was reading it, I would tell myself just one chapter before bed, but before I knew it, I'd read way past the time I had meant to go to bed because of work the next day.  I loved Dean, and totally felt for Madison.  Really a great read.  It does deal with suicide and depression, so that is important for those who need trigger warnings I guess.  Oh yeah, here is my finished page from the coloring book.  You can see it looks kind of sweet and cheerful, and honestly this was a pretty dark story, lots of tears on my part!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a shadow of an existence with little hope. With the sudden tragic death of a fellow student, Madison questions her own life choices, and is now forced to evaluate everything she thought she believed in. 

When fate intervenes and partners her with Dean Jackson, a popular "all around good guy" from school, Madison gets a glimpse of a life that is filled with sunshine that has the power to break through the darkness she has cloaked herself in. 

With Dean's help, Madison discovers a desire to finally step out of the shadows, and embrace life and all its gifts. 

Six Adult/New Adult Contemporary Romance/Erotica Mini-Reviews

Behind, again, with reviews. But ended up today with one post not being ready because the book itself hasn't been released.  Ended up with extra time to just blog since my school library is pretty much ready for me to leave it for the summer as they get ready to do construction and kick us all out anyway.  Not wanting to go out and spend money today, broke till payday on Thursday.  And, well, hanging out and relaxing till my concert event of the year tonight, New Kids on the Block!  So as I was sitting here and had replied to all my comments, decided the best thing to do would be to get some reviews done!  So here are some mini-reviews of one favorite author, as well as some new authors.  If it is an author I've had the chance to meet, I'll be sure to share that picture of me with them from whatever convention I got to see them at.  These are all adult novels, nothing YA. 

Royally Matched (Royally #2) by Emma Chase:

Genre:  New Adult Romance
Publisher:  EverAfter Romance
Release Date:  February 17th, 2017
Source:  Purchased
My rating:  5 stars

As with the first book in the series, Royally Screwed, one thing I really loved was the witty banter. The characters were so much fun, totally the type of people I'd love to hang out with.  While I probably liked the first book a tiny, super-tiny bit better, I probably empathized more with Sarah.  Such a fun read, loved the whole idea of the reality tv show for getting to marry the prince.  And Prince Henry was a cutie.  Also I enjoyed going back to the characters from the first book and getting to see how things were with them.   Lots of smiles and feelings - both sweet and sad - in this story.  Looking forward to the third book in the series, Royally Endowed, as well as getting to meet the author at Apollycon in March next year.  Oh yeah, and here is the picture in the coloring book that goes with this series, although you can see I'm not quite finished with it..

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry John Edgar Thomas Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.

He’s not handling it well.

Hoping to help her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora agrees to give him "space"—but while the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:

Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition. 

A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.

While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.

The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit... and her naughty sense of humor.

But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight. 

As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.

Kaleidoscope Hearts (Hearts #1) by Claire Contreras:

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date:  January 8th, 2015
Source:  Purchased
My Rating:  4 stars 

I enjoyed this one.  It wasn't anything way out there that was too surprising.  It was a very good read, hard to put down when I picked it up, which often would be before bed, making it hard to go to sleep.  I didn't know it was going to be a series until I'd finished it. So I guess I'll be needing to get ahold of those books soon!  I did get to meet the author when I was at Apollycon back in March as well, you can see us in the picture below on the left.  I ended up reading it because I wanted to color that page in the coloring book I have, although I've just started it as you can see in the picture below on the right.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

He was my older brother's best friend. He was never supposed to be mine. I thought we would get it out of our system and move on. One of us did. One of us left. Now he's back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I'd turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. He broke my heart last time. This time he'll obliterate it."

Passing Peter Parker (#hotcom series) by J.D. Hollyfield:

Genre:  Adult romance

Release Date:  December 15th, 2016

Source:  Purchased at Kinky in Kansas City

My rating:  4 stars

A short, quick, fun read.  I liked the idea of a teacher romance, but instead of with a student, with a substitute teacher, much more my type of read.  Let me tell you though, this nerdy teacher, so hot, so sexy, and so the kind of teacher I could meet at one of my teaching jobs.  Definitely a hottie.  I bought this book at the Kinky in Kansas City Convention back at the beginning of March, and I know I'll be sure to read more by her!  I did not get a picture with this author though.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Miss Thompson is a substitute teacher with legs for miles and a foul mouth. Mr. Parker is a nerdy science teacher who loves to taunt and tease with his wicked tongue.

Together they learn a lesson in chemistry and how opposites attract. Their sex is getting an A but will Miss Thompson pass Peter Parker? Or is this just a little fun until school's out for the summer? 

Ink and Lies by S.L. Jennings:

Genre:  New Adult romance

Release Date:  February 9th, 2016

Source:  Purchased at Apollycon

My rating:  4 stars

This was a fun look at romance being written by a guy, a guy who is very jaded and says he doesn't believe in romance.  He uses his own sexual experiences with women to create the characters, and also maybe some things from his best friend's love life.  He wants to write other types of novels, and so uses a pseudonym for his bestselling romance novels.  Realizing that he is in love with his best friend only causes strife between the two.  And makes the things that he finds out about her fiance suspicious to her as something he may only have made up to try to get her away from him. But the story is still pretty good, even if somewhat predictable.  I was a bit confused at some of the way the romantic writing was interspersed with the story so that I wasn't sure what was real and what was just his story he was writing.  I also do really hate when someone in a story refuses to believe something about their significant other being a cheater, or going back to them believing they will change.  But again, I know those are the usual things in books to cause drama.  I did meet this author at Apollycon and get my picture with her.  Also because I bought this book, my name was entered to win another of her series, and I did!  Here I am with S.L. Jennings at Apollycon back in March:

   

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

 From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…

No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.

…two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…

WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.

…two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!
Lies.
I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman. 
I’m a liar. 
And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make herbelieve them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart. 
You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.
I just never expected to actually live it.
This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.
The one I’m still writing.

 Misunderstandings (Woodfalls Girls #2) by Tiffany King:

Genre:  New Adult Romance

Publisher:  Berkley Publishing Group

Release Date:  May 6th, 2014 

Source:  Purchased as bargain book at Barnes and Noble

My rating:  4 stars

I picked this one up because of course it was on the bargain table and looked like my type of read.  Also, though, I loved this author's other book, The Write Stuff, and so was eager to read more.  I was not disappointed by this one.  It was very addictive.  Not knowing exactly what had brought the two characters to this point in their relationship at the very beginning was very intriguing, and kept me reading with all the flashbacks to see how it had happened.  It was a great way to keep me from being able to put the book down, even when it was bedtime and getting late!  The big event that caused their split was a very major event, and one that made for a lot of emotions, not only on the characters' parts, but also on the reader's part, meaning me crying.  I can't wait to read more books by this author, and hope to get a chance to meet her in the future!  I also am excited to go back and read the first book in this series, since we kind of get a look at the future of the couple that was in that first book, and I'm eager to see how their love story happened.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Just when she thought things were going up…

Two years after a devastating breakup, Brittni Mitchell has moved on from Justin Avery—or so she tells herself. But when she returns to Seattle for her best friend’s engagement party, Brittni finds herself the victim of a disastrously timed elevator breakdown. She’s trapped with the last person she wants to face, and forced to recount the past she desperately wants to forget.

She’s going to have to look back…

When Brittni left her podunk hometown for a big city college experience at the University of Washington, hooking up with a guy like Justin Avery was not part of her plan. Between Justin’s attention-grabbing tattoos, cigarette smoking, and bad boy attitude Brittni quickly chalked him up as �Mr. Wrong.” But his charm was unrelenting, and Brittni’s decision to give Justin a chance quickly turned into the worst choice she ever made.

So that she might be able to move forward.

Now she’s stuck with Justin—literally—and the complicated web of misunderstandings that tied up the truth for two years is about to unravel. 

American Queen (American Queen Trilogy #1) by Sierra Simone:

Genre:  Erotica/BDSM/MFM

Release Date:  October 25th, 2016

Source:  Purchased at Kinky in Kansas City

My rating:  4 stars 

Okay.  I knew some things about this story ahead of time.  I knew the MFM.  I knew erotica, I guess I didn't quite realize some of the BDSM.  There was a lot of the submissive/master sex in the story, and that doesn't really do it for me most of the time.  In fact, especially not to the degree it was in some parts of this.  However, I do like how the author kind of explained why the dominant did some things the way they did.  And that helped me with being able to read and enjoy the story.  There was some pretty extreme sexual situations towards the end of the book, in what was getting close to what could have been a HEA.  If it had ended that way, I may have stopped. But it didn't, it left off with a MAJOR cliffhanger, and so I had to immediately order the sequel and now need to get it read soon so that I can see what happens.  I do have to admit that cover though, it is so beautiful.  How anyone wouldn't see it and immediately want to pick it up and see what it was about would be beyond me.  Just know that if you decide to read this one, you have to be open to the things I've mentioned above.  I did get to meet the author at Kinky in Kansas City, but I don't think I got a picture taken with her since I hadn't read any of her books yet.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

It starts with a stolen kiss under an English sky, and it ends with a walk down the aisle. It starts with the President sending his best friend to woo me on his behalf, and it ends with my heart split in two. It starts with buried secrets and dangerous desires…and ends with the three of us bound together with a hateful love sharper than any barbed wire.

My name is Greer Galloway, and I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.

This is the story of an American Queen. 

Six New Adult/Romance Free/Cheap E-book Mini-Reviews

Wasn't sure if I'd get one of these posts done in October. But, since a few of the ebooks I've read this month were for specific tours, I decided to go ahead and do a post with just these six. 

First Night (Seductive Nights #0.5) by Lauren Blakely:

*Note: This is a free prequel to the NYT and USA Today Bestselling full-length sexy romance novel NIGHT AFTER NIGHT now available on Amazon.
It was only supposed to be one night…
When the sinfully handsome man walks into her bar in San Francisco, Julia Bell simply wants a break from the troubles that keep chasing her. That escape comes in the form of sexy, confident and commanding Clay Nichols, who captivates her mind AND turns her inside out with pleasure. The attraction is electric and they share one scorchingly hot night together, but they also discover there is more than just off-the-charts chemistry; the connection between them runs deep. Clay never thought he’d return to New York with this woman still on his mind. But he can’t get her out of his system, and he needs more of her…He wants more than just the first night… 

My rating:  3 stars

A quick, easy read.  Nothing too different.  I might read on in the series at some point.  No rush at the moment.

The Write Stuff by Tiffany King:

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her? After all, what happens under the cover…stays under the cover.  

My Rating:  5 stars

I LOVED this book!  It was one I could barely put down to do anything!  At first Nicole isn't quite sure about the guy, thinking  he might be kind of a jerk, and not the kind of guy that would be interested in her.  Then, when it seems he is, and things start to get hot and heavy, it all comes to a screeching  halt when he finds out she is a virgin. He doesn't get with virgins anymore.  Soon though, he will see that he misses her, and when Nicole finds out what his reasoning is behind his "ban" on virgins, things will take some talking out, but they will be able to figure out what to do.  I guess this is part of a series, I still need to get the second one.  I'm also very excited to meet this author at Apollycon in March!

Six of Hearts (Hearts #1) by L.H. Cosway:

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.

I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.

I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.

Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.

But most of all, I put on a good show.

The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn’t. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.

Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.
I want it for all six of us.

She doesn’t remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this – if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.

So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.

You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.

I’ve only got one heart, and after I’ve pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.

So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride.   





My rating:  5 stars


I downloaded this as a free book, and started reading as a favorite author of mine (Samantha Young) was going on about this being one of her favorite authors as she read a book further on in the series.  And when I picked this up, I was in love!  The love interest, Jay, was definitely very swoon-worthy.  But the main character, Matilda, I totally got where she came from.  Of course the "mystery" about who Jay was, well that was apparent right away, even if Matilda didn't get it.  But the twist in why Jay was going to the extremes with the person he was suing, that was definitely a twist that I didn't get until it began to unravel in the story.  I loved it, it had some very steamy scenes, and I can't wait to read on in the series!

Royal Rock:  A Bad Boy Royal Romance by B.B. Hamel:

I won’t kneel for anyone, especially not that filthy prince.

It was like a dream when the crown prince of Starkland flew me and my family out to his castle. We thought it was just another vacation, but of course the prince had other plans.

He goes by Trip, and he’s one filthy a-hole. He’s a notorious bad boy and jaw-droppingly handsome, as much as I hate to admit it.

And I slapped him across the face the first time we met.

Just because he’s royalty, doesn’t mean he can whisper dirty things in my ear!

I don’t want anything to do with that cocky jerk. He talks to me like I’m a servant, and it drives me crazy. He wants me to be his princess and demands I wear nothing but his crown.

Now I’m stuck, practically a prisoner in his castle. Who knows if I’ll ever get home.

Or if I really want to leave . . .    



My rating:  4 stars

This was another really quick read, and it had some very steamy parts.  The interactions between the two main characters was very fun.  I haven't read a lot of stories with "royalty" that weren't also either YA or dystopian or fantasy.  So some of this was a little weird to read to deal with someone actually in charge of a country/kingdom.  A real monarch situation.  In the end I did really enjoy it.  I will probably read more by this author in the future.

Candy Boys by Jo Raven:

Joel and Jethro. Roommates. Total hunks. Inseparable friends. Hot as hell.
Meet my fantasy boyfriends. Aren’t they just the sexiest, cutest thing? I know, right? They totally are. They are hot, too hot for a quiet – and obsessed with them – girl working in a bookshop.
That’d be me, by the way.
There’s also the tiny problem of Joel wanting another girl. And as for Jethro, well… he doesn’t do girls. Or maybe he doesn’t do relationships. He certainly doesn’t do boys, so he isn’t doing his best and very male friend… right? Much less his male friend and me at the same time.
So it’s fine to crush on them. And write a serial story on my blog in which we have tantric sex in every possible position.
All three of us. Together. Touching, and licking, and sucking, and screwing.
Whew.
I mean, it’s okay. It’s perfectly safe. They’ll never even know I exist, much less find out about my blog and my secret fantasy about them.
Right?
Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. 

My rating:  4 stars

Okay, so I'm not sure that I enjoy the two guy part of the story, but the rest of this was pretty hot.  I don't have a problem with the two guys together, it's just not what is my type of read in a romance/erotic story.  But, I do have to admit that at times, the whole story all together worked.  I think it was just the relationships between all of them, and how it worked.  I liked the characters, they all had their own issues.  The whole online story part was very interesting to add into the story, and made for some good tension at certain points in the story.  It was another fast read for sure.  And I did enjoy it overall.

Insta-Hate (Instant Gratification #1) by CL Bond:

When Alexandria Ray’s romance series becomes an overnight sensation, the world and its demands close in on her. After years of struggling to maintain the pace her publisher, agent and the world expects, she needs a break. Enrolling as a student at Columbia University is step one to finding herself again. Finding Arsen Daniel was not on her list.

Arsen Daniel, along with his best friend, built an empire in the form of an exclusive, psychology-based dating service. When an old friend invites him to teach a course at Columbia, he accepts. The course? The Psychology of Love. Sounds simple enough and the publicity alone will make it worth his time.

Arsen didn’t expect to meet his match in the form of a sarcastic blonde, hell bent on holding to her belief that true love doesn’t actually exist. After all, what woman, especially a world-renowned romance writer, doesn’t believe in happily ever after?

Something in Alexandria’s eyes tortures him. She reminds him of someone from his past and that is a very bad thing.  

My rating:  4 stars

I liked this one, although I did have a few issues with the relationship.  I could totally see the connection between Arsen and Alexandria.  I didn't quite see the twist coming, and it was a very interesting one.  But the way Arsen reacted, well I felt it was a little extreme, and his refusal to give in, and to compromise or see Alexandria's side when the truth all comes out, it really irritated me. Especially how quickly he seemed to turn around at the point that he did.  Before that happened though, i was definitely really enjoying it and would have finished it much quicker had I not had other review books I had to get finished during the time I'd started this one.  A good read, I recommend it, and now will just have to decide if I will read on in the series, although I know I would read other stories by this same author for sure.